5 comments about At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life.

1. This book, down to the "pioneer" theme,and dustjacket synopsis, seems to owe a significant debt to Louisa Thomas Hargrave's The Vineyard, which covered similar territory at a similar time on Long Island's North Fork.



2. I found Hargrave's autobiography pompous and dull, but Susan Sokol Blosser's account of building a life in the Dundee Hills of Oregon speaks to me on many levels--as a woman working in the wine industry, a woman working with her husband, a woman running her own business, and a mother. Susan turns her trials into triumphs and exercises a sense of humor along the way. From the Great Goose Experiment to the day her tearful son rides his bike all the way to school by himself, this is a story that will transport you into "The Life" of owning a vineyard and winery, with a judicial salting of reality and romance.



3. Pour a glass of Evolution Wine and kick back with this entertaining memoir. If the technical aspects of starting and maintaining a business is not a favorite reading topic there is still plenty of life drama going on that is highly readable and easy to relate to. Having lived in Oregon for 22 years and seen (and tasted) the state's wine industry mature I was fascinated with finding out the inside story. If you live in Oregon you might enjoy a few "I was there" moments when the author describes the wonderful concert series in her vineyard. Ah yes...Johnny Mathis under the full moon. Wonderful memory, wonderful book.



4. Well, except when the weather deals them an unwelcome clout....
   
   I live smack dab in the middle of wine country (California) myself, but am no vintner. And it happens I took a scouting trip to the McMinnville vicinity in Oregon last year, thinking it a prospective new home. So, when I spied the lush, green-vined cover of AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD, I was hooked and had to investigate one woman's (and her family's) experiences establishing and nurturing grapes from plant to bottle.
   
   Susan Sokol Blosser writes a chatty, wide-ranging history beginning in late 1970, when she gave birth to her first son and her then-husband Bill "closed the deal on our first piece of vineyard land." She traces the stages of the vineyard and the winery that was built later with an easy, honest style that disarms and charms. It is soon apparent that this woman is an engine of energy. During the years her three children are small, she mainly toils in the vineyard, tilling, planting, picking, spraying, fertilizing, etc. But she also finds time to join the school board and various associations. She also teaches briefly at a McMinnville college. Later, she is twice a candidate for state public office, once losing by a questionable "whisker." As the family wine business expands, so does the wine industry in Oregon. Susan and Bill do their part to uphold and promote the burgeoning reputation Oregon wine slowly acquires -- particularly its Pinot Noir which grows full-bodied in the cooler Northwest climate. In 1990, Susan takes over from Bill as president of their winery and slowly refinances and then gains full ownership of the enterprise. She changes winemakers to improve quality. She travels widely and often to see distributors and explore new markets. She modernizes the labels on their bottles and gains national attention with a blended white wine. She deals with lawsuits and legislative hurdles. She also decides to shift to organic operations and embraces sustainable agriculture. Then, in the early years of the new millennium, she decides she will focus on gradually handing over the reins of power to the son and daughter who have decided to follow their parents into the family business.
   
   While the author relates the chronology of the vineyard and winery she owns and manages, she doesn't ignore the personal side. AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD includes some cute anecdotes about farm pets, and it mentions family concerns such as her father's Alzheimer's without dwelling on them. At one point, I wondered how in the world anyone could juggle so many balls in the air -- family, business, many friendships, and political activism. Something seemed bound to tumble. Well, something did, and the author unflinchingly, and without wallowing, tackles the changes in her life after the children grew up and left the nest.
   
   For anyone who has ever considered starting up a winery, AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD illustrates the kind of commitment and fortitude such an undertaking requires. But even if you aren't planning on being the entrepreneur that all the members of the Sokol Blosser family are; if you seek stories about rural life, want to know more about the Willamette Valley, or are interested in one outspoken and undaunted woman's adventures as a corporate executive, then snag a copy of AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD and -- maybe with a glass of wine in hand -- imbibe it cover to cover.



5. At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life by Susan Sokol Blosser is one book that seems to offer an exception to the adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover".
   
   Just as the subtitle suggests, At Home in the Vineyard effectively describes the slow, steady transformation of an estate winery, a wine industry, and a human being over a period of more than 30 years. It is an intimate study of all three components delivered in a narrative style that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
   
   This book is first and foremost a memoir describing the author's experiences planting a vineyard, starting a winery, and managing both through several decades of trials and tribulations. In addition, Susan provides the reader a first-hand historical account of the Oregon wine industry from its beginnings in the early 1970's. Along the way, she offers candid insights into her personal and professional growth as a wife, mother, business owner, daughter, sister, community leader, friend, and neighbor.
   
   Until reading this book, I never realized the integral role Susan Sokol Blosser played in developing Oregon's wine industry. Nor did I know about the lead role Sokol Blosser Winery took toward adopting sustainable practices, becoming one of the first vineyards to be certified by LIVE and the first winery to be certified by LEED. This is impressive considering the impact these efforts have had on the rest of the state's wine industry.
   
   Having read a variety of wine memoirs, Susan's story stands out as one of the more insightful and intriguing books of its genre. At Home in the Vineyard should appeal to the wine enthusiast, aspiring winemaker, and Oregon pinot fan alike. Anyone reading this book will come away more connected to the people and places behind Oregon wine in general, and Sokol Blosser Winery in particular.
   
   If you are seeking to understand Oregon wine in a deeper, more connected way, then you owe it to yourself to read At Home in the Vineyard.

No comments about Tastes and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy (California Studies in Food and Culture).

3 comments about Matt Kramer's New California Wine.

1. Matt Kramer's New California Wine starts with a section that describes the thinking and mentalities behind the California wine industry (he named this part "Thinking California"). He then goes on to describe California's American Viticultural Areas (AVA) and different activities going on in each in a part named "Drinking California". He mentions quite a number of wineries - in ways that offer details that go beyond the usual, dry descriptions often found elsewhere. The "Thinking California" part of the book provides the reader with an excellent overview of the state of California wines - the thinking that has evolved the European wine mentality/tradition as opposed to the California approach to the crafting of fine wines. Kramer's writing style is quite entertaining - he's descriptive with word choices that vividly portray California. At the start of key parts of the book he sets the scene with a quote and then moves into descriptions that inform and entertain. In "Thinking California" his insights into changes and evolutions that have transpired in California wines through descriptions of the history, the wine plant, the climate, and the soil provide an overview helpful when thinking about California wines. In "Drinking California" he gives descriptions of areas (AVA) and different wine operations. Quite a lot of detail that I'll use when planning my next visit to California - the kind of detail one might want when doing advance planning - necessary when visiting wineries. As a native Californian who now lives in Europe I've tried to answer questions about California wines - what I've learned from Mr. Kramer gives an understanding of and a perspective about California wines that I'll find helpful. I'm glad I bought the book and consider its price to be a good investment.



2. I have already nipped into this book several times, especially before trips to nearby Santa Barbara wine country, and Kramer has never steered me wrong yet. Based on his recommendations, I experienced some great wines at Foley and Longoria - not really a GUIDE BOOK per se, no fancy graphics or easy to turn to index pages, but Kramer does have his own wine guide for this. I highly recommend for wino-folks living right here on the left coast.



3. By far, the most complete and easily read book of its type. It puts all of the recent changes in the California AVA's in perspective.

5 comments about A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs.

1. `A Great American Cook' by the `legendary' chef and restaurateur, Jonathan Waxman has been long awaited, at least by me, for about as long as I have been familiar with cookery books and more specifically the background of celebrity chef, Bobby Flay, who provides a blurb on the well-known fact that Waxman was `My number one mentor'. I call Waxman `legendary' because he comes from that pre-Emeril, pre-Food Network, pre-celebrity chef era of a scant 20 years ago, when the only chef one ever heard of was Wolfgang Puck, and the great culinary writer and editor, Ruth Reichl was predicting the end of celebrity chefs. Well, we all make mistakes! He is also `legendary' in that all the other members of this pre-Emeril club have produced at one or more important cookbooks. Wolfgang has numerous pedestrian efforts, and contemporary Jeremiah Tower (another Chez Panisse graduate) has produced at least two, one of which I consider one of the best chef cookbooks going.
   Therefore, my expectations for Waxman's book were very, very high, as I would compare him to the best books from Tower, Zuni Café founder, Judy Rodgers, fellow Chez Panisse alum, Paul Bertoli, and especially the recent excellent works by Jacques Pepin (Chez Pepin) and Michel Richard (Happy in the Kitchen). It is most appropriate to compare it to `Chez Pepin' as both are written from the point of view of recipes the cooks make at home. At least that's what both of them say, and Jacques has a much easier time of sticking to that principle, as he has not headed a professional kitchen for many decades. When I opened Richard's and Pepin's books, I could tell this was something special almost immediately, as I can do with virtually all exceptional cookbooks. These excellent books simply don't mince words and get right down to talking about both facts and inspirations we have simply never seen elsewhere. I did not get that impression on reading through Waxman's 12 introductory pages, or even when I started reading the recipes. Virtually all the tips in `Edicts on Selecting Ingredients and Techniques' was old stuff we have all read in virtually every better cookbook written in the last 20 years.
   But then, by the time I got to the third chapter, I started to appreciate two things about the recipes. First, although some originated in one of Waxman's commercial kitchens, virtually all of the recipes were relatively simple. Maybe not as simple as Jacques (who seems to be the master of effortless home cooking), but simple AND special, nonetheless. Second, I noticed that there were virtually no fancy ingredients being used, unless you count Waxman's strictures about not using frozen seafood, especially squid, for the recipes. Instead, Waxman draws from a relatively simple palate, where lots of popular ingredients find their way into many different recipes. The obvious ones are sweet peppers, asparagus, tuna, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, and shellfish. If one is a fan of any of these ingredients, then Waxman's book is a must, as he gives you enough to keep you happy for several seasons.
   One can also see what it is about Waxman's style which may have had a big influence on Flay. While Waxman's primary influences were the California pantry and French cooking techniques, seen through the eyes of Alice Waters, he is clearly in love with southwestern ingredients and cooking styles. And yet, there is very little real grilling going on here. And, if you were adverse to southwestern cuisine, you would probably find these recipes may even change your mind.
   Waxman's recipe writing style is very easy on the eyes and the mind (easy to follow, without being overly pedagogical). As dearly as I love Julia Child's recipes, Waxman's writing is far more fun to read and to execute for the experienced chef. He doesn't leave anything out. You will even find his imagery illuminating, as when he tells you to open a slit in a cooked chicken breast as if you were squeezing open a slit baked potato. Similarly, when he tells you how to prepare the perfect roast chicken, the instructions are far simpler than Jeremiah Tower's similar recipe. Finally, while the layout of the procedures is not overly fussy, it is very nicely organized with simple typesetting to distinguish one part of the recipe from another.
   This book is worthy for any experienced cook who is not always pressed for time, and while just a bit light on the insights, it's a worthy book for those especially fond of the best chef's books cited above.



2. The book has an entertaining, easy writing style with very do-able recipes that just beg to be tried. I actually read the book cover-to-cover before even trying my first menu item. The seafood and fish recipes are particularly instructive.



3. Simple and elegant. The pictures are great, just by looking at them you want to cook and eat everything in the book!



4. Well written and easy to read describes this volume. You almost feel entertained while gaining valuable knowledge from a master. Certainly a welcome addition to any cookbook collection, but it should remain not on a library shelf, but in your kitchen. To a self-educated cook such as myself, it is a wealth of knowledge.



5. The recipes are very simple to prepare, and based on sound classical cooking principles. They are very light and elegant eating, even when incredibly rich dishes. Fantastic ideas for garnishes that elevate the entire meal from homey and delicious to elegant. You could eat dinner like this every night, yet experience a sophisticated palate. Try Venison Stew with Goat Cheese Johnnycakes--I served it at a dinner party and it was remarkably satisfying without leaving anyone full, incredible flavor from roasted serranos, and the best Johnnycake recipe I have tried (I substituted corn masa for the flour and added a little baking soda for more intense corn flavor); Asparagus with Oranges and Hazelnuts drew rave reviews, the Cara Cara oranges are a revelation, use blood oranges if you can't find Cara Cara; Crab and Avocado Sandwich is a spectacular lunch meal--so delicious and decadent in every mouthful, as are Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Caviar sandwiches; the Corn and Saffron soup is so pure and flavorful (use fresh frozen kernels if your cobs aren't fresh, but use the cobs to make the stock!). He has amazing recipes for potato skins and french fries, a recipe for baked eggplant that is simplicity yet utterly meltingly delicious, and makes grilling and butterflying a chicken seem easy as pie. This is a great book for simple, elegant, and satisfying home cooking.

5 comments about Fandango: Recipes, parties, and license to make magic.

1. Gave to a friend because it was not my taste. I expected more exciting, modern ideas and recipes. I tend to prefer books with the latest in entertaining ideas. A lot cornier than I like.



2. This is a fabulous addition to cookbook collectors and for using. The recipes are easy to follow, and quite nutritious. I have bought 6 Fandango books as gifts, finally able to keep this one for myself.... all who received as a gift came back to me with 5 star ratings for the recipes, presentation, story line, beautiful pictures!! Hip Hip Hurray to Sandy Hill and to the chef herself Stephanie Valentine....



3. A great book on entertaining with style. Lots of great pictures to aid the reader in understanding what the author is trying to create with each theme.



4. The book is in great shape and has beautiful pictures. The shipping took longer than expected, but wasn't too bad.



5. I was glad I checked this book out of the library before buying.
   
   "Parties" implies that the book has many examples, but it has just a handful. I also wanted to hear about the "license to make magic." I was expecting to get ideas for adding touches to parties to make them magical for guests, but that was just a marketing catchphrase, I guess.
   
   It's basically a portfolio of 5-6 parties that this woman has designed/hosted, with full-page photos, the menus, and a light description of the details and how the party turned out. So all you can do is read about each particular theme and see how she chose to execute it. With the limited number of themes, there's not enough depth to improve your party planning creativity. I think the only reason this is a book and not a magazine article is as a showcase for the full-page photos.
   
   Also, although it's been awhile since I looked at the book, I recall that all the parties were outdoors - fine for California; not so useful for the rest of the country. I would have liked to see examples of how the author made some magic in a boring function room.

5 comments about General Viticulture.

1. I have no regrets buying General Viticulture. It is, after all, a standard reference. But in many ways it is now a lttle outdated and modern experience and advice is lacking. It should therefore be considered a important part, but only a part, of the basic library of anyone doing or contemplating viticulture.

   The academic style of writing does not lend itself to the "do-it-yourself" approach. The section on laying out a vineyard, for example, is more academic than practical, at least in my opinion. A more modern book would, of course, have better photographs and graphics, and this is what I miss most.




2. My copy arrived with the text bound upside-down in relation to the cover. However, this is by far the best study on viticulture around. Dated but still the best.



3. This is the standard textbook for viticulture in the country and was outdated when I took the class in 1987. Unfortunately Mr. Winkler and other were in their eighties and nineties at that time so the chances of an updated edition were none (Mr. Winkler died before I graduated in 1992.) Yet, even now, I still refer to it for grafting, training and pest and diseases. Hey, just because it's old doesn't mean it's dated. There are some things in grape growing that never change.



4. The blurb for this textbook on viticulture touted that it was now updated and revised. The original was from 1962 and the 'new' revision is from 1974. This book is also limited in scope to growing grapes in California, focuses on large scale industrial growers, and is illustrated by black and white photos. Having griped about all this, the book is still nevertheless useful in terms of its detailed explanation of grape stock, stages of growth, pruning, trellis types, diseases, soil, irrigation, and fertilizing. It would be a terrific if the University of California press came out with a truly 'new' revision that recognized the changes to viticulture in the United States over the last THIRTY years. Even a non-professional who drinks much wine knows that the wine industry has grown beyond the borders of California and that it has been moving toward sustainability and organic farming of which there is barely a sentence in this book.



5. This came in good condition. This is a good resource starting with the history of viticulture in the United States and California specifically and moving through step by step practical information through the entire viticulture process.

5 comments about Firehouse Food: Cooking with San Francisco's Firefighters.

1. Great hearty foods that have perfect seasoning and with fresh ingrediants. So many of the mens cookbooks are open a can of this and add a can of that. Not so with this one.
   Yet, the recipes are easy for those of us who are not in familar territory in the kitchen. This is a collection of the best of the best. You will be your own best customer and you can expect to be treated to accolades and requests of repeat performances.



2. My husband is a SF firefighter and tells me that these recipes get made on a regular basis. My husband is a great cook and enjoys cooking for his fellow firefighters. He also knows that if it's not good he's going to hear about it. When he first started with the department he used this book a lot knowing that the recipes had been tested in the firehouses and became classics. The men and women of SFFD know how to cook and love really good food. If you want to get a sense of what they eat in a real big city firehouse you can't go wrong with this book!



3. This is a great book. I am a firefighter who loves to cook and I have tried almost every recipe in this book. Everytime I make a dish out of it at the Firehouse it gets rave reviews. The recipes are easy and survive if called out to a Fire in the middle of my preparation. I have seen many other firefighters thumb through the book only to go and pick one up themselves. This is my Firehouse bible I finally bought a second copy to keep at my station after getting sick of digging it out for another cook upon request.
   
   I would recommend a few recipes: BBQ Thai chicken, Lemon Taragon Asparagus and finally the Chorizo Chicken Enchilatas.
   
   I hope the boys in SF make a follow up book.



4. I love every recipe in this amazing cookbook. I have so many cookbooks that I use for only a few items. Its great to have one where every single recipe is delicious! In addition to using it regularly ourselves, we have made a gift of this cookbook to about a dozen people. All agree: its smokin'!!!



5. I received this cookbook as a wedding gift from a former colleague of mine over 5 years ago. This cookbook is by far my favorite one EVER! I love the range of multi-ethnic dishes, and every single one of them is authentic and very tasty!
   
   I've made numerous recipes, such as the Chicken Chorizo Enchiladas, Green Curry Salmon, Turkey Meatloaf (one of my personal favorites), Chicken Tortilla soup, Spicy Green Beans with Bacon, Tamale Pie, California Chicken Adobo, and Chili Verde.
   
   Each recipe that I tried came out perfect. The instructions are easy to follow, and as far as prep and cooking time, it's about what you expect for a quality meal. I have two kids and work full-time, so if I am going to make something out of this cookbook, I save it for the weekend because the dishes take longer to make than what I have time for during the week.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a wide array of wonderful dishes packed full of flavor!

4 comments about Chocolate for Breakfast: Entertaining Menus to Start the Day with a Celebration From Napa Valley's Oak Knoll Inn.

1. The recipes are very thorough and are organized into a variety of chapters, making it easy to find just the right treat.
   
   The 250 gorgeous photographs in the book, taken by internationally renowned photographer Marc Hoberman, showcase the variety of chocolaty recipes, each with cultural influences from around the world. Also included is a list of resources to find all the necessary ingredients to create the recipes.
   
   [...]



2. I may not eat much the rest of the day, but a hot filling breakfast is something I never forgo. Chocolate for breakfast has such original recipes putting together things I never would have thought of putting together but when you eat them, it's magic. Who would have thought? Every time I look through the pages I drool looking at the photographs which perfectly capture these delicious dishes. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!



3. Barbara Passino combines her sweet tooth and good taste in her extravagantly photographed cookbook, Chocolate for Breakfast. Passino, the chef and co-owner of the Napa Valley's Oak Knoll Inn, includes more than 100 tasty breakfast recipes, augmented by countless color photos from Marc Hoberman. Readers get to taste both the sweet nature and international of flavor of the book with the first recipe, "chocolate tacos," which are filled with fruit.
   
   Passino borrows from a variety of cuisines, including Mexican, Asian, French and Italian, then explains how to make tasty treats her own way. Items cover the gamut from main courses such as "chocolate-filled toast pillows" to drinks like "hot chocolate for grown-ups." There is even a recipe for "mostly chocolate chip cookies" and some frozen desserts. For those who are a bit more romantic than others, there is a section on "Valentine's Day Decadence" featuring several recipes for a great start together.
   
   Many recipes are easy for even novices to make right the first time, though "parmesan crepes with asparagus and wild mushrooms" will take plenty of practice. Chocolate for Breakfast is best suited for the living room table and is far too nice for the kitchen.
   
   Reviewed by David Reynolds



4. I came across this cookbook while visiting at my friend's house last month. She has had the opportunity to stay at this Inn many times over the years and talked glowingly of the Inn, Barbara and the food. I'm jealous! Well, I started out just casually flipping through this cookbook, but had to stop! This is not a flip-through kind of cookbook at all. You become absolutely mesmerized by each and every stunning photograph and recipe description. Barbara writes as if she were YOUR best friend. She is very honest, open and humorous -- not condescending or off-putting at all. Reading this cookbook inspires you to make these recipes yourself in order to impress the heck out of your friends - using the same presentations as Barbara does in her cookbook. I've just ordered this gorgeous cookbook to be mailed directly to my friend, hoping she will take it with her to the Inn next time -- and ask if Barbara will autograph her beautiful cookbook for me. I simply can't wait to try making the "Margarita Tapioca" (p. 47) for my friends -- using Barbara's own unique presentation of serving this dessert in a Margarita glass!!!

5 comments about Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes (California Studies in Food and Culture).

1. Useful as a sort of summary of the subject. The Foreword, by Charles Perry, a well known scholar, recapitulates the subject but says nothing about the book in hand. The same contents can be found in so many other books that cover this same subject. For general information may be adequate, not so for study. It is very rare to find a source being given; the lack of bibliography only makes things worse.



2. While apparently there are mis-translations with some of the recipies, I found the book both historically fascinating, and gastronomically titilating. In the introduction, Charles Perry points out that the earliest "cookbooks" were in Arabic - most cooking was apprenticed from mother to daughter (or from chef to chef) working side-by-side, and therefore there is a real dearth of pre-industrial written recipes, Arabic cooking being an exception. What I found most interesting (from a historical perspective) was the evolution of Arabic cooking.
   
   As the Islamic empire spread out from Arabia in the 7th and 8th century, the conquoring Muslims were exposed to new cultures and, of course, new cusines. These more sophisticated tastes, in turn, became a part of Middle Eastern cusine as bedouin tastes were synthesized with flavours from throughout the Mediterranean world. These recipes reflect this, as well as the rich variety in Islamic culture.
   
   The first third of the book details this culinary history. As a historian, I found it fascinating. The remaining two-thirds of the book are recipies: cold appetizers, bread and broth, sweet-and-sour dishes, roasts and sausages, stews, dairy dishes, soups (a pesonal favourite to date), pasta, sauces and pasteries. Many of the dishes are not difficult to make, and the ingredients are fairly common - the exoticness is in the combination of flavours, the methods of cooking and the spices used.
   
   As a social history, this was a fascinating read - I had not thought that deeply about food and its close associoation with history quite in this way before. To be able to prepare the foods was an added bonus. Recommended.



3. Fascinating history of Islamic cookery from Persia to Spain, recipes are translated exactly but clearly. A glossary of untranslated terms is provided but could have been improved by a simple table of equivalent measures. The reader is left mostly to his own devices when finding modern substitutes for medieval seasonings though there is some discussion of what they would have tasted like. (trust me, you don't want to make kamakh, but thinning bleu cheese with milk should come close enough)



4. This is not a deep scholarly work. It is however, quite useful for the historical cook and those interested in the development of Middle Eastern cuisine. It begins with a brief but informative forward by Charles Perry. Then the primary text is divided into three sections.
   
   Part One is called "Cultural Background and Culinary Context". It is a series of connected essays divided into two parts, "Crossroads of the World's Cuisines" and "Materials, Techniques, and Terminology". These cover, among other things, a brief overview of known Arabic-language culinary texts, ingredients, and cooking techniques, and includes some useful photos of extant cookware and serving dishes, although only a rather limited number. There is little new here for the reader already familiar with Prospect Books' excellent _Medieval Arab Cookery_ or David Waines' _In A Caliphs Kitchen_, long out of print.
   
   Part Two, "The Medieval Tradition" consists of 143 recipes from four sources, three not yet fully translated into English, one only relatively recently available: _Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyar Al-warraq's Tenth-century Baghdadi Cookbook_ (Islamic History and Civilization) by Nawal Nasrallah. Zaouali includes 24 recipes from this vast source, which I assume she translated herself.
   
   The second through fourth are from the 13th century. The _Kitab Fadalat al-khiwan fi tayyibat al-ta'am w'al-alwan_ is by Ibn Razin al-Tujibi from al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), from which there are 53 recipes. The third is the _Wusla ila'l-habib fi wasf al-tayyabat wa'l-tib_ from Syria. Maxime Rodinson listed all its recipes (in _Medieval Arab Cookery_, Prospect Books), but only a few have been available in translation -- now we have 29 of them. And the fourth manuscript is the Egyptian _Kanz al-fawa'id fi tanwi' al-mawa'id_, which is the source of 37 recipes.
   
   The recipes are arranged into 14 sections by type. Among them is "Bread and Broth", which actually covers Tharids, a classic dish of the medieval Arabic-speaking world. There is also a section on "Pasta" with directions for making several different kinds. And a section on "Couscous" includes five recipes and a description of a medieval pot for cooking it, which is rather like the modern couscousière. In "Pastries and Jams" is a recipe for Quince Sikanjubin (from the _Kanz_) which is the only medieval sikanjubin recipe I've seen that includes ingredients other than water, vinegar, and honey or sugar.
   
   All the recipes are given in translation only, which we would expect. Unfortunately, however, the author often substitutes her own titles, without including a transliteration of the original name, which I want to see. Most recipes are introduced by a brief paragraph which may include history, discussion of techniques or ingredients, or mention of a modern recipe that is related. The recipes are not modernized, and so are just waiting for us to get our "redaction" chops on them, that is, working on them so we can cook them ourselves. I love working out a historical recipe: it's like solving a mystery, one that is edible and nearly always delicious, and if it isn't tasty, reworking it until I get it right.
   
   However, the source books are from four different cultures and two widely separated centuries, yet there is little analysis of them. Thus we get no deep understanding of the changes in the cuisine of the Arabic-speaking medieval world over time and geography. Second, there's only a little discussion of the differences between Eastern and Western Arabic cuisine, that is, the cuisines of the Middle East (Southwest Asia) versus those of al-Maghrib (western North Africa) and al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), far from the center of the Muslim world. These are but two failings of this book.
   
   Part Three, "Contemporary North African Cuisine", comprises 31 modern North African recipes, chosen because Zaouali thinks each is similar to a medieval recipe elsewhere in the book. Zaouali should have provided more analysis and comparison so we can better understand why she thinks these recipes developed from the medieval ones she included. Still, some of them are for interesting dishes I don't recall seeing in any of my other North African cookbooks, so I get some value from this section.
   
   Ziryab, in his review of January 3, 2008, wonders about the translator. In fact, many of the additions, glossary, and notes he added were made in consultation with Charles Perry, who ultimately contributed more to the value of this book than just the forward.
   
   While not the masterwork of scholarship that Nasrallah's _Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens_ is, Zaouali's book is far less expensive, and it includes recipes not in any other book. So for those interested in historical cookery, but not demanding much in the way of scholarship, this is a book worth adding to one's library.



5. this books it is incredible , more complet and the best for the interest to all land cooking

4 comments about North American Pinot Noir.

1. This book gives a very good description of pinot in the USA. It cuts through all the stereotypes assoiciated with growing and making pinot noir, and gives warm-climate growers a second look.



2. As a part-time wine instructor and wine enthusiast, I'm always looking for good resources to share as well as for my own use. This book is simply outstanding: the writing is clear, there is more information than you could ever possibly use, but you don't feel like you're drowning in irrelevant junk. Bravo!



3. Ever since the movie "Sideways," it's been easy to love pinot and to know why. Like the movie's characters, pinot noir (the grape) is unpredictable, occasionally brilliant, often bad and otherwise given to fits and starts of temperment and quirkiness. John Haeger's "North American Pinot Noir" is the backstory. From the grape's historic evolution (probably in Burgundy) to it's spread through North America's most marginal winelands, the pinot story on our continent is one of renegade artisinal winemakers living and dying with fickle vintages and improvised technology and, ultimately, winning the grudging respect of Burgundy's barons. This encyclopedic account starts with the plant, it's natural history (habits, pests, preferences and all) and progresses all the way through it's best products -- the wines themselves. The tasting notes are extensive and regrettably bounded in time, but they offer acclaim to some great vintages and some great vintners. As the book ages, the notes themselves will only serve to remind most of us of what we missed. But as a survey of pinot's great American terroirs and their beautiful fruits, the book confers rich knowlege and a deep sense of why this grape matters. The book is the University of Pinot Noir. For graduate school, find a place that you like -- Dundee HIlls or Santa Maria Bench -- and proceed to the advanced seminars they offer.



4. Great stuff. Good information - BUT, what has been of the most use to me is the maps - I've used it in many presentations...tremendous information, looking forward to the new addition.