silences were her worst enemy. So now she's following doctor's orders—rest, relaxation and plenty of therapeutic Spanish sunshine.Only she hasn't counted on sharing her tranquil retreat with her best friend's brother, Rafael, whose presence is anything but peaceful! With his beguiling eyes and smoldering smile, he quickly becomes a very welcome distraction. After all, if she's struggling to sleep, why not find something else to do with her time…?

    From how grapes are grown, harvested and turned into wine, to judging the color, aroma, and taste of the world's most popular varietals (wine made from a particular grape), to understanding terroir and feeling confident ordering and serving wine at any occasion, this book explains it all in the simplest possible way. Every page, every piece of information, and every detail is illustrated in charming and informative four-color drawings that explain concepts at a glance.Includes detailed information on a vast array of varietals that will help transform a beginner into a connoisseur.

     World-renowned chef Jake Chambers could have had any ing?nue he wanted in California since the kitchen isn't the only room in the house where the hard-bodied hunk has special talents. Still, when he realized there might be more to life than glitz and silicone, he left for Minneapolis to buy a local joint and try to clear his head. But even though he's no longer serving the glitterati, that doesn't mean he's about to compromise quality and serve a Minnesota wine. However, local vintner Liv Bell-with curves even more delicious than his tapas-has other plans once she lays eyes on this Adonis. Determined to promote her vineyard's juicy bounty, this sun-kissed goddess might just bring Jake around to at least tasting what she has to offer.

    And rightfully so. Starving yourself thin or keeping track of each bite like pennies in your checkbook is no way to live. So what's a girl with skinny jean dreams supposed to do? Teresa Giudice has the answer. In fact, she was born with it. The first-generation Italian-American mom of four and svelte star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey credits her knockout figure to her Old World upbringing. And now, in her fun, encouraging, and budget-friendly cookbook, she skewers the myth that looking fabulous has to be a chore. In Skinny Italian, she reveals how to: substitute tedious meal plans with simple, flavorful recipes; choose fresh, flavorful ingredients instead of counting calories; slow down and enjoy a faster metabolism; replace starvation with celebration by adopting an Italian attitude to cooking, eating, and entertaining; love food, love eating, and still love your body afterward! Teresa shows how anyone can master the cornerstones of Italian cuisine. Learn how to make six different tomato sauces from scratch, how to choose and use the right olive oil, and how to prepare over sixty Giudice family recipes straight from Salerno. From Gorgeous Garlic Shrimp to Beautiful Biscotti, you'll want to make these sumptuous recipes again and again. Discover how easy and economical wholesome, homemade cooking can be.Skinny Italian is not a diet book. It's an "eat it and enjoy it" book. Join Teresa and discover how gorgeous can be a sumptuous side effect to living la bella vita.

    Onset and off, drama follows Claudia—an alcohol-fueled coke run and makeout session with a bridesmaid on her wedding day; her tempestuous, love-hate relationship with actor Angus Macfadyen; the conspiracy theories surrounding her ex-husband’s death; and a 20-year on-and-off relationship with billionaire Dodi Fayed before he dated Princess Diana. Hollywood life takes its toll on Claudia as she descends into alcohol addiction and a desperate battle to reclaim her life.Rehab, alternative treatments, and even hypnotism can’t break the cycle of alcohol abuse that threatens to destroy Claudia. Close to despair she discovers The Sinclair Method, a treatment that saves her life.Sometimes shocking, often humorous, always captivating — Babylon Confidential is a story of hope that will inspire and enlighten you.

    And they can do so much more than produce foolproof rice, beans, and grains. The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook shows you how to make everything from Thai Curried Rice to Chocolate Pots de Crème with Poached Fresh Cherries, from Breakfast Barley to Turkey Chili with Baby White Beans.

    The exam was supposed to be the hardest part of her week, but that was before a body was found at an exclusive Napa Valley winery party.When all the evidence points to Katie's best friend, the outspoken and independent Tessa, Katie drops everything to clear Tessa's name. Using her deductive wine skills, she tries to track down the real killer. But when repeated attempts are made on her life, Katie discovers that everyone's secrets must be uncovered—including her own.Praise: "Filled with amusing characters, snappy dialogue and delicious wine pairings, this mystery delivers a fast, sophisticated ride with just enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the final confrontation."—RT Book Reviews ()"This debut mystery has a sympathetic main character with secrets in her past, well-drawn secondary characters, a possible love interest, and fascinating detail on wine, wineries, and wine making skillfully woven through the story."—Booklist"Nettmann's lead character Katie Stillwell, aka 'The Palate', as an amateur sleuth is a perfect pairing in this intricately crafted sommelier mystery. At turns fascinating and suspenseful, I was thoroughly captivated by the story and enjoyed every turn of the page. Uncork me another!"—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author"The quiet hillsides and vineyards of California's famed Napa Valley have produced many famous vintages over the years, and first-time mystery author Nettmann knows this territory well . . . The first in a very promising series."—Brendan DuBois, a multiple award-winning author and a three-time Edgar nominee

    The truth is, today's methods and procedures for home-canning, freezing, and drying food are simpler and easier than ever. And now, with this easy-to-follow book, you'll get the information you need to can and preserve food safely."Canning and Preserving For Dummies" makes putting up fruits and vegetables in your home as easy as pie. Featuring up-to-date safety guidelines and simple, fun techniques, this practical, friendly guide is for anyone who wants to enjoy delicious, do-it-yourself treats year-round--or even give them as gifts! You get all the juicy details on: Water-bath canningPressure canningFreezingDryingFinding the right supplies and equipment"Canning and Preserving For Dummies" also features yummy, eas y-to-do recipes that include preparation times, cooking times, processing times, and the yield you should expect from your efforts. You'll see how to make everything from apple butter, pear-raspberry jam, and bread and butter pickles to chicken stock, tomatillo salsa, and white chili. You'll also discover how to: Know the acidity level of your foodPick and prepare fresh fruitLine your jars with liquidCreate jams, jellies, and marmaladesPreserve chutneys, relishes, and saucesPickle vegetablesCombine foods for convenienceSelect food for freezingProtect the life of your dried foodProviding troubleshooting tips for home-canned creations, sources for locating equipment suppliers, a metric conversion guide, and definitions of preserving terms, "Canning and Preserving For Dummies" has just what you need to fill your pantry with savory homemade fare.

    Only Sax knows the true secret to his success: at certain points of his life, he’s killed vampires for their priceless hoards of treasure.But now Sax’s past actions are quite literally coming back to haunt him, and the lives of those he holds most dear are in mortal danger. To counter this unnatural threat, and with the blessing of the Holy Roman Church, a cowardly but cunning Sax must travel across Europe in pursuit of incalculable evil—and immeasurable wealth—with a ragtag team of mercenaries and vampire killers to hunt a terrifying, ageless monster…one who is hunting Sax in turn.From author Ben Tripp, whose first horror novel Rise Again “raises the stakes so high that the book becomes nearly impossible to put down” (Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother), The Fifth House of the Heart is a powerful story that will haunt you long after its final pages.

    In Nose Dive, McGee takes us on a sensory-filled adventure, from the sulfurous nascent earth more than four billion years ago, to the sweetly fragrant Tian Shan mountain range north of the Himalayas, to the keyboard of your laptop, where trace notes of formaldehyde escape between the keys. We'll sniff the ordinary (wet pavement and cut grass) and extraordinary (fresh bread and chocolate), the delightful (roses and vanilla) and the unpleasant (spoiled meat and rotten eggs). We'll smell each other. We'll smell ourselves.Through it all, McGee familiarizes us with the actual bits of matter that we breathe in -- the molecules that trigger our perceptions, that prompt the citrusy smells of coriander and beer and the medicinal smells of daffodils and sea urchins. And like everything in the physical world, molecules have histories. Many of the molecules that we smell every day existed long before any creature was around to smell them -- before there was even a planet for those creatures to live on. Beginning with the origins of those molecules in interstellar space, McGee moves onward through the smells of our planet, the air and the oceans, the forest and the meadows and the city, all the way to the smells of incense, perfume, wine, and food.Here is a story of the world, of all of the smells under our collective nose. A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Nose Dive distills the science behind the smells and translates it, as only McGee can, into an accessible and entertaining guide. Incorporating the latest insights of biology and chemistry, and interwoven with personal observations, McGee reveals how our sense of smell has the power to expose invisible, intangible details of our material world and life, and trigger in us feelings that are the very essence of being alive.

    To search out the finest Spanish recipes, Penelope Casas traveled over 25,000 miles, crisscrossing the country. Region by region, she found local cooks and discovered their secrets, often putting to paper recipes that had never before been set down. In The Foods and Wines of Spain, she brings us savory meat and fish pies from the Celtic lands of Galicia; a legendary bean dish from the coastal mountains of Asturias; the renowned romesco sauce of ground almonds and dried sweet peppers from Cataluña; paellas from the rice paddies of Valencia; simple but exquisite fish dishes from Andalucía; breads from the wheat fields of Castilla; honey-drenched pastries from Extremadura; and much more.