Taking place over a single unforgettable night, the novel documents everything from the pit-bull bouncer on the door, to the drugs, cocktails and wannabes who frequent the club, and Marc’s attempts to seduce a catwalk model – any one will do. A catalogue of degeneracy, drugs, sex and decibels, ‘Holiday in a Coma’ is written with a fury and passion that reflect the author's own relationship with a world and he both loves and loathes.In ‘Love Lasts Three Years’, Marc Marronnier has just been divorced and – shallow opportunist that he is – has decided to write a book about it. He has a theory that love lasts no more than three years, and here – recounting the highs and lows of his marriage and taking us through brash nightclubs, vainglorious offices and soulless designer apartments – he brings to bear the theoretical and the empirical to prove his point. Both frightening and funny, the book reads like a diary: sometimes tender and real, sometimes fantastical and cruel, peppered with Beigbeder’s acerbic one-liners and trademark wit.

    Quirky, informative and extremely readable, with enlightening chapters on everything from the birth of claret to the rise of the New World. Tim Atkin, on the first edition.

    Now she presents a handy guide that will show you how to stop being overwhelmed and intimidated, how to discover, respect, and enjoy your own personal taste, and how to be whatever kind of wine person you want to be, from budding connoisseur to someone who simply gets wine you like every time you buy a bottle. Refreshingly simple, irreverent, and witty, Drink This explains all the insider stuff that wine critics assume you know. It will teach you how to taste and savor wine, alone, with a friend, or with a group. And perhaps most important, this book gives you the tools to learn the only thing that really matters about wine: namely, figuring out what you like.Grumdahl draws on her own experience and savvy and interviews some of the world’s most renowned critics, winemakers, and chefs, including Robert M. Parker, Jr., Paul Draper, and Thomas Keller, who share their wisdom about everything from pairing food and wine to the inside scoop on what wine scores and reviews really mean. Readers will learn how to master tasting techniques and understand the winemaking process from soil to cellar. Drink This also reveals how to get your money’s worth out of wine without spending all you’ve got.At last there’s a reason for wary wine lovers to raise a glass in celebration. Savor the insider’s viewpoint and straight talk of Drink This, and watch your intimidation of wine transform into well-grounded, unshakeable confidence.

    In order to take ownership of his father's legacy, an extensive wine collection featuring some of the most rare labels of the last 30 years, he must find 13 wines, known as the "Twelve Apostles" and the heaven sent "Drops of God" that his father described in his will. But despite being an only child, Shizuku is not alone in this unique wine hunt. He has a competitor. Issei Tomine, a renowned young wine critic, was recently adopted into the Kanzaki family and is also vying for this most rare of prizes. In the New World arc, the focus shifts from the European wines found in most Tokyo wine bars to the wine cellars of Napa Valley and the wine makers of Australia. The next apostle is destined to change the perspective of wine drinkers everywhere as it brings hope to the future of wine. Shizuku takes off for a trip across the Pacific to Chile before heading out to Oz in search of a sensational Shiraz. While Issei and his new drinking partner find the naunaces of Syrah in Northern California.

    Just what are jizake, namazake and ginjoshu? The Sake Handbook answers all these questions and much more about sake wine and will help you enjoy Japan's national beverage in style. Author John Gauntner is recognized as the world's leading non-Japanese sake expert. A longtime Japan resident, he is well known among sake brewers and others within the sake industry. He wrote the Nihonshu Column in the Japan Times for many years before writing a weekly column on sake in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's and the world's most widely distributed Japanese newspaper. In 2006, John received the Sake Samurai award. He has published five books on sake including Sake ConfidentialThis sake book features:This new edition has been completely revised and updatedGives you all the information you need in a handy, portable formatOffers a detailed explanation of the sake brewing processReviews over a hundred sake brands, with illustrations of their labels for easy identificationProfiles over 50 Japanese izakaya or pub-style restaurants in Tokyo and the surrounding environsLists specialty shops in Japan where you can purchase hard–to–find Japanese wine brandsLists specialty retailers in the United States and elsewhere

    One of Europe's oldest and most historic regions, it is rich with wonders including castles, wild white horses, Roman ruins, and Carcassonne, Europe's greatest fortified town. What really drew them to this area, however, was the locals' love of food and wine. As their visits to the region became longer and their dream of owning a home intensified, they began to discover another way of living--a slower one based on gastronomic pleasure and the really important things in life: hunting for mushrooms, morning trips to the bakery, long lunches, and heated debates about the best way to make cassoulet. Including mouthwatering recipes and delightful duotone drawings, this wonderful memoir is for the fans of Peter Mayle and Frances Mays

    As New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov argues, that puzzling uncertainty often prevents people from buying and ordering wine, depriving them of an exquisite, deeply satisfying experience.In How to Love Wine, Asimov examines why the American wine culture produces such feelings of anxiety and suggests how readers can overcome their fears and develop a sense of discovery and wonder as they explore the diversity and complexity of the world of wine. With warmth, candor, and intelligent authority, Asimov interweaves his professional knowledge and insights with engaging personal stories of his love affair with wine, a lifelong passion that began when he was a graduate student on a budget.In a direct, down-to-earth manner, Asimov discusses favorite vineyards, wine's singular personalities, the "tyranny of tasting notes"—those meaningless, overwritten wine descriptions that often pass for criticism today—and current wine issues.Throughout, he incorporates in-depth discussions of beautiful wines, both easy to find and rare, and pays special attention to those that have been particularly meaningful to him. Thought-provoking and enjoyable, How to Love Wine will help diminish readers' anxiety, bolster their confidence, and transform them into true wine lovers.

    In his first, long awaited book, Nobu: The Cookbook, Matsuhisa reveals the secrets of his exciting, cutting-edge Japanese cuisine.Nobu's culinary creations are based on the practice of simplicity the art of using simple techniques to bring out the flavors in the best ingredients the world's oceans have to offer and on his unique combinations of Japanese cuisine and imaginative Western, particularly South American, cooking.While simplicity may be the rule in his cooking, exotic ingredients are the key to his signature style: in Matsuhisa Shrimp he combines shiitake mushrooms, shiso leaves, and caviar; Octopus Tiradito is made with yuzu juice and rocoto chili paste; he even gives away the secrets to making his world-famous Seafood Ceviche, Nobu Style.In all, fifty original recipes for fish and seafood are included with step-by-step instructions and lavish color photographs. It features all Nobu's signature dishes along with salads, vegetable dishes, and dessert recipes, while a special chapter about pairing drinks with the meals rounds out the selections. A chapter dedicated to sushi instructs readers how to make Nobu's own original Soft Shell Crab Roll, Salmon Skin Roll and House Special Roll.Throughout the book the author shares stories of his rich and varied life: his childhood memories of rural Japan; the beginning of his career; his meteoric rise to the top, as one of the most renowned chefs of his generation.Featuring a preface by Robert De Niro, a foreword by Martha Stewart and an afterward by Japanese actor Ken Takakura, Nobu: The Cookbook is sure to be the season's hottest cookbook and a sure-fire classic for Japanese cooks and foodies alike.

    Viewers are attracted to his youthful energy, unique voice, and often outrageous descriptions. Now, in Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines, Vaynerchuk reveals his first ranked list of the most exciting and tantalizing spirits he has sampled while traveling the globe. Deeming himself "the wine guy for the average Joe," Vaynerchuk avoids the pomposity of traditional educators. Unlike wine guides that lack animation and lecture rather than inspire, 101 Wines shows you how to develop the necessary go-drink-wine attitude. Vaynerchuk encourages you to trust your own palate--stressing that your love of a certain wine makes it good regardless of what the experts or the price on the bottle say. Vaynerchuk's recommendations span a wide range of prices, nations, grapes, and styles--allowing everyone from novices to connoisseurs to expand their wine horizons. Unlock the secret to why Vaynerchuk labels wines "From Ruins to Riches," "Red with Fish," and "Not Your Father's Spumante." Discover wines that taste like ones 10 times their price. Read as Vaynerchuk illuminates his top choices with vivid terminology such as "Bring the Thunder" and "Riding the Rainbow." Demystify conventions that once limited your wine-tasting desires. Journey through wine styles and break down barriers with his technical notes and stories behind the vintage. Smile as you realize you too can become a wine aficionado. With your newfound knowledge, you will out-entertain and enlighten your friends, host extraordinary parties and treat your taste buds to an exhilarating ride. So if you are ready to become a "Vayniac"--one devoted to selecting wines based on Vaynerchuk's innovative principles--grab that corkscrew because a wine sampling adventure like no other awaits.

    It is a beautiful, mountainous region populated by fishermen and small farmers. Rosetta Costantino grew up in this rugged landscape—her father a shepherd and wine maker and her mother his tireless assistant.When her family immigrated to California, they re-created a little Calabria on their property, cooking with eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers from their garden, fresh ricotta made from scratch, and pasta fashioned by hand. A frugal people, Calabrians are master preservers, transforming fresh figs into jam, canning fresh tuna in oil, and sun-drying peppers for the winter. Now Rosetta shares her family's story and introduces readers to the fiery simplicity of Calabrian food. The first cookbook of a little-known region of Italy, My Calabria celebrates the richness of the region's landscape and the allure of its cuisine. This is a cookbook for our time: a reminder of how ingenious and resourceful cooks can create a gorgeous local cuisine.

    Kermit Lynch's recounting of his experiences on the wine route and in the wine cellars of France takes the reader through the Loire, Bordeaux, the Languedoc, Provence, Northern and Southern Rhone, and the Cote d'Or.

    After years of putting everyone else's needs before her own, she's selling her family's vineyard and moving to a quiet cottage on the California coast. But just as she's about to seal the deal, a letter arrives from Argentina with shocking news: Her beloved cousin has died and Isabel is now the sole guardian of three young children. Still holding on to her dream, Isabel travels to Argentina. There she meets little Julieta, the cherubic baby of the family; eight-year-old Adelmo, as hot-tempered as his sister is sweet; and ten-year-old Sandra, whose heart-shaped face and quiet confidence remind Isabel so much of her late cousin. She tells herself to let the children go, to leave them in the care of their grandmother or perhaps their long-lost uncle who abruptly reappears. Or should she listen to her ex-husband, who is suddenly at her side, urging her to give the children--and him--a chance? If she's willing to take a risk, three tiny strangers just might change Isabel's life in ways she's never imagined.

    This delectable collection of stories is full of interesting facts and anecdotes about coffee's history and culture, how a bean goes from field to cup, and the many varieties available. From meeting a blind date to sharing quality time with treasured family and friends, any expedrience is better served with coffee. In Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul, you'll laugh along with others who are obsessed with brewing the "perfect cup." You might even recognize yourself in the confessions of so many who can't--or won't--live without their favorite daily blend! You'll be reminded of cherished memories when the aroma teased you awake at the crack of dawn or when a thermos full of hot, strong coffee warmed you on a cold winter day. A simple "cup of Joe" now shares the counter with a "grande triple mocha latte" and creative barristers have developed coffee service into an art form, all to the delight of coffee lovers who can't imagine life without a daily cup. So curl up with a freshly brewed cup of your favorite blend and prepare to indulge your passion for one of the world's most popular and beloved beverages.

    Using the same tasting principles he offers in his Kentucky Derby Museum classes and as a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Minnick cuts to the chase, dismissing brand marketing and judging only the flavor of this all-American whiskey.Bourbon Curious groups bourbon into four main flavor profiles--grain, nutmeg, caramel, and cinnamon. While many bourbons boast all four flavor notes, one delicious sensation typically overpowers the rest. This book reveals more than fifty bourbon brands' predominate tastes and suggests cocktail recipes to complement them. In addition, Minnick spends some time busting bourbon's myths, unraveling its mysteries, and exploring distiller secrets, disclosing the recipes you won't find on a bottle's label.As bourbon becomes more ingrained in the culinary world, foodies and drink enthusiasts alike are looking for a basic understanding of America's native whiskey. Bourbon Curious will help curious minds take their first step in learning about this highly celebrated spirit.Like good-tasting bourbon, Bourbon Curious is approachable to all!

    But the storm of exciting brands and flavors has even the savviest bartenders puzzled over their personalities and best uses. Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters and Amari is the handbook that decodes today’s burgeoning selection of bitters, along with their kindred spirits amari and shrubs, complete with 190 photographs.   The introduction includes everything you need to know to understand what bitters and amari are and how to use them. recipes for making essential and inventive bitters at home. The next section offers 123 recipes for making essential bitters at home, mixing, and cooking bitters, from a Burnt Grapefruit Gimlet to a Martini Julep, from Bittered Bittersweet Chocolate Torte to BBQ Pork Ribs with Bittersweet BBQ Sauce. Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters and Amari cracks open the full potential of bitters, inspiring and empowering people to try them. The final section includes a comprehensive field guide to the wide world of the more than 500 great bitters and 50 amari available today. Complete with tasting notes, profiles of important makers and brand photography, the guide gives everyone from pro bartenders to home cooks a solid foundation for buying and using bitters.