Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley. Gin was born from a conifer shrub when a Dutch physician added oil of juniper to a clear spirit, believing that juniper berries would cure kidney disorders. "The Drunken Botanist" uncovers the enlightening botanical history and the fascinating science and chemistry of over 150 plants, flowers, trees, and fruits (and even one fungus).Some of the most extraordinary and obscure plants have been fermented and distilled, and they each represent a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history. Molasses was an essential ingredient in American independence: when the British forced the colonies to buy British (not French) molasses for their New World rum-making, the settlers outrage kindled the American Revolution. Rye, which turns up in countless spirits, is vulnerable to ergot, which contains a precursor to LSD, and some historians have speculated that the Salem witch trials occurred because girls poisoned by ergot had seizures that made townspeople think they d been bewitched. Then there's the tale of the thirty-year court battle that took place over the trademarking of Angostura bitters, which may or may not actually contain bark from the Angostura tree.With a delightful two-color vintage-style interior, over fifty drink recipes, growing tips for gardeners, and advice that carries Stewart's trademark wit, this is the perfect gift for gardeners and cocktail aficionados alike.

    With more than half a million copies of their books in print, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois have proven that people want to bake their own bread, so long as they can do it easily and quickly.Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will teach you everything you need to know, opening the eyes of any potential baker."

    Readers find the Vanilla Bean blog while hunting for the perfect chocolate cake or cinnamon roll recipe, or another everyday favorite. They stay for founder Sarah Kieffer's simple approach to home baking, the utterly transporting, dreamlike quality of her photography, and her evocative storytelling. Most of all, the Vanilla Bean blog celebrates the soulfulness of baking.Kieffer mastered the art of home baking while working in tiny kitchens in the back of coffeehouses and bakeries in Minnesota. She began the Vanilla Bean blog to create a culinary heritage for her family, but soon became passionate about making the joys of baking accessible for all. With recipes that help simplify the process behind complicated techniques, Vanilla Bean has built a dedicated following of several hundred thousand loyal readers and won several awards, including the Reader's Choice Award for best baking blog from Saveur.The Vanilla Bean Baking Book is Kieffer's debut cookbook, with 100 delicious tried-and-true recipes for the home baker. From everyday favorites such as Lemon Bread and Peanut Butter Cookies to inventive twists on classics such as Burnt Honey Buttercream Cake with Chocolate, Coffee Blondies, and Apple-Blackberry Turnovers, these irresistible treats will delight and inspire.

    Magnolia Table includes 125 classic recipes—from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to small plates, snacks, and desserts—presenting a modern selection of American classics and personal family favorites. Complemented by her love for her garden, these dishes also incorporate homegrown, seasonal produce at the peak of its flavor.Full of personal stories and beautiful photos, Magnolia Table is an invitation to share a seat at the table with Joanna Gaines and her family.

    Summer's wild raspberries become Raspberry Pink Peppercorn Sorbet, ruby red rhubarb is roasted to adorn a pavlova, juicy apricots and berries are baked into galettes with saffron sugar, and winter's bright citrus fruits shine in Blood Orange Donuts and Tangerine Cream Pie. Yossy Arefi’s recipes showcase what's fresh and vibrant any time of year by enhancing the enticing sweetness of fruits with bold flavors like rose and orange flower water inspired by her Iranian heritage, bittersweet chocolate and cacao nibs, and whole-grain flours like rye and spelt. Accompanied by gorgeous, evocative photography, Sweeter off the Vine is a must-have for aspiring bakers and home cooks of all abilities.From the Hardcover edition.

    The recipes follow Mary's prescription for dishes that are no fuss, practical, and foolproof--from breakfast goods to cookies, cakes, pastries, and pies, to special occasion desserts such as cheesecake and soufflés, to British favorites that will inspire.Whether you're tempted by Mary's Heavenly Chocolate Cake and Best-Ever Brownies, intrigued by her Mincemeat and Almond Tart or Magic Lemon Pudding, or inspired by her Rich Fruit Christmas Cake and Ultimate Chocolate Roulade, the straightforward yet special recipes in Baking with Mary Berry will prove, as one reviewer has said of her recipes, "if you can read, you can cook."Author Bio:Mary Berry is one of the UK's best-loved and most respected cooking writers and bakers, with more than 80 books to her name and over 6 million copies sold. She is a judge on the primetime ABC series The Great Holiday Baking Show and the PBS series The Great British Baking Show, based on the hit BBC TV program (The Great British Bake Off). Her focus on family food and on recipes that are no fuss, practical, and foolproof have won her a legion of fans worldwide. She lives in England and has five grandchildren--with whom she regularly bakes.

    No longer! Cupcakes are now the treat of the times, at once simple and chic. 500 Cupcakes is just that: a storehouse of recipes, written in clear instructions and appealingly packaged in bright, modern colors. 500 Cupcakes from front to back provides what bakers of all levels need to produce tempting creations. The introduction provides a comprehensive look at equipment and ingredients, plus a description of the cupcake-making process, from getting started to storing and transporting the yummy results The collection of recipes span from classic flavors and shapes to new favorites for every style and taste?including recipes for alternate diets. Each recipe is written in clear language (great for the novice baker), and every one features three variations on the basic recipe (great for the experienced baker seeking new flavors).

    Spotting the familiar items in the hundreds of brilliant photos is at least half the fun.  America's favorite food photography team shows how to create funny, scary, and sophisticated masterpieces using a ziplock bag and common candies and snack items. With these easy-to-follow techniques, even the most kitchen-challenged cooks can:• raise a big-top circus cupcake tier for a kid's birthday• plant candy vegetables on Oreo earth cupcakes for a garden party• trot out a line of confectionery "pup cakes" for a dog fancier• serve spaghetti and meatball cupcakes for April Fool's Day• bewitch trick-or-treaters with eerie alien cupcakes• create holidays on icing with a white Christmas cupcake wreath, turkey cupcake place cards, and Easter egg cupcakes

    Their book offers a delicious collection of recipes, all featuring the world's most intoxicating ingredient: chocolate!

    Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton has elevated that experience to a whole new level at her Los Angeles restaurants Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza, co-owned with restaurateurs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. A reservation at Mozza has been the hottest ticket in town since the restaurants opened and diners have been lining up for their wildly popular dishes. Finally, in The Mozza Cookbook, Silverton is sharing these recipes with the rest of the world.The original idea for Mozza came to Nancy at her summer home in Panicale, Italy. And that authentic Italian feel is carried throughout the book as we explore recipes from aperitivo to dolci that she would serve at her tavola at home. But do not confuse authentic with conventional! Under Silverton’s guidance, each bite is more exciting and delectable than the last, with recipes such as:Fried Squash Blossoms with RicottaBuricotta with Braised Artichokes, Pine Nuts, Currants, and Mint Pesto Mussels al Forno with Salsa Calabrese Fennel Sausage, Panna, and Scallion Pizza Fresh Ricotta and Egg Ravioli with Brown Butter Grilled Quail Wrapped in Pancetta with Sage and Honey Sautéed Cavolo Nero Fritelle di Riso with Nocello-soaked Raisins and Banana Gelato Olive Oil Gelato In the book, Nancy guides you through all the varieties of cheese that she serves at the Mozzarella Bar in the Osteria. And you’ll find all the tricks you need to make homemade pastas, gelato, and pizzas that taste as if they were flown in directly from Italy. Silverton’s lively and encouraging voice and her comprehensive knowledge of the traditions behind this mouthwateringly decadent cuisine make her recipes—both familiar and intricate—easy to follow and hard to resist. It’s no wonder it is so difficult to get a table at Mozza—when you’re cooking these dishes there will be a line out your door as well.

    From the highlands and grasslands of Africa to the lush forests of Eastern Europe, from the sun-drenched hills of Provence to the mountains of South America, the inventive cooks have drawn inspiration for these delicious adaptations of traditional recipes.Including a section on cross-cultural menu planning as well as an extensive guide to ingredients, techniques, and equipment, Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant offers a taste for every palate.Moosewood Restaurant is run by a group of eighteen people who rotate through the jobs necessary to make a restaurant work. They plan menus, set long-term goals, and wash pots.Moosewood Restaurant contributes 1% of its profits from the sale of this book to the Eritrean Relief Fund, which provides food and humanitarian assistance to the Eritrean people.Moosewood Restaurant supports 1% For Peace, an organization working to persuade the government to redirect 1% of the Defense Department budget towards programs that create and maintain peace in positive ways.

    But American food, like its history, is a world of its own. This enticingly fresh book introduces modern listeners to lost American food traditions and leads them on a tantalizing culinary journey through the evolution of our vibrant cuisine and culture. Covering a hundred different foods from the Native American-era through today and featuring over a dozen recipes and photos, this fascinating history of American food will delight history buffs and food lovers alike.

    Sugar Cube founder and baker Kir Jensen left the fine-dining pastry track to sell her handmade treats on the street. Recipes for 50 of Kir's most enticing cupcakes, cookies, tarts, muffins, sips, and candies are made more irresistible (if possible!) by 32 delicious color photographs. Sassy headnotes and illustrations that resemble vintage tattoos liven up this singular boutique baking book.

    . . for life.- Apples for JamApples for Jam is a keepsake cookbook filled with savory recipes woven together by a rainbow of colors, memories, and lavish full-color photography.Tessa Kiros has circled the globe working in restaurants in Australia, Greece, Mexico, and London. Her extensive travel and multicultural background lend authenticity to more than 200 recipes, which are grouped by color and presented alongside vibrant photographs, sound cooking advice, and heartwarming anecdotes about friends, family, and the whimsies of childhood.Kiros shares a bevy of diverse and easy-to-prepare dishes playfully themed in colored chapters. An index references both specific foods and recipes. With memories of daisy chains, ice cream cones, circuses, and four-leaf clovers, Kiros shares her belief that good food sparks cherished memories that intensify life's melting pot of flavor. A sampling of the flavors includes:* Sage and rosemary mashed potatoes* Pecan butter cookies* Roast rack of pork with fennel and honey* Pomegranate sorbet* Roasted zucchini and tomatoes with thyme* Pan-fried sole with lemon butter

    The only solace she found was in her secret hobby: baking. With every sugary, buttery confection to emerge from her oven, Gesine took one step away from her glittery, empty existence—and one step closer to her true destiny. Before long, she and her husband left the trappings of their Hollywood lifestyle behind, ending up in Vermont, where they started the gem known as Gesine Confectionary. And they never looked back. Confections of a Closet Master Baker follows Gesine's journey from sugar-obsessed child to miserable, awkward Hollywood insider to reluctant master baker. Chock-full of eccentric characters, beautifully detailed descriptions of her baking process, ceaselessly funny renditions of Hollywood nonsense, and recipes, the ingredients of her story will appeal to anyone who has ever considered leaving the life they know and completely starting over.