The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and
Running a Winery

Author: Thomas Pellechia
Rating: Excellent
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Price: $18.95
Webpage: http://us.penguingroup.com
ISBN 9781592578184

Experience and knowledge is power. Thomas Pellechia has been on all sides of the wine business. His new idiot's guide is a perfect instruction manual for anyone who has dreamt about owning their own wine business. This book covers almost all of the possible legal and financial issues that will be faced by any vintner.

Valuable chapters include vineyard design and layout, grape yields (gallons per ton) and how to make a profitable business. They say it isn't so! Custom crush versus owning your own winery. Pellechia shows you how to crunch those numbers too! My favorite pet peeve, wine label design is also logically explained. You will learn the do's and don'ts for designing a wine label that's draws attention, entering your best wines into a professional wine competition, plus a lot more. This is the best education that a vintner may ever get for less than twenty bucks!

On the Line

Authors: Eric Ripert and Christine Muhlke
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Price: $35.00
ISBN: 9781579653699 (1579653693)
Webpage:http://www.workman.com/products/9781579653699/

As a resident of New York I tried unsuccessfully to secure a lunch reservation at Le Bernardin for several years. My only complaint after reading this book is that I am fearful that its readers will flock to Le Bernardin in even more frequency keeping this wonderful restaurant sold-out!

With three Michelin Stars it should be expected. Chef Eric Ripert has allowed the reader to examine the inner soul of Le
Bernardin in a manner similar to a culinary MRI. This book is like the official owners manual and operational guide for running a world-class seafood restaurant. Ripert's signature recipes are included. Spectacular photography, intriguing illustrations and timelines makes this book Le Bernardin un-coded!

Under Pressure Cooking Sous Vide

Author: Thomas Keller; Introduction by Harold McGee
Format: Hardcover, 295 pages
Price: $75
ISBN: 9781579653514 (1579653510)
Webpage: www.workman.com/products/9781579653514/

America's most respected chef has discovered the Sous Vide method of cooking. It involves packing food, seasonings and sauces in airtight plastic bags and cooking at low heat. This Chef Keller confirms provides superior flavors and precision.

Several years ago Chef Keller along with culinary greats(Daniel Boulud, Charlie Trotter and Mark Miller, to name a few), teamed-up with Cuisine Solutions to offer a line of their signature dishes that could survive shipping via mail order. I attended a media luncheon where all of the press
attendees ate foods that had been prepared via the Sous Vide method. It was delicious!

In Under Pressure, Chef Keller discusses the many virtues and obstacles he experienced using Sous Vide. The photographs used to illustrate this book is first class. While some of the commercial equipment shown in this book is only practical for a professional kitchen, I believe that some of the techniques in this book could be adapted for use in a Food Saver home
sealing system.

Just like Thomas Keller's other books, Under Pressure is packed with a great assortment of recipes that will keep even the most enthusiastic foodie busy for the next year. The sources directory at the back of this book is an invaluable resource for finding rare ingredients from Keller approved
purveyors. Buy this book and keep it on your table for inspiration. It will help you discover your inner foodie.

The Billionaire’s Vinegar
Author: Benjamin Wallace
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Price: $24.95
Web Page: www.benjaminwallace.net
ISBN-10: 0307338770
ISBN-13: 978-0307338778

This is one of those books that you really cannot put down. It covers a very historical & VERY expensive bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux—unearthed in a Paris cellar and supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—it was auctioned for $156,000 to a member of the Forbes family. And you thought they just collect Faberge Eggs?

This book is full of suspense and mystery. After reading it you will wonder about how many wines purchased at auctions may also be flawed… quietly sitting in their new owners cellar.

This was one exciting and intriguing book that I made me wish that it would be turned into a movie. Well it seems like my wish will come true! Escape Artists and Overbrook Entertainment have optioned screen rights to "The Billionaire's Vinegar," Variety reported. The film will be produced by Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Will Smith.

Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics
Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients
Author: Ina Garten
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Potter Books
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Price: $35.00
Web Page: www.barefootcontessa.com/
ISBN: 978-1-4000-5435-0 (1-4000-5435-4)

Ina Garten’s newest book in her Barefoot Contessa series is destined to be another best selling hit. Just like a catchy pop music tune, her approach proves that you don’t need to create a complicated dish to please the masses.

Having the pleasure of visiting her Barefoot Contessa food store in the Hamptons, many moons ago, before she became an International Foodie Icon, I remember and long for many of the dishes contained in Back To The Basics.

Garten has tested, re-tested, improved and simplified traditional classics such as Coq Au Vin, while adding a new twist while maintaining authenticity. The book is laden with simple and quick, but ultra flavored dishes that wil be “food candy” for your guests. The book is designed beautifully and illustrated with mouthwatering color photography. The Barefoot Contessa has even shared her extensive wealth of party host experience by providing insightful tips on the do’s & don’ts of party etiquette, cocktails and cooking techniques.

Beat the recessionary blues, buy this book and cook like a master, affordably at home!

A Twist of The Wrist
Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes
Author: Nancy Silverton
Rating: Excellent
Publisher: Knoph
Format: Hardcover, 262 pages
Price: $29.95
Web Page: www.randomhouse.com
ISBN: 978-1-4000-4407-8

Los Angeles Baker & Chef Nancy Silverton is best known for co-founding the Artisan La Brea Bakery. Her new book offers a quick way to turn quality canned & packaged foods into quick meals. Her recipes are mostly simple, but designed to exude interesting flavors. Each recipe has an estimated start to finish time.

Garlic Mayonnaise

In life, I believe everyone, especially those of us who are serious about food, is entitled to one food vice—something they love even though they have a hard time admitting it, whether it's Oreo cookies, Fritos corn chips, or Lipton onion dip made with onion soup mix. Mine, if I had to choose just one, is Best Foods mayonnaise (called Hellmann's on the East Coast). As many others as I tried and as much as I wanted to choose an organic brand for this book, I kept returning to my old favorite. The other mayos just didn't have that familiar, well-balanced flavor that says "mayonnaise" to me. This recipe uses Best Foods mayonnaise as a base to make a quick aoli (garlic mayonnaise). It takes minutes to make and is a delicious way to finish so many dishes.

• 1-cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1-teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 4 large garlic cloves, grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon), or more to taste
• 1/4-teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Stir the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt together in a small bowl and season with more lemon juice, garlic, or salt to taste.


This book is superbly designed with excellent photography. It makes the perfect gift for novice home cook who wants to head down the foodie highway.

A Moveable Thirst
Tales and Tastes From A Season in Napa Wine Country
Author: Rick Kushman and Hank Beal
Rating: Excellent
Publisher: Wiley
Format: Soft Cover, 336 pages
Price: $18.95
Web Page: www.amoveablethirst.com
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-79386

Did you know that more than 5 million people visit Napa wineries every year? That makes Napa more popular than Disneyland! This does not come without a price…Napa’s roads and tasting rooms are getting so congested, that wine country virgins as well as local enthusiasts are seeking travel short cuts. On weekends, Napa’s main road, Highway 29 is near a stand still at times, making it near impossible to turn left without fear of causing a collision.

The authors of A Moveable Thirst are two friends with different perspectives and levels of experience with wine. One is a professional wine buyer at a major wine retailer, the other a seasoned journalist that is as happy go lucky as “Jack” the neophyte in “Sideways”. They have spent a year visiting ALL of Napa’s 141 tasting rooms. The result is a wine trekker’s guide that provides an unbiased overview of the experience and unique characteristics to be discovered at each winery tasting room.

Includes:

• Winery name & address
• Hours of Operation
• Service
• Tasting Tools
• Intangibles & Extras
• Wine Availability
• Picnic Prospects
• Cost
• Directions
• Recommended for

We recommend this book as indispensable for anyone who is planning a visit to Napa wineries. With the grappling tasting fees ($10 to $25) and dense traffic, it is vital to plan your trip wisely.