Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine
Author: Jay McInerney
In the two decades since Bright Lights, Big City reinvigorated contemporary fiction, Jay McInerney can claim a great many accomplishments, including the mantle that Salon has given him: “the best wine writer in America.” Of his previous collection, Bacchus and Me, Robert M. Parker, Jr., concluded: “Brilliant, witty, comical, and often shamelessly candid and provocative.” And The New York Times added: “McInerney’s wine judgments are sound, his anecdotes witty, and his literary references impeccable. Not many wine books are good reads; this one is.”
In A Hedonist in the Cellar, he gathers more than five years’ worth of essays and continues his exploration of what’s new, what’s enduring, and what’s surprising, giving his palate a complete workout and the reader an indispensable, idiosyncratic guide to a world of almost infinite variety. Rieslings from the Finger Lakes, Armagnac from Gascony, powerhouse amarones from Valpolicella, the most fearsome critics in England, chocolate-friendly bottles from all over the globe, new developments in Chile and Argentina—these are only some of the delights now ready to be savored in a collection driven not only by wine itself but also the people who make it and those whose enjoyment is matched by their curiosity.
Full of terroir and flavor, svelte personalities, and keen insight into the trade, these are irresistible essays for anyone enthralled by the manifold pleasures of wine.
The Washington Post - Bruce Schoenfeld
In the prologue to A Hedonist in the Cellar, his second collection of columns, [McInerney] offers what may be the clearest, most direct explanation I've read for why wine is worthy of our interest. It's "an inexhaustible subject," he writes, "which leads us, if we choose to follow, into the realms of geology, botany, meteorology, history, aesthetics, and literature. Ideally, the appreciation of wine is balanced between consumption and pleasure on the one hand and contemplation and analysis on the other." I promptly ran down to the cellar to grab a bottle.
The New York Times - Michael Steinberger
… what's impressive is how fresh and jargon-free McInerney's wine writing remains a decade into his House & Garden gig. From start to finish, first sip to last, A Hedonist in the Cellar is crisp, stylish and very funny.
Publishers Weekly
Those who've ever thought wine writing was a bit sniffy will find McInerney's cheeky and informative squibs on wine a generous, almost ham-handed pleasure. In this collection of short essays, reproduced from his monthly column in House & Garden, the increasingly avid reader is enveloped in the various wines he tastes. It's sexy. But it's not just wine that's sexy here, it's also the people who have "caught the wine bug" and dedicate themselves to making their own labels. McInerney (Bright Lights, Big City; The Good Life) ferrets out the small winemakers, investigates their ethos and tastes their efforts with the same glee and tireless interest he dedicates to the big bottlers. This sense of discovery permeates each essay as he links the wine to its history, where the grapes come from and the culture that goes into its making. Readers will learn more than even the most dedicated oenephile can use, but everyone can be inspired to find the next bottle of something special for any occasion. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Interesting book: Bob Greenes Total Body Makeover or Alternative Cures
Biggest Book of Cookies
Author: Better Homes Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens kitchen-tested cookie recipes please every cookie lover. A wide variety of cookie recipes, including traditional standbys and new cookie ideas, ensures bakers always have the right recipe for any cookie occasion. Cookie basics and expert tips give cooks confidence their cookie creations will never fail. 100+ color photographs.
Table of Contents:
| Introduction | 4 | |
| Cookie Basics | 5 | |
| Sweet Spoonfuls | 9 | |
| Heavenly Hand-Shaped Cookies | 61 | |
| Molded and Pressed Shapes | 123 | |
| Slices of Delight | 157 | |
| Rolling Pin Favorites | 199 | |
| Fabulous Filled Cookies | 259 | |
| Simple Shortcuts | 299 | |
| Best Bars and Brownies | 337 | |
| Index | 403 |
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