Cooking With Wine
Wine, food's natural partner, is also integral to much of the world's best cooking. Recognizing this, Ann Willan'sCooking with Wineoffers 200 delectable recipes for dishes both casual and sophisticated; almost better, it provides direct, accessible information on choosing wine; cooking with it (for example, heat changes its character depending on degree); how American vintages stack up against French; and much more. Willan, founder of the renowned La Varenne cooking school and part-time Burgundy resident, is the ideal person to present her fascinating subject; the large-format book, illustrated throughout with color photos, proves to be a perfect vehicle for her lucid investigation.Providing a full range of recipes, from appetizers and soups through desserts, condiments, and chutneys, the book offers such unusual temptations as Crisp-Skinned Salmon with Leek, Red, and White Butter Sauces, Lentil and Portabella Stew with Arugula, and Chicken Salad with Walnuts in a White-Wine Dressing. Earthier fare is also included, and readers will enjoy trying their hand at an exemplary version of Beef Bourguignonne, Classic Osso Bucco, and Chili on the Go, a savory rendition that can be quickly composed using ready-cooked beans. Desserts like sweet-wine pastry dough and a red wine and walnut tart with cinnamon include wine in interesting and successful ways, while traditional wine-based sweets like zablione and tiramisu also receive their due. With portraits and recipes from 24 American winemakers like Rhode Island's Sakonnet Vineyards, tips, and a marvelous chart detailing American wines and their counterparts, the book does its subject tempting justice.--Arthur Boehm