The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook: Wine and Recipes to Celebrate Every Season's Harvest
For readers interested in this 30-year-old operation, or in Napa vineyards in general, the sizable introduction to the history and growth of Cakebread Cellars will seem an asset. However, for many readers, these pages will read more like a promotional tool. The rest of the book, which is divided into eight sections-each of which is further divided into quarters based on the season-offers a significant array of familiar American bistro style recipes. The dishes, most of which were introduced to restaurant tables during the 1990s, are familiar and casual. Examples are Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pancetta, Shaved Fennel and Sliced Pears; and Couscous with Currants and Toasted Almonds. Each section also includes a single "Workshop Recipe," named for the vineyard's annual culinary program, the American Harvest Workshop-and these recipes are slightly more lively than the rest. A wine pairing suggestion is also offered for each dish and a very basic Wine Tasting Glossary is included near the end of the book, something that some readers will find helpful, but others will view as reductive. While the recipes are competent and reliable, overall, this book comes across as a Napa Valley souvenir.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.