The Bottom Line
Pros
- Easily navigable food and beverage pairing guide
- Advice and anecdotes from top chefs, sommeliers and other experts
- List of essential beverages to keep in stock for versatile and quick pairing
- Pairing menus and recipes from some of America's best restaurants
- Conversational and readable text with beautiful full-color photographs
Cons
- Heavily concentrated on wine (an understandable focus)
Description
- Authors: Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
- 356 page hardcover book published by Bulfinch Press
- Released: October 2, 2006
- Advice from 70 top wine experts (including 10 master sommeliers), chefs and other experts.
- 1,500 categories, including 17 cuisines and 100 cheeses
- Pairing menus from America's top restaurants
Guide Review - What To Drink With What You Eat
Your ultimate dining experience begins here. As the most comprehensive pairing guide to date, What To Drink With What You Eat is a pure gem of knowledge and tasteful thoughts. Almost every beverage one could think of that they would want to drink along with a meal is included with a suggestion of a suitable dish or cuisine. Ice wine and cheesecake, Scotch and dark chocolate, chrysanthemum tea and swordfish or Barbaresco and white truffles, any food or drink has the perfect match. Even the infamous Big Mac can be paired with seven different wines. The extensive pairing listings can be used in either direction: choose your meal then your drink or choose your drink then your meal.
Naturally, wine is the major focus of the pairings. The variety and versatility of wines have always complimented food. The book does delve into other liquids as well, including waters, juices, coffees, teas and spirits. A fascinating explanation given by Gary Regan regarding the pairing of spirits essentially advices: an apéritif, a vermouth spritzer with salad, wine with the entrée and a straight spirit or sweet cocktail with dessert. More insightful anecdotes on using spirits can be found throughout the book.
Overall, What To Drink With What You Eat is an amazing guide that opens up a new world of exquisite tastes just by choosing complimentary elements in the dining experience. It is an enjoyable read and a handy guide to keep near the kitchen for daily use.
