While whiskey enthusiasts may fight over which bourbon is best or which region of Scotland produces the best single malts, everyone can agree that whiskey is a very food friendly spirit. Here are a variety of cookbooks whose recipes will match well with whiskies and offer up a variety of items from pickles to appetizers to desserts. While some of these offerings are a bit nontraditional, try new flavor pairings with different whiskies to see just how whiskies can complement foods.
1. Pig, King of the Southern Table
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When I think about foods to pair with bourbon, pork jumps right into my mind. James Villas newest book offers recipes like Pig Knuckle Salad, Roast Pork Loin with Spiced Apricots and Alabama Hog Pot along with first rate barbecue recipes and advice. Pour yourself a Maker's Mark mint julep, fire up the barbecue and get cooking with this wonderful tome. You cannot go wrong with this book, it belongs on any serious cooks bookshelf.
2. Put 'Em Up, A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook
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Sherri Brooks Vinton's latest book offers the creative cook a comprehensive guide to pickling, canning and preserving. I particularly enjoy the cantaloupe pickle recipe paired with a nice spicy bourbon like Bulleit. Be sure to try the plum chutney with wild game and a nice Highland malt like Ardmore. This book offers a plethora of wonderful recipes and has quickly become one of my favorites.
3. Dulce, Desserts in the Latin American Tradition
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While Latin American cuisine is widely respected, it generally doesn't get paired with whiskies very often. However, I find the inherent sweetness of Latin American desserts, along with the heavy use of fruits to be a great match for Scotch whiskies. Experiment to see which pairings you enjoy most. I tend to pair big Islay single malts like Laphroaig with sweet desserts, but even a full bodied blended scotch like Isle of Skye or Johnnie Walker Black would match well too. I included this book on the list because I think that it is important to experiment with food and spirits pairings and a book like Dulce can really open ones eyes to the possibilities of nontraditional pairings.
4. The Irish Pub Cookbook
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Sometimes food and spirits pairings can be deceptively simple. A nice dram of Kilbeggan or Tyrconnell with this book's shepherds pie recipe on a cold, rainy day puts me in heaven. This may not be dinner party cooking, but the recipes contained in the Irish Pub Cookbook are simple, honest and genuine.
5. Planet Barbecue
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Steve Raichlen is the foremost barbecue expert in the cookbook world today. His latest offering contains 309 recipes from 60 countries. Just about any barbecued dish pairs well with whiskey, and for a simple rule of thumb try pairing dishes from with whiskies from the same region of the world. Japanese grilled items with Yamazaki, Canadian foods with Canadian Club, and so on. This book offers easy instructions, great recipes and has the breadth of coverage that few other books in this category do.