Tuesday, December 9, 2008

YAll Come Eat or Wine For Dummies

Y'All Come Eat

Author: Jamie Deen

Get ready for amazing recipes that will entice anyone to clear off the kitchen table and have a few people over. Bobby and Jamie Deen's newest one-of-a-kind cookbook is bursting with flavorful recipes for good eats around the dinner table with family, a pre-game cookout, or a potluck rich with food for half the neighborhood.



Table of Contents:
Foreword     8
Introduction     10
Gather 'Round the Table     12
Sunday Dinners and More     38
Y'All Come on Over     72
Pack it up to go!     134
Join the Fun     166
Sweet Endings     184
Index     211

Wine For Dummies

Author: Ed McCarthy

Savor the glories of the grape in this all-new, revised and updated edition of the best-selling Wine For Dummies. Even if you've never sipped a glass of wine in your life, a wonderful world is awaiting as you find out how to taste wine, what types of grapes are used in the wine-making process, and how wines are named. A little knowledge, say husband-and-wife authors Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, can go a long way in enhancing your delight and appreciation of wine.
After you master the basics of enjoying fine wines, take a tour of the famous wine-growing regions of the world, from Burgundy to the Napa Valley, and discover vintage advice on great wines for any occasion as you decant the wisdom of these seasoned wine aficionados. Find out how to handle snooty clerks, restaurant wine lists, and stubborn corks. Uncork a wealth of practical advice and recommendations on where, when, and how to buy the wines you love and how to store them properly. Improve your wine vocabulary, too, so that when you make that great discovery, you can say more than, Gee, this tastes good!"



Table of Contents:
Forewordxxiii
Introduction1
Welcome to Our Third Edition1
How to Use This Book2
Icons Used in This Book3
Wine Is for Everyone4
Part IGetting Started with Wine5
Chapter 1Wine 1017
How Wine Happens7
What Color Is Your Appetite?9
Other Ways of Categorizing Wine14
Chapter 2These Taste Buds Are for You19
The Special Technique for Tasting Wine19
Parlez-Vous Winespeak?26
The Quality Issue: What's a Good Wine?29
What's a Bad Wine?32
The Final Analysis: Do You Like It?33
Chapter 3Pinot Envy and Other Secrets about Grape Varieties35
It's the Grape Whodunit35
Grape Royalty and Commoners40
A Primer on White Grape Varieties41
A Primer on Red Grape Varieties45
Chapter 4Is It a Grape? Is It a Place?51
What's in a Name51
The Wine Name Game52
Chapter 5Behind the Scenes of Winemaking61
A Reality Check for Wine Jargon61
Part IIClose Encounters of the Wine Kind67
Chapter 6Navigating a Wine Shop69
Buying Wine Can Intimidate Anyone69
Wine Retailers, Large and Small70
Choosing the Right Wine Merchant74
Strategies for Wine Shopping76
Chapter 7Navigating a Restaurant Wine List81
The Restaurant Wine Experience81
How Wine Is Sold in Restaurants82
How to Scope Out a Wine List85
How to Ask for Advice90
How to Ace the Wine Presentation Ritual91
Restaurant Wining Tips94
Chapter 8Everything You Need to Know about Serving and Using Wine97
Getting the Cork Out97
A Special Case: Opening Champagne and Sparkling Wine104
Does Wine Really Breathe?105
Does the Glass Really Matter?108
Serving Wine Not Too Warm, Not Too Cold112
Storing Leftover Wine114
Entertaining with Wine115
Chapter 9Judging a Wine by Its Label119
The Wine Label and What It Tells You119
Part IIIAround the World of Wine129
Chapter 10Doing France131
The French Model131
France's Wine Regions134
Bordeaux: The Incomparable135
Burgundy: The Other Great French Wine145
The Hearty Rhones of the Valley161
The Loire Valley: White Wine Heaven164
Alsace Wines: French, Not German166
The South and Southwest167
Other French Wine Regions169
Chapter 11Italy, the Heartland of Vino171
The Vineyard of Europe171
Reds Reign in Piedmont175
Tuscany the Beautiful179
A Cornucopia of Northeastern Wines184
Snapshots from the Rest of Italy187
Chapter 12Elsewhere in Europe189
Intriguing Wines from Old Spain190
Portugal: More Than Just Port196
Germany: Europe's Individualist198
Switzerland: Stay-at-Home Wines204
Austria's Exciting Whites (and Reds)205
The Re-emergence of Hungary206
Greece's Ancient (and Modern) Treasures208
Chapter 13The Brave New World of Wine211
Australian Wine Power213
The Rise of New Zealand217
The Old and the New of Chile218
Argentina, a Major Player220
New Hope in South Africa222
Chapter 14America, America225
The New World of American Wine225
California, USA227
Napa Valley: As Tiny as It Is Famous230
Down-to-Earth in Sonoma235
Mendocino and Lake Counties238
San Francisco Bay Area239
Santa Cruz Mountains240
Down in Old Monterey241
Thar's Wine in Them There Foothills242
San Luis Obispo: Mountain Meets Maritime243
Santa Barbara, California Paradise244
Elsewhere in California245
Oregon, A Tale of Two Pinots246
Wine on the Desert: Washington State249
The Empire State252
Oh, Canada254
Chapter 15Bubbling Beauties257
All That Glitters Is Not Champagne258
Sparkling Wine Styles259
How Sparkling Wine Happens261
Champagne and Its Magic Wines264
Other Sparkling Wines271
Serving Champagne and Sparkling Wines275
Chapter 16Wine Roads Less Traveled: Fortified and Dessert Wines279
Timing Is Everything279
Sherry: A Misunderstood Wine280
Marsala, Vin Santo, and the Gang287
Port: The Glory of Portugal287
Madeira, M'dear292
Sauternes and the Nobly Rotten Wines294
Part IVWhen You've Caught the Buy299
Chapter 17Insider's Guide to Wine Buying301
Wines That Play Hard to Get301
Playing Hardball302
Chapter 18You Never Graduate from Wine School311
Back to the Classroom311
Armchair Travel317
Chapter 19Describing and Rating Wine325
Words Cannot Describe325
When It's Your Turn to Speak327
Rating Wine Quality330
Chapter 20Marrying Wine with Food333
Matchmaker, Matchmaker333
Chapter 21To Have and To Hold--or To Sell339
Which Kind of Wine Buyer Are You?339
Strategies for Collectors Great and Small342
Organization Is Next to Peace of Mind345
A Healthy Environment for Your Wines346
Investment Wines351
Selling Your Wine353
Part VThe Part of Tens355
Chapter 22Answers to Ten Common Questions about Wine357
What's a good wine?357
When should I drink this wine?357
Is wine fattening?358
What grape variety is this wine made from?358
Which vintage should I buy?359
Are there any wines without sulfites?359
Are there any organic wines?360
What's new oak?360
What is a wine expert?361
How do I know when to drink the special older wines I've been keeping?361
Do old wines require special handling?362
Chapter 23Ten Wine Myths Demystified363
Wine is for experts363
Wine has to be expensive to be good363
Imported wines are better364
White wine with fish, red with meat364
Numbers don't lie365
Vintages always matter/vintages don't matter365
Wine authorities are experts366
Old wines are good wines366
Great wines are supposed to taste bad when they're young366
Champagnes don't age367
Part VIAppendixes369
Appendix APronunciation Guide to Wine Terms371
Appendix BGlossary of Wine Terms375
Appendix CVintage Wine Chart: 1982-2001383
Index387

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