My Books on Food and Wine
The Wine Lover Cooks Italian
2005,
ISBN 0811841006
Chronicle Books, San Francisco: 224 pages
A cookbook and a wine book, with recipes and wines organized by region. The food was selected to match the wines, with recipes from local winemakers, chefs, cooking teachers, and my own adaptations of classic dishes, always aiming for harmony and balance. I don’t know of another Italian cookbook with as much solid information on wine, its flavors, and its affinities. There are also chapters on olive oil and Italian cheese.
The Perfect Match
2001,
ISBN 0-8118-2918-9
Chronicle Books, San Francisco: 156 pages
A cookbook about matching food and wine, with the wine information straightforwardly and informally presented. The recipes are my very best, with some from chefs and winemakers. Nominated for a James Beard Award (I lost to Jacques Pepin, but he said mine was an “entertaining way through the labyrinth of this complex subject.” Bob Mondavi just said, “Everyone interested in food and wine should have this book.”) I can’t top those.
A Perfect Glass of Wine
1996, ISBN 0-8118-1295-2
Chronicle Books, San Francisco; 120 pages
The lead-in to the title is “Choosing, serving, and enjoying. . .” That’s it. This is an informal but thorough guide to the major wines of the world. No jargon, no bull, no snobbery, just the information anyone needs to enjoy wine. Appellation magazine said, “informative enough to use in the kitchen, entertaining enough to keep by your bedside, and attractive enough to display on your coffee table.” Now in its 6th printing.
A Century of Wine
2000, ISBN 1-84000-253-0
Mitchell Beazley, London; 192 pages
The story of how the wines of the world evolved as the 20th Century did. An ambitious, prize-winning book by 16 leading writers, including Hugh Johnson, Michael Broadbent, James Halliday, and Stephen Brook. I wrote the chapter on the wines of the U.S. and Canada.
New World of Wine
1997, ISBN 1-85732-520-6
Mitchell Beazley, London; 160 pages
A survey of the wines of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, and the U.S., by me and five good young writers. A bit dated, but very good for historical background.