Wine and Candy, two great tasting foods, that are delicious and mysterious. To the average person deciding on a wine to purchase can be a mind boggling. Wine Secrets, Advice from Winemakers, Sommeliers, and Connoisseurs, by Marnie Old, provides a user’s guide to taking the overwhelming complexities out of the grape. Marnie Old takes the novice wine drinker from wine basics to paring wines with food. This treasure of a book features neat illustrations and photos and is stocked with great tips on purchasing wine from a retailer.
My favorite illustration describes the olfactory process which is essential in tasting flavor. Many people believe when tasting the wine for a first time an actual taste is required – it’s your nose that should be doing the tasting.
Old provides an all important lesson how you should hold a glass of wine – the correct posture is with the stem. The bowl of the glass serves the purpose of holding the wine; your hands contain scents and oils that could interface with the taste of the wine.
When order wine from a restaurant the sommelier is there to help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is a must have primer for novice and connoisseur.
Have you ever dreamed of making your own candy? I often wonder about the complexities of candy making. It must take hours in a kitchen and concocting the right chemistry to create the right texture, sweetness and scent much require a PhD. Field Guide to Candy, by Anita Chu distills the mystery of candy making in her very well thought out reference.
Beautifully photographed gallery provides an idea of how your self made candies should look. With Thanksgiving and December holidays approaching quickly this handy candy guide will make you the talk of your holiday celebrations when you show off you new candy creations. I’m inspired to want to try.
Both Wine Secrets and Field Guide to Candy are books that would make great gifts and holiday gifts. They both look so pretty on my traditional Japanese tea table.