Bruce Aidells

The difference in the number and types of craft beer available between when I first found this book, in 1994, and now frankly astounding. At the time you'd have been hard-pressed to find most of the beers recommended for the various recipes if you didn't live near the particular brewery. Now you might not find that beer, but you can certainly find a few (or many) equivalents.

There is a bit of history of beer and brewing in the US, a bit of information on the (then) new beers that may or may show more not trace back to old traditions, all interspersed with wonderful recipes. show less

An extremely useful book. It has tips on buying, preparing, and cooking different varieties of meat. I think if anyone should have one cookbook in their home, this is it. Bruce Aidells definitely knows his stuff, and I've pulled off some big dinner winners using the information from this book. Tough steaks and overcooked roasts are a thing of the past. There are recipes included, but I mostly use this as a how-to guide.

Some of the discussion about meat and grocery stores in general is a bit out of date now, but the recipes and prep recommendations look great. I've had this one on my shelf for almost ten years and haven't used it yet--time to give it a try.

Our go-to meat book. I don't always follow the flavoring suggestions, but the cooking techniques and butcher counter advice are excellent.