The Art of Tea and Friendship or Vineyard Kitchen

The Art of Tea and Friendship: Savoring the Fragrance of Time Together

Author: Sandy Lynam Clough

Beloved artist Sandy Clough delightfully guides readers on the fine art of blending tea and friendship. Along with her beautiful antique teaware paintings, Sandy offers a creative variety of ways for friends to gather and savor the fragrance of time spent together, sharing a part of their lives. Friends, old and new, close and far away, will enjoy ideas on how to...

• have a telephone tea party with long-distance friends
• host a homeschool lesson on the art of tea
• make a teacup friendship topiary

Laced with wonderful quotes, poems, and Scriptures that celebrate the blessings of friendship, this visually stunning treasure is perfect for rekindling past friendships, nurturing current friendships, and encouraging the growth of new friendships. Ideal for birthdays, holidays, and special celebrations.

Interesting book: Consulta Impecable: un Guía de Adquisición de Su Maestría Usada

Vineyard Kitchen: Menus Inspired by the Seasons

Author: Maria Helm Sinskey

In this age of celebrity chefs and rarefied ingredients, it is a great pleasure to publish this creative and wholesome collection of recipes, The Vineyard Kitchen, by Maria Helm Sinskey. In her debut book, Maria shares the homey yet sophisticated recipes that have made her one of America's most celebrated chefs and a culinary star. Though Maria lives in the Napa Valley, she was born and raised in the Northeast, and her recipes capture seasonal availability and flavors, no matter where you are cooking.

Maria offers 40 menus, 10 per season, with more than 180 recipes to enjoy all year round. From her kitchen in Napa, where she runs a vineyard with her husband and raises her two young daughters, Maria looks out onto a landscape whose seasonal bounty is reflected in each recipe. Emphasizing quality ingredients, her dishes are simple and pure, focusing on the freshness and flavor of each element, rather than on fussy or complicated preparations. These are dishes that celebrate the unique offerings of each season and that perfectly suit our shifting appetites as the days go from short to long and as our dining table moves from fireside to patio.

Delight in summer with the annual ritual of shucking fresh corn, and transform the harvest into a velvety Sweet Corn Soup with Rosemary; savor the summer-only treat of White Peaches Poached in Vin Gris with Raspberries. When the weather turns wintry, you won't feel deprived with Maria's soothing Nutmeg Custard or with a stunning meal of Parsnip Soup followed by Duck Confit with French Green Lentils. Complete with wine pairings and seasonal shopping tips, The Vineyard Kitchen is a friendly, comprehensive guide thatwill help you create distinctive, tempting dishes throughout the year.

Publishers Weekly

The "vineyard" in this case is not Martha's, but Maria and Robert's aka the Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley. The author, who previously served as executive chef at San Francisco's PlumpJack Cafe, now holds cooking classes at the vineyard. Expectedly, the freshest seasonal produce is key to most of these 145 recipes arranged in 40 menus grouped around each of the four seasons. The three-course meals include succulently simple starters such as Roasted Tomatoes with Pecorino Toscano and Olives for the fall and Poached Artichokes with Lemon Aioli for spring. Entrees range from easy (Grilled Pork Chops with a Fresh Apricot Glaze for summer) to challenging (Goose with Roasted Turnips and Apples for winter). Sinskey says that goose will cook uniformly if breast and legs are roasted separately. The Duck Confit with French Green Lentils calls for six cups of rendered duck fat, but Sinskey also offers the healthier alternative of braising the bird's legs in duck stock. She suggests that cooks mix and match recipes, but provides full menus like this for spring: Grilled Asparagus with Prosciutto and a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Herb-Marinated Rack of Lamb with Roasted Garlic Fingerling Potatoes and Strawberry Ice Cream Profiteroles with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce. Sinskey suggests wine, too, usually a different one for each course. True lusty California cuisine, the dishes will suit most kitchens. Two dozen photos, illustrating the vineyard and its produce throughout the year, are by Robert Sinskey. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Formerly the chef of San Francisco's PlumpJack Caf , Helm is now the culinary director of the winery that she and her husband own in the Napa Valley. She provides recipes for 40 menus featuring sophisticated seasonal fare, such as a midwinter dinner of Celery Root Galettes with Creme Fraeche and Caviar, Bouillabaisse, and Sweet Ricotta Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate. Sinskey teaches cooking classes at the winery, and her recipes are very detailed and accompanied by wine suggestions. The headnotes seem to strive for the poetic (a poem by the author opens each season), but these are often labored rather than lyrical. For area and other larger libraries. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.