Monday, May 30, 2011

Food and Wine

Food and wine are two subjects that invariably form my dinner conversations, whether dining with my husband or sharing a meal with friends.

This April, my parents came out from Canada to babysit while my husband and I enjoyed a trip to Paris  with our dear friends Mr. & Mrs. VG. After indulging our love of restaurant dining and wine pairings in Paris, my husband and Mr. VG continued on to Bordeaux while Mrs. VG and I returned to our children in Hong Kong. The boys joined a specialty tour to taste first-growth 2010 vintages from the barrel. Upon his return, my husband read The Billionaire's Vinegar.

The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine
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With the growing stack of parenting and half-finished books on my bedside table, I was a little resistant when my husband urged me to read this book. My husband has even less time than me to read, so for him to make the effort to start a book, and finish it too, convinced me to set aside the bedside stack and give this book a try.

The book is written in the style of a good Vanity Fair magazine article, so it was no surprise to learn that author Benjamin Wallace writes for GQ magazine, among others. It's a captivating story pack full of interesting facts about wine, wine writers and wine collectors.

My husband believes that this book can be read as a mystery novel without any wine knowledge. I disagree. This story is enjoyable when you have some prior knowledge of or experience with the wine world. I am a neophyte and I couldn't put the book down.

If any of the following mean anything to you, then The Billionaire's Vinegar is the book for you: vertical tastings, Riedel, Broadbent, into the shoulder.


Sunday, May 8, 2011

In My Shopping Bag 2011/05/08

I'd like to share with you some books I bought today:

An Awesome Book of Thanks!
Multiple copies for gifting to friends


McSweeney's Issue 37 (Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern)
McSweeney's Quarterly Review


The Big New York Sandwich Book: 99 Delicious Creations from the City's Greatest Restaurants and Chefs
My husband loves to watch television shows about food, and enjoys sandwiches... and I love reading cookbooks


The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches
Another cookbook to add to our collection