Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture
Author: Patrick E McGovern
The history of civilization is, in many ways, the history of wine. This book is the first comprehensive and up-to-date account of the earliest stages of vinicultural history and prehistory, which extends back into the Neolithic period and beyond. Elegantly written and richly illustrated, Ancient Wine opens up whole new chapters in the fascinating story of wine and the vine by drawing upon recent archaeological discoveries, molecular and DNA sleuthing, and the texts and art of long-forgotten peoples.
Patrick McGovern takes us on a personal odyssey back to the beginnings of this consequential beverage when early hominids probably enjoyed a wild grape wine. We follow the course of human ingenuity in domesticating the Eurasian vine and learning how to make and preserve wine some 7,000 years ago. Early winemakers must have marveled at the seemingly miraculous process of fermentation. From success to success, viniculture stretched out its tentacles and entwined itself with one culture after another (whether Egyptian, Iranian, Israelite, or Greek) and laid the foundation for civilization itself. As medicine, social lubricant, mind-altering substance, and highly valued commodity, wine became the focus of religious cults, pharmacopoeias, cuisines, economies, and society. As an evocative symbol of blood, it was used in temple ceremonies and occupies the heart of the Eucharist. Kings celebrated their victories with wine and made certain that they had plenty for the afterlife. (Among the colorful examples in the book is McGovern's famous chemical reconstruction of the funerary feast--and mixed beverage--of "King Midas.") Some peoples truly became "wine cultures."
When we sip aglass of wine today, we recapitulate this dynamic history in which a single grape species was harnessed to yield an almost infinite range of tastes and bouquets. Ancient Wine is a book that wine lovers and archaeological sleuths alike will raise their glasses to.
J. Madeleine Nash - Time Magazine
No one is better qualified to sift through the widely scattered clues [to the origins of winemaking] than McGovern, a skilled scientific sleuth who wields the most powerful tools of modern chemistry in his search for the roots of ancient wines.
Book about: Protectionism or Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy
Wolfgang Puck Cookbook: Recipes from Spago, Chinois and Points East and West
Author: Wolfgang Puck
In his famous Los Angeles restaurants Spago and Chinois on Main, Wolfgang Puck has created some of the world's most imaginative dishes, combining French, Italian, and Oriental techniques. In this inspiring collection of over two hundred recipes, Wolfgang Puck shows you how to re-create these fabulous dishes in your own kitchen from readily available ingredients.
East fearlessly meets West, and many regions between — in such first courses as Stirfried Scallop Salad and Spicy Honey-Glazed Baby Pork Ribs; in soups from Tortilla to delicate Cream of Corn with Gulf Oysters to hearty Clam and Mussel; in simple and sophisticated main dishes, such as Sizzling Catfish, Baby Pork Chops with Cranberry Sauce, and Chicken with Garlic and Parsley; in Spago's signature gourmet pizzas, such as Pizza with Smoked Salmon and Golden Caviar and Pizza with Shrimp and Sun-Dried Tomatoes; and in desserts that range from the subtle to the sublime, from the refreshing Grapefruit Tequila Sherbet to the decadent Jack Daniel's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Every recipe, each a triumph of innovation, exemplifies Puck's unique style: a passion for blending the elements of cuisines the world over, a freshness and simplicity of ingredients and presentation, and, above all, a free and joyful approach to food. The guiding principle behind the creations that emerge from Puck's kitchens ("my playgrounds," he calls them) is that food should give great pleasure — to the cook as well as to the diner.
Illustrated throughout with engaging drawings by Puck himself, here is an utterly original collection of great recipes — and an utterly original culinary style — that no cook will be ableto resist adopting.
No comments:
Post a Comment