My husband and I love having people over, but often get distracted by making individual Lemon Drops for each guest. Punch Bowls & Pitcher Drinks by Jeanne Kelley & Sarah Tenaglia is just the type of book I have been looking for. I am most excited to try the Kumquat-Tangerine Smash, Pimm's Punch, and Meyer Lemon Drop Champagne Punch.
One major disappointment to me was lack of serving sizes. The recipe would say "serves 4" but what does that mean? Serves 4-8 oz drinks or 4-16 oz drinks? Some of the recipes say to serve it in a small glass, but how many ounces in a small glass?
I also thought that some of the recipes seemed old fashioned and most pictures could have been styled to be a little more modern. However, the recipes look delicious and I can't wait to try them for my family and friends.
I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review, but all the opinions are my own.
I love everything about Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay. I initially got this book for my husband, who is an amateur smoker always looking to improve. However, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I didn't get halfway through the book before wanting to run to the store to get a quality brisket and make my own smoker.
The first chapter of this book is dedicated to how Franklin took his interest in smoking meat from a hobby to a food truck to the successful lunch-only restaurant he runs today. I was really interested in the back story and appreciated his insight into starting a business and following your passion.
Chapters 2, 3 & 4 are The Smoker, Wood, and Fire + Smoke. The Smoker covers everything from how to choose your smoker to building your own. In Wood, Franklin discusses how to find the best wood to use in your smoker and how to find a good source for it. Fire + Smoke is devoted to building a fire and creating that magical smoke that will take your meat from good to great. This may sound boring, between the style of writing and the details, I found all of it fascinating.
Chapters 5, 6 & 7 are Meat, The Cook, and Serving + Eating. Meat is an incredibly interesting chapter on how to choose good meat and some of the "behind the scenes" from Franklin's restaurant. I went to the store armed with all sorts of things to look for in order to find meat that would be worthy of the time it took to smoke it. The Cook prepares you for smoking your meat and includes a few recipes. At first, I was a bit disappointed at the vagueness of Franklin's recipes. However, he encourages the home smoker to start smoking and develop their own tastes and recipes and I see the value of his words. Serving + Eating shows how to properly cut a brisket and includes a few more recipes for sauces and sides.
If you are at all interested in smoking meat, this is the book for you. The cover is beautiful, the chapters well organized, and the information is invaluable.
If you would like to purchase Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, click here
I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review, but all the opinions are my own.
As a mom to two young children, I found this book to be really helpful and full of concrete examples for positive discipline. I also really appreciated the chapters on potty training, sleeping, and eating.
