Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes [Hardcover]

Adam Ried (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

America’s frosty favorite goes twenty-first century.

Milkshake. Frappe. Cabinet. Velvet. Whatever you call it, the quintessentially American combination of milk, ice cream, and syrup has delighted generations, invoking memories of soda fountains and high-school sweethearts. In this collection of recipes, Adam Ried infuses the classic shake with unexpected flavor twists that bring the milkshake into the twenty-first century. Recipes such as the Mexican Chocolate Shake with Chipotle and Almond or the Maple-Bacon Shake reveal the flavorful punch of unlikely food combinations. And Ried doesn’t forget to include old-time favorites such as the little-known Rhode Island Cabinet (coffee shake) and the Black and White. Whether you are entertaining friends or craving something sweet, Ried shows you that the simple addition of sorbet or spice can rouse new flavor riches. With descriptions of unusual ingredients and key equipment, Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes will inspire even the most uncompromising of milkshake lovers to give the familiar a new twist.

20 color photos

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Adam Ried is a columnist for the Sunday Boston Globe Magazine and a regular guest on America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393068773
• ISBN-13: 978-0393068771
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Cheese & Dairy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Ice Cream dream book, May 26, 2009

By 

Del Davis (Detroit. Mi) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Hardcover)

You can tell the author has done his homework and gives you step by step instruction on creating milkshake masterpieces. Bananas Fosters and Malted Caramel shakes are worth the price alone. If you love milkshakes and malts, look no further because this book will have you in milkshake heaven.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you really need a recipe book for milkshakes, this is the one, May 15, 2010

By 

M. Walker (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Hardcover)

Let me start by saying that the book is really well executed, as one would expect from Adam Reid, an alumnus of the well regarded Cooks Illustrated team. It sets out to demystify the art and science of making great milkshakes and accomplishes that task handily.

The book seems to be directed at two distinct audiences. The first, those who really need a recipe for making milkshakes (no shame in that) and the second, those who want to take the art of making milkshakes into new territory.

The author's core strategy generally starts with vanilla ice cream and milk as a palette and then uses highly concentrated sorbets, jams, nuts, herbs and spices to create the unique flavors that he strives for. For example, his basic chocolate shake calls for a combination of vanilla ice cream, milk and chocolate sorbet. Having spent a year behind the counter of one of New York City's best ice cream scoop shops, I was skeptical of his approach but when I tried it, I found that he was right on the money. I also found that I had much more control over the intensity of the chocolate flavor by varying the amount of sorbet I used relative to the vanilla ice cream.

Mr. Reid will also suggest that specific ice cream brands don't matter all that much. I would qualify that by saying that it's worth experimenting to find what you like. I found that the really high-end vanilla ice cream brands that I would normally eat on their own did not work as well for me in milkshakes as the more generic grocery store brands that I would rarely eat if given a choice.

For many people, the more appealing aspect of this book will be the new and unique flavors that the author urges on his readers. While the appeal of these concoctions is fairly subjective, I suspect that virtually everyone will find something that they love in here. Real flavor pioneers should check out Page and Dornenburg's excellent The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs.

Pros: Excellent methodology for making great milkshakes; good guidance for people wanting to do something a little different.

Cons: It's a lot of money to spend for a book about milkshakes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Fun, June 24, 2009

By 

pingpongedout (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Hardcover)

What i love about this book is that it is as fun and engaging for adults as it is for kids. Adam has come up with lush and wonderfully creative milkshakes as well as classics from here and afar. Plus, his writing is as dreamy as his recipes. My favorites, so far, are the Vietnamese Iced Coffee Shake and Ballistic Vanilla Shake but I plan to blend my way through this book.