Customer Reviews

Wine, Food & Friends: Karen's Wine and Food Pairing Guide, Plus Over 100 Cooking Light Recipes

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The other reviews I saw about this book only said it was a great book and applauded Ms. MacNeil but did so without giving any specifics. Well here's why it would be a good book to own.

The menus are divided into seasons. So the food will be at its peak and then with Ms. MacNeil's wine pairings you just can't go wrong. The unfortunate thing is that she suggests specific wines. In my little town I can't find many of the wines she suggests. I try to go with a wine that is a similar grape varietal, region, etc but I've failed more than I've succeeded in this hit or miss pairing. However, it's been fun making new finds and we have found some of the specific wines that she has suggested and they were wonderful.

For the holiday dessert menu, all 4 wines that were suggested were $75+ dollars each. I would have liked to have had different price points rather than blow out my budget on one gathering. I'm sure the $75+ Port she suggests is outstanding but I still have to feed my family for the month and that's definitely a splurge rather than a frequent event.

I wanted to find a book that I could use over and over and spending that kind of money is not something I could do on a regular basis. If there had been different price point suggestions then I could purchase one bottle that's pricey but these were all pricey. Just couldn't do it. But the dessert recipes were great and it gives me ideas and encourages me to broaden my wine/food repertoire.

I made the garlic rosemary roasted chicken, spicy sweet potato wedges and then paired it with Cotes-du-rhones. I could not afford the $$$ suggestion she made of Domaine Les Pallieres Gigondas. I'm sure it would have been good but $35 for a weekday dinner wine is too stiff for my budget.

The recipe for the classic french bread was excellent. I had the Alsace Riesling with it and a pork roast. It was delish but again I did not purchase the $$$ bottle she suggested but a much cheaper bottle that was just as good. So this cookbook has certainly gotten me interested and motivated to try new things and provides the food recipes to do it.

If you're looking for a book that includes recipes and wine pairings then I would suggest This Food, That Wine it had more reasonably priced wines for everyday consumption as well as everyday type meals. Wine, Food & Friends is reserved for the special occasions when you want a presentation that includes expensive food and expensive wine.

I pre-ordered Wine, Food and Friends by Karen MacNeil and could hardly wait to receive it. In her true fashion, Ms. MacNeil has created another wonderfully accessible book on wine and food. The Wine Bible (her first book) is a staple in any true wine enthusiast's library and her new book is also a must. The recipes, along with wine pairings, and sharing of Ms. MacNeil's vast knowledge and expertise in wines and the wine world, make this more than just a visually beautiful book ... but a book one will turn to again and again for advice on entertaining with food and wine. Ms. MacNeil exhibits a warm, witty and personable style of writing that is universally appealing. I will be sending many copies of this book to friends and family!

This is one of the first cookbooks I have used since I have taken up cooking and I found all of the food recipes to be easy to follow and complete. The ending food product from these recipes is high quality and are great tasting. I found her wine pairings to be right on the money as being a knowledgable wine advocate. For those who are looking for great food menus to entertain freinds or family, this book is a "must have".

I may love wine, but I'm by no means an expert. As a food writer and long-time cook, I know my way around the kitchen, have no trouble whipping up a dinner party, and enjoy feeding people. However, I needed some help/advice for wine pairings. Oh... I know enough to know which whites work best with poultry or seafood, and I know a heavier beef dish calls for a more substantial red wine. Beyond that, I'm a novice learning my way. This book provides loads of information, suggestions, tips and encouragement in an entertaining style that isn't intimidating or condescending. The author knows food and wine, she loves food and wine, and it shows!

I highly recommend this book if you want to brush up your pairing skills, or if you simply want to learn a little more about wine and food for deliciously entertaining dinners. Those very seriously into wine (who know much more than I do) will also find the book a useful addition to their collections, as her recipes are wonderful.

I already am a fan of Karen MacNeils Wine,Food ,and Friends on PBS.Shes very eloquent and soo knowledgable.She presents her ideas in a friendly way as well.The recipes are phenomenal also.I tried the meatloaf with sundried tomatoes and the stuffing so far.They turned out great and the less expensive wines were not difficult to find.I cant wait for her Season 2 series on PBS.

I recently hosted a wine tasting party to raise money for a LiveStrong challenge event. I am a cyclist who likes wine (and definitely not a chef). I really liked the way the book was organized by season and by meals which made it very simple for me to plan the party. I made the pear-cheese strata which was the number one hit of the event. I also made the honey-apple crumble with dried fruit and it was delicious. The hint to rehydrate the dried fruit with the apple cider was a great tip. Almost every dish is beautifully photographed, the instructions are easy to follow and the recipes use easily available ingredients. There's also lots of information about the wines and reasons for the successful pairings.

I'd buy more cookbooks and cook/entertain more often if all cookbooks were as good as this one.

Lots of good ideas and great parings and great recipes. Can't wait to try them all!

Our family really tries to eat local, fresh and seasonal whenever possible and this book works great with that mindset. We have a lot of local wineries who we have supplemented her work with but have pulled many excellent ideas out...for the money it cost us on amazon.com this was a bargain!

While all of the included recipes have appeared in one form or another in Cooking Light Magazine or Books, the author's wine notes still make this a worth while purchase. There is an in depth discussion of the author's suggestions for pairings as well as a chart to guide the reader into making a selection. There are still very few good books that combine both an emphasis on the wine and the food. The author has wisely chosen Cooking Light recipes that avoid the use of fake fats (non-fat mayo or cream cheese for example) unlike so many of the recipes that tarnish that otherwise good publication. Thankfully, the recipes use real food, albeit food that certainly stands clear of fat, even olive oil. The calorie count for all the recipes will benefit all of us who need to diet. As noted by other reviewers, the author tends to favor expensive wines, and rarely does she give more affordable alternatives. This omission is the books biggest downfall. Why not include wines in the $10-15 range that could be substituted for the many $40-50 wines she suggests? It seems that an expert on wine pairing should be able to steer the reader towards a wine that fits any budget. So like so many books on wine, there is an air of pretension here that unfortunately, may turn some people away from the subject. And that is a shame because wine should not be an elitist enjoyment only. In addition, vegetarians and light meat eaters beware; this book is heavy on meat, albeit mostly lower fat cuts such as pork tenderloin and skinless chicken. Bacon and other smoked pork products also appear as flavorings quite often.

FAVORITE cookbook. If you love to entertain friends and family in style then you MUST get this book. Love love love it!!!!