Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home

Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home
J. M. Hirsch
$25.00

Are you done with generic gin and tonics, mediocre Manhattans and basic martinis? You can use pantry staples and basic liquors to produce more than 200 game-changing craft cocktails worthy of a seat at the bar.

Many cocktail books call for hard-to-find ingredients and complicated techniques that can frustrate home cocktail makers. Shake Strain Done shows a better way:

  • If you can shake, strain, stir and turn on a blender, you can make great cocktails.
  • No tedious secondary recipes hidden between the lines.
  • No mysteries. You’ll know what each drink will taste like before you pick up a bottle.
  • No fancy equipment needed. A shaker, strainer and spoon are as exotic as it gets.
  • The ingredients are mostly pantry and bar staples–things you already have on hand.

Every drink is rated by its characteristics — Warm, Refreshing, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Fruity, Herbal, Creamy, Spicy, Strong and Smoky — to help expand your horizons and find more drinks to love.

These are drinks with the sophistication of a high-end speakeasy, minus the fuss, like:

  • The Sazerac 2.0 – a spice cabinet update that takes the classic back to its origins
  • A new White Russian that lightens the load with coconut water instead of cream
  • A grownup Singapore Sling that’s fruity without tasting like fruit punch
  • A Scorched Margarita that uses the broiler to char those lemons and limes
  • A feisty new Gin and Tonic in which black pepper is the star ingredient
  • And plenty of originals, like the Pooh Bear. Butter, honey and bourbon? Yes, please! And Mistakes Were Made, for tiki time

Essentially Charli: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping It Real

Essentially Charli: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping It Real
Charli D’Amelio
$18.99

Everyone knows Charli D’Amelio as the only TikTok personality to have—at age 16—surpassed 100 million followers. But who’s the girl behind the posts? For the first time ever, Charli is ready to share the intimate details of her life: how she navigated challenges and stayed positive in the face of cyberbullying, who she was as a little girl, what family means to her, and how you too can navigate your social media presence and IRL friendships in order to develop a strong and confident identity. Packed with Charli trivia, exclusive photos, real talk from Charli, and writing prompts, this book is your new go-to resource and is the only official book by your favorite teen role model and icon: Charli D’Amelio.

American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey through the Artisan Cheese World

American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey through the Artisan Cheese World
Joe Berkowitz
$16.99

Joe Berkowitz loves cheese. Or at least he thought he did. After stumbling upon an artisinal tasting at an upscale cheese shop one Valentine’s Day, he realized he’d hardly even scratched the surface. These cheeses were like nothing he had ever tasted—a visceral drug-punch that reverberated deliciousness—and they were from America. He felt like he was being let in a great cosmic secret, and instantly he was in love.

This discovery inspired Joe to embark on the cheese adventure of a lifetime, spending a year exploring the subculture around cheese, from its trenches to its command centers. He dove headfirst into the world of artisan cheese; of premiere makers and mongers, cave-dwelling affineurs, dairy scientists, and restauranteurs. The journey would take him around the world, from the underground cheese caves in Paris to the mountains of Gruyere, leaving no curd unturned, all the while cultivating an appreciation for cheese and its place in society.

Joe’s journey from amateur to aficionado eventually comes to mirror the rise of American cheese on the world stage. As he embeds with Team USA at an international mongering competition and makes cheese in the experimental vats at the Dairy Research Center in Wisconsin, one of the makers he meets along the way gears up to make America’s biggest splash ever at the World Cheese Awards. Through this odyssey of cheese, an unexpected culture of passionate cheesemakers is revealed, along with the extraordinary impact of one delicious dairy product.

The Southern Entertainer’s Cookbook: Heirloom Recipes for Modern Gatherings

The Southern Entertainer’s Cookbook: Heirloom Recipes for Modern Gatherings
Courtney Whitmore
$30.00

Serve up classics and new favorites from a Southern perspective.

In The Southern Entertainer’s Cookbook, Courtney Whitmore shares her party go-tos, from appetizers and salads to entrees, drinks and desserts. In addition to sharing modern twists on classics and beloved heirloom recipes from her family’s cookbooks (not to worry, no archaic methods or hard-to-find ingredients here), Courtney provides tips throughout to make the most ofyour gathering: try embellishing a plate with edible flower petals or create mini versions of a well-known dessert.

Courtney continues to be a trusted resource for creating delicious, party-friendly food to enhance any meal and every party. Consider this the only Southern cookbook primer you need.

Courtney Whitmore is a well-known stylist and blogger in the field of party design and entertaining. Her expertise has been seen in HGTV.com, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, AOL’s DIY Life, Get Married Magazine, MarthaStewart.com, and more. She is the author of Pizzazzerie: Entertain in Style, Frostings, Push-Up Pops, and Candy Making for Kids. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know (Stuff You Should Know)

Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know (Stuff You Should Know)
Alexandra Jones
$9.99

It’s hard to think of a more universally beloved food than cheese. But there’s so much more to learn and enjoy beyond the plastic-wrapped blocks from the grocery store. Within the pages of this pocket-sized guide, you’ll find information, how-tos, and trivia for cheese lovers of all levels. Casual cheese eaters and connoisseurs alike will learn about

• How Cheese Is Made
• Why Some Cheeses Melt Differently
• How to Build a Festive Cheese Board for Entertaining
• Pairing Cheese with Wine and Beer
• How to Make Cheese at Home

Plus an illustrated guide to cheese gadgets, terms every cheese lover should know, how to host a cheese tasting, how to make the ultimate grilled cheese, and much more!

The New Rules of Cheese: A Freewheeling and Informative Guide

The New Rules of Cheese: A Freewheeling and Informative Guide
Anne Saxelby
$14.99

This richly illustrated book from a lauded cheesemonger—perfect for all cheese fans, from newcomers to experts—teaches you how to make a stylish cheese platter, repurpose nibs and bits of leftover cheese into something delicious, and expand your cheese palate and taste cheeses properly. Alongside the history and fundamentals of cheese-making, you’ll even learn why cheese is actually good for you (and doesn’t make you fat!), find enlightenment on the great dairy debate—pasteurized versus not pasteurized—and improve your cheese vocabulary with a handy lexicon chart.