Equal parts history and technical, the book goes through all the things an IPA is (and a few things it isn’t). Steele’s treatment of the subject is clEqual parts history and technical, the book goes through all the things an IPA is (and a few things it isn’t). Steele’s treatment of the subject is clearly reverent, but not without a certain practical stance (as should be the case from anyone whose livelihood depends on making and selling beer). I appreciate that he acknowledges so many myths about the style, but appreciate more that he did the legwork to bust those myths.
And really: who better to tell the story of the IPA than Mitch Steele?...more
I grabbed a Kindle version in 2018 because it was on special (on sale? free? I forget) -- and I've been a fan of John Joseph Adams' collections in theI grabbed a Kindle version in 2018 because it was on special (on sale? free? I forget) -- and I've been a fan of John Joseph Adams' collections in the past.
I had a hard time getting into this one, and I really couldn't say why. Maybe I'm just not sucked in by the Oz fantasies? There was nothing objectionable -- the stories that I did read weren't awful or anything like that. I was certainly intrigued by these novel re-imaginings of the Oz world and the characters that populate it.
But after about a year and a half... I was just like: "You know what? I'm not going to finish this."
Maybe I'll come back to it later. ¯\_(�)_/¯ ...more
Sweet little story with whimsical illustrations. Great book to read to a child -- especially one that needs help understanding that we don't run away Sweet little story with whimsical illustrations. Great book to read to a child -- especially one that needs help understanding that we don't run away from problems, and shouldn't waste time feeling sorry for ourselves.
Anyway, there's also an image of a chicken being served a soft-boiled egg. And any book with oblique cannibalism gets a bonus star from me....more
If you've never made mead before, this will get you into your first batch (and beyond!) with confidence. If you (like me) muddled through your first cIf you've never made mead before, this will get you into your first batch (and beyond!) with confidence. If you (like me) muddled through your first couple of batches with... marginal success, this will help get you over the hump from good to great mead.
Schramm demystifies the art of mead-making while still acknowledging that a lot of magic happens down in there with the yeast and the molecules of sugar.
Best of all, he has some great go-to reference material for questions like how much fruit to add, or which varietal of grape for what specific character in your pyment....more
I’d like to revisit this book sometime, when I’m able to give it some day-time level attention and note-taking. Most of the ideas presented in here weI’d like to revisit this book sometime, when I’m able to give it some day-time level attention and note-taking. Most of the ideas presented in here were ones I’d encountered before, usually divorced from this (original?) context. (It was published in 2011, after all.) that said, his “five elements� framework feels like an excellent foundation to work from, and I’ve already tried to apply it to my work....more
I was looking for a more general book about "bread wisdom" when it comes to baking rustic artisanal loaves etc. Instead this book leans gimmicky w/r/tI was looking for a more general book about "bread wisdom" when it comes to baking rustic artisanal loaves etc. Instead this book leans gimmicky w/r/t/ delivering on the title's promise. You're making bread, but you're making a specific type of moist no-knead dough that you store in the refrigerator so that you can break off chunks every day and have small super-fresh loaves.
This is not a bad thing, this just isn't what I'm looking for vis-Ã -vis bread knowledge at this time in my personal quest. I suspect I'll circle back around on it at some point, because this is an interesting proposition....more
True to the "Encyclopedia" in the title, this didn't seem to me to be a cover-to-cover read. That said, there are plenty of attractive full color photTrue to the "Encyclopedia" in the title, this didn't seem to me to be a cover-to-cover read. That said, there are plenty of attractive full color photos throughout to help guide your exploration of the different varieties of bread from around the world. There's a good overview of equipment, technique, and ingredients before it jumps into an overview of different breads, organized by their regions of origin. There are some recipes in the last section (again organized by region) -- judging by the few I've checked out, even most novice bakers should have decent success....more
I think the subtitle on this book is pretty apt. If you want to learn to bake bread, this is an outstanding place to start. It opens with foundations I think the subtitle on this book is pretty apt. If you want to learn to bake bread, this is an outstanding place to start. It opens with foundations (i.e., an overview of essential ingredients, technique, and equipment) and then progresses through a series of increasingly sophisticated-to-make bread styles. Each of those styles has a core recipe accompanied by a series of variations. Also the full-color images help you to match up your own dough with expectations. (In other words, "Am I doing this right?" *checks pictures* "Yeah, that's fine.")
My two little nit-picks:
First, most (all?) of the recipes seem to be oriented to making two or more loaves. When you're making your first few loaves of bread, this is surprising and intimidating. Not that I wasn't happy to have two loaves, but had it gone badly (i.e., translating recipes into real physical but inedible bread) I would have been frustrated, and upset by just how much flour etc. I'd burned through. (I've since learned this is fairly common -- that many if not most bread recipes are for two or more loaves, but that was surprising.)
My second nit-pick is that the text of the core recipe has a weird flow. There's an introduction (OK) followed by the recipe itself but... The portion of the recipe that discusses the initial mixing and kneading discusses by-hand, with-KitchenAid, and with-Magic Mill DLX approaches. You get used to this after the first recipe or two, but it can throw you off at first....more
Lucy Burningham's tale of her journey to become a Certified Cicerone is as engaging and relatable a story as any out there in the beer-reading world. Lucy Burningham's tale of her journey to become a Certified Cicerone is as engaging and relatable a story as any out there in the beer-reading world. Her prose is conversational, detailed, and evocative. She's a great storyteller, and uses that skill well to tell not only about beer, but about the feelings and thoughts that lead us to quests like these, and the work we put in to achieve those goals.
(A little extra context here: I read this while I was about two-thirds of the way through my own beer quest -- to become a certified BJCP judge. So yeah... this story was super-relevant for my interests.)
FOOTNOTE: Her editor missed a couple of spots where a word was missing or transposed. No biggie -- you can still decipher the sentences just... something I noticed.
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2024 UPDATE: Having now gone through my own journey on the road to Cicerone, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a little bit at the end when she got her results and couldn't believe that she'd passed. It's A LOT of material to learn (beyond what I needed to learn for BJCP's Certified or even National exams) and the exam itself is a crucible....more
Basically read cover to cover. Splendid, tight verse. Even with all the literary callbacks, it’s original and gripping. If it isn’t perfect� I don’t kBasically read cover to cover. Splendid, tight verse. Even with all the literary callbacks, it’s original and gripping. If it isn’t perfect� I don’t know what is....more
I would say that I couldn't put it down, but that would not (strictly speaking) be true. That being said, I often had to fight my compulsion to continI would say that I couldn't put it down, but that would not (strictly speaking) be true. That being said, I often had to fight my compulsion to continue reading in order to do things like get to sleep at a reasonable hour.
I don't quite know how to describe this book, save that it was some of the most charming dark humor I've ever encountered. It is rich with the kind of solipsism that seems to infest families and individuals in the midst of all our post-modernity. The conflicts that arise from our assumptions, our petty conflicts, our refusals to acknowledge undesirable realities.
I'd feel pretty comfortable putting it next to something like Infinite Jest (perhaps my all time favorite book?) in my personal canon. But it's a lot shorter, a lot easier to approach, and has like... one footnote as opposed to a separate novel's worth of endnotes.
This one will be easy to recommend to friends for years to come....more
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