Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook

Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook
Average customer rating:

Mustard's Cookbook

Fab cookbook -- even if you are a novice!

yummy

Eat at Mustard's Grill! (Or buy the cookbook!)

Should have been 5 stars...

Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook
Cindy Pawlcyn , and Brigid Callinan
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
California | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1580080456

Amazon.com

"I have always thought of Mustards as a cross between a roadside rib joint and a French country restaurant," writes chef-owner Cindy Pawlcyn, neatly characterizing the culinary pedigree of her famed Napa Valley, California, dining spot. Pawlcyn's Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, written with Brigid Callinan, offers 150 popular recipes from the restaurant, treats like Slow-Smoked BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Ooo-Eee! Sauce, Wild Mushroom "Burgers" with Apple-Jicama Slaw, and Artichokes with James Beard's Beer Batter and Tarragon Aioli. The recipes can entail a kitchen workout, but they are easy enough to do once the commitment is made. Readers wanting to treat family or guests to sophisticated down-home eating will welcome Pawlcyn's unique repertoire.

In chapters that cover appetizers, soups, and salads, Pawlcyn presents standout recipes like Crab Cakes with Red Beet and Horseradish Rémoulade; Tomato, Basil, and Tortilla Soup; and Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Noodles and Rice Vinegar Cucumbers. Smoker- and grill-derived specialties, including Half-Slab BBQ Baby Back Ribs with Crispy Yams and Coleslaw and Tea-Smoked Duck with 100-Almond Sauce and Ginger Pickled Mango, receive their own seductive space, as do pan and sandwich delights like Louise's Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Ahi Tuna and Shiitake Mini Burgers. Desserts such as Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie and Red Raspberry, White Peach, and Blueberry Cobbler follow in the deluxe-diner spirit of the place and should prove an irresistible finale to any meal. They're further tribute to Pawlcyn's one-of-a kind restaurant and its instantly seductive cooking. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

As anyone knows who has spent time in Napa Valley, Mustard's Grill is an institution in the wine country-the friendly restaurant where locals first started going for a full plate of fabulous food and a glass of Napa's finest. Chef-owner Cindy Pawlcyn, founding chef of San Francisco's original Fog City Diner, put down her roots in Napa over 15 years ago when she brought her midwestern sensibility and flair for reinventing American food to the valley. Ever since then, Mustard's has been affectionately known as the fancy rib joint with way, way too many wines. With its ranch house feel, its roadhouse welcome, mustard fields and vineyards as a backdrop, and a dash of whimsy that defies pretentiousness, Mustard's Grill offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience in the valley. And with over 125 of the restaurant's signature dishes, Pawlcyn's MUSTARD'S GRILL COOKBOOK delivers all the flavor-with none of the fuss-that Napa is famous for.

Customer Reviews:

Mustard's Cookbook.......2007-05-13

Love the cookbook and am looking forward to cooking from it right away. Thanks

Fab cookbook -- even if you are a novice!.......2007-02-06

I was given this cookbook for Christmas and was a little intimidated by it. It looks more like a coffee table cookbook at first glance -- something fun to look at and read but too challenging to actually use. However, I have fallen in love with this cookbook!! The Jack Daniel's Pecan Chocolate Cake with chocolate sauce is divine AND easy (and for those who don't eat wheat or gluten, totally flourless). The House-Made Ketchup is extremely good and makes a great bbq sauce (recipe also included). Even though the recipes are not hard, this is no canned-mushroom-soup cookbook. If you're the king (or queen) of fresh and don't mind spending a little time in the kitchen now and then, you might just love it. Kudos to Mustard's for sharing their best.

yummy.......2007-01-09

My mom and I had a chance to eat at the restaurant Oct. 2007. Our experience was positive. I had to try the Mongolian Pork Chops from the reviews I'd read. Every bit as good as people reported. The only thing was that a month after I'd returned home, I was craving it (the whole meal)! I promptly ordered the cookbook. Again, I was impressed. Lots of beautiful pictures. I immediately set about trying the recipe, which not only included the entree, but the side dishes as well. My husband loved it too (he didn't get to experience the meal at the restaurant). I was so pleaseed, also bought the book for my aunt!

Eat at Mustard's Grill! (Or buy the cookbook!).......2003-04-20

When you visit the Napa wine region you must eat at Mustard's Grill. If that is not possible then you should buy Cindy Pawlcyn and Brigid Callinan's cookbook. The recipes for fantastic grilled food, unique side dishes, and incredible desserts found in this book will make you plan your next vacation to northern California. If you like pork you will love her Mongolian pork chops with chinese mustard sauce. Serve it with her mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage for a winning meal reminiscent of the friendly restaurant nestled among Napa's vineyards. Buy this cookbook and you will immediately understand why it won a James Beard award. And I hear that another cookbook is in the works ...

Should have been 5 stars..........2003-02-14

I would recommend this cookbook to those with some experience - this is not a recipe guide, but rather an inspiration source from a chef with well-grounded tastes. The recipes are easy to follow, are not difficult or overly time consuming in preparation, and show culinary flair and wisdom without being trendy for trend's sake. I would describe the dishes as simple food for gourmets. The book's design and photographs are tasteful.
With this praise in mind, I am disappointed in the book's production - unforgivable oversights such as: three prominent photographs throughout the book of what appears to be plates of crispy fried onion rings... but no mention or recipe. Or the recipe for a Salmon Roulade accompanied by eight very clear how-to photos - the photos show skinless salmon, butterflied and pounded, but the recipe calls for fillets with skin on, and no mention of pounding. An edit for future releases would be welcome. My opinion is this would be a logical cookbook for those who appreciate Jaques Pépin's series of books aimed at the aspiring novice, as well as for more experienced cooks who would like some inspiration for higher-end simple food.

Terra: Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Great resource for special occasions
A Masterpiece for the Kitchen
Awesome and amazing...
Drool

Terra: Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley
Hiro Sone , and Lissa Doumani
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Bouchon
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ASIN: 1580081495

Amazon.com

Restaurant Terra provides fine dining in a century-old former foundry. The very personal creation of husband-and-wife chefs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, the Napa Valley dining spot is noted for its relaxed yet sophisticated cuisine--French- and Italian-influenced cooking that also reflects Sone's Japanese culinary heritage. Terra tells the restaurant's story and offers over 175 of its recipes, from appetizers such as Goat Cheese and Artichoke Spring Rolls with Arugula and Tomato Salad to desserts such as Chocolate Mousseline on Pecan Sablé with Coffee Granité. The authors are unapologetic about the work required to prepare many of the recipes, but they've also made them models of clarity and, better still, instruction. Readers who like to cook and those who enjoy armchair restaurant touring will welcome the book.

Beginning with a day-in-the-life restaurant diary--work starts at 4:30 a.m. and ends some 20 hours later--the book then offers recipes organized by course or food type. Standouts include Mussel Seafood Soup with Caramelized Onions, Bone Marrow Risotto with Braised Veal Shanks, and Chinese Egg Noodles with Gulf Shrimp, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Pea Tendrils. Desserts, which should bring any meal to a delirious close, include Fig Fritters with Ginger Ice Cream and Feuilleté of Caramelized Bananas with Chocolate Fudge Sauce. Present also is a particularly useful chapter on basic techniques--photos depicting various vegetable cuts are a valuable bonus--as well as basic and pantry recipes. Illustrated with color photos throughout, the book provides a sense of a restaurant performing at the top of its game, plus a blueprint for preparing its most delicious fare. --Arthur Boehm

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2006-03-04

A book of artistry and inspiration, Terra is sure to please the intermediate to advance chef and their diners. A cookbook and a reference, simply wonderful.

Great resource for special occasions.......2002-12-14

Great cookbook for those special occasions where you want to spend the time and resources on making something special. The recipes are a little more time-consuming, the ingredients a little harder to find, but the result is wonderful. Jacques Pepin is simpler (and excellent) and French Laundry Cookbook is even more complicated (but also excellent) - Terra is a great in-between.

I've cooked over 10 of their recipes already and every single one has turned out really well. They're not simple nor for a beginner cook, but if you have a little experience, it'll make for some very memorable dinners.

The desserts are especially great, as are the appetizers.

A Masterpiece for the Kitchen.......2001-03-25

For those of you fortunate enough to have dined at this world class restaurant, Hiro & Lissa'a book needs no introduction. I was fortunate enough to have found Terra shortly after it opened in 1988 (living in St. Helena at the time) & have been hooked ever since. The BEST dishes of their menus past & present are included in this beautifully illustrated book. Most importantly the instructions are well detailed & the dishes turn out exactly as they do in the restaurant. What more can I say? THIS IS A FABULOUS BOOK!!!!!

Awesome and amazing..........2001-01-03

Much like it's worthy counterpart's book (Tra Vigne), this wonderful piece should not fail to delight and please all those who happen across it.

First, if you are lucky enough to have dined at Terra, you'll already understand the beauty of (and behind) this book. Quite simply, this is a work of art. Why is that the case? Well...

Design--Beautiful graphic design and photographs. The layout is incredible and the photos are enough to make you drool.

Dialogue--Add to that delightful text and dialogue. Much closer to what this book achieves is the word "prose" as opposed to merely "text." The stories and dialogue are true pleasure to read. It makes this much more than simply a "cookbook."

Recipes--The recipes are, much like the food at the restaurant, exquisite. They are just delicious. Their difficulty ranges from relatively easy to moderately difficult. But, they are very easy to follow, making even the harder recipes accessible to the average "joe."

I strongly urge those considering this one to just go ahead and make the purchase. You will not be disappointed. It will be book you will treasure, and will reach for time and again.

Also, look into the Tra Vigne cookbook. It too is on the same level as this piece.

Drool.......2000-12-22

A mouth water sensantion to read and view - before you even get to cook a dish. If you'v ever been to Terra you know what I mean and if you ever go to Napa Valley - you won't want to miss the opportunity to dine at Terra.

Napa Stories: Profiles, Reflections, and Recipes from the Napa Valley

Average customer rating:

Excellent work Michael, as always....
The Perfect Big Coffee Table Book!
Just Wonderful
The Real Napa
Beautiful photos, moving stories of Napa

Napa Stories: Profiles, Reflections, and Recipes from the Napa Valley
Chiarello Michael
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1584791160

Amazon.com

The Napa Valley is justly famed for its winemaking. It's also home to the people responsible for that reputation, prominent vintners like Mondavi and Duckhorn, as well as lesser-known wine stars including Larry Turley and Tony Soter. Michael Chiarello's Napa Stories, written with Janet Fletcher, profiles these and others whose lives are intimately entwined with Napa wine production and enjoyment. A Valley resident for 15 years, Chiarello knows many of his subjects personally, and has also cooked for many of them at his award-winning restaurant in St. Helena, Tra Vigne. This personal involvement gives his book's narrative immediacy; his cooking savvy results in the book's selection of delicious, accessible valley recipes, such as Roast Chicken with Fennel and Cheese, Grilled Lamb Loins with Napa Cabernet, and Bing Cherry Compote with Basil Gelato.

The book is organized around the illustrated profiles; in addition, Chiarello provides fascinating vignettes, such as Right Grape, Right Place; Napa Cheese; and Napa Wine, that elucidate the winemaking process (touching on such matters as varietal planting, fermentation, and blending) or celebrate the relationship of Napa food and wine. The Valley's compelling beauty and multicultural richness are captured in 150 color photos, which also depict the dishes in all their savor. With a resource list for authentic Napa Valley products, the book is an intimate blend of personal and territorial history--telling visual depictions, good food, and, of course, good wine. --Arthur Boehm

Customer Reviews:

Excellent work Michael, as always...........2005-12-02

Put it this way folks...if it has Michael's name anyway affiliated with it, you can do no wrong by picking it up. Be it his cookbooks, product lines, restaurant, etc. Same holds true with this, lesser known (sadly), work. It is simply a gorgeous, gorgeous treatise to Napa Valley, and as a San Francisco native now living far away from home, I treasure this book. I find that I probably cannot muster together the adequate words to do it justice, but at this price (Bargain priced now), definitely get it. You will not regret it.

The Perfect Big Coffee Table Book!.......2002-11-14

Frankly, this book cost more than I usually pay for a bottle of wine. If this book were a bottle of wine, I would buy a case of it and share it with my very best friends. After savoring this classy book the wine you experience will never be the same.

Even though Steven Rothfeld's photographs of the Napa Valley and Chef Michael Chiarello's gorgeous presentation of some outstanding cuisine are very pleasing to the eye, the most impressive thing about this book is the history of Napa Valley that unfolds between the photographs.

This book is a beautiful seminar on how amazing it is that you can actually buy so many good bottles of wine. Although I have been to Napa Valley on several occasions and have taken more than a few tours through the various wineries, I did not fully appreciate all that is involved in making a good vintage.

The history of this famous valley and the many trials and tribulations of the wine makers along with the fickle role of Nature that goes into that bottle of wine you just uncorked will make that first sip a lot more meaningful.

Just Wonderful.......2002-10-15

This book is an absolute delight. The sheer intimacy of the stories make you feel like an insider, and it provides an insight to the pioneering spirit that has created an industry. I was completely (and very pleasantly) unprepared for how much I enjoyed this book. It is truly a treasure.

The Real Napa.......2001-08-30

This book is amazing. The stories told by the families are so rich and real that one truly begins to understand why the Napa Valley is so special. Michael Chiarello really does such a nice job with the families in the style and respect he shows (just as I have seen in his Tra Vigne Cookbook, and his PBS shows - Season by Season, and Michael Chiarello's Napa). The photography really brings one right into parts of the Napa Valley that have only been known previously by the people that live there. The recipes are so special too, as they come from the kitchens of these families and from Chiarello. This is simply the best book ever on this very special and beautiful place...America's Tuscany.

Beautiful photos, moving stories of Napa.......2001-08-28

The perfect compliment to a great Zin! Passionate and personal accounts of what moved some of the most interesting vintners to create great wines and how they celebrated their accomplishments. Unlike any book I've seen on the Napa Valley, and Michael brings alive the stories and traditions that make this place unique!

Average customer rating:

Worth the money. A couple of good homes for inspiration
Good but wanted more...
Good cover photo
Sure to be in any good California collection

Napa Valley Style
Kathryn Masson
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0847825701
Release Date: 2003-11-08

Book Description

California's Napa Valley is as renowned for its extraordinary beauty as it is for being the
preeminent region in America for growing and producing world-renowned wines. Although there are many guidebooks, cookbooks, and wine books available on this immensely popular region, there is no book that shows the Napa way of life. Napa Valley Style takes us on a
private tour of the houses and magnificent gardens that make 'Napa' synonymous with 'heaven'! This lively trip through the wine country illustrates for the first time, and in lavish color, the extraordinary Victorian mansions, Italianate villas, hillside cottages, converted barns, hand-made houses, wineries, and custom-designed residences, some of which have been designed by today's most renowned architects, such as Michael Graves, Ricardo Legorreta, William Turnbull, and Herzog and de Meuron. A uniquely revealing tour of this extraordinary region, Napa Valley Style is a fascinating, beautifully photographed extravaganza.

Customer Reviews:

Worth the money. A couple of good homes for inspiration.......2007-08-24

OK, its not a home run, but its pretty good. If you are building a home in the tuscan or californian tradition, you will find some inspiration here. There are some great outdoor rooms as well. What it really makes you want to do is move to Napa!!! Great ideas for exterior details on tuscan homes and casual yet elegant structural details. Worth the money, get it.

Good but wanted more..........2007-06-12

This is a very nice book with stunning, crisp and clear photos of Napa Homes. There is a description for each home, many of which are estates on family run wineries. There is some text and a few photos of beautiful Napa itself that made me want to book my trip right away. Many of the photos in the book really focus on the homes exteriors - their architecture, gardens and beautiful views. That is followed by only a couple of photos of the interiors. I wanted to see so much more of the interior spaces to get a better sense of design inspiration. So while this is really a nice book it just left me wanting more for the price. If it had more Napa descriptions and listed some hot spots and had more interior design inspiration I would have raised my rating...oh well.

Good cover photo.......2007-01-04

The photo on the cover and the home in the book is the only part of the book I enjoyed. The rest of the pictures were lacking. It has not been a book that draws me back to look some more.

Sure to be in any good California collection.......2003-12-21

Private tour of the houses and the marvelous gardens that make the California Napa Valley so very special. This book illustrates for the first time the extraordinary Victorian mansions, Italianate villas, hillside cottages, converted barns, wineries, and custom-residences that make Napa Valley a place you'll want to return to again and again.
Beautiful photographs and informative commentary. You won't regret this purchase.

Escape to Yountville: Recipes for Health and Relaxation from Napa Valley

Average customer rating:

Clean and Architectural Food

Escape to Yountville: Recipes for Health and Relaxation from Napa Valley
Sally James
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580084923

Book Description

The charming town of Yountville, California, is fast becoming a culinary mecca, boasting such famous sons as Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Philippe Jeanty of Bistro Jeanty. And with the growing popularity of the renowned Villagio Inn & Spa, Yountville has become a place to embrace the art of wellness and rejuvenation as well. In ESCAPE TO YOUNTVILLE, best-selling cookbook author Sally James combines Yountville's two favorite pastimes—eating and relaxing—in her pursuit of the good life. More than 50 of Sally's seasonal recipes as well as signature recipes from 15 of the Napa Valley's finest chefs accompany preparations for pampering spa treatments such as a sake and rose petal foot bath, an olive oil-ginger salt glow, and a lavender-infused body wrap. Much more than just another cookbook, ESCAPE TO YOUNTVILLE pairs gourmet spa cuisine with luxurious treatments to feed both body and soul from the inside out.

Customer Reviews:

Clean and Architectural Food.......2004-08-12

Recall dining at a restaurant that puts a plate in front of you and it has a garnish (crispy wonton, parmesean twirls, etc.)...We eat with our mouth and eyes.

This book satisfies both. Buy it. Enjoy. You could be dead tomorrow!

The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook: Wine and Recipes to Celebrate Every Season's Harvest

Average customer rating:

For Cooks--and for California Dreamin'
Great Idea for a Gift Basket for that Wine Lover!!

The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook: Wine and Recipes to Celebrate Every Season's Harvest
Jack Cakebread , Dolores Cakebread , and Brian Streeter
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1580085083

Book Description

When Dolores and Jack Cakebread bought their ranch in 1972, they didn't know a thing about growing grapes or making wine. Today, Cakebread Cellars is one of Napa Valley's premier wineries, and its exceptional wines are enjoyed in fine restaurants the world over. In THE CAKEBREAD CELLARS NAPA VALLEY COOKBOOK, Dolores and Jack present more than 120 recipes perfected in the Cakebread kitchen over the past 30 years. Using produce plucked from Dolores's garden and featuring fresh ingredients from Napa's artisan food purveyors, the Cakebreads share such seasonal masterpieces as Sea Scallops with Sweet Corn, Roasted Peppers, and Shiitake Mushrooms, and Roast Pork Loin with Apple Brandy and Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce. Best of all, each recipe is paired with a Cakebread wine, making it possible to re-create the idyllic Napa Valley lifestyle at home.

Customer Reviews:

For Cooks--and for California Dreamin'.......2003-12-18

By Bill Marsano. If you haven't heard of Jack and Dolores Cakebread it's probably because their wine is so fine it's always on allocation--there's not enough to go around, so the annual production is allocated to customers and restaurateurs who supported the Cakebreads when they founded their family winery in Napa in 1973. Still, you can get a taste of the Cakebreads and their way of life through this handsome book, written with their resident chef, Brian Streeter. One guiding principle here is the seasons: They dictate life at the winery, and so the recipes are seasonal as well. Another guiding principle is "Napa style"--the kind of relaxed elegance the area has become known and envied for. It's simple, stylish and superb. The recipes are clearly presented one to a page in legible type, and they come from many sources. Of course one expects Hispanic and Italian dishes--the Spanish discovered the place and the Italians were among the first to grow wine there. But the Cakebreads have cast their net wide to cover most of the Mediterranean basin--southern France, Morocco, Greece are also included--and there are Pacific Rim and Asian influences as well. And just for lagniappe, there are several recipes contributed by guest chefs at the Cakebreads' annual American Harvest Workshop. After a few pages of this you are going to have a powerful inclination to get yourself out to Napa. You could do worse. --Bill Marsano is a James Beard award-winning writer on wines, food and travel.

Great Idea for a Gift Basket for that Wine Lover!!.......2003-10-25

SPECTACULAR PICTURES, Informative Introduction and Mouth Watering Recipes. If anyone has been lucky enough to have visited this Winery up in Napa or better yet fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of a glass of Cakebread Chardonnay (or even if you have not) this book is wonderful in presentation and perfect for a Gift no matter what the occasion. Gift Ideas; for that Boss that has everything but appreciates good wine and good food, Housewarming, Present for that Culinary Art Student. If you have friends who love to entertain and your going over during the Holidays... instead of bringing a bottle of wine (like everyone else) give this book, Holiday Gift Basket (with of course of bottle of their wine)((Smile))

I purchased this book the first day it came out and went over it with my Executive Chef; we are always looking for new ideas especially with all the Holiday parties coming up. Recipes are set for each Season throughout the year. I am only giving it 4 Stars because I would say the instructions are not for the novice cook/chef at home, I think the recipes are written as if you know (and I mean "KNOW") your way around a kitchen. The authors have tried to balance the "fancy recipes" with the easier ones to prepare and that is pretty consistent throughout the book from the Salads to the Desserts. I collect a lot of cookbooks and I am famous for collecting cookbooks that I will never use but still want them in my library(just check out my other "Listmania Lists").....I'd have to say that there are a few good recipes in this cookbook that I definitely feel confident enough to try on my own:

Phyllo Purses filled with Goat Cheese, Chives and Lemon Zest
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pancetta, Shaved Fennel, and Sliced Pears
Pan Roasted Halibut with Orange, Sherry and River Ranch Honey
Baby Back Ribs with Red Wine Vinegar, Rosemary and Sweet Peppers
Roast Pork Loin with Apple Brandy and Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce
Apple and Cranberry Crisp

I must add in respect to Desserts there are only 2 that are standard the rest are pretty fancy.

Amazon.com

True to the sense of bounty and calm that the California wine regions convey, Diane Dorrans Saeks writes, "Wine Country life is private, peaceful, undisturbed. Rural bliss soothes the mind. The Wine Country encourages simple wonder and gratitude." The inhabitants of the idyllic properties presented in California Wine Country must feel grateful indeed. This unbelievably seductive book of heavenly hideaways is divided into five sections: "Classic," "Poetic," "Rustic," "Collectors," and "Weekends." The Santa Ynez, Russian River, and Alexander Valley regions are explored, as well as the more well-known Napa and Sonoma areas.

Saeks sought out creative people--artists and art dealers, designers, restaurateurs--whose houses range from a splendid Venetian villa near Calistoga to a 12-by-16-foot tent (furnished with antiques) on the edge of a peaceful Sonoma lake. The interiors are magazine-perfect (not a cell phone or fax machine in sight) and true to the prevailing architecture, whether angular and austere or funky adobe. There is a Mediterranean-inspired lusciousness in every photograph: grapes spill from the vines covering a patio, rambler roses cover a wooden gate, and doorways invariably open onto hillside vistas complete with blue sky. The directory at the book's end includes design and furnishings stores, as well as bookstores with good design sections, kitchen equipment stores, and restaurant, hotel, and winery recommendations.

Book Description

The first book to celebrate Wine Country lifestyle and interiors, California Wine Country offers an intimate tour of the ease and elegance that prospers amidst the vineyards and lush hillsides of the California wine-growing regions. Best-selling style writer Diane Dorrans Saeks walks the personal, memorable, and inspiring homes and hideaways of more than twenty-five Wine Country homeowners -- including an apple orchardist, a painter, a chef, an architect, and a gardener -- as they enjoy the seasonal splendor of outdoor dining, vine-covered vistas, sun-dappled interiors, and the spectacular surroundings of a region where lifestyle marries landscape. One of the most popular travel destinations on the West Coast, the Sonoma-Napa countryside is esteemed for its natural beauty and casually luxurious way of life. Throughout the region, and from the Anderson Valley to the vineyards of Santa Barbara, uniquely decorated homes are treasured for their architecture, seclusion, and unparalleled setting. Saeks visits nearly thirty such houses, including a renovated farmhouse and barn; a rustic family home amidst a walnut orchard; and a dreamy lakeside "tent" home in Sonoma. With more than two hundred beautiful color photographs, California Wine Country brilliantly captures the spirit and flavor of the Wine Country way of life.

Customer Reviews:

Nice start - but barely a beginning.......2003-09-06

Ms. Saeks did a reasonable job, but the book is close to worthless if you want to design your house in a recognizable California Wine Country style. Katya and I suggest developing a color palette from the book, but after tens of hours of studying it we can not determine a quantifiable style. Consider this book as a raw first start; a survey of modest importance. The interiors are all over the map. The only commonality is their location in California. Worth buying - yes, but only to understand the diversity possible. Is a more serious study necessary - yes. California wine country is a combination of Tuscan, Provencal, and Spanish Colonial/Early California, with Asian influences. Themes and moods vary. Pretty much freestyle designing. However, certain rules will give you a recognizable style. We're working on it.

- Jim and Katya Preston

Beautiful.......2001-07-29

I collect decorating books (I'm obsessed with them!) and this is my absolute favorite! It's sitting on my coffee table and I look at it again and again; I wish I could find more like it. We have recently purchased/remodled another house and this book was the inspiration for many of the things I incorporated into this house.

An architect's opinion of this book.......2000-05-05

This book is a beautiful presentation of Interior (and outdoor) Design, but little true architecture. Most of the profiled homes appear as sets in a film and seem unrealistic as full time residences. As an architect, I will admit that most are wonderful, humanly scaled spaces. I'm not sure why the wine country is profiled-- other than the budgets are fat there. Overall, the book is worth the price.

IMAGINE LIVING IN THE WINE COUNTRY.......1999-08-03

Hi, I am the author. The Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez...they are hot now. Everyone dreams of living in the Wine Country. The pages of this book will set you dreaming more...and imagining a trip to relax, go wine tasting, perhaps look at real estate...and certainly to dine at The French Laundry. (See Chef Thomas Keller's kitchen in this book.)

Seasons of the Vineyard: A Year of Celebrations and Recipes from the Robert Mondavi Winery

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Seasons of the Vineyard: A Year of Celebrations and Recipes from the Robert Mondavi Winery
Robert Mondavi , Carolyn Dille , and Margrit Biever Mondavi
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business

ASIN: 0684807580

Book Description

Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world visit the Robert Mondavi Winery in California's Napa Valley for tours, tastings, concerts, festivals, and other culinary and cultural events. In Seasons of the Vineyard. Robert and Margrit Biever Mondavi invite you to share the bounty of their table with more than 100 glorious dishes from the Mondavi family, the Vineyard Room chefs, and the great culinary talents who have cooked at the winery.

The Mondavis live the time-honored traditions that value family and community, with food and wine as partners that contribute to well-being and happiness. Their pleasure and their mission have been to deepen their own understanding of the food arts and to share their knowledge with as many people as possible.

The menus and more than 100 recipes in this book, beautifully illustrated by more than 75 photographs, are arranged according to season and use ingredients at the peak of their flavor. Any of the recipes in the book can be combined to create meals that suit you best, with the best ingredients that are available to you.

Whether you enjoy the lively Seared Sea Scallops with Citrus-Ginger Vinaigrette or homey Apple Tart with Almond Custard in the autumn, deeply flavorful Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and White Beans in the winter, spicy Hot Pineapple Curry and Yellow Rice in the spring, or the elegantly simple Fusilli with Vinegar-Marinated Zucchini in the summer, the food is sophisticated and utterly delicious.

Recipes from Michael Chiarello's Napa: From the Public Television Series hosted by Michael Chiarello, Napa Valley chef and author
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Recipes from Michael Chiarello's Napa: From the Public Television Series hosted by Michael Chiarello, Napa Valley chef and author
Michael Chiarello
Manufacturer: NapaStyle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

At Home with Michael Chiarello: Easy Entertaining

ASIN: B0006RUD5O

Annie and Margrit: Recipes and Stories from the Mondavi Kitchen
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Annie and Margrit: Recipes and Stories from the Mondavi Kitchen
Annie Roberts , Margrit Mondavi , Victoria Wise , Margrit Biever , and Laurie Smith
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Wine & Winemaking | Wine | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
California | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty

Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate

ASIN: 1580084370

Book Description

The wines of the Robert Mondavi Winery are acclaimed the world over. Less well known is the fact that the winery features a private dining room to rival the best restaurants in the Napa Valley. Here in the Vineyard Room, innovative chef Annie Roberts brings a refined sense of taste and balance to her creations, always designed with the perfect wine in mind. The winery is also home to elegant music and art events, all planned to perfection by Annie's mother, Margrit. And so a mother and daughter come together to deliver a wine country experience like no other. In ANNIE AND MARGRIT, renowned cookbook author Victoria Wise shares behind-the-scenes stories of Annie and Margrit's collaboration over time, along with Annie's fabulous recipes, reflecting treasures and traditions from her mother's cooking and influences from life in the Napa Valley. From the start, Margrit and Annie cooked with one another, Annie learning at Margrit's stove. Years later, Annie became the first executive chef of a winery in the Napa Valley, and developed a repertoire including Squab with Cabernet Sauvignon-Onion Marmalade and Spatzli; Salmon Fillets with Whole Grain Mustard Beurre Blanc; Poussins with Swiss Chard Gratin; and Fresh Plum Galette. ANNIE AND MARGRIT takes you inside the Mondavi experience, evoking the tastes, sights, and sounds of a day's visit to the winery.

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