Some of our favorite new books of 2019 for those on your list who, like us, read cookbooks like novels
The Rancho Gordo Pozole Book
BY STEVE SANDO
This gorgeous new cookbook, a primer on and homage to pozole, the iconic Mexican comfort food interpreted creatively by many, but always a marriage of hominy, chiles and soul-comforting broth, was authored and photographed by Steve Sando, proprietor of Napa’s Rancho Gordo, New World Specialty Food. It’s a love story to the dish, to those who prepare it, and to the memories of the times he has shared it with friends.
Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Volume II — Parole Denied
BY JEFF BURKHART
Man walks into a bar… The start of many a joke, but not for Jeff Burkhart, beloved longtime bartender at Mill Valley’s Buckeye and regular columnist in the Marin Independent Journal. Instead, it’s been a lifelong observation of funny stories, unusual experiences and delicious cocktails he shares in his easy-to-sip-on Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Volume II — Parole Denied. It’s astute, engaging and well written, as Jeff recounts what he’s seen and heard from his side of what can only be described as a stage, with drinks.
Good bartenders are often revered as great listeners. Well, Jeff has had his ears wide open, and the tales that have been told are well worth the read. Marinites in particular will appreciate some of the details and may recognize some of the characters… The book is well-stocked with cleverly-titled chapters, and, like a well-made cocktail, as soon as you finish the first, you’ll be ready for another.
