Wine Food & Friends Hardcover – Bargain Price, September 1, 2006

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.

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.

I bought this book based on others' recommendations, and I'm glad that I did. The book is broken down into seasons, so it's easy to find recipes for whatever time of year it is currently. I like the descriptions of the wines and why they pair with the recipes included. It gives you the option of finding a similar wine that would fit your budget, although quite a few of the wines listed aren't very expensive. I found most the recipes very appealing. I plan to use this book to plan dinner parties with friends. I also like that these recipes are from Cooking Light, as opposed to most of the wine/food books that don't take in to account that people may want a reduced calorie meal option to pair with wines. Overall I would recommend this to friends and family and a few might be getting a copy of this as a gift in the near future.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks--that's why I have purchased 3 of them! The previous 2 each got chewed by the dog (my cookbook shelf is under the counter in the kitchen, where the dog stays while we are gone). Finally got smart and made a little curtain to hide the cookbooks, so the dog doesn't chew them any more, so hopefully this is the last time I will need to replace this one! But I have been tenacious about replacing this one because I like it so much--great recipes and great ideas about wine and food pairing. And I love that it gives you the whole dinner put together--we enjoy making complete dinners like that, especially on weekends.

I rarely buy books as I reason I can check most out at the library (or search for recipes online) so why clutter up the house?But this is a keeper I want on hand. I also recommend every entertain also buy the book by Bridget Jones, "Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets and Parties". Great to have as a reference and inspiration.Tantalizing recipes, wonderful photography (I love to see what the food is supposed to look like), fabulous wine recommendations arranged by season.Beautiful and inspiring. It makes we want to plan a big dinner party asap!

I like this book - has a lot of great tips,recipes and pairings, but as a previous reviewer stated, the recommended wines tend to be on the expensive - and not too easy to find - side. I will definitely use this as a guide and take my list of wines to my local wine store. Hoping to find some good "comparables".