Synopses & Reviews
When summer days give way to autumn crispness and the first snows of winter, falling temperatures send you searching for thick sweaters and woolly hats. But nothing warms you down to the soul like a steaming mug of hot chocolate or spicy mulled cider. HOT DRINKS presents fifty recipes for delicious coffees, teas, chocolates, ciders, punches, and cocktails to sip in front of a crackling fire or heat up holiday get-togethers. You'll find a toasty pick-me-up for every frosty occasion, including classics like Hot Buttered Rum, Cafe con Leche, and Moroccan Mint Tea, as well as new twists on old favorites like Snowflake Vanilla White Chocolate, Hot Wasabi Red Snapper, and West Indies Pineapple Cup. Easy to mix and full of rich flavor, these cold-weather warmers are guaranteed to chase away the winter chills.A festive collection of 50 hot drink recipes for fall and winter holiday entertaining. Features more than 30 full-color photographs. Includes alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.
Synopsis
Hot chocolate is not just a childrenand#8217;s drink anymore: In recent years it has become a connoisseurand#8217;s beverage served in trendy coffeehouses and appearing on upscale restaurant dessert menus. What many people think of as hot chocolate, however, is really hot cocoaand#8212;a little chocolate flavor with a lot of hot milk. In Hot Chocolate, Fred Thompson offers 50 recipes for serious hot chocolate, made with high-quality milk, dark, or white chocolate; whole milk, skim milk, cream, water, or milk alternatives; and a variety of flavorings, such as peppermint, orange, cinnamon, coffee, liqueurs, peanut butter, and raspberryand#8212;even chai tea! The book provides a fascinating history of hot chocolate and lots of useful tips on how to make fabulous hot chocolate, which kinds of chocolate to use, and how to garnish the drinks, plus bonus recipes for homemade marshmallows and perfect whipped cream. There is also a chapter on preparing high-quality homemade hot chocolate mixes that can be given as gifts. With stylish full-color photos showcasing sumptuous variety, the IACP award-nominated Hot Chocolate is a great gift for anyone who loves chocolate.
About the Author
Fred Thompson is a writer and food stylist who divides his time between Raleigh, North Carolina, and New York City. His career has taken him to the North, but Thompson remains true to his Southern roots, holding fast to his accent and love of all things Southernand#8212;especially food. Thompson trained at the Culinary Institute of America and became involved in print and television advertising before starting his own catering business in Raleigh, which he ran from 1988 to 1994. Today, Thompson works as a freelance food stylist, cooking instructor, and food, wine, and travel writer, and runs his own product- and recipe-development business. Thompson has written several cookbooks, including Iced Tea, Lemonade, Crazy for Crab, Barbecue Nation, and Hot Chocolate. Thompson publishes Edible Piedmont magazine, which focuses on food in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, with his wife, Belinda Ellis, who serves as the magazineand#8217;s editor. He has been featured on NPR, and is a spokesperson for Lipton Cold Brew. Thompson writes and#8220;The Weekend Gourmet,and#8221; a bi-weekly column in The Raleigh News and Observer. His work has appeared in Family Circle, Wine and Spirits, Fine Cooking, and Every Day with Rachael Ray. Thompson is also a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Southern Foodways Alliance.