"WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT is a unique recipe, combining the authors' creativity, expertise, scholarship and great love of all good food and drink. The respect and admiration that food professionals have for them gives them access to a wonderful depth of knowledge and experience that they bring to life in their work. Karen and Andrew might just be the ultimate culinary / literary pairing! "

— Daniel Boulud
Winner of the 2006 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Award

"What a brilliant idea for a book! For someone who entertains as much as I do,
WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT is exactly the book I need."
— Deborah Szekely, founder, Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door spas

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

We're already looking forward to seeing you this fall when we hit the road on our book tour for our new WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea — Even Water — Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers (Little, Brown).

Could food and beverage pairing be any hotter? While it's already been cited as one of the year's top trends, yes — things are heating up even more this fall. On September 19th, Bombay Sapphire teams up with Gourmet and GQ to launch a coast-to-coast food and cocktail pairing competition, with stops in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. Then, you'll have until December 15th to submit a 100-word essay on your favorite food pairing with one of St. Francis Winery's wines to win a $25,000 Dream Kitchen.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT, with its coverage of food and cocktail pairing, is hands-down the best book to prepare you for a shot at Bombay Sapphire's title — or to ready yourself to win that KitchenAid Dream Kitchen! However, there are other pairing books due to hit bookstore shelves this fall that address matching wine with individual foods from meat (Lobel's Meat and Wine) to cheese (The Murray's Cheese Handbook) — and even matching food with water (Fine Waters by Michael Mascha, a featured expert in our own new book).

Join us this fall to learn firsthand what the food and beverage pairing craze is all about...We'd love to see you at the fabulous events being planned in New York City (October 19), Chicago (October 23), the San Francisco Bay Area (October 30), New Orleans (November 4), Seattle (November 6-7), Vancouver (November 8-9), and elsewhere. You'll find details plus registration info on the "News & Events" page of our Web site here. Have an idea and/or an invitation for us? We love hearing from you at Dornenburg@aol.com.

Do you have a Web site or Blog? Because if we don't make it to your city this fall, we'd still love to connect with you via our "Virtual Book Tour" in October: We're lining up 22 of the most passionate Web sites and Blogs (such as those run by Meg Hourihan, David Lebovitz, and Amy McDaniel) to feature WHAT TO DRINK on a different weekday next month, October 2-31. Our Virtual Book Tour schedule will be publicized in the media as well as linked on our Web site and in our next e-Newsletter. If you'd like to sign up for one of the remaining spots and commit to featuring a review of the book (of which you'll receive a complimentary review copy) and/or an author interview on your designated date — please contact Julia at CookbookRave@aol.com or us directly at Dornenburg@aol.com.

Delicious wishes,
Andrew & Karen

Robert Zimmerman, Lorraine Bracco, Karen Page HE WINE TASTING we attended in August for "The Sopranos" star Lorraine Bracco's new line of wines achieved the improbable: it made believers out of two skeptics. We enjoyed each of the half-dozen wines we tasted that night, from the Chianti with chef Vincent Minuto's thick-crust pizza to another pairing that we were so enthusiastic about that it landed us in The New York Post's August 24th "Page Six" column: "Lorraine Bracco, who's marketing her own line of wines these days, learned all about grapes and vintages when she lived in France as a teenage model. At a tasting of her vino the other night in Southampton — attended by Democratic power broker Robert Zimmerman, Lance Bass, and Judy Licht — Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT (due from Little, Brown), deemed her pinot grigio a perfect match for fresh-shucked clams and oysters." And of course Richard Johnson's "Page Six" is followed so closely that five days later, news of our praise even ended up on HBO's Web site!

French Culinary Institute grads who cooked for us T WAS A PLEASURE to visit The French Culinary Institute (FCI) last month as part of a panel of culinary experts reviewing graduates' "final exams." We joined fellow jurors including authors Rozanne Gold (who's coming out with Kids Cook 1-2-3 this fall) and Melissa Clark to sample savory and sweet dishes that allowed students to showcase just how well they were taught by the likes of FCI Director of Culinary Arts Dominick Cerrone (a very talented chef formerly at our favorite NYC tapas bar, Solera) and his team. We were impressed with the students' efforts, and imagine they're only going to get more impressive with the arrival of their new Dean of Italian Studies Cesare Casella of our beloved Maremma restaurant (228 W. 10th Street, near Bleecker, NYC; 212/645-0200).

Mourad El-Habil sprinkles rose water with a smile F YOU'RE IN NEW YORK CITY with a taste for Moroccan food, have we got a tip for you: This summer, the new Moroccan restaurant DARNA opened quietly in Manhattan's Murray Hill. When we stopped by [anonymously] to pick up a delivery menu, friendly manager Mourad El-Habil invited us in for a tour of the beautiful dining room and spotless kitchen. We were back the next night, happy to make the acquaintance of what just might be the best Moroccan restaurant in Manhattan. We've yet to taste a mouthful of chef Lahcen Ksiyer's food — from his crispy briwates (phyllo-wrapped chicken bricks) to the couscous Royale (with lamb, chicken, merguez and vegetables) — that didn't delight. Darna is at 633 Second Avenue (bet. 34th and 35th Streets), New York. (212) 213-9095. (Be sure to tell Mourad that we sent you!)

Jean-Luc Le Du, Andrew Dornenburg, Tom Donahue HE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Le Du's Wines, the fabulous wine store run by Restaurant Daniel's former sommelier Jean-Luc Le Du, is this coming Saturday, September 16th. What better excuse do you need to pay a visit to the store at 600 Washington Street (in the West Village 2 blocks north of Houston, near Leroy) from 3-7 pm for a free wine tasting to celebrate? The space has undergone an amazing transformation since 15 months ago (photo, left) when we stopped by to check out Le Du's work-in-progress...Congratulations, too, to Scott Pactor's Appellation, the wonderful Chelsea wine store specializing in biodynamic and organic wines, that also just celebrated its one-year anniversary...It's amazing how much wine stores have evolved since the founding of Joshua Wesson's Best Cellars, which started shaking things up when it reclassified wines by style (i.e. fizzy, fresh, soft, luscious, juicy, etc.) instead of by country of origin. Over the past several months, more wine stores have been distinguishing themselves with a new user-friendliness regarding everything from sampling (e.g. Union Square Wines' "help-yourself" tasting technology) to food pairing (e.g. Bottlerocket's shelving wines by their affinity for take-out, seafood, poultry, meat, etc.). We salute these innovations aimed to make the pleasures of wine and wine pairing more accessible to everyone.

Chef Joe Marcus's grilled salmon at West Bank Cafe F WE HAD TO CHOOSE our very favorite meals of the summer, they would definitely include two prepared by younger chefs who are now coming into their own... While owner Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe (407 W. 42nd St., bet. 9th and 10th Aves., NYC) has been a Theater District mainstay for nearly three decades, chef Joe Marcus — an alum of Terrance Brennan's Picholine (which debuts its newly-redesigned dining room tonight) — has been at the stoves for just over a year. Marcus obviously learned a thing or two from Brennan, as he wowed us with dishes like grilled salmon with tomatoes, raisins, pinenuts and celery jus (photo, right) and a toffee parfait so delicious he justifiably referred to it as "liquid crack"...Chef Tony Liu is an alum of Mario Batali's kitchen at Babbo, and now delighting West Village diners at August (359 Bleecker St., near W. 10th St., NYC). August was our restaurant find of the summer. Many of you sent us emails thanking us for recommending it on our Blog, including Inside chef Charleen Badman (who sent Phoenix chef Chrysa Kaufman of Rancho Pinot Grill in addition to checking it out herself), photographer Barry Salzman, and Dr. Trey Wilson.

Chef Eoin Redmond of Mississippi, with his 3rd copy of CULINARY ARTISTRY, and Andrew Dornenburg HIS NOVEMBER, our second book CULINARY ARTISTRY celebrates its 10-year anniversary. We love the stories readers have shared with us illustrating their passion for the book, which Barbara-jo McIntosh of Vancouver's Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks has characterized as "cult-like." When we were in New Orleans in July for Tales of the Cocktail, we met Hattiesburg, Mississippi chef Eoin Redmond, who bought and had us sign his third copy of the book, having lost his last one to Hurricane Katrina. Another chef (Tom) wrote, "I have two copies of CULINARY ARTISTRY— one I accidently dropped into 40 gallons of chicken tortellini soup (goodbye soup!) and the other is so highlighted and tabbed that it looks like some kinda CIA secret document. I kept the one I marinaded with soup — ran it through the dish machine then let it dry into a large CULINARY ARTISTRY throw pillow / conversation piece." In our November 2006 e-newsletter, we'll celebrate the book's 10th anniversary by sharing stories from our readers, awarding a personally signed copy of WHAT TO DRINK to the three best. If you have a testimonial or funny anecdote about your passion for CULINARY ARTISTRY, please email it to us at PageDornenburg@aol.com...and you just might read it here in a few weeks!

FROM OUR MEDIA ROOM:

"'Bread is a point of pride for a restaurant,' says Karen Page who, along with Andrew Dornenburg, wrote DINING OUT. For the book, they spent a year eating out with restaurant critics across America to interview them on what makes restaurants great. 'If they can't get the bread right, critics told us, they often couldn't get anything else right.'"
—Kristi L. Gustafson, The Albany Times-Union (August 30, 2006)

"Bracco's Blanco: Lorraine Bracco developed her passion for fine wines when she spent some formative years in France, working as a young model. Now her new wine is finding some followers. According to the NY Post, the authors of WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT deemed Bracco's pinot grigio perfect for fresh-shucked clams and oysters at the wine tasting she hosted last week at her Southampton home."
—HBO: The Buzz: News (hbo.com) (August 29, 2006)

"...While both of the above recipes go wonderfully with a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or white Bordeaux, don’t make the mistake of assuming that chicken and fish always call for white wine — or that beef always calls for red. Several books offer both conventional and creative suggestions. Try Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food (University of California Press) or the forthcoming (October) WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea — Even Water — Based on Expert Advice from America’s Best Sommeliers (Bulfinch)."
—Henri Bourride, Chico News and Review (August 17, 2006)

"HRI on the Net: NEW YORK INSPIRATION: Pour avoir un aperçu de la cuisine des restaurants new-yorkais, rien de tel que de consulter le blog d'Andrew Dornenburg et de Karen Page!"
—Christine Blouin, HRI Magazine (Hotels, Restaurants, Institutions), Quebec

"New Book: WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT: The definitive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea — even water — based on expert advice from America's best sommeliers. At a great meal, what you drink is just as important as what you eat. This groundbreaking food and beverage pairing reference allows food lovers to learn to think like a sommelier, and to transform every meal — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — from ordinary to extraordinary."
—The Water Connoisseur (August 2006)

"Savory Summer Herbs Create Sweet Endings: The time is right to create your own flavor combinations...[T]ry matching more intense herbs, such as basil and rosemary, with stronger flavors such as chocolate or pineapple. Mild herbs like tarragon and thyme go well with milder fruits like peaches, apricots and plums. 'It’s kind of hit or miss on flavor combinations,' says Michael Bump, pastry chef at 40 Sardines. He recommends a book called CULINARY ARTISTRY, which outlines pleasing flavor matches."
—Gail Borelli, The Kansas City Star (July 19, 2006)

"If you’re thinking about the culinary field or are a cook or a chef, then you must read...Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page’s CULINARY ARTISTRY."
—Stu Stein, Restaurants & Institutions (July 2006)

"Chef Jennifer Shiparski, better known today as Jennifer Bartolotta, was working in her father's Pentwater, Michigan, business, the Nickerson Inn, in 1995...Bartolotta, who conducts seminars on the topic, suggests the book CULINARY ARTISTRY by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. The book, she says, goes 'outside the box' of most cookbooks and gives detailed, multiple ways of preparing foods."
—Filomena Lea, Today's Wisconsin Woman (July 2006)

"I received another tremendous newsletter from Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page yesterday. For those who do not subscribe to Dornenburg and Page, you have to do so as soon as you are done on this site. Their site, Becoming a Chef, gives great insight and examples of what other restaurateurs are accomplishing. They publish one of the most enjoyable food blogs on the Internet. Loaded with pics, they invite the reader to their table as they highlight restaurants and chefs in the food capital of the world. And their latest book WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT is receiving accolades from the culinary community across the dining tables of America....Pick it up. Use it in your menu pairings. One of the hottest trends in the industry is to pair food and beverage. Suggest the hottest new beverage with that cool composition salad and your customers will not only love your food, but respect your knowledge of the industry."
—John Foley, host, The Restaurant Blog, AllBusiness.com (June 29, 2006)

"June is National Ice Tea Month. Raise high a tall, cold one in salute. Sip slowly. Ahhhh....Heightened consumer awareness has inspired some experts to educate the public about matching teas to entrees for maximum flavor. Forerunners include Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, authors of the forthcoming book, WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT (Bulfinch Press, Fall 2006). As a general rule, think of green and lighter oolong teas like white wine — they go with fish and chicken, Dornenburg said. Dark oolong and black teas, like red wine, go with red meats. As for desserts, they complement aromatic or floral tea, 'but consider teas compatible in flavor to the dessert you're serving,' he said. 'For example, a blueberry tea works beautifully with a banana dessert or banana pancakes. Maple tea is wonderful with dishes like cranberries, butternut squash or pumpkin'." 
—Molly Woulfe, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster, Indiana) (June 28, 2006)

"EAU LA LA: A FITNESS TREND THAT TURNS WINE INTO WATER: At first, I thought she was joking. A water sommelier? Choosing fine waters to go with fine foods from a Water List as big and wet as a wine list? Be still, my sparkling heart. It's true. According to Karen Page, food writer extraordinaire and co-author of WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT, to be published by Bulfinch in the fall of 2006, there is a growing interest in discovering which bottled waters work best with which foods. Take Appollinaris, for instance. According to Michael Mascha, Karen Page's water pairing expert, it's a sparkling mineral water with 100-percent source carbonic acid (that means no artificial CO2 is added to the water), rich in minerals and 'with a robust TDS of 2,650, Appollinaris is a substantial water perfect with crispy-crunchy foods, meats and game.' But would you drink it with sushi? Or fish? Absolutely not! For those foods, Mascha advises, you want to order Spa. 'With a TDS of 33, it's a much more appropriate choice as it does not overpower the delicate flavors and matches the mouth feel much better.' A seasonal salad with fruit and shaved truffles? Choose Badoit, from France. Roast breast of squab with beets and long beans? Sanfasutino, from Italy. 'The size of the bubbles matter, too,' says Page, whose upcoming book will help guide you through these murky waters. For more information, check out her very tasty website, BecomingAChef.com. And to dive further into the 2,800 different brands of waters in the world and what a TDS of 2,650 really means, log onto FineWaters.com. And I used to think San Pellegrino went with everything. Ha!"
—Marilynn Preston, syndicated columnist, "Energy Express" (June 27, 2006)

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
527 Third Ave.  Suite 130
New York, NY  10016
Phone:  (212) 642-5870   
Email: PageDornenburg@aol.com
www.whattodrinkwithwhatyoueat.com