A guide to coffee covers its history, including the evolution of coffehouses and other aspects of coffee culture, along with recipes for different kinds of coffee and desserts.

Coffee House Confessions is a collection of poems written in and about coffee houses throughout the world. "I know no one else who manages to combine quantity of poems with quality the way Ellaraine Lockie does. She is a font of creative ideas and brings the ultimate in craft and experience to the realizing of those products of inspiration, observation, and research. I admire her work immensely." GERALD LOCKLIN, Professor Emiritus of English at California State University, Long Beach "This collection deserves a wide audience...once coffee houses were locales for galvanizing live poetry readings, now we can achieve almost the same nirvana by reading this witty book." Christine Pacosz, FutureCycle Press "...a very well done collection of poems... there's something for everyone in this collection. If you love contemporary poetry, you are sure to find some gems here that speak to you. If you don't know if you love contemporary poetry, this might be a good place to start finding out." Marcia Meara, Bookin' It "...a really great read." Jessie Carty, Review Wrap-Up, jessiecarty.com

How old is Ethiopian cuisine and the unique way of eating it? Ethiopians proudly say their cuisine goes back 3,000 to 5,000 years. Archaeologists and historians now believe it emerged in the first millennium A.D. in Aksum, an ancient kingdom that occupied whats now the northern region of Ethiopia and the southern region of neighboring Eritrea. But regardless of when Ethiopians began to eat spicy wots atop the spongy flatbread injera, or when they first drank the intoxicating honey wine called tej, their cuisine remains unique in the world. Mesob Across America: Ethiopian Food in the U.S.A. brings together what respected scholars and passionate Ethiopians know and believe about this delectable cuisine. From the ingredients of the Ethiopian kitchen the foods, the spices, and the ways of combining them to a close-up look at the cuisines history and culture, Mesob Across America is both comprehensive and anecdotal. Explore the history of how restaurant communities emerged in the U.S., and visit them as they exist today. Learn how to prepare a five-course Ethiopian meal, including homemade tej. And solve the mystery of when Ethiopian food made its debut in America which was not when most Ethiopians think it did.

With a history as old as the Bible, the humble olive has matured into a sophisticated culinary treasure. Enter any fine restaurant and you will find the sumptuous flavor of olives in cocktails, appetizers, salads, and entrées. The Sophisticated Olive is an informative guide to this glorious fruit’s healthful benefits, uses, and tastes. It also presents over 100 kitchen-tested recipes, all made with either the delicious olive or its luscious oil.

Spilling the beans on a Coffee House Giant

For centuries, the preparation of miso has been considered an art form in Japan. Through a time-honored process, soybeans and grains are transformed into thiswondrous food, which is both a flavorful addition to a variety of dishes and a powerful medicinal. Scientific research has supported miso’s use as an effective therapeutic aid in the prevention and treatment of a range of disorders. Part One of this guide begins with miso basics—its types and uses. A chapter called “Miso Medicine” then details this superfood’s healing properties and role in maintaining good health. Easy directions for making miso at home are also found in Part One. Then Part Two presents over 140 healthy recipes in which miso is used in dips, spreads, soups, and much more. Whether you are in search of healthful foods or you simply want a delicious new take on old favorites, The Miso Book may be just what the doctor ordered.

A laugh-out-loud memoir about a city slicker who discovers that Manolos and manure just don?t mix. At her husband?s prompting, suburban mom and New York career woman Susan McCorkindale agreed to give up her stressful six-figure job. Together, they headed down south to a 500-acre beef farm, and never looked back. Well, he didn?t look back. She did. A lot. From playing ?spot the religious billboard? on the drive to rural Virginia, to adapting to a world without Starbucks, to planning bright-orange hunter-resistant wardrobes for the kids (?We moved here to get away from the madness of Manhattan only to risk getting popped on our own property?), this is her hilarious account of how a city girl came to love?or at least tolerate?country life.