CoffeeBeanShop

Cappuccino Cocktails Rocks!

NOTE: This review and the book cover are based on a previous version of the book, but the newer 2004 version contains the same material, only more of it! The link will take you to the new edition.

My writing instructors always admonished me to, "Write about what you know!" Susan Zimmer must have entertained the same tutors, because she's written the most thorough book about the love of her life - coffee.

Cappuccino Cocktails & Coffee Martinis: Specialty Coffee Recipes and 'A-Whole-Latte' more! (New title) by Susan M. Zimmer is an absolute delight. The recipes are easy and mouthwatering, the writing is fun, and the education is complete. This is the most down-to-earth book about coffee we've seen to date.

If you follow the link to Amazon, you'll get the complete rundown on the chapter details; however, this information doesn't touch the character of this book. The tools Susan uses to help us remember our coffee clues are timeless and they work.

The book begins with a thoroughly convincing reason to trust the author. Her life has centered on coffee, beginning with the first sip at an early age. She proceeded to work for an international coffee company, and she successfully launched nationally branded hot and cold cappuccino products.

Susan graduated to Espresso machine and specialty coffee sales and distribution. For the past fourteen years, her life has been wrapped around coffee. Her varied global experiences lend authority to her writing, but she writes as though she's a good friend who has just sent you the best coffee letter in the world.

Throughout the book, you can enjoy coffee quotes, coffee history, the language of the bean, and everything you ever wanted to know about various coffee machines. Although the book contains only 220 pages, each one packs so much information that I've already dog-eared the pages of my own copy.

The facts and figures are presented in a way to make them easily memorable. And, without a doubt, Susan shines through with her iced coffee recipes. The most delightful aspect to the recipes is that most ingredients are available at the local grocery store, and you probably have all of them in your kitchen right now. For instance, the "Iced Thai Coffee" contains cold Espresso (or strong coffee), sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and a dash each of cinnamon and ground cloves. How easy is that?

The treat is this: while you blend your recipes, you can enjoy the coffee jokes and factoids scattered throughout the book. The kicker for me was the big push for organic coffees - after all, it's just common sense for big coffee drinkers.

But - after all this information, what I really wanted to know was this: Could I REALLY make a cup of basic cappuccino or latte without a machine? The answer is a resounding YES. However, I can't share that secret with you - you'll have to find out how to make your own coffeepot-less cappuccino when you purchase her book.

Susan's Website: http://www.cappuccinococktails.com/

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Other Reviews:

Coffee Association of Canada, Sept 01, 2001
A grand coffee lovers cookbook/comprehensive, thorough guide for understanding, preparation and coffee enjoyment- an adventure in coffee culinary creations.

Cup Quality & Brewing Technology Manager, Van Houtte Inc.
A complete reference book that takes the reader through reality/romance of the coffee world today -striking facts/amusing anecdotes.

#1 NY Times Bestselling Co-Author, Jennifer R. Hawthorne, Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul
Cappuccino Cocktails is informative, innovative and inspiring - a coffee lover's delight!

Fresh Cup Magazine (Portland, OR)
Cappuccino Cocktails is more than just another coffee book, truly its a guide for anyone interested in coffee. Buy it!

All photos Copyright ©2002, ESP Publishing/Cappuccino Cocktails™