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Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar: With Recipes from Leading Chefs, Insights from Top Producers, and Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Make Your Own
Winner of the IACP Cookbook Award for Culinary Travel
In Acid Trip , Michael Harlan Turkell takes readers on a fascinating journey through the world of vinegar. An avid maker of vinegars at home, Turkell traveled throughout North America, France, Italy, Austria, and Japan to learn about vinegar-making practices in places where the art has evolved over centuries. This richly narrated cookbook includes recipes from leading chefs including Daniel Boulud, Barbara Lynch, Michael Anthony, April Bloomfield, Massimo Bottura, Sean Brock, and many others. Dishes range from simple to sophisticated and include Fried Eggs with a Spoonful of Vinegar, Sweet & Sour Peppers, Balsamic Barbecued Ribs, Poulet au Vinaigre, Tomato Tarragon Shrub, and even Vinegar Pie. Turkell also details methods for making your own vinegars with bases as varied as wine, rice, apple cider, and honey. Featuring lush color photographs by the author, Acid Trip is a captivating story of an obsession and an indispensable reference for any food lover who aspires to make and cook with the best ingredients.
In Acid Trip , Michael Harlan Turkell takes readers on a fascinating journey through the world of vinegar. An avid maker of vinegars at home, Turkell traveled throughout North America, France, Italy, Austria, and Japan to learn about vinegar-making practices in places where the art has evolved over centuries. This richly narrated cookbook includes recipes from leading chefs including Daniel Boulud, Barbara Lynch, Michael Anthony, April Bloomfield, Massimo Bottura, Sean Brock, and many others. Dishes range from simple to sophisticated and include Fried Eggs with a Spoonful of Vinegar, Sweet & Sour Peppers, Balsamic Barbecued Ribs, Poulet au Vinaigre, Tomato Tarragon Shrub, and even Vinegar Pie. Turkell also details methods for making your own vinegars with bases as varied as wine, rice, apple cider, and honey. Featuring lush color photographs by the author, Acid Trip is a captivating story of an obsession and an indispensable reference for any food lover who aspires to make and cook with the best ingredients.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 8, 2017
56 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 16, 2024
Ever since I've started cooking seriously at home (thanks to Covid-19), I've discovered how important vinegars (or in general, acid) are in elevating the flavours of a dish. As of my last count, I have 9 different types of vinegars in my pantry and each with its own purpose and pairs with different foods/flavours/cuisines.
And yet, from what I've read in this book, I've barely scratched the surface of the world of vinegars. I'm definitely eager to try more varieties and maybe even venture to make my own.
And yet, from what I've read in this book, I've barely scratched the surface of the world of vinegars. I'm definitely eager to try more varieties and maybe even venture to make my own.
August 30, 2017
I found this book to be fascinating. It's sad, but the books I read that are dedicated to one type of food, usually includes in it the sad story of counterfeit food. Olive oil, cheese and now vinegar have all been made slightly suspect in my eyes and now I need to make sure I REALLY know where my vinegar is coming from.
But I digress. If you are into "food porn" in your cookbooks, this will be gratifying for you. The pictures are GORGEOUS. You can tell the author cut his chops by being a food photographer for other cookbooks. His cookbook is done very well, as is to be expected.
The reason for the four and not five stars is because, while recipes were included and the end explained what you needed to make your own vinegar, sometimes the recipes didn't tie into what was being talked about. For example, he would be discussing this amazing dish that a specific chef made with a particular vinegar, going on and on about how great it was, then BAM! The next item in the book was a recipe...but not for that dish. It wasn't all of the time, so sometimes you got the recipe for that mouth-watering sounding dish and other times, bait and switch.
Also, the mini-sections would be about different restaurant owners and chefs, but some people would have what I would consider a chapter of information, and others only one paragraph, with very little differentiation between the sections. It just seemed to skip from person to person with no obvious break in-between. It was awkward to read, because I had to keep turning back to see if this was part of the last paragraph or not.
Not a bad book, just could have maybe used smoother or more obvious transitions from chef to chef. The recipes all looked fantastic, the pictures were gorgeous and I had NO IDEA vinegar was so big in so many different countries. Germany, Japan, America, Italy, to name but a few. I liked how the book was divided by region, going into each locations specialties.
4.5, rounded down to 4 stars due to the somewhat clunky transitions, which may have been amended, as I read an eARC and not a finished copy. Completely worth getting, if only for the recipes and the instructional on how to make your own vinegar. Highly recommended!
My thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
But I digress. If you are into "food porn" in your cookbooks, this will be gratifying for you. The pictures are GORGEOUS. You can tell the author cut his chops by being a food photographer for other cookbooks. His cookbook is done very well, as is to be expected.
The reason for the four and not five stars is because, while recipes were included and the end explained what you needed to make your own vinegar, sometimes the recipes didn't tie into what was being talked about. For example, he would be discussing this amazing dish that a specific chef made with a particular vinegar, going on and on about how great it was, then BAM! The next item in the book was a recipe...but not for that dish. It wasn't all of the time, so sometimes you got the recipe for that mouth-watering sounding dish and other times, bait and switch.
Also, the mini-sections would be about different restaurant owners and chefs, but some people would have what I would consider a chapter of information, and others only one paragraph, with very little differentiation between the sections. It just seemed to skip from person to person with no obvious break in-between. It was awkward to read, because I had to keep turning back to see if this was part of the last paragraph or not.
Not a bad book, just could have maybe used smoother or more obvious transitions from chef to chef. The recipes all looked fantastic, the pictures were gorgeous and I had NO IDEA vinegar was so big in so many different countries. Germany, Japan, America, Italy, to name but a few. I liked how the book was divided by region, going into each locations specialties.
4.5, rounded down to 4 stars due to the somewhat clunky transitions, which may have been amended, as I read an eARC and not a finished copy. Completely worth getting, if only for the recipes and the instructional on how to make your own vinegar. Highly recommended!
My thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
October 3, 2017
This is a dangerous book because it will make you want to travel the world and taste most of the vinegars described here. In addition to the wanderlust, you might also be inspired to explore your culinary side by trying to replicate some of the mouth-watering recipes contained in these pages. As if that was not enough, the last pages are a primer on how to make your own vinegar. Overall, a very satisfying experience.
September 6, 2017
An absolute must-have compendium of acid(ic dressings.)
December 5, 2017
Everything you wanted to know about that very useful culinary and cleaning product.
This begins with the origin of how it came about, both in the Western World and the Eastern countries.
There are some very tasty recipes and a bonus of a recipe for making your own, which I think will be very useful.
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher ABRAMS via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
This begins with the origin of how it came about, both in the Western World and the Eastern countries.
There are some very tasty recipes and a bonus of a recipe for making your own, which I think will be very useful.
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher ABRAMS via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
December 5, 2017
Get ready to pucker but better yet you will be taken on a thorough history and around the world understanding of the most loved fermented staples. I learned so much and this will make the perfect gift for your favorite foodie!
November 13, 2017
I never knew that vinegar was useful for so many things. This book is a real learning tool for those who like to use natural products. I have stocked up on vinegar and incorporated it into my families daily lifestyle. Useful and informative read and I hardily recommend.
September 2, 2017
I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program. This is the first book I've read by Mr. Turkell.
Up until reading this I think I used vinegar to make milk sour and in my potato salad recipe. And I'd used it when cleaning glass. Plus I remember my mom using it when she canned pickles. I now have a whole new world of possibilities ahead of me.
I'd never thought of making my own vinegar so this was the first 'eye opener.' And then there are the different kinds...apple pie, banana, hot toddy, and red eye to name of few.
Next you're led through recipes including Fried Egg with a Spoonful of Vinegar, Red Snapper and Mushrooms in a Port Reduction, Duck Duck Booze and Balsamic Zabaglione with Peaches in Champagne Vinegar.
You'll have the opportunity to follow the author as he travels the world, dines in enchanting locales with inventive chefs and shares photos of restaurants, entrees and deserts. The recipes are easy to read and most ingredients can be easily found.
I can't wait to go to The Spotted Pig in New York City and try their Fish and Thrice-Cooked Chips and No. 9 Park in Boston. But until I can, I'm going to try my hand at making them here at home.
Up until reading this I think I used vinegar to make milk sour and in my potato salad recipe. And I'd used it when cleaning glass. Plus I remember my mom using it when she canned pickles. I now have a whole new world of possibilities ahead of me.
I'd never thought of making my own vinegar so this was the first 'eye opener.' And then there are the different kinds...apple pie, banana, hot toddy, and red eye to name of few.
Next you're led through recipes including Fried Egg with a Spoonful of Vinegar, Red Snapper and Mushrooms in a Port Reduction, Duck Duck Booze and Balsamic Zabaglione with Peaches in Champagne Vinegar.
You'll have the opportunity to follow the author as he travels the world, dines in enchanting locales with inventive chefs and shares photos of restaurants, entrees and deserts. The recipes are easy to read and most ingredients can be easily found.
I can't wait to go to The Spotted Pig in New York City and try their Fish and Thrice-Cooked Chips and No. 9 Park in Boston. But until I can, I'm going to try my hand at making them here at home.
August 26, 2017
I received this book as winner of a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a lovely book with mouth watering pictures and elegant, elevated gourmet recipes.
I was particularly excited to win this book because I am a vinegar lover and have made some in the past. I learned much from this book, but it was quite technical.
One point of dissension: I hate the title and the cover - they are simply not worthy of the wonderful contents. Title and cover get only 2 stars while the content is 5+ stars.
This is a lovely book with mouth watering pictures and elegant, elevated gourmet recipes.
I was particularly excited to win this book because I am a vinegar lover and have made some in the past. I learned much from this book, but it was quite technical.
One point of dissension: I hate the title and the cover - they are simply not worthy of the wonderful contents. Title and cover get only 2 stars while the content is 5+ stars.
October 4, 2017
Great book. Answers any and all questions you need to know about vinegar. Well written with recipes
that are very diverse.
that are very diverse.
December 12, 2019
I love vinegar, so when I saw the book at the library, I thought, Sweet! this looks like a meaty book about a topic I like! And then I read it and within the first chapter, my optimism had soured because the writing wasn't interesting, and the more I went on, the more salty I got until I has halfway through and gave up--skimming the rest of the book to see if it got better. It did not. I am bitter.
The book can't decide what it wants to be, which is a huge problem. I wanted nonfiction on vinegar: its history, its science, then maybe some stuff about how it's used today. And we get...a little about that. But not much. And interspersed with everything else.
The book is part travelogue. Turkell travels to other countries, visiting vinegar makers and explaining parts of the history, but mostly waxing poetic about how much he liked whatever he ate there. We get his first-person perspective of eating a quick bite here before heading to take a tour, but his wife isn't joining him because she's going somewhere else unrelated to the book. This is boring! So boring!!
It's possible to write first-person nonfiction like this and be interesting, but that did not happen here.
It's also part cookbook. Literally you'll be reading and suddenly BAM! here's a recipe. Probably related to whatever else you've been reading about, but that's not guaranteed! And it interrupts the paltry narrative he is attempting and jolts you away.
The book is broken into sections mainly by country where Turkell visits to report on its vinegar production: France, Italy, Austria, Japan, and North America. The North American is absolutely the worst of the bunch, as he mostly gives up on any narrative other than reminiscences of his youth in kitchens, describing current chefs he knows, and throwing a ton of recipes at the reader. Japan is the best section as he puts a decent amount of effort into describing parts of its culinary history, but overall the writing is uneven, not compelling, and dull.
How bad was this? I love vinegar, and my mouth didn't even water once while reading this.
The book can't decide what it wants to be, which is a huge problem. I wanted nonfiction on vinegar: its history, its science, then maybe some stuff about how it's used today. And we get...a little about that. But not much. And interspersed with everything else.
The book is part travelogue. Turkell travels to other countries, visiting vinegar makers and explaining parts of the history, but mostly waxing poetic about how much he liked whatever he ate there. We get his first-person perspective of eating a quick bite here before heading to take a tour, but his wife isn't joining him because she's going somewhere else unrelated to the book. This is boring! So boring!!
It's possible to write first-person nonfiction like this and be interesting, but that did not happen here.
It's also part cookbook. Literally you'll be reading and suddenly BAM! here's a recipe. Probably related to whatever else you've been reading about, but that's not guaranteed! And it interrupts the paltry narrative he is attempting and jolts you away.
The book is broken into sections mainly by country where Turkell visits to report on its vinegar production: France, Italy, Austria, Japan, and North America. The North American is absolutely the worst of the bunch, as he mostly gives up on any narrative other than reminiscences of his youth in kitchens, describing current chefs he knows, and throwing a ton of recipes at the reader. Japan is the best section as he puts a decent amount of effort into describing parts of its culinary history, but overall the writing is uneven, not compelling, and dull.
How bad was this? I love vinegar, and my mouth didn't even water once while reading this.
September 29, 2017
I wanted to like Acid Trip more than I did, if nothing else because of the author's name. (I went to a book signing, and got to meet him.) Some of the recipes look good, and I look forward to trying them, and a lot of the research into vinegars around the world is interesting and should be good reference. But the writing in the travel section is under-edited and riddled with cliches, and the organization of the book is somewhat confusing. Even the recipes section is laid out oddly, without page breaks between recipes.
August 28, 2020
I read this book in one night. I really enjoyed it. The full-color pictures were beautiful, and I will definitely be making the tuna steaks recipes. The only issue I had was his bizarre claim that jesus drank vinegar on the cross?
Anyway, there was a lot to learn about vinegar, and so much that I didn't know that I didn't know. I would like to read more books in this genre.
Anyway, there was a lot to learn about vinegar, and so much that I didn't know that I didn't know. I would like to read more books in this genre.
November 24, 2021
Super interesting book on vacation near that is chock full of great recipes! I have a new found appreciation of vinegar after reading this book.
February 7, 2023
Solid work.
Minus one star for a janky Kindle formating (at least on my Kindle).
Minus one star for a janky Kindle formating (at least on my Kindle).
September 21, 2024
I was hopeful for more science but this is a very useful book, more for recipes
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews