New Cookbooks

I got some new cookbooks for Yule. They were on my wishlist, which is now empty. It was quite a haul!

My favorite is Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala. It's published by Llewellyn Publications, 2007. It's just incredible, with all kinds of tidbits and poems and descriptions of Celtic life and traditions.

Like the author, I feel connected to Ireland, as if I lived there in another life. I love all things Irish and fairies and Druids and this book tells me about that and the food they ate, too! It doesn't get any better.

Being a book about Irish cuisine, the chapter on beverages is quite long and satisfying. We have Syllabub and eggnog and hot whiskey and buttered rum. Spring wine. Ale. Mulled cider and milk punch. Along with stories about John Barleycorn and about wassailing. Traditional times the drink is served and how it fits into the Wheel of the Year and celebrations of the seasons.

I'll post more about each section as time allows. I'm already trying some of the winter drinks and this promises to be a cookbook I use all the time!