Cooking with Alcohol
A beautiful book of over 100 recipes exploring the flavours of the alcohol shelf
Released on 3rd June 2021
See what’s cooking at @rickardkitchen
About the Book
For the cook who is ready to be inspired by the contents of their alcohol shelf. Over 100 easily accessible recipes where alcohol is a key component.
Discover savoury recipes like Mojito Chicken, Fennel & White Wine Tagliatelle, and Tequila and Habañero Salmon, or sweet treats like Salted Caramel and Spiced Rum Brownies and Amaretto and Ginger Cheesecake.
This hardcover book will introduce you to the world of cooking with alcohol, with photos of every single recipe so you know exactly what you’re cooking. There are chapters for starters, mains, side dishes, sweet and savoury baking, and desserts. Each recipe gives an indication of the time taken and any extra equipment you need. Whether you’re cooking in a rush on a weekday evening or hosting an elaborate dinner party, there’s something for all occasions.
The chemical structure of alcohol impacts a recipe beyond the flavour, and throughout the book you’ll have the opportunity to learn a little about what the alcohol is doing in each dish. However, all recipes are written for the home cook, and no expert knowledge or equipment is required.
This book isn’t full of luxury foods and it isn’t about consuming large amounts of alcohol. The focus is on finding enjoyment and fun through innovative and delicious food, whether you're cooking up a simple midweek Port Pesto with Rigatoni or treating your colleagues to a plateful of gooey Peanut Butter and Bourbon Cookies.
Cooking with Alcohol will inspire and delight the reader to try something new with the alcoholic ingredients they have to hand.
About the Authors
We are Aaron and Susannah Rickard - two friendly people in our late twenties, based in Bath in the south-west of England. We are not professional cooks, but cooking is well and truly our passion.
This book has been developed in our kitchen across the course of the last four years. It began as a dinner themed on alcohol a few years ago with friends. When thinking up recipes to cook, the possibilities with alcohol seemed endless and we could hardly decide what to make! With so many ideas, we began testing them at home for ourselves. All of the recipes in Cooking with Alcohol have been tested (multiple times), written and photographed in our apartment.
Susannah is in the international business team for a herbal tea company. Australian-born and now UK-based, she spent a number of years working for a recipe kit company (The Spicery in Bristol), including writing and testing hundreds of recipes in the development kitchen. This expertise ensures that Cooking with Alcohol is clearly written, with thorough instructions designed for the home cook.
Aaron is a web developer in London, and a keen food photographer. With American heritage and a multicultural upbringing he's a fan of food from all over the world. As well as creating recipes, Aaron brings the technical and editing expertise to our photography & the beautiful typesetting of the pages.
We both have a love for other cultures, and this has greatly influenced our cooking style. For example, recipes such as our Bourbon Brined Beef Short Ribs are influenced by our time spent in the United States, while Chorizo in Red Wine and Honey is inspired by a dish that we enjoyed in Barcelona.
We’re fascinated by using new techniques and learning the science behind the food. This fascination feeds into our recipe process, where we share the science with you, and use innovative techniques when they are the relevant - you'll find this in our Red Wine Focaccia and Alcoholic Chocolate Mousse (made with any alcohol for infinite variations) among others. There are so many wonderful ways that alcohol can impact flavour and cooking techniques and bring something truly special to the table.