Product Description

Detox diets are making news as the quickest, easiest way to shed pounds, boost your energy, and get yourself on a wellness track. Popular in the 1970s, cleansing fasts are again all the rage among celebrities like Gisele Bundchen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney, and Madonna.

Customer Reviews (144)

Lots of wisdom in this cleanse
I am ever grateful to Roni DeLuz for her wisdom, expertise and generosity of spirit.I am on the 20th day of the cleanse, and am extremely pleased that I stumbled across her work.

I have discovered that I do, in fact, have willpower.I thought it had faded with my youth.I have tried for seven years to lose the weight I gained after two children, and I finally did it.I am down 15 pounds, and feel great.I not only lost weight, but also learned a lot in the process about my health and well being.

The cleanse was a good challenge for me.It was difficult at times, and I contemplated quitting on several occasions, but am so glad I have stuck with it.I am an extremely busy person, I teach full time, have 3 school age kids, and have a husband who works full time as well.I found that I had a lot of energy the first four days, and then crashed on days five and six.They were tough.But I muscled my way through.I did have vegan protein shakes on about one third of the days; they helped me feel better on my low days.I also took vegan DHA/EPA and GABA to keep my mood up throughout the cleanse.I did invest in the colonics, and did the coffee enemas, skin brushing, and Epsom salt baths.I had cravings at times, they were intense at first, and then came and went throughout the cleanse.Most of the time they were not too bad.

I bought my products at GNC/Whole Foods/my local coop. On one of the previous Amazon reviews, some kind soul offered a link to a Google group where I found a good shopping list.I suggest using the updated daily schedule from Dr. Roni's website. I did not order any products from her website, so was very grateful when she took the time to email me back with the answer to a question I had.

I highly recommend the book if you are serious about completing an effective cleanse.The poor reviews of this book were written by people who did not try the cleanse, and could not get past the fact that the book could have used some further editing.

Informative but needs for recipes
I purchased this book to help me jump start my cleanse and diet. While it was easy reading (I read it in an afternoon) and very informative I felt it lacked in some areas as well.

This book is informative in that it really teaches you about our foods, how they affect our body and the toxins that we never even knew were there. It also gives you a basis for the Martha's Vineyard diet.

Where it could improve, the book talks about juicing and soups but gives you very limited recipes. No juice recipes and only 2 soups.

I would recommend this book for educational purposes and as a base for anyone to design their own cleanse/diet.

(1) colonic per week, NO THANK YOU !!
READ PAGE 163 BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK.
The average person CAN NOT do this detox diet at home.
I would NEVER have purchased this book if I had been given a clue to how complicated and HARD it would be to follow the instructions.
According to page 163, the 21 day detox requires three (3) "colonics", one per week.I quote "Unlike enemas, which you can administer to yourself at home, colonics are administered by professionally trained colon hydrotherapists (colon therapists).

Great, but useless
Good book, but if you live in Canada, your looking to do this diet on your own because the actual product isn't available in Canada. I wrote them an email asking what I could do to get the product and they told me to find someone who lives in the U.S. Bummer..

Enemas and starvation
This book's entire point is to stop eating anything except fruit and vegetables, and to have regular enemas and colonics in order to lose weight and live longer.

Thank you for the obvious (fruit and vegetable) advice, and the unpleasant [and crazy] (enemas and colonics) advice. ... Read more

Product Description
In this riveting sequel to Martin Walker’s internationally acclaimed novel Bruno, Chief of Police, some of France’s great pleasures—wine, passion and intrigue—converge in a dark chain of events that threaten the peaceful village of Saint-Denis.

Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges—devoted friend, cuisinier extraordinaire and the town’s only municipal policeman—rushes to the scene when a research station for genetically modified crops is burned down outside Saint-Denis. Bruno immediately suspects a group of fervent environmentalists who live nearby, but the fire is only the first in a string of mysteries centering on the region’s fertile soil.

Then a bevy of winemakers descends on Saint-Denis, competing for its land and spurring resentment among the villagers. Romances blossom. Hearts are broken. Some of the sensual pleasures of the town—a dinner of a truffle omelette and grilled bécasses, a community grape-crushing—provide an opportunity for both warm friendship and bitter hostilities to form. The town’s rivals—Max, an environmentalist who hopes to make organic wine; Jacqueline, a flirtatious, newly arrived Québécoise; and Fernando, the heir to an American wine fortune—act increasingly erratically. Events grow ever darker, culminating in two suspicious deaths, and Bruno finds that the problems of the present are never far from those of the past.

A splendid mystery—and a delectable serving of the pleasures of France. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Lame, actually
If you're sentimental about French wine country, and the "charming" characters it conjures up, then you might like this. But there are few surprises, lame plotting, undeveloped characters galore. Amazing what passes for a mystery.

location, location, location
This novel gets four stars, but with a caution. For my own understanding of thriller/mystery/ police novels I classify them according to the old-fashioned categories of setting, plot, and character. Sometimes it's shock. In some, the complexity of the plot provides the hook of the novel; in others the truth of the characters or the appeal of the central protagonist. In others it's place.Now good craftsmanship is a necessity, but who can fail with the picture of a small town in French wine country.

The novel uses a somewhat conventional plot of family vengence and a cherchez la femme theme to keep the reader 's eye moving while it records cheeses and baguettes, boules and rugby and a French version of overlapping police jurisdictions and a hint of today with global warming and green party doings. This is a pleasant way to spend a dreary afternoon, but if this type of novel does not appeal do not make it your glass of wine and nosh of bread on the terrace on a sunny afternoon.

Homage to Rural France
This was a fast fun read--a decent enough beach book.Pretty tame as a crime novel--more the white collar variety.Only one gruesome bit--the rest was all property crime.The twist at the end was a stretch, but more satisfying than nil-nil football matches.I agree the characters--other than Bruno himself--weren't fully developed.The women were B movie stereotypes.If you're looking for a book that very accurately describes village life in rural France, this is it.Had a nephew who left England to live in a small town near Valence (Drome; Walker's descriptions of St. Denis could so easily have applied to his village.

Wine Country
It is difficult to say whether the fictional town of Saint-Denis or its sole policeman, Benoit ["Bruno"] Courreges, is more charming, but certainly this novel is simply a delight.It is a murder-mystery wrapped up in the French countryside surrounded by grape vines, vats and wine bottles.Bruno is overly protective of his village, especially when a brash American offers to revolutionize the bucolic area and buy up most of the land to introduce mass wine-making and marketing to 'upgrade' the traditional small-town methods.

Adding to Bruno's woes initially is an arson fire which destroys a research station where genetically modified crops are being grown.The first suspects are militant environmentalists.Then two of Bruno's friends are found dead, one of carbon dioxide asphyxiation from inhaling wine fumes, the other from a heart attack or broken neck falling off a ladder looking for the victim in a wine vat.

It falls to Bruno not only to solve the murders, but to save the town and preserve its values, and create new desperately needed jobs.Then there is the dichotomy of his love life and his love of Saint-Denis.The novel is written simply but enjoyably and is recommended.

Great read
Wonderful stories with the added bonus of giving the rest us some insight into rural French life.Please write another "Bruno" booksoon, Mr. Walker. ... Read more

Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Delinsky has written her most complex and emotionally rewarding novel yet: a story of two women, a generation apart, each of whose dream becomes bound with the other's.

To her family, Natalie Seebring is a woman who prizes appearances: exquisitely mannered, a supportive wife, and head of a successful wine-producing enterprise. So when she announces plans to marry a vineyard employee mere months after the death of her husband of fifty-eight years, her son and daughter are stunned. Faced with their disapproval, Natalie decides to write a memoir.

Olivia Jones is a dreamer, living vicariously through the old photographs she restores. She and her daughter, Tess, cling to the fantasy that a big, happy family is out there just waiting for them. When Natalie hires Olivia to help with her memoir, a summer at Natalie's vineyard by the sea seems the perfect opportunity to live out that fantasy. But all is not as it seems.

As the illusion of an idyllic existence comes crashing headlong into reality, the lives of these two women, parallel in so many ways, become a powerful and moving story.Amazon.com Review
Like a glass of good pinot noir, Barbara Delinsky's The Vineyard is best enjoyed slowly. The Vineyard follows the triumphs and tragedies of the Seebrings, a wealthy family of vintners in Rhode Island. The story begins when recently widowed, 76-year-old Natalie Seebring announces her scandalous engagement to none other than the vineyard manager, Carl, whose social standing is, needless to say, several notches beneath the Seebrings'. Natalie's children, Susanne and Greg, are furious with their mother for marrying the help, and only six months after their father's death.

Besides her remarriage, Natalie is working on a family history project, one she hopes will explain all the love and loss she has endured before reaching happiness at long last. She recruits Olivia Jones to help with the project, and Olivia and her daughter Tess move out to the vineyard for the summer. Tension builds with the summer heat as the wedding approaches. To make matters worse, Carl's son Simon, the new vineyard manager, is coldly resentful of Olivia and Tess, who remind him of the wife and daughter he has lost. But amidst all this, Natalie Seebring's long-buried past is slowly revealed, and like a summer storm, the truth blows through the vineyard, leaving everything different in its wake.

Barbara Delinsky says she was influenced by Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation in writing The Vineyard, and Natalie Seebring is a fine tribute to the strong, silent Americans who made so many sacrifices during World War II. Keep a hankie close by when reading this one. Family tragedy, unlikely romance, and old wrongs finally made right will have you laughing and crying. --Francine McBride ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

A Rather Tedious Stroll Through The Vineyard
This was the second book I've read that was written by Barbara Delinsky. The first, "Secrets Between Us," was one I didn't think the greatest, but was enjoyable. When I noticed this audio book for a bargain price, I decided to give it a try.

The novel is a story within a story, in that Natalie Seebring, 76 year old matriarch of a fairly profitable winery in Rhode Island, is about to marry Carl Burke, the vineyard's ex-manager. Natalie's children are upset, as their father has just passed away barely 6 months previously, and they feel their mother is either disrespecting their father's memory, or that Carl is attempting a takeover of the winery. In an effort to dispel their anxiety, Natalie decides to hire a writer to write her memoirs to be given to her children at her wedding.

In comes Olivia Jones, a single mother, who is barely surviving as a photo restorer, and spending her days daydreaming about the family she never had. At 30 years of age, she has still not reconciled herself to the fact she never knew her father, her mother was not involved in her life, and she never had grandparents. She endlessly whines about all of this. And then there is Tess, Olivia's 10 year old daughter, who has learning disabilities, and is adding yet another stressor to Olivia's life. Naturally, even though she has absolutely no writing experience or skill to speak of, Natalie hires Olivia to write her memoirs. And, this includes staying at the winery, food, tutoring for Tess, sailing/tennis lessons for Tess, and a hefty salary to boot. Only in romance novels does this exist.

From here the story becomes unbearably predictable and formulaic. There's the hunky guy who is supposedly fighting his own demons, who lets Olivia know he absolutely DOES NOT want a relationship. She tells him she absolutely DOES NOT want a relationship, either. Naturally, we all know these two are going to be together forever and ever, ad nauseum. Funny how quickly this guy can overcome all of his demons so darn quickly when Olivia - a woman unlike any he has ever known (isn't that the ultimate cliché?) - enters his life. Good grief!

This could have been such a great story, but I felt the author went in the wrong direction. Rather than focusing on Olivia and hunky guy - and playing out every other boring romance genre formula - I really wished she had focused on the relationship between Natalie and Carl. The entire catalyst for the story was these two and their feelings for each other and how their relationship impacted those around them: the children and the working staff. And then it seemed as if Olivia and hunky guy became the interlopers, butting in where they really shouldn't have been. Perhaps, for me, the more interesting story was Carl and Natalie, a love story over the ages, and the conflicts that arise when two people can finally realize that. Not the flash in the pan lusting that Olivia and hunky guy felt, that lead to them jumping into bed together within 6 weeks of meeting each other.

After reading the first Barbara Delinsky book, and finding it enjoyable, I was very disappointed in this. Way too much of the romance genre in this one, and that is usually just too formulaic and predictable for me.

No Social Issues Here
The Vineyard is a delightful, intimate story about women and their families. This is a book of anger, grief, love and affection that will really make you care for the characters.

Simply put, Delinsky is one of the best women's fiction writers out there.

Rich and wonderful story about family and community
The Seebring family appears to be the perfect family.Mother Natalie oversees a successful winery in Rhode Island, with a beautiful residence and gracious style.Daughter Suzanne is married to a successful businessman and has raised two children, doesn't have to work and busies herself with gourmet cooking.Son Greg has built his own successful business and is married to a smart, lively woman.But when daydreamer Olivia Jones comes to the winery to be Natalie's assistant and write her life history, she learns that nothing is as she imagined it.Recently widowed Natalie is marrying not another wealthy man of property, but a vineyard employee.Greg and Suzanne are so angry they are boycotting the wedding.Just like in real life, it's not black and white, right and wrong.The reader has a privileged view of the past through Natalie's memories, but there are a few surprises along the way.

The Vineyard was such an unexpected pleasure that I am afraid to read Barbara Delinsky's other books in case they aren't as good.The Vineyard is a story about a family and the struggle of the adult children to acknowledge their parents as people.This important transition is an under-discussed phase of maturity that Delinsky handles with grace.The Vineyard is most like the best works of Rosamond Pilcher - yes there's a romance and a happy ending, but in a social context of a family and a community.

Readers who enjoy well-rounded characters in a detailed setting with a touch of romance will love The Vineyard.It's not a family saga, just a story about a summer that brings changes to the Seebring family.I'm crossing my fingers to find more gems among Delinsky's work.

Delinsky does not fail to provide another good read
So far, every book I've read by Delinsky (Coast Road, Three Wishes and Lake News) has been one I've had a hard time putting down.And one well worth the read.

There is something about the stories and characters that Delinsky weaves....they instantly pull you in, you care about what will happen to them and you enjoy the journey.

The Vineyard is mainly about family, those that have family and those that don't.It shows that even though you may have family, you may not get along with them, but perhaps it's better to be grateful, since some people don't have any family at all!It's also about courage and strength that people manage to find within themselves to carry them through out the obstacles and tough times in their lives.It's about opening up to other people and finding a good friend.It's about the old saying, "don't judge a book by it's cover"- as each of the characters prove of themselves.

Good read- recommended!

VintageViolets; Wine At Its Best
After enjoying FLIRTING WITH PETE and LAKE NEWS I wasn't planning to read more Barbara Delinsky novels right away, since I believed I had already read the ones with themes related to my pursuits or interests.

Then I read THE VINEYARD excerpt at the end of my LAKE NEWS paperback.

I was captured with the ingenious way each main character was introduced by his/her reaction to a wedding invitation from a couple in their 70's and 80's.Of course I wanted to read more; curiosity was precisely stirred from the contrast of negative and positive reactions to this unusual situation.

I bought and read THE VINEYARD, becoming fully involved and pleasantly satisfied with the story, even though I hadn't known I would be so thoroughly engrossed in a family owned vineyard.Was concerned that I might find the history interjections boring and the writing style of an older generation focus a bit too forced (not many writers can capture the beauty and graceful vitality of age until they've arrived there and developed the graciousness).

But, BD handled all with just the right amount of detail, genuine warmth, and ingeniously natural intrusion techniques.For me this book was a reader kidnap, from the first page on.

I have mountains of positive input on this exquisite novel, but I'm testing the effect of short and sweet, instead of writing my typical epistle on a novel.Since I've already slipped on a banana peel heading smack into too long and savory, I'll ... ... Read more

Product Description
"A sun-drenched memoir with a fairy-tale ending."—Kirkus ReviewsIn this laugh-out-loud tale, two adventurers discover that rare combination: joy and success. Candace, a painter, and Ferenc, a writer, begin a new life near the hill town of Montalcino. They restore a thirteenth-century friary, plant fifteen acres of vines, build a winery, tame a runaway tractor, excavate an Etruscan village, and battle volcanic fermenting vats, while learning from famous vintner neighbor Angelo Gaja the secrets of growing the best grapes and making superb, award-winning wine. This extraordinary tale will enrich the lives of travelers and wine lovers alike. A New York Times Book Review 2007 Notable Travel Book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Italy meets Arizona
I have just finished reading both books by Mate regarding his life in Tuscany and the creation of his vineyard.My husband(who is Hungarian) and myself (who is Irish)mimic the couples heritage. The similarities stop there since the book's author and wife are much more artistic then hubby and I.However we purchased property in southwest Arizona and it has been my husband's passion to build a vineyard and a life making wines.We are awaiting our first vines to arrive so we can start to plant 3-2011 our first Petit Sirah grapes.I so much enjoyed "A Vineyard in Tuscany" since I will also be embarking on a new adventure with the start of our Vineyard.This book gives me the courage to know that whatever happens we are truly going down the right path with following our passion.The Italian flair of Mate's vineyard is in very stark contrast to the "wild west" flair of our location.After reading this book I look in anticpation of experiencing even a fraction of the texture of Candace and Ferenc's life experiences.The richness of Mate's words could be felt throughout this entire book.

Literary Plonk
This is one trite and self-indulgent (alas, not of you, dear reader!) book. I really wanted to like it: I love visiting Italy, I love wine, and I love Italian food. However. First off, every last character in the book is a complete stereotype. Not one person has any nuance to their personality. Mate takes pains to point out how clever and ingenious he himself is, in what comes off as a remarkably smug "self-deprecating" way. His wife is tolerant of his foibles and loves him, but seems to have no other personality besides alternately basking in his reflected brilliance and treating him like a 10 year old. Despite what comes off as TRULY skeevy behavior from him (at some point when they are in the company of a beautiful real estate agent and he basically makes a pass at the agent, his wife just grabs his hand hard and says "let's GO, dear" or some such. That totally grossed me out).

And where the heck are they getting the money to buy castles in the Italian countryside while simultaneously cruising off the coast of New Brunswick and sending their kid to private school? He mentions in the beginning that he's an "unemployed writer". Last I checked, "unemployed writer" meant "living in his parents' basement",but they have an awful lot of cash to throw around. You begin to wonder if he was involved in some sort of nefarious but lucrative activities and is now hiding out from his former associates. Okay, that's an exaggeration, partially because the idea of this guy grasping anything nuanced and subtle is beyond me, but so many details are left unexplained.

If you like family sitcoms like "Family Ties", where everyone fits into a nice little stereotyped box, families may quarrel but deep down love each other, there are endless wry chuckles, and every 1/2 hour wraps up into a nice happy ending, this is the book for you.

A Very Fun Read
If you are ready for a light-hearted book about life in Tuscany, then you will enjoy this book. While it won't provide you with the in-depth cultural descriptions provided by books such as those written by Mayes or Dusi, it will provide you with many laugh-out-loud moments. Some others who have reviewed this book have made reference to Mate's obvious wealth. He does indeed appear to be independently wealthy, but that doesn't take any fun away from reading about his experiences. His personal wealth is obviously what made remodeling a friary and starting a vineyard possible in the first place. I enjoyed Mate's first book, but I loved this second book. In it, he really came into his own as a writer of the light-hearted travel memoir.

Delightful and inspiring
I just finished reading "A Vineyard in Tuscany" by Ferenc Mate, and really liked it very much, especially since I traveled in the Montepulciano/Montalcino area earlier this year, and have an idea what he is writing about. Mate's style, humor, wit and passion for everything, starting from the search for Il Colombaio, to planting the wines one by one, to fixing up the old friary and many more is inspirational. His love for his family and friends is heart-warming, his versatility, from sailboats to mountain climbing in the Dolomites to tending vineyards is simply amazing. I'm happy he is not going into each and every detail of everyday chores and jobs; but it is clear what bundle of energy he is, together with his lovely wife and son. Ferenc' book is a joy to read and inspiration enough to make me (and my friends) return to Tuscany as soon as possible and visit his friary-turned-winery.

All about life and wine in Tuscany
Very entertaining book to read, excellent description of daily life in Tuscany. Also perfect example that you can succeed if you follow your dreams and work extremely hard to achieve them. The author and his family are amazing. ... Read more

Product Description

Wayne Jacobean relates the imagery of his years of growing up on a vineyard in central California to the lessons Christians can learn from the biblical parallels of bearing fruit and remaining on the vine.

Customer Reviews (6)

Awesome book
I purchased this book because the author said it was out of print and when I went online to Amazon I found the book. Once I received the book I discovered it is the best and rates up there with The Shack and He Loves Me. It takes you into Papa's vineyard and how it parallels with our relationship with Papa. Again, Awesome book.

Beautiful Gift Book, Full of the Riches of God
This book is one of the most beautiful gift books...great for any household coffee table.More than that, it is full of the beauty and riches of God and how He works in the lives of His children. The author's personal experience growing up on a Vineyard gives him the expertise to help the reader understand the spritutal aspects through the explanation of the practical. It is most definitely one of my favorites and a great gift to give to anyone...whether a believer or not.For the believer it will enrich and enhance his/her walk with God.For the unbeliever it will give a glimps of the God who loves him/her.

Insight.
I absolutely love this book.I don't read a lot, but this is a book that I belive will help people who want to, to understand more about the Lord Jesus Christ and The Father in the role of Vinedresser...It is wonderful.

The vine must be carefully tended in order to bear fruit...
The message in this book touched my heart, If you struggle to understand God's perfect plan read this book. The analogies are so beautifully illustrated. You will know how beloved you are by our Father, and howcarefully He tends to us, throughout the stages of our spiritualgrowth.We need tending in order to bear fruit!

"In My Fathers Vineyard" should be in every library
Wayne has beautifully captured the Love of our Father in his book "InMy Fathers Vineyard". The book should be strategically and prominantlyplaced on every persons coffee table who calls him or herself a"Christian" of virtually any denomination or persuasion. Wayneuses the example of a vineyard to show God's love for all of us. Theseasons, natural growth progress and grape harvesting processes are allused as warm examples of things that might or do happen in the life of anyperson. ... Read more

Product Description
Explore and savor the best of American wine and wineries with this simple and elegantguide. Filled with wine pairings and recipes for all seasons and occasions. The VineyardCookbook includes more than 60 recipes and 12 multi-course menus, all paired withthe optimum wines to accompany each. American vineyards and wineries attract almost30 million visitors every year, and range in location and variety. The Vineyard Cookbook offers a tour of 32 of the most famous wineries across the country, with highlightsof each location's best-selling wines - a great way to discover domestic wines grownlocally in your area!

Become the wine expert you've always wanted to be with thehelp of Barbara Scott-Goodman, author of many delicious and best-selling cookbooks.Illustrated with full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Featuring full color photography of not only the finished dishes, but also the beautiful vineyards from which they came
Featuring full color photography of not only the finished dishes, but also the beautiful vineyards from which they came, The Vineyard Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes & Wine Pairings Inspired by America's Vineyards is a recipe collection sure to appeal to connoisseurs. Offering a tour of thirty-two outstanding American vineyards as well as sixty delectable recipes for all seasons, The Vineyard Cookbook is a treasury ideal for any wine lover. Sample recipes include "Oyster, Scallion & Watercress Soup", "Ricotta & Prosciutto Crostini", "Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Red-Wine Sauce", and much more. Highly recommended.

A delightful mix of wine and food
There is no other cookbook like this. It's a delightful blend of wonderful recipes, stunning photography, and useful wine facts (I already made the roasted potatoes and arugula with goat cheese--it was too good to wait!). I can't wait to try some of the recommended wines with the recipes--it's exciting to see vineyards from all over the country, and at a wide range of prices. There's definitely a wine there to please any palate.

The simple beauty of good food and fine wine
Artfully combining simple, elegant recipes with thoughtful suggestions of fine wine, The Vineyard Cookbook seems to offer something for everyone. Aesthetically, this book is a beauty - with the vibrant landscape photography of vineyards from around the country to a variety of photos which feature each recipe completed as a lovely meal. During these uncertain times, it's refreshing to sit down with a book that reminds us of the simple pleasures in life; sharing healthy homemade food and a fragrant bottle of wine with family and friends. This book is a little treasure for your coffee table or kitchen and I highly recommend it. Oh, and don't forget the music with your meal. Enjoy!

Perfect blend of wine, food, east coast, west coast, great photography, delicious recipes
Three talented photographers and one excellent food writer get together to create an appealing, affordable, useful, unpretentious cookbook that belongs as easily in your kitchen as on your coffee table. The variety of American wines, wineries and vineyards selected from both coasts should make this an attractive item for people all over the country. The recipes are elegant, yet simple and the wine pairings thoughtful. This book suggests road trip. Go visit these wineries this summer.

BRAVO!
Kudos to all participants involved in creating this delicious vineyard cookbook! The beautifully designed jacket and the hardcover of this book are the same, giving a feeling of elegance.The size of this cook book is convenient for all in the kitchen. The photography of landscapes and succulent foods, along with superb print quality, makes one want to start food preparations immediately.The ease of the recipes and the many choices of wines to pair with these delicious dishes, make it approachable for even the novice cook.
... Read more

Product Description
J.W. Jackson abandoned Boston for the tranquil pleasures of Martha's Vineyard, hoping to leave the violence of the big city behind. But when the past comes looking for him in the guise of two brutal thugs, the former cop knows it is time to put down his fishing pole and start opening doors he'd hoped were closed forever. And when the man the hoodlums were searching for -- a face from Jackson's yesterday -- turns up seeking help, J.W. realizes that personal revenge should be the least of his concerns. Because the shadows darkening the island are longer and deadlier than he ever imagined. And if he can't stem the dark tide lapping at the shores of his beloved Vineyard, the new life he loves and everyone in it will be changed forever.

Customer Reviews (14)

A Turn Towards Marlowe
I rate these Vineyard mysteries by expressiveness of Vineyard and quality of mystery.This one is good on the former (average for this series/excellent by general standards) and the latter (excellent for this series/average by general standards).I'm a fan because of the Vineyard setting, but even I am beginning to tire of J.W. by this eight entry.Craig pumps up the effort on the mystery portion, giving J.W. a more hard-boiled feeling, that helps keep things fresher.

Gangesters Should Stay Home
Never mess with a good woman on her way to practice her competition shooting. Zeolinda is beaten by messengers looking for a gambling debt skip, but when Diana is threaten Zee fights back, killing one and laming the other.
J.W. protects his family to discover the "wanted" man is the husband of his ex-wife, who has few scruples about how he treats the people he claims to love. J.W. Jackson wants all of these characters out of his life.
VINEYARD SHADOWS has more twists and turns than the roads of Martha's Vineyard and will keep you guessing till the end.
HaintsWriting as a Small Business

JW is out of his usual character
The story is intriguing (why is JW's ex-wife's husband hiding on the Vineyard?) but fails to deliver a big finish.What really disappointed me was JW's character flaws, as exhibited toward his ex-wife and some of the harsh words he had with his kids.Zee performs admirably, becoming an early heroine in the story, yet torn in her soul over what she had to do.Much of the mystery regarding Tom Rimini, Sonny Whelen, Graham, and Grace was somewhat fun to think about during the unfolding of the story, but the ending was a wimper, rather than the bang I was wanting.

Southeast winds
J.W. Jackson used to be a Boston cop.As the book opens pale June people are on the island.School is out.Vacationers have arrived.Zee, J.W.'s wife, is a natural marksman. She is going out to practice when two men appear.In self defense and in defense of her daughter Diana she shoots them.The newspapers have a heyday with stories describing a housewife shooting mobster intruders.It seems the men are enforcers from Charlestown.

Clearly this opening is dramatic.Reader interest in the outcome has been stoked.The issue presentedd is how far is the reach of the bad guys.(In our community two or three police officers are school board members and another moonlights as a substitute teacher.They are community activists of a sort.They seek to insure harmony.One senses that J.W. Jackson is cut from the same cloth.)

The men from Charlestown are looking for J.W.'s first wife's husband.In the scheme of things there is no reason for the intrusion-- there never is.New England mobsters and the rackets are part of the story.The Boston mob seems to be, in this reader's mind, the preserve of Robert B. Parker, but there is room for other aspirants.

I like this writer for presenting the seaside and small town as a setting for the series.Also, spending time with with J.W. and Zee and their children is a pleasure.Craig really does a great job with his portrayal of J.W.'s two small children.Casting J.W. as a house-husband and the narrator inserts the children into the foreground.Additionally, I learned in this book that the expressions Down East (to Maine) and Up to Boston derive from sailing terminology, the prevailing southeast winds.

Shoot-out on Martha's Vineyard
The 12th installment in the Martha's Vineyard Mystery series starts out with a bang.The tranquility of Martha's Vineyard becomes broken for ex-cop J.W. Jackson and his family.Leaving his wife, Zee, and young daughter, Diana, at home while he takes his son, Joshua, with him to go clamming, J.W. is looking forward to a peaceful June day.While he is gone, two hired thugs show up at his house, intent to find a man that Zee has never heard off.After giving her a beating and holding Diana at knifepoint, Zee still maintains that she has no idea who the man is.Zee is able to get to her gun, and being a great shot, she is able to stop the assault on herself and her young daughter.When J.W. returns home to find his battered wife, he instantly is determined to put an end to the violence to his family and on his island home.

It is discovered that the man wanted by the men from Boston is the husband of J.W.'s ex-wife, Carla.He was a schoolteacher in Boston, and J.W. cannot fathom why two men would come looking for him at their home on Martha's Vineyard.He goes to see his ex-wife, and quickly learns that the schoolteacher was involved in more than academics.

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, and was not disappointed by this latest offering.Every time I read one of these books, I feel like I have been transported to beachfront property.The characters are strong, and I enjoy the interactions between J.W. and Zee.The children are a bit too well-behaved (I wish all kids were so well-mannered), but I do not feel that it diminishes the writing in any way.This book is a great beach or vacation read.

The first book in the series is called "A Beautiful Place to Die".Enjoy!
... Read more

Product Description
A rare glimpse into the outstanding private homes and gardens of Martha's Vineyard, this classic work is expanded with new pictures and commentary. Every kind of Vineyard home, from Edgartown mansions to Gay Head beach cottages, and every kind of garden, from perennial border to wildflower meadow is featured here. On the Vineyard, the natural world and the man-made exist side by side, as the Island's houses and gardens blend harmoniously into the landscape. It is that harmony, and the balance between old houses and new, that give the Vineyard much of its unique style. This world is captured in an illuminating text by long-time Vineyard resident Polly Burroughs and hundreds of stunning, full-color photographs by Lisl Dennis. Together they reveal the rich diversity and myriad charms of the houses and gardens of Martha's Vineyard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beautiful book about a beautiful place!
This is a great coffee table book. Loads of pictures of beautiful houses on Martha's Vineyard. Fun to go through and dream about being there.

A True Piece of the Vineyard
I always enjoy my time in New England particularly on Cape Cod and the Islands.This book is beautifully photographed and put together.You get a real feel for all those lovely little towns and their special places.The views, interiors and gardens truly reflect the feel of Martha's Vineyard.You ban almost smell the sea and the roses when you turn the pages.A great coffee table book and anice addition to your travel library.It's really worth having.

Martha's Vineyard Houses and Gardens
This was the most beautifully written and photgraphed decorating book I have seen.I own dozens of such books, and I seldom read all of the text, but I read this one from cover to cover. It made me want to lounge in the gardens and explore the house.I highly recommend this book for lovers of home decorating and gardening books.It is exquisitely warm and funny!

THIS BOOK CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD.
MARTHA'S VINEYARD: HOUSES AND GARDENS ALLOWS THE READER TO EFFORTLESSLY VIEW A MOST UNIQUE ISLAND.THE WELL THOUGHT OUT TEXT COMPLIMENTS AND HELPS ONE ENJOY EVEN MORE THE BEAUTY OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD.LISL DENNIS'S PHPOTOGRAPHS CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE ISLAND IN PICTORIAL SPLENDOR.THE AUTHORS OF THIS WORK SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO CAPTURE THE BEAUTY AND ESSENCE OF A VERY SPECIAL PLACE CALLED MARTHA'S VINEYARD. ... Read more

Product Description

Sell Low, Die Hard

Customer Reviews (14)

Good guy mystery
I really like Craig's mysteries about life on Martha's Vineyard. His writing takes you there.

Touche
Philip Craig returns to a college love of fencing with A VINEYARD KILLING. Each sequence is rapier thin without the buttons as J.W. Jackson delves into the corporate structure of Saberfox.
The Fox brothers come to the island to force property owners of limited incomes to forfeit their holdings when threatened with court action to prove their property deeds. Paul Fox is gunned down when leaving the E & E Deli, but survives the ordeal. All believe his brother, Donald was the intended victim, but J.W. Jackson has to wonder if two shots over the heart was a near miss.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelUnder the Liberty Oak
Romance blooms on a rocky shore on two fronts in this engaging read, that is just they mystery/suspense when your time for reading is limited.

superb
Real estate tycoon, and former Olympic gold medalist Donald Fox is looking for unsettled titles for properties he can coerce out of homeowners at a fraction of their value.He is hated by many, of course, so when he and his brother stroll out of a lunch delicatesson, and his brother is shot, we wonder if Donald wasn't the intended victim.J.W. gets involved at the scene of the shooting.He starts asking questions, but soon, another member of the Saberfox family of land grabbers is found dead.What is the connection?Or is it connected?And what about the mysterious John Reilley, who was also at the opening deli scene?Why is he so shifty and secretive?



I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy this well developed mystery.Of course, J.W. gets himself into some danger, complains about the paid toilets in Aquinnah (aka Gay's Head), loves Zee, and wets your appetite for more great seafood.

Enjoyable Trip back to the Vineyard
In the 14th book in the Martha's Vineyard mystery series, it's March on the Vineyard and J.W. Jackson and his wife, Zee, are feeling blue after a long, cold winter without fishing.Several of their friends are in an uproar over real estate developer, Donald Fox's underhanded way of acquiring their land.It seems that Fox does his research, finding plots of land with questionable land deeds, and sues the owner to obtain the rights to the land for a fraction of its real value.Several people have become bitter as their land is taken from them, and it comes as no surprise when an attempt is made on Don and his brother, Paul's life.As usual, J.W. happens to be on the scene when the shooting occurs, and is first to reach Paul after he is shot.Wearing a bullet-proof vest, Paul is lucky to be alive.J.W. begins to do some investigating on his own, and finds that the Fox brothers have many enemies. When another body surfaces, J.W.'s name comes up as a potential suspect.Being as nosy as ever, J.W. sticks his nose into the case, and almost becomes a victim to a very prolific killer.

I have enjoyed each of the books in this great series, and was not disappointed by the latest installment.The descriptions of the setting on Martha's Vineyard transport me to a place that I haven't visited except in the books, and make me want to grab my suit and towel and head to the Vineyard.For those that haven't read any other books in the series, this may not be the best book to start with...as the series is adored by many readers as much for the characters as the mysteries themselves.I would suggest starting with the first few books, and let the characters build and grow before you pick up some of the recent editions.

The first book in the series is called "A Beautiful Place to Die". Enjoy!

Disappointed in this Good Morning America Book Club selection
I selected this book for my discussion group based on the fact that it was a Good Morning America Book Club selection.I'm not a mystery reader, and I have never hear of Philip R. Craig.Reading through some of the reviews, it seems this isn't one of his best, so I'm disappointed that it was my introduction to the author.I'm also disappointed in GMA for selecting such a mediocre story as a book club selection.Unfortunately, my discussion group disintegrated into general bashing of this novel and of the selection of it for the group to read.I put this out there as a warning to other people who might rely on the GMA recommendation and come looking for some moving literature, instead of bottom barrel genre fiction that gives mysteries a bad name.

The narrator is well-known to series fans, but as an outsider, I found him full of himself, with an inflated ego in intellectual and physical matters.He was unlikeable and I was thoroughly annoyed at having to listen to his point of view by the end of the book.There was a huge sideline red herring storyline in this book, and it went absolutely nowhere and just made a mess out of the plot.Perhaps it related to the larger series of books, but in this mystery, it was senseless. ... Read more

Product Description
In this elegant book of photographs, personal narrative, memories, and fascinating historical detail, bestselling author Jill Nelson conveys the special magic of Martha’s Vineyard and the African Americans who have summered or lived there for generations.

Jill Nelson has been a summer and occasional year-round resident of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard for nearly fifty years. It was where she learned to swim and ride a bike, first kissed a boy, became a writer, and, during twenty-eight summers, raised her own daughter. In Finding Martha’s Vineyard, Nelson offers a lively, intimate portrait of a place that has provided respite and rejuvenation, community and contemplation for generations of African Americans.

Part memoir, part history, Finding Martha’s Vineyard describes the various groups that settled on the Vineyard and in Oak Bluffs; slaves and their descendants; devout Methodists and Baptists;African Americans “in service” who accompanied their white employers to the island and over the years established a haven and a community; the black middle-class families who came each summer to escape the heat, hostility, and racial tension of their hometowns; and generations of African American professionals—doctors, presidential advisors, writers, academics and artists—who visit or live on the Vineyard today.Nelson interviews the Cottagers, the proud owners of Oak Bluffs’ famous Gingerbread cottages; members of the Polar Bear Club, a die-hard group that swims together every summer morning at 7:30 A.M.; and such famous residents as Vernon Jordan, Bebe Moore Campbell, and Stephen Carter.

Finding Martha’s Vineyard is about the power of place in our lives. A rich treasury of reminiscences, excerpts from news articles and documents from the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, recipes, and glorious photographs, it brings the sights, sounds, celebrations, and social importance of the island community brilliantly to life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Magnificent Read
This book is a must keepsake. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend it. The author vividly painted a picture of life on the island from people who have lived on the island over several decades to those who have recently found this little piece of paradise. Truly a magnificent read!

Beautiful and inspiring
In my bedroom,located on my white wicker nightstand lies my copy of Finding Martha's Vineyard. This book is beautifully written and the photographs bring back bitter sweet memories of my own childhood beach visits. The author Jill Nelson did a fantastic job of introducing her audience to a different kind of summer for many Black Americans during a time when "we just wanted to be us". Thank you Ms. Nelson for a wonderful book.

Historical and informative reading!!!
Travel is an aspect of life which many people enjoy even if it is vicariously.I love to read travel stories and to travel. Jill Nelson has written a wonderful travel history of an island which is enchanting and real.The personal interviews of inhabitants, the pros and cons of those visiting or living on the island, the recipes, and the historical overview of the island make it come to life as one turns each page. The needs and accomplishments of each generation are very interesting.I highly recommend this book for all ages, history buffs, and travelers. A great book to take along on the trip for relaxation and enjoyment is "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul."

Vinyard Visitors
Finding Martha's Vinyard is entertaining. The accounts of the residents were repitious, but it reveals that all were motivated to spend summers there by the same reasons.It is good that the present residents have found their slice of paradise and peace. Although I had heard of the Vinyard, I knew nothing about it.So, this book falls under the heading of pleasant education.

Finding Martha's Vineyard
As a white person, who am I to write a review on this book which accurately portrays what Martha's Vineyard has represented to African Americans for generations? However, I read the book because I love the Vineyard and I enjoy reading about experiences of different cultures. From this perspective, the book is written with much respect and reverence and love for what the Vineyard has meant to African Americans for generations. The Vineyard has been a sort of utopia for African Americans where they can bring their kids up and enjoy the beauty of the island in an atmosphere of freedom from the usual society which tends to separate us all. The sense I get is that this island of ours in Massachusetts is a beacon for how things could and should be in the world. A place where people of color can go and not be "on guard" as they must be everywhere outside of the Vineyard. If we could all see one another as richly unique individuals who are all created equal (as the Constitution states) then we could have the sense of the Vineyard everywhere. We wouldn't have the ocean views, the energy of Circuit Ave., the beauty of riding down Middle Road, or the countless other wonderful experiences of the Vineyard, but we would have a better society.But, since that is not going to happen too soon, then, if you want to get a sense of what the Vineyard signifies to many wonderful people of color on the Vineyard, then read this enriching book and step briefly into the lives of many people who you would feel honored and grateful to have in your life. ... Read more

Product Description

Violent crime is a rarity on the tranquil shores of Martha's Vineyard, which is why ex-cop J.W. Jackson turned in his Boston badge to retire to the idyllic isle. And that's what makes a six-month-old murder so troubling to the perplexed locals. But Jackson's got troubles of his own -- including a loving wife, Zee, who's becoming curiously distant ... and the arrival of a mysterious visitor who's searching for a valuable set of stolen statues, and who's certain J.W.'s the man to hunt them down. It's an assignment that plunges the fisherman/chef-cum-private investigator into an unfamiliar milieu: the Vineyard's cutthroat world of art aficionados. And suddenly J.W. finds himself pitted against some of the island's most powerful and unscrupulous figures, uncovering lethal threads that may connect an unsolved mutilation/slaying with those who would stop at nothing -- including murder -- to add rare forbidden objects to their collections.

Customer Reviews (10)

Falling Stars
VINEYARD ENIGMA by Philip R. Craig has Zee drifting after her encounter with a killer, which she won. J.W. is busy keeping the home fires burning while Zee wanders toward a new attraction in the personage of Abraham Mahsimba.
Mahsimba has come to Martha's Vineyard from Zimbabwe in search of two historic soapstone eagles and Mr. Brownington, a missing investigator.
J.W., John Sykes, and Mahsimba stumble upon the corpse of Matthew Duarte and the hunt is on for both a killer and this missing artifacts.
A good Vineyard read.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

Zimbabwe birds on the loose
And of course, dead bodies along the trail in picturesque Martha's Vineyard.A mysterious visitor from Zimbabwe hires J. W. to help him locate two "stolen" soapstone eagles which are national treasures.The search goes to the upper crust Vineyard art afficianados.Something about the mystery doesn't click well, though.Although the motives for murder were good, the way the solution fell into place was just a bit humdrum for me.But as always, I enjoyed this vacation to the Vineyard.

Life is Full of Distractions...
In the 14th book in Martha's Vineyard Mystery series, J.W. Jackson is content... he fishes for bluefish, rakes clams, and tends to his children and garden.Wife, Zee, is recovering nicely from the unfortunate business earlier that made her shoot two men, and life is idyllic in June on sunny Martha's Vineyard. All of this comes to a screeching halt the day that J.W. an exotic man named Mahsimba from Zimbabwe, who asks his assistance to find some missing art objects from his country.J.W. reluctantly agrees to help find two soapstone eagles that are considered national treasures, and becomes involved in tracking down an illegal art dealer on his beloved island.When Zee becomes infatuated with Mahsimba and begins to act strangely, J.W. struggles to keep his focus on the case and not on the wandering eyes of his wife.Several dead bodies surface, and J.W. races to find the answers to the case before he is the next victim in the search for the illustrious missing eagles.

This has always been a great series, and did enjoy the latest installment.As a few previous reviewers have stated, I was a little shocked by Zee's love-struck attitude in this book, and was surprised that J.W. was not more jealous.The portions with the kids are probably the only annoying portions of these books...I agree with a previous reviewer in the fact that kids aged 3 & 5 rarely go to school all day, and shouldn't be getting on and off the bus alone.I am eagerly awaiting the "aging" of the kids, as they are a distraction at best.Otherwise, I love the series, the wonderful characters, and the beautiful Martha's Vineyard setting.

The first book in the series is called "A Beautiful Place to Die". Enjoy!

Nitpicking
Another day on Martha's Vineyard.I continue to play "catch up" with this series, because it IS something akin to a vacation on the Vineyard---old familiar characters and their exploits.It's relaxing and comforting. I do have to make some nitpicking observations on the Jackson children. If these children are "5" and "almost 4," how on earth are they spending the entire day in school?Maybe Martha's Vineyard is far and away ahead of most public schools, but an "almost 4 year old" in all-day school, riding a bus no less, is pretty weird.Preschool, maybe--but I thought money was pretty tight!And time after time, JW and Zee sit on the balcony with their martinis while they hear the kids pounding down the sandy driveway when the bus lets them off.Wouldn't you go MEET the bus for such young children?Sheesh.OK....I said it was nitpicking.Just really BUGGED me the whole way through the book.

He's Losing It!
This the is third book in a row that shows this series' decline. The far-fetched plot is based on two stolen carved African eagles, and Zee makes goo-goo eyes at a studly African from the moment she meets him. The reason, we find out at the end, is that she needed at that moment to love someone other than her husband...and he's cool with that.Puleeeeeeze! Mr. Craig needs to start writing for the reader again, and not for the bank...and we'll all be a lot happier! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Like a vacation on the Vineyard!
I've been to Cape Cod, but never had the pleasure of visiting Martha's Vineyard, but browsing through this book makes me feel like I am there. The pictures are beautiful. The essays say it all. Best book I've ever seen on the Vineyard. One of these days I hope to see it in person, but until then this book will be a constant reminder of the beauty and peacefulness that is Martha's Vineyard. ... Read more

Product Description

Acerbic professor Marjorie Summerharp was reborn on Martha's Vineyard -- her mind and acid-tongue sharpened by the island's gentle waves and whispering breezes. So why would she walk into the ocean on a warm June morning, to be swallowed up forever by the hungry, merciless sea? Ex-Boston-cop "J.W." Jackson knows that evil can flourish even in the most serene of settings. And the more he investigates, the more it appears that the mysterious "accidental" death of the renowned local scholar was more premeditated than it originally appeared. But nosing around in a snake pit of academic jealousy, adultery, and bogus religion could prove deadly for the policeman-turned-fisherman...especially when Jackson exposes too many sinister secrets that are well worth killing for.

Customer Reviews (3)

drowning?
Academicians descend upon the island with various professional jealousies and interesting talk of Shakespeare and Arthurian legends.But one of the professors goes swimming and gets pulled out of the water by fishing nets.Was it just a simple drowning accident?J.W. doesn't think so... the currents would have drifted her body miles from where it was located.Along the way in this very interesting story we run into a "sanctuary", which is a religious health camp full of European young people.We also find other professors with various motives for murder.The ending leads to an adventure with both J.W. and Zee put in extreme peril.Excellent!Delish!

Not bad...
This is the second novel in the Vineyard series.I think that Criag does an amazing job painting the picture of Martha's Vineyard, the fishing, and the people who inhabit this vacation paradise.In this novel, academics have come to this island to work and discuss their thesises.One academic, Ian, even threatens the relationship between J.W. and Zee.However this published hunk is no match for J.W., and Zee soons returns to her beloved.However, just as things come back together between the faithful couple, apparent suicide or murder of another academic sends this weekend hiatus into a crime scene.I give this book a three because there are some slow moving parts.For example. J.W. spend a good bit of time in the library researching and reading the academic's thesises, visiting with an older scientist, and visiting The Santuary.There were parts that I literally had to push myself through.However the climax is exciting, and I like the character J.W.I reccomend starting with the first in this series _A Beautiful Place To Die_ and seeing if this series interest you.

Reprint Without Notice
This book was originally published as The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea, the second book in Craig's Martha's Vineyard series.The book was excellent then and it is still a good book.However, it is a shame that Amazon is not telling buyers that the book is a reprint. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Nancy Ponzi's Cookbook is FABULOUS.
FABULOUS.That is all that I have to say . . . The Ponzi Vineyards Cookbook is FABULOUS.

The Ponzi Vineyards Cookbook
Nancy Ponzi has had a remarkable career in wine, but it may be her zeal for cooking that determines her legacy.As the subheading of the Preface of this book proclaims, "It takes a lot of food to make great wine."Nancy should know, for forty years ago she and her husband, Dick, left successful careers in California to start a new life in wine in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.They were part of the hippie generation, idealists determined to return to the land for their sustenance. Interestingly enough, it was a trip to visit Dick's brother in Iceland, of all places, where they experienced homemade celery wine, that would plant the seed of enthusiasm for crafting their own wine.In 1970, the Ponzis become one of the pioneering wine families in Oregon, planting a Pinot Noir vineyard just outside of Portland in a farming community known as Beaverton and launching Ponzi Vineyards.

What Nancy was quick to discover is that a large crew had to be fed with each harvest.As the winery grew in notoriety, wine and food professionals descended on the winery frequently and had to be entertained.Consumers too, were infatuated with the wine grape culture, and clamored to attend dinners at the winery.Nancy realized that her main contribution to the winery would be food so she set out to become an accomplished cook.She cultivated an organic garden, made cheese, read cooking books voraciously, attended and eventually taught cooking classes, and even owned and operated two successful restaurants.

This book is a personal collection of over 80 recipes that exemplify the winery kitchen. The cookbook evolved primarily from the Ponzi Amici Cellar Club in which Nancy's recipes were paired with selected Ponzi wines as a unique feature that consumers enjoyed.Each recipe is intertwined with the history of Oregon wine and Ponzi Vineyards, the many trips abroad that form the basis for a number of the recipes, and the contributions of friends and family.The recipes travel the globe ranging from Italian classics like spaghetti and meatballs to French staples like Coquilles St. Jacques. Many recipes are grounded in the Northwest such as Northwest Choucroute and Chanterelle Soup.Whatever the origins, the emphasis is on fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and basic home cooking tools and techniques.Each recipe is accompanied by the stunning photography of Michael Shay, teasing the appetite of the reader to enter the kitchen.

The "Do" and "Don't" general tips for entertaining in the Introduction are invaluable.The ideas are very straightforward, but often overlooked by the host or hostess amid the anxiety over hosting a meal.Perhaps the best bit of advice is the last one."Never apologize.Your apology will only diminish you culinary standing, your guests' comfort zone (then they have to fib that it is really so, so delicious), and open the door to any previously politely silent `expert.'Anyway, your next dish will probably be fine......it's just food."

Practical, endearing, and highly personal, this is a cookbook to treasure.If you are a Pinot lover like myself, you will be particularly charmed, since many of the recipes pair beautifully with this grape.Anyone for wild mushroom risotto and Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noir? ... Read more

Product Description

In this age of celebrity chefs and rarefied ingredients, it is a great pleasure to publish this creative and wholesome collection of recipes, The Vineyard Kitchen, by Maria Helm Sinskey. In her debut book, Maria shares the homey yet sophisticated recipes that have made her one of America's most celebrated chefs and a culinary star. Though Maria lives in the Napa Valley, she was born and raised in the Northeast, and her recipes capture seasonal availability and flavors, no matter where you are cooking.

Customer Reviews (6)

The Vineyard Kitchen
This book has some great receipes in it but almost no pictures of the food. The receipes are honest and delicious and a little above the skill of the average cook.

Thank goodness for the talented sanity
I'm so OVER cookbooks that try to impress and then merely confuse.I loved this cookbook, because the author/chef is so aware of what truly matters in cooking well...fresh, in season ingredients and preparation that enhances these ingredients.There's nothing pretentious about any of the recipes...some may seem a bit intimitating to novice cooks, but each recipe is very well written in order to guide and instruct.I always check out interesting cookbooks from my library to see if they are worth the investment before I buy...this one definitely is.Kudos to Maria Helm Skinskey...a great cookbook.

tried two recipes
Tonight I tried two of the recipes in this book and both turned out so absolutely delicious that I believe it is my obligation to write a review about it.I made the roasted tomatoes with olives and cheese along with the oven-roasted potatoes and shallots.I served these dishes with steak.Browsing through this book (which I borrowed from the library), I see a few must-try recipes that use the minimum of quality ingredients needed to produce an outstanding dish.In general, I don't have the patience for recipes that use up tiny amounts of expensive (likely to be used only once) ingredients.For example, the butternut squash soup uses squash, onion, honey, sage, stock and creme fraiche (easily reproduced with cream and buttermilk).Simple yet different all the same.Based on my thorough browse of this book, Amazon can expect another book order from me.

enjoyable reading...
I am the "Cookbook QUEEN" and decided to borrow this cookbook from the library instead of adding it to my collection right away.
The recipe for almond paste was excellent.
I made the fig spice cake and it was outstanding.However, there should have been more explicit directions about flaming the rum.I thought it would be brief and over - no way.
It had a substantial flame and I was glad I asked my husband to do it or I honestly think I would have panicked and burned the house down.

The flames were high and lasted well over 3-4 minutes.
The warning not to burn one's hands and face was good advice, but more detail was certainly in order.
Otherwise, some interesting recipes and good reading.

AUseful Book for Entertaining with Food and Wine
Maria Helm Sinskey is a professional chef who does ?culinary direction? and teaching at her husband?s vineyard. The book is a collection of ten menus per season where each menu consists of three to five dishes, three being the most common. The most typical menu consists of a recipe for soup or salad, a main dish, and a dessert. The introduction to each menu gives suggestions on pairings of wine with the food, depending on method of preparation.

I know very little about wine and food pairings so my opinion on this subject is pretty thin. The advice includes a very wide variety of wines, including my favorite Rhine and Mosel area wines including wines from the Alsace, as the author?s family originally came from the Alsace (Strasbourg). The author seems to show the proper amount of respect for pairing wines with vegetables, especially the dreaded artichokes and asparagus and varies the recommendation by method of preparation.

The focus on the seasons begs one to compare this to ?The Arrows Cookbook? and the focus on menus offers the comparison to Emeril Lagasse?s new restaurant(s) cookbook. The commitment to the menu style is better done than with Emeril?s book and I suspect the recipes are just a bit more discriminating than in Emeril?s book. The realization of the dedication to the seasonal is less convincing than in the Arrows book. It is a lot easier to take seasonal thinking more seriously when you are in Maine than when you are in California.

Due to the organization by menu, where every menu has one or more desserts, you are getting many more dessert recipes for your money than you get from a more conventional organization, especially when the extra recipe (fourth or fifth) is often an additional dessert.

With forty menus, you are also getting about 15 salads, 10 soups, and 15 dishes, which can best be identified as appetizers. These ?starters? seem to have a high percentage of dishes, which are richer than what I may like to see (high concentration of oils, cheeses, and cured meats). This and the dessert population both contribute to the fact that this book is NOT for dieters. I also noticed a bit of repetition among the starters recipes. Some looked suspiciously like others two seasons past. Very odd for seasonally timed dishes.

The main courses continue the tendency toward the fatty. The 40 dishes cover protein with:

Beef 9
Fowl8 (several of duck and goose)
Lamb 5
Fin Fish 5
Pork4
Shellfish3
Vegetarian 6 (mostly pasta or risottos with lots of mushrooms and cheese)

The 20% shellfish seems odd in today?s healthy eating environment, but lets be clear that this book is about seasonal eating with wine, not loosing weight. Many of the main dish recipes such as coq au vin, pepper encrusted New York strip, and bouillabaisse are old friends, so you may have several of them already.

The quality of the recipes, the headnotes, and the cooks notes accompanying them is quite high. The author seems to give all the right cautions in all the right places. It?s interesting to note where the author takes some special effort and where they gloss over things. The gloss on an easy couscous method would make Paula Wolfert cringe. On the other hand, the recipe for homemade cr?me fraiche is more detailed than any I have seen to date, including instructions on how to vary the tangyness of the product. The coverage of pastry doughs (Pate Brisee) falls somewhere in the middle. The basic recipe is sound, but not as detailed as you may find in a book on pastry. The author also uses the same Pate Brisee for conventional pies, tarts, and galettes. I know some picky pastry chefs who have separate doughs for each.

I found one misprint in a recipe where the text put a quantity of sugar, but neglected to put the unit, so you are unsure of whether it is teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, or pounds. Fortunately, from the context, an experienced cook will know which it is. Very annoying. Tends to put me on my guard for other mistakes.

The ?seasonal? card will never sell a book to me, since it has become so hackneyed it has become nothing more than a blurb word on a dust jacket for many books, accompanied by the obligatory endorsement quote from Alice Waters. On this book, Alice is joined by Bobby Flay and Charlie Trotter, both highly respected and both well paid for their opinions. But a Foreword by Thomas Keller! This is an entirely different cup of tea. Keller is risking his Olympian reputation for a few bucks to lend his name and thoughts to the reputation of this book. I think the book almost lives up to his recommendation.

As many people such as Nigella Lawson have pointed out, the ?local and seasonal? dogma may be good selling points for high end restaurants, but in an age when my local market up the street has fresh summer vegetables from California in January, I will eat them and enjoy them in January. I will even not turn up my nose to hothouse tomatoes. Therefore, the author has failed to sell me on her seasonal mantra. In fact, her rather starchy, rich menus in winter point up some dangers to following the seasons.

I like the book and it taught me some things I didn?t know before. It is a good source for entertaining menus, although I suspect some of the menus may be a bit fatty or a bit dull with too few green vegetables.
Recommended, especially at the very reasonable price. ... Read more

Product Description
Hell to the Chief

At first, the girl J. W. Jackson encounters strolling alone along South Beach seems like your typical teenager. But there's nothing typical about young Cricket Callahan, the spirited only daughter of the vacationing President of the United States. What ex-cop-turned fisherman Jackson can't figure out is why the feisty First Kid is so intent upon eluding her Secret Service guardians. . .or why the Chief Executive himself wants J. W. and his lovely lady Zee to watch over the errant sixteen-year-old.

The answer comes in the form of a dead body--and in the subsequent knowledge that a diabolical someone is able to crack the security surrounding Cricket as handily as J. W. cracks quahogs at a Vineyard clambake. And not even executive privilege will be able to shield the President's daughter from grievous harm, unless Jackson can root out a .vengeful killer who may be hiding among the ranks of the President's most trusted paladins. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

a solid read
Philip Craig has written a good book.It is one of a series and this is the only one that I have read.

This mystery involves the daughter of he President of the United States who just happens to meet the hero of the story on the beach, and then in his truck, and then in his home.

The mysteries go on from there but you will find that it is very readable and interesting.

I enjoyed it.

J. Robert Ewbank, author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Fine Art of Babysitting
J.W. Jackson meets a teenage girl on the beach while fishing for bluefish. The girl is fascinated by the fine art of fishing and J.W. teaches her to land his catch and makes a new friend.
But the friend is the daughter of president of the United States who is eluding her Secret Service watchdogs. Cricket Callahan has been receiving threating letters for over a year, which began during the first family's previous vacation stay on the island.
J.W. and Zee end up with two Virginia cousins who want to taste all the delights of the island as private citizens. It takes some suspicious questions and fancy moves for J.W. and his bride to provide for their sudden quests.
As usual Philip R. Craig gave his fans an enjoyable read full of allisions, crime detection, and island lore.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

A Deadly Vineyard Holiday
Nice easy transaction, book was in better condition than described.Highly recommend this seller.

Presidential protection, JW style
The President and family are vacationing on the Vineyard.But the President's daughter is itching to get away from the formalities of her life, and wants to be a regular teenager.Upon shedding her Secret Service protection, she meets JW fishing on the beach and strikes up a friendship.Then she hides in the back of his Land Cruiser after her agents show up, and manages to invade stately Jefferson manor.Soon, JW works out a deal with the Secret Service to give her a Roman holiday, but danger is of course, around the corner.JW gets the sniff that someone on the inside is not on the up and up. And a mysterious photographer is snooping around JW's house.JW has a mystery to solve, while he takes it upon himself to do the job the Secret Service can't do, protect the President's daughter.

This is a fun read, another excellent entry in the Vineyard series.

A decent read with a ridiculous plot
I've read nearly all of the Vineyard series, and they've all been fairly enjoyable...J.W. is an interesting enough character (even if he is sometimes sort of lame), and the descriptions of the Vineryard are nice, even tho I've never been anywhere near the island myself.They all have somewhat elementary plotlines, and they usually hold up to any scrutiny- unfortunately, this isn't one of them.

We're supposed to buy the premise that ol' J.W. is fishing and up comes the president's daughter, and then we're supposed to buy the plotline that the daughter comes and stays with J.W. and Zee for the week?Come on, this is just a little TOO absurd.

While in danger throughout the novel, we're supposed to buy into the premise that they take time to go to the beach and hang out as if nothing is wrong?J.W. says to the president's daughter- sure, you can go out anywhere you want, we'll tell everyone you're my cousin named Debby, and we'll hide your true identity with some makeup and a big floppy hat and some glasses!

Even when the president's daughter knows she's in danger, she acts as if nothing is wrong- 'hey, forget this danger stuff, let's go meet the boy I met and go to the beach!'And J.W. is quick to say- sure, why not...let's forget the danger we're all in and go to the beach, I'm sure nothing could ever happen to us there.

It's all too absurd to buy into (even the reasoning revealed at the end is laughable), which hurts the book a little, but as I said, overall it was enjoyable.It's a fairly quick read, so I guess that helped.

For the series overall, I just HAVE to point out a few aspects that bug me to death when I read any of the books in the series...
The one plus to this book is the fact that J.W. and Zee haven't yet had kids (trust me, read the other books and tell me the kids aren't totally annoying, and they completely make J.W. lame as a tough guy/semi-detective)- I get SO sick and tired of reading Craig's annoying line that exists in EVERY book with the kids- "Diana, the huntress" is always looking for food, or whatever he says exactly.And, sometimes you just want to scream when you hear lame lines from J.W. like- "yum!" "manna from heaven!: and "delish!" every 2 seconds.He seems to be a semi-cool guy one second, then the next second you want to slap him.

All of that, and you have to continually wonder how on earth J.W. makes enough money to do nothing but fish, sail his boat, loaf around, and make his lavish dinners.lunches/breakfasts,I can assure you that no police pension allows for the laid back, never worry about money lifestyle Jackson lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Just what I was looking for
I was interested in starting a backyard vineyard and this book was exactly what I was looking for. Read it cover to cover in one afternoon. I can't wait to get started. There are lots of illustrations and very simple explainations. Highly recommend it.

Used As "Handbook" For Installing Blue-Merle Vineyard
This is a great book, recommended to us by Pete Anderson of San Diego. It became a daily reference book for us as we planted our own vineyard, which ended up to be over 1,000 vines in San Diego County. One piece of advice (which I may have missed in the book) " Don't trim your first year vines while they're still growing!" To see how we implemented the recommendations in the book, please visit www.winemakersjournal.com
Craig Justice

It's "Simply" a great bargain!
As the owner of grapeseek.com I am constantly receiving complimentary copies of grape growing books and this is one that really sticks out in my mind for the new or even experienced grower that wants his or her own vineyard.It describes the whole process from beginning to end and even tells you what you should be doing each month of the year and where to aquire the materials you need .Even if you are just a hobby grower this book is about all you would ever need to tend your grapevines.If I could only have 3 or 4 grape growing books this one would definitely be on the list! ... Read more

Product Description

A toast to the happy couple . . .
with hemlock

Vineyard wedding bells are about to chime for ex-Boston cop-turned-island-fisherman J.W. Jackson and his lady Zee Madieras. And Zee's Automatic Teller tells them rather substantial "present" has been deposited in the bride-to-be's account: one hundred thousand unexplained dollars.

The bank screams, "computer glitch"! And sure enough, two days later, the windfall has flown. But, coincidentally, the college student lying dead in J.W.'s driveway'a young woman done in by a dose of locally grown poison'recently withdrew a hundred grand from her own account. And now, before exchanging vows with his love, J.W. must first match wits with a murderer who may be gearing up to kill again.

Customer Reviews (9)

PHILIIP R. CRAIG
I thoroughly enjoyed Philip R. Craig's A CASE OF VINYARD POISON.It is so nice to become involved with his charcaters on Matha's Vineyard.I feel soory that he passed away to cancer, knowing he would have contiuned to please his readers.

Murder before Marriage
J.W. and Zee are headed for the altar, but strange things happen. Zee uses the automatic teller and discovers $100,000 extra in her account, then by Monday everything is back to normal. Well not quite, where did the money come from and where did it go?
J.W. follows a staggering trail down his drive to the woods. The body of a young woman at the end of the hunt sends J.W. down several trails while finding time to plan his own future.
A light tale of murder and money laundering that is just the thing for relaxation.
Nash Black, author whose books are also available in Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessHaintsNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

Hazel, Helen, huh???
This is another excellent book in the vineyard series, with a dead girl poisoned (was it accidental?) and mysterious cases of $100K showing up in bank accounts.An interesting side story involves a concert pianist.During the story, however, I was distracted by the apparent change of name from Hazel to Helen Fine.Why didn't the editor pick up on this?Or was I mistaken and they were two different female bankers?Huh?If not for this confusion, I would have given this 5 stars.

murder, poison, herbology
there is death in the air in marthas vineyard this mystery is filled with money laundering murder and enough humor and romance to satisfy any reader .One of Craigs best so far I'm reading thie series in order.Good reading took me 3 days to finish it!!!

Best read with Vineyard sand in your shoes
OK, the "Vineyard" series does not represent great literature. However, that's not the point about these 'atmospheric' novels is it? You read these kind of books while you're on the Cape or to bring you mentally back to the place. This one has a better plot that the others I have read in the series but the dialogue remains the weak point. Enough with the fishing and the traffic jams too, please. All in all, since we go to the Cape every year, this series is a fun read for me. However, if you want read a good series with excellent dialogue and a strong sense of place, find one of the Dibdin novels. They are set in Italy and they are wonderful. ... Read more

Product Description

Life on the Vineyard is good-maybe just too good--for ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson this August. The bluefish are running early, and there's plenty of quality fishing time to be spent with his new baby son Joshua. But an idyllic summer hits a snag when a movie scout from a glamorous land called "Hollywood" invades the beaches--and takes a liking not only to the island locale, but to Jackson's lovely lady Zee as well. Worse still, a longtime nemesis turns up murdered just one day after he and J.W. come to blows, and Jackson is considered by nearly everyone, up-island and down, to be the most likely suspect. And if he hopes to spend the remainder of this season--as well as many others to come--enjoying simple family pleasures and fine, fresh seafood outside of a prison cell, J.W. will have to cast his line out and hook the real killer.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Movie in the Making
A scouter comes to Martha's Vineyard to select locations for a film of adventure and buried treasure. J.W. Jackson is hired to drive him around, but one of the attractions of the island for the scouter is J.W.'s wife, Zee.
J.W. must solve the murder before he is arrested for the crime, as just the day before he and the victim had exchanged blows in front of witnesses and no one else was around when J.W. "discovered" the body.
The late Philip Craig left cozy mystery fans a great series to read and sample to foods of Martha Vineyard. I have and the will soon appear in on a new web site.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists HAINTS and WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS.

Craig is a pretty good, yet not well known writer
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble onto the Martha's Vineyard series and found my first reading (this book) to be breezy and fun.Our hero, J. W. along with his smart wife Zee and cute baby Joshua are islanders, amidst a visiting troop of actors and some environmentalists.J.W. makes enemies with the state's top environmentalist, and when he finds a dead body, the police put J.W. on top of the suspect list.So J.W. starts using his old police skills to do a little amateur detective work for his own good.Meanwhile, Hollywood seems to have discovered not only the island, but photogenic Zee.Actors and actresses arrive and make moves on both J.W. and Zee, but our heroes show resolve to be true to each other.This book was very good, and the mystery was engaging.

Making Movies Can Be Murder
The movies are finally coming to Martha's Vineyard, and many people in town are star struck.With trying out for "extras" in the movie, and saying goodbye to the last of the summer tourists, the last thing Martha's Vineyard needs is another murder.Does the murder of a local environmentalist have a connection to the film, or has Lawrence Ingalls made too many enemies amongst the locals?J.W. becomes involved once again in the murder when accusations fly about him having means, motive, and opportunity to kill his enemy.In the midst of dodging the affections of the star of the film, fishing, and watching Zee make the movie, J.W. brings a surprising end to this mystery.

I love this series!Even though others might criticize it for being an "easy" ready, I love curling up with Philip Craig's books and being transported to the sun and surf on Martha's Vineyard.With their love for food, fishing, and each other, J.W. and Zee are two people I would love to visit.And the recipes...well, they are delish.Enjoy!

I'm almost afraid to say "I liked it!"
The reviews of this simple little book are all over the map. The comments about "too much Zee / Joshua" are fair and I agree with them. This edition had a lot less fishing too, thank you very much. The plot was easy to follow and you probably won't be "guessing" until the end. But this series is designed for summer reading - a time when your mind should be on autopilot. That means, it should be easy. also, it should be fun and it should be atmospheric. I think Mr. Craig knows that and he has hit on a decent formula that he can use (milk?) until he runs completely out of ideas. I'm reading the series now because it's April and it's still snowing here in the NE. I could use a little Vineyard summer right now and the series continues to bring me back to one of the most beautiful places in the USA. I'll keep reading if he keeps writing because I know what I'm getting.

One too many
Aside from milking Vineyard popularity in his rather dull series of mysteries, Craig does not fail to disappoint in this weakest of his offerings. Nothing much happens in this book, the murderer is fairlyobvious, and Craig spoon-feeds us dribs and drabs of drama about asriveting as a bowl of mush. Cold mush. As one reviewer noted, there's justtoo much Zee adoration and Joshua junk. There is very little excitement.Like Martha's Vineyard after the tourists (finally!) go home. I gave thisbook two stars for the recipes that Craig thoughtfully includes with hisstories. Now, if he would only publish his cookbook... ... Read more

Product Description

During his career as a Boston cop, Jeff "J.W." Jackson saw enough of the evil that men do to last a lifetime. So he retired to the serenity of Martha's Vineyard to spend his days fishing for blues and wooing a sexy nurse named Zee. But when a local's boat mysteriously explodes off the coast, killing an amiable young drifter, Jackson finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the investigative trade. For there is a serpent loose in paradise -- and it's contaminating Jackson's lovely, peaceful island with its poisonous venom of drugs and death.

Customer Reviews (8)

Some Wrong Doings in Paradise
First in the Vineyard Murder series.The editing was a bit choppy, but I think I will most definately give book 2 a try.

During his career as a Boston cop, Jeff "JW" Jackson was shot and has decided to retire to the serenity of Martha's Vineyard to spend his days fishing and wooing a nurse named Zee.But when a local's boat mysteriously explodes off the coast, killing a young man, Jackson finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the investigative trade.

There are some wrong doings in paradise - and it's contaminating Jackson's lovely peaceful island with its poisonous venom of drugs and death.

Digging for Peace
Boston's rough streets were murder for J.W. Jackson, when he had to kill a woman who was trying to kill him. Long disenchanted with police work, J.W. pulls up stakes, takes a medical retirement, and moves to his father's ancient fishing cottage on Martha's Vineyard.
A boat explosion and a young girl's request to find a murderer drags J.W. back into an the fringes of the investigation, but the police are not happy with his work.
Drugs and death invade his retirement paradise. J.W. must put an end to the disturbance and so beings one of the most charming cozy series by the late Philip R. Craig.
Sins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelWriting as a Small Business

You've got to be kidding me
The second line in the first chapter sums up the originality, creativity and quality of the writing in this book:
"Outside it was as black as a tax collector's heart."
Yes...that trite, that tired, that unoriginal.

the begining of a beautiful relationship
I have read most of Philip Craig's books, and finally got around to his first J. W. Jackson mystery.What a treasure!It fascinates me how Craig began the series with most of the charming anecdotes that re-appear in the subsequent Vineyard books, from the pay toilets at Gay Head (an abomination to civilization) to his love for catching the blues with a red headed Roberts.The romance with Zee starts here too, which delighted both myself and my wife as we read it.

This book starts off with a bang (actually an explosion) and quickly leads into something involving illegal drugs in paradise.We discover a fascinating story of a young man trying to discover his past, and another young man entangled in a world of drugs he cannot control.J.W. gets into personal danger in multiple circumstances.One of those seemed like it could have been the grand finale to the book, but I knew it couldn't because if occurred with many pages to go, leaving me intrigued how the story would continue to develop.The only negative comment I have is the ending leaves the reader to clean up a few of the loose ends in his or her imagination.This didn't bother me, but it might bother some.

Enjoy this masterpiece.Delish!

Recommended with reservations.
As the first book in the series it introduces charactes that reappear often in subsequent books, so if one has a choice, the beginning is the recommended place to start.
A good plot. The pages keep turning. Personally, I don't care for interjections such as "Yum" and "Delish" while describing the menu of the moment. That is an example of style elements that caused me not to rate this a 4.

I can't compare to the actual setting, but I get the feeling the description of Martha's Vineyard is accurate from the viewpoint of a local. ... Read more