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Great Bar Food at Home
by Kate Heyhoe
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN 0-471-78183-7
Published October 2007 - Hardcover - 127 pages - $17.95

I haven't been to a bar in decades, so I have no idea what they serve nowadays.  In the "old days" it used to be chips, nuts, maybe olives and/or cheese blocks, nachos, or pretzels.  Obviously I've not hung out at the more upmarket bars and cocktail lounges.  Perhaps I still have some living to do!  The food in this book not only goes with the usual beer and wine, but also cocktails.  Some of the recipes that got my taste buds on the march were Onion'd Deviled Eggs; Hot Stuffed Dates (sounds glorious); Marinated Herb and Pepper Cheese; Puff Pastry Pizza Squares with Balsamic Duxelles, and Santa Fe Caesar Crema (mouthwateringly tempting).  It makes so much more sense to make bar food at home - you don't have to worry about drinking too much (self-control always applies, no matter where you are!) and having to drive home.  Also because if you're having a few friends over for drinks, and you aren't cooking a whole dinner, these food items are ideal.  Some are quite filling.  Author Kate Heyhoe gives tips for pairing food with cocktails, wine, and beer.  Usually it doesn't really matter, but if you want to throw a more sophisticated or classy evening, at least read what she has to say.  I enjoyed the anecdotes about clubs, speakeasys, the well-heeled, and other snippets.  So much so, I got up and plated some feta cheese squares, pickle slices, peanuts, and a couple of slices of camembert - all I had to hand.  Oh, I just remembered, I was in a bar back in 2000, and I had chicken wings with my beer.
Illustrated.
Conclusion - I loved this little book.  So will you.