Erin Coopey - Infusing flavors: recipes for oils, vinegars, sauces, bitters, waters & more

2016 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Text 2016 Erin Coopey

First published in 2016 by Cool Springs Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.,
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
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Digital edition published in 2016

Digital edition: 978-0-76035-086-7

Softcover edition: 978-1-59186-654-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Coopey, Erin, author.

Title: Infusing flavors / Erin Coopey.

Description: Minneapolis, MN : Cool Springs Press, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015047474 | ISBN 9780760350867 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking (Spices) | Herbal teas. | Flavoring essences. |

Essences and essential oils. | Non-alcoholic beveragesFlavor and odor. |

Oils and fatsFlavor and odor. | BISAC: COOKING / Beverages / General. |

COOKING / Methods / General. | COOKING / Specific Ingredients / Herbs,

Spices, Condiments. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX819.A1 C6548 2016 | DDC 641.6/383--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015047474

Acquiring Editor: Billie Brownell

Project Managers: Alyssa Bluhm and Caitlin Fultz

Art Direction and Cover Design: Cindy Samargia Laun

Book Design and Layout: Amy Sly

Photography (unless noted below): Paul Markert (markertproductions.com) and Dave Bausman (tilt-photo.com)

Erin Coopey:

Food Stylist: Maggie Stopera (maggiethefoodstylist.com)

INTENSE INFUSIONS FOR FOOD AND DRINK

Recipes for oils, vinegars, sauces, bitters, waters & more

ERIN COOPEY

For Vince: Love, laughs, lust, and life. Erin

This book started in a surprising way. I received a phone call from my now-editor, Billie Brownell, with an intriguing idea for a book. Our conversation revealed that the idea had blossomed from beverages to an entire world of infusions. Billies vision sparked a flurry of brainstorming. Together, we quickly came up with the framework for what would become the book you are reading today. Its been a thrilling process, and I am grateful to Billie and the other staff at Cool Springs Press for entrusting it to me.

Thank you to my friends and neighbors who graciously tasted various versions of recipes I tested: Jen and Caitlyn, Debi, David, Kristi and Tim, Glenn, Sarah and Rick, Kelli and Elise, and Natasha. I also want to thank all of my friends, students, and assistants who tested recipes for me: Michael B., Carol R., Jessica S., June C., Cathy S., Claire P., Leigh P., Barbara E., Nancy H., Jan B., Sylvia K., Skip D., Leslie C., Jen S., Maria C., and Shelly J. Your input was invaluable and so appreciated.

A special thank-you to my mother, novelist Judith Redline Coopey. By her own admission, shes not all that interested in cooking, but I rely on her sharp editorial eye and her everyday cook questions. She makes sure my recipes read well and that Im not writing in chef-speak.

Thanks also to my dear husband, Vince Harrelsonmy number-one tester and gentle critic. You always balance critical insight and constructive feedback with kindness and tact. I couldnt ask for a better sounding board. Thank you for all your love, support, and patience.

Finally, I say a huge thank-you to you for choosing to read Infusing Flavors. If you enjoyed it, I would be very grateful if you could write a review. Id love to hear what you think, and reviews really help people discover my cookbooks.

1. CHAPTER 1
   Teas & Tisanes
2. CHAPTER 2
   Extracts & Bitters
3. CHAPTER 3
   Shrubs, Switchels & Kombuchas
4. CHAPTER 4
   Soft Drinks & Infused Waters
5. CHAPTER 5
   Infused Oils
6. CHAPTER 6
   Vinegars & Gastriques
7. CHAPTER 7
   Broths
8. CHAPTER 8
   Desserts

IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVERYWHERE YOU TURN THESE DAYS, people are talking about infusions. There are infused oils and vinegars for salads and infused broths to transform everyday soups and sauces into exotic creations. The beverage industry is awash with infused waters and juices. Infused alcohols run the gamut from whipped cream to bacon flavor. Cocktails are doctored with bitters and simple syrups (both infusions in their own right), and dont even get me started on desserts. Its like were all mad scientists toiling in our kitchen laboratories creating Frank-infusions.

We may be in the middle of an infusion revolution, but the idea of infusion dates back to the dawn of cooking. Who knows who first broke off a fragrant flower or leaf and added it to hot water? Or who accidentally dropped some garlic into oil only to discover that one pleasantly enhanced the other?

In the most traditional sense, an infusion is the creation of a new substance by steeping or soaking botanicals in a liquid such as water, vinegar, oil, or alcohol. These days the term is even broadly used to describe the addition of flavors to a dish, such as bourbon-infused barbecue sauce.

Ive always been interested in making things from scratch, so infusions are a natural progression in my growth as a chef. In this book well explore a variety of infusionsfrom teas and tisanes to extracts, broths, vinegars, oils, desserts, and more. If youre captivated by the creativity of cooking and combining flavors, infusing is for you.

Viva el infusin!