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Before the anxious cook gets to the recipes, however, the two authors take the reader through a thorough course of understanding beers. As they state, "a little knowledge is a delicious thing," and so it is. It is a rich story, full of useful information about the storage of different kinds of beer and the reason why some are served cold, others at room temperature. The importance of hops, different kinds of malt and what yeast does for beer, are all covered in the beginning chapters. Beaumont and Morin teach how to pour different kinds of beer and why, the pairing of beer with food, and provide even the way on how to stage a home beer tasting. Like wine tasting, this is surely a good way to entertain guests.

The two authors know what they are talking about because they are the proprietors of a most unique bistro, namely beerbistro in downtown Toronto. It is located in the heart the city, just off Yonge Street at King, in the heart of the financial district. The experience they gained there has translated well into this cookbook. There is just one thing I miss: not enough recipes using beer in soups. It is the soups my mother used to cook that sparked my interest in looking for a beer cookbook, and finding just four recipes, none of which have anything to do with the soups I recall, turned out to be a bit disappointing. Still, overall this is a book I won= t want to do without in the future. One soup I will make for sure is the cold spring pea soup as cold soups are part of the menu on summer weekends in our home.

For those who make ice creams, this book has some very tasty suggestions, as well as recipes for cakes and pastries that some may not have considered before.

So, don't think that beer is only good for marinating steaks. There is a lot more to cooking with beer than that. Even cocktails are on the menu in this book, and the mussel recipes are mouth watering. So, without hesitation, I can say that for beer lovers, this beerbistro cookbook is a great find.

Here is a simple recipe offered in this cookbook: Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients - 2 1/2 lbs (1.2 kg) semi- or bittersweet chocolate
1 cup (500 mL) whipping cream (35%)
3/4 cup (175 mL) framboise beer (fruity)

Special equipment required: Large heatproof bowl or fondue pot

• Chop chocolate as finely as possible. Place in a large, heatproof bowl or fondue pot

• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream and beer to a boil

• Pour boiling liquid over chopped chocolate and let sit for 20 seconds. Whisk until chocolate is smooth and transfer to a fondue pot if necessary

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