Oktoberfest

German baking is legendary and informs baking traditions the world over- Christmas cookies, coffee cakes, delicate tortes, soft seeded rolls, and hearty dumplings all have their origins in Germany (and Austria). In Classic German Baking, blogger and author Luisa Weiss--who was born in Berlin to an Italian mother and American father, and married into a family of bakers with roots in Saxony--has collected and mastered the recipes most essential to every good baker's repertoire. In addition to the pillars of the German baking tradition, like Christmas stollen, lebkuchen, and apple strudel, Weiss includes overlooked gems, like eisenbahner--an almond macaroon paste piped onto jam-topped shortbread--and rosinenbr tchen--the raisin-studded whole wheat buns that please a child's palate and a parent's conscience--to create the resource that bakers across the world have long wanted.

Munich's Oktoberfest, held each year since 1810 from late September through the first weekend in October, is one of the most famous events in Germany. It is a beer drinker's paradise--over the course of sixteen days, more than six million visitors consume nearly two million gallons of specially brewed Oktoberfest beer. For the first-time visitor to the Wies'n (a meadow near Munich's center dedicated to the festival), Oktoberfest can be a little overwhelming. Fortunately, Moses Wolff hasn't missed a day of Oktoberfest in years, and he knows the festival like the back of his hand.

Christopher and Catherine Knuth take you into Oma's German kitchen, sharing traditional comfort food to warm your heart. These authentic recipes, including meatloaf, rouladen, sauerkraut and seafood, bring the diverse tastes of Germany to your table. Complete with clear instructions as well as full-color food and location photography, The German Kitchen is more than just a fantastic German recipe book. It is almost as though you are being taken by the hand on a cooking tour of Germany, where you would learn the recipes and techniques needed to cook culinary specialties such as goulash soup, beef rouladen, pork chops with mustard sauce, and spicy, herb-infused seafood native to the riverside outskirts of Hamburg. Learn how to cook traditional German recipes without having to leave the comfort of your own kitchen. With enough seafood, vegetable, meat, dressing and dessert recipes inside, transform your kitchen into a truly German kitchen.

The story of how one thoroughly confused, kitchen-mad perfectionist broke off her engagement to a handsome New Yorker, quit her dream job, and found her way to a new life, a new man, and a new home in Berlin -- one recipe at a time

Bright flavors. Fresh and healthful. These are not words we typically associate with German cuisine. But this beautifully packaged cookbook is not quite traditional. Featuring 100 recipes for familiar food re-envisioned to reflect the way we eat now,German Cooking Now celebrates fresh vegetables, grains, herbs, and spices as obsessively as it does pork, pretzels, and beer. Chefs Jeremy and Jessica Nolen share recipes from their family table, inspired by their travels in Germany. Slow-braised meats, homemade pickles and preserves, hand-cut noodles, and vegetables every which way--the recipes inGerman Cooking Now are entirely true to their roots, yet utterly unique. More than 40 full-color photographs and creative recipes for every meal occasion will satisfy food lovers far and wide.

From the author of "the definitive history of bourbon" (Sacramento Bee) comes the epic true tale of how beer conquered America, from B.C. to Budweiser and beyond Equally irreverent and revealing, Dane Huckelbridge's masterful cultural history charts the wild, engrossing, and surprisingly complex story of our favorite alcoholic drink, showing how America has been under the influence of beer at almost every stage. From the earliest Native American corn brew (called chicha) to the waves of immigrants who brought with them their unique brewing traditions, to the seemingly infinite varieties of craft-brewed suds found on tap today, beer has claimed an outsized place in our culture that far transcends its few simple ingredients--water, barley, and hops. And yet despite its ubiquity--Americans consume some six billion gallons of beer each year--the story of beer in the USA is as diverse and fascinating as the country itself, overflowing with all the color and character of America's many peoples and regions. By the early 1980s, a country that once boasted more than a thousand breweries was down to a few dozen, with little to distinguish among them. But stirred by the American entrepreneurial spirit, a cadre of daring young trailblazers decided our options shouldn't be limited to watery, flavorless macrobrews. The microbrew movement began on the West Coast, but quickly spread: today there are thousands of craft breweries, scattered across all fifty states. Drawing upon a wealth of little-known historical sources, explaining the scientific breakthroughs that have shaped beer's evolution, and mixing in more than a splash of dedicated on-the-ground research, The United States of Beer offers a raucous and enlightening toast to the all-American drink.

Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn't have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro's owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzzwith his newest recipe, "Pucker-Up IPA." This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can't help but be green with envy at their success. But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro's competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

Lights. Camera. Murder. . .It's all in a day's work for beer maven and amateur sleuth Sloan Krause in her latest hopping mystery. Everyone in the village of Leavenworth, Washington, is buzzing with excitement over this year's Oktoberfest activities--and eagerly awaiting Nitro's latest offering of Cherrywizen, made with locally sourced cherries. But brewmaster Sloan Krause is feeling tapped out. Between trying to manage the pub, her pending divorce, and her mounting feelings for Nitro's owner Garrett Strong, she's fermenting in internal turmoil. To complicate matters, documentary filmmaker Mitchell Morgan and his production crew have come to town to film the Bavarian-themed extravaganza. His antics put the town on edge--until Sloane finds Mitchell sprawled out in front of an Oktoberfest tent in the middle of town. Was his death caused by one pint too many--or is this a case of murder by microbrew?

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause delves into the murderous political world in another delightful mystery from popular cozy writer Ellie Alexander. It's the dead season in Leavenworth, Washington. The throngs of Oktoberfest crowds have headed home, and the charming Bavarian streets are quiet and calm--momentarily. Villagers use the reprieve to drink in the crisp fall mountain air and prepare for the upcoming winter light festival. Soon the German-inspired shops and restaurants will be aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Visitors will return to the northern Cascades to drink warm mulled cider and peruse the holiday markets. Brewer, Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are using the slowdown to stock up on a new line of their signature craft beers at Nitro. They're experimenting with a hoppy holiday pine and a chocolate hazelnut stout. The small brewery is alive with delicious scents and bubbling batches of brew.Sloan is in her element. She loves the creativity and lowkey atmosphere at Nitro. Only that is soon threatened by the incumbent city councilmember Kristopher Cooper. Kristopher is running for re-election on a platform of making Leavenworth dry. Everyone in beertopia is fuming. Leavenworth's economy relies on keeping the kegs flowing. Kristopher wants to banish beer, a policy that might just bankrupt the entire village. However, Kristopher turns up dead days before election night. Sloan quickly realizes that his murder isn't the work of a stranger. Friends, family, and every other business owner had a motive to kill him, including none other than April Ablin, Leavenworth's self-described ambassador of all things German. Sloan finds herself defending April and trying to sleuth out a killer amongst a group of familiar faces.