Each recipe in the book is inspired by one of 20 varietals or eight proprietary honey blends—carrot honey, basswood honey, lavender honey, ghost pepper honey, etc.—available at the shop’s Honey Bar. With recipes for sides, mains, salads, snacks, desserts, and more, The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook proves that honey is the best way to season or sweeten your next meal.
For many people, honey is something squeezed out of a plastic bear and added to tea, yogurt, or toast. However, as Schloss notes in the book, the world of honey is much larger than the little bear on the shelf. In The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook, Schloss walks readers through the unique attributes of each varietal and blend, including tasting notes and the sorts of foods that pair well with each type.
Schloss writes with the home cook in mind, packing complex, surprising flavors into her recipes, which are all written in clear, accessible prose. With the culinary world focusing more and more on artisanal ingredients, this book’s treatment of unique varietals of honey—one of the world’s most ancient foods—is in step with the interests of today’s informed home cook. The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook is an excellent resource for anyone ready to ditch the ubiquitous honey bear, learn about artisanal honey, or simply reduce their refined white sugar intake without sacrificing flavor.
