In 2014, Jillian Kelly and Kim Allen opened the Asheville Bee Charmer, the kind of store that is quintessentially contemporary Asheville. For some reason they use the adjective, “varietal” as a noun to designate the varieties of honey they sell. They infuse some of the honey with herbs and spices to create blends, and they also sell honey-based beauty products and bee-themed accessories, like jewelry. When Kim Allen was in college, she and Carrie Schloss became life-long friends, and when Schloss embarked on a career as a personal chef and culinary consultant, working from her Illinois home, she became a natural to write a book of recipes using the different varieties and blends of honey available at the Asheville Bee Charmer. “A truly original cookbook with inventive and delicious recipes that will expand any cook’s repertoire. An added bonus for the modern cook is the table that shows which recipes are dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian. The variety of the honey-based recipes is beautifully matched to the range of honey blends and varietals available at the shop itself.” —Peggy Ryan
Chicago: Surrey/Agate, 2017. 207 pages with an index, appendices, and color photos, some full-page. Hardback with pictorial cover