Beer & Food: An American History by Bob Skilnik

Beer & Food: An American History by Bob Skilnik provides a compact history of the relationship between beer, food and the development of the American culture.

From beer's influences during colonial times to modern cooking with beer, Skilnik takes us on a journey that shows that beer is food and beer is history. Published by Jefferson Press ($24.95), this book tells us how beer has fit into the lives of Americans of every generation and includes a range of recipes for just about every skill level.

There are interesting directions on making spruce beer and a discussion of how World War II grain rationing changed the flavor of beer and altered the American palate towards lighter lagers for generations to come.

Skilnik is an alumnus of the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and contributes to the food section of the Chicago Tribune. For anyone interested in why certain foods became associated with beer and how segments of our country's beer and food companies have rebounded from bland to flavorful, Beer & Food is a primer that covers some interesting ground.