Karen Burrell’s new cookbook, The Spirit Within: Cooking with Fermented and Distilled Beverages, takes the art of cooking to a new flavorful level. With more than 200 featured dishes, Burrell incorporates one alcoholic beverage per recipe, enhancing each dish and bringing life to the culinary experience. With the vast amount of recipes covered – from appetizers, soups, breads, desserts, entrees, sauces, vegetables, and frostings – there is sure to be something for everyone, and every palate. Pages include Apple-Beer Chinese Soup, Bourbon Pecan Smashed Sweet Potatoes, and Virginia Bay Scallops in Wine Sauce. The Midwest Book Review gave it five stars, saying Burrell crafted, “An excellent and worthy addition to any gourmet cookbook collection.” In addition, The San Francisco Book Chronicle finds it a “… usable cookbook, both for the recipes and the design.” But it’s not just the act of cooking that creates a memorable experience; it’s the spirituality associated with using the natural flavors of distilled fruit and spices to enrich the senses and overall sensuality of eating. For those not interested in the alcoholic addition, each recipe comes complete with a non-alcoholic substitution. Order it at TheSpiritWithinCookbook.com or at Bookends, Hahn’s Market, River Bend Winery, and Autumn Harvest Winery.