Schloss & Andrew Homemade Soda Cookbook (2011) - DIY Carbonated Drink Recipes for Parties, Gifts & Home Brewing

This is a truly excellent book for anyone who enjoys fizzy drinks, food history, or is a closet Mad Scientist to pick up. I've had the book for several weeks and between it and the SodaStream my husband and I received as a Christmas gift from my parents (we've seriously and completely voided it's warranty - but with it, about $100 in various extra scrounged parts, and quite a bit of brilliance from my husband we now have the ability to carbonate just about anything without a siphon) we will never need to pick up another case of soda on the way home from work again.The variety of options is simply staggering - with almost every recipe giving you options again in how you want your soda to achieve "Fizzy". You can mix the concentrated syrups with a splash of seltzer water, fizz it up with either a siphon (or other gadget - I have found you can use a SodaStream AS a siphon, it just takes a bit of fiddling around and a few loads of towels used to wipe up the overfoam until you get the mix right!), or go old school and brew your treat at home.I simply love this book - I'm a serious food nerd, so I love all the history and science the author peppers the books with. The recipes are vastly varied - from simple and lightly flavored water (for me, it's a tossup between the Lychee Water, the Slightly Salted Caramel Seltzer, or the Barely Sweet White Grape Water when I want to reach for something on a hot afternoon) through the sweeter sodas, and on to the hearty ever so slightly fermented beers. The author covers sport drinks, fruit and veggie blends, teas, and even ventures into hard-core mixology. Almost every recipe hasWhat's even better is you are also given recipes and suggestions of what to do with all the various bottles of elixirs and syrups you will end up littering your refrigerator with. From rib sauces to breads, from curry to cupcakes, dozens of recipes are there to entice you into stepping out of your 12-case box and exploring the wonderful world of Do-It-Yourself drinks. It's a chance to take back control over what you and your family drink - and it's a delicious way to go about it!