Lisa Messinger's
Cookbooks of the Week

The Ultimate Party Drink Book: Over 750 Recipes for Cocktails, Smoothies, Blender Drinks, Nonalcoholic Drinks, and More

by Bruce Weinstein (William Morrow)

When Halloween hits, instead of dunking for apples, why not have a candy apple smoothie, caramel apple smoothie, apple pie smoothie, apple sundae smoothie, hot tea apple toddie or apple chamomile tea? These are just a few of the innovative toasts from Bruce Weinstein as we enter the two-month official party drink season (through New Year's Eve). Weinstein, who also penned The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, The Ultimate Candy Book and Frozen Drinks: With or Without the Buzz, never comes up dry regarding innovative ideas and then interesting variation upon interesting variation. If you are already plotting, for instance, the champagne punch you'll serve for New Year's Eve, you might want to first steal a sip of Weinstein's: a basic one perfumed with mashed sweet cherries that have soaked in kirsh for two days or invigorating variations such as: Arabian (crushed figs replace the cherries); "Fuzzy" (sliced peaches and apricots replace the cherries); or Tropical (peeled, chopped papaya and mango replace the cherries).

RECIPE: APPLE SUNDAE SMOOTHIE