This is a quick, flavorful salmon dish that gets nice crispy edges from a hot pan searing and delicious depth of Asian flavors from the rich sauce. Serve it with anything from steamed rice and sauteed bok choy, to a green salad sprinkled with fresh goat cheese and toasted almonds.

Recipe: Fish: Asian Seared Salmon
Serves 2
1 Tablespoon canola oil
12 [...]

Attention creamed spinach fans — here’s a simple but richly satisfying pre-meal nibble that takes the chill off a cold winter evening. Pair with a pretty Chianti to see you through to dinner!
Da Vinci 2006 Chianti ($16). This versatile, easy-drinking red is a great choice for before dinner, and leaves you room to grow into a [...]

No matter how many times I visit San Francisco, I feel like I’m still getting to know this city. Like many wine-loving non-residents, the city is often just a quick stop for me on the way to wine country, and all too often I’m more focused on beating the afternoon highway/bridge traffic out of town, [...]

ZAP is coming up this week! For those of you who don’t know, ZAP is a crazy fun event. It’s the most Zinfandel you’ll ever see in one room (and it’s one huge room at that) — with producers pouring and spirits soaring. I wish I could make it, but this happens to be one [...]

This pairing combines one of my favorite dishes with a lush, intense Pinot Noir — it doesn’t get much better than this!
Amisfield 2006 Pinot Noir Central Otago ($42). Aromatic and concentrated, offering deep black cherry and berry fruit accented with pretty baking spices, cocoa and cedar accents that pick up a clean, mineral note on [...]

Here’s a vibrant, flavorful steak and black bean dish that pulls flavors from South America. Enjoy it with a full bodied, spicy Zin to warm up a cold winter evening!
Recipe: Beef: Steak with Black Beans and Chimichurri
(serves 4)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked black beans (if [...]

Khao Soi is a dish widely served in Thailand. Basically it’s a chicken curry soup (although I think there are fish versions, too…), but variations abound – from street food vendors to restaurants. The fun is in the garnishes, which can range from deep-fried noodles to pickled cabbage, fried onion, hot peppers, fresh  herbs, chopped veggies [...]