Looking for something bright and refreshing to cut through the richness of the past few days? Try a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Here are a few to look for: Jackson Estate 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Stich ($22). Loved this wine! Racy, aromatic citrus — tangerine, orange, lime — from start to finish, with light grassy notes that add [...]
Read more →The only highlight of a singularly bad, and not inexpensive, dinner at the recently opened III Forks steakhouse in Houston was the wine. (Well, the room is pretty…) I’m not exaggerating when I say that the lobster bisque was the worst, pasty, floury, goop in the history of lobster bisques, all starters and sides were cold and/or [...]
Read more →I had an intense summer romance with haricots verts this year — those skinny French green beans that have a more complex, less green bean-y taste than their American string/snap bean cousins. This simple sesame oil treatment was one of my favorite sides of the summer, and I think it would go equally well alongside [...]
Read more →Every year I get questions on the “perfect” wine for Thanksgiving, and every year I give basically the same answer: there is no perfect wine for Thanksgiving. Most turkey feasts include so many varied, family-centric recipes and side dishes that just about any wine you can name would work with at least something on the [...]
Read more →It’s been a day of recipe testing, including a reluctant trip to the grocery on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (yes, it was a madhouse) to buy “corrective ingredients” to turn a mess into a better recipe. In the process, I’ve used and then had to clean, nearly every pan and bowl I own… All of the above has reminded [...]
Read more →I’ve tried ‘em all — deep fried, brined, turducken — but I always come back to a traditional roasted bird as my favorite. Last year, the family Thanksgiving feast happened at my place, and here was the turkey I did. It came out beautifully golden and burnished on the outside, and moist and flavorful (yes, even [...]
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