This weekend I put together a small assortment of vegetarian tapas straight out of Spain…A Culinary Road Trip by Mario Batali, with Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the companion cookbook to the PBS series, and it’s full of doable versions of regional Spanish dishes. I’m finding it to be a really fun and easy book to cook from [...]
Read more →So, here’s my version of jumping on the royal wedding bandwagon… I have to admit that I’m honestly just not all that interested, but factor in some really good Champagne and you begin to get my attention. Add an excuse to sip said bubbly during the early morning hours of what would otherwise be a work [...]
Read more →I recently tasted through a lineup of new releases from Niner Wine Estates – here are two that really stood out for me, paired with a two-course menu featuring a version of a dill-flecked Greek salad, grilled sausages and sauteed haricots vert tossed with roasted cashews and blue cheese. Niner Wine Estates was founed in 2001 in Paso Robles, California [...]
Read more →If I’ve seen one Halloween-themed food newsletter in the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen a hundred. All with some variation on the same theme — how to make Halloween-looking food. The ideas have ranged from unbearably precious to down right disgusting, and all of them leave me uninspired. So here’s a different approach — actual [...]
Read more →This green bean salad was one of the prettiest dishes I’ve ever thrown together — and it owes everything to the vibrant colors of simple, fresh ingredients. Serve alongside simply grilled salmon and a lush Chardonnay or Pinot Noir (depending on your mood — I thought both wines worked nicely) for a light, flavorful, satisfying [...]
Read more →Cinco de Mayo is but one reason to throw a Mexican-themed dinner party. To my way of thinking, any warm weather day is a good opportunity for this Fiesta menu. Kick things off with plenty of chips and dips — in this case a wonderfully flavored Guacamole and fresh Pico de Gallo. The main course [...]
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