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The Star-Spangled Banner Star-Spangled Banner May 2nd, 2008 by millhouse Edit | Get your copy of ?The Star-Spangled Banner? as performed by Buzz Carlton.
The Star-Spangled Banner Star-Spangled Banner May 1st, 2008 by millhouserecords Edit | Get your copy of ?The Star-Spangled Banner? as performed by Buzz Carlton.
Stock up on Sauvignon Blanc. This favorite spring and summer quaffing wine make a perfect "slap-in-the-face" aperitif and a classic match for oysters on the half-shell.
Recently, at a dinner with friends, one man's date turned to me and complained, "He's so boring. All he ever talks about is wine. All day long he talks about wine." I probably looked hurt, because I was just as engrossed in our discussion of Syrah as he was. Lorraine leaned toward me and whispered, "She's right, you know. We're all hopeless wine geeks. Look at us from an outsider's point of view."
Tuscan Wine Tours offers day tours of Italy's region of Tuscany. In this video, the group visits two small wineries and enjoys a relaxing lunch al fresco, a typical tour. Take a look:
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This is another great wine from the WinEco winery (Podrum Radenkovi?) from Southern Serbia. It is a not-very-dry Chardonnay, without a strong nose, but with an exceptional balance of fruity and barrique aromas. It is easy going, with a full taste, definitely one of the wines to accompany your lighter meals. It’s barrique traces make it a great complement to slightly smoked fish or cheeses, but it’s also great on it’s own.
In general, Chardonnay is particularly suited for the barrique (oak aged) treatment. Chardonnay Barrique develops a pronounced cognac aroma and becomes a truly full-bodied wine - all hints of fruity flavours become very subdued.
Score 9/10 Price: 800 RSD (?10) Retailer: Super Vero
Anyone who?s read Blanc de Noir for long knows we?re both huge fans of Italian wines. There?s just something about the diversity, quality, and sheer fun factor of Italian wines ? whether it?s a casual summer patio sipper or a robust vintage to accompany a big, festive dinner or one of the meditative Amarones that are still way up there on our list of favourites.
So when BC Wine Appreciation Society decided to add a couple of Italian wines to an educational tasting scheduled just prior to the 2008 Playhouse International Wine Festival ? the theme country for this year?s festival was, after all, Italy ? Frank and our illustrious BCWAS leader, Tim Ellison, decided to add a twist to the event. How about putting up a couple of Italian wines with the usual BC vintages? Frank, however, took the concept one step farther.
Here?s the deal. From BC: three sparklers, four Pinot Grigios, two Pinot Noirs, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Merlot. From Italy: three Chiantis ? just three and all from Frescobaldi, one of Italy?s most respected winemakers (multi-generations shown above).
Here?s the catch. The Chiantis were bottled in 2004, 1982, and 1975. No, it?s not a typo. The last two came from the collection of Italian wines Frank recently acquired ? one of those fantastic opportunities that come about from being in the right place and the right time and having way more patience than most when it comes to negotiating.
Alas, on the night of the event, Frank was sick with flu, but you can bet eyes went wide as people realized what he?d sent.
The 2004 was, pretty much as expected, dark purple with lots of fruit and tannins that were more ?in your face? than makes for a good sipping wine unless you?re eating. But truth is, few people spent much time with that particular wine since they were all eager to try the two older offerings.
Immediately apparent was the change in colour ? now tawny with a much larger rim than the 2004. Controversy was plentiful and several people found neither one was ?quite my thing? as one member put it in an attempt to be diplomatic. The level of oxidization, especially in the 1975, caused raised eyebrows among half the folks there. It was virtually unanimous that the ?82 needs to be drunk now and the ?75 is clearly a bit past its prime ? although not a soul suggested it should be tossed.
However wide ranging the evening?s opinions were, one thing we all did agree on. These are wines made with love and benefit from patience.
Frank?s Tasting Notes: Castello di Nipozzano Riserva 1982 This wine has aged well, probably because it is a Riserva. After more than a quarter of a century there?s still lots of fruit left ? black cherry and dark fruits with a note of white truffles in the background. The tannins have smoothed right out so they are now a little silky, and the finish is fairly long. This wine shows just how well age can improve a Chianti. Alcohol 12.5%. All the bottles for both these wines are numbered ? I have 10 left, all around 84,960 series out of 293,600 bottles produced in 1982.
Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Rufina 1975 Sadly just a little past its prime but still drinkable as the acidity has helped this one hold up. Wide orange rim, brick red colour. Truffles leave sherry undertones. This vintage has shown a lot of bottle variation ? the fruit showed up a little more in this one than the first one we tried. Alcohol 12.7%. The last bottle I have left is number 74324 of 80,000 bottles produced.
I have a whole bench full of wines open tonight. Many of them I will re-taste tomorrow but no need to wait with this wine. It is delicious and ready right off the bat and at the price point that is exactly what is required. It would be a shame to wait any longer.
Strong purple colour. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate cake, camphor, dark tobacco and cedar vanilla oak. On the palate full bodied and packed with blackberry, chocolate dipped cherry, coffee and tobacco flavours. Lush fat fruit lazing on a bed of ripe soft tannin. Entirely decadent but satisfaction is guaranteed. Outstanding drink now value.
For an entry level wine, this is extremely delicious. Crystalline and pure, this smells of a sticky childhood afternoon (with mustard fruit and toffee apple). Vibrant, juicy and precise, this should carry a dental warning and come in a bigger bottle. . .
Love is in the air this month. For those of you looking for a way to dress up your Valentine?s Day, consider the object of your affection ?the one with the sparkling personality? as your inspiration.
Accordingly, pop open the sparkling wines and celebrate.
If Valentine?s Day is not your thing, there are plenty of other reasons to celebrate with bubbly this month, from Presidents? Day to any other day of the week, which ends in ?y.? Why? Because sparkling wines add a touch of festivity to any occasion and they taste too good to wait for a special event. And, even though you may not have a fondness for this Hallmark holiday, you always have your love of wines to keep you warm.
Sparkling wines, of which Champagne is most well-known, capitalize on harnessing the CO2 created during the fermentation process to provide the fizz we all know and love. This capture takes place during a secondary fermentation, which is coupled with allowing the spent yeasts to remain in the bottle throughout the ageing period. The yeasts impart the bready/toasty aromas and flavors that are characteristic of sparkling wines.
There are several ways to make a wine sparkle, the simplest, cheapest and short-lived being the injection method (aka pompe bicyclette), which injects CO2 into the wine. These man-made bubbles tend to be large and coarse on the palate.
Conversely, the traditional method, based upon Methode Champagnoise, provides a longer-lasting, smaller bead, which has more finesse in its mouthfeel. These traits stem from the labor-intensive process which includes an initial blending of still wines (assemblage) that is then bottled and capped, along with a yeast and sugar mixture (tirage), to facilitate a secondary fermentation. The wines are then left to age on the spent yeasts for a period of time as set by the appellation (in Champagne, this is a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage wines, while Cavas are generally aged for 9 months).
The sediment left behind must then be carefully shifted from the base of the bottle to the neck in a process known as riddling. The bottles are gently tilted and turned throughout a period of several weeks, forcing the sediment down into the mouth of the bottle. The necks are then immersed into a cold, briny solution, thereby freezing the sediment. The caps are removed and the frozen sediment is thrust out of the bottle and discarded (disgorgement). The remaining wine is topped off with a blend of wine and sugar/must (liqueur d?expedition), which impacts the resulting dryness or sweetness of the finished sparkling wine. The final step is the insertion of the cork, which is much denser that those used for still wines given that sparkling wines can be under up to 6 atmospheres of pressure (be careful where you point that thing).
A similar process is used in the transfer method whereby the steps above remain the same with the exception that the sediment is removed in bulk and the wine is then filtered and bottled. Such wines will note that they have been fermented in the bottle, whereas the wines in the previous method are labeled as having been fermented in this bottle. An additional method involves the use of a tank in which the entire secondary fermentation, ageing and disgorgement takes place. While this is of course a much less expensive process than the other two, it is frequently used to produce wines that have a distinct freshness to them such as Astis from the Piedmont region in Italy.
The Champagne region in France has done a good job in marketing itself as a luxury product and this joined with increasing demand, limited supply and expensive processes has pushed up the price on these wines. Vintage sparklers (those produced entirely from grapes grown in a particularly great year) and prestige marquees (i.e. Crystal, Dom Perignon) command even higher prices. However, many sparkling wines from other regions in France (such as Burgundy and the Loire Valley) as well as well-made American, Italian (Asti and Prosecco), Germany (Sekt) and Spain (Cava) can offer the consumer a wonderful experience without the hefty price tag.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, people will be uncorking bottles of wine the world over. After all, when you think romance, wine is never far behind. In her book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide, author Leslie Sbrocco suggests “a deep red wine such as a sparkling Shiraz” as the perfect drink to celebrate the occasion. She also set about to dispel a few popular wine myths:
Myth: A screw cap means the wine is cheap. Fact: Some of the world’s most forward-thinking wineries are using screw caps these days. They’re easy to open and reclose, and they preserve the wine longer.
Myth: Older wine is better. Fact: Most wine sold today isn’t meant to be aged. If it’s from a reputable source, it’s safe to assume that it’s ready to drink.
?You?re the prowler of the night to the beds of virgins, Oh God what powers you have to gain kindnesses from girls.? (Old Gaelic toast to whisky)
If any spirit sums up what spirits are about, it?s whisky. It adapts to where it?s made, who?s drinking it and why. It can be as sophisticated as high tea and as rough as three-day stubble. Sipped or slugged, it can inspire art or arson.
In a purely anthropological sense, whisky goes hand in hand with bread-eating cultures and climates. The process goes something like this: You grow grain, which you make into bread. You mill your grain and save a bit to sow for next year?s crop, but in the good seasons what do you do with the extra? Give it to the pigs? No way. You make whisky.
Irish Whiskey What came first, the Irish predilection for drink or the drink itself? It?s a real chicken and egg scenario. Whatever the answer, the Irish did make whiskey first. Distilling had already been around in Ireland for a couple of hundred years when its first historical mention occurs. Apparently in 1276 Sir Robert Savage fortified his troops with ?a mighty draught of uisce beatha (whiskey).? Irish whiskey began with the rural poor in Ireland, who probably preferred to drink than eat. These days there?s much more to the difference between Irish whiskey and Scottish whisky than the letter ?e?.
It all comes down to quirks in production that are utterly Irish and devoid of logic. Although there?s a fair bit of peat in Ireland it was rarely used to dry the malted barley. Coal was preferred. This is the defining difference. That smokiness so apparent in Scottish whisky is not there. Without the smoke screen to mask the flavors, there?s a delicate perfume and a less masculine taste. The Irish also use raw barley as well as malted barley. This evolved not from any desire to make a better tasting whiskey but because there was a tax on malt.
Oats were used occasionally for the same reason. Irish whiskey is distilled three times (as opposed to the normal two) in larger than normal pot stills. The idiosyncrasies of pot stills and the extra distillation produce a uniquely delicate drink. Whiskey made this way is known as ?pot still whiskey? and like Scotch is often blended with neutral-tasting grain whiskey.
Jameson, based in Dublin, is a blend of pot still and grain whiskey and sums up what Irish whiskey is all about. The classic Tullamore Dew got its name because its founder was Daniel E. Williams, initials D.E.W. It?s renowned for its lightness. Bushmills is the oldest surviving distillery in the world and is a little more malty than most Irish whiskeys.
Scottish Whisky Whatever the Irish say, Scotland is the spiritual home of whisky. No other drink is so associated with one country. But until about 1840 ?Scotch? as we know it didn?t exist. In the early 19th century malt whisky production was booming. Licensed distilleries had jumped from 125 to 329. At the same time the continuous still was being developed. Invented by Aeneas Coffey (an Irishman!) and patented in 1830, it allowed for the bulk distillation of grain spirit. The blending of malt whisky and cheaper grain whisky from the Coffey stills was a logical step.
Scotch was born.
For the unadventurous it had the same appeal as McDonalds, processed cheese, fish fingers and instant coffee. Its success was guaranteed. Many malt distilleries shut down or operated only to produce blending components for Scotch. Until Glenfiddich decided to stick a toe in the export market in the 1960s, you couldn?t buy a single malt whisky outside Scotland. Thankfully malt whisky has made a comeback. If you?re into single malt you?ll want to taste everything, but here are a few suggestions: Talisker, Highland Park, Bowmore and Lagavulin.
American Whiskey Whether they liked it or not, whiskey followed the Puritans to America. The Scottish and Irish emigrated too and brought with them a desire to drink and the means to make good that desire.
The defining thing about American whiskey is that it isn?t made from barley. Corn was indigenous to the U.S. and it was corn and rye that were used. No one can agree on when and by whom the first drinkable corn whiskey was distilled. Some say it was the Baptist preacher Elija Craig in 1789, others John Ritchie in 1777, and some Evan Williams in 1783. No matter, Kentucky soon became the state most famous for whiskey and racehorses.
The story here goes something like this. Thomas Jefferson, governor of Virginia at the time, offered 60 acres to any settler who built a permanent structure and grew corn. Sixty acres produces a lot of corn and the excess was turned into whiskey which was then shipped down the Mississippi to New Orleans and traded for Arab horses, which were then ridden up the Natchez trace back to Kentucky. Whiskey and racehorses often go together but rarely is the relationship so symbiotic.
To be called a bourbon, a whiskey need not be from Bourbon County but it must be at least 51 percent sour corn mash (most are about 70Ð90 percent, the balance being barley and rye) and aged for at least two years in charred, white oak barrels. Charring of the barrels is a crucial part of the process. Said to have been invented by the aforementioned Reverend Craig, the charring opens up the wood and brings out those vanilla and caramel flavors crucial to the bourbon style. Wild Turkey is a classic big bourbon available in a range of alcoholic strengths, while Woodford Reserve is a little more sophisticated and a good sipper.
Tennessee Whiskey is a corn whiskey but it differs from bourbon. It?s smoother and lighter, less sweet and heavy. The reason is charcoal filtering. Newly distilled clear spirit is dripped through a vat filled with finely ground charcoal. When people ask for Tennessee Whiskey they don?t, they ask for Jack Daniel?s.
As ever, language says more about the differences in whiskies than any amount of technical detail. In Ireland a person asks for a whiskey by brand name: ?a Paddy? or ?a Dunphy? or in rare cases generically as ?a ball of malt.? In Scotland they?ll ask for a single malt by name as a dram, nip, tot or the affectionate ?wee goldie.? Americans ask for a belt, blast or a slug. Each is a different drink drunk differently. They just happen to be all made in stills, all called whisk(e)y and all have that power to gain kindnesses from girls.
WHISKY
TERMS
* Single Malt Whisky - A term coined in the 1970s during the malt whisky revival, used to define the whisky of one distillery made with 100 percent malted barley.
* Scotch - A blended whisky made in Scotland.
* Irish Whiskey - Whiskey made in Ireland, normally a blend of pot still whiskey with malted barley and grain whiskey.
* Bourbon - An American whiskey with 51 percent or more corn mash aged for two years in charred oak barrels.
* Tennessee Whiskey - a whiskey with no specific grain criteria but normally made with corn mash and charcoal filtering.
Big Bottles Fetch $35,500 for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Four custom-etched bottles, each containing 27 liters of 2005 Charles Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug Winery-Peter Mondavi Family, raised a total of $35,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Another summer is quickly coming to an end, and I hope everyone got a chance to visit their favorite local vineyard for a tour or a wine tasting. The highlight of my summer is always being able to visit the northern Michigan wineries. This summer, I got a chance to go up to the Leelanau Peninsula several times, and each time was memorable.
Leelanau Cellars is, by far, my favorite place to visit up north, especially because of the tasting experience. You don’t feel limited of how many wines you can taste, and the staff working the tasting room are VERY knowledgeable and friendly. I left with about 16 bottles of wine the last time I visited! If you are looking for some odd fruit wines, this is the place to go.
The wine: I shared a bottle with my new roommates in Grand Rapids. All three of us loved it.
Matt: “Delicious with chips and dip” Casey: “It would be a good winter wine. Surprisingly smooth!”
I enjoyed this 5 dollar bottle of wine with a thin-crust pizza and it was great. The wine was rich, and had a lot of flavor. I could taste the typical hints of cherry that most Michigan wines boast.
Summary: Great job, Leelanau Cellars! I look forward to coming back next year! Rating: 9/10 - Excellent! Price: 5 bucks Winery Information: Leelanau Cellars Leelanau Wine Cellars 12683 E. Tatch Rd (County Rd. 626) Omena, MI 49674 (231) 386-5201
With warm spring and summer days around the corner, our attention turns to crisp white wines and friendly reds. Randy "Bucko" Buckner reports on wines from $6 to $105, sure to fit any occasion and pocketbook.
In the long and storied history of Wine Blogging Wednesday, several bloggers have hosted the monthly virtual tasting twice. But only one, founder Lenn Thompson of LENNDEVOURS, has hosted three times. As of today, you can add my name to the WBW three-peat list as I again take up the reins and choose the theme.
The previous two times I’ve hosted, red wines were featured: first lite in alcohol, then full-tilt in the other direction. So this time out, I’ll pick my favorite white variety, Riesling. But not Riesling grown just anywhere, but where the grape first achieved noble status in the Old World: Germany, Austria and France’s Alsace region. In this terroir, the variety produces some of the most interesting and long-lived white wines from bone-dry to lusciously sweet.
Pick any style you like, at any price point, and join me as we explore Old World Riesling on Wednesday, May 7.
To participate, just pick up a wine made from Riesling grown in Germany, Austria or Alsace (OK, Northern Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are also fine) and blog about it. If you don’t have a blog, sign-up and post at the WBW Community Blog. Once you have posted, send me an email at winecast (at) gmail (dot) com with “WBW 45″ in your subject line. Sometime after May 7th, I’ll post an event round-up here.
I hope you enjoy this theme as much as me and pick up a bottle from somewhere you have not tried yet. I think you will be very pleased with the resulting value.
Apparently I don’t get out much. Until recently, I didn’t know that some restaurants charge as much as $250 per bottle for their corkage fee. Excuse me, but that is insane. As Lettie Teague in Food and Wine magazine asked recently, “What could you get for $250 that you couldn’t for, say, $25?”
The average cost of corkage around the country is about $25, which is infinitely more reasonable, but even those establishments that have reasonable corkage fees, they, perhaps surprisingly, come with their own set of rules. One of the more popular restaurants in San Francisco, Michael Mina, for example, has a two-bottle limit with their $35 per bottle fee, and the bottles that you bring can’t be something that they have on the house list. That certainly makes sense, and if you’re planning on bringing your own bottle of wine to your next dinner reservation, it’s a good idea to call ahead to inquire as to the restaurant’s fee and their own individual rules. You know, “know before you go,” and all that.
In her recent Corkage article, Lettie shared seven cheap corkage spots for your drinking pleasure:
Where to Go
Metro Marche, New York City ($10). This bus-station brasserie has good food and cheap corkage. 625 Eighth Avenue, 212-239-1010
Sip Sak, New York City ($13). Great Turkish food and a low corkage fee. 928 Second Avenue, 212-583-1900
Dehlia Lounge, Seattle ($15). Corkage here is just $15, as it is at all of Tom Douglas’s restaurants. 2001 Fourth Avenue, 206-682-4142
Market, St. Helena, California ($15). Corkage is free on Tuesday nights at this friendly diner. 1347 Main Street, 707-963-3799
Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, DC ($25). If you bring an American wine, the corkage is free; otherwise, it’s $25. 101 Constiutution Avenue NW, 202-547-8100
Naha, Chicago ($25). There are lots of great corkage spots in Chicago, but this restaurant also has terrific food. 500 North Clark Street, 312-321-6242
Michael Mina, San Francisco ($35). This top restaurant has a great wine list and a fair corkage fee as well. 335 Powell Street, 415-397-9222.
Kansas City, there I came, for an evening of 1947 Bordeaux assembled by one of the Midwest?s top connoisseurs, Mark. When it comes to Kansas City and wine, there is only one Mark. It was actually a wine weekend, but I could only get away for a Saturday night due to a June catalog production [...]
98-100 points Tanzer: "Deeper orange color. Pure botrytis aromas of apricot, orange marmalade, quince jam, honey and licorice. Moderately viscous, but brilliantly delineated. Near-solid texture and perfect balance. Features an extraordinary high-wire act of 160 g/l residual sweetness and 11.5 g/l acidity, but here the alcohol is a more substantial 14.6%. This may well develop in bottle for 50 years."
Whilst in Bordeaux I took the time to speak to Thierry Manoncourt at Chateau Figeac to ask him about his life and how things have changed during his stewardship of the estate since the 1940s - he will be ninety in September this year. The interview will be podcast in the near future (in [...]
menu selection . Visualization and pre-planning are the keys to a smooth flowing and disaster-free evening. Begin buy selection a set of recipes with which you feel comfortable. When creating a complete menu, mix recipes that can be fixed in advance with those that need to be prepared or finished during the party.
A few days ahead of the dinner, spend a half hour during your commute to work (or whenever your mind tends to take a cat nap) and focus on the number of guests, the food, the cooking facilities, and the working space in which you will be cooking. Picture yourself preparing the dishes you intend to make and serving them in the manner you have chosen. If the act of visualizing the preceding steps causes butterflies in your stomach, select alternative recipes, simplify the menu, and/or plan to do more of the cooking in advance.
If you are a certified dinner party phobic attempting to overcome your anxieties, select a recipe that can be prepared earlier in the day, i.e., a curry, and serve it with a simple salad of baby greens. Buy a finger food and a dessert or, more simply still, ask two guests to bring them. In so doing, you can put the mental block of food preparation behind you and focus on the deep-rooted source of your phobia.
pre-production . It's not always possible, and never crucial, to prepare all of the food during the last 90 minutes before your guests arrive, or in their presence. Most of my recipes can be prepared, at least partially, one day in advance. The flavors of some foods, such as soups and curries, actually improve after sitting for a day. Other foods can be prepared in advance and frozen -- although I confess to having little experience in this area because the freezer section in my aesthetically pleasing fifties refrigerator functions exclusively as a frost factory.
The corollary to food improving with time is that some foods lose their zest if prepared too far in advance. Before serving any food, taste it. If necessary, "refresh" it with salt, pepper, lemon and/or a generous portion of the same herbs that were used originally to flavor the dish.
sizing the servings . Unless you have specifically asked how hungry individual guests are, it is desirable to make all portions equal. The first phase of portion control takes place when shopping for ingredients. Sometimes a little hardball may be required. For example, if you were to request twelve 1-inch-thick salmon steaks from your local fishmonger, he would probably cut them from a single salmon. Unfortunately, the cut from the middle of the fish can be twice as wide as the cuts nearest the head or tail. There's always almost another salmon "in the back" and you must stand your ground to get what you need. After all, you are the customer and, per the retail credo, that makes you always right.
To avoid running out of food, prepare a little extra -- even at the expense of having leftovers. When planning for casual parties where additional guests may drop by, or arrive in tow with your invited guests, it's always wise to prepare extra portions of the main dish. At least be sure to have lots of something i.e., salad, bread, veggies, etc.
If you are assembling plates for a seated affair, don't let any plate out of the kitchen until you are certain that you have enough of everything to complete the remaining dishes.
timing is everything . Having settled on a menu and decided which items to cook in advance, slide back into the visualization mode for a moment and imagine that it's 15 minutes before showtime. Will everything be ready at the same time? Are the garnishes prepped? Did you put the rise on?
Return to the present and create a "critical path" by establishing the sequence in which each dish needs to be started, refreshed or reheated. When in doubt, scribble out a running order and stick it on the refrigerator.
When showtime arrives, wait until the last minute to put the finishing touch on delicate foods. As a rule, begin steering your guests toward the dinner table before tossing the salad, adding shrimp to a sauce or steaming vegetables.
the accelerated assembly line . Assembling a large number of plates quickly is a challenge for professional chefs and amateurs alike. Before you begin, think about how you would like the food to look on the plate and how the colors, shapes and textures will interact. Create a blueprint in your mind and plan to assemble each plate identically. Then:
Have all the food and garnishes ready to be dished out
Have the appropriate serving utensils in hand
Set the (warmed) plates out on the available counter space
Confirm that all of the guests are seated
Make up the first plate according to the blueprint in your mind
Then, with the help of one or two guests-cum-sous-chefs, dish it all out as quickly as possible, assembly line style. (If you have a cassette deck in your kitchen, play the William Tell Overture)
Wipe any drippings from around the edge of the plates with a clean dish towel and check that garnishes are in place before allowing each dish to leave the kitchen.
space oddity . Oven space, counter space and refrigerator space are valuable commodities when cooking for large groups -- and another reason to keep the menu simple. A shortage of counter space is the most common hindrance in a small kitchen. Sometimes a little ingenuity is required to convert dead space into a functional prepping area. Cover the sink with a cutting board, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it over the stove's burners (heat off, please) and clear the decks of any appliances or items that are not required for the meal, i.e., the juicer, toaster, bread maker, coffee maker, coffee grinder, kettle, cookie jar, popcorn maker -- I think you get the picture.
the grill drill . The advent and popularity of propane gas grills has significantly reduced the inconvenience factor of grilling. If you are using propane, refill your tank before the party and/or keep a spare tank -- a party is a bad time to discover the gas gauge is broken.
I still swear by real hardwood charcoal (often available only in mesquite), which I believes provides the best grill flavor. This may stem from my difficulty in conceptualizing how petrified lava rocks can duplicate the smoky flavor of natural wood.
When grilling with real charcoal, light your coals 30 minutes in advance. Extra charcoal may be required to keep the fire burning, but it beats fighting to get the coals lit while you're famished dinner guests cheer you on. Never use starter fluids to light your coals. They make food taste like a gas rag, not to mention being one of the worst known air polluters. Use crumpled newspaper, ideally in combination with the very politically correct starter chimney.
Whether you have chosen gas or charcoal, beware that grilling for 6 to 12 people can require a surprisingly large area of grill space -- especially if you have chosen to accompany the entree with grilled veggies. Be prepared to grill your food in shifts, or borrow a second grill so that all of the food can be cooked at once.
help! i need somebody . Once your guest list hits the double digits, the sheer volume of people becomes an impediment to merely "winging it." In most cases, guests will be willing to lend a hand or even arrive early to help, though occasionally circumstances may make this inappropriate or undesirable. In these cases, you might consider outside help. Help comes in the following flavors: bartender, sous-chef or general kitchen assistance. Consult a friend who uses help, check the Yellow Pages or hire the kid next door.
Hiring one person to assist with the prep, cooking and cleanup can make the difference between enjoying yourself and feeling like the "help" at your own party.
if you can't stand the heat... . Throwing a dinner party is supposed to be one of life's little pleasures. But there is work involved. Hard work. Even the most enjoyable parties have their trying moments. Compose your own cooking mantra and repeat it to yourself with Buddhist fervor whenever the inevitable disaster rears its ugly head. Not only will this save you untold aggravation, but it will start you down the path toward an understanding of the true Zen of cooking.
Usually when people give a bottle of wine as a gift, it’s in one of those pricier velvet-style gift bags that get lost before it can get reused, or those metallic ones. The folks at Random House are offering a new, unique alternative and, best of all, if won’t break the bank.
These Wine Lovers Gift Tags run $13 for a pack of 50, and come in various shapes and sizes and even include the ribbon for tying it to the wine bottle. They might just add a little bit of humorous conversation to the next party to boot.
Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet...
Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet 45 minute layover from SLC? How's about 4.5 12 hours!? And that snappy 1 hour layover from Ottawa back to SLC? Try 3 hours. Oy veh. I need a drink. And speaking of drinks, can I interest you in a Chiroubles?
G. DuBoeuf Chiroubles 2005 ($10) - Had this wine originated from a more 'serious' French wine region, chances are it would be selling at 3-4 times the asking price. However, seeing as it comes from the immensely under-appreciated region of Beaujolais, you can grab it for ten damn dollars. Chiroubles is one of 10 Beaujolais Crus (i.e. premier growing sites). I might not describe this wine as, "exploding from the glass like a massive bouquet of violets," as Parker-proxy Pierre Rovani does. I would however describe it as an ultrasexy rendition of the Gamay grape - with scents of fresh blueberry and violet-blossom. In the mouth, DuB.'s Chiroubles does it nice and smooth with silky tannins and simple cherry-blueberry flavors. Snatch this wine up forthwith and sip it with a plate of bistro frites.
Tecnorati
This is another great wine from the 
I have a whole bench full of wines open tonight. Many of them I will re-taste tomorrow but no need to wait with this wine. It is delicious and ready right off the bat and at the price point that is exactly what is required. It would be a shame to wait any longer.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, people will be uncorking bottles of wine the world over. After all, when you think romance, wine is never far behind. In her book, 
The previous two times I’ve hosted, red wines were featured: first 
To participate, just pick up a wine made from Riesling grown in Germany, Austria or Alsace (OK, Northern Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are also fine) and blog about it. If you don’t have a blog, 
Apparently I don’t get out much. Until recently, I didn’t know that some restaurants charge as much as $250 per bottle for their corkage fee. Excuse me, but that is insane. As Lettie Teague in 
Usually when people give a bottle of wine as a gift, it’s in one of those pricier velvet-style gift bags that get lost before it can get reused, or those metallic ones. The folks at Random House are offering a new, unique alternative and, best of all, if won’t break the bank.
