Learn How To Easily Find Wines Of $50 Quality For $10 Or Less. Impress Friends With Your Expanded Wine Knowledge. Eliminate Your Dependence On Wine Salespeople. And Take The Hassle Out Of Buying Wine.
Earn $6.17 / Sale! %75 Commission! The Ultimate Resource For Anyone Who Wants To Learn How To Make Outstanding Wines & Spirits From Their Very Own Home!
With the help of Bron Marshall and J I seem to be back on track. I'm now under www.winosandfoodies.com . Which means you will need to alter your subscription in your readers as originally my URL was set to winosandfoodies.TYPEPAD.com and that is where you would have subsscribed to.
The wine world is chock full of gadgets these days and this is one of the funniest I have seen in such a while. A physician by trade, Patrick Farrell claims that he has an invention that will improve the quality of a wine simply by pouring wine into a glass. Let me explain?
He has created a device that will fit around the neck of a bottle that uses magnets to enhance the wine.
Farrell started out tying magnets to the neck of a bottle at the urging of business acquaintances who were distributing magnets to try to improve water quality. At the time, he thought the chance magnets would work on wine was ?about the same as seeing pigs fly.? But, he says, ?I took the thing home, put it on a bottle of shiraz from Australia and was shocked to see it made it taste smoother and fruitier. So then I went down to my cellar and I got a bottle of Bordeaux from the Medoc and it made it taste softer and fruitier.? Eventually, he came up with a molded plastic device that looks like a regular non-drip pourer and has an air hole to speed up oxygenation. That intensifies the effect of the wizard and differentiates it from other magnetic devices on the market such as The Wine Clip, which clasps around the bottle neck, says Farrell. Um?magnets?? I guessing the pourer at the top actually aerates the wine and that?s what softens the wine as opposed to the magnets. But let?s see what the critics have to say.
?Testimonials are irrelevant. Tastings are not proof,? says Ball, a professor at Cleveland State University, and ?amateur wine snob,? who says magnetic fields aren?t strong enough to change the shape of tannins. ?All that magnetic field is doing is separating you from your money,? says Ball, who won?t be trying the Bev Wizard any time soon. Awesome! At $30 for the gadget you?re better off buying a $5 corkscrew and a $25 bottle of wine!!
This really promises to be a cool event. I hope to see some of you there.
Seven North Carolina breweries - including all five from Buncombe County - are teaming up this month to host a Slow Food beer-tasting event at the downtown Asheville Brewing Company, 77 Coxe Ave. Slow Food is an international group that works to preserve food traditions and sustainable agriculture. Proceeds from the beer tasting will be used to send local delegates to the Slow Food Terra Madre gathering, Oct. 26-30 in Turin, Italy. The tasting, at 5 p.m. Aug. 27, will feature beers each from Asheville Brewing, Highland Brewing, Pisgah Brewing, French Broad Brewing, Green Man Brewing (all from the Asheville area) Catawba Brewing of Glen Alpine and Foothills Brewing of Winston-Salem. Each brewery will have at least two beers at the event, and Asheville Brewing will likely serve all of their ales, said brewmaster Doug Riley. Beers will be served in four-ounce samples, and the evening includes pizza. Tickets are $20, on sale now at Asheville Brewing and its sister operation, Asheville Pizza and Brewing, 675 Merrimon Ave. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060809/NEWS01/60809012/1119
So, things have been really hectic at work and with dial up access only (and limited at that) blogging is very difficult. Anywho I am not giving up on it, just lagging behind. I expect the next post to be on Sunday unless the heavens open up and smile upon me. Tomorrow I am going to a Highland Beer dinner at Ganache so I'll post the deets then. Lay-tah!! Cheers!
Summer tried to dip its toe in the water this weekend - it looked a little like summer and it was pretty much the right time of the year - but the shorts stayed in their cupboard! Today it also looks like summer, but my jacket remains on - so far. Chickening out of firing-up [...]
[11/25/2006, 15:17]
Preparations for Christmas.
Santiago of Chile prepares itself to receive the Christmas.
While hurried wayfarers travel the Plaza of Weapon, a group of workers raised in nets, prepare a gigantic tree.
It will be finished in a few days more and be be almost so high as the centenary Cathedral, Satiago's former relic.
Marketing, the life I live outside of wine, is an interesting beast. And right now I’m speaking of the segment of marketing that inspires people and creates brands. In a traditional world, you have magazines or publications with editorial calendars and predictable subject matter. When the Web1.0 world came along, things were basically the same, predictable order of operations but with a much lower barrier to entry creating a flood of information. Search engines and intelligent algorithms began indexing this information and added a way to generate leads for business by setting up Ads based on the content. The theory goes if you’re searching for the content you might be interested some related products and/or services so here they are right next to your information. That’s great for lead generation. Interestingly enough, that has minimal branding value. You can ask anyone doing search engine marketing, paid ads are great for lead generation but they work fairly similarly to how stores are merchandised - similar items are next to each other so that you generate sales. It works, everyone’s happy in Web1.0 and the world creates a multi-billion dollar online advertising industry.
In comes “Web2.0″ where there is a shift. Really the type of fundamental shift that creates markets. It was subtle and natural evolution to end users but a disruptive shift for marketeers. This new e-commerce and publishing platform suddenly became less about broadcast and more about conversations. Less about a hyper-advanced information source and catalog and more about meeting people with common interests and creating “social” groups.
When people are on MySpace, the activity they?re doing isn?t search. It?s something akin to ?hanging out? or ?networking?. Their task is almost the opposite of search. They are already on the site they want to be on. They don?t need to click on links to take them where they want to go.
In other words, the context is entirely different. When you?re in search mode, you are playing by different rules.
Social ads don?t work as well because people are being social, not searching for something.
What the Author is saying is that in the world of conversations, social networking that happens to be online, and interaction, understanding context of the situation is king. Automating the placement of a static ad based on certain keyword matches has modest success on blogs (but the blog has to be very popular because its only those doing some searching that will be interested in the ads) and much less success on an actual social platform. Ads based on keywords in content are worthwhile if the activity the “clickee” is engaged in is searching for information (Web1.0). But if the published word that is triggering the static ad is part of a conversation that Richard and I are having on his blog about the Wine.com direct shipping whistle blowing debacle…er…debate (hypothetically), then that ad won’t be of interest to me.
Additionally, straight forward ad networks won’t help either. They just lump conversations into categories (either Tags or worse), match advertisers with categories they want to serve ads to in an automated fashion, and then serve away. Its arguable that this is even MORE Web1.0 than keyword advertising.
Marketing is being disrupted and its going to take a disruption to this market, not just in the technology but in the approach to marketing, to make online marketing effective in a Web 2.0 world.
California Pinot Noir lovers take note. Wine lovers with a free weekend, listen up. It's Spring, and the wine events are coming fast and furious. It seems like every week there's a new wine tasting to go to. But some are more worth paying attention to than others.
Anderson Valley is known for two things in California, and not coincidentally, it has more or less two major wine tasting events per year. The first, the International Alsace Varietals festival took place a few months ago, and I was sadly prevented from attending.
The second is the annual Pinot Noir Festival, which it looks like I'll also be unable to attend, much to my disappointment. But if you're a fan of Pinot Noir and you don't have plans this coming weekend, I seriously recommend it. It's definitely worth the three hour drive.
Not only is this a gorgeous time of year in the Anderson Valley, but the Pinot Noirs on offer include a few of the better ones in the state. This isn't a huge tasting, and consequently you'll find very few huge wineries there. Instead you'll find a bunch of small, dedicated growers and producers pouring their (mostly) small production wines.
The event includes a technical conference and BBQ on Friday May 16th. One of the guys speaking at the technical conference is John Winthrop Haeger, author of North American Pinot Noir, which is one of the definitive works on the grape. Saturday features the grand tasting and winemaker dinners, and those who choose to stay through Sunday can wander around to the many open houses hosted by the valley's wineries.
Participating wineries include: Baxter Winery, Black Kite Cellars, Breggo Cellars, Brogan Cellars, Cakebread Cellars, Copain Wines, Drew, Elke Vineyards, Foursight Wines, Goldeneye Winery, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Gryphon Wines, Handley Cellars, Harmonique, Husch Vineyards, Jim Ball Vineyards, La Crema, Lazy Creek Vineyards, Londer Vineyards, MacPhail Family Wines, Madrigal Vineyards, Navarro Vineyards, Phillips Hill Estates, Philo Ridge Vineyards, Raye's Hill Vineyards & Winery, Roederer Estate, Roessler Cellars, Saintsbury, Scharffenberger Cellars, Standish Wine Company, Toulouse Vineyards, Williams Selyem and Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery.
11th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival Grand Tasting Saturday, May 17th, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Goldeneye Winery 9200 Highway 128 Philo, CA 95466 707-895-3202
The $85 tickets to the Grand Tasting can (and should) be purchased in advance online. The Friday technical conference will cost you an additional $100 (yes there is wine to taste at this event), and winemaker dinners vary in price.
If you are driving up for the event, I recommend giving yourself a bit of extra time to get there. Perhaps drive up in the morning and have some breakfast before the tasting.
Every once in awhile I like to remind Wine Camp readers that I can be significantly longer winded than I am in my normal posts on Wine Camp. So here I provide an annual reminder that I don't employ an editor by providing links to some of my favorite longer articles:
Ports vary in color, taste, and complexity based on the grapes used to produce them and the material used in the aging process. Among the most commonly found types of port are:
Tawny Port - Tawny port is made from red wine grapes, aged in wood. A reserve tawny is one that has been aged at least seven years. Tawny ports are usually light yellow in color and have a slightly "nutty" taste. Tawny ports made from a single vintage are called "colheitas" and indicate the vintage year on the bottle.
Ruby Port - Just as the name indicates, ruby ports are deep red in color. These are the least expensive ports and are made with red wine grapes and aged in stainless steel to preserve the color. Generally, ruby ports are aged from three to five years.
Vintage Port - The finest kind of port wine, vintage port comes from a single year's grape production. Not every year is declared a vintage year in Portugal and, as with fine Bordeaux or Burgundy wines, some years' growing conditions create a better product. Vintage ports are aged a maximum of 2 1/2 years before bottling.
LBV Port - LBV or "Late Bottle Vintage" ports were originally crafted to be vintage ports. However, due to lack of demand or other factors, they are left in the barrel longer than allowed for a vintage port. Generally, LBV ports are lighter in color and texture than the vintage cousins.
Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com.
More banging on from me about how we should look to the independent merchant for the more interesting wines - small producers, interesting flavours, unknown grapes etc etc but such purchases do not have to be the idiosyncratic, often you just need something decent and mainstream but still retaining that small producer mentality...
Wine Tasting Note: Château Les Tonnelles, 2004, Fronsac, France. Available from Bordeaux-Undiscovered [more] for £7.99 (normally £11.99). Very French (for which read Bordeaux) in style and structure - the aroma has a lovely fruity edge that needs a little teasing (swirl/decant) to really reveal itself - don't forget that aroma offers so much to the overall enjoyment of wine - is that blackcurrant, blackberry, leaves, undergrowth?
The Bordeaux Undiscovered website states that this 'drinks well on it's own' but I disagree - it's a classic French food wine - unless you enjoy hearty tannins - and in that regard is highly recommended with a simple roasted game bird. In this case it is stuffed with herby sausage and served with a potato-parsley-garlic mash and a broad bean puree (the latter left over from the Pappardelle with Broad Beans and Rocket dish).
The wine is 100% Merlot. Alcohol 13.5%. Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
When you're gazing at endless rows of wine and you have no clue what to buy, here some generalized tips that can help weed out the crap and allow you to make an educated guess:
1) Don't buy any wine that has dust on it. Chances are there is a reason it hasn't moved. It is either a horrible wine or its a terrible value.
2) If you only see a couple bottles of a particular wine left on the shelf, it may be worth trying. This could be an indication that people are buying it up like crazy and you just happened to walk in at the right time.
3) Read the back label for helpful flavor guides. Smart wineries include descriptions and food pairings. Those that don't have any indicators are anyone's guess as to how it will taste.
Hopefully these easy-to-remember tips will help those in need. Be smart. Use common sense. Don't blindly buy another bottle of vino without making at LEAST an educated guess. Cheers!
Wed Feb 23rd, 2005, Stowe Weekly wine tasting featuring Spanish Reds, with local distributor Robert Boehme of The Vermont Wine Merchants Company , on hand to discuss the wines.
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.
I helped out at a trade event in London devoted to Sauternes and Barsac the other week. Entitled ?Sweeties with Savouries? it set out to show how both Sauternes and Barsac can be drunk not only with the usual foie gras and desserts but also with all the courses of a complete meal. With courses ranging from roquefort crème brulee with figs (see picture) through roast Moroccan quail with sweet potato mash to blue cheese cheesecake, the food was absolutely wonderful. Attendees were then asked to vote for which wine made the best match with which course. There was quite a lot of agreement about which of the 16 wines went with which of the 5 courses but there were also many individual opinions. As with wine tasting there is no definitive answer in the area of food and wine matching.
Tasting through the 16 wines was an education in itself. Considering they were all the recently bottled 2005 vintage, there was a range of aromas from honey, peach, minerals and smoke to flavours on the palate of marmalade, peach, citrus and honey. There were also subtle but significant differences in the weight and texture on the palate. The differences can be understood when looking at the percentages of grapes with everything from 90% semillon and 10% sauvignon of the premier cru classe Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey through to the 70% semillon, 25% sauvignon and 5% muscadelle of Chateau d’Armajan des Ormes. The aging process whilst broadly similar in length of between 18 and 24 months, varies according to the percentage of new barrels used.
The key to good Sauternes and Barsac, apart from the terrroir, is the botrytis that is required to shrivel up the grapes and concentrate the sugar in the grapes. From talking to several of the producers the 2007 vintage was going to be a worry as the summer was cool. However the autumn was as hoped with cool misty mornings followed by sunny afternoons, the perfect environment for the ?mushroom? spores of botrytis cinerea to develop.
There is a much history associated with the ownership of the chateau in Sauternes with many of them having been in the same family for generations. Check out the web site of Chateau Dudon if you want some history of a typical family owned Sauternes producing chateau.
When I taste young Bordeaux from top estates such as 1, I often wonder which could be the next 1, 1 or 1. The later three vintages at Latour are some of the greatest red wines ever produced, and they certainly are reference points for the château itself.
Martinborough, New Zealand. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A65.
The back label of the bottle states: The superb 2006 vintage has delivered a dream wine. Meanwhile, Bob Campbell MW writes*: This is probably the best Ata Rangi pinot that I have tasted. He finishes his note with the words Kiwi Musigny.
This really is a beautiful wine. Prettier and more refined than the previous vintage, though the descriptors and traits may be similar. Flowing, shapely and full of life, it is seamless, complex and utterly compelling. Succulent and pert, this is classically formed and enduring.
Excellent. 95. Now - 2016.
* Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine April/May 2008.
How many times have you bought a wine based on a promotional price? Or bought multiple wines you didn’t really want because of a three for two type offer? We may be all falling for “artificial promotions” that are anything but a good deal.
There are some good quotes in the article from wine industry insiders confirming that what have long been speculated to be dubious “offers” are exactly that and give no real value to the wine drinker at all.
This Bordeaux Cotes De Bourg wine is another 05 value. It has a black cherry hue with tight fruit of black cherry and some raspberry notes with minerals and steel.
In the mouth this wine is sweet with some tannic structure, bready notes but needs to open. With breathing it is a tad hot but nice flavors and body with good structure and a good food wine. Buy this wine and two more to lay down for another year and reap the rewards. All this for only $14 so raise a glass to a great vintage!
It's time again for Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event started by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours. This month, Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by Tim Elliott of Winecast, and his theme is Old World Riesling. Rieslings are great summer wines, with their fresh flavors and typically low alcohol levels, so I have been looking forward to this month's theme for a while now.
The wine that I picked--the 2006 Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin"Riesling--certainly qualifies as an "Old World" Riesling. This label has loads of fascinating history behind it. First, Weingut Max Ferd. Richter has been operated by the family for the past three centuries. Second (I love this part), Rieslings from the Mülheimer Sonnenlay vineyard where the grapes for this wine were grown was the wine most often poured on Zeppelin flights during the 1920s and 1930s. That's why even now the bottle has a glorious Art Deco image of a Zeppelin on it. I don't think you can get much more "Old World" than that! The 2006 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin" Riesling was one of the better lower-price German Rieslings I had lately. ($14.99, domaine547; it looks like they've got the 2007 in stock now) This Riesling was one giant lime fest. There were aromas of apple, honey and lime zest, which were as enticing as the bright golden color. Flavors of fresh squeezed lime juice and lime zest kept it tangy and lively in your mouth. A tiny bit of stoniness in the back of your throat during the finish kept the wine interesting down to the very last drop. Very good QPR.
Like most Rieslings, this was a very drinkable and food-friendly wine that would be best with spicy food or grilled sausages--something with lots of flavor. We had it with an amazing chicken salad that combined honey-mustard dressing with mangoes, cucumbers, red pepper, and greens. The salad had great synergy with the wine. The dressing was made with lime juice and honey mustard which brought out all the lime flavors and aromas. And the honeyed aromas in the wine turned into mango-like flavors you sipped it after a bite of salad. This was a terrific pairing, and really showed you the power of the perfect wine and food pairing.
Thanks to founder Lenn, our host Tim, and to all of the participants who make this a great event every month. See you back here in June when I'll be your host. Stay tuned for an announcement of the theme following Tim's roundup.
Drop dead gorgeous I'm dying to know I nearly died of embarrassment To die for I'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.
I don't think so.
No one ever died because they were attractive. No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip. No one ever died of embarrassment. Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?
.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.
People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war.
Then there are those who die from cancer. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, friends, work colleagues, nieghbours.
Happily there are also those who beat cancer. The ones who discover it early. And that is the secret to beating cancer - early detection. Which is why they have tests like mammographies, PAP smears, colonoscopies, PSA's, skin and mole checks. If you have a history of cancer in your family these checks are even more important. Discuss cancer screening with your doctor next time you visit. It could save your life.
I would like to thank the 179 fabulous bloggers who cared enough to participate in LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow - 2008. Thank you for sharing your stories. I cried, I laughed and I rejoiced at the stories you shared. I'm honoured some of you chose to share your very personal stories with me via email, stories too painful to share with the world.
While I was writing the round up I received a call to tell me a friend had lost her battle with cancer. There was a big difference in our ages and until we were both diagnosed with cancer we weren't close. Our friendship developed as we shared our cancer journey. Some of our conversations were about death and our theories on an after life. Those around us found it hard to comprehend how easily we talked about death. How we could laugh about how we wanted to look in our coffins. For her it was to be no make up at all , for me it is to be no rosy cheeks or red lipstick. She'd chosen her outfit already - something simple. I'm in no hurry to choose my outfit. I'm thinking something white and angelic :) No harm in looking the part. Don't be shocked when your loved ones use humour to talk about their cancer - it helps us overcome our fears.
As much as I use humour to talk about my cancer, I no longer use the expressions - drop dead gorgeous, I'm dying to know, this chocolate is to die for, I'm dying to go on holiday, whatever.
I'd like to dedicate A Taste Of Yellow 2008 to my friend Augusta . A remarkable woman with a great sense of humour, she enjoyed whiskey, Scotch Finger biscuits, good cheese and semillon wine.
Because there were so many entries I have split it into two posts. There will be a link to the second part at the end of this post. I'd like to thank everyone who participated in LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow 2008. The following is in no particular order apart from entries with the wristband being featured first.
Lynn in Augusta Gorgia at Cafe Lynnylu persuaded her husband Alex to pose for her entry in the photo competition. I'm sure he was rewarded with the bowl of this delicious Lemon Ice Cream with Lemon Curd Swirl. Some days I achieve very little (apart from a lot of laughter) when I spend far too much time on line chatting with Bron Marshall back in New Zealand. This Yellow Patty Pan Squash with Lemon and Currant Quinoa is just one of her many brilliant creations. Bev at Yummy In My Tummy in Kortenaken, Belgium made Lemon and Ginger Muffins in honour of her grandfather . Her handsome, smiling grandfather lost his battle with cancer only four years ago when he was just 68 years of age. Laurie from Astoria, New York with the delightful blog name Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese and Carbs has made these Sunny Caramel Cupcakes decoareted with yellow and white fondant. Chris at Mele Cotte runs another cancer themed event Cooking To Combat Cancer. She honours her gran who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer with a Mango Pepper Salsa. If Helene that lovely French Tartelette in the US comes to visit me I would hope she would pack her suitcase full of macarons. She makes the most delicious sounding (and looking) ones I've ever seen. Today she serves them in her Tropical Fruit Verrine with Peach Macarons. How good does that sound! Kalyn you all know from Kalyn's Kitchen in Salt Lake City said this about her Chipotle-Lime Deviled Eggs - these deviled eggs were so good, I ate the ones in the photo before the pictures had even loaded into my computer. She had me craving deviled eggs when I read the post. I decided to put these two dishes together as they both involve eggs but are totally different, which is the beauty of food blogging. I love how we see things differently and share our ideas. These Ouefs Mayonnaise are a favourite of Fred's and after previous mayonnaise attempts everything finally came together and Sam at Becks and Posh in San Francisco was happy with her home made mayonnaise. Recently I've been on a similar cooking wave length to ChichaJo at 80 Breakfasts in Manila in the Philippines. We bothmade labnah the same week and there I was eating a bowl of semolina when her Semolina Porridge popped up for A Taste Of Yellow. Arfi at HomeMadeS in Auckland New Zealand contributed two entries. She had some time to herself while her little ones were visiting their Grandmother so she whipped up this wonderful Banana and Coconut Pudding. Tami at Running With Tweezers in Atlanta Gorgia contributes a Tangy Tarragon Vinaigrette to serve with Yellow Tomatoes. Lori at Lip Smacking Goodness honours an aunt and her mother in law lost to cancer and celebrates those who have triumphed with this recipe for Mini Passionfruit Cheese Cake with Passionfruit Curd. Bron Marshall couldn't resist a second entry and as it is the end of summer in New Zealand corn is everywhere. I often bought it from road side stalls when driving on the outskirts of Auckland. Bron served the family a snack of Yellow Grilled Corn with Chilli Butter. My favourite Cream Puff in Canada, Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice is another blogger touched by cancer with the loss of her father in 2001. Thank you Ivonne for finding the time to participate with another fabulous cake. This year she lays a little yellow on us with a Lemon-Lime Cocounut and Macadamia Nut Cake. A healthy and colourful Corn Salad from the sweet Paz at The Cooking Adventures Of Paz. I get to enjoy the streets of New York through Paz's weekly photos. Tammy at Wee Treats By Tammy in Auckland dedicated her recipe from Cuisine for Lemon Rice Pudding With Cinnamon Ice Cream to her aunt undergoing chemo at the moment. Jennifer at Use Real Butter in Nederland Colorado has kicked cancer's ass. To make these Lemon Petit Fours despite currently undergoing chemo shows her strength of character. Ilva from Sweden now lives in Tuscany, Italy and daily shares her impressions of Italy with her photos at Lucullian Delights. She shares her recipe for Saffron and Carrot Cupcakes With Cardamom and Pinenuts.