Ditch your bottle of Cabernet and oaky, buttery Chardonnay for Thanksgiving. Most do not have the proper acidity for Thanksgiving feasting. Trying to find wines that that please a variety of palates that marry well with the broad array of foods at a typical Thanksgiving table sounds like a challenge. I’m here to make it easier, but you will probably need to open your mind to other varietals. Continue reading
drinks
9 posts
We have a wonderful lime tree in our front yard. Recently we trimmed some large oak trees and all of a sudden the little lime tree has been getting a lot more sun and being very generous with its fruit production. We have limes coming out of our ears! Trying to find uses for the limes, I decided to make homemade limoncello, but using limes instead of lemons. If you’ve never had limoncello, it is a crisp and refreshing liqueur made with lemons and grain alcohol. After doing some research, I decided to try this Gizmodo/Franny’s in Brooklyn method because I like the idea of letting the limes infuse the vodka over several weeks. Continue reading
It’s Labor Day weekend, and I know that you have lots to do – so I’m going to keep this very short.
Jalapenos and blood orange juice might sound like a slightly odd combination, but they’re not. In fact, they work so well together that I didn’t dare finish my drink. Continue reading
Recently my husband and I have been watching a lot of Top Chef, which has been really fun. Thanks, Hulu! We’d only seen a few episodes on television, because we only had Bravo for a nanosecond in ’07.
However, it did give us an evening of fun a few years ago. We wrote a little “Top Chef” parody called “Cooking For Your Life” where cooking contestants didn’t realize that they’d signed onto a show where the loser would be hunted down by “Parma” and killed at the end of every episode. Continue reading
Today is National Tequila Day and there are numerous ways you can help celebrate this important national holiday. Whether you are a straight up, on the rocks, in a cocktail or a frozen margarita kind of person, today is the day to show your support for this alcohol originating south of the border.
Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant. The most important thing to check when it comes to your tequila is that it is made with 100% agave. The other stuff is called mixtos and they are crap — loaded with sugars and added coloring. Mexican laws demand that the Tequila must be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other limited areas.
Check your labels and get your glasses.
There are five types of tequila: Continue reading
Summer is officially here, and one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the right summer cocktail: crisp, refreshing, and fruity without being too sweet. My new obsession is St. Germain, the french elderberry liqueur that seems to be all the rage lately. After trying out a few different recipes, I settled on this concoction. The gin helps balance out some sweetness and the sparkling water gives it just a bit of fizz. Continue reading
They’re a staple at brunch and perfect on a lazy Sunday afternoon while watching movies. There is much more to the humble Bloody Mary, though. Continue reading
It’s Friday, so let’s talk about highly relevant subjects.
We all have a favorite liquor. There’s always that one liquor that we consider an old, reliable friend. That one friend who’s always there for you in times of trouble such as when your hound dog died, your woman left you or when you first found out that Charles In Charge didn’t get renewed for another season.
What’s your favorite type of liquor?
I’ve always wanted to be a suave, debonair Latin playboy who smokes cigars and wears those Cuban shirts with the four pockets on the front. Seriously, Cubans. FOUR FUCKING POCKETS. You are geniuses.
Anyway, I personally love rum. Rum comes from distilled sugar cane and it makes you feel like a pirate who ARGH can do what you want, plunder whatever booty is nearby and possibly end the night with a Spanish doubloon stuck between your ass cheeks. Fun times.
Quick tip: If you can find it, I highly recommend the El Dorado line of rums from Guyana. They’re made with demarara sugar and have a great, carmely flavor that is perfect with a bit of Coke and some fresh lime.
So what’s your lubricant?