march 09, 2010 11:16pm
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Posted By: Rick
march 09, 2010 09:00pm
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Posted By: tb_blogger
march 09, 2010 07:14pm
March 9 is National Crab Meat Day! Yay! After weeks of national days featuring heavy desserts, I'm all for a change of pace featuring a high-protein and low-fat option! Woohoo!
Now, the problem with trying to pair foods to crab meat is....it really depends on your recipe preparation. What pairs to crab cakes might not pair well with soft-shell crab. The sauces and spices really matter, because, in many cases, that is what you are pairing your wine to with crab. It's not the crab, it's the sauce and/or spice.
So, bearing that in mind, here are some general suggestions and some dish-specific suggestions.
BEVERAGE MATCHES WITH CRAB DISHES: GENERAL ADVICE
Crab meat by itself has a really light and subtly flavored taste profile. That usually means that you should pair beverages on the lighter side. Choose beverages that won't overwhelm the delicate meat, and avoid high alcohol and/or oaked wines.
Beer: Light lagers, pilsners and wheat beers are excellent with crab meat dishes that are not too heavily sauced or spiced. Pilsner Urquells are great with spicy boiled crab dishes. IPAs work beautifully with crab cakes, especially lightly spicy recipes.
Cocktails: Cocktails based on Cognac or dry Madeiras make flavorful accompaniments to crab meat.
White wines: Unoaked and high-acid whites are best. Chablis, or unoaked chardonnay works beautifully. So do the Pinot sisters, Gris/Grigio and Blanc/Bianco. Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully with crab and lemon. Buttery and oaky Chardonnays work best with crab and butter sauces. Ditto Viognier. Chenin Blanc is my go-to wine for light- to medium-weight crab dishes, with rich and buttery deserving pairing to a Loire Valley Savennieres. And Portuguese Vinho Verdes work beautifully with a simple cold crab meat salad. Best match of all? A German Riesling -- Kabinett or lighter dishes and spatlese for more substantial sauce/spice combos.
Rose wines: Ah, yes. If you have a recipe that is medium- to full-bodied because of a heavy sauce or spice treatment, you can't go wrong with a dry rose. The grape doesn't matter. Just make sure it is fresh and dry. Most current vintages only.
Red wines: Don't even go there, my friend. The wine will drown out the dish and everything will taste wrong.
Bubblies: A great option! A brut (dry), please!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For 150+ recipes that feature crab meat, CLICK HERE.
For a diagram of a crab showing which which parts end up where in the seafood counter of your grocer, CLICK HERE.
For a good guide to crab meat, including recipes and food trends, check out this site from the foodserve leader in crab meat, CLICK HERE.
Because crab is firmly in the global marketplace, you can get good crab meat all year long -- canned, frozen or fresh. Keep this beverage guide handy and have fun exploring your favorite matches!
Photo Credit: SheKnows.com
Posted By: Karen
march 08, 2010 08:29am
International Women's Day has been celebrated on March 8 since 1911. The day is a much bigger deal in Europe than it is here; for example, in Italy, the day is commemorated by men giving mimosas. In that spirit (so to speak), I've got a recipe for a historic cocktail called the Ladies' Cocktail, revived by the Boston contingent of the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC). Check it all out!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more about International Women's Day, CLICK HERE.
To visit the website of International Women's Day, CLICK HERE.
To read the LUPEC recipe for the Ladies' Cocktail, including some history, CLICK HERE.
Cheers!
Posted By: Karen
march 08, 2010 08:13am
March 8 is National Peanut Cluster Day! Here's a make-it-yourself recipe, a buy-it-yourself link, and a drink-it-yourself version. Cheers
PEANUT CLUSTERS:
PEANUT CLUSTER SHOOTER:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour in 3/4 ounce of Castries Peanut Cream plus 3/4 ounce of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur in the shaker.
3. (Substitute Frangelico hazelnut liqueur if Castries is not available.)
4. Shake well to combine and chill.
5. Strain into a shot glass.
6. Enjoy the nutty chocolate-y goodness!
Posted By: Karen
march 07, 2010 04:46pm
March 7 is National Crown Roast of Pork Day, and though a crown roast is a bit labor-intensive to make and stuff, boy is this good. Pork and apples are a classic match, so I've got a great recipe to squirrel away for a later special occasion, with great beverage matches.
CROWN ROAST OF PORK
Crown Roast of Pork with Apple Stuffing
Crown Roast of Pork with Apple and Pork Stuffing and Cider Gravy
Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage Stuffing
BEER MATCHES:
Pork and apple is a classic match in German and Alsatian (French) cuisine, so go authentic with German bier. Amber ales, lagers and Oktoberfests are perfect.
COCKTAIL MATCHES:
Any cocktail that features Calvados, the French apple brandy, is perfect. Brandy, Cognac and whiskey make perfect bases with Calvados.
For a list of 10+ cocktails featuring Calvados, CLICK HERE. (I like Apple Cars with pork dishes.)
WINE MATCHES:
- Beaujolais Cru
- Gewurztraminers from Alsace
- Pinot Noirs from Germany or Austria or Switzerland (lighter-bodied)
- Rieslings from Alsace
- dry roses
OTHER MATCHES:
- sparkling apple juice
- ginger ale
Posted By: Karen
march 06, 2010 02:39pm
Didn't get an invitation to Wolfgang Puck's Governor's Ball after tomorrow's Academy Awards show? No worries. Have your own Gubna's Ball with that other Oscar...Colorado's own Oskar Blues!
The Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA (10% ABV) in a can is the brewery's latest release and OH MY is it good. If you are a hophead, this is your brew! The aromas are sensational and, if I can translate into winespeak, it's very NewZealandSauvignonBlanc-ish: grapefruit, grass, with some Christmas-y pine resin and caramel. Sooooo beautiful on the nose. A hophead's liquid potpourri.
Here's the brewery's commercial description: "Emphasizing that complexity of character can arise from simple elements, this ale is made with three malts and one hop. Its light amber color and slightly spicy malt character are derived from the use of German Dark Munich Malt and Rye Malt respectively. North American 2-row barley combines with the other grains to lay the foundation for the hop onslaught to come. Summit hops are used exclusively in the boil for bitterness, flavor and aroma but it doesn’t end there. Post-fermentation dry hopping allows the 9.5% ABV monstrosity to gently coax the citrus rind and grapefruit aroma to join the 100 IBUs already present. This beer should greet you with a pungent citrus blast, provide a spicy yet round middle and finish with a brisk, clean bitterness."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
To visit the Oskar Blues website page on the Gubna, CLICK HERE.
To read the Boulder Daily Camera Beer Correspondent's review of the Gubna, CLICK HERE.
To read the Beer Advocate's review of the Gubna, CLICK HERE.
To serve the best appetizers at your Oskar party on Sunday that pair beautifully with da'Gubna, keep it hot and spicy: Tex Mex, Szechuan, Thai. And if you can't make it to Los Angeles tomorrow night for the post-Oscar Governor's Ball, don't sweat it. Just have your own Oskar Gubna's ball instead!
And, just in case you didn't get the message, THIS HOP BOMB TOTALLY ROCKS. A sensational beer. (I'm having nachos with mine.)
Posted By: Karen
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. It is an official holiday in the state of Texas, honoring the date that the area's settlers became independent from Mexico by creating the Republic of Texas.
My favorite way to celebrate anything Texan? Tito's Handmade Vodka. (If you are a vodka aficionado, you need to know about this vodka!)
ABOUT TITO'S:
Tito's is an artisan vodka produced in the first legal distillery in Texas, established by native San Antonio spirits superstar Bert Butler "Tito" Beveridge II. Tito's vodka is handcrafted in a pot still using yellow corn, America's grain. The use of sweet corn results in a very subtle sweetness on the finish of this six-times-distilled vodka. I love this stuff. And if you are an aficionado of smooth, small-batch spirits, you've gotta try this.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more information on Texas Independence Day, CLICK HERE.
To visit the official website of of Tito's Handmade Vodka, CLICK HERE.
To read the Liquor Snob's review of this vodka, CLICK HERE.
We've got Tito's in 750ml and 1.75L bottles. To check our pricing, CLICK HERE.
And Tito's is incredibly affordable. AND it's rockstar juice. Enjoyment instructions: Chill, sip, smile.
Happy Texas Independence Day!
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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March 3 is National Cold Cuts Day!
In America, cold cuts refers to cheeses or precooked or cured meats (sausages or loaves) that are sliced thin and served cold on sandwiches or on party trays. This deli art is related to the French branch of cooking called Charcuterie, which refers to the art of preparing various meats, particularly pork, in order to present them in the most diverse ways -- bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pates and confit, especially. The art of Charcuterie dates back to the Roman times, though the tradition in France really comes into being in the 15th century. The tradition is also related to Italian Salumi, which are cured meat products, predominantly from pork, such as mortadella, prosciutto, pancetta and salame. (Note that the word salumi is not a misspelling or variant of salami [plural] or salame [singular]. Salame is a specific type of salume.)
So, charcuterie in France, salumi in Italy, and cold cuts in the USA. However you slice it, we're talking cold sliced meats.
BEST WINE MATCHES:
My favorite wine matches for charcuterie, salumi and cold cuts: Dry roses and anything from Beaujolais. Inexpensive Beaujolais-Villages is fine for inexpensive cuts on sandwiches, and when I'm doing fine French or Italian meats, I'll jazz up the wine with a Beaujolais Cru. (I love Fleurie with pancetta, prosciutto, etc. The gamay grape is my go-to grape for cold pork.)
OTHER GOOD WINE MATCHES - WHITE:
- Chenin Blanc, especially dry Vouvrays (*)
- Gewurztraminer
- Muscadet
- Pinot Gris
- Riesling, especially Alsatian
- Sancerre
- Sauvignon Blanc
OTHER GOOD WINE MATCHES - RED:
- Barbera
- Gamay
- some Dolcettos
- some Cotes du Rhone
- some Merlots
OTHER BEVERAGE MATCHES:
C'mon! We're talking cold pork products, so....beer, of course! Fatty meats demand bubbles! My favs for good charcuterie or salumi include: French Biere de Gardes, Belgian Saisons, German Marzens. But just aim for any of the middle-weight beers that err on the malty side and you cannot go wrong.
Besides beer bubbles, I also love wine bubbles for cold cuts. Especially dry rose bubblies. Sparkling shiraz for heavier meats (like bacon and spicy sausages) and sparkling pinot noir for the lighter meats.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Denver is privileged to have its own Salumi House. Il Mondo Vecchio is owned by three chefs, two of whom are culinary instructors at Johnson & Wales University and one of whom is Italian-American and educated in the arts of making Italian salumi. They make small-batch artisan-made dry cured salumi by hand from beef, pork and Colorado lamb. If you'd like to check out the real deal, visit their deli at 1174 South Cherokee Street, Denver.
For more information on the products they offer, all of which are top-notch, visit their website by CLICKING HERE. I highly recommend this new Colorado business. Visit to get a real education in an ancient culinary art...and to taste some rockstar dry cured cold cuts made the Italian way (but with Colorado meat).
I could not get through one week of my life without cold cuts, so I'm pleased to celebrate National Cold Cuts Day today. What will YOU be eating and drinking?
Cheers!
Photo Credit: Miami Butcher House.
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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For my Oscar party this Sunday, I am serving Gruet Sparkling Brut Rose (pictured above) with the classic movie snack of popcorn. But I'm not talking about your ordinary run-of-the-mill microwave popped popcorn. I'm talking a red carpet glam version of popcorn...
Last year, I did popcorn tossed in truffle butter, chopped black truffles and truffle salt.
The year before, I did popcorn cooked in garlic-infused oil and tossed with fresh rosemary and sea salt.
This year I am doing popcorn tossed with bacon, freshly grated pecorino cheese and smoked paprika.
The recipe for my red-carpet-worthy popcorn, adapted from a recipe by Los Angeles-area caterer Cordelia Culver, is below. Enjoy!
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BACON PECORINO PAPRIKA POPCORN - INGREDENTS:
- 4 strips of thick applewood-smoked bacom
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of white truffle oil
- 4 quarts (16 cups) of freshly popped popcorn (from 1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
- 2 ounces of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (grated to fine)
- kosher salt
- smoked paprika
BACON PECORINO PAPRIKA POPCORN - DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4 inch thick strips.
2. In a small skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the butter to the skillet and stir until melted.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the truffle oil.
5. In a large bowl, pour the hot bacon mixture over the popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
6. Add the grated pecorino cheese, season with the kosher salt and smoked paprika, and serve immediately.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
You can find the smoked paprika, kosher salt and truffle oil at one of the Savory Spice Shops around town.
You can find good-quality pecorino at a good cheese shop like The Truffle or the cheese department at a good grocery store like Whole Foods.
For a Food Network variation of this popcorn recipe, which uses bacon, brown sugar and smoked paprika, CLICK HERE.
You can find the Gruet Dry Rose sparkling wine in our sparkling wine aisle at the front of the store. To find out more about these wines, CLICK HERE.
For more information on this year's Academy Awards (Sunday Night), CLICK HERE.
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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March 4 is National Pound Cake Day! So named because the classic recipe calls for one pound each of four ingredients (flour, butter, eggs, sugar), pound cake is a staple in the regional cuisine of the American south. (Never go visiting a friend or a relative in the south without a bundt cake or a pound cake...)
THE BEST POUND CAKE RECIPE EVER:
There are probably as many pound cake recipes out there as there are pound cake bakers. And I've baked my way through quite a few recipe variations. The yummiest recipe I've ever found, though, was printed in Gourmet magazine back in 2005.
WARNING: This recipe is reported to be Elvis Presley's favorite pound cake recipe....which means it doesn't skimp on any of the major dairy fats. I'm throwing my hat in with Elvis here; this is some good southern-style pound cake. Just thinking about it will add heft to the hips. ;-)
CLICK HERE for Elvis Presley's favorite pound cake recipe.
BEST BEVERAGE MATCHES TO POUND CAKE:
I really like unadorned pound cake with very lightly roasted coffee or Earl Grey tea.
If you MUST serve a dessert wine with this, I always always go for an orange muscat. Quady's Essensia is my go-to choice.
Happy National Pound Cake Day!
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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Serve these easy citrus-y Na'vi blue martinis at your Sunday Oscar parties. (Note: Make sure to use a white cranberry juice so as not to muddy the beautiful blue color of the drink. Also, the white cranberry juice is much sweeter and less tart than red cranberry juice.)
NA'VI'TINI INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ounce of a citrus-flavored vodka (like Ketel One Citroen or Svedka Clementine)
- 1 ounce of WHITE cranberry juice
- 1/2 ounce of blue curaçao
- 1 squeeze of lime juice from a fresh lime
NA'VI'TINI MIXING DIRECTIONS:
1. Chill a martini glass while you are making the drink.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
3. Pour the citrus vodka, white cranberry juice, blue curaçao and squeeze of lime juice into the ice-filled shaker.
4. Shake vigorously to combine and to chill.
5. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
6. Garnish with lemon or lime (twist or wedge).
7. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Cobalt Blue Diamond Catering & Events in Austin, Texas, whose own avatar is a blue martini.
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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On March 5, 2007, the US government finally gave up its 95-year ban on absinthe production and sale, and first out of the gate with a commercially produced brand of absinthe was Lucid. Three years on, on March 5, 2010, Lucid is hosting National Absinthe Day parties in New York and Chicago. Using the resources listed below, you can have your own National Absinthe Day celebration.
But first, a bit of history...
ABSINTHE HISTORY
Though the medical use of wormwood dates back several thousand years to the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greek civilizations, its medical use in modern times was not recorded until the 18th century by a French doctor living in Switzerland. The distillation recipe was eventually acquired by certain members of the Pernod family who made a very popular brand of absinthe in France until it was banned in 1914.
Absinthe's popularity grew steadily in France through the 1800s. In the 1840s, absinthe was given as a malaria treatment to French soldiers who brought their taste for absinthe with them on their return home from war. By the 1860s, the drink had become so popular in bistros and cafes that 5pm was referred to as l'huere verte ("the green hour"). By the 1880s, mass production had caused the price of the drink to fall sharply, such that by the eve of Prohibition at the beginning of the 20th century, the French were drinking 36 million liters of absinthe per year.
Outside of France, absinthe became immensely popular in Spain, the Czech Republic and (no surprise) New Orleans. (The Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street was opened by a Spanish bartender who brought the enjoyment of absinthe to the Americas.)
Encouraged by temperance movements and by competing winemakers' associations who sought to demonize the drinking of absinthe as a way of encouraging folks to return to wine drinking (in France, especially), absinthe production and consumption was banned in the early 20th century. Bans in individual countries remained in effect for decades...until recently.
In the US, the French brand Lucid became the first genuine absinthe to receive a certificate for legal importation into the United States since 1912 -- on March 5, 2007. In December of 2007, St. George Spirits of Alameda, California, became the first brand of American-made absinthe to be legally produced in the United States since enactment of the ban...and Colorado's own Leopold Brothers became the second micro-distillery to start making small batches of high-quality absinthe in the United States. (The Leopold Brothers absinthe is my absolute favorite microdistilled absinthe, bar none.)
ABSINTHE PARAPHERNALIA:
You cannot just buy a bottle of absinthe, pour it in a glass and knock it back. Absinthe consumption involves a process called louching to open up the spirit to release its active components and its beautiful herbal aromatics. The entire ritual of preparation, which owes much to the aesthetics of the bistros of 19th century France, involves a fountain, a special spoon, a sugar cube, a special glass, and a host of other Belle Epoque era paraphernalia. If you really get into absinthe, you should invest in some of the equipment.
My favorite source for absinthe equipment and accessories is located in New Orleans (of course), but they do a brisk online business as well. Check out La Maison d'Absinthe and their wonderful selection of absinthe gear by CLICKING HERE.
ABSINTHE PREPARATION AND SERVING RITUALS:
My favorite resource for all things absinthe is The Wormwood Society, America's premier absinthe association and information network. The Wormwood Society is a non-profit educational and consumer advocacy organization focused on providing current, historically and scientifically accurate information about absinthe. If you are an absinthe novice, this is the site with which to start and finish your journey. (There are plenty of sites with flaky and bogus absinthe information; the Wormwood Society's content blows everyone else out of the water for its comprehensiveness and accuracy. Good peeps, too.)
To visit the Wormwood Society's website to learn more about how to prepare and serve absinthe (among other absinthe topics), CLICK HERE.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE ABSINTHES:
We have a great selection of absinthes in our spirits aisle, including:
- Leopold Bros Absinthe Verte - my alltime favorite microdistilled absinthe produced right here in Colorado;
- Kubler's Absinthe - made in Switzerland as a blanche ("white"), not verte or green, absinthe;
- La Fee Absinthe - the first absinthe produced in France after the long ban on absinthe production;
- Lucid - the first absinthe imported into the US from France after the long ban.
To see a partial listing of our absinthes, with pricing, CLICK HERE.
I love the whole cultural history of absinthe with its lengthy preparation and serving rituals that encourage relaxation and unhurried conviviality. If you haven't had absinthe before, study up, then give it a try.
Happy National Absinthe Day!
Posted By:
march 06, 2010 12:20pm
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March 5 is National Cheez Doodles Day! Cheez Doodles represent an all-American phenomenon: made of corn (America's grain!) and flavored with imitation cheese, the product debuted in the 1950s as a direct competition to Frito Lay's Cheetos snack product. By the 1960s, Cheez Doodles had become the Big Cheez of cheese-y snacks on the East Coast. First manufactured by the Yohigh family, the company was snapped up by Borden and assigned to their Wise potato chip division. Today, Cheez Doodles are one of the Wise company's strongest brands.
Whatever the history, this is the day to celebrate puffed cheese-like snack products. So buy a bag, being careful to avoid staining your shirt with that lovely DayGlo orange dust, and have at this totally guilty pleasure.
Best drink match for imitation cheese? Imitation champagne! For any snack food that is fatty and salty, I always reach for a dry sparkling wine. Gruet's Blanc de Noir does rather nicely with Cheez Doodles (she said, speaking from experience). Grape soda works, too. And, for that matter, so does beer.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
To visit the Wise Snacks Cheez Doodles page, CLICK HERE.
To visit the Gruet Winery's Blanc de Noir page, CLICK HERE.
Happy National Cheez Doodles Day!
Photo Credit: Phumi, ICanHasCheezburger.com
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