ALPANA SINGH

I've Moved!

2011-03-10T02:17:00.001-06:00

Please visit me at my new website:

www.alpanasingh.com

Thank you!

How to Make French Macarons

2010-05-21T20:59:00.036-05:00

During a visit to Pierre Hermé's patisserie in Paris last year, I discovered the greatness that is a French macaron and my life changed forever. Dorothy Greenspan recently wrote a fantastic article for the LA Times about macarons and what makes them so special and unique. One taste of a well made macaron and you too will be hooked forever! Since going to Paris every time I craved macarons is obviously not a practical or affordable option, I sent away for Pierre Hermés macaron cookbook and taught myself how to make these little goodies at home. The following recipe is based on his method. Syrup and Tang's website was also really helpful in learning how to avoid common rookie mistakes.

The basic ingredients in macarons not including the filling are sugar, almonds, eggs & flavorings. How precisely you measure your ingredients and how you whip the egg whites will determine the difference between success and defeat. There are two types of meringue that are used to make macarons - French meringue or Italian meringue. The former is egg whites whipped with granulated sugar and and the latter is whipped egg whites cooked with a boiled sugar syrup. Since the Italian meringue is what Pierre Hermé suggests, that is what I go with. I've never tried the French meringue method but I have a hunch it might be less stable and therefore more likely to collapse which can result in a flat or cracked shell.

You will need a few key pieces of equipment: an electronic scale, thermometer, standing mixer, food processor, sifter, pastry bag with a circular tip & heavy duty baking sheets covered in wax paper or a silpat. The electronic scale is a must and I don't know how to make this recipe without it.

Recipe (makes about 50 shells for 25 macarons)

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (approximately 358 degrees F)

150g Powdered Sugar
150g Peeled Whole Almonds
110 g Room Temperature Egg Whites (older egg whites work better, you can "age" them in your refrigerator for up to 2 days. This reduces the water content in the whites).
150g Sugar
38g Water
2-3 drops of food coloring gel. I used green.

Measure 150 grams each of whole almonds and powdered sugar (some recipes call for ground almonds but I find that whole almonds tend to be fresher and yield a finer texture to the macaron). Pulse in a food processor until very fine and sift mixture to remove any large particles.

Split 110 grams of egg whites into 2 portions of 55 grams each. Place one portion in a standing mixture and add the other half to sifted almond/powdered sugar/food coloring mixture but do not mix.

Measure 150 grams granulated sugar and place in a heavy bottom pan with 38 grams of water and heat until mixture reaches 118 Celsius then remove from heat and cool until temperature reaches 115 Celsius.

While the sugar syrup cools, start the mixer and beat egg whites to soft peaks. Keep the mixer running and when the syrup cools to 115C slowly pour it down the side of the mixer and keep mixing until the meringue cools to 50C. It is important to not over mix the meringue or make it too stiff otherwise the macaron shells will have peaks when you pipe them on to the sheet.

Fold meringue in three additions and mix gently until it flows like lava. A meringue that is too stiff will not flow, another reason to not over whip.

Place macaron mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe out circles approx 1.5 inch in diameter onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. You can use a small glass or button to trace a circle as well but remember to flip the paper around before piping otherwise the pencil marks will transfer to your shells. It is recommended that you use a heavy duty baking sheet or two stacked sheets. Tap the sheet to remove any air bubbles and allow the shells to dry for 30 minutes. This step gives the shells a firm skin.

Bake shells for 12 minutes. Open and close oven door quickly at the 8 and 5 minute mark. This helps regulate the temperature. The shells should rise a little and develop a crispy ring or feet around the edges.

Allow the shells to cool before removing from the sheet. Sometimes they can stick but don't force them otherwise you will damage the shell. An offset spatula is especially handy here. Using a pastry bag, sandwich the shells together with a little filling. I used white chocolate ganache for this recipe, plain chocolate ganache or flavored buttercream are also popular choices.

As you can see here, the shells are slightly crunchy on the outside but once you take a bite the texture gives way to the soft undercoating and creamy filling, pure heaven.

These macarons are indeed a lot of work to make but they take me to my happy place, standing outside Pierre Hermé's pastry temple in Paris. It's worth the trip.

Glunz de la Costa Sangria

2010-03-29T14:06:00.006-05:00

Normally I'm really skeptical when it comes to bottled beverages such as margaritas, mojitos and sangrias since you lose a lot of flavor and quality with these drinks if you don't use fresh fruits. Plus, it's not exactly rocket science to make them from scratch. I was recently given sample bottles of Glunz de la Costa red and white sangria and much to my surprise, I really liked both of them. They offer distinct fruit flavors of mandarin oranges, lemon zest and just the right amount of sweetness. I still prefer homemade sangria but if you don't want to go through the trouble of making you're own sangria, they are really good shortcut options. Pour into a glass, garnish with fresh fruit and soda and you're all set.

I've seen Glunz de la Costa Sangria at Whole Foods near the produce section but now Glunz bottles the sangria for them under a Whole Foods private label. A one liter bottle sells for around $10.

Electronic Food Scale

2010-03-01T12:29:00.013-06:00

This gadget will change your life! I originally bought it to weigh out ingredients for baking since I wanted to be precise with my measurements. It made a world of difference in how my pastries turned out. When you scoop out things like flour or brown sugar, it's hard to get the right density - light and airy or packed and full. The food scale eliminates the guess work and all you have to do is pour the ingredients into a container until you hit the right number. I conducted various experiments and discovered that the difference between weighing vs. using measuring cups can be as much as 30%! This can really throw off your recipe. I now look for cookbooks that list recipes in grams or ounces and convert cup measurements as well. The best part is you don't have to rinse your measuring cups between various tasks. This tool is a must have in the kitchen.

I also use the scale to weigh out proper portions of meat, fish, pasta, grains, cereals or whatever I feel like measuring to make sure I don't go overboard on the serving size. This has really helped in the weight loss department as you can keep your portion sizes in check. For example, the proper serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons which looks like a decent amount but if you weigh the 34 grams serving size, it's about 50% less. You think you're eating 200 calories but in fact, you're really getting a lot more than you bargained for.

There are different types of scales on the market but look for one that is easy to use and more importantly, easy to clean. Most of them measure in ounces and grams but check to see if the scale can do both, otherwise you'll spend uneccessary time converting. A high weight capacity is also really helpful in order to weigh heavier items like potatoes or squash or use larger bowls. I use an 11lb capacity OXO scale at home that I purchased for $50 and it works like charm.

As for a progress update, I've lost a total of 6 pounds since starting my new eating plan on Feb 15th. This morning, I felt a huge difference in my energy level as I jumped out of bed at 6:30, which is really early for me. Normally, I'm in a deep slumber until at least 8:30. I have also been hitting the gym five days a week and alternate between strength training, cardio and spinning classes. Classes work best for me as I'm challenged by the peer pressure and my competive nature maks me work harder. Spending an hour on the treadmill or Precor machine is pure torture for me and I give up well before I should.

Skinny Parsnip Soup

2010-02-26T10:40:00.008-06:00

I love parsnips, especially this time of year when they are super sweet. Parsnips look like an albino carrot and the flavors are somewhat similar except parsnips are spicier. It seems that the most common preparation for parsnips is to mash or puree them with copious amounts of butter and cream sort of like potatoes. There's certainly nothing wrong with this but we're trying to be healthy here. Plus I find that if you add too much butter and cream, you can't really taste the parsnips.

Last night, I reached for the bag of parsnips that were sitting in my refrigerator and decided to turn them into something soothing and comforting for dinner but without all the fat and calories. I had such good luck with Martha's Cauliflower Soup so I figured why not apply the same technique to the parsnips and make a soup. I cut the parsnips into a fine dice so they would cook quickly and sauteed them with onions along with a tiny amount of olive oil in a nonstick pan. After the parsnips were soft, I added chicken stock and adjusted the seasonings with salt and pepper. I covered the pot and let the mixture cook on medium heat until the parsnips were uber soft (about 15 minutes). This mixture was then transferred to a deep bowl to be pureed with an immersion blender. I prefer a thicker soup but you can always add more chicken stock if you prefer a more soupy texture.

As with the cauliflower soup, I added brown rice to the soup and ended up something that resembled a creamy risotto. Roasted chicken breast was my protein but grilled salmon or even pork would be delicious here too.

If you were to do the full throttle preparation of parsnips with cream and butter, I would recommend a rich, buttery, oaky Chardonnay. The butter and cream rounds out the soup but without these fats we have a dish that is much sweeter and calls for a wine with good, clean fruit. We can stay with Chardonnay but I would recommend a non-oaked style. Many non-oaked Chards can be hollow and tart but the Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay ($26) is perfect. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine features tons of tropical fruit notes and the finish is fresh and clean. Even if you don't like Chardonnay and prefer the clean zip of Sauvignon Blanc or dry Rieslings, my guess is you'll probably enjoy this wine.

Martha Stewart's Creamless Cauliflower Soup

2010-02-25T13:03:00.012-06:00

Martha Stewart had an entire show devoted to making soups earlier this week. She included her recipe for Cauliflower soup which caught my eye because it seemed fairly easy to make and low in fat and calories. I tried it out last night and it was delicious! There is no cream in the soup but it tastes really rich and satisfying. I also added some brown rice and roasted chicken breast to turn it into a substantial meal.

And speaking of brown rice, there's a commercial for microwaveable brown rice playing on TV right now. It features a group of office coworkers enjoying lunch together and talking about how long it takes to cook brown rice - at least 45 minutes! Brown rice does take a long time to cook but I use a rice cooker and make 2 cups at a time. It's fairly sturdy so it lasts several days in my refrigerator and I can portion out what I need a little at a time.

But back to the soup. Here is the recipe for it. I reduced the oil to 2 tablespoons and skipped the croutons and fried parsley garnish. I also used regular onions instead of shallots because I didn't have any on hand. I also didn't bother with the straining part and the texture came out fine.

At Everest, Chef Joho worked with cauliflower quite often so I'm used to pairing it with wine. Cauliflower features a sweet earthy component that I find melds beautifully with the tropical fruit and earth notes of Alsace Pinot Gris, but nothing too over the top sweet.

Something along the lines of Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris ($24) would do.

A riper Oregon Pinot Gris such as A to Z would also be nice ($14)

Time to Get Healthy!

2010-02-24T13:58:00.019-06:00

mmm...delicious smoked salmon from Jerry's Famous deli in South Beach

I have always been fascinated by my sense of taste and according to my mother, my love affair with food goes back to even before I was born. She claims she never ate so much as when she was pregnant with me. As an infant, I would voraciously consume bottle after bottle of milk. At age two, I would climb on top of the kitchen counter in order to steal the bowl of sugar. This was also around the time I got into a fist fight with my cousin over a bunch of grapes. When I was three, I was mesmerized by the cookies featured on a TV commercial and I became angry after I couldn't get them out of the TV console. During family gatherings, I was the first to line up at the buffet to get served. When most children watched cartoons, I watched cooking shows on PBS. Instead of playing house, I would pretend to have my own restaurant. If I needed to be bribed or compensated for doing a good job in school, my parents would take me out to dinner. When I was sixteen, I didn't speak to my brother for one month after I found out he ate my slice of carrot cake. When my mother asked me what I wanted for my 21st birthday, I requested a spice rack. Even today, my husband knows that perfume and accessories don't cut it with me - the magic password is All Clad. It's really no surprise that I ended up with a career in food and wine. I was born to this job.

I was put on my first diet when I was ten. My mother would concoct all sorts of weird food schematics for me to stick to. When I 12, there was the grapefruit juice diet which inadvertantly led to the first time I became intoxicated. It was at a religious function where drinking was not allowed but that didn't stop my aunt from spiking the carton of grapefruit juice she found in the refrigerator with vodka. Little did she know that her secret stash belonged to me. I drank a good portion of the carton and since grapefruit juice already tasted bitter to me I couldn't tell that it had been altered. My family couldn't figure out why I kept crying but they finally realized that is was because my juice had been contaminated and I was drunk. My mother would go on to other diet plans with shakes, powders and what not. She even enlisted the help of outside sources, Ms. Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Herbalife. I would lose a few pounds but then the siren of good things to eat would call me back. This cycle would repeat itself in various reincarnations well into my adulthood.

Despite all of this, I have been fairly content and comfortable in my skin. It's a little frustrating when you pick out things to try on at a clothing store and they don't fit the way you imagined in your head but you work with it. And sometimes you get those unflattering photos of yourself but everyone has those. I was ready to make peace with my physique until I heard the news that my beloved Uncle had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This would make him the fourth person in my immediate family who would now have to live with this awful disease. I remember my grandmother having to prick her finger to test her blood for sugar and even though she said it didn't hurt, it was really painful to watch some you love go through that.

Hearing about my Uncle is enough of an incentive for me to get healthier. With the help of my doctor, I'm focused on getting in shape, eating better and working on dropping some pounds. Of course, I still want to enjoy good food and you can certainly do so by getting creative in the kitchen.

Over the next few months, I will let you know how I'm doing and post any recipes that I find to be extremely tasty along with wine pairings. Being surrounded by food and wine all day makes this challenge an uphill battle but the payoff will be a healthier me.

Join Me & PBS Travel Journalist Burt Wolf for a Rhine River Cruise & Help Support Public Broadcasting

2010-02-24T12:58:00.012-06:00

Burt Wolf, the host of the public television series Travels & Traditions, and I will be your hosts for a spectacular nine day fun filled Rhine River cruise that will take us through France, Germany and Holland. Our journey will begin in Basel, Switzerland and the cruise itinerary stops include Heidelberg, Rudesheim, Coblenz, Cologne and finally Amsterdam. This is a great opportunity to travel with Burt, see the sights and experience the places where his television shows were filmed. I will also conduct several wine seminars including a talk about the Rhine River and it's history with wine.

I've never been on a cruise before but Burt assured me I would have a great time. His said the main purpose of the trip is to have fun!

This trip is scheduled for departure from Basel on July 31st and return from Amsterdam on August 8th.

Cruise priced from $3,189 to $3,838 (plus airfare). Click here for more information - http://burtwolf.com/alpanacruise.pdf

I'm Back on Twitter

2010-02-18T10:07:00.003-06:00

I abruptly quit my Facebook and Twitter accounts last month after a not so pleasant experience with a security breach. I regret not giving my online friends an explanation before cancelling my accounts but I was advised by numerous IT security pros to shut down my accounts immediately. Unfortunately, I won't be returning to Facebook and I will miss all 3,346 of my Facebook friends but I will be posting regular status updates on Twitter.

You can follow me @alpanawines

You can also view my latest Tweets on the upper right section of this page.

With much appreciate and gratitude,

Alpana

Hot for Ginger!

2010-02-17T13:09:00.012-06:00

Whenever I think of ginger ale, I am reminded of a former restaurant co-worker who was addicted to ginger ale. She worked back of the house (restaurant lingo for kitchen) but the sole soda gun was located at the bar in the dining room. No less than three times a day she would quickly dash out of the kitchen, fill a giant pitcher with ginger ale and then rush back to her station. I couldn't believe that a human being could consume that much ginger ale and quickly became obsessed with her habit. I tried talking to her a few times, wondering if she ever drank other flavors like orange Fanta or Fresca but whenever I approached her, I could tell she was too hopped up on sugar to concentrate. When she finally left us to pursue a position at another restaurant, our bartender went from changing the ginger ale syrup once a week to once every couple of months.

My former co-worker would be pleased to know that ginger is the newest flavor sensation to hit the food and drink world, a title previously held by pomegranate, mint and even basil. Ginger is a unique spice and I can see it's appeal in cocktails - it's sweet, savory and spicy and easily blends well with the flavors of many different types of spirits. It brings out the juniper, citrus and floral components of gin, enhances the baking spice and caramel notes of rum and Bourbon, brings out the vanilla flavors of Cognac and of course stands on it's own with the neutral nature of vodka.

Ginger originated in Asia and has long been hailed for its medicinal properties. It is used to combat nausea, aid digestion, and improve circulation, among other things. As a child, whenever I had a cold or started coughing, my Indian grandmother would make ginger tea for me or give me a piece of ginger to chew on. There is also an increasing presence of artisan ginger beers and ginger ales. At my local Whole Foods last week, I counted no fewer than six different types of small batch ginger ales available on the store shelves.

Perhaps the recent popularity of ginger really ties into the overall trend of "health" cocktails and turning a vice into a virtue drinking, in other words - If you're going to drink, why not make it something that's supposedly good for you. It's the marketing of drink well and live longer, e.g., acai berry and pomegranate for antioxidant benefits, organic vodka made with non-gmo grain that leaves you with a buzz sans nasty pesticides or chili powder to help burn calories and boost your Vitamin A intake. Feel good and well....feel good. I happen to like ginger so I welcome the trend, whatever the reason.

Here's a sampling of the ginger based drinks, spirits and liqueurs

SKYY Infusions Ginger

Launched earlier this month and currently the only nationally available ginger vodka. Made with an infusion of real ginger, the aromas are consistent with ginger ale and on the palate the flavor is slightly sweet and reminds me of spicy ginger candy. This would be good mixed with coca cola or lemon lime soda.

Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

A good option if you don't want to go through the trouble of making your own ginger syrup. Domaine de Canton is French Cognac infused with baby ginger. You can also cook with it. I like to drizzle it over grilled fruits such as plums, peaches, apples and pineapples.

Koval Distillery Ginger Liqueur

This is an organic product made by a local boutique Chicago distillery owned by a very adorable and inspiring husband and wife team. Sixty pounds of ginger went into making just one batch.

Yazi Ginger Vodka

Vodka infused with ginger, lemon, orange, cayenne and red pepper. The product is marketed specifically towards women, note the perfume shaped bottle.

Bruce Cost Ginger Ale

Bruce Cost is a partner in our Lettuce Entertain You Asian Concepts and his latest venture is Bruce Cost Ginger Ale. I had an opportunity to try his latest batch and it's really spicy and with real pieces of ginger, it's very gingery in flavor. Not at all like the usual canned stuff.

The Artist Janet Sobel

2010-02-15T11:48:00.012-06:00

Image via Jose Parla Blog

Janet Sobel was a self-taught artist whose drip paintings of the early 1940's were admired by the likes of Peggy Guggenheim and Jackson Pollock (there is a theory out there that Sobel's abstract drip and splatter method may have had a possible influence over Pollock's own style). She was also my husband's maternal great Grandmother and because of this I may be biased but I think her art work is extraordinary, especially when you consider her unlikely story.

Image via Gary Snyder Gallery

Janet Sobel was born in 1894 in the Ukraine and emigrated to New York with her mother in 1908. She was married at the age of sixteen and proceeded to live a fairly normal life as a Brooklyn housewife and mother of five. At the age of 43, she started to scribble little designs on scrap paper and occasionally in the evening she’d steal one of her son’s paint brushes to fool around with. At first she was ashamed of her desire to paint and didn't tell anyone. In her mind, she was just a housewife and what did she know about art and painting? Her son Sol, who was considered to be the true artist in the family, finally caught on to what his mother was doing and took her paintings to his art teacher who thought they were good enough to be featured in a gallery. Janet Sobel continued to paint when she found the time, often at night, and by 1943 her unique style of abstract painting gained the attention and admiration of such art world luminaries as Peggy Guggenheim, the surrealists Max Ernst and Andre Breton, the philosopher and educator John Dewey and critic and collector Sidney Janis.

Janet Sobel with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Janet Sobel with University of Chicago Laboratory School founder, John Dewey. Little did they know that Janet's great grandchildren would one day attend his school.

Charles' grandmother Lillian was Janet's daughter and she would sometimes tell stories of how Peggy Guggenheim used to come to the house to visit her mother. Lillian passed away in 2007 well into her nineties and we miss her dearly. She was a very spirited lady (she liked to curse, which of course made me giggle) but what I loved most about her was her sense of independence and support of women. She used to say to me, "Stick with me kid, and I'll make you a star!". In her later years, she developed eye sight problems but that did not stop her from sitting two inches away from the television screen so she could watch my show. She liked to talk about wine with me and even though she never drank wine, she would often ask for recommendations as she said it was never too late to learn. She must have inherited this desire to keep learning and discovering from her mother.

The Gary Snyder Gallery in New York City is currently running a Janet Sobel exhibit. You can view her artwork and learn more about her amazing story here.

Chicago Tonight Segment - Valentine's Suggestions

2010-02-10T14:08:00.003-06:00

Is the Cult Cab Dead?

2010-02-04T11:40:00.005-06:00

This question was presented in an article titled - Dark Days for Cult Cabs in today's Food section of the LA Times. Cult Cabs are Cabernet Sauvignon based, limited production and high scoring wines that in better times sold for more than $300 per bottle. Demand has weakend and you don't have to be an economist to figure out that this downturn is tied to the Great Recession but I would like to pose another theory - The Millennials are now old enough to drink.

The term Millennials describes those born between 1980-2000. This is the tweeting, Facebooking, texting and tech-driven generation. They are more likely to get their wine recommendations via social media, texting or their friends. In other words, the point driven cult model doesn't apply to them and price wise these wines most likely don't fit their budget. But are the Millennials purchasing wines to begin with? According to a recent article by Dr. Liz Thach for winebusiness.com - they most certainly are,

"Even during this recession, we've heard how the Millennial generation has continued to drive wine sales--albeit at slightly lower purchase prices. They are credited with a 46% increase in wine consumption for 2008, as well as positive wine bar patronage and new wine club sign-ups at a time when most wine clubs are losing members (Wine Market Council). With more than 50% currently under the age of 21 and an estimated population size of 81 million, they are a formidable consumer group. Because of this, most wineries are now paying attention to the older end of the generation--ages 21 to 32."

The Millennials are also the first generation with no direct link to prohibition and their Baby Boomer parents were probably more likely to embrace drinking wine at the dinner table. Millennials seem to have a more positive attitude towards wine and view it as an integral part of their social life rather than some sinful activity. With massive amounts of information available at their fingertips, this generation wants to knock wine off of it's pedestal, expose it's mystery and learn more about it. They go to wine tastings, throw dinner parties and participate in tasting groups. While their parents can't imagine sullying a wine with a screw cap, Millennials know it's there to protect the flavor. I have noticed this generation is also more open minded when it comes to trying wines from newer regions or unknown grape varieties, especially if the recommendation comes from a trusted peer. They buy wine from Argentina, Spain and Greece and they aren't afraid to get into Albarino, Gruner Veltliner or Aglianico. Millennials relish connecting wine to it's origin and they love to pair it with foods of all kinds - both high end and casual. Millennials don't seem to be driven by mailing lists, points, scores and status. The prestige of wine doesn't matter - what's more important is the authenticity of the experience.

Millennials are acutely aware they don't have to spend a great deal of money for a good bottle of wine. Remember, they've done the research and they exchange information with their friends. They know they don't have to pay $50 for a bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon when they can buy 5 bottles of Malbec from Argentina for the same price. They don't seem to be as interested in aging wine for the future. Wine is not a trophy, it's something you drink tonight while watching the season premiere of "Lost".

So on the top end, prices are being driven down because of the recession and those who were spending $50-$60 on a bottle are spending less but on the bottom end, you also have this new group of younger drinkers who are buying a great deal of wine but also at lower prices. Are the wines aisles being stocked with more affordable selections to take care of the needs of the recession group or the Millennials? It's probably a mixture of both but I have a hunch the lower prices are likely to stick around for a while. The recession group has become accustomed to finding decent wines for less money and it will take more convincing to get the Millennials to spend outside their bargain priced comfort zone.

But what does this mean for Cult Cabs, are they truly dead? My answer is no but the criteria for what constitutes Cult Status will change. The pool for higher end wines will most likely shrink and those that are in it just for the prestige and cult status without offering a purposeful message or mission will fall away. There are always going to be certain wines that are worth a premium and I'm sure Millennials will eventually find these wines and splurge but their reason for doing so will be because they connected with the winemaker, visited the region or recognize the rarity of the product. This new consumer is very informed and not afraid to ask questions. They know your competition and they know what is out there. Taking an unknown critic's review or some abstract score at face value is not enough for them. They want to feel, taste and be a part of the entire experience. As for the recession group, time will only tell if they return to their previous buying patterns.

I asked my friend Lauren, who is 30 and an avid wine enthusiast, if she would ever pay $300 for a bottle of wine and she responded, "Do you know how much wine I could get for $300?" That's a very good question Lauren, and I'm sure she knows the answer.

Madonna, Marie & Mac 'n Cheese

2010-01-15T11:08:00.015-06:00

Me and Marie - just like old times!

I celebrated this past New Year's Eve with one of my best friends from middle school, Marie Quindara. She and I along with our other friend, Linae formed an inseparable band of three giggly, tweenage Catholic school girls. We shared a delight for boys, New Kids On the Block (Marie wanted Danny, Linae picked Joey and I longed for John), Debbie Gibson (Tiffany was too slutty) and spending hours on the phone on three way calls (remember when you pretended to get off the phone but continued to listen in while your friend tried to entrap the third party in saying bad things about you?). Kids today may have texting, Twitter, blogs, Facebook, etc. but sadly they will never get to experience the highs and lows of conference calling.

Madonna circa 1986

When I was eleven years old, my parents yanked me out of public school and enrolled me into a Catholic school, even though we were devout Hindus. This all went down after my mother caught me leaving for school dressed like Madonna and completely freaked out. She was convinced that I was surely doomed and it was only a matter of time before I joined the "gangsters" and did "the drugs". She figured a school where nuns enforced a strict uniform policy would help shake the heathen out of me. So there you have it, I went from singing "Like a Virgin" to praying to the The Virgin Mary.

As you can imagine, it was very confusing for someone raised as a Hindu to go to a Catholic school. I wanted to fit in with my friends at school so I attended mass, sang in the church choir and learned to pray the rosary. Then I went home and not wanting to disappoint my family, I participated in traditional Hindu rituals. I couldn't figure out if I was Catholic or Hindu and it was like I lived this double life but Marie and Linae became my constants and being with them and having our friendship made me feel normal.

I had not seen Marie since shortly after graduating high school which was about 15 years ago. She was visiting Chicago with a friend and it was so nice to catch up with her. Marie reminisced about our old teachers, the crushes we had on the boys in our class and how our life was ruined the day Alyssa Milano's doppelganger, the very attractive Nina Ngo stepped foot into our classroom. I brought up ice cream Fridays, the bake sales, her father's amazing pancakes, her mother's pancit and lumpia and the time I tried to renounce my Hindu faith so I could eat a beef hot dog.

Yes, you read that last part correctly. My family did not eat pork or beef which meant Big Macs, bacon and pepperoni pizza were forbidden. My parents did their best to make sure we did not feel deprived. Instead of hamburgers we ate Filet O' Fish sandwiches or my dad grilled lamb burgers and in place of meatballs, spaghetti was served with Prego and cut up turkey dogs. As a child I would have to scan ingredient labels for foods that I wanted to eat to make sure there were no beef or pork products in them. As a result, I now have a black belt in reading nutrition labels. It was a devastating blow to me the day I learned my favorite instant ramen flavor contained pork. One time, my mother accidentally purchased beef hot dogs instead of turkey dogs and she made me give them away to our neighbor. Can you imagine opening your front door only to be greeted by a young Indian girl with sad eyes and pig tails offering you a free package of hot dogs?

But back to how a hot dog made me want to renounce my faith. The hot lunch at school that day was hot dogs but I wouldn't be able eat one because surely they would be made made from beef. But, if I were to become a full fledged Catholic there would be no issue and I would also be able to eat other things on the forbidden list - spaghetti with an actual meat sauce, here I come! I passed Marie a note in class, alerting her to my plans. She wrote me back and told me I was crazy and how could I think about hot dogs at time when our classmate Andre was looking so hot. I can't remember if I ate the hot dog or not but hearing this story again only reminds me it's really no surprise that I ended up with a career focused around eating and drinking.

In closing, I would like to leave you with this recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. Mac & Cheese has a very special place in my heart and I ate a lot of it while growing up. It was one of the very few foods that we did not have to adjust which in turn made me feel normal. I could have it and feel just like any other kid.

After making other versions that would come out grainy, oily or dried out and gloopy, I consulted a couple of chefs and one suggested this stove top method which produces the creamiest mac and cheese I've ever had. I was also advised to use a processed cheese product as this will keep the mixture nice and creamy. I'm not a fan of processed cheese but it really works in this recipe and you only need a little bit. I like the dish plain but you could certainly add bacon or green onions or whatever heart desires.

You could pair this with a nice fruity red wine such as a Barbera, Pinot Noir or even Zinfandel but beer is your best bet. Beer does a much better job of rounding out the creaminess of the cheese where sometimes the acidity in wine can work against it. I would recommend something fairly rich, nutty and slightly bitter like Rogue Dead Guy Ale or Two Brothers Cain and Ebel.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
2 large eggs
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
hot pepper sauce (to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard (dissolved in 1 teaspoon water)
1/2 lb macaroni or pasta shape of your choice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups grated cheese of your choice (sharp or mild cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
1 cup grated American Cheese

Mix the eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and mustard mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Bring two quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add remaining salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter and toss to melt. Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with three quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining milk and cheese; stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about five minutes.

Winter Ribs and Rose

2010-01-07T12:06:00.007-06:00

This past Christmas, I wanted to make a substantial appetizer for our guests to nibble on since I knew my ambitious menu would probably take longer than anticipated. Drunk guests and no food equals mutiny. Of course, an easier solution would be to do a simpler menu but I can't do this because you see I suffer from a condition known as OCED - obsessive compulsive entertaining disorder. In other words, the sight of a Sur La Table or that silky feel of a new All Clad pan gives me the vapors.

People with OCED have this overwhelming need to go over and beyond the call of duty when it comes to entertaining. An OCED sufferer can not throw caution to the wind and serve just any meal but rather the menu must be carefully planned according to an established theme and decided upon after countless hours of research. The condition also causes sufferers to feel a sense of inadequacy if basic items such as dinner rolls, ice cream or chicken stock are not made from scratch. Researchers believe that the driving force behind OCED is a desire to seek approval from dinner guests. Sufferers seem to be addicted to the emotional high they experience after hearing compliments such as, "wow, you are simply amazing", "I can't believe you made this", "you must give me this recipe" or "this is the greatest night of my life". They are often left with a smug sense of satisfaction after conquering a complicated dish, especially one they've never made before or one that involves them purchasing a new piece of kitchen equipment. It is also not uncommon for OCED sufferers to fret about other entertaining issues such as: making sure there are flowers and a matching candle lit in the bathroom, having wooden and never wire hangers available for coats, setting out a designated receptacle for guests to place olive pits in and always serving drinks with cocktail specific napkins and not just regular paper towels.

So you see, my menu had to be executed as planned otherwise the evening in my mind would be doomed to fail. In doing the requisite research for my Christmas menu, I came upon Alton Brown's recipe for oven baked baby back ribs and thought this would be the perfect hors d'oeuvre. While I slow poached the eggs, seared the filet, fried the bacon, mashed the potatoes, roasted the vegetables, deglazed the pan, stirred the grits, made the sauce, sauteed the shrimp and baked the apple cake, pear tart and biscuits, everyone would be distracted with licking barbecue sauce off their fingers. Having lived in Chicago for the last ten years, I'm very well aware of the fact that making ribs in an oven borders on sacrilege but once I became fixated on serving them for Christmas, there was no going back. I had also never made ribs before which of course fueled my desire to give them a go and I was salivating over the hoard of compliments I would receive if they turned out successfully.

Something tells me Alton Brown may also be a fellow OCED sufferer so I trust his recipes. He makes the complicated easy to understand but his cooking methods are often, well, complicated which naturally I find quite attractive. The majority of the online reviews for this particular preparation were overwhelmingly positive but a few people said it was too salty for their tastes. I decided to follow the recipe to the letter with the two exceptions being, instead of just one hour, I marinated the ribs overnight (per the recommendation of my doorman who makes unbelievably good ribs) and I skipped the jalapeno powder because I didn't have any. I was skeptical that the ribs would be finished in two and half hours but they came out moist and tender. I reduced the sauce as instructed but the flavor was way too salty for me, although the meat itself tasted fine. I was able to mitigate the saltiness somewhat by adding ketchup, apple cider vinegar, smoked Hungarian paprika, cumin, honey and more brown sugar but next time around I will either cut the amount of salt in half or forego the reduction and make a separate barbecue sauce instead.

As for the "oohs" and "ahhs" that I was looking for, I'm happy to report that I got what I wanted. My guests really enjoyed the ribs and it was such an awesome experience to eat them on such a cold day. Despite the salt problem, they were really, really good. For many of us, ribs are a summer food but this recipe is a good way to bring a little sunshine indoors. We served the ribs with copious amounts of sparkling wine and Champagne. Sparkling rose in particular did a wonderful job of cutting through the richness and the fruitiness complimented the tangy barbecue sauce quite well.

Eating Good In the Hood has a nice pictorial guide to making this recipe and this video with instructions from Alton Brown is extremely helpful as well.

Ask Alpana Segment on Chicago Tonight

2010-01-06T11:10:00.004-06:00

For this segment of "Ask Alpana" we discussed biodynamic wines, why does red wine give people a headache and the value of a bottle of 1966 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. I also offer 3 wine recommendations for the New Year, including one to help out the Aussies who are in the midst of a severe grape glut.

Gin, Bloody Marys & a Moveable Feast

2009-12-17T11:48:00.011-06:00

According to popular belief, the bloody mary was invented by a bartender named Fernand Petiot at Harry's New York Bar in Paris during the 1920s. After Prohibition ended, Petiot moved to New York where he introduced his tomato based concoction at the bar in the St. Regis Hotel and the rest as they say is hangover curing history.

Charles and I went to Harry's New York Bar during our last trip to Paris as we thought it would be fun to visit Hemingway's favorite watering holes. I didn't order a bloody mary since I was more in the mood for gin and opted for a dirty martini instead. Charles drank Famous Grouse Scotch on the rocks. He picked up a taste for it in Amsterdam and I can't figure out if he orders it to be ironic or if he really likes it. The cocktails were great but the scenery at Harry's Bar was even better. The wood panelled walls are adorned with college pennants from all over the US, the white coated bartenders are beyond professional and even though nobody was smoking, there was still a distinct patina of haze in the room. You could feel the ghosts of time sitting beside you sharing your bowl of peanuts.

I'm a big gin fan and I remember reading somewhere that the original bloody mary may have been made using gin instead of vodka since gin is what they mostly drank back then. I went through a phase where if I ordered a cocktail, it was always a bloody mary but I also didn't want to give up my gin so I asked for a gin bloody mary. The juniper and other aromatic botanicals in the gin really marries (hee hee) well with the sweet tang of the tomato juice and the overall flavor is far more savory than with a vodka based mary. Trust me, it's a good a drink.

I have two favorite gins at the moment - Hendrick's ($37) and Cap Rock ($32). I discovered Cap Rock earlier this summer at a restaurant in Boulder, Colorado. It is a made from a blend of fruits, buds, seeds, and spices infused and distilled in a base spirit made with organic Jonathon and Braeburn apples. Twelve different botanicals (some dried some fresh) and two fresh juices are used to produce layers of fresh aromas and tastes. I commented to the bartender how much the gin smelled like lavender and he said they infuse the base with lavender flowers grown about 10 miles from the distillery. It's a must try for any gin enthusiast. Because this gin is so floral, I don't recommend mixing it with anything and to enjoy it straight over ice or chilled and up. Good news - Drinks Over Dearborn carries it.

Most recently, I have also discovered Right Gin ($27) from Sweden. I attended a cocktail tasting with famed mixologist Peter Vestinos. He made a pomegranate cocktail using Right Gin and all I could taste in this drink was black pepper. Peter said the black pepper component was courtesy of the gin as they infuse the base with Sarawak black pepper from Borneo. A light bulb went off in my head and I thought, this could be gin's answer to black pepper flavored vodka. I made a batch of bloody mary mix this past Sunday and instead of my usual Hendrick's, I poured in some Right Gin and the difference was amazing. With Hendrick's, you can really pick up the celery seasoning and the flavor is more on the savory herbal side. As expected, Right heightened the black pepper notes and the overall flavor was spicier and not as "sweet". It just goes to show you how much fun you can have with the flavor variations in gin that you can't have with the neutral nature of vodka.

Frankie's $5 per glass Wine List

2009-12-03T09:33:00.010-06:00

Charles and I spent the past Thanksgiving holiday week in Amsterdam and Paris. Turkey day happens to fall around my birthday and although I have been to Paris several times, I had always wanted to visit Amsterdam so we thought, now was good of a time as any for a European jaunt. Paris was glorious as ever and Amsterdam has become a newly discovered favorite.

Whether it's art, history, culture, scenery, coffee shops that don't really serve coffee or certain vices, Amsterdam certainly offers a little something for everyone but of course I was most excited to try the local food and drink. Our guidebook suggested that we try one of the many cozy and charming brown cafes that can be found all over Amsterdam. Bruine ("brown") cafes are to Amsterdam what pubs are to London, casual neighborhood spots filled with locals in search of a soothing drink, friendly conversation and affordable, tasty snacks. Once you step into one of these places, it's easy to understand where the moniker, brown cafe comes from. The walls and tables are often made from a rich, dark colored wood, worn down and stained with time and memories. Aside from running into the local characters, the best feature of these cafes was you could order a glass of wine and snacks such as bitterballen (croquettes), cheese sandwiches or spicy meatballs for 3 Euros each, a much welcome arrangement considering the US dollar doesn't go very far in the European Union these days.

Right before I had left for vacation, I was working with one our restaurants, Frankie's Fifth Floor Italian and Pizzeria on setting up a similar type offering for a hungry and thirsty after five pm crowd. I sourced 8 different wines that we could offer for $5 a glass, $10 a half carafe and $15 for a full carafe and the culinary team at Frankie's created a menu of items for less than $5 a plate. Of course, Frankie's is set on the fifth floor of a luxury shopping mall on Michigan Avenue and not in a decades old building perched on a charming canal but our hope is that we can provide you with what I experienced at those lovely brown cafes in Amsterdam - a place to catch up with your friends, enjoy a glass of wine or two and a few different tasty dishes at an extremely affordable price.

Here is a sampling of wine, cocktail and food items that are available Monday thru Friday in the Pizzeria at Frankie's after 5 pm (you can also park in the building after 5 pm for a validated rate of just $5).

WINE $5 per glass
La Marca Prosecco, Italy
Rocca Pinot Grigio, Italy
Kiona Riesling, Washington State
Rex Goliath Pinot Noir, California
Leda Pucci Chianti, Italy
Alamos Malbec, Argentina
Rudina Nero d'Avola, Italy
Citra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy

SPECIALTY MARTINIS $6 each
Cosmpolitan 900
Candy Apple Martini
Manhattan
Mediterranean Manhattan
Limoncello Martini

ITALIAN PLATES $5 each
HOMEMADE MEATBALLS
Marinara Sauce & Toasted Breadcrumbs
LAMB OSSO BUCCO
Creamy Polenta
ALMOND-CRUSTED SCALLOPS
Brown Butter Sauce
SMOKED SALMON & BUFALA
Imported Bufala Mozzarella
PROSCIUTTO & PECORINO
Speidini Style & Oven Roasted

CICCHETTI - Small tastes to accompany a glass of wine or a cocktail $3 each

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SPREAD
Served with crostini

OVEN-ROASTED GARLIC
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar

MOZZARELLA BOCCONCINI
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Basil, Chili Flakes

PICCOLI - Small Italian Sandwiches $3 each or 2 for $5

SLAGEL FARM SLOW-BRAISED PORK
Tuscan Kale & Percorino Cheese

CHICKEN CAPRESE
Oven Roasted Tomato & Handmade Mozzarella

Frankie's is a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant located at 900 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. 312-266-2500

Cinnamon Apple Sangria

2009-11-21T13:39:00.010-06:00

For the latest edition of homecookingschooled, Charles and I found ourselves at the Green City Farmers' Market in Chicago. We were sourcing ingredients for a Jose Andres tapas dinner, specifically freshly laid eggs for an authentic Spanish tortilla (check out the site for complete details on our dinner).

Hmm... I find it to be light and crisp with a refreshing apple finish

While on our egg hunt, we also sampled a very tasty apple cider from Seedling farms which inspired us to make an apple cider sangria - since what's a tapas party without sangria?

Thinking red wine would be too strong, I decided to use a base of a fruity and slightly sweet Riesling to best highlight the apple-y flavors of the cider. I added your usual suspects of diced apples, oranges, lemon and lime juice and simple syrup. Cinnamon or canela is a common ingredient in red sangria and apple and cinnamon go together like pb&j so a few cinnamon sticks went in as well. The flavor was still a little flat and needed a boost. I happened to remember a bottle of apple vodka that I had in our bar and decided to add a couple of splashes which eventually turned into half a bottle. With the addition of ice, the flavor was now perfect! The sweetness of the apple cider really came through, the cinnamon added a nice spicy note and the apple vodka provided a snappy granny smith apple finish.

If you're looking for something out of the box and festive to serve your guests for Thanksgiving, especially when they first arrive, consider sangria. It's easy to make, people can help themselves to it and sangria appeals to a wide base of drinkers from your lush of a cousin to your aunt who swears she only drinks on special occasions.

Sangria makes people happy!

Cinnamon Apple Sangria

2 bottles Riesling - I used an off-dry Riesling from Monterey
1 quart Seedling Apple Cider
2 gala apples - diced
1 large Navel orange - skins removed and sliced
Juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime
1/4 cup simple syrup (you can use sugar but it may be difficult to dissolve)
1 1/2 cups green apple vodka (I used Vox but you can also use Smirnoff which is less expensive)
3 cinnamon sticks

Empty two bottle of Riesling into a large mixing bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Simple syrup and vodka can be added to taste. Serve in a wine glass filled with ice. A splash of club soda can also be added if you want a fizzy sangria.

Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

2009-11-19T13:33:00.007-06:00

This recipe was inspired by the iconic tater tot pocket stuffing scene in the movie Napoleon Dynamite and my former roommate, Chris Lister. I first watched ND with Chris, who, like Napoleon, grew up in a small town where everyone knew your business. After living in Chicago for over 30 years, Chris has lost most of his accent but you can still hear the occassional twang in his voice, especially when he talks about his memories of growing up in downstate Illinois. Apparently, he and his three brothers were the town heathens. One year, a priest kicked them out of Christmas Eve mass after all four of them showed up to church completely intoxicated. And then there was the time the Lister boys decided to set the family car on fire - one of their many acts of pyromania (Chris freely admits to setting the chicken coop on fire - no chickens were harmed). Understandably, their mother felt the need to atone for their sins and so she became involved with the local church and volunteered at the hospital, hopeful that her community service would restore some good faith to the Lister name.

The tater tot scene reminded Chris of a charity cookbook that was put together by his mother and her friends. Everyone contributed a few signature recipes and then the cookbooks were sold in order to raise money for the local hospital. His mother's contribution included a recipe for bubbly clam dip - take a can of clam soup, heat until bubbly and then garnish with saltine crackers. Anything served with pineapple rings was instantly deemed Hawaiian style (pronounced high-why-yun). Chris said the book also contained a recipe for tater tot casserole from a woman named Bev Maddox, a frequent character in his stories as she was the town gossip and a close family friend. Chris remembers Bev Maddox telling his mother about the Johnson's fancy powder room - the toilet seat was transparent with a selection of real coins embedded in it. I loved any story involving Bev Maddox and I was most definitely intrigued by the idea of a casserole made from tater tots.

Chris didn't have a copy of his mother's cookbook so I asked him to describe what the tater tot casserole was like and I also did some research online. Most of the recipes called for browned ground beef baked with a layer of tater tots and cheese, a preparation that sounded boring and dry. I somehow struck the idea to create a creamier sauce akin to a sausage gravy which would coat the tater tots and prevent the casserole from drying out. I made my first attempt at Thanksgiving dinner five years ago and it was an immediate hit. We can't have a Thanksgiving dinner without it now. I've also given this recipe to so many friends and they too have added tater tot casserole to their holiday collection. Crew in Uptown also features it on their weekend brunch menu - since it's a potato dish, it's really good as a breakfast item with eggs. I will warn you, this casserole is nothing fancy and it is very unhealthy (some of my friends refer to it as Alpana's Heart Attack Casserole) but it's really good.

1 32 oz bag Ore-Ida Tater Tots - still frozen
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb of bacon - sliced into 1/2 inch strips
8 oz or 1/2 roll of country sausage (Jimmy Dean, Bob Evans, etc - I make my own)

1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 1/2 cups onions - diced
2 ribs celery - diced
1 10.7 oz can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup ( you could also use celery soup)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional but it does add a nice depth of flavor)
1 8 oz bag shredded cheddar cheese (I use mild but feel free to use sharp)

Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees

In a dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter and then add the sliced bacon and cook until slightly crispy but still soft. Remove bacon from the pot and reserve. Add sausage to the pot and cook until light brown and crumbled. Remove sausage and reserve with the bacon. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of grease from the pot - if you don't have enough grease, add some more butter. Saute onions, garlic, celery and chili pepper on medium heat until soft and translucent - about 10-12 minutes. Add sausage/bacon to the onion/celery mixture and saute for 1 minute. Lower the heat and then add the cream of chicken soup - the mixture will instantly turn gloopy and thick. Thin the mixture with the milk and simmer for 5 minutes until all the lumps are gone and the mixture is nice and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sour cream and half of the cheese. Stir until the cheese has completely melted. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Put the tater tots in a large mixing bowl and coat evenly with the sauce. Place the tater tots in a buttered casserole dish and then sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top. You can use more cheese than what I call for here. Place the dish on a baking tray (the dish tends to bubble over) and then bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown and the tater tots are completely done. Enjoy!

Beaujolias Nouveau Dinner @ Mon Ami Gabi

2009-11-19T13:04:00.006-06:00

Beaujolais Expert Yann Bourigault (on the left) will be at Mon Ami Gabi this Monday night

Beat the Monday blues and start your Thanksgiving week off right with an evening of exquisite food and wine.

Mon Ami Gabi ( a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant) is celebrating the arrival of the Georges Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau with a special dinner on Monday, November 23rd served alongside wines from the Beaujolais and Mâconnais regions of France.

The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome reception, followed by a five-course dinner paired with wines representing different appellations of the Beaujolais region. Guests will be offered take-home recipes and recommendations for Beaujolais wine pairings. Throughout the evening, Beaujolais expert, Yann Bourigault and Mon Ami's very own, Chef Justin Dumcum will present the dishes and the wines, while conversing with guests and answering questions.

The tasting menu includes:

DUCK CONFIT STRUDEL
Wild Mushroom Cream, Parsley Oil
2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages

SEARED SCALLOP, HOUSE CURED PORK BELLY
Hard Cider-Mustard Jus, Celery Root Puree
2008 Georges Duboeuf Mâcon-Villages

COCOA BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB
Whipped Sweet Potato, Carrot -Ginger Relish
2006 Georges Duboeuf Morgon

CHEESE PLATE
Humboldt Fog, Saint Andre, Maytag Bleu, Pickled Cherries
2006 Georges Duboeuf Juliénas

CHOCOLATE BANANA TARTE
Banana Sorbet

The event cost is $65 per guest plus tax and gratuities. Reservations are required; Call 773-348-8886 for Mon Ami Gabi located in Chicago (2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL 60614).

For additional information, please contact Nicole Gebhart at ngebhart@leye.com.

Chicago Tonight Ask Alpana - Thanksgiving Day Wine Pairings

2009-11-18T11:23:00.007-06:00

If you are having trouble viewing this video, click here (links directly to Chicago Tonight)

In last night's segment of "Ask Alpana" for Chicago Tonight, I offered wine pairing suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner. Not all of our viewers have access to a specialty wines store therefore I picked wines that were available for purchase at a major supermarket (The two exceptions being the Crispin Hard Apple Cider and the Vieille Ferme white wine. You can find the Crispin at Binny's or Whole Foods and the Vieille Ferme is available at any Binny's).

There is one tip that I forgot to mention: instead of buying multiple bottles of the same wine, I would suggest purchasing a variety of different selections and then set up a wine tasting buffet for your guests to sample from. This way, everyone gets the type of wine that is best suited to their tastes and a wine tasting is a fun way to keep people occupied, especially if you are running behind in the kitchen.

The Mailbag - Need a suggestion for an Intro Sommelier Course

2009-11-17T17:11:00.011-06:00

Dear Alpana,

I wanted to know a good introductory course to all things wine and sommelier-esque in Chicago, preferably downtown...like anywhere near wabash and superior. No, seriously, I'm willing to go anywhere (outside of my neighborhood) in Chicago to take and relish in a class, recommended by you, that could orient and familiarize me with said things. I want to see if my curiosities will either wane due to a passing interest or if they will engorge me like a flame and take me over!

thanks so much,
Melissa

I receive quite a few inquiries such as this from people just like Melissa who are interested in pursuing a possible career in wine. She is wise to take a "test the waters first" approach in order to see if wine is really the right fit for her. The organization that I belong to, The Court of Master Sommeliers, offers an introductory course that I think would satisfy what Melissa is looking for.

The course is given over a two day period with candidates receiving intensive instruction and training by a team of Master Sommeliers on wines and spirits knowledge, proper wine service, and blind tasting. The intent of the Introductory Sommelier Course is to provide wine and hospitality professionals with a thorough introduction to the world of wines and spirits at the highest professional standards. The course is given at various times of the year throughout the United States and there is usually one scheduled in or around the Chicago area.

If Melissa decides wine is really her thing then I would also recommend she join the Guild of Sommeliers website. This is a membership based site that promotes collaboration, inspiration, and ongoing education for the wine community. There is a fee to join but Melissa will have an opportunity to join online discussion forums and study groups, get current wine industry news, find a tasting group and connect with other sommeliers in her area.

Melissa can also get a jump start on her wine education with three books that helped me tremendously in becoming a Master Sommelier. I spent many nights memorizing the contents of these books. In fact, I don't know of a single Master Sommelier who hasn't done the same.

The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson

The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson

Sales and Service for the Wine Professional, 3rd Edition by Brian K Julyan, MS

Beaujolais Nouveau is almost here!

2009-11-17T16:52:00.008-06:00

This Thursday marks the official release of Beaujolais Nouveau, the first wine of the year. The release coincides with celebrations and parties throughout the world. If you're a Chicagoan looking to join the festivities and get your Nouveau on, Mon Ami Gabi (A Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant) is throwing a party.

Here are the details -

Be among the first to taste the new 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau at Mon Ami Gabi’s release party. Party includes unlimited Beaujolais Nouveau Wine, hors d’oeuvres, live music, French Can-Can Dancers, caricature artist – all festivities will take place on the patio, under total comfort in their heated canopy tent! Prizes include a dinner party for four, prepared in your home by their Executive Chef, and a trip to Las Vegas!

The event will take place this Thursday, November 19th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. A similar party will take place at Mon Ami Gabi’s Oak Brook location, with Executive Chef Bruce Williams. Event cost is $35 a person, plus tax & tip. To register please call (773) 348-8886 for Mon Ami Gabi Chicago and (630) 472-1900 for our Oak Brook location.

My Mother's Chicken Curry Recipe

2009-11-13T11:09:00.015-06:00

My parents grew up in tiny villages in the Fiji Islands where chickens roamed freely and fresh eggs were collected daily. A few years after they had moved to the US, my mother perhaps a bit nostalgic for the "old country" decided she wanted to install a chicken coop in our backyard. At first, my father objected since we lived in a fairly urban environment and he feared the noise would bother our neighbors whose fond childhood memories most likely didn't include free range chickens. My mother isn't one to take no for answer and after months of hearing, "these eggs have no flavor, our own eggs would be so much nicer, what this garden needs is fresh fertilizer, Moti down the street has chickens and nobody complains, you don't care about me go to hell," my father finally relented and together with my grandfather, they built my mother the chicken coop of her dreams.

Our chicken coop butted up against the fence that led into our front yard and it was not uncommon for the chickens too squirm their way free, just in time for my afternoon walk home from school. The sight of five our six chickens roaming the street sent my friends into fits of giggles, "Hey, Alpana aren't those your chickens? What, are you guys like farmers or something?" I, of course, would deny the whole thing in order to save myself from embarrassment since having a chicken coop back then wasn't the cool sustainable affair it is today. In today's world, a kid in a similar situation would be able to proudly fire back, "Yes those chickens belong to us and we raise them because they are a sustainable way to source healthy fresh eggs and reconnect with nature. My parents love me and they prefer that we not ingest mass factory produced agro-business poultry products and besides, chicken droppings enrich your compost." OK, perhaps I exaggerate a bit but I have to give my mother some credit here, she was way ahead of her time.

In addition to not liking store bought eggs, my mother also really hated the blandness of supermarket chicken, all meat - no flavor she claimed. When we had special family members visiting, my mother would often make curry from freshly slaughtered chickens as a token of great hospitality and respect. Actually, you could tell what type of visitor we had based on what animal ended up on the sacrificial chopping block for dinner. Seafood meant my parents wanted to show up a haughty relative and was the equivalent of keeping up with the Joneses (I'm not sure what the Indian version of Joneses is, keeping up with the Patels maybe?), a goat or lamb signified a prominent, well respected elder or a long lost visitor from Fiji my parents hadn't seen in twenty years and a chicken meant my parents were in a Johnnie Walker mood to celebrate and party.

My parent's chickens were like their pets and we certainly couldn't eat them so my mother would need to source new, anonymous birds for dinner. The morning of the big feast we would rise early and no less than six of of us would pile into our wood panelled blue station wagon and drive out to Prunedale, a rural yet charming farming community located about 20 miles from where lived. Over the years of maintaining our chicken coop, my mother learned how and where to source live chickens. Her strategy was hardly complicated, she would drive around until she saw a chicken on someone's property at which point she would park the car, locate the homeowner and ask, "Excuse me sir, do you have any chickens for sale?" Perhaps perplexed by the sight of a car full of Indians, some of whom were dressed in saris, the farmer would sometimes inquire about the fate of his birds to which my mother would calmly reply, "We're going to kill them and eat them." Once the financial business was sorted out (my mother is a skilled and notorious haggler), the chickens were caught and stuffed into 50 gallon, tarp-like bags and then placed into the back area of our station wagon, alongside me and my brother. In case you've never had the pleasure of sitting in a car next to bag full of live chickens who know they're headed for trouble, I'll tell you what you missed. The chickens don't just quietly sit there - they caw, flap around and are very violent. I was so scared and sure that one of them was going to scratch it's way out of the bag and in an Alfred Hitchcock like scene, seek revenge by poking and pecking our eyes out. To this day, I'm deathly afraid of chickens - a bonafide condition known as Alektorophobia - seriously, look it up.

My mother can pluck, skin, gut and break down a chicken in 10 minutes flat but she considers it un-lady like to actually kill a bird. This job was left to the men in our family. My father is a bit of sensitive soul who could never muster the ability to kill anything so one of my uncles had to do it. Of course, you had to catch them before they got too far in into the Johnnie Walker and beer. Slaughtering and drinking don't mix, trust me on this one. Once the deed was was done, the chickens were handed off to my mother to perform what she liked to call, "the operation". This last step involved getting the chicken cleaned, dressed and ready to turn into curry.

After the curry had finished cooking, we would all get together and eat. Everyone would compliment my mother on how delicious everything tasted and how much the flavors reminded them of back home. My mother would take a more humble approach and comment how the curry needed more salt or it was not spicy enough. It sometimes weirded me out to think that a creature I had been riding in the back seat with just a few hours ago was now on my dinner plate but I tried not to think about this part and instead focused more on how my mother was right, this chicken did taste differently, it was indeed much better.

Here is my mother's curry chicken recipe. As for what to drink with it, my family chose Scotch but if you're looking for a wine pairing suggestion, I would recommend Prosecco. The fruitiness contrasts the heat and spice in this dish. You could also go with a rich, fruit forward Malbec from Argentina. The dark plum flavors also play well with the heat and spice.

1 4lb Chicken - cut into 10 parts

2 cups sliced onions

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 - 3 inch piece of garlic

5 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 jalapeno or 2 Serrano chili peppers

4 tablespoons curry powder (you can make your own)

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

2 star anise (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Cilantro for garnish

Place garlic, ginger, salt & chili peppers into a food processor or use a mortar and pestle. Pulse or pound until smooth. Add the curry powder, tumeric and a splash of water and mix into a paste.

Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add the cumin seeds and star anise and sautee for 1 minute. Lower heat to medium and add onions and cook until slightly translucent, approx. 5-7 minutes. Add curry paste and sautee for 1 minute. Add chicken and toss until all the chicken is coated with the curry paste and cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add enough water to cover the chicken and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 1 hour. During this time check the chicken occasionally to make sure it is not burning. After an hour, if the sauce looks watery, you can reduce the liquid by boiling it on high heat without the lid on until you reach the desired consistency. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over basmati rice.

Homecookingschooled

2009-11-12T13:14:00.003-06:00

I do all the cooking at home and most of the time, I don't mind since I find cooking to be a very relaxing activity and it's a superb stress reliever for me. But there are those times when I come home after a long and hectic day at work and I find that I barely have enough energy and motivation to open the refrigerator door let alone concoct anything edible on the stove. On one such evening, I muttered something to my husband about how I wish he knew how to cook so I didn't have to. It was mostly the exhaustion talking but he took it to heart and felt bad that his inability to cook was such a burden for me at times.

A few weeks go by and he brings up an idea - he wanted to learn how to cook and he wanted me to teach him. I figured this could be a good experience and way for us to do something together so I agreed. But there was a catch (when you're married to a writer, there's always a catch) - he wanted to know what fundamental lessons he could pick up via the cookbooks and recipes of great culinary masters such as-Robuchon, Keller, Trotter, Ducasse, Boulud, e.g.. We have over 200 hundred cookbooks, some of which I don't think I've ever opened so at first I though - ok, cool, maybe I can learn something as well but then I realized, Charles can barely tell one end of a knife from the other and now he wants to replicate advanced cooking techniques and preparations? There's no way, he could hurt himself. But then, I wondered what would it be like for someone such as him to approach these recipes and techniques from such a novice perspective and what lessons could we all learn from what he perceives? It could certainly be interesting - so I agreed.

We've gone through two chefs so far - David Chang and Thomas Keller. David Chang's ramen recipe was extraordinary. It took 20 lbs of meat and two days to make which is quite remarkable when you consider ramen is mostly associated (at least in the US) with something that you can make in your microwave in 60 seconds. Thomas Keller "taught" us how to make fried chicken and I learned finally how to make mayonnaise from scratch.

If you get chance, I hope you can follow us, the blog is called homecookingschooled.There are links to photos on a flickr account as well. This weekend, we're doing recipes from Chef José Andrés who we absolutely love and adore.

The Mailbag - Wine Pairing Suggestions Needed

2009-11-12T11:07:00.010-06:00

I received the following email from a reader,

"Hi Alpana - our neighborhood wine tasting group is having our annual holiday dinner and I am in charge of selecting the wines. I would love to read your comments/recommendations. We want to have 2 whites and 2 reds. We have a budget of $20 per person, so I was thinking of one higher-level wine of each type ($25), with a more modestly-priced choice ($15) to balance it out. Thank you" - Rick

Rick provided me with the menu so let's see what pairings we could come up with.

First Course - Almond-Apricot Roasted Sea Scallops with Sautéed Spinach & Amaretto Cream

Considering the use of sweet apricots and amaretto cream, this preparation reads more like a dessert which means we need to balance sweet with savory. A high acid wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or steely French Chardonnay will do wonders for the minerally scallops and nutty almonds but it will make the apricots taste sour. What we need here is a white wine with a fat round texture to match the richness of the cream and a hint of tropical sweetness to compliment the apricots but still be refreshing enough to allow the flavor of the scallops to come through. A nice ripe Alsace Pinot Gris should do the trick.

I recommend 2006 - Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Calcaire $30 - sometimes Pinot Gris from Alsace can run a bit lean but ZH is known for it's over the top fatness and explosion of fruit flavors which should meld beautifully with this dish.

Second Course - Grilled Asparagus, Sun Dried Tomato Cous Cous, and Goat Cheese Crostini with Orange-Basil Sauce

I know Rick wanted another white wine but this dish screams dry rose to me. In general, I find high acid whites such a Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino or Gruner Veltiner to be suitable matches for asparagus as well as goat cheese but the sun-dried tomato cous cous and orange basil sauce take me to the South of France where dry rose wines are very popular.

I recommend 2008 Domaine de Gournier Rose Costieres de Nimes, France $9 - fresh and juicy with plenty of tart cranberry flavors to match the Provencal features of this dish. Also, drinking rose during a Chicago winter is a great way to bring a dose of much needed sunshine to the dinner table.

Third Course - Salad of Mixed Greens

Finish the first two wines

Fourth Course - Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Garlic & Asiago Mushrooms, Horseradish Potato Croquette and Bordelaise Sauce

Beef and a heavy, rich tannic red wine go together like, well there are just too many analogies to pick from. Rick indicated in his email that he was thinking about a Bordeaux but was not sure he could find one under $25 and his list of possibilities for the second red included something from Spain or an Argentine Malbec. Since this is a wine tasting group, I'm thinking we could have some fun here. I would recommend doing a comparative tasting, perhaps blind if possible between a French Malbec, AKA Cahors - an appellation located in the South West of France, not too far away from Bordeaux proper - and an Argentine Malbec. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70% Malbec in wines produced from the region. In general, Cahors is very rich, darkly colored, tannic and powerful wine and is stylistically quite different from the fruit forward, plummy and chocolaty Malbecs from Argentina. The differences between the two should provide for a very nice comparative tasting, especially for a room full of wine enthusiasts.

Rick expressed an interest in Ben Marco Malbec from Argentina which I can absolutely agree with. For the Cahors, I would recommend 2005 Domaine la Berangeraie Cahors Cuvee Maurin which sells at Binny's for around $16 a bottle.

Bottle Service - Wine Tasting Tips

2009-11-11T12:13:00.007-06:00

In today's column of Bottle Service, I offer some tips and suggestions on how to get the most of your wine tasting experience.

During my early days of wine education, I would attend as many trade and public tastings as I could. These tastings gave me access to so many different types of wine, especially pricier or esoteric selections that I could not afford to purchase on my own. I would also interview winemakers, importers and distributors and use their feedback to bolster my knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Wine tastings can also be a huge social event which is fine but if you want to use them strictly for education, you have to put your blinders on. I would often get sucked into a conversation with a colleague and 30 minutes would roll by and I would find myself standing in the same spot holding an empty glass of wine. Sure, I was all caught up with what was going on in Suzie Q's world but I hadn't tried anything. The great and legendary Master Sommelier Larry Stone gave me a superb tip on how to deal with this. When you attend a tasting, decide what your focus is going to be for that day. Perhaps you want to learn more about Sauvignon Blanc so make that your mission. Gather 3-4 examples from across the globe - Loire Valley, New Zealand, California, Bordeaux, etc. and then find a quiet corner and really concentrate on the stylistic difference between the various regions. If you don't do anything else that day, at least you walk away with a better understanding of Sauvignon Blanc.

And speaking of wine tastings, if you're a Chicagoan looking to put these tips to good use and you're fan of Pinot Noir, there's a big Pinot Noir festival happening this weekend at Navy Pier. Click here for tickets and more information.

Slim Jims, Funyuns & a Bottle of 7-Eleven Chardonnay

2009-11-10T11:29:00.016-06:00

Three thoughts come to mind upon hearing the word Yosemite: a mustached cartoon character, my childhood home and the place where I almost died.

If you grew up watching Looney Tunes cartoons, Yosemite Sam is easy enough explain. I grew in a house located on Yosemite Street (FYI - my porn star name would be Pepper Yosemite). And finally, I am reminded of the time I almost died on an 8th grade class camping trip to Yosemite National Park. We were there in the dead of winter which meant lots of snow, something I nor my parents from Fiji had ever experienced hence our ill-fated choice to pack rain boots instead of proper snow boots. During a hike in the mountains, I lost my footing on an icy sludge covered trail and came dangerously close to falling off the edge of a cliff. That's when my friend Christina Ferrante came chasing after me, grabbed my arms and saved my life. So there you have it, when you say Yosemite, I think of: a gun wielding cartoon character, the source of my porn star name and how I learned the importance of proper snow boots.

And now, courtesy of 7-Eleven, you can add wine to that list as well. This past Tuesday, the convenience store chain announced their plans to launch their very own line of wines that will be marketed and sold under the brand name Yosemite Road. Two flavors will be offered at approximately $4 a bottle, a "fresh and zesty" Chardonnay "with notes of apricot, peach and honey," and a "full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with juicy plum overtones". The wines will be released in 15,000 outlets, including 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. and Japan, as well as other subsidiaries of parent company Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., an $87.9 billion Tokyo-based corporation.

The decision to use the Yosemite Road brand vs the company name is a smart one since it doesn't immediately connect the buyer to a 7-Eleven. I mean, how many of us would show up to a dinner party with a bottle of wine marked with a 7-Eleven logo? At least, how many of us would do it without trying to be funny or ironic on purpose? That would be klassy with a circle k.

I will say that my initial reaction to the idea of 7-Eleven wines was great - I finally know what wine to pair with Funyuns. But all kidding aside, are consumers going to take 7-Eleven wines seriously? I'm not a fan of Two Buck Chuck but it's certainly been a huge hit for Trader Joe's and I certainly understand the reason for the popularity. Many people have come to rely upon Trader Joe's to seek out quality, esoteric grocery items so it's only natural they would trust "Trader Joe" to pick out some wines for them as well. The same could be said about places such as Costco or Whole Foods. What kind of wine is to be expected from a place that is synonymous with slushie drinks and Slim Jims?

It turns out, 7-Eleven sells a lot of wine, a ton actually. Wine sales equals yearly revenues of approximately $46 million in the United States and $127 worldwide. It's a huge component for them. Perhaps, the convenience factor of a 7-Eleven makes it easy to purchase this and that and then pick up a bottle of wine along the way. We've all certainly been stuck in a situation where we needed a last minute bottle of wine and our only option has been a convenience store. What's more, their wines sales of selections at $5 or less, have increased dramatically as consumers seek value priced options. With these sales figures and the call for more value priced selections, it makes complete sense to eliminate the third party quotient and go direct to making and marketing their own brand. The Yosemite Road wines are actually made in partnership with The Wine Group - the same company that offers wines such as Corbett Canyon, Glen Ellen, Franzia, Fish Eye and Mogen David. I can't speak for the quality and taste of the Yosemite Road wines having not tried them but something tells me I shouldn't expect too much.

The company did announce that the wines will be offered for a limited time only. My guess is they are testing the waters to see if they get a big bite (hee hee) from consumers. If they are successful, I'm sure we can expect similar moves from other big name companies in the food service world. White Hen Pinot Grigio, anyone?

30 Amazing and Creative Wine Labels

2009-11-09T13:05:00.003-06:00

The Coolist put together an impressive list of 30 Creative and Unusual Wine Labels. The lineup goes beyond your usual suspects that feature cursing animals, screaming spouses or gone but not forgotten celebrities and is certainly worth checking out. It's hard to imagine these labels not stopping you in your tracks at a wine store and maybe even getting you to purchase a bottle. I'm sure we've all done this before at some point. How else am I to explain or justify my purchase of Fat Bastard?

Hot Party in the Hot Pot!

2009-11-06T10:50:00.017-06:00

On November 12th, Ben Pao (a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant) and yours truly will host a Hot Pot Dinner, kicking off the Beijing portion of their Regional Dinner Series. The Hot Pot technique is traced to Northern China, circa 400 A.D., where Mongolian soldiers upended their helmets, filled them with water, held them over a fire and dunked hunks of meat in them to boil. The tradition of "wei-lu", meaning to circle the pot, spread throughout the country and became synonymous with communal feasts.

The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception and Beijing-inspired passed appetizers like shredded star anise-braised pork with homemade lotus buns, duck mu-shu rolls, and sesame-crusted garlic tofu. The Hot Pot Dinner will follow with wines that I have chosen that pair perfectly with the vast flavors of hot pot. The evening ends with guests dipping into a chocolate fondue, hot pot style. Included in the evening are raffles to win a hot pot and all of the sauces for your home enjoyment, as well as gift certificates good for November and December - the months that Beijing Specials are offered in the Restaurant.

The Hot Pot Dinner experience is priced at $55.00 all inclusive. This style of dining is perfect for groups, as 5-6 guests are seated around the Hot Pot. For more information regarding the style of dining and to make your reservation call Ben Pao at 312-222-1888

Here are photos from the Beer and Sichuan dinner that we did at Ben Pao this past summer.

Guest speakers Jim Ebel from Two Brothers Brewing Co & Beer Expert Wes Phillips with Ed Culleeney from Ben Pao

Sichuan Style spicy lake perch with Allagash White

Ma Po Doufu with Two Brothers Domaine Dupage French Country Style Ale

Dry Chili Chicken with Left Hand Brewing Co. Juju Ginger

Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Brasserie Dupont Foret Organic Saison

Chengdu Ice Cream Sandwich with Tyranena Brewing Co Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown Ale

The $8 Ice Cube

2009-11-04T11:25:00.014-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was at Drinks Over Dearborn celebrating their one year anniversary and Kyle, the owner, told me about these $8 ice cubes from a company called Glace Luxury Ice (pronouned gloss - because you know - they're $8 ice cubes and the company has to be fancy like that). The 2.5 inch balls are made from purified water and are supposedly hand-carved in Canada and delivered in “elegant packaging” complete with dry ice. A pack of 5 will set you back $40 and a bag of 240 spheres is an astonishing $1440.00. According to the company website, these chunks of frozen water are "designed to occupy the top position in the premium ice market." The website also goes on to compare the product to wine and suggests, "the ice may be 'aged' for a period of three to four minutes. This aging will allow the ice to acclimate to room temperature and cause 'frost' to form on the surface." And then if that is not fantastic enough, they offer this gem, "Glace Luxury ice will "crackle' and 'spider' but it will not break apart like less deserving ice or home-made ice." Surely you knew that your ice did not deserve you.

(image via Luxury Ice Co.)

The whole idea of luxury ice harkens a time before the world went into a financial meltdown where excess was all the rage and bars were in a frantic race to see who could come up with the most ridiculous, over priced cocktail. Diamond stuffed olives anyone? You have to admit, it takes balls (hee hee) to charge $40 for a bag of something that people are used to getting for free.

Now I like to keep an open mind about these sort of things since after all, I am in the beverage business and we're not exactly known for our prudence. The fact of the matter is, ice is one of the most important ingredient in a cocktail. Without it, now matter how good the base spirit, bad ice will ruin a drink. It would be like cooking a prime piece of Kobe beef with rancid fat. The meat is doomed. Ice will also absorb odors in the freezer and pick up surrounding flavors. Hmm...is it me or does this gimlet taste like salmon? The shape and size of the ice can greatly influence how the drink tastes therefore bars devoted to the craft of mixology will often stock ice in several shapes: cube, block, cracked, and shaved. Shaved ice melts quickly which is great if you want to dilute your drink. Enjoying a nice whiskey or scotch? Try a big block of ice which melts at a slower rate allowing you to enjoy a more concentrated drink. Respect for ice has even spawned a new generation of ice snobs.

The Glace Luxury Ice company has decided to shape their ice in the form of a 2.5 inch sphere but this idea is not a new concept. The Japanese have been enjoying their brown spirits over hand carved ice balls for quite some time now. According to a post detailing the spherical trend in Japan in Wired Magazine earlier this year, “a 2-inch diameter ball of cold has a lower surface-area-to-volume ratio than a typical cube. That means it melts more slowly, preventing vintage hooch from warming up and getting watered down.” Check out this video of a Japanese bartender chipping out a spherical cube by hand. Now this would be worth $8!

I certainly appreciate the thought process and reasoning behind offering this product and if there are people out there who are willing to fork over the cash for it, well good for them but I'm not one of them. And why would I when I can use filtered water and make ice spheres of my own using a round ice tray? Oh, but where can I find such magical round ice trays? The MoMA store sells them for $16.

PUG CHUG 09 Wines & Auction Items

2009-08-20T15:06:00.005-05:00

Yoda is available for adoption from NIPRA. If you are interested in having her or another beautiful rescue Pug join your family, please complete an application at www.northernillinoispugrescue.org

Here is the list of the over twenty wines and one sake that we will be available for sampling and tasting for Pug Chug 09 at Juicy Wine Co. this Saturday from 12-3 pm. Juicy will also be featuring their hand-dipped corn dogs and char-grilled hot dogs. The Saturday weather forecast is 71 degrees and slightly cool, with no rain in sight - in other words, perfect wine tasting weather. It's going to be a great event and I hope you can join us. Do it for the Pugs!

WHITE WINE
Four Vines Chardonnay "Naked", Santa Barbara County
Cuvaison Chardonnay, Carneros
Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Washington State
Casamatta Vermentino, Tuscany
Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, California
Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Riesling, Monterey County
Buglioni , "Il Clandestino" Bianco Veronese, Veneto
Palazzo Grimani Pinot Grigio,Veneto
Alta Vista Classic Torrontes, Argentina

RED WINE
Viridian Estate Pinor Noir, Willamette Valley
O'Reilly's Pinot Noir, Oregon
Chandon Pinot Noir, Carneros
Murphy's Law Rose, Washington State
Club Deluxe Cabernet Franc, Washington State
Casamatta Rosso, Tuscany
Las Rocas Garnacha, Spain
Feudo Maccari Renoto, Italy
La Posta Malbec, Argentina
Broquel Malbec, Argentina
Saladini Pilastri, "Preggio del Conte", Marche
Trace, "Teacey Hills" Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Simi Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma
Four Vines Zinfandel "Old Vine Cuvee", California

AND JUST FOR FUN
Tozai Living Jewel Junmai Sake

AUCTION ITEMS

A chance to participate and appear as the Bartender on an episode of Check, Please!, Gift basket of toys and snacks from premium pet boutique, Tails in the City, custom made print portrait of your pet from Printmakers Chicago, Restaurant Gift Certificates for Frankie's, Scoozi and Nacional 27 and a great assortment of semi precious jewelry.

For additional details on the event and how to purchase tickets ($45 per person), see the previous post or click here.

PUG CHUG - Wine Tasting Benefit for NIPRA

2009-07-29T14:13:00.011-05:00

(graphic design by Steve Krason)

On Saturday, August 22 from noon 'til 3:00 p.m., join me and my good friends at Juicy Wine Co. for The 1st Annual Pug Chug. Swirl and sip a bunch of super summer wines that pair perfectly with scrumptious summer dishes like hand-dipped corn dogs and char-grilled hot dogs, all for a great cause—saving Pugs. There will be a silent auction with fun prizes including a chance to visit the set of Check, Please! to watch a taping. All proceeds benefit Northern Illinois Pug Rescue & Adoption - NIPRA.

NIPRA is a non-profit organization that exists to assist the community in placing any needy Pug dog, regardless of age or health in a permanent, loving home. All adoption fees and donations go solely for the rescue, care, and placement of mistreated, unwanted or homeless Pugs. As some of you may know, Charles and I are the proud parents of a Pug, Mr. Haruki Murakami, therefore this charity hits close to home for us and we are very happy to support them.

Click here to purchase tickets ($45 per person). Unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate our furry friends at the event.

If you would like to donate an auction item, please email me at lettucewine@gmail.com . The Pugs and I would forever be grateful!

Special thanks to Rodney Alex and Juicy Wine Co. and Jill Toporkiewicz from NIPRA for hosting and helping me organize and plan this event. It's going to be a ton of fun and we hope to see you there!

Ravani Cake - Greek Semolina Cake

2009-07-19T14:09:00.005-05:00

(image via Kali Orexi - a fantastic Greek food blog. Charles lent my camera cord to a friend and once I get it back, I will update with a photo of the cake I made)

When we were in Greece last year, Charles and I fell in love with Ravani, a sweet syrup moistened semolina cake that is also known as Olympiad Sugar Cake. The winning athletes in the ancient Pan-Hellenic games were crowned with parsley and awarded these sweet spicy cakes. We enjoyed them daily as a late afternoon, post sight seeing pick-me-up snack with a refreshing Nescafe frappe (I'm convinced this is the drink that inspired the Frappuccino). All the local cafes in Greece offered their version of Ravani and we became hooked.

A few weeks after we returned home from our vacation, we went to a newly opened Greek restaurant in Chicago that promised authentic Greek cuisine - just like the food in Greece. Naturally, we were excited but much to our dismay, we discovered they did not serve Ravani. The owner said it was something reserved for special occasions and she was surprised to hear that we had encountered it with such frequency in Greece. She even questioned us over and over again asking if indeed it was truly Ravani. We have been to a few more Greek restaurants since then and a similar conversation takes places between us and the owners. Maybe, we just got lucky on our vacation?

While cleaning out my pantry this morning, I discovered a partial bag of semolina, AKA farina. I'm not sure what I purchased it for but I had enough to whip up a batch of Ravani cake. I consulted a few recipes on-line and this is what I came up with based on other ingredients I had on hand. There are many variations to this cake - you can add nuts, flavor the syrup with rose water or other flavorings and almond meal can also be added to the batter - but I kept things fairly basic.

The syrup soak also makes this cake a great match for a simple, honey flavored dessert wine such as Muscat, try one from Patras or Samos. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whip cream can also be served with the cake to cut the sweetness.

CAKE
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
6 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup semolina (not instant)
1 cup cake flour (I use Swan Down)
2 teaspoons baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Sift together cake flour and baking powder

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, pausing to scrape sugar and butter at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Add vanilla, almond extract and lemon zest. Slowly incorporate semolina until well combined. Slowly incorporate sifted cake flour and mix until well combined.

Pour batter into a greased pan. I used a casserole dish which allowed the batter to come 1/2 way up.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer

While cake is baking, prepare syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch cinnamon

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add lemon juice (this will prevent the sugar from crystallizing) and cinnamon

When cake has finished baking and still hot, pour entire syrup mixture over the cake

The verdict: the flavor is spot on and I love this recipe. My only complaint is the syrup sunk to the bottom so only half the cake is really juicy, which is not really a problem since you get two variations in one. Next time, I will pour the syrup more slowly to avoid this problem or use a more shallow dish.

Hello Kitty Wine - Yes you read that correctly

2009-06-12T13:59:00.012-05:00

Italian winery, Tenimenti Castelrotto has launched four wines featuring the iconic bobble headed cat under a partnership with Italian luxury goods company Camomilla and Japan's Sanrio Company. And just to make sure your Hello Kitty wine drinking experience is absolutely purrrrfect, Camomilla has also released a line of Hello Kitty wine glasses studded with pink rhinestones, because drinking your Hello Kitty wine out of anything else would of course be uncivilized.

Japan's Sanrio Company launched the Hello Kitty brand in 1974, and now accounts for well over 1 billion dollars in sales worldwide. Sanrio also has an entire theme park devoted to Hello Kitty - Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo. That would be an interesting vacation.

Winemaker, Patrizia Torti had this to say about the Hello Kitty wines, "Hello Kitty is not just for children. She is a recognised cult fashion icon among teenagers and adults around the world....She has been trendy for years. You see her on everything from bags and clothing to Porsches and Smart cars. We're very proud for our wine to be associated with her."

All four wines are made within the Oltrepo Pavese district of Lombardy. Although, I have not tried any of these wines, I have had other wines from the area and they range from decent to downright delicious. What I find most amazing is that the TTB actually approved these labels for sale in the US market. Typically, the TTB has a history of rejecting alcohol labels that may appeal to children. Maybe someone at the TTB is a Hello Kitty fan?

The Brut Rose is Pinot Noir based and light pink in color. Each bottle is adorned with a special Hello Kitty pendant featuring the Italian flag. I will say, the packaging is suspiciously similar to the Dom Perignon label. I'm just saying....

Then there is the Sweet Pink - a sparkling, aromatic rose also slightly pink in color but much sweeter in style. The bottle is adorned with a heart, how sweet.

Next we have the Angel Pinot Nero (I'm sorry but these names are killing me). This is a Pinot Noir based wine that is vinified without any skin contact making it a white wine. It is suggested that you enjoy this wine as an aperitif.

And then finally we have the Devil Pinot Nero. This is also Pinot Noir based but red in color. Suggested food pairings include red meat, rabbit, lamb, roast beef, “Zampone” and “Cotechino”, wild owl, hard cheese. Who would have guessed Hello Kitty had such ambitious taste in food? By the way - where the heck am I supposed to get wild owl?

Personally, I never got into the whole Hello Kitty craze but I went to grade school with this girl named Margaux who had an almost cult-like fascination with anything Hello Kitty: pencil toppers, watches, stickers, coin purses, erasers, backpacks, lunch boxes, clothing - you name it, she had it. I actually really liked Margaux. She was one of those overly friendly, well mannered girls who would offer to share one of her Hostess cupcakes with you, lend a few sheets of notebook paper (Hello Kitty, of course) if you ran out and didn't get mad if you pressed down too hard with her crayons. I guess it was part of her Hello Kitty code to be super chipper and gracious since you can't really be a mean girl and worship an overly adorable wide-eyed fluffy cat at the same time.

Something tells me, Margaux wherever she may be, is probably still into Hello Kitty as I don't think it's something you can outgrow. I bet you, she's turned into one of those really polite people who instead of saying something bad about someone will just put a hand to her chest and say, "Oh bless her heart." I can just picture her having a house party and walking around offering to top off her guest's Hello Kitty wine glasses with one of these pink labelled bottles. And I'm sure if you commented on how much you loved the kitty charm, she would offer to let you keep it.

Summer Wine Dinner at Reel Club

2009-06-11T14:57:00.023-05:00

Last night I hosted a wine dinner at Reel Club, a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant. I frequently post notices about these wine dinners but I thought it would be fun to share photos of the event and detail what we ate and drank.

We do these dinners about 4 times a year at Reel Club and we try to coordinate them with the change in the weather and highlight what is fresh and in season. Summer is just around the corner so we thought it would be fun to do some outdoor grilling and drink wines that are ideal for warm weather sipping.

We started the evening off on the patio with some Prosecco and white and red sangria. Chef Mychael Bonner manned the grill and demonstrated how to prepare boneless quail kebabs, mini Wagyu burgers and grilled octopus.

We then moved indoors for the main event. My goal was to take photos of all the dishes but I remembered to do so only after I had taken a few bites and nobody wants to see a photo of a partially eaten plate. You know how it goes - eat first, think later. Our first course was crispy Chinese eggplant with first of the season tomatoes. This was paired with a tangy, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. Then we had marscarpone cheese enriched polenta with morel mushrooms paired with a super Tuscan blend of Merlot and Sangiovese. Our main course was a surf and turf duo of Block Island Swordfish and Jamison Farm Lamb Chops with an Aussie Shiraz. I managed to get a photo of the smoked oyster amuse bouche and the dessert which was a key lime tart served with blackberry sorbet and Moscato d'Asti. We also had chocolate chocolate chip cookies and chocolate coconut macaroons. I ate these before getting a photo as well. As you can imagine, I would not make a very good food stylist.

The cost of this event was $55 per person plus tax and gratuity.

And just for fun, here is Charles posing in front of a very funny ad at the mall in Oak Brook before the event.

How to Chill a Magnum of Champagne

2009-06-11T14:41:00.006-05:00

.

A quick and easy way is to do it in your bathroom sink. Just make sure you drain the basin before your guests arrive otherwise, they'll have to wash their hands in your bath tub.

12 Wines for the Summer Under $12

2009-06-10T10:14:00.004-05:00

.

For some reason, the weather in Chicago is refusing to let go of winter this year. I have lived in this city for almost 10 years and I don't remember it ever taking so long for the temperature to warm up. By now, I should be complaining how hot it is and my hair should immediately frizz up from the humidity when I walk outside. Instead, I'm still wearing a sweater and my winter coat. Ugh!

The calendar will soon say it is summer despite the actual temperature indicating otherwise which means lots of parties to attend and throw. Here are my affordable picks for you to grill, chill and entertain with. As seen in my column Bottle Service today in the Chicago Tribune's Red Eye.

Alpana & Julia

2009-06-08T10:48:00.007-05:00

Last year Charles gave me a copy of Julie and Julia, a memoir penned by Julie Powell who decided to escape the doldrums of her sad, ambition-less existence by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. Julie started blogging about her culinary escapades which eventually landed her a book deal. I have not read the book but Nora Ephron found it interesting enough to turn into a motion picture for the silver screen. The adorable Amy Adams is playing Julie and the great Meryl Streep portrays Julia Child (the Academy should just automatically give her the Oscar). I've seen previews for the film and it looks really good!

Like so many, I grew up watching Julia Child's show on PBS and would drool over every single dish she made. In fact, my brother and I were addicted to cooking shows in general. We loved Yan Can Cook, Frugal Gourmet, Chef Cuisine, Jacques Pepin, Great Chefs of America and Graham Kerr. If it involved food, we watched it. Julia was our special favorite since we liked the way she talked and her calm and joyful demeanor was soothing to watch.

I was fortunate enough to meet Julia Child when I was 20. She came in for lunch at the restaurant I was working at in Monterey and as you can imagine it was an impressive moment. She was very tall and sounded exactly like she did on television. I remember in high school, my physics teacher showed us a video of Julia Child cooking a diamond in order to demonstrate how carbon is isolated. I was so nervous and the only that I could think of was that video and I asked her was what was it like to burn a diamond. Of all the things we could have discussed, this is what I chose. She took my hand, gave it a firm warm squeeze, smiled and recalled the experience as absolutely fascinating. She then gave me the story of how she became involved in the project and agreed to do it because she felt strongly about the importance of math and science in the education system. Well, the video worked because years later, I still remember it.

I have both volumes of Mastering The Art of French Cooking and the 40th Anniversary edition in my cookbook library. I've never followed any of the recipes, aside from a failed attempt to make Bearnaise but the recent attention on the upcoming Julia Child movie inspired me to prepare something Julia would make. The 40th Anniversary edition has an introduction from Julia Child of how she came to do the original book and the years that followed. It's a fascinating story of why and how she learned to cook and the reason she felt it was important to share the message of great food. It made me ponder what the American culinary landscape would have been like if Julia Child had never taken an interest in learning how to cook. Green jello mold anyone?

After poring through the recipes and narrowing down the choices based on ease and what I had in my pantry, I decided to make an apple clafouti dessert. Clafouti is somewhat between a pancake and a custard. In fact, this particular clafouti reminds me of the apple pancake at the Pancake House. It's really not that sweet and would be ideal as a Sunday brunch item.

The recipe was very simple to execute and the success of this dish has inspired me to have many more moments with Julia.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly buttered fire proof 7-8 cup baking dish or pie plate, 1 1/2 inch deep

1 cup milk
1/3 granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cups sifted all purpose flour

Blend all the ingredients in a blender at top speed for 1 minute - this is your batter

Apples -

1 1/4 lbs crisp apples
3-4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dark rum, Cognac or Calvados (apple brandy)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar

Peel, core and slice apples lengthwise 1/4 inch thick - you should have about 3 cups, sautee apples in butter to a very light brown. Add liquor & cinnamon. Remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Pour 1/4 inch layer of batter in baking dish or pie plate. Set over moderate heat for minute or two until the batter sets somewhat on bottom of dish. Remove from heat, spread the apples and sprinkle sugar. Pour the rest of the batter over apples and smooth with back of spoon.

Place in middle position of pre-heated oven and bake for about an hour. The clafouti is done when it has puffed and browned and when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with powdered sugar.

Toso Brut Argentina

2009-06-05T16:26:00.004-05:00

I discovered this sparkling wine last year while shopping at Whole Foods. Actually, Charles saw it first and since it was only $7, he put it in our grocery cart. We figured, we pay more to valet our car and how bad could it be? We chilled a bottle and tried it and I couldn't say anything really good or really bad about it and filed the experience away in my memory bank as boring.

We were at an event last night and they were serving the Toso Brut. I braced myself for another mundane experience but this time I found the flavor to be much richer and slightly more toasty than what I had before. It could have been my palate was not as sharp the first time around - I have days where I can't taste as well because of allergies, stress or a cold which can dull my sense of taste -call it a job hazard. This time, I was pleasantly surprised by the Toso. I'm not saying it's on par with expensive French Champagne but if you're looking for something inexpensive, well made, clean and bubbly - it will do the trick - especially for large events when you need a large amount of sparkling wine, e.g., weddings, receptions, birthday parties.

The Toso Brut is an Argentine sparkling wine from Pascual Toso - a family owned company that has been around since 1880. A few years ago, legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs joined the team to assist winemaker Rolando Luppino revitalize and modernize the wines. Most of the domestic sparkling market in Argentina is controlled by Moet and Chandon - so much so that the locals refer to sparkling wines simply as Chandon. According to Enrique Toso, Toso is the number two selling sparkling wine in Argentina.

Toso is made from Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay - I'm not sure of the breakdown. The secondary fermentation takes place in large tanks rather than individual bottles which is what they do with Champagne. By using the tank or Charmat process as it is sometimes referred to, the production costs are drastically reduced hence the lower price tag. According to their website, Toso also makes sparklers using the more expensive methode champenoise process.

The label reminds me of the Dallas Cowboys logo which could fun to feature during game time if you're a Cowboys fan. But then again, the Cowboy star is blue not white so maybe not. I grew up a 49ers fan and the Cowboys were our arch rivals so what do I know?

Joe Montana for ever!!!!

10 Budget Friendly Wines for the Summer

2009-06-04T12:16:00.021-05:00

.
A friend of mine who has not had much luck in the budget wine department asked me for summer wine recommendations. He tends to enjoy wines from Italy, Spain and France and he doesn't like anything too overly oaked or really high in alcohol. Here is the shopping list that I made for him based on what I think would work for his palate. I tried to keep the price point around $15 or less but keep in mind that prices will vary according to your retailer.

2008 Domaine La Fage Cote Est Blanc, Roussillon $11 - stainless steel fermented blend of Grenache Blanc & Gris, Chardonnay and Marsanne is lively and fresh with candied citrus notes. Perfect for the summer.

2007 Domaine le Hautes Noelles Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu Sur Lie, Loire Valley $11 - crisp, lemony and minerally, it's a great wine for shellfish platters

2008 Dr Loosen Dr L Riesling, Germany $12 - tart green apple flavors with a slight sweet finish makes this a great match for sushi and Asian fare.

2008 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand $10 - no summer would be complete without a bottle of NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Bright and citrusy with grapefruit flavors.

2007 Maculan Pinot & Toi, Veneto $12 - blend of Tocai, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio is a great wine for lighter summer salads, grilled fish or something to sip on while you are cooking

2006 Domaines la Millieres Cotes du Rhone $13 - old vine Grenache based wine with bright raspberry and white pepper notes. A great wine for grilling.

2007 Altos de La Hoya Monastrell, Jumilla $10 - a big rich style that offers tons of juicy blackberry fruit flavors but still maintains a degree of elegance without going overboard.

2005 Capcanes Mas Donis, Montsant $12 - concentrated and minerally blend of old vine Grenache and Syrah. I've always been fond of this wine.

2006 Susana Balbo Crios Syrah-Bonarda, Argentina $13 - Susana Balbo is an extremely gifted winemaker and I just love this wine. Bonarda is much lighter than Malbec so the Syrah gives it a bit more weight.

2007 Li Veli Passamante Salento, Italy $11 - ripe, raisny Negroamaro with a smooth, soft texture. It's a great wine for every day enjoyment.

Operation Gravlax

2009-06-03T11:11:00.011-05:00

My husband seriously needs to stop watching the Barefoot Contessa. He ends up craving whatever she makes which is a problem considering he doesn't know how to cook and in the end this translates into a cooking project for me. I must say I absolutely adore Ina and I covet her Hampton's lifestyle and cachet of handsome friends. Her beach side picnic world resembles an ideal utopia where the weather is always perfect (apparently it never rains in the Hamptons), only the best of everything is available and everyone is fabulous and knows how to arrange flowers and set a table. Seriously - I would love to have my very own Miguel or Michael to help me decorate.

image via foodnetworkhumor.com

Yes there is plenty to love about Ina but I must admit, sometimes I find her recipes can be a bit involved and she makes me feel guilty if I don't make my own chicken stock (because it's a perfect Sunday project) or decide to fill my neighbor's refrigerator with food after they've been away on a long vacation. Or worse - if I fail to make a mini replica of my wedding cake to celebrate my anniversary. By the way, do you think her husband Jeffrey explodes in a fit of rage if she doesn't use two tablespoons of "good vanilla"? Just wondering.

image via foodnetworkhumor.com

On a recent episode, Ina demonstrated how easy it is to make your own gravlax - one of Charles' favorite foods. She made it seem so simple- all you have to do is rub a mixture of salt, sugar, fennel seeds, cracked white pepper and some dill onto 3 lbs of salmon, wait 24 hours while you bake off some scones and voila - GRAVLAX!

Of course, Charles gets this crazy idea in his head that he needs to cure his own gravlax and for the past three weeks, he has been pleading with me during each grocery trip to purchase what would be $30 worth of salmon. I finally broke down and suggested he try a smaller version of the recipe. This way if it didn't work out then it would be 1 lb of fish rotting in our refrigerator instead of 3.

We followed the recipe to the letter - which meant turning the fish every twelve hours. We started the recipe at 1 pm in the afternoon and Charles woke up at exactly 1 am to baste the salmon and turn it. I have to give him credit for this. About two days later, it was ready to go and I must say - it is by far some of the best gravlax I've ever had. Delicious!

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it yourself. You can pair it with a bottle of sparking wine such as Prosecco or Champagne, although I find the Prosecco works better since gravlax tends to have a bit more sweetness to it. Szigeti Sparkling Gruner Veltliner from Austria ($20) could also be a fun pairing. It's slightly fruity and similar in style to a Prosecco. If you wanted something really authentic then serve the gravlax with Scandinavian Aquavit which is a distilled spirit flavored with caraway seeds or cumin and other spices.

I suppose we can all have the Barefoot lifestyle - as long as we're willing to put in the time and effort. And in case you're wondering - we tried the recipe again but this time with the full 3 lbs. That's a lot gravlax and as Ina would say "how bad could that be?"

Wine Tattoo

2009-05-29T10:53:00.010-05:00

I came across this photo of this guy who apparently loves Petrus enough to have it tattooed on his arm. Now this is dedication. During my twenties, the Britney Spears lower back tattoo was all the rage and as my friends were getting pierced and inked all over, I opted out. I can certainly appreciate the merit of a good tattoo and in some cases it can make a person seem more mysterious and vixenish but I just couldn't come up with a cool enough design that I was sure to love for the rest of my life - even something related to wine.

Believe it or not but my grandmother had tattoos. It was a very common thing for Indian women of her age to get inked, especially with their husband's name. I'm not sure where the idea came from but I'm guessing since my grandparents were born and raised in the Fiji Islands, they adopted the tradition from the local natives. She had a heart tattoo with Lal Singh (my grandfather's name) written in the middle. It was done prison style in a dark bluish-black ink and as she grew older and more wrinkly, so did the heart, actually it kind of melted. When my brother turned 18, he decided to get "SINGH" tattooed on his upper left arm in Old English script. When I first saw it, I joked it was a smart reminder in case he forgot his last name.

Perhaps one day, I'll take the plunge and get a tattoo and if I do, I'll follow Mr. Petrus' lead and go full throttle wine geek. Here are some possibilities:

For a lower back tattoo (AKA tramp stamp) option, I could go with the Guyot Trellising Sytem

Instead of a girly butterfly on my shoulder or ankle, perhaps something more intimidating like the Phylloxera louse

Dr. Anne Noble's Aroma Wheel on my back, or better yet on my torso in case I felt a need to consult it

If I had to pick a wine person it would be my idol, the amazing Jancis Robinson

And for a wine label it would have to be Clos Ste Hune Riesling from Alsace, but the '76 vintage

Frappucino + Vodka = Cocktail Time with Sandra Lee

2009-05-28T16:23:00.006-05:00

Sandra Lee's Capputini Recipe:

2 shots coffee drink (recommended: Starbucks Frappuccino)
1 shot vodka

Directions:
Fill a martini shaker with ice cubes. Add coffee drink and vodka. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Top glass with remaining foam from shaker.

Oh Sandra, this is why I am so enamored with you.

Ramos Pinto Adriano from Portugal

2009-05-28T15:16:00.005-05:00

When it comes to Portuguese wine, sweet and delicious Port naturally comes to mind but what about their dry red wines? Portugal is a treasure trove of indigenous varietals that are rarely found outside of the country. The grapes are often difficult to pronounce but the reward is in the wines as they can be pretty darn tasty and best of all - shockingly affordable.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with Joao Nicolau de Almeida, the head winemaker of Ramos Pinto. I've always been a huge fan of their tawny Ports - especially the 30 year selection but I had never tried their dry red wines which Joao had brought along for me to try. I was most impressed with the Adriano which is made from the same grapes as Port wine ( 30 % Touriga Francesa, 30% Tinta Roriz 30%, Tinta Barroca, 10% Touriga Nacional - I told you they were tongue twisters) but the juice is allowed to ferment all the way through and it is not fortified creating a sturdy wine that tastes a bit like a cross between a fruity California Cabernet Sauvignon and an earthy, cedary Bordeaux. The French connection is not out of the blue as Joao's mentor was the famed French oenologist Emile Peynaud who is often credited as the father of modern winemaking. Emily Peynaud also authored one of my all time favorite wine books - The Taste of Wine: The Art Science of Wine Appreciation (which unfortunately is out of print).

Joao confessed to me that wines like Adriano have been a tough sell in the States since US consumers tend to equate Portuguese wines with something sweet. The Adriano retails for around $13 a bottle but I would put it up against wines three times the price. This is a great bargain and a potential game changer for the Portuguese market in general. Once consumers get their hands on something this tasty and affordable, there may come a day when we will be surprised to learn that Portugal makes dessert wines as well. OK, perhaps this is a huge exaggeration but you get the idea.

Delay in Posts

2009-05-28T14:23:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posts but I've been committed to a new fitness regime lately which has been taking up my extra time. Long story short, I've always lamented the fact that I could never run. I think I was forever scarred by those Presidential fitness tests in elementary school where they measured the athletic abilities of school children. My classmates were effortlessly able to clock a mile in under 8 minutes and I'd bring up the rear red faced and huffing and puffing at 15 minutes. The fifty yard dash was especially cruel as each student was asked to sprint separately while the rest of the class stood by the sidelines and watched. My sprint was more of a gallup or perhaps a hopscotch. Right then and there I knew there was a difference between me and other children - they could run and I could not.

I'm not the type of person to just give up so a few years ago, I made the decision to finally conquer running. It was my New Year's goal to clear the four mile mark and I'm happy to say I finally did it! Granted it took me about an hour to do it but I did it. My more athletic friends frequently talk about a runner's high and I think I got a whiff of it. It's really quite amazing to set a goal and finally accomplish it. The next step is to lower my time and clear 5 miles. We'll see how this goes. I've also taken up spinning which seems to help with the cardio and who knows, if I improve my swimming then maybe I can do a triathlon - ok perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself here but that would be pretty cool to do.

I'm crediting all the resveratrol in the red wine I drink which has been shown to increase endurance in laboratory mice. Hah! I'll just keep telling myself that.

The Squinter's Club

2009-05-08T15:45:00.007-05:00

I'm going to have to start traveling with a Mighty Bright in my purse

My friend Scott said his eyes turned on him the day after he turned 40. He could see perfectly fine and the next day he became that person who holds the menu out with a sour squinty look on their face. I witnessed my own parents go through this and knew it would eventually happen to me but I didn't expect it to happen at the age of 32.

I've noticed the last few times I've been out to a restaurant, I'm squinting in a vain attempt to try to make out the blurred words on the wine list. It doesn't help matters when the font is a teeny tiny fancy cursive script, add the dim mood lighting and I'm surprised any wine ever gets ordered. When I first started to put together wine lists at the age of 21, it never occurred to me that people may not be able to read the list without reaching for their glasses. I went with what I thought worked best for the layout and design - reduce the font size, decrease the line spacing, use dark paper, make it all fit on one page! What's the problem old man, my young eyes can read it just fine. Wow - if only I could go back and smack my smug, arrogant self with 20/20 vision in the head.

Now that I've become a member of the squinter's club, I've learned a few important lessons:

Make sure your customers can read the menu without looking like they are sucking on a lemon
French Script is really not a good idea
Neither is a font size below 8
You don't have to fit everything on one page
Consider the lighting
Correct spelling is more important than ever or I will think my eyes are playing tricks on me
Remember the mantra: if people can't read it, they can't buy it

The Summer of Aperol

2009-04-29T09:48:00.009-05:00

If you're tired of the mojitos and margaritas from last summer and looking to change things up for the Summer of 09 then I would highly suggest adding a bottle of Aperol to your home bar lineup. The refreshing orange flavor and low alcohol is just the thing to drink in the warm sun.

I first fell in love with Aperol when I was traveling through Australia back in 2005. A fellow sommelier ordered it at a cafe in Melbourne as an afternoon aperitif and I decided to join him as I had never tried it before. He said it was like Campari but more orangey in flavor. As much as I want to love Campari, it's just far too bitter for me despite the kiddy cocktail color that lures you into thinking it will be sweet. Italians appreciate bitterness but it's a flavor I could never wrap my taste buds around. We ordered the Aperol on ice with a splash of soda and I took a sip bracing myself for an "ack" flavor but I was pleasantly surprised by the slightly bitter and refreshing orange taste. It was the perfect cocktail to lift me out of a sight seeing induced fatigue on a breezy Melbourne afternoon.

Aperol originated in 1919 and was created by the Barbieri Brothers who wanted to launch a lighter aperitif spirit with an alcohol content of only 11%. Campari by comparison is 22%. The lower alcohol is perfect for people like me who don't want anything too boozy before the main event of a wine laden dinner. Aperol's unique flavor and color is achieved through a secret blend of bitter orange, gentian, rhubarb, herbs and roots. Today, Aperol is the number one selling aperitif liqueur in Italy, more so than Campari. As Campari lost ground to Aperol, they adopted the "if you can't beat them then join them" stance and purchased the competition in the 90's. That's one way to solve the problem.

Charles getting his Aperol on in South Beach

I like to have my Aperol on ice with a splash of soda and a little drizzle of simple syrup to cut the bitterness. The most popular way to enjoy Aperol is in a Spritz cocktail - Aperol on ice, topped off with Prosecco and a splash of soda. It's the perfect drink for summer.

You can find Aperol at most fine wine stores for around $25 a bottle. It may sound pricey but a little goes a long way.

Looking for Decent Boxed Wines?

2009-04-27T15:08:00.006-05:00

Then check out this interesting Bloomberg article by Elin McCoy. One statistic in particular caught my eye, "In fact, according to Nielsen, the premium 3-liter box wine category is the fastest-growing segment of the wine industry. In the fourth quarter of 2008, table-wine sales growth slowed to 2.8 percent, yet premium boxes zoomed 32 percent. Key buyers? Those with incomes of $70,000 and up, especially men." Hmm... I wonder why more men vs. women are into boxed wines?

I agree with Ms. McCoy's findings that most of the premium boxed wines are decent enough but nothing worth getting excited over. Certainly the quality of boxed wines has improved greatly over the the last five years and the wines highlited in this article are far from Franzia but I haven't found anything that I truly enjoy. I do keep a six pack of the 250 ml sized Bandit wines in my refrigerator since they are perfect for cooking purposes. The best aspect of boxed wine packaging is the design keeps air out so the wine does not spoil while you enjoy a glass or two a day. I've heard differing reports about the eco-friendliness of tetra-packs and I was informed by one winery that they will not put their wines in tetra-packs since the packaging ends up costing more than the wine. However you look at - one 3 liter box is certainly easier to carry home than 4 bottles of wine.

If you happen to find a boxed wine that you really like but can't stand the way it looks sitting on your contertop then you may want to check out this snazzy boxed wine dispenser. It easily fits and accomodates a 3 liter bag. Problem solved! Available in Red, White or Black from POAA.COM for 43 Euros. Now why didn't I think of this?

Or you could go with the far more swanky and sleek looking Danish designed VinUno for 99 Euros. Now this is classy!

Barefoot Contessa's Crack Onion Dip

2009-04-24T15:45:00.009-05:00

The official name is pan fried onion dip but we like to call it crack onion dip because you can't stop eating it and it is sooooo bad for you. I found the recipe years ago in one of the old Barefoot Contessa cook books and I've sort of become famous for it. My friends act like crack addicts going through withdrawals if I serve chips without it, "Where's the onion dip? I don't see it? Where did you put it? What do you mean you didn't make it? That's the only reason we came! Can you still make it? How long will it take?"

The warm weather today reminds me summer and picnic season will soon be here which means I need to whip up a batch of this amazing stuff. One taste of this and you'll never go back to the powdered onion-sour cream mix ever again. But don't say I didn't warn you! It will change your life.

It's important to use full fat ingredients. I tried making it with low fat sour cream, mayo and cream cheese and it ends up with a weird, Miracle Whip tangy flavor to it. So as Ina would say - use the good stuff.

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Directions
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings.

Serve at room temperature.

Peay Vineyards - My New Obsession

2009-04-24T11:05:00.008-05:00

One of the things that I miss most about living in California is having access to smaller boutique wine producers who often don't make enough wine to warrant sales outside the state. In order to keep current, I will often hit up my fellow sommeliers on the west coast for tips on what is hot and new. The recent buzzing and swooning has been over Peay Vineyards from Sonoma Coast.

Peay Vineyards is a family partnership between Andy Peay, his brother Nick and Nick's wife Vanessa Wong. Their 50-acre hilltop estate sits well above the fog line at 700 feet elevation, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean in a very remote part of Sonoma Coast. They grow and vinify Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne.

From left to right - Andy, Vanessa & Nick

Vanessa Wong is the winemaker and left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. She has also made wine at Château Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Vineyards. Nick is a UC Davis trained winemaker and is charge of the grape growing. The charismatic Andy handles the sales, marketing and everything else.

As luck would have it, Andy Peay was in town this week and a mutual friend arranged for us to all have dinner where I was able to taste the lineup of Peay wines. Andy is extremely charming and I can see why all my sommelier friends are so enamored with him. When sommeliers recommend wine, we don't just sell what's inside the bottle but we also tell the story of the people who made it and Andy is just one of those guys that make it fun and necessary for us to do our jobs.

As for the wines, they are my new obsession. In a market where I see way too many over blown wines that lack balance, the Peay wines are focused, elegant and restrained. The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir offers notes of fresh crushed raspberries, violets and fresh turned soil. The palate shows the prettier side of Pinot Noir with a Vosne-Romanee-esque charm. The ripe cherry fruit flavors fool you into thinking the wine is going to be overly ripe but then the finish shows some grip and refreshing acidity. The Pomarium Pinot Noir exhibits a much darker black cherry color with more intense aromatics of licorice, baking spice, fresh herbs and black cherry jam but still manages to remain elegant. I also tried the dark plum colored Scallop Shelf Pinot Noir which reminded me of a well structured Pommard with notes of violets, mushrooms, cherries and earth. I found it to be the richest of the bunch. The Peay Chardonnays were also quite nice with the perfect balance of lemon curd, toast and buttery hazelnuts. If I could pick a favorite of the night, it would be the Peay La Bruma Syrah which was an absolute show stopper. I love Cote Rotie and this Syrah had all the merits of a good one: concentrated black fruits, smoked meat, Provencal herbs and that distinct pepperiness that should come forth in all good Syrah based wines.

The wines of Peay Vineyards are available in Illinois or via their mailing list. They are not inexpensive but I find they fit the category of "worth the splurge" as the experience will stay with you long after you have finished the last glass. Besides, you could spend your money on worse things like a parking ticket.

Janet Wants You To Drink Wine

2009-04-23T14:57:00.010-05:00

I've talked about my love of 70's hit sitcom Three's Company before and how the show prominently featured wine in some memorable scenes. According to the Modesto Bee, Joyce DeWitt who played the no nonsense florist Janet Wood has signed up to be the spokesperson for Livingston Cellars wines from E.&J. Gallo Winery. Joyce (I feel like we're on a first name basis after all these years) turns 60 next week and will be touring the country promoting the "Living the Livingston Life" which encourages retired baby boomers to include wine as part of an active, healthy and social lifestyle. The tour involves a retro RV, website and promotional appearances. You can even enter a contest to win a trip to Napa by explaining what it means to live the Livingston Lifestyle. And yes, it is jug wine and not to my taste but it's Janet Wood!

Some may think having Janet promote wine is out of left field but I find it very appropriate. When I think of jug wine, I think of the 70's during which point most people associate Janet's character. She was probably drinking Livingston Cellars at the Regal Beagle. Janet was also very wine savvy and I'm sure she wanted to upgrade her wine selection but couldn't because she was short on the rent money and working at a flower shop probably did not pay a lot. I recall the episode where Chrissy won big bucks at the track by betting on horses with silly cute names. The roommates decided to open a joint bank account and share the money. Chrissy spent $200 on a giant stuffed giraffe and Janet bought a $75 bottle of wine. Why I remember this, I have no idea but it's no surprise I ended up in this line of work.

According to the website, Joyce DeWitt will be making a promotional appearance sponsored by AARP in Chicago in June. It would be so much fun to meet her.

Canine Sommelier Charm

2009-04-13T10:29:00.001-05:00

.

All dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell but can your furry friend tell the difference between Bordeaux and Beaujolais? If so, then why not get him the charm that showcases his special talent?

Last summer we accidentally discovered Haruki likes to drink wine. I was sitting on the couch enjoying a glass of rose when Haruki jumps on top of me, demanding to taste the wine. I was hesitant to allow this behavior as I know grapes and raisins are very dangerous for dogs and it just doesn't seem right to get your dog drunk but I was also greatly amused by his curiosity, especially considering - he's my dog. It was a proud moment but I did not want to hurt the little guy so I googled, "Can you give your dog wine?" Then I thought, hmm... that would be a great title for a memoir. I also consulted our veterinarian and he indicated that wine is different from raisins and grapes but nonetheless strongly discouraged me from turning Haruki into a wino.

Hey there, nice legs!

Pugs are very stubborn creatures and they don't take no for an answer. Haruki can hear a cork being pulled from a mile away and will harass anyone holding a glass of wine so we'll let him sniff the glass. We call him a wine snob because he only reacts to wine that has been freshly opened and will walk away from anything that has been sitting around for more than a day.

You can purchase this Canine Sommelier Charm and other fun items from Dogs Uncorked. They offer a unique line of luxury dog products inspired by the wine country lifestyle. The company was started by Blakesley Chappellet from Chappellet Vineyards in Napa Valley. She wanted to do something that combined her two great loves: wine and dogs. I can certainly relate to this as dogs are simply THE BEST!

For a Good Cause

2009-04-10T15:37:00.006-05:00

I'm very proud to support and participate in an upcoming event to raise very much needed funds for Apna Ghar (Our Home). Apna Ghar provides culturally-appropriate, multilingual services, including emergency shelter, to survivors of domestic abuse with a primary focus on the South Asian and other immigrant communities. They provide assistance to over 400 survivors every year.

Radhika Desai

Sanjeev Kapoor

The Executives Chefs for the event are Radhika Desai from Top Chef and legendary Indian Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Allison Rosati from NBC 5 has graciouly offered her services as the Master of Ceremonies and live entertainment will be provided by Funkadesi.

Funkadesi

I have put together a tasting of over 30 winess to pair with the delicious samplings from these participating restaurants: Bamboo Garden, Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge, Klay Oven, Cyrano's Cafe on the Riverwalk, Emilio's Tapas, Entertaining Company, Gaylord India Restaurant, Tadka, Thalia Spice, Tommy Nevin's Pub, Tuscany and LEYE's very own Osteria Via Stato and VTK.

There will also be a silent and live auction by Auctioneer David Goodman. Live auction prizes include a weekend stay in Napa Valley courtesy of Terlato Wine Group and a wine tasting soiree for 20 of your closest friends at Shlok Lounge in Naperville hosted by yours truly.

I hope you can join us in support of this very worthy charity.

Thursday, April 16, 2009
Perrier Jouet VIP Champagne Reception 6-7 pm
Main Event: 6:30-10pm
Great Hall at Union Station

To purchase tickets and for more information visit: http://www.tasteforlifechicago.com/

Our Pug Needs an Intervention

2009-04-10T12:36:00.013-05:00

It was Haruki's first birthday on April 1st so Charles bought him this Kennel One Vodka plush toy as his b-day gift and now we we can't rip it away from him - he takes it everywhere! Sometimes, he'll have it by his side and just stare at it - you can almost picture him saying, "I wish I knew how to quit you." I firmly believe that pugs (and dogs in general for that matter) are proof that the universe indeed has a phenomenal sense of humor. The sight of him trotting around our apartment with a bottle of vodka in his mouth is comically way too much to handle.

The Kennel One Vodka plush is part of a line of beverage inspired toys by Haute Diggity Dog. We purchase their products locally in Chicago at Tails in the City - a super fabulous dog accessories boutique. Whenever we take Haruki there, he does not want to leave. And yes, I am one of those obnoxious people who likes dress up their dog. It's almost mandatory if you have a pug.

Here are some of my other favorites "dogtail" toys:

Estancia Winemaker Dinner - April 20th @ Wildfire Chicago

2009-04-10T11:20:00.003-05:00

Calling all Estancia fans! Fight the Monday blahs and start your week off right! Here's your chance to spend an evening with Estancia winemaker, Scott Kelley, as he hosts a wine dinner at Wildfire Chicago (a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant) on Monday, April 20th.

A similar dinner but with a different menu will be held on April 22nd at Wildfire Eden Prairie in Minnesota.

MENU & WINES

grilled Moroccan shrimp, spiced tomato pesto
& mahogany onion & Fontina cheese tart
07 Estancia Pinot Grigio

pan roasted duck breast, plum & shallot compote, spring vegetable risotto
‘06 Estancia Stonewall Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir

grilled ribeye medallions, spiced roasted potatoes, peppercorn sauce
‘06 Estancia Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

selection of artisan cheeses
‘06 Estancia Reserve Meritage

Black Forest chocolate cake, black cherry compote, whipped cream
‘06 Estancia Paso Robles Zinfandel

For more information or to make a reservation contact Brad Wermager at 773.398.6960.
Please specify which dinner you would like to attend: Chicago or Minnesota
6:30pm Reception -- 7:00pm
$85.00 per person (tax & gratuity included)
For information on other upcoming wine dinners at Wildfire click here

Great Wine Websites - Chicago Tonight Segment

2009-04-10T10:55:00.003-05:00

Are you on the hunt for a particular wine, interesting blogs or want to learn about wine from the comfort of your couch? Here are my recommendations for great wine websites.

Wines for Easter Brunch

2009-04-09T13:52:00.010-05:00

What an adorable Easter Pug!

"We are hosting Easter brunch this year and I was wondering if you can help me with a wine pairing. The main course will be a honey baked ham with sides of honey glazed carrots, potato pancakes and haricot vert. We enjoy both whites and reds and I might well serve one of each. Thanks in advance for any help!" - T. Costello

When it comes to traditional Easter brunch foods, I tend to think of a mix of both sweet and salty dishes very much in line with Mr. Costello's menu. The right wine must balance these elements so you don't want to pick a wine that is too tart or astringent- since it will taste even more sour and bitter once you take a bite of something sweet and you don't want to pick a wine that is too heavy for the same reason.

PROSECCO: I would recommend starting with a Prosecco since it is lower in alcohol than traditional Champagne and the fruity, apricot and peach notes are right in line with a late morning, early afternoon luncheon. You can even mix in some peach puree or orange juice to make refreshing breakfast cocktail. Try the Bisol "Jeio" Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene for around $14 per bottle. The Mionetto line is another good option, especially for mixing.

RIESLING: Seven Hills, Washington State - Ham is really salty so the slight fruitiness and honey notes of this wine will provide a nice contrast. The Seven Hills really surprises people - especially those who think they don't like Riesling as this particular one tastes like biting into a fresh green apple. $14

ROSE: Susana Balbo Crios Rose of Malbec - I love this wine because it just screams SUMMER and it would be awesome for a lunchtime meal. The color and flavor reminds me of cranberry juice but not as sweet. Rose is also very flexible when it comes to pairing it with food as you don't have the tannins of red wine to deal with yet the flavor and weight is deeper and richer than a white so it can stand up to heavier dishes with over powering anything. $14 As a side note - a fully colored Malbec would also be quite nice with ham.

NEGROAMARO: Li Veli Passamente Salento - This ripe selection from Southern Italy is soft on tannins and big on fruit. Again - we're contrasting ripe, raisin flavors with the salty component of baked ham. This wine would work equally as well with a leg of lamb. It's quite a show stopper for the price - $11.

GREEK RED: When it comes to lamb, the Greeks do it best so it seems only logical to pair it with a Greek wine. The Boutari Ode is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Agioritiko (eye-your-ree-tea-ko) and is a style that is right in step with other New World wines. If you want something more traditional and not so fruit forward, try the Boutari Nemea which is made from the 100% Agioritiko. Ode is $25 and the Nemea is around $15.

Matzo Ball Soup

2009-04-09T13:09:00.008-05:00

My husband and I did not attend an official Seder this year but I couldn't help but crave the traditional foods enjoyed during the Passover holiday, especially Matzo Ball soup. It's my absolute favorite! I've tried making it in the past but my matzo balls always come out all sorts of wrong. They are either tough and flavorless or mushy and foamy. I've poured through countless recipes and have asked many of my Jewish friends and relatives for advice. Some recommend soda water, others prefer a pinch of nutmeg, then there's the floater vs. sinker issue, how big to make the balls and whether you should boil the balls in plain water or directly in the chicken broth. I was ready to give up and accept my fate that I was never destined to make a good matzo ball soup until someone told me about the Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix. I'm not a fan of box mixes and I really wanted to show my husband that I could make a good soup from scratch but at this point I figured what the heck? Last night I gave it a whirl and I'm happy to report - I've finally succeeded! The balls were fluffy yet firm with just the right amount of seasoning and they were delicious with my homemade broth. Perfect! If you've been struggling with making a good matzo ball soup - I highly suggest this mix. Now, all I have to do is conquer gefilte fish and brisket.

We enjoyed the soup with a dry Riesling. Often times with chicken soup, I like to use a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up. The lemony flavors of the Riesling did exactly that while cutting through the little bit of fat I left in the soup.

Organic Wines

2009-04-09T12:50:00.008-05:00

Check out Ari Bendersky's international lineup of organic wines on Examiner.com. In fact, be sure to check out Ari's Examiner.com column on a regular basis. He gives great suggestions and advice on affordable as well as splurge worthy wines, where to find them and what to drink them with. Plus, I happen to think he's a super cool guy and nice people don't recommend bad wine.

Buying more of the cheap stuff?

2009-04-08T13:54:00.005-05:00

You're not the only one. More and more consumers are looking for wines under $10. The good news is that retailers and restaurants are responding by stocking more value options which is great for those of us looking for bargains. I believe this will have a positive effect on the business in the long run as we're getting more people to drink wine because having a bottle on the dinner table every night has become more of an affordable reality. Instead of of purchasing one $50 bottle of wine, consumers can get 5 decent selections for $10 a piece.

Of course the bad news is the wine business is just like anything else and if one segment drops, it will have a ripple effect on other areas as this article points out and layoffs and downsizing are never fun. I know some people in the business who feel that with consumers trading down, they may not come back up. The value category also includes a great deal of poorly made wine, especially in the $6 and under segment. Although you can find the occasional $5 shining star, I find the quality improves by leaps and bounds by moving into the $10-$15 category. I'm generally more optimistic as I feel consumers are more inclined to want to discover new varietals, regions, wineries, etc. Those who want to learn and expand their palates and experiences will as wine is just too vast and tempting to stay put in one category. And for the consumer who is perfectly happy sticking with their $5 Pinot Grigio - hey - you're drinking something.

Chinese Chateau Lafite?

2009-03-30T16:53:00.006-05:00

.

Here is an interesting article about Chateau Lafite's intent to make a Grand Cru wine in China, a country that is supposedly poised to become one of the world's biggest wine regions in the next fifty years. Apparently Lafite is not alone as there are a number of other European wineries who see great potential in the region of Penglai on the Shandong Peninsula. It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

I find the prospect of Chinese wine extremely intriguing so I did a little research and discovered China has more the 450 wineries in various provinces across the country. The industry is highly concentrated with four wineries accounting for 60 percent of domestic production and sales. The big four are Great Wall, Dragon Seal, Changyu and Huadong. Foreign partnerships are common. The French multinational Pernod Ricard helped create Dragon Seal in 1987and Seagrams and Remy Martin have also been involved in joint ventures.

Changyu Winery, located in the city of Yentai - also in Shandong has been making wines since 1892 and in 2002 they opened a wine museum to honor their 110 year anniversary. Their website offers a virtual tour of the winery and museum and it's pretty mind blowing to see what they've done.

Croft Pink Port

2009-03-27T15:07:00.004-05:00

Let's face it, Port is not exactly the most hip beverage out there. Is it good? Absolutely! There's nothing better than a rich glass of ruby or tawny Port on a cold winter's night but for most of us Port still brings up images of an Ernest Hemingway doppelganger sipping it fireside with a tobacco pipe in one hand and a leather bound copy of Moby Dick in the other. Croft, makers of Port since 1678, is trying to change that image and has introduced the first ever Pink Port in the hopes of attracting a younger group of drinkers and making Port a year round beverage. The pink hue is courtesy of a lighter skin contact with traditional Port grape varieties. It is best served chilled straight or over some ice.

Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Croft Port stated: “The port industry needs innovation to raise awareness of port as a contemporary product which is why, three years ago, I came up with the idea of producing a lighter style of port. This will attract new consumers to the port category and at the same time de-seasonlise consumption."

When I first got wind of this product, I was really skeptical as the idea of pink Port reeks of a white zinfandel-esque marketing ploy - make it light, pink and sweet and timid palates will drink it up. I've had white Port before which is extremely tasty and underrated but pink fortified wines always taste like cough syrup to me which is not a good thing no matter how well Robitussin makes you go beddy-by.

Well as the saying goes - don't knock it till you try it so I did and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's an extremely well made product with sweet strawberry and raspberry flavors. It's also refreshingly light and easy to drink - almost too easy which is a problem considering it registers at 20% alcohol. Charles, our friend KC and I polished off an entire bottle in one sitting with some strawberry cake that I had made - tasty pairing.

I really think Croft has something here as the style will certainly appeal to a new generation of Port drinkers. It should make for a nice summer drink over some ice with a splash of soda to cut the sweetness. Croft Pink retails for around $20 a bottle.

Chicago Tonight Segment - Great Wine Books

2009-03-27T10:57:00.003-05:00

They say there is a story in every bottle of wine so grab a glass and get lost in these fascinating books chock full of mystery, greed, family bickering and all the juicy bits that make wine more than just a beverage.

Take Home Chef - Curtis Stone

2009-03-26T12:49:00.006-05:00

TLC has this really funny and awkward show called Take Home Chef with hottie Aussie Curtis Stone. The show's premise is based on Curtis finding an equally attractive woman at a supermarket who just happens to be cooking for someone that evening. Curtis then offers to buy the groceries and go home with her to cook (and I do mean cook in the platonic sense). There is the usual scene of the woman placing a phone call to her husband or boyfriend telling him that dinner is delayed and to stay away from the house while she spends the afternoon in the kitchen cavorting, chopping and flirting with an extremely gorgeous Chef. There's always wine involved as the woman feigns a damsel in distress act while Chef Curtis shows her the proper way to make chocolate fondant. When dinner is almost ready, Curtis tells the woman to go freshen up and slip into something more comfortable while he puts the finishing touches on the meal. The best part of the show is when the unsuspecting boyfriend or husband finally comes home only to find a camera crew in his living room and the tall and handsome Curtis standing next to his lady friend. Most of the guys take it in stride but there are the few who you can tell are livid with jealousy. It all makes for good television.

We were at the Common Threads World Festival Benefit on Monday night and Curtis Stone was there. He was kind enough to pose for a picture. I don't know about you but if Curtis came up to me in a supermarket and offered to go home with me, I would offer to pay for the groceries myself. THC is one of Charles' favorite shows and he's not the jealous type especially if there is food involved.

Oy Vey Schmear (hold the pickles)

2009-03-26T11:32:00.005-05:00

My husband Charles is mildly obsessed with Martha Stewart. He works from home as a writer and never misses her daytime talk show. I know it sounds weird for a guy to be so into Martha Stewart, especially considering Charles has no idea how to sort laundry or defrost meat but he still finds her appealing. I think he is amused with the way she over enunciates her SAT words and unintentionally talks down to her guests and audience and constantly brings up her fabulous chickens and house in Hamptons, etc. She's also OCD. On one episode she demonstrated the proper way to wash a sweater at home which involved a measuring tape, ten kitchen towels, three bath tubs full of water, a steamer and an entire afternoon. But this is what makes her Martha and that is why we love her.

Her show from two days ago was devoted entirely to packing your own lunch. One of the highlighted sandwiches was the Oye Vey Schmear from Manhattan's Russ and Daughter's. It involves mounds of homemade chopped chicken liver and pickles piled high on a crusty bagel. Charles happens to be Jewish and he absolutely loves chopped liver. As we were watching the cooking demo, I could hear Charles moaning and groaning and muttering to himself how he wants to live inside the sandwich and how we would kill for just one bite. I think he may have even touched himself inappropriately.

Now I've never made chopped liver before but I aim to please so I downloaded the recipe and made a batch for Charles last night. It was all pretty easy to do and I must say it came out really well. The recipe calls for schmaltz which can be made by rendering chicken fat. The only problem with making this dish is the lingering smell of fried onions you'll find in your kitchen the next day. I'm sure Martha has a remedy for this.

When I was at Everest, I used to pair Joho's foie gras with Alsace Pinot Gris and I think the same would also work for this dish. Joho's foie gras featured bacon and marinated turnips and although Sauternes would be good for the foie part it would completely mask the other flavors. Pinot Gris provided enough weight and fruitiness without too much sugar. A really ripe version, like Weinbach would hold up against the creaminess of the liver while the tropical fruit and slight sweetness would make for a nice contrast against the saltiness. For a red wine, I would recommend something light, dry and tart. Valpolicella, Bourgogne Rouge or a simple Barbera would be quite nice. The earthiness of these reds would play well into the iron flavors from the liver.

Spring Clean that Dusty Wine Rack

2009-03-25T14:04:00.002-05:00

In today's Bottle Service column in the RedEye, I encourage you to open that bottle you've been saving before....it's too late! What are you waiting for?

Wines for the Spring

2009-03-25T12:49:00.008-05:00

Are the tulips up on Michigan Avenue yet?

Another winter has passed and spring is finally here. This past winter was especially brutal here in Chicago and I spent many a nights holed up in my apartment clinging to the warmth and safety provided by a big glass of hearty red wine. As the weather slowly begins to warm up and I loosen the shackles of my winter coat, I find myself craving wines that are lighter and fresher. I want to run free free in the warm open air and I want that bright sunshine in my glass!

Here are my picks for the perfect spring wines. The whites will remind you of items in a grocery store or farmer's market that are green: apples, limes, pears, herbs and veggies while the red wines have flavors of tart red fruits such as cherries, pomegranates and rhubarb. All the wines are light bodied, fresh and juicy and will pair well with all kinds of spring produce: asparagus, ramps, leeks, peas, young garlic and chives. I've linked each wine to a recipe in case you get culinarily inspired as well.

2007 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa $20

Penne with Asparagus, Sage & Peas

Bright and lively wine with notes of green apples and lime zest keeps things nice and clean so you can still appreciate the fresh flavors of peas and asparagus. Here the wine acts like a squeeze of lemon juice over the entire dish.

2007 Lois Gruner Veltliner, Austria $14

Fava Bean Crostini

The recipe for this dish comes from Stokes Adobe Restaurant in Monterey, a local favorite. This was one of my favorite items on their menu and I was so excited to see this recipe available online. Fava beans are a pain to shell but this dish is so worth it. The lemony quality of Gruner is a perfect foil for the garlicky and citrusy flavors of this spread.

2007 Jezebel Pinot Noir, Oregon $20

Nancy Ponzi's Morel Mushroom and Risotto Recipe

Pinot Noir loves to be paired with any thing earthy, especially fragrant morel mushrooms. Spring is morel season so if you can find them fresh at your farmer's market, I say go for it - there's nothing quite like it.

RedEye Column - What's Your Wine Astrological Sign?

2009-03-20T20:13:00.006-05:00

.

For this week's Bottle Service column in the RedEye, I paired each astrological sign with a wine. Your astrological sign can say a lot about you but can it also reflect your taste in wine? Click here to read the column and decide for yourself.

For next week's column, I'll recommend my favorite new wines for the spring season. Be sure to check it out in next Wednesday's edition of the RedEye.

Winecouch.com

2009-03-20T16:55:00.004-05:00

.

If you're looking for a fun and convenient way to learn about wine then I suggest checking out winecouch.com, a wine education site run by my friend and fellow Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein. Evan is one of the best when it comes to teaching and demystifying wine in an entertaining yet informative manner. He created the site as a forum for users to learn more about wine at their own pace. You can access weekly wine and food tasting webisodes hosted by Evan, recipes and suggestions on wine pairings, a weekly wine quiz to test your knowledge as well as a really superb wine blog to get the inside scoop on the world of wine - all without leaving your couch.

Another Ask Alpana Segment from the CT Archives

2009-03-19T16:10:00.003-05:00

This is a holiday wine segment that I did for Chicago Tonight but most of the wines can be enjoyed year round as well.

And yes, I do have a giant goose egg in the middle of my forehead. I woke up with it on the morning of the taping and I'm not really sure how it got there.

Ask Alpana Segment on Chicago Tonight

2009-03-19T15:56:00.001-05:00

I would love to answer your wine questions on Chicago Tonight. Please visit the Ask Alpana page on the WTTW website to submit your question!

iPhone Wine Apps

2009-03-13T12:30:00.008-05:00

I don't own an iPhone as I just can't give up my Verizon wireless service. I really like their level of customer service and I've never had an issue with reception quality or dropped calls, etc. Nonetheless, I do covet the iPhone and am dazzled by the different types of applications you can add. It seems there is an app for everything. I suppose I could just get the iTouch...hint, hint to the husband if he is reading this.

A few people have sent me emails asking my opinion of wine apps and if one is better than the other. I haven't had the chance to work with any of the apps up close and personal but I did come across this pretty thorough review from Ben Boychuck at iPhone Central. It seems the best app is subjective just like wine and it really depends on what you're looking for. Some of the apps offer points, prices and scores while others offer food and wine pairing suggestions or the ability to keep track of your own notes. Be sure to read the reviews for additional suggestions. I read this morning that Vinfolio just launched an app that gives users access to wine prices.

Please feel free to leave any suggestions or comments on wine apps.

Cuvaison Wine Dinner - March 31st @ Wildfire Chicago

2009-03-12T11:14:00.009-05:00

Calling all Cuvaison fans! Here's your chance to spend an evening with the President of Cuvaison Winery, Jay Schuppert as he hosts a wine dinner at Wildfire Chicago (a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant). Cuvaison has been making wines in the Carneros district since 1969 and their portfolio includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from their Mt. Veeder vineyard.

If you can't make it to the event on March 31st, a similar dinner will be held with Special Guest speaker Don Clemens at Wildfire Schaumburg on March 23rd.

Here is the menu:

Reception

Potato Crusted Sea Scallops, Oven Dried Tomato Crisp, Orange-Apricot Glaze & Crispy Mini Risotto Cakes, Crème Fraiche & Caviar
Cuvaison Winery Chardonnay ‘07

First Course

Pan Seared Australian Barramundi, Steamed Baby Vegetables, Lemon-Chive Butter
Cuvaison Winery Block F5 Pinot Noir ‘06

Second Course

Grilled Porcini Crusted Tenderloin of Beef, Sweet Potato Hash, Red Wine Black Cherry Jus
Cuvaison Winery Cabernet Sauvignon ‘06

Third Course
Selection of Artisan Cheeses
Cuvaison Winery Syrah ‘06

Dessert

Dark Chocolate & Brioche Bread Pudding, Blackberry Crème Anglaise, Whipped Cream
Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon ‘06

For more information or to make a reservation contact Brad Wermager at 773.398.6960.

Please specify which dinner you would like to attend: Chicago or Schaumburg

6:30pm Reception -- 7:00pm Dinner
Wildfire Chicago - 159 W Erie in Chicago

Wildfire Schaumburg - 1250 E Higgins Rd
$95.00 per person (tax & gratuity included)

For information on other upcoming wine dinners at Wildfire click here

Wine Labels - Love or hate at first sight

2009-03-10T16:49:00.006-05:00

I can't tell you how many times I hear confessions from wine lovers how they'll buy a wine simply because of a fun label or name. I must admit that I'm just as gullible. After all, we're only human and who honestly can resist purchasing a wine featuring a cuss word?

I came across this wine titled First Love Red with a picture of two hands intertwined against a pile of hay with tiny hearts going across it. At first I thought - oh isn't that special and how romantic would it be if my husband popped open a bottle of this for a dinner date. But then I thought I would probably not feel this way if I was I single and not loving it or if I was just dumped by my first love. Or worse, what if a stalkerish character showed up at my front door step clutching a bottle of this in one hand and two glasses in the other. I guess it goes to show us how the beauty of packaging is in the eye of the beholder.

I will say that if you are planning a proposal, wedding, commitment ceremony or any love themed party, this would be a great wine to go with. I'm assuming some of your guests will sigh with an ahhhh while the others will want you to gag them with a spoon.

As for the stuff that is in the bottle: First Love Red is an unusual Barossa Valley blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Barbera. It is medium bodied with ripe fruit flavors. It certainly holds its own.

Priced at around $12 a bottle

Sushi & Wine with Chef Thomas Buckley from Nobu Miami

2009-03-06T13:18:00.009-06:00

I don't know about you but when I was growing up I learned to equate sushi with the food of the yuppies. I'm pretty sure it was because of the movie Wall Street and that campy scene with the automatic sushi maker. Daryl Hannah takes on the task of decorating Charlie Sheen's new Manhattan apartment with bad wall paper and gold foil because he's suddenly filthy rich and that's what you did if you had gobs of money in the 80's. Later on they celebrate with a dinner that includes Talking Heads, white wine, fresh pasta and balls of rice and raw fish spewed from a sushi-o-matic. The love fest is suddenly interrupted by Martin Sheen who played Charlie Sheen's honest, no-nonsense, blue-collar father who certainly does not approve of his son's new high-falluting lifestyle. Martin spots the raw fish on the coffee table, picks it up to take a sniff and then puts it back with a disgusted look on his face. Gordon Gecko had brainwashed his son to the point where he was eating raw fish and thinking it was cool. My 11 year old brain then made a mental note - only crazy rich people with money to burn eat sushi.

Of course I no longer feel this way about sushi and I count it as one of my favorite types of food. The art of Japanese cuisine has come a long way since the 80's and much of this is thanks to great Japanese chefs like Nobu Matsuhisa. His Nobu restaurants can be found all over the world including Miami and I had the great pleasure of doing a sushi and wine pairing seminar with the guy in charge of Nobu Miami, Chef Thomas Buckley. Chef Buckley also co-authored the Nobu Miami Party Cookbook. Here's an interesting bit of trivia from Chef Buckley - it take two years of training just to learn how to properly make sushi rice.

Here is wine and food lineup from the seminar. In general, when it comes to pairing wine with sushi, I prefer light whites high on acid with some fruitiness and absolutely no oak or butter. This would include Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, Albarino, etc. I also like reds wines and rose provided they are also light and refreshing and easy on the oak and tannins.

Toro Pastrami - Tuna Belly lightly dusted in pastrami spice and cold smoked for 10 mins, sliced sashimi style and served on raw asparagus salad with Yuzu Ponzu. We paired this with a white wine sangria. The fruitiness of the sangria provided a nice contrast against the pastrami spice. Serving sangria is also something fun and a bit different.

Tuna Nigiri - Simple classic Tuna on rice. This classic staple is best eaten upside down with the fish hitting the tongue first in order to truly appreciate the texture of the fish. Chef Buckley also pointed out if you want soy sauce, you dip the fish part not the rice other wise the whole thing will fall apart. We paired this with Seven Daughters white wine. For sushi, I prefer crisp, clean white wines with a hint of fruitiness, just like this blend. No oak and certainly no butter.

Flounder Sashimi Salad with Yuzu Honey Aji Limo - Sliced white fish, red bell pepper, red onion, hint of dry white miso and a dressing of Peruvian chili with yuzu and honey finished with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. We thought out of the box with this one and paired it with a Pisco Sour. Many of us enjoy sushi with friends when we are looking to whoop it up and want something a bit stronger than wine. This sweet/sour cocktail proves you can pair the hard stuff with your food.

King Crab Daikon Roll - Rice-less roll of king crab leg with cucumber, shiso and avocado, jalapeno dressing is used instead of soy. Lois Gruner Veltliner was our choice for this pairing because the mineral notes of Gruner is a perfect match with shellfish, especially crab.

Yellowtail Maki - Classic roll - Nori, rice, wasabi Salmon Inside out Roll - I specifically wanted to showcase a red wine with sushi so Chef Buckley created this roll with salmon. Many of us prefer red wines with our meal yet the perception with sushi is you have to do white wine. Pinot Noir is a great match with many types of sushi since it is lower in tannins and lighter in body. I thought this pairing was one of the best in the lineup.

Talking Wine & BBQ With Chef Howie

2009-03-06T12:41:00.008-06:00

You can get your very own "nice rack" t-shirt from Bulldog Barbecue. I ordered one for Charles.

I'm a Top Chef junkie and season 3 set in Miami is probably my favorite (with season 4 being a close second - yeah Stephanie!). I just loved the cast of characters and could not wait to tune in each week to see the drama unfold, much of it caused by Howie. His take no prisoner, I'm in to win it antics eventually earned him the moniker - The Bulldog. During season 3, Howie won the Latin Lunch elimination challenge where they had to cook for the cast of the Telemundo telenovela, Dame Chocolate. He wowed the tough crowd with his Braised Pork Shoulder, Yucca and Sour Orange Mojo. It turns out this win was no fluke as Howie has the gift of the grill.

He recently opened his own BBQ restaurant appropriately named - Bulldog Barbecue in North Miami, Florida. Howie and I presented a BBQ and wine pairing seminar together for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival last month. I must say the man knows a great deal about BBQ and I really enjoyed talking with him and getting his take on it. He is a very no nonsense kind of guy but he is also very passionate and devoted to his craft. One audience member asked why he chose not to do something more fine dining and he responded, "I wanted to to do food that I like to eat and this is it."

Here is the rundown of the food and the wines we paired with it.

Ribs & Cordoniu Sparkling Rose

I discovered this pairing by accident when Charles and I went to a BBQ restaurant a couple of days before my birthday. We brought along a bottle of sparkling rose to celebrate not thinking it would go well with the food but boy were we surprised. The acidity and bubbles from the wine just cuts right through the richness of the meat and the fruitiness is delicious contrast to the tangy quality of the sauce. You must try sparkling rose with BBQ this summer! So good!!

Seven Daughters White Wine with Side dishes of mac and cheese, cole slaw and baked beans

The Seven Daughters is a refreshing blend of seven grapes, it's kind of fruity not quite sweet but very light and zippy, no oak or butter - perfect for a backyard BBQ. Howie's mac and cheese was really awesome by the way.

Cosentino Zinfandel with Pulled Pork

I like to eat pulled pork on a bun with coleslaw and BBQ sauce. This Zin has all the flavors of BBQ sauce: black pepper, molasses, spices and robust jammy notes. The trick to enjoying this wine in the heat is to chill it down a bit. This will keep the alcohol burn at bay.

Jade Mountain Syrah & Taz Goat Rock Syrah with Brisket

Syrah is great with brisket since the grape sometimes features a smoky component which goes really well with this slow braised meat.

Charles and Paula Deen

2009-03-03T15:40:00.016-06:00

The tasting tents for the SOBE Wine and Food Festival are located on the beach and the majority of the cooking demos are open air. The ambiance of the festival is definitely of the celebratory, let's all have a good time nature. I won't lie, it does get crowded but after a few glasses of wine you end up joining in on the party. We wanted to meet Paula Deen but her cooking demo conflicted with another event we wanted to attend. Posing with her cardboard cut out was the next best thing I suppose. We did see her walk past us and I must say, she has lost a ton of weight. There was a video going around of her pants falling off during the demo. That happened to me in yoga class once and I never really recovered from it. I had to find another studio. She seemed to be a good sport about it though.

Tasting on the beach

Fans waiting in line to meet Rocco Dispirito

Thirsty festival goers

Just keep pouring

It takes a while to get used to tasting wine with the feeling of sand in your toes

Charles obviously had no problem adjusting to the crowd.

Tyler Florence, Chef Daniel and Spike

2009-03-03T15:14:00.007-06:00

.

To all the Tyler Florence fans out there, I know it's hard to believe but he's even better looking in person. I first met Tyler Florence back in 2002 at the James Beard Awards ceremony when we were both nominated in our respective fields. I don't have to tell you but a guy this handsome really stands out in a crowd. We ran into him at an after party in South Beach. He's just really very sweet and of course extremely talented.

We also met Chef Daniel Boulud and Spike from Top Chef at the same party.

Chef Daniel is a good friend of Chef Jean Joho of Everest. It's amazing the connection French chefs have with one another. Chef Daniel's face just lit up when I mentioned Chef Joho's name and how I used to be the sommelier for his restaurant.

Top Chef Chicago contestant Spike is just so cool. We talked about his new restaurant in Washington DC. It's sounds really good and is appropriately named, Good Stuff Eatery. I'm planning a trip to DC this year and its on my list of places to try.

I met Sandra Lee!!!!

2009-03-03T14:17:00.015-06:00

Regular readers of this blog know of my obsession with all things Sandra Lee from the Food Network Show, Semi-Homemade. I'm mesmerized by her need to match her kitchen decor to her outfits, the over the top tablescapes, the rehab inducing cocktails and her 1001 uses for Cool Whip (with a cap-full of vanilla to cut the packaged taste). I knew she was going to be at the Food Network festival in South Beach, Miami last month and I was a woman on a mission to get a photo with her. She was hosting a cocktail party appropriately called, "Cocktail Time with Sandra Lee" and I told Charles we had to go because come hell or high water, I was determined to meet her.

We walked into the party and low and behold there she was perched on top of a bench giving a speech thanking her faithful viewers and promising not to leave until she had said hello to each and every one of us. When my turn came up to meet her I was caught off guard by how verklempt I became - it was very emotional. I told her we watch her every night and you could sense the kindness and appreciation in her eyes. Being in this business, I've come across my fair share of big name chefs and food personalities but Sandra Lee is honestly one of the nicest food celebrities I've ever met. Whether or not you agree with her philosophy on food, she is very approachable and she certainly appreciates her viewers.

The party itself was a hoot. The cocktails were served by men and women in bathing suits covered in silver paint. We also ran into a some other friends and colleagues.

Chef and Humanitarian Art Smith and his Life Partner renowned Artist Jesus Salgueiro were also there. It's always nice to see them and I told Art my life has not been the same since I had the hummingbird cake at his restaurant. I dream about it. It would be interesting to see Sandra Lee's take on it.

I didn't realize Maximilian Riedel of Riedel crystal fame was also a fan of Sandra Lee. I had not seen him in a few years so it was nice to catch up. Maximilian created the stemless O Series for Riedel after moving to a tiny apartment in Manhattan. The traditional stemware did not fit in his cupboards and as a result he was inspired to create a more space friendly line. We also talked about his latest decanter. It's certainly a wowser.

Oscar Party Wines

2009-02-19T22:28:00.008-06:00

Here are some wine suggestions for those of you hosting Oscar viewing parties this Sunday. I would base the recommendations according to the nominations but sadly I have not seen any of the movies this year. Although I will say I'm rooting for Kate Winslet as I have thoroughly enjoyed anything I have ever seen her in - she is flawless. Also - I want Mickey Rourke to win because I felt really sad when I heard of the passing of his beloved dog Loki. The unfortunate news made me hug my dog a little tighter.

Sparkling - Aurelo Cabestrero 1 + 1 = 3 Cava $14
Strange name but tasty wine. Plus the label gives your guests something to talk about besides dishing on the hot fashion messes.

2007 Markham Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley $12
I've always really liked this wine as it is versatile in nature and will please a wide range of tastes. It also pairs with all kinds of foods: hummus, spinach dip, Asian takeout, sushi, etc.

2005 Cantele Primitivo Puglia - $11
Primitivo is a kissing cousin to Zinfandel. Ripe flavors of cherries, blackberries, raisins, figs and black pepper. It's the perfect style of wine for pizza.

*Please note prices and vintages will vary according to retailer

Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival

2009-02-19T20:46:00.012-06:00

.

I'll be at the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival this weekend and will be participating in two seminars and one dinner. This is my second appearance at the festival and it's a rocking good time! Then again - I don't need much convincing to slip down to South Beach in the middle of a Chicago winter. The food and wine is the delicious icing on the cake. And yes - I'm bringing the computer so check back for updates.

Sushi and Wine Pairing Seminar with Thomas Buckley, Executive Chef of Nobu Miami - Saturday, Feb 21
Chef Thomas Buckley and I are hosting this seminar and we'll be tasting everything from Rose sparkling to cocktails, sake and red wine! Chef Buckley co-wrote the Nobu Miami Party cookbook with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Passage to India Dinner hosted by Madhur Jaffrey - Saturday, Feb 21
I'm the featured sommelier for a dinner titled Passage to India hosted by the amazing Madhur Jaffrey. Participating chefs for the dinner include Floyd Cardoz, Suvir Saran, Adish Jain and Setai Executive Chef Jonathan Wright. Madhur Jaffrey can best be described as the Indian Julia Child. I grew up watching her cooking shows and film appearances and not to mention how much everyone in the Indian community completely worships and respects her. This is a huge honor for me and I'm going to try my best to not act like a blubbering fool.

Sizzle and Swirl: Barbecue and Wine Pairing Seminar with Chef Howie Kleinberg- Sunday, Feb 22
Fans of Top Chef season three will recognize Chef Howie. He recently opened a Barbecue restaurant in Miami appropriately named Bulldog Barbecue. Chef Howie is cooking the food and I'm pairing the wine and we'll discuss the merits of BBQ, how to make it at home and what wines to pair with it.

If you are in the area, tickets are still available for a handful of seminars and events.

SKYY Infusions Pineapple Vodka

2009-02-18T13:40:00.006-06:00

Summer 2009 is looking a whole lot more exciting! Skyy Spirits, LLC just announced the latest addition to their line of all natural vodka Infusions - Pineapple! Bring on the tiki torches, grass skirts and coconut bras because I LOVE anything pineapple.

Rachel uses the power of pineapples to seduce Don Draper

The release of this flavor is timely considering anything tiki, Trader Vic's, the Brady Brunch go to Hawaii, book 'em Danno related is very hot right now. I have a list of at least 10 friends who want to go to Trader Vic's to have Mai Tais and Pu Pu platters. I think the TV show Mad Men may have something to do with this as we grow nostalgic for that era.

I'm getting a bottle next week and I'm thinking I may need to whip up another batch of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and replace the rum with the pineapple vodka and see how it goes. Stay tuned....

Bottle Service: Perfect Pours for Book Club

2009-02-18T13:26:00.004-06:00

Check out my column Bottle Service in the RedEye today about how to select the perfect wines for your next book club gathering.

Bottle Service runs every Wednesday in the RedEye - an edition of the Chicago Tribune. Be sure to pick up your copy for more fun wine tips and suggestions.

The McNuggetini

2009-02-16T16:42:00.004-06:00

I found this via thisiswhyyourefat.com - my new guilty pleasure. A McNuggetini is made with chocolate milkshake, chicken McNuggets, BBQ sauce rim and vanilla vodka. Now I've truly seen it all. Click here for the exact recipe if you dare.