Recent Posts

Dinner Tonight: Pan-Seared Pork Chops and Duck Fat Potatoes

May 30, 2013July 26, 2016 pork, potatoes

Dinner tonight was really an exercise in the deliciousness of simplicity. Two boneless porkchops, quickly brined then seared in cast iron and finished in the oven, served with new potatoes roasted in duck fat. There's no recipe for this post. Rather, a simple breakdown of how I got dinner on... Read More

France Pinot Noir Tasting Wine

2009 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin

May 30, 2013September 9, 2016

Silky, silky, Pinot Noir. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. And my favorite expression of Pinot Noir comes from France, the legendary wine region of Burgundy. Burgundy may be one of the hardest regions for new wine drinkers to understand. Here are a couple of... Read More

Italy Pinot Gris/Grigio Tasting White Blends/Other Wine

2011 Poderi Di Carlo Friuli Pinot Grigio

May 27, 2013September 9, 2016

I wasn't a fan of Poderi di Carlo's 2011 Friulano, so I was nervous when I opened the Pinot Grigio. This wine is very light, both in flavor and intensity, yet is was a surprisingly nice summer white. It has a lovely golden color, with melon, apricot and lightly floral... Read More

Breakfast Recipe

Breakfast Crepes – first time’s the charm

May 27, 2013September 1, 2016 breakfast, sweets

Whether from a street vendor or in a sit down restaurant, I really enjoy crepes. Until today, I had never made them. Last year, on a whim, I tried buying premade ones from the grocery store, wrapped in a plastic package like flour tortillas. Big mistake, they tasted like stale... Read More

Mains Recipe

Creamy Campanelle Pasta with Chorizo, Peas and Cheese

May 26, 2013September 1, 2016 chorizo, Mains, pasta

I've been looking for recipes to use up my homemade chorizo. I was going to start the morning with chorizo and scrambled eggs, then it hit me. Make a carbonara style pasta sauce, only substitute chorizo for the bacon. Brilliant. Creamy Campanelle Pasta with Chorizo, Peas and Cheese Serves 2... Read More

Friulano Italy Tasting White Blends/Other Wine

2011 Poderi Di Carlo Collio Friulano

May 26, 2013September 9, 2016

I've been surprised and intrigued over the last few months by the white wines coming out of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Crisp, refreshing, and well made, I was very happy to see Total Wine carrying Friulian whites and was eager to pick up a handful of bottles. So... Read More

How To

Chorizo Update

May 26, 2013July 26, 2016 charcuterie, chorizo, pork

It's been a week since I first cut into the chorizo. I left the rest to continue dry curing and what a difference a week makes. The texture is now perfect. As it has dried, it has intensified and darkened in color, and has a melting meatiness that is beyond... Read More

Grenache/Garnacha Spain Tasting Wine

2009 Castillo de Maluenda Calatayud Punto y Seguido

May 25, 2013September 9, 2016

I had to laugh when I saw the top label on this bottle while walking through Costco. If you have any doubt whether Robert Parker's scores affect wine sales, the marketing on this bottle should prove the point. And I must admit, $11 for a bottle given 91 points... Read More

✷ Breads and Baking Breakfast Recipe

Banana Bread – Happy Saturday Morning!

May 25, 2013September 1, 2016 baking, bread, breakfast, sweets

I woke up this morning and saw 4 sad, brown bananas on my counter top. I definitely wasn't going to eat them as is (I prefer almost green bananas if I'm eating them straight up) and I already had a stash of overripe bananas in my freezer for smoothie making,... Read More

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Italy Sangiovese Tasting Wine

2009 Antinori Villa Antinori Toscana IGT

May 23, 2013September 9, 2016

I've been buying a lot of wine at Costco recently. The prices are competitive and they carry both daily drinking bottles and a selection of the more special wines. I had seen this Super Tuscan several times before and decided to give it a try. A blend of Sangiovese,... Read More