Recent Posts

Chicken Fried Rice

March 26, 2013September 1, 2016 Asian, chicken, Mains, rice

My mother is Filipino, and fried rice is a dish I grew up with. Most restaurants make super oily, heavy, fried rice, while us Filipinos make a savory, hearty rice dish that doesn't make you feel like you've eaten an oil slick. This recipe is a play on what my... Read More

Germany Gewürztraminer Tasting White Blends/Other Wine

2011 Fitz-Ritter Gewürztraminer Spätlese

March 25, 2013September 9, 2016

Tonight's wine comes from the Pfalz region in Germany, made from one of my personal favorite grapes, Gewürztraminer. Be warned though, Gewürztraminer is a love it or hate it grape, extremely aromatic and usually with residual sugar. Bad examples are syrupy and flowery with no complexity and a cloying sweetness.... Read More

Breads and Baking Breakfast Recipe Sweets

Sunday Breakfast: Easy Blueberry Scones

March 24, 2013September 1, 2016 baking, blueberries, bread, breakfast, scones

There is something about a lazy Sunday morning, one where you lay in bed and just chill until getting up is as easy as pie. It's these lazy Sunday mornings that make me want to make a latte and bake. What am I baking this morning? Homemade blueberry scones. Truth... Read More

Pasta Recipe

Bucatini All’Amatriciana

March 23, 2013September 1, 2016 Italian, Mains, pasta

I ate this dish at Babbo a few years back and was blown away. There was such a richness to it as well as a simplicity that seemed to encapsulate the essence of what people love about Italian food. Of course, I left that first dinner at Babbo obsessed with... Read More

How To Side Dishes

Easy Garlic Bread

March 23, 2013September 1, 2016 bread, garlic

When I eat pasta with red sauce, I crave garlic bread. This is less of a recipe, and more a basic technique, but one that I use every time I make garlic bread. First, the bread. You can use anything you like, but my favorite is ciabatta or any other... Read More

Barbera Italy Red Blends/Other Tasting Wine

2010 Agostino Pavia & Figli Barbera d’Asti Bricco Blina

March 23, 2013September 9, 2016

Barbera is what I consider a "tasty" grape. If you are looking for a delicious wine from Italy, Barbera fits the bill. I have yet to taste a super complex, "great" wine made from Barbera, but it is a reliable choice for a daily drinker that brings yummy fruit, soft... Read More

Spain Tasting Tempranillo Wine

2009 La Montesa Rioja

March 22, 2013September 9, 2016

I have such affection for Rioja. In general, it is a safe bet for quality and value. That is not to say that there isn't a lot of crappy Rioja being made and sold, but rather that the good stuff is consistently sold at a reasonable price. $10 to $15... Read More

Chardonnay France Tasting Wine

2010 Charles Duveaux Chardonnay

March 20, 2013September 9, 2016

Is it bad to call a wine boring? I know it isn't a compliment, no one is going to call you up and say, "I'm drinking the most boring bottle of wine right now, you've got to try it!" And yet, boring, ordinary, pleasant, and inoffensive are the first words... Read More

Recipe Veggies and Salads

Caesar Salad

March 19, 2013September 1, 2016 anchovies, salad

For years I was not a fan of Caesar salad. In restaurants it always seemed overly salty and heavy, with no brightness or acidity, and little to no real anchovy flavor. I avoided it for years. Then, a few years back, I was visiting friends and we made Caesar salad... Read More

How To Mains

Healthy Dinner, Lemon Broiled Tilapia and Cous Cous

March 17, 2013September 1, 2016 cous cous, fish, Mains, tilapia

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a light dinner. It's beginning to warm up in Orlando and the idea of soup or a braise when the temperature outside is nearing 80 just sounds wrong, too heavy, too rich. This is the time I want simple, clean flavors, refreshing white wine,... Read More