“Three different grapes add up beautifully in our Ménage à Trois White. The Chardonnay is rich and firm. The Muscat is wild and exotic. The Chenin is soft and supportive. Together they make the perfect threesome. Think of it as a trip to the islands without the worry of sunburn or bugs. It’s undeniably fruity…
Hello everyone! This is a re-post of one of my favorite “spa cuisine” recipes. Tonight I added a little extra chili powder, substituted chopped pecans for the almonds, and topped my whole wheat tortilla with some sour cream and Sriracha. Have you noticed? I like Sriracha on almost everything. The perfect zingy accoutrament. Oh, and…
This week for date day we opened a bottle of our favorite Sauv Blanc and enjoyed the fresh air and warm breezes on the back porch… Jeff got out the oil paints and brushes and I unearthed a project I’ve been meaning to get to for ages… and baked a couple loaves of bread… and…
~Tasting~ Spicy Chinese Peanut Noodles from the Joy of Cooking Cookbook and while I chopped broccoli I hummed THIS SONG ~Smelling~ Fresh Flowers ~Hearing~ The Decemberist’s new, awesome album The King is Dead Take a listen… Don’t Carry it All Calamity Song and my favorite… June Hymn ~Seeing~ This beautiful book full of my favorite…
“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” ~ Anthelme Brillat-Savarin photograph by Melissa Placzek I’ve enjoyed cooking with wine pretty much since I started cooking. A splash or red wine in spaghetti sauce elevates the flavor from merely “good” to “fantastic.” Cooking with wine adds depth to your dishes. I was going…
Hello friends! Are you getting ready for Christmas yet? I know, touchy subject…some think it’s too early. I like to be prepared, so my obsessive side is already thinking decorations, menus, gifts, and stocking stuffers… Last evening we did a ‘trial run’ for Christmas dinner…We made prime rib for the first time ever and it…
This week Jeff and I spent date night at The St. James Hotel’s Port of Red Wing restaurant. Such a lovely place. Great service, wonderful food, and my favorite wine guy works there. He’s so knowledgeable on the subject of wine, and it’s always an educational, enjoyable experience to talk with him. Entrance to The…
“When wine enlivens the heart may friendship surround the table.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Last evening, while the sun began to set, we drove out to Falconer Vineyards. When we got out of the car the temperature had dropped noticably, there was the peaty scent of woodsmoke in the air, and the trees were becoming…
“Wine is bottled poetry.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson Today we spent most of the day harvesting grapes with our friends the Falconers. They own and operate a beautiful winery and vineyard here in Red Wing. It’s located in an ideal spot for producing grapes that yield some of the yummiest and most unique wines we’ve ever…
“The Minnesota Cooks program is an annual event held at the State Fair in Carousel Park. The program brings together local farmers with some of Minnesota’s premier chefs as they demonstrate how they use farm fresh, Minnesota grown ingredients to create award-winning fare for their restaurants.” ~Minnesota Cooks website After reading this article, I couldn’t…