What better way to take a breather from the hustle & bustle of the holidays than to sip sparkling wine and champagne at the River and Rail Restaurant in Roanoke Virginia? Relaxing and refreshing! Our first bubbly tasting was Avinyo Petillant 2018 from the Penedès region of Catalonia located just outside of Barcelona. Vibrant and…
champagne
Sparkling Holiday Champagne Dinner
Champagne Thought Of The Day ~ The Whisper Of Love The sound of air slowly releasing from the Champagne bottle when de-corked is called ‘the whisper of love’. To hear this noise, place your thumb on the muselet, the wire cage that fits over a bottle of Champagne, and gently turn the bottle left. (Under…
National Champagne Day ~ August 4, 2018 ~ Insanely Good Reasons To Have Cold Champagne In Your Refrigerator
August 4, 2018 is National Champagne Day! It’s also National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day ~ Can it get any better than that?! I’ve noticed August 4 has been mentioned on the internet as “National Champagne Day” but I have no idea why…of course I think every day should be National Champagne Day and I don’t…
A Visit With Gloria Smiley ~ Food Stylist Extraordinaire
I felt like I won the lottery when my friend Kate asked me to join her on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to attend a cooking class taught by Gloria Smiley. Gloria is an independent food stylist for print and film. She has taken classes at Cordon Bleu and LaVarenne in Paris and with Lydie…
Kumquat Champagne Cocktail With Candied Kumquat Garnish
Kumquats may look like miniature oranges but make no mistake they are very different… Kumquats have an edible rind which is tender and sweet. Oranges have inedible rinds. Kumquat flesh is dry and very tart. The flesh of an orange is sweet with a bit of tartness. Kumquats are more expensive than oranges. I paid…
Champagne And Beef Tenderloin…Yes Please!
Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather, and a little music played out of doors by someone I do not know… …
Enjoy Special Club Champagne With Chili-Lime Crab Salad
One of my favorite Spring recipes by Sue Zemanick, Food and Wine Magazine (with a few little twists that I enjoy with this salad). I chill appetizer bowls and appetizer forks in the freezer for serving this salad. Chile-Lime Crab Salad With Tomato And Avacado 4 servings 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil…
Champagne And Pizza!
Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne. A lovely sparkly to begin our weekend before we delved into the serious business of eating pizza. Just a kiss of pink color in this rosé bubbly. Notes of tangerine and red berry fruits. $47 range. National Pizza Day was on Friday, February 9, 2018 so that…
Champagne + Truffles = Amazing Evening With Friends
This winter has been extraordinarily cold in Southwest Virginia so a warm fire in a cozy kitchen surrounded by good friends, truffles and champagne was especially welcoming. We toasted the evening with… NV André Clouet Champagne 1911 Only 1911 bottles of this Champagne are made each year. Each bottle is numbered by hand. My bottle number…
Champagne Cocktails To Celebrate National Freshly Squeezed Juice Day!
January 15, 2018 is National Freshly Squeezed Juice Day. My favorite juice this time of year is Blood Orange Juice. Blood Oranges are in season (December through March). Blood orange juice brightens up even the most dreary winter day with it’s POP! of red-orange color. Blood Orange Champagne Cocktail For each cocktail: 2 ounces fresh…
