Welcome warm weather… sipping delicious bubbly while dining alfresco on our patio, evenings under the stars celebrating good food and friendship…welcome Spring! Another reason to celebrate… I have new friends at Mionetto that sent me several bottles of their Italian sparkling wines to taste. One of the bottles of bubbly was completely new to me:…
sparkling wine
Simple Syrups ~ The Essential Cocktail Ingredient
I love to have a variety of simple syrups in my refrigerator to make cocktails. Delicious and so easy to prepare! Today I have a Strawberry Moscato Simple Syrup in the fridge because I bought a bottle of Strawberry Moscato and it was much too sweet for my taste. My rule is before I through…
Cava For My Valentine
Just because it is Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on bubbly. Spainish cava can be white or rosé and it is made with the same method as champagne “Méthode Traditionnelle “. This method requires asecond fermantation of the wine that takes place in the individual bottles which will later be…
Happy Champagne Day! Celebrating With Tapas
Happy Champagne Day! We will be celebrating Champagne Day all weekend! Our celebration began last evening as we enjoyed tapas with wine pairing at Rockfish Restaurant in the Grandin Village, Roanoke, Virginia. Every third Thursday of the month they offer a flight of tapas paired with a wine flight. https://www.rockfishfood.com/. The theme last evening was Italy….
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…
Sparkling Strawberry Shrub Cocktail ~ Just In Time For The Weekend!
Sparkling Strawberry Shrub A shrub is a vinegar-based syrup, referred to as “Drinking Vinegar”. Drinking vinegar is vinegar which is often infused with fruit juice, herbs and spices for use in mixed drinks. I was so happy to find the recipe for “Front Porch Chillin’” Sparkling Strawberry Shrub in the April/May 2018 issue of Chilled Magazine. …
Spring Fun With Champagne And Chocolate Lace Cookies!
It’s Spring…time to get out of the house and have some FUN! Oatmeal Lace Cookies are THE BEST COOKIES! Perfect for a Spring picnic. The recipe is compliments of Gloria Smiley, Food Stylist Extraordinaire. She served them for lunch when we visited her in Atlanta, Georgia and I didn’t want to look like a piglet, but I just…
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…
Crispy Smashed Herbed Potatoes To Celebrate National Potato Lovers Month
February Is National Potato Lovers Month Sometimes it’s just plain fun to play with our food. Smashed potatoes are the perfect example. Make lots because they will disappear fast! Smashed Lemon Herb Crispy Potatoes Fill a large stock pot with lightly salted water. Bring water to a boil. Place small Yukon or Red Skin Potatoes…
10 Helpful Hints For Pairing Wine and Food
“Have you thrown up your hands in despair and confusion with too many choices? In that case, just remember one word: champagne. It’s refreshing, relatively low in alcohol and sufficiently neutral to go with a myriad of foods.One minor tweak might be to have a more full-bodied vintage champagne with red meats and non-vintage champagne…
