The Spirit World

Huh? What are we doing talking about Halibut over on The Spirit World? Stick with me. All will make sense in a moment.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, it might be Salmon which appears to get all of the attention, perhaps it’s just because they have a good PR agency. But you’ll also often find great […]

We can rationalize anything.  Or it certainly seems that way sometimes, doesn’t it?  Dark chocolate is good for us for its antioxidant properties, and there are proven health benefits to drinking wine.  All things in moderation, of course.  The American Heart Association’s research says that there are health benefits from “moderate wine consumption,” which is […]

Next time you open a bottle of wine, raise a glass and toast the hard working people who have made your enjoyment possible. Having just spent a day on a wine production course, I have a healthy respect for those who work in the vineyards and wineries and make it possible for us to enjoy […]

Nothing is more appealing to me when I travel, than having an opportunity to sample some of the locally available food or beverages. When I find that there is not only a local food AND beverage, but that they are specifically intended to be paired together, then clearly this is not an opportunity I can’t […]

With the newest season of Top Chef back on BravoTV, premiering last week, cookbook author Padma Lakshmi is front and center.  In her newest cookbook, Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet, Padma shares what she calls her “sexiest cocktail.”  Given my own admitted penchant for “girly drinks,” this just might make our next get-together.  Who says champagne […]

Last August, I participated in the Bordeaux International Educator program held outside Boston. Returning to New York via Amtrak, I had occasion to meet Gilat Ben-Dor, CSW, MBA, whom had participated in the program as well. A relative newcomer to the world of wine, Gilat has had an eventful introduction to the industry, reinforcing her […]

Nigel Slater came up with some cracking recipes in last months edition of Observer Food Monthly. As is his style, the recipes are just the sort of food I adore cooking - highly flavoursome dishes benefiting from long slow cooking times. Uncomplicated but all the better for it. Look at that picture of the Pork Ribs, mouth-watering, […]

Just as Heston Blumenthal popularised molecular gastronomy in food - Eben Freeman is doing it with drinks. 
Molecular mixology is the new avant-garde approach to drinks that mirrors the legendary techniques. Through reinventing, deconstructing and reconstructing familiar drinks then layering and intensifying the flavours.  
Bartenders across the globe are now offering their consumers a brand new drinking […]