Taking the world one wine at a time.
It’s been far too long since I’ve featured a food and wine pairing! I find that pairing with food is one of my favorite ways of analyzing a wine. So many New World wines seem to be more suited for stand-alone drinking, with food seeming to be an after-thought. It’s therefore always nice to see how these wines stand up to certain cuisines.
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Don’t ever let it be said that the Mariposa is an easy restaurant to find! We were somewhere in the region of 45 minutes late for our reservation, after both Google Maps and Sprint Navigation threw in the towel so far as plotting a course for us. Of course it was made all the more difficult by the fact that it was pitch black, with very little street lighting. Once we found the restaurant ,…
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There is fine dining and there is fine dining, but Talisker on Main is probably one of my most exceptional dining experiences. Truly, no exaggeration. With a statement like that you would expect that once the check came at the end of the meal, you would have to sell a kidney in order to fully satisfy your bill. Let me just get a little ahead of myself and say that I have seen much…
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Sometimes it’s hard for me to get to restaurant’s working the schedule I do. Some of the best places in Jacksonville are closed on Sunday and Monday (my usual days off), and most places are closed by the time I finish work. Dinner at 13 Gypsies has therefore been a long time coming! First off, let me start by saying that the place is tiny, and by tiny I mean 7 tables. It therefore…
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I think the last time I had Beef Stroganoff was in England over 10 years ago! I worked a lot of banquet catering events, and “Beef Strog” was always the menu item of choice. I’m guessing mainly because it can be hot-held over a long period of time, with the one minor drawback being that the beef always ended up tasting like boiled leather. This Beef Stroganoff however tastes nothing like my English experience…
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The Mrs.and I have been on a little bit of a healthy-eating kick since the start of the year. We didn’t make a formal resolution, we stopped doing that a while ago. Everyone seems to more-or-less make the same promises to themselves each year, and normally end up breaking them after just a few weeks. All that I’m personally looking to achieve is to lose a few pounds through healthy eating and exercise, whilst…
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Here is a short but sweet photo journal of how I spent my Christmas Day! I’ll let you take one guess as to who is sat at the place setting with the oversized wine glass! Last year was duck, the year before was lamb, this year I opted for Prime Rib. Simple recipe: take fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, horseradish sauce, salt, pepper and melted butter; stick it all in a blender and puree…
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Lobsters and cupcakes, I think I can die now… Lobster’s on Christmas Eve is kind a of tradition, and it’s a tradition that I have no problem maintaining! Every Christmas Eve is the same, we have a small family get together where fresh lobsters play a starring role. With me being the Sommelier in the family I’m obviously in charge or bringing the wine. Now, when it comes to any kind of wine pairing, you…
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I can’t remember the last time I had duck. I know it must have been at a restaurant, but it’s been a while. Anyways duck is my favorite bird, to eat at least… This was a very cool recipe that I found for Braised Duck with Pinot Noir, Cherry Tomatoes and Grapes. It actually requires a whole bottle of Pinot Noir poured over the duck into a casserole dish ,and then braised in the oven….
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If your mouth isn’t drooling already you have serious issues! I don’t know why I don’t make Ribs more often, they are so easy! This recipe for Mahogany Glazed Spare Ribs was no exception. For side dishes, I just threw some baked potatoes and corn on the grill. My grill hasn’t seen much action since the weather has been cooling down, so I thought it only fair to dust it off and fire it up….
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I chose this recipe knowing full-well that it would make a perfect pairing, and I wasn’t proven wrong! The recipe I selected was for Shrimp Tacos with Pickled-Red-Onion Salad. Not exactly a winter dish, but Torrontes isn’t a winter wine!
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Sure! Why not! Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and wine writers around the world rejoice at the chance to write ANOTHER article on the subject on pairing wine with this festive meal!!! Ok, so maybe my English sarcasm is getting the better of me. However even I can’t ignore the fact that on Thanksgiving their is by far the largest volume of wine consumed in the U.S. than any other day of the year!…
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