Food

It is a well known occasion among knowledgable wine consumers that the beginning of the California wine revolution began with an extraordinary blind wine tasting of French and California wines in Paris in 1976, known as the Paris Tasting. In …

Pesce crudo (Italian for “raw fish”) and Japanese sashimi both rely on ultra-fresh seafood, but that’s where the similarities end. Italians near the coastline have been eating raw fish for a long time. In particular, fisherman with their returning catch …

The results are in on the 2013 Italian harvest and for those that enjoy a good Barolo, Chianti Classico, Primativo or Nero D’ Avola and hundreds of other Italian varietals, the news is good. You will of course have to …

I do my diligence with attention and care when it comes to considering a restaurant and its dinner and wine list.  Does it live up to its story by delivering the goods, like listing all the ingredients for each menu item …

Finally, spring is in the air! After a long and arduous winter for so many of us, you can feel moods and spirits lighten. There is a spring in our step as the weather begins to warm and the morning …

Save your energy for visiting with your guests with this simple brunch menu.  Instead of the usual Bloody Mary, serve your guests a Bloody Monty.  This drink, based on Amaro Montenegro, is ideal for brunch.  Nibble on Crostini with Gorgonzola …

To the east of Rome lies Abruzzo, one of the hidden gems among the patchwork that is Italy.  A sparsely populated land of stunning natural beauty and ancient customs, the motto of Abruzzo is Forte e gentile, a strong land …

Finding Shane Finley was easy.   Via email, we planned to meet for lunch at Bourbon Steak in Washington, D.C., a restaurant that’s housed at the Four Seasons. While the steakhouse is known for having one of the best wine …

Paccheri is a pasta shape that is all the rage in the US at the moment. It’s been in several cooking magazines of late, mentioned on blogs and featured on hot restaurant menus, but I haven’t seen them sold in …

I pay attention to an e mail from Jim Barrasso, the energetic  owner of Firefly Grill and Wine Bar in Encinitas. Barrasso has a keen sense of wine bargains and occasionally will share this good fortune with his  customers. One day recently he flashed …