In the interest of full disclosure — I am not a beer girl. I mean, I am and I’m not. For the most part I stick with my You-Name-It-Lights and really can’t drink more than one before my belly feels like it’s going to burst with bubbles. BUT, on the rare occasion I find a real, full-bodied beer I actually like, enjoy, and want to pair with food — like Anchor Brewing’s Anchor California Lager — well, that’s something to celebrate. So today I say, Cheers to Beer!
I’ve been learning a lot about Rhones lately. Specifically New World Rhones from the West Coast here in the US. For me, that means there are a lot of good quality, local wines available. But I can’t help but feel one can only appreciate what the New World has to offer by studying from those who have been doing it the longest.
Where do our modern-day “Rhone Rangers,” like Bonny Doon and their ilk get their influence? How are Old World techniques implemented today? For that we must turn to Old World wines straight from the Motherland, France.
I am but one little woman in the whole wine world and don’t have fancy French labels at my fingertips. Luckily there are producers like Guigal Estate who import affordable French wines for regular folks and wannabe wine snobs like myself.
Along the beautiful coast of Highway 1, just outside of Santa Cruz, is the fun, funky, French-wine-inspired Bonny Doon Vineyard Tasting Room.
I think I inherited my dad’s salsa gene. We both make salsas that pack a punch when it comes to flavor and somehow seem to go well on top of…anything. However, my dad, unlike me, has knife skills like a ninja. So after I took my first knife skills class, the first thing I did when I got home was make a salsa — it’s the best way to practice uniform dicing and the results are delicious. Now, I’ve done it so many times, I’ve got the recipe — and the knife skills — down to a science. So please enjoy…
It’s fun to play “fancy French food” in the kitchen every once in awhile. Unfortunately, I am not classically trained and some techniques and ingredients are just beyond my reach. But when you’re cookin’ up a duck breast, you can’t help but want to make it a l’orange, right? Enter, my cheats sauce…
