Glam Editor Blogs

Bordeaux is one of the largest wine producing regions in the world and the home of some of the most famous wines in the world including the “Grand Cru” wines. But that’s not the whole story. Many Bordeaux wines are inexpensive, easy to drink, accessible, generally lower in alcohol than typical California wines, and pair well with food.

Even if you’re not planning a trip overseas, host a “Bordeaux Night” so you and your friends can taste and discover some new wines to enjoy.

1. Find a bargain. You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a luxury of Bordeaux wines. In fact, approximately 80% of Bordeaux wines are priced quite reasonably (under $30) and are perfect for enjoying tonight (you don’t have to age them!). A few simple tips can help you navigate the wine aisle for a successful night with Bordeaux.

2. Red = Merlot and Cabernet and White = Sauvignon Blanc. Let’s face it. All those French names and pictures of castles on the labels can be intimidating. Not to worry. If the bottle says “ Bordeaux ” and it’s a red wine, you’re can be pretty sure it’s a Merlot and Cabernet. If it’s a white, you’ll find it’s mostly Sauvignon Blanc. Increasingly, Bordeaux winemakers are putting the varietal names right on the label.

3. Expert advice at your finger tips: Each year the Bordeaux Wine Council asks experts in the field of wine and hospitality to select 100 wines priced between $8 and $30 available in specialty wine shops, grocery stores, and restaurants. Check www.bordeauxwinebureau.org for the latest selection.

4. Simplicity brings out the complexity: You don’t have to work hard to create a great food pairing for Bordeaux wines. A simply grilled steak, fish or even a big portabella mushroom or roasted chicken will match up nicely with the layers of flavors in the wines. Garnish with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and you’re there.

5. Take a deep breath: You’ve heard this before. Open up that red a little before your guests arrive. It helps the flavors get reacquainted with the air and really develop those alluring aromas. Decanting the wine into a larger vessel can also pump up the enjoyment. You don’t have to have a fancy decanter. A pitcher will do the trick (and it’s easier to wash!).

Trivia Night: Did you know that Bordeaux means “Bordering the water?” Did you know that Irish emigrants are responsible for names like Chateau Lynch Bages and Barton and Guestier? How about, did you know the Medoc region where the famous Chateaux are located used to be a swamp and was drained by those clever Dutch? Browse www.bordeaux.com for pieces of trivia and more helpful hints. Create a fun trivia card for your dinner guests they can play while you’re putting the finishing touches on dinner. Winner has immunity from doing the dishes.
——–Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: wine, tasting, bordeaux, france, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, sauvingnon blanc

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Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. Congratulations to Kristin who won the prize courtesy of  Bear Naked she will be receiving a month’s worth of Bear Naked granola in a variety of flavors, Kashi TLC Cereal Bars, and insulated Kashi lunch bag and a Kashi cereal bowl

From breakfast burritos to granola parfaits and bagels, lox and cream cheese, there were tons of great breakfast ideas. Check them all out here.

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Since I wasn’t blessed with that natural salad-craving, veggie-loving gene like my mom was (I think I got a double-dose of “sweet tooth” instead), I have to look for creative ways to sneak this all-important food group into the diet. If you - or maybe your kids - feel the same way, here’s a simple, yet delicious, vegetable side dish recipe that should work like a charm. (And it looks great too!)

Eggplant, Tomato, & Mozzarella Stacks
{recipe via College Cooking}

Ingredients: (Serves 12)
2 eggplants
Salt and pepper
4 tomatoes
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut each eggplant into 12 slices and place on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

Cut each tomato into 6 slices.

Top each of the eggplant slices with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with some of the mozzarella cheese. Place half of the eggplant stacks on top of the other half of the stacks so each one has six layers. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

•••

– Jennifer Sbranti
www.hostesswiththemostess.com

Technorati Tags: vegetables, side dish, recipe, eggplant, healthy

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Two healthy ingredients making their way from health food stores to supermarkets are agave and goji berries. Have you tried them yet?

Agave nectar or syrup comes from the agave plant of Mexico, it’s a natural sweetener that is sweeter than honey but thinner and less viscous. You can substitute 1/3 cup of agave nectar for every 1 cup of sugar in many recipes. Agave nectar has a very neutral flavor. It is gaining popularity because its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than most other natural sweeteners which is helpful to those on low carb diets. There is even an agave cookbook called Baking with Agave Nectar.

Goji berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a very long time. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and also a good source of vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E. They taste somewhat sweet and sour like cranberries and are the texture of raisins. You can buy bags of goji berries and snack on them or use them in recipes.

One way to try both these trendy ingredients is in the latest Bear Naked new “Native” granola series. Like their other granolas, they  are  loaded with hearty nuts, tasty fruits and whole grains.

First up is Mango Agave Almond. Featuring the flavors of mango and agave, found in Latin America. This granola also has coconut and cinnamon.

Next, Yumberry Goji Currant. Yumberry, goji berries and currants all hail from Asia. Never heard of yumberries? Similar in shape and size to raspberries, they are sweet-sour flavor and have a citrus-like flesh. Yumberries can’t be imported into the US but the juice is used to add flavor and nutrients to the granola.

In honor of September “Better Breakfast Month” Bear Naked is offering you the exclusive chance to win a “Better Breakfast Starter Kit” that includes a month’s worth of Bear Naked granola in a variety of flavors, Kashi TLC Cereal Bars, and insulated Kashi lunch bag and a Kashi cereal bowl!

Leave a comment and tell us about your all-time favorite breakfast and one winner will be picked at random. You must be located in the US to win. If you have won a prize in a giveaway on this site in the past 6 months, please allow others a turn. Thanks!

——-Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: bear naked, goji, agave, breakfast, contest, cereal, granola

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If you haven’t had a chance to catch up with the girls in a while, each of these mixed drinks makes a great excuse for an impromptu girl’s night in. Expand your horizons, treat yourself to a bottle of something special and enjoy a signature cocktail for your evening. Whether you choose a swanky suite or just the living room, each of these drinks will add elegance and fruity Summery freshness.

Which bottle to choose?

• Chandon Extra-Dry is actually a little bit sweet and has aromas of peaches, apricots and white nectarines
• X-Rated Fusion Liqueur is a sensuous blend of ultra-premium French vodka and rich blood oranges, mingling with mangos and passion fruit
• SKYY Infusions Raspberry has fresh floral notes with a finish that is true-to-fruit seediness of raspberry puree.

Luscious Peach
2 ½ oz Chandon Extra-Dry Riche
¼ cup fresh peach slices
5-7 mint leaves
½ oz simple syrup

Directions: In a cocktail shaker, muddle peach with simple syrup and mint. Shake with ice and strain contents into a high ball glass filled with ice. Top with Chandon Extra-Dry Riche and stir. Garnish with a peach wedge or mint sprig.

Naughty
1 oz Pink Lemonade
1 oz X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 oz SKYY 90

Shake over ice and serve in a Martini glass

Berry Me in the Sand
2 oz SKYY Infusions Raspberry Vodka
3 muddled fresh raspberries
1 oz limoncello
2 oz prosecco

Muddle fresh raspberries in pint glass. Add ice, SKYY Infusions Raspberry and limoncello.
Shake and strain into a champagne flute and top with prosecco. Garnish with two raspberries on a pick and a large lemon zest.

——Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: cocktails, vodka, x-rated, chandon, sparkling, raspberry, lemonade, peach, mint

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Surprise! There are more ways to serve beer than straight from the bottle or tap… This Labor Day weekend, venture outside the box and try serving up one of these beer-inspired cocktails from Everyday with Rachael Ray:

Guiness Float

Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream
One 14.9-ounce can Guinness Draught beer
Whipped cream, for topping
Dash nutmeg

Directions:
Place the ice cream in a large soda-fountain glass. Fill the glass with the beer. Top with a swirl of whipped cream and the nutmeg.

***

Lager and Lemon-Limeade

Ingredients:
3/4 cup lager beer, chilled
3/4 cup lemonade, chilled
3 tablespoons sweetened lime juice
Lime wedge, for garnish

Directions:
In a tall glass, stir together the beer, lemonade and lime juice. Serve with the lime wedge.

***

Beer Margaritas

Ingredients:
Four 12-ounce bottles cold light-flavored beer, such as Corona
1 cup (8 ounces) tequila
One 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
Lime wedges
Kosher salt, for rimming glasses

Directions:
In a large pitcher, combine the beer, tequila and limeade. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each of glass and dip it in the salt. Pour the margaritas into the glasses and garnish with a lime wedge.

***

{Recipes & images via Everyday with Rachael Ray}

– Jennifer Sbranti
www.hostesswiththemostess.com

Technorati Tags: cocktails, cocktail recipe, margarita, beer cocktails, Guinness

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It’s a stereotype that men don’t cook at home. But some guys could still use a little friendly push. If you want to encourage your guy to cook, here are two very unpretentious books, written by guys who just happen to host cooking shows, that might do the trick, Two Dudes One Pan: Maximum Flavor from a Minimum Kitchen and Sam, The Cooking Guy Just A Bunch of Recipes. If not, perhaps the book A Man’s Place is Behind the Bar: Killer Cocktail Recipes is in order.

Two Dudes One Pan is the perfect book for the guy with one skillet or dutch oven to their name. Each chapter is based upon the recipes’ cooking vessel rather than ingredients. Choose from The Big Bowl, Nonstick Skillet, Frying Pan, Dutch Oven, Roasting Pan and Baking Dish. Dishes include Curried Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard and Red Onion Slaw, Sake-Soy Sea Bass with Baby Bok Choy, Spicy Roasted Cauliflower, Capers, and Parm, Sherried Salmon and Cipollini Onions, Five-Spice Cornish Hens, Pistachio Tiramisù with Sweet Cherry Sauce, and Pumpkin Pie Bars.

From Two Dudes, One Pan:

Buttermilk-Sage Fried Chicken

Says Vinny, “This is one of our most requested dishes. People love it because there’s no bone to deal with. If you decide to make it using bone-in chicken, be sure to let it brine for three days. It will also need to cook a little longer in the pot.”

Makes 3-4 servings

2 cups buttermilk
6 boneless skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup all-purpose flour
10 fresh sage leaves
3 cups canola oil
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

In large resealable plastic bag, pour buttermilk over chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 3 days. In large, shallow dish, mix flour and roughly chopped sage together. Remove each piece of chicken from buttermilk, allowing any excess liquid to drip off; then dredge through flour, tapping off any excess (it may take more than 1 cup flour to do this). Place coated chicken piece on plate; repeat with remaining pieces. In Dutch oven, heat canola oil over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees on digital thermometer. Add chicken pieces to pot (all of chicken should fit in single layer; if it doesn’t, fry chicken in 2 batches and cook until chicken is golden brown all over and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt while still hot. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Sam, The Cooking Guy is by Sam Zien who thinks that people have “been wrecked by cooking shows with their millions of complicated steps and crazy ass ingredients.” His recipes are easy and rely on some prepared foods like prebaked pizza crust, pesto and even instant ramen noodles. Recipes include BBQ Chicken Pizza, Halloween Chicken Chili, Fridge Fried Rice, Sam’s Sticky Sweet BBQ Ribs, Stuffed Burgers, Pesto BBQ Shrimp, Chili Salmon, Motor Home Meatballs, Spicy-ish Sausage Pasta, The Great Potato Cake, Brussels Sprouts You’ll Actually Eat, (Fake) Creme Brulee

From Sam the Cooking Guy:

Adobo Chicken

Simple chicken cooked in soy sauce with garlic is the unofficial dish of the Philippines. But this..in a bowl…on a bed of steamed rice…is like…totally…wow. Poetic, huh?

Serves 4

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
3 bay leaves

3 pounds chicken thighs, bone in
Combine soy, vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, garlic and bay leaves in the bottom of a large pot. Place chicken skin side down in pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down to a simmer and cover with lid. After 30 minutes, remove lid and turn chicken over and simmer for an additional 20 - 30 minutes then serve with steamed rice.

——–Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: guys, cooking, recipes, chicken, adobo, fried, cookbooks, sam the cooking guy, two dudes

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No matter what your budget is, saving money and finding good values always makes sense. For more savvy wine buying tips, we turn once again to Liza Zimmerman, principal of the wine education and consulting firm Liza the Wine Chick.

Liza has been writing, educating, and consulting about wine, cocktails and food for more than 15 years. She has published hundreds of stories in the U.S. and abroad in such magazines such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits and The Magazine of La Cucina Italiana. She is one of less than 100 people in the U.S. to hold the Diploma of Wine & Spirits (D.W.S.), the three-year program that is the precursor to the Master of Wine. She teaches the D.W.S. wine course at Copia, The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, in Napa, California.

1. Learn a little winespeak, if you know some wine lingo sommeliers will understand your preferences better and be able to provide you with more targeted suggestions. As noted in a couple of recent articles in the wine trade press, this issue is one of sommeliers’ biggest hurdles in working with customers.

2. Hold a finger under the dollar value you are interested in spending for a wine, saying “I would like something in that range,” the sommelier will understand your general price range and you won’t need to discuss money in front of your guests.

3. Trust your palate, if the wine smells like musty cardboard and send it back: consumers drink the bulk of faulty wines because they don’t know better and are afraid to speak their minds.

4. Make friends with clerks at your local wine shop and let them know what you like and why you like it.then the clerk put together a mixed case for you at whatever price point works ($20 a bottle should get you some nice wines). Keep in mind that when ordering by the case you are also likely to get a case discount.

5. Remember that wine ratings aren’t the Holy Grail and you will pay more money for highly rated wines, the same way you will for the ad campaigns of nationally advertised wines. In comparison, lesser-known wines that aren’t national brands may be better values, plus you may get to impress your guests with a more esoteric wine selection.

Wanna learn more? Increase your wine knowledge while improving your flirting skills! Join Liza the Wine Chick and Annie Gleason, dating coach of Get a Love Life, as they share their insights on wine for business etiquette and body language from 6 to 8pm on Weds Sept 24th at 41A Sanchez St., near Market. We’ll try some lovely wines and have nibbles. Cost per person, only $20! Please RSVP to Liza@lizathewinechick.com

——–Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: wine, budget, money, shopping, restaurants

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Introducing High Sierra Cuisine. It’s the inspiration of newly appointed Chef de Cuisine of the award- Lone Eagle Grill, Chef Mark May. Chef May’s new menu varies throughout the seasons, highlighting wild game and sustainable meats, freshly-caught seafood, and exceptional produce, sourced entirely from the Pacific Northwest.

Inspired by the region’s abundance of exceptional seasonal produce, Chef May incorporates fresh, locally-sourced fruits and vegetables into his menu wherever possible. With the assistance of purveyors and foragers dotted along the Pacific Northwest, with whom he has developed solid relationships over a decade, Chef May has access to some of the season’s best picks. What’s on the menu? Sweet White Corn Soup has fresh Oregon summer truffles and corn tempura, while wild local mushrooms are an earthy feature in Cavatelli with Ragout of Wild Cascade Mushrooms, Fresh Pesto, Vermouth and Thyme. Autumn dishes may feature locally-gathered wild alpine herbs, such as thyme and sage; chards, root vegetables, and heartier grains.

In the following recipe for Grilled Quail with Goat Cheese, Chef May notes, “It exemplifies what we are defining in the use of quail being a game bird, and of course rosemary being an alpine herb, goat cheese also being more prevalent in alpine cuisines due to goats being more at home in the rugged terrain. We serve this dish on our dinner menu and though it is a dish which incorporates meat and cheese, it is still quite light and health conscious.” Our thanks to Chef May for sharing his recipe with us!

Grilled Quail Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
For the Quail:
8 ea. Semi Boneless Quail
1 Log Goat Cheese
12 ea. Rosemary
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Frittata:
1/4 Lb. Capellini(cooked)
1 ea. eggs
1/4 C 1/2 & 1/2
2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan
1 Tbs. Minced Chives
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil to cook the frittata

For the Garnish:
2 oz. Mesclun
Minced Chives
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. Cut 8 3/4 inch rounds off of the log of goat cheese.
2. Blot the quail dry and remove the outer 2 wing joints.
3. Put one round of goat cheese in each quail and season with pepper.
4. Pour a little olive oil in the container to marinate the quail in. Place sprigs of rosemary in the oil cover the rosemary in a single layer with the quail. Cover with oil and rosemary. Repeat the process until all the quail are layer with the rosemary and oil. Top with rosemary and the rest of the oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the Frittata:
1. Cook the capellini. Shock in cold water. Drain and reserve.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the half and half, egg, parmesan, chives and salt and pepper till homogenous.
3. Add the capellini and toss.
4. Heat a Teflon pan with a little oil. Pull the noodles form the batter and cook until golden brown. Turn and light brown the other side. Remove the frittata from the pan to a cutting board and cut into 4 parts.
5. Repeat the previous step to make the second frittata.
6. Hold warm while grilling the quail.

Assembly of the plates:

1. Season the quail with salt and grill the quail to the desired temperature.
2. Warm the frittata in an oven if needed.
3. Make bouquets with the mesclun and hold on the plates with the rittata.
4. Cut the quail in half lengthwise.
5. Place the on top of the frittata, crosswise, with the cut surfaces facing out.
6. Drizzle the greens and the plate with the balsamic and the oil. Top with the chives and serve.

For reservations at Lone Eagle Grille, contact Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort at (775) 832-1234

——-Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: high sierra, tahoe, hyatt, lone eagle grille, quail, recipe

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