Find out how to make this super easy Smoked Tomatillo Salsa Verde using tomatillos roasted in the smoker or grill, and quickly made in the blender. This simple green salsa is fantastic with chips or served over tacos, enchiladas, chicken, sausage, or seafood. This was one of the first recipes we started serving at our…
Announcements
Smoked Salmon Dip
Smoked Salmon Dip is the perfect appetizer for smoked salmon lovers. This dip combines flavorful and tender chunks of hot smoked salmon (not lox) a mix of cream cheese and crème fraîche base, seasoned with a little dill and lemon. The Best Smoked Salmon Salmon is one of the first things we cooked when we got…
Our Top 7 Posts of 2017
Our Reader’s Favorite Recipes of 2017 We’re wrapping up this year end with a look back to the top reader favorites of 2017. I know you may be sick of these kinds of posts right now (because they’re EVERYWHERE!!!). But I honestly love them. And I truly enjoy looking back at what people enjoyed on…
The Move, The Barn, New Beginnings
If you’re here for BBQ recipes, you won’t find any today. But I promise you we have some exciting new recipes and videos coming up next week. Today is all about our big move. So if you’re ready to sit down with a cup of joe and see a ton of pictures, continue on… I’ve…
Favorite Tools for Grilling Season on AM Northwest – and a Giveaway!
We went back on AM Northwest this week to talk about our favorite tools for grilling and cooked up a simple recipe for a marinated flank steak. You don’t need a million gadgets to get started grilling. We we’re so stoked to go back on AM Northwest to talk about the most wonderful time of the year. Yeah…
Win a Trip to Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma County
(This contest has ended. But Rodney Strong is still a fantastic place to visit). Would you like to win an all expense paid trip to the gorgeous town of Healdsburg, CA, in Sonoma County, to be a part of the weekend-long Rodney Strong Vineyards Master Blender Experience? Of course you would, silly! That was a…
Vindulge nominated for an IACP Award!!!
Last week I found out some of the most humbling and exciting news of my blogging career. Vindulge was nominated for an IACP Digital Media Award for Best Recipe-Based Blog. IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) is an organization comprised of professionals from all aspects of the culinary industry, and a committee of industry professionals was…
Oregon Sparkling Wines for the Holidays on KGW Portland Today
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And by that I obviously mean it’s the season for bubbly! Wohoo! And speaking of bubbly, I got to talk about my absolute favorite wine topic on KGW Portland Today this week!!! Champagne and sparkling wine are certainly available year-round, and I drink bubbly weekly (usually on Fridays,…
Why now is the time for Wine Bloggers to join Food Blogger Pro
(This post is an updated version of a similar post I wrote around this time last year) A few years ago I decided I wanted to take blogging and writing more seriously. I wanted to move from it just being a “hobby” to something I could potentially get paid for. I really enjoyed writing about…
Pairing Wine with Halloween candy on KGW Portland Today
So this happened. I went on KGW and talked about pairing wine with Halloween candy!!! Now I know what some of you might be thinking. You did WHAT?! This is somewhat of a faux pas subject for many a wine writer. And there’s a good reason for that. Halloween candy and wine aren’t really a…
Feast Portland is Coming Soon!!!
One of the annual culinary highlights of many a Portland foodie is coming next week. Feast Portland: September 15-18, 2016 What is Feast? Now, in case you’re not a Portland foodie, or have just been hiding under a rock (like I was the last few years), it is, from what I hear and read, one…
Increase Your Audience & Engagement: Presentation from The 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference
If you’re here for some delicious smoked food and wine pairings you won’t find them today. Instead we’re shifting gears to talk about blogging for a moment. So this happened last week! Sean and I traveled (with the kids in tow) to Lodi, California, to speak at the Wine Bloggers Conference. Immediately following the conference…
The Brooks Blending Experience Photo Essay & New Print Article on Oregon Wine Press
“In early May, five top sommeliers from around the country gathered at Brooks Winery to create a personalized Pinot Noir blend for each of their respective restaurant programs. In order to create a successful wine, they first had to understand what goes into a blend, and at Brooks, that means getting to know upwards of…
Winner: Best Original Photography or Video on a Wine Blog!!!
I’m stoked to announce that this here blog won the award for Best Original Photography or Video on a Wine Blog at the Wine Blog Awards! This is how we celebrate around these parts! I’m honored to receive this award and grateful to all who have supported this blog over the (many) years we’ve been…
Basic Dry Rub Recipe — The Video!
How to make your own basic homemade dry rub for pork or chicken. Have you ever wondered about the mysteries of making your own homemade dry rub? We’ve got a simple formula for making a great homemade dry rub that’s great on barbecued pork and chicken. We get asked ALOT about what our favorite store…
Announcement (Wine Blog Awards) and Deep Gratitude
Happy Friday! Yesterday, as I was just finishing up touring an incredible organization based in the Willamette Valley, ¡Salud!, (an organization I’ve been wanting to write about for a very very long time) I found out some exciting news. My blog was nominated for the Wine Blog Awards, in two categories – Best Original Photography…
Oregon Wine Love – Your Official Touring Guide is Here!!!
Have you seen the new Official Oregon Wine Touring Guide?! (And guess who has an article in it? More on that in a minute…) To celebrate the near end of Oregon Wine Month I wanted to share an exciting new publication out for any Oregon wine lover, near or far. The Oregon Wine Board has…
Prepping for Memorial Day on AM Northwest
Ahhhh we were back on AM Northwest today! Memorial Day Weekend is coming! First and foremost, Memorial Day is all about celebrating and honoring those brave service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and we truly believe in celebrating that this coming weekend. But for many, this weekend also represents the unofficial start of…
Judging at the 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being one of the judges at the Cascadia Wine Competition, held at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. I’m always excited to be part of events like this to taste new wines I may have otherwise overlooked. It’s also a great opportunity to…
17 Genius Uses for a Teeny Tiny Miniature Cast Iron Skillet
Ever wonder what you could do with a miniature 3.5-inch cast iron skillet? Here are 17 Genius uses for that teeny tiny miniature cast iron pan! This past Christmas my mom gave me one. A super teeny tiny miniature cast iron skillet. It is small. Really small. Like 3.5-inches wide small. It’s just like this…
Cooking with Kids on AM Northwest
One of the most precious moments of my life. Getting to cook with my son on AM Northwest. When we were presented with the idea of a segment on cooking with your kids, it fell on a date that Sean couldn’t join (darn day job ;)), so somebody suggested instead of me cooking alone that we…
Traveling to wine country with twins — Recent print article in Wine Enthusiast
I have some exciting news to share. I’ve been published in Wine Enthusiast Magazine! My piece, which can be found in the “Last Drop” section of the magazine, is about a topic I’m all too familiar with — Traveling to wine country with my 5-year old twin boys. Now, without giving too much away (stop…
3 Course Grilled Salmon Dinner at Home
How to create an easy and elegant 3-Course Salmon Dinner Date Night at Home for Valentine’s Day, or any night. I have friends in the restaurant industry who jokingly consider Valentine’s Day “amateur night,” because some folks will shell out a ridiculous amount of money for the special Valentine’s Day multi-course menu, getting suckered into…
Hosting an Elegant and Easy Oscar Party on AM Northwest
We were back on AM Northwest! This time to talk about How to Host an Elegant and Easy Oscar Party! I still pinch myself each time we get the incredible opportunity to share our food with an audience like the awesome folks and viewers of AM Northwest. It’s always an honor to share our food…
