Let’s talk about wine fridges for a minute, since it’s the holiday season and this is the time of year the questions roll in. I get asked about wine fridges (also called wine coolers) and wine storage a lot but haven’t written about it much here on the blog. That’s because over the last three…
Wine
Smoked Meatballs in a Cranberry Pinot Noir Sauce (recipe and video)
Smoked meatballs braised in a sweet and savory cranberry Pinot Noir sauce is one of our all time favorite holiday appetizers. It’s always a hit at a party! Guess what? The mystery of the Cranberry Pinot Noir Meatballs has been solved!!! The first time I wrote about this recipe I told you about how we…
Champagne vs. Prosecco — What’s the Difference?
It’s that time of year. You know what I’m talking about. Time to pop to the bubbly. Of course regular readers of this blog know I drink bubbly year round (and every Friday night if you follow my Instagram feed). But for many who don’t frequently indulge in my favorite drink it’s this time of…
Holiday Gift Guide for Wine & Cocktail Lovers
This is part 2 of our Holiday Gift Guide. See part 1 here, all about ideas for BBQ, Grilling, and general foodies on your list. In part 1 I discuss my love/hate relationship with most gift guides and why we narrow it to 10 in each category, and why when it comes to our favorite…
12 Wines for Fall Sipping
I like to review wines the way most people taste them, with food. Many of the wine reviews you’ll see on this site are accompanied by a recipe. When we test recipes we usually open a few different wines of various styles that we think will work, then write about the best pairing. But often…
Reverse Seared Pork Chops (recipe and video) With Wine Pairing
These reverse seared pork chops are smoked first for that awesome flavor, and then finished hot and fast medium rare for a perfectly cooked pork chop. These ain’t your mama’s pork chops! Sometimes when I hear people turn their noses at the idea of pork chops, I can’t help but ask them why they dislike…
Smoked Pulled Lamb Sliders
Lamb Shoulder is slow smoked to perfection, and then tenderly pulled making incredible smoked pulled lamb sliders. You are familiar with using a pork shoulder, which is usually slowly smoked to perfection and then used to make delectable pulled pork sandwiches. But have you tried the same method with a lamb shoulder, and using that…
FEAST 2017 Smoked! Photos
FEAST Portland — one of the culinary highlights of foodies, chefs, winemakers, writers, and well anybody who appreciates food and drink, both locally and nationally — is now long gone, but I can still taste it like it was yesterday. FEAST PORTLAND 2017 Not only is this a four day celebration of food and drink,…
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…
12 Wines to Keep Summer Alive!
I like to review wines the way most people taste them, with food. Many of the wine reviews you’ll see on this site are accompanied by a recipe. When we test recipes we usually open a few different wines of various styles that we think will work, then write about the best pairing. But often…
FEAST Portland 2017 is Coming!
One of the annual culinary highlights of many a Portland foodie is coming next week. FEAST Portland!!!!! Feast Portland: September 14-17, 2017 What is Feast? Now, in case you’re not a Portland foodie, or have just been hiding under a rock (like I was the first few years of the event), it is one of…
Grilled Garlic Chardonnay Shrimp
How about a surf and turf for your next date night? This garlic chardonnay shrimp is quick and easy and can be made side by side with your favorite cut of beef. This post was sponsored by Sequoia Grove. All opinions stated are my own. We’ve been a bit MIA around here and for good…
Blueberry Bourbon Rosemary Smoked Ribs
Blueberry Bourbon Smoked Ribs have incredible rich and savory flavors that will wow your guests next time you smoke ribs. This is a fun smoked rib recipe to try if you want to change up from traditional BBQ flavors. Blueberry season has officially arrived in the Pacific Northwest. I friggin love blueberries. To me, they’re…
Easy and Tender Smoked Salmon Fillet (recipe and video)
The Best Smoked Salmon ever! Brace yourself for the easiest, freshest, tender-est, and most flavorful smoked salmon fillet. And I’m not talking about lox, we’re talking fresh salmon, cooked on a smoker, and slowly smoked to perfection. We’ve got our secrets to great tender salmon, along with a full recipe and video. Salmon is one…
Red Wine Marinated Smoked Tri Tip (recipe and video)
An award-winning recipe for Marinated Smoked Tri Tip from our very first BBQ competition, made with a wine marinated Tri Tip and smoked slowly to perfection. Serve alone or with a delicious chimichurri sauce. Scroll to the bottom for the the video. We have learned a lot about smoking tri tip over the years. It has…
12 Rosés to Kick off your Summer
Rosé seems to be at an all time high right now in popularity. It’s everywhere! And, as an avid year-round rosé freak lover, I couldn’t be more excited. Today we have a review of a new book on the subject, and 12 rosé recommendations to jump start your summer sipping. Just this spring three new…
Smoked Beef Short Ribs, Red Wine Braised (recipe and video)
We’re upping our short rib game with this recipe for Smoked Beef Short Ribs finished with a Red Wine Braise. This recipe has dinner party or holiday meal written all over it! About a year ago we posted this recipe for short ribs saying it was a work in progress. We love to test and…
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…
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends (recipe and video)
You’ve heard of brisket burnt ends — you know, those magical morsels of beef amazingness. But have you tried them with pork belly? This pork version is super tender, full of flavor and so easy to make. We’ve got the full recipe AND a video tutorial for these incredible smoked pork belly burnt ends for you! I…
12 Wines for Spring Sipping
I like to review wines the way most people taste them, with food. Many of the wine reviews you’ll see on this site are accompanied by a recipe. When we test recipes we usually open a few different wines of various styles that we think will work, then write about the best pairing. But often…
Smoked Pulled Pork Enchiladas and Smoker Recipes for Cinco de Mayo
Turn leftover pulled pork into a plate full of incredible enchiladas. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, or an easy weeknight dinner. Plus several other festive recipes for Cinco de Mayo. It’s time to talk about something serious. Cinco de Mayo. As a Mexican American from central Arizona we love to celebrate this day with all…
Smoked Lamb Burgers with Rosemary Aioli and Pickled Onions
Change up your burger routine with a killer Smoked Lamb Burger with Rosemary Aioli! We’ve been talking a lot about Easter lately, and how I’m just not into ham (what I was raised on eating for Easter dinner). We’ve done Prime Rib a few years in a row now. But this year I’ve had mad…
Win a Trip to Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma County
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 trick question. Sonoma County was my favorite place to escape back when I lived…
Pairing Oregon Chardonnay with Smoked Salmon and Dungeness Crab Cakes on AM Northwest
This has to have been one of my favorite appearances on AM Northwest to date! Sean, who usually joins me on the local morning show, couldn’t come this time so I decided to change things up a bit. Instead of a meat-heavy recipe, we went with one of my favorite appetizers. And best of all,…
