The next time you think of pork chops, elevate them to the next level by making this super easy, yet elegant, Wine Brown Butter Sauce. Pair it with a bottle of delicious Prosecco Superiore, and you’ve got yourself an incredible meal for date night or entertaining guests. We’re very passionate about our bubbly around…
Food and wine pairing
Thanksgiving Wine Guide (Updated)
Trying to figure out what wines to serve with Thanksgiving Dinner this year? You’re not alone. Below is a fool-proof guide to finding great wines in all budgets for your holiday meal. I haven’t written a “what to pair with Thanksgiving dinner” post in yeeaaarrrsss! This is because I am a traditionalist when it comes…
The Best Italian Red Wines to Pair with a Great Steak
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Italian Trade Commission for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine. Ever wonder what to pair with a great steak other than Cabernet Sauvignon? I’ve listed some of my favorites, and you might be surprised. When it comes to pairing wine with a great…
Grilled Chicken with Ancho Chilies and Prunes
Before you say, “Whaaaaaa the? Prunes and chicken??” Just take a deep breath and trust me. The combination of grill roasted rich prunes and earthy ancho chilies mixed with grilled chicken is a winning combination! So, there’s an awesome group of wine bloggers I’m friends with and we get together (virtually) a couple times a…
Grilled Chicken Thighs for a Crowd — New article on Wine4.Me
Let the countdown begin. T-minus 7 days until the 4th of July. That means grills and smokers will be fired up throughout the country with hungry feasters waiting to get their BBQ on. Over on Wine4.Me this weekend I shared one of my favorite (and super easy) recipes fit for a crowd and perfect for…
Smoked Sausage Lasagna
Smoked Sausage Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. It’s also a nice way to congratulate new parents. Show them you love them with a batch of smoked comfort food, like this smoked sausage and smoked marinara lasagna! Some neighbors of ours recently welcomed their new baby to the world (hi sweetie!!). And knowing all too well…
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…
Grilled Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce on Wine4.Me
It’s been awhile since I shared some of the freelance work I’ve been doing. Both of these are recent articles I wrote that can be found over on Wine4.Me. First up… Grilled Pork Chops and Wine Pairing Hubs and I cook a lot of pork, but the pork chop doesn’t get much respect in the world…
Smoked Salmon and Pinot Noir — there’s a reason they are such a great food and wine pairing
From Seattle, to Portland, to the Smoker… The family and I just returned from a quick weekend in Seattle. I was there for Taste Washington — the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event — and the family came along to do some sight seeing. (More on Taste WA later) The optimist in me was…
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Bacon and Chardonnay Wine Pairing
When it comes to food and wine pairing most people start with the food, then look for wines to pair with whatever they intended to eat. But in my house we’re often in the opposite predicament – trying to come up with a dish to pair with a specific wine we want to open. In…
9 Super Bowl Recipes
T-minus six days ‘till the big day. The Super Bowl. I’m not gonna lie, I only watch one football game a year – the Super Bowl (though I do fantasize about the idea of buying a traveling smoker just to take up tailgating). To me, the Super Bowl is just one grand snack-foodie holiday, and…
Recent Articles — Cranberry and Red Wine Meatballs
I have three words for you – Cranberry. Wine. Meatballs. All of these things are combined to make these sweet, savory, and purely delicious meatballs. They are also one of my favorite holiday appetizers incorporating a seasonal staple, canned cranberry sauce, and they are the perfect snack to take to holiday parties. Sweet, savory, and…
Recent Articles — Food and Wine Pairing on VineSleuth
Next to sparkling wine, food and wine pairing has to be my all time favorite subject to write and about and teach. Some could care less, but for others it’s a topic in the wine world that can cause heated debate. Just mention pairing wine and chocolate to a group of wine enthusiasts and you’ll…
Recent Articles — Marinated Skirt Steak Recipe & Wine Pairing
This is quite a few weeks overdue, but my latest food and wine pairing article was published last month over on VineSleuth Uncorked. This article was inspired by a common dilemma in my household. During the warm summer evenings I typically crave something light, but hubby wants a heartier meal… usually involving grilled meat with…
Cooking inspiration, and my latest piece for VineSleuth
Inspiration for new recipes can come from a number of places — cooking shows, cookbooks, friends, and family to name a few. For me I am often inspired to try new things in my kitchen after traveling to new or familiar places and dining at local restaurants. Read about my one of my favorite recipes…
Announcement… and a memorable red blend
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be contributing monthly food and wine pairing recipes to the awesome blog VineSleuth. My first recipe with wine pairing was posted today, and just in time for Valentine’s Day. In this month’s post you will find a recipe for the most delectable chocolate truffles (yes there is a…
Apple Cider Mimosas and Pumpkin Pancakes – Expressing gratitude through wine and food
Last week after Hurricane Sandy viciously rampaged through the east coast I received several calls and texts from friends and family back west. After the initial “are you okay?”, they all immediately reminded me that since moving to New England just two years ago we have experienced two hurricanes, two massive power outages (the worst…
2010 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay and a Simple Fall Soup
We are bombarded with fall themed recipes this time of year. Everywhere you look it’s pumpkin flavored this, apple flavored that. And I’ll admit, I am not tired of them. Not at all! In fact, most of the time I spend on Pinterest lately is seeking out fall themed recipe ideas for my family. As…
WillaKenzie, Aquariva and a Great Food & Wine Pairing
Trying to explore as much Oregon as I can before moving to the Northeast, I accepted an invitation to a wine and food pairing lunch a couple weeks back hosted by WillaKenzie Estate Winery. Lunch consisted of a five-course food and wine pairing prepared by Chef Andy Arndt of Aquariva that turned out to be…
Pairing Wine with Food: The Basics
While preparing for a recent Intro to Wine and Food pairing class I polled a few friends and family members from outside the area to ask what would they want to learn about if they took a class on wine and food paring. Their responses were quite humbling to me. I was prepared for them to…
Chef Mavro
… And one of my first major food epiphanies. I’ve had a couple of food epiphanies in my life, but none more memorable than my first experience at Chef Mavro in Honolulu. A few years ago while visiting the island of Oahu I quickly grew tired of the many overpriced mediocre dining options on Waikiki Beach where we…
