There are many wonderful feelings: the first cold beer on a hot day, walking barefoot in freshly mown grass, unpacking your summer (or winter) clothes and discovering money in the pockets, falling asleep in a hammock . . . oh, the list could go on and on. And, speaking of lists, one of my favorite feelings is that quiet sense of ... Read More »
I’ve discovered in recent months that Instagram is a great way to cull interesting culinary ideas and discover new beverages to imbibe. I follow Dogfish Head beer to learn about their latest collaborations (and to covet their bocce court). Smitten Kitchen and Ida Garten are always making me drool. But even outside professional Instagrammers, I’m finding new ideas with the ... Read More »
I have often said that traveling abroad with students is very much like child birth – very painful in the moment, but then you come home with the baby and forget the pain. I have returned home with my baby babies, and already, less than 48 hours after arriving, the painful moments are slipping from my memory. The exciting moments were ... Read More »
This past weekend was a BIG one. Saturday morning my little sister (yes, she’s 28 and probably should’ve been the oldest, but birth order’s a bitch and she’s the baby of the family) graduated from Plymouth State University with her Masters in Counseling and School Pyscology. And Friday night, as my brother and parents and I were staying in a hotel ... Read More »
Get your pen ready! Here come spectacular recommendations for small-vineyard Italian wines. You won’t hear about the big joints at all, but instead, the small players, the individuals who have passed down their love of grapes through generations. These are vintners interested in exploring and exploiting the possibilities in their vines, not glutting the market with “good enough”. I was ... Read More »
Who wouldn’t love this? Run away to New York City for the day: early train down, arriving just in time for a boutique Italian wine tasting, followed by the requisite walk through Times Square, a visit to the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, and the evening train home. Time as a couple? Check! Seriously amazing wines? Check! Top it ... Read More »
Huh? Yes, gimbaled funiculars. Yes, bivalve players. A sequential thought process here, maybe a pedantic love of funny sounding words, and of course a reference to Spain, where I will be in 2 ½ weeks. Disclaimer: my sister in law served a “signature drink” at our recent American Easter/Greek Easter/Passover gathering. It was perfect for an afternoon sitting outside after ... Read More »
Neither overly technical nor horticulturally-centric, Jay McInerney’s The Juice: Venous Veritas is a collection of essays centered around the joys of drinking wine that even someone who is more likely to order a Guinness than an old-vine Grenache will enjoy. McInerney came to fame in the 80s with Bright Lights Big City, a novel that made him the un-official spokesperson of his generation, ... Read More »
Of all the bivalves out there (clams, scallops and mussels, to name a few), oysters are my favorite. In general, I prefer the briny East Coast varietals but on the other hand, the sweet Kumamotos from Pacific Northwest are equally delicious (albeit in a completely different way). I’ve had Normandy oysters in Paris for 1 euro (roughly a $1.40) that freaked ... Read More »
I went out to eat a restaurant the other night where all ordering was done through an iPad. Now, I’m not a food writer or a restaurant critic, so I’m not going to write about what we ate or drank. Rather, the point of this post is the use of technology in restaurants. And as prior to this dining experience ... Read More »
Sauced In New York Sometimes the food is in the sauce, sometimes we are