My husband and I are wine lovers and selected Briedern and Mosel Landhaus as a central place to tour the Mosel River Region. What a pleasant surprise it was to arrive at this riverside inn with its welcoming facade. The hosts, Dutch-business-people-turned-inn-keepers, treated us and the other guests like family. They couldn’t have done more [...]

The Cottages at Cabot Cove has been refurbished to a beautiful and comfortable haven on the outskirts of quaint Kennebunkport, Maine.  The cottages are adorable and feature front porches where you can sit, lakeside, and take in all that Maine has to offer. The staff at this property is friendly and warm, and guests are [...]

The space at this trendy Upper West Side neighborhood spot co-owned by celebrity chef Michael Psilakis features washed wood, bleached walls and a casual feel. The front of the house offers a popular bar area ideal for before-dinner drinks and appetizers. The bar staff is personable and eagerly recommends Greek beers such as Mythos or specialty [...]

Last night, I had the pleasure of sharing a bottle of Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon with some guests at my home.  What was neat about the wine, is that: It was my first taste of Israeli wine – definitely not my last The bottle was recommended by Avi, a wine communications consultant from Ranaana who I [...]

Condiment Salad: Artichoke hearts 6 ounce jar of pimentos 1 cup black olives 1/2 cup green olives 2 garlic cloves Sandwich: Loaf of round sourdough bread Swiss cheese sliced American cheese sliced Boiled ham Salami Provolone Pastrami For salad: Puree the mixture in blender until well incorporated.  Transfer to a bowl and coat with olive [...]

1 small pkg. flake-style imitation crabmeat 6 ounces linguini 2 large minced garlic cloves 1 tsp. dried oregano 2 tbs. butter 1 medium tomato, chopped ½ cup whipping cream ½ cup sliced green onions ½ cup Swiss cheese ½ cup parmesan cheese Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.  Cook garlic and oregano in butter [...]

1/3 cup bread crumbs 48 little neck clams in the shell 1/3 cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, crushed pinch hot pepper flakes 1/3 cup white wine 1 tbs. chopped parsley 1 lb linguini, cooked according to package directions Soak clams in water to cover for 5 minutes, rinse and scrub under running water.  In [...]

Grand-Mother’s non-traditional meat sauce.  Perfect over spaghetti and used in a lasagna. I suggest this recipe be doubled as it freezes very well. ¾ lb ground pork ¾ lb ground beef ¼ cup oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 8 ounces celery, diced 1-20 ounce can tomato juice 1-28 ounce can Italian-style [...]

6 lasagna noodles 1 can (15 ounces) Italian-style tomato sauce Filling: 1 pkg. imitation crab flakes 1 cup cottage cheese, drained ¼ cup parmesan 1 egg 1 tbs. parsley ¼ tsp. onion powder Cook noodles as directed on package.  Rinse in cold water; drain well.  Combine filling ingredients with fork.  Spread 1/3 cup filling on [...]

2-750 ml bottles Cabernet Sauvignon 4 cups beef stock or canned broth 2 cups ruby Port 3 large garlic cloves, peeled 1 large shallot, peeled, halved 2 bay leaves 3 tsp. dried thyme 1 6-pound boneless prime rib beef roast 4 large garlic cloves, pressed Combine first 6 ingredients and 1 tsp. thyme in a [...]