Bon Appetit recipe from the February 2010 issue: http://bit.ly/atNkKQ INGREDIENTS 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 1 1/2 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 8 ounces sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms (I used a 10-ounce package) 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 cloves) Coarse kosher salt 2 1/2 cups dry white wine, divided (I [...]

Bon Appetit recipe from the February 2010 issue: http://bit.ly/9Om4pL INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed 1 cup (or more) all purpose flour 1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon olive oil SPECIAL EQUIPMENT Potato ricer or food mill PREPARATION Preheat oven [...]

What a great example of a medium-bodied Spanish Tempranillo.  This aged wine is brownish brick in color with a spicy, earth-like nose.  The wine is concentrated with enjoyable vanilla undertones and rich berry flavors.  The only thing I was missing when I enjoyed this wine was a fabulous paella. Around $20.

This is the 2nd installment in the “There’s Nothing to Eat in this House” series (see part 1 here: http://bit.ly/dbucAf). As typical for me, Friday is the day before my weekly trip to the grocery store, so the fresh food on hand is limited.  Here’s a quick and VERY tasty dish I whipped up using [...]

Not the limeade-watery Sauvignon Blanc typical of many affordable bottles.  This wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, is medium to full-bodied and offers pleasantly intense herbal and ripe fruit flavors.  This wine has a longish finish and some texture to it. For fans of Cloudy Bay, this is perhaps a better wine and a must-try. Around [...]

Greek food god Michael Psilakis highly recommended this place, especially the pasta and rabbit ragu dish, so I had to visit (plus, it’s a 5-minute walk from my office). I lunched at I Trulli during New York Restaurant Week and was somewhat underwhelmed. Upon arriving, we were greeted with soft bread pieces and ricotta (instead [...]

Was given this wine as a birthday present and really enjoyed it.  This wine is a gorgeous, dark ruby color in the glass.  It’s simply pure velvety silkiness with tons of ripe cherries and a hint of vanilla.  Good wine on its own, but especially great with food.  Served this with roast chicken and it [...]

Sampled this wine as part of a tasting menu at Bouley last weekend.  For those of you who enjoy fresh and crisp Gruner Veltliner, this is a good rendition.  This Weingut Hirsch wine has a citrus, apple, herbal aroma that had me sniffing for several minutes before taking a first sip.  This wine offers a [...]

The 2008 Zuccardi Mendoza Chardonnay Viognier is light, citrusy and made with very little to no oak.  It’s crisp and dry and perfect for seafood or fish.  The thirst-quenching quality of this wine makes it ideal for Summertime get-togethers. Nice wine for folks like me, who don’t enjoy big, buttery Chardonnays, but who enjoy that [...]

Every year, my guy sets his Outlook calendar to ping him 30 days before my birthday.  He does this so that he can call the restaurant he’s picked for my big day within the 30-day range set by the restaurants for reservations. Every year, after booking the restaurant, he then gives me weekly clues as [...]