Wish you could try wines before you buy them? Sounds ridiculous, but a French company called WineSide is hoping to do just that. According to Springwise, WineSide will offer sweet and classic wines in patented, flat-bottomed glass tubes. Currently they're only available at a Parisian shop called Colette. However, the product does bring up an interesting concept. What if you could try any wine before buying? Do you think this is something wineries would be interested in? And would it even taste the same as a vintage that was bottled? What do you guys think about this try-before-you-buy wine?

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I was recently at the new Oxbow Public Market in Napa, where I came across a little organic scoop shop from Three Twins Ice Cream. While the ice cream is smooth and delicious, it was actually the absurdly expensive sundaes that caught my eye.

I asked the gal behind the counter if they've ever served an expensive sundae, and she said not yet, but she was sure it was bound to happen someday. The sundae costs $3,333.33 and consists of a banana split made with syrups from three rare dessert wines, served with an ice cream spoon from the 1850s. If you give them a day's notice, they'll even have a cellist play while you eat it. If you think the cost is too absurd — it is on the "absurdity" menu, after all — maybe it'll help to know that 1/3 of the price is being donated to a local land trust.

If, however, you think this is too tame to be considered the world's most expensive ice cream sundae, then perhaps the $60,000 "World's More Expensive Most Expensive Ice Cream Sundae" will pique your interest. To find out what all that cash will buy you, read more

One of the wines I enjoyed at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting was Hey Mambo by Don Sebastiani & Sons. The wine is part of their "Other Guys" collection and is considered to be a Sultry Red, bistro-style wine. I'll admit it now: I was definitely drawn to it because of it's swank packaging — oh wait, their white is swanky, their red is sultry. The stark graphic label caught my eye from across the room, and so I decided to give it a try.

The wine itself has quite a lot of character. It's not an amazing wine, but for under $10 a bottle, it's really quite nice. It's a blend of several different grapes and is very fruity with tones of blackberries, raspberries, and chocolate. It's definitely not a wine to go with a serious meal, but if you're headed to a party, or are getting ready for a night out, Hey Mambo will help you slip into your dancing shoes.

Once you've decided which cake trend suits your wedding style, it's time to think about the flavor of the cake. Although many couples have differing tastes, you can compromise on a flavor that suits both of you. Each layer can be different, or you can offer a variety of smaller cakes.

Since Sean likes vanilla and Elena loves chocolate, they've decided to serve a marble cake at their reception. A marble cake is made with both chocolate and vanilla batters. The final cake is topped with with a swiss meringue buttercream.

For more wedding ideas, check out IDoSugar. To take a look at the recipe — it's a little complicated! — read more

Like grilled cheese or my daily turkey creation, a chicken sandwich is something I never get sick of. When cooked just right and constructed well, a chicken breast on a bun makes for a simple but delicious meal. To make this old standby slightly more exciting, all you need is an interesting marinade, and since I've been wanting to do a chicken 'wich for weeks, I decided to experiment with a soy-ginger glaze.

Aiming for a richer chicken sandwich than usual, I used thigh meat instead of breast. Because you marinate and sauté the chicken in a tangy soy-ginger mixture, it's so moist that you hardly need any other condiments, though I added a bit of mustard, plus lettuce, tomato, and onion for texture. To enhance the sweetness, I served mine on Dutch crunch rolls, though any roll will do. To get the recipe, read more

• Don't miss this exclusive interview with Ferran Adria. Would you believe El Bulli makes no money? — The Guardian (UK)
• What happens when a foodie discovers she's allergic to gluten? — Boston Globe



• Consumers get off the grid by skipping the grocery store and buying direct from the the farms. — The Oregonian
• Learn the secret behind the 10-layer Smith Island cake. — Washington Post
• Having a cooking conundrum? Discover what happens and learn exactly what went wrong. — Chicago Tribune
• As drinkers' palates mature, they're swapping hype for more nuanced flavors. — Houston Chronicle
• Go beyond the Great Wall with this new travelogue/cookbook. — Los Angeles Times
• Discover four variations on chocolate pudding. — New York Times
• With West Coast king salmon fishing halted this Summer, chefs are making do with alternatives to the local fish. — San Francisco Chronicle

The women shone on last night's installment of Hell's Kitchen: they won the pasta challenge and completed the dinner service before the boys. It was the first time in Hell's Kitchen history that children were invited to dine in the restaurant. The menu featured kid-friendly foods like pasta, hamburgers, onion rings, and barbecued chicken. The simplified menu allowed the chefs to finally find a rhythm. To address some of the main issues of the episode — Ramsay often refers to the chefs lovingly as donkeys so wasn't it ironic when live donkeys were part of the kiddie entertainment? — read more