If you're looking to expand your wine horizons, you might want to consider a light dessert wine called Muscat. A white grape varietal that's grown all over the world in wine-making regions from South Africa to Serbia, the Muscat grape is known for its highly perfumed floral aroma. Typically speaking, Muscats are fortified wines with moderate sweetness and a slight effervescence.

One Muscat I recommend is Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi's 2008 Moscato. At just $8, this is a great bottle to start with. The grapes are grown in California, and the liquid is pale yellow with a fruity flavor and silky finish; the bouquet has notes of honey and orange. This lush white is enjoyable alone after dinner, paired with flaky pastry desserts, or with cheese and fruit.

Have you ever sipped Muscat? What's your favorite bottle?

At the beginning of the month, I swore that the sustainable seafood trend would explode in 2010. Now it's already going mainstream. Earlier this week, Target announced its plan to stop selling farmed salmon in all of its stores.

The policy, which is part of an effort to make more ocean-sustainable choices, will encompass all fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings, including Target's private labels Archer Farms and Market Pantry and national brands. The company will also stop selling sushi made with farmed salmon by the end of the year.

The eco-conscious decision by Target, a corporation that operates 1,744 stores in 49 states, will undoubtedly send ripples throughout the food retail industry. I'm thrilled Target has gone to such great lengths to take a stance on fish farming practices, and I hope other stores like Costco and Walmart will follow suit. Are you surprised to hear about the company's decision?

I've come across several recipes that call for kecap manis in the past, but have never tried the sauce for myself. So when I came across it at the Fancy Foods Show, I was eager to learn more about it.

Kecap manis (pronounced KEH-chup MAH-nees and also spelled ketjap manis) is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce with a molasses consistency and a dark brown color. Flavored with garlic, star anise, soybeans, and palm sugar, the sauce is more syrupy and complex than commonplace soy sauce. It is one of five main varieties of kecap (which means "sauce").

Typically sold in Asian markets, kecap manis can be used as a condiment or marinade for satays and grilled meats. It is also a staple ingredient in many traditional dishes of Indonesia.

A couple of weekends ago, I had to prepare dinner for six guys. I needed a dish that was comforting, delicious, filling, and most importantly, could easily feed a crowd. I decided on classic spaghetti and meatballs. While the tomato sauce requires several hours, the resulting dish is wildly satisfying and not only did the boys love it, but so did I! Ladling out bowls of saucy spaghetti and perfectly juicy meatballs, I felt like a little Italian grandmother. Although there are tons of spaghetti and meatball recipes on the Internet, I chose this one because of some unusual twists. The addition of pancetta subtly flavors the marinara sauce and a half cup of water ensures that the mixture of ground pork, veal, and beef stays moist. I highly recommend you make this rewarding Italian favorite for your loved ones. To do so, get the recipe.

• Ilan Hall's new global restaurant, The Gorbals, is peculiar yet personal. — Los Angeles Times
• Taste tested: Sweethearts' new flavors. — Chicago Tribune
• Today's restaurants are being revamped at lightning speed. — New York Times
• Meet wine website CellarTracker, where popular and expert wine opinions meet. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Weight Watchers is suing Jenny Craig. — Boston Globe
• One food writer throws an Everything Must Go leftovers party. — Washington Post
• Girl Scout cookies aren't just for dessert anymore. — Philadelphia Daily News
• A new wine competition offers a more realistic approach to evaluating wine. — Wall Street Journal

This week, I'm helping my friends Alex and Ryan plan the ultimate Super Bowl party. While these bachelors aren't new to partying, they are novice hosts. They'll keep it casual and fun, but with the help of some easy homemade dishes, kick things up a notch.

It took some convincing, but they've agreed to give this peanut butter cup recipe a try. It's a super easy dessert that requires nothing more than a knife, cutting board, microwave, bowls, and spoon. They'll borrow my 12-cup mini-muffin pan. To check out the recipe — seriously it's virtually flawless —  read more

Traditionally, chimichangas are deep-fried and filled with meat. However, this innovative recipe remakes the classic Mexican dish into something healthy and vegetarian-friendly.

Fat-free soy meat is combined with cumin, chili powder, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and roasted jalapeño peppers to make a filling that's well-seasoned and provocative.


The chimichangas require half an hour of bake time, resulting in a crisp, crunchy exterior and bubbly, oozing interior. Want to experiment with this cheese-free south of the border favorite? Get the recipe after the break.