From Skyy
Ingredients
1 lemon half
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Grape
3 oz. 7Up
0.25 oz. Red Wine
Directions
Makes 1 drink.
Lately, I haven't just been drinking a ton of New Zealand wines; I've also been learning a lot about them, too. At a recent wine tasting, I was taken by the aromatic whites and Pinot Noirs of Central Otago, a remote, barren, plains-swept region in the South Island that occupies a valley between the snow-capped mountain ranges where Lord of the Rings was filmed.
It's amongst the dry, high plains that the grapes of Peregrine are hand-harvested to produce wines such as a luscious 2007 Pinot Noir ($29). The silty soil allows for exceptional drainage, producing a Pinot that's Burgundian in style, yet even darker and more concentrated. I noted the wine was soft on the nose, with cherry up front, some red plum in the middle of the palate, and a supple finish. It's a reserve-quality bottle with an extremely reasonable price tag. Have you ever had a New Zealand Pinot Noir?
Modified from Puccini and Pinetti
Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup soft goat cheese
1 cup baby arugula
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Serves 8.
Maceration (pronounced "mass-uh-ray-shun") refers to the process of steeping a food — typically, a fruit such as a berry — in a liquid (such as a liqueur) or sugar in order to infuse it with the liquid's flavor and soften the food. The process of macerating is similar to that of marinating, which involves soaking food in a seasoned, acidic liquid prior to cooking.
Ever wondered how Parisians get their joie de vivre? Perhaps it's in all those bottles of wine. A French study has just found that people who drink up to half a bottle of wine a day are healthier.
According to research from the Public Assistance Hospitals of Paris, this may be a result of the fact that those who enjoy three glasses of wine daily exercise more, come from a higher socioeconomic status, and stress less than their sober or drunken counterparts.
The study, which followed almost 150,000 people, demonstrated that those who drank in moderation were at lowered risk for cardiovascular heart disease, heart rate stress, depression, and obesity. The results also indicate moderate drinkers have higher respiratory function and physical activity ability levels.
As someone who considers herself a moderate drinker, this couldn't be better news — although I won't be swapping out the cycling for a daily half-bottle of Sauv Blanc anytime soon. Are you surprised by the results?
Everyone has a favorite combination of pizza toppings, and mine are pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage. On a recent Saturday night, I fought the urge to order a pie and instead decided to make my own! I picked up some dough from Whole Foods, but was a little disappointed. It was incredibly hard to roll out to a very thin crust. Still, thanks to the meaty toppings, the resulting pizza was absolutely satisfying and delicious. If using store-bought dough, homemade pizza is a great fast and easy dinner, so check out my recipe when you read more
From Katie Sweeney
Ingredients
1 store-bought pizza dough
Marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 hot Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked
1 cup sliced mushrooms
20 slices of pepperoni
1 cup fresh mini mozzarella balls
1 cup finely grated parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned
Red pepper flakes, for serving
Directions
Serves 2.
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