In some ways, tasting the world's wines can be a hopeless endeavor: there's so much wine out there today that we could sample bottles all day long and still get nowhere near tasting everything. That doesn't mean, however, that we won't try! From Willamette Valley Pinot Noir to Alpine French Jacquère, here are five memorable wines we quaffed this week — and why we loved them.
I've been up to my knees in blueberries after discovering cartons of them on sale for next to nothing at the market. After a long afternoon of hard work, I found myself in need of an alcoholic refreshment — so very naturally, the berries found their way into my drink. Browsing through cocktail recipes, I was inspired by a libation, Le Midi, which combines the essence of lavender with blueberries. I reinterpreted that with berry sauce I'd just made, lavender-scented limoncello, and Cointreau liqueur.
The end result smelled sweet and tasted fruity-floral, with just a whiff of lavender that wasn't overwhelming. For the recipe, read on.
Warm up your soul this season with food blogger Karine Ceyhan. Inspired by her mother’s delicious cooking and love of Fall’s fresh and hearty ingredients, Karine’s connection to her work will encourage you to build upon your personal connections, appreciate quality time with friends and family, and fall back into Fall’s savory foods one meal at a time.
I recently took home a large batch of prepared guacamole from a party, hoping to make good use of it at home during my next taco night. But I opened the package for a quick bite, and within hours, the entire container of gaucamole had turned a dirty brown. What gives?
Guacamole is made from avocados, which are difficult to preserve fresh (or process effectively) due to their tendency to change color.
Avocados contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which, when exposed to oxygen, changes the chemical structure of avocado flesh, increasing the presence of melanins (yes, the same pigments that provide color in human skin).
Another discoloration you might encounter when cutting open avocados are occasional brown or black lines within the fruit's flesh. Those are nothing to worry about; they're found in fruit from young avocado trees, but are perfectly safe for consumption.
Do you hesitate to eat avocados once they've begun to oxidize? What measures do you take to prevent them from discoloring?
Source: Flickr User QuinnDombrowski
Coffee: it's something I drink every day, and surely for the taste (although, admittedly, the caffeine's a factor, too). Or so I thought — until I attended a recent Starbucks tasting and discovered that I'm not really tasting my coffee.
Starbucks Coffee Master Zach Mercer led me through a sampling of the latest Starbucks Reserve coffee, a rare cup by the name of Jamaica Blue Mountain. It was then that I discovered how to truly taste coffee like a pro.
Want to do the same? Start with black, perfectly brewed coffee, at a temperature around 200ºF. Then follow these basic coffee-tasting steps.
Source: Flickr User punctuated
Summer isn't just peak time for international travel — 'tis also the season for the ever-popular state fair. Although county and state fairs first began as exhibitions of livestock, they've quickly morphed into a catch-all celebration with local performers, amusement rides, carnival games, crafts competitions, and, of course, signature fair food as well. You may be well-versed in ordering elephant ears and garlic fries, but how many tidbits do you know about state fair food? Take our quiz to find out whether you can master the facts — or if you'll wind up deep-fried.
Thinking about making a trip to Sonoma wine country? Lauren was in the neighborhood and raved about one local restaurant.
French Garden is a great location and has delicious food! Perfect afternoon!
Want to share a favorite dish from your local haunt? Be sure to upload it into the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community!
July is many things, among them, hot and patriotic. It's also National Ice Cream Month, and it has been since 1984, when then-President Ronald Reagan declared it so.
Although it'd be easy for me to declare my favorite flavor — that'd be salted caramel ice cream, in case any of you want to send a pint my way! — it's way more fun for me to detail some of the crazy third-wave ice cream flavors that I've tried in recent memory: salted licorice, blue cheese, and bourbon and cornflake. (Cicada's not on the list. Yet.) In honor of all things cold and creamy, I want to know: what's the most exotic ice cream flavor you've ever tried?
Source: Flickr User {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}
