A highlight of any food festival is getting to taste a bunch of fabulous bites. The
Food Network's NYC Wine and Food Festival was no different, the tent featured over 50 restaurants and attracted more than 4,000 people in two days. I was a champion taster and ate everything I came across. Here, I've rounded up my top tastes.
Natural and organic supermarket Whole Foods really wants to be there for you during tough times. In fact, the retailer wants to give you a deal so badly that it's posted a printable online coupon for $5 off.
The discount is part of a new Whole Foods value guide called the Whole Deal. According to Whole Foods, the program is about "giving you the whole story, so you'll know just how to get the most bang for your buck without sacrificing the benefits of natural and organic foods." The packet, available in stores, contains more coupons, budget recipes, and recession-proof cooking tips.
Will you be downloading the coupon and running to the nearest Whole Foods to get your hands on the Whole Deal, or do you think this is just another marketing ploy?
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I'm a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola's Sofia Sparkling wine, so when I heard the famed director had released a new label, Encyclopedia ($15.00), I was eager to check it out. With its beaker-shaped bottle, Encyclopedia appeals to the younger wine drinker. According to Coppola the wine is "about learning and exploring. It's for people who want to know more about wine and how it is connected to geography, to history, to myth."
There are six varieties: Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo, Malbec, Riesling, Torrontés, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each is made with grapes from the variety's native region. For example, the Pinot Grigio is made with grapes from delle Venezia, Italy and the Tempranillo comes from Yecla, Spain. The wines represent and respect the tradition and culture of each wine-making region.
I tried the Riesling and the Cab and found both delightful, well-balanced, and highly drinkable. I hope to try the rest soon. If you are new to wine, or enjoy sipping new wines, I highly recommend seeking out Encyclopedia. When the wine is gone, the bottle makes a pretty vase!
When planning a picnic always select an easy-to-eat, portable dessert. Cakes and pies are a show-stopping finish to a meal, but save those for the dinner party.
Pumpkin seed brittle is an appropriately sweet treat for a picnic at a pumpkin patch. The brittle can be made well in advance and it doesn't matter if it breaks while in transit.
This recipe is also fun to make at a pumpkin carving party: It uses up the pumpkin seeds and guests can take some home as a favor.
To check out the technique behind pumpkin seed brittle, read more
Bottega Veneta
French Connection
Sessun