In honor of National Aperitif Day (today, May 16), we'll be whetting our appetites with a light and refreshing predinner drink, and with these six enticing aperitif recipes, you can (and should) follow suit. From a bold and boisterous negroni to a delicate sparkling grapefruit and Lillet concoction, these easy-to-create cocktails are more than worth adding to your bartending repertoire.
Itching for a trip abroad, but lacking the requisite vacation time? Quell your wanderlust the next best way — by cooking your way through the cuisine of another culture via an international cookbook. With options ranging from collections of homey British recipes to a book based on modern Persian cuisine, chances are there's an option that'll be right up your alley; keep reading for our top picks.
Oktoberfest is in full force for the 179th year in a row, and while it may not be feasible to fly to Munich right now, you can still bring a bit of Germany to your dinner plate. As I discovered on my recent trip to Deutschland with the German Wine Institute, the country is full of rich culinary traditions, many of which have made their way to the rest of the world. Take a look at some of Germany's most iconic food and drink specialties.
Germany has a serious reputation for its beer and sausages, but it's also one of the world's largest wine producers, with a storied viticultural history that dates back to ancient Roman times. So when the German Wine Institute invited me on a country tour of food and wine, how could I say nein?
My first trip to Deutschland proved to be a mix of fun and educational: there was as much to learn about the German people (kind, and ridiculously punctual) as there was to glean about the food (a blend of old and new) and the wine industry (rapidly evolving). From Frankfurt to Munich to the Pfalz and Baden wine regions in between, take a look at some of the highlights.
Curious to find out if British drugstore sweet treats had much to boast beyond their novelty factor, we set out to sample nearly two dozen varieties. While some were doozies — one candy prompted the exclamation that "it tastes like I licked an old lady" — we found some delightful new favorites and a few improved versions of American analogues. Find out what we'll be buying in bulk.
We're daydreaming of a trip to the land of pasta and prosciutto, but we don't yet have a trip to the continent on the books. Until then, we'll play virtual tourist. So follow along, but fair warning: this roundup of quintessential Italian treats is sure to cause tortuous hunger pangs.
If legendary television chef and author Julia Child were still standing, she'd be turning 100 years old today. Should you find yourself craving one of the culinary matron's masterpieces, flip on some reruns of The French Chef or In Julia's Kitchen With Master Chefs, then make yourself an authentic French recipe from scratch, courtesy of JC. Here are a few of our favorite ideas.
Source: Getty, Nicole Perry
Francophile alert: if Julia Child, the grand dame of French cookery, were still alive, then she would be celebrating her centennial birthday in just one short week (on Aug. 15). Naturally, it only seems fitting to crack the spine on her seminal masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and get cooking, in honor of the auspicious date.
Not too surprisingly, flipping through the pages of pithy prose and detailed instructions provided ample inspiration — one could easily spend a year devoted to cooking from the hefty tome — but my penchant for anything and everything soup eventually led me to settle on her classic recipe for potage parmentier (otherwise known as potato leek soup).
Has all this talk of British food got you hankering to whip up a proper nibble? We've got you covered with our guide to the English pantry. Read along, but fair warning: side effects may include hunger pangs, nostalgia, and inspiration to get in the kitchen.
The original motherland, the United Kingdom has a lot to offer culinarily, despite its somewhat trod-upon reputation. Serving up many comfort (or, in British speak, "nursery") food favorites, we've broken down a whole host of dishes as a guide for the uninitiated, or those looking to reminisce.
Source: Flickr user betsyweber, Flickr user jules:stonesoup, Susannah Chen, Thinkstock
