sherry

When you need a meal in a hurry, turn to shellfish: most kinds (mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp) only need 10 minutes to cook. In this recipe, mussels are steamed in a fragrant sauce seasoned with shallots, tomatoes, saffron, and paprika. Serve with crusty bread for mopping the broth, a crisp green salad, and a glass of chilled white wine. It's a luxurious meal that won't break the bank — perfect for ringing in the weekend!

Get the recipe when you read more

Since the majority of you are looking forward to asparagus season, I thought it would be appropriate to feature a quick, effortless meal that incorporates the tender green spears. This recipe takes an Asian spin on the vegetable and combines it with seared beef sirloin.

Chili oil, sherry, and hoisin sauce come together in a fragrant, spicy sauce that coats both the asparagus and beef. Serve over steamed rice for a meal that is filling, yet healthy. Get the recipe when you read more

• Punch is making a classic comeback. — Los Angeles Times
• How caramel and salt became a delightful match. — New York Times
• Five healthy recipes to start the new year off right. — Washington Post
• One cookbook recovers New Orleans's favorite recipes. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Fall in love with Ina Garten. — Chicago Tribune
• It's easy and delicious to cook with sherry. — The Sacramento Bee

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Last weekend I was given a taste of S'Naranja Viño Generoso de Licor. Since it was served in a frozen shot glass and had a rich, tawny color, I figured it was whiskey. However, I was immediately shocked! It wasn't hard alcohol but a delicious, syrupy wine. The pourer was kind enough to offer me a full glass to better enjoy the smooth, medium-bodied wine.

Somewhere between a sweet Sherry and an uber-orangey liquor, S'Naranja is made with two types of Spanish grapes: Palomino Fino and Pedro Ximénez. Dried orange peels are added to the wine during it's 10-year barrel-aging process. The result is a luscious wine splashed with a hint of fresh oranges and creamy, caramel-raisin undertones.

With its bright bottle and easy pairability (I would serve it with everything from salty snacks to sweet bites), this wine makes a great hostess gift.

Back in February I printed out a cocktail recipe from the Seattle Times that featured sherry as an ingredient. Like many recipes I print out, it got buried and forgotten. Until now, recently I've been noticing sherry everywhere. Could it be that the fortified wine usually associated with Spanish old men is set to make a roaring comeback?

According to an article in this month's Saveur magazine, sherry no longer seems outdated. With the renaissance of classic cocktail ingredients (bitters, whiskey, rye, etc.), the popularity of 60s-era drinking on Mad Men, and the food world's current obsession with all things Spanish, it's not surprising that Sherry is popping up on bar menus across the nation. For more on how Sherry is suddenly becoming trendy, read more