Dining Out and About Dining
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- 17/05/12:
Food Trivia Quiz
Happy Thursday! Let’s have some fun today and play a little food trivia game: Q1: What’s the best way to help oil-based salad dressings adhere to the greens? A. Use only expensive lettuce. B. Salt salad before tossing. C. Make sure greens are completely dry before applying dressing. D. Add a drop of Super-glue [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 16/05/12:
Fava = A Favorite!
Most lovers of legumes will place the Fava bean high upon their list of favorites. This pale green bean that grows inside big floppy pods have been a beloved early spring food for many around the world for centuries. Favas, also known as broad beans, Windsor beans, English beans, horse beans and pigeon beans, [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 15/05/12:
Attention Sushi Lovers
Not everyone likes raw seafood but if you do, a sushi restaurant is not the only place to satisfy an urge for sushi. A lot of restaurants will have a ceviche dish on their menu which should make you sushi lovers smile. What is it? Cerviche is a seafood dish is typically made from fresh raw fish, (although [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 14/05/12:
Spring: A Perfect Time for New Changes
Good morning everyone. Today I want to let you know about a few things. As you know my blog is usually about dining around the Seacoast area and topics that will inform you about food and drink. So today I want to let you know how excited I am about The Green Monkey Restaurant. (I am always [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 11/05/12:
Spring Rocket
Good morning and happy Friday. Well, it feels like spring is in the air, so let’s talk about SPRING ROCKET or Arugula. Yes that leafy green herb of the mustard family. Arugula makes an awesome salad by itself or mixed with other greens. It can be eaten raw, or cooked. The Romans ate the [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 09/05/12:
Carpaccio – Yum :-)
Good morning Wednesday. Well it is that time again for menu changes at The Green Monkey. Our Spring menu will be starting on May 14th, and I think you are going to love it. Executive Chef Brent has put one of my favorite dishes on the menu. Yeah! Tuna Carpaccio. If you love tuna [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 08/05/12:
The power of a SMILE
Good morning and Happy Tuesday. Sometimes when you wake up in the morning and you have this smile on your face and things are just funny, it really makes your day awesome. The power of a SMILE So Ocean and I were talking about W.C. Fields or William Claude Dunkenfield (no wonder he changed his name). [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 07/05/12:
I’ll Have Another
Good morning Monday! Well a lot of things happened over the weekend. Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby and a Super Moon. So in the tradition of the Kentucky Derby winner - “I’ll Have Another” – I am going to give you a Mint Julep recipe. 10 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish 1 1/2 teaspoons [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 04/05/12:
Friday dinner :-)
Good morning Friday. Today let’s talk about the “alligator pear” (because of the tough outer skin) or better known as the Avocado. I know it is early but for some reason I am already thinking about dinner. Humm… fish, chicken, beef, not sure… then I think maybe I will eat something fun and maybe [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 03/05/12:
Did you know?
Good Morning Thursday. Today my blog is just a fun read. Ever wonder where does that saying come from? Well read on and you’ll find out. I’m going to share with you some interesting tidbits about wine that I thought you might find interesting (I did!). The Irish believed that fairies are extremely fond [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 02/05/12:
Shuck, Chew, Swallow
Oysters. Small marine bivalves that, according to legend, pack a big punch, but do oysters really make you… (You know what, like what green M&M’s supposedly do)? Apparently there is some truth to the myth. Raw oysters actually do have a connection to improved sexual function since they have more zinc than most any [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 01/05/12:
Bitter Trend?
Good morning. Our topic today is “trends in the industry”, not that I’m enthusiastic about trying them all (ie: my blog: Have you tried bone luging?”) but PBS recently gave their opinion of 2012 Cocktail Trend and lo and behold… the often forgotten Bitters was nominated! “Not Just in an Old-Fashioned” is what they said [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 30/04/12:
Cinco de Mayo
Good morning everyone. Hope you had a great weekend. Today let’s talk about margaritas. I know it’s early but Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, the celebration of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This year it will have been 150 years. That’s cause for [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 27/04/12:
Weekend in New England
Happy Friday Everyone! What does everyone have planned for the weekend? There’s always spring cleaning and yard sales right? I took a look around to see if I could find some fun and interesting things going on around town and here’s what I came up with. Did you know that you can take a [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 26/04/12:
Mad Cow ?
Good morning, well one more reason to say thanks for all the regulations and testings. All over the news is about the mad cow disease found in California. I am going to link a couple articles which you might have already read, but if not here they are: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/mad-cow-disease-finding-shows-that-food-inspection-system-is-working/2012/04/25/gIQAApjvgT_story.html http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_20479363/mad-cow-incident-has-very-low- Inspectors were doing their job [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 25/04/12:
Bone Luging. Have you tried it yet?
Good Morning Everyone and Happy Wednesday. Every once in awhile I like to talk about food trends and one recent food trend comes to mind is… the consumption of bone marrow (sorry to all my vegetarian friends). It seems that I’m seeing more and more bone marrow offered on menus and as specials. As you [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 24/04/12:
How much?
Hello Tuesday. Ok, let’s say that you are out to dinner with friends and at the end of the evening the server brings you the guest check. Usually, one key person at the table looks at it and then might say “what should I leave for a tip”? My response, no matter what, is 20%. Am [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 23/04/12:
New England Food Writer’s Night
Good Morning. It’s Monday and raining. Yuck. Well I hope you all had a great weekend. Last night Ocean and I had the pleasure of attending the dinner that Slow Food Seacoast hosted at STREET Restaurant in Portsmouth. The food was fabulous and the 5 local authors that read from their books were wonderful. We had a great time. [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 20/04/12:
Summertime and the grillin’s easy…
Yay, it’s Friday! As great weather is becoming more frequent, I know a lot of you are thinking about dusting off and firing up the ol’ grill. Isn’t it wonderful to inhale the lovely scent of barb-b-que on a nice spring evening surrounded by family or good friends. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 19/04/12:
Eat Living Water
Good morning, yes it is Thursday already. Yesterday I was at tennis and talking with two of my teammates that ran the Boston Marathon at the beginning of the week. The weather was awesome but what they had not expected was that it would be such a warm day – almost 90 degrees. The gist of the conversation was about [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 18/04/12:
Egg awareness
Good morning Wednesday. This morning I am going to have an awareness blog. I read this article titled “Is an egg for breakfast worth this?” by Nicholas Kristof who works for the New York Times. It is about how one of the chicken farms (Krieder) is producing mass amounts of eggs for consumers but [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 17/04/12:
Let’s curl up with some….
Good morning, Happy Tuesday. Well it is official, it’s fiddlehead season. Yeah and Yummy!!! If any of you are saying “what?” I am going to give you the info on these wonderful vegetables that are only harvested in early spring for about 3 weeks. Every year I patiently wait for fiddlehead season. Fiddleheads are young, [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 16/04/12:
A little Grass every day :-)
Good Morning and Happy Monday everyone. Today I’m going to share with you my experience with wheat grass. I thought that having a shot of it every morning could not hurt. What is wheat grass exactly? Well, it is exactly what it sounds like, wheat grass. It is the first leaf that grows from the [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 13/04/12:
Seize the Day
Happy Friday the 13th Everyone. Seems like it has been a long week, and an even longer evening last night. When I woke this morning all I wanted was a really awesome cup of coffee. Guess what? I had it, thanks to Gussie and Jane and their team at Carpe Diem coffee. If you [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 12/04/12:
And the winner is?
Happy Thursday. Today let’s talk about sibling rivalry. I know, you’re saying, “how does that relate to any of Deb’s food or dining topics?” Well, it’s that time of year where we at The Green Monkey change out our drinks from Winter to Spring & Summer beverages. What ingredients should we choose? There are so many of wonderful ones [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 11/04/12:
Seaweed? Seriously?
Good morning Wednesday. Today I am going to talk about seaweed. Maybe because of walking the beach I see how much washes up with the tide. What do we do with it? Well if you ask my son Rick he will tell you about how we are trying to use it to generate electricity [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 10/04/12:
Maraschino Cherries the Untold Story
Hello and happy Tuesday everyone! I hope that you recovered from a jelly bean hangover. :) I apologize for no post yesterday. I was having computer difficulties. I was at the 100 Club the other night and Mike the bartender gave me a couple of “real” Maraschino cherries and boy were they amazingly good! That [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 06/04/12:
What do Chicken, Arsenic, Benadryl, Tylenol, Prozac, Caffeine and Banned Antibiotics have in common?
Read on! Happy Happy Friday! Today’s topic was going to be about scotches (blends vs. single malts) but I got side tracked by the article in the New York Times. I know I have touched base on this multiple times. It amazes me what we as consumers, are often unaware of what goes into the [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 05/04/12:
Quinoa “the supergrain”
Morning, it is blog time. Hope everyone had a great Wednesday. Last night I made dinner and I like to try new things so we had a corn–quinoa pasta blend. I do not know if it was my cooking or the pasta, but dinner was really good. The pasta was a brand by Ancient [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 04/04/12:
Which came first? The Hare or the Egg?
Good morning Wednesday. Well it is mid week and the Easter holiday is almost upon us. So this morning let’s talk about the history of the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs. Starting with the eggs… why do we give them? Well, here’s the answer to my question. Eggs were a forbidden food during Lent which made them [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 03/04/12:
Have you experienced Umami lately?
Good morning, it is Tuesday and what a fabulous day it is. With the spring like feel in the air and our senses coming alive I’ve decided to tell you about a 5th taste called Umami. I know you are saying, “Deb there are only 4 tastes”: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, and Salty. Well in [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 02/04/12:
Did you know that Vodka…
Good morning Monday. Happy April . Today let’s talk about Vodkas. Did you know that you can use vodka for many wonderful things other than, well, the obvious? I was talking with a friend about performers that do multiple shows in a week and their outfits sometimes do not get washed because of limited time between [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 30/03/12:
New England Food Writer’s Night
Good morning, Happy Friday! I am always on the look out to find things that are happening around town that might be interesting to attend. Rachel Forrest wrote a nice little article recently on an upcoming Slow Food Seacoast event. Click here to see the entire article: Slow Food Seacoast but here is a summary of what she wrote: The [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 29/03/12:
What you may not know about Cinnamon
Morning, Happy Thursday. Today’s topic is Cinnamon. I love using cinnamon in my cooking, mostly in the sweet delights of desserts but it is very good in pretty much everything and not only does it taste great but did you know that cinnamon has some really incredible health benefits? I’m sure we all are familiar with cinnamon, the yummy light [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 28/03/12:
Bison’s Amazing Omega-3′s Story
Happy Wednesday, we are half way through the week! This morning I want to talk about grass-fed beef and bison. At the start of Restaurant Week I was talking with a guest about how good the Salmon entrée was and how we use grass-fed beef at The Green Monkey, little did I know she [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 27/03/12:
If you love wine and cheese…
You’ll love this event! Here’s your chance to taste hundreds of wines from around the world, sample from an artisanal and international cheese carving station, snack on passed hors d’ouevres, all while enjoying live jazz music throughout the night and all for a good cause. Sounds like a fun night, right? This wine expo is to benefit the [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 26/03/12:
Psst… Ever wonder?
Good morning Monday! Today I’m going to share with you a secret. Who doesn’t like a secret, right? Have you ever wondered how we make some of our fabulous martini’s at The Green Monkey? Well read on my blog friends and soon you will know! Last week David Flood from NH Seacoast TV did [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 23/03/12:
What are the Best After Dinner Drinks?
Happy Friday! Well yesterday was a great start to restaurant week. I heard some great feedback this morning. Menus are great and guests are looking forward to trying as many restaurants as they can. So after you have your wonderful meal how do you finish the evening? How about an after dinner drink? You [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 22/03/12:
The Secret to Sauces:
Happy Thursday everyone. Well today is the start of Restaurant Week Portsmouth and the Seacoast. It runs from March 22 through March 31, 2012, which translates for me 10 days of culinary delight. There are 49 restaurants participating and I can not eat at every one of them, so how do I pick where [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 21/03/12:
Big, Fleshy, Jammy, Earthy or Full Bodied? Which do you prefer?
I had decided to order a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon last night at Anneke Jans and there were several to choose from. The bartender and I in casual conversation were talking terms like FLESHY, JAMMY or FRUITY and Ocean asked “what are you talking about”? So this morning I thought it might be fun [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 20/03/12:
Screw or not to Screw?
Good morning. Happy first day of Spring. Today I would like to talk about screw caps on wine bottles. I really do not think they are so bad. I like the ease of opening the bottle and I do not have to worry about the wine being corked. Plus the wines I drink never [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 19/03/12:
Is it Picnic time yet?
Good Morning Monday! Wow what beautiful weather we are having. With that said I think a picnic should be on the list of things to do today. Throw on your shorts and tee shirt, put your flip flops on, pack your picnic basket and go play outside. There is nothing more relaxing than a [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 16/03/12:
St. Patricks Day Fun
Happy Friday! Hope everyone enjoys thier St Patrick’s Day weekend. Put your green on, raise your pint and enjoy some great Irish food. First here are a couple facts about St. Paddy’s Day: St. Patrick’s Day was originally a Roman Catholic holiday celebrating Ireland’s patron saint and observed only in Ireland; it was not [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 15/03/12:
Why I Hail Kale!
Looking for a vegetable that is absolutely amazing for your health? Try Kale. According to ABC News (Feb.3, 2012) Kale is one of the 9 Heart Healthiest Foods. What is kale? Well, it’s an extremely nutrient rich vegetable, which, according to WebMD, if eaten on a regular basis, could provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 14/03/12:
Say Cheese!
Does anyone love cheese like I do? I think it’s safe to say that most of us do. What is it exactly? Cheese is highly nutritious and mostly made from the milk of cows but also mammal’s milk can be used too, such as sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camels and yaks etc. (you get [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 13/03/12:
How to Taste Wine
Ever see someone who has just had a the first tiny bit of wine poured into a glass and watch them as they study it, smell it, taste it, contemplate the taste and think, “I wonder what in the world they are thinking?” Well, keep reading… you’re about to find out! Learning how to taste [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 12/03/12:
Coffee? Yes, but make mine organic and here’s why.
Good morning Monday! After a great weekend it can sometimes be hard to get yourself up and motivated for the work week. My saving grace for motivation is COFFEE (with a little cream), so that’s our topic for our blog this morning, and not just any coffee, Organic coffee. If you are going to [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 09/03/12:
Tuna Tartare anyone?
Happy Friday! Well it is the last day of the work week and we are still in the observance of Lent so that means eating fish on Fridays (for those of you who participate). One of my favorite dishes is Tuna Tartare. This morning I am going to tell you a little about this [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 08/03/12:
Bok Choy? Oh Boy!
Good morning, today my blog is about Bok Choy. What the heck is it? And what the heck do you do with it? Well, one thing I know is it’s great to cook with and it’s super-packed with vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. In fact, one cup of cooked Bok Choy provides more than [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 07/03/12:
What is the best way to drink a Port wine?
Good morning. How many of you love Port wine? I am a huge fan mostly in the evenings after a long day. It is a great sipping wine and it goes great with cheeses and berries and everyone’s favorite chocolate. If you have never had Port wine it’s definitely [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 06/03/12:
10,000 know types of mushrooms?
Wow, the things you can find out on the internet. Who knew there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms and they are classified into four categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic and entophytic. I thought I would list every definition for each one, but it really is a lot of info to absorb (no I [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 05/03/12:
Restaurant Week is coming in March
March 22-31, 2012 Good morning everyone and happy Monday. Today I am going to talk about Restaurant Week, which is such a great culinary event, and why you should mark your calendars and make reservations early. Twice a year Restaurant Week brings thousands of diners to Portsmouth and the Seacoast. Participating restaurants (49 of them) [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 02/03/12:
It’s Friday and…
Conversations often turn to “what are you doing this weekend?” Other than shoveling, skiing, snow shoeing or any other winter outdoor activity that you’ve not been able to do yet this winter, what else do you have planned? Nothing you say? Well, here’s a few ideas to get you started: Wine (one of my [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 01/03/12:
Serving Fish Can Be a Fishy Business
Fish and sustainability. Two words that often make fisherman, restaurant owners and chefs sigh. Throw in “mislabeled” and you’ll probably hear a groan. Why? Well for one reason, everyone’s definition of sustainability is different. Government agencies often don’t often agree about what fish are okay to catch and what is sustainable. Combine that confusion with mislabeled [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 29/02/12:
Secret to fighting the winter blues
Got the winter blues? Here are some tips to help fight them off and “leap” into happiness! http://thegreenmonkey.net/eat-well-be-happy/
Read the rest of this entry. - 29/02/12:
Eat Well, Be Happy
Happy Leap Day Everyone! We are supposed to have a snow storm and not so nice weather so I decided to talk a little bit about food that will help with our moods when we do not get enough sun. Up to 15% of the population is affected by some degree of what most [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 28/02/12:
The Best Temperature to Drink Wine
Ever wonder why a wine tastes different when you drink it? I have said “this does not taste like the last time I had it”. Well most likely it is because I had it at a different temperature. When wines are served too warm they tend to taste unbalanced with an alcohol edge, and when [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 27/02/12:
Mystery Monkey Monday
It’s Monday and let’s have some fun. Today we’re going to play since we all feel like Monkeying around. Scan the code and see where it takes you and don’t forget to share it with your friends. Have a great Monday and I hope to see you [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 24/02/12:
Acts of Kindness
Good Morning Everyone and Happy Friday. So, today I’d like to share with you an article I saw in the Foster’s Daily Democrat that I thought was interesting. It might give you an idea how to help some kids in need with little effort and could make a big difference to a child (and [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 23/02/12:
Chardonnay you say?
Ahh… Chardonnay! So many varieties that there is most certainly something for every palate. Whether you prefer dry and crisp or oaky and buttery, most people enjoy a cool glass of this wonderful wine. The Chardonnay grape is thought to have originated in the Burgundy wine region in France, but newer studies are shifting [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 22/02/12:
Never too young to…
Cook! Good morning everyone, hope you had a great Fat Tuesday. Today is the start of Lent, so for those of you who are thinking of what to give up, here’s my suggestion: Let the kids cook! If you need to give up something, how about your time in the kitchen?! Recently I was [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 21/02/12:
A Quiz to See Who Should Order the Wine
Let’s see who should order the wine! Here’s a fun, little quiz that I got from www.wineeducation.com. Challenge your friends and keep score. Winner gets to order and the loser gets to pay! 1. Wine is made: a) in 50 U.S. states b) from grapes c) both d) neither 2. Bordeaux makes: a) sweet dessert wines [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 20/02/12:
Want Tender Beef? Try Braising.
Happy President’s Day Everyone. Yesterday I was talking with friends about my blog and I brought up the questions: do you like it? Is there anything you want to know about? The question came up how to braise meats (we were also talking about The Green Monkey’s blueberry/ginger short ribs recipe, which I am not ready to give [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 17/02/12:
Olive Oil’s Dirty Little Secret
If you’re like me, you love extra virgin olive oil. But what you may not know is that the olive oil industry is saturated with a dirty secret and that it is “ripe” with fraudulent oil. According to Tom Mueller who, in his recent book Extra Virginity – The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 16/02/12:
How to Create the Perfect Burger
Good morning everyone. Happy Thursday. Wow what great weather we are having for February. With that said I am feeling like I need to get the grill out and put some burgers on it. :-) Today let’s talk about how to make a really good burger. First make sure you are using a good quality beef [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 15/02/12:
It’s Sunday. You want Brunch. Where do you go?
Ever have one of those Sunday mornings when you wake up and decide that it’s the perfect day to go and have brunch somewhere? Now the question you ask yourself is “where to go?”. I know Rudi’s has a great Sunday brunch complete with live entertainment featuring “Lex and Joe” from noon – 3 [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 14/02/12:
Valentine’s Day & Aphrodisiacs
Happy Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air and today is the day to show it. First I need to give credit to Bishop Valentine. He stood against an Emperor’s decree that Roman soldiers could not marry. He married them in secrecy because he thought the Emperor’s edict was wrong and went against the glory [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 13/02/12:
Teas?
Good morning! Has everyone had their caffeine fix? This morning I would like to talk about teas. Did you know there are four main types of tea? I would have thought more. Black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white tea, though there are lots of varieties like herbal, flavored and scented. So here’s the FYI [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 10/02/12:
Why are martini glasses shaped like that?
Today for all of us who love martinis, here’s why the glass is shaped like it is. Now before I give you the real reason I am going to give you a couple fun facts I found on ehow.com. The wide mouth design of the martini glass made it easy to finish a drink [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 09/02/12:
What do you like to do?
Good morning Everyone. I have to say what a great town Portsmouth is . I love the diversity of it. I am always looking for things to do and never am at a loss to go out and have fun. We have so many awesome restaurants to entice our palate and to throw on top [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 08/02/12:
Portsmouth Salt Cellar
Happy Wednesday: Last night I read a nice article by Rachel Forrest on the new business in Portsmouth, Portsmouth Salt Cellar. It is very intriguing to me and I will be going to check it out. The new owners say They focus on the finishing aspect of salt. “Salt should not be IN, but should be ON [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 07/02/12:
What wine should I have with my meal?
Morning everyone, today lets talk about pairing of wine with foods. So many times I am asked this question. So here is my take on it. Be creative, step out of the box a little bit and see what your palate likes, there is no right answer, but there are some facts. My big [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 06/02/12:
Have You Had Your Turmeric Today?
Wow it is February already and I just realized I did not make a New Year’s resolution. So after a lot of thought and not wanting to stress myself I have decided to add Turmeric to my diet. Why? Because it is an easy resolution and it’s good for my health and possible yours. [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 03/02/12:
Superbowl 10,000 b.c.
Superbowl + Pats playing in it = one of the best parties of the year! Which leaves each of us to make important decisions. Where to watch it and what to eat?! Let’s start with what to eat. I think you will agree that some of the most common Superbowl party favorites are: chips and [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 01/02/12:
Are we destroying brain cells?
Myth: Alcohol destroys brain cells and makes you stupid This little tid bit of information makes me giggle inside. Anyone have parents or guardians that when you were testing to waters of your growing years would say “drinking will make you stupid”? I am going to give them partial credit for this post. According [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 31/01/12:
Big vs. Small: What’s your opinion
Good morning, today I’m looking for feedback. Yesterday all over FB and the papers was an article announcing “Trader Joe’s” is coming to town (Newington, NH). So I googled them and find out that they are a very reputable company (probably very close to one of the big boys). They are a German owned [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 30/01/12:
Prosecco or Champagne
Good morning everyone. I am going to try and be a little informative today. For most of you who know me, you know I enjoy a nice glass of bubbly. Now sometimes I have a hard time choosing what I want to drink, Prosecco or Champagne and maybe you do too. There are three [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 27/01/12:
It’s Cold. It’s Damp. I could really go for some…
Comfort Food! What’s yours? Wow it is Friday already. Today to end our week I would like to talk about comfort foods. Food: We need it in order to survive and thrive. In fact, a good meal impacts our overall moods as well as our bodies. So many foods have been shown to improve [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 26/01/12:
Sulfites or Tannins
Morning everyone. Last night I went to a fabulous wine dinner at Rudi’s show casing Bordeaux wines from Serge Dore Ltd. and Martignetti Companies of NH. Kudos to Keith, Chef Matt and the staff, we couldn’t have had a nicer evening. So quick story, at my table a guest had only white wines and said [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 25/01/12:
10 Rules of Dining Etiquette
I stumbled upon this the other day and thought it was interesting. Zagat’s “The 10 New Rules of Dining Etiquette”* by Tim Zagat Chivalry is dead. Maybe that’s not so great. At least the old rules of etiquette were clear-cut and made life easy. For example, in yesteryear when dining, men did the inviting, held [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 24/01/12:
Gluten – What is it and Why or Why Not?
Gluten Free: What is it? A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often as “dextrin”. A gluten-free diet [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 23/01/12:
What did you do?
Well it is Monday again. What a great weekend. What did you do? Did anyone go to any new restaurants or old favorites that we should know about? For the first time Ocean and I went to Surf Restaurant, I know, what took us so long. We had a great meal there, for our [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 20/01/12:
Mark The Dates
Morning everyone. Thought it might be fun to give you ideas of things to do in our local area. January 25th at 6:30pm (Wednesday) Rudi’s Celebrity Wine Dinner featuring Serge Dore, owner of Serge Dore Selections and Amelle Aubert, 7th generation wine maker from Bordeaux. The menu looks great, check it out at rudisportsmouth.com or [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 19/01/12:
One thing you need to know to have juicy, flavorful dinner:
Searing! Searing, or “locking in the moisture or searing in the juices” is a technique where the surface of the food is cooked at a high temperature so that a caramelized crust forms. By searing a piece of protein, meat, poultry or fish, prior to baking it, the carmelization process creates a desirable flavor, the [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 18/01/12:
Corked Wine: How can you tell?
Ok, today I’d like to talk about wine being corked. The term “corked” comes from a wine that has become contaminated by a substance called Trichloroanisole (TCA)- usually via the cork. It can effect the flavour of the wine making it taste musty or dull and not as fresh as you’d expect. You should be [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 17/01/12:
10 Reasons to Buy Local
This is something that has been on my mind for awhile now. With the economy the way is, I think one of the best ways to help stimulate our community’s economy is to buy and support local whenever we can. I realize that this may not always be possible but as www.sustainableconnections.org says “Think Local [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 16/01/12:
Wine Tasting – What’s your opinion?
Happy Monday everyone. Thanks to everyone who has posted on my new blog so far. My question for you today is: I’ve had quite a few people ask me about wine tastings and I’m curious what your opinion is of them. Do you like them? Do you have a favorite place you go to wine [...]
Read the rest of this entry. - 10/01/12:
First Post
We boldly go into the world of Blogging!
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