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 reading an article in the NY times about a parent who was always on the go, would rush home after a busy day and try to throw something together for dinner (sound familiar?) She decided to have her sons help with cooking dinners; their reward was on the days they cooked they would not be on clean up detail after dinner. My thought was what a great way to introduce children to foods, cooking and help them learn a little bit about eating healthy. Who knows, you just might have a culinary artist in the household and it truly is a lot of fun for everyone. If you would like to read the article here’s the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/dining/a-mother-lets-her-sons-do-the-cooking.html?pagewanted=all

And, if you want to be more adventurous with cooking with your kids, why not sign up for the FoodWorks Mini Iron Chef Competition that the Children’s Museum in Dover is having in March. Your child will be the Chef and you are the Sous Chef! It sounds like a lot of fun. Here’s a link for more information: FoodWorks Mini Iron Chef Competition – NHMagazine.com. Let me know if you sign up for the competition. I’d love to come down and watch.

As always, enjoy the day.

Deb

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 b) heavy red wines c) both d) neither

3. Oak is:  a) a flavor of winemaking b) a flavor of a grape c) both d) neither

4. Cabernet Sauvignon is:  a) found in Bordeaux b) a red wine grape c) both d) neither

5. German Wines are:  a) always sweet b) never red c) both d) neither

6. Chablis is:  a) a great white wine of France b) cheap and not worth drinking c) both d) neither

7. Champagne is:  a) a French wine b) any sparkling wine c) both d) neither

8. Sweet wines are:  a) usually cheap b) not good with food c) both d) neither

9. Champagne is made from:  a) red wine grapes b) white wine grapes c) both d) neither

10. Red wine is:  a) always aged b) always decanted c) both d) neither

11. Brandy is made from:  a) wine grapes b) grain c) both d) neither

12. Cognac is:  a) brandy from a specific region b) made from around the world c) both d) neither

13. Port is:  a) a fortified wine b) one of the longest aging wines c) both d) neither

14. Pinot Noir is:  a) a heavy red wine b) never found in the US c) both d) neither

Answers:

1. c) both - Wine is made in every State in the US as of this writing. There has long been a great debate over wines not made from grapes (peach and cherry as well as honey, are all common). Without entering the debate, wine obviously is made from grapes as well.

2. c) both – While Bordeaux is best known for its great Red Wines, the communes around Sauternes make some of the finest sweet dessert wines in the world from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

3. a) a flavor of winemaking – Wine is often aged in Oak barrels, which imparts a taste to the wine. This taste is highly prized by many wine lovers, although it can sometimes overwhelm the flavors of the grape. Oak is decidedly a flavor of winemaking.

4. c) both – Cabernet Sauvignon is a red grape that is at home in Bordeaux, as well as throughout the New World. It is one of the best known and popular grape varieties.

5. d) neither – German Wines can certainly be sweet, and the best of the best are; however many German wines are as dry as any in the World. These crisp dry wines are great with most foods, and can be found by looking for “Kabinett” on the label.

6. a) a great white wine of france – Chablis is considered part of Burgundy in France, even though it is north west of the rest of the region. Here Chardonnay is grown to produce one of the finest white wines in the World. Crisp, almost to a fault, these wines often represent great values, because of the damage done to the name in the US by referring to cheap jug wines as “Chablis”. While this is almost a trick question, it is important enough that I will only count “A great white wine of France” as the correct answer.

7. a) a French wine – The term Champagne refers to a sparkling wine made in the region of Champagne, France. No other sparkling wine can or at least should be able to, use this name.

8. d) neither - Sweet wines, at least the best of them, are among the highest art of a winemaker’s repertoire. These wines can be late-harvested, affected with a mold (noble rot) that draws the water out of the grapes, or they could have had the water drawn out by freezing. However they became sweet and intense, the grapes are now special and precious. The very best dessert wines use only the most intense grapes, picking them out by hand. As you may suspect this ensures that these will be among the most expensive wines in the world. When sweet, but not as sweet as dessert wines, Rieslings and Gewurztraminers, can be delightful with spicy foods and flavors like those found in Chinese and other Pacific Rim cuisines.

9. c) both – Champagne is often, but not always, made from both red (Pinot Noir) and white (Chardonnay) wine grapes. The designation Blanc de Blanc on the label means the wine was only made from white grapes. The red grapes have to be pressed very carefully not to get any color in the wine. Rose Champagne either has color from the red grapes it is made with, or sometimes they add red wine to the finished sparkling wine, to give it color.

10. d) neither – Red wine is only aged when it is of a style that is intended to age. Red wine is only decanted when it has aged and has sediment in the bottle, or if you are trying to force out an off odor

11. a) wine grapes - Brandy is a distillate of grapes. Make wine, distill it, and you have Brandy. To make good brandy you should then age it in wood so it takes on a dark color and a mellow flavor. Cheap brandies have caramel coloring, and are filtered through charcoal to soften them.

12. a) a brandy from a specific region – Cognac is a Brandy from the region of Cognac, in France. Because France has strict laws regarding all of its wine products, you can be assured that even the cheapest Cognac will be a high quality Brandy. While learning about Cognac, many people are fooled into equating price with quality. A simple hint: If it comes in a crystal bottle, the price you pay is for the bottle, not the Cognac

13. c) both - Port is a product of Portugal. In the US it is called Oporto or Porto to signify its authenticity. If it just says Port, it may be made in the US or Australia. A fortified wine, Port is one of the longest aging wines. It is not uncommon to find the 1963 vintage still available in a better restaurant or shop. Unlike dry wines with that much age on them, Port can be very well priced, rarely exceeding $175 a bottle for the very best.

14. d) neither - Pinot Noir is a red wine grape that yields a lighter, more crisp styled red wine than most other grapes. Traditionally grown in Burgundy, it is increasingly at home in the US and other New World regions. It is difficult to grow and to make, but when it is good, it is very, very good.

Your Score:

1-3 Let someone else order the wine.

4-7 Not bad, you have a good basic understanding of wine.

8-11 Very good! You know enough to be comfortable ordering or selecting a bottle of wine

12-15 You are much too savvy for this test. Check back with me when I do an “Experts Wine Quiz”!

I scored a 12 , guess I am more savvy than I tought. Have fun with this blog, forward to your friends and find out who’s buying the wine next time you’re out and about.

Have a terrific Fat Tuesday!

Deb

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 up yet)

With that said if there is ever anything you would like to know about please ask. If I do not have an answer I will get one.

Today let’s talk about how to create a tender piece of beef by braising.

Braising is a process of slow cooking tougher cuts of meat in liquid in order to add flavor and to moisten and tenderize the meat. This technique is also known as pot-roasting. In a beef cut such as a chuck roast, there is a pattern of connective tissues and thick marbling that makes the meat tough. So we need to melt these tissues without drying the beef out. That’s why oven roasting is not the best cooking method. It does not allow the internal temperature of the meat to get high enough to break down the fat and connective tissues. If you leave the roast in the oven long enough to break down the tough tissues, then the outer portions of the meat will become overcooked, dry, and tough.

That’s where braising/pot-roasting works best. It is a much more effective means for breaking down the tough fibers. The internal temperature of the meat reaches a level that is high enough to melt the connective tissues and fat. Also the moisture in the pan prevents the outer portions of the meat from drying out.

The chuck cuts are usually used for braising/pot roasting because of their flavor and because of the amount of marbling in the meat that melts during the cooking process. Two nice chuck cuts that make excellent pot roasts are the chuck eye roast and the top blade chuck roast.

Here are the steps to braise beef:

Select a roast. Pot roast, chuck roast or any lean, inexpensive cut may be used.

Brown the roast on all sides in a small amount of oil in a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat on the stove top until well browned.

Add seasonings and aromatics such as garlic or onion.

Add a small amount of liquid, an inch or so deep. Water, broth, beer or wine are all good choices as braising liquids.

Cover and simmer over low heat or in a 250 degrees F. oven until the entire mass of meat is tender to pressure from the tine of a fork.

Check the roast occasionally with an instant meat thermometer to test the internal temperature, it should be about 200 degrees F. and replenish the liquid if necessary. Timing for cooking will vary depending upon the size of the roast.

Thanks for blogging and enjoy your day off.

Deb

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 Oil, some say as much as 50% of the olive that is sold as “extra virgin” is really only a mix of olive oil that has been diluted with low-grade vegetable oils and artificial coloring.

How can you tell if you’re getting the real deal? Mueller says, “You can’t really tell before you open the bottle, which is why knowing or trusting the individual producer is so important.”

Here are some other tips that will help you to make sure that the oil you are buying is truly 100%, extra virgin. One good sign is a seal of approval. For European oils it would be PDO (Protected Designation of Origin – “DOP” in Italian) and for California oils there’s the COOC (California Olive Oil Council) seal.

Packaging is also an indicator that the oil is probably 100%. Light, together with heat and oxygen, is one of olive oil’s enemies since light will cause the olive oil to degrade. So most high quality extra-virgin olive oil will come in a dark glass or metal container that will filter out light. If it’s in a clear plastic or glass then most probably the quality is low. When storing your oil, keep it away from a stove or any other heat source, including windows where light and heat from sunlight could affect it. Be sure to store it in a cool, dark place.

Also, when purchasing your olive oil if there is a label that tells about the specific producer and place of origin instead of just a generic reference to more than one country, that’s a good thing. Keep in mind, just because it might say “bottled in Italy” doesn’t mean it is Italian Olive Oil. A harvest date is also a good indicator that the oil is probably of a good quality.

You want your olive oil to be fresh since it’s an agricultural product, it’s not like wine that gets better with age. Olive oil will degrade with age, so the younger, the fresher, the better. If you can buy your oil from a place where you can taste it before you buy that’s wonderful. It should remind you of a fresh, olive flavor.  As Tom Mueller says, “The good stuff is peppery and alive and, sipped neat, can make you cough.”

Once again I’ll say, in my opinion, if you buy local, you’re probably going to be okay. Places like Stonewall Kitchen is going to have great olive oils, so is Terra Cotta Pasta. Philbricks used to have the big vats of it, I’m not sure if they still do.

So, the next time you invest in extra virgin, make sure that you’re getting the real thing and that you get your money’s worth!

Have a super Friday and a great weekend,

Deb.

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 with some fat in it and to keep the beef cold. The reason that you want to keep the meat as cold as possible is because when you are making the patties, if the meat is warm, the fat will then stick to your hands instead of being on the burger (where you want it). Also, handle the burgers as little as possible (again, to help keep the fat in the burger and not on your hands).

Second, make all the patties the same size so they all cook evenly.

Third, and this is the most important tip of all, DO NOT salt the burger before putting it on the grill.  Make a salt and pepper mixture and place it on the patties right before you place them on the grill.  Why you ask? Because salt will dissolve muscle proteins, which will take your burgers from moist and tender to sausage-like and springy, so the moment that you add salt, it will begin dissolving proteins and drawing out moisture.

Ok I am almost done, when the burger is on the grill flip it as much as you want. This will actually help it to cook faster. And, don’t take the spatula and squish the juice out of it!  Remember we want to seal the juices in not let them out.

Now for the final stage of creating our perfect burger, pick a nice bun and garnish it with whatever you like.  There’s no right or wrong on how to finish a burger. I personally love a grilled potato bun, sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, bacon of course and bbq sauce (no mayo for me). Oh and let’s not forget the sautéed vidalia onions with my kosher dill pickle on the side.

Well now I have officially made myself crave a burger.  I know the Rusty Hammer received an award for best burger I think last year.  I am partial to the burger at The Green Monkey (it really is awesome and we use grass feed beef).  I would love to know your thoughts on where the best burger is in town.

Enjoy the day.

Deb

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 pm. Radici’s is another popular, local, spot for brunch that is open both Saturday and Sunday from 10 am – 2 pm and is well known for their “make your own bloody bar”.  And if you’d like to dine with a river view, the River House on Bow street is open for Sunday brunch from 10 am – 2 pm.

I’m looking forward to Sundays so I can check out some more spots and would like to hear where you go!

Enjoy your Wednesday,

Deb

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 of young love. Valentine’s acts were discovered and labeled as treason, and executed. In memory of his Valentine’s deeds, Pope Gelasius declared him a saint on the day of his execution, February 14th, which became known as Valentine’s Day. Now when we think about Valentine’s Day to show our love we think red roses, chocolate and oysters, and for me a little bubbly.  WHY? because they are all pleasurable to the body and senses.

Chocolate has two compounds tryptophan and phenyl ethylamine that scientists have found to increased romantic desire and there is a direct connection between cocoa and the brain’s pleasure centers.

Oysters it appears have actually been proven to have a palpable effect on the libido. The root of this finding is the fact that they contain a large amount of zinc. Zinc helps the human body control progesterone levels.

Alcohol is known to loosen inhibitions and bring out the best (or worst) in everyone. I even found this great website of recipes for Valentine’s Day, here’s the link for anyone who’s interested: Aphrodisiac Cocktail Recipes for Your Valentine

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/cocktails/valentinesdaycocktails

Red roses was said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty it also symbolizes passion, and the aroma of rose water stimulates our sensations and relaxes the mind. Rose oil is said to have aphrodisiac effects and it was used by none other than Cleopatra to seduce her lover Anthony (just thought you would like to know that little fact)

So my final thoughts before I finish blogging for today: Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, enjoy the day and don’t be afraid to enjoy the pleasures of some great aphrodisiacs with your loved one.

Deb

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 on the tea.  They all are made from the same plant Camellia Senesis.

Black tea is made from the young tea leaves and the buds. The leaves and buds are completely fermented or oxidized after they have been dried.

Green tea just means that green tea does not go through a fermenting process. Instead the leaves are steamed after they are dried.

Oolong tea only is partially fermented. This gives the tea a smoother taste that is not as strong as black tea and curbs the grassy flavor of green tea.

White tea leaves are picked only twice a year at a very young stage just before the buds are beginning to open. The leaves are then partially fermented in a similar manner to the Oolong tea.

What determines the amount of caffeine in a particular tea?

The different parts of the tea plant contain different quantities of caffeine. Leaf buds (tips) and younger leaves are higher in caffeine than older, mature leaves. The tea plants caffeine acts a natural insecticide, protecting the plant from being eaten by insects. Since the tips and tender young leaves are most vulnerable to insects, these parts of the plant are highest in caffeine; the older leaves are tougher and thus lower.

In most cases, tea has much less caffeine than coffee; a typical cup of coffee contains 80-135 mg of caffeine, and a cup of tea contains about 75 mg of caffeine.

So which ever you choose, whether coffee or tea to start your day, have a wonderful Monday.

Deb

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 quickly during prohibition times, and before the martini glass, glasses were simply called cocktail glasses.

Now, the real reason: drinks served “straight up” like martini’s taste best in long stemmed, wide-mouthed glasses is so the liquid can remain cool and bring out the bouquet of the spirit, which originally during prohibition time was gin.

I hope this little tid bit of information makes you smile :-)

And since it’s Friday, I suggest that you stop by your favorite martini bar and try one out for yourself!

Have fun, happy Friday,

Deb

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 of that some fantastic shows and music. What’s not to love?!  I am interested to hear what everyone does during the week or your weekends to enjoy the town.  Some of my favorite things to do after having a wonderful dining experience are to enjoy some of the shows at the Music Hall, Seacoast Repertory Theater and the local awesome talent downstairs at the Dolphin Striker.  I need your feedback because I do not want to miss out on anything and would love to hear what everyone else likes to do.

Happy Thursday and enjoy your day.

Deb

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 the food, allowing the person who’s eating to have more control of the tastes”.  This makes a lot of sense to me. Just yesterday it was all over the news that bread and rolls are the #1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting  for more than twice as much sodium as snacks like potato chips and pretzels. The salt IN bread is hidden more than the salt that is ON something like a pretzel.

Co-owner Vano-Tydeman says, “our salt intake from processed food and using too much processed salt in our cooking needs to be changed. Using salts with healthy minerals is better for our bodies and, because the flavors are more intense, we use less.” They carry Himalayan salt, the purest of all the crystal salts. “It’s nearly clear and has 84 trace minerals — the exact elements in our body.”  Also from what I understand they have a wide selection of finishing salts for cooking, over 50 of them, as well as soaking salts and scrubs for your body.  I see Cava is using some of their products. Has anyone checked out the store and if so I would love to hear how you’re using the salts.  I am looking forward to checking them out and seeing how I can use their products for myself and the restaurant.  Will keep you posted on my findings.

    Pink Himalayan – Medium Grade Salt

Their address is:

7 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth

www.portsmouthsaltcellar.com

Enjoy your day,

Deb

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 one, I do not like to pair wine with artichokes (I just do not care for wine when I am eating artichokes).  What is that all about?  Well in my quest to find out I finally have an answer. Some foods contain chemical compounds that clash with wine. Plain and simple, that’s it.

Artichokes contain the compound cynarin, for most people, cynarin creates sweetness where there isn’t any. One example, a Sancerre: a tart, fresh wine but when paired with artichokes it will taste unpleasantly sweet and for some people peculiarly bitter.

Asparagus contains methyl mercaptan, a sulfur compound, which tends to give wine a vegetal character. Now for me I love asparagus, so I will eat it pretty much with any wine.

Fish—cod, haddock and mackerel—are high in iodine, which is why red wines don’t do well with them. The iodine content reacts with the tannins in red wine and makes both the fish and the wine taste metallic and, generally, awful.  I like to stick with a white wine when I have fish.

Lastly, egg yolks – I would have never guessed that eggs coat the palate and makes everything bland; my pairing on this one is a very Spicy Bloody Mary .  (Yes we should all step away from the wine now and then).

The wine lover’s page has a great article on Food and Wine Matching check it out at http://www.wineloverspage.com/foodwine/

What is you’re best wine pairing with food?

Happy Tuesday, enjoy the day. 

Deb

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.

Here are a few facts on it:

    Turmeric in power form

Beyond its use in cooking, Turmeric is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s disease (because I definately don’t want to forget anyone’s name) and cancer.  It is widely believed to have strong anti-inflammatory properties that may help in treatment of arthritis symptoms as well as being able to help with liver function and its ability to lower cholesterol. *

Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, and while it is best known as one of the ingredients used to make curry, it also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color. The plant is related to ginger and looks a lot like it.

    Turmeric in raw, root form

Turmeric is an excellent source of both iron and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber and potassium

So, to make my life easy, I’m going to sprinkle turmeric on my food on a daily basis and I’ll let you know in six months what my doctor says (unless I forget)!

Enjoy the day, talk with you tomorrow!

Deb

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric

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 dip, multi-layer bean/cheese nacho dips, pizza, finger sandwiches, meatballs, potato skins and of course, what Superbowl party would be complete without chicken wings! The National Chicken Council estimates that more than 1.25 BILLION wing portions totaling more than 100 MILLION pounds of wings will be consumed throughout this weekend. How many chickens is that?!  All I know it is a total win for the chicken farmers.

Most of the foods that we eat during parties like this are what are referred to as “finger foods”.  So here’s the game play for all of us watching. We sit around a semi-circle facing the television. talk a lot of story telling, a lot of laughing, a lot of discussion of and recreating of events, and a lot of reaching in to a central, common pile of food that is shared. Here’s something that I found to be interesting: sport psychologists say this a primal ritual left over from the days when we used to sit around a camp fire after a hunt and share food and stories how the hunt had gone. Recreating the moment when the Tom Brady of the cave-man world thrust his spear into the side of the mastodon. Sort of a tribal bonding thing.

So anyway, I’d love to hear: where will you be watching the Superbowl and what’s some of your “must have’s” to eat or drink for the game.

Have a great weekend everyone and “party like a cave-man” (but add some beer!)

 Deb

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 to Queensland Brain Institute director Professor Perry Bartlett in Australia, drinking alcohol does not kill brain cells and alcohol has no effect on the lifecycle of brain cells. Drinking alcohol excessively and too much consumption of it is what makes you act stupid. Most of us might have been there once or twice in our life time.

There is no evidence that shows alcohol kills brain cells. In moderation, alcohol has been known to have positive effects on the body. It acts as an antioxidant, and helps our blood vessels. Researchers have shown that having some red wine every day can help prevent dementia in old age.  I am definitely going to keep drinking my red wine.

So this commonly accepted notion that alcohol destroys large sections of the brain turns out to be an old wives’ tale.

Happy Wednesday everyone, enjoy your day.

Deb

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 company, they have their own labels on products, they put some fun funky items in house, have gourmet items, have products that are priced well below other grocery stores and have a good local organic section.  They are able to offset cost because of the volume they buy, which in return gets extended to you in your price point.

Ok so here’s my pitch, right or wrong I am just throwing it out there.  Do we really need another store like Trader Joe’s?  How is it going to impact the community?  Will everyone start to shop at Trader Joe’s and if they do, what happens to our community grocery stores that cannot compete with the cost no matter what they do.  What do you think?

Deb

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 major differences between the two. Grapes and Region, Fermentation and Ageing

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1.  The Grapes and the Regions

Prosecco is the name of the grape and the wine, this grape grows in Veneto region of North East Italy.

Champagne is the name of both the region the wine comes from and the wine, so only sparkling wine that comes from champagne can be called Champagne. The main grapes involved are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

2. The Fermentation

Prosecco is typically fermented in the ”modern method” which means two fermentations, both in large temperature stainless steel vats.

Champagne, is fermented in the “traditional method “, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle with an injection of yeast. That is why you frequently see champagne cork side down and at an angle in wooden racks.

3.  The Ageing

Prosecco is meant to be consumed young and fresh. It takes four to six weeks to produce a bubbly bottle of prosecco.

Champagne on the other hand normally takes an average of one year to produce. But for very good vintage champagne it can take up to three plus years.

So with these differences Prosecco is for usually every day drinking. Prosecco alcohol is around 11%, which is lighter than many white wines and less expensive.  Champagne is mostly reserved for special occasions, because good champagne can be expensive and cheap champagne gives you a terrible hangover!! (That’s just my opinion )

I think like everything when drinking bubbles it’s a personal preference, how you’re feeling, the occasion and the price point.  What ever it is, you can’t beat a nice glass of bubbly.

Enjoy your Monday,

Deb

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 our happiness levels. So-called “happy foods” they affect us physiologically because they contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals that produce the release of serotonin; the neurotransmitter scientists believe is largely responsible for fostering feelings of happiness. On the other hand, comfort foods have a psychological benefit, for example maybe something from your childhood that makes you feel good.  My favorite comfort food is pasta.  It brings back fun memories of living in an Italian household, fun, food, conversation and the laughing around the dinner table with my brothers and sister.

So why not eat these foods all the time? Because most of the time comfort foods are packed with calories and fat, which, in the long run, won’t make us happier.

Two known facts: Carbohydrates increase serotonin and endorphin levels, cranking up good mood vibes and energy levels simultaneously and omega-3s are responsible for managing brain signals that regulate mood. In fact, studies have revealed that people in cultures who consume more omega-3, from rich fatty fish suffer from depression less frequently than populations that eat fewer servings of fish. Omega-3 can’t be produced by the body, so it’s critical to incorporate fish, eggs or cod liver oil into your diet.

I think the motto of the day should be: “Eat, have fun, be happy”

Enjoy your weekend.

Deb

Deb

Zagat’s “The 10 New Rules of Dining Etiquette”*