Drink

Wine finds, pairings and entertaining with wine.

cocktail of freshly squeeze ruby red grapefruits, ultimat vodka, sea salt and lots of ice

Salty Dog My Way

This Salty Dog, comprised of ruby red grapefruit and vodka, is one of my absolute favorite cocktails. It’s pretty low-cal as far as drinks go and makes such a refreshing treat on a hot afternoon.

Recently, my newly planted lemon verbena plants were “flourishing” almost too much. There were stalks shooting out in every direction, and the whole thing looked a bit unruly. So, I decided give my plants a little trim (no blow-out needed). I simply snipped the stalks at exactly the same height throughout each plant, leaving me with a bundle of lemon verbena leaves that smelled so delicious,

Sangrita for Tequila

This sangrita recipe is a tasty way to chase down a shot. Local chef Alex Castillo shared this recipe with me a few years back. It’s so good I’m almost tempted to skip the tequila … well, no, that wouldn’t be right.

The Perfect Summer Cocktail: White Port and Tonic

But sometimes I do like to change it up and when the weather turns really hot, like now, I head to the bar for an iced white port and tonic. I love serving it to friends when I entertain outside in the summertime because it’s so fresh, bubbly, light and delicious.

Last Minute Planning; Menu for the Fourth of July

t all seems slightly overwhelming, but not an impossible task to manage in tribute to Lady Liberty. With a little effort today and tomorrow, a well-stocked panty, an abundance of party wine, and a flourishing garden, I know I can pull it together. Here’s to a great celebration of a holiday that allows us the freedom and independence to eat, drink and garden.

Burger Wine

We drank a red burgundy with our burger. The 2007 Domaine Ponsot, Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée des Cigales was a great buy at under $50. The wine showed nice fruit and was well balanced for this level – I know, those are geeky wine terms. How about that it was delicious? It was a perfect pairing of […]

Margarita (Rocks/Salt)

Oh, the Margarita. I do love a good one. Some Margaritas get too sweet for my taste so I go lighter on the sugar in the simple syrup so the drink doesn’t get too bogged down with sweetness.

Peppermint Lemongrass Tea

In the morning, peppermint tea is great when I want something hot to drink post caffeine buzz (I have a strict two espresso limit in the morning, anything more makes me jittery and a little wacky). Recently, I have been cutting pieces of lemongrass from the garden and stick it in with the mint. This combo is zippy and minty, a great alternative to more caffeine. After the morning jolt of caffeine that gets me going, this tea brings a nice little zen vibe.

Cocktail: Omar Sharif

We kicked off our cooking class with Peggy Markel by drinking this delicious cocktail named after the famed Doctor Zhivago actor Omar Sharif. The cinnamon adds an exotic touch. All the girls agreed that it tasted great, was really refreshing, and we were in such agreement that we decided we needed another round. You don’t […]