I first met Leslie Sbrocco, an award-winning author and Emmy-winning TV host as well as an extremely sought-after wine education and speaker and co-founder of Thirsty Girl, at the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland, OR. I had been up for the Best Overall Wine Blog award, and, as rewarding as that nomination was, getting [More]
Caramel-Garam Masala Popcorn and Sparkling Wine
To know me is to know that I love popcorn and sparkling wine. It’s all over my social media profiles, and whenever I have to write a bio I make sure to include this pertinent detail. I can’t tell you how lucky I am to live in Seattle and be pals with Cynthia Nims. Why? [More]
Pairing Loire Valley Sparkling Rosé With A Kitchen Circus
As a huge fan of the Loire Valley, a Northern French wine region containing everything from Muscadet on the Atlantic to Sancerre further inland and a ton in between, I am always on the lookout for unique food and wine pairings, especially involving sparkling rosé. And though there’s a great diversity of wines, grapes, and [More]
Rosé: The Wine For BBQ, Grilling, and Living
What’s the best wine for BBQ? Sheesh, that’s a topic akin to opening a can of worms. (Sorry if I have you thinking about grilling worms.) For some, BBQ means one thing only: slow and low cooking. For others, if you’ve got burgers and dogs on the grill, that’s BBQ. Not only do you have [More]
Fol Epi in Victoria, BC: Does a More Perfect Sandwich Exist?
In a past life I was a baker, so while recently in Victoria, BC, I was excited to check out Fol Epi. I got a hot tip from my friend Jay Friedman that the smoked albacore tuna sandwich was not to be missed. You can check out his take on Serious Eats. And also peruse [More]
Lemon Cucumber Salad and Verdejo Will Defeat the Summer Heat
Hey, it’s over 80 degrees in Seattle. Which means two things for me: rotating in a lemon cucumber salad to my ovenless/stoveless summer cooking repertoire and complaining about the heat. See, when the thermometer breaks 79, many folks in Seattle (me included) treat this event like we’ve got triple digit heat. I can’t believe I [More]
Pet-Nat: Sparkling Wines Natural for Your Thirsty Days
How is it that an entire category of sparkling wines, Pet-Nat, existed unbeknownst to me? It’s not like I’ve been living under a rock when it comes to bubbles. Fortunately, my ace friend Sarah Chappell, a writer and wine monger living in Brooklyn, was able to come to the rescue and introduce me to the [More]
Six Hours of Eating in Richmond, BC: Dim Sum, The Crispiest Pork, and a Bakery Run
A visit to Richmond, BC, for a dim sum eating expedition began, as all culinary adventures should, bright and early in the morning. See, there’s a 9:43am time stamp to prove it. (Context: It also took place after a night in Vancouver that involved five izakaya visits plus a ramen finale. There was less than [More]
