A Serendipitous Wine Find

On Wednesday afternoon, I was driving down to Hamden, where I teach a graduate course at Quinnipiac University. I left my house a little too late, and subsequently got stuck in Hartford rush-hour traffic. With cars at a standstill, I took a quick look at my phone and saw an email from my friend Meghan. She had forwarded a link from WinesTilSoldOut.com.

“Have you had this one?” she asked.

The wine in question was 2001 Mumm Napa DVX, which you might remember me raving about after we returned from California wine country in December. We liked this wine so much, we a.) bought a glass at the winery for $15 and b.) very seriously considered joining their Club Vivant to enjoy regular shipments of it.

It’s not a wine you can find regularly at stores, and it’s priced at $60 retail on Mumm Napa’s website. So I’d filed it away as a potential “special occasion” wine, one I might order weeks in advance for a birthday or something.

But here’s where WTSO comes in. I’d never heard of it until Meghan forwarded the email, but it’s a clearinghouse of sorts. It’s an online store that sells wines from 30 to 70 percent off, until supply is exhausted. The site will feature as many as four wines per day at deep discounts.

So on Wednesday evening, the Mumm Napa DVX – retailing for $60 – was just $24.99 a bottle. Friends, I nearly drove off the road.

And the website offered free ground shipping with the purchase of four or more bottles. Meghan and I quickly arranged to split a four-bottle order, and she had the box shipped to my house because Massachusetts liquor laws are supremely lame.

Here’s the most incredible part – not only were these bottles less than half of their suggested price, the wines (with free shipping) were delivered to my doorstep less than 48 hours after the order was placed.

We’re saving these bottles for a special occasion, but we’re definitely keeping an eye on this website. I still can’t get over this phenomenal deal.

February 27th, 2011 | | 3 Comments »

A Taste of Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce

A few years ago, I had my first taste of chimichurri sauce at Caminito, a fantastic Argentinean steakhouse in Northampton. I was hooked. For someone like me, who loves anything spicy, tangy and zesty, this sauce was a clear winner.

(It might have tasted so good because it came as a dipping sauce for Caminito’s little bread nuggets, reminiscent of Pillsbury crescent rolls. Just saying.)

Anyway, before I even got into wood-grilled meats and lush Malbecs from Mendoza, I was crazy for chimi. And had I known how damn easy it is to make at home, I would have tried this a long time ago.

Here’s the recipe from Bon Appetit:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 4 fresh bay leaves, minced (optional)
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper

Whisk all ingredients and 1 1/2 tsp salt into medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

I had no fresh parsley left in the house. (I used it all for the fried chicken brine Sunday.) So I used dried, and threw in a few frozen cilantro leaves. I normally have mixed feelings on cilantro, but I think it was a decent substitution.

Chimichurri is a popular marinade/topping for steak, but I used it on grilled eggplant with a bit of crumbled feta. Gorgeous.

February 25th, 2011 | | 3 Comments »

This Is Why I Don’t Go To Denny’s

We have a running joke in our house. Every time we go out with friends for drinks, or come home from a party, Rob starts to crave Denny’s food. It’s usually somewhere between “feeling good” and “full-blown tipsy” (a margin of maybe two beers) when the siren song of Moon Over My Hammy and barbecue bacon burgers calls to him.

It’s a high-school nostalgia thing, he says. And nostalgia it will stay, because I won’t accompany him there.

Especially after the video below started to make the Internet rounds. The clip shows an all-out brawl between two men and three women at the Denny’s in Chicopee, Mass. (Rob’s hometown, for the ultimate ironic kicker.) According to a report from the Springfield Republican, the fight went down shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday.

Sorry, babe. I can make you a mean omelet at home…

February 22nd, 2011 | | 1 Comment »

Ad Hoc Fried Chicken

In Yountville, Calif., world-renowned chef Thomas Keller all but owns the town’s Washington Street, home to his restaurants Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, French Laundry and Ad Hoc.

And though each of his eateries has a story, only Ad Hoc has “the” buttermilk fried chicken – which is only served every other Monday at the family-style restaurant. But if you’re a proud owner of Keller’s gorgeous Ad Hoc At Home cookbook, you can whip up your own batch.

Provided you have the time, that is. The chicken must first be brined in a mixture of water, kosher salt, peppercorns, lemon slices, garlic, fresh herbs and some other spices. Recommended brine time is 12 hours. (We got away with not quite 8 hours.) But I’m here to tell you that the arduous process is 150 percent worth it.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 21st, 2011 | | 5 Comments »

Fun With Carbs + Pizza Blog = Match Made In Heaven

It only seemed natural that a writer with an all-encompassing love of carbohydrates would end up contributing to a pizza site someday.

And so, the planets have aligned. I’m now contributing to Slice, a blog that highlights the nation’s best pizza made by restaurants and home cooks. Slice began as a tribute to New York pizza, but now covers the entire United States with the help of cheese-and-crust-loving correspondents.

Here’s my first post: a look at the “bistecca e gorgonzola” pie at Harry’s Bishops Corner in West Hartford. It was the perfect winter pizza, and oh, what a winter we’ve had. Harry’s is a central Connecticut favorite for its delectable thin crust, a ridiculously inexpensive wine list (with many bottles between $10 and $15) and the complimentary lemon Italian ice that ends each meal.

I’ll now be covering central Connecticut pizzerias on a monthly basis. So if you have suggestions for me – or might like to tag along on a pizza mission – let me know.

February 16th, 2011 | | 1 Comment »
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