Category: Uncategorized

Boy do I love my grill! Not only does it provide me with the consummate summertime cooking tool, it also offers me the perfect excuse to postpone completing other (less enjoyable) chores like cutting the grass and cleaning out the basement. Over the years I have touted the virtues of charcoal over gas grilling, but,…

My short stay in Monterey County was highlighted by several tastings at some of the area’s best wineries. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago (in my first installment), Monterey is a sea of wine with nine distinct American Viticultural Appellations or AVA’s. While the county is probably best known for pinot noir and…

Before I continue with the tasting notes from my recent trip to California, I want to spend this week telling you about a wine-related event worth attending. The fifth annual “Summer Sipping: Wine and Roses” celebration will take place on Thursday July 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Capitol Market. Proceeds will benefit…

When most of us think of California wine country our thoughts naturally track to Napa or Sonoma counties- two of the most famous wine appellations in the entire world. However, if you are unfamiliar with Monterey County, you need to take a trip down the Golden State’s coast (about a 100 miles south of San…

Last time, I regaled you with my version of wine and food pairings and today I’ll continue along that theme line with a little more emphasis on summertime wines. Once the weather moderates, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening or even golf. Not mine. Summertime gets me (and my trusty old Weber) fired up to…

Summer is almost here and if you’re like me, you will do almost anything to avoid yard work. One of my  best “get out of yard work” ploys is to offer my services as chef de cuisine  in the Brown household from time to time. I take this obligation seriously regardless of the menu  du…

We have experienced a very warm spring here in West By Golly and so I’ve taken extra precautions to keep this delicate body hydrated. As you may know, I consider water a last resort option, preferring instead to slake my thirst with liquids that not only soothe a weary body, but heal the spirit too.…

Remember the days of old when buying jug wine was a normal practice for most of us who wanted to enjoy a daily glass or two, but were constrained by a limited budget? In days of yore, I uncorked (or unscrewed) countless jugs of Carlo Rossi, Hearty Burgundy, Cribari and a host of other unpronounceable…

You may have noticed that the produce section in your local food market is chock full of great deals on artichokes this time of year. Most of these semi-obscure vegetables are grown and harvested in California or Florida, and I covet the little buggers about as much as I do our wild and wonderful ramps,…

I’ve been all over this wonderful state in the past few weeks engaging in what some would refer to as work. Of course, work requires energy which depends upon sustenance that is fueled by food and enhanced by liquids – especially those produced from fermented grapes. In other words, I made a point of eating…