Next Thursday, July 26th, Ogden’s Zucca Ristorante will host their monthly wine pairing dinner, from 6 PM to 9 PM. Attendees are invited to wine, dine and mingle at The Underground inside Zucca while indulging in an off-the-menu four course dinner prepared by head chef Luis Zamora. Each course will be paired with wine hand-picked by Zucca owner Brian Gobar. The tentative … [Read more...]
For the Birds: Sipping & Noshing at Tracy Aviary’s Eat-Drink SLC
The fourth annual Eat Drink SLC soiree took place this week, hosted as it always is by Tracy Aviary – a spectacular spot to enjoy food and drink from a bevy of local purveyors while supporting important non-profit organizations in our community. All of the proceeds from Eat Drink SLC benefit local non-profits that enhance our community and our lives, raising funds for … [Read more...]
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
The Instant Pot pressure cooker/slow cooker is quite the rage these days, and rightly so. It’s an invaluable tool for the kitchen. I use mine at least a couple times per week. And, although I prefer smoking a pork butt or shoulder outdoors to make pulled pork for sandwiches, I don’t always have 10-14 hours to do so. Here is a recipe for making pulled pork in the Instant Pot … [Read more...]
Italian Wine Evening @ Kimi’s
For your Sip o’ the Week - or rather, sips in this case - I suggest reserving a spot for a special evening tasting Italian wines at Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House. Next Friday, July 20th, Kimi Eklund and her talented staff will host a wine pairing dinner featuring the Italian wines of Roncus and Dolfo wineries. Roncus is located in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in the hills behind … [Read more...]
Summer Reading: 5 Fresh New Books for Cooks
With so many online food blogs, food and cooking websites, food TV shows and such, you may wonder: What do I need another cookbook? And, well .... I tend to ask the same question. For every excellent cookbook there are 50 mediocre ones published. And, if like me, your kitchen space is limited, you don’t have a lot of room for an extensive cookbook library. So I … [Read more...]
How to Make a Fab Fresh Pasta Dough
Through the years, I’ve tried dozens if different recipes for making fresh pasta dough. And after many, many trials and experiments, I’ve found this one to be the most dependable, resulting in homemade pasta that is worthy of the best restaurants Italy has to offer. The key to success with this recipe and technique is to let the pasta dough rest, allowing the gluten to … [Read more...]
A Perfect White Wine for your next Picnic: Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2016
I have been a fan of the fine wines from the firm of E. Guigal in Ampuis, France, for many years. These wines from the Côtes du Rhône are of very high quality, yet are typically priced quite reasonably. Founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal, his son Marcel has led the family estate since 1961 and his son Philippe - Etienne’s grandson - serves today as Director and … [Read more...]
Conscious Dining: A Visit to The Dispensary
Not Your Daddy’s Diner David Heiblim knows a thing or two about comfort food. He’s the founder of both Este Pizzeria - specializing in East Coast-style pizzas - and Este Deli, which offers East Coast-style sandwiches and other deli fare. So it might come as no surprise that the main attraction at his newest restaurant is one of the ultimate comfort foods: pot pie. It’s the … [Read more...]
Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil
This time of year, we have an abundance of fresh tomatoes and basil in our garden and so I was recently perusing recipes online to find a new way to use them. I came across this delicious halibut recipe that is perfect for a summertime meal. It originally appeared in the Once Upon a Chef cookbook by Jennifer Segal and was reprinted on The Splendid Table website. Try it; it’s … [Read more...]
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon
If you know of a wine with the complexity, nuance and concentration of Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, priced at $16.95 or under, I’d sure like to hear about it. This is one of my top bang-for-the-buck picks of the many wines I’ve had the pleasure of sampling so far this year. According to Bonterra winemaker Jeff Cichocki, when discussing the density of flavors in Bonterra … [Read more...]