Beyond Merlot: Wine Reviews for Newbies

I really like red Zinfandels. You’ll probably notice this as we go along together. I like that each wine has a different balance of fruitiness and spiciness. I like the different fruits each wine reminds me of: raspberries, cherries, or cassis. I like the richness and softness of the wines-like velvet. I like the subtle heat of black pepper and hints of acid.

Sebastiani Vineyards’ Sonoma County Zinfandel is a classic-fruity and creamy with just enough heat. This wine should run you about $10-$15. It tastes like juicy, warm berries. I order this wine often at restaurants because it pairs so well, with everything from steaks and tapas to barbecue and pizza. Plus I love saying “Sebastiani.” Try this one the next time you want an easy drinking, easy pairing wine.

Trying to find enough hours in the day to clean-up after a family of five is a job in itself. Any little tricks that streamline that effort, then, can be the difference between basic tidiness and full blown slovenliness. One of the organizational tips I have heard over the years is to keep cleaning equipment near the corresponding area. For example, keeping bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathroom. This makes it easy to just grab a sponge and scrub away while brushing teeth or supervising a toddler in the tub. Following that train of thought, dish soap should be kept within easy reach next to the sink.

And oh, I’m so very embarrassed. I really really really wish I didn’t have to show you this, but I do. I have to show this to you because I want to share a neat trick with you. It just isn’t the same unless you get the full picture. Those of you with large families will hopefully understand that no amount of preparing or cleaning-as-you-go prevents the kitchen sink from looking like this exactly 10 minutes after any meal. Really, it’s not that we’re slovenly. Really.

The reason I show this to you is because you may look at the picture and say, “Poor girl. She doesn’t even have any dish soap on hand to take care of that huge mess.” You would be wrong. In fact, I keep my dish soap on the counter next to the sink at all times-can you see it? I’d like to say it helps get the dishes cleaned a little faster, but I can’t honestly say that. Although if I had to actually bend down and retrieve my dish soap from a cabinet, well, let’s just say I would have to start buying paper plates. What it does do, however, is make my dish soap blend in with my um, decor and besides looking pretty it is also convenient. I give you the dish soap drizzle:

Don’t mind the dirty back splash. Admire the cleverly hidden-in-plain-sight dish soap. I think I saw someone do this on TV once and I was just amazed. Not only is it cute but functional. The oil spout only allows a drizzle of soap at a time, preventing me from wasting dish soap like mad, and it looks rather pretty sitting in a kitchen window. One important tip! Do not mix up your soap and oil bottles. You would be amazed how hard it is to tell the difference between citrus yellow dish soap and extra-virgin olive oil.

Wondering what to make for dinner? Have an idea but no recipe, or ingredients but no ideas? Try the Food Blog Search. Some of the Internet’s top food bloggers came together  to create a search-able database of hand selected food blogs from all over the Internet. It’s like sitting around sharing recipes with friends from all over the world. Better than a recipe site or a cookbook, you know these recipes work. Food bloggers will talk you through a recipe’s nuances and describe the outcome-whether the kids liked it, or if it traveled well. It’s like making a recipe with a friend: talking about where to find the ingredients or what it looks like when you get to a certain stage. Food bloggers from all over the world share glimpses not only into the food and recipes from their culture but stories and pictures of what their lives are like.

The Food Blog Search consists of over 2,500 (and growing!) food blogs, but who wants to wade through countless posts trying to find one with a good recipe and photo? The creators of the Food Blog Search have done all the hard work for you. Each blog included in the food blog search must meet certain criteria. Paraphrasing from the site: they must be written in English and be primarily about food and recipes. However they must also have photos or illustrations, stories, and notes accompanying the recipes. The best part for home cooks is that the recipes must primarily include whole-food ingredients and “from scratch” methods. Finally, to be included each blog must be current and active and have an “About” page introducing the author.

The Food Blog Search is my new favorite dinner-planning tool. When I know what I want to make, but not how, I can search by recipe. Mexican rice, cilantro rice, or rice side all yield helpful, plentiful results. On the other hand, if I have no idea what to make I can search by ingredient and be inspired by chuck roasts, chicken thighs, or Gruyere or even low-fat or diet recipes. You’ll notice the search box further down on my right hand column and I encourage you to search for your favorite cuisine. You may be surprised at how many beautiful, witty, and delicious blogs you will find. Dinner at your house will never be the same.

The weather the other morning could almost have been described as pleasant. Which was a wonderful change from melt-your-face-off hot and sticky. It seemed like maybe, just maybe, fall was in the air and the urge to cook something started to creep in. I had several skin-on bone-in chicken breasts in the freezer I wanted to use up, so I decided using the oven wouldn’t kill me.

I don’t normally buy this cut so I didn’t have a recipe in mind for them. Not a problem, I did a quick food blog search for “chicken breasts” and this one caught my eye. Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn is such a beautiful site and I knew the combination of goat cheese and garlic would be a winner at our house. It turned out to be a great choice. They were flavorful and easy to put together. The chicken breasts were juicy and moist and the creamy, tangy goat cheese made this healthy dish seem rich and indulgent. Mine didn’t look nearly as pretty as theirs but we all enjoyed them-even the kids.

I subbed green onions and garlic for the green garlic in the recipe and cilantro for the parsley because that’s what I had on hand. It was a great meal with rice-a-roni and steamed broccoli. I made the rice while the chicken was baking and steamed the broccoli five minutes before it was time to eat. It was nice to sit around the dinner table on a hectic school night and relax and enjoy each other’s company.

This week we’re on vacation, but I’ll be checking in periodically to see your comments and maybe post a few pictures. Have a great week!