16 March 2011 St Patrick’s Day – No Brainer to This Canadian

St Patrick’s Day – No Brainer to This Canadian

March 16, 2011 By

Irish Breakfast

When I came to the United States in the late 80s, I’d never heard of St Patrick’s Day.  Yes, I come from a small Quebec town that’s 90% Catholic, but the holiday just wasn’t celebrated. Fast-forward 10 years later, and at a legal drinking age, and I was all about St Patty’s.

When I worked in downtown Ft Lauderdale, a group of co-workers and I would go to Maguire’s Hill 16, a local favorite Irish bar and restaurant, for Irish Breakfast early before work.  The place would already be mobbed with revelers and the atmosphere really got us in a celebratory mood.  We’d get a wrist band on the way out, that allowed us to come back after work without paying a cover – great plan, no?  The place set out huge party tents in its parking lot where it hosted various Irish bands.  What fun!

Although I’m a food and wine fan, I’m a beer-lover at heart, and love everything about this festive holiday: green beer (one for fun), Guinness, soda bread, Sheppard’s pie, Irish breakfast or stew and the fact that it’s just a fun day where people let loose – everybody’s Irish on St Patty’s.

What are your St Patty’s Day celebration plans or what Irish dish or drink do you enjoy on the greenest day of the year?

 

Filed Under: Other Neat Things Tagged With: , , , , ,

Taste Challenge – Twitter Wine Tasting

March 1, 2011 By

I’ve attended a few wine tastings hosted by the friendly folks at WineTwits and I’m excited to see and hear that they are putting together some tasting events available to the public.

The events, named Taste Challenges, compare wines of the same varietals or made in a similar way, against one another in blind tastings. The purpose of this type of event is to allow wine fans to taste the wines, share their thoughts on them via Twitter, see what other tasters have to say and pick their favorites. The Taste Challenge series begins with a tasting of two Italian DOC Pinot Grigio wines on 3/24 at 8:00 PM EST.

WineTwits is promoting a neat giveaway associated with the event – a chance to win a trip for two to Venice, Italy (see details at www.WineTwits.com).

Folks interested in participating in the upcoming Taste Challenge can take advantage of free shipping on all orders of the Taste Challenge Tasting Kits ($30 per kit). The kit includes the two wines being tasted, which have a retail value of $40.

To register for the event, and for details on the Venice trip giveaway, visit www.WineTwits.com.

The fine print: I’m not affiliated with WineTwits nor am I benefitting financially from these events. Online / Twitter wine tasting is fun and WineTwits is king of the space.

 

Filed Under: Other Neat Things Tagged With: , , ,
27 February 2011 When Life Hands you Meyer Lemons, Make…

When Life Hands you Meyer Lemons, Make…

February 27, 2011 By

Meyer Lemons

I often find myself staring at some beautiful, fresh, short-seasoned ingredient at the food store that I simply must turn into a special dish.  This happened to me yesterday, when I did my weekly grocery shopping and saw fabulous, yolk-hued Meyer lemons that seem to say “buy me”.

I’m now searching my recipe repertoire for some simple dishes that would highlight the citrus’ unique qualities.  Will it be a tart, a Greek-style lemon soup (avgolemono), a piccata of some kind or an outstanding lemonade?  Time will tell, but until I decide, I’m enjoying looking at a bowlful of sunshine in the middle of winter.

What have you made with Meyer lemons that I should be trying?

Filed Under: Fruits, Other Neat Things Tagged With:
22 February 2011 ARE YOU READY TO WINE DOWN?

ARE YOU READY TO WINE DOWN?

February 22, 2011 By

Wouldn’t you love to wow your friends with wine knowledge or have more confidence ordering off a wine menu? Then don’t miss the 4th Annual New York Wine Expo (www.NewYorkWineExpo.com) featuring wine tastings from around the world and educational seminars that can turn even the most inexperienced wine lover into a seasoned connoisseur.

The New York Wine Expo is on February 25th and 26th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The Grand Tasting offers attendees a chance to sample more than 600 wines from over 150 winemakers from around the globe. Attendees can casually sip and stroll through old world Italian, French, German Austrian, Spanish and Portuguese wines then let their taste buds lead them through the new world wines of South America, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United States.

“Wine makers love to come to New York because the attendees are eager to try new varietals and blends as well as share their personal passion for wine,” said Ed Hurley, New York Wine Expo Show Director. “It is an exciting time for the wine industry, with every region of world now offering unique and flavorful wines at affordable prices, and the Wine Expo is the place to be to see them all in one place.”

Attend the Expo not just for the sampling, but for the learning experience as well. To date, seminar presenters will include Gloria Maroti Frazee, who oversees Wine Spectator School and Leslie Sbrocco, award winning author, and Founder of “Thirsty Girl” a multi-media company focused on wine, food and travel.

New York Wine Expo: Hours & Ticketing:

  • Friday, February 25, 2010, 6:00 – 10:00 PM;  One-day ticket – $80 prior to 2/18/11/$90 after that date
  • Saturday, February 26, 2010, 2:00 – 6:00 PM; One-day ticket – $90 prior to 2/18/11/$100 after that date.

Seminars:

  • • Friday, February 25
    • • 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Taste Wine Like A Pro: Learn the Secrets Behind How to Taste Wine Through a Blind Tasting
  • • Saturday, February 26
    • • 12:30 – 1:30 pm: “Wine 101”– A Fun-Filled, Crash Course on Wine Basics with Leslie Sbrocco
    • • 3:00 – 4:00 pm: Wine Spectator Presents The ABCs of Argentina

For tickets, an updated seminar schedule and event information, visit www.NewYorkWineExpo.com or call 800-544-1660.

Note: Sunday, February 27 is dedicated to trade representatives. Liquor licensees from throughout the region are invited to attend on Sunday along with attendees of the co-located International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York. The Wine Expo is not open to the general public on Sunday.

About the 4th Annual New York Wine Expo

The New York Wine Expo is produced by ResourcePlus Shows & Events.  The company specializes in management services for consumer/trade shows, meetings, and special events. In addition to the New York Wine Expo, ResourcePlus’s portfolio of events includes the Boston Wine Expo, The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Build Boston and Residential Design and Construction. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, ResourcePlus is a business unit of Seaport Companies.

Filed Under: Other Neat Things

5 Recipes to Treat Your Valentine To

February 14, 2011 By

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Thought I’d share some of the recipes I’ve made recently that have earned me rave reviews.

5 recipes to treat your Valentine to:

  1. Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce
  2. Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
  3. Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)
  4. Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves
  5. Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Desserts, Entrees, Fish, Greek, Italian, Mushrooms, Other Neat Things, Pasta, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: ,
10 January 2011 5 Things about your LinkedIn profile that make you look like an amateur

5 Things about your LinkedIn profile that make you look like an amateur

January 10, 2011 By

This post is different than the ones I typically write but I feel strongly that anyone with a job or a network of contacts could benefit from it.  I can’t think of anyone who shouldn’t have a LinkedIn profile.  Once you have a LinkedIn profile, you don’t need to be an expert to look like you know what you’re doing and here are some basic tips to keep in mind.

5 Things About your LinkedIn Profile that Make you Look Like an Amateur

  1. No/very few connections: Everyone’s got a rolodex of contacts, so why not connect with those contacts on LinkedIn? Beyond making it super simple to have all your contacts in one place, having your contacts in LinkedIn ensures three things: 1) you have those folks’ current contact information 2) you have access to your contacts’ connections 3) you can be found by those contacts and their connections.  You can easily import your contacts from hotmail.com, gmail.com, yahoo.com, aol.com, Outlook, Apple Mail and other sites by accessing the “Add Connections” section of your profile.
  2. No job details:  Got a resume?  It takes about 15 minutes to add some details about what you’re doing and what you’ve done to your profile.  Some benefits of adding such details are: a) potential clients interested in your product will be able to find you b) you might find some consulting gigs from folks who are looking for your type of expertise c) you might reconnect with former colleagues whose services you could need.
  3. No profile photo: I get it, some people might fear age prejudice or are simply fearful of online privacy issues.  In general, folks just don’t take the minute it takes to upload a current photo.  LinkedIn forges online relationships, but wouldn’t you like to put a face to the posts or emails you exchange with contacts?
  4. No personalized URL: How basic is it to change the gibberish URL automatically provided by LinkedIn to a personalized, easy to remember URL?  First, it’s just good SEO, second, the personalized URL is easy to share and add to your email signature, business card or blog (got one of those, right?).
  5. No sharing: LinkedIn is a “networking” site so…network!  You don’t have to become a power-sharer overnight, but you could share some pertinent industry news, a job posting that’s come your way that contacts in-between successes might benefit from or trips you’re making that could result in out-of-town meetings.  On  the other hand, over-sharing can cause your contacts to not pay attention to important things you want to convey, so think twice about linking your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile.  Twitter’s somewhat informal and you might post things there that are not relevant to business networking on LinkedIn.

To whatever extent you want to use the power of LinkedIn is up to you, but know that spending a few minutes to action the above items could mean new clients, incremental business and career opportunities.  Do you have other simple tips that you feel would benefit any LinkedIn users? Share them!

Cheers,

Veronique

www.linkedin.com/in/veroniquedeblois

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8 January 2011 12 Cookies of Christmas Contest – And the Winner is…

12 Cookies of Christmas Contest – And the Winner is…

January 8, 2011 By

Spiced Espresso Meltaways

It’s official, the winner of the Food & Wine Chickie 12 Cookies of Christmas Contest has been selected!  All the cookie recipes looked amazing and it was hard for the voting committee to select just one on 12/31/10, but here it is!

The winner of a $50 Sur la Table Gift Card is: Spiced Espresso Meltaways by Daydreamer Desserts

Following is the complete list for you to feast your eyes and hopefully your stomachs on:

Please let me know if you try any of these and what you thought of them.

Happy baking,

Veronique

Filed Under: Desserts, Other Neat Things Tagged With:
2 January 2011 5 Simple Soups to Try this Winter

5 Simple Soups to Try this Winter

January 2, 2011 By

Thai Soup

Soup is a favorite at my house and I try to make it most weekends.  Thought I’d share some of the soups I’ve made recently that have earned me some rave reviews.

5 Simple Soups to Try this Winter:

  1. Butternut Squash & White Asparagus Bisque
  2. Cremini Mushroom Velouté Soup
  3. Chunky Tomato-Basil Bisque
  4. Tom Ka Gai (Thai lemongrass and coconut soup)
  5. Cream of Leek and Celery Soup

Let me know which soup you end up trying!  Stay warm,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Chicken, French, Mushrooms, Other Neat Things, Soups, Thai, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
30 December 2010 My Top 10 Wines Under $20 for 2010

My Top 10 Wines Under $20 for 2010

December 30, 2010 By

If you read my blog, or follow me on social media platforms, you know that I enjoy trying wines from many regions, varietals and styles so I try not to judge wines by their price points.  Having said that, I thought I’d highlight some affordable wines I’ve particularly liked this year (in no particular order).

Top 10 Wines Under $20 for 2010:

  1. 2007 Katherine Goldschmidt Crazy Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. 2009 Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas
  3. La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco
  4. Ravines Wine Cellars – 2007 Pinot Noir
  5. Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
  6. 2007 Alta Vista Atemporal Blend
  7. 2007 Pasqua Sagramoso Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore
  8. 2007 Albert Bichot Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir
  9. 2008 Montes Alpha Syrah
  10. 2007 Anthony Road Sweet Dream

Have you tried any of these wines?  Please leave a comment with your thoughts about them.  Haven’t tried them yet?  Please do and let me know how you enjoyed them!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Other Neat Things, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
9 December 2010 My Pinot Moment – Compliments of Tantara Winery

My Pinot Moment – Compliments of Tantara Winery

December 9, 2010 By

This post is my contribution to “Pinot Moment” as created by Evening Land Vineyards.  The purpose of this December 9th, 2010 social media event (#pinotmoment) is to get a flock of Pinot Noir fans to share their “Pinot Moment”, or the wine that got them hooked on this finicky, yet pretty darn perfect grape.

2005 Tantara Pinot Noir

For me, this wine is the 2005 Tantara Solomon Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir.  I’m a veteran of the travel industry, professionally, and as such, my business often takes me to Las Vegas.  Those trips west from the east coast are brutal: 3-hour time change, long tradeshow hours and late nights of entertaining clients.  In the fall of 2006, my team and I attended a conference at Mandalay Bay.  To me, a perk of being in that nutty town is the ever expanding list of top notch restaurants.  One of my favorites place to entertain is Alain Ducasse’s Mix atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.  Completely black lounge and perfectly contrasting white restaurant on the 64th floor of the golden tower offers the most incredible view of the Strip while catering to foodies.

On that particular November evening, we were completely drained of all energy from the long 2-day tradeshow and were looking forward to a nice meal and a good glass or three.  I was handed the wine list and decided on a predictable Pinot Noir that I’d enjoyed a few times.  The sommelier asked if I’d be open to trying a new wine that he found particularly interesting that I might not find back in New Jersey.  He was so adamant about this selection that I agreed to sample it.  When he poured me a sip, the color of the wine was deep purple and somehow mesmerizing.  My first sniff caused me to close my eyes and the first taste was pure velvet perfection.  I wondered if I was simply tired, hungry and thirsty or if this wine was this fabulous, so had my team sample it.  My PR person actually said “Oh my god” and said it might be the best Pinot she’d had.  Needless to say, the sommelier got a fat tip from me and I got a great Pinot tip from him.

The sommelier was right, for a while, I wasn’t able to find Tantara in New Jersey.  A clever friend of mine got a California wine store to ship me a bottle for my birthday (not kosher in NJ) and I was later able to find it at one local store.

This, was my “Pinot Moment” and started my love for the grape.  Can’t wait to read everyone’s stories about my favorite varietal.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Culinary Travel Tales, Other Neat Things, Red Wine, Restaurant Reviews, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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