FOOD & WINE
Portuguese Wine Travels: Villa Rosa Bairrada Baga Wine Review
Portuguese Wine is some of the best and most memorable wine I've ever tasted. One of the most memorable experiences I've had was perhaps at a Michelin Star restaurant, at The Yeatman, in Porto. Every course was served with a Portuguese wine to match. And every wine...
Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
If you're looking for an easy flourless chocolate cake recipe, look no further! This dense and fudgy cake is best served cold with a light dollop of sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries. A client of mine asked for this as an add-on to a wine tasting and tapas...
Viura: Spanish White Wine Intro
Viura (also known as Macabeo) is a native Spanish white grape that has quite a history! In Penedes, and a few other areas of Spain, this grape is known as Macabeo. You can also find Macabeo in Rousillion, France! In Valencia, Rioja, and Rueda, this grape is called...
Hi! I'm Sydney,
nice to meet you!
I left a marketing career in Hollywood to go to the Culinary Institute of America. After a few years of working in restaurants, I am now a private chef and sommelier in the 30a area.
Wine Help Docs
Is Wine Vegan?
Is wine vegan? Is it not? I think it depends on the vegan. Here's the deal. Clarifying wine happens a few different ways. Some of these processes are vegan, and others may not be. Fining is one process of clarification. Fining occurs by adding a "fining agent" to a...
Why Wine Contains Sulfites
Why do wines have added sulfites? What do Sulfites do, anyways? SO2, Sulfur Dioxide is a naturally occurring part of the winemaking process. It is a byproduct of making alcohol. However, it can also be added at a few different winemaking points to preserve the...
Wine Structure: What is Tannin in Wine?
Tannin is a characteristic found in red grape skins and seeds as well as oak. They cause an astringent or bitterness when either too much is extracted from grapes or when young. As a wine matures, either in a fermenting vessel such as oak or stainless steel, the...
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Truffle Pasta Dough
Truffle pasta may sound like a lot of work, but I promise it's actually quite easy. And no - you don't need a stand mixer, or a food processor, or even a pasta machine to make it! You can use those things, of course, but not required. The thing I love about homemade...
Alexander Valley Cabernet : Jordan 2008 Wine Review
Alexander Valley may not be the first place you think of when you hear "California Cabernet Sauvignon." Typically, one's mind most naturally thinks of Napa Valley. However, today we are going to take a look at an exceptional winery in Alexander Valley, in Sonoma...
Peruvian Chicken Skewers and Basil Chimichurri
These Peruvian chicken skewers have a bit of a back story. In October I'm cooking for some amazing clients. They booked me for their wedding weekend to prepare and serve food at their home for three different days: a wedding kick-off evening, breakfast and lunch for...
Girls Getaway Weekend & The Somm Chef
Hi, Everyone! I am so excited to announce something that I've been working on with the Rosemary Beach Foundation and Hidden Lantern Bookstore. What is Girls Getaway? I am teaching a class for Girls Getaway weekend which happens every Super Bowl weekend. Girls Getaway...
White Chicken Chili
Chicken chili can sometimes take the back seat to the classic beef chili, but I'd like to propose a recipe to counter even the best beef chilis out there (sorry, mom!). Not that it will replace them - after all, there's a time for chicken chili and a time for beef...
Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo: How They Differ
I am pretty excited about this Barbera post because I think there's a ton of confusion about Barbera. It's sort of pushed to the side and forgotten, seen as the "lesser" sister from the famous land where big brother and sister, Barolo and Barbaresco (the King and...
Steak Au Poivre: Steak & Sherry Cream Sauce
Steak Au Poivre is a black pepper-crusted steak that comes with a sherry cream pan sauce. You cook the sauce in the same pan that has the "fond" (those black bits stuck on the bottom from pan-searing the steaks) which adds so much incredible flavor! I've added in a...
Dairy Free Cilantro Lime Crema
My Cilantro Lime Crema first appeared on my post about my favorite recipe for Fish Tacos. That one does include sour cream, but you can definitely omit it and use the key ingredient I've switched it for in this recipe instead. My husband, Ian, and I try to stay away...
End of Summer Wine List: Transition to Fall
With labor day around the corner, I felt it was high time for an end of summer wine list. It's nearly September, but some of us are a little weary of stepping into fall. We're slowly transitioning from light meals to heavier ones, incorporating pumpkin spice into...
Priorat Wines and 2014 La Petite Agnes Wine Review
Priorat makes some of the most concentrated wines in the world. Did you know that Priorat has some of the lowest density plantings of anywhere else in the world? Priorat's climate is incredibly hot and dry. This means that the vines struggle during the growing season,...
