Category — Wine

Have you ever used a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine and thought to yourself that there has got to be a better way?

Check out the Waring Pro Cordless Wine Opener.  Made of rubber and stainless steel, this cordless wine opener can remove up to 80 corks in one charge.  A nice feature is that has a removable foil cutter, and also unlike some other wine openers it can open both natural and synthetic corks.  The design is very sleek, although it does remind me a little bit of an electric razor.  However, I think that is outweighed by it being such a cool modern way to open a bottle of wine!

This cordless wine opener would make a great gift as it’s only $39.95 and a neat gadget. For wine lovers, I recommend pairing it with another wine-related gift, like a decanter or a great bottle of wine (I recommend Ultimate Wine Shop for its huge selection).

Have you ever been in someone’s kitchen and seen something that you’ve never seen before?  Check out this item below:

Can you tell what it is?  A silver donut?  A trivet?  An ultra modern light?  A mirror?  Well, it’s actually a WMF Vino Foil Cutter.  Maybe big wine drinkers would have guessed that this item was a Wine Bottle Foil Cutter, but me, not so much! 

If you check out other wine bottle foil Cutters, you’ll see that the WMF is the sexiest in the bunch.  A lot of the others are much bigger and more bulky, and look like you’re using construction tools on your wine bottle .

The WMF is stainless steel with a mirrored finish and has a substantial weight that makes it easy to handle.  According to reviews of it on Amazon.com it sounds like it is super easy to use and looks stylish and sexy on any table or bar.

I love the anticipation of opening a great bottle of wine, but without the Rabbit Wine Shower Funnel , I have to let the wine aerate and sit for twenty minutes to open up. What a disappointment when I have piping hot food at the table ready to go!

Metrokane Rabbit Wine-Shower Funnel

The Metrokane Rabbit Wine Shower Funnel not only aerates the wine but also catches any sediments. And for about twenty dollars, it’s a simple addition to any wine lover’s collection!

Of course, like the image above, the Rabbit Wine Shower Funnel needs to sit in a type of wine decanter or wine carafe like this:

Spiegelau wine decanter

The Spiegelau wine decanter would make any table setting look great and the Metrokane Rabbit Wine Shower Funnel will make your wine taste great!

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I am a perfectionist and need to have an accurate oven thermometer for my meat and my oven gloves , the DuPont Nomex 3 Finger Gloves , to be able to re-create the perfect braised ribs my mom used to make.

DuPont Nomex 3 Finger Heat Resistant Gloves

OXO Oven Thermometer

Here is a Wolfgang Puck Braised Short Rib recipe via Cooking on the Side

Braised Short Ribs

From the back of the Wolfgang Puck All Natural Beef-Flavored Stock carton

INGREDIENTS:

6 serving-sized pieces beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

10 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

6 sprigs fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine

4 cups beef stock

Season the beef with the peppercorns. Coat the beef with the flour. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an oven-safe 8-quart saucepot over medium- high heat. Add the beef and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s well browned on both sides. Remove the beef from the saucepot. Pour off any fat.

Heat the remaining oil in the saucepot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned, stirring often. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and stock and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the saucepot. Cover the saucepot. Bake at 350°F for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Skim the fat from the surface of the stock mixture.

Transfer the beef to a serving platter. Heat the stock mixture in the saucepot over medium heat to a boil. Cook until the mixture is reduced to 1 quart. Remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Serve the beef and gravy over hot noodles or mashed potatoes.

Choosing the right cookware can be difficult.  Do you go for the high end brand with the equally high price tag, or do you choose a more affordable set, taking a potential risk on quality?

On the high end of the range, you’ll find brands like Le Creuset .  Le Creuset has been making high end cookware for close to ninety years and is known for its great craftsmanship.  They have a line of forged hard-anodized frying pans that are extremely durable and non-stick.  They are dishwasher safe and come with a 10 year warranty.   You can expect to pay anywhere from $49.95 – $150 per pan.

On the other hand there are less expensive brands like Emerilware .  Emerilware is the line from chef Emeril Lagasse , and is sold at stores like Cooking.com .  You can get a hard-anodized frying pan from the Emerilware line for as little as $19.99.  These pans are scratch resistant and have ergnomic handles, and are also are non-stick.  However, they are not dish washer safe.  They do however come with a lifetime warranty, which Le Creuset does not.

From doing research online, there is not as much anecdotal information to support the quality of the Emerilware line, but it’s also much newer to the market then Le Creuset so not as well known.  Other than the difference in the machine wash vs. hand wash and the info I found on heat threshold (Le Creuset is oven safe to 500 degrees, Emerilware to 450) I’d say that it would be worth taking a shot on the lower priced line if you are looking to save money.  Sure, with Le Creuset you know you are getting something high quality, but that doesn’t mean that with less pricy lines you aren’t, and you can sure afford a lot more ingredients when you buy the cheaper pan!

I don’t often wear aprons . Do you?

These from Stanley & Sons seem tough, reliable and perfect for an outside grill. With summer BBQs upon us, these aprons are the perfect protection for any wayward bits. Each apron is one of a kind and made from reclaimed materials, like old army tents.

For the more feminine chef or cook, I like the damask print on this Sur La Table Onyx Apron . It’s sophisticated enough for any fancy evening IN!

I also really like kitschy ones like Sur La Table’s Red Cherries Ava Apron and their Adult Cupcake Apron.

Very Mrs. Beaver!

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Tonight, I’m throwing a party; it’s my best friend’s birthday and we’re doing it big! We want to make sure we have her favorite dirty martini on hand at all times and the only way to make the classic martini at home is to have the proper tools . I got a martini shaker because there’s nothing that says swanky summer night quite like an ice-cold martini with a smattering of olives . And of course, like James Bond says, these drinks need to be shaken not stirred. How appropriately sleek is this Calphalon Martini Shaker ?

Not only will all my drinks be frigid but, I’ll look like a consummate professional. I’ve never been a barkeep or made a cocktail at home so any help is appreciated (even if it is just for looks).

Some of my friends stay away from the liquor so we have lots of great wines for them from BevMo .

I don’t know very much about wine, but I hear using a wine pourer aerates the wine and enhances its flavor. Only the best for my friends!

There is a small cafe near my office that makes a really incredible butternut squash side dish.  They serve it cold but it inspired me to try to make a version of it myself at home, served hot.

Ingredients:
-2 butternut squash, chopped into small pieces (1-2 inch squares)
-1/2 cup of pecans or cashews
-pinch of cinnamon
-1/3 cup honey
-1-2 cups water
-6 pats butter

Preparation:

• Cut the butternut squash into small pieces.  They do not need to be uniform but should be large bite sized.  Place squash into large bowl .
• Add 1-2 cups of water as necessary to cover the squash.  Water should be warm, not hot.
• After squash has soaked for 10-15 minutes, pour into a 9×13 glass baking dish
• Drizzle honey over the top, leaving a small amount of honey for later
• Add 6 pats of butter evenly over the top
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Squash should yield but not yet feel soft.
• Sprinkle cinnamon and nuts over the top of the dish and return to the oven
• Cook for another 20-30 minutes or until squash feels soft (but not mushy)
• After allowing to cool for a few minutes, add the remainder of the honey

You can either serve this dish hot or put it in the fridge and wait for it to cool.  Either way, it tastes like this fabulous mix of a vegetable dish and a dessert.  You can even add raisins or shaved coconut if you want to add additional flavors to the mix.

Want to make a fun drink to serve your friends at your July 4th party?  I’ve got just the thing.  My nickname for this drink is “Punch of Freedom” although I think that applies more to the alcoholic version which will no doubt make you feel free if you drink enough!

Here is the way I make it, and then I’ll provide you with some alternatives:

-1 gallon fruit punch
-1 gallon lemonade
-1 bottle champagne
-1 dozen strawberries, sliced
-2 peaches, sliced
-1 package blueberries
-1 pint berry sorbet

For the two gallons of juice, you can substitute strawberry lemonade, orange juice, or cranberry juice, but I would recommend mixing at least 2 of those instead of just one base.  Whatever you mix, try to target an overall pink/red color for the punch (to fit the 4th of July theme).

For the fruits you can use pretty much whatever you like, I find the peaches and strawberries have a nice flavor and soak up the champagne or other alcohol nicely so they are tasty to eat at the end of the drink.  The blueberries are mostly just to have a little blue for the red/white/blue theme.

Instead of champagne you could use ginger-ale or tonic water for a non-alcoholic version.  If you want it to be alcoholic but are looking for something stronger, you could also substitute vodka, but be careful not to add too much!

I like the sorbet because it adds extra fun; you could also substitute sherbet or even vanilla ice cream.  However, if your party is outdoors and you don’t have enough ice, you will definitely end up with a soupy drink when the frozen part melts.

Whatever way you personalize this drink, there’s little you can do that will truly mess it up, so it should end up fun and festive!

Tools & Decorations:
-Punch bowl
-Punch Ladle
-American Flag Drink Napkins
-American Flag Cups