Food & Drink

Make It A Medley

Peas and carrots. Broccoli and cauliflower. Tri-colored bell peppers. Sure, I like a good veg medley from time to time, but what I really crave most days is a great wine "medley."

In the midst of Mardi Gras, self-indulgence becomes a virtue, and what carb-loaded, butter-laden, sugar-crusted Crescent City dessert better thumbs its nose at caution than bread pudding? The origin of this classic Creole dessert is generally credited to frugal cooks who did not want to waste stale bread, hence the connection with and subsequent flourishing of the dessert in New Orleans and the need to deliciously utilize all those staled poor-boy loaves. In a brilliant jump of culinary improvisation, old bread, combined with sweeteners and fats such as eggs and butter, is elevated to the status of a soufflé-like treat, one that begs many variations and adaptations.

Where to Take Your Sweetheart

Valentine's Day makes us think about love, which quite naturally leads many of us to thoughts of enjoying food with our significant others. Jeanne Losey, former poet laureate of the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs, penned a delightful poem on love, with a twist. "One Valentine's I just thought of it and wrote a silly poem," Losey, 80, told me when we talked on the phone last week. She was tickled that I'd found the poem on the Internet and agreed that I could share it with those celebrating Valentine's Day in the Deep South.

DIY: Making Foccacia

For some, cooking is a form of both physical and spiritual nourishment. In a time when it becomes more and more difficult to find a young person with the desire to cook, Ashton Deakin, 24 years old, has a passion for baking bread. "To me, baking bread is an art form, and a great loaf of bread is just a beautiful thing," Deakin says.

Chili to Share

Chili con carne is Spanish for chili with meat; it got started in Texas, and Texans think it's a crime to add beans to it. So says "The New Food Lover's Companion" (Barron's, 2001, $16.95).

Everything's Turning Up Rose'

I've noticed lately that more and more rosé wines are turning up in our market. Around here, most people would see a rosé and write it off immediately as one of those syrupy, sweet blush wines like white zinfandel. Rosés, in fact, are actually more on the dry side. Time to crush the stigma.

New Year's Twosome

It's a toss up—go out or stay in to celebrate New Year's Eve? Pair Shrimp Fettucine with your favorite Pinot Grigio, an unoaked Chardonnay or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for the perfect celebration.

Break Out The Sparklers

It has toasted new marriages. It has christened ships before their maiden voyages. It has been raised in honor of those no longer with us. And year after year, it has been guzzled wildly at the very second each new year arrives. It is Champagne!

A Goodie Is A Goodie

Over the almost eight-year-long span that my family spent on the road, we never had a chimney for Santa. Being well-loved, wide-eyed and innocent of grown-up concerns like how late would the stores be open in a new town, my little brother and I knew that Santa'd find us, so we'd write our letter, give it to Mama to mail, and wait, being good.

House of Spirits

Making a holiday shopping list can be pretty stressful. Fret not: Wine and spirits are the perfect gift for all of your 21 and older loved ones. I guess it could seem like a bottle of booze is a pretty impersonal thing to give someone. You just have to make it a very personal gift. Think of something special about each person and equate it with a wine or spirit. If your buddy took a trip to the Caribbean, get him a great bottle of high-end rum, along with a fun recipe book for fruity cocktails. Not only would your friend enjoy trying some tasty rum drinks, but he would be revisiting his vacation thanks to you.

Let Them Eat Oreos

Last Christmas a friend asked me to help him put together a swing set for Santa to deliver for his daughter. I reminded my friend that I am mechanically challenged. One cannot devote one's life to the demanding career of a gourmand and also master screwdrivers or hammers or whatever else those kinds of people use. Nonetheless, in the spirit of the season, I agreed.

And For Dessert…

After a great meal, what's better than something fantastically sweet and decadent? After several courses of salty and savory delights, my palate screams out for sugar, in whatever form I can find it. Of course, I have often been guilty of such gluttony during my meal that there is simply no possible way that I could cram a piece of cheesecake or chocolate torte or really anything solid into my mouth. Enter the solution to this dilemma: dessert wine. If you can't eat dessert, why not drink it?

Dough Done Right

Traveling to Europe turned out to be the best of the unexpected benefits of teaching, right up there with walking the sidelines of high school football games, snapping photos, and keeping score on the bench at away basketball games, at the table for home ones.

Gobble, Gobble, Pass The Wine

Thanksgiving is almost here: Have you planned your menu, yet? More importantly, have you chosen your wine, yet? Wine should be an integral part of any gathering. It can make a festive occasion even more festive, and it can make a tense gathering way more tolerable.

Take-Out Turkeys

Despite the record-setting hot weather, this week's forecast appears more seasonal. To help you make your preparations for Thanksgiving, whether you're eating in or out, here's a list of helpful folks.

Ellington