Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Drink What You Like for NYE

Drink what you love. That seems simple enough. But especially around this time of year, it's easy to believe we deserve to indulge in special potable treats, and it's easy to look to professionals on how to indulge in those treats. So we read up and assume high scores are the highway to nirvana. If that fails, we might pay a whole heck of a lot on a bottle as that must mean something, and then assume we're drinking an amazing wine.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Sip This: Acinum Valpolicella Ripasso

Acinum Valpolicella Ripasso DOP 2014: If people know valpolicella, a red grape from the Veneto in northern Italy, it’s usually the “standard” version, a pleasing, fruit-forward light wine. But when it’s a ripasso, or “repassed,” version, things change quite a bit. In the case of this Acinum, that means there’s a second fermentation with the marc, which are the leftover skins, stems, and so forth from the production of the dried-grape-wine style called amarone.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

Winemaker Aaron Watty Play Chef

Aaron Watty, the man behind Big Tar Wines, can seem to contain multitudes. A bear of a man at well over six feet, he’s a waiter at bouchon, was a wine buyer at Wine Cask, served as assistant winemaker for Longoria Wines, and even once worked as a model. But all that doesn’t negate his dramatically failed first attempt to pass a UCSB communications course.

Want ot read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Pascale Beale Roots for Fruit



In the introduction to her latest lovely cookbook, Pascale Beale writes, “What could be more tempting than a perfectly ripe fruit?” Turns out the answer is to have that fruit in one of the recipes from this mouth-watering book, Les Fruits, photographed by Mike Verbois and published by Santa Barbara’s own M27 Editions.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Sip This: Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto

Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto: It’s finally that time of year to stand beside a roaring fire and pretend we live somewhere really cold. You need something fitting to drink to help create that fantasy, and port is an apropos choice. But this fortified (that is, enhanced with distilled alcohol) wine from Portugal can often either seem out-of-date or out of one’s price comfort level.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Strong Spirits for the Holidays

Santa has it hard, children. If you believe he visits all the houses around the world in one night, realize that it's a task as tricky as completing the torturous drive west on the 10 freeway from Santa Monica to downtown on a Friday night under 20 minutes. Even if you just believe he's Mom or Dad, "Santa" still has to buy the presents, wrap them up, and place them under the tree without waking you.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Sip This: Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia

Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia The Rolling Stones Collectors’ Edition: It turns out Mick, Keith, and the guys like to drink. Who knew?

The packaging of this bottle commemorates The Rolling Stones’ longstanding love of tequila, but it’s what’s inside the bottle that makes this a true find for the agave lover on your holiday gift list.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Gunpowder, Feathers, and Poets--Oh, My!

Lisa Osborn was kind enough to do this amazing podcast about the state of poetry in Santa Barbara. I read one of my poems at 11:54, but you should listen to the whole thing, with the history of Gunpowder Press and a host of fine writers reading their work.

http://lisa.fm/santa-barbara-poetry-celebration/