Maille Dijon Original Mustard

A jar of Maille Dijon Original Mustard sitting on a wooden table

Very delicious and very French.
Maille Dijon Original Mustard sets the gold standard. This mustard is so tasty you can it right from the jar. It’s smooth and the Dijon is so creamy, but with enough kick to intrigue. It is made with finely crushed mustard seeds, vinegar, and salt in just Read more…

Red Wine Spaghetti

Photo of dried pasta on a wooden table for Red Wine Spaghetti

Seeing Red
There you are, going through life without a care in the world when you find something that stops you in your tracks. Its uniqueness is mind-blowing but then you sit back and think about the concept, and it actually makes sense—even though it is definitely out of the norm. This is what happened when I came across this recipe for Red Wine Spaghetti.

Everyone knows that to be able to eat it, pasta needs to be boiled in a liquid. More often than not, that liquid is water, although some type of stock works, too. But, what if you swapped out the water or stock for some other liquid? What if, now hear me out, you boiled it in wine?

Mind blown, right?

I found this recipe on the Food and Wine website and was immediately intrigued…mostly because of the use of red wine. White wine seemed a bit more logical but using red wine was totally rebellious in my mind. And, I have always loved a rebel.

So, if you’re feeling a bit mutinous or just want to color outside of the lines for a bit, channel your inner bad boy/girl and give this one a try!

Red Wine Spaghetti
Adapted from Food and Wine
Yields 4 servings

This recipe for Red Wine Spaghetti is a basic dried pasta simply boiled in red wine. It develops a complex flavor and looks beautiful plated. This is a great way to switch out your weekly pasta routine for something exciting! Read more…

Beemster XO Aged Gouda

A wedge of Beemster XO Aged Gouda on a marble cutting board

A very old and extremely good cheese.
Revered for its rich flavors of butterscotch, whiskey, and pecan, Beemster XO Aged Gouda has a deep ocher interior and a firm, crumbly texture. True to the characteristics of Beemster’s unique milk, this cheese retains a creamy mouthfeel. Read more…

White Wine–Poached Fish

Awards Season
My daughter is graduating from high school at the end of the month. For those of you who have been through it, you know that this means that the last month of school is filled with AP Tests, Ditch Days, and plenty of awards banquets. It is a lot of fun, but also just…a lot. Throw in birthdays for four of the five members of my family and, yeah. We are busy, y’all.

I am a weirdo in that I love awards nights/banquets. I mean sure, of course, you are going to enjoy seeing your kids and their friends succeed at something and achieve their goals. But, it extends into other areas for me as well.

The morning they announce the Oscar nominations I am right there making a list of the movies I have and have not seen so that I can make a point to seek the films I missed before the big night. I try my best to see them all. And, I am alarmingly disappointed when I can’t manage to do it. Life tends to get in the way of my fixation.

I am equally as obsessed about the James Beard Awards.

My anticipation of the James Beard Foundation Awards might seem obvious to most people since my days consist of talking about food, writing about food, and selling food. So, my interest in awards which honor talking about food, preparing food, and writing about food is rather on the nose. I anticipate their release every year and use the lists of nominees, semi-finalists, and finalists to educate myself on who and what is hot in the industry. And, let’s be real, create a wish list of new cookbooks or future dinner reservations.

If you are curious, this year’s list of James Beard Foundation Awards Finalists can be found here. Get your planner out before you click…and don’t do it when hungry!

Lest we forget, James Beard himself was a force in the culinary world. And, he eventually came to be known as the Dean of American Cuisine. If you don’t have a copy of his American Cookery in your library, consider seeking it out.

White Wine–Poached Fish Recipe
Adapted from James Beard
Yields 4 servings

I am all for drinking and cooking with simple wines that don’t cost an arm and a leg, said James Beard. In this simple and comforting recipe, the wine gives the sauce its subtle delicacy. Read more…