Behind the Article Categories
All We Want for Christmas is Food: A Behind the Burner Gift Guide
We've decked the halls with boughs of holly, but now we're on to decking out our kitchens in an array of culinary gadgetry. This season, the Behind the Burner staff is waiting excitedly for Christmas...
How to Host Thanksgiving Dinner (Minus the Panic Attack)
I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner when I was 25 years old. By myself. For 16 people. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Naturally, disaster ensued. I spent 12 hours running around...
Brisket on a Budget
The Jewish High Holy Days have always been an important time for me. My whole family gathers every year on Rosh Hashanah for a delicious feast of traditional Jewish foods, namely brisket. Because the...
Baking with Blenders: Why the Health Master Will be Your New Best Friend
Yes, you read that correctly. I made pizza dough from a blender. But not just any ordinary blender. I made it from the Health Master™ Blender, or the "motor monster" as I like to call it....
Wine On
I've always set aside my favorite bottles of wine for cozy nights in. And why shouldn't I? After all, wine has never exactly been the drink of choice at raging parties or crowded bars, but with a...
Cape Crusaders: The 5 South African Wines We're Drinking for the World Cup
Now that the USA team is out and the French made a less-than-graceful exit from the FIFA World Cup, we're turning our attention away from Napa and Bordeaux and instead focusing on South African wines...
Organic Wine: It Isn't Easy Being Green
Nowadays, everyone can find fabulous organic foods, kitchen products, beers and even cocktails that they can feel good about buying and even better about consuming. But there's one thing that always...
Open Up! Sommelier Tips for Savoring (and Saving) Wine
We had the chance to sit down and speak with California-based Certified Sommelier Alexis Ewing about storing and enjoying wine. The biggest lesson? It's all about your own palate and experimenting to...
Spain's Spectacular Sparklers
The word Champagne brings to mind many things: celebrations, decadence, romance. However, Champagne is commonly confused with the multitude of sparkling wines that exist throughout the world. Because...
How to Choose Wine for a Dinner Party
It's no secret that good wine stimulates good conversation. At a dinner party, good conversation is arguably just as important as the food. That's why choosing the right wine for a dinner party is a...
Battle of the Bottles: Stop Screwing – or Corking – Around?
Cork screws, screw cap, screw you? All the same mishmosh if you were to ask me before I did some research. Sadly, the beloved wooded corks are producing the 2,4,6-Trichloranisole (TCA)...
How to Read a Wine Menu
It is a bit ironic that, when dining out, the food should be the star of the table, but all too often the wine menu dwarfs the food menu. Isn't the star's dressing room always much larger than the...
Don't Blush When You Drink Pink
We all know pink drinks are thought of as feminine and sweet, but when it comes to wine, it's time to simply get over this misconception. C'mon guys, girls are impressed when you can pull off that...
Wines for Every Occasion
Man has been using wine to celebrate for as long as man has been celebrating at all. As far back as 4000 B.C., Egyptian pictographs show revelers making offerings of wine to the gods. Today, the...
Champagne and Buttered Popcorn
There are many reasons that I was grateful to meet with Alto sommelier Eric Zillier on Wednesday. First, it was a grim, slushy afternoon and the bar was softly lit and warm—in my opinion, the...
New York Uncorked!
This past weekend, I swirled, sniffed, sipped and swallowed far more than I spit. Along with thousands of oenophiles—some discriminating and others, well, simply having a wine-induced good...
Very Sexy Cocktails: Best Valentine's Drinks
If you're in the mood for love this week or perhaps a little lust—try these sumptuous, sexy cocktails inspired by romance and guaranteed to make you swoon. Created by top New York City...
Here's to Vino! Another Reason to Fall in Love with the Red Stuff
It's common knowledge that a diet rich in fruits, veggies and whole grains is essential for good health, no surprises there. But did you know that drinking wine regularly might help keep your ticker...
Kitchen Couture
Food is anything but uniform. It's all about the combination of ingredients and the techniques used to create a wow in taste and presentation. In short, Shannon Reed believes cooking is an art with...
Thanksgiving Leftovers: Expanding our Culinary Imagination One Turkey at a Time
Plain old turkey leftover for two weeks never sounds good. Between waist-size and Tryptophan-induced fatigue, thanks goes to the calendar that Thanksgiving only comes once a year. Remember... it's...
