May 15, 2010 4:00 pm
Encompassing the French culture as the birth mother of today's wine industry and the uninhibited beauty of their hillside vineyards, the Hahn family chose this distinct logo to grace their wine bottles. The Hahn family produces a number of labels including Smith and Hook as well as many varieties of wines from their vineyard in Soledad, California. They recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.
This Pinot Noir from their Cycles Gladiator label demonstrates their love of the countryside as well as French culture in its uninhibited flavor. This medium-bodied red wine boasts a sweet, creamy taste. This gem also tempts your palate with a long, smooth finish with hints of berry and even peppermint. Tip: Although this would be superb paired with a burger or a cheese varietal, try to it also with a dark chocolate as a dessert instead of an extra sweet port.
Photo credit: www.cyclesgladiator.com
— Written by Jennifer Ambrose
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Tags : Cycles Gladiator wine, Hahn family wines, banned in Alabama wines, Jennifer Ambrose, Behind the Burner, Wine of the Day
March 13, 2010 6:05 pm
Almost everyone gets a carb attack now and again, that intense craving for nothing but high-carbohydrate foods. This particularly happens to those who follow strict low-carb diets, which is why they don't work. Your body revolts and it ends up craving even more what you "can't" have. The human body is meant to run on carbs, protein and other essential nutrients and cutting out starches completely is unrealistic and unhealthy. I know many of you are afraid of even the thought of allowing a crumb of bread pass your lips. If you have followed a low-carb diet before, you know that they do work—for awhile. You shed so many pounds at first, feel great, less bloated and you have tons of energy. But then you become miserable. You want to partake in the bread basket at the restaurant and you are tired of eating your over-easy eggs without an English muffin for dipping. One incident leads to the next and you end up gorging. When it comes to carbs you can never ask the question "to be or not to be?" The question is how much and which ones.
You can still have carbs and lose weight. Instead of the processed, starchy variety, choose a healthier options like whole grain breads and pastas, brown rice and quinoa. Tip: Quinoa, is one of the best, most versatile of grains. You can use it in virtually everything. You can cook it up and use it as a side dish with your chicken in place of couscous. You can eat it for breakfast in place of hot cereal and add some fruit or yogurt. You can grind it up and use it for flour in your baked goods. You can also eat sandwiches but try flour-less bread and use lean meats such roast turkey and substitute spinach leaves and mustard for rich mayonnaise.
Another Trick: Use barley instead of rice for risotto. Barley is an excellent source of fiber and extremely filling. The starch in the barley becomes creamy when slow-cooked just like rice. Make these modifications the next time you have a carb attack and you won't be afraid to hit the scale the next morning.
Photo credit: mymansbelly.com
— Written by Jennifer Ambrose
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Tags : quinoa, barley, brown rice, healty carbs, low-carb diet myths, Jennifer Ambrose, Behind the Burner
February 17, 2010 10:20 pm
We all know that kids can be picky eaters. Just the word "vegetable" can make some particularly difficult little ones cringe. I recently had this experience with my three year-old nephew because his own parents feed him nothing but junk food —mostly packaged mac n' cheese and soda. So I knew he would be a real challenge because his palate was quite naive. I came up with a plan to get him interested in cooking. After all, he was always first hand on deck when I would bake cakes. I figured arousing his curiosity in the kitchen would be a cinch.
After much thought about how to get him to eat nutritious foods, I came up with a game plan. It dawned on me, kids love to color. He could sit for hours with a coloring book and a box of crayons. So I broke out the Crayolas and sat down with him. I asked him to draw me vegetables that were crazy colors. So instead of yellow corn, he would color it red and instead of green lettuce he would color it blue. Of particular interest were purple carrots. After this drawing activity we went off in search of fun colored vegetables. He loved the experience; every minute of it. I had heard in the past the that one way to get your kids eating is to get them involved in the cooking. This trick is tried and true.
Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and we went to our favorite outdoor Farmers' Market. There we found what he had drawn—red corn—and at the nearest Whole Foods, purple carrots. He was elated. We took our colorful finds home and got cooking in the kitchen. He watched and assisted in preparing all the dishes, especially purple carrot soup. He ate every last bite. There is something about the rainbow that is psychologically thrilling, and for the wee ones, I think colorful produce can give a whole meaning to "taste the rainbow."
Photo credit: www.connectmidmichigan.com
— Written by Jennifer Ambrose
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Tags : eat your vegetables, kids to eat veggies, high-produce diet, purple carrots, purple carrot soup, Jennifer Ambrose, Behind the Burner
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