Vanilla pound cake sweetens a chilly winter’s day
[media-credit id=3 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Winter, although it has its drawbacks, is great for baking. On a cold, gray day, when snow and ice are piling up outside, something delicious baking in…
Green breweries in western Massachusetts
From sustainable ski resorts (Jiminy Peak) to an energy-efficient, state-of-the-art computing center, western Massachusetts is becoming a hub for green institutions. The environmental effort has even extended to local brewpubs.…
Truffles, anyone?
Alexander Dumas once said, “The truffles themselves have been interrogated, and have answered simply, ‘Eat us and praise the Lord.'” I believe Alexander Dumas was onto something. Nature’s bounty begins…
“Hipster” winemakers team up at Bodegas Tampesta
This is the year of the “hipster” winemakers. My favorite hipster winemaker is Raul Perez, who I have written about in the past. Raul is from Bierzo, located in northwest…
The Flying Winemaker and Michael Rolland team up for Campo Eliseo
I have written much in the past about Francois Lurton and his ability to roam the globe in search of the perfect plot of land to create vineyards that, in…
Choosing Champagne for New Year’s
What a better way to usher in the new year than to open a bottle of the real stuff, which we all know is Champagne. Yes, I love Prosecco, Cava…
Cookie exchanges good for variety, sharing and holiday de-stressing
[media-credit id=3 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]What do coconut chews with lemon/orange frosting, Russian teacakes, farm house cookies, peanut butter bites with chocolate kisses on top and sugar cookies with red and green…
Holiday wines under $18
‘Tis the season to be jolly! And what makes any event “jolly”? Wine, of course. The wine shops carry a lot of outstanding wines at sensationally low prices. Most wine…
O’Shaughnessy wines are outrageous
Amanda Schark , an extremely knowledgeable and agreeable wine representative who works for Charles River Wines, alerted me she would be pouring some special wines at Spirited Wines in Lenox at…
Bordeaux wines make a comeback
It is a rare occasion when I get so excited about each and every wine that I sampled at a wine tasting. In this case, the wines were from Bordeaux. The…