Brazilian Cooking Class
As I typically do on all my travels, I signed up for a cooking class as soon as I arrived in Brazil. It was winter and the weather was a bit dreary during the week I was in Rio de Janeiro. Cooking classes are a great rainy day activity (although I would do it even … Continue reading
Caipirinha de Limão
Well, obviously you cannot take a cooking class in Brazil without making the country’s national cocktail! This famous drink is made of cachaça, a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice, that I refer to as “fire water.” I tried drinking it straight once when I was in Rio and wow that hurt bad… reminded me … Continue reading
Apple Cider from Scratch
Jen and I typically make Hot Apple Cider for our traditional Thanksgiving Eve dinners using store-bought cider. This year, sadly, we didn’t host one but I decided to keep the traditions alive and cook many of the dishes we typically make for our friends for my family dinner. So Hank the Roasted Chicken is now … Continue reading
Chilean Cuisine Cooking Class
In December 2011, Natalya and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to South America for a holiday. In Argentina, we were able to fulfill all our foodie dreams of Argentine steak, chimichurri, and bold red wines. By the time we had crossed the Andean Lakes into Chile, we were completely beef-ed out and the cow population had probably … Continue reading
Chilean Pisco Sour
There has been a fierce battle raging for over a century in the southern hemisphere. That’s right, I am talking about the highly debated national origin of the Pisco Sour. Chile and Peru both claim this frothy cocktail as their national drink with a National Pisco Sour Day to legitimize their claims: Peru’s is celebrated the first Saturday in … Continue reading
Our Third Annual Thanksgiving Eve Dinner
Last Wednesday, Natalya and I hosted Thanksgiving Eve dinner for a bunch of our friends who, like us, have no choice but to stick around the city during this foodie holiday because of work Friday. Our first year, we made the mistake of not making it clear to our guests we were preparing legitimate food … Continue reading
Pimm’s Cup
Pimm’s Cup, a favorite thirst quencher at Wimbledon, polo matches, and other sporting events has been on my radar for a few years. I’ve tried it for the first time in Hong Kong at the Rugby Sevens (admittedly in a vastly less sophisticated manner than implied by the other sports at which it is served). … Continue reading
Gourmet Game Day
I am not much of a sports fan… I mean I enjoy playing sports but I am a fairly apathetic spectator. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the only sports I did were pretty boring to watch, such as crew or swimming… However, I am clearly a fan of food, so … Continue reading
Hot Apple Cider with Rum
To accompany all the delicacies on our “Gourmet Game Day“, I wanted to serve a beverage slightly more exciting than beer. Pimm’s Cup came to mind, but it’s more of a summer drink. So after a little brainstorming, I realized that we had just imbibed on some delectable Apple Ciders at the Fairmont in Banff … Continue reading
Sangria with Pineapple and Guava
Thirsty for some sangria? This light and delicious drink is a big hit when hosting parties. Original recipe calls for rosé wine, but I found that an inexpensive bottle of Carlo Rossi Sangria works just fine. This is not a strong drink, so if you prefer something with a little more kick try adding some … Continue reading
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