Earlier this fall, a friend was chatting with me about upcoming food pairings and how I create my recipes.   With an article appearing weekly, if there are not others around the table to partake in the featured pairing leftovers are packaged and headed to the freezer.  The image of the contents of my freezer could […]

In the Bay Area, it is no secret that some of its warmest weather can arrive in October but when it arrives at the tail-end of the month, it is unexpected.   The days are increasingly shorter with the sun setting earlier each evening.  Nevertheless, when temperatures soar it takes little encouragement to leave an office […]

For those who love sparkling wine, they know best that no matter the time, the meal or the event that life is simply better with Bubbles.  It matters not how extravagant the pairing (or to the contrary, how mundane), when paired with a glass of sparkling wine there is an added dash of festivity and […]

  This growing season in Napa Valley has not been without its challenges.  Rain and cooler temperatures visited the valley early in the season and growers watched breathlessly hoping that “shatter” would not happen.   The summer then progressed far cooler than average.   Yields are less, yet flavors should be more concentrated without high sugar levels, […]

  In the early weeks of autumn in the Bay Area, temperatures fluctuate as for much of the region summer-like temperatures can appear for several days in a row to be followed by cooler weather.   With typical yet periodic summer weather in late September, it is best for Bay Area residents to keep refreshing white […]