FOOD / DRINK

HIGH HOPES FOR … TOFU PRESS …
BY TAMARA BECK
FOR
years now, I have been trying to figure out how to drain tofu. Piling plates over the logs I have laid out in a sifter was an improvisation that yielded less than success … But I digress. There is a possible solution to this drainage problem: Enter the Kikkerland Design Turtle Tofu Press, a design challenge winner. Alas, there is a problem with this possible solution: The tofu press is sold out. Another supply chain issue? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2021/12/holiday-gift-guide-2021-high-hopes-for.html

SOME SERIOUS READING TO DO …
BY VW

THIS
time you are serious; committed. You want to eat far better than you do now. REAL talk. You are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
If you're really on the real, real, first do some serious reading about what this might look like. Share these reads with the foodies in your network. By the way, loosen your belts, because you are going to be taken to the heart of the matters. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2021/12/some-serious-reading-to-do-as-you-begin.html

DO A HAPPY DANCE: ... POPULAR OPTIONS FOR THE VEGAN …
BY VW
VEGAN-EATING,
gluten-free consuming, time-constrained, health-conscious individuals, rejoice! There are two more options to add to your meal plan: a savory and a dessert.
It is safe to say that macaroni and cheese (or mac&cheese or simply, mac) has been having a moment these last few years.
Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2019/01/do-happy-dance-couple-more-mac-and.html

THE WHYS AND WHYFORS CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2019/01/the-whys-and-whyfors-chicken-noodle.html

YOU CAN’T CARRY …
BY VW
YOUR
magnum of wine is ready to hit the road. But how to transport it to the celebration? In style?
Out of the question is a paper or plastic bag. A wine-carrying tote is a couple of rungs up the ladder but rather blah. You’re getting warm with the notion of a gold or silver bag.
Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2018/12/holiday-gift-guide-2018-you-cant-carry.html

HGG 2018: THE TETRA COUNTERTOP DISHWASHER ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2018/12/holiday-gift-guide-2018-tetra.html

CHEW ON THIS: BREAKFAST ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2018/09/chew-on-this-breakfast-of-this.html


FROM CATSKILL PROVISIONS, HONEY FOR YOUR HONEY…
BY JOEL LEVIN
DEM
good ol' boys was makin' whiskey from rye and adding New York State honey from the "state's happiest bees."
The happy result is an ultra-smooth whiskey made from local grain, but mellowed with artisanal honey to remove the spirit's sting (apologies to those well-adjusted bees). The whiskey alone is wonderful, but sensational as part of the inclusive Weekend Kit. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2017/12/holiday-gift-guide-2018-from-catskill.html

HGG 2017: DRINKING WITH THE CORAVIN WINE SYSTEM ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2017/12/holiday-gift-guide-2018-drinking-with.html

TASTE OF THE NATION 2017 ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2017/04/taste-of-nation-2017-eating-and.html

A VEGETABLE THAT EVEN KIDS WILL LIKE ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2017/03/a-vegetable-that-even-kids-will-like.html

THINKING THOUGHTFULLY ABOUT THAT ELIXIR ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2017/03/thinking-thoughtfully-about-that-elixir.html

FROM NYCWFF DAY 3: ARIAN DAGUIN GOES STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE …
BY VW
THE
bacon is a hit. As is the slider.
However, the hit of the Foie Gras Fete is the spectacle of the butchering.
It unfolds at The Wayfarer on Day 3 of the ninth annual Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/10/from-nycwff-day-3-arian-daguin-goes.html

EATING WELL WITH JUST FOOD ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/11/on-towns-eating-well-with-just-food-and.html

AT NINTH NEW YORK CITY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/10/by-vw-i-have-made-list-and-checked-it.html

BROOKLYN-PROUD SPEEDY ROMEO ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/03/brooklyn-proud-speedy-romeo-brings-kind.html

SHNACKING ON SHPICKLES, SNHUTS AND SCHMOLIVES ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/03/shnacking-on-shpickles-snhuts-and.html

LATEST FROM BARBER’S SHOP ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/03/latest-from-barbers-shop-is-1857-potato.html

TO BE MESMERIZED BY A CERTAIN FRIG ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2016/02/to-be-mesmerized-by-certain-frig-is.html

STOCKING STUFFERS: MAILLE BLACK TRUFFLE …
STEP up to the tap for a pour of your favorite. Do note that this is not a conversation about beer, though a lager, hops or IPA could nicely compliment the topic under discussion.
The topic under discussion is mustard – not just any mustard – but master, mustard-maker, Maille. There are many variety from which to choose, between sweet and savory. However, the one that captures this imagination is the Black Truffle and Chablis Mustard. Yum, a million times, yum! Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/12/stocking-stuffers-maille-black-truffle.html

T-FAL 10-IN-1 RICE & MULTI-COOKER ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/12/t-fal-10-in-1-rice-multi-cooker.html

NYCWFF 2015: DAY 3 ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/10/nycwff-day-3-on-local-scene-nuttiness.html

NYCWFF 2015: DAY 2 ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/10/nycwff-2015-day-2-bbds-judged-winner-of.html

TENNIS WEEK DAY 2 ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/08/tennis-week-day-2-celebrity-chef-tennis.html

CHEW ON THIS ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/08/chew-on-this-daily-shitake-mushroom-and.html


IT’S ALL GOOD A CHEFTOPIA ...
IT is not a mouthful of chocolate. It is a Seeded Foie Gras Lollipop.
Who knew cow tongue could be so beef-stew beefy?! It has been left to Tongue Tacos, Fermented Chilies and Wild Garlic to point it out.
These are just some of the more than 30 dishes on the menu at Cheftopia: The 30th Annual Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels at Rockefeller Center Plaza. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/06/its-all-good-at-cheftopia-30th-annual.html

SLOW LIVING SUMMIT ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/06/50-cents-and-lot-more-at-8th-veuve.html

COOL AS A CUCUMBER ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2015/01/cool-as-cucumber-creating-harmony.html

WHAT THE WINE AFICIONADO REALLY WANTS ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/12/what-wine-aficionado-really-wants-and.html

FOR THE HOLIDAY TABLE ...
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/11/for-holiday-table-or-any-other-time-of.html

YOU CAN END THAT ADDICTION TO FRIED AND FATTY. YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND. YES, YOU CAN.
THE power of positive thinking can help individuals overcome any number of difficulties, meet myriad challenges. Very few would dispute this. But now this notion has some science behind it – certainly as it regards more healthful food choices. Indeed, the-little-engine-that-could brand of thinking is not so much pep talk and pop psychology. If your mind can conceive your choosing a turkey burger on eggplant instead of a beef burger on bun. If your heart can believe it. Then, you can achieve it. Not only a healthier, lower-calorie meal, but one that can lead to many quality of life benefits, particularly if you are not overweight or obese. It really is all in the mind. Entrenched, addictive preferences for unhealthy foods can eventually be reversed, according to research by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University and Massachusetts General Hospital. “We don’t start out in life loving French fries and hating, for example, whole wheat pasta,” said lead author Susan B. Roberts. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/10/you-can-end-that-addiction-to-fried-and.html


POMMES FRITES. THIS IS HOW FRIES ARE DONE.
CRUNCHY on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Beautiful golden brown, cut the old-school way. That's how they roll at Pommes Frites, an emporium that deals solely in fried potatoes or – as we erroneously declare in the good ole USA – French Fries, and once upon a time boiling with anger, Freedom Fries. Yours Truly discovered Pommes Frites, one week after my auspicious 'cue birthday lunch at Mighty Quinn's Barbeque, At the time of my discovery, I was in search of a falafel sandwich and fries. To that end, I took myself off to the East Village again, my good luck of a week before still fresh on the brain. Here I am after leaving Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant because there was nary a fry on the menu, hopefully strolling down Second Avenue between St. Marks Place and 7th Street. That's when I hit paydirt at a space a hair bigger than a storefront with very limited inside seating. Struck by the name on the sign, I reverently approach the doors of Pommes Frites, first standing outside reading the menu and eyedropping on what the diners taking up the lone outside table are eating. That's when it hits me that the joint sells fries only. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/08/pommes-frites-this-is-how-fries-are-done.html


AT MIGHTY QUINN'S BARBEQUE, IT IS MIGHTY SLOW AND MIGHTY GOOD
IT'S Saturday morning, around 9:30, on the second of August. I note the time because I am not in the gym where one can normally find me at this hour on this day. Today is different. It is my birthday. I slept a little late because I started celebrating at 12:02 a.m. with some words to my Maker and some horseplay with a sly cat. Then I decide, because it is my day, to watch some TV, specifically a western on the cable channel, Encore Westerns. Was it about 5 a.m. when I turned in? But now it's almost time for me to get going, except that I don't, because it is my special day. The next hour or so is dedicated to reading birthday wishes and generally lazing about. Then my stomach emits a low growl. So what to eat? I decide against a burger, something French and brunch, before I settle on 'cue at Mighty Quinn's Barbeque. It is what one should expect from a 'cue joint, with a few interesting departures. Here are Single Serving and One-Pound quantities, naked or covered (no sandwich or sandwich), of Beef Brisket, Burnt Ends, Pulled Pork, Spare Ribs, Half Chicken, Wings and whatnot. And then there is the Brontosaurus Rib, which an inquiry reveals is a long, rather than short, beef rib. I declare, the meat-bone combo can be a lethal weapon! Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/08/at-mighty-quinns-barbeque-it-is-mighty.html


'CUE TIPS: SCIENCE BEHIND WHAT MAKES THAT BARBECUE CHICKEN-RIB-BEEF GOOD FINGER LICKIN'
EVER wonder what makes barbecue barbecue? Of course not! It tastes good and that is all that matters. Let someone else ponder the whys and whyfors. Incidentally, May is National Barbecue Month. Unofficially, so are June, July, August and September. For the most devoted, October, too. A body who knows about the essence of barbecue is food scientist Guy Crosby, a guy with a lot of capital letters behind his name. GC took questions from Institute of Food Technologists staff ahead of the IFT14 Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans last month on the very subject of barbecueology. GC explains how meat takes on wood flavor. He also speaks calmly about the Maillard Reaction, as well as other barbecue business. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/07/some-science-behind-what-makes-that.html


EAT YOUR WAY TO A GLOW THAT WON'T GO AWAY
WE want to be slim(mer) and trim(mer). We want our hair to shine and our teeth to gleam. We also want sun-kissed skin, preferably without spending unhealthy hours exposed to its rays. We want our skin to look super hydrated. We want it to glow. Yes, glow – especially this time of year. Of course, none of this is a revelation, and the solution is simple. Glowing skin, according to conventional wisdom, requires creams, serums, potions. That means a trip to the medicine cabinet, drug store or makeup counter. Well, that is not exactly the case, says a Texas dietitian. The route to glowing skin need not pass through the bathroom and department store, but through the kitchen and the grocery store. Five foods – yes, foods – can leave you glowing: almonds, carrots, pineapple, pumpkin seeds and watermelon. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/07/eat-your-way-to-glow-that-wont-go-away.html


'TASTE ASIA,' A JOURNEY THROUGH WILDLY DIVERSE CUISINES AND CULTURES
IT'S sensory overload: Japanese drumming, chopsticks-handling class, noodle-making demos, dumpling eating contest and a Chinese food competition, featuring cuisine from five provinces. It also the two-day festival that brings to a close Taste Asia, a six-week celebration of Asian cuisines and culture. The place for Taste Asia? Not Beijing, Tokyo or New Delhi, but New York City, Times Square. Taste Asia boasts and promotes food and culture from India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The free festival offers New Yorkers and visitors to New York a chance to dance in the streets or leave that to the Trinayan Dance Company. And learn the ins and out of noddle-making (Gong Fu, for instance) and do a little sampling. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/06/taste-asia-journey-through-wildly.html


GRILLS GONE WILD: FILLING UP AND SLIMMING DOWN IN SUMMERTIME ...
DON'T eat too much blackened and charred meat. Choose the leanest cuts of meat such as tenderloins and flanks. When choosing ground beef, purchase the kind with a lower ratio of fat (90/10). Marinade meat for moisture and prevent charring. This advice from Lisa Cimperman, a clinical dietitian at Cleveland's University Hospitals Case Medical Center, may sound familiar. If not, these are tips for grilling foods in ways that aid weight loss and promote general good health. Essentially, to slim down while filling up on good food. After all, it's (almost) summertime (21 June) and the grilling should be easy. "Marinade vegetables and the grill caramelizes the natural sugars, enhancing the natural flavors in zucchini, squash, portobello mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes," says LC. "That's a great way to cut back on calories in your diet and fill-up and add some really great nutrition as well." Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/06/grills-gone-wild-filling-up-and.html


CRUISING: GET ONBOARD FOR 'LA NUIT EN ROSÉ'
BY JOEL LEVIN
IS
pink the new white? Will Rosés from around the world supplant Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio at festive summer events? For clues, get yourself to downtown Manhattan on 13 and 14 June (Friday and Saturday) for a tasting of some pink beauties. Step onto a glass-walled yacht at Pier 40 for what promises to be four pleasant hours on the Hudson River – with jaw-dropping views of the Manhattan skyline. With a glass in hand that can be constantly replenished with any of more than 80 wines from nearly 60 wineries. Close your eyes; picture the scene; take in the bouquets, the bouquets of France's Domaine d'Eole but also Ouled Thaleb from Morocco and Los Vascos from Chile. Several rosé Champagnes will be represented, too. While for some time, blush and pink wines were considered default choices for beginners and the unsophisticated, new growing and vinification techniques have generated higher quality rosés hallmarked by their complexity and versatility. Read more:
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/06/cruising-get-onboard-for-la-nuit-en-rose.html


WITH HUDSON EATS, FEEDING AN APPETITE FOR SOME CHOICE CHOW
BY NEIL WOLFSON
WE
feasted on toothsome handrolls of Yellowtail, Toro, Salmon and Spicy Tuna from fave, Blue Ribbon Sushi (sorry Nobu). Another East Village haunt, Mighty Quinn's Barbecue, dispensed succulent pulled pork sandwiches. This culinary exercise unfolded last week on the Hudson River waterfront in the shadow of the sleek and gleaming Freedom Tower. Lower Manhattan's Battery Park City was once a culinary wasteland. All that has changed now with Hudson Eats, the 30,000 square foot, approximate 600-seat food court inside the office, shopping and arts & entertainment complex known as Brookfield Place. Last week was the preview. Yesterday, Hudson Eats, boasting a “curated mix of 14 award-winning eateries,” opened to the general public. Hungry crowds should leave satisfied from the kitchens of Skinny Pizza (say cheese), Dos Toros (“guac” is good ) and Tartinery (Labne et Saumon Fume c'est délicieux). Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/06/with-hudson-eats-feeding-apetitie-for.html


NOWADAYS, THERE'S PRACTICALLY ALWAYS A RESTAURANT WEEK SOMEWHERE
FROM The Cecil's Duo of Deviled Duck Eggs to Cafe Colore's Frangelico Espresso Panna Cotta, special soup is on – all around the United States. One newly notable occurrence of the new year is the start of a restaurant week somewhere in this patch of God's green earth called the United States. Alexandria, Ann Arbor, Bethlehem, Charleston and Charlotte have closed the kitchen on deals on meals. Take heart, it is only February with plenty of discount dining to be digested over the next weeks and months. To begin, where it all started. One newly notable occurrence of the new year is the start of a restaurant week somewhere in this patch of God's green earth called the United States. Alexandria, Ann Arbor, Bethlehem, Charleston and Charlotte have closed the kitchen on deals on meals. Take heart, it is only February with plenty of discount dining to be digested in the coming weeks and months. To begin, where it all started. New York restaurant week is now in its 22nd year and is the original, a point that its organizer, NYC & Company, has lately taken pains to point out in promotional materials and press releases. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2014/02/theres-practically-always-restaurant.html


'FOODOPOLY': IN A COLOSSAL BATTLE WITH MR. BIG STUFF
WALMART gets one out of every three dollars spent on groceries in the United States. Pepsico is the second largest company in the world. Among its assets are Rice-a-Roni, Doritos, Quaker Oats and Smartfood. Midsize family farmers make an average annual income of approximately $19,000 – including government subsidies. These are just a few of the shocking disclosures in “Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America.” The book from Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch (http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org), lays out in credible straight talk how the U.S. food supply is controlled by a few conglomerates – hence the “opoly” in title – and what must be done to wrest control of it away from them. Read more:
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2013/05/foodopoly-in-colossal-battle-with-mr.html


ROCK THE RIESLINGS, PART 3: AMERICAN BEAUTIES FOR THANKSGIVING
BY TAMARA FISH
PLAY
a basic word association with the term “Rieslings” and the majority of the time people will mention wine, white wine, Germany, Austria or Alsace. Perhaps 1 percent of the time someone will mention New York State’s Finger Lakes Region. Now don’t giggle. And please un-scrunch the nose. It’s not polite. This isn’t "Sesame Street’s" “One of These Things Is Not Like the Other.” Times have changed, and so have New York State wines. For those with short memory spans, owing to chronological considerations (as in not yet having been born), New York State wines of the ‘70s and ‘80s were once synonymous with … well … how to put this nicely ... rocket fuel. Yes, that will do. While beautiful fertile valleys, an overabundance of Appalachian water, and wild grapevines ambling along the wooded lanes cried out “WINE COUNTRY,” the locals made wine with what grew in abundance: Concord grapes, the same sweet jammy fruit used for … well … Concord Grape Jelly. Concord jelly completes childhood with its peanut butter and jelly, but kids grow up. What about the grapes for adulthood? Smaller literally mom-and-pop producers began to take the grapes and the region (terroir, definition 1) very seriously, thinking outside of the Concord box. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/11/rock-rieslings-part-3-american-beauties.html


ROCK THE RIESLING, PART 2: A GUIDE, A TEST AND THE ONE
BY TAMARA FISH
AS
I mentioned last week, since Rieslings have more shades, hues, and varieties than the political positions of defeated presidential candidate Mitt Romney, finding the right Riesling can be a daunting undertaking. But it will be less so for those with a plan. Step 1: Go directly to the German section of the quality local wine store. Why? Two reasons. First, Germans have mastered the art of the Riesling. Period. There is absolutely no debate on this issue. Second, ever the master systematicians, Germans have developed an outrageous and rigorously controlled classification of wines and mandated that extensive information appear on every wine label. Knowing how to read a German wine label transforms any novice wine dabbler into a Dionysian-level Riesling god at the next dinner party. Step 2: Resist the temptation to run and shriek in terror upon viewing the encyclopedic label. Should the temptation prove too daunting, be sure to put the bottle down gently before dashing out the door. Breathe deeply. Return to store and find the salesclerk. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/11/rock-riesling-part-2-guide-test-and-one.html


ROCK THE RIESLINGS, PART 1: AN OVERVIEW
BY TAMARA FISH
AH, Riesling.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: dry, sweet, steely, fruity, biting, smooth and every way in between. One of the most versatile varietals ever – how can anyone describing the wine do justice to the grape? Most varietals do not present great versatility in flavors. Imagine a dessert Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance. What about a spicy Chardonnay? Ever sample a citrus-filled Pinot Noir? Now witness a wine that can take on seemingly conflicting hues. That's the magic of Riesling: the myriad ways to combine the grape's natural sweetness and minerality with a floral fruitiness. Let me translate: Ever bite into an apple that somehow seemed to taste of flowers? Now wash all that down with Evian (mineral water) sporting a twist of lemon. Any one of those four flavors can dominate – or balance out – in a Riesling: fruity, floral, minerality, citrus. Tweak the sugar content or the acidity and the wine spans the range from bone-dry aperitif, to something to quaff alone or with beef, to a fine dessert wine. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/10/rock-rieslings-part-1-overview.html


TEQAVA: TEQUILA THAT HAS BUILT-IN SPARKLE
WHAT lingers in the memory is the taste of a mild fruit – some kind of berry or nectar. It’s a little sweet, but not too sweet for the palate that prefers dry to fruity. It is light and refreshing. That is what the memory serves about TeQava. Say what? TeQava, it’s the world’s first ready-mixed sparkling tequila – straight outta the revered Atotonilco distillery in the highland town of Jalisco, Mexico. TeQava. What’s in a name? It stems from the word Tequila – Teq and from cava, the Spanish word for sparkling wine. TeQava, however, contains no wine. What’s its pedigree? TeQava is made from a triple-distilled blend of silver tequila made with 8-year-old agave. These combine to make one of the purest forms of tequila. This is the good stuff, not to be wasted on shots, rather savored like a cognac. Added to these ingredients is a mix of natural flavors and carbonation. Get that? It’s all natural – no processed sugars. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/10/teqava-tequila-that-has-built-in-sparkle.html


UNDER REVIEW: GORILLA COLD BREW PURE BLACK COFFEE
By DARALYN JAY
WHEN
I first opened the box of Gorilla Cold Brew Pure Black Coffee, I was intrigued to find folded burlap on top. Oooh! Did the coffee makers send a fetching tote in which to carry my coffee? No such luck. It was a cut piece of a burlap sack used as padding. Clever, but since I then noticed the fibers it had shed onto my clothing, I quickly discarded the burlap and shifted my attention to the product underneath. Roasted in Brooklyn, NY, Gorilla Cold Brew Pure Black Coffee comes in an 11-ounce red and black Tetra Pak carton bearing a gorilla’s face and a New York City skyline. The shelf-stable packaging requires no refrigeration until after it has been opened. The coffee is a blend of two premium beans, Rwanda Kigeyo and Brazil Pedra Roxa, prepared by a cold brew process. Well … Gorilla Cold Brew Pure Black Coffee is a full-bodied blend, lacking bitterness and carrying a distinct taste and aroma of molasses. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/10/under-review-gorilla-cold-brew-pure.html


ROAST AND OTHER GOODIES AT NYC WINE&FOOD FESTIVAL
THE burger bash is back; ditto for the mad meatballs and so is Rachael Ray. Gone is last year’s Oasis lounge, the closing party in Guy Fieri's garage and Emeril Lagasse. New is a roast and collaboration with a renown culinary institute. Despite it all, foodies will find more than enough to savor during the fifth annual Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (NYCWFF). Over the course of four days (11-14 Oct.), starting tomorrow through Sunday, the festival will feature some of the best drink and food New York City has to offer. It is a place where Food Network and nonFood Network top chefs and culinary stars will be talking and tasting, demo-ing and dining, signing and searing. Of course, this jollification is for a good cause. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/10/roast-and-other-goodies-at-nyc-wine.html


LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON: PERFECT REDS FOR AUTUMN PICNICS
BY TAMARA FISH HELLO, fellow Grape: WineTalk readers. Long time, no see! For the past few months, I’ve been hard at work traveling the back woods to find excellent unknown vineyards, catching up on research to keep current on the latest viniculture and scouting various festivals to bring you the best and the brightest in wines today. Picking up where we left off: Those fabulous unsung French wines. How many have heard of the Languedoc-Roussillon region Too far west to be part of the official Provence region. South of the rugged Gascony. Part of Catalan history, but its barely remembered French side. True home of only the most important textiles of the last century: made in Nimes = de Nimes = denims. Languedoc-Roussillon (LONG-ge-DOC ROO-si-YON) with its laidback style and unpretentious ways often gets overlooked. Even its wines. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/10/languedoc-roussillon-perfect-reds-for.html


GOT WINE-GIFTED?: REGIFTING, DRINKING, SAVING & HOW
BY TAMARA FISH
WELL
the holiday season is off and running, and no double, wine bottles will come and go. Throw a party and voila! Instant wine cellar for a good little while. So how does one know what to keep, what to regift (ewww – did I say that?!?!), what to drink, and how to store? For those unfamiliar wines – the bulk of the wines that will come your way, no doubt – find out what you have. Without judging the giver, go on line and do some research. Type in the producer, name of the wine, grape (varietal) and year into Wine-Searcher.com (http://www.wine-searcher.com/), Wine.com (http://www.wine.com/) or even Wine Enthusiast (http://www.wineenthusiast.com/). Is the bottle a good table wine, something in the $15-$25 range? Is it a pizza wine, an inexpensive one that advertises widely and seems known to all, typically under $10-12? Is it a library wine, an officious way of saying a wine that one stores, waits while it improves with age, and saves for special occasions? Takes notes if you like, and then simply sort wines into the three groups. A temptation may be to regift the unfamiliar. Never heard of that wine? You try it, my dear friend. Let me suggest something different: regift what you know. You’ll feel comfortable and confident giving the bottle to another. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/got-wine-gifted-regifting-drinking.html


WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOUR FOOD AND WHERE HAS IT BEEN?
IMAGINE for a moment how our eating habits would change if we did the kind of background check on the food we eat that employers do on employees; that banks do on borrowers; that we do on potential partners and new acquaintances. Can you fathom enjoying that prime rib if you knew that it came from a cow that had contact with the excrement of other cows or was sick at the time of slaughter? Or travelled thousands of miles before it reached your plate? Of course, not. But as a country we are not conditioned to think of food this way, distracted as we are by aromas, colors, flavors and sometimes low prices. Food+Tech Connect's Farm Bill Hackathon and Occupy Wall Street Farmers’ March are two weekend events in New York that may forever change the way many view food. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/do-you-know-where-your-food-has-been.html


TOWNSFOLK AROUND THE WORLD, SAY NO TO DIABESITY
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
HO!
Ho! Ho! Happy Holidays from NYC Healthy Chick. It's not even friggin' Turkey Day yet and retailers are playing subliminal holiday songs promoting good cheer while hoping to cash in at the register early this year. Instead of buying a gift that will go unused or be regifted, think about new ways to promote better health and happiness this holiday season. One gift that one out of every two of us will get this year is a disease that will make us fat, sick and will kill us. The scary thing is that 90 percent of us don't even know we have it. So what is it? It's called Diabesity, the continuum of abnormal biology that ranges from mild insulin resistance to full-blown diabetes. Who heard of such a thing? I have and I have a few ideas about how to stave it off, but first a little more background. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/townsfolk-around-world-say-no-to.html


HARD CIDER: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS RETURNS – REVIVED
BY TAMARA FISH
EVERYTHING
old is new again, and nothing is quite as fashionable as hard cider, the alcoholic version of the fall classic. Hard cider has burst back on the scene, a fresh alternative to the beer option.
But guess what? In the USA, hard cider is older than baseball. Older than beer. Older than the country itself. And almost as old as apple pie. Hard cider was THE DRINK in colonial America, back in the days when people were afraid to drink local water, fearing contamination and illness. Hard cider was so popular that most people, even children, drank it for breakfast. Milk wasn't pasteurized back then, and cider became what many thought was a healthy alternative. Imagine that. Thank goodness someone turned us on to coffee and orange juice rather quickly. In fact, the nation's love affair with cider, rum and bourbon is one of the reasons why Prohibition gained such traction. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/hard-cider-breakfast-of-champions.html


GOBBLE! GOBBLE! ... CERTAINLY IT DOESN'T MEAN THIS
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
GOBBLE!
Gobble! Thanksgiving Day is notorious for being an occasion when many take license to stuff themselves like – well – a turkey, overindulge in alcohol, quarrel with family and at midnight or 7 a.m. on Friday embark on a credit-card fueled spending spree. Good golly, we have strayed far away from the traditions that gave rise to the holiday. In many cultures, festivals were held before and after harvest to give thanks for a good yield, to rejoice as a community after much hard work, to celebrate safe voyages and to celebrate peace. Would our British and Native American ancestors approve of how Thanksgiving is celebrated today? Have we lost our way and along with it the true meaning of the holiday? The answer is a resounding YES! When was the last time any of us really gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/gobble-gobble-certainly-it-doesnt-mean.html


A MOST PERFECT THIRST QUENCHER FOR INDIAN SUMMER
BY TAMARA FISH
HOT,
hot days after a killing frost has come. There’s nothing quite like Indian Summer. Right when we’ve abandoned all hope of green for the next nine months, right as we’ve resigned ourselves to living in fleece, sweaters and GORE-TEX, Nature itself bestows a blessing, as if to entice Persephone once more. The piercing sun assaults the eyes. The fiery hues of autumn blaze fiercely against a crisp blue sky. The still, still air dares us to keep buttoned up; soon layers and layers of clothing come off, prompting many to shed far more than they normally would. The skin flushes hot, almost feverish against the rays, as if greeting a long lost love. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/11/most-perfect-thirst-quencher-for-indian.html


WHAT'S ON THE END OF YOUR FORK CAN KILL YOU. NO JOKE!
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
GOT
high blood pressure? Pop a pill.
Got high cholesterol? Pop a pill.
Got a case of the blues? Pop a pill.
Got Type 2 diabetes? Pop a pill.
Got indigestion? Pop a pill.
Got erectile dysfunction? Pop a pill.
Got some other kind of chronic illness or disease? You know the drill. See a pattern here? Yeah, it’s not a good one either in my humble professional opinion. The big pharma industry has led everyone to believe that the solution to every disease and illness is a pill. Ah, H-E-L-L-O!!!! No way, man, is this the solution. Think about how much the pharmaceutical industry is making from prescription drugs people take every day for common aliments. What if we simply look at what’s on the end of our fork as a no-cost solution to cure what ails us? Isn’t this brilliant and easy? Actually, maybe it’s too logical for folks who are used to running to the doctor and getting a prescription for every new disease and illness. What if we people were educated instead of medicated? How would this impact our health care system and medical costs? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/10/whats-on-end-of-your-fork-can-kill-you.html


NESHOBE RIVER WINERY: A WICKED-GOOD ... IN VERMONT!
BY TAMARA FISH
BRILLIANT
fall foliage.
Excellent cross country skiing.
Damn-near mystical maple syrup.
And some wicked-good wine?!
Who woulda thunk it? That’s Vermont. Full of quirky little surprises. Imagine my surprise when a wine called Purple Haze proved to be far superior to the lighter-fuel, rot-gut hazy hangover its name seems to foreshadow. Purple Haze. Created in the same year as the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Did I ever get the reference wrong! But to be fair, the label does say, “Relive the experience Woodstock 1969-2009.” I was thinking one would have to re-live the experience, because just how many who went could actually remember it? And, who in the world would have the audacity to evoke such an iconic rock legend and slap its name on a wine bottle? Enter the Foley family, and Bob Foley, Jr. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/10/neshobe-river-winery-wicked-good-in.html


ANY NUTRITARIAN WORTH HIS SALT IS EATING UP GOMBBS
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
ARE
they fruits or vegetables? Do they taste good? Where do I buy them? C’mon NYC Healthy Chick, what are GOMBS? Actually, “GOMBBS” is an acronym you can use to remember the most nutrient-dense, health-promoting foods on the planet. Joel Fuhrman, a medical doctor and author promotes this catchy acronym in his new book, “Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free." These foods should make up a significant portion of the diet, and JF recommends eating them every day. GOMBBS are extremely effective at preventing chronic disease as well as promoting health and longevity. OK, so what exactly are GOMBBS? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/10/any-nutritarian-worth-his-salt-is.html


O.O.P. TOPS OFFICE MEAL COMBO EVERY TIME. HONEST.
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
SO
which Office Breakfast Combo do you order daily? Office Combo 1: 16 oz. of black coffee or Diet Coke on an empty stomach, Office Combo 2: Doughnuts with sugar frosting-n-rainbow sprinkles and 16 oz. cup of coffee, or Office Combo 3: Skipping breakfast altogether? And exactly how do you feel just hours afterward? Fatigued, and with your mojo has disappearoed? Hmmm, this is definitely not a good thing to experience daily at work or any place. Do not worry; eat three square meals a day; say your prayers; be courteous to your creditors; keep your digestion good; exercise; go slow and easy. Maybe there are other things your special case requires to make you happy, but my friend, these I reckon will give you a good lift.Lincoln, Abraham Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/09/oop-tops-office-meal-combo-every-time.html


EMERIL AND OTHER GOODIES AT NYC WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
“AW, yeah, babe. Feel the love.” For its fourth installment the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival has nabbed none other than Emeril Lagasse. It was inevitable. Himself makes his festival debut with his own Macy’s Lounge storefront at Chelsea Market AfterDark, where according to the pr, he is planning something memorable. One can imagine that Chelsea Market eateries Jacques Torres Chocolates, L’arte del Gelato and Dickson’s Farmstand will figure in the mix of “delicious bites and seasonal goodies” that EL promises. Chelsea Market AfterDark is the big attraction of Day 1 of the sponsor-heavy festival, on tap a week earlier this year, from 29 Sept. through 2 Oct. The centerpiece of the last two days is the Grand Tasting. It’s like Chelsea Market AfterDark, only larger, attracting a dizzying number of restaurants, wine&spirit purveyors, exhibitors and a few sundry others. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/09/emeril-and-other-goodies-at-nyc-wine.html


THE POWER SOURCE OF THE CALORIES WITHIN
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
ARE
you standing there scratching your heading wondering where your calories come from these days? Hmmm, you’re really not sure are you?OK, it’s time to start tracking your food intake and calories. Chances are, like most Americans, you’re eating way too many processed carbs and empty calories. According to last year's Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dgas2010-dgacreport.htm), the top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. diet are:
1. Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars)
2. Yeast breads
3. Chicken and chicken mixed dishes
4. Soda, energy drinks and sports drinks
5. Pizza
6. Alcoholic beverages
7. Pasta and pasta dishes
8. Mexican mixed dishes
9. Beef and beef-mixed dishes
10. Dairy desserts
Clearly, the majority of foods consumed by Americans are processed carbs, the primary source of weight and health problems. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/09/power-source-of-calories-within.html


BELLY-UP TO THE BAR: ENOTECAPHOBIA NO MORE

BY TAMARA FISH
E-NO-TE-Ca:
Wine bar, from the ancient Greek words for wine and storage place. e-no-te-ca-PHO-bia: An acute irrational fear of entering enotecas, characterized by an overwhelming sense of confusion, social anxiety, indecision, and in rare cases, an inability to speak. Condition pending approval by APA (American Psychological Association) for submission in the DSM-5.* Disorientation strikes as soon as the foot crosses the threshold: bottles upon bottles of wine across every wall, most from vineyards known only to a few. Elegantly comfortable people sip knowledgeably from long-stemmed, deep-bowled glasses. The maitre d’ acknowledges new people with a nod, unsmilingly. Kind waiters gently slip the menu into hands, the book of wines propping it up from underneath. Disappearing with a nod, they promise to return minutes later. The menu is sensible; the wine list incomprehensible. Page upon page lists wine available by the glass; twice as many are available by the bottle. List upon list appears, sorted by varietal, country, vintners, colors, characteristics. Sensations swirl together as quickly as aromas and popping corks flood the room. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/09/belly-up-to-bar-enotecaphobia-no-more_07.html


C'MON. YOU'RE OVERDOING IT. GET OUT OF B.E.D.!
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
WHEW!,
glad to see Hurricane Irene didn’t stop you from checking out my latest and greatest! Things have been beyond control and threw NYC Healthy Chick off course, for sure, this week. With no electricity and access to healthy foods, it makes for a deadly storm brewing with some old eating habits rearing their ugly heads in the lurch. Originally my article had a different angle, but the hurricane experience was so vivid and timely, that I had to do a quick rewrite. With the whirlwind of chaos, panic and the uncertainty caused by the hurricane, it was a surefire way to end up in B.E.D.! Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/cmon-youre-overdoing-it-get-out-of-bed.html


AT TASTE OF TENNIS, FISH&CO. DISH ON GOOD EATS
FROM Mardy Fish’s mouth to your ears: “Breakfast is huge for me. If I don’t get a good breakfast, I struggle.” The No. 1 U.S. tennis player didn’t struggle on Monday in his first-round victory on Day 1 of the U.S. Open. Before MF took to the court – a few days earlier – he and a number of colleagues were hanging out at the 12th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis in and near remote kitchens set up in the W New York hotel. A favorite breakfast for this champion is a bowl of strawberries, eggs, potatoes and some sort of carbohydrate “I like to load up on breakfast and work my way down from there. I can always burn breakfast off as well, said MF, who has famously lost around 30 pounds and is playing the best tennis of his career. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/at-taste-of-tennis-fish-dish-on-good.html


THE HOW OF ORGANIC, NATURAL AND BIODYNAMIC WINES

BY TAMARA FISH
NEW
types of wine seem to be springing up all over: Natural Wine, Organic Wine, Biodynamic Wine. Twenty years ago, people would have scratched their heads. Natural wine. Hmmmm. Is there an unnatural wine? Organic Wine. What’s an inorganic wine made of? Plastic? Let’s not even begin to think about biodynamic. Remember those iconic ads in which a very young Brooke Shields claimed that nothing “comes between me and my Calvins [Klein jeans].” Well nothing – or very little – comes between the dirt and the wine from the vine in organic, natural, and biodynamic production. That’s the glib way of talking about terroir – the land from which a wine springs. Every vineyard is different. Every harvest is different. The minerals found in one parcel of land are different than in another. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/how-of-organic-natural-and-biodynamic.html


QUITTING DAILY GRIND OF COFFEE AND ALCOHOL EXPRESS
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
QUICK,
you need an energy fix. At the crack of dawn you’re guzzling a venti quad toffee nut latte. At 10:30, a coworker shows up with your A.M. fix. Noontime, you’re off to the office's favorite purveyor for a slice or two and a soda. Poof, it’s 3 p.m. and another cup of coffee magically appears on your desk. Quitting time and you’re sitting at the local wateringhole throwing back a couple of drinks. Does this sound all too familiar? What really happens when we rely on these kinds of stimulants to keep us energized? Is it really healthy to continue the regular misuse of coffee and alcohol to fuel the body? No. Caffeine is the No. 1 drug that propels us past the point of fatigue without giving our bodies a break. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/quitting-daily-grind-of-coffee-and.html


CHAMBORD HAS SOME THINGS TO QUENCH THE THIRST
IT’S summertime and part of the easy living is a stiff, cold drink of something mouthwatering good. Of course, there is water, any number of smoothies and ice coffees, as well as seasonal wines such as sauvignon blanc and rose. And what would summer be without – SANGRIA! A few weeks back, VEVLYN’S PEN sommelier, the irrepressible Tamara Fish aka Famara Tish, shared a very tasty (one knows from experience) white sangria recipe that calls for Pinot Grigio and gin. Just about everyone with a row to hoe in the spirits world has a sangria recipe that they cart out this time of year. That includes the CHAMgria™ from Chambord. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/chambord-has-some-things-to-quench.html


DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS LURKING IN YOUR FRIDGE?
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
“JANET,
what exactly are you doing in my fridge?” my bewildered mother asked while I photographed the contents of her refrigerator last week during my visit. Initially, the biggest concern was cleanliness versus contents. But on closer look … The vast majority of food was processed and loaded with chemicals. Oh how I cringed every time I opened the door only to have this big block of Velveeta cheese staring me right in the face. C’mon mother, it’s not even real cheese! Yeah, even NYC Healthy Chick leaves well enough alone when it comes to family. Believe you, me, it ain’t easy honey. Like many Americans, my parents have fallen prey to consuming processed chemical foods out of convenience and savings. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/08/do-you-know-what-is-lurking-in-your.html


GRIGIO & GRIS: 'THE PATTY DUKE SHOW' OF WINES

BY TAMARA FISH
PINOT Grigio
and Pinot Gris are strongly related to their namesake, Pinot Noir. Some describe them as a genetic mutation, making them, in lay terms, Pinot Noir’s cousin. Instead of the Noir’s lush, dark, pine-cone shaped clusters bearing red wine, imagine grapes printed in grayscale – slightly washed out with an almost ashen hue. That's Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio. From such gray-reddish grapes comes a white wine. Surprising? Well, that’s just the beginning. And to make the point, let’s take a short detour through cable TV’s Nick@Nite. Remember “The Patty Duke Show?” OK, truth be told, I caught only a few reruns, but I remember the terribly catch theme song:

But they’re cousins,/
Identical cousins, all the way./
One pair of matching bookends,/
Different as night and day."

How matching? This matching:

They laugh alike, they walk alike./
At times, they even talk alike./
You can lose your mind/
When cousins are two of a kind.
Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/07/grigio-gris-patty-duke-show-of-wines.html


A MOMENT ON YOUR LIPS BEFORE THINGS GO TOPSY-TURVY
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
“HOW
do you manage eating healthy every day, NYC Healthy Chick?” My friend’s caregiver posed this question to me recently. The answer is simple. I must eat healthy 90 percent of the time or suffer the consequences. What are the manifestations? I experience both emotional and physical imbalances like low energy, fatigue, irritability, brain-fog, sleep disruptions, ruddy skin, PMS, constipation, blood sugar highs/lows, candida, as well as aches and pains throughout my entire body. Trust me when I say these imbalances totally drive NYC Healthy Chick up a wall! During these moments, I feel like Sybil hijacked my body, and all of my multiple secret personalities creep out of nowhere. Looking from the outside in, I hear my innervoice screaming, “What the heck is going on here sista!” Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/07/moment-on-your-lips-before-things-go.html


APPROACHING 20, NYC RESTAURANT WEEK IS STILL ENTICING
YOURS Truly loves paella. Alas, I stopped eating it nearly seven years ago around the time I quit eating shellfish. Out of sheer ignorance, I only associated this wonderful Spanish soul food dish with seafood. But there is vegetarian paella – one filled with eggplant, cauliflower, artichokes, tomato, garbanzo beans, sugar snow peas, for instance. The very one (Verduras) is on the NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2011 menu at Socarrat Paella Bar. What a bounty! Paella and restaurant week. The paella will be around for a long, long while. Restaurant week, however, is scheduled to end on 24 July but an extension is expected and inevitable. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/07/approaching-20-nyc-restaurant-week-is.html


FEELING FAT, BLOATED AND BLUE? CHEW ON THESE MORSELS.
BY Janet Cook, NYC Healthy Chick
“I
feel bloated, blah and blue lately,” a good friend disclosed recently. We took a quick inventory of foods she’d been consuming lately. Typically, she’s great at incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables with some animal protein into her diet, but this vacation week on Fire Island she was drinking Diet Coke. And her menstrual cycle was due. Boy, was she a mess!Ever have those days or periods, like my friend, during which you feel fat, bloated and blue? When no matter what you wear it will never do? Then you begin to wonder whether there is really anything you can do about it? Have you? Don’t fret or sweat because NYC Healthy Chick has got the skinny on what to do. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/07/feeling-fat-bloated-and-blue-chew-on.html


HIP, HIP, HOOROSÉ FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE
BY TAMARA FISH
SO,
going to a Fourth of July barbecue and needing to make a fine impression? For the daring among you, show up with a rosé, a good blush wine. But please don't make it a White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel. The two most insulting words one could ever levy at rosé wine. True, White Zinfandel is a rosé, but it is only one of the many different types of rosé out there. Take everything that's said of White Zinfandel, and push it aside for a moment. (Throw out all those other images that go along with White Zinfandel, too: Mullet haircuts. “Miami Vice.” Laser-blue Armani suits. Shoulder pads. Yeesh! What a decade! Some things do not improve with age.) Not sure what a White Zin is? Hang on. Details to follow. Instead, let’s give those other perky little rosés a chance. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/07/hip-hip-hoo-rose-for-red-white-and-blue.html



IDENTIFYING FRIENDS AND ENEMIES IN FOOD WORLD
By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
IT
was after attending a health counseling school that I was able to stop fighting with my food and lifestyle.Once I made the connection between my depression, weight gain and out-of-balance lifestyle it was apparent that I needed change.There are hundreds of dietary theories. Each way of eating is right and can be scientifically proved to make sense. We are bio-individuals, which means one person's food is another person's poison. It is important that we understand that we are depressed and gaining weight because our food and lifestyle are out of balance. Prioritizing to prevent these outcomes isn't as complicated as it may seem. Not only will it reverse weight gain, it will change moods, relationships and the future for the better. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/06/put-down-your-weapons-food-is-not-enemy.html


FROM LAND OF CONTRASTS, TURKISH DELIGHT IN A BOTTLE
BY TAMARA FISH
IS
Turkish delight delightful, anyone?Some think so. Personally, I find the confection smells better than it tastes. I like my roses before my eyes and not on my tongue, thank you very much. But then again, I find that beer smells better than it tastes, too. Who am I to say? Now there’s something that’s delightful. Tongue-twisting consonant-congo-line names notwithstanding, Turkish wines show strong potential. As part of the much promised wRICO commission to break the accidental French wine mafia, we at Grape: Wine Talk are proud to introduce our readers to liquid Turkish delight: exquisite wine varietals of Turkey. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/06/from-land-of-contrasts-turkish-delight.html


COMBATING DIET SABOTEURS WHEREVER THEY LURK
BY JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick
WARNING!
As you create healthier habits in your life, you are sure to encounter the diet saboteurs. They are in every crowd waiting to derail you every minute of the day. Some are harmless and some are just downright malicious. Dant Dah Dah Da ... have no fear, NYC Healthy Chick is here to save the day kinda like Underdog. So what do these saboteurs look like? They are disguised as coworkers, church members, significant other/spouse – even best friends and family. Isn't it crazy to think that they are capable of such a vile act? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/06/combating-diet-saboteurs-wherever-they.html


CHEW ON THIS: MIGHT YOU HAVE THE HOOVER SYNDROME?
By Janet Cook NYC HEALTHY CHICK
TO
Hoover or not to Hoover, that is the question. Tell me, have you ever had this experience? One minute there is a plate full of delicious food in front of you, the next minute – poof – it’s gone, and you have absolutely no idea where it all went? If this is the case, then you suffer from Hoover Syndrome (HS) What exactly is HS? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/05/chew-on-this-might-you-have-hoover.html


RICO, PT. 2: BEYOND THE PORT TO PORTUGUESE VARIETALS
BY TAMARA FISH
ALTO
Douro is a Portuguese wine region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with good reason. Producing more than 200 indigenous varietals for more than 2000 years, Portugal is one of the wine world’s treasures. Douro, part of Porto, Portugal, produces ports of distinction, hence the name. Spurred by sharply declining port sales 15 years ago, Portuguese vintners began to craft wines from indigenous grapes traditionally used to make port. Other regional winegrowers, such as those in Dao, Alentejo and Barraida, began to tweak their vines with an eye toward producing exportable wines. The result is an ongoing experiment, but some of the findings are promising. Read more:
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/05/rico-pt-2-beyond-port-to-portuguese.html


OH HAPPY DAY: ‘SINGING THE SUGAR BLUES,’ PT. 2
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
THERE’S
no doubt about it – you have a sugar addiction and it has triggered the sugar blues. The next step is rehab, NYC Healthy Chick style. Starting today, you can break free from your sugar addition and create a healthier and vibrant new you with NYC Healthy Chick's “10 STEPS to Sugar Addiction Management.” Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/05/oh-happy-day-singing-sugar-bluesp-2.html


NAME THAT TUNE: 'SINGING THE SUGAR BLUES'?
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
"SINGING
the Sugar Blues" isn't a popular tune on the radio, but it may be a popular song playing in your head – literally. Did you know that the average woman consumes 3.5 pounds of sugar a week and doesn't even know it – that's 182 pounds a year! Honey (to use a word), that's a lot of sweetness for one person. It may come as not surprise, then, that most people suffer from sugar addiction. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/05/name-that-tune-singing-sugar-blues.html


RICO Pt. 1: OUTING ACCIDENTAL WINE MAFIA
BY FAMARA TISH
BREAKING
NEWS: I’m going to spill a dirty little secret known to most in the wine industry, but not the wider world. There’s a wine mafia. That’s right. A wine mafia. Countless people have entered the Witness Protection Program to bring you this story. I am one of them. Famara Tish is a pseudonym. What are the origins of this mafia? Sicilian? Pshaw, no! In this post-post modern world, it’s time to move beyond such stereotypes … No, the wine mafia is French. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/05/rico-pt-1-outing-accidental-wine-mafia.html


BEANS & OTHER THINGS THAT PREVENT WRECKS
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
REMEMBER
the old adage, “You are what you eat.” It’s so true. Looking back at what I used to eat as a child, teenager and in my 20’s ... all I can say is YIKES! I’m surprised I didn’t turn into a big mound of sugar. No wonder I was fat, sick and tired all the time. Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, says, “If you eat chemicalized foods – you have chemicalized thoughts, behaviors and actions.” Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/04/beans-other-things-that-prevent-wrecks.html


KOSHER, PT. 2: HOLD THE MEATS AND PASS THE WHITE
BY TAMARA FISH
A
carnivore’s best friend: A Brazilian grill or a Passover Seder. Both are typically chock full of beef, chicken, sometimes lamb, and in only one case, pork. After two nights (Passover) of back-to-back hearty eating, anyone but a Texan would scream, “Please, no more meat!” Vegans and vegetarians, liberation is on the way. Gone is the syrupy sweet spiked grape juice. Instead, luscious wines are but a click away. And with a few more days of Passover left to go, white wines are a welcome switch from the usual red. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/04/kosher-pt-2-hold-meats-pass-white.html


DID YOU LOSE THE KEYS TO YOUR H.O.M.E.?
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
LET'S
face it. Our lives have become so goal-driven, results-oriented, packed with deadlines and appointments that we have lost the keys to our H.O.M.E. You're probably thinking, "OK, NYC Healthy Chick what are you about here?" It's real simple actually. When I started my practice a few years ago I came up with a principle called Joy Begins at H.O.M.E. :
H - Healthy Living
O - Optimal Nutrition
M - Mediation
E - Exercise

Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/04/did-you-lose-keys-to-your-home.html


KOSHER, PT. 1: IT’S NOT UNCLE MAX’S MANISCHEWITZ
BY TAMARA FISH
WANNA
make a wine drinker cringe? Say Concord grape wine. Fabulous over vanilla ice cream and perfect for making the Passover Seder favorite haroset, Concord grape wine, a mainstay of the Manischewitz brand, can hardly be called “a great drink.” Syrupy sweet, almost like cough medicine, Concord is in a class of its own. Thankfully. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/04/its-not-uncle-maxs-manischewitz.html


AT ROUGE TOMATE, THE DIVINE AND THE SUBLIME
BY TAMARA BECK
THE
food at Rouge Tomate is prepared with the principle that gourmet meals can be healthful. The haute cuisine here and at the original Brussels eatery is low-fat and good for you. Bread does not come with butter or even olive oil, but with a dense, flavorful puree of vegetable (spinach on this occasion, though the cauliflower or broccoli is also to be reckoned with.) So creamy is the puree that it suggests butter. It smoothes on the bread like the richest of spreads. One is almost tempted to just savor this whipped vegetable concoction by the spoonful and skip the rest of the meal. But then one would miss the great meal that followed. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/04/green-pea-risotta.html


WHAT ARE YOU REALLY HUNGRY FOR? REALLY?
By Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
STOP!
Put the plate of cookies down. Have you ever had one of those moments when you were depressed, or your self-esteem was low? Then you walk in the door, go to the fridge or cabinet and just go on a food binge? No amount of food will fill you up despite all that you are putting in your mouth. This is called a Primary Food Deficiency. You are probably scratching your head and saying, OK, NYC Healthy Chick, what the #$%&@&! are you talking about here exactly? Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/03/what-are-you-really-hungry-for-really.html


SAUVIGNON BLANC: TAMING A SAVAGE WHITE
BY TAMARA FISH
THINK
of Sauvignon Blanc as you would chocolate cake. Chocolate cake is chocolate cake. But there are also dazzling varieties of chocolate cake: double-fudge chocolate, Sachertorte, raspberry-filled, German chocolate … The permutations and possibilities are endless. All the same, nip just one bite of any one of those cakes and the basic fact jumps out: chocolate cake. The variety is in the details. Lovely details, but details all the same. Such is the case with Sauvignon Blanc. There’s no mistaking Sauvignon Blanc for anything else, but it does come in a fascinating array of styles. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/03/sauvignon-blanc-taming-savage-white.html


YOUR HEALTHIEST, HAPPIEST AND JUICIEST EVER
BY Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
DOES
this scenario ring a bell for anyone?
“I will be my ideal body weight this year. I'm going to lose that last 10 pounds, that's it. I want to be tight, toned and super H-O-T!!!!!” Well, what's stopping you? Chances are it's probably Y-O-U. It's O.K. Now is the time to access all the ingredients needed to be your healthiest, juiciest and happiest ever. So what's been missing from your program? Discipline? Exercise? Variety of healthy food choices? Lack of inspiration? What’s your WHY? Well, have no fear, NYC Healthy Chick is here to get your assets off the couch and into action. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/03/your-healthiest-juiciest-and-happiest.html


SARDINIAN VULCAN WINES BORN OF HAPPY GRAPES
BY TAMARA FISH
IF
Mr. Spock were a wine drinker, his wine would be Sardinian: complex, unusual, seemingly otherworldly. Vulcan here, though, refers to volcano. Sardinia sits atop inert volcanoes, its limestone and granite soil still connected to its lava-laden past. In fact there are caves with lava stones all around Sardinia’s pristine coasts. The volcano-tinged granite soil, some Sardinian winemakers believe, give their wines a distinctive flavor, an earthy heartiness, an almost mineral taste. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/03/sardinian-vulcan-wines-born-of-happy.html



WHEN YOUR WIDE LOAD ISN’T A MACK TRUCK
Janet Cook, NYC HEALTHY CHICK
HAVE
you noticed recently that your front or backside needs a yellow banner that reads WATCH OUT WIDE LOAD!? Then ask yourself, "How the heck did this happen to me?" In “The End of Overeating,” David A. Kessler, MD asserts that most consumers suffer from what’s called a “bliss point.” This is where they get the greatest pleasure from combinations of sugar, fat and salt. We are bombarded with food cues every minute of the day. They condition us to constantly want to feed ourselves. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/03/when-your-wide-load-isnt-mack-truck.html


SAKE ISN’T BEER, NOR IS IT WINE. SAKE IS …
BY TAMARA FISH
WHAT’S
the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the word “rice”? OK. What’s the second thing? Third? Well, sake might not make the top five. No wonder, actually. The sake that most people drink is the stock-staple stuff commonly found in many Japanese restaurants. Personally, I have nothing against the garden variety, but let’s be real. Fine wine it ain’t. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/02/sake-is-not-beer-nor-is-it-wine-it-is.html


THOROUGHBREDS: A TALE OF TWO VINEYARDS, PART 2
BY TAMARA FISH
IN
yesterday’s segment, Cline Cellars Zinfandel was the subject of the first tale. Today, the focus is on some beautiful wines produced by Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Remember that Posner Fruit Spread commercial, the one in which people fainted at the dinner table because – horrors! – someone dared to call it “jelly?” Well, that’s how territorial ancient wine regions can get about their wines. Read more: http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/02/thoroughbreds-tale-of-two-vineyards.html


ZIN: A TALE OF TWO VINEYARDS, PART 1
BY TAMARA FISH
Cline
Cellars is the first vineyard that Frank Cline created. Jacuzzi is the second. Why two vineyards? The original one, Cline, partly specializes in Zinfandels, a grape indigenous to the American West but related to the varietal Primitivo. Jacuzzi, in contrast, specializes in Italian varietals, including Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola, and the rare Aleatico. Two vineyards – one small area – producing entirely different types of wines. American viniculture. Ya gotta love it! Read more:
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/02/zin-tale-of-two-vineyards-part-1.html


VALENTINE’S DAY: WHAT’S FOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/02/valentines-day-whats-food-got-to-do.html

CHEESEHEADS RIP NEW STEEL CURTAIN TO SHREDS
http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/02/cheeseheads-rip-new-steel-curtain-to.html

NYC Restaurant Week: More Beef/Less Dough
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2011/01/nyc-restaurant-week-more-beefless-dough.html

NOT MINCING WINES AND WEIRD WORDS
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/12/not-mincing-wines-and-weird-words.html

The Trick Is to Parcel Out the Treats
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/10/trick-is-to-parcel-out-treats.html

Not Your Ordinary Little Cupcake Shop
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/10/nyc-wine-food-festival-grand-tasting.html

Wine & Food Fest: Eats, Drinks & Merrymaking
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-big-apple-year-3-of-eating-drinking.html

Hungry for a Tad Bit More From Fine Dining
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/08/hungry-for-tad-bit-more-from-fine.html

In God’s Country, Good Eats, if Not a Good Home
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-gods-country-good-eats-if-not-home.html

In This Heat, Some Really Cool Meals
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/07/in-this-heat-some-really-cool-meals.html

Don’t Serve Him Banal Greens and Pasta, Please
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/07/dont-serve-him-banal-greens-and-pasta.html

Soul Food, Japanese Style, Is What I Like
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/07/soul-food-japanese-style-is-what-i-like.html

An Appetite for Dinner From the Movie
http://vevlynspen.blogspot.com/2010/06/poster-left-for-world-premiere-of.html

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