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Go to http://www.snooth.com/

Julie & Julia Cooking Classes

Located in Perrysburg just off of Dixie Hwy. is a great shop called Kitchen, Tools & Skills (www.kitchentoolsandskills.com). The retail side to the shop carries a large product line of cooking and baking equipment as well as spices and cookbooks. If you can't find what you are looking for the friendly staff can assist you in the right direction or place a special order. If your kitchen is already stocked with all the tools but you aren't sure how to use them well they can help with that too! The shop offers a variety of monthly cooking classes. The one class that is in high demand is the 'Julie & Julia' class where you make several french courses. Listed below is the next class and the menu they will be teaching...

January 19 and 21, 2010
February 18, 2010
March 9, 2010
All starting at 6:30pm and costs $40/student

The Menu:
Moules A La Mariniere (Mussels Steamed Open in Wine and Flavorings)
Boeuf A La Bourguignonne (Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, Mushrooms)
Crepes De Pommes De Terre (Grated Potato Pancakes)
Haricots Verts a la Anglaise (Buttered Green Beans ~Learn the technique of blanching)
Tomatoes a la Provencale (Tomatoes Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Herbs and Garlic)
Gateau De Crepes a la Normande (Mound of Crepes with Apples, Flambé)

Now you too can "master the art of French cooking!" - Julia Child

Bon Appétit

image by: writeouschicks.wordpress.com

What is a corked bottle of wine?

Keeping a wine bottle sealed is probably the most important factor when it comes to maintaining a good wine.

A cork is essential, as it keeps oxygen out of the wine bottle. If a bottle of wine is not airtight then it may become oxidized and undrinkable.

Traditionally, the only corks worth considering were those actually made of cork. Recently, however, many wine experts have recognized that cork may actually cause more problems than it solves.

Cork, due to its malleable nature may have imperfections; these can result in the seal of the bottle not being as airtight as it could be therefore, spoiling the wine. In an attempt to avoid this problem, modern cork manufacturers may treat the cork with a chemical called TVA. Unfortunately, this chemical can cause the wine to taste and smell a little damp and musty.

Having said this, cork is able to expand to fully fill the neck of the bottle, which still makes it the preferred option for special wines that need to be stored, over a long period of time.

Around Toledo

Are you looking for things to do around Toledo? Check out http://www.toledoonsale.com. Toledo On Sale is an online reference where you get the low-down on some of your favorite area merchants including some very good deals. You can sign up for weekly newsletters to update you on the week ahead events, dining deals, shopping steals and much more.

To highlight a few for this week...

- On Wednesday, the 13th reserve a spot for a wine tasting event at Manhattan's Restaurant (1516 Adams St.). For $15 you will taste wines from Uptown Vineyards and appetizers from the restaurant. Starts at 6:30pm - 8pm. Stick around for live musical entertainment at 8pm.

- A visit to Sophie’s Sister (133 N. Michigan Ave.)is a sophisticated fashion experience for the style-conscious woman. We specialize in bringing our customers trend-setting, high quality fashion clothing and accessories from some of today’s most sought after designers.
30% Off All Fall and Winter Merchandise!

- Urban Active Fitness (www.urbanactive.com) is offering all Toledo On Sale subscribers a free 14 day pass to either the Maumee or Sylvania locations for the month of January.

So many other great offerings so check out www.toledoonsale.com for more!

Wine Made Simple

With so many different wines produced around the world it can be confusing for a consumer. How do you know which wine to pair with your upcoming dinner party or just an evening at home with a bowl of warm soup?

Well here is a book that can hopefully help with questions just like those and many others...'Drink This: Wine Made Simple', a new book by Minneapolis-based writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl.

Dara shoves aside wine critics' point-based systems and my-cellar's-bigger-than-yours mentalities, encouraging novice drinkers to simply focus on developing their own taste preferences.

The book differentiates itself from other introductory wine texts by suggesting that systematic tastings are the best way to learn the range of a varietal's characteristics. You'll develop a better understanding of Zinfandel, for example, by tasting a single-vineyard Zin alongside both mass-produced and late-harvest bottlings.

Here's Dara's shopping list for an evening of Zin education:

1. Inexpensive American Zinfandel (Rosenblum, Rancho Zabaco, Ravenswood, Cline, Beaulieu Vineyards, Montevina, Seghesio, Gnarly Head or Renwood) $8 to $15

2. and 3. Two different single-vineyard bottles from different vineyards but made by the same producer. (Ridge's Lytton Springs and Geyserville; Edmeades' Piffero Vineyard and Perli Vineyard; Bella's Big River Ranch and Lilly Hill) $20-something each

4. A more expensive, polished Zinfandel, such as Turley Wine Cellars, Gallo-Sonoma or Dashe Cellars. Ask for the "roundest, ripest, richest, fullest, lushest Zinfandel available." $40 and up

5. A late-harvest, ice-wine, dessert-style or "Port" Zinfandel. $15 and up

Can find the book on Amazon...
http://www.amazon.com/Drink-This-Wine-Made-Simple/dp/0345511654/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262897681&sr=8-1

Happy 2010

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a safe and happy celebration. Now's the time to set some resolutions (besides the typical getting into shape, the most borrrring pledge in the world). Here are a few of mine for 2010. I resolve to:
- Spend more quality time with my husband and puppy
- Finally paint my downstairs bathroom and dining room
- Throw away items that I have not used for over a year - I need the storage space too as extra motivation
- Actually read and soak in the information in my (600 page) wine study guide so that I can become certified as a wine specialist.

I could probably go on and on but I will stop there for now to keep things realistic. By regularly engaging in meaningful activities that give you pleasure - whether it's visiting friends, picking up a hobby, taking a class or doing volunteer work - you'll simply have less time to engage in the behavior that you want to reduce. Therefore hopefully being able to keep this year's resolutions!

Now what are your resolutions??