Are you confused about the difference between port and sherry? Port is fortified during fermentation. Sherry is fortified after fermentation. Port tends to be sweeter, while sherry usually has a slightly higher alcohol content. Now, let’s talk about port in more...
I just published a piece about the Harriet Tubman historical sites in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, including her home, church, and gravesite. Besides visiting the numerous wineries in this Finger Lakes region, there are many wonderful restaurants where you can...
Pastitsio is the Greek answer to Italian lasagna, but what sets it apart from the Italian version is mostly the use of numerous aromatic spices in the meat ragù. The other difference is that pastitsio uses a thick, long pasta with a hole, topped by a hearty cheesy...
Just found another of my mother’s recipes - an aromatic sponge cake that is steeped in orange syrup. This one is a classic Eastern Mediterranean sweet cake called "revani" or "ravani" in Greek or "rebane" in Turkish. it's also very popular in Egypt and Yemen. While in...
Since the invention of alcoholic beverages, hangovers have become a universal curse that every culture has to deal with. From “hair of the dog,” to raw egg sucking, to the South American ceviche, both ancient and modern men and women have had to deal with “the Morning...
New Jersey offers some of the finest farmers' markets, and they're a great produce source for both home and professional cooks, especially the very fresh vegetables sold by the locals who grow them. In a previous life I must have been Neapolitan because I love pasta...
In my desire to taste some of the world's premier wines and savor some culinary specialties, I spent an exciting day visiting the famous grape-growing regions of Sonoma and Napa. My adventure with Tower Tours entailed a Wine Aficionado Tour to two different wineries -...
The Joseph Magnus story began in the middle of the 19th century when he was informed that his father had been killed during the Civil War. His late father had been a merchant, and Magnus followed in his footsteps, becoming a liquor wholesaler and building a liquor...
The Thracians made the earliest wines and declared Dionysus the “god of wine.” The Egyptians made beer 5,000 years ago, and the Incas made corn liquor (chicha) 3,000 years in the past. The first recorded reference to cider dates back to Julius Caesar's Britain, where...
Conde Nast Traveler has named its top 100 restaurants in the world, and Nuema in Quito is number 61. It's nestled in the Illa Experience Hotel & Spa, and I had the extraordinary opportunity to experience this restaurant firsthand. Run by Chef Alejandro Chamorro...
This quick and easy take on a Greek classic - shrimp and feta with orzo - will have dinner on the table in 20 minutes from start to finish if you use precooked shrimp as we now do! For a lengthier cooking-time version, you can use fresh shrimp that has to be boiled,...
The 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City seems to have recovered the losses of exhibitors during the COVID period, making it as large as (or possibly even larger) than ever. There were exhibitors from all over the world, but I will...
If Washington State wines are not on your radar, they should be. It has a particularly ideal climate for winegrowing since it's 46˚ North latitude, which is the same as France’s Burgundy and Rhône regions. It also gets 17 hours of sunlight and has cool nights that...
Vermouth is an aged, aromatic, fortified European wine flavored with botanicals, such as citrus peel, star anise, basil, thyme, and wormwood, to name a few. According to ancient Greek folklore, very early versions of the beverage were actually used for their...
When I want a fine dining experience in Manhattan that's still within reason from a price perspective, La Grande Boucherie is my go-to restaurant - and has been for years. The French menu changes periodically, but everything we've ordered has been excellent without...
It’s the beginning of what is supposed to be a very hot summer, so we thought a cold glass of bubbly would be a great antidote to the heat. Sparkling wines, whether they are called Champagne, Prosecco, Franciacorta, Cava, Lambrusco, Brachetto, Espumante, Mousseux,...
Beef is a cornerstone of traditional Argentine cuisine. The ideal land and climate to raise cattle made Argentina a leading producer of top quality, lean yet amazingly flavorful grass-fed beef. The cattle graze on las pampas, which gives Argentine steak a nice texture...
Recently, exceptional cultured clams have been making an appearance in East Coast fish stores and supermarkets. They have unique regional flavors that stem from subtle water quality and salinity differences at each growing site. We love baked clams oreganata, as well...
The unprecedented affluence of the early 21st century and the newfound willingness of the American public to try the pleasures of foods and fresh products from other countries has caused both restaurant chefs and home cooks to make exotic meals that were unknown to...
Risi e bisi is a traditional Italian dish from the Veneto, initially cooked as a special festive dish in Venice, Vicenza, and Verona. It was served to the Venetian Doges and the ruling families of Venice during the festival of San Marco every 25th of April. It's a...
One of the best known Istanbul restaurants is located in the space above the main entrance of the Egyptian (Misir) Çarşisi (Bazaar), one of Istanbul’s highly respected retail venues that specializes in spices from around the world, Black Sea caviar, and local sweets...
Do wine bottle closures matter to you? Do you think that screw-capped bottles contain cheaper or lower quality wines? Are you a die-hard cork devotee? I think I have a definitive answer to the cork vs. high end screw cap closure question. At an André Lurton Wines...
Bolgheri is a central Italian village of Castagneto Carducci, a commune in Tuscany in the province of Livorno that is well-known to wine lovers for the exceptional quality of the bottles created in the region. The Bolgheri DOC became an internationally known region...
My friend and I were wandering around Lisbon one day and stumbled upon a beautiful Italian restaurant called La Mafia se Sienta a la Mesa. We couldn't have made a better choice for lunch. The interior of La Mafia in Lisbon. Photo by Melanie Votaw. The decor was...
New restaurants appear in Northern New Jersey all the time. However, some are just run of the mill eateries serving the same tired dishes that have been served for ages, while a few others are serving food of exceptional quality, rivaling Michelin-starred...
At a recent major wine event in New York City promoting Barolo and Barbaresco wines and general tourism to Piedmont, Italy, I heard a rumor that one of the best and most influential Italian chefs, Davide Scabin, will be opening a new venue. His last renowned...
I don’t understand why there are so few articles written about sweet wines, except for articles about madeiras, ports, and sherries. It seems that a number of wine writers veer away from sweet wines and consider aficionados to have “uneducated palates that cannot...
Sherry is one of the two spectacular fortified wines produced in the Iberian Peninsula, in the wine-growing maritime region of Jerez, mostly from white grapes. The other is Port, produced in Portugal at the country’s northwestern Atlantic seaboard, mostly from...
I came to New York City in 1967 with the dream of becoming an award-winning advertising photographer. I had worked as an assistant in 1964 London in the studio of David Bailey, a famous photographer of the period. Plus, I had started doing some “semi-professional”...
In our office, we received a box with three fruity Johny Bootlegger liquors that can be excellent bases for cocktails or can be sipped as after-dinner drinks. Included in the box was also a metal flask just like the ones the “fellers” used to carry in their hip...
As far as this travel, food, and wine writer is concerned, Spain has surpassed most traditional European countries lauded by gastronomes for food and wine excellence. Whether your food preferences go toward classic dishes or innovative modern cuisine, Spain has many...
This is a recipe handed down in my family from my paternal grandmother. It's an unusual version of bourbon balls that does not include nuts. While I know we usually make these candies during the Christmas holidays, I enjoy them at any time of year. That said, they are...
This is my mother's recipe and the only brownie recipe we ever made in our family. If you like your brownies chewy, you'll love this one. Ingredients: 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 4 squares unsweetened chocolate 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups...
Butter is an essential ingredient for everyday cooking and enjoying at our table. But there are some pronounced differences between the butters consumed in Europe and the ones sold in the USA. In most of Europe, there are two types of butter that would grace your...
I will start this recipe by stating that normally, I abhor fried liver and onions. However, there is one dish - a classic Ottoman appetizer that I love and can’t have enough of when I’m in a Turkish restaurant. It's offered as part of meze or as a main course. And, of...
This is a recipe for garlic soup, sopa de ajo - a classic Basque and western Spain dish. Basque housewives believe in "waste not, want not" so this is an excellent and very tasty way to use (and not waste) old bread! A number of other versions using different...
Quebec City has long been known for its innovative and inventive cuisine. Since my early traveling days, visiting Quebec was always a go-to destination for beautiful vistas, old world charm, support of local craftspeople, and great food. On our recent trip, we were...
I receive many sample wine bottles so that I can taste and review the wines. I recently received a few “second wine” samples and that reminded me that I had a few older ones in my cellar that I had purchased in the past, which I had never tasted. So I uncorked one of...
One of the best American New York City-based chefs, David Boulay, passed away February 12, 2024 from a heart attack. He was a master of creating memorable dishes from simple, many times organic, ingredients with intense flavors. Wherever he cooked, whether at his...
I love a good rice dish, and I frequently cook risottos, paellas, pilafs, and other rice-based recipes. Risotto alla Milanese is a classic dish from Lombardy in northern Italy. Making risotto the right way may seem like an intimidating undertaking, but with the right...
One of my favorite dishes is “Imam Bayildi,” a classic Ottoman dish traditionally cooked using Italian eggplant in Turkey and long (Asian) eggplant in Greece with plenty of olive oil. It is an integral part of both Turkish and Greek gastronomy, with variants in...
The story of wine is as old as civilization itself. Most evidence points to Georgia, Armenia, and Mesopotamia, or even China, where literary mentions of what sounds like wine are found in ancient manuscripts, as well as modern archaeological finds. While the hows of...
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this restaurant is the world's oldest continuously operating eating establishment. Tucked into the street of the Cuchilleros, i.e. the Knifemakers, just a stone’s throw off Plaza Mayor, Sobrino de Botín (the name means...
One of the tastier traditional French soups is the Vichyssoise. It is a thick and creamy puréed potato and leek soup in chicken stock, mixed with heavy cream or other thick dairy product (sour cream or even drained yogurt). It can be delicious either cold – the...
In the heart of Madrid, a few blocks from the Atocha railway station is one of the Madrileño eating and drinking stalwarts, Cervecería Alemana. Established in 1904, it's a bar devoted to drinking beer and munching on tapas, the savory tidbits that always accompany...
On a cold Sunday evening, we drove into Manhattan to try Anto, a new upscale Korean steakhouse that has opened on East 58th street in the space where “Felidia,” Lydia Bastianich’s temple of Northern Italian gastronomy, used to be. Anto is the U.S. venture of Korean...
In Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente, across the street from the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) and very near to Madrid’s Royal Theater and Opera House, is a restaurant called Café de Oriente with a long history of excellent food that respects Spain’s culinary tradition,...
There’s a unique joy in sharing culinary delights, especially when it involves baguette slices adorned with authentic caviar, complemented by a glass of effervescent wine — be it Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava — while surrounded by friends and loved ones. This holiday...
The popular Las Vegas eatery, the Sugar Factory, opened on Manhattan’s corner of 8th Ave. and 44th Street. It is considered an American brasserie with a large confectionary component. It’s a large, 2-floor restaurant with a bar and tables on the ground floor and the...
To a Brit, the only thing better than fish ‘n chips is fish ‘n chips with a pint. That’s why Grosvenor F'sh Bar in Norwich, England partnered with The Birdcage across its cobblestone street in the picturesque medieval city in Norfolk. Both businesses are housed in...
Indiana might not cross your mind first when you think of wine or fine chocolate, but the state is making a mark in both arenas. Country Heritage Winery & Vineyard in LaOtto, Indiana has developed a partnership with DeBrand Fine Chocolates based in Fort Wayne, and...
It’s called The Dolder Grand, and it’s an incomparable example of what made the Swiss “Grand Dame” hotels coveted by royalty and celebrities alike in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now upgraded for the 21st century, with the addition of two modern...
The One Aldwych Hotel in London has a unique restaurant called “Indigo.” It’s the only restaurant I’ve ever heard of, in fact, that serves an entirely gluten-free and dairy-free menu. No, it isn’t vegan. There is meat on the menu, but no gluten and no dairy...
We’re on the road again. This time I’m in Athens, our Managing Editor’s city of origin, and my Greek is limited to “kalimera” (Good Morning) which for the first few days I mistakenly pronounce “kalamari” (Squid) – hence the hotel receptionist’s confusion at calling...
While staying at the Corinthia Hotel in London, I had a meal at The Northall Restaurant, which is helmed by Executive Chef Garry Hollihead, who has won Michelin stars at three different establishments including L’Escargot. The restaurant has...
Turkish cuisine dates back to the 6th century CE, when the Turkish people were nomads in Central Asia, and their diet consisted of mainly meat, dairy and a few, gathered by their campsites, fruits and vegetables. Early in the 11th century, a number of Turkoman...
Please don’t get me wrong. I love Molecular Gastronomy based dishes and Nuvelle Cuisine concoctions but there are numerous classics from different cuisines that I make in my kitchen when I want to have “comfort food”. I usually cook dishes that I had when I was...
Spain’s Catalonia has a very high concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants. However, even small, local restaurants, tascas and rural retreats create delicious food that do not need Michelin stars to be mouth-watering. Tiny, isolated on top of Triassic...
Bourbon is the quintessential American spirit. Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001 is fairly traditional-tasting delightfully blended, finished and bottled by Whiskey JYPSI in Tennessee and tastes like a true bourbon. However, legally, I don’t think it can be called...
Travelling around the world in search of the perfect meal, I realized that etiquette regarding food is considerably different from one culture to another. For instance, most of us were raised with the idea that finishing your plate is respectful. But, in places like...
It is summer, and in my kitchen we cook a lot of fish and seafood, some poultry plus we consume a lot of fresh fruit i.e. peaches, apricots, plums and melons spiced with slices of feta cheese and, whenever we can find them, fresh black figs. And we make lighter...
One more time the master winemaker Enrique Tirado enchants us with a new vintage of Don Melchor, the iconic flagship wine of Chile’s Concha y Toro. For 34 years, Concha y Toro has been making as close to perfect wines in the Puente Alto winery as possible and the 2020...
From Hindu Temple to Kosher Kitchen Twenty-first century Switzerland is an open inclusive country, welcoming to all regardless of religion, ethnicity or race. So when Sasikumar Tharmalingam, a dark skinned 14 year old young man fleeing the ravages of civil war in his...
For avid coffee drinkers the Turkish, Greek or Arabic version of the beverage is a satisfying sip of a “coffee delight.” It is an integral part of the Arabic, Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan as well as North African culture and social life. Photo by Manos Angelakis...
Sangiovese wines are some of the most important and most beloved wines of Italy. Tuscany, Umbria and Campania and their many DOCs and DOCGs produce more Sangiovese wines than any other viticultural area of the world. In Tuscany, the Sangiovese grape is more ubiquitous...
The multinational Ottoman Empire that once spread from the borders of Persia to just outside Vienna and as far south as North Africa, greatly affected the Turkish cuisine culture. Turkish cuisine now offers a wide variety of choices from meze, soups, meat and...
Nothing could have been more Swedish. Food apart, the cups, the plates, the cutlery, everything came from Sweden - including Orrefors and Costa Boda glassware. Even the dining room had a clean, functional, very Nordic look about it. I’m referring to Björk, the café...
Why is a Michelin plate hanging in Treviso’s Le Beccherie? L’Assiette Michelin, or Michelin Plate shows that the Michelin inspectors enjoyed food that was not only of good quality, it was also notable. This restaurant might have a Michelin Star on the horizon....
Ouzeri is the Greek equivalent to a Spanish tapas bar that serves ouzo – a potent distillate from grape or grain-based alcohol, which is distilled with anise, fennel, and other herbs and is similar to the French Pastis, only drier – to accompany a multitude of small...
I’ll admit it! I’m a foodie… I love good food. I’m what my Greek family would call a “kalofagas” i.e. a great food eater. Growing up I was a miserable eater, surviving on grilled lamb chops and French fries – though my mother was considered one of the best home cooks...
I think the promotional slogan of Québec City should be “On mange bien ici” i.e. “We eat well here!” Great food is at the pinnacle of gastronomy in Québec. Absolutely fresh, local, seasonal ingredients are starring in Québecoise kitchens, whether eating at home or in...
Culinary Fireworks! Dining in Québec is a delight but for those that dine it is also very serious business! Modern gastronomy has arrived in Québec and has been influencing in a molecular-gastronomy manner a number of the younger chefs, with kitchens that can rival in...
I recently received 2 cookbooks that made me revise my thinking about Irish cookery. Photo by Manos Angelakis I have to admit that my idea of “Irish cuisine” was formed in the early 1960s when I lived in London with my first wife who was Irish and who was a lovely...
There is much talk and fear about AI and the use of robotics and robots in everyday work, such as in restaurants, in retail, in warehousing, in manufacturing etc. There is the fear that robots will replace workers and take over their jobs and the perennial, that...
After an absence of a few years because of COVID, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux had its yearly tasting at the converted bank hall that is now New York’s Cipriani restaurant on 42nd Street, across from the Grand Central Station. The tasting was organized by...
After all our years of eating in many top restaurants both in the US and Europe and a few in Asia, we have to admit that we’re not easily impressed… but impressed we were during this dinner a few days ago! A new restaurant opened in a town nearby, in Englewood, New...
The term “champor-champor” is a Malay expression which loosely translates to “a bit of this and a bit of that.” The restaurant is located in South East London and I find it irresistible as it makes me feel transported to exotic locations through a cuisine that I like....
Story by The Staff and wine bottles photo Manos AngelakisAdditional photos courtesy of Royal Wine Corp. After a 3 year hiatus because of COVID, the Royal Wine Corp. re-established their annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience at New York’s Chelsea Piers. I have...
The new herring season has just ended. You don’t have to be Dutch, or Swedish, or a citizen of any of the nations that border Europe’s North and Baltic Seas to appreciate herring. In the Netherlands, the herring fishing season starts end of May and the first week of...
At a recent tasting that took place in Manhattan, at Il Gattopardo restaurant on 54 Street, we had a chance to taste some white and red libations from Irpinia, an Italian region near Naples that produces exceptional wines. The Irpinia name, from the language of a...
A new generation of winemakers have taken over Greek winemaking, and a good percentage of them is women. According to my thinking, women make better wines, especially when dealing with indigenous grapes, because I believe they have a more sensitive palate than men. So...