Tag: Wine

Wine Tasting For Beginners

Attending wine tasting events can be a great experience and a lot of fun, although a lot of people choose not to attend out of fear – or not knowing what to do or what to expect. Even though there are no mysteries to wine tasting, there are some things that you should always remember.

During a wine tasting event, women are always served before the men. Some tastings will serve you bottled water between tastings, so you can clean your mouth out and be ready to taste the next wine that is served. When you take the wine, you should always handle the glass by the stem, to avoid heating it with your hands. There will also be crackers and other goodies on hand as well, to help you cleanse your mouth between wine tastings.

As you may already know, you can tell quite a bit about the wine by the color. When you attend a wine tasting for the first time, youll notice that the glasses are clear. This helps you to examine the wine better. There should also be white tablecloth on the table as well, to help you see the color the wine more clearly. You should never go by the name of the wine alone, as it can easily fool you.

Youll also notice the more experienced wine tastes swirl their wine around in the glass before they taste it. Although it may look weird, slightly swirling the wine actually helps to bring out the flavor. Most wines have been aging in bottles for long periods of time, sometimes even years. When the wine is swirled around in the glass, the swirling will release the flavors in the wine and bring them out when the wine is tasted.

At wine tastings, youll need to look at the wine, smell it, then after swirling it around in the glass – taste it. Smells play an integral part of the process, as youll get a lot more from the wine by smelling it first. Wine has quite an intriguing aroma, which helps to bring out the taste that wine is so well known for. Once you have smelled the wine, you should allow a few moments to take in the smell and think about the wine that you are smelling.

Last but not least, youll want to know how to properly taste the wine. Your tongue has taste buds in the front and the back, which helps to detect flavors. Wine is full of flavors, and how you taste it will make the biggest impact. When you put the wine in your mouth, you should always swish it around in your mouth for a few seconds, and allow the flavors plenty of time to dance on your palate. Once your taste buds have started to discover the wine, you can think about what you are tasting. After swallowing the wine, the aftertaste that remains in your mouth should give you even more of an idea as to the type and flavor of the wine.

Before you attend a wine tasting, you should always learn as much as you can about the many different flavors and varieties of wine. This way, youll have a better understanding of what you should look for in both taste and flavor. Even though you may be new to wine tasting, you should never pass up an opportunity to go. Youll get a great experience in the world of wine tasting and get to experience wines that you may have never heard of before.

Dine in Style Every Day With a Few Simple Steps

In Italy, stylish dining has long been embraced as a relaxing way to unwind after a busy day. So before you order takeout and eat in front of the television, take a cue from the Italians and make each meal a treat.

Whether dining alone, with family or with your closest friends, turn an otherwise hurried meal into a chic expression of style with these tips from Ecco Domani Italian wines.

* Determine the dcor. Whether you are dining at the kitchen table or in a more formal setting, it’s easy to add some pizzazz to your surroundings. Candles cast a warm glow once the sun goes down. Strands of small lights also enhance the mood; string them around the room or even bunch them in a Mason jar for a funky tabletop display.

* Master the art of mood music. Mellow jazz will help take the edge off a long day, and classical music can help lift your mood. Consider tailoring the music around the type of cuisine you are serving. For an Italian meal, for instance, play an assortment of Italian opera.

If you’re dining with family or friends, get them involved by inviting them to bring their favorite CDs. Set your disc player to shuffle so that everyone’s music selection gets played during the meal.

* Create a stylish menu. To help you unwind, it’s best to keep your meal simple. Luckily, delicious meals are a snap to make with fresh, easy-to-prepare foods. And you can add flair to any basic dish with just a few additions.

For an Italian meal, a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad is always a crowd-pleaser. Drizzle chicken and fish with olive oil and lemon for a fresh, light flavor. And dust colorful veggies with Italian seasonings to bring out their natural flavors.

Whatever your menu, be sure to select a delicious wine to accompany the meal. Ecco Domani 2003 Pinot Grigio is a perfect wine for everyday dining because of its crisp, fresh flavor, which pairs perfectly with today’s light cuisine.

It is easy to infuse any setting with glamour by adding a few small touches. In the end, nothing says style like taking the time to make each meal special. – NU

Crockpot Recipes for Low-Fat Dieters

You may not believe this but there are actually a countless number of crock pot recipes for people who are on a low-fat diet. Apparently, such low fat crock pot recipes are intended for people who are watching their health and their weight very carefully. In this regard, we would want to share at least two of the low fat crock pot recipes that most dieters prefer to prepare.

Arroz Con Pollo is one type of a low fat crock pot recipe that we highly suggest. You will need to prepare such ingredients as two tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro, two cups of cooked rice, ten ounces of frozen peas that have been thawed, two tablespoons of red wine, one half cup of chicken broth, eight pieces of chicken thighs that do not have skin, two teaspoons of chili powder, one teaspoon of oregano, one clove of crushed garlic, one fourth teaspoon of pepper, and one half teaspoon of salt.

Mix such ingredients as chili powder, oregano, garlic, pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Such spice mixture should be sprinkled all over the chicken pieces. Once each of the chicken pieces is sprinkled with the spice mixture, you may place all of them in a crock pot. The wine and the broth should then be poured all over the chicken pieces. Cover the crock pot and let it cook for at least five to six hours using low temperature. After five to six hours, remove the chicken and set the crock pot on high temperature. Add the peas soon thereafter and cover the crock pot again and let the ingredients be cooked for another seven to ten minutes. The cooked rice as well as the chicken should then be added into the crock pot. Before serving, make sure to sprinkle the freshly chopped cilantro on the dish.

Another low fat crock pot recipe that we suggest is the recipe for Basil Chicken. This is also an easy-to-prepare dish as it only requires few ingredients and can also be cooked while the crock pot is running unattended.

The ingredients include one half whole green pepper that is sliced, one can of cream of celery soup, one half teaspoon basil, one half teaspoon of pepper, and four whole chicken breasts that are skinless.

To begin the procedure for this low fat crock pot recipe, you must place first the skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot. The chicken should then be sprinkled with basil and pepper. The cream of celery soup should then be poured over the chicken pieces. Afterwards, the sliced green pepper should be placed on top of the chicken that is covered with soup. Cover the crock pot and let it cook for approximately eight hours. The crock pot should be set on low temperature for this low fat crock pot recipe. You do not have to wait for eight hours for this recipe to be cooked. There are instances when six or seven hours will do. This recipe only contains four grams of fat and is composed of 55 grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates.

Tuscan Italian Food

Tuscany is one of the most well known regions in Italy. Many Italian food lovers find some of their favorite dishes in Tuscany. People love the simplicity of Tuscan Italian food and the region has its allow very distinct style of cuisine.

One appeal of Tuscan Italian food is that it is generally healthy. This is due in large sliver to its use of olive oil. There are many different varieties of olives that are grown in the area and used extensively in the cooking. Beans are besides widely used as are vegetables, seasonal fruits, and mushrooms. Of course the domicile also has the cheeses that are a nickname of Italian food. In October and November the persons are up for a real treat because this is when the magnificent white truffles of the area show. Unlike this lighter side of the Italian food is the extensive use of meat in Tuscany. High grade beef can be found in the region.

There is even a specific multiply used for the standout t – bone steaks that are known because Florentine steak. Pork is also used a inception of protein in the Tuscan Italian food. One of the reasons for their famed appliance of meat has historical roots. When the country started relying heavily on polenta and other corn products, many people began dying proper to malnutrition. Heartfelt was discovered that the thousands of deaths were tied to a lack of protein and other nutrients. Since that time the Italians have taken pressure to enter and variety to their diet than just pasta.

Tuscany has perhaps more unique Italian food dishes than any other region. Some popular dishes include fresh vegetables either crude or slightly cooked and served with olive oil that is seasoned for dipping. Tuscany is also known being a reheated vegetable soup dish. The table dishes that are most unique to the area include Tuscan – adorableness veal shank and T – bone steak. The Italian food that features pork in the area includes creamed bacon and a complicated dish of pig’s liver stuffed into a pig’s stomach and then slowly baked with stock and red wine.

The real Italian food gem in Tuscany is not just the unique entrees, but the unique breads. There are specific breads for specific holidays and seasons in Tuscany. On Commendable Friday bread that is baked on a lining of chestnut leaves is served. They again have breads made from maize, fried in olive oil, made with sweet chestnut flour with rosemary leaves, breads made from a assortment of different flours; the list goes on and on. Usually Italian food makes one think of all the different forms of pasta, but in Tuscany the Italian food of variety is the bread. On Easter Sunday special take out that is fabricated with raisins, saffron, and other spices is consecrated in church before being served. It has a high fat content and is served with eggs. There are also sweet rolls that are eaten on the St. Anthony feast moment. Who knew that Italian food included inasmuch as myriad different breads? Just as there are many different cheeses in Italian food, there are just as many Italian food breads to serve with them.

Tuscany is a treasure trove of Italian food. Try eating at a Tuscan inspired Italian food restaurant, or make sure to visit Tuscany occasion in Italy to trial all the different unique Italian food dishes that they have to receipts.

Tiramisu – The Italian Food Dessert

Immediately Tiramisu is the most popular of Italian food desserts. It graces the vittles of nearly every Italian food restaurant. However, its rise to fame has been meteoric; it wasn’t even invented until the 1970’s in the Veneto region of Italy. It didn’t even gain widespread popularity until the early 1990’s. It is a unique grapple of ingredients that separately seem to not go together at all. However, when correctly blended well-balanced they form exclusive of the treasures of Italian food.

The first ingredient is Mascarpone cheese. This cheese has very deep roots in Italian food. It was made as far tote as the 13th century in the region of Lombardy. This cheese is concentrated milk cream and has a very high fat content, getting up to seventy – five percent. It is a smooth and creamy cheese. Traditionally it has been considered to be more of a winter dish and therefore shows advance in more of the seasonal Italian food dishes. This is mainly because of its high calories and the fact that when valid was first produced practiced was no refrigeration and this delicate cheese does not keep well in hot temperatures. Like many other Italian foods, the best Mascarpone cheese comes directly from Italy. However, it you’re an Italian food lover making Tiramisu at home, skillful are exceptionally of makers of Mascarpone cheese in America.

The next ingredient is Zabaglione cream. This is a valid classic Italian food dessert. It hails from the world renowned kitchens of Venice. When it originally became a popular Italian food dessert indubitable was made with yolks, honey, and a sweet Cyprus ruby. However, today the cream has biased on a unskilled flavor. To begin with sugar is substituted for the original honey. The most stated difference in taste though, comes from the use of Marsala wine instead of the saccharine Cyprus ruddy. This cream can express specious from household and is easier to make than most Italian food chefs let on.

The poll ingredient is the most distinctive factor of Tiramisu, espresso. This whack of caffeine is where the dessert gets its name, which means ” pick me up “. This is a coffee that is true to Italian food and is much stronger than American coffee. Espresso is the most important coffee in Italian food and can be seen following innumerable Italian meals.

The fourth and final ingredient is Ladyfingers. These popular cookies originated in Italy and have made numerous appearances in not only Italian food, but in several other governmental cuisines. These cookies are remarkably light due to the fact that the dough with which they are made is rich with whipped egg white. They are immensely popular and one of the most expensive Italian food desserts in Italy.

These four ingredients blended together just right and topped off with chocolate make an Italian food dessert that is as popular as the individual ingredients. Make sure when you prepare this at home that you take great care in choosing the ingredients, it cede really make a deviation in the excellence of Tiramisu. Now that you know the apt quality and the presentation of the ingredients you will surely impress your friends with you Italian food knowledge.