Wine of the Month

September 2010

Published on 9/03/10

This month’s featured wine that I have chosen for your enjoyment is Beringer’s 2006 “Sbragia Limited Release” Chardonnay. This wine is made by the winemaster emeritus Ed Sbragia; every year he hand-picks small lots of grapes from all over Napa Valley in California for the Chardonnay that bears his name. Read More »

Hagley Adds New Chef

Dan Butler will bring seasonal fare to organic cafe

Published on 8/26/10

A new partnership will provide diners with a delicious experience at Hagley Museum and Library. Read More »

A Tasteful Tradition

Put your own spin on a tea time staple

Published on 8/10/10

Versatile, delectable, and fun are just a few words that describe the tea sandwich. It is one of the staples of afternoon tea, a setting distinct from high tea because of its earlier serving time and requisite light fare. Susan Johnstone, proprietor of The Lincoln Room in West Chester says, “High Tea is more substantial and filling and served later in the day, often around 5 or 6pm, with a light dinner followed much later.” So if you’re looking for a way to enjoy food and conversation with guests without stuffing them, look no further than afternoon tea featuring delicious tea sandwiches. Read More »

Barbecue Rising

It’s gooey and delicious, and foodies can take it seriously

Published on 7/19/10

For decades, barbecue was something sold out of tumbledown roadside stands lurking on the edges of small Southern towns. The wood smoke curling up from rusting half-barrels and interesting smells being pulled inside our cars by the AC as we sped by—they were the kind of places that only the locals who wore bib overalls and perhaps food adventurers such as Calvin Trillin would actually stop to eat at. Read More »

Caputo’s Kitchen

Espuma's top chef shares secrets on YouTube

Published on 6/22/10

My father used to say that good food makes for a good life. It’s true. The subtlest flavor in the proper context alters the very perception of not only the meal, but also the entire day. Read More »

Chocoluxurious!

Chocolate is the affordable luxury

Published on 11/09/09

Chocolate is one of the few luxury foods that can be savored either by itself or used as an ingredient in cooking. By comparison, wood truffles and caviar, both of which are delightful and wonderful, are much more limited in scope. Better still, as one of life’s luxuries, chocolate is relatively cheap, even when you’re buying the best stuff. Read More »

Taking The Spice Route

Chefs search for the right stuff

Published on 6/01/09

While many chefs and home cooks are enjoying the trend toward the simpler life—eating fresh and sourcing locally—they are at the same time preparing dishes that are more complex, especially while employing such cooking techniques as rubs, drizzles, emulsions, and infused oils that provide new possibilities for sides and mains. Read More »

Eating By The Numbers

Twelves Grill & Café

Published on 3/01/09

It’s easy to guess what Tim and Kristin Smith’s lucky number is. The husband-and-wife team own and operate Twelves Grill & Café (10 Exchange Place, West Grove, Pa., 610.869.4020; www.twelvesgrill.com, BYOB) in the former Sovereign Bank Building. Their first date was on November 12th; later, they chose November 12th for their wedding day. Tim’s birthday is January 12th, and Kristin’s is the 12th of February. Read More »

Cheers

Christmas cocktails come but once a year

Published on 12/01/08

Like many rural men who came of age during the Great Depression, my father gave up drinking alcohol when he married my mother, partly as a commitment to settling down, partly because there wasn’t any money left over for drink once the bills were paid. Read More »

Fresh Air And Fine Fare

Savor the scents

Published on 12/01/08

Inhale deeply, dining public: Pennsylvania has finally caught up with neighboring states to enact a law that bans smoking in restaurants. Now we can savor the wonderful aromas wafting from area kitchens without choking on cigarette fumes. Starting with this column, all restaurants listed are smoke-free (indoors, at least; if patios and terraces allow smoking, I’ll alert you). Read More »