Food Webblogr

The year is flying by quickly. Halloween is past us and Thanksgiving is coming on quickly and you know what that means – the hefty, delicious Thanksgiving Dinner. Ah, but wine are you going to drink?

As you probably know by now, wine goes well with food. That being said, only certain wines go well with certain foods. A white wine, for instance, is usually not a good choice for red meat meals because the wine tends to get overwhelmed by the flavor of the meat and any sauces used. In contrast, a red wine tends to be more hearty and flavorful, which makes it a better wine for red meat.

The unique thing about Thanksgiving Dinner is the meal is layered. Although meat is a staple at the end of the meal, the initial appetizers and such can be much lighter. This means most people will mix wines throughout the dinner. Depending on what you are eating, there may be one wine that can handle each stage, but you are usually looking at a mix of vintages.

White wines tend to be complimentary to pointed, fruity tastes. For Thanksgiving, a good white wine would be palatable with appetizers and, perhaps, the desert depending on what is served. For appetizers like stuffed celery, a Sauvignon Blanc would be a good choice. It is a white wine with more of a crisp taste, so it can handle heavier tastes without getting overwhelmed. You can even serve it as a compliment to your red wine for the white meat of the turkey.

Red wines are a staple of Thanksgiving. Let’s face it, the foods we eat during Thanksgiving tend to be heavy and very hearty. From mashed potatoes to stuffing to the dark meat of the turkey, a classic red just makes sense. A Pinot Noir is going to go well with this meal, so pick a favorite or two and offer them up.

If you just want to stick with one vintage for the entire meal, the clear choices are either a Riesling or a Pinot Noir. Each of these wines has then necessary strength and versatility to work throughout the full meal. The have average bodies, but less tannin which means they compliment just about anything you are going to serve.

So, are there specific vintages you should go with? Yes. Thanksgiving is not a time to experiment because it simply is not a wine tasting party. Refer to your wine tasting journal or memories to find particular choices you tried and loved in the past. These should be your choices for this years Thanksgiving Dinner.

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Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com – makers of wine tasting journals that make great wine related gifts for wine affectionados.

How many times do you get asked ” what are we having for dinner tonight”? Its worse if you havn’t had time to organize anything. With money tight in most households the last thing you want to do is get take out again. I have found myself in this situation many times, but I now have a strategy that works for me and I’m sure it can also work for you.I make time every Sunday night to write out a menu.This menu can be popped on the fridge door so everyone knows whats going to be for dinner each night. They even know in advance so if they don’t like what you are having they can invite themselves to a friends house that night! However I do give myself the fexibility to change one night for another if I want to.

After I have written the menu I then go through the cupboards and the menu and write a shopping list so I have everything I need in the house. Sometimes I will actually go through the freezer and cupboards and see what I have and make a menu using things I already have. Those weeks I save heaps of money as I often don’t need to shop at all.

This is the best way to organize yourself and if you have kids who are old enough to cook you can even delegate them to each cook once a week. I would then write that on the menu also.

When you have some spare time, sit down and write out menus for a month. If you do this a few times you can then put them into a folder and just rotate the menus each week. Easy! This will save you so much time and brain power and you will be thanking me a lot.

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Di has been writing articles for more than 2 years. Her latest interest is getting fit. So come visit her latest website www.besthomegymsshop.com which helps people find the very best best home gyms.

You’ll love the scoop here; ten olive types described! The olive is an ancient fruit that grows in the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, the Mid East), North Africa, Spain and parts of California. The olive tree is an evergreen that produces fruit only every other year. Many olive types are available. I am going to describe ten very popular varieties to you and also describe the flavors, degree of ripeness and where they are grown.Calamata Olives: This olive is grown in the Calamata region of Greece. It is dark purple, almond shaped and firm textured. These olives are brine cured, rich and fruity flavored and are harvested fully ripe.

Bella Di Cerignola:This popular olive is mild and sweet in flavor. It is grown in the groves of Cerignola, Italy, and its regions. This is a green olive and is mammoth in size. Gaeta Olives: Small in size, this olive is grown in the Gaeta area of southern Italy. It is dark purple to black in color and firm in texture. It has a sour, salty taste and is brine cured. Arbequina Olives: This is a olive from the Catalonia region of Spain. It is a small olive with a light to dark brown color. They have a distinct nutty flavor.

Manzanilla Olives: This olive is grown in Spain and California. It is green in color and is oval shaped. It is firm textured, brine cured and has a slight almond flavor. It is usually found pitted and sometimes stuffed with garlic or pimento. Nicoise Olives: This is a black olive from France. It is harvested fully ripe and is small in size with a rich, nutty mild flavor. It is usually found with a pit. Sevillano Olives: This is a large, green olive, usually found with a pit. It is salt brine cured and is firm in texture. It is a Spanish olive; the tree also grows in California. Calabrese Olives: Large in size, this olive is grown in southern Italy. It has a full flavor and is very meaty. The color varies widely from light to deep brown. It is usually found with pits. Picholine Olives: This is a French green olive that is salt brine cured. It has a salty flavor and is usually packed with citric acid in the United States. Liguria Olives: The Liguria olive is an Italian black olive. It is salt brine cured and has a robust flavor. It is sometimes packed with stems.

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Just go to www.squidoo.com to find more of my favorite recipes and gain access to many popular restaurant recipes.

This Lemon Salmon Recipe will be a sure bet to please your seafood loving crowd! Choose farm raised or wild caught fresh salmon and there is no need to remove the skin before baking. The thickness of the fish should be as even a possible to ensure even cooking. Lemon Salmon Recipe; 2 large salmon fillets (skin side placed down); lemon juice (to taste) – 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed; 1/2 cup dijon mustard; 1/4 to 1/2 cup honey (to taste); walnuts or pecans (1/2 to 3/4 cups chopped);Place the salmon filets in a shallow baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze the fresh lemon juice onto the fillets; mix the dijon mustard and honey in a separate bowl and blend thoroughly. Save some of the mixture to serve at the table first (if desired); then spoon the remaining sauce over the salmon. Sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans over the fish. Bake at 350 (on middle rack) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the salmon separates easily with a fork. It will flake apart easily and still be moist. Do not over cook. Salmon is a healthy meal option and this lemon salmon recipe packs additional health benefits. Salmon (as well as other fatty fish) contains omega 3 fatty acids. When eaten 1 to 3 times a week, omega 3’s may help prevent heart disease. Walnuts (unlike other nuts), contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and ALA, a plant based omega 3 fatty acid. Honey is a natural sweetening agent which provides more intense flavors than sugar in recipes. The addition of omega 3’s and ALA’s to the diet are believed to have heart protection benefits as well as prevent the onset or delay the progression of age related diseases such as Alzhiemer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

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Just go to www.squidoo.com to find more of my favorite recipes and gain access to many popular restaurant recipes similar to this Lemon Salmon Recipe.

Do you know all the best garlic storage methods? Everyone knows garlic is a health powerhouse, yet there is much more you need to know! The refrigerated method can extend the life of your bulbs. Most of us use garlic, but don’t know enough about garlic storage. Garlic is a bulb (genus name Allium) and is derived from the Celtic “all” meaning hot. Other members of this genus include onions, chives, shallots, green onions and leeks. Garlic is one of the strongest flavored members of this genus family.

When purchasing raw garlic, choose plump, firm, white bulbs with the papery skin still intact on the bulb. Store fresh garlic in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. A store bought clay garlic container with ventilation holes works very well! To refrigerate fresh garlic, peel cloves and store in jars of oil. The latter method would work well for longer storage of excess bulbs. Dehydrated types of garlic can be stored in a closed container in a cool, dry, dark spot. Garlic is best used fresh from the bulb. Garlic salt is actually 90% salt and only 9% garlic, so don’t expect the same taste from it. Chop fresh garlic in a mini food processor and use it in pesto sauce or any sauce of your choice. Rub it over chicken, fish fillets or a fresh pork roast before baking. It can also be rubbed around the inside of salad bowls before adding your favorite tossed, pasta or potato salad! Proper garlic storage will also help retain nutrients in the bulb. Fresh garlic contains many nutrients, including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, protein and vitamins B and C. Try to use it on a daily basis to achieve the greatest health benefits.

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Just go to www.squidoo.com to find more of my favorite recipes and gain access to many popular restaurant recipes and tips such as garlic storage tips.