Italian Grapes from Unti Vineyards at the Winter Grill #ItalianFWT
Italian Grapes Go International with #ItalianFWT This month, our Italian Food, Wine and Travel bloggers are leaving Italy (gasp!) in search of Italian grapes that have emigrated. French grapes have become quite international, perhaps even forgetting their origin; but Italian grapes? We don’t often see them outside Italy. To see what my fellow ItalianFWT bloggers … Continue reading
Gewürztraminer and Cooking the Cover of Bon Appétit
Cooking the Cover Do you have a favorite cooking magazine? I’ve had subscriptions to several over the years, and I’ve landed on Bon Appétit as my long term favorite. The recipes find that magic balance between something new and different while still being accessible. I can generally find the ingredients and the list is not … Continue reading
House of Cards Lighting Studio for Food/Wine Blogging
Lighting for Food/Wine Bloggers This is the time of year when bloggers start to think about artificial lighting. In the summer, you can use natural light all day and well into the evening. December in Minnesota? 4:30pm sunset. What to do? You can either cook and photograph in the afternoon, or you can invest in … Continue reading
Our Saber Crisis #MWWC18
Monthly Wine Writing Challenge 18 #MWWC18 After several months away, I’m jumping back into the game with the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge group. The premise is simple: a friendly challenge among the group to write on the topic for the month. Votes are tallied (remember, no wagering) and a winner emerges. The winner chooses the … Continue reading
DSLR Wine Photos: Why Drop $100+ on a Polarizing Filter?
One Filter You Need With modern digital cameras and processing software, the need for special filters has largely been eliminated. There’s a filter that can’t be replicated by either your camera or post-processing software: a circular polarizing filter. This is the one additional filter you should pack. Polarizing filters excel at eliminating reflections and glare … Continue reading
Food & Wine Photography on the Go with your DSLR
Food & Wine Photography on the Go Are you the person in your group who loves to capture those fun food & wine moments? If so, read on. From simple to sophisticated, here are some ideas for capturing better food & wine photos. Your Phone Your phone has the prime advantage of always being with … Continue reading
Anchovy Beet-Green Pesto Pasta & Arneis
TuLangheRoero is currently hosting a food blogging/photography contest. The challenge runs a little like the “Chopped” cooking show in slow motion. Each Monday, they announce the secret ingredient, always a favorite in the Langhe and Roero districts of the Piedmont region in Italy. The contest is to create and photograph a dish using the secret … Continue reading
Trouble at the Intersection of Food & Wine
(A new monthly wine writing challenge comes from the Armchair Sommelier this month, with “Trouble” as our challenge topic) As my interest in wine & food has grown, trouble has come from places I never expected. Imagined trouble: the expense of wine purchases. As interest grows, so grows the price per bottle and the number … Continue reading
5 Tips for Your First Visit to Barolo (Italy!)
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in the Langhe, the sub-region of Piedmont which includes both Barolo and Barbaresco – two of Italy’s finest wines. What a treat! I’ll have several posts over the next few weeks highlighting different aspects of my first wine experience in Italy. I had … Continue reading
Food Porn #4: Food Photography
Every one of our classes has included lots of beautiful food. We have learned about presentation, plating, and really studying what makes food look good. Today, I decided to do a photographic study of a quail’s egg. A complete portfolio of quail’s egg; an obsession. As other activities were going on, I studied my quail’s … Continue reading
