Eat. Drink. Memory.

Culinary Institute of America offers wine certificate

St. Helena, CA, January 19, 2010 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has created a new wine and beverage certificate program for 2010 at Greystone, the school's Napa Valley campus.

The Accelerated Wine and Beverage Certificate Program (AWBP) advances a student's professional skills in the wine and beverage sector and positions graduates to pursue career opportunities in numerous segments of the food and beverage industry.

"A deep understanding of wine, beer, spirits – even coffee and tea – is vital to career success in the food service and hospitality fields," said Adam Busby, CMC and Director of Education at CIA Greystone, in a press release.

The pioneering AWBP program will equip students with skills and insights required for advancement toward leadership positions in beverage management in both fine and casual dining, restaurant front-of-house management, wine and beverage retail, wholesale, and more.

The accredited 30-week AWBP will impart knowledge and skills related to sensory evaluation, flavor dynamics, cellar management, and mixology. Food and beverage pairing, service, and hospitality are major components of the eight-month curriculum. "AWBP students will graduate with a wine and beverage education on par with those skills learned by the CIA's culinary students," notes Busby.

The program launches in September 2010 at the CIA's Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA. Classes will be held at the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies, a state-of-the-art complex featuring two tasting theaters ideally designed for the in-depth study of wines and beverages.

Program enrollees must have a bachelor's or associate degree in hospitality management, culinary arts management, or a related field, or have a bachelor's degree in another discipline as well as relevant food and beverage industry experience. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

For more information about the AWBP, visit www.ciaprochef.com/winecertificate or call 1-800-CULINARY.

Meet Lidia Bastianich at NYC book signing

Cheese and beer make me want to cheer

The next time you start to grab the obligatory bottle of white wine to serve with the cheese platter, don't do it.

Do instead what Europeans have been doing for ages. Grab a bottle of ale or lager. Bitter or buttery, beer goes great with all kinds of cheeses.

"Long the domain of fine wines, beer is entering the epicurean stage with sophisticated tastes and flavors that pair up perfectly with a variety of cheeses," states Roberta MacDonald, Vice President of Cabot Creamery.

Rich, fruity ales match up well with stronger tastes, such as red meat and extra sharp cheddars. Lighter lagers, on the other hand, pair better with poultry, fish and mild cheeses like mild cheddar or Monterey Jack. Think of ale as red wine and lager as white wine.

Hoppiness in beer is relative to acidity in wine. Beers that have significant hoppiness or bitterness, such as India Pale Ales, pair well with cheeses that are spicy or sharp.

Pair like with like--mild beers with mild foods, robust beers with robust dishes. Assertive Scottish and Belgian ales stand up well next to wild game. Fish and chicken match up with conservatively hopped pilsners and brown ales. A full-bodied porter with big roasted flavor matches up deliciously with strong flavors.

Get in the spirit of Halloween with Crystal Head Vodka

This year use your head and embrace the spirit of Halloween with Crystal Head Vodka for your witch’s brew.

Inspired by his long-time fascination with ghosts, spirits, and other unworldly presences, as well as his interest in the legend of the 13 Crystal Skulls, screen legend Dan Aykroyd has created Crystal Head Vodka. This super-premium vodka is quadruple distilled and then triple crystal-filtered through Herkimer diamonds, which are said to emit positive energy.

Try Dan Aykroyd’s favorite cocktail for Halloween - The Cranium. 

Yield one serving

Ingredients

1 ½ oz. Crystal Head Vodka

4 ounces Cranberry juice

1 splash Grenadine

Preparation

Pour Crystal Head Vodka and cranberry juice over ice in a tall glass.

Add a splash of grenadine (unstirred) on the top. -

Garnish with blood orange slice.

Grab a classic cocktail at The Sackett Bar

The Sackett (661 Sackett Street between 4th and 5th Avenues, Brooklyn, 718.622.0437), site of the defunct Latin American Cafe, is now open.

Drop in and try their signature cocktail - The Sackett, a blend of Johnny Walker Red, Amaretto, Cointreau, and a dash of orange bitters.

Owners and native New Yorkers Ann Jhun and Michael Ragolia have years of experience in the NY bar, club and music scene.

Jhun worked as a cocktail waitress and bartender at NY’s Limelight and Tunnel nightclubs during her college days. then worked behind the scenes after graduation in promotions at clubs such as Life and Cheetah Club.

At 23, Ann was hired as Speed nightclub’s Director of Promotions where she handled advertising, market analysis and PR in addition to promotions. More recently, Jhun was Director of Sales & Marketing at City, a national luxury lifestyle magazine.

Ragolia has over 8 years of experience in the music industry. As a college student, Michael worked at Matador records in marketing/distribution capacity.

Additionally, he worked as a buyer for two of New York City’s music destination shops, Kim’s Music and Video on the West Village and Sound and Fury on the Lower East Side, where he hand-selected the product from over ten national distributors. Michael is currently a City Planner.

The new Park Slope bar specializes in classic cocktails, wines and craft beers. And there's a daily Happy Hour so you can get your lush on until 7 pm with $4 pints and well drinks, $1 off all beers and rotating cocktail specials.

The Sackett’s kitchen will open in November serving oven-toasted sandwiches and appetizers.

Here's a sneak peek at their upcoming bar menu:

Oven Toasted Sliders

served with organic kettle chips

• -Roast beef, cheddar, sauteed onion and horseradish on a club roll
• -Prosciutto, gorgonzola cream and pear on a ciabatta roll
• -Brie, spinach and walnuts on a ciabatta roll
• -Turkey, cranberry chutney and pepper jack on a club roll
• -Ham, swiss, pickle and peppercorn mayo on a club roll

Dips

served with ground white corn chips

•  -Spinach yogurt
• -Creamy artichoke
• -Spicy Red lentil

COCKTAILS

• Income Tax – Hendricks, dry and sweet vermouth, OJ, Angostura bitters
• Mrs. Alexander – Hennessy, dark Crème de Cacao, milk, nutmeg
• The Sackett – Johnny Walker Red, Amaretto, cointreau, dash orange bitters
• Southern Apple – Bulleit, Apple Liquer
• Perfect Pair – Grey Goose Pear, St. Germain, fresh lime, soda

Hours: Open Mon – Thurs 4 pm – 1 am, Fri 4 pm – 3 am, Sat 2 pm – 3 am, Sun 2 pm – 1 am

Website: www.thesackett.com

Around the world wine tasting with Bottlenotes

Enjoy 80+ wines plus award-winning cheeses from Artisanal Premium Cheese at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art tomorrow night.

Taste wines from Italy, France, Austria, Spain, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Washington State, California , Israel, and Lebanon with Bottlenotes.  The online wine community and boutique takes you Around the World in 80 Sips.

Tickets $50 in advance, $75 at the door.

For more information:

Friday, June 26th, 2009, 7:00-10:00 PM
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Buy tickets here

$59 for a Wine Class at NYC Wine Co. ($95 Value)

And you thought big nose, full body referred to your face and figure... The deal brokers at Groupon are offering a wine class so you never have to wonder about these things ever again.

NYC Wine Company, a New York magazine Critics' Pick, is widely respected for its fun, insightful wine-education classes and  today $59 gets you a Groupon good toward any wine-appreciation class valued up to $95 at NYC Wine Company located at 167 W. 23rd St.

NYC Wine Company has a class for every level of wino, so anyone can learn all there is to know about fermented grapes.

Depending on the class you choose, you’ll go on an educational journey through the wine regions of France, Italy, Argentina, and many other regions; learn the basics of reds and whites; discover helpful hints on how to pair wine with food; and much more.

Each class includes a plated selection of different cheeses to enhance your experience.

There's no limit on how many Groupons you can buy today, so take as many classes as you like at this great discount rate!

Dad deserves The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III

The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III, matured to perfection, is a sublime fusion of malt where the whole is greater than its parts - kind of like Dad.

This whisky is the result of artistry and experimentation by Dalmore master distiller, Richard Paterson, who spent the 70s, 80s and 90s perfecting the fledgling spirit.

Paterson filled French cabernet sauvignon wine barriques, Mediterranean Madeira drums, Matusalem Sherry butts from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Marsala barrels from Sicily, Port pipes from the Douro and sweet Bourbon barrels from Kentucky to start the artistic process of creating The Dalmore King Alexander III.

Commemorating the Mackenzie Clan founder’s selfless and heroic act of saving King Alexander III in 1263, the resulting whisky is a deep rich, mahogany color with a complex aroma of freshly cut flowers and exotic fruits.

The bold, smooth flavor can be attributed to one element - wood.  The six different styles of casks especially selected and meticulously combined to produce this Royal Dram all combine to provide backbone and structure for this elegant whisky.

Aged Oloroso and Madeira provide display the warm flavors of crushed almonds and rich citrus fruits while the heavy Port and Marsala casks add hints of wild berries and fleshy ripe plums. Warm whispers of vanilla and creamy caramel from Bourbon barrels combine perfectly with the sensual elegance of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Suggested retail for a 750ml bottle of The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III is $200.

Cheers to Dad.

Cantine Aperte features over 800 wine growers

Wine enthusiasts can look forward to a weekend of sampling fabulous Italian wines from vintners large and small, well known and lesser known, during Cantine Aperte

Taste your way through the vineyards of Italy, May 30-31st, as wine growers all over the country open their cellars during the annual spring festival celebrating the nation's wines.

Over 800 vintners will hold tastings for the public to try wines as divergent as Chianti, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, or the lesser known Sagrantino of Montefalco. (Italian Notebook).

Beer, beer, beer!  It makes me want to cheer!

Apparently, the Pilgrims felt the same way.

According to Mayflower's log, the ship might not have landed at Plymouth Rock if there ahd been plenty of beer on hand. 

Party on Pilgrims!  We have beer to thank for the birth of the colonies and ultimately the birth of beer-drinking nation, right. 

The popularity of brew has hardly waned. At the 2008 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO, more than 1,900 different beers from 400 U.S. breweries were featured.  That's a whole lot of brew.

With so many varieties available,  Americans are pairing beers with more foods and desserts then ever before. Doug Miller of the Culinary Institute offers some handy guidelines for pairing beer and food - and it's a lot more sophisticated than a frank and a brew.

 "When pairing food and beer, the first thing you want to think about is what types of beer you like and what kinds of foods would taste good with them," says Miller. "There are some basic rules that apply when it comes to pairings. One is you don't want the beer to outshine the food or the food to outshine the beer. Ideally both should harmoniously elevate each other."

Ales and lagers are the two primary beer types and each comprises many different styles of beers.

Beers that are crisp and refreshing, such as pilsners, light ales, and wheat beers, pair well with pizza, pasta, grilled chicken, and grilled fish. A hoppier beer such as an Indian Pale Ale is delicious with spicy cuisines such as Cajun, Mexican, and Thai food.

Belgium farmhouse-style ales that are slightly fruity and light have become popular in the U.S. Whether produced here or imported, they complement duck, pork chops, roasted chicken, turkey, and sausage.

Serve full-bodied stouts that have burnt malt flavors at clambakes, with oysters, shell fish, and crab boil. Stouts can also be a great beverage for desserts. An oatmeal or chocolate stout can be very tasty with oatmeal cookies or chocolate ice cream.

Pair heavier dishes like BBQ or smoked meats with dark brown Porter's smoky roasted flavor. You can even add some to your favorite barbeque sauce.

Miller reminds us that these are only some suggestions and encourages you to experiment with your own pairings, as long as you responsibly enjoy what you drink.

Cheers!