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Culinary Tips

Culinary Tips Thanksgiving Recipes Wines and Champagne

Holiday food and wine pairing, mystery solved!

Hosting a party or event during this busy holiday season? Seasoned chefs and sommeliers have no difficulty with food and wine pairing, but for many of us, the issue can be a perplexing challenge. We have discovered this sinfully easy cheat sheet to assist you, a simple interactive wine pairing wheel. Simply click the image, choose a wine, and receive suggestions for the appropriate meat or poultry, fish, sauces, and desserts. Thanksgiving party planners take note: this guide recommends Sauvignon Blanc as a suitable white wine for turkey, and Pinot Noir as a complimentary red wine. For smoked turkey, the guide suggests a white Riesling.

We brought up the subject of turkey to our friend Joe from Another Wine Blog, and he recommended a 2007 Cono Sur Pinot Noir, with an attractive price point of under $10. Wine.com provides a list of suggested wines for thanksgiving here, and you may also find helpful this Thanksgiving wine pairing article written by Joanie from Lafond Vineyards in Santa Barbara.

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Culinary Tips Thanksgiving Recipes

The Art of Carving a Turkey

The Art of Carving was a book written in 1791 by Reverend John Trusler, taking us back to an era where manners and etiquette rated highly in society, even while slicing a Thanksgiving turkey! A few amusing excerpts from this historic book are here:

“…manners and etiquette are vital, and the ability to carve with “ease and grace” gains great respect among fellow diners”

“On no account must the carver stand up while doing the deed, but must always have a chair high enough to do the job commandingly.”

“Any attempt to hack at the turkey will end in guests being “bespattered” and so should be avoided.”

“Choice cuts should always be handed out evenly around the table, unless people of a “superior rank” are present. ”

Many times going back to basics is best! Houstonian chef Jeffrey Everts shows us just how quick and easy it can be, in this video demonstration of how to carve a holiday turkey with a carving knife.

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Another “How to carve a turkey” video may be found here, and we found a helpful printable guide at the Eating Well site here.

Culinary Tips

Cast Iron, why you should cook with a cast iron skillet and how to care for it

Cast iron skillets and cookware can add amazing flavor to your meals. They have many advantages, cook beautifully, and properly cared for they will last you a lifetime. The heat in cast iron is evenly distributed, and retained longer than lighter materials because there is a greater volume or mass to heat and cool. My favorite feature is that they can be used in the oven as well as the stove top. If properly seasoned and cared for, cast iron pans, skillets, and cookware will be as nonstick as teflon cookware.

Watch the video with tips from Chef Mark Tafoya from the Culinary Media Network.

For more information about cast iron pans, other pans, and appropriate uses, visit this article in by our Twitter friend and wine expert in Houston!

Culinary Tips

All about kitchen knives

This video features chef Jean Pierre explaining what knives are best for kitchen use. How many do you need? Only about 5 or 6, and they should be high quality, well balanced with a substantial weight and fit well in your hand. Jean Pierre recommends having a 9 inch chef’s knife, a thin slicing knife, a serrated knife, a boning knife, a short paring knife, and a honing steel. Jean Pierre explains why having a sharp knife is much safer for you than attempting to cut with a dull knife, contrary to popular belief!