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Strong Coffee to Red Wine Posts

In the Glass and On the Plate

Before we talk plate and glass, I have to share this series of images. These pictures of two of my favorite beings just make me smile. Breezy thinks she is a lap dog, and Gary loves all the “kisses.” She really wants to lick his eye, but his glasses are blocking her access. What Is In My Glass and On My Plate Glass – 2016 Daou Soul of the Lion, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, California This wine is an extraordinary sip. And for that, I must thank my sister. She went to a Daou Vineyards and Winery Dinner and ordered…

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Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Tart

Better Than I Imagined Gruyère cheese has become one of my favorite cheeses since my time living in Sweden after high school. Yes, Gruyère is a type of Swiss, not a Swedish cheese but it was in Sweden where I ate it for the first time and it turned me into a cheese-crazed person. I have been thinking about making this tart for decades but the puff pastry scared the crap out of me. I thought that there is no way I would be successful in making it. Then I learned that most folks I know that use puff pastry,…

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Baker & Brewer = EVO without the Drive

EVO Pizzeria Long before everyone was making brick-oven pizza, EVO Pizzeria was doing it in the Park Circle area of North Charleston. To me, brick-ovens makes the best pizza, so I loved going there whenever I had a craving. While EVO remains one of my favorite spots still today, now there are brick-oven pizzerias all over town. So while EVO reigns supreme in my eyes, I rarely made the drive anymore. So when I heard that EVO Pizzeria was joining forces with Holy City Brewing to open a spacious location in the old DeSano Pizza building downtown, I was out…

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Ehlers Estate 2018 Sylviane Rosé

A Horse of a Different Color When the Ehlers Estate 2018 Sylviane Rosé was released last Spring, I was super stoked. The 2017 vintage was my #1 favorite wine last year. Everyone I knew that tried this vintage swooned over it. It was a 100% Cabernet Franc rosé that really knocked it out of the park. So with the 2018 vintage released, I was ordering my first case, no problem, with more to follow I was sure. Now I knew that there was a new winemaker at Ehlers. After all, I did run a Q&A with her last fall. (You…

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Drayton Hall – Tourist in My Own Town

This past weekend, Gary and I had a house guest. Katia, who was my classmate in D.C. when I was taking the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Certification. We hit it off and became study partners and subsequently friends. She reached out looking for hotel and restaurant recommendations for a weekend trip to Charleston. I recommended the “Hotel de Dean-Link,” which is the same location as our Church of the Screened in Porch. She loved that idea and chose to stay with us. She toured Charleston on her own Friday and Sunday but on Saturday we all…

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Gluten-Free Orange Almond Polenta Cake

I made this gluten-free cake on my second day of baking with my sister. I also made a classic Victoria’s Sandwich, but I was less happy with that, and this was so delicious. Now before I get to this fab gluten-free recipe, I want to explain that the cookbook I reference is my British cookbook from the GBBO show. For that reason, the recipe is in grams instead of cups, and I like it that way. We all know that my efforts in baking have been “iffy” at best. So translating the measurements seemed silly when grams is a much…

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Short Ribs Asian Style

I had gone back and forth on whether or not I should post the incredibly delicious short ribs that are based on a Marcus Samuelsson recipe that he prepared for President Obama about eight years ago. They were the main course at a dinner party we had. The reason for this debate is because there was a 5-hour power outage during the day that delayed EVERYTHING. (Yes, I have an electric stove.) The power came back on two hours before dinner was to be served, and an hour before the guests arrived. And did I mention that the short ribs…

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Barsa * Unrecipe * Summer Sips

This is a post that I should call This, That and The Other because it is different topics that are unrelated to each other but are all themes of my blog, eating out – this week at Barsa; creating food- a simple Unrecipe appetizer; and drinking and sharing wine – New Summer Sips. Hopefully, that means that there is something in this post for everyone. But before I go there, I have to tell you that last week was insane as I pulled off a hugely successful invitation-only tasting with Gratus Vineyards. Typically, I would not host a tasting when…

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