MacGourmet is Not a $200 Cheeseburger!

This looks like something every gourmet geek out there will want (provided you're a Mac and not a PC).

Mariner Software, just released MacGourmet Deluxe 1.0, its ultra-modern recipe and wine management software for Mac OS X.
Users can create, edit and share recipes; make wine and cooking notes, and easily import recipes found on the Web and expand their collection.

Recipes can be published to a .mac account or to a personal Web site. MacGourmet Deluxe will also create a shopping list that can be printed or exported to a PDA.

One of the coolest features of MacGourmet Deluxe is a first - the Cookbook Builder. Using a recipe collection, you can build, print and share your own cookbook.

The CookBook Builder allows the easy addition of images, chapters and text pages. A click of the mouse and it's saved as a high resolution PDF! Which means, of course, you now have a file that is small in size (easy to email) is printable and compatible with any computer and operating system.

Wine Whisperer says, "Don't Worry. Be Happy Canyon."

The Wine Whisperer hits the wine trail in search of the 2007 Happy Canyon Vineyards blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mmmmm...a young wine with lots of black fruit, blackberries and currant.
A nice, integrated oak characteristic and it's good acidity makes it a great food wine. And I'll tell ya, partner, it's a perfect partner for pork or lamb dishes. WW found this Happy Canyon Vineyards blend for just $14.99 at the Monterey Street Wine Company in San Luis Obispo.
It's Happy Trails for me as I head off for a 4th of July BBQ at my Wine Cave.

Audio of WW will download if you click on his picture.

Grapevine Radio Show airing Saturday, June 14, 2008

We welcome guest co-host and veteran broadcast journalist, Lynn Diehl to Grapevine Radio and she introduces us to Craig and Nancy Stoller, owners of Sextant Winery. Next, we talk to Chef New, the energetic and talented young master of cutting edge cuisine at our area's newest restaurant/club sensation, Level 4 in Paso Robles.

Bass in the Glory of Italian Food Week 6.18–6.24.08

Here's a recipe from the Food & Beverage International website who first alerted me to the fact that this is Italian Food Week?

Sauteéd Bass Filet with
Eggplant and Ginger Sauce
By Chef Francesco Apreda, Hassler Hotel, Rome, Italy

Ingredients / Methods:
Bass
Eggplants
Yellow, Red and Green Pepper
Zucchini
Garlic Oil
Tomatoe Puree
Basil
String Beans
Toasted Pine Nuts

Procedure for Bass:
120 grams sautéed in a pan until skin becomes crispy, then put in the oven to finish off.

Eggplant Sauce:
Cook the whole eggplants in an oven. Remove the skin and blend the skinned eggplants into a pulp, adding salt and olive oil.

Ginger:
Dice with olive oil and parsley.

Pillows:
Make a bed for the sea bass by cutting in small cubes yellow, red, and green peppers, eggplant and zucchini. Cook quickly in a pan with oil and salt, eventually adding garlic oil, tomato puree, and toasted pine nuts. Fried basil, Toasted pine nuts, Tomato puree, String beans: Boiled and then cooled in ice water, sliced open in halves.

Without Reservations. Joe Spills the Beans

From our Cookbook Corner, hot Chef and TV personality, Joey Altman really does have some "bold, creative" recipes in this new cookbook. And since I'm always in search of the perfect Huevos Rancheros, I'm featuring Joey's killer Ranchero sauce recipe. You'll want to check out his full deal on preparing this dish complete with his "lime cream." Mucho gusto!
Publisher's Note:
A popular TV chef explains how to prepare restaurant-quality meals at home with more than 120 tempting recipes for everything from cocktails and appetizers to entrées and desserts.
Industry Review:
"Intriguing combinations like tamarind, pecan and cherries with chicken, or maple, apple and mango with pork augment the dishes' central elements without overwhelming them..."

Holy Holistic Label Designs, Vatman

It's all in the label

New research shows just how much packaging guides our decisions.

By BRENT HUNSBERGER, Newhouse News Service

Last update: June 7, 2008 - 10:44

Do we judge a wine by its label?

Yes, and new research counts the ways.

The results shed light not only on consumers' snap shopping judgments, but also on marketing opportunities for other consumer products, including fragrances, footwear and MP3 players.

"There's a lot of money to be made in helping consumers make a good choice," said Keven Malkewitz, an assistant marketing professor at Oregon State University who coauthored the study. "The package helps people make a decision."

The study, "Holistic Package Design and Consumer Brand Impressions," appeared this month in the Journal of Marketing, cowritten by Ulrich Orth, a marketing professor at the University of Kiel in Germany. It was funded in part by Willamette Valley Vineyards Inc. in Turner, Ore.

Past marketing research suggests that packaging is extremely important in selling products because consumers encounter them when they're highly engaged mentally in making buying decisions. But little independent research had been done on which designs evoke specific, desired responses, Malkewitz said.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Grapevine Radio Show airing Saturday, June 7, 2008

Link to podcast of the show on which we introduce our new co-host, Jan Manni, Certified Sommilier and owner of The Wine Attic in Paso Robles.

Then we welcome Signe Zoller wine maker and owner of Zoller Wine Styling in Paso and learn about how intricate the choice of wine barrels can be.

Bonde. Trou de Bonde

The Wine Whisperer uncovers another real bargain on a truly fine wine; Trou de Bonde 2006 RED WINE. Winemaker, Clay Brock is the master of understatement. He has such a simple name for this elegant blend of Tempernillo, Petite Syrah and Zinfandel.

The perfect red wine for summer grilling as it will enhance the flavor of most any meat put over a flame. I especially liked it with savory grilled chicken.

And here's the part that puts the real thrill in your grill: this Trou de Bonde 2006 RED WINE is just $11.99 at the Monterey Street Wine Company. www.MontereyStreetWines.com