Wine and cheese has been a celebrated culinary coupling for centuries. Pairing the duo, however, is not always an elementary assignment. With the increasing diversity of both available at your local grocery store, selection can quickly become overwhelming. Does this Gaglioppo pair with a block of Timberdoodle?
This month’s Veritas Wine Club at Tchin Tchin Bar, located in Honolulu’s Chinatown District, sought to provide a few basic wine and cheese pairing tips, utilizing items easily found at any local market. Learn, practice, repeat.
Read moreHere in Hawaii, we love to eat. A lot, frequently, and with friends. To facilitate a modicum of fiscal responsibility in my culinary enterprises, I often search for that magical acronym jotted on Yelp pages and restaurant windows: BYOB. Don't concern yourself with the typical 400 percent markup for alcoholic beverages. Just bring your own.
Brilliant.
One problem. With BYOB, there is no sommelier to offer recommendations; you are on your own. Most wouldn’t find tremendous difficulty pairing their bœuf bourguignon or spaghetti alla puttanesca with a tasty vinous beverage. But for the more adventurous, where do you begin when attempting to pair sashimi, papoutsakia, or Evil Jungle Prince Thai Curry?
Read moreIn a special Mother’s Day edition, we pay tribute to the love, support, and generosity unconditionally poured out by mothers everywhere. It's just what moms do, naturally and gracefully. Although we benefit on a regular basis, these gestures and sacrifices are too often met with little appreciation. But not today! On this day, we celebrate and honor you, mom, for all the ways in which you love, care and provide for us. Cheers to you!
Read moreThe second part of the Great Birthday Bash was borne out of a coincidence of timing. This month’s wine club, typically convening the last weekend of each month, was bestowed a birthday theme. Patrons were asked to select a wine (or food) that would embody the core characteristics and personality traits of this esteemed author. Okay, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was quickly discovered that any potentially positive character trait I may possess was going to be conveniently omitted from the discussion. Cheer up, I was told, “we simply wouldn’t bother at all if we didn’t like you.” Sigh. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
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