Dec 21 – Craft Cocktails, Eric Christensen and The Culprit

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Guy

Ready for some holiday entertaining tips?  Jeremy Leblanc joins us with his new book “The Best Craft Cocktails & Bartending with Flair.”

Hand-Crafted, Delicious Cocktail Recipes From One of the Best Bartenders in the World!

Jeremy LeBlanc, lead bartender at a bar praised by Conde Nast as one of the top 10 roof top bars in the world, is sharing his signature techniques and one-of a kind recipes that define exceptional bartending. Now, with this bartending guide, experts and beginners alike will keep their friends and customers entertained, satisfied and always coming back for more of these meticulously created cocktails.

The Best Craft Cocktails & Bartending With Flair features hand-crafted cocktail recipes like the Whiskey Pig, which features bacon-washed whiskey, the twist on a classic, the Rhubarb Mojito, and the refreshing berry cocktail, Smithey’s Smash. With chapters dedicated to aperitifs, classics with a twist, exotic cocktails, refreshers and punches, there is truly a drink for every person and every occasion that features fresh ingredients and homemade, wholefood mixes and syrups.

Whether you are looking to become head bartender, break into the business, or simply impress a few friends at home, this one-stop guide is all you’ll need to master the craft with style and ease.

About the Author:  Jeremy LeBlanc is the president of Tin Play Precision Pour Flair Tins, LLC. He has more than 15 years of experience as a bartender and helped Altitude Sky Lounge become one of the top bars in the world. He currently serves as Altitude’s master mixologist.

In the second half I’ll be talking Eric Christensen, the incredibly talented artist who specializes in water color wine art.  Just in time for the holidays, Eric has put together a calendar featuring some of his wine art, and if you hurry you can get it before Christmas.  The perfect gift for any wine lover on your list!
www.ericchristensenart.com

 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2011 The Culprit North Coast Red Wine
The “The Culprit” is blended from a whole bunch of different grape varieties. These “kitchen sink” blends are all the rage in California wine these days. The great news is that “The Culprit” is a blend predominantly of Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah, with six other varietals thrown into the mix to give it plenty of complexity. This is a big, bold, and intense wine!

 

The December 14 show was pre-empted for WSU basketball…
…and they won, again!  Go Shocks 

 

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Dec 7 – Southern Fried

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Guy

Joining us this week is James Villas with his latest book “Southern Fried – More than 150 recipes for crab cakes, fried chicken, hush puppies, and more!”   This Southern Gentleman has been on the show in the past with his other books, PIG: King of the Southern Table and From the Ground Up.  A great guest that you don’t want to miss!

Hush puppies, fried chicken, crab cakes—fried food is the soul of Southern cooking and has only grown in popularity in recent years. Like every one of James Villas’s cookbooks, this one is impeccably researched, with flawless recipes, history, and culture. It is filled with gorgeous color photos sure to tempt even health food fanatics, with crispy, crunchy delights in chapters featuring eggs and cheese, seafood, breads, and Southern staples like grits, rice, and potatoes. Today’s deep fryers make frying easier and healthier than ever; it’s as easy as pushing a button, with no risk of splattering oil, and Villas’s expertly written recipes like Sassy Shrimp Puffs, Georgia Bacon and Eggs with Hominy, Country Fried Steak, Turkey Hash Cakes, and Rosemary Pork Chops will ensure perfect results. This isn’t diet food, to be sure, but these are dishes that people love, and it’s safer and healthier than ever to fry without any sacrifice in flavor.

James Villas

About Jim in his own words:
“I was born and bred in the South, have 3 university degrees in language and literature (Fulbright scholar), and taught in 3 universities before changing careers and becoming Food and Wine Editor of TOWN and COUNTRY (1972-1999). I’ve published 15 cookbooks and 4 literary books on gastronomy. My first novel, DANCING IN THE LOW COUNTRY, was published in 2008; my second, HUNGRY FOR HAPPINESS, in 2010; and I’m currently working on a dog novel titled THE BEAGLE PLAYS BRAHMS. My cookbook, PIG: KING OF THE SOUTHERN TABLE, won the James Beard Award for 2010, and my newest one, SOUTHERN FRIED, will be published in 2013. I live in East Hampton, Long Island, where I devote my time to writing cookbooks and fiction and pursuing my love of great music. ”

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something that goes great with Fried Chickien 🙂

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Nov 30 – Perfect Pies & More, Stephanie Honig

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Guy

This week I’ll be talking to Michele Stuart about latest book “Perfect Pies & More.”

After the success of Perfect Pies, National Pie Baking Champion (27 times!) Michele Stuart went back into the kitchen—the same kitchen in Vermont where she first dreamed up the award-winning creations that inspired her to open the popular Michele’s Pies shops. Returning there also meant returning to the cherished pies she learned to bake under her grandmother’s and mother’s watchful eyes, as well as the wonderful cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats that became their family tradition.

In her newest cookbook, Perfect Pies & More, Stuart delves deeper into her roots while creating delicious new memories made with love and care. Inside, you’ll find tantalizing recipes—some easy-to-bake, some requiring a bit more finesse—for dozens of her favorite fruit, nut, and cream pies, and so much more.  Learn more about Michele and Michele’s Pies at: www.michelespies.com

Stephanie Honig

In the second half, Stephanie Honig, Sales & Marketing manager at Honig Family winery will join us.

Always a fan of this premium Napa producer, we’ll tell you all about the winery, products produced and the great track record for all their wines, especially the Honig Napa Valley Cabernet.  From 2007 through 2010 this wine has garnered 91-93 points from the Wine Spectator.  I look forward to trying the 2011 vintage on the show this week and talking to Stephanie.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2011 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet
This Cabernet is medium-bodied, with aromas and flavors of red cherry, and plum, alongside anise, black tea, vanilla, white pepper and dried herbs. The finish has the perfect balance of bright fruit, elegantly proportioned tannins, and a hint of cocoa powder.

95.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.6% Petit Verdot, Aged for 18 months in American oak barrels (1/3 new barrels)

Pick up a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road and join me this Saturday!

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Nov 23 – Soup Night, and Rick Rodgers

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Guy

I love soup, and my wife is a soup magician.  Now that’s the weather is changing, it’s cool, and soup is the answer!

My guest this week is Maggie Stuckey with her new book “Soup Night – Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup.”

Soup nights are popping up all around the United States as a stress-free way to bring neighbors together. The host provides two or three pots of soup, and the guests bring their own dishes and silverware, and perhaps a salad or some bread. Neighbors get to know each other by name, people of all ages connect and socialize, and the neighborhood becomes friendlier and safer. In Soup Night, Maggie Stuckey offers a practical guide to starting your own soup night group, along with 99 delicious soup recipes and 40 recipes for accompaniments.

Maggie Stuckey

Maggie Stuckey is a writer who grows vegetables and cooks up a storm in her Portland, Oregon, home. The author of The Bountiful Container and seven other books on gardening and horticulture, she is happiest when tending her vegetable garden and using the outcome to create new soups.

Get a copy NOW!

In the second half one of my favorite guests, especially this time of year,  “Mr. Thanksgiving” – Rick Rodgers joins us to talk Turkey and more.

Rick Rodgers

Rick Rodgers is one of the most versatile professionals in the food business. Through his work as a cooking teacher, food writer, cookbook author, freelance cookbook editor, and radio and television guest chef, his infectious love of good food reaches countless cooks every day. He is the author of over forty cookbooks on a wide range of subjects including the best-sellers Thanksgiving 101 and Fondue, and IACP Cookbook Award nominees, Kaffeehaus and The Carefree Cook. Arbiter of taste Williams-Sonoma has chosen Rick to write many titles in its various cookbook lines. Rick’s recipes have also appeared in Food and Wine, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, and Fine Cooking, and he is a frequent contributor to Bon Appétit and blogger at www.epicurious.com  Learn more at: www.rickrodgers.com 

 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Benziger Sonoma Cabernet Suavignon
This Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised from vineyards seated in rocky soils and surrounded in warmth; these influences encourage deep root growth and complex flavored grapes. The 2009 vintage is chock full of plum, loganberry and black cherry flavors. Hints of tea, cocoa and cassis aromas snare the olfactory while a well supported mid palate gives way to a polished, soft finish. Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

FYI – November 9 and 16 were pre-empted for live WSU Shocker Basketball
If I’m going to get bumped, this would be the reason most acceptable 🙂

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Nov 2 – The Essential Good Food Guide

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Guy

My guest this week is Margaret Wittenberg with her new book “The Essential Good Food Guide”

An inspiring and indispensable one-stop resource, The Essential Good Food Guide is your key to understanding how to buy, store, and enjoy whole foods.

Margaret M. Wittenberg shares her insider’s knowledge of products available at national retailers and natural foods markets, providing at-a-glance buying guides. Her ingredient profiles include detailed preparation advice, such as dried bean cooking times, cooking ratios of whole grains to water, culinary oil smoke points, and much more. She also clarifies confusing food labels, misleading marketing claims, and common misperceptions about everyday items, allowing you to maximize the benefits of whole foods cooking.

With full-color photography, this new edition of The Essential Good Food Guide is fully revised with the most up-to-date advice on organics, heirloom grains and legumes, gluten-free cooking options, and the new varieties of fruits and vegetables popping up at farmers’ markets across the country to help you make the most of your time in the grocery aisle and the kitchen.

Get a copy NOW!

Cooking at Bonnie’s Place Open House today…

Bonnie’s Holiday Open House is today, November 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  don’t miss the 2:00 p.m. “Festive Holiday Drinks demo and tasting with Judith Dobson of McPherson.  Judith will be creating innovative drinks in the VitaMix.
Bonnie’s Place: 9747 East 21st St North, Suite 139 – 316 425-5224

www.cookingatbonnies.com

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2012 19 Crimes Red Wine – Shriaz/Durif blend
Dark red in the glass, its legs cascade slowly due to its concentration and power. Possessing aromas of licorice, dark fruits and vanilla, this theme carries through on the palate with loads of rich, wild fruit all wrapped in chalky, ripe tannins persistence and structure to support the concentration of flavor. A wine that boldly showcases the beauty of blending two varieties that match like hand and glove – delivering a memorable wine with loads of personality.   Learn more about the 19 Crimes here!

Get some at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road in Wichita.

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