Mar 22 – Mother Sauce!

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Guy

My guest this week is Lucinda Scala Quinn with her amazing new book “Mother Sauce: Italian American Family Recipes and the Story of the Women Who Created Them.”

In America today, everyone loves nonna’s cooking—think spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza. Italian families arrived in the U.S at the beginning of the twentieth century, and mammas brought with them the skills and ingredient know-how to fashion a whole new cuisine in spite of living in poverty and ostracization from their new country. Their fathers, husbands, and sons then monetized these dishes outside the home in the form of Red sauce joints. Rarely are these women actually credited as the true founders of the Italian-American cuisine.

In her latest book, Lucinda Scala Quinn cooks classic Italian-American recipes, and along the way shares their origin and gives credit to the incredible women who developed our cherished Italian dishes. Home cooks and food lovers alike will delight in this masterful collection of America’s favorite comfort foods, from Baked Ziti and Sausage and Pepper Hoagies to Chicken Marsala and Cannolis. With gorgeous recipe shots, archival photos, ingredient sidebars, and cultural essays, Mother Sauce brings nonna’s cooking to kitchens everywhere. Order  a copy  NOW!

If you have never made or enjoyed Sunday Sauce (or Sunday Gravy) you haven’t lived, or at least not lived as good as you should!  This sauce is slow cooked most all day and fills the house with splendid aromas.  It’s perfect over pasta.  This is authentic Italian, OK…with an American twist.  Here is the Sunday Sauce recipe

About the Author 
Lucinda Scala Quinn is the author of eight cookbooks, including the best-selling Mad Hungry trilogy. Her mantra is, “cook for the ones you love, teach them to cook for themselves and they will pass it on.” Her passion for cooking took root growing up in an Italian American family, which inspired her to begin cooking professionally at age sixteen. As a late-blooming entrepreneur, she founded the Mad Hungry kitchenware brand which makes multi-use tools for the home cook. For over a decade she oversaw all food content for Martha Stewart Living OmniMedia. She was the host of the television show Mad Hungry: Bringing Back the Family Meal and cohost of Everyday Food on PBS. Her radio show EatDrink on Sirius FM was an innovative precursor to podcasts. She lives in New York City and can be followed @madhungry.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something Italian for sure…

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Mar 15 – Delano Paddy Day Parade

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Guy

Always a FUN time in Delano!  I’ll be broadcasting LIVE from InSite Real Estate Group near the Clock Tower Circle.  The Parade starts at noon, and starting at 10:00 a.m. a food truck rally, kids corner,  street party, Drink Truck zone and from 1:30-5:30 p.m. it’s music with DJ Dugger.

The 2025 parade will take place in the heart of historic Delano. The official parade route will go West on Douglas from McLean Blvd to Walnut St, then north on Walnut St to Pacific St.

The following streets will be CLOSED during staging and the parade:

  • Douglas from Waco to Seneca
  • McLean from Maple/Waterman to 1st/2nd Street
  • Walnut from Douglas to 2nd Street
  • Handley from Douglas to Pacific

Street closures will be in effect starting at 7:00am and removed as soon as it is safe after the parade, approximately 5:00pm. No parking on Douglas from McClean to Walnut: 7:00am-5:00pm. Open parking will include surrounding public lots and side streets.

Special thanks to Dan Unruh and the InSite Real Estate Group for making Delano one of Wichita’s premier business districts and for being a part of the parade history.  Come join the fun this Saturday!

Make it a great family day and come support the many local businesses and restaurants:
The Monarch, Hatman Jacks, Wichita Brewing Company, Delano Bakery, Egg Roll, Shamrock Lounge, La Galette Bakery & Deli, Fusin Restaurant, Leslie Coffee Co. All things BBQ, Rubens Mexican Grill, McDonalds and more…

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
How about a Whiskey from Ireland, let’s go  GREEN 🙂
Tullamore D.E.W. is the original triple blend Irish whiskey known the world over for its smooth and gentle complexity. Our whiskey, made in Ireland, is the perfect balance of both fruit and spice. A blend of three spirits, you won’t find another whiskey like Tullamore D.E.W.

Taste: Three spirits blend together to give a balance of flavor like no other. Grain whiskey gives sweet flavors. Malt whiskey gives fruit flavors. And pot still whiskey gives spice flavors.

How it’s made: The complex yet approachable flavors in the whiskey are derived from – three types of grain, triple distillation and the blend of all three Irish whiskeys.

Cask Finish: Triple cask-matured for depth and balance. Over a period of several years, Tullamore D.E.W. Original is aged in traditional refill barrels, ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts.

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Mar 8 – Party On!

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Guy

How could you not love a book titled “Party On!  My guest this week if Carrie Shapley the author of this interesting book that offers pescatarian finger food feasts from around the world.

This easy-to-follow book takes pescatarian party planning to the next level! More than just recipes, every chapter contains all the tips, tricks, and guidance you need to host a variety of bite-sized gatherings for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, game days, bridal and baby showers, graduations, movie nights, and more! Renowned cook Carrie Shapley provides us with 125 original, mouth-watering, high-protein seafood and vegetarian recipes. Best of all, recipes are organized so that each chapter makes a complete party and can be prepared by a single host cook, or prepared as a potluck by a variety of cooks.

The most interesting part of this book is the idea of “10 chapters, 10 Countries, 10 Finger-Food Parties!  While the recipes are often seafood centered, they are just a bunch of fine entertaining ideas. The variety is great and many are new and different recipes that will as to your party fun, no matter what the occasion.

Get a copy now!

About the Author
Carrie grew up a farmgirl in the Midwest, steeped in rural traditions around food, cooking, community, and hard work. Classically trained as an artist, Carrie treats her kitchen as studio, combining her creative passions with her love of great food.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something fun to make your party a big hit!

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Mar 1 – Veggie & Wine pairing

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Guy

My guest this week is Sylvia Ba, a Vinicultural Expert with a master’s degree in Wine Business and much more!  She was my guest back in August of 2024 talking about wine cellars and VinoVoss, a virtual sommelier app.  This Saturday we will give an overview of VinoVoss and then it’s about When “Garden meets Grape – Elevating Vegetable Dishes with perfect Wine Pairings.”

The art of wine pairing, once thought to be reserved for meat and seafood dishes, has evolved to embrace vegetable-forward cuisine. Understanding how to pair wine with vegetarian dishes  or vegetable sides is an art that can elevate your dining experience to new heights. We will be talking about what to consider when it comes to ingredients, cooking methods, and seasoning. Whether you are hosting a dinner party or enjoying a quiet meal at home, We’ll give you tips and examples that will help you choose the perfect wine to complement your veggies.

We will be discussing specific vegetables and the wines that go with them.  It’s also important to realize that cooking methods can have a great impact on how wine interacts and can be enhanced by how you cook them.  Another important element for solid pairing is what seasoning and sauces you incorporate.

Pairing wine with vegetarian dishes is a rewarding endeavor that opens up a world of flavors. By considering the ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings, you can create harmonious pairings that elevate your meals. Whether you’re enjoying a simple weeknight dinner or hosting a lavish gathering, these wine and vegetarian food pairings will impress and satisfy you.

Wine consultant Sylvia Ba is a vinicultural expert.  With a master’s degree in wine business from Burgundy School of Business, as well as diverse background and experiences in Europe and Asia, she currently offers expertise in marketing, research, purchasing, and copywriting for clients in the wine industry all over the world. Sylvia’s experience includes working as a junior editor for a leading Chinese wine media outlet and as a fine wine salesperson for ASC Fine Wines, the largest fine wine importer in China. She also served as Export Manager for Vinum Hadrianum, an artisanal winery in Abruzzo, Italy.

Good Life Guy’s wines of the week:
2022 Laville Pavillon Bordeaux BLANC AND ROUGE

BLANC: Classic aromas of white flowers, fine herbs, golden apples, toasted honey, and citrus pour from the glass. The palate is fresh and invigorating but has an admirable amount of body giving complexity and citrus fruit flavors. The perfect aperitif, especially in the spring or summer. Think light seafood; mussels in a white wine sauce, grilled shrimp, Charcuterie, grilled veggies or salads.  100% Sauvignon Blanc, ABV12.5%

ROUGE  The wine is a bit young so it will need some time to open up before it reveals its true characters so give it about a half an hour. Aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a hint of oak couple with blackberry, spice and a hint of cherry on the palate. Pair this with grilled meats, beef, lamb even roast chicken with herbs. Typical Bordeaux Blend, ABV14%

These two inexpensive wines from Bordeaux will go great with some of  vegetables and more!  Grab a case of this one at Jacob Liquor Exchange and enjoy it over the next 2-5 years!

Check out VinoVoss, the AI driven virtual sommelier   Here’s some great food & wine pairing ideas from Sylvia

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Feb 22 – Argot Wines

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Guy

My guests this week are husband and wife wine making team Justin & Beth Harmon from Argot (R – Go) Argot \ ˈärgō \ : a shared language associated with tight-knit groups, borne from, and reinforcing said group’s intimacy wines. These two were in Wichita not long ago to showcase the great wines they are producing.  They have an interesting story and it’s great to have their limited production, top shelf wines here in the flat lands. Follow Argot on Facebook

Some things are simply meant to be….

It was September 2011, and harvest was in full swing at a garagiste winery located in Sonoma County. Three tons of grapes had just arrived for processing. An eager-to-learn intern took her place at the sorting table, awaiting clusters to begin speeding by.

Before long, the winemaker arrived at the table and grapes began flying … along with playful banter and the usual mix of instructional and irreverent conversation. Subsequent days working together in the winery led to further interactions, deeper conversations and an exchanging of phone numbers. A dinner date was set.

Justin & Beth Harmon & Good Life Guy

Over the course of the evening, they shared a bottle of red wine, a pizza and each other’s stories. The winemaker, Justin Harmon, had left behind his life in Chicago to pursue his dream of starting a wine brand. The intern, Beth Thompson, was no stranger to pursuing dreams herself having grown up in small-town East Texas, believing from an early age that there were brighter lights and bigger skies out West.

A whirlwind romance followed, filled with more beautiful memories than this short story can contain, and in November 2015 they married. Beth continued to pursue her successful career in sales and marketing for multiple wineries, and Justin continued to grow Argot’s production and notoriety. Over the ensuing years, Beth began contributing more and more of her time to Argot before they officially joined forces in running the winery together full-time.

Today Justin and Beth oversee every aspect of Argot—from the vineyard, to the winery, to the bottle and all things in between. They are proud to be a first-generation winery, making a name for their family by producing some of the greatest wines in California, and beyond.
visit argotwines.com to learn more!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Argot – Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2021
94 points | $105 | Only 225 cases made.

 

Alluring, with a mix of gently mulled red and black cherry and mulberry fruit melding steadily with black tea, singed wood spice, chaparral and savory notes as this moves along, all while maintaining definition and understated energy. Drink now through 2029. 225 cases made. ABV15.6

This was just one of the wines tasted with Justin and Beth here in Wichita.  We’ll be talking about several of their wines that are available at Jacob Liquor Exchange.

 

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