Aug 6 – Food Trucks, Vendr.TV, Unoaked Chard!

My first guest is Heather Shouse with her new book “Food Trucks – Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels.”

With food-truck fever sweeping the nation, intrepid journalist Heather Shouse launched a coast-to-coast exploration of street food. In Food Trucks, she gives readers a page-by-page compass for finding the best movable feasts in America.

From decades-old pushcarts manned by tradition-towing immigrants to massive, gleaming mobile kitchens run by culinary prodigies, she identifies more than 100 chowhound pit-stops that are the very best of the best. Serving up everything from slow-smoked barbecue ribs to escargot puffs, with virtually every corner of the globe represented in brilliant detail for authentic eats, Food Trucks presents portable and affordable detour-worthy dishes and puts to rest the notion that memorable meals can only be experienced in lofty towers of haute cuisine.

Organized geographically, Food Trucks doubles as a road trip must-have, a travel companion for discovering memorable meals on minimal budgets and a snapshot of a culinary craze just waiting to be devoured.  Learn more about Heather and order a book!

In the second half I’ll be talking to Dan Delaney.
Daniel Delaney is a food media producer and entrepreneur, who, after finishing a street food thesis at The University of the Arts, launched VendrTV, a weekly web video series about street food. “On a mission to find the best street food around,” Dan and his crew set out to discover mobile eats from Maine to Santa Monica, and everywhere in between. As VendrTV’s audience grew and America’s hunger for street food increased, the show made its way into mainstream media, being featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and The Sunday Morning News, as well as in USA Today, The LA Times, and The NY Daily News. In addition to profiling the best street carts across America, the show has also featured web celebrities including Gary Vaynerchuk, Veronica Belmont, and Jake & Amir. 2011 marks VendrTV’s 2nd anniversary and its 90th episode and counting. Dan is currently developing a television show, and working on his first book, both about street food. Check out Daniel’s web site at www.danieldelaney.com

Then, it’s a brief chat with Chamisal Vineyards winemaker Fintan du Fresne.  Fin, has managed seven crushes in his homeland New Zealand before coming to California and working for several well-respected wineries.  He has been at the helm for Chamisal since 2006.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2010 Chamisal Unoaked Central Coast Chardonnay www.chamisalvineyards.com
Exploding with fresh, crisp fruit, the nose combines tropical pineapple, mango and banana with citrus notes of lemon, lime and grapefruit–a testament to the diversity of vineyard sources. The palate bursts with a medly of fruit, driven by the crisp Fuji apple character and underlying minerality of the estate grapes. Fresh and vivacious, this wine exhibits a dense mid-palate, proving that with the right grapes and winemaking, Chardonnay does not need oak or malolactic fermentation to shine.

Critical acclaim: “So rich in flavor, you won’t miss the absence of oak. The fruit carries the wine all by itself, offering waves of pineapples, limes, peaches, pears, apricots and vanilla bean. Zesty Central Coast acidity makes the mouthfeel crisp and brilliant.”
90 Points Wine Enthusiast

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July 30 – Paletas frozen treats

My first geust is Fany Gerson with her new book “Paletas – Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & aguas Frescas.”  I knew it would no doubt still be HOT, but never thought it would be this hot!  This book has some great recipes for frozen treats to beat the heat, join us and get a copy this Saturday.

From the pure, radiant flavors of classic Blackberry and Spicy Pineapple to unexpectedly enchanting combinations such as Sour Cream, Cherry and Tequila, or Strawberry-Horchata, Paletas is an engaging and delicious guide to Mexico’s traditional—and some not-so-traditional—frozen treats.  Collected and developed by celebrated pastry chef Fany Gerson, this sweet little cookbook showcases her favorite recipes for paletas, those flavor-packed ice pops made from an enormous variety of fruits, nuts, flowers, and even spices; plus shaved ice (raspados) and aguas frescas—the delightful Mexican drinks featuring whole fruit and exotic ingredients like tamarind and hibiscus flowers.

Whether you’re drawn to a simple burst of fresh fruit—as in the Coconut, Watermelon, or Cantaloupe pops—or prefer adventurous flavors like Mezcal-Orange, Mexican Chocolate, Hibiscus-Raspberry, or Lime Pie, Paletas is an inviting, refreshing guide guaranteed to help you beat the heat.  Learn more about Fany and order your copy today!

In the second half I’ll be talking to Kevin Egan, Brand Manager for Blue Ice Vodka about this stellar product and what you can do with it to beat the heat of summer!  www.blueicevodka.com

 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2010 First Drop “The White One” – A fun wine for summer!

84% Arneis, 16% Chardonnay
The 2010, just released, is fruit salad in a bottle with a pale yellow color and a soft pretty bouquet. The winemakers at First Drop are passionate about their wine and strive to make every sip memorable from the first drop to the last.

“First Drop is about passion….for life, fun and flavor!…a lifelong commitment to making kick arse booze….wines with flavor and texture, and a splash of funk….eclectic varieties from unique vineyards in the great regions of the Barossa, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale….wines to drink, not just appreciate.”

Getchasum at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road  🙂

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July 23 – Leopold Brothers Distillery

This week it’s all about Whiskey from Denver Colorado with Scott Leopold from Leopold Brothers Distillery – www.leopoldbros.com

Leopold Bros. is a family owned and operated small batch distillery located in Denver, Colorado.

Todd Leopold got his start in distilling after he received his Diploma in Malting and Brewing from the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago in 1996. After graduation, he trained at the Doemens School in Munich, focusing on the production of lager beers. He then apprenticed at several breweries and distilleries throughout Germany.

Scott Leopold began his career in manufacturing after receiving a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He spent the early part of his career engineering environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes for Fortune 500 companies, as well as designing wastewater treatment systems for both industry and municipalities.

Together, the Leopold Brothers designed and developed a unique distillery in which environmental sustainability is a daily practice, and the art and science of fermentation and distillation is practiced at the highest possible level.

These guys are making some great products; Small Batch Gin, Silver Tree Vodka, Fruit Whiskey, all kinds of super quality cordials with the finest fruit and a new American Absinthe Verte.  The products are new here in Kansas and if you don’t find them on the shelf ask your retailer to stock them!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2009 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
The 2009 vintage of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with an intriguing interplay of lively citrus and subtle toasted oak, laced with just a kiss of butterscotch. The palate is round and nutty, with flavors of yellow apple and orange adding lushness, while well-balanced acidity creates a lovely vibrancy. Hints of vanilla and caramel add richness and texture to a long, fresh finish.  www.lacrema.com

“Rich and unctuous, with a viscous, glyceriney texture holding deep, opulent flavors of pineapples, lime custard, clover, honey, Mandarin orange and cinnamon spice. Lees treatment brings a creamy, slightly sourdough tang. Good price for a Chardonnay of this quality.”  93 Points Wine Enthusiast

Pick up a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange today and beat the heat with this killer chardonnay!  🙂

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July 16 – WTSO & Great Vodka

Like Wine?  Have you heard of Wines Till Sold Out or WTSO?  You need to!  Tune in this Saturday, I’ll be talking to WTSO CEO Joe Arking and we will tell you everything you need to know about this nifty wine buying web site.  It’s easy, it’s fun, there are some great deals and they ship to Kansas.

WTSO.com is an online store that focuses on selling wine at 30%-70% off store and internet site prices. It started as an in-store department of the parent company that will remain nameless so we can continue to get these great wines at ridiculous prices and pass them on to you!  One wine at a time, Fine Wines, Great Prices…

www.winestillsoldout.com

In the second half I’ll be talking to Kevin Egan, Brand Manager for Blue Ice Vodka about this stellar product and what you can do with it to beat the heat of summer!  www.blueicevodka.com

21st Century Spirits started its first offering with the creation  of Blue Ice Vodka, America’s finest potato vodka from–Idaho–home to the luscious Russet Burbank Potato. Idaho is the  true birthplace of Blue Ice Vodka; it is where the people  behind the brand come from and live, where the natural  ingredients are sourced and where the product is made.

Since then, 21st Century Spirits mission has been to create  a family of spirits that are carefully selected to represent the  best offering available in its category. Bolstering a consistent  stream of innovative products such as Blue Ice Organic  Wheat vodka, 21st Century Spirits is sure to continue as one  of America’s premier spirits providers for centuries to come.

Also talking to Kevin Egan from Make-A-Wish about a cool event on Saturday July 30th from 6-9p.m. at Grace Hill Winery.  www.gracehillwinery.com/uncorkawish

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2009 Napa Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay  www.napacellars.com

The fruit for our 2009 Napa Cellars Chardonnay was sourced from select vineyards in prime Chardonnay locations including South Napa, Oakville and Atlas Peak. The cool weather influences in the southern part of the valley enabled an extended growing season resulting in wonderful bright fruit flavors and crisp acidity while the milder climate of Oakville allowed the fruit to develop rich, ripe, classic Chardonnay characteristics.  Tantalizing aromas of vanilla, white peach and shortbread integrate seamlessly into luscious flavors of crème brulèe, pear cobbler and toasted marshmallow. This creamy Chardonnay is soft up-front while nuances of green apple and lemon custard linger on the balanced finish.

Pick up a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road and join us…

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July 9 – Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend

My guest is Four Roses Brand Ambassador Al Young, we’ll be talking about “Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend.”

As with the story of just about any American icon, the legendary story of the highly acclaimed, award-winning Four Roses brand is filled with folklore and adventure, family feuds and romance, with a cast of colorful characters any fiction writer would die for. A father and son enamored of the Southern cause during the American Civil War; another son, a Confederate Colonel, who dies defending Atlanta; and his sons who would successfully turn the family business into one of the last family-owned whiskey brands in the United States; a whiskey magnate from Canada who would alter the brand’s composition within the United States and drive it to be a “bottom shelf” brand; and, finally, a passionate and determined master distiller who would never give in until Four Roses regained the prominence it once had with the American public.

Historian and Four Roses brand ambassador Al Young puts his storytelling talents to good use in this masterfully told history of what was once the most popular and best-selling bourbon in America, a brand so revered that it took its rightful place at the top of Times Square in New York, along with other beloved brands such as Coke and General Electric.

It is a story of this international brand’s humble beginnings, and perhaps the startling truth behind how the brand actually got its name — contrary to legend; how the label was almost driven out of existence in the United States just a few decades ago; and how it rose from the ashes to its current place and stature in the world, which includes such countries as Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and, of course, once again the United States.

If the Four Roses story is familiar to you, you will find this book a fascinating and long overdue journey with a trusted old friend. But if this is your first taste of the brand and its history, you might want to pour yourself a sip or two, relax and get ready to savor every moment.

Join us as we taste and talk about some of the great Blourbons from Four Roses, including the Yellow Label available at Jocob Liquor Exchange.

 

 

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