Dec 9 – This Week’s Show

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Guy

As we slide rapidly in to the holiday season, maybe you are thinking of trying a bit different approach to entertaining.  Classic cocktails are all the rage and this time of year is a perfect time to change it up a bit.  My guests this week; Carey Jones and John McCarthy have put together a crafty new book – “EVERY COCKTAIL HAS A TWIST – Master 25 Classic Drinks and Craft More than 200 Variations.”

Shake up your cocktail routine with this easy-to-follow guide from the critically acclaimed authors of Be Your Own Bartender.

You love your favorite libations, but sometimes you want something different that you know you’ll like. Providing all the tools you need to create delicious new concoctions, this comprehensive collection reconfigures 25 timeless tipples, from Bloody Marys, Daiquirís, and Manhattans to Margaritas, Negronis, and Old-Fashioneds.

Whether you’re a new enthusiast or a seasoned expert, these original riffs will transform your go-to drinks. Featuring more than 200 recipes with numerous adaptations for different tastes and surprising flavor combinations, Every Cocktail Has a Twist also includes Mix and Match options for additional variations and batching instructions for gatherings, making the book even more useful. Remixing the classics has never been easier.

About the Authors 

Carey Jones is the coauthor of Be Your Own Bartender. She also author Brooklyn Bartender and was managing editor of Serious Eats. She lives in Sonoma County, California.

John McCarthy is the coauthor of Be Your Own Bartender. A mixologist and also a spirits writer, he has appeared on Good Morning America, Today.com, and elsewhere. He lives in Sonoma County, California.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2021 Bodegas Manzanos,Las Companas 111 Cabernet Sauvignon, Navarra, Spain
40 years ago you couldn’t find a Cabernet from Spain, my how times have changed.  This wine from Navarra  D.O. is somewhat unusual.  Navarra is located in Central North Spain along the Southeastern border of France with extensive Basque influence.  Moderate ABV 0f 14% with appropriate use of toasty oak to add to the big dark fruit. It’s intense but still leans to the softer side.  A perfect dinner companion. 🙂

 

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Dec 2 – Lebanese Cuisine

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is Leila Kirske, with her new edition of her Mom’s original “Lebanese Cuisine.”  We are lucky here in Wichita to have such strong Lebanese food culture and restaurant representation.  But if you are like me, the fun of recreating some of your favorites in your home kitchen is a treat.  This book is a great guide for your Lebanese cooking fun!

This new edition of the beloved classic Lebanese Cuisine bring easy, authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking back to a whole new audience with over 185 modern and traditional recipes as well as brand new photos.

Lebanese Cuisine includes the best of what Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine has to offer, such as the following:

  • Traditional Homemade Hummus
  • Flavorful Falafel
  • Supreme Lamb Stew with Kibbi
  • Baked Chicken
  • Delicious Baked Fish with Tahini Sauce
  • Sweet Baklava
  • Farina Squares
  • Spiced Rice Pudding
  • Kibbi in Yogurt Sauce
  • Stuffed Eggplant Supreme
  • Grilled Kafta

Complete with a glossary of Arabic terms and suggested menus, Lebanese Cuisine will be a welcome addition to every cook’s library. Get a copy NOW!

Leila Habib-Kirske’s mother Madelain Farah wrote the original edition of Lebanese Cuisine as a means to memorialize the classic recipes from her mother. Now in its new edition, Leila continues the family tradition adding her own recipes and updating her mother’s and grandmother’s in this one-of-a-kind collection.

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking has become increasingly popular due to their unique flavors, healthfulness and to the variety of vegetarian dishes. Recipes in Lebanese Cuisine are divided into different kinds of dishes (breads, soups, fish, entrees, kibbi, mihshi, rice dishes, vegetarian dishes, yogurt dishes, sauces, desserts). Plus everyone’s favorite: homemade hummus!

A financial exec in her “day” job, Leila Habib-Kirske is an advanced home cook who grew up in the kitchen of her mother and grandmother as an avid taster and assistant. Through her family and through extensive international travel she focused on Lebanese and Moroccan cooking. And she never misses an opportunity to take a cooking class. She is an analog film photographer and avid traveler.

Follow Leila on Facebook

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2016 IXSIR Altitudes Rouge from Lebanon
Warmth, sharpness, maturity and character are the dominant traits of this wine. Imprinted with mature fruits, its delicate and complex bouquet balances an oaked aroma with red and black fruits. Notes of blackberry and blackcurrant blended with a fine ‘empyreumatic’ touch give the wine a soft and complex character. Its final silky taste makes it a pleasant and accessible wine, to share in a relaxed environment. ABV14%  James Suckling 92/100

This wine is available in Kansas but I purchased the last bottle at Jacobs.  I’m sure they will be ordering more but other retailers may have it on the shelf.  You must try the Altitudes White wine too. Both are on the wine list at Vora 😉

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Nov 25 -Creekside Mallow Company

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Guy

Who doesn’t like Marshmallows?  Anytime, but certainly Fall and Winter is a great time to roast over an open fire and better yet make Smores.  My guest this week is Grace Gilbertson founder of Creekside Mallow Company, hand crafted, multi-flavored mallows.

Creekside Mallow was born from a backyard campfire and sleepover when Grace, had a light bulb moment and rushed into the house and yelled to her parents, “We should open a gourmet s’mores store!” We didn’t act immediately but the idea stayed in our minds, prompting conversations about how the store would have to revolve around an exceptional marshmallow. Our search came up empty in looking for a source for better than average mallow. We began to research and experiment with recipes until they came up with the perfect hand-crafted mallow.


Our experiments lead to testing, and family and friends became our “focus group”. The reactions were encouraging and that encouragement lead to the development of an idea of how to sell our new product. We decided that we would build a catering business around our mallows. A S’mores bar that would allow people to make a gourmet S’more using our mallows and different chocolates and sauces.

Our first event was a hit! We were beginning to think we had something and as word got out, we found that we were getting calls from all over the area. Several times at each event customers would tell us that we needed to sell the mallows in stores. Our story may have ended there, we had no idea how to get a product of our own into stores, much less how to package, market, and distribute it. A chance meeting in Boise introduced us to the Idaho Small Business Development Center and a host of advisors and mentors. Working with the SBDC, which we still lean on from time to time, was the break we desperately needed.

A family business that shows true dedication and entrepreneurial spirit by producing handcrafted gourmet marshmallows in many flavors as well as smores kits and more!
Follow Creekside Mallow Company on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more at www.creeksidemallow.com

Order some today and start the camp fire or fire pit FUN!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 Taylor Fladgate LBV Port
Deep ruby core with vivid ruby rim. The nose is very fine and multi-layered, with rich strawberry jam aromas, herbal notes, and fresh scents of cedarwood. There is also a discrete dimension, a luxurious redolence of leather and mocha coffee. In contrast, and in keeping with the Taylor house style, the palate has an attractive edge of austerity with taut tannins providing a firm grip to the long finish which delivers a surge of rich berry fruit flavor. A beautifully refined wine, poised and complete, displaying a complexity comparable with that of a mature classic vintage port. A beautiful expression of the 2018 vintage with its accent on elegance and finesse. ABV20%

WS92  Wine Spectator
Shows a nice core of dark currant and fig fruit that’s been steeped with anise, alder and bittersweet cocoa. Give this a little time in a decanter or cellar for another couple of winters. Possesses the stuffing to cover slow sipping over a weekend.

Learn more about this bottle and port in general!   Perfect for holiday entertaining with style…
Get some at Jacob Liquor on N. Rock Road

 

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Nov 18 – Rick Rodgers “Mr. Thanksgiving”

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is good friend Rick Rodgers.  Rick has been featured on The Good Life numerous times, especially associated with the holidays.  He is especially known as “Mr. Thanksgiving” and that’s what we are talking about on this show.

Here are just a few of his more than 40 books, these books  bring fun and creativity to your Thanksgiving table

 

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. Follow Rick on Facebook,  Instagram

Rick has been guest chef on the national television shows Today, CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, Food Network Challenge, and many others, including media appearances in every major local market.

Rick’s combination of down-to-earth humor and solid information brought him the prestigious Bon Appetit Food and Entertaining Award for Outstanding Cooking Teacher. In addition to his publishing work, Rick teaches sold-out cooking classes from coast-to-coast, as well as the occasional international stint (including Korea and France) and he is a speaker at many festivals and seminars.  Rick lives in the New York City area. His website is www.rickrodgers.com

Good Life Guy’s Wines of the Week:
We are going to talk about wines for the Thanksgiving table, and there are many!  These three sparklers are great value and can take you through the entire dinner.

NV Schoenheitz Brut Crémant d’Alsace, France
Crystalline color with pale gold highlights. A developed and complex nose which opens with fruity notes (wild strawberries, Mirabelle plums, quinces…) then develops towards more toasted notes. A beautiful effervescence followed by a blossoming of the aromas. Aged on lees for 25 months. ABV12%

Wine Enthusiast – “Creamy notes of apple, lemon and yeast combine appealingly on the nose. Refreshingly clean fruit of green apple and zesty lemon. The contrast between generous fruit and restrained slenderness is delicious, the finish is beautifully dry and lasting.

NV Pinot Pop Chardonnay-Pinot Noir Brut Bubbles, South Africa 
Grown, produced, and bottled by a family-owned vineyard using the  Charmat method. Crushed, settled, and racked and inoculated with French yeast and cold-fermented at 53.6-55.4°F. Chardonnay component was fermented with Hungarian oak. Racked and kept on fine lees
for eight months. Pinot Noir component is fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and blended before bottling.

This is a classic blend of Pinot and Chardonnay from the Bredde River Valley of the Western Cape of South Africa.  Tight, sophisticated bubbles that deliver bursts of sunshine, twinkles, and freshness. White rose petals and crisp apple-cherry pie with a little frosting on top. Blend: 67% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir ABV11%

NV Codorniu Cuvee Clasico Brut, Spain
Codorniu is not only the creator of cava but also a forerunner in the use of new varietals, aiming to honor their pioneering spirit. Their cavas have a common denominator: maximum quality, fresh and modern style, and focus on keeping the essence of each grape variety.

Clásico is a faithful reflection of the traditional cava. A cava with a fresh fruity and delicate aroma, made from near equal parts of the traditional Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada varietals. Very pale straw yellow and a fine elegant mousse. A pleasant, fresh and balanced mouthfeel. ABV11.5%

And will chat about a few of my favorite still wines for Thanksgiving!

 

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Nov 11 – Cooking Smarter

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is Jeremy Scheck with his new book ScheckEats—Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science

From next-gen culinary phenom and TikTok superstar Jeremy Scheck, easy and delicious recipes for every day and beyond—plus expert tips to make you a better, happier cook. Get a copy NOW!

Jeremy Scheck has charmed a new generation of home cooks with his simple yet remarkably tasty recipes and his reliable culinary know-how. Now, in this stunning and personal book brimming with approachable recipes and step-by-step guidance, Jeremy shares the building blocks of what he calls culinary literacy: understanding why a recipe works and empowering readers to cook with confidence every day. Recipes are designed to minimize single-use ingredients and equipment (for example, all baking recipes are no-mixer-required), encouraging versatility with easily available essentials and Jeremy’s favorite kitchen staples. Organized by course, recipes include:

  • Honey Lemon Chicken
  • Coca-Cola Braised Brisket
  • Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
  • Maple Za’atar Carrots
  • Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Veggies
  • Mac and Cheese Orzo
  • Pretzel Blondies

Invaluable primers throughout offer simple explanations of age-old techniques and food science facts, such as how to get the perfect creamy pasta sauce, how to make leftover veggie soup without a recipe, why you need brown butter in your life (and in your cookies!), and why a little sweetness is the secret to the best roast chicken. With this must-have kitchen companion, everyone can learn the basics of cooking simple but delicious food, whether it’s your first cookbook or it’s joining a full shelf of dog-eared and sauce-stained classics.  Learn more at https://scheckeats.com/

Jeremy Scheck spent high school perfecting his signature cupcakes, making quiches and coffee cake by the dozen at a local bakery, and teaching cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma. As a 10th grader in 2016, he began documenting his favorite recipes on a blog called The After School Bakery. In college, Jeremy learned to make 50 gallons of ice cream in the food science lab, how to prune grape vines in the teaching vineyard, the best way to milk a cow in Northern Italy, and why film photography is an art worth saving. As a sophomore in 2020, he traded blog photos for video and became a TikTok culinary sensation. Jeremy has been featured on the Today show, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, BBC Radio, People, and Access Hollywood, among others. Jeremy is a graduate of Cornell University with a double major in Spanish and Italian, and significant coursework in food science. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. Follow Jeremy Scheck on TikTok & Instagram

In the second half, Whitney Stratton will be joining us to talk about her new endeavor; Wines to You by Whitney  You may know her as one of the talented wine specialists at Jacob Liquor Exchange, her classes at Mark Arts or you’ve just been lucky to meet her and her husband Jamie at a wine event.  Whitney is a WSAT Advanced wine educator, a sommelier and a great gal! Follow Whitney on Facebook.

Whitney says:
“I believe that wine is not common knowledge and snobbery has no place in wine education.  After 13 years of experience in wine consulting/buying for a local retail establishment, hosting private events and educational workshops, I have decided to focus on the joys of wine education!  I will come to your home or venue of choice and take you through a journey.  Whether wine enthusiast or expert, I can curate a special experience just for you and your group.”   

Later in the show Whitney and I will be telling you all about the Jacobs Liquor Exchange customer appreciation event going on Saturday November 11th

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2022 Augustine Bordeaux Blanc
This exquisite and original blend of Sauvignon blanc, Semillon with 5% of muscadelle gives the wine a slight roundness.  Augustine is Fresh, elegantly grassy, and abundantly aromatic. This wine has complexity with notes of pear, white peach and fresh almonds. On the palate a well balanced acidity follows through to a long lasting finish. ABV12%

Summer pool wine or Winter fireplace sipper, this wine is a mouthful of citrus, green apple, pear and refreshing herbaceous acidity.  The addition of muscadelle offers a soft mouthfeel while adding to the zesty captivating aromas.  Learn more here.

The good news, it’s modest price makes it the perfect weeknight libation.  Come see me at the Jacob Liquor Exchange Customer Appreciation day this Saturday and pick up a few bottles, you won’t be disappointed!  🙂

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