May 27 – BUDMO!

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is Anna Voloshyna with her new book “BUDMO! – Recipes from a Ukrainian Kitchen.”

Celebrate the rich culture of Ukrainian cuisine with these traditional Eastern European recipes infused with a fresh, contemporary approach for today’s home kitchen, from one of today’s most exciting young chefs of Ukrainian cuisine.

With its emphasis on fresh ingredients, time-honored heritage, and warm hospitality, Eastern European cuisine is having a culinary moment, in addition to Ukraine being of great current interest.

Meaning “cheers!” in Ukrainian, Budmo! is the first cookbook to celebrate classic Eastern European recipes with a modern, creative twist. Presented by Ukrainian-born, California-based chef, blogger, and culinary instructor Anna Voloshyna, bright flavors and vibrant ingredients sing from each plate. A gorgeous magenta pkhali comes alive with roasted beets and a tangy pomegranate molasses. Borscht is reinvented with green sorrels and semi-soft eggs. And Voloshyna even shares a personal recipe for her Ukrainian grandmother’s duck—roasted to a delicious crispy-brown perfection. These are the dishes that are perfect for gathering your favorite people with, and each one is bound to uncover the mouthwatering flavors and traditions of this endlessly fascinating part of the world.  Get a copy NOW!

Anna Voloshyna was born in southern Ukraine in 1990 and relocated to the United States in 2011. She is a chef, blogger, and culinary instructor who translates Eastern European cuisine and flavors into approachable dishes for the modern home cook, and is particularly known for her wildly successful pop-up dinners and workshops. She resides with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Follow Anna on Facebook

“Ten Best Books About Food of 2022: In this colorful cookbook you’ll find recipes for dishes like cold borscht, dark cherry varenyky and sweet pumpkin rice kasha from Ukrainian native Anna Voloshyna, who moved to California in 2011. Known for hosting pop-up dinners and cooking classes, Voloshyna is also a food stylist, photographer and blogger. In her debut cookbook, she offers modern and American spins on the typical dishes she grew up with, and she also includes details like food origins, customs and traditions in each recipe’s headnote. Budmo, which is how Ukrainians say “cheers,” shares the country’s complicated history that has led up to the current war, while simultaneously celebrating its varied and vibrant cuisine.” —SMITHSONIAN.COM

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2021 The Pairing Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County AVA, California
Low yields and cool days created a blend that is both bold and rich as well as chiseled and steely. Citrus and green melon and hints of baking spice. Ready to pop and pour, it shines immediately out of the bottle.  Invigorating combination of ripe and silky fruit alongside a refreshing backbone of vibrant acidity. An inviting and delectable Chardonnay that offers something for everyone.
BARREL AGING 1/3 neutral French oak, 1/3 New French oak, 1/3 stainless tanks 1/3 went through malolactic fermentation.
CASES PRODUCED: 500

Wine Enthusiast 93
Focused aromas of Meyer lemon, crushed rocks and light pear show on the nose of this county cuvée. The palate is extremely mineral driven, like licking white rocks that are dusted with oyster shells and lemon zest. Kiwi flesh adds some roundness.
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May 20 – (Serious) New Cook

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Guy

Two interesting guests this week, Leah Su Quiroga and Cammie Kim Lin with the new book: (Serious) New Cook: Recipes, Tips, and Techniques.

Inspiration and stellar instruction in a groundbreaking resource for new(ish) cooks ready to level up. Perfect for teens and college students, twenty-somethings cooking in their own first kitchens, or folks of any age who are ready to get serious about making great food. 

“Learning how to cook—simply, seasonally, and organically, for family and friends—is one of the most fulfilling things you can do in life. This book is the essential (and delicious!) roadmap you need: friendly, approachable, and perfectly ready to inspire new cooks to fall in love.” —Alice Waters, chef, restaurateur, author, and American culinary icon

Filled with recipes for impressive, craveable food—with all the guidance needed to make it—(Serious) New Cook is perfect for young adults or any new(ish) cooks who have ever found themselves salivating at cooking TikToks or drooling over gorgeous cookbooks, only to believe they aren’t skilled enough to attempt the recipes themselves. Here, the clear, detailed instruction and stunning step-by-step photography will have readers wowing their friends and families from their very first dish. Along with recipes that are at once aspirational and totally doable, authors Leah Su Quiroga and Cammie Kim Lin use their experience as a chef from one of America’s top restaurants and an award-winning teacher and writer to deftly share knowledge, stories, and brilliant tips with humor and insight.

It’s an homage to their own multicultural families and to the countless young adults they’ve taught and cooked with—their own kids, Cammie’s high school and college students, the new cooks who came up under Leah in the Chez Panisse kitchen. (Serious) New Cook hits all the right notes, packed with inspired takes on familiar favorites, as well as new flavors to build an expansive repertoire: crepes with compote, handmade arepas, “broken” Caesar salad, mushroom pot pie, Korean bulgogi meatballs, classic cupcakes, dalgona milkshakes, and more. With stunning step-by-step photography by Molly DeCoudreaux, the recipes are presented in trios organized around a core technique or concept. Learn one recipe and readers will be well on their way to mastering all three. Also included are guest recipes from acclaimed chefs and authors Alice Waters, Bryant Terry, Sean Sherman, Sohui Kim, Russell Moore, Claire Ptak, Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis, ushering a new generation of (serious) new cooks into the fold. More than just a collection of recipes, (Serious) New Cook is an indispensable resource and an inspiring guide.  Check out this video

About The Authors 

Leah & Cammie

Leah Su Quiroga cooked for over a decade at Alice Waters’s renowned California restaurant, Chez Panisse, where she started out as an intern and quickly worked her way up to head chef. She currently lives in Sebastopol, California, where she’s raising a family. Cammie Kim Lin, Leah’s sister, is a serious home cook who got her start in commercial kitchens before becoming a professor and writer. She teaches at New York University and lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family, which includes the two teenaged (serious) new cooks featured throughout the book. Cal Peternell, also a former head chef at Chez Panisse, is the New York Times best-selling author of numerous cookbooks, including Twelve Recipes and Burnt Toast and Other Disasters.    Order a copy NOW

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Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2019 Peake Ranch Sierra Madre Vineyard Chardonnay
Sierra Madre Vineyard is situated on a sandy, south-facing slope, and produces a wine that is concentrated, decadent and complex. Caramel, sea salt and nutmeg aromatics are balanced by ripe stone fruits, granny smith apples and honeydew. The wine’s flamboyant attributes of richness and lusciousness are balanced by an acidic tension culminating with a long, velvety-textured finish. 100% Chardonnay, ABV14.5%
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96 points Jeb Dunnuck:
“The 2019 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard comes from the Santa Maria Valley and was barrel fermented and aged 18 months in French oak, 45% new. More lemon, golden apple, chamomile, and savory herbs emerge from this beauty, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a bright spine of acidity, beautiful balance, and a great finish. It’s another remarkable wine delivering California fruit in a Burgundian style.” – Jeb Dunnuck
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94 points Wine Enthusiast:
“Light in the glass, this wine begins with clean and soft aromas of nectarine, orange cake, sea salt and apple flesh. A lime juice acidity splashes into the palate, where lightly poached Asian pear, salted apple slices and crisp jicama flavors align, returning to lemony acid on the finish.” -Matt Kettmann 
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Learn more about Peake Ranch wines – A good wine for a serious cook!
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May 13 – Eat Real America

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is Krista Sanderson, c0-founder of “Eat Real America” and co-author of the “Eat Real Cookbook” with her partner and nutritionist Zonya Foco.

Krista is passionate about teaching people how to eat REAL food and make it taste delicious, and the funny thing is,  and Scott (her husband) are frequently asked “What do you really eat?”.  So, for Lent they decided to do a short (less than 5 min) video recap every day to show people exactly that…what we eat!  Krista says; “Yes, it was a video of our meals, every single day!”

“We started to think we were crazy and bit off way more than we bargained for, but then it got easier and was really enjoyable!  There ended up being 47 videos!  We posted them on Facebook and Instagram and they can also be found on our You Tube Eat REAL America channel.  We also did a coaching tip re-cap after Easter and have this posted on our Eat REAL America website.  You can find it here:  What Do We Eat Coaching Tip.  It sums up what we learned and some of the feedback we received.  This has inspired us to now begin working on a program to help people who want to improve their health but don’t know where to start when it comes to eating healthy.”

MEET KRISTA SANDERSON, REAL FOOD CHAMPION, WIFE AND MOM
Hi!  My name is Krista Sanderson and I live in Wichita, KS with my husband, two kids, and our spoiled Border Collie.  I have a HUGE passion for enjoying REAL food!  After many, many different ideas on how to help others enjoy all the benefits of REAL food, in 2013 (with the help from some great partners), our service, Get REAL Wichita, was born.  After a year of talking to our members, learning, helping others, and building the content on Get REAL Wichita, we were asked repeatedly to expand beyond Wichita…thus, the birth of Eat REAL America…with weekly meal ideas, recipes, blog topics, tips and more — all focused on REAL food!

Later in the show I’ll be talking to CEO Rovin Singh about Mode Chocolate, a company co-founded with his wife COO Crystal Braganza.

Crystal and Rovin have been married for almost four years and welcomed their first child into the world last summer. They started Mode to create delicious chocolate without the sugar highs and crashes. Each with significant CPG and retail experience, they’re putting their skills to good use and sharing their innovative chocolate bar with a health-focused customer.

Crystal and Rovin started Mode after their love affair with chocolate turned into a troublesome relationship with food. Too much sugar was taking a toll on their health and cutting it out only made them crave it more. So, they cleared off the kitchen island and began experimenting. Days turned into weeks and weeks into years, but they finally created a delicious chocolate bar—combining just a few ingredients you can actually pronounce, without all the sugar.

“We believe that guilt, permission and shame shouldn’t drive our decisions around food, and the less we have to think about food, the easier it will be to live our lives. Mode exists to give you an easier option to enjoy chocolate, however it fits into your life.   Great tasting chocolate without the extra sugar.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2019 Bodegas La Purísima Red Blend from Spain
La Purisima has a gorgeous black cherry color, with good intensity. There is a prevalence of ripe fruit, with hints of vanilla, toast and spicy notes. The nose is clean and complex with many nuances. The palate is fleshy, long and powerful with great fruit and spice on the finish.

Critical Acclaim JS93 James Suckling
An excellent blend with 85% monastrell, 10% syrah and 5% garnacha. Deep and glossy with blackberries, wild spices, tar and mineral. Concentrated but not hefty. Juicy, with a medium-to full-bodied palate enveloped by fresh, chalky tannins. Balance is the key here.

A Jacob Liquor Exchange exclusive with limited quantity available at the North Rock store!

This wine is a great value and brings BIG flavor to the party…

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April 22 – 29 and May 6

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Guy

Three great shows coming your way as I cruise the North Atlantic.

April 22 my guest is Francesco Iovine with his new book: Meals and Memories with Nonno. In Meals and Memories with Nonno, Francesco Iovine and co-author Ashley Carr honor the legacy of Francesco’s grandfather, Angelo Iovine, whose philosophy regarding food was to keep it fresh and keep it simple.  Get your copy NOW!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: 2018 Cantine di Ora Amicone
Produced from mostly dried Corvina grapes done in the Amarone style but for a shorter period of time. The wine juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged up to eight months in French oak barrels. This is a dry, medium-plus-bodied and plushy red with lots of ripe red berry, dark cherry, vanilla, smoky oak spice and chocolate flavors with rich dark cherry on the finish. An excellent value Veneto red at $16. ABV14%
Grape varieties: 65%Corvina, 20%Rondinella, 15%Molinara.  Food pairings: roast duck, roast Mediterranean chicken thighs with olives and grapes, grilled lamb chops, Bistecca Florentine.

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April 29 I’ll be talking to Scott Feldman about his company “Just Pure Foods” the growth and expansion of his tasty, healthy and interesting new product Tomato Chips.  We’ll also talk about interesting ways to enjoy tomato chips as well as what may be coming soon form this innovative company.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: 2020 & 2021 Rombauer Chardonnay
Ripe peach, citrus fruits, spice, and pie crust aromas all mingle and lift from the glass. The citrus, supported by notes of apricot, continues on the palate which is concentrated with a rich, creamy middle palate, and strong supporting acidity. The finish is long and marked with hints of vanilla. This wine will continue to build richness as it ages in the bottle.  This description holds for both vintages and is indicative of the consistency of Rombauer Chardonnay from Carneros!  Food Pairings: Rich creamy pasta dishes with white sauce, chicken piccata, roast chicken, buttered lobster tails and most any kind of rich creamy cheese.

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May 6 It’s all about Matt Moore‘s new book “Butcher On The Block: Everyday Recipes, Stories, and Inspirations from Your Local Butcher and Beyond.” From the author of Serial Griller and South’s Best Butts, a cookbook of more than 125 everyday specialty recipes plus meaty stories and secret tips from butchers everywhere.  Sometimes, the best way to get the best recipes is to just talk to your butcher.  Get a copy NOW!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Robert Mondavi Selection Series Chardonnay
The nose reveals lemon blossom, green apple, and peach aromas with smoky oak nuances along with enticing vanilla spice and smoky oak flavors. The creamy, mouthfilling palate creates a lush impression and is balanced by a rich, lingering finish. Food Pairings: Enjoy this delicious wine with rich seafood, poultry and pork dishes, whitesauce pastas—like Fettuccine Alfredo, or flavorful, soft-ripening cheeses.  All wines in this tier are well made and varietally perfect, great value and perfect for entertaining a crowd. 

All wines available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road 🙂

I’ll be back in the studio LIVE May 13

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Apr 15 – Dewey McLaughlin & Wyldewood Cellars

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Guy

My guest this week is Dewey McLaughlin, part of the wine making team at Wyldewood Cellars. We’ll be talking about the wineries history, grape growing in Kansas, Elderberries and more from his 17 years growing grapes and making wine.

Wyldewood Cellars opened in 1995, and after more than 25 years has garnered over 600 International awards and titles to their credit. This Family owned business was started in 1995 as the way for the family team of Dr. John Brewer, his wife Beth, and his sister Merry Bauman to “make the family farm profitable”.

“We have since gained our place on the World Stage of Wines with two Professional Wine Judges and Wine-Makers on staff, Dr. John Brewer himself and Merry’s son, Shawn.” As a scientist, John had been making wines as a hobby for many years.

IT ALL STARTED WITH ELDERBERRIES…

The nostalgia of Elderberry Wine, and the acres of elderberries on their mom’s ranch in Eastern Kansas, was the start of 8 years and over 200 trials to develop a world class wine made from elderberries.

Beginning with Elderberry Wines, they now have over 40 wines made from fruits, berries, and some incredible grape varieties. They definitely have fun with their wines, and proudly make wines that taste good! It is not just about the awards at Wyldewood Cellars, it is about making wines that people really enjoy.

Later in the show I’ll be talking to Dan Stockemer from Prairie Hill Vineyards about “ROOTSTOCK!

Get advanced tickets NOW!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Some fun wines from Wyldewood Cellars.

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