Apr 9 – Unique Snacks from “Pretzelvania

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Norman Cross, Director of Sales for Unique Snacks.

Unique Pretzel Bakery is a sixth-generation, family operated business based in Reading, PA, the Pretzel Capital of the World. In 2020 and ahead of the business’s 100th anniversary in February 2021, the company rebranded as Unique Snacks to pursue added growth in other healthy snack categories. All of the company’s crunchy and flavorful Unique Pretzels are made from a secret family recipe—slow-baked in an all-natural process that sets them apart. Unique Pretzels is home to Unique Splits, the original split-open pretzel, hollow Pretzel Shells, and other healthy, delicious pretzels that deliver a serious crunch. These aren’t just pretzels, they’re Unique!  www.UniqueSnacks.com   Follow Unique Snacks on Facebook & Twitter

We’ll be tasting and talking about some of the products from this family run company.  You can get one day deliver from Amazon, order some today and support Folds of Honor.

Unique Snacks has been a proud supporter of Folds of Honor since 2018, raising more than $36,000 to create at least seven scholarships for service members’ families. While several national charities focus on the needs of veterans, few organizations have provided as much support as Folds of Honor to the families of our nation’s fallen or disabled service members.

Folds of Honor is a national nonprofit that uses 91% of all donated funds to provide academic scholarships to the families of our nation’s service members. Since 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 35,000 scholarships, including 6,500 in the 2021-2022 academic year.  www.FoldsofHonor.org

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2016 Altitudes ixsir Rouge, red blend 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%

35% Cabernet, 26% Caladoc, 22% Syrah, 17% Tempranillo aged in French oak for 6 months.

Learn more here!

Find this wine and others from Lebanon at Jacob Liquor on N. Rock Road

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Apr 2 – LODI!

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Randy Caparoso, author of the newly released “LODI! – The definitive guide and history of America’s largest winegrowing region.”
Learn more about Randy

From the Foreword by Mike Dunne
(veteran wine journalist, Sacramento Bee and San Francisco Chronicle)

“Almost a fifth of California’s wine grapes are harvested at Lodi each fall, including more than a third of its Zinfandel and almost a third of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet, Lodi also is the country’s most underappreciated wine region as gauged by such standards as price, tourism and restaurant wine lists.

But this book will change that. Lodi! represents a rare and timely meeting of the right person in the right place at the right time. The author, Randy Caparoso, has lived in Lodi only a decade, marking him forever as a newcomer in an enclave where grape-growing and winemaking families often go back four or five generations.

But with a relentless curiosity, a knack for fluid and vibrant story-telling, and a talent for capturing photos worth twice the customary 1000 words, Randy has used his time wisely, drilling deep into Lodi’s wine culture — its history, challenges, personalities, pivotal place in California and accelerating evolution into the state’s most surprising and exciting grape-growing and winemaking territory. So eager was Randy to discover Lodi that when he moved there he lived his first five years in a cottage in the middle of a vineyard.

Lodi! is a logical outgrowth of Randy’s role as freelance blogger and social-media director for the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Over the past 10 years he has churned out a steady stream of enlightening and entertaining posts, photos, speeches and articles, all about Lodi’s vineyards and wines. With the speed and sharp eye of an owl patrolling a vineyard, he has used that perch for ready access to the sites, archives and key players that define Lodi as a fine-wine region, and now has assembled what he has gleaned into one smooth and authoritative narrative.” Follow Randy on Facebook & Twitter. Check out his photos on Instagram

Order your copy today!

This book is one of the finest wine region books ever!  I have a bunch of wine books from all over the globe and for most every wine region of note.  I can’t overemphasize the completeness of every aspect of this book.  Beautiful photography, explicit graphics and in-depth history of this vast American Viticultural Area in addition to the people and grapes that made it famous! Order your copy, pick up a couple of Lodi wines at your local wine merchant and spend an evening with this book, you’ll be hooked and it will take you a week or three to digest all it has to offer.
Cheers,

 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2019 Michael David Winery “Freakshow Zinfandel – The Fire Mistress”
Adding a softer, sexier side to Michael David’s band of Freaks, this medium bodied Zin spotlights wild berry and coffee aromas while flirting with notes of peppery spice. Flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate and sweet tobacco amaze the tongue with a fruit-forward, tantalizing finish. ABV15.5% 17 months in mostly American oak.

Freakshow Zinfandel is the third installment in the Freakshow lineup, following a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Red Blend. The Dazzling Fire Mistress pays homage to the wineries roots in Lodi, a region known for exceptional Zinfandel. Typically known as a bold varietal, Freakshow Zin shows the softer, sexier side of Lodi Zin, focusing on the distinctive bright fruit and spice characteristics for which our heritage varietal is known. Learn more here 😉

Grab a bottle or two at Jacob Liquor Exchange and join us!

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Mar 26 – Modern Table

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Kim Kushner, author of a great new book Modern Table: Kosher Recipes for Everyday Gatherings.  Originally scheduled to release in early April, now it looks like the book won’t be available until early May.

The Modern Table, presents kosher cuisine in a fresh, contemporary light. Jam-packed with 75 simple and delicious recipes, entertaining ideas, and menu inspirations, this beautiful cookbook is designed to make every get-together memorable―whether it’s a casual midweek dinner or a full-on Shabbat feast. It includes quick and healthy dishes for busy lifestyles, such as Honeydew with Sea Salt and Lime-Poppy Seed Drizzle, or Leek and Butternut Squash Soup. Fresh, vibrant salads like Grilled Peaches, Burrata, and Mint highlight seasonal offerings, while a delectable Slow-Cooked Lollipop Short Ribs rivals your favorite restaurant dishes. Recipes such as Spicy Green Tahini, Za’atar Cauliflower Steaks, and The Orange Blossom Chiffon Cake with Rose Petals celebrate Kim’s Moroccan and Ashkenazi-Canadian heritage. Also featured are table setting ideas, informal and formal menus, simple floral inspirations, and culinary gifts. The Modern Table is an elegant collection of delicious, fresh, seasonal, beautiful recipes that also happen to be kosher. It is the culmination of ideas inspired by years of gathering to form connections around the table.

Kim Kushner is a teacher and the author of three best-selling cookbooks, ‘I ♥ Kosher’, ‘The New Kosher’ and ‘The Modern Menu’. Raised in Montreal, Canada, Kim learned to cook at an early age from her Moroccan-born mother and spent summers with family in Israel. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, she has developed recipes for Food and Wine and Chile Pepper magazines and has worked as a private chef. In 2005, she launched Kim Kushner Cuisine and now travels the world teaching her wildly popular cooking classes. As a mother of four, a culinary instructor, and an author, Kim’s cooking style reflects her busy multi-tasking life.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2020 ixsir Altitudes White Blend from Lebannon
This blend of a Lebanese indigenous grape and two noble southern varieties presents an elegant swirl of golden glittering robes. Stainless fermented Obeideh, Muscat and Viognier offer Muscat and floral notes of rose and jasmine that dominate the nose. The palate follows the nose and reveals fresh aromas with a nice citrus acidity. It is a harmonious wine, suave and very pleasing. IWC90/100

Available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road 

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Mar 19 – Buena Fé Organic Tequila Quenchers

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Andrew Bushby, co-founder of Buena Fé – The World’s First 100% USDA Organic Tequila Quencher.

Pure Brands has introduced Buena Fé, a USDA-certified organic tequila-based beverage which will be widely available in the US this spring.

Buena Fé organic tequila quenchers are blended in the heart of Jalisco, Mexico. The ingredients in Buena Fé include organic 100 percent blue weber agave tequila blanco, organic fruit juice, organic agave, organic natural flavors and sparkling water.

Buena Fé organic tequila quenchers are currently available in two flavors: watermelon strawberry and mango pineapple. Each flavor is sold in a 4-pack ($14.99 per pack MSRP). The brand will debut on shelves in select states including Kansas, Washington, California, New Jersey, Michigan, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York in the coming months. Each can is 140 calories or less and free of preservatives.

“The introduction of Buena Fé follows more than eight months of searching, blending and batching to create a proprietary formula that meets our standards,” said Buena Fé co-founder Andrew Bushby. “Our mission is to create cocktails that are better for the consumer and better for the environment. We believe we have created the cleanest and tastiest tequila quencher in the world.”

Buena Fè was created by Bushby and Patty Baer as a counterpoint to low-quality, artificial ingredient-laden canned beverages made with inferior mixto tequila — and as a reaction to the dearth of ready-to-drink, organic tequila beverages available in the US. Buena Fé is directly translated to “In Good Faith.”

Later in the show I’ll be talking to Fe Vorderlandwehr Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association here in Wichita about the upcoming fundraising BREAKTHROUGH Memory Gala at Mark Arts April 29, 2022.  6:00 p.m. Cocktails – 7:00 p.m. Dinner & Program.
Craft Cocktails – Gourmet dinner – Live Auction – Dancing with Manhattan

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: 
2019 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc
Vibrant and juicy, this Sauvignon Blanc is rich and complex.  Showing golden straw color and displays aromas of lime, orange blossom, melon, grass, and a touch of tropical fruit notes. On the entry, the juicy grapefruit acidity integrates well with a medium body mid palate mouth feel. The kiwi, green apple, and peach flavors evolve into a hint of minerality that adds complexity to the finish. ABV12.5%

Food Pairing Notes: Crab with garlic lemon butter, panko-coated, deep-fried shrimp, Humbolt Fog cheese, mixed fruit tart

Tasting Panel 90

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Mar 5/12 2-Weeks of The Good Life

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Guy

My guest March 5th is Makenna Held, Host, and Co-Owner of La Pitchoune (often shortened to La Peetch) the former vacation home of Julia Child and husband Paul.  Makenna and Julia share a number of things in common:  They are both incredibly tall, deeply passionate about French cooking, have a ‘what the hell’ attitude in the kitchen, and call Smith College their alma mater.

Nestled just outside of Grasse, France ‘the house that Julia Child built’, La Pitchoune, adorns the hillside with it’s jewelbox charm. Home to the only working pegboard kitchen, styled after the walls of E. Dehilerin in Paris. La Pitchoune is home to the Courageous Cooking School half the year, and a short-term vacation rental the other half the year. Our food focus here is instilling solid French cooking techniques grounded in new flavors.

Courageous Cooking™ recipe-free school, runs April-June, and September-October. To book the Courageous Cooking school follow this link: www.lapeetch.com/cookingschool

Good life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2020 Chehalem INOX Unoaked Chardonnay
INOX, Chehalem’s 100% stainless steel fermented and aged Chardonnay, is a perfect example of the range of this varietal. The 2020 offering is rich and bright, with initial stone fruit aromatics jumping out of the glass. They give way to notes of lemon curd, dried mango, and honey. The mouthwatering palate is weighted by a slight viscosity that creates an alluring texture on the finish that begs for another sip.

 

My guest March 12th is Chef Stephanie Hersch. Follow up from last week’s show talking about the cooking school “La Peetch”, Julia Child’s former Southern France vacation cottage and now home to “The Courageous Cooking School” – why not talk to someone who spent the last 16 years with Julia Child as her Executive Personal Assistant, Chef Stephanie Hersch!

While crossing the Atlantic on Oceania’s Riviera I had the distinct pleasure of meeting an old acquaintance Chef Stephanie Hersch.  I first met Stephanie while helping start the South Florida Chapter of The American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF).  I crossed paths with Stephanie and Julia a number of times throughout the years as I started the Wichita Chapter of AIWF and attending the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for many years.  Imagine my surprise when while on the cruise I discovered Chef Stephanie Hersch is now one of the talented Chefs who teaches hands-on cooking classes on Oceania.

While it was great to catchup with Stephanie, I for sure wanted to share her story with my listeners.  I had the pleasure of recording a show in the magnificent cooking studio on Riviera during our cruise.

Stephanie Hersh dreamed of a job in the culinary world, but she never imagined she would have a front-row seat to the life of the biggest culinary icon around, Julia Child. Stephanie became Julia’s executive assistant in the most unlikely of ways, when a chance phone call came into the secretarial school she was attending after time at the Culinary Institute of America. The only catch? Julia wanted an office assistant, not a starry-eyed culinary school grad. Stephanie talked her way into the job and wound up becoming Julia’s right hand for almost 16 years. Today, Stephanie is a chef instructor with Oceania Cruises and is based in New Zealand.

While on the Oceania cruise and enjoying an extensive array of fine wines, one that particularly caught my attention was an inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc from Pedroncelli.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2019 Pedroncelli Dry Creek “East Side Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc 
Brightly aromatic and very varietally correct-true to the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The clean and fresh flavors are layered with pear, Meyer lemon and tropical fruits. Our Sauvignon Blanc is crisp with notes of citrus, green apple, grass and a touch of minerality. The finish is quite refreshing. Please enjoy upon release or within a year or two as no aging is required. ABV13,5% 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Stainless fermented, no oak.

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