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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Feb 26 – Really Good Boxed Wine

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Jake Whitman, founder of “Really Good Boxed Wine.”

Many years ago, while working at Larry Evers Wine & Spirits, a couple of Australian dudes came to the store.  They were impressed by all the Aussie wines on the shelf but surprised it was all in bottles.  They said that in Australia, most folks buy wines in 3L bag-in-box format.  Europe and Australia offered high end wines in boxes; they even shipped their product to America in plastic bladders. But upon arrival in the States, the wine went into bottles. There are many reasons and advantages for doing just that.

In our country back then, boxed wines were cheap and generally lacked the quality of similar wines in bottle. While that has changed to a degree, the perception is often still the same.  Box wine is cheap wine!

Really Good Box Wine is one of a few out to change that perception.  The brand is the brainchild of Jake Whitman, a former consumer products brand manager with Proctor & Gamble and a few tech companies in San Francisco.  Whitman is his own only full-time employee, with a small cadre helping him with website development as well as sourcing wines and grapes. The wines, all certified sustainable, are being made at Healdsburg Custom Crush winery in Sonoma County. They will be sold online, with delivery to 39 states and the District of Columbia. Whitman said he hopes to expand his portfolio to include wines from the Pacific Northwest and Europe.  Follow RGBW on Facebook

At the end of the day, the quality of the wine is what really matters. It doesn’t need to be pretentious. It doesn’t need to be in a 2-pound bottle. We believe we’ve found a better way to help wine-lovers enjoy more of what they love. It’s better wine in a better format, that’s better for the environment and for a better price. That’s Really Good Boxed Wine. 

Really Good Boxed Wine  is a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine brand that aims to change the stereotypes associated with boxed wine.  While DTC means you won’t find this wine on the shelf at your local wine merchant, fear not.  You can order direct and even subscribe to have wine delivered on a monthly basis with no commitment and no catches.  10$ Flat rate shipping or Free shipping with $100+ orders!

Want to learn more?  Join Master Sommelier Andy Meyer on the FREE Virtual Tasting Thursday, March 3, 2022 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM CST
You’ll hear Andy and Really Good Boxed Wine founder Jake Whitman talk about changing trends in the wine industry, and taste alongside Andy as he tries the brand’s newest release, a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.

For a little direct comparison, I’ll be tasting the wine of the week below which is available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road here in the Flat Lands.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile
Black Box Wines Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, displaying enticing aromas of black currant, toasty oak, and a hint of vanilla. Ripe blackberries and chocolate fill the palate with balanced tannins that lead to a soft, lingering finish.

Available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road

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Feb 19 – Atelier Meats

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Rahim Rajwani, part of the team at Atelier Meats.

Rajwani is the co-founder and strategic advisor for Atelier Meats, a company utilizing biotechnology and tissue engineering to create real meat in a lab environment. As far-fetched as this concept may seem, the results are real. Since Atelier Meats are “structured,” they take on a familiar form – pork chops, steak, and chicken breasts. This ability to engineer structured meat sets Atelier Meats apart from other biotech meat, which typically results in unstructured shapes like chicken nuggets, meatballs, or ground beef.

Atelier provides an ethical alternative to factory farming, which leads to a better quality of life for animals and apparent health benefits for human beings. It’s well documented that factory farming is terrible for the environment, leading to deforestation and an overabundance of carbon emissions. Atelier Meats’ scientific and technological advances promise new solutions.

Atelier Meats is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing quality, lab-grown meats that are tasteful, healthy, and competitively priced for human consumption. Cultivated meat is no longer news. Our leading edge technology is. We have confidence in our winning team, science, engineering, and world-class lab.

Rahim Rajwani has mastered the art of taking companies public and knows a good bet when he sees one. His history of success has proven his strength as a venture capitalist, founder, and advisor. With him having a hand in the creation of Atelier Meats, the company can look forward to a bright future.  Rajwani had previously jumped into innovative farming initiatives with GreenStar Biosciences and continues that interest in making farming more thoughtful and sustainable with Atelier Meats.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine
Savory varietal notes of Cabernet Sauvignon are layered with the dark fruit and spice character of Petite Sirah. The bouquet of cocoa powder, caramel, and anise works in harmony with the black cherry fruit signature of this wine. Bright and focused on the palate with a firm and appetizing finish. ABV14.5%

Wine Enthusiast 93
This blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah and 2% Malbec offers aromas of black-cherry pie, toasty brioche and fresh mint on the nose. That minty element carries to the palate, where more black cherry and fudge flavors are wrapped in ample acidity and chalky tannin’s. Editors’ Choice
Tasting Panel 93
Composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, the second vintage of this tremendous blend delivers a rich, bright perfume of boysenberry preserves, cashew, and milk chocolate. Licorice, leather, and slate are indulgent flavors that add to the round body, with a distinctly satiny mouthfeel that’s balanced by the sleekness of black-tea tannins. Power meets poise.
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