Nov 24 – The Pie Queen Beth Bower & Bro-in-law Chef Chaz

The Pie Queen

Up first is my wife Beth who has been creating, producing and baking for the KPTS new video series and companion cookbook “The Pie Way…Kansas Style.”  She has traveled all over Kansas interviewing Chefs, Proprietors and bakers of PIE.  In addition to the video that will air starting December 3 during the KPTS pledge drive there was also a community submission of recipes in various categories that Beth baked and were judged by several local distinguished food judges.  Those recipes were included in the book along with the professional recipes submitted and included in the video.

The book and the video will  both be available during the December pledge drive for KPTS.

Then a rather informal give and take with my Brother in-law Chef Chaz Robinson joins us to talk turkey and cooking fun.
Speaking of fun, we sure had some not only at Thanksgiving but on the road in Texas for a family wedding.

Chef Chaz and Students at Culinard

We’ll tell you how to use some of your Turkey-day leftovers, along with some other helpful tips and techniques.  With the holidays upon us and gathering of family and friends who bring along their favorite “pot-luck” recipes, what a great time to start to assemble your family cookbook.

Chaz is an accomplished Chef that has worked in some of the finest restaurants from the Rockies to the Atlantic.  He is now a staff instructor at the prestigious Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College.

Good Life Guy’s Wines of The Week:
Fine Bubbles for entertaining during the holidays

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Nov 24 – The Pie Queen Beth Bower & Bro-in-law Chef Chaz

Nov 17 – Lisa Mattson & Jordan Wines

My guest this week is Lisa Mattson.  Lisa is an award-winning wine blogger, wine media expert, author and former wine magazine editor with twenty years of experience in the wine business. Her current position is Director of Marketing, Communications, Media and Public relations at Jordan Vineyard & Winery.

She has quite the journey in life and wine and shares it in her book The Exes in My Glass…How I Refined My Taste in Men & Alcohol.  The witty story of her raucous journey from lust to love and beer to wine, The Exes in My Glass: How I Refined My Taste in Men & Alcohol will leave you thirsty to uncork your true potential, too.  Follow Lisa on Face Book, Twitter and her great photography on Instagram

New 2018 edition now on sale with a bonus chapter and 100% of book sale proceeds benefiting wildfire victims through Sonoma Family 

We’ll talk about her journey, what’s new at Jordan and more importantly how you can contribute to California Wildfire victims (and there are many) by getting a copy of the 2018 edition of her book.  www.lisamattsonwine.com

 

Good Life Guy’s Wine(s) of the Week:
2015 Jordan Russian River Chardonnay
Refined aromas of green apple, pear and lemon peel with a flinty note reminiscent of Chablis. Its elegant palate echoes the bouquet with clean, bright flavors of stone fruit and citrus, backed by firm acidity where oak is an afterthought. A touch of creaminess on the mid-palate is followed by lovely mineral notes that carry through an extraordinarily long finish. It would be hard to pick out this bottle as Californian in a lineup of White Burgundies. Enjoy now or cellar through 2022.
Named one of the “50 Best Wines Under $50” by Bloomberg and the “Top 100 Wines of 2017” by Sonoma Magazine.

2014 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
A wine with elegance, refinement and plenty of verve. Its perfume of blackberries and black cherries mingles with a backdrop of subtle oak notes. The palate has a velvety richness that coats the mouth in concentrated flavors of blackberries and cassis, laced with fine tannins from seamlessly integrated, new French oak. Enticing flavors of chocolate, violets and dark fruits linger on the long finish. Enjoy now or cellar through 2033. Decant for 45 minutes to elevate aromas and flavors.
Rated “Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style” by Wine Enthusiast in Fall 2018. Rated an “exceptional example of its type” by Wine & Spirits in Summer 2018. Highly Recommended, Decanter, April 2018

www.jordanwinery.com

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Nov 17 – Lisa Mattson & Jordan Wines

Nov 10 – Evan Goldstein MS

My guest this week is Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, President and Chief Education Officer at  FULL CIRCLE WINE SOLUTIONS, INC. We’ll be talking about Evans journey in wine from working at his Moms restaurant “Square One” in San Francisco to the company he founded and the new project he’s bringing to wine enthusiasts and professionals early in 2019; “Master The World – Taste with Focus. Taste Blind.”

You love wine. It is your passion. You just wish you could go further and learn about new regions, new grape varieties… Or maybe it gets deeper than that… you need to pass a wine certification exam to get ahead in your career, or you want to impress your wine-loving boss. Master the World presents a fun, effective way for you to hone your palate. Six 187ml bottles sent to you in a 100% recyclable kit on a monthly basis with an online site/app that takes you through how to evaluate wine, understand what you’re drinking and articulate what you like and what you know.  Learn more about Master The World.

WHAT YOU GET – Each kit is a curated selection of six bottles of wine, with a tasting mat and instructions on how to use our site/app to evaluate these wines. Each bottle is 187 ml, which is about 6.3 fluid ounces. You can expect wines that are benchmark wines picked by our panel of Master Sommeliers that we have re-bottled into these 187ml bottles through an anaerobic (oxygen-free) process to maintain the quality of the wine. These are branded wines, not bulk wines and once you submit your deductions, you will see the full identities of the labels so it will be an open, honest process.

Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein (who passed his Court of Master Sommeliers’ certification in 1987 – long before “Somm” was a movie or Miles dissed Merlot in “Sideways”) has been in the restaurant and wine industry for 35 years. He has also written numerous books, including Perfect Pairings, Daring Pairings and Wines of South America, published by the University of California Press. With Evan’s expertise, we have developed a scoring algorithm for the evaluation tool and created the product’s content offerings. In addition to leading the wine selection panels, Evan will record educational videos showcasing different tasting techniques and pro-tips to enhance your wine tasting experience.  Learn more about Evan. Follow Evan on Facebook and Twitter

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2016 Broc Cellars Chenin Blanc, Solano County, Green Valley California
This is Broc’s first vintage making Chenin Blanc from the Frei vineyard in Solano County’s Green Valley AVA, located across the Napa county line from Coombsville, in Napa’s southeasternmost corner. Cooled by air from the San Pablo Bay, this small viticultural area has a decidedly maritime climate. This wine, aged in handmade puncheons crafted by Stockinger (one of Austria’s, and Europe’s, finest artisanal cooperages), has incredible reserve, with a nose of lemon pith, hay, and woolen mittens that is a harbinger of the sturdy structure and  linear acidity to be found on the palate. Only 118 cases made!  ABV12%

www.broccellars.com

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Nov 10 – Evan Goldstein MS

Nov 3 – Wicked Wichita & BCC Culinary

Joining me in-studio this week is two of my favorite Chefs and Butler Community College Culinary program instructors Chef John Michael and his wife Chef Lexi Michael.  You have no doubt seen them both around town at the many charity events the the BCC culinary students participate in and if you dine out often I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the kitchen talents of the many graduates of the BCC Culinary Program that have stayed in Wichita and joined the restaurant scene.

We will be telling you all about the Culinary program through Butler that takes place at the Boston Park facility here in Wichita.  Including the great news just released about expanding the curriculum. The school is located at 6655 E Zimmerly, Wichita, KS 67207.  P: 316.218.6256
Learn more about the programs offered here!

“Bring out your creativity while you learn to prepare exquisite meals at Butler’s nationally-known program at our Wichita location. Whether preparing crème brûlée or deviled eggs, learn how to take your cuisine to new heights and hone classical techniques as experienced professionals guide you in the culinary program’s industrial kitchen. Take your knowledge and your nine-month certificate or two-year degree and head straight into the workforce…anywhere in the world.”

With small class sizes and the guidance of seasoned chefs, you learn how to not only make edible art that tastes fantastic, but you gain skills in menu planning, a variety of cooking methods and nutrition. You also develop a strong command of up-to-date safety regulations and learn food service operations. This program also teaches you how to order food, budget expenses and run an industrial kitchen or a restaurant, your own or someone else’s. Start at Butler and go anywhere.

Throughout the year, organizations and businesses reach out to our region’s top culinary program for catering events. Obtain your nine-month certificate or your associate degree and become industry-ready.  Butler’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts offers a world of opportunities!

We will also be sharing some tips & techniques to make holiday cooking stress free and FUN!

Also in studio for this show is my good friend Joe Stumpe, formerly the food dude at The Wichita Eagle, musician extraordinaire, the man behind the Active Aging publication and now a published author of “Wicked Wichita.”

Early Wichita earned a wicked reputation from newspapers across Kansas thanks to a bevy of madams and murderers, bootleggers and bank robbers, con men and crooked cops. Gambler and saloon keeper “Rowdy Joe” Lowe was the toast of the town before shooting down his rival, “Red” Beard, and skipping town. Robber and cop killer “Clever Eddie” Adams spread a wave of terror until the police evened the score. Dixie Lee ran the city’s classiest brothel with little interference from authorities. Notorious quack “Professor” H. Samuels made a fortune selling worthless eye drops. And county attorney Willard Boone was chased out of town when he was caught with his hand in the bootlegger’s cookie jar. Local author Joe Stumpe tells the real stories of the city’s best-known and least-known criminals and misfits

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Two FUN wines to go with Turkey and all the trimmings!

2015 Botani Muscat, Málaga  Spain 
The surprising originality of Botani is the fruit from a rigorous process of grape selection and the great care taken in the winemaking process. The grapes used in this wine come from the vines from Almachar that grow on the north-facing mountainous slopes. After manual harvesting, at the end of June or the beginning of August, the grapes are brought to the selection table before pressing.

2016 Zorzal Terroir Unico Pinot Noir, Tupungato Valley Argentina
Pinot Noir fermented in cement vats with indigenous yeasts and 25% full clusters. It’s kept in cement vat until bottling. It’s a very pure, fruit-driven, focused and clean Pinot Noir, varietal, aromatic and perfumed. This feels like a great vintage for Pinot Noir in Gualtallary. The palate reveals very fine, chalky tannins and a slight bitterness, with an herbal side that gives it character and makes it feel a little wild.

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Nov 3 – Wicked Wichita & BCC Culinary

Oct 27 – TEX-MEX Made Healthy

My first guest is Kelly Coffeen with the latest in a series of cookbooks in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association.  Kelley’s new book is “TEX-MEX Diabetes Cooking – More Than 140 Authentic Southwestern Favorites”

Bold and hearty, the flavors of the Southwest are a rich mixture of cultures, history, and unique regional ingredients. When prepared with traditional ingredients, the cuisine is a heady blend of aromas and spices that is delicious, fulfilling, and—surprisingly—healthy!

In Tex-Mex Diabetes Cooking, cookbook author and Southwestern cuisine expert, Kelley Coffeen, takes you on a tour of the region with more than 140 recipes that focus on fresh local vegetables, fruits, beans, cheeses rich in protein, lean meats, fish, and poultry—all with calorie, carb, and fat levels dialed in for those looking to lose weight or manage their diabetes. This is not a diet book, but a classic collection of beloved and soon-to-be favorite Southwestern and Mexican dishes prepared in easy, delicious, healthy recipes.  Get a copy NOW!

Inside you’ll find traditional classics such as:

  • Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Green Chile Tamales
  • Pork and Pepper Burritos
  • Stacked Saucy Enchiladas with Fresh Greens
  • Seared Sirloin Tacos with Guacamole
  • Roasted Pineapple Salsa
  • Whole-Wheat Hot Cakes with Cajeta and Coconut
  • Green Chile Corn Chowder
  • Chopped Mexican Salad with Lime

And much more!

Who can resist enjoying more of their favorite food (Mexican dishes rank alongside Italian and Chinese cuisine as All-American favorites) while doing their body a favor at the same time? It’s a winning menu for young and old alike—healthy and nutritious, without losing the authenticity and flavor of its cultural origins. Kelley Coffeen knows from a lifetime of experience, living and cooking in various regions across the Southwest, that Tex-Mex fare is easy and fun to prepare at home, and a crowd-pleaser on the table. With this in mind, she created Tex-Mex Diabetes Cooking as the go-to book for home cooks looking for easy, diabetes-friendly, satisfying, and healthy Southwestern dishes to feed their family.  Learn more about Kelly at Kelly’s Kitchen!

.

In the second half in honor of All Hallows Eve, it’s all about Candy of the World by my guest Elise Craig.  Elise who is an editor, free lance writer and “grammar nerd” had a FUN article in the New York Times Magazine Candy Issue called “Home Sweet Home” featuring 33 unique treats from all over the world.

Nations have flags and anthems — but they also have their defining treats. We’ll tell you all about the sweets that capture the spirit of the countries they come from.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something that goes with TEX-MEX and Candy!?!  OK, maybe just something Fun for your wine glass 🙂

2015 DeMorgenzon Maestro Blended White 
A blend of 29% Roussanne, 23% Chardonnay, 22% Chenin Blanc, 18% Grenache Blanc and 8% Viognier, this opens with delicate aromas of pink apple, orange blossom, strawberry hull and white melon. The medium-weight palate offers just enough fruity weight to ground the precise cut of the vibrant acidity. Harmonious and well-balanced, this is one to enjoy now–2022. Wine Enthusiast 91

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Oct 27 – TEX-MEX Made Healthy