February is here – finally! Seriously, I thought January would never end. February brings us many wonderful holidays with which to celebrate. Here in the United States, Ground hog day starts off the festivities. Up next is Chinese New Year, followed closely by Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras. Then there is Ash Wednesday, Lincoln’s Birthday and the all important Valentine’s Day! The final popular holiday is President’s Day (I guess this replaced Washington’s Birthday?)
This gives us a plethora of opportunities for cooking romantic meals and pairing them 
with February wine. You may be asking what is February wine? For me, it is beautific reds and creamy complex whites. I’m thinking about Cabernet Sauvignon (the king of reds), Merlot, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese. The whites I love to drink in February are from France, White Burgundy (Chardonnay), White Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc) and Sémillon.
Yes, there are a lot of other reds, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Gamy, Grenache, the list can be quite long, and of course many, many other whites, Albarino, Vinho Verde, Pinot Grigio, I’ve written about all of these, but in February, especially in the cooler climate, I p
refer a more complex red or a white such as the White Wines of France.
Now that you know what I deem to be February Wine, let’s pair these lovelies up with some meals!
For the vegetarians in this group, I tapped an excellent source from Australia, my lovely daughter-in-law. She is a vegetarian and she is a chef, I figured I would just go to the professional in the family. She recommended an Eggplant Parmesan or an Roasted Veggie Risotto.
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 large unpeeled purple eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or as needed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 cup Italian-seasoned Panko crumbs, or more as needed
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1 (24 ounce) jar prepared marinara sauce, or home prepared marinara sauce – recipe below.
- 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package smoked mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions”
Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
Note: salting is done to take away bitterness, not to make the eggplant tender, and it is not necessary if you have wonderful tight-skinned, fresh young eggplants.
Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place Panko crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely diced onion
- 1/3 cup red wine
Directions
In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and red wine.
Cover the saucepan and simmer for an hour minutes, stirring occasionally.
If you do not have Panko crumbs, you can substitute bread crumbs.
I would pair this dish with a rounded Merlot, one such as Castle Rock. Look for a Merlot that has a few years on it. We recently had a bottle of Castle Rock Merlot, year 2011. Fruit forward, lots of berry notes, little tannin. Open the bottle about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Corn Risotto with Roasted Red Pepper
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups Unsalted or Low Sodium Chicken Stock, divided, heated
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until leek is softened (do not allow to brown), about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; add rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until wine has all been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add a ladleful of chicken stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all of the stock. Add another ladleful of stock, stirring, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Continue adding stock, one ladleful at a time, always allowing rice to absorb it before adding another. When about 3 cups of the stock has been added, stir in corn and roasted red peppers. Continue cooking, adding the remaining stock, a ladleful at a time, until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender, and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.
Remove risotto from heat and stir in the Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
With whisk or electric mixer, beat cream at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Uncover the risotto and stir vigorously. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, stir in the chives and then gently fold in cream.
Serve 
immediately.
Pair this with a chilled bottle of White Bordeaux, Ducasse Blanc would be my choice. The crispness of this beautiful wine would not compete with the decadence of the Risotto.
On to my favorite chicken dish. I serve this often to celebrate, it is one of my family’s favorite recipes.
Lemon and Wine Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast half – pounded thin
- 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- white pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 4 mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups Chablis or other dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
in a medium skillet, heat oil and sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms until slightly brown. Remove the onion, garlic and mushrooms to a dish. Heat more olive oil if necessary for frying the chicken. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour and place it in the hot skillet. Add pepper to taste. Cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn chicken over (presentation side up) and add the wine, the onion, garlic and mushrooms, pour the juice from 1/2 lemon over and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove chicken from skillet and add the room temperature butter. Swirl it around in the 
skillet sauce until it is incorporated and the sauce is slightly thickened. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve over wild rice pilaf or angel hair pasta.
Pull out a chilled bottle of White Burgundy to serve with this dish. I brin
g out a bottle of Henri Perrusset Macon Villages to enjoy when we have this chicken. The wine is creamy and complex, but it finishes with a taste of citrus to compliment the lemon in the chicken.
For the meat lovers, the most romantic of meals is a steak, and I always go with a Filet Mignon when it is time to turn up the romance.
Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 (4 ounce) Filet Mignon steaks
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
Directions
Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to 
taste.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.
Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.
The only wine I can recommend to serve with this meal is a Cabernet Sauvignon, of course. Bring out the big guns for this, something such as Rodney Strong’s Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, the older, the better. Try to find a 2010 or 2012. Open the bottle 25-30 minutes before serving to fully enjoy the flavors of blackberry, cocoa, and herby black-currant.
For dessert, to go with any of these meals, serve a Petite Sirah, such as Michael David’s Petite Petit Sirah, slightly 
chilled with a very dark chocolate. I like Lindt’s extra dark. If you’re not serving chocolate, then pair a bottle of Ware’s Warrior Port with some blue cheese, that is room temperature, one such as Plymouth Blue Cheese.
No matter what you serve, be sure to celebrate at least one 
occasion during this wonderful month of February.
It is amazing to me that Valentine’s Day is less than three weeks away. Where did January go? I’m not complaining about seeing the end of January, it is never my favorite month. And now we get to move into a glorious month! One filled with hearts and flowers – and ground hogs. Okay.
nothing wrong with this. But – if you’re going the traditional route, change it up a bit. Go with the unexpected, but more requested. Find out what flowers your honey loves the most. My particular favorites are Tulips, Lilies, and Daffodils. I know, sounds like an Easter bouquet and that doesn’t arrive until March. What I’m saying is, not everyone loves roses. if your snookums loves 
something else. But all chocolate is not created equal. Sad, but true. Find out what your darling likes as far as milk, dark, white? Nuts, chews, soft centers, caramels, the list goes on and on. Godiva, Dove, Lindt, 
experience is that I rarely repurchase a fragrance, so getting more is not always a good thing. And, I seldom purchase the special extras to go with the scent I’m currently using. I love having the matching shower gel or lotion but it costs more money, and I don’t feel comfortable spending more money than I’m already spending on a fragrance. Check out what your special someone is wearing, and get some body lotion, shower gel or powder to go with it, the gift will be greatly appreciated.
If your loved one adores animals, birds or fish, go in that direction. For example, we feed the wild birds, and a 20 pound bag of 
the usual top, bottom, feet). Keep track of favorite music, books, movies, coffee, wine. Everything you pay attention to, and everything you keep track of, will give your sweetheart the message that you care, and what is more important than that?
February 14th. Make it the following or the next weekend. The restaurants are extremely busy on February 14th and you won’t feel special at all. But, if you wait and go out the following weekend, you will not be rushed and you will certainly have a much better time. Instead of going out for dinner on February 14th, why not cook dinner for each other? Or, make it a group event, have a party of 6 or 8, assign jobs to each party member party that turns into dinner.
It is time to invite the Big Bad Boys of wine to the party! Cold weather is when these wines really shine. I call the wines with the big earthy flavors, beefy tannins, and smoky notes the Big Bad Boys of wine. And, on a cold January night, I cannot think of anything better than a big bold red wine and a 
primary red varieties in Italy. Sangiovese wine often gets labeled as a Chianti. Either a Chianti or a Sangiovese would go very nicely with a beef burgundy stew. Another Italian red wine would be a Brunello di Montalcino. The difference between a Sangiovese/Chianti and a Brunello di Montalcino is confusing because Brunello wine is made from Sangiovese grapes. The difference is where the grapes are grown. The Sangiovese/Chianti wines are usually higher in tannins, with a more unsophisticated feeling to the wine. A Brunello di Montalcino wine will typically have more finesse and complexity to it, and a higher price tag. Brunello di Montalcinos also cellar longer. Don’t keep your Sangionvese/Chbianti wines more than four years, you can usually keep the Brunellos at least five to seven years.
of Irish Stews are made with Lamb and/or Guiness Beer. A Spanish Monastrell would add a nice blend of pepper and black fruit flavors to pair with an Irish Stew. Spanish wines are getting better and better, and there are many very good Spanish w
ines with a decent price tag. A Monastrell should have a price of $10 to $15. If you want to go a little higher in your budget, get an aged Tempranillo, which will have a price of $25 to $35. If you want a Tempranillo with a smaller price tag, you could try a young, Tempranillo but open this wine about 30 minutes before you want to serve it because you won’t get the nice round tannins and you won’t get the notes of vanilla and cedar (which come from more years in the oak barrels and the bottle). By opening a hearty red wine 15 – 30 minutes before you serve it, you will round out some of the stronger notes and tannins in it.
Marsala Wine. Look for an Australian Shiraz that is lighter in color than you would typically equate to a Shiraz. The primary difference between a Syrah and a Shiraz is the Shiraz typically comes from a hotter climate, usually an Australian hot climate. Lately, I have been impressed with the beautiful light colored Shirazes that I’ve seen at wine festivals and I r
eally do enjoy them over the darker Syrahs, but for a beef stew with spicy Spanish Paprika and a flavorful Sicillian Marsala Wine, you need beautiful light Australian Shiraz that won’t compete with your stew, it will just bring out all of the beautiful flavors and nuances in your meal.
. Added to this, when you heat your house, regardless of how you heat your house, you’re losing moisture, causing a double whammy.
to your house. I like to keep one going at night in the bedroom. El Hub doesn’t like the “swampyness” the humidifer causes so I defuse this with a slow moving fan. Third, eat more healthy fats. I’m not talking about eating more french fries, step away from the fries. The key is healthy fats. Add foods such as seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), avocados, nuts, eggs and olive oil. 
d a moisturizer, but you do need to make sure your skincare products have the right ingredients for you.
ok for: glycerol or glycerine, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, and chamomile. You may not see all of these ingredients in your cleanser, but try for one, especially glycerine if you have dry skin.
or silicones. You may not need any moisturizer in the summer, but in winter, you should look for something to give your skin an added layer of protection from the elements. Something oil-free or water based and lightweight. Kiehl’s Oil-Free Lotion is a nice choice, or look for 
facial oil to your moisturizer if it has spf in it, it will break down the spf. I like 
Happy New Year to all of my readers! I hope 2016 is a fabulous year for everyone. As a friend recently said to me “may you have many unforgettable stories in the coming year”.
house new resolutions, new goals, and a hope for a better self. We are hoping to get healthier, smarter, and of course we want to get into better shape. Never easy, always worthwhile.
ke a promise to our self to workout more often (add one or two days to each week), for the month of January and February, then re-evaluate, add more time, another class, or another day, after that.
ago. The obvious benefits were weight loss, save money and give your 
club soda and lime, no matter what you order (if you’re going to do this, it is most effective if you order Vodka and Tonic), or, you can say you’re feeling a bit under the weather and simply order club soda and lime or lemon, or you can just ignore the grumpiness and go on with socializing with your friends.
week, but we usually finished off the better part of a bottle. In February, we found one-half of a bottle was more than enough, showing us our
promise to yourself within reach. Get a partner to help you along and to give support. And, if you’re NOT giving up alcohol for January, check back in two weeks, I’ll be doing a recommendation for wine pairings with cold-climate stews.
don’t use the right products, you may end up with glitter all over your face, and, more than likely, that’s not the look you’re going for.
ular spot for maximum glitter and if you’re not careful, you may end up with a lot of fall-out. Fall-out is when the pigment of the product you’re applying does not stay where you want it. Instead, it goes all over your face where you don’t want it. Glitter is exceptionally prone to fall-out, ending up under your eyes and on your cheeks, not on your eyelids.
is to make it stick. You can use a sticky eyelid primer such as MAC’s Pro-Longwear Paint Pot. I use the color “
onto your brush and then lay into the glitter. It is important you do not get glitter in your eye, please be careful and do not get glitter in your eyes!
he 
a fan brush! I recommend this palette for people with light to medium skin tones. For a less expensive sparkle on the tops of the cheekbones, over the brows and on the cupid bow, I suggest checking out Burberry’s single eye shadows, several work well as a highlighter. If you’re in the Walnut Creek, California, Nordstrom, ask for Susie Dragoni, she is an expert when it comes to anything Burberry Cosmetics.
If you’re looking for a highlighter that shimmers and glows, instead of the sparkle, check out 
“Bellini” and “Pink Tulle” are gorgeous You can keep the sparkle and shine off the eyes and cheeks, but still have a festive look with a shimmer lip gloss.
December has arrived, it is time to bring out the bubbles. I’m talking about Sparkling Wine, Cava, Prosecco and yes, Champagne. I’m a firm believer in drinking bubbles all year, but especially in December. December is a month of celebration and festivities. It is a time to gather with friends and family. There is no better way to celebrate the special times than to open a bottle of bubbles.
store the bubbles. First, you need to determine how much sweetness you wish to have in your glass. There are four levels of sugar in sparkling wine; Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry and Demi Sec.
Now you need to decide if you want a fruity type of sparkling wine or one that is drier and less fruity. The Italian method of production, the Charmat-Martinotti method, produces a sparkling wine that has a fruiter taste, the Champagne method will give you a drier wine. The Champagne method (fermented first in the tank, then again in the bottle), takes longer and is more expensive to make.
r Spanish of origin.
My favorite is the brut because it is always a perfect pairing with fish, poultry, pork and of course dancing to Frank Sinatra. It is generally easy to find a bottle of the Domaine Ste. Michelle on the shelf at your favorite wine shop, and the price should be around $17.00.
g a little sweeter, check out the Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage. This is a spectacular rosé champagne, and will make a stunning appearance at your celebration.
raspberries to the bottom of the glass before pouring the wine, it’s a very nice touch for a special occasion. The raspberries will float to the top adding a bit of flavor and a beautiful spot of color.
it runs a bit over upon opening. You don’t need an opener, just twist off the wire cage and gently pull up on the cork, and smile while you’re doing this, it helps.
unopened bottle of bubbles longer than a year, you need to check with your wine shop about this. The amount of time you can store an unopened bottle of bubbles depends on the vintage, type of wine, and location of storage.
The gifting season is about to begin. What a lovely time of year. Although, looking around my house, I can see where there may be a problem finding a place for anything new.
moved out of the house, their stuff did not. To compound the issue, I live in a small house, with even smaller closets. What to do? How to keep it all organized and tidy?
or sell it. If, you’re like me, and there are items you don’t use, but for whatever reason you can’t let it go, store it in a container that is completely opaque. Put this container in a dry, dark spot. Visit your container every six months to see if you still feel the need to keep these items.
child’s room, sewing or hobby room, look at the
makeup organizers should have an option that will fit in your bathroom. If you sign up for the e-mail option, you will get periodic e-mails with discount coupons. Or, you may find similar items at Amazon.
So, I tend to keep a lot of options in the shower. This can get a bit dicey and scary (picture items falling off the little sides of the tub and dancing around my feet while showering). I have found a safer and better alternative to storing my shower goodies on the little (too little) sides of the tub. I found the 
While you are in the office store, look at the acrylic containers for holding your small kitchen items (long handled spoons, whisks, spatulas, clips, pins, etc.). You will find these items in the 
get some metal shelving that you can stack your possessions on. I like 
to store your belongings will protect them from water, rodents, insects and any other little nasties that you find in garages, basements, attics, or storage units. These Sterilite boxes are semi-transparent making it possible to see what is inside. However, I also color-code labels on the outside, making it easier for trouble-free retrieval. I color code each box according to season (for clothing), purpose (holiday, cleaning, yard) or person. Each 
son and daughter-in-law has a color assigned to him or her. I use different colored index cards to simplify this task.
anner
a file cabinet. File cabinets come in all sizes and materials. If you do not have a lot of papers, you can get away with a 
about getting two, 
surface to work on. One more rolling cart for your home office to store your small bits and pieces and you should be all set.
the gifting begins?
For my readers in the U.S.A., Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. Next week! This means a feast of turkey or ham, or perhaps shellfish (the Northeastern Indians incorporated clam chowder into their diet long before the 
Pilgrims landed). Turkey, Ham, Fish – sounds like white wine to me – right? Not exactly. While there are no hard and fast rules about which wine to drink with what food, it is a beautiful thing when the wine and food complement each other to bring out the best in your meal.
don’t limit yourself to white wine. Definitely start with white. Start with a Prosecco or sparkling white. Enjoy your deviled eggs, baked brie or iced shrimp while sipping an Albariño or Pinot Grigio. Enhance your Fennel and Citrus Salad with a Grüner Veltliner, Vermentino, or Vinho Verde. Yes, these are all white wines and they pair beautifully with your apps and salads
. Now, when moving onto the main course, think red. Instead of a Pinot Noir, think about serving a light-bodied Syrah, one grown in a cooler climate such as Washington or Northern Rhône. I recently enjoyed a lovely Syrah; a
There is a lot to learn about a 
Roussanne. Roussanne is a white wine grape grown in the Rhône region of France, typically used as a blending grape, this grape makes a fabulous wine all on its own. You will also find this grape in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This grape is also found growing in California, Washington as well as Australia, Italy and Spain. My favorite Roussanne wines come from France. With honey and pear notes, together with a light acidity, you will find a French Roussanne is the wonderful complement to your turkey.
green vegetable, possibly a green-bean casserole or asparagus with parmesan cheese. If you’re not serving sweet potatoes, you’re sure to have butternut squash. Carrots may make their way to your table, along with corn and onions. And, if you’re serving turkey, don’t forget the stuffing (I make mine with apples and sausage), and cranberry sauce. For those of you serving ham, you’ll need to add some bourbon-orange glaze to this list. Now, just how well will a Roussanne, Syrah or Côtes du Rhône wine go with all of this? Perfectly!
bring out a different style of wine. If you’re serving pumpkin pie (yum, my favorite), try to steer clear of the sweet dessert wines, look for something with a little raisin and hazelnut flavor to it. Something along the line of Amontillado style of 
For apple pie, one leaning towards the tart side, I would suggest a rich white dessert wine, perhaps a German Riesling or Sauterne. Pecan pie calls for Madeira.
a slice of aged cheddar or Vermont 
makeupandwine 