2012 September 28

Articles for September 28th, 2012

What To Drink Now: Rhone

posted by Hayley Hamilton | September 28th, 2012 5:01pm | filed under Wine & Spirits | 2 Comments »

It always makes me laugh a bit when international wineries make “Rhone Style” wine; I certainly get it…if you’re drinking a red wine from Rhone it is often a Syrah, or Syrah blend with Grenache and Mouvedre, sometimes even with a little Viognier blended in. However, as delicious as those “Rhone style” wines are, sometimes it is better to just go straight to the source, the gorgeous wines from Rhone.

Rhone Valley is a 150 mile region located in the southeastern portion of France filled with sunshine and le mistral (strong, cold) winds in the north and Mediterranean conditions in the south, creating ideal growing conditions for grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne, and many more.

These wines make the perfect marriage of strength and power with elegance and finesse, utilizing the ability to blend to their best advantage when able. Here are a few suggestions for delicious Rhone wine. A few selections were sent for editorial consideration. Continue reading "What To Drink Now: Rhone"

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Bits & Bites: Things to Do and Chew in Dallas This Weekend, Sept 28-30

posted by Carol Shih | September 28th, 2012 3:01pm | filed under Events, Things To Do | 2 Comments »

My happy Friday dance.

TGIF TGIF TGIF TGIF TGIF. That’s all I have to say.

Friday

My friend, Alex, looks forward to the Greek Festival every year. He says it’s the one chance he gets to eat loukoumades, a fried dough pastry soaked in syrup or honey and cinnamon. Holy crap. I am so excited for this festival. It starts today and runs until Sunday at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Hillcrest. Bring cash and a hearty appetite. There’s free parking and a big shuttle that leads you to the church, so search for a lot on the west side of Hillcrest. (Thanks for the tip, Alex!)

It’s Spaten Mug Night at Holy Grail Pub starting at 6 p.m. Each mug is one liter. Wow.

Saturday

Okay, if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet to the Dallas Chocolate Conference in Addison, this is your last chance. The schedule has been announced forever ago, but there are still spots left in the afternoon classes. Make chocolate with Dr. Sue Williams of Dr. Sue’s Chocolate. At 1 p.m., she’s going to make three of her amazing (and by amazing, I really mean addicting) barks in 30 minutes. To purchase tickets, go here.

Continue reading "Bits & Bites: Things to Do and Chew in Dallas This Weekend, Sept 28-30"

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Good Asian Grub: Mooncakes and the Mid-Autumn Festival

posted by Carol Shih | September 28th, 2012 12:11pm | filed under Ethnic Food, Good Asian Grub | 6 Comments »

Mooncake with duck egg yolk in the middle (photos by Carol Shih)

Kudos to the State Fair for trying to add some ethnic stuff to its lineup of fried foods and people-watching this year. The Chinese Lantern Festival looks like Asian eye-candy from what photos I’ve seen. But let’s get our cultural facts straight, folks: The State Fair of Texas is celebrating the wrong holiday at the wrong time. The Chinese Lantern Festival traditionally occurs at the beginning of the Lunar calendar, which is in February. What we should all be celebrating right now is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) falls on Sunday, September 30, a day when there’s a guaranteed full moon. In the month leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, friends and family in Asia exchange rich Chinese pastries called mooncakes (yue bin).

Do the jump for a lesson on mooncakes.

Continue reading "Good Asian Grub: Mooncakes and the Mid-Autumn Festival"

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