Tchivai's Profile

I hate tequila and was surprised when someone handed me Don Julio the first time. It was surprisingly good.

Rosé is my go-to for picnics and while the weather here has been fluctuating a bit much for me to plan an outing yet, I'm stocked up for the summer already with some delightfully affordable rosés [over a case, in fact]. And since Virginia wines are even more neglected than the other regions mentioned, I'll personally recommend White Hall Vineyards' vin gris as well as the lovely french rosé recommended by the owner of my favorite wine store- La Vieille Ferme from Rhône Valley Vineyards.

I certainly don't cook with the microwave, but I do reheat things. It's so much easier to heat a single serving of leftovers or a single mug of tea or milk for cocoa than to gauge things for a pot on the stove, and it does indeed mean fewer dishes to do. When you have multiple people in the house who only ever manage to eat dinner at the same time, it makes things simpler.

Asafoetida really is the worst. Mum has some for making curry powder, can't do without, but it stays sealed in an airtight jar otherwise, plastic bags won't do the trick.

My mum and I recently rediscovered this little wonder as a brilliant chance at bonding conversation time, though we generally have a -selection- of cheeses that includes at least one which requires fresh bread to be spread upon. But then, we're all carbivores in my family; a meal or just a snack, isn't really complete without something carb-ful.

I've been tapping my bread from the very first time I baked it, according to mum's advice. It really works well, and if it's not done, I just slip it back on the sheet or into the pan and back in the oven.

Cooked pears are simplicity itself to eat with a spoon, even uncored. I peel, then poach mine in port with a cinnamon stick or two thrown in.

Low Carb? I would -die-.

Don't forget the relish tray! Itty bits of veg and pickle are great finger food and they make for a good palate-cleanser in between rich bites of everything else.

We always do a relish tray for Thanksgiving and almost never have dip either, the dip tray is reserved for parties. Other suggestions though- we usually have garlic and jalapeño-stuffed olives soaked in vermouth [fancy martini olives] and dilled green beans if mum has been persuaded to do any canning earlier in the year.

I don't believe the Whole Foods nearest me has signs at -all- just the standard sticker on the bottom of the cheese that has both the price per pound and the price per piece, if you will. Perhaps this is a better compromise?

Truly though, as long as -all- of the cheese is priced by the quarter pound I shouldn't mind. It's when the grocery conveniently prices almost everything on the shelf by the pound then has their generic brand priced by the ounce that drives me up the wall.