Wino Wednesday: New Ideas!

I've been pondering this column and thought it might be fun to check out local vineyards and write about them.  The search begins for commutable vineyards from NYC!

In other news, Carlyn of Just Keep Sweating has awarded me the Leibster Award for Up and Coming Blogs.  I am so honored and would like to pass it on to some other outstanding bloggers.

Lillian of Sweets by Sillianah and Ken of Hungry Rabbit organized the amazing Great American Bake Sale on 4/28.  If you could see all the time and energy that was poured into this event, you would understand why these two deserve the award.

I met Emily of (Mainly) Gluten Free at the Great American Bake Sale.  She makes gluten free look so yummy!

Laurel of Laurel on Health Food posts the most beautiful food photos and super easy-to-follow recipes -- and they're all healthy!  If that doesn't deserve an award, I don't know what does.

Elisabeth of Everyday Yummy is a newbie (like me) who weaves a wonderful narrative through her posts that make reading them a true pleasure.  It's more a story than a textbook, which I find really refreshing.

And there you have it.  Those are my Liebster Award Winners!  Congratulations all and be sure to spread the love!

To Award Your Own Liebsters:
1) Link back to the person who gave it to you (to thank them).
2) Post the award to your blog.
3) Give the award to 5 bloggers with under 200 followers whom you appreciate and value.
4) Let your award winners know.

The Liebster is a way of spreading the word about new "Up and Coming" blogs.

An Honest Review: Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

I came from a strictly no-frills kitchen.  The most state-of-the art appliance my mother owned was a hand mixer from the '70s.  We did everything by hand.  Obviously it was a treat to bake at my grandfather's house where we had a Hamilton Beach stand mixer (from the 90's) and other fun appliances.  After my grandfather died I inherited his mixer, thus becoming the family baker.  Unfortunately, the mixer gave me more problems than it was worth and I went back to doing everything manually.  Anything involving butter was a nightmare.  You'll find I don't cook with it a lot and that comes from not being strong enough to beat it properly. (I have weak wrists, unfortunately.)

Last March I got the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for my birthday and it has been absolutely wonderful.  One use will make you appreciate the amount of thought, experimentation, and innovation that went into this appliance.   As compared to other mixers I've used, the Kitchenaid brand is more intuitive, better designed, and (frankly) creates a better batter.

So is it worth the money?  Hell yes!  If you can swing the price tag, get it!

Mmm Mmm Monday: Mexican Staples

In honor of last Saturday's Cinco de Mayo festivities, I've decided to find out what really is the difference between all these Mexican dishes.  Analyze any menu from Cancun's on 8th Avenue (really great place, FYI) to a chain restaurant like On the Border's and you'll see a number of similar dishes.  I've isolated five of these dishes to find their history and see if what we know as a taco is really a taco.

Burrito
A burrito, which oddly enough means "little donkey," is also known as taco de harina.  Roughly translated, taco de harina means "flour taco".  In Mexico, this dish is prepared by wrapping meat or refried beans in a wheat flour tortilla, creating a cylindrical treat.

Chimichanga 
A chimichanga is a wheat flour burrito, filled with rice, refried beans, or various meats that is wrapped into a rectangular package and then deep-fried.

Enchilada
The world enchilada is the Spanish past participle for the verb enchilar, which means "to add chile sauce to."  Thusly, an enchilada is a corn tortilla wrapped around a filling such as rice, beans, or meat and covered in either a tomato or chile sauce.

Fajita
Fajita refers to the cut of meat this dish was originally made with: skirt steak.  Fajitas are grilled meats (such as beef or chicken) that are served in either corn or flour tortillas and folded in half like a taco.

Taco
The word taco literally means "plug" or "block".  The word's definition is bent to mean "light lunch" or "to fill".  Tacos predate the arrival of the Europeans.  In fact, Aztecs were observed by the Spanish to be selling tortillas filled with meat as a sort of "to go" meal.  Pre-Columbian Mexico: the original Taco Bell. Simply put, tacos are spiced meats in a corn tortilla, which is then folded in half.  Note: hard shell tacos are an American invention.

It should be observed that the ingredients to these dishes are all similar and merely the techniques employed and presentation are different.  Also, notice that the original dishes don't include all the cheeses and vegetables that we use in America.

I hope now you can order with confidence when you head to Cancun -- the restaurant or the city.

Fun Fact Friday: Cinco de Mayo

On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla.  Besides being an unlikely victory, this battle also marked the last time any European power ever invaded a country in the Americas.  In the United States, we (incorrectly) celebrate the day as Mexican Independence Day when our southern neighbor's Independence Day is actually September 16th.  Of course, that doesn't matter as Cinco de Mayo has become another excuse for debauchery and drinking.  Any holiday that combines tequila and tacos is okay by me though.

So how should you celebrate this special day?  Grab some spicy guacamole, your favorite tortillas, and keep the margaritas coming!

Wino Wednesday: Mussels and Riesling

So sorry this is late!  Wino Wednesday turned into Sleepy Thursday pretty fast.

Make These Cookies!

The recipe comes from my mother (meaning it probably came from an old newspaper or magazine).  The exact source is unknown, but the recipe is simple and pretty cheap with results that are just too good.

Ingredients:
18 oz. creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Hershey Kisses to top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Mix the peanut butter, sugar, and eggs in a medium bowl.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Roll batter into balls and put in oven for 12-15 minutes.  Immediately after taking cookies out of the oven, place a single unwrapped Hershey Kiss in the center of the cookie.  Let cool for a half hour.

Mmm Mmm Monday: Sweet Success

This past Saturday was the Great American Bake Sale.  Bloggers from all across New York City joined together to sell their baked goods and raise money for No Kid Hungry.  Our goal was to raise $2000.  At the end of the day we succeeded in raising $3400!  Almost twice our goal!  Raffles are open until the end of today, so you still have a chance to support the cause.  Thank you to everyone who came out!