Results for: “Cooking”

SARDINIA

Sardinia has always been open to commercial and cultural exchange: in consequence, having also been conquered by the Phoenicians, Romans, Spanish and Piedmontese, the island has been strongly marked by the passage of other peoples of the Mediterranean, even in its viticulture. The range of native varieties is enormous and includes Bovale, Cannonau, Carignano, Monica, Girò, Cagnulari, Pascale, Nuragus, Nasco, Seminano, which, with others like Vermentino, Moscato, Malvasia and Vernaccia, are used to produce the region’s most important wines. However, despite this wide assortment, the cultivars that are most representative of Sardinia are essentially two: Vermentino and Cannonau.

The wild coastline of the island of San Pietro

E. Locci/SHUTTERSTOCK

The terroir

Sardinian wines are generally of good quality, well structured, fairly alcoholic, full flavoured and complex in terms of taste and smell. The inherent interest of the production zone is heightened by its varied character. Appreciation of the native varieties has always been broad and the island’s traditional wines have never been forgotten or neglected.

There are few destinations as ruggedly spectacular as the Pacific region of Colombia. This is where the jungle not so much meets the sea as comes crashing headlong into it. It is a place where waterfalls pour out of forest-covered bluffs onto spectacular gray-sand beaches, thermal pools lie hidden in dense jungle and tiny indigenous villages cling to the edge of wild rivers; where whales and dolphins frolic so close to shore you can admire them from your hammock and majestic sea turtles come even closer. There are plenty of comfortable ecoresorts throughout the region and you will find budget guesthouses in the many friendly Afro-descendant communities whose residents eke out a living from fishing and agriculture.

Difficult access and a lack of infrastructure has kept the crowds at bay, but this can't last. Make sure you visit before package tourism takes hold.

AJan–Mar Lighter rains make for better hiking and other outdoor activities.

AJul–Oct Humpback whales arrive in the region after an epic journey from Antarctica.

BOOZE AND YOUR BAR GUIDE

A WELL-STOCKED GLUTEN-FREE BAR

“No chord of music has yet been found to even equal that sweet sound which to my mind all else surpasses . . . the clink of ice in crystal glasses.”

—Trader Vic Bergeron

What? Beer contains gluten? Yes. So do ale, lager, vodka—oh, yeah, many brands contain gluten. Here you have it . . . we tell you what brands we like that are gluten-free. For starters, potato vodkas, and unflavored rums and tequila are naturally gluten-free. Distilled whiskey, good brandies, and Cognac are also gluten-free. It is the added flavorings you need to watch out for. The list for gluten-free liquor continues to grow. We’re going to tell you some of our favorites.

Typically red and white wines are safe; just stay away from the malted wine coolers. The smartest doctor we know says that you can have one to two drinks, provided you don’t have another condition that makes consumption of alcohol unhealthy. Don’t be pretentious about wines. Drink what you like. You can enjoy a good $10 or $20 bottle.

104

The Sexy Vegan’s HAPPY HOUR AT HOME

Loaded Baked Potato Flatbread

1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

¼ cup vegan margarine

⅔ cup unsweetened soy creamer or nondairy milk, warmed or at room

temperature

Salt and pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil for the baking sheet and brushing the dough

1 pound store-bought pizza dough or Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe,

page 13), at room temperature

12 ounces vegan cheddar cheeze, shredded

Toppings

2 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces store-bought vegan bacon or 16 strips Tempeh Bacon (recipe

follows), browned and finely chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

One 15-ounce can vegan chili, warmed

1 ½ cups vegan sour cream

Preheat

the

oven

to

400F.

In

a

medium

pot,

cover

the

potatoes

with

cold

water

and

bring

to

a

boil.

Boil

for

8

to

10

minutes,

or

until

the

chunks

easily

fall

apart

when

you

put

a

fork

through

them.

Drain

the

potatoes

and

return

them

to

the

empty

pot.

Cook

them

over

low

heat

for

1

to

2

minutes

to

help

dry

them

out.

Pass

the

warm

pota-

toes

through

a

potato

ricer

or

food

mill

I NTRODUCCIÓN

Cuando viajo por los Estados Unidos me doy cuenta que existe una idea falsa acerca de la cocina mexicana. Con frecuencia me preguntan: ¿Cómo puedes comer esa comida tan pesada y grasosa todos los días? Muchas ocasiones he salido en defensa de mi bienamada cocina, enseñándole a la gente que lo que comen al norte de la frontera no es necesariamente la auténtica comida Mexicana. Se trata de tex-mex o de cal-mex, que son de hecho estilos culinarios diferentes. Estos estilos fueron introducidos por inmigrantes jóvenes y pobres que rara vez cocinaban antes de salir de sus casas en México. Las cocineras más famosas de las ciudades y los pueblos, que casi siempre eran mujeres, permanecieron en casa, mientras que estos hombres poco refinados se dirigieron al norte en busca de fortuna, abrieron pequeños restaurantes que ofrecían los platillos sencillos y económicos que ellos sabían cocinar. Rara vez servían los ricos moles y pipianes que implican tanto trabajo, y en lugar de ellos ofrecían tacos y enchiladas, platillos que se consumen en hogares pobres y que además son rápidos y fáciles de preparar. Suponer que estos platillos representan toda la comida mexicana es como decir que los estadounidenses sólo comen hamburguesas (comentario que de hecho he escuchado de boca de algunos europeos).