The AAPHI Blog

Having trouble looking for the best gift for a certain celebration? French wines are a very good choice. French wines as gifts are very much appreciated by almost everyone, since French wines are considered to be the best of all wines.

Simply put a bottle of French wine of your choice in a wicker basket, add a few ribbons and some fabulous treats such as chocolate covered nuts and fruits. These gift baskets are perfect for all kinds of occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, and a gift to your boss on a Christmas gift. Giving out wine gifts is certain to leave a lasting impression on whomever you gave them to. Since French wines are considered highly by many, anyone who receives a Gift basket if French wine from you will surely remember.

But buying a good wine gift may prove to be a complicated task. Here are some pointers as to make things easier for you:

Set a price range. This is probably the biggest yet simplest issue when you choose to give out wine gifts. Base your budget on the occasion at hand. Is it for a formal occasion or just a casual get together of friends and family? If you’re giving a wine gift for a special occasion, expect to pay a little bit more for a much more suitable and rarer vintage.

Next thing to remember in choosing the right wine is to find out what kind of wine the recipient likes. To maintain the surprise, try to remember recent parties that both you and the recipient had attended. From there you can base what kind of wine he or she likes.

A very good tip when giving out wine gifts is that instead of giving one bottle, why no two?

FEBRUARY PARTY THEMES

In the middle of the winter doldrums, unless you are lucky
enough to be in Australia, it is fun to think about warm
weather. This is a great time to host a Caribbean Party,
Hawaiian Party, Southwestern Party - you get the idea.

These are two themes for you to enjoy:

Tropical:

For a tropical party, go all out and have your guests wear
flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts. Turn up the heat and if you are
brave or have an enclosed porch, fill up a small blow-up pool
with sand and seashells. If you really have cabin fever, go
crazy, get some fake palm trees from the party store, and hang
tropical flowers from the fronds. Get large seashells and paint
your guests names on them.

Mardi Gras:

The end of February is time for Mardi Gras. Just go to any party
store and gather up those cheap, shiny beads, hats and feathers.
Get some bright colored flowers for the table and scatter beads
and confetti all over - a very inexpensive and colorful way to
decorate.

SOUNDS AND AROMAS:

For Tropical, play your favorite island music. Burn candles
fragrant with coconut.

For Mardi Gras, find some great jazz from New Orleans.

DRINKS:

Make your favorite boat drink for a tropical theme, or try your
hand at a Sazarac for Mardi Gras. Many people think that New
Orleans is the home of the cocktail, and that this may have been
the first cocktail invented.

So these are just some ideas. Pick something that makes you
happy and go from there. Be creative and have fun…

BRIGHTEN UP THE HOUSE

Start bringing spring flowers indoors. This is the time for
primroses and forcing bulbs. If you want to lift your spirits
and soothe your soul, stop into your local greenhouse or florist
for lots of ideas and an instantaneous pick-me-up. The bright
colors and fragrant scents of spring blossoms will do wonders.

Get a few pots of primroses to scatter all over your kitchen or
hallway or living room. Try to place them in areas that you pass
by a lot when you are at home. Mix colors and inter-space these
with pots of variegated ivy. This is also the time that fresh
cut tulips are in - buy bunches - they are very reasonably
priced.

Valentine’s Day and ‘Ask the Cook’

Red, Red, Red - What a great color for February. From red
candles to red tulips, use this color lavishly throughout the
house. Wear red. Also, remember it is the time to think of
others, and to be a bit romantic in the midst of our crazy
lives. These are a few questions, and my answers, which were
recently asked of me for an article on Valentine’s Day:

Q:-What is your idea of a romantic repast — particularly at
home?

A : My ideal romantic meal would be a surprise and entirely
arranged by my husband. The table would be set with linens,
candles and flowers, with my favorite music playing. As for the
food, it wouldn’t matter if he made dinner or if he went to a
local, really good restaurant and got take-out. The surprise
factor and the time that he would take to organize and present
this dinner would be very romantic for me.

Q: At home -Do you set the mood? (candles, flowers, etc…)

Yes, I must say especially when entertaining or when there is a
special occasion, I always set the mood. I usually pick a color
theme first, and then select the china and glassware or crystal.
Cloth tablecloths and napkins, flowers and candles are always a
part of these meals. Soft lighting is also really important for
setting the mood. I may use a dozen votive lights in glass
containers, and put the overhead lights on low. Also, being
organized ahead of time and cooking most of the meal ahead
really helps to set the mood. I want to be sure I am not
frazzled at the last minute - nothing can ruin a mood than
rushing around trying to cook everything at the same time. And
no kids, no pets, and no telephone calls.

Q: What make food sexy? (I wasn’t quite sure how to answer this
one at first.)

A: Texture definitely makes food sexy - the creaminess of a
crme Brule or the experience of a ripe, juicy pear or peach.
The velvety feel of a chocolate truffle all fall into the sexy
food category.

And Taste also goes a long way to make food sexy - Cold salty
fresh oysters with a hint of the sea. Deep, rich, dark
chocolate, which melts away, is also quite nice.

Q: Ideas for plating? Setting the table?

A: Serve the dinner already plated. Tuck a small rose or other
flower on the plate. Details matter! Use the dining room if you
have one, for a change. I would like to use either a gold or
silver trimmed plate, a red or white tablecloth and starched
white napkins with a small silver or glass vase filled with red
roses and red and white carnations or freesias . Keep the
flowers small and low. Stay away from highly scented flowers
such as stargazer lilies. Too intense. Add lots of white votive
lights, soft music, chilled wine or champagne, and your mood is
set to go.

Q: Creating the mood - What are your top 3-5 favorite
romantic/sexy foods? Why?

A: A juicy, ripe fresh pear or peach - the smooth texture and
the sweetness and the juice of these fruits are incomparable for
a mouth-watering experience.

Very cold Champagne- the explosion of the bubbles and coldness
of the Champagne in the mouth has a very dramatic feel to it.

Lobster or lump crabmeat - juicy sautéed lobster or crab dipped
and dripping in melted butter taste quite decadent.

Dark chocolate sauce poured on strawberries - the warm chocolate
sauce and the sweetness of ripe strawberries really gets your
mouth watering - what a combination.

Q: What one should include in a romantic dinner for two for
Valentine’s day?

A: Mood wise- taking the time to do something special and
showing that you care is most important. Valentine’s Day is a
perfect holiday to give to others by doing something special.

A romantic meal is not just about food- it is about the effort
and meaning that goes into it. Some Tips:

What do you want to serve? Keep it simple - have 3 or 4 items,
and not everything has to be homemade. Cook an easy recipe. Get
a great dessert -go out and buy the most decadent chocolate cake
you can find, or find fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate
from your local candy store.

Make it light - a bloated heavy feeling is not really favorable
to romance. And no garlic, please.

Choose food that your partner likes, not just what you like.
This shows that you have put a lot of thought in to this and
care, which is the point.

Be sure to start several days in advance. If you save everything
for the day of the celebration, you will be frazzled and in not
much of a mood to enjoy this time together.

Linger - savor the food and each other. Remember that this is
about Love, not Technique. Don’t cook a complicated menu if you
haven’t cooked that way before. You both need to enjoy
yourselves.

As with other activities associated with love, cooking does not
have to be totally perfect. If something does not come out in
time, or if it doesn’t look exactly like the picture in the
cookbook, relax. Stay in the mood you set out to create- being
grumpy or upset defeats the purpose. Laugh and have fun…

______________________________________

Speaking of hearts, February is National Women’s Heart Health
Month. Everyone needs to know about heart health and about the
signs of heart problems. Visit the American Heart Association
and other related websites for more informaion. Do something
special for yourself and your family and find out about heart
health.

_________________________________________

Enjoy the best of the season- Marybeth

www.girlfriendsinthekitchen.com

Fresh Fare From The Food Isle - Ireland Cuisine
Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/food/ireland/salmon/salmon.html

It has been said that in the early 1980s Irish cuisine started to change for the better. Always blessed with naturally wonderful ingredients, chefs started a revolution incorporating nouvelle cuisine, flavors and techniques of the world, and then all roads leading to a new level of ever evolving spectacular Irish fare.

As this was my first trip to Ireland, a primary gauge was the five pounds this extremely picky eater gained in less than two weeks without ever drinking a Guinness! Outstanding game, grass fed beef, fresh vegetables and fruits, outstanding cheese and dairy (hmmm double cream, Irish butter), and as one is always close to the sea, rivers, and lakes providing pristine fish and seafood.

Féile Bia is an Irish food organization with a commitment to quality. Their program emphasizes the importance of where food comes from before it reaches the hotels, restaurants, pubs and workplaces throughout Ireland.

Féile Bia organized with the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation and the support of the farming community in response to growing consumer concerns about the quality and origin of food offered when dining out. An issue we should all be concerned about wherever we live.

Members provide details confirming the quality and origin of the food used in their kitchens. Féile Bia participants are committed to sourcing meat, chicken and eggs from recognized Quality Assurance Schemes and gladly supply any customer requests for country of origin information.

Chefs and consumers throughout Ireland take care and pride in using products grown, raised and produced locally. One of those we visited was the Burren Smokehouse.

Burren Smokehouse

The Burren Smokehouse is located in the legendary County Clare town of Lisdoonvarna, on Ireland’s west coast, a family run organization started in 1989 by Peter Curtin, a local man and his Swedish wife, Birgitta. Lisdoonvarna is also home to the world’s best-known matchmaking festival that you can check out at www.matchmakerireland.com/festival. It is a picturesque and historic stop popular with tourists any time of year. The town and Burren are totally free of industrial pollution so prevalent and makes this the cleanest environment in all of Western Europe.

After researching the smoking traditions of Ireland they patented their own process. Nearby the Curtin family has owned the Roadside Tavern for about the last 100 years also the first place to serve their smoked salmon. Their belief in the finest quality food products, customer care and a great group workers ensures a continuous high standard.

We made our stop first at their Visitor Centre to watch the video showing how salmon is smoked, starting from filleting to finished product. The program is available in English, German, French, and Italian; the centre has space for about 50 people. We were able to test a little wine and several varieties of smoked products with additional explanations by Birgitta. Actually we loved it all except for those of us too “chicken” to try the eel. The smoked cheese was also wonderful.

According to Irish mythology (of which there is no end) only one creature was wiser than man. This was the fabled “Salmon of Knowledge” which had fed upon the acorns of the Tree of Knowledge. It was said that whoever tasted of the salmon would inherit its wisdom and foresight.

Salmon Sensations!

An old man had devoted his life to capturing the prized fish. Having finally achieved his goal, he entrusted the preparation and cooking to his young apprentice, with a warning that he must not taste its flesh. But, while cooking the salmon it got very hot and blistery. The boy touched those blisters and burnt his finger. To relieve the pain, he placed his finger in his mouth thus becoming the first to taste the fish and to benefit from its magical powers.

The boy was Fionn MacCool, who later became the great warrior prince of ancient Ireland. Fionn devoted his life to the spreading of wisdom.

The Curtin’s carefully source local raw materials for the Burren smoked salmon, trout, mackerel, eel, and cheese with control quality standards and regular testing from independent laboratories and inspections by certification organizations.

In the store and online, they sell high quality locally produced crafts including leatherwork, knitwear, pottery, woodwork, jewelry, CDs, and books of local interest. There is also a full gourmet selection of locally produced fine foods, including Burren’s own specialties. Select from cheeses, jams, chocolates, and a fine selection of wines to remind you of your visit to Clare. I carried home a huge slab of the smoked salmon and shared it with my neighbors and friends much to everyone’s delight.

After checking out the samples we walked perhaps 200 feet to the Curtin’s Roadside Tavern for a little “shake off the chill” libation and to mix with the locals.

Burren Smokehouse ships within Ireland and to countries all over the world with Japan as one of their biggest markets.

The Burren Smokehouse
Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0) 65 7074432
www.burrensmokehouse.ie

When you’re home try this simple but tasty recipe for using your Burren’s Smoked salmon:

Drimcong House Restaurant
Moycullen, Co. Galway

Warm Smoked Salmon Salad:

8 slices smoked salmon
Mixed lettuce leaves, shredded

For the dressing:
50g (2 oz) fresh spinach leaves
100ml (4 oz) sunflower oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper

Warm Smoked Salmon Salad.
Directions -

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/food/ireland/salmon/salmon.html

By Mary Gallagpher - Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

About the Author

Mary Gallagher - Join the Travel Wrtiers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com