James Aitchison

Author: James Aitchison

July 17, 2019

A beginners guide to Petit Verdot

This week, we’re looking at another fairly obscure wine packed with character and flavor: Petit Verdot. This intense vintage has seen a steady increase in popularity over the last few years and is well regarded for its rich color and unusual taste…

Lifestyle

July 14, 2019

Class up your party with these three Champagne cocktails

Champagne cocktails are pretty much my ideal beverage. I love cocktails and I love sparkling wine so what better way to enjoy both than by combining them? Not only are Champagne cocktails a great treat for the warm summer months, but they’re also …

July 11, 2019

Four essential tips for baking with chocolate

I think most of us can agree that chocolate is simply the best. Creamy, sweet, and tasty it brings a wonderful flavor to almost everything it’s added to. As great as chocolate is, baking with it can be a bit of a challenge. Anyone who’s attempted …

July 11, 2019

A beginners guide to Tempranillo wine

Today we’re going to be looking at — and hopefully tasting — the quintessentially Spanish Tempranillo. This grape is primarily grown in Spain and Portugal and is a common ingredient in other wines such as Rioja and Syrah. While not particularly co…

Lifestyle

July 11, 2019

A beginners guide to Pinot Noir

Today we’re going to look at one of the oldest, and in this writer’s humble opinion, one of the greatest wines grapes in the world: Pinot Noir. This highly prized grape is over 1000 years older than Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s also a remarkably fragi…

July 9, 2019

Fix-it-yourself: Sticky doors

There are few things more frustrating than a sticky door. Houses located in areas with dramatically fluctuating climates are particular prone to seasonly sticking doors. If you’ve ever noticed a door that used to glide closed with little trouble s…

July 6, 2019

A beginners guide to ice wine

Today we are going to be looking at one of the more unusual grape-based offerings available: Ice wine. This super-sweet drink is not for everyone, but those looking for a wine unlike any other would be hard pressed — pardon the pun — to find somet…

July 4, 2019

Three Thanksgiving desserts that aren’t pumpkin pie

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to start making meal preparations. Regardless of whether you’re entertaining, feeding your family, or just having a small intimate dinner, one of the crucial ingredients in any Thanksgiving feast…

Beef
Duck

June 28, 2019

A beginners guide to Mencía wine

There’s nothing quite like the joy of discovery. I love roaming through the wine aisle and seeking out unfamiliar varietals and bottles. Occasionally, I’ve taken a risk and bought a bottle of a wine I’ve never heard of only to discover upon openin…

June 28, 2019

A beginners guide to White Bordeaux

While the Bordeaux area in France is well-regarded for its red blends, it may surprise some to hear that the region is also responsible for creating some truly excellent white blends. The suitably named White Bordeaux is one of the best kept secre…

June 27, 2019

A beginners guide to wine: Five key characteristics

In order to truly enjoy wine, you need to understand it. Crucial to that understanding are the five factors that characterize any bottle of wine. Acidity, alcohol, body, sweetness, and tannins are the first five factors anyone hoping to develop th…

June 24, 2019

How to stick to a “no-phone” policy at bedtime

Smartphones, how did we ever live without them? I ask myself this all the time, most often when I’m using a map app to navigate around an unfamiliar city, or having the entire internet at my fingertips. But as undeniably cool as modern tech can be…

June 19, 2019

How to make your own muesli

One of the hands-down best breakfast foods is a simple bowl of muesli. This munchable morning food has got everything: oats for carbohydrates, nuts for protein, milk or yogurt for dairy, and fruit for… well fruit. Unfortunately, pre-packaged muesl…

Shrimp

June 17, 2019

Salad Spinners: Not Just for Salads Anymore!

Salad spinners, aside from drying lettuce what are they good for? Rather a lot as it turns out! Yes, it seems that the salad spinner has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years. Far from being an unnecessary luxury that takes up cupboard space, s…

Chicken

June 11, 2019

Five ways to use up Parmesan rinds

I hate wasting food, and few things frustrates me more than having to throw away perfectly good leftovers or unusable offcuts. I’m always on the lookout for ways to make use of as much of my ingredients as possible.

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