If you’re a chocoholic, then this is your time to indulge.  Between Easter and Mother’s Day,  there are plenty of excuses to pay  tribute to the food of the gods. But once the fresh fruit ripens – cherries and peaches and plums, oh my! – the chocolate season will be officially over, at least in my book. If you have a special occasion coming up, and you want a glamorous dessert  to serve, here’s an unusually light, flourless chocolate cake… Read More »

Pairing chocolate with red wine can be tricky. It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of port around, for after-dinner sipping with chocolate, but  sometimes  it’s more fun  to finish up that open bottle of  zinfandel or syrah.  Lise Ciolino, owner and winemaker  of Montemaggiore Winery in Healdsburg, came up with this chocolate cookie that builds a natural, flavor bridge to a peppery red wine like syrah.  Try this for your next dinner party, and see if your guests… Read More »

If you’re looking for a delicious way to lend a hand to Japan, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone is holding a benefit tasting of Japanese cuisine from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in St. Helena. The “Rising Sun, Raising Support” benefit includes a  walk-around dinner with all of your favorite Japanese delicacies:  sushi, noodle dishes,  grilled yakitori skewers and the tasty, savory pancakes known as okonomoyaki ,  along with a splash  of Napa Valley Wines. Special… Read More »