Baked Prawns in Tomato Sauce with Feta (Garithes Yiouvetsi)

Baked Prawns in Tomato Sauce with Feta (Garithes Yiouvetsi)

Baked Prawns in Tomato Sauce with Feta (Garithes Yiouvetsi)

Cooking opens the world up to you. It’s magical really, its ability to transport you to faraway lands. More than any other medium—books, films, music—eating ignites the senses and connects you with a place. This is part of the reason I like to cook foods from around the world, to indulge my curiosity, to explore, and to imagine.

In Greece, a mountainous Mediterranean nation comprised of 2000 islands, fresh seafood abounds, grape vineyards and olive groves flourish, lemon trees prosper in gardens, and flocks of sheep and herds of goats graze and forage in the valleys. It’s no surprise that these ingredients—and the products derived from them—factor heavily into Greek cuisine. read more

Ribeye Steak with Red Wine Sauce, Blue Cheese, Pancetta, and Candied Pecans

Ribeye Steaks with Red Wine Sauce, Blue Cheese, Pancetta, and Candied Pecans

Ribeye Steak with Red Wine Sauce, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Salad, and Red Wine

It’s not very often that a wine–or any alcoholic beverage for that matter–inspires what I cook. Normally, I choose a meal first, then think about the beverage pairing. But when Corey and I received a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon last summer, I made an exception.

Corey and I have very different wine preferences: I prefer light, refreshing German Rieslings with floral and sweet notes, while Corey prefers robust reds. When Corey mentioned this predicament to a colleague at his future firm this summer, she kindly sent him a bottle of Orin Swift Cellars Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon 2012–a wine that we both adored. read more