I was at a store one day and I noticed those packages of dry yeast. I had no idea what to do with them and bought them anyway because they were cheap. When I got home I did a little research and now I’m in the rice wine making business, well nobody is buying and I’m not selling so I’ll just continue my private label activities. Eric
Categories: Fermentation • Tags: Cooking Blog, Dinner, Food, recipe, Rice, wine
(Tuna tartare on a taro root crisp) Received an invitation to visit El Gaucho’s Pour on The Plaza event but I had a little issue arise…..the party was from 2-5PM and I had to work at 4PM and it was at the El Gaucho in Bellevue. “Eric, that sounds like a nice issue/problem to have”. I know!!!! Mindy and I made our way to Bellevue and discovered this little piece of green in between all the towers of […]
Categories: Restaurants • Tags: Bellevue, Blog, Cooking Blog, Dinner, El Gaucho, Food, Pour on the Plaza, recipe, wine
“Oh wow, this is nice.” It’s pretty awesome! Order a glass of rose and let’s just relax in the Seattle sun for the next few days….Ikea has sales more often than we get sun in Seattle. “What’s good on here?” Well, I’ve been here a few times and the menu doesn’t disappoint so let’s just pick random things. Vietnamese Caramel Beef sounds great! “I can’t believe this place is in downtown Seattle”. I know, but enough with the talking there […]
Categories: Restaurants • Tags: Blog, Cooking Blog, Dessert, ericriveracooks, Food, Sip Seattle, wine
2009 Domaine Sorin Cotes de Provence Rose (France) Another week in wine class brings me into the universe of lighter-bodied reds. I didn’t know what to think about these going in but I do like the rose wines, especially with bubbles! This rose was much better than the one I purchased a few weeks ago. It had a nice tangerine smell to it and had a nice salty/mineral taste to it that would be great with shellfish or even […]
Categories: wine • Tags: Cooking, Drink, Food, Red Wine, wine
This past weekend Mindy and I were invited to attend the Mad Merlot event at the Tulalip Casino. It’s been a little while since I have visited the Tulalip…..the last time I was there the hotel was not built yet. It’s a whole new experience now! The restaurants sprinkled throughout the casino and then finally the hotel, which looks like a luxurious resort…..in my little Washington and not Las Vegas! I love going to Las Vegas so if I close […]
Categories: Events, wine • Tags: Food, Mad Merlot, Merlot, Merlot Gone Mad, Tulalip Casino, Tulalip Resort Casino, Washington Wine Industry Foundation, wine
Week 4 of my wine class took me to discovering the world of fuller-bodied white wines. So far I have experienced three different types of white wines and I can distinguish a difference between the three types…..wine, you’re so……interesting. These fuller-bodied whites have thick bodies and lots of finish. The first one I tried is a 2007 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett from Germany. Long name? Not really when you can break it down. Wehlener Sonnenuhr is the name of […]
Categories: wine • Tags: Cooking Blog, Dinner, Food, recipe, wine, Wine Pairing
Week 3 in my wine class at school. I’m starting to like wine. Yup, there I said it. I think the thing that has me liking it so much is how different every bottle from different parts of the world can be. What has made me appreciate it more is Chef Redman’s approach to this class. We take our time tasting each wine. Over a three hour class we taste around 5 wines and each one is experienced with the […]
Categories: wine • Tags: Cooking Blog, Food, recipe, wine
I have never had a dining experience like this…….ever. Catherine Reynolds a.k.a. Queso y Vino invited me to her wine event at Emmer & Rye. Like I said before, I’m a wine novice, so I want to learn about wine from the best. Catherine Reynolds is one of the top 5 up and coming Seattle sommeliers rated by Wine and Spirits Magazine so she’s definitely someone great to listen to. Pair her wine knowledge with the amazingly brilliant execution of […]
Categories: Restaurants • Tags: Catherine Reynolds, Dining, Emmer & Rye, Food, Queen Anne, Queso y Vino, Restaurant, Seasonal Dining, Seth Caswell, wine
I’m taking a wine class right now at school so please don’t think this is part of a conversion to a wine blog, that’s not going to happen. One quarter of wine information on the blog o’ blog then back to the 24 hour/day food coma. I have 15 pages of notes that I took from the first two weeks. I’m a super wine novice and I don’t really understand the whole appeal yet but I’m starting to find some […]
Categories: wine • Tags: Blog, Cooking Blog, Food, White wine, wine
(A little vinegar tasting) A lot of my problems with school have been addressed. Yeah, it’s not perfect but it’s a huge step in the right direction. I’m not going to go into this so much but we have a few new sheriffs in town and over two days I can already see the difference, I’m happy. I have a new cooking class, it’s called Garde Manger. This fancy French word basically translates to the person that is responsible for […]
Categories: Garde Manger, wine • Tags: Cooking Blog, Food, Garde Manger, recipe, wine
I attended a wine tasting for the International Society of Africans in Wine the other day arranged by master coordinator Keren Brown. She read my little wine rant and decided to show me the light…..the red, white, and sometimes sparkling light (oh man, I’m on fire!). Cheri Walters, a sommelier, was there to explain a few things about wine and then Keren pointed out that the only reason I use wine is to deglaze food or cook with……awkward!!!! Cheri decided […]
Categories: Events, wine • Tags: Cheri Walters, Food, International Society of Africans in Wine, Keren Brown, M'Hudi Wine, Seven Sisters Wine, wine
I have a wine class next quarter so I decided I would start studying a little early and by studying I mean drinking……weeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! I’m still having a hard time understanding this whole wine thing so I have decided to immerse myself in the world o’ wine. It tastes fine to me but I don’t understand how people devote blogs, b.s., and incessant blabber about it. (Cafe Campagne- Lamb Merguez Sausage with Chickpea Puree and Herbs) Yes, I get it, you […]
Categories: Events • Tags: Cooking, Events, Food, recipe, Seattle, Seattle Food and Wine Experience, wine
Mindy and I were invited to attend the Sparkling Wine 101 event at the Waterfront Seafood Grill. I have never been to a sparkling wine event so I was excited. This was our second experience at the Waterfront Grill (click here for the link from our first trip) and it was amazing. I’m not a huge fan of wine only because I think the scene as a whole is very snobby. Everytime I try to have a conversation with someone […]
Categories: Restaurants • Tags: Let the champagne be with you, Light saber, Sabers with Champagne, Seattle, Sharks with lasers, Sparkling, Waterfront Seafood Grill, wine
Decisions decisions……. I went over to Sip Wine Bar and Restaurant today for lunch. The two times I have been there I have not even had a sip of the wine collection but it’s starting to quickly become one of my favorite restaurants to go eat. Reason being, there is a lot of room to stretch out and just relax. I have been working through a pretty rough schedule lately so a nice lunch at Sip was just what the […]
Categories: Restaurants • Tags: Cooking Blog, Food Blog, Restaurant, Seattle, Seattle Restaurant, Seattle Wine Bar, Sip, Sip Wine Bar and Restaurant, wine
I just received a rather large amount of cheese in the mail courtesy of Alouette! I think it’s great but there is no possible way I will be able to eat all of it myself so I will be hosting an Alouette Wine and Cheese Tasting Party tomorrow (November 4th) at my house! If you want to come then just e-mail me and I’ll give you more details about time, directions, and what you need to bring…..no money…just wine! I […]
Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Alouette Cheese, Cheese, Tasting, wine
