Monthly Archive for June, 2008

WINOS Pick of the Week: Burrell School

Burrell_school_3

Last week, I launched my new "WINOS Pick of the Week" series where I blog about newly discovered wines.  It’s my own way to honor the only hobby this working-mom has time to enjoy (and wine goes well with Laptop Television).  And as a reminder, WINOS stands for "Women in Need of Sanity"… and that is where the wine comes in.

This weekend, my husband and I uncorked a bottle of High School Sweethearts, which is a Zinfandel-Syrah blend from Burrell School Vineyards in Los Gatos, CA.  I really want to write some language that would make a sommelier proud, but all I can say is… wow. 

For the record, I love Burrell School wines.  They have never bottled a wine I didn’t like, but had never tried this blend prior to last weekend.  I have always loved their Zinfandel, and they make one of the few Syrahs I actually like, so the High School Sweethearts is a blend made in heaven. 

My husband and I tried to come up with some words to explain the wine, but we had a hard time capturing the flavor in a few words. It’s smooth, fruity (but not too jammy), and very flavorful.  Like the wine I wrote about last week, no food required to enjoy this red.  In fact, we sipped while watching a rerun of Law & Order while eating some homemade vanilla ice cream. 

Bottom line, even if you have to drive to Burrell School (Highway 17 and Summit Road in Silicon Valley)… get there fast and enjoy!

Published
by
LaptopTelevision
on June 2, 2008
in WINOS Pick of the Week
. 3 Comments

The Next Food Network Star

Next_food_network_star_2As Bravo’s Top Chef winds down, "The Next Food Network Star" heats up!  The season begins tonight at 10 p.m. EST/PST on (duh) The Food Network.  I have to admit, I’ve never seen this show, so I was excited to receive a preview copy of tonight’s episode.  Here are my thoughts.

Great concept: Chefs of all ages and backgrounds are vying for their own cooking show on the Food Network. They compete in a series of challenges to test their cooking skills, as well as their ability to show their personality and "unique culinary point of view." Judges are looking for chops in the kitchen, as well as the star-quality necessary to host a television show.  Each contestant has already proven they can cook, so it’s interesting to watch the "behind the scenes" of selecting who gets their own show… and who doesn’t.

Solid cast of characters: Some of the chefs are cool, some are crazy, some are uber-cheesy, and some are Divas (with a Capital D).  It’s impressive to see how the network pulled in its Big-Guns including the Neeleys, Bobby Flay, scary master-chefs from Iron Chef America and Giada De Laurentiis into the selection process.  (There also is a hint that we will see Martha Stewart herself in a future episode.) Of course, the ultimate differentiator is incorporating the network executives into the selection process.  I loved hearing them explain how they spot star-quality and what is their recipe for success on television.

Bottom-line: Great show that makes for excellent Laptop Television (and Cooking Television).  Set your TiVos!

Published
by
LaptopTelevision
on June 1, 2008
in Laptop Television
. 3 Comments