When anyone ever asks me, what is your favorite wine? Or how do you tell a good wine from a bad wine? My answers is, it is all a matter of personal preference. Your own palate is the best judge. There are so many factors to consider. Is it an aperitif? What season of the year? It may be the most expensive wine, and not impress your palate. If you want to taste a variety of wines and learn a bit about them, plan a trip. Visit a winery. Got Wine?
George Hirsch Lifestyle eMagazine: Summer edition includes dozens of summer recipes and grilling tips, travel and home solutions for living well. Hot off the press. Well, kind of. The GHL eMag is an interactive digital edition; a carbon neutral eMagazine that gets emailed to you quarterly with a special holiday edition. The new summer edition of George Hirsch Lifestyle is filled with dozens of summer recipes like: George Hirsch Summer Lobster Roll, Ultimate Burger Recipes, Pickled Cole Slaw, How to Make Homemade Lemonade, Chilly Chocolate Shake and The Melon Mojito. Receive all you need to know about successful BBQ; George Hirsch Grilling 101 Techniques from the Summer Grilling Tips Series, tools tips and tricks from the Grill Master himself, Chef George. Travel features on California, the Best Beaches on the USA coastlines and locating farmers markets in your area. At home outdoor living space decorating, living well tips and so much more.
Hot off the press. Well, kind of. The GHL eMag is an interactive digital edition; a carbon neutral eMagazine that gets emailed to you quarterly with a special holiday edition. The new summer edition of George Hirsch Lifestyle is filled with dozens of summer recipes like: George's Summer Lobster Roll, Ultimate Burger Recipes, Pickled Cole Slaw, How to Make Homemade Lemonade, Chilly Chocolate Shake and The Melon Mojito.
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title translation:Due ristoranti, est ed ad ovest italiani grandi
Rose, my Nana, taught me the fundamentals of preparing and serving “true” Italian food. The secret is simple, prepare the food with your heart and serve with love! Sure, it’s easy during my travels throughout Italy to find endless great restaurants that serve dish after dish following my Nana’s rule. However, can you find an Italian restaurant that can deliver in this country?
Read my previous BLOGS and watch my TV show and you will know my favorite hometown restaurant is famed eatery Nick & Toni’s, in East Hampton, NY led by the team of Mark Smith and Chef Joe Realmuto. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a rustic Tuscan farmhouse, where there’s seasonal outdoor dining and many dishes that come from their own organic gardens, local fisherman catches and local farms. Expect fresh ingredients, unpretentious sophistication and always a delicious experience. Nick and Toni’s has mastered Nana Rose’s golden rule.
What about when I travel west?
After flying west for more than five hours, there’s one option that will make me drive a couple hours to reach in Northern California. Bistro Don Giovanni crafted by partners, Donna and Giovanni Scala. Located on the fringe in the heart of Napa you will think you just traveled to Tuscany as you walk through the gardens surrounded by majestic Italian Cypress trees; you know, those tall 'creepy Italian trees' as they were referred to in 'Under the Tuscan Sun'. Surrounding the herb garden is a hedge row of rosemary that is up to my waist with a huge fountain overlooking a sea of vineyards, vegetable and herb gardens. They also produce their own olive oil from the olive trees located on the property.
Specializing in Rustic Italian and Southern French food, one of my favorite dishes is the Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad with Haricots Verts, Avacado and Roquefort Vinaigrette. Also not to be over looked is one of the best frito mistos with crisp fennal, beans, calamari and shellfish; include any pasta especially the cavetille with braided duck bolognese, seared salmon with buttermilk mashed potatoes; whole roasted fish; and any contorni.
Service at these restaurants are first rate and both of these highly acclaimed restaurants would make Nana Rose smile.
You can read more about Bistro Don Giovanni in my next travel tour, in the upcoming SUMMER ISSUE of George Hirsch Lifestyle this June.
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Enjoy!
George
Hi Everyone,
So excited to bring to you the Premier Issue of George Hirsch Lifestyle
my online quarterly publication with features on food, travel, recipes & home.
enjoy,
George
If Ireland were to have a Queen, then without question it would be Myrtle Allen. I had the honor to visit with Myrtle while filming in Ireland. What did I learn from this amazing lady? That necessity is the mother of invention and that we become what we are destined to be by applying ourselves in pursuit of excellence.
Myrtle sums up how it all began, "I suppose it all started in 1932 when Ivan, aged 17, came to help Wilson Strangman to run his farm at Shanagarry. Times were hard but he and Ivan diversified their production brilliantly into alternative crops. These were and still are the basis of our cuisine. In 1943, in wartime, large quantities of tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers and apples were being exported from the farm to England and Wales. The surplus came into my kitchen along with cream, butter and eggs and slowly I learned how to cook with them, guided by my gourmet husband. In 1964 I felt confident enough to open our dining room as a restaurant for dinner on five nights a week. I knew our food was good but I didn't expect to get so many awards. As farm prices went down we expanded our rooms and restaurant business."
Myrtle Allen and her late husband Ivan founded Ballymaloe House in 1964. They set out to use only fresh produce from their garden and greenhouses, meat reared locally, and fresh fish from nearby Ballycotton. The menu is written each afternoon, when they know what is available. Dining at Ballymaloe is perfection, served in a friendly, knowledgeable way. ♣
Myrtle Allen has been honored with every food and hospitality award. The National University of Ireland has conferred the award of Doctor of Laws for her contribution to Cuisine in Ireland and for giving the Irish people the confidence to believe in their own resources.
Myrtle has served as an exemplary role model for all to follow. While today, going green and organic is all the rage; Myrtle had set the standard decades past. Simply, the culinary world is a better place under her tutelage. Today, there is so much pride in Ireland’s cuisine and rightfully do to her efforts; achieving this during a life of journalism with her columns in the Irish Times, author, restaurateur, hotelier and teacher as well as being a homemaker and raising a large family.
I send my appreciation over the pond to an incredible lady who inspired so many in setting such high standards in the culinary arts. When she is crowned Queen, I would surely serve in her court.
Visit Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. Or, at least take the time for a virtual visit and read up on this amazing family with three generations running the Ballymaloe enterprises.
For additional information on dining in Ireland and other travel planning, visit: Official Tour Ireland Website
Enjoy,
George
Having driven all through Italy on a recent trip, I generally had no problem with road signs and the long names, or streets that have no names. Having said that, on the day entering the Sienna City Center, where there are five car parks (parking garages) my funny story line began to unfold.
I chose a car park very convenient to Piazza del Campo, for our day spent walking and shopping in Sienna, the heart of Tuscany.
Known throughout the world for its flair for fashion and design, you can visit some of the most unique and memorable shops while in Siena. You can find boutiques for clothing, shoes, gourmet food products, wine, house wares, framed art, artigianal paper, bookshops, and many other specialty items. Siena is filled with one of a kind boutiques and shops at every corner, but you'll want to stroll along three main pedestrian streets for sure: Via di Citta, Banchi di Sopra and Via Dei Montanini. You'll find a gelateria, pizza shop or bar between every few shops, so you can stop for gelato in between getting pizza and shoes.
So when entering the car park, you take a ticket and then pay when you are leaving. Pretty simple. Note, take your ticket with you as you’ll need to pay first, before getting back to your car. I did the obvious, wrote down the number, name and color code of where I was. Arancione (Orange) 36.
After spending a beautiful day in Sienna, we headed back to the car park. I paid, with fifteen minutes to exit with my car after paying. Clearly enough time, after all, I did write down the spot where I parked the car. After searching for 10 minutes, we gave up and headed back to the information desk for help. Time was running out, as I would not be able to leave if the fifteen minutes expired.
Somehow, "they" seemed to have moved an entire section of cars while I was in the city.
Why be upset? We just went with the flow, laughing, why did they move my section? Did we step into Bizarro George World?
As I approached the help window in the car park, we looked up and screamed, could it be? My dear best friends happen to be walking ten steps ahead of us. They were in search of the toilet, a place I had only visited ten minutes before. You see, Jerry just 'went' in the corner of the car park.
Tony and Jean live ten minutes away from me, in the next town on the East End of Long Island. Neither of us knew we would be in that part of Italy at the same time, or where we would be. Five thousand miles and in a far off parking garage we literally bumped into one another.
It was perfect timing and I couldn' t have produced a better 'meet cute' if I tried. I still can't get over how wonderful that moment was. I am going to say it, small world.
Tony and Jean were staying at Castello di Montalto. Castelnuovo Berardenga, Tuscany in the next village only ten minutes from our home at Castelletto di Montebenichi. Later, I was able to look out over the valley and see the lights in their castle from my bedroom window. We would follow in the tradition of Tuscan royalty, had wine at their castle and breakfast in our castle.
There were so many times our 'meet cute' may have not come to be. But, fate and a higher power brought our reunion at great location. Funny, how just seconds in life can make a difference.
Have a great time, wherever your journey takes you and allow the unexpected to make magical happenings unfold for you.
Oh, about the car? Tony and Jean helped us in the search. The good people of Siena had returned it to the original location, Arancione/ 36.
Enjoy,
George
Here's the cast in 'Bizarro George' episode, Jean(Elaine), George(George) and Tony(Jerry) .
I am able to enjoy many great experiences on the road because I’ve learned a few basic principles over the years while traveling. My trips are so fun that my family and friends always want to join me because I am able to have the finest experience in hotels, restaurants, touring and even airports. They’ve even offer to carry my bags…
First I start by research, then more research and research some more. There are so many tools on the Internet offering reviews and pictures from people all over the world. Trip Advisor is one of my favorites, along with Frommers. Any travel site will have links to guest’s comments. But, take the comments at face value. I know from personal experience that there is a very small group of people who wouldn’t enjoy a fancy umbrella drink on a sunny lounge chair in the Caribbean in the middle of winter. Enough about them.
When I am planning a trip for filming, business or holiday I follow these basic steps:
Prepare and then be prepared
How much time do I have?
What is my budget?
Allow time to explore
Down load maps of the area
Let unplanned events be part of the experience, even getting lost
Pack as lite as possible
When you get there use the S & S method
S & S (Smile & Share). The smile goes along way. Who want to help a frowning tourist? People all over the world are the same. We all love to see a person who is smiling. People all over the world like to hear about where you come from, so be prepared to share information about where you come from, and they in turn they will do the same.
The more front time you put into a trip plan the better the chance for a stress free journey. When traveling through the US or abroad I follow the same basic plan. Upon arriving in a new area I like to talk to the people who live there. By doing this, I get first hand advice and recommendations. The same applies whether I’m dining in Napa or getting a custom tailored leather jacket in Turkey.
Happy Travels, Enjoy
George
A Smile is the same in every language, as you can see, once again, I had a wonderful visit with Alberto and Giussppi. Great view, great food, great family...La Tagliata, Monterertuso, Postitano
