Blog Posts by Epicurious.com

Twisted Merlot 2007 ($8)
I expected very little from a bottle this inexpensive. And I'm no Merlot fan. But this one's light-bodied and doesn't hit you over the head with jamminess Yes, there's blueberry but also enough acidity to give it balance.

Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2006 ($12)
It's hard for me to keep track of all the Zins the company makes. (I can't be the only one.) So I tried several of them in a blind taste test with other editors here at Epicurious and, surprise, we liked one of the least expensive ones best. The Lodi wine was soft, round, less spicy and less alcoholic (14.5%ABV) than Ravenswood's Sonoma and Napa Zins. Full of plum and berry.

Looking for a great deal on wine? Check out these 12 wines for $12 or less

Laurent Miquel Viognier Verité 2007 ($27)
I often fear that a Viognier will overwhelm my palate (and the food) with its floral nose. This one, from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, is just yummy: There's some petrol aromas,

Many companies are making efforts to go green. In honor of Earth Day, here are a few of our favorites.

Gardening guru Danny Seo (above left) helps volunteers, Michelle Eichele, William Sterling and Giovanna Leiva (above right) plant a vegetable garden at the Frank White Community Garden in New York on Thursday, April 16, 2009 as part of Campbell's Help Grow Your Soup initiative. (photo by Jim Sulley/Newscast)

Campbell's Help Grow Your Soup Campaign

As part of a national campaign to help grow more than one billion tomatoes in backyards and communities across the country, Campbell's has joined forces with FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) and Urban Farming (a not-for-profit community gardening association) to work on community gardens in six urban areas throughout April and May. They're also giving away the tomato seeds they use for their famous soups (purchase of one Campbell 's condensed soup is required). If you visit the Campbell's Web site you can request your

As a former quasi-vegetarian, I never quite got the hang of consuming processed meat substitutes like tempeh and seitan. I understand that texture is an important part of the eating experience for many people, myself included, but if I wanted chicken fingers or sausage, I'd go for the real deal, not a vegan imitation of it. But that's just me. Factor in a mild allergy to soy, and I'm eating mostly whole grains, fruits, legumes, and vegetables. A vegan, perhaps, I was not meant to be? But in my quest to give a vegan-ish diet a second chance, I picked up Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry (Da Capo) and The Tropical Vegan Kitchen: Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Dishes from the Tropics by Donna Klein (Penguin).

Bryant Terry's recipes dispel the common myth that soul food is heavy, rich, and unhealthy. In fact, soul food can be vegan, light, and healthy. Who ever thought that traditional recipes (with a slight twist) such

Recipes and tips for cooking long-grain, short-grain, brown, and white rice

Rice. It's an international-and economical-staple, playing an integral part in the diets of people all over the world. And because rice is ubiquitous, it's easy to dismiss the importance as well as the variety and versatility of this grain when cooking. Rice can play the supporting role or stand on its own, whether you eat it sweet or savory. While your neighborhood grocery store will most likely sell only the most popular varieties of rice, you can find more specialized types-such as black and red rice-at ethnic markets or an online specialty shops such as indianharvest.com, koamart.com, markys.com, and tienda.com.

Watch how rice is used around the world through our video cooking series Around the World in 80 Dishes, featuring recipes such as Persian Rice, Arancini di Riso, Tuna Maki, Fried Rice, and Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo.

RECIPE TIPS:

Size Matters

• Long-grain rice produces

In honor of Earth Day coming up in a few days (on April 22), I've been thinking about some of my favorite comestible that are healthy locally (right in your own body) and globally. Here are a few:

Seasonal local or homegrown produce - Sure, it's the most common refrain of the foodie these days, but it bears repeating (and repeating and repeating) that food that hasn't traveled hundreds or thousands of miles by air and sea to get to your table not only has a smaller carbon footprint, it also tends to taste better. Plus, there's evidence that food that's in season and hasn't spent weeks in shipping and storage is more nutrient-dense. For more on that, see our sister site Nutrition Data's blog about What Growing Your Own Food Can Do for You (you can't get more local than homegrown).

Check out our Seasonal Ingredient Map to find out what's ripe near you and get recipes.

Grass-fed beef and bison - A growing chorus of experts (with Michael Pollan leading the charge) agree

We all know that buying organic, local, sustainable food can be better for the environment, but a crop of new books is making the case that when it comes to eco-conscious eating, it's time to do more.

Big Green Cookbook
By Jackie Newgent
Cookbook author and cooking teacher Jackie Newgent's Big Green Cookbook is about finding your sustainable "sweet spot," which she defines as the balance between being green and living your life. The first half of the book aims to provide the "what, why, and how to cook[ing] and eat[ing] in a planet-pleasing way" with a green kitchen checklist, a list of eco-friendly equipment, low-carbon cooking solutions, and tips for shopping and entertaining (see our green entertaining guide for more ideas). The second half features 200 plus seasonal recipes, and each includes green cooking tips. I want to try the Veggie-Studded Sticky Quinoa, the Summer Lassi, and the Panini AB&P (a pressed sandwich with almond butter and peaches). Personally, I

There's a new chicken in town. Surprisingly, it's from an old poultry purveyor: KFC.

KFC's latest addition to the menu, grilled chicken, piqued our interest for several reasons. First, it's certainly healthier than its fried cousin with about half the calories and sodium per portion. Second, it's up against a lot of grilled chicken competition from other fast-food chains. And third, it just might be something we'd eat on the run, on road trips, or for a quick bite (yes, even Epicurious editors sometimes have to veer from healthy homemade fare). So we decided to conduct a blind taste test examining appearance, flavor, and texture.

Taste Test Procedure
Our editors purchased grilled chicken--in whatever form was available, including grilled chicken sandwiches--from four other major vendors. The contestants included McDonald's Premium Chicken Sandwich, Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill, Burger King's TenderGrill Chicken Sandwich, and Ranch 1's Ranch Classic. All samples

In our ongoing video series Chef Iliana de la Vega, from The Culinary Institute of America, demonstrates how to make authentic Mexican tortillas

Of the many dishes made from corn in Mexico, tortillas are perhaps the most ubiquitous and important-they're used for tacos, enchiladas, and taquitos; added to casseroles and sauces; and served as an accompaniment for all sorts of meals.

But why make your own tortillas de maiz (corn tortillas) when they're so readily available in any grocery store? Mexican cooking authority Zarela Martínez explains it this way in The Food and Life of Oaxaca: "Think of trying to make one of those rustic Italian bread soups or salads out of pre-packaged supermarket white bread." You could do it, but the final dish would lack the complex flavors and textures of something truly homemade. Once you've tried our recipe and seen how easy it is to make delicious authentic corn tortillas at home, you may never go back to eating the store-bought kind.

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