It’s always fun planning a challenging wine pairing dinner. I especially enjoy the “challenge” of determining a good wine pairing for a meal in which wine would probably not be the first beverage that comes to mind. This time, I decided to make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, a Wine Peeps’ family favorite. Along with the sandwiches, [...]

Sweet and sour pork is a popular dish and one that easily lends itself to a challenging wine pairing given both its sweetness and tartness. The main dish included the pork, green bell peppers, celery, and onion in the sweet and sour sauce that included pineapple, apple cider vinegar, and sugar, as well as other [...]

Fajitas are a popular Mexican dish and a Wine Peeps’ favorite. Years ago in Texas, we stumbled upon a delicious fajita preparation at a local restaurant that we absolutely love. Fajitas a la Baya (or berry) is fajitas that have been marinated in wine along with other typical Mexican spices. The flavor it gives the [...]

Pecan pie is one of the Wine Peeps’ favorite desserts. In fact, it is John’s absolute favorite! Kori is actually the pecan pie maker in the family; although, I made the one for this challenging wine pairing. Each year, Kori makes pecan pie for her dad’s birthday in November as well as for Thanksgiving and [...]

As we enjoy the last days of summer, we decided to have a challenging wine pairing meal that would include light fare paired with refreshing “summer” wines. I prepared a chicken Milanese salad with a lemon Dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing along with a side of Parmesan seasoned pasta. Once the menu was set, our attention [...]

Creole and Cajun meals are among my favorites. As I have mentioned before in various posts, the Wine Peeps love spicy foods. John and I recently spent several days in New Orleans celebrating our 44th wedding anniversary and had the opportunity to enjoy some fantastic food! On the way to the airport to return home, [...]

Being native Texans, the Wine Peeps love BBQ. Real BBQ, that is! There is a distinct difference between real BBQ and just anything cooked on a grill outside. Hamburgers and hot dogs are not BBQ; neither is roast beef with lots of BBQ sauce slathered on top. Real BBQ is smoked by slow-cooking the meat [...]

Halibut is the Wine Peeps fish of choice. We especially enjoy it blackened or broiled with Cajun seasonings. An excellent seasoning to use is Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic. This dish is delicious, easy, and quick to prepare. Along with the flavorful fish, this challenging wine pairing meal included a mixed green salad, roasted [...]

General Tso’s Chicken is one of the Wine Peeps favorite dishes, and we especially enjoy it prepared extra spicy. An added consideration in planning and preparing our challenging wine pairing meal this time is that John has been diagnosed with a gluten allergy, so I prepared the dish gluten free and was pleasantly surprised with [...]

The Wine Peeps enjoy Taco Tuesday each week. It is a fun time to get together, the meal is an easy one to prepare, and we enjoy the blend of the spicy flavors in the food. Our menu generally consists of beef tacos, refried beans, Mexican rice, and hot salsa. We usually enjoy margaritas on [...]