Is Wine Insiders the best wine club?

Posted on December 25, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Wine Insiders Screen Shot

This is the offer Wine Insiders was running on Christmas 2021. Yours will be different, but by checking it out you will get on the mailing list. Or use our refer-a-friend link to save $100 on a $200 order.

As we were settling in to the winter wave of COVID in November 2020, we got an email from Wine Insiders: join us for a virtual wine tasting with Martha Stewart plus get 6 wines appropriate for holiday meals for as I recall $50 shipped. It was hard to scroll past and ultimately we took the bait. And guess what: the wines were quite acceptable, on the high end of under-$20 bottles, and Martha did a stellar job of engaging and sharing with us during the Zoom session.

Is Wine Insiders the best wine club? That would be hard to judge from a Google search; I’ve never seen so many ads and so much clickbait around a simple query. Also, Wine Insiders does not fit the definition of a “club” because they do not ship until you ask them to. Yes, your inbox will swell with promotions but you can regard them lightly till you see the one that strikes your fancy. By contrast, Winc enrolls you subtly and automatically when you place your initial order. You have to choose wines for future shipments based on their algorithm but if you don’t choose they will simply bill your credit card at the appropriate interval; a family member found she had to order a case or more of wines on a deadline or see her “credits” (which she had paid for) disappear.

Recently, we decided to order again from Wine Insiders. It is possible, but difficult, to order direct from the website and pay a marked up “retail” price. Instead, we opted for a case highlighting French regionals, and we added a couple of chardonnays to qualify for a bonus of a deluxe fancy wine opener (more on that in a moment). The average price per bottle was again under $10, shipping included. The wines arrived with breathtaking speed, maybe 2-3 days from order to arrival. The case is so heavy that the person receiving the wine may need to unpack it at the front door rather than lifting it and carrying it inside.

How are they (or any mail order wine shipper) making money with these deals? A continuity program like Winc or Wine Insiders’ sister operation, the Martha Stewart Wine Club, relies on inertia: you will continue to get the wines unless you cancel and there may be a higher price for subsequent shipments. Wine Insiders’ under-$10 pricing for voluntary purchases is a real outlier. You’re not going to find these bottles in your local store; they’re more likely surplus production from wineries that also bottle wine under their own labels. But still.

If there’s a negative to Wine Insiders, it’s the customer service. Due to some computer issues, the promised corkscrew did not actually get attached to our order. We contacted customer service, they promised to send it separately, it never arrived. We were then offered a $15 credit to a future order which seemed miserly since the stated value of the premium was $50. They responded by raising the offer to $25. We replied we would rather wait for the item we had been promised and we pointed out that, even though they said it was out of stock, it continues to be included in current promotions. No response to that.

Wine Insiders Shipping Box

A case of Wine Insiders wines was too heavy to make it into the house and was offloaded on the front steps.

Also, you are not going to get any romancing (such as a guide with room for your tasting notes) with your order; the only materials enclosed with our shipments were brochures for other promotions. You need to save the URL of the promotion you ordered from, which will include descriptions of the wines, so you can refer back when you open them.

In conclusion, we are satisfied with the wines, love the pricing, but are concerned that the corner-cutting means Wine Insiders may be operating on a dangerously thin profit margin. Be sure to keep track of your credit card billing (or, better yet, pay with PayPal which protects you if something goes wrong).

Update: turns out Wine Insiders DOES have a wine club. It’s called the Wine Insiders Club Experience, and from the FAQ it appears to operate like other continuity programs in the industry. Not sure how we escaped this with our initial order and got placed into the non-club bucket; if you buy please check the fine print.

Also, if you decide to order from Wine Insiders and want to support this blog, here’s a refer-a-friend link that will give you $100 off a $200 order. (The actual web address is http://fbuy.me/v/chef_47 ) Not sure if it will work with the other discounts, so caveat emptor.

Posted in Drinking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The original Bruichladdich is back.

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Bruichladdich

In the Bruichladdich distillery, from the 2013 New Yorker article.

The other day we commented on how we tend to stick with “better” choices in food and drink, using under-$100 Islay Scotch whiskey as an example. What would we do if we had all the money in the world and no compunction about how to spend it? Well, we might spring for this $600 Bruichladdich which just popped up on K&L Wines…. And therein hangs a story.

Back in 2013 the New Yorker ran a beautiful piece (which was reprinted in their food issue this past fall 2021) on the current owner of Bruichladdich (pronounced “Brook Laddie”), Mark Reynier. It seems that in 1994 Reynier had arrived at the gates of the distillery on a bicycle and asked if he could have a tour of the facility. But a sign indicated that the distillery was permanently closed, and when Reynier pressed the issue a worker inside the gate told him to “fuck off”.

It was then and there that Reynier resolved to buy the distillery and put it back into operation. As a London-based wine dealer with plenty of contacts in the industry, he actually had the knowledge and the resources to do so. In 2001 he and a consortium of investors bought Bruichladdich and began making whisky again. In 2011 they released the “Laddie Ten”, a $50 bottle (and thus within our price range) which they considered their flagship product. I hated it. Unlike all other Islays it is unpeated, which for me means it was short on flavor and unappealing at any price point.

Which is why I was so delighted that K&L has turned up a 1992 batch of Bruichladdich, from way back before the brewery closed. The review is unusually brief (maybe because few or no reviewers actually got to taste it) but compelling: “Black Art 9.1 marks the oldest Black Art released yet at 29 years of age. While the cask recipe of this 1992 distillate is a closely guarded secret, it is the bottled magic of mind and heart from Head Distiller Adam Hannett. Unpeated. Unparalleled.”

I am hoping that one of our readers will have the means and the initiative to buy a bottle. (You’d also have to be in a state where it can be shipped unless you pick it up yourself in CA, not a bad proposition.) If you do, please report back.

Posted in Drinking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Make your own mushroom powder.

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Mushroom powder, theirs and our home-grated.

We got a gift of mushroom powder. It’s good stuff. You can shake it onto vegetables or meats in the pan for an extra dose of umami. You don’t actually taste the mushroom per se; rather it’s a bit salty and a bit… funky. If you’re opposed to using MSG (we aren’t!) it might give you a similar flavor kick.

And… you can make your own mushroom powder whenever you need it, assuming you have one of those flat packs of shiitakes from your Asian market. Simply grate it into your dish using a microplane or the finest mesh on your box grater. One shiitake, grated, was ample for a pound of salmon steaks.

Or… maybe you want to be a mushroom powder Santa? It’s quick and easy to grate and fill a few small jars with this stuff. (If you don’t have empty spice jars, dump out and clean the jars that have been sitting around far too long and get fresh spices from Penzey’s.)

Note: if you go on Amazon you’ll find similar pre-made products like this one, as well as bigger bags which folks seem to dump into their smoothies etc for health reasons. And I’m reminded that Trader Joe sells an umami mixture which contains salt and onion powder as well as mushroom. But why complicate things when you can make your own, on demand?

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged | Leave a comment

Good Better Best

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Rogue River Blue

Rogue River Blue, officially the best cheese in the world, on the shelf at Rainbow Grocery.

We had a local (upstate New York) discussion last week about Rogue River Blue, chosen as the world’s best cheese at the 2019/20 World Cheese Awards. Two respected friends and food lovers concurred that was their favorite cheese and wished they could get more of it. We happened to be in San Francisco, and took a picture of the abundant supply in the excellent cheese department at Rainbow Grocery. Our friends replied that the issue was not so much the actual scarcity as the price ($50/lb at Rainbow, more at many other sources) which kept them from enjoying it more often.

Is Rogue River Blue pricey because it’s scarce, or because it’s hard to make? Yes. We used to live in the Rogue Valley, actually, and recall Rogue River Blue as kind of a gadget cheese, showcasing two of the area’s agricultural specialties by soaking grape leaves in pear liqueur and wrapping them around a standard bleu. We passed on the cheese at Rainbow and bought Old Chatham Boujee Bleu, a fine New York product priced at a more affordable $20/lb.

Stilton Wrapper

The cheesemonger at Rainbow loves Neal’s Yard Stilton. Guess it’s pretty good because it’s gone! But Trader Joe’s Stilton serves our everyday needs just fine.

At Burnt My Fingers we pursue a consistent strategy on most of our food purchases—picking the in-the-middle option rather than the most luxurious, and avoiding bargain-basement picks. Certified Angus Choice is good enough for us in beef; no need for the extra marbling in Prime. We like to treat ourselves to a nice Islay at K&L Wines and picked up some bottles to bring back on the same trip; our ceiling is well under $100 when many of the most attractive bottles sell out at $200 or more, but we also avoid the Finlaggen at Trader Joe which is audacious, but can’t really compare with a truly smoky dram.

What are some foods for which we’ll willingly pay top dollar? Red Boat Fish Sauce, which amazingly has become a common item even though it’s twice as expensive as generic products. Durkee’s Dressing, of course. And Anson Mills beans and grains which give us the good feeling of supporting a heritage food project as well as good eats. But that’s pretty much the extent of our short list.

The late, lamented Sears Catalog had “Good, Better, Best” choices for many of their categories. Good was entirely serviceable, but a basic product that cut corners when possible. Best was clearly a splurge, well made of top quality components but with features you probably didn’t need. Better was the way to go because it gave you good value along with all the functionality you need.

Back to bleu cheese, we sadly haven’t seen Old Chatham Boujee Bleu at local cheesemongers here in New York. But we’re happy with the Stilton and Roquefort at Trader Joe, though their generic (and cheaper) bleu is too sharp and youthful for us. It’s not the best, but it’s better than just good.

What are your good, better, bests in food selections?

Posted in Eating, Food for Thought | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Try something different for your holiday cookie exchange.

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Fennel Pollen Shortbreads

Fennel Pollen Shortbreadss

Chocolate Biscotti with Chipotle and Hazelnuts

Chocolate Biscotti with Chipotle and Hazelnuts.

This year we decided to give cookies from Michelle Hines Abram Thibeault, godmother of our BlueStar stove and a renowned local baker, rather than making them ourselves. Her 2021 deadline has passed, so file that link away for next year. And try these three cookie recipes which will give you plenty for your holiday cookie exchange with extras to enjoy at home.

Dark Chocolate Biscotti with Chipotle Chili Powder. Sweet and chocolate-y with just a hint of heat, what’s not to like? And making biscotti is a treat because you get to bake them twice, filling your kitchen with delicious smells each time. Do go to the trouble to roast and husk fresh hazelnuts; in fact, make some extras because they’re delicious and can be used in other bakes. Recipe here.

Christina Tosi's Corn Cookies

Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies.

Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies. These deceptively ordinary-looking but intensely flavored cookies are easy to make and an excellent introduction to Chef Tosi’s world. We used up our freeze dried corn and now use finely ground corn flour (NOT coarser cornmeal) which has become widely available; just be sure the flour is very fresh. Recipe here.

Fennel Pollen Shortbreads. Mm, butter. Mm, fennel. If you don’t have fennel pollen try grinding fennel seeds and doubling the amount. Don’t use fennel seeds straight up as that would interfere with the smooth texture of the shortbreads. Recipe here.

The best part? While the corn cookies are sturdy as a hockey puck (though much tastier), the shortbreads and biscotti are on the delicate side so you’re sure to end up with some imperfect pieces after you wrap up your holiday cookie exchange. Those are yours, as the baker, to gobble down without remorse!

Posted in Eating, Recipes, Sweets | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Taste test: Peg Leg Porker Bourbon

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Peg Leg Porker

Peg Leg Porker White Label Bourbon with fascinating shards of BBQ.

What’s the best bourbon to drink with barbecue? Carey Bringle, pitmaster at Peg Leg Porker in Nashville, would probably say it’s his own.

To quote from the blurbage I received when asked if I would like to try a complimentary sample (full disclosure: I said yes indeedy!): “In 2016, Bringle founded Peg Leg Bourbon and its rich smoky notes remain unmatched as he’s a man who knows smoke better than most. His signature series of hickory, charcoal-filtered, straight Tennessee bourbons features 4-6 Year White Label, 8 Year Grey Label, 12 Year Black Label, and a Limited Edition 15 Year Pitmaster Reserve Label.

“Bringle recently brought home Gold, Silver and Platinum awards at this year’s SIP Awards’ International Spirit Competition. Peg Leg Bourbon was also awarded Gold, Double-Gold and Platinum medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.”

Peg Leg Same

My sample of Peg Leg Porker.

I tried the White Label straight up with some of our house-smoked brisket and it did indeed pair very well. (In the interests of remaining upright you might be advised to enjoy it in a cocktail, like the Pork & Stormy with Bacon-Washed Bourbon, recipe below.) It’s assertive but not harsh and while I did not specifically detect smoke as you would in a good Islay Scotch, it might be characterized as “Incredibly round and featuring classic bourbon aromas of vanilla, orange, bright cherry and complex oak.”

That description, with “hickory” possibly replacing “oak” is actually for another product, George Dickel 8 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey as marketed by the spirits experts at K&L Wines. Carey Bringle is described as a “bourbon ager” rather than a distiller, meaning he starts with whiskey from another source. Whiskey bloggers agree that source is George Dickel, so we couldn’t help a second taste test of Peg Leg against the 8 year old Dickel. We preferred the Peg Leg for extra complexity with some additional flavor notes. Picture being inside an ancient wooden smokehouse somewhere in the south so the boards are splitting and there is sunlight piecing the cracks in the walls with whorls of smoke appearing in the rays of sun.

However, the Peg Leg Porker White Label is identified as a 4-6 year old bourbon, not 8 year, so Bringle evidently buys young bourbon and ages it himself. And he does a fine job. It has a growing national distribution and, if your local liquor store doesn’t stock it, you are likely to be able to find a mail order source if that is allowed in your state.

And now here are those recipes to help you enjoy the bourbon while staying upright:

Pork & Stormy Cocktail
Ingredients:
Bacon-Washed Bourbon:
4 strips bacon
8 oz. Peg Leg Porker Bourbon
1 teaspoon pure cane syrup
Cocktail:
Ice cubes or shards
2 oz. Peg Leg Porker Bourbon
3 oz. ginger beer
Lime wedge, for garnish
Instructions:
Bacon-Washed Bourbon:
Fry the bacon in a cast-iron skillet until crispy.
Combine 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and the bourbon in a plastic container with a lid (eat the bacon).
Shake thoroughly and freeze until the fat hardens, about 1 hour.
Remove from the freezer and strain the fat from the bourbon; discard the fat.
Add the cane syrup to the bourbon and mix well.
Decant into a covered glass jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Cocktail: 
Fill a cocktail glass with ice.
Add the bourbon, top with the ginger beer, and stir.
Add a teaspoon of the bacon-washed bourbon to the top of the drink.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
Posted in Drinking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

We made a turkey stuffing waffle sandwich!

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Turkey Stuffing Waffle Sandwich

Turkey Stuffing Waffle Sandwich with turkey and all the fixin’s.

Leftover thanksgiving turkey sandwiches are the best, but why not a turkey stuffing waffle sandwich? That way you skip the carb overload from bread-on-bread but still get to enjoy your day after turkey treat.

We made a “batter” by mixing milk, flour and baking powder with our prepared stuffing (recipe here), then prepared two waffles in a standard waffle iron. They came out fine and we prepped one waffle with Durkee’s dressing and cranberry sauce; the other got hot gravy, turkey breast and wilted salad. We put the two together, cut into quarters, and were good to go.

Turkey Dressing Waffle Sandwich Assembly

Turkey Dressing Waffle Sandwich assembly.

The result is a massive sandwich you are unlikely to eat at one sitting; two quarters should be enough for most appetites. In the future we will probably do some modification of ingredients to make them more sandwich-able, for example diluting the gravy so it will seep into the cells of the waffle like melted butter. But we are happy with our first effort!

Posted in Eating, Mains, Recipes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Turkey Stuffing Waffle

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Turkey Stuffing Waffle

Turkey Stuffing Waffle as it comes out of the waffle iron.

Turkey stuffing waffles are a thing. Even Kenji is making one. But the recipes you find online have lots of caveats like be sure you spray lots of Pam on the waffle iron, and handle the waffle carefully so it won’t fall apart. Not this one! We combined our prepared/leftover stuffing with a light batter that holds it together, helps it rise slightly, and delivers a sturdy product you can even use to make a sandwich like we did. Recipe makes 2 waffles.

Ingredients:
1 large egg (or 2 small eggs)
¼ c milk
¼ all purpose flour
¾ t baking powder
3 c prepared stuffing (approximately; see below)

Method: beat egg and mix thoroughly with milk, flour and baking powder. Add approximately 3 c prepared stuffing; the stuffing should just absorb the batter without leaving liquid in the pan. Spoon into a preheated waffle iron; because this batter does not pour or expand you will just need to put a good amount into each of the quadrants of your iron (see photo below). Close the lid; push down hard and hold for 30 seconds or so till the ingredients are set and the top does not lift up when you let go.

Cook until the “done” light comes on then cook a little longer. You want the surface a little crispy vs soft. Serve hot with hot gravy and cranberry sauce on the side, or make into a Turkey Stuffing Waffle Sandwich.

Turkey Stuffing Waffle

This is the same waffle, “before”. You need to spoon the “batter” into the quadrants of the waffle iron in equal amounts because it will not pour like regular waffle batter.

Posted in Eating, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Everyday Cole Slaw

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Everyday Cole Slaw

Everyday Cole Slaw.

I was making some cole slaw to go with fried fish the other night and mentioned I was doing nothing special, just everyday cole slaw—actually I needlessly used a four-dollar synonym, “quotidian”, and my wife commented “to me, all cole slaw is quotidian”. When you have been married a long time and plan to stay married you have to ignore slights like that, plus I had brought it on myself by denigrating the product at hand.

The fact is, every cole slaw is unique and wonderful in its own way. We waxed poetic in a long ago post, The Miracle of Cole Slaw, and everything said therein is still true. This one follows the basic proportions for a slightly acidic dressing but with a couple of tricks: celery salt (you could also use ½ t celery seed and 1 t Kosher salt, if you don’t have celery salt) for added tang and red wine vinegar instead of the usual cider vinegar. Makes 8-12 servings.

Ingredients:
2 lbs green cabbage, shredded with a box grater
3 T mayonnaise
1 T buttermilk
1 ½ T red wine vinegar
1 t celery salt
½ t Kosher salt
½ t ground black pepper
2 green onions, sliced into rings, including some of the green

Method: add all other ingredients to shredded green cabbage and mix thoroughly. It will be a big dry, but the cabbage will throw off liquid as it cures. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Posted in Eating, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Memories of Thanksgiving past

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
2017 Turkey

A memorable turkey from a past Thanksgiving.

We didn’t buy a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Seeing as how prices are up and supplies are allegedly short (though there are plenty of birds, both generic and fancy, in our stores in upstate New York) we decided to defrost a bird we’ve been hoarding since before the pandemic. We switched it from freezer to fridge last Friday; if you’re planning to cook a frozen bird and it is still frozen you better get started right away. (We’re not food safety experts and not making a recommendation, but it seems like common sense that you can start the defrost process on the counter to speed it up, and transfer to the fridge once the outside reaches 39 degrees, the temp inside your refrigerator.)

In the spirit of using up stuff, we’re going to recycle our old Thanksgiving posts rather than writing a new one this year—a clips post of clips posts, as it were. In 2020 we talked about cooking your first turkey, which we figured a lot of people would do rather than dining with relatives during the pandemic. (That might be a good idea this year as well, with numbers spiking once again.) In 2019 it was how to have a successful Thanksgiving by making other people do the work. In 2017 it was about reducing the stress that many people experience when faced with cooking a complex meal for lots of critical in-laws.

Click any of the links and you’ll find tips for brining and cooking the bird, stuffing it, and dealing with the buy/make your own cranberry sauce conundrum. (We fondly remember our cranberry sauce taste test way back in 2012.) And for God’s sake don’t forget the Durkee’s dressing which you’ll need for those Friday morning turkey sandwiches.

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments