The Cook's Marketplace

The Prisoner Wine Company of Napa, California, was created and launched by winemaker Dave Phinney twenty years ago, with a single wine that he called The Prisoner and of which he made only 385 cases. Today, The Prisoner Wine Company (sold ten years ago by Phinney and now owned by Constellation Brands) is a widely […]

These two almost identical wine accessories are supplied to Frieling USA by the German company Cilio-Tisch. They are called, alternately, Champagne Stopper and Wine Stopper. The German word on the neat little box is Verschluss, which may be translated as seal, fastener, clasp, and, yes, stopper. Each does all of those. The Champagne Stopper is […]

Any experienced globetrotter will tell you that traveling light is the key to happiness. This can pose a challenge, though, particularly when the things you feel you can’t do without are large or bulky. For photographers, the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod can provide the benefits of a larger tripod, but at a fraction of the […]

The thought of using a kitchen scale used to seem a bit too exacting for me, as I’m not an exacting kind of cook. But a weekend of baking classes convinced me otherwise. I learned that a cup of flour can vary by an ounce or more in weight, depending on how it’s scooped and […]

I’d managed to exist without a Y peeler for many moons, but after using one last Thanksgiving, and solving a problem that vexed me, I am now officially a fan. Peeling the large butternut squash for my T-day casserole often was a knuckle-bruising chore when I used my older swivel peeler. My new Y peeler […]

Picked by
Denise Landis

As a rule I stay away from sugary drinks, but when hot weather rolls around there are times when I crave a soda. Jarritos sodas were a happy discovery for me. Made in Mexico, they are lightly sweetened only with natural sugar. They come in glass bottles that, pulled cold and dripping from a cooler […]

Mason jars offer a recyclable and chemical-free container option to store healthy meals. Mason Jar Salads and More offers basic information as to preparing mason jar meals, as well as inspiring photographs. It also provides simple recipes using an interesting variety of ingredients.  

I was given a jar of homemade Seville orange marmalade that was absolutely delicious, but it didn’t occur to me to ask for the recipe. I had no time to search for Seville oranges imported from Spain, nor did I enjoy the prospect of cutting off and slicing the peels, removing seeds, and the other […]

Picked by
Eva Baughman

This simple tool used with its provided rubber stoppers does an excellent job of creating a vacuum and preserving wine left in the bottle. [amazon_link asins=’B000GA3KCE’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’thec0b6-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ddc8e686-5dd8-11e8-b2e7-65efe4afc1a6′]

It is widely known that beer from a tap is greatly superior to beer from a can or bottle. Some beers, such as Boddington’s and Guinness, include a device within their cans and bottles designed to recreate the sublime sensation of taking that first sip of that perfect pour, when the beer is fresh and […]

One of the best parts of traveling is visiting local supermarkets and discovering shelf-stable delicacies. Santa Catarina tuna, from the Portuguese archipelago called the Azores, is a perfect example. While the first thing to catch your eye will likely be the attractive paper-wrapping on the cans, it’s the contents that impress. Hand cut into either […]

Picked by
J. D. Landis

Moët & Chandon dresses up this pink-labeled pink (“with amber highlights”) Champagne in a nice pink cardboard box, presumably for Mother’s Day, though I’ve seen it online also in pink for Valentine’s Day.  The packaging implies that this is a wine to be bought by a man for a woman. Maybe. But it can, and […]