has just launched for wine lovers called Cork’d. I feel a little bit like they’ve read my mind, because I have been thinking about what it would take to build something like it for a few months now, and even wrote up some stuff about the idea to start getting such a site together. Clearly it was an idea whose time was due, though, since Dan Benjamin and Dan Cederholm got to it first – and they’ve done a wonderful job. For more background info, you can also read Benjamin’s discourse on the building of the site and Cederholm’s comments upon launch. Santé!

Argentina On Two Steaks A Day. A friend who spent time there put it this way, “Meals consist of steak with a side of steak. Period.”

here in the Great White North and we’re planning two, count ’em two, feasts. Tonight the menu starts with chèvre and tomato salsa croutons, then potato and leek soup followed by confit duck legs with a wild mushroom risotto and brussels sprouts on the side. I made some pumpkin squares which we’ll have for dessert. On Sunday night we’re starting with little rye bread, cream cheese and smoked salmon canapés, a carrot and parsnip soup, then turkey with mashed potatoes, a yam casserole, and broccoli sides. All of that will be followed by a cheese plate and yummy dried cranberry, dried apricot, and white chocolate squares. All of that will be punctuated with several nice wines we have kicking around, including possibly an Amarone della Valipolcella that I have been saving for the right occasion.