… got to do it, and that somebody is, yes, me! Love this gig assessing food and wine pairings for a soon-to-debut website, Pairing Base. Not your run-of-the-mill pairing site, though; this one chooses a popular dish and suggests very far-from-the-mill wine pairings.

My poor job: tasting the dish– this summer week: boiled lobster with lemon and butter –then blind-sampling several wines to laud, meh, or just plain reject. I’ve been surprised– occasionally stunned– several times at my choices. You will be too, once the site debuts. Makes for great culinary enlightenment, and greater dinner party conversation.

My potato kugel will be glammed up in Westchester magazine’s September issue, but the photo shoot was modest…  no entourage but for napkins, trivets and tablecloths.  Thing is,  kugels don’t need a posse, just a knife and maybe some sour cream. Somewhere, my grandmas are smiling.