Great Online Boutique Recommendations: Valentine’s 2010
If you’re a woman, you’re likely thinking your gift to your hunny will be a fresh bikini wax—for you, not for him! But still, as much as he’ll appreciate that, you’ve got to come up with something more. Why not offer him some chocolates? Or even better, Vodka? Telluride provides some of the best of both and Bonjour Colorado readers enjoy discounts from our mountain town’s top-of-the-line purveyors, Telluride Truffle and Telluride Vodka. Type in promo code Paris 10 in the Redeem Coupon Box to receive a 10% discount on Telluride Truffle online orders. Mention Bonjour Colorado to Telluride Vodka to receive $5. off every bottle you purchase.
Alpine-Inspired Scarves and Scarf Ornaments from Alpen Schatz
Alpen Schatz, another authentic Telluride boutique, is also offering a special 10% discount to BonjourColorado readers; just type in Bonjour upon check out. I love their Italian silk scarves embellished with heart scarf ornaments, just the sort of ever-lasting Valentine’s Day keepsake I’d gift to myself. Who can beat hearts and flowers anyway? Plus all the scarves are awash with edelweiss, an alpine flower that symbolizes happiness.
Chocolate Financiers from Patisserie Colson
Looking to satisfy zee French in you, your lover, brother or mom? Go directly to Patisserie Colson to shop for tins of refined sweets that will delight your most discerning gourmands. Their financiers and rugelach serve as the perfect accompaniment to a pot of strong tea or hot chocolate.
If you want to conjure up memories of the beach, think salt water taffy. Forbes Candies has been wrapping their sweets in sea breeze and sunshine since 1933. I discovered them on a trip to Virginia Beach last fall and each time I nibble on a piece of their salt water taffy, I’m transported back to the sand and the surf of the Atlantic. Other specialties include fudge and brittle, both of which come in a ship’s cargo-load of flavors. Enter Bonjour at check out to receive a 15% discount on orders of $30. or more.
For those particular to specialized poufing and pampering, you’ll love the natural products and remedies made by Kneipp. From Arnica Revitalizing Spray to Lavender Balancing Herbal Bath to Almond Blossom Dry Skin Body Oil, Kneipp has created many extraordinary products that promote a holistic approach to finding good health and well being. Now that’s what I call a gift of love. No wonder they’ve been around since 1891.
And I bet you never imagined you could experience so much tradition and savoir faire with online shopping.
Oh, and don’t forget to include that special love note, even if the gift is for yourself.
Food & Wine Shopping: Food & Wine Shopping
by maribeth
Comments Off on Great Online Boutique Recommendations-Holiday Season 2009
Great Online Boutique Recommendations-Holiday Season 2009
Telluride Truffle: The Best Cookies for Santa in the World
What? You’ve done all your shopping? Lucky you! Well, I’m sure you can still find a few tasty treats below for your holiday feasts.
But if you’re at all like me, you’ve barely put a dent in your shopping. So I’m here to help. Plus it’s cold across much of the country and the parking lots are beginning to fill up at the mall, so why not settle in and visit my hand-picked selection of charming Internet boutiques?
Old Chatham Sheepherding Company: It's Nice to Know the Provenance of Your Cheeses
This year’s lineup once again favors many delectable food items that make great gifts for your friends and loved ones. (And don’t forget yourself!) Let’s start with cheese, typically the last course in France before dessert but here in America we eat it at all different times. I like fresh, artisanally-made cheeses that are good enough to be the focal point of a meal composed of just bread, salad, cheese and wine. No processed food here. I was thrilled to re-connect recently with the wonderful cheeses from Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, an exceptional cheesemaker not far from my roots in upstate New York. Made from fresh sheep and cow’s milk, their award-winning Hudson Valley Camembert, melts in your mouth. Be sure to order their Ewe’s Blue, made in the Roquefort style, and these wonderful whole wheat Petits Toasts that they also sell that go so well with any kind of cheese. (Love their nutty flavor!) Consider their sheep’s milk yogurts as well. If you’re not a fan of all those sugary yogurts available in the market, you’ll love Old Chatham’s slightly sweet, ever-so refined yogurts that come in a variety of flavors including maple and ginger. Type Bonjour Colorado into the gift message section to receive your 10% discount.
Coach Farm Goat Cheeses
For the Cheese Lover in Your Life
Let’s not forget the goats. I recently discovered Coach Farm, a company specializing in goat’s milk cheeses and yogurts. Situated within the Hudson Valley, this purveyor supplies many of the top restaurants of New York. One taste and you’ll understand why. Their goat’s milk yogurt, made with live active cultures, just might become your tasty health remedy for 2010. Be sure to visit their Web site as well for many terrific recipes. Coach Farm also produces fresh and aged heart-shaped goat cheeses for Valentine’s Day; these must be pre-ordered by December 30th. Who ever thought cheese could be so adorable? Call and mention Bonjour Colorado to receive free shipping.
Contact Vermont Butter and Cheese Company for your most refined creamery needs such as mascarpone, fromage blanc and sea salted cultured butter, a near delicacy that enhances any repast tenfold. They offer fine goat cheeses as well along with an extraordinary crême fraîche, a must for any serious cook’s fridge. I love adding a dollop of this most flavorful cream to my puréed winter soups.
Prime Meats from Lobel's
You must select some nice wines to accompany your extraordinary plateau de fromages. But let’s not break the bank. I have found some lovely ones, from Blackstone Winery, that represent an excellent price/quality relationship. Their Sonoma Reserve Merlot 2007 typically retails for $19.99 and their SonomaReserve Chardonnay 2008 rings in at $14.99. For something more celebratory, seek out some sparkling from Cupcake Vineyards, bubbly wines (Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay and Brut Rosé Pinot Noir), from the Loire Valley of France. They, too, are exceedingly affordable at $15.99 per bottle. Don’t you just love the name? Sounds like they’re another must for those looking to inject a little more romance into their lives.
Don’t know what to give that special man on your list? How about sending him a package of steaks? Don’t go ordinary though. Check out the offerings at Lobel’s of New York, purveyors of dry-aged steaks, USDA prime and more gourmet items since 1840. They, too, have some delicious recipes on their site.
Telluride Vodka: Spirit of Our Mountains
Here’s another great gift idea for guys although gals have been raving about it, too. Order a bottle of Telluride Vodka, a spirit made from corn and our pristine mountain waters of T-ride. Its taste is as refined as its packaging. Contact Brad and mention Bonjour Colorado to receive $5. off every bottle you purchase.
The holidays would not be truly festive without chocolate. Telluride Truffle still gets my vote as the finest chocolatier of the Rockies and their packaging is so gifty that you know receiving anything from this fine purveyor of treats will make anyone smile. I’m crazy for their cookies, which, loaded with almonds, pecans, raisins and Belgian chocolate chips, strike a yummy combo between crunchy and chewy. Type in promo code Paris10 in the Redeem Coupon Box to receive a 10% discount on online orders.
Alpen Schatz is another Telluride institution of sorts. Owner Mary Dawn DeBraie showcases alpine treasures, superior quality products from the Alps that integrate the mountain spirit into our lives in her Telluride boutique and online store. From handmade Swiss belts and dog collars, to boiled wool hats from Austria to hand finished silk Italian scarves, Alpen Schatz offers an array of original gift ideas for men, women, teens and children. Can’t go wrong with Old World charm and tradition. Type in Bonjour upon check out to receive your special 10% discount. Click on the play button below to hear Mary Dawn talk about Alpen Schatz.
Alpine-Inspired Silk Scarves from Alpen Schatz
Imperial Torte from Vienna
Telluride Gift Baskets rounds up many artisan-style food items in Colorado including jerky, jams, honeys, mustards and more. If you mention Bonjour Colorado, you’ll receive a complimentary Chocolove candy bar with your order.
Looking for the nec plus ultra in gift giving this year? Send a Viennese Imperial Torte to the globetrotting chocolate-lover in your life. Confectioned from mocha cream, sandwiched between six crispy layers, and then surrounded by an exquisite marzipan and enrobed in dark chocolate, these jewel-like creations are shipped directly to you from Hotel Imperial in Vienna. The packaging alone transports you to this elegant city where refinement and tradition reign supreme. And if you don’t wait too long, there’s still time to order for Christmas deliveries.
Still in search of something unusual, perhaps a collectible that won’t be gobbled up in one meal? I discovered The Autograph Source on a recent trip to Aspen and have become a fan of both their boutique and online store ever since. Do peruse it—it’s great fun. You can find all kinds of cool stuff from one of Eric Clapton’s guitars, signed by “the man” himself to an autographed photograph of President Obama. Mention Bonjour Colorado to receive your 10% discount here.
Eric Clapton's Signed Guitar from The Autograph Source
Are you still in search of something out of the ordinary, a fun and totally affordable little gift idea? Why not gourmet sea salts? In flavors such as lavender rosemary, bloody mary, niçoise olive and cherry pistachio, Secret Stash Sea Salts will turn you on to something new. And if you really want to express yourself in your gifting, go for the coconut or almond cardamom. Now that’s what I calling adding some zest to life!
I’d like to round out my recommendations with two French favorites: Spirit of Provence and Quel Objet. The Provençal olive oil imported by Spirit of Provence has been flying off the shelves of the finest boutiques in Aspen and Vail. (Yes, Margie, the owner, is a Coloradan, based in Boulder.) Check out her Provençal pottery, too. You’ll find French gift ideas galore at Quel Objet including superior quality tea towels and tablecloths, lovely soaps and creams, French market baskets and bouquets garnis, perfect for stews and soups, which you’ll find you can’t live without.
I think magazine subscriptions always make for great gifts, especially if you match the right publication to the right reader. I have two favorite publications about France that I enjoy receiving: France Today and France Magazine. They’re both offering special holiday gift subscriptions for Bonjour Colorado readers. France Magazine will include a free issue with every gift subscription; click here and type in PRO7G. Click here for France Today and enter promo code CORP09 to receive 20% off. They also publish France-Amérique, a publication in French (great for honing your French language skills). Click here for that subscription and be sure to enter the CORP09 code to receive your 20% discount.
Since I’ve simplified your shopping, I hope you’ll be able to find some time to read a few of my many stories about travel, beauty, shopping, food and wine and more here on my blog. Shopping needn’t be so tiresome.
Visit my Shopping Page to read more about some of my favorite purveyors.
Baaaa-est Tidings from All of Us!
Denver Food & Wine Restaurants Telluride: Denver Food & Wine Restaurants Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
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Top Chefs
Pasta from Panzano
What does it take to become a top chef? Certainly lots of training, years of experience and a passion for creating a memorable dining experience. The desire to make people happy seems to be the driving force behind the success of most culinary whizzes, professional and amateur alike. (Just think of your grandma baking you your favorite cake. My grandmother’s was a special boiled raisin cake with thick butter cream frosting that neither my mother nor I have been able to duplicate.) This notion of people-pleasing became abundantly clear to me recently when I interviewed two notable chefs on Travel Fun.
Chef Kenny from Capella
Chef Kenny Gilbert, Executive Chef at Capella in Telluride, told me that he became interested in food when he’d watch his father barbecuing as a child. Growing up in the South, there was always lots of barbecuing and Kenny had many opportunities to see how people enjoyed it so much.
Chef Elise Wiggins, Executive Chef at Panzano in Denver, talked to me about a similar experience. She explained that in her native Louisiana, much of life revolves around eating. “It’s about good times with family and friends. I learned at a young age that you can make a lot of people happy by cooking.”
Both went on to pursue their love of cooking at culinary school and began to rack up experience at home and abroad in the kitchens of some of the best known restaurants in the world. Chef Kenny draws largely upon basic French techniques that emphasize such fundamental practices as kitchen organization and garde manger (pantry) management. Chef Elise has been greatly influenced by her mother who spent summers in northern Italy, preparing regional dishes for her family and also by many Italian chefs with whom she studied over the years. Her regular travels to Italy have helped her to hone her knowledge of largely northern Italian cuisine, the emphasis at Panzano. Chef Elise pays particular attention to how flavors change according to the terroir in Italy, especially in products such as cheese and salumi.
Chef Elise from Panzano
So it comes as no surprise that at Capella in Telluride you might find a barbecued pulled pork sandwich on the menu at Suede, the hotel’s swanky informal bistrot, and a superior cut of meat served up at Onyx, this tony establishment’s more high-end restaurant. Chef Kenny’s whimsical note is rolled out in the form of a multi-tiered candy cart that showcases everything from puckery lemonheads and swirl pops to luscious truffles and pâte de fruits. “I like to serve up childhood favorites,” Chef Kenny says. “I’ve seen a diner moved to tears over Swedish fish.” Creating and conjuring up memories is after all an essential part of the dining experience.
At Panzano, gorgeous plates of food composed of the freshest ingredients and many house made specialties such as hand cured meats delight discriminating diners in Denver, a city that is quickly becoming one of the food capitals of the country. If you haven’t tried one yet, this is where you’ll find the best grilled Caesar salad on the planet. Who would ever think grilled romaine could taste this good? “It’s a simple technique with simple ingredients,” Chef Elise says.
Lighting Up Mountain Village with Telluride Festival of the Arts
Chef Kenny and Chef Elise will have the opportunity to meet up and create some culinary magic together at the Telluride Festival of the Arts, a celebration of the visual and culinary arts that’s taking place this year August 14 through 16. They’re both participating in a gastronomic extravaganza with Hosea Rosenberg, winner of Bravo’s 2009 Top Chef. “It’s a well-organized, flawless event that features a great mix of people,” Chef Elise told me. This will be her second year at the festival and my first. I’m really looking forward to it, too, not only since one of this year’s highlights will be a free concert by Joan Osborne but also because it has become abundantly clear to me that foodie events big and small are about making people happy.
One of Chef Kenny's Creations
Kitchen Tip from Chef Kenny Gilbert
“Time management is key. It’s really about the mise en place,” Chef Kenny emphasizes. “Have everything in place, write your list out, check inventory and have everything right in front of you.” I’m hoping this will up my chances of having everything ready at once and served at the desired temperature!
Culinary Advice from Chef Elise Wiggins
Memorize flavors. “Act like a three year-old and put everything in your mouth in its raw state and then you will remember its flavor,” Chef Elise says. “This also helps you to realize that you can overdue it with certain herbs.”
Onyx and Suede are the two signature restaurants of Capella, Telluride, 970-369-0880, www.capellatelluride.com
Panzano, located in the Hotel Monaco, 909 17th Street at Champa, Denver, 303-296-3525, www.panzano-denver.com
Note that Chef Elise gives cooking classes once a month specializing in everything from pickling and preserving to the preparation of turduckin, a classic Cajun dish served at Christmas.
Type Capella or Panzano into the search in the upper right hand corner of my Web site to read more about my dining experiences at Onyx and Panzano. You can also read my story on Hotel Monaco by typing Hotel Monaco into the search. You’ll notice that I put a quirky spin on it.
Book Picks
Chef Kenny recommends “Developing the Leaders Around You,” by John C. Maxwell. This book has helped him to look at his employees as potential leaders, not just employees. “In the kitchen, I feel everyone is a struggling artist, so it’s important to understand people’s skill sets in order to help them create goals and to achieve them,” Kenny says. “If I can give to the employee and they give to me, then they’ll give back to the guests and the guests will feel their passion.”
Chef Elise loves “Eat, Pray, Love,” by Elizabeth Gilbert and so do I. The food scenes in particular are extraordinary!
Bon Appétit!
Food & Wine Telluride: Food & Wine Music & Dance Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
2 comments
Summer in Telluride: A Sea of Festivals and More
Shopping for Chic in Telluride---Yet Another Summer Activity!
Lolling at the pool at The Peaks. Hiking. Gazing at the riot of colors created by the wildflowers that dot our hillsides and valleys. Indulging in simple picnics of wine and cheese at the Wednesday Sunset Concert Series. Wearing flip flops, shorts and a fleece. Soaking in a hot tub after having gotten caught in a summer storm and been chilled to the bone. Watching the ever-changing dance of gathering clouds and distant rains form in the sky high above our mountain tops. Smelling the freshness of our air, grass, plants and trees. Admiring the pert and pretty flower displays that embellish the town’s array of Victorian houses. Spotting the marmots sunbathing on the rocks beneath the gondola. Eating a fresh Palisade peach from the open-air markets. Sipping a cup of tea on a rainy summer afternoon. Consulting the calendar for the upcoming weekend’s line up of events.
Carbon Neutral Smoothies: Only In Telluride
These are a few of my favorite things about summer in Telluride. And as usual, this season kicked off with a stunning set of events. Summer was officially ushered in the last day of Bluegrass when the Telluride House Band (consisting of Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck and Sam Bush, to name a few) played past the longest day of the year and furnished foot-stomping music into the dark of the night. Wine Festival weekend followed and for the first time ever I attended their Sunday Brunch, a lovely affair where one can sip seemingly bottomless glasses of Champagne and delight in a delicious spread in one of the most awe-inspiring settings in the world: Telluride Town Park. I was thrilled to partake in this elegant party—complete with white tablecloths and petits fours—made even more magnificent against such a stunning backdrop. As is the case at nearly all Wine Festival events, there was a lot of wine on hand to sample and many discoveries to be made. (My latest is Windmill, an Old Vine Zinfandel that I can buy at the local liquor store for just over $10.)
The July 4th holiday marked the third weekend in our now renowned summertime trifecta of events. It was a good ‘ole fashioned 4th of July replete with a big parade, root beer floats, barbecue, lots of games and a fireworks display that could be the envy of many a town, big and small. And since this is Telluride, all was spiced up with a flash of flesh, humor and politics, most notably in Irrational Exuberance, the top prize winner of the parade, that spoofed the greed and conspicuous consumption of our country in recent years.
George Clinton: The Godfather of Funk
Thank goodness the Telluride Yoga Festival is on the docket for this weekend. By now, many of us need to tone it down a few notches. Oh, but wait. There’s the KOTO Doo Dah tonight, the radio station’s annual summer concert that has featured artists such as Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett and Bob Dylan in the past. George Clinton, godfather of funk, and Parliament are this year’s headliners. Word is that some twenty-five people including dancers and back up will be on stage for this funkadelic happening that’s sure to go down as one of the summer’s best concerts. Rusted Root opens the show, a percussion-heavy, World Music-sounding act that could easily receive top billing themselves.
Then next Tuesday is Bastille Day, the French equivalent of our 4th of July. I’ll be doing an event from 1 to 3 p.m. at Between the Covers bookstore here in Telluride to mark that holiday in characteristic French flair. Wine will be poured by the Wine Mine at Pacific Street Liquors and sweet and savory treats will be provided by the New Sheridan Chop House, La Marmotte and Jean-Louis.
The following weekend marks the Nothing Festival where supposedly no scheduled event takes place in T-ride except for a bunch of nude people pedaling down our main street. (We know, though, that there’s always something going on in our spectacular mountain town.)
July wraps up with the Cajun Festival, a Friday-night event that promises to be a hot and happening affair punctuated by great music and delicious eats from the Bayou.
And that’s just a brief overview of a Telluride summer through the end of July! I hope that before August roles around, I’ll be able to carve out more time for my favorite things because they represent the very best part of Telluride.
Food & Wine Telluride The Rockies: Food & Wine Telluride Telluride Festivals The Rockies
by maribeth
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Wining and Dining in the Rockies
Pouring the Beloved Nectar
For years I had heard about the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, the big foodie event that just took place in Aspen last weekend. It wasn’t until I moved to Telluride six years ago that I learned about the Telluride Wine Festival, the gastronomic extravaganza that has drawn food and wine connoisseurs to our more subdued mountain town for almost three decades. Steve Olson, aka Wine Geek, plays a pivotal role in both of these happenings. In Telluride, he’s our Master of Ceremony for our food and wine celebration that’s taking hold of our town this weekend. Clearly Steve loves these festivals like a father who loves two very different children.
“Aspen Food and Wine Classic is truly one of the most important food and wine festivals in the world,” Steve said in a recent Travel Fun interview. “It draws some of the biggest chefs, vintners and food and wine enthusiasts from all over the globe and it continues to grow every year. We handpick experts that fit Telluride. There’s not a bone of pretense here. These professionals come to share, not preach. Telluride is more low key, more intimate,” Steve continues. “It’s more one on one—you can find yourself having a cup of coffee with a chef on Main Street.”
Chef Bertrand Bouquin
That chef might very well be Bertrand Bouquin, Executive Chef at The Broadmoor of Colorado Springs, the Grande Dame of resorts in the Rockies. As one of the culinary experts invited to the festival, Chef Bouquin will be preparing a special lunch tomorrow, Saturday, at Allreds where he’ll be serving up carrot soup with lime and cilantro, followed by veal tenderloin wrapped in bacon. All will, of course, be paired with exceptional wines.
Steve Olson and Bertrand Bouquin enjoy a professional relationship outside of the Telluride Wine Festival since Steve consults for the beverage program at The Broadmoor. He has, in fact, concocted a great variety of cocktails that serve as the perfect accompaniment to Bertrand’s innovative cuisine. Indeed all kinds of beverages from mezcal to lager are showcased at the Telluride Wine Festival along with a cellar-full of wines from near and far.
And like so many of the other beverage and culinary experts participating in the festival, Steve and Bertrand began in the hospitality industry at a very young age. Steve started out as a waiter and quickly caught the fever for the need to make others happy. Bertrand was working in a restaurant kitchen in Burgundy in his native France at the age of fifteen.
Thank goodness we have festivals that encourage us to celebrate the passions of these dedicated oenophiles and gastronomes. These events allow us to spend entire weekends learning, tasting and savoring. Once again, the world comes to us in our little mountain town. Maybe someday I’ll break out and attend the Aspen Food and Wine Classic.
A Scrumptious Salad from Summit at The Broadmoor
Hot Topics According to Wine Expert Steve Olson
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(Steve is largely known in the industry as the guy who is going to show you the next cool thing.)
Steve Olson, aka Wine Geek
-”Spain has emerged as a great wine-making country,” Steve says. Their wines are a good bet overall for great value and quality.
-”Greece is exploding now. There’s a whole renaissance of winemakers,” he says.
-”Colorado wines are taking their rightful place among the hierarchy of American wines,” he emphasizes. Some of his favorite wineries include Stone Cottage, Snowy Peak, Holy Cross Abbey, Boulder Creek and Canyon Wind.
Hot Topics According to Culinary Expert Chef Bertrand Bouquin
–Molecular gastronomy. “This is when chefs break down ingredients and reconstruct them,” Chef Bouquin explains. “You have the flavor of a food in a different form.” An example of this would be a carrot flavored gelée (a sort of Jello, but more refined). Apparently there’s a lot of this going on in the big cities. Sounds rather Sci Fi to me.
The Broadmoor: Where You Can Sample the Creations of Steve and Bertrand Year-Round
Cheers!
Art & Culture Being Green Food & Wine Mountain Living Telluride: Art & Culture Being Green Food & Wine Ken Burns Mountain Living Nature Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
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Mountainfilm Mania
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Banner Over T-ride
Festival season has arrived here in Telluride and it kicks off today with Mountainfilm. “It’s a weird mix of film fest, think tank and jamboree,” says Mountainfilm Director, David Holbrooke. “It’s both low key and intense, loose, yet focused,” he continues. Indeed Mountainfilm is where some of the best minds in the country come to share their ideas through art, film, presentations and books. David discussed the essence of this Memorial Day weekend tradition in Telluride and its 2009 lineup during a recent Travel Fun interview. This year’s theme is food, so, of course, there will be a lot to whet your appetite—for your body, mind and soul.
For me, one of the main attractions this year includes the premiere of “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” by master documentarian Ken Burns. “I think he’s taught more people about the history of America than anyone else,” David says about Ken Burns referring to his documentaries on the Civil War, World War II, jazz, baseball and more. You can tune in to PBS this fall to view this six-part series about the history of our national parks.
“The people that come to Mountainfilm are leaders of a paradigm we need to head to whether culturally or environmentally,” David emphasizes. Such people include renowned chef Ming Tsai, mountain adventurer Conrad Anker, animal activist Paul Watson and reporter Nicholas Kristof, to name a few. David’s dad, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, will participate via a tele conference since world affairs prevent him from being at the festival in person.
Be sure to visit the MF Store to purchase DVDs highlights from the festival and definitely take in some of the events if you’re in Telluride this weekend.
Book Picks
“Deep Economy,” by Bill McKibben
“Edge of Never,” by Bill Kerig
Both authors and many others will be present at this year’s Mountainfilm.
Food & Wine Shopping: Food & Wine Shopping
by maribeth
Comments Off on Even More Great Online Boutiques for the Holidays
Even More Great Online Boutiques for the Holidays
A Larimer Square Keepsake
O.K., if you’re anything like me you’ve only completed about half of your holiday shopping. The remainder you’re perhaps planning to do by the end of the week. I suggest you keep it simple, shop online and have the goods mailed directly to those on your list (including yourself). There’s still time!
I just returned from a quick trip to Denver and as always, I’m in love with Larimer. That would be Larimer Square, one of the most happening places in the country, an historic neighborhood populated with exciting restaurants, bars and shops. If you’ve been there you know that colorful banners typically adorn this quaint area, also known as Larimer Street. You can actually own a piece of this landmark destination by purchasing a Larimer Messenger Bag, a fun fashion accessory—great for guys and gals—crafted out of the banners that once flew high over this part of Denver’s renowned LoDo (Lower Downtown) district. They’re a green shopping choice as well.
Napa Soap Harvest
I’ve also discovered some wonderful soaps and bath products for men and women from Napa Soap Company. They’re handcrafted in Napa Valley, California and yes, you guessed it, most include a dose of wine in their mix. If Soapignon Blanc, a rich mixture of grapeseed, olive, avocado and sunflower oils and white wine, grapefruit and pomegranate sounds good to you, you’ll love how it feels on your skin. Their Body Butter combines brown sugar, grapeseed oil and white wine, so, of course, you’ll have to pick up at least one of these for yourself in addition to having them shipped off to your friends. Yum!
If you’re looking for wines to drink, be sure to order some nectars from Quady Winery. Their sweet wines serve as the perfect accompani-ment to your holiday desserts. No time to whip up an unctuous delight for your special feast? (You know you’ll be tired of Christmas cookies by then.) You absolutely must order your pièce de résistance from the Sticky Toffee Pudding Company. Wow! English baker Tracy Claros hand makes these little wonders and packages them with so much love and attention they’re sure to woo you and the top gourmands on your list. Her English Lemon Pudding is award winning, but try the chocolate and toffee confections as well. Best served warm with cream or ice cream.
Remember that Ruth’s Toffee and Telluride Truffle are offering ten percent discounts when you mention BonjourTelluride.com.
Food & Wine Shopping: Food & Wine Shopping
by maribeth
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More Great Online Boutiques for the Holidays
The holiday table seems to be taking center stage this year which means that many discerning hosts are looking to procure some of the finest products for their special feasts. Lamb is an excellent choice for New Year’s celebrations, but only the finest will leave your guests thinking about your festive meal throughout the year. I’ve discovered Lava Lake Lamb, all-natural, certified organic grass-fed lamb from Idaho, that is absolutely succulent. In purchasing this lamb, you are also supporting an ambitious conservation plan to preserve the lands where this livestock has been raised for generations.
Olive Oil: Round Pond's Liquid Gold
You’ll want to serve a fine red wine with your lamb dinner and perhaps also some vegetables, oven-roasted with superior quality olive oil. Round Pond, another family-owned company, is dedicated to producing exceptional food and wine products; they’ll readily supply you with acclaimed wines and gourmet foods from their Napa Valley estate. In traditional French fashion, I would still end such an extravaganza with a wedge of cheese and a serving of salad. Vermont once again earns my vote, especially for a handcrafted cheddar—aged one to four years—from Grafton Village Cheese Company. For a truly remarkable addition to your cheeseboard, select the Grafton Duet, their Premium Vermont Cheddar layered with a Minnesota Blue Cheese. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Toffee, a sweet made by boiling molasses or sugar with butter, seems to enjoy special recognition around the holidays. Nuts—especially almonds—and chocolate are typically added to this confection that presumably originated in England during the early part of the eighteenth century. There are many variations on this theme but for me, the essential is for toffee to taste buttery good and fresh and not stick to your teeth! Ruth’s Toffee fulfills that criteria and more. This family-owned business is located just over an hour from Telluride in a very remote part of Colorado. Clearly they manage to have only the finest ingredients delivered to their door.
In addition to being welcomed additions to your table, all of the above would, of course, make for excellent gifts.
