Chios Mastiha is a natural, aromatic translucent resin produced from the mastic tree, a large shrub, which only grows on the Island of Chios in the southern part of the Greek Islands. With a sweet smell and a pine-like flavor, mastiha also has many health benefits. And, mastiha is the Please The Palate pick of the week. I first tried mastiha when I went to Greece. Having a small glass of mastiha liqueur, instead of ouzo, is very common as a digestive after a nice meal. And if you buy a pack of gum in the airport or at a local pharmacy, you will find mastiha gum. The word "mastic" comes from the Greek word "mastichein" which means "to gnash the teeth." Mastiha has been scientifically proven to have beneficial properties and is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. It is good for healing wounds and for skin regeneration. It can be a digestive and used in oral hygiene such as toothpaste. Mastiha comes in different forms: crystal, powder, capsules, oil and gum and it also comes in a liqueur.
28 October, 2017
Soft, hard, fresh, aged, delicate, stinky....there are so many different kinds of cheeses from France. This week I got to taste a delicious selection of French cheeses at an event hosted by the French Dairy Board called "Fall in Love with Formage" and that is what I did. Hence, French cheeses are the Please The Palate pick of the week! With more than 1200 different French cheeses, many names which are hard to pronounce,  are accessible, affordable and delicious. The cheeses presented at the event came from the The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills which is one of my favorite stores to go to. Here are a few favorites: Brie Le Chatelain - A soft, bloomy-rind cow's milk cheese from the pastures of the Vosges Mountain region of France. This creamy, smooth brie was even better on top of a thick piece of fresh bread and a touch of olive oil on top.
21 October, 2017
This story originally appeared in California Winery Advisor. When we go wine tasting, so much of what we remember are the experiential tastings. A walk in the vineyard, a barrel tasting, one-on-one with the winemaker and food and wine pairings are all experiences that one will recall once they get home. I found two memorable wine tasting experiences in Santa Barbara that took food and wine pairing to another level. Cheese is the most common wine pairing at a winery. There are also pairings with tapas and chocolates, as well as with molecular gastronomy spoon bites in which an entire meal is deconstructed and then reconstructed into one bite that mimics the dish. I once found a pairing with snack foods. The common theme with most wine and food pairings is that the wine is paired with savory bites. But the key with wine and food pairing is to have fun and try different things to see what will work. So, if you have a sweet tooth, here are two fun wine tasting Santa Barbara experiences - with cookies and cupcakes.
19 October, 2017
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