Today is my birthday and thanks to my sisters, Lynn & Carol, and my lovely wife, Lysa I have some really cool things to write about. Prominently featured in the photograph is a 100ml bottle of the best vinegar in the world . Minus 8 is ice wine vinegar made by a couple of Canadian foodies near Niagra Falls. Once only available to professional chefs, it’s probably still not available in your local market; the stuff isn’t cheap ($30 for a 100ml/3.38oz bottle) but it makes common vinegar taste like something mopped off a factory floor. I plan to acquire more quality vinegar but after reading about Minus 8 I decide to start with the best: as you can see I couldn’t wait to open the bottle, and I was not disappointed.

Just behind the vinegar is another example of superlative quality. Olvida nickel plated, cast iron cookware combines the cooking advantages of cast iron with the memory free durability of nickel sulfide. It doesn’t require seasoning, it’s dishwasher safe, it’s nonstick, and you can scrub it, scrape it, even hit it with a hammer and you won’t damage the nickel surface. Olvida doesn’t come cheap either, but I figure this will be the last 13” skillet and grill pan I ever own. More importantly, the nickel alloy is non reactive (but it will oxidize- dry it well) so it’s a healthier option than the average non-stick cookware.

Blocking off the background glare are a few bottles Lysa and I picked up last week at Applewood Winery in Warwick, NY. We’ll have more to say about these as we open them.

After an unseasonably warm and humid beginning, the Autumn cold has finally arrived; last night we lit the first fire of the season in our hearth. It finally feels right to think about apple picking, pumpkin carving, hot chocolate and mulled wine. The beginning of Autumn also heralds an onslaught of savory cold weather delights; nothing fights the chill like a hearty soup, stew, or pie. This is one of our favorite recipes, and the perfect time of year to cook it.

More than one person has balked at the thought of mixing chicken stock with apple cider, but I have yet to receive any complaints from any who have tasted it. I begin with one quart of each, add some white wine, seasonal spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom), and reduce this to two cups. The result is an unbelievable, mouth-watering, autumnal gravy which does a superb job of blending ingredients.

Setting aside the sauce, I sautéed onion, carrot, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and turkey bacon in olive oil until the veggies were mushy. Tossing that aside, I used the same pan to brown a pound of floured turkey cubes, then added the veggies, and finally the sauce. The extra flour from the turkey mixes with the cider-broth and makes a nice thick gravy. Once the filling cooled a bit, I wrapped it in a pie shell and baked until golden brown (45@350˚).

This is one of those dishes that tastes great just out of the oven, but only gets better as the flavors blend together over time. The leftovers won’t make it past Tuesday.