the_maestro
Sommelier Studies: Toscana
The Maestro has decided he can't quit his love of learning, and I'm going "back to school," as it were––toward the end of this year, I'll...
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drinking in
the_maestro
- Apr 27
- 9 min
Clues for the Clueless: Wine FAQs, Part 1
For the next few installments of the Maestro's "Clues for the Clueless," allow me to answer some of your most pressing wine questions.
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the_maestro
- Jan 16, 2022
- 8 min
The Chef in Charlotte – Soup Billi-Bi
I excitedly watched the weekend weather forecast for the Charlotte metro area develop over the past week––a massive winter storm was set...
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the_maestro
- Dec 31, 2021
- 9 min
The 2021 Variant of the Big Drunk Gay Awards
Perhaps it was the sense of impending doom resulting from waking up every day in this pandemic, now again in a terrible phase, that...
71 views
the_maestro
- Jul 24, 2021
- 3 min
National Tequila Day – The Paloma
As a child of Utah, I remember July 24 fondly as Utah's statehood anniversary, dubbed Pioneer Day––a little extra 4th of July, with...
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the_maestro
- Feb 26, 2021
- 5 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Sea Urchin Pasta
Today I present another of my neglected posts from back in the early parts of quarantine in Iowa, with the hopes that you, too can find...
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the_maestro
- Feb 22, 2021
- 4 min
Table X @ Home – Salt Lake City, UT
One of the cooler trends we've been seeing emerge during the pandemic from restaurants are take-home, heat-and-eat style dinners. These...
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the_maestro
- Jan 9, 2021
- 6 min
The Maestro's Big Drunk Gay Awards – 2020 Dumpster Fire Edition!
I really enjoyed issuing a series of absolutely meaningless "Big Drunk Gay" awards last year, highlighting the very best things I ate,...
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the_maestro
- Sep 30, 2020
- 3 min
The Chef in Charlotte: Cacio e pepe
Like much of the country, I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling pretty darn terrible. Not just because of the amount of rum I drank the...
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the_maestro
- Sep 19, 2020
- 3 min
The Chef in Charlotte: Moroccan Chicken
I always love exploring the various cuisines of the world, but know relatively little about African culinary traditions. I have, however,...
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the_maestro
- Sep 13, 2020
- 3 min
The Chef in Charlotte: Salmon and grits
Now that I am back in the south, some of my memories of the south come back from time to time, and my discovery of the wonders of grits...
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the_maestro
- Sep 11, 2020
- 3 min
The Chef in Charlotte: Bison tenderloin
Ah, we have a new series to inaugurate! "Quarantine Cuisine" no longer seemed quite right, since I am, for all intents and purposes, not...
13 views
the_maestro
- Sep 1, 2020
- 5 min
The Maestro moves to Charlotte
Well kids, what can I say? Life is crazy, and my dearth of posts this past month was due in part to my grand adventure in Alaska, yes,...
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the_maestro
- Jul 16, 2020
- 4 min
Summer Grilling: Thai Chicken Thighs
Things have been slow around here recently, mostly owing to the fact that my much-anticipated trip to California had to be shelved due to...
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the_maestro
- Jun 6, 2020
- 3 min
Summer Grilling: Churrasco
I suppose now that we are out of the most intense aspects of the "Quarantine" these days, at least in Iowa, I have decided to rename the...
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the_maestro
- May 22, 2020
- 3 min
The Quarantini Series: Sangria
Things are getting warmer around the country! With that in mind, I decided to present one of my very favorite beverages for warmer...
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the_maestro
- May 17, 2020
- 4 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Duck breast
Rounding out our order from D'Artagnan was a beautiful breast of duck, one of my favorite proteins to cook, and one that is sure to make...
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the_maestro
- May 15, 2020
- 7 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Paella
Back when the pandemic was just starting, I noticed that our old reliable supplier of fresh seafood, Fulton Fish Market, was offering a...
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the_maestro
- May 10, 2020
- 3 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Mother's Day Special
Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas and mama figures out there! It's been a wonderful day here in Cedar Rapids. Despite some really...
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the_maestro
- May 9, 2020
- 4 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Veal chop
Some nights call for a simple, classic meal. Mom and I have been working diligently on transforming our kitchen, and things are slowly...
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the_maestro
- May 2, 2020
- 6 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Brunch edition
I had received some feedback recently that my Quarantine Cuisine series features a) entirely dinner items and b) entirely meat or...
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the_maestro
- Apr 29, 2020
- 3 min
The Quarantini Series: New York Sour
Somehow, springtime just screams for citrusy cocktails, which I suppose is why the Quarantini Series has been oriented toward tipples...
13 views
the_maestro
- Apr 26, 2020
- 10 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Joël Robuchon's Quail
As quarantine drags into the 40-plus day timeframe, I find myself seeking increasingly interesting and challenging dishes to keep myself...
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the_maestro
- Apr 20, 2020
- 5 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Pit Barrel Ribs
How are we lucky enough to have barbecue in our lives? I do not claim in the least to be a barbecue expert, so don't @ me, BBQ pros (very...
13 views
the_maestro
- Apr 18, 2020
- 3 min
The Quarantini Series: French 75
Spring is inching, or centimeter-ing, closer here in Iowa, but we have been cursed by a week of low temps and high winds. Took a walk...
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the_maestro
- Apr 17, 2020
- 4 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Greek Chicken Thighs
If you are like me, thirty-plus days of quarantine has begun to spark days of pronounced lethargy and depression––days where you stare...
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the_maestro
- Apr 14, 2020
- 3 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Korean Kalbi Short Ribs
As long as we can't travel physically, we might as well travel culinarily! Korean food is having a real moment in the Unites States....
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the_maestro
- Apr 13, 2020
- 3 min
The Quarantini Series: Margaritas
We have been drinking a not-very-small amount during this fiasco, and margaritas seem to form the backbone of the consumption. Magically,...
24 views
the_maestro
- Apr 11, 2020
- 5 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Turkish Lamb Loin Chops
I wasn't planning on creating anything transcendental with this meal, so the Quarantine Cuisine series was supposed to next travel to...
16 views
the_maestro
- Apr 8, 2020
- 6 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Surf and Turf
Apologies for the delay in posting this next installment! The Maestro's computer suffered an unfortunate cracked screen, so a new one had...
15 views
the_maestro
- Mar 27, 2020
- 4 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Octopus and Mole Amarillo
This week I present a double dose of seafood, because our Fulton Fish Market order was particularly large (so we could trigger the free...
23 views
the_maestro
- Mar 21, 2020
- 7 min
Quarantine Cuisine: Scallops
Well kiddos, as you may have noticed, the world has stopped moving. Restaurants and bars are closed, the stock market is crumbling, the...
21 views
the_maestro
- Jun 11, 2019
- 5 min
A Crash Course in Italian Red Wines
I'll admit that while I know a good amount about wine, I tend to absorb information as it comes to me. For example, I knew pretty little...
667 views
the_maestro
- Jan 30, 2019
- 3 min
Roussanne, you say?
It's been a while since I posted last, mostly because the semester has started and is beginning to get into full swing! (In the words of...
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the_maestro
- Dec 30, 2018
- 2 min
Cheap and fab: Starborough NZ Sauv Blanc
Figured the best way to start a new food and wine blog is writing about a wine that I come back to over and over again when I am seeking...
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