Celebrating Spring: Eat, Drink, Be Merry

So many reasons to celebrate Spring. The sunshine, the longer days, the opportunities to dine and play outdoors–without masks!

And for the first time in over 30 years, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus and Baha’is will celebrate their spring holidays at the same time. Ramadan, Passover, Easter, and Vaisakhi are overlapping for the first time since 1991. Purim, Naw Ruz, Vesak Day, Holi, and the season of Lent also fall within the three-month span of March through May.

For me the balmy weather offers an opportunity to grill outdoors–the first time in many months. Of course, I’ll want to grill my favorite steaks from chopbox.com 

I discovered Chop Box months ago, and since then this has been my go-to source for meat. Sourced from farms around the country, Chop Box is a premium meat and seafood delivery service that has been serving top quality cuts that are fresh, never frozen, and hand-cut to order by their craft butchers for over 100 years, providing sustainable cuts of meat to customers nationwide.

The products are sourced from farms that value sustainable and humane practices. Every item in tested in the Chop Box Test Kitchen to ensure the finest quality. I can order whenever and whatever I like. No subscription is necessary.

In the past, I have especially enjoyed the lamb, which is, hands-down, the best I’ve ever tasted. But recently I discovered the Chop Box steak boxes, which include the most succulent and tender cuts of prime beef. The Elite box is the priciest version, but ideal for a special celebration.

For an Easter dinner, I’d consider Duroc port, a Heritage breed with the most tender and flavorful meat on the market. 

For Mother’s Day, perhaps sushi-grade yellowfin tuna or Scotland raised Wester Ross Salmon.

And for Father’s Day, the hands-down choice would be the exceptionally marbled bone-in ribeye. 

Israel is fast becoming one of the best producers of award-winning wines, so for anyone who’s celebrating the Passover Seder, the wines from Carmel Winery, the country’s most iconic brand are the obvious choice.

Carmel stands among the world’s most esteemed producers of outstanding kosher wine, and as one of the largest wineries in Israel, it represents an elite portfolio of vineyards throughout the country’s most prized growing regions.

These wines are produced from sun-kissed grapes grown in the land of milk and honey, where the terroir and microclimate paired with expert winemaking techniques and technology produce award-winning wines, from dry and crisp to oaky and fruity.

A variety of superb Carmel wines has been released in the U.S. just in time for Passover 2022. They include reds, whites and bubblies from their SELECTED series, PRIVATE Collection and APPELLATION series.

If you share my love of rose wine and are interested in sampling different versions, the gift box by The Vice Wines is the best way to get all 3 of their wines and to discover which one (or all 3) is your favorite.

The box consists of:

• 2019 Pinot Noir Rosé
• 2019 Pinot Noir Rosé, Limited Pride Edition
• 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Rosé, Limited “Vices Edition”

All three are food-friendly, chillable, easy to drink, and fun.  THE ROSE GIFT BOX

During this holiday season, I will be preparing several celebratory meals–a large ham and a prime rib roast, among others, for family and friends. And for those occasions, I will trust my Hestan roaster to do the job.

I acquired the roaster early in the year, when my old (and inferior) roaster got so charred it was no longer usable. The Hestan roaster is oven-safe to 600°F, dishwasher-safe, broiler-safe and induction-capable.

It boasts a tri-ply construction with an ultra-conductive aluminum core, which is great for sauce reductions, deglazing, searing, and making gravy directly on the stove top. Ergonomic handles have been fitted to the roaster with flush rivets for easy cleaning.  The stainless steel V-shaped rack elevates meat, poultry, etc., to promote fast, even cooking.

Are you ready to celebrate Spring? If so, let the wining and dining begin!

Feature Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash