Jet Setter

Beaujolais Wine Festival, Dallas

The French have this thing about wine. And at midnight on the third Thursday in November, it's time to celebrate the end of harvest season with the release of Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais is a major wine-producing region in France and stretches from the south to the north, following the Saone River. Beaujolais' tend to be light red wines and are meant to be consumed at their youngest as they taste most fruitful and flavorful.

There are about 120 festivals in France during this time. And all around the world, wine lovers celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau as well.

The Beaujolais Wine Festival in Dallas celebrated its 26th year at the Intercontinental Hotel with samplings from French restaurants, local entertainment including a light "cabaret show" a la Moulin Rouge, a funky fashion show and an Air France raffle drawing for two tickets to Paris. Tickets were $55 and had an awesome turnout.

Beaujolais wine is supposed to be served slightly chilled, goes well with salads, poultry and fruity desserts.

Websites

French-American Chamber - Dallas - www.faccdallas.com

As The Seasons Change, So Do Our Taste buds... Check out this informative article by Master of Wine Sheri Morano on choosing wines for the Fall and Winter season.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Well, I'm finding these travel quizzes a bit addicting. The European city I belonged in - Paris. What's yours?

- Denise

Website

www.blogthings.com

November Playlist - Music We're Lovin'

This month's playlist features music by Lenny Kravitz, Youssou N'Dour and Stereolab. "If" is addictive.

1. Baptized by Lenny Kravitz

2. Wake Up (It's Africa Calling) by Youssou N'Dour

3. If by Etienne Daho and Charlotte Gainsbourg

4. Margerine Melodie by Stereolab

5. Until My Dying Day by UB40

 

Test Your Travel IQ

This Traveler IQ challenge compares your geographical knowledge against the Web's First Travel journal's other 4,795,016 travelers who have taken this challenge as of Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 09:48PM GMT. (TravelPod is a TripAdvisor Media Network member) 

The Four Seasons - Japanese Artist Mimi Kato

What I love about artists are how they open our eyes to see life in new and exciting ways.  It's so easy to have tunnel vision and think we know what we see or experience. Artists at their best challenge our perspective and make us think.

Had the pleasure of attending a cocktail party sponsored by the Japan-America Society in Dallas at the Conduit Gallery. The gallery specializes in contemporary art and featured a series by Japanese artist Mimi Kato called "The Four Seasons." 

Kato is  "one-person theater," as she calls it. So, "The Four Seasons," are four very large, vertical, theatrical photos of her in the different seasons of her life. The concept is pretty cool. Check out her website.

- Denise

Websites

Mimi Kato - www.mimikato.com

Conduit Gallery - www.conduitgallery.com

Japan America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth - www.jasdfw.org

France Comes to New York - Holiday Cooking Classes at the Culinary Loft

Two exclusive New York workshops at The Culinary Loft December 13th and 14th, 2009.

Paule Caillat, owner of the cooking school Promenades Gourmandes in Paris, has been a close friend for many years. We have shared innumerable meals, cooking tips and stories about our culinary adventures. This year we have decided to unite our complementary styles to teach two cooking classes at The Culinary Loft in New York’s historic SoHo district. The classes will take place on Sunday, December 13th from 11.30am-2pm and Monday, December 14th from 6.30-9pm, giving you an opportunity to learn new recipes and cooking skills before the holidays!

In these workshops, Paule and I will be exploring Christmas traditions in Paris and Provence using top-quality French olive oils, truffles and sea salt. Paule will be preparing sumptuous dishes with foie gras, free-range poultry and truffles, while my cooking will illustrate the sunny Provencal approach to Christmas with Mediterranean monkfish and intensely flavored vegetable dishes. Potent black truffles will make their way into savory madeleines, and delicate olive oils will add a surprising twist to two classic French desserts.

Jetsetter: Stopover at The Joule, Dallas

I love Dallas. It's a behemoth of a city that spreads out like a spider's web. There aren't any mountains or gorgeous natural vistas as Texans, at least in North Texas don't like trees. Anywhere there's a new development, down go the trees. I find it really irritating, because Texas really is beautiful. Think the Dixie Chicks song "Wide Open Spaces." That song just captures the soul of this place. 

In the last decade, Dallas jumped on the bandwagon of downtown renaissance projects -the city's elite obsessed with competing against New York City as a cultural center.  Texas does have this thing about bigger is better. The Capitol Building in Austin is bigger than the one in DC.

But for all the successes and very sad failures (They ruined Deep Ellum!), I think my favorite is the latest jewel to transform the Dallas skyline - and that's the new Winspear Opera House.