Food and Drink

Artist Vhils is the latest to design a label for Hennessy's Very Special Limited Bottle series. The Cognac company Hennessy has announced its annual artist collaboration for its limited edition bottle, which will be available in July. The urban artist Alexandre Farto, better known as Vhils, has created a highly textural design that hints at his multimedia, street-influenced process. Vhils, who became known for his tag around his native Portugal and then beyond, has become an in-demand artist who uses chiseling, etching and other unusual techniques to create his murals and works. Obviously, it's not advisable to chisel into a bottle of Cognac, so Vhils' Hennessy bottle and gift box merely evoke his techniques; still, the effect is stunning. The bottles, which go on sale for $32 (retail for 750 ml) nationwide in the U.S. in July, will surely sell out quickly, so we suggest to start stalking your neighborhood liquor store. Past Hennessy "Very Special Limited Edition ...

Sorry kids, these popsicles are for adults only. The aunt and nephew duo behind Ice Kitchen are back with their second book,  Poptails,  the one stop shop for all your frozen boozy cravings. Expect everything from creative combinations you wished you thought of first and twists on classics, like these dark and stormy mojito popsicles. Here, our made-up Mojito is a Jamaican twist on the "Dark & Stormy" cocktail. The spicy mix of hibiscus, ginger, lime and rum creates a poptail that conjures up tropical heat; in Jamaica, they often pair red hibiscus with ginger. These poptails are intense, so make them in small moulds. Dipping them in rum is optional. Reprinted with permission from  Ice Kitchen Poptails -

Sue Williams is our local practicing physician turned chocolatier, who for years now has wielded dark chocolate and organic ingredients for good, helping us coax virtue from a vice. She's interested in the values of dark chocolate, the antioxidant properties we all love to tout, and at her Dr. Sue's Chocolate in Grapevine, she makes small-batch, artisanal indulgences with natural, fresh ingredients, no refined sugar, and an emphasis on health benefits. They include candied orange peel coated in dark chocolate (the adorable "orangettes") and antioxidant-powered blueberry and ancho chile bark. Her original bark pairs dried cherries with native Texas pecans spiced with ancho chile powder, for a profile that's sweet and spicy. There's warmth in her bark with ginger and dried fig. For the holidays, Williams dreamed up a s'mores-inspired bark that piles Belgian dark chocolate, organic graham crackers, and toasted house-made marshmallows into a rough, rusti...

Rolling in with a quickie: a triple decker cranberry and brie grilled cheese. I love cranberries and brie together. There's something ultra festive about cranberries and brie together. I think it might be because the very first time I ever had brie was at a Christmas party. I'm not entirely sure because it's kind of a fuzzy memory but I do remember a cheese platter and how someone got upset at my uncle for stealing the "nose" of the cheese and also eating only the insides, leaving the rind. Luckily I managed to get a bite of brie before it was all gone. It definitely felt very fancy and grown up to me, especially since most of my cheese exposure as a kid was Kraft singles. That first taste of brie started a lifelong obsession for me. Brie is silky smooth creaminess. It's mild and melty and so, so good. Here it pairs up with sweet-tart cranberry sauce for a perfectly festive red and white sandwich. Personally, I think Santa mike like it more than cookie...

Artist Vhils is the latest to design a label for Hennessy's Very Special Limited Bottle series. The Cognac company Hennessy has announced its annual artist collaboration for its limited edition bottle, which will be available in July. The urban artist Alexandre Farto, better known as Vhils, has created a highly textural design that hints at his multimedia, street-influenced process. Vhils, who became known for his tag around his native Portugal and then beyond, has become an in-demand artist who uses chiseling, etching and other unusual techniques to create his murals and works. Obviously, it's not advisable to chisel into a bottle of Cognac, so Vhils' Hennessy bottle and gift box merely evoke his techniques; still, the effect is stunning. The bottles, which go on sale for $32 (retail for 750 ml) nationwide in the U.S. in July, will surely sell out quickly, so we suggest to start stalking your neighborhood liquor store. Past Hennessy "Very Special Limited Edition ...

When it comes to finding the best meals in far-off places, it pays to know a local. And in southern France's Languedoc, the best locals to know are winemakers. We tapped some of the region's top producers and asked them to give us the rundown on the places where they're eating, drinking and introducing visitors to in this beautiful corner of the country. Among the Vines Out in Faugères, winemakers had long been lacking a good place to take clients for lunch, and so two daughters of local vintners teamed up to open Damejane, a cozy wine shop and restaurant. Open just until the late afternoon, each day the kitchen adds to the homey offerings with a chalkboard special, generally something satisfyingly seasonal like pasta with local asparagus and filet of pork with basil. These and other dishes would pair perfectly with a Clos Fantine Cuvée Tradition AOC Faugères or a Chateau de la Liquière Vielles Vignes AOC Faugères, just two of the appellation's standout wines. Becau...

We're huge fans of grillmaster Steven Raichlen's smoky, meaty cookbooks. His latest work focuses on updating our beloved grilling techniques. Dive into recipes for grilled meats, vegetable sides, desserts and more. These 'hedgehog' hot dogs crisp up on the grill like no other. Try them this summer.  I always feel awkward about including a hot dog recipe in a cookbook. After all, hot dogs are the first food most of us grilled, and you don't need a cookbook to show you how. What special technique could I possibly bring to a food that's essentially ready to eat when it comes out of the package? Hedgehogging dramatically increases the ratio of crisp smoky crust to center meat. Tip o' the hat to Russ Faulk of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet for this singular scoring technique and the idea of grilling the hot dog buns with mayonnaise and remoulade sauce. He calls his version a "Po' Dog." Amen. Insider Tip : These hot dogs use a technique called...