Greetings Everyone!<\/p>\n
Today I am excited to become a part of this wonderful site and to achieve a few firsts.<\/p>\n
1. I am the first male guest contributor. \u00a0It’s a simple thing, but I can’t help but be a little proud. So hello from your new pal Fratellospirito.
\n2. I am the first contributor to focus specifically on alcohol and how it can enhance a meal.
\n3. This is my first blog post. \u00a0Ever. \u00a0 I know, you have full license to ridicule me, but please continue reading.<\/p>\n
So what am I going to be writing about? \u00a0What crazy ideas will I be sharing? \u00a0To put it simply, I love a great glass of wine, a simple yet filling pint of beer, or the taste of a wonderful liquor. \u00a0Not in a weird or problematic way I assure you. I just truly believe that wine, beer, spirits, or their complimentary mixers can make or break a meal.\u00a0 They can turn a culinary experience from good to memorable. \u00a0Whether it be used in the actual meal or simply to compliment it, alcohol, while offering many wonderful after effects, when imbibed in moderation, also opens up our palettes to a\u00a0smorgasbord\u00a0of sensations that we may not have experienced otherwise – real or imaginary!<\/p>\n
It is my goal over the course of what I hope to be many posts to share my thoughts on these properties and offer opinions on how they can be used as another means of invention and creativity. I’ll also discuss how they can change our perception of what we put into our stomachs, for good or ill, and how influential they can be in some of our favorite dishes from not only a practical sense, but an experimental one too.<\/p>\n
Before I go forward I wanted to lay down my credentials on this subject matter. \u00a0You may be asking yourself, who is this dude giving me advice on booze? \u00a0I know what I like.<\/p>\n
Now I was not classically trained in analyzing any of the substances I will no doubt be talking about. \u00a0My training came from experience, from the desire to try any alcoholic beverage once, and my experimentation with combining these different substances with\u00a0 things I enjoy eating. \u00a0I suppose it all started a few years ago when I first moved to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
At the time I was just getting out of college and while I had a more refined palette for wine and spirits than most people my age, I could hardly claim to be superior. \u00a0I have been working in the film industry since I finished school and my first course, so to speak, in the art of choosing alcoholic substances came from my bosses. \u00a0While working in the VFX department on one the first films I worked on, my bosses, who were incredibly wonderful people, introduced me to the world of quality wine and spirits. \u00a0Although I am ashamed to say it, my knowledge of wine was pretty standard – there was red and there was white.<\/p>\n
But over the course of a few months I got to taste extraordinary wines from Northern California and beyond, beautifully crafted single malt scotches, and micro-brewed beers that left me asking for more. \u00a0With that, my curiosity spiked and I have been teaching myself ever since. I may not have a full understanding of all the processes, the chemistry, etc. \u00a0But I know what I like and I look forward to sharing what I have learned and what I will continue to learn with all of you.<\/p>\n
So finally, what do you have to look forward to with me?<\/p>\n