The Low Down On Celebrity Wines and Wine Tasting

Celebrities owning wineries and vineyards is not a recent phenomenon, though it has certainly garnered more attention in today’s Information Age. In ancient Greek and Roman times, the leading philosophers, playwrights, politicians and generals of the day often owned a vineyard for personal use.

Starting a winery or vineyard, as with nearly any business, could offer some tax benefits. Some celebrities, such as the Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola, come from a family with a long history of winemaking. Some, such as the British singer Cliff Richard, have been lifelong wine enthusiasts and enter the wine industry in order to do something that they enjoy. Others like the challenge of a new enterprise and some celebrities enter the wine industry simply because they can.

Below is a short list of celebrities who own their own Winery/Vineyard:

Antonio Banderas: Anta Banderas
Drew Barrymore: Barrymore Wines
Fergie: Ferguson Crest
Madonna: Ciccone Vineyard and Winery
Olivia Newton-John: Koala Blue Wines
Jason Priestley: Black Hills Estate Winery

The Art of Wine Tasting

The more you know about a subject, the more you enjoy it. This concept obvously holds true for wine tasting and has led connoisseaur’s towards decades of refinement.

Here are the basic steps of tasting wine:

1. Color of the wine
The darkness and oldness of the wine go hand in hand. If wine is darker in color, it means it’s older too. Intensity or the concentration is more in a quality wine.

2. Smell of the wine
The quality wine is more aromatic. The better the aroma of the wine, the better it is.

3. Taste of the wine
The taste of the quality wine is balanced. No single taste weighs upon others, instead all tastes go together.

4. Evaluation
The longer the taste of aroma persists in the mouth after you have drunk the wine; the better is the quality of wine. 4-6 seconds persistence comes under medium range. 7-12 seconds persistence is considered to be longer than usual.

Southern Gaming Summit Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Gulf Coast Gaming in Biloxi, Mississippi

Southern Gaming Summit 2012 - IP Resort & Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi

The Southern Gaming Summit celebrated its 20th anniversary of casino gaming on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Several key figures who were instrumental in the industry’s growth attended and joined in the celebration.

The IP Casino Resort’s pool deck hosted the 20th Anniversary of Gaming Celebration, and was open too all attendees. The event ran from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9.

“Twenty years ago this fall, legalized gaming arrived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the docking of two riverboats side-by-side in Biloxi; Vegas it was not,” said Larry Gregory, Executive Director, Mississippi Casino Operators Association (MCOA), co-producers of Southern Gaming Summit www.sgsummit.com with BNP Media Gaming Group. “From those humble beginnings, the MS Gulf Coast casino industry has grown into 11 properties with nearly 6,000 hotel rooms, transforming the Gulf Coast into a premier destination resort market. We look forward to celebrating 20 years of economic success and progress with some of the people who made it all possible.”

Last year the Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos attracted more than 15.6 million patrons and roughly 75 percent of those visitors coming from out of state, according to the MCOA. The industry employs more than 11,000 workers directly and another 4,500 at non-gaming jobs, generating more than $323 million in total tax revenue, including close to $220 million in state and local taxes.

The 20th Anniversary Celebration is one of many new twists at Southern Gaming Summit this year, including a sold-out Global Gaming Women luncheon, to be held Tuesday the 8th at the Grand Biloxi Steakhouse, Grand Biloxi Casino Hotel & Spa, and an expanded conference program, built around the theme of “Work Smart.” Registration for the full event, including the conference, is running strongly ahead of last year.

Keith Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming, and James Murren, Chairman and CEO, MGM Resorts International were some of the featured speakers.

There were many networking opportunities available throughout the event, with an opening day golf tournament on Tuesday the 8th, at Bridges Golf Club, Hollywood Casino, Mississippi’s only Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course; and a welcome reception that same night at Hard Rock Live, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The show floor, with more than 125 exhibiting companies representing a broad range of product categories, opened from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 9th, and from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Thursday the 10th.

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Celebrities and Google Glasses

Google is reportedly looking to bring its own futuristic  glasses to market as early as this year. The long-rumored glasses are said to feature integrated connectivity and navigation features.

According to a New York Times report, employees familiar with the project have said the glasses will be publicly available before the end of the year and will be priced in the region of current smartphones. The glasses will reportedly have a 3G or 4G data connection, motion sensors and GPS.

In December last year, 9 to 5 Mac reported that the so-called Google Glasses, or Google Googles, were in late prototype phase and that they resembled ordinary “thick-rimmed” glasses with a few buttons on the arms. The same report also said the glasses connect directly to the cloud over IP to tap into various Google services.

Don Johnson Beats Three Casinos Out of $15 Million

Don Johnson confirmed in two interviews with The Press of Atlantic City that he is the blackjack player who has been scorching the casino industry in the past couple of months.

Johnson, 49, of Bensalem, Pa., is the chief executive officer of Heritage Development LLC, a Wyoming-based company that uses computer-assisted wagering programs for horseracing.

By Johnson’s account, he won $4.23 million at Caesars Atlantic City in December. Next, he conquered Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, winning about $998,000 in December, then $1.8 million in March and April and $2.25 million over two nights later in April. Most remarkable was his haul of $5.8 million during a 12-hour spree at Tropicana Casino and Resort in April, a record loss for the casino. Multiple sources in the casino industry confirmed the accuracy of Johnson’s story.

Saint Patrick’s Day Recipe for the Irish at Heart: Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

1 corned beef brisket, trimmed (3 pounds)
1 small onion, quartered
2 tablespoons McCormick® Mixed Pickling Spice
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic, Minced
8 small red potatoes
2 cups baby carrots or 8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small head cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon McCormick® Parsley Flakes

Directions

1. Place brisket in 6-quart saucepot or Dutch oven. Cover with about 2 quarts water. Add onion, pickling spice and garlic; cover.

2. Bring just to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 2 hours. (Do not boil.) Add potatoes and carrots; simmer 30 minutes longer. Add cabbage; simmer 15 minutes longer. Remove brisket and vegetables from saucepot.

3. Slice brisket across the grain. Mix butter and parsley; brush on vegetables.

George Clooney Arrested In Protest in Lieu of Shamrock Holiday

Law Enforcement gathered together to arrest actor George Clooney and others Friday during a protest at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington.

The arrested protesters included congressmen, human rights activists and faith leaders.

“We are here really to ask two very simple questions,” Clooney said moments before his arrest. “The first question is something immediate — and immediately, we need humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Sudan before it becomes the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

The second thing, he said, “is for the government in Khartoum to stop randomly killing its own innocent men, women and children. Stop raping them and stop starving them. That’s all we ask.”

Aaron Carter Makes Debut Appearance at Molten Lounge in Bethlehem Sands Casino

On March 7 beginning at 9:30pm, Aaron Carter, singer and actor in film, television and broadway performed at Molten Lounge with the featured act of the night MC Tom Taylor, DJ Scrappy and the Velvet Crush dancers. During the lavish nightlife event, Aaron signed autographs and gave his most cherished fans group photos.

Carter was born at the Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where his parents, Jane Elizabeth (née Spaulding) and Robert Gene Carter, ran the Garden Villa Retirement Home. The family was originally from upstate New York, where his brother Nick, of the boy band Backstreet Boys, was born. Aside from his older brother Nick, he also has three sisters: twin sister Angel (a model), B.J. and Leslie (1986-2012). Carter is named after his maternal grandfather, Douglas “Charles” Spaulding, and paternal grandfather, Aaron Charles Carter.Carter attended the Frank D. Miles Elementary School and the Ruskin School in Florida. Carter has said that the mood in his home was often tense because of his parents’ divorce. His parents would often argue about his money and Carter would often be in the middle of the fight, trying to stop it. Carter later felt that he was pushed into show business when he was too young.

Healthy South Indian recipe

South Indian recipes like idli, sambar, etc are very healthy and easy to make using method given. The south Indian recipes include idlis, dosaii, rasam, sambar, uttapam, Seeralam, etc.

Idli is a favorite dish of South Indians. It is eaten with sambhar or chutney. South Indian dishes are liked not only throughout India but also the world over.

Recipe type: South Indian, cholesterol free
Preparation time: 40 minute

  • Ingredients
  • For Idli
  • Rice Rava 3 cups
  • Urad Dal (Split black gram) 1 cup
  • Canola oil 1 Tbsp
  • Water
  • For Sambhar
  • Arahar/Toor Dal 1 cup, washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hour.
  • Carrot 1/2, chopped thin 1 inch size
  • Green chili 5, chopped
  • Okra (Ladies fingers, bhindi) 5, chopped thin 1 inch size
  • Egg plant (Baingan) baby , tubular type 3 small size, chopped thin 1 inch size
  • Tomato 1, chopped
  • Ginger 1/2 inch chopped
  • Coriander leaves, chopped 1 cup
  • Curry leaves (curry patta) 8-10
  • Lemon/Lime juice 1 tsp
  • Tamarind (imli) 1 tsp soaked in water and crushed
  • Water 4-5 cups
  • Spices For Sambar
  • Salt to taste
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Cummin seeds 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
  • Hing (Asafoateda) powder 1/8 tsp
  • Mustered seeds 1/2 tsp
  • Fenugreek (Methi) seeds 1 tsp
  • Canola oil 3 tsp

Preparation of Idli
Wash rice rava. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Wash dal. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Drain all the water from the dal and grind in a grinder to get a fine thick paste.
Drain all the water from the rice rava and add rava to the dal of step 3. Add salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix well.
Transfer the mixture of step 4 to a deep skillet, whose size should be such that its more than half portion remains empty. You can take mixture in two skillets of smaller size. Cover the skillet with a plate.
Place the skillet in a warm place for 8-10 hours to let the mixture ferment. The mixture will raise and fill the skillet. In winter, you can place it in oven (switched off).
Grease the idli maker plates with the oil and fill with the mixture of step 7. Cook for about 10 minutes.
OR if you do not have idli maker,

Take a flat bottom wide skillet. Pour 2 cups of water. Invert a round cake making empty dish on the base of the skillet.

Take another round cake making dish, lightly grease it and fill it to a height of about half centimeter with the mixture of step 6.

Place this dish on the inverted dish in the skillet. Cover the skillet with a plate.
Put the skillet on medium heat. Let the water in the skillet boil for 8-10 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the skillet stand for another 10 minutes.
Remove the lid of the skillet, take out the idli dish, invert it to remove the idli. cut into smaller pieces and serve hot.

Preparation of Sambar
Take dal in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes after the pressure is reached.

Take methi seed in a frying pan and place it on medium heat. Roast the seeds until turn dark. Remove the seeds and let them cool. Grind in a grinder to make powder.

In a deep skillet take 2 tspn oil and put on medium heat. When the oil gets hot, first add cummin seeds. When the seeds pops up, add all the spices including methi powder. Fry the spices for a while and add all the vegetables including coriander leaves and curry leaves. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cup water. Boil for 10 minutes. Add dal of step 1 and mix well.
Serve idli and sambhar hot.

Tips

Fermentation is the key steps in making idlis. The softness of idlis (like sponge) depends on proper fermentation. After fermentation, the dal-rava mixture should increase to at least double the volume. The fermentation is slow in winter and quick in summer.

Ferment only the required quantity of dal-rava mixture and store the rest in the refrigerator. Take it out 4 hours before putting for fermentation.

The typical flavour of sambar will come from methi powder.
If you have made too many idlis, store them in the refrigerator. When required, take out and microwave them for a few seconds to get idlies as good as fresh and serve with hot sambhar. Actually no body will know that they are not freshly made.

It is a good idea to make methi powder in advance and keep it in air tight bottle.
Spicy Idli Recipe

Spicy idli is a modification of south Indian idli recope as given above.
Recipe type:, cholesterol free
Preparation time:30 minutes
Ingredients:

Rice Rava 3 cups
Urad Dal (Split black gram) 1 cup
Canola oil 3 tsp
Water
Onion 2 finely chopped
Green chili 2 finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped, 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds 1/2 tsp
Preparation

Wash rice rava. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Wash dal. Soak in water for 8-10 hours.
Drain all the water from the dal and grind in a grinder.
Drain all the water from the rice rava and add rava to the dal of step 3. Add 1 Tbsp oil and salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix well.
Transfer the mixture of step 4 to a deep skillet, whose size should be such that its more than half portion remains empty. You can take mixture in two skillets of smaller size. Cover the skillet with a plate.

Place the skillet in a warm place for 8-10 hours to let the mixture ferment. The mixture should raise and fill the skillet to double the height. In winter, you can place it in oven (switched off).
Add all the spices, green chili and onion, mix well.

Make idlies.
Serve with coriander-mint chutney.

Note: Spicy idlies are very tasty and convenient for picnics, outings as they are eaten with only chutneys and do not require sambhar. They are ideal for lunch boxes.

The 54th Grammy Awards: Adele Takes Home Six Awards

In lieu of Whitney Houston’s death, The 54th annual Grammy Awards came in second place to the largest audience ever recorded in Grammy history.

LL Cool J’s prayer for Houston started off the night and Jennifer Hudson sang a rendition of Houston classic I Will Always Love You, which averaged a whopping 39.9 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen estimates.

That’s up a staggering 49% from 26.7 million last year and makes this years Grammy gig the largest Grammy audience since 1984, when 51.7 million tuned in.

Compared to last year’s Oscars — usually the year’s top-rated entertainment broadcast — drew 37.9 million. And this year’s less-popular film nominees means the Grammys could easily outdraw the Feb. 26 Oscarcast on ABC.