Wooohooo! As many of you may know, I have been working diligently on the newest member of the Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences' family during most of 2009: our new foodie e-guide series, Eat Wine, the first of its kind in Chile, and in South America. We are...
10 Reasons Why I Love Living a Mediterranean Climate
Glorious Produce: The fertile Central Valley north and south of Santiago pumps out tons of fresh produce year round. In Santiago alone there are 400 farmers markets in addition to central depots like Lo Valledor and the Vega Central. In all the cities...
An Expat’s Thanksgiving
Every fourth Thursday in November in the US, families countrywide join to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, which literally in Spanish is translated to, "The Day of Active Thanks". How cool that this is a holiday!! Thanksgiving transcends racial, ethnic, political,...
Chile’s Versatile Carmenere: Perfect for your Thanksgiving Table
On Saturday, I read in the Wall Street Journal Dorothy Jaiter and Josh Breche's thoughts on Chile's unusual wine varietal, now a flagship grape, Carmenere, as being a risky grape for Chile. I think the real issue was that the examples of Carmenere that...
Cavas Wine Lodge: A Vignette in Mendoza
Life looks pretty damn good right now, at least from this chaise lounge where my feet dangle lazily in the private splash pool. It is hot, very hot. The ice cold Torrontes and 50-plus sunblock are my saviors for slumbering on this lazy late March afternoon in...
A Dozen “Other” South American Cocktails
On my last trip to the States, I was really excited to see how many Latin cocktails have become mainstream in bars, cocktail lounges, and restaurants. You probably already know them: Mojito, Cuba Libre, Caipirinha, Pisco Sour (Peruvian and Chilean...
Bartender, Bubbly Please
Recently, I got together with a group of gringa girlfriends in Santiago for girl's night. We decided to scout a Mexican bar in the Plaza Ñuñoa, one of the city's epicenters of bars. The motive? Some girl talk (read: therapy) while throwing down some...
Foodie Central: Chicago (My Hit List)
Last week in Chicago was a really good dose of time to get to know the city, especially from a more insider aspect since I was hanging with my brother out on the Northwestern side of the city. I thought I would have some initial issues with the early Mid-western...
Four Reasons Why You Must Attend “Wonders of Chilean Wines” in NYC
For the past week, I have been getting Chicago foodies and wine lovers totally jazzed about, and drinking, the exciting wines of South America--Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. This Sunday, I take my show east to my favorite city, New York, to keep spreading the...
A Foreigner in my Home Land
I officially feel like a foreigner in my own country. I guess it was in the making. After all, I have now lived abroad over 10 years now. It is funny how I am very connected to US culture from afar but when I jump back in a couple times per year, the daily...
Public Service Announcement: Travelers to US from Chile
Woohoo!! It's great to be back in the US for the next two weeks. I touched down on Chicago soil yesterday morn on time even after an insanely rerouted and well-timed flight from Santiago, despite some mechanical snafus with American Airlines. Anyway, for the next two...
Discover the Wines of South America
This weekend, I jet to the US for series of South American-driven events. While many of them are with private chef associations like Les Dames d'Escoffier, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR), New York Women's Culinary Alliance, and universities (including...
Cafe-Cafe, Por Favor: The Nescafé Phenomenon in Chile
If you live in Chile, travel here, or try to google anything about coffee in Chile, you will no doubt come across "Nescafé". Yep, it's rampant. Sure, it seems like an oddity given that we are next door to Colombia, Peru, and Brazil where they grow...
Buenos Días, Mr. Domingo
Sunday morning is my favorite day of the week. All the pressure is off wake up up early. There's no traffic honking outside my windows. Even the dog downstairs that barks incessantly is asleep. The city feels so peaceful. I also love that it's perfectly acceptable to...
Ditch that Guidebook…Foodie Travel E-guides are Hot
You know the sensation. You are packed out, weighed within the luggage allowance, and are ready to roll. Then you look at the bed and spot that 2-inch thick, 4-pound monster of a guidebook that you have to schlep with you everywhere on vacation. If you...
Move Over Chimichurri, Uruguayan Salsa Criolla is in the House
You know, with all the zesty sauces in South America, how come chimichurri steals all the thunder? Chileans make at least a dozen versions of mean pebres, from spicy-as-hell green chili and cilantro to the garden vegetable variety. Uruguay too has its creole...
Mature Wines: Bodega Bressia
I am sitting on a very cush couch sipping a velvety Malbec, noshing on some cheese, and talking to Walter Bressia. Walter is the owner, founder, and winemaker of Bressia, a boutique winery in Mendoza. The topic of discussion? Mature wines—and why these...
El 18: Chile’s Gastronomic Superbowl
Feliz cumpleaños Chile! Today Chile rings in another Independence day, kicking off the year of its Bicentennial birthday in a big way. Colloquially referred to as "Dieciocho", meaning 18, the day actually celebrates Chile's official rupture from Spain on...
and the meaningful