Cheap Thrills

I am not a wine connoisseur. Oh, I did get kudos once at one of my first lay ministry retreats after springing for a bottle of Yellowtail Shiraz to use in our Eucharist -- we Lutherans, in my experience, usually tend toward Ernest and Julio jug wine instead -- but that purchase was at the upper limit of my usual festive-beverage budget.

Which is why I want to tell you about a really good, really cheap wine. It's called Genofranco Grillo; it's a white wine from Sicily. Stop laughing, wine snobs. Just try a bottle; which you can probably do for less than the cost of a venti at Starbuck's. It's dry and crisp and pleasant to the palate, good with a light meal.

That's one cheap thrill. Another cheap thrill is Lawry's Havana Garlic and Lime 30-Minute Marinade, which goes great with chicken or pork; I've had it on chicken, and tried it on a grilled pork steak tonight. (Pork steak being yet another cheap thrill, a neglected po'-folks' food that I grew up eating at least once a week, in various guises, in my frugal home.) I tend to look down my nose at bottled marinade, but...some days you get busy, or don't have all the desired ingredients in the fridge. This stuff's pretty good, and helps spiff up a quick after-work dinner.

And another cheap thrill is the ongoing, bi-household Chicken Wing Cook-Off that Fellow Traveler and I engage in each Friday evening. This weekend it's my turn, and I think my choices will be three new recipes: Maple Wings, which are like teriaki wings by way of Ontario or Vermont; tandoori wings, which involve marinating the chicken in a yogurt-spice mixture before baking; and another recipe which shall remain a secret...after all, there needs to be a little mystery in this endeavor.