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Maggie Hoffman

Maggie Hoffman

Drinks Editor

Founded Serious Eats: Drinks in February of 2011. Wine writer, beer fanatic, cocktail enthusiast, coffee addict. Busy eating and drinking my way through San Francisco.

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  • Location: San Francisco
  • Favorite foods: Dungeness crab. Riesling. Rhubarb. Peking duck. Pie, all kinds.
  • Last bite on earth: Oysters and Champagne by the ocean. Riesling and pasta and clams. Pizza and Cru Beaujolais.

San Francisco: 17 Sips and Bites from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market's 20th Anniversary Cocktail Party

This week marks the 20th anniversary of San Francisco's iconic Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and we were invited to celebrate with cocktails and bites inspired by the season at last night's outdoor 'Cocktails At The Farmers Market' event. We sipped our way through the offerings, which included cocktails made with spring peas, strawberries, beets, and rhubarb from the bartenders of 15 Romolo, Tradition, Trick Dog, Lolinda, Hard Water, and others. More

Ask A Sommelier: What Are Your Favorite Rosé Wines?

We could just drink pink from here on out: crisp pale coral wines from Provence, fresh California rosés, magenta-hued bottles from Spain...there's a whole rainbow of pink to keep our thirst quenched for the warm months. But which wines should we look for? Which are the most delicious? We asked 15 sommeliers from around the country for their favorite rosé wines, as well as tips for what to eat alongside a glass (or three.) More

We Try the New Bacardi Light Strawberry Daiquiri

Premixed cocktails are tricky to do right. Citrus flavor often comes out oily and lacks the bright acidity that is needed to cut through sweetness. But this premixed cocktail, poured over ice, has more tartness than I expected, moving it toward balance. The only problem: a weird aftertaste from the artificial sweeteners. More

We Chat Amari with Maialino's Bar Manager, Erik Lombardo

You might have experienced a cheese cart or a chocolate cart, but what about a tableside basket of after-dinner bitter liqueurs? At Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel in NYC, bar manager Erik Lombardo recently introduced amari service, including a 16-bottle list and a few digestif bottles offered tableside for post-dinner sipping. We asked Lombardo a bit about the program and his picks for amari novices, plus the weirdest bottles and his personal favorites. More

Amaro You Should Know: Nardini

It's hard to keep track of all the amari on the shelves at your local cocktail bar. Where once there was caramel-toned Averna and menthol-bright Fernet, there's now barely room for all the herbal tonics and digestifs. I love tasting them—the luscious, fruity grappa-based Nonino is a frequent after-dinner sipper in my house, and I'll try any cocktail with Cynar. But at a certain point you wonder: do I really need to buy all these bottles? Do they really each offer something different? More

We Try Heart of Tea Bottled Teas

We haven't had a ton of luck with bottled iced teas. We did a taste test awhile back of classic black-tea-and-lemon options (the winner was Honest Tea) and it was surprising how few of the options tasted like the tea you'd brew yourself. Bottled teas often show murkiness, mossy-ness, and bitterness, but none of the tasty sides of tea. So Heart of Tea, a new New York-based company brewing bottled teas with "larger, intact, quality tea leaves" caught our eye. More

Ask a Sommelier: Which Wines Go Best With Chinese Food?

A BYOB restaurant is a beautiful thing; it's also fun to get takeout and be able to open wine from your own collection or favorite wine shop. But if Chinese food is on the menu, which bottles should you pop? Depends on if you're eating Mapo tofu or Peking duck, dan dan noodles, dumplings, or delicate seafood preparations. We asked 14 sommeliers for their wine pairing advice. What's the most delicious wine to pair with Chinese food? Here's what they had to say. More

What's Your Iced Coffee Method?

As long as the sun is out (even if the wind is brisk), I'm game for a cool afternoon caffeine kick. But these days there's an entire menu of possible iced coffee brewing methods...even if you're just making yourself an iced coffee at home. Here's a rundown of a few different options. More

Get Ready to Celebrate Spring with 12 Strawberry Drink Recipes

I couldn't resist buying a pint of the first local strawberries I saw, and though they weren't the luscious jewels of later in the season, they were still pretty darn delicious. I'll be back to buy more than I can eat on my Cheerios, and then I'll be busy mixing up strawberry drinks: smoothies, lemonade, agua fresca, cocktails and punch, filled out with wine or sake or spiked with stronger spirits. Here's a little recipe inspiration: a dozen drinks to celebrate the arrival of spring. More

Ask a Winemaker: What's the Hardest Part of Your Job?

The life of a winemaker sounds pretty darn good: walking in the vineyards, working outdoors, tasting the wines from big cellar barrels...but every job has its challenges, and making wine sure ain't easy. You only get one chance a year to get it right—and then you have to make sure you can sell all those bottles! We asked 18 winemakers from around the world about the challenges of the job. Here's what they had to say. More

We Try the New Les Plaisirs Purs Teas from Le Palais Des Thés

Just as spring begins to arrive, an unwelcome fever and cold always seems to knock on my door. Whenever that headache/sinus pressure starts to creep up on me, I like to set rules for myself, promising that I'll be spared getting really sick if I drink that whole container of orange juice. I try to push hot liquids like it's my full-time job. So after a day or two of same-old Earl Grey, Lemon Ginger, and Sleepytime, I'm pretty bored with the tea I have on hand. The Parisian tea specialists at Le Palais des Thés recently introduced a new lineup of flavored blends; here's what we thought of them. More

What to do with bottom-shelf amaretto?

pour over snowcones?

So You Want to Make Ice Cream for 100 People?

Max Falkowitz, ice cream badass.

Vegetarian: Fainting Imam (Turkish Baked Stuffed Eggplant)

This looks delicious!

Local 92 Does Great Hummus if You Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Chickpea butter. Want.

We Try New Chewy Chips Ahoy With Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Ok now let's make cookies with peanut butter cups in them. America!

Gluten-Free Tuesday: Spinach and Onion Tart

Gluten-Free Tuesday: Spinach and Onion Tart

Hey TxDadu, we're fixing it--give our new editor a few days to get settled! We appreciate your patience!

A Fond Farewell To National Managing Editor Erin Zimmer

This brought tears to my eyes. So many happy memories working with you, Erin.

Hangover Helper: Duck Burrito at Koi Palace, Daly City, CA

@Hungry Dan: your wish is my command. On it.

Ramp Week: Ramp Gravy

Sorry, guys, it's fixed now.

Premium White Rum

Flor de Caña and Banks Five Island are worth checking out. If you're feeling experimental, check out funky rhums agricoles too. (Here's our guide to the different kinds of rum, and here are a few favorite bottles chosen by bartenders.) As far as how to drink it, start simple! A well made daiquiri will help your rum shine. (Just for fun, here are a few more rum cocktail recipes.)

Ask a Bartender: What Are Your Favorite Spring Ingredients?

I would love to see some fava vodka!

Any must-do places in Portland, OR?

You also might need pastrami cheese fries from Kenny & Zukes.

Any must-do places in Portland, OR?

My home town! There's a ton of good stuff to eat, including some of our favorite food trucks anywhere. (Check out Erin Zimmer's guide.) Other must-eats: Lardo and Sugar Cube, Tasty n Sons, Apizza Scholls, Pok Pok. Check out the cookbook section at Powells. Don't miss the burger at Le Pigeon. If you're willing to drive for excellent Mexican in a quirky setting, hit up Tienda y Tortilleria de Leon's. Plus, go shopping for small-production chocolate at Cacao!

If you're into cocktails, don't miss Clyde Common, Rum Club...

We Raise Our Glass to Managing Editor Carey Jones!

Wish I were there to raise a glass to you, Carey; it's been so, so amazing to have you as our managing editor. I will miss our daily g-chats. But I'm pumped to see what great stuff you write going forward.

Video: David's Brisket House, the Jewish Deli Run by Muslims in Brooklyn

What should I serve with Burgers?

If you're looking for that starfruit sangria, it's here. (and it's delicious!) Fresh watermelon sangria might be a hit as well. Or go for fresh pineapple margaritas?

Or get an assortment of beers, maybe pilsner (try Victory Prima Pils or Lagunitas) and something maltier like Anchor Steam Beer, and a brown ale. (More expert tips here.) Here are some wine tips for burgers, too.

Taste Test: Is There Good Pinot Noir Under $15?

Hey Nanoo52--to be honest, you might want to consider driving to NJ to stock up for a big tasting. Another options is to go to a store, come up with a possible list, and then post it here for advice?

The blind tasting of wines at different prices is a fun idea. But Pinot Noir is probably a much harder grape to do under $18 than other grapes...and many bottles of Pinot under $20 will have a significant portion of other grape juice in the mix (even if it doesn't say so on the label), so you won't get a great sense of what Pinot tastes like, unfortunately. You can drink a lot better Sauvignon Blanc under $15 than Pinot.

Regional tasting will cost more. One danger in this kind of setup is to assume that one Oregon bottle represents what all Oregon wines taste like, one Napa bottle represents all Napa, etc. With the wine world changing so fast, those are probably not going to be accurate assumptions; and every region has its stars and its duds.

Stocking the Bar

Since you have some basics, you might want to think about what sort of drinks you enjoy. Do you like bright, citrusy drinks? Then you might want to add a high quality orange liqueur (like Cointreau or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao.) If you lean toward the boozy drinks, get yourself a nice bottle of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth. Michael Dietsch wrote a cool piece on stocking the bar here--he suggests thinking of it more like meal-planning and less like filling your shelves.

A Coffee Geek's Guide to the Best Coffee in Paris, France

Hi @phillamb168: that earlier piece covered trends in brewing methods, roaster choices, etc, in Paris. This piece covers Liz's personally recommended shops. (We also had an earlier guide to photographer Alice Gao's favorites.)

First Look: Charles Chocolates, San Francisco

wow, that 'snacking cake' looks killer.

Healthy eating site

If you're looking for a little meat-free cooking inspiration, you might want to bookmark the posts tagged vegetarian and vegan.

Beautiful bottle of local mint vodka... Ideas!?

Bet it would be great in lemonade or limeade (add fresh berries if desired). Or with mango nectar? Or with iced coffee or coffee liqueur.

Best Burrito, San Francisco

Brown bread...In a can

Grew up with this stuff in Boston. Served with baked beans, who knows why.

What To Do With Leftover Egg Whites

Making ice cream. Cooking up a pot de creme, pudding, or mousse. These are just some of the baking culprits that will leave you with extra egg whites. But don't throw them out! Many delicious desserts—souffles, meringues, and financiers, to start—rely on egg whites for height and texture. More ideas right this way. More

Bar Tartine Chef Nicolaus Balla's Warm Brussels Sprouts with Honey, Caraway, and Lime

We love the charred, crisp, and just-sweet leaves of roasted brussels sprouts. The sprouts are a perfect canvas for just about any blanket of flavors, even the seemingly crazy combination of caraway, lime juice, mint, and cilantro Bar Tartine's Nicolaus Balla suggests in Food and Wine's new cookbook America's Greatest New Cooks. Balla's seamless blending of Eastern European and Southeast Asian tastes are fully realized in this vibrant vegetable side. More

Kale Caesar Salad

The key to a great kale Caesar salad is to marinate the kale in straight olive oil while you prepare the dressing and the croutons. The olive oil helps break down the leaves, turning them from tough to tender-crisp. More

My Thai: Shimeji Mushroom Laab

I don't know what happened on your end over the holidays, but over here not a lot of self-control was exercised. So, at least this week, I'm eating lighter than usual to make up for the craziness of the last few weeks. But I'm far from depriving myself of delicious things, though. This mushroom laab (or lap, most often spelled 'larb') you're looking at right here? Not exactly deprivation. More

The Food Lab: The Truth About Brining Turkey

These days, everybody and their grandmother has heard of brining, and more and more folks are doing it at home before Turkey Day. But it's not all pie and gravy. There are a few distinct and definite downsides to wet-brining, and many folks are making the switch to dry-brining (A.K.A. extended salting). The question is, which method works best? More

10 Foods From San Francisco I Want to Bring Back to NYC

San Francisco and New York are often mentioned in the same breath when it comes to the nation's great food cities, and are often compared as such. Growing up near San Francisco but having lived on the East Coast for nearly a decade, I can't say that there's one that strikes me as "superior"—and suggestions of a rivalry seem rather silly. They're just so different. So I couldn't choose one favorite food city between them. But, having just spent a fantastically delicious week by the Bay, I do know that there are a lot of foods from San Francisco I'd take back to New York with me if I could. Here are 10 of mine. What are your favorite SF eats? More

Welcome to Oregon Month!

While in Portland for the Feast festival (see our event recaps here), Maggie and I explored the city, from one food cart pod to another, with many nights ending in ice cream. After a weekend of feasting, we hit the road and do some more feasting elsewhere in the great state of Oregon. Stay tuned for a new dispatch from Oregon each day this month! More

James Peterson's Tomato and Herb Gratin

Hear the word gratin, and my mind often drifts towards rich, cheesy potato casseroles served up in the cold depths of winter. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to hear James Peterson wax poetic on a simple Tomato and Herb Gratin in his Vegetables. Made only with ripe summer tomatoes, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and herbs, the dish is the simplest (and lightest) in a long line of more recognizable baked tomato dishes like lasagna and eggplant parmesan. More

Let Them Eat: Brown Butter Pecan Carrot Cake

My mother is one of the loveliest, kindest, most generous people you will ever meet. With a ready and Colgate ad-perfect smile, friends and strangers flock to her. But this charmer has a dark side. Ask her for her carrot cake recipe and she'll reply with a short and decisive "No." It's too bad, really, because—scout's honor—it is the best carrot cake in the world. More