I generally tend to buy whatever is fresh at my local fish market and when I saw fresh, wild, Flounder the other night I picked up a few pieces!   Freshness is always number one from a fish buying perspective, but the wild factor is a close second (fish that is on sale is also nice!). Flounder has a meaty and mild […]

It’s about 60 degrees here in the mid-Atlantic States and, if you ask me, the perfect time to get a good fire going in your fireplace!  The reason I like to make fires when it’s between, say, 55 – 60 degrees is that, in most cases, you don’t need your central heating system to be on and you can enjoy […]

Well, what wine should you buy? This is a big question, maybe even equivalent to other big questions such as, “Does God Exist?” , “Do we have free will?”, and the classic, “What is Truth?”  Unlike big philosophical questions, however, figuring out which wine to buy for dinner, keeping in the cellar, or just for a nice night by the […]

A college professor once told me that most adults finish all serious reading by the time they reach the age of 23.  He went on to say that most professions, even ones that require a four year degree, do not require the worker to engage in prolonged or critical reading.  And while I’m sure there are exceptions to the statement, […]

The Fall is the best time to both purchase and plant shrubs or trees.   On the purchasing side, most home centers and landscape shops are looking to clear inventory so you should be able to find nice deals (Home Depot, for example, has a 75% percent off shrubs sale currently). In terms of planting, the cool days and nights are […]

Barack Obama’s recent victory and political campaign got me thinking, what does it take to be a successful leader or manager?  More specifically, I wondered about what specific, practical, traits a person needs in order to motivate and change people’s behavior?  Afterall, effective communications is all about influencing someone so their behavior matches what you’re trying to get across.  Here are some […]

Becoming financially independent is about setting goals and staying on track in order to achieve those goals.  In my view, most Americans are in poor financial shape (i.e., living on credit, spending more than they earn,  not saving enough or at all, etc.) because they have not set financial goals, partly due to not knowing how to do so (that’s my […]

Nothing says the Fall like slowly simmering meats in a big pot!  My personal favorite braising meat is the short rib.  According to Chow.com, “Short ribs are cut from different sections of the 12 ribs that start at the chuck (shoulder) and continue to the loin. Relatively square, short ribs have full-bodied flavor and luscious tenderness that develop when they […]

How to Shop for Fruit, Vegetables, and Fish For some folks, going to the market is a weekly chore and for others it’s an opportunity to purchase wonderful meats, vegetables, cheeses, fish, and fruits. It’s probably no surprise that we fall into the later group here at Scordo and that we actually look forward to food shopping! It wasn’t until […]