I got a chance to catch up on some podcasts recently and, since New Years is approaching, my ears perked up when I heard two recommendations for inexpensive sparkling wines.

The first was in the October 18th episode of Good Food in an interview with Robin Goldstein, founder and editor-in-chief of Fearless Critic Media and whom you might know as that guy that got his fake restaurant and award from Wine Spectator. The second half of the interview talks about some of the things he found while writing The Wine Trials. He talks about the fact that the $12 bottle Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut consistently scored higher than a $150 bottle of Dom Perignon. Domaine Ste. Michelle is a Washington wine so I've been seeing it in my regular grocery stores for $9.

The other was a recent (Dec. 8th) Fresh Air interview with Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, the husband-and-wife team behind the wine column Tastings. They recommend the Cristalino Brut Cava as a good budget bottle for celebrating small things, like getting home on time. (I recognize this name because a friend once declared it was what you buy when you're too poor to get Cristal.) You can read their column on good bubble for celebrating the New Year here.

Hungarian Paprika Chicken at Joy The Baker

Moist Yellow Cake at Bakerella (oh my god those pictures are gorgeous).

beef and cheese noodle bake at Shelterrific, yay for comfort food

Caramelized Shallots at Pink of Perfection

Turkey Pad See Ew at Chow

Royal Dilemma: Why is the Princess Cake Green? at Cakespy

Upon discovering there is a Trader Joe's that isn't too difficult for us to get to we've started shopping there again. So, Trader Joe's Fans and Tracking Trader Joe's might come in handy.

mushroom and barley pie at Smitten Kitchen, that is so darn pretty

searching for the elusive one-hold single-cup drip-filter, and finding a solution, at Super Eggplant

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cakes, oh my goddness, at Erica Mulherin

Cookstr, a new online food thing, via Cool Hunting

I have a few couple holiday parties coming up and I'd like a great dish to bring. I'd like it to be not to difficult, not too expensive, possible to make/assemble ahead, and travel well. at Ask Metafilter

When asked for dessert recommendations, my friend’s 8-year-old son suggested “chocolate chip cookies with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough in them.” How on earth can I pull off this fantastic treat? at Ask Metafilter. Brilliant kid.

pie crust 103: rolling and crimping at Smitten Kitchen

pumpkin cupcakes with links for how to make icing roses, at Smitten Kitchen

Fall’s Modern Cocktail at Modern Cottage

Wine or cider mulling spice bags, using a wine cork to float it, smart. At Eating Well Anywhere.

OMG, homemade Bacon Magic Shell, at Cooking With Tits. Via Brownie Points.

Did you know that Starbucks sickeningly lightly sweetens their iced coffee and iced tea? And that if you don't want it sweet you have to specifically order it as unsweetened? I didn't know this until we were blocks away from the drive through window. We went through the line at the next Starbucks with a drive through, not too far away, and they replaced it no questions asked, which makes me think it wasn't the first time they got this request. Still, though, yuck.

If you happen to find yourself in Victoria, BC and like gin it's worth seeking out Victoria Gin made by Winchester Cellars. It's an organic gin made with local ingredients in a beautiful copper still, and it's very, very good. I had it in a martini at the Empress Hotel on a Saturday night, and was sad the next day was Sunday because it meant I wouldn't be able to buy a bottle of the gin to bring home with me. The martini itself was made with a spritz of orange blossom water, and I don't recall if there was vermouth. One tip, order it with a twist, olives overwhelmed this particular martini.

The gin was released just this past May, and for the moment is only available at the Empress Hotel, The Straith Spirit Merchants in Victoria and the tasting room at Winchester Cellars.

You can read more at the Victoria Times Colonist and Vagablond.

If you place a quarter over the cap of a bottle of beer before you open it, the top of the cap won't bend and you can put it back on the bottle so the beer will keep overnight. In our case a 22 ounce bottle of Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA was still good when we returned to it after two nights had passed. Thanks to the good people at Full Throttle Bottles for the tip.

Shown above is my lizard bottle cap opener whom I've had since my very first apartment. You can also see him here in all his woefulness.

onion goat cheese tart and perfectly puffy popovers at Shelterrific

Hydrox are coming back, perhaps temporarily, at Chow

jim lahey’s potato pizza and 10 paths to painless pizza-making at Smitten Kitchen

I'd like to bake eggy-stink-free biscotti, but how? at Ask Metafilter

Bicicletta, a refreshing looking summer cocktail, at Hedonia

Simple, easy and elegant recipes that are always crowd pleasers: What are yours? at Ask Metafilter

Recipe: Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles at The Kitchen

Citrus Basil Cocktail at the Seattle PI

Sloe Gin Is Back, but Hold the Fizz and recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz at the NY Times

Note to self: go try the Bitter End cocktail at Artemis

Homemade Ice Cream Drumsticks at Baking Bites

thing I want: ice princess, straw and ice mold from Fred & Friends

Safer than teflon, lighter than cast iron, it's Ceramcor to the rescue, at Chow.

best supermarket cabernet picks, at The Kitchen

Gordon's cup, at Orangette. It includes lime, cucumbers and a pinch of salt, sounds perfect.

chocolate covered bacon! at Strange Fruit

really pretty meatloaf cupcakes at Fine Furious Life

Vietnamese-Style Coffee on a Stick, oh baby, at Yum Sugar

Easy Pb&J Jar at Baking Bites, who finds the greatest stuff

Eat Drink or Die, videos on food and drink

Oh! A Rickroll birthday cake! at Craftzine

The Art of Sculpting a Watermelon at Chow

summer cocktails, at The Kitchen

Recipe: Easy Ricotta Gnocchi, at The Kitchen

Chard, Ricotta and Hazelnut Pasta Sauce, oh that sounds good, at Domicile

Rehabbing the Whiskey Sour, at Seattle Weekly

We're going camping for a few nights in Tahoe. The gf and I are both foodies. I'd like to come up with some fun, more-interesting-than-average campfire food. at Ask Metafilter

at The Food Section:

how Yelp works

the Blumenburger, 30 ingredients, takes a day to make, I'm intrigued

touch your tomatoes

DIY candied peanuts

specialty ice cubes, including the Muji molds that I love

Harold McGee investigates how germs spread when someone double dips a chip into a bowl after seeing an episode of Sienfeld! Via Kottke.

movie popcorn recipes at Might Foods

Slice trys the pizza in a cone!

tpod at swiss miss

chicken chilaquiles at Shelterrific

How do I get that tea glow? at Ask Metafilter

Bittermens Bitters at The Cocktail Chronicles, I really hope to try the grapefruit.

A List of Regional Pizza Styles at Slice.

candied grapefruit peels at Smitten Kitchen

Rose and Chocolate Marshmallows at Chocolate & Zucchini

edible rings! at Chow. The Candyglam rings are lovely.

An Insider's Dessert Guide at Chow

Domicile on bread, lovely bread.

I would like to build an outdoor wood fired oven similar to the one Jamie Oliver uses on his cooking shows. Can anyone suggest how/where I could find plans for this sort of structure? at Ask Metafilter

Tasty Veggie Dips at Cook & Eat

How To Make The Perfect Caramel at David Lebovitz

Matzo Ball Soup at Smitten Kitchen

Q Tonic, created by someone who was dismayed to discover tonic water was made with high fructose corn syrup. at Food Chronicles.

stack and fill pancake molds! at Williams-Sonoma

Eight Salty, Sweet, Mouth-Puckering Licorices at Cool Hunting

How do I get the first piece of cake out of the baking dish without wrecking the first piece itself? at Ask Metafilter

I want to make pasta, but it's oh-so-complicated... Making pasta in a college dorm kitchen, at Ask Metafilter.

Recipe: D.I.Y. Hummus at The Kitchen

Spicy Black Bean Dip at Recipe Bazaar

Trader Joe's Spicy Black Bean Dip recipe? at Ask Metafilter

grapefruit is making a cocktail comeback, via The Food Section. Bring on the Salty Dog!

Pretzel Pralines at Brownie Points

Zombie Punch at NY Times

real life test kitchen: jamie oliver’s lemon chicken at Shelterrific

food pyramid to remind you to eat more whole foods at Miss Ginsu

Silicone cupcake liners arent nonstick, at Ask Metafilter

The high-tech Clover, and two affordable alternatives, at Chow. See the map of coffeeshops using a Clover, there are a number here in Seattle!

too late for Christmas:

peppermint marshmallows at Serious Eats

Food-in-a-jar gifts at How About Orange

Cook's Talk: Short and Long Caramels at The Kitchen

jar cakes! at Super Eggplant

a slice-and-bake cookie palette at Smitten Kitchen

too late for New Years:

My Darling Clementine a nice champagne cocktail, at Imbibe

Meyer Lemon Champagne Cocktail at Bake and Shake

Today is Repeal Day, so pop out and have a drink tonight to celebrate the anniversary of the day the United States repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and gave Americans the constitutional ability to consume alcohol.