August 2010
The Right Wines for Hot Weather
Biltmore Hillside Villas 3008 Sq. Ft.| 3 Bed | 3 Bath $889,000 Come experience this exceptionally beautiful three-bedroom home with a separate Casita within one of the best locations in the Valley. The single-story property features a gorgeous and inviting open floor plan. Travertine and granite throughout the home. Great backyard with heated pebble-tech pool and spa, built-in gas BBQ and fire pit. Enjoy the spacious three-car garage, and cul de sac lot backing to Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Fantastic views of Piestawa Peak and downtown Phoenix round out this special home. Call David Reimold at 602.571.0680 or Phil Tibi at 602.692.0780 to schedule a private showing or to obtain more info.
Real Estate Negotiations
Keeping Emotions at Bay
Simply Sophisticated
Wildfish’s Broiled Lobster Tails San Antonio’s
All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Statistics represent single-family and patio homes. Information gathered from ARMLS. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.
Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net
Real Estate Report
Featuring Wildfish 210.493.1600 | eddiev.com
BROILED AND STUFFED LOBSTER TAIL CRAB STUFFING Yield: 8 Servings INGREDIENTS: 1 pound fresh Jonah crab meat 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup scallions, chopped 1 pound butter 2 Tbsp. salt 1 bunch parsley, chopped 1/2 cup sriracha hot chili sauce 1 qt. mayonnaise 1 1/4 cup yellow mustard 2 qt. panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup lemon juice METHOD: 1. Sweat vegetables in butter until soft. Add salt and let cool. 2. Add all ingredients except panko and crab meat and stir well. 3. Fold in panko. 4. Combine 1 qt. stuffing mixture and 1 pound fresh crab meat. 5. Bake stuffing at 375 degrees until hot and lightly brown on top. LOBSTER TAIL Yield: 1 Serving INGREDIENTS: 1 8 oz. lobster tail, removed from shell, skewered, shell opened 1 cup crab stuffing (see recipe above) 1/2 lemon 2 oz. drawn butter 1 sprig parsley as needed salt, white pepper, paprika METHOD: 1. Season lobster tail with salt, white pepper and lightly with paprika. 2. Cook removed lobster tail shell in oven until red then remove from oven. 3. Broil lobster tail in oven to medium rare. 4. Place shell on a plate and fill with hot crab stuffing. 5. Place lobster tail on top of crab stuffing. 6. Garnish with parsley, lemon and drawn butter.
Choosing a summer wine can be compared to choosing the right novel for lazy days at the pool – you want something light and engaging but not so bland that it fails to keep your interest. If you are a lover of big, bold wines, you may find that they just aren’t going down as easily now that our temperatures are soaring. Many wine drinkers are known as “C & C Devotees.” They are loyal to the tried-and-true Cabernet and Chardonnay and often don’t branch out to anything else. However, summertime is the right time to change it up a little!
Wines that are lighter and refreshing are a good choice in summer. Look for a wine with a lower alcohol content, around 12.5% to 13.5%, so that it is more drinkable. If you usually enjoy a heavier wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, step down to a lighter Rosé version of either. Ever heard your wine-friends recite the infamous summertime rhyme, “Nothing tastes better on a hot day than a cool Rosé?” The rich, buttery and oaky flavors of a Chardonnay may be too overpowering in the heat. A drier, crisp and refreshing white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Pinot Gris would be better. Try drinking a wine that has more fruit, as the fruit tends to make the wine more refreshing. Another must-do: Drink your red wines at the ideal temperature of 55 to 60 degrees. A hot summer evening is not the time to drink tepid, room temperature wine. Further, there are no rules when it comes to drinking wine. There’s nothing wrong with putting a simple Beaujolais or Pinot Noir in the refrigerator to cool down even further if you’d like. Be careful though with over-chilling. Any wine that is too cold will close up and the flavors and nuances will be lost. In choosing a varietal to pair with typical summer menu items, keep the following suggestions in mind: Grilled entrees such as beef, chicken and pork tend to pair well with a light (light in body, not meaning white) Zinfandel, Rosé or lighter-style Cabernet. A Pinot Gris is delicious with salads, Rosé for shellfish and a crisp, light Chenin Blanc for fruit and cheese platters. Sparkling wines pair wonderfully with grilled fish or sushi. Summer is the time for lighter eating, lighter clothing and a lightness in spirit! So be sure to adjust your wine choices to coincide with your all-around easy, breezy summertime living!
MORE CLASSIC PAIRINGS FOR GRILLING FAVORITES ON THE GRILL: Barbecued ribs, leg of lamb, steaks CLASSIC PAIRING: Powerful, tannic red: Cabernet Sauvignon, French Syrah ON THE GRILL: Hamburgers, sausages IN THE BOTTLE: Rich, fruity red: Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz ON THE GRILL: Grilled tofu, pork chops, steak salad IN THE BOTTLE: Medium-bodied, tangy red: Sangiovese, Grenache ON THE GRILL: Shrimp, scallops, lobster IN THE BOTTLE: Succulent, minerally white: Pinot Gris ON THE GRILL: Halibut or other light fish, vegetables, citrus marinades IN THE BOTTLE: Aromatic, zesty white: Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño Source: foodandwine.com
KEEP EMOTIONS SUPPRESSED Realtor. Trying to suppress your strong emotions completely may only lead to resentment. By letting your Realtor understand your feelings, he or she is better prepared to negotiate with the other party in a calm manner while working on your behalf. If a party sees that the opposing side is overcome with emotions, it’s sometimes best to acknowledge this and let the other side express their feelings. A good negotiator is able to recognize anger issues before they erupt and to make small concessions in order to build trust and defuse the anger. Let the other party know that you empathize with their concerns whether you agree with them or not. The point is to provide reassurance and keep the negotiations on track. While negative emotions can impact negotiations, so can positive emotions. Feelings of pride, joy, satisfaction and appreciation increase the likelihood that both parties will reach their goal of a win-win outcome. Let the positive emotions you feel take center stage in your negotiating. It breeds respect and the desire to work things out with the other party. While deep in the negotiation process, it’s often easy to lose sight of your goal – to buy or sell the property at a fair price. Don’t get emotionally caught up in little things. As the saying goes, “pick your battles.” Don’t allow negative feelings
Sunday Jazz Witte Museum, August 8th 210.357.1900 | wittemuseum.org Bring your blanket or lawn chair and find the perfect spot in the courtyard to enjoy some soothing jazz featuring the Jazz Protagonists – included in your museum admission. Afterwards check out the visiting exhibit Dinosaurs Unearthed or one of the museum’s long-term exhibits such as Mummies: Unwrapping the Past. Patti LaBelle Majestic Theater, August 14th 210.226.3333 | majesticempire.com Don’t miss Patti LaBelle’s performance at the Majestic Theater for one night only. This beautiful songbird will marvel you with her classic spiritual sonnets and rhythm & blues. Grammy-Award winner LaBelle will perform classics such as Lady Marmalade and Let’s Talk About It. Arrive early to marvel at the Majestic’s beautiful architecture. Built in 1929, it is one the most recognized ornate facilities in the country. 3rd Annual American Wounded Heroes Golf Classic TPC San Antonio, August 16th 210.286.5757 | americanwoundedheroesgolfclassic.com Enjoy a leisurely day of golf for a great cause. Participants will begin with a hearty breakfast before they start this Florida Scramble and end with an award ceremony and live auction. Proceeds will benefit the American Wounded Heroes, a program dedicated to enhancing and brightening the lives our valued veterans. Children’s Vegetable Garden Botanical Garden, August 21st 210.207.3250 | sabot.org Partnering with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Botanical Garden is showing children the ins and outs of gardening. Each participating child will have their very own plot in the garden and be given different types of seeds, herbs, vegetables and flowers to grow. Every future farmer will also have the opportunity to hear weekly gardening presentations to further their education and participate in hands-on Junior Master Gardener activities.
& Negotiations On Track!
Selling your home can be a nerve-wracking experience. After all, your home is more than brick and mortar to you. It’s the place you’ve spent holidays and perhaps raised children. It’s the place you’ve decorated and loved for many years. Now it’s time to sell your nest and the potential buyers are trying to nickel and dime their way to a rock-bottom price. In your eyes, the listing price is fair if not undervalued. It’s hard not to get emotional. On the flip side, if you’re the home buyer and you’ve finally found the house of your dreams, it’s hard not to let your emotions ruin the negotiations as well. After all, you don’t want to let this one get away. You also don’t want to overpay. On either side of the negotiating table, it’s important not to tie your emotions to this business transaction. Both home sellers and home buyers need to be careful not to let their feelings interfere with the negotiating process. Emotions can often cause small, easily settled disputes to escalate into deal-breakers. Feelings of anger, fear, agitation, distrust, disappointment or disrespect may arise in a real estate transaction from either party. When people feel that their interests are threatened, or that their wishes are not being heard, it’s human nature to want to lash out in response. However, it’s almost always best to keep emotions at bay. One of the first steps to managing your emotions is to acknowledge them. Discuss these feelings with your
AUGUST 2010
to overcome logic. Is it really better that you made your point by refusing to fix a frivolous line-item on the inspection report if it means your home is back on the market? And finally, remember to keep a level head. No matter how you might be feeling, work to close the transaction successfully. Truly, that’s the most important thing here.
Restaurant Week Local Restaurants, August 21st-28th 210.822.9565 | culinariasa.org Always wanted to try that new local restaurant or anxious to revisit an old favorite? Foodies unite! During this week-long event, participating restaurants will offer a three-course dinner for $35 or $15 for lunch per person. Visit the website for participating restaurants and great recipes contributed by masterful chefs to try at home. Japanese Film Series San Antonio Museum of Art, August 8th, 10th, 17th, 24th 210.978.8100 | samuseum.org Interested in Japanese history? Listen to Dr. Peter Siegenthaler as he gives a lecture on remembering the Bakumatsu in film. He will depict the history through three films beginning with the heyday of Japanese films, the post-war period and the “cruel” Samuari films. Afterwards roam around the museum and check out some of the current exhibits such as Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life.
Featuring Wildfish 210.493.1600 | eddiev.com
BROILED AND STUFFED LOBSTER TAIL CRAB STUFFING Yield: 8 Servings INGREDIENTS: 1 pound fresh Jonah crab meat 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup scallions, chopped 1 pound butter 2 Tbsp. salt 1 bunch parsley, chopped 1/2 cup sriracha hot chili sauce 1 qt. mayonnaise 1 1/4 cup yellow mustard 2 qt. panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup lemon juice METHOD: 1. Sweat vegetables in butter until soft. Add salt and let cool. 2. Add all ingredients except panko and crab meat and stir well. 3. Fold in panko. 4. Combine 1 qt. stuffing mixture and 1 pound fresh crab meat. 5. Bake stuffing at 375 degrees until hot and lightly brown on top. LOBSTER TAIL Yield: 1 Serving INGREDIENTS: 1 8 oz. lobster tail, removed from shell, skewered, shell opened 1 cup crab stuffing (see recipe above) 1/2 lemon 2 oz. drawn butter 1 sprig parsley as needed salt, white pepper, paprika METHOD: 1. Season lobster tail with salt, white pepper and lightly with paprika. 2. Cook removed lobster tail shell in oven until red then remove from oven. 3. Broil lobster tail in oven to medium rare. 4. Place shell on a plate and fill with hot crab stuffing. 5. Place lobster tail on top of crab stuffing. 6. Garnish with parsley, lemon and drawn butter.
Choosing a summer wine can be compared to choosing the right novel for lazy days at the pool – you want something light and engaging but not so bland that it fails to keep your interest. If you are a lover of big, bold wines, you may find that they just aren’t going down as easily now that our temperatures are soaring. Many wine drinkers are known as “C & C Devotees.” They are loyal to the tried-and-true Cabernet and Chardonnay and often don’t branch out to anything else. However, summertime is the right time to change it up a little!
Wines that are lighter and refreshing are a good choice in summer. Look for a wine with a lower alcohol content, around 12.5% to 13.5%, so that it is more drinkable. If you usually enjoy a heavier wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, step down to a lighter Rosé version of either. Ever heard your wine-friends recite the infamous summertime rhyme, “Nothing tastes better on a hot day than a cool Rosé?” The rich, buttery and oaky flavors of a Chardonnay may be too overpowering in the heat. A drier, crisp and refreshing white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Pinot Gris would be better. Try drinking a wine that has more fruit, as the fruit tends to make the wine more refreshing. Another must-do: Drink your red wines at the ideal temperature of 55 to 60 degrees. A hot summer evening is not the time to drink tepid, room temperature wine. Further, there are no rules when it comes to drinking wine. There’s nothing wrong with putting a simple Beaujolais or Pinot Noir in the refrigerator to cool down even further if you’d like. Be careful though with over-chilling. Any wine that is too cold will close up and the flavors and nuances will be lost. In choosing a varietal to pair with typical summer menu items, keep the following suggestions in mind: Grilled entrees such as beef, chicken and pork tend to pair well with a light (light in body, not meaning white) Zinfandel, Rosé or lighter-style Cabernet. A Pinot Gris is delicious with salads, Rosé for shellfish and a crisp, light Chenin Blanc for fruit and cheese platters. Sparkling wines pair wonderfully with grilled fish or sushi. Summer is the time for lighter eating, lighter clothing and a lightness in spirit! So be sure to adjust your wine choices to coincide with your all-around easy, breezy summertime living!
MORE CLASSIC PAIRINGS FOR GRILLING FAVORITES ON THE GRILL: Barbecued ribs, leg of lamb, steaks CLASSIC PAIRING: Powerful, tannic red: Cabernet Sauvignon, French Syrah ON THE GRILL: Hamburgers, sausages IN THE BOTTLE: Rich, fruity red: Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz ON THE GRILL: Grilled tofu, pork chops, steak salad IN THE BOTTLE: Medium-bodied, tangy red: Sangiovese, Grenache ON THE GRILL: Shrimp, scallops, lobster IN THE BOTTLE: Succulent, minerally white: Pinot Gris ON THE GRILL: Halibut or other light fish, vegetables, citrus marinades IN THE BOTTLE: Aromatic, zesty white: Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño Source: foodandwine.com
KEEP EMOTIONS SUPPRESSED Realtor. Trying to suppress your strong emotions completely may only lead to resentment. By letting your Realtor understand your feelings, he or she is better prepared to negotiate with the other party in a calm manner while working on your behalf. If a party sees that the opposing side is overcome with emotions, it’s sometimes best to acknowledge this and let the other side express their feelings. A good negotiator is able to recognize anger issues before they erupt and to make small concessions in order to build trust and defuse the anger. Let the other party know that you empathize with their concerns whether you agree with them or not. The point is to provide reassurance and keep the negotiations on track. While negative emotions can impact negotiations, so can positive emotions. Feelings of pride, joy, satisfaction and appreciation increase the likelihood that both parties will reach their goal of a win-win outcome. Let the positive emotions you feel take center stage in your negotiating. It breeds respect and the desire to work things out with the other party. While deep in the negotiation process, it’s often easy to lose sight of your goal – to buy or sell the property at a fair price. Don’t get emotionally caught up in little things. As the saying goes, “pick your battles.” Don’t allow negative feelings
Sunday Jazz Witte Museum, August 8th 210.357.1900 | wittemuseum.org Bring your blanket or lawn chair and find the perfect spot in the courtyard to enjoy some soothing jazz featuring the Jazz Protagonists – included in your museum admission. Afterwards check out the visiting exhibit Dinosaurs Unearthed or one of the museum’s long-term exhibits such as Mummies: Unwrapping the Past. Patti LaBelle Majestic Theater, August 14th 210.226.3333 | majesticempire.com Don’t miss Patti LaBelle’s performance at the Majestic Theater for one night only. This beautiful songbird will marvel you with her classic spiritual sonnets and rhythm & blues. Grammy-Award winner LaBelle will perform classics such as Lady Marmalade and Let’s Talk About It. Arrive early to marvel at the Majestic’s beautiful architecture. Built in 1929, it is one the most recognized ornate facilities in the country. 3rd Annual American Wounded Heroes Golf Classic TPC San Antonio, August 16th 210.286.5757 | americanwoundedheroesgolfclassic.com Enjoy a leisurely day of golf for a great cause. Participants will begin with a hearty breakfast before they start this Florida Scramble and end with an award ceremony and live auction. Proceeds will benefit the American Wounded Heroes, a program dedicated to enhancing and brightening the lives our valued veterans. Children’s Vegetable Garden Botanical Garden, August 21st 210.207.3250 | sabot.org Partnering with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Botanical Garden is showing children the ins and outs of gardening. Each participating child will have their very own plot in the garden and be given different types of seeds, herbs, vegetables and flowers to grow. Every future farmer will also have the opportunity to hear weekly gardening presentations to further their education and participate in hands-on Junior Master Gardener activities.
& Negotiations On Track!
Selling your home can be a nerve-wracking experience. After all, your home is more than brick and mortar to you. It’s the place you’ve spent holidays and perhaps raised children. It’s the place you’ve decorated and loved for many years. Now it’s time to sell your nest and the potential buyers are trying to nickel and dime their way to a rock-bottom price. In your eyes, the listing price is fair if not undervalued. It’s hard not to get emotional. On the flip side, if you’re the home buyer and you’ve finally found the house of your dreams, it’s hard not to let your emotions ruin the negotiations as well. After all, you don’t want to let this one get away. You also don’t want to overpay. On either side of the negotiating table, it’s important not to tie your emotions to this business transaction. Both home sellers and home buyers need to be careful not to let their feelings interfere with the negotiating process. Emotions can often cause small, easily settled disputes to escalate into deal-breakers. Feelings of anger, fear, agitation, distrust, disappointment or disrespect may arise in a real estate transaction from either party. When people feel that their interests are threatened, or that their wishes are not being heard, it’s human nature to want to lash out in response. However, it’s almost always best to keep emotions at bay. One of the first steps to managing your emotions is to acknowledge them. Discuss these feelings with your
AUGUST 2010
to overcome logic. Is it really better that you made your point by refusing to fix a frivolous line-item on the inspection report if it means your home is back on the market? And finally, remember to keep a level head. No matter how you might be feeling, work to close the transaction successfully. Truly, that’s the most important thing here.
Restaurant Week Local Restaurants, August 21st-28th 210.822.9565 | culinariasa.org Always wanted to try that new local restaurant or anxious to revisit an old favorite? Foodies unite! During this week-long event, participating restaurants will offer a three-course dinner for $35 or $15 for lunch per person. Visit the website for participating restaurants and great recipes contributed by masterful chefs to try at home. Japanese Film Series San Antonio Museum of Art, August 8th, 10th, 17th, 24th 210.978.8100 | samuseum.org Interested in Japanese history? Listen to Dr. Peter Siegenthaler as he gives a lecture on remembering the Bakumatsu in film. He will depict the history through three films beginning with the heyday of Japanese films, the post-war period and the “cruel” Samuari films. Afterwards roam around the museum and check out some of the current exhibits such as Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life.