It’s time for holiday shopping and entertaining. Here’s a few things which have come across my door that I think you’ll enjoy. The perfect food basket… Last year, Murray’s Cheese NYC sent me their Most Valuable Player basket to check out. This year, I got La Dolce Vita and it was fantastic.  What a great selection of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments it is. There’s enough to serve at least eight, making it well worth the $120. I also love that the cheeses are each different, from spreadable to aged. Included in Murray’s Cheese NYC La Dolce Vita is: • Fontina Fontal Cheese (a favorite of everyone) • La Tur Creamy Cheese • Pecorino Calabrese Sheep Cheese • Gorgonzola • Murray's Sopressata Salami • Murray's Speck (similar to prosciutto) • Castelvetrano Olives • Sandimiri Crostini Bread On a personal note, it was the first time I’ve had a true (and delicious) Italian salami since leaving New York! Check these chips for a cause...

It’s Halloween week, which means it’s time for parties – and partying. Here’s a few things you’ll want to check out. Let’s Get Monster Smashed… It’s the perfect title for this book: Let’s Get Monster Smashed, Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time . It’s put together by Jon and Marc Chait, and the book is as colorful as the drinks. It all starts with a great breakdown of liquors and liqueurs, everything from vodka to Lillet Blanc. You’ll also find a section listing all the tools you will need to make these deliciously monstrous drinks, as well as “Satanic Syrups” you need to know how to make. I highly recommend adding this book to your bar. Here’s a few of my favorites: Monkey Brain (peach brandy, cream liqueur and grenadine), to drink during Faces of Death; Pazuzu’s Puke (brandy, dark rum, milk, vanilla sugar, green food coloring and corn flakes), to go with a night watching The Exorcist; and Big Fishbowl Punch (white rum, blue curacao, lemon lime soda and shark gummies), ...