Old Moon Zinfandel 2005

At 5.99 a bottle from Trader Joe’s this bottle is a complete stand out. I always have some on hand. Plummy with a surprising depth in character and a slight coat to the tongue that hints of tannin makes this incredibly well balanced. I would say it holds up to bottles at much higher price points. I love drinking this alone or having it with pastas, pizza, bbq, anything a red can hold up to.

Italian Wines

As a farewell to a good friend and the main engine behind our wine club, I decided to host an Italian themed wine tasting with food pairings. It seemed fitting. We met in Italy and the freshness of Italian food would go well with the heat of summer.

Our Menu

Nosh

Bruschettas

ricotta with sundried tomatoes

roasted garlic, basil, fresh tomatoes

roasted red pepper spread

Main

Assortment of Pizzas and Sausage

fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, ricotta, roasted garlic, basil

sausage, yellow and red peppers, feta cheese

mozzarella, feta cheese, ricotta, parmesan

sausage, sundried tomatoes, basil, fresh mozarella, roasted garlic

(one other combo I forgot…I made these up as I went)

Dessert

Pound cake two ways

with nutella and roasted bananas

with marsala wine soaked cherries and lemon curd

THE WINES!

Whites:
Abbazia di Novacella Kerner 2006 $24- Damn Good
This Kerner is made in the northernmost part of Italy where the Italians speak mainly Austrian and the scenery is more reminiscent of Heidi than Under the Tuscan Sun. Light floral with a touch of minerality and a killer nose, this was definitely a good start to the evening for me.

De Falco Fiano di Avellino 2005- $22- Pretty Good

This bottle had more minerality and was less fruity than the previous. Having a little bit of savoriness to it with citrus, it definitely paired well with the pizza. Light and refreshing I wouldn’t be opposed to cracking open another bottle for some seafood or sushi.

Santi Amarone dello Valpolicella 2003- $38 Damn Good
Mmmmmm….I liked this one. More old world in style, Amarone has a rich raisinyness (definitely not a word) and a velvety texture. The grapes are dried in the sun to intensify flavors in the processing. There were hints of spice and boldness to it that would please both old world and new world parties. (ie both peishan (new world) and I (old world) enjoyed it) I would love to eat this with lamb, or anything else meaty/gamey.

Prunotto Barbaresco 2004- $37 Not Bad
This Barbaresco did not wow me, but was good. It was the prototypical barbaresco with good fruit and depth, but for the price tag I feel I could get more bang for my buck elsewhere. Perhaps we opened it too early as it is just getting into its prime according the THE internet.

Bibbiano Chianti Classico 2005- $18 Pretty god

Light and fruity, this chianti actually started us off with reds. It had a delicate sweetness and was not too tanniny. With hints of berries, savory notes, this went well with the pizza. It definitely seemed to be one of the most versatile at pleasing people’s palates, but did not wow anyone.

Forteto della Luja Moscato d’ Asti 2007- $20 Orgasmic
Holy crap the nose was AWESOME on this one, like whiffing a bottle of sweet honeyed perfume. The taste was there to match. Good thing I bought two bottles of this which went as fast as lightening. I caught some peach flavors, apple, and a lot of floral. So very drinkable, bubbly, and sweet. I wish I had gotten more.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

The classic combo of sweet aged balsamic vinegar and strawberries has been a favorite of mine. Finally, I’ve found it in a bottle. While wondering around Old Town in Chicago, we mosied into Old Town Oil not knowing that we’d be taken on a world wind tasting tour of their shop. We were given tastes of different oil and vinegar combinations that really brought out complexity equal to wine. One of my favorites was their strawberry balsamic vinegar. It has the perfect level of sweet strawberry flavor and tangy aged sweet balsamic vinegar…mmm. I can’t wait to put it on ice cream, strawberries, add it to whipped cream, use it for a feta spinach salad….the possibilities are endless. Another great vinegar was their 18 year aged balsamic, so rich and plummy. I think that will be my next culinary splurge if I finish this strawberry, which I suspect I will.

Eating French in Brooklyn

On a recent visit to Smith Street in Brooklyn, one of the notable sites was the plethora of French restaurants. If you have an itch for a French cafe experience, this area is definitely one of the places to go. For brunch we went to Provence en Boite. Part bakery part restaurant this place has some eye popping desserts. I had to tear myself away from the display with an assortment of delicate cookies, tarts, and oh so cute marzipan veggies. The food was good with the expected richness of French food and brunch and I noticed they served cafe lattes in those HUGE latte bowls, perfect to sip over the morning paper. Too bad I didn’t order it….dang. I definitely want to come back to snag some pastries and try more dinner type food.

Roman Dining in Chicago

There is nothing more awesome than a true Italian style dinner….multiple courses, good wine, and eating that spans several hours. It is pretty rare to find a restaurant that feeds you continuously for that long without requiring you to nibble and look ackwardly at your impatient waitress/waiter. But at Enoteca Roma (restaurant part of Letizia’s bakery from my previous post) the owners have created the ultimate Roman feast with 6 courses, serving more food that you can handle and the grand experience of eating what I like to call a “sprawling” European style dinner. All of it is for a swoon worthy $25. Count ‘em…
Courses
1. Antipasta and Bruscetta
2. Appetizers- usually steamed mussells and stewed sausage
3. Salad
4. Polenta served hot on a cool slab of marble
5. Pasta
6. Pizza
(7. Dessert)

Dessert is a little extra, and we actually refused the pizza and went for the dessert instead. The various cheesecakes and gelato were a perfect way to end the meal. I greedily finished off the rest of the pana cotta that was silk smooth and topped with berries. It was nothing short of glorious. All of us couldn’t help but comment how great the meal was along the way. Each course was well made and definitely drool worthy. I am already plotting my next visit.

Wines
Bisson Prosecco IGT Valdobbabiene, Italy 2006- $13- Not bad- Damn Good

We started out with this bottle. It had a nice acidity and a good deal of carbonation that made it a good way to clean our palates and start the evening out right. With hints of citrus and pear and a light nose, I thought this was a pretty good prosecco.

Corregio Roero Nebbiolo Piemonte, Italy 2003-$18- Not Bad

This was a very fruit forward light bodied red. It had a little bit of an acidic, tanniny, dry finish but maintained its body. With the bitter savoriness of our arugula parmesan salad, it paired wonderfully showing a great complexity than at first taste. It also left a clean palate.

J Hofstatter Pinot Nero Valle D’Aosta, Italy 2005-$20- Damn Good

To me the best wine of the night, this bottle had a great fruity jammy nose with hints of cherry and a great taste to match. What made it interesting was its complex spicy finish. It went beautifully with our heavier more substantial pasta dishes. Less tannin than the previous wine, it had a medium body and was very drinkable.

Cake Tasting Chicago

The best part of planning a wedding is definitely the cake tasting. There is nothing more amazing than being handed a large array of cake and being told to have at it. In Chicago there is an endless number of great bakeries to choose from. To narrow down the list, I chose to go with a few bakeries that have made me instantly happy in the past with their smaller creations. Here is a brief review of my top 3. It was so hard to decide between cakes that we opted to do cake centerpieces giving us the leeway to choose up to 10 different cakes. I know….crazy….crazy awesome. I want people’s eyes to widen and mouth to instantly drool when they step into the reception hall. It’s all a foodie wanna be can ask for.
Bittersweet
A french style bakery that creates beautiful fondant and buttercream works of art without sacrificing taste. The cake was moist, frosting not too sweet, and presentation to die for. We bought a cake to taste at home just to see if the moistness would hold up on a larger scale and did it ever.

Sweet Mandy B’s
Going after the traditional American oldies but goodies, this place has offerings like mud cups and smore pies. Most known for their tasty cupcakes, we figured that the larger cakes would be equally yummy. We definitely were not disappointed. The cakes have a lighter crumb than Bittersweet’s, but have a wholesomeness and richness to it. A different style of bakery but equally good. We came away with a whole tray of cupcakes on the house. Our favorites were red velvet, banana, and carrot cake.

Letizia’s

Offering a selection of Italian style cakes, this bakery really goes for great taste from basic pure ingredients. The cake they usually do for weddings is a traditional Italian wedding cake called the Mimosa. It is made of light sponge cake with layers of delicious whipped cream flavored with marsala wine and berries. A layer of crumbled sponge is dusted on the cake, giving it a rough gold sand like finish. We couldn’t resist buying one of these cakes too.

Gaviola Strawberries

I am cheating, this picture is actually of Chandler strawberries, another California variety. But I want to sing the praises of Gaviola strawberries. I recently took a trip to Los Angeles and had the opportunity to check out Pasadena’s farmer’s market. I was minding my own business when I was handed a strawberry and one bite made me light up. It was the tastiest strawberry EVER. It had the sweet tartness of a cherry, the perfume of a strawberry, and some amazing floral qualities to it. My sister took a bite after a bought a couple pints and she immediately exclaimed, “Wow, this is a REALLY good strawberry.” It was like this scene in Ratatouille when he bites into a strawberry and cheese and fireworks go off. I tried it with sweet aged balsamic vinegar which usually brings out the taste of even the blandest strawberries, but they definitely were better pure. mmmm…wish I had access to them all the time. If anyone stumbles upon in the Windy City let me know!

Four Seed Tweety Bird Cookies

When I was buying the ingredients for these cookies from bulk item section of whole foods, it looked like I was feeding a very expensive bird so I thought dedicating this cookie to Tweety bird was appropriate. I was having a craving for nuts, granola, and an oatmeal cookie and these cookies are the surprisingly good result of this whim. Most of the cookie consists of nice crunchy delicious seeds rich in omega-3 and whatnot so I don’t feel so guilty eating them. On top of that they are super tasty and with the kosher salt have a little bit of saltiness to them. With every bite you get a nice texture with the nuttiness of the seeds and every once and a while hit a salt grain that balances out the sweet. I think you could use just about any seed/chopped nut in this recipe or add more items like dried currants, white raisins, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, peanut butter, or yogurt chips. So long as you mix everything up and it’s all a gooey mess, not too dry, the variations are endless.

Four Seed Tweety Bird Cookies

1/4 c. sesame seed
1/2 c. pepita seeds (green pumpkin seeds)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. flax seeds
1/2 c. oatmeal (not instant)
2 eggs
1 stick of butter
1/8 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt (depending on taste)

Preheat oven to 375 F

1. Cream soft butter and sugar together

2. Add wet ingredients and mix

3. Add all seeds…mix

4. Add dry ingredients..mix

5. Bake 375 F for 15 minutes or until golden brown

6. Eat with some tea or a tall glass of milk

Beer Brewing

So we did it. We bought a brew kit, the brewer’s best brew kit to be exact. It has almost everything you need to start brewing. In addition we got a 3.5 gallon pot along with a grain bag and a couple of smaller bags. Oooh….ahhhh. It is very exciting. We brewed our first batching using a friends smaller kit and its easy as pie. First you basically take the grains (and extract if using) and steep them in hot water to draw out the sugars at a specific temperature. Then you bring to a boil and depending on what you are making add hops and flavorings at the prescribed time. When everything is boiled, you cool it, try to keep everything sterile, and throw in the yeast once cooled. Dump everything in a bucket and wait for the yeast to percolate. Mmmm…it makes you house smell a little like syrup and bread. So yummy. This has definitely become one of my favorite hobbies. It takes a night to do and a few weeks of waiting time. The timing between each step is just enough to enjoy dinner with friends, watch a movie, and relax at home. Last night we started on our second batch, a deep rich dark belgium ale, and ate some finger linkin’ good ribs from Smoke Shack. We drank beer from a local microbrewery, Two Brothers Brewery. We bought a nice little sampler pack featuring their Domaine DuPage French Country Ale, Prairie Path Golden Ale, and the Cane and Ebel Red Rye Ale. All were pretty tasty and well done. The bitter tartness of the ales went perfect with the sweet spicy ribs. Makes my mouth water just thinking of it. More to come on our brewing adventures.

Spring

With the weather warming up in Chicago and many things to celebrate, Peter and I decided to mosey on over to Spring. Claimed by many to be one of the best restaurants in the city. I can understand why. The service was impeccable, the seafood fluffy, moist, and tender with subtle flavors that made your mind and tongue tingle with delight. Often times I go to restaurants and I think hmmm…I think I know how to make this, but not with Spring. The components are simple, but the layering of flavors speaks of a level of culinary skill not easily emulated. I got the Barramundi with white miso-potato gnocchi, caramelized cauliflower, edamame, and toasted cashews. The gnocchi was pillow soft and melted in my mouth, the most tender I had ever tasted. With hints of ginger and delicately flavored brown butter, it reminded me a little bit of my mom’s asian home cooking with the richness of French cuisine. mmmm…To drink I had a nice light reisling that went beautifully with the meal.

Kung Fu Girl, Riesling- 2006-$17, Walla Walla Valley, Washington

 

Nice and light with hints of pear and litchi, this is a wonderfully drinkable wine. Definitely something to have on hand with any form of seafood and lighter fare. I would love to have this with a nice salty cheese coarse or a fruity dessert.