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 With the end of the year drawing near, I’ve been racing around trying to tie up loose ends. Between family birthday celebrations, work and catching up with good friends, it has been a whirlwind to say the least.  Even though today’s rain has slowed me down a bit, I’m making progress. I think a cup of lemon ginger tea might be very soothing just about now! And then it’s back to work.  I’m looking forward to cooking dinner for a friend this evening, opening a nice bottle of wine and having a fun and relaxed night. I’ll be back tomorrow with a review!
Have a peaceful Thursday! Cheers! Penina  I got up very early on Monday morning and drove to Costco before their doors opened in the hopes of arriving before the crowd did. It seems that everyone else had the same idea. What was I thinking? Eleven days before Xmas! It was an adventure to say the least.  Fortunately, the rest of my day ran smoothly. And by the time evening rolled around, I was ready for a fun dinner with my friend. I decided to be adventurous, shake things up a little so to speak and have a Cosmopolitan which I have never tried! I’m not a fan of mixed or sweet drinks, especially when it involves vodka. But this cocktail was quite interesting. It was just the right balance of not being overly sweet or tart. It is made with vodka, cranberry juice, Triple Sec and lime juice. Of course, after having one of these, I declined on having any wine. So I sipped on water with my dinner!  It is a beautiful but blustery day and I have much to do!
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  Saturday evening was very low key. I was invited over to a friend’s home for pizza, wine and NHL hockey. We watched the NY Rangers lose for the second time in a row. I must admit that I dozed through half the game because it started so late in the evening!  The pizza was good and the wine was excellent! My friend brought out a 2010 Beekeeper Cellars Zinfandel from the Madrone Spring Vineyard in Sonoma. He told me that only 109 cases were made and he had been saving it for quite awhile. The wine is made with 89% Zinfandel and 11% Petite Sirah. Heady aromas of dark fruit and spice transitioned into complex layers of blackberry, raspberry, pepper and hints of vanilla. It was full bodied with medium tannins and it was good to the last drop! Ian Blackburn is the Proprietor and Winemaker. http://www.beekeepercellars.com It’s time to head outdoors and enjoy another beautiful day.
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  Last evening I had a few friends over for “cocktail” hour to celebrate the onset of the weekend and holidays. Even though it was unseasonably warm out, the decorations helped to put us in a more “winter” frame of mind.  In addition to serving other spirits, I opened a 2013 Saddlebred Cellars Pinot Noir from Sicily. This inexpensive 100% Pinot was bright crimson with aromas of cherry and raspberry. On the palate, hints of floral along with dark cherry, pomegranate and strawberry were present. The finish was long with a touch of white pepper. It was a very smooth and silky Pinot Noir. I couldn’t find any info on the vineyard itself, but I will continue to research it.  For appetizers, I served baked Cranberry Brie, Spinach Quiche and assorted cheeses and fruit. I’m off to embrace this beautiful spring day on December 12th!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  Wednesday was filled with laughter and good cheer as friends and co-workers gathered together to celebrate the holiday at a beautifully decorated restaurant.  We kicked off the festivities with an array of cocktail orders. I chose the Rum Toddy made with Infused Rum and Spiced Apple Cider. It was warm and delicious! The basic concept of infusing is to start with a base liquor such as vodka, rum or gin, then add a single or combination of flavors to it like herbs, spices or fruit flavors. It is quite simple to prepare. Start with a clean mason jar. Add the flavors to the jar and then fill with the spirit of your choice. Cover tightly and shake. Store in a dark place for minimum of 3 days, shaking the mixture a few times a day. Do a taste test after 3 days to determine if it is has reached the flavor you want. When ready, discard the flavoring ingredients, place infusion in a clean jar and store at room temperature. Enjoy!  In addition to a Baby Arugula salad and appetizers for the table, I enjoyed Chocolate Mezzaluna as a main course. The pasta was stuffed with butternut squash ricotta cheese, roasted chestnuts, parsnip puree in a brown butter garlic sage lemon sauce. It was quite unusual and very tasty, although a touch too much lemon in the sauce.  The meal ended with Petits Beignet, served with strawberry preserves, caramel and chocolate sauce.  We were all pleasantly sated by the end of the meal and possibly a few ounces heavier! Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  Busy, busy, busy. It’s that time of year when there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. It was a productive Tuesday, but still so much to do!  I finally exhaled when the sun went down and spent a wonderful evening with a good friend, sharing stories over Grey Goose martinis. No time for reviews or chit chat today. I’m racing off to a holiday luncheon. Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Yesterday was a laid back kind of Sunday with the NY Sunday Times and the Jets vs. Giants game on the television. It was a wild game with the Jets scoring a touchdown in the last 27 seconds to tie the game. The Jets won 23 to 20 in overtime. I was rooting for the Giants…oh well.  Since it was the first night of Hanukkah, I wanted to be festive so I opened a bottle of Shingleback’s 2011 The Gate Shiraz. I reviewed this wine in June and had every intention of saving the last few bottles to open over the course of several years. However, I couldn’t resist opening another bottle last night! My review is the same as it was in June. “The wine is produced in the McLaren Vale area of South Australia. It scored high points in the 90’s and has won many awards. This full-bodied wine was deep purple with aromas of dark fruit, oak and spices. The palate was a feast of layers, oozing dark jams, cherry, oak, pepper, spices and a hint of vanilla. Silky tannins and a solid backbone gave way to a long finish.” This is an excellent wine with lots of character. I hope I have enough self-control to keep the other bottles under wrap! http://www.shingleback.com  I have a crazy week ahead, but I’ll be back very soon!
Cheers! Penina  It was a lovely weekend filled with birthday and holiday celebrations. I enjoyed attending a few parties without the fuss of my planning and cooking for a change! The various festivities offered catered finger food or buffet style home cooked dishes along with an assortment of wine, champagne and other spirits. I didn’t taste or open any interesting wines over the past few days, but I did enjoy the Veuve Clicquot that was being passed around at one of the parties!  CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE FOR DETAILS As I ease myself back into the world of design and knitting, I’ve been going over some of the “artwear” I have made over the years in the hopes of inspiring and igniting my creative juices again. I came across this sweater that I designed for my niece. It is a basic crew neck sweater that I knitted and then hand embroidered flowers on it to give it a little pizzazz. The sweater has given me a few ideas for some winter hats. It’s a little more work, but worth the effort and end results!  Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight. Potato latkes served with an array of toppings and Soofganiyot (Israeli Doughnuts) are traditional treats served on this holiday. There are many recipes that can be found online or perhaps you have a favorite that you might want to share. If I find my Orange Soofganiyot recipe, I’ll post it. If you are lighting the candles, I wish you a very Happy Hanukkah!
Cheers! Penina  Aside from one soak drenched day this week, the weather has been beautiful. Holiday decorations are going up and some of the homes and properties I have seen are quite magical. I’m starting to think about holiday menus and pairings. The other evening I made a delicious meal of baked Halibut with lemon, olive oil, cherry tomatoes and capers. For the side dish, I sautéed together shallots, sweet potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms. It was a simple dinner, but my guest said it was “restaurant quality”, as he quickly gobbled it all down.  I paired a 2010 Château Lascombes Haut-Médoc de Lascombes to go with the dinner. It is the third label of a Margaux second growth. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. This Bordeaux blend was deep purple with lovely aromas of blackberry, plums and spices. I found this to be an “earthy” wine and full-bodied. The palate offered dark fruit, plum, spice and hints of oak that carried through to a nice finish. I have a few more bottles that will be opened over the next year or two! www.chateau-lascombes.com  The weekend is here and although I have work to attend to, there are a few holiday parties to drop in on! Have a great Friday!
Cheers! Penina  As I have mentioned time and again, I tend to be a “purist” when it comes to drinking vodka. I like it cold and neat, although I won’t turn my nose up at a well made martini! I remember a few years back sitting at a restaurant bar late in the evening with a friend sampling all the flavored vodkas, gratis the bartender. It was a fruit contest of apple, cherry, orange, lemon, tangerine and peach. Nothing tasted real and most of it was very sweet and syrupy. I was forever cured of wanting any flavored vodka again.  But last evening, I tried American-Made Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka. I reviewed their Zodiac Original potato vodka about a year ago and was very impressed with it. You can read the review at http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2014/11/day-132.html. So I was quite anxious to taste their newest product. Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka is handcrafted potato vodka, made with natural cherry flavors using 100% locally sourced ingredients in Idaho. The vodka is distilled once and is 70 proof. The color was clear with subtle notes of maraschino cherry and vanilla on the nose. The aromas segued onto the palate giving a little more cherry and heat on the finish. It was not cloyingly sweet, as most fruit flavored vodkas tend to be. It was smooth and easy to drink straight. This vodka would make a great mixer in a cocktail and I’m definitely going to try a Black Cherry Martini with a dash of lemon juice. Yum! www.zodiacvodka.com Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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