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 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  It was a busy weekend and I decided to take a break from the computer…hence no posts. Between decorating a winter wonderland scene in the office window and adorning my home with festive décor as well, I may have gotten caught up in the frenzy of rushing the holiday.  With holiday parties on the horizon, I’ve started thinking about festive “punch bowl” drinks, both warm and cold to serve to guests. Hot toddies, spiced drinks and eggnog recipes are the more traditional ways to go. Most recipes can be found online and can be made with or without alcohol.  Wassail is an English drink traditionally made with hard cider, sugar-roasted apples, brandy and spices and quite popular around the holidays. Wassail gets its name from the Old English term "waes hael", meaning, "be well". The definition of wassail according to one dictionary is “ A salutation or toast given in drinking someone's health or as an expression of goodwill at a festivity.” The Oxford dictionary says “Spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve: a mighty bowl of wassail in which the apples were hissing and bubbling.” Works for me! There are many wassail traditions such as “toasting” to good health, wassailing and the blessing of the fruit or trees. Wassaling is the act of visiting neighbors, singing carols and sharing a cup of warm spiced ale. Back in the day, spiced cider was offered as an ancient honor to the fruit trees. Bread or cake was soaked in the wassail and buried at the tree roots or hung from the branches to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. The soaked bread was meant to placate the tree spirits and keep them well fed until the next harvest. Wassail songs are being revived today in pubs and farm throughout England and the old custom of blessing the crops is being revived as well. So, explore some interesting holiday punches to add to the menu at your next party!
Waes Hael! Penina  I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I certainly did! Family and friends filled up my home with good cheer as well as the wonderful aromas of food emanating from the kitchen.  As usual, I made more food than was necessary and now I will have fun getting inventive with all the leftovers. Of course I overdid it with the desserts, so perhaps I’ll put together little dessert packages for a few people today.  Two wines graced the Thanksgiving table yesterday. We opened a 2013 Acrobat Pinot Noir from Oregon and a 2011 I Balzini Black Label. Both wines complemented the meal from appetizers to dessert. I reviewed the I Balzini a few weeks ago. You can read it at http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/11/day-375.html The Acrobat Pinot Noir comes from the King Estate Winery, founded in 1991. The color of the wine was cherry red with aromas of expressive berries and spice. The palate offered smooth and velvety flavors of cherry, plum and cranberry with hints of oak and spice. The finish was long. https://www.kingestate.com It’s a beautiful day and time to start changing the décor inside and outside to acknowledge the upcoming holidays.
Have a great Friday! Cheers! Penina 
Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with joy and laughter!
Cheers! Penina  Tis the day before Thanksgiving and I’m checking off my list of things to do. I have already made the artichoke dip and Key Lime Pie. The majority of dishes will be made tomorrow morning while the turkey is roasting. I have a Burgundy, Rosé and Chardonnay chilling in the refrigerator and Pinot Noir sitting on the table.  My famous Key Lime Pie! Very yummy!  Last evening I got together with a friend for a pre holiday drink. He poured us ice cold Bootlegger 21 Vodka from the Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe, NY. Brian Facquet and John F.K. Walsh own the distillery. The vodka is 80 proof, 100% corn based and is distilled six times. It was sweet on the nose and carried through to the palate. I found it to be very smooth and clean. They also make gin and bourbon. http://www.prohibitiondistillery.com/ Okay…back to cooking and cleaning!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  As much as I would have loved to lounge in bed on Sunday morning, I had to be at the office early. So I begrudgingly hopped out of bed to face a few hours of work.  By the time I got home, the sky was already turning pink from the sun beginning to set. I turned on the last quarter of the Jets game and got very comfy on my sofa. My plan was to be a “hermit” for the evening and mellow out. However, a good friend thought I needed his company and arrived with sushi and wine.  Most people enjoy green tea, sake or beer with sushi. But, there are many wines that complement the spiciness and exotic flavors of Japanese food. Dry Rieslings, Chardonnay, dry Rosé, sparkling wines, Gruner Veltliner and Gavi are good matches. Subtle fruit tones and high acid wines are the best go to for sushi pairings.  Last night we enjoyed a 2010 Broglia “La Meirana” Gavi di Gavi made with 100% Cortese grape. This was a crisp wine with subtle flavors of stone fruit and honey. It was very easy to drink and quite delicious! Broglia is considered the oldest winery in Gavi. Check out their website for the history. http://www.broglia.it I have lots to do before Thanksgiving!
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  The last few days have been quite busy, but I’m taking a little time to exhale this weekend. The skies are blue, the temps a bit chilly, but it’s a beautiful day to spend outdoors.  The other evening a friend and I shared a bottle of 2013 Smith-Madrone Riesling from the Spring Mountain District of Napa. This 100% Riesling is 12.6% alcohol and comes from Stu and Charles Smith’s 42-year-old vines. This pale yellow wine is vibrant with lively acidity and is quite refreshing. Aromas of stone fruit, apples, honeysuckle and a hint of grapefruit were present. The palate was a feast of lime, apricot, honeysuckle, citrus notes and a hint of spice. The finish was long with a creaminess lingering on the palate. I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this at Thanksgiving! http://www.smithmadrone.com/index.htm  A friend recently asked why he hadn’t seen any “knitting” posts on my blog for such a long time. I must admit that my journeys have taken me down a different path of late. However, with the winter months soon to be upon us, I will be knitting once again. I need to knit a few more scarves and hats to keep my friends and me warm on the slopes and trails this season! Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  Quite a few years ago I had the opportunity to take some cooking classes with a local chef in her home. One of the recipes she prepared became a favorite at our Thanksgiving table, Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Gratin. Over the years I have tweaked and revised the recipe, but there is no way around avoiding the heavy cream. You will need a 9” baking dish. 2 Tbsp. Butter or olive oil 4 cups of medium diced butternut squash 2 to 3 shallots finely diced 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 1 ½ cups heavy cream chopped thyme and sage (to your taste) salt & pepper nutmeg Grated Gruyere cheese (or another favorite cheese) 1. Heat butter or olive oil in heavy bottom sauté pan 2. Add butternut squash, season with salt & pepper, cook for 4 min. 3. Clear space in center of pan & add shallots and garlic. Cook until translucent. 4. Add cream, herbs, spice and cauliflower 5. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. 6. Put mixture in baking dish and top with cheese. Put under broiler until top is golden brown. Serves 6 Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina Knowing how much I love to taste “new” vodkas, the other evening my friend introduced me to vodka that I had never heard of.  Snow Queen Vodka is produced in Kazakhstan using organic wheat and sand filtered artesian spring water from the foothills of the Himalayas. The vodka is distilled five times with Kazakh birch charcoal. Snow Queen was launched in London in 2004 and the US in 2006. It has won numerous awards including Gold Medal winner and Vodka Trophy at the International Spirits Challenge 2014. Needless to say, the bottle is beautiful! The nose carried a hint of wheat and nuts. The palate offered a very clean and creamy texture with traces of vanilla. The finish was long with lots of cream and a hint of pepper. It was quite refreshing and ever so smooth. Snow Queen is 80 proof and although I like to drink vodka “neat”, it would also make a great Snow Queen martini or a go to ingredient in cocktails. It would also make a lovely gift for the holidays! http://www.snowqueenvodka.com 
I know that I promised a great side dish recipe for the holiday table and it will be posted tomorrow!
Have a great Wednesday! Cheers! Penina |
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