Category Archives: Drink

The magic of all things Disney!

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Disney World! Yes, we were lucky enough to spend a week there this June. (I’m a touch behind on my post!) Though this blog is about food and drink, our trip was definitely not; it was a chance for our 3 boys to have the time of their lives after a busy school year! While there are many fine dining choices at Walt Disney World, our fare on this trip mainly consisted of “quick service” meals and ice cream snacks, squeezed in between the amazing rides, shows, and parades that had us all spellbound. There are just so many wonderful attractions, we were constantly on the go, and found time for only one table-service meal during the entire week!

Thanks to my wonderful in-laws, who accompanied us on the trip, Heather and I did get a kid-free evening to take a journey around the world in Epcot. While strolling through the World Showcase, we stopped at the Rose and Crown Pub in the United Kingdom pavilion for a quick bite and a drink. We noshed on the Scotch Egg, which is a hard-boild egg wrapped in sausage and fried to a golden brown, then served with mustard sauce and mixed greens. The house-made potato crisps were a nice addition. As for drinks, Heather went with the classic Pimm’s Cup, and I opted for the Single Malt Scotch flight, which included Glenkinchie 12 year, Oban 14 year, and Lagavulin 16 year Scotch whiskeys. The Oban was my favorite, but more research is needed and I’ll be working on a Scotch post soon!

If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, we hope this post will inspire you to make the trip. If you have been there before (and if you’re anything like us!), it just might make you want to go back again and again! There truly is nothing quite like the magic of Disney.

Cinderella's Castle had fireworks every night!

Who can resist Mickey-shaped ice cream treats?!

The Rose and Crown Pub. Homemade potato crisps, a very large flight of Scotch, and a Scotch egg!

The magic of all things Disney! (via the iPhone)

Our tired-yet-excited group on the first night!

Cheers.....to our next Disney trip! (note Mt. Everest in the background)

Yes, I really did drink prehistoric plant matter deposits.

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Blackwater. A high tech private security company, not something you would normally choose to drink. I have to say I was intrigued by the packaging of the blk.blackwater bottle. And growing up in the Star Wars era, how can I resist the reference? (Score one for the design team! Maybe the same team that designs the wine that you buy for the cool label?) So, despite the fact that blk. is Canadian spring water infused with fulvic acid (prehistoric plant matter deposits)….I bought two bottles to bring to Watkins Glen International for my upcoming driving school! Fulvic acid and balancing my ph level may help me learn more car control, and drive my M3 smoother. What? Seriously…what was I thinking? OK…I was really thinking….the cool package will make a fun shot and I get to talk about driving at the Glen! I didn’t actually notice an improvement in my driving, but I did feel hydrated. There was definitely a mineral infused taste, but I’m intrigued by the idea of balancing the ph level of your body. I’ll have to do more research, but blk has a 9.0+ ph level, which is very alkaline and helps to balance the acid produced in our bodies from such things as (among many) cheese, chocolate, meat, beer and pasta. Given my blog, you know I eat all of those…..so I may need more blk.

Side note: If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to actually control your car, rather than just gently guide it where its going, sign yourself up for a high performance driving school.  It’s highly educational, a safe environment to discover the limits of your car (and you), and unbelievably fun! Let me know if you have a question.

blk. bottles full of blackwater on the rear wing of the M3.

It was fun seeing the 6 Ferraris out on the track with me. (Giving them a point by.)

The BMW E36 M3 is a super fun car!

Tires are a very important part in controlling your car.

I want Mahón!

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Nutty, smoky, earthy, deep fruit goodness. Wow, sign me up to do this post again! Spanish cheeses have always been on of my list of favorites, Mahón among them. It is a cow’s milk cheese (a rarity for Spain), that is only produced on the island of Menorca. Heather and I actually got to meet the daughters of a Menorcan cheese maker at the Disney Food and Wine Festival a couple of years ago. That was a treat and we got a personal lesson in the pronunciation of Mahón (ma-own). We had the soft, fresh version at Disney, but I found the aged version at the store the other day. They are very different, but both excellent. The aged cheese is firm, flaky and light with a nutty, woody taste. The fig almond cake (pressed dried figs with almonds) was a great match.

With the addition of a Rioja Tempranillo, your trip to taste bud heaven will commence! The Viña Zaco Tempranillo Rioja 2006 was an incredible pairing for the Mahón. It’s an earthy, slightly spicy, medium to full bodied wine, with hints of dried cherry, smoke, and maybe cloves. Did I mention it was a great pairing? I’m going back for more. Cheers!

Mahon, almond fig cake and tempranillo. Wow!

Viña Zaco Tempranillo Rioja 2006.

A little more watermelon avocado salsa, please.

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Summer calls for lighter meals and this was an excellent example! Most fish falls in the category of lighter fare for me. The corvina (from the Pacific coast of South America) was no exception;  meaty, but extremely light in flavor, flaking off in large chunks. It looks and tastes like a cross between mahi and red snapper.

The watermelon avocado salsa was a last minute addition (luckily remembering the watermelon and avocado were sitting on the counter). Our meal was postponed for a half hour to let it chill, but it was worth the wait! A serving for 2 included half an avocado (chunked), the juice of 2 limes, 2 diced slices of watermelon (mini seedless variety), some very thinly sliced white onion, mint and cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Serve on top of the fish, in many heaping spoonfuls, for a nice contrast to the silkiness of the corvina.

Pink wine! I have to say (due to previous experience some years ago), I had a preconceived notion that pink wine is sweet and not very good.  However, I’ve been hearing excellent things about rosés (especially from the Finger Lakes), and wanted to give one a try. The Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Rosé is actually quite full bodied, and dry, as per the name. It had very slight hints of floral notes, as well as apricot and raspberry. The acidity paired well with the fish and the lime in the salsa. I love finding a Finger Lakes wine I will purchase again!

As it hit 100˚F in Rochester yesterday…….happy hot summer to everyone! Hope you get a chance to enjoy this meal soon!

Corvina topped with watermelon avocado salsa!

Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Rosé. Pink wine is good!

Mid-summer watermelon is wonderfully refreshing.

Fresh basil from the garden! Sliced super fine.

Just a few paper thin slices of onion.

An avocado just looks like summer.

Have a sparkling, refreshing 4th of July!

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I was inspired by the Bluecoat American Dry Gin bottle I had in the cupboard to remind you to have a sparkling, refreshing 4th of July! A simple, fast, thirst-quenching beverage…the gin & tonic. Add blueberries and raspberries and it’s a patriotic treasure. Enjoy, and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Pour 2 oz. Bluecoat American Dry Gin over ice, add blueberries and raspberries, top off with tonic water, then sit back and enjoy the fireworks. (Click on the image to enlarge and enjoy the tonic bubble fireworks over the glass!)

The Bluecoat "red, white and blue" gin and tonic.

We got Naked with chianti.

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Naked Pizza that is. Yes…the name of the chain is intriguing (and innuendo inspiring), so we thought we’d give it a try. We ordered the Mediterranean pizza for Heather and I, and a plain cheese for the boys. I think the cheese pizza was gone before we actually ate ours (due to some crazy photographer taking pictures). So, I’m pretty sure they liked it! As did we. It was very flavorful and true to its Mediterranean influence with artichokes, red onion, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives. We decided to pair it with a 2007 Chianti Classico that was #47 on the Wine Spectator top 100 list, from Casttello D’Albola. The wine was marvelous. Super red in color, easily drinkable, and perfect with Pizza. I suggest you get Naked soon!

The Naked Mediterranean pizza.

The 2007 Castello D'Albola Chianti Classico catching a big breath.

Trugole, Castelvetrano and prosciutto….oh my!

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WOW! Cheese is one of my weaknesses. And Trugole is one of Heather and my favorites. It’s made in the Asiago region of the Italian Alps, where the cows graze in certain rich pastures. This creates its unique and wonderful flavor. The semi-firm cheese is rich, yet mild  at the same time, and creamy with almost a hint of fruit.

The super bright green olives pictured are from Castelvetrano, Sicily. And, like the cheese, I find them to be rich, flavorful and mild all at the same time.  They have a mellow buttery flavor that went nicely with the cheese.  If you claim not to like olives…these will change your mind. Seriously….try one.

Lacking an Italian  wine, we chose a French (from the Loire Valley) 2009 Chateau la Noe muscadet out of the wine fridge. The wine was medium bodied and slightly spicy with a crisp finish. Its earthiness paired well with the rich textures of the cheese and olives.

Add some dry-cured prosciutto and you have a treat (or meal) fit for a king!

Trugole cheese....one of our favorites!

Castelvetrano olives. O.M.G.

2009 Chateau la Noe Muscadet. Excellent choice.

What’s for dinner? Rich buttery Patagonian toothfish!?

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I had spent a couple hours roasting red peppers at the studio for a shoot (for roasted red pepper hummus), and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I asked Heather what we should get to go with them for dinner, and we decided on Patagonian Toothfish. Well, that’s what it was called until some clever marketing changed that not so pleasant name to Chilean sea bass (more upscale and in keeping with the rich, marvelous flavors of the fish). With a few sauteed mushrooms and red onions, (and the roasted red peppers), we served our pan seared sea bass over rice, topped with fresh chopped basil and drizzled with lemon extra virgin olive oil. What a decadent, flavorful treat!

We decided to pair the fish with a 2009  Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde. I might normally suggest a richer white, or even a pinot noir, but thought the light bodied wine would be a nice match given it was a very warm evening. The wine is dry with light fruity tones, and high in acidity. It actually worked very well as a pairing and made for an excellent meal.

Chilean sea bass, also known as the Patagonian Toothfish. Either way, it's excellent!

Drizzled with lemon extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor.

2009 Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, from Portugal. A great summer wine!

You know you want one…the creamy root beer float!

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What would summer be with out the root beer float? Our boys have been asking for them ever since the weather started to warm up. While they may not be too picky about the quality (yet), Heather and I are always searching for the best ingredients (which are the key to a great drink). We stumbled upon Iron Fireman Root Beer during a visit to Custom Brewcrafters in Honeoye Falls, NY. It’s fabulously deep, creamy and spicy, with hints of wintergreen and anise and a dark foamy head. It paired marvelously with Perry’s Vanilla Bean ice cream to create our summer classic!

The Iron Fireman root beer float!

Blimey! That’s a good ale!

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Get out your best British accent for this one! American Craft Beer week ended yesterday, so it’s about blimey time I got this posted. Why did I pick this beer? I just wanted to say blimey as many times as I could! Blimey right. Well, that’s not entirely true. I thought it would be fun to try another local brew, and this was the lucky choice from Three Heads Brewing. I think the British palace guard on the bottle might have knocked back a few of these to feel so peaceful….it’s bloody strong (as I noted near the end of this 22oz. bottle, at 6%). Sorry, I should say…it’s blimey strong! A blimey good ale, if I may say, as well. A slight bit of citrus and malt to start (some caramel in there somewhere too), gave way to a strong finish of hop bitterness. You’ll know you’re drinking it…as you blimey well should! Cheerio!

Three Heads Brewing Blimey - English Style Pale Ale.

"It's blimey good and strong", says our peaceful palace guard.....