Sweet Apple Goodness!

Posted on January 20, 2012 by 2eat2drink

Heather and I have many favorite desserts. The apple crostata is the newest on the list. The large size is $12 (small is $6), and quite the bargain in the bakery section at Wegmans. It’s worth every penny for its light as air crust and sweet apple goodness. I had actually purchased the cranberry apple crostata 3 times with the intention of shooting it, but we ate it first. When I went back for it the 4th time, the apple cranberry had been phased out. Thus, Heather presents the apple crostata! I have to add…they have now phased out the apple, and are on to cherry! My apologies, as I’ve been a little too busy to get this shot posted. But I hope you jump at the opportunity to get a cherry crostata!! Let me know if it’s as good as I’m dreaming it is…

The super yummy apple crostata!

The sparkling Finger Lakes!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by 2eat2drink

Hi, it’s Heather! As Rich mentioned in the last post, over the holiday season, we had the opportunity to try a few of the sparkling wines that are produced here in the Finger Lakes region. Here’s a quick synopsis of our taste test:

First we sampled Hunt Country’s Chardonnay Champagne. This wine was deep, rich and delicious, with pear and apple flavors, a surprising hint of buttered popcorn, and a caramelized-buttery finish. It reminded us of crème brulée, and we agreed that it would pair nicely with that dessert. We just may have to pick up another bottle soon!

Next up was the award-winning 2006 Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs. We already knew that we liked Chateau Frank Célèbre, as well as Célèbre Rosé. We were eager to try the 2006 Blanc de Blancs, which won gold at both the Tasters Guild International and the Los Angeles International Wine Competitions. It also was given a 90 point rating by Wine and Spirits Magazine. This sparkling wine is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc. It was light, refreshing, and extremely well-balanced. The slightly floral aroma led into a sweet start with citrus and pear flavors. The finish was dry and crisp. We agreed that it was the most “Champagne-like” of the sparkling wines that we tasted, and well-deserving of its many honors.

Finally, we indulged in Swedish Hill’s Riesling Cuvée. This is another award-winning wine, having garnered the Governor’s Cup at the 2010 New York Wine and Food Classic, the highest honor for a New York State wine. It was pleasantly light and crisp, with a fruity aroma and hints of peach on the palate. This slightly sweet sparkling wine was quite amazing!

What’s your favorite Finger Lakes sparkling wine? Leave us a comment so we can try your recommendations!

Happy Birthday, Big Poppa!

Posted on September 6, 2011 by 2eat2drink

You may not know it, but that’s Rich’s nickname around here. And you also may not know that yesterday was his birthday! It was a wonderful, wacky day, despite the constant rain clouds and occasional complaints from the boys about it being the last day of summer vacation. Regardless, we made the most of it! Between showers, we even found time to fire up the grill. For his birthday dinner, Rich wanted tuna steaks, which we had with basmati rice, diced jalapeños and shitake mushrooms. As for a salad, we went totally unconventional and had watermelon topped with spring greens, queso fresco, cucumber julienne, chopped green onion, grilled tomatillo (as a sauce), sea salt & crushed pepper, and red chili olive oil. Oh, and the boys had macaroni and cheese (though two of them consented to try the tuna, and actually liked it!) We paired our tuna with a 2009 Burgans Albariño. We kind of love Spanish wine, and this was a very good one. It’s quite fruity (in a peachy/apricot way) without being overly sweet. It has a nice, crisp finish, and went beautifully with the meal. For dessert, a chocolate dome. I once made the mistake of referring to this particular dessert as a “chocolate boob” in front of the boys, and thus it shall always be known in our household. In between photo shoots, Rich found time to play Black Ops with the boys, and later, to cuddle on the couch with me. Yeah, it was a good day!

Watermelon queso fresco salad.

2009 Burgans Albariño.

Seared tuna steak...ready for its close up.

Tuna by candle light.

The chocolate, um, dome.

Campfires and the double marshmallow, Special Dark chocolate s’more!

Posted on August 16, 2011 by 2eat2drink

The campfire. A summertime ritual that must include the s’more! Really, what is the purpose of going to the trouble of making the fire, if you’re not going to toast a marshmallow (or two), and eat it between layers of graham craker and gooey chocolate!? I’ve found my s’more happy place using the Hershey’s Special Dark bar. And, since s’mores are not just for kids, bring along a bottle of Trader Vic’s Macadamia nut liqueur. The warm, nutty, smokey flavors pair up perfectly!

Some of you are probably wondering why Cha! Cha! the Rainforest Cafe frog is in the picture with our boys. They had discovered a photo contest with a grand prize trip to Disney World! And given my last post and our love of all things Disney, they asked if we could enter. I obliged and thought I’d ask a favor…please vote for our entry here:

EDIT: Since the contest is over I removed the link, but thanks for voting!

All jokes aside….I think I need to go make some…more….s’mores.

The double marshmallow, dark chocolate s'more.

Cha Cha joined us for the campfire.

Once the boys each had a s'more, Heather and I got our turn.

I'm a believer in the nicely toasted, not burned, marshmallow.

Trader Vic's macadamia nut liqueur, an awesome pairing for s'mores!

the NOLA Margarita

Posted on March 8, 2011 by 2eat2drink

NOLA. New Orleans, Louisiana. A place storied in history, but Heather & I had never been… until August of last year. We were just there for a long weekend, but got a great glimpse into its fabulous culinary and liquid culture. One place stood out above all… The Green Goddess. During both of our visits to this fabulous little restaurant (yes, it was so good the first night, we went back!), we got to sit at the bar and witness Scotty’s incredible craftsmanship as he made drinks for his guests. He passed along one of his secret ingredients: Steen’s Cane Syrup, the cooked down juice from ripened sugar cane. A dark brown, sticky, sweet, molasses-like goo… yum!

We decided to introduce the cane syrup into one of our favorite drinks, the margarita (which had played a small role in our third date, a Cinco De Mayo party). With the addition of cloves, it’s a wonderful new experience!

Start by letting the cloves marinate in your tequila overnight, one clove per ounce. I suggest 1800 Reposado for its nice, deep mellow character at a fantastic price. The clove-infused tequila will keep for a while, so it’s o.k. to be generous in the amount you make.

Over crushed ice in a rocks glass, pour 1 1/2 ounces of clove-infused tequila (strain out the cloves), 1 1/4 ounces triple sec, 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and 1/2 ounce Steen’s Cane Syrup. Stir thoroughly as the cane syrup is quite thick. Salt the rim as desired…..Heather’s with, mine without. Garnish with lime and orange wedges, sit back and enjoy!