Nibbles & Sips

Fun with food and beverages: recipes and opinions about what, how, and why we eat.

Meet the Whites: Chardonnay

Sips
Chardonnay from Waggy Tail Winery

Another shout out to Waggy Tail Winery!

Some would consider my not covering Chardonnay first heresy–I say it made just plain good sense. Chardonnay is something a lot of people drink because they recognize the name, not because they necessarily like it. It’s on every wine list and every hotel and restaurant has their house white which is probably 9 times out of 10 a Chardonnay.

That said, there’s a reason it’s so popular to begin with. Chardonnay has a lot going for it in a fresh, crisp way with a strong combination of flavors from lemon and apple to melon and pineapple. It’s often described as having a buttery texture from the malolactic fermentation.

And then there’s the oak.

I usually steer clear of Chardonnay because I dislike tasting the barrel it was aged in. Of course, not all Chardonnay’s are heavy on the oak, but so many run of the mill ones are (despite the rise in oak barrel costs–some use oak chips, instead) that it’sturned me off in general. That said, Chardonnay’s bossier flavors do work well in many menu situations.

Chardonnay is still suited towards fish, chicken and vegetables (which is why, so I’ve read, it became so ubiquitous in California during the health-crazed 80s), but not being a shy violet it can stand up to richer, spicier foods and buttery sauces. You could even pair it with a nice veal and be perfectly content.

Unlike the last two whites (Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc) which were best enjoyed within a year of purchase, a Chardonnay from a reputable winery can be aged 3 to 8 years and still be wonderful to drink. Of course, this doesn’t mean sitting it on the rack in your kitchen where the temperature fluctuates wildly. Not that you have to build your own cellar (though I suppose you could), but investing in a good wine cooler would be a sure-fired way to keep your investment from turning into vinegar.

Geek Food Alert!

Nibbles

Do you know what today is? It’s Pi(e) Day!

Okay, sure, the offical National PIE Day is January 23, but on March 14, geeks everywhere celebrate our own PI Day.

(And for the numerically disinclined, Π = 3.14159, so when the digital calender reads 3.14, we see Pi!)

This happens every year, of course, but what usually happens is I always remember too late to do something for it. Not only did I make it a point to have it on my calendar at the beginning of the year, but I scheduled it enough in advance that not only will we have pie for dessert, tonight, but I baked the pie early enough to blog it!

Our pie is a double-crust mincemeat (it was already in the pantry, I planned ahead, but only so much) baked in a false-bottom tart pan for easy serving.

A squared mincemeat pie for Pi Day

And, yes, my pie? Are square 😉

Are you doing anything special for Pi Day?

PS: Our friends at Lofty Pursuits would like to remind you that tomorrow, March 15, is National Egg Cream day. Never had one? Find your nearest soda fountain and give one a whirl!

Cupcakery Abounds

Nibbles

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my first Meet-Up with the All About Food in Tallahassee group. Having found out about the group from a TNG (Tallahassee Nerds & Geeks) member, that makes MeetUp.com 2 for 2 meeting fabulous folks.

As you might have guessed, the theme, flavor and activity of choice for the meetup was cupcakes.

Coffee table filled with finished cupcakes and cookies, at least 60

We had at least 60 decorated cupcakes by day's end.

Our hostess is quite the cake decorator, herself, and I was a happy helper monkey busting out my old supplies and my somewhat-rusty piping skills to make my own creations as well as help others get the hang of things with theirs.

It almost makes me want to teach for Wilton again.

Except for the whole time thing. Or, rather, the lack thereof.

But for a day’s outing, it was a nice return to my old creative stomping grounds.

To host your own cupcake afternoon, here’s the skinny on how our hostess made it so very enjoyable.

1. Start with your supplies.

Steff had plenty of decorating tools for folks to use and the ones I brought made a good back-up when the frosting started flying.

Tables are required since the cakes have to sit somewhere; she put a cover on her pool table as a second table to allow plenty of table-space for everyone.

The table laden with supplies and inspiration.

The table laden with supplies and inspiration, just waiting for us to start.

2. Gather the troops and get them to bring things.

Several people brought un-iced cupcakes and a few people brought cookies. Others brought candies and toppings to be used in decorating.

Of course, meetups can’t live by sugar alone! There was also plenty of savory snacking to be had to fend off the sugar coma pure icing would have otherwise caused.

Savory foods laid out for snacking

Savory foods laid out for snacking

This meant that we didn’t actually start decorating for a while, instead we had the usual nosh and nose-around-people’s-lives until the last folks had arrived.

3. Give ’em their marching orders and let the wild cupcaking begin!

A few words of guidance from Steff and it was pretty much catch-as-catch can. The cupcakes were moved around to make room for people to work, tools were grabbed and the icing started to flow.

Scraps piping fishnet stockings onto a cookie

Piping fishnet stockings onto a cookie.

One enterprising attendee made peanut butter cookie people (and his own cutter/mold, too) and decided to make both the girls and the boys. Alas, when presented with such a start, there was nothing else to do but dress the boobalicious peanut butter girl in some fishnets and lingerie.

Then someone wanted some guidance building a cupcake pooch from one of the books available for inspiration. She did such an amazing job–I was so proud.

An excellent student and her creation

An excellent student and her creation

4. After about 4 hours, send everyone home with as many cupcakes as they can carry!

Oh, there were so many cupcakes. In addition to the 60 or so that were decorated, there were easily 3 dozen that left as naked as they arrived. They were divvied up and everyone who wanted had a little something extra to bring home.

Tip: Disposable carry-out containers are available at most warehouse and restaurant supply stores. Having some extras on hand for these sorts of things never hurts.

An afternoon spent cupcaking, cooking, or crafting with friends is a fantastic way to pass a day. And if you don’t have a group of like-minded individuals to do that with, already, check out MeetUp.com and find some new ones.

To see the rest of my photos from the day, check out my Google+ album.

Meet the Whites: Sauvignon Blanc

Sips

Savvy Savignon Bark from Waggy Tails Whinery

Last week we talked light-and-crisp Pinot Grigio and this week we’re only taking a half-step up, really, with Sauvignon Blanc.

One of the major white wine grapes, Sauvignon Blanc can be found bottled as the stand-alone varietal (sometimes labeled Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley of France, or Fumé Blanc from certain California bottlers) or blended into other wines, such as the sweet dessert wine, Sauterne.

I say it’s only a half-step up because, depending on the bottle, it can fall into the light-bodied category or medium. It’s still a super-safe wine for folks who aren’t sure what to drink, mostly because it’s not oak-aged but in rare cases so doesn’t have that woodsy quality that so many folks (including myself) dislike about Chardonnay.

While France is it’s native home, California produces fine Sauvignon Blancs, and I’ve heard that New Zealand does fabulous things with them, too.

What you’re looking for in a Sauvignon Blanc is a pale color and a fresh green grass or grapefruit aroma. Some will have a buttery or creamy flavor to them, maybe vanilla, but overall pleasing to most palates and with most foods.

Any sort of poultry or seafood pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc and it’s great with goat cheese, smoked cheeses, fruits and vegetables. In doubt about what to serve at your next cocktail hour? Pick up some bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and worry no more.

Now, you might notice the label on this week’s picture features a Basset Hound. That bottle isn’t Sauvignon Blanc–it’s Savvy Savignon Bark, from “Waggy Tail Whinery”. This Sauvignon Blanc comes from Chile by way of the Gainesville-based Suncoast Basset Rescue, and a portion of the proceeds go to help fund the fostering and placement of hounds waiting on their forever home.

Is Price Matching the New Couponing?

Nibbles

Or is it merely an extension of the concept?

Ages ago I had a coworker who would complain, good-naturedly, about his wife’s habit of going to 4 different stores to do her grocery shopping. He’d even chosen the phrase “the tuna run” because they drove to a particular store simply because that store was having a fabulous sale on tuna fish.

It’s no surprise he wondered if the gas they used going from store to store cost more than what she saved with these obstacle course-like trips.

And that was back when gas was still under $2 a gallon!

Oh, for those days…

But I digress. The point was, she was willing to go that extra mile to save her pennies, and many people do far more these days.

Back when I was first exposed to the Extreme Couponing phenomenon my biggest complaint was and still is that coupons are frequently for highly-processed convenience foods. Sure, we could use the occasional household goods coupons, but it certainly wasn’t worth our while when the majority of what we buy is fresh or frozen produce (without the instant sauces), meats that have been no more processed that a trip through the butcher’s table, and basic staples.

Now, though, I’ve come across something that might just fill the gap.

On Pinterest (it’s not just for decorating ideas) I noticed a friends pin on price-matching.

For those who aren’t instantly familiar, some stores (of which Wal-Mart is a shining example) will match the price of another store. While they may loose a small amount of the mark-up represented in the shelf price, it’s far better than having you go to another store and them losing out on the sale completely.

Apparently, this extends to groceries, too. Including produce and meat.

And all it takes to take advantage of this tactic, is a little homework.

Many grocery chains have a weekly sales flyer. Most of them also have this flyer available online so you don’t even have to subscribe to a mailing list or swing by every Tuesday or so when the ads come out. And since Wal-Mart, at least, doesn’t require you to have the advertisement on you to claim the lower price, all you need is the knowledge.

I shop at Wal-Mart on my weeks of kitchen duty. It’s not my first choice, honestly, as I prefer to aesthetic quality of shopping at Publix, but the receipts bear witness to the fact that I spend less at Wal-Mart. So, unless I need a specialty ingredient or am just swinging-in on my way home from work, Wal-Mart it is.

Across town, however, we have a Save-a-Lot and a Harvey’s, both known for deep discounts and pretty good sales. I’m not about to trek down there on the weekends, though, so price matching through their online ads allows me the savings without having to go to more than one store. I didn’t even check Winn-Dixie, come to think of it.

Something else I learned by doing my homework was that a lot of these store-sites have a “shopping list” feature where you can click on the items in the ad or drag them over and it puts your choices on a printable list. Just because you don’t need the ad, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt to have the prices at your fingertips–and only the ones that you need.

So this week was my test, just to see if it was really as easy as it seemed.

Turned out, of my shopping list this week there was only 1 thing I needed that I could price match, but all I did was speak up as the cashier was about to scan it and they changed the price with no problem.

The girl behind me asked “That really works?”

Apparently it does.

I didn’t cut my food bill in half this week–truth be told I saved a whopping $2–but the point is that it IS possible, it’s a lot less cumbersome than coupons, and the homework is a far sight simpler than the other way.

Has anyone else tried this? What were your experiences with it?