Such a Tool

Such a lovely evening. An indulgent, glutinous, lovely evening.

• A table full of wine and food, surrounded by close friends
• A big bowl of creamy pasta (thanks be to Giada. Again.)
• Fresh greens, blood oranges, and our favorite mustard to pronounce with an exaggerated German accent (Brennan’s Dusseldorf)
• Death By Chocolate cake and espresso (nearly died)
• A game of high-stakes art collecting with a snooty Brit, a ditzy blonde, a southern socialite, and a hard-bargaining German (Bonus! We played the originalMasterpiece.)
• A spot of limoncello (okay, Anne Spectator was the only one participating in this activity)
• Cozy time on the couch with killer comedy (Bill Burr, I love you.)

Let us not forget the impetus for this lovely evening – Caduceus Wine. Turns out that Tool’s front man, Maynard Keenan, has spent the last several years laboring to bring the unique flavors of Arizona to the wine bottle. And judging by the documentary about his work, it’s been a labor of love. But so worth it. Bottle after bottle (yes, we tried 6) brought something all new to the world of wine. We had so much fun sniffing, tasting, pairing and ultimately gulping. If you can get your hands on some, do it!

Graze Like a Pro

Anne Spectator’s six steps for successful grazing at one of Madison’s best restaurants.

Cafe Porta Alba: Consider it Yelped

Authentic Neapolitan pizza from a 900 degree oven right here in Madison, Wisconsin. Yummo.

Cafe Porta Alba yelp review by Anne Spectator.

Happy New!

Wine: St. Innocent Brut Sparkling Wine
Vintage: 2000
Grape: 40% Chardonnay, 60% pinot noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Price range: ~$18

Unfortunately, I was majorly under the weather this New Year’s Eve. What is this sticky flu-cold that everyone has right now? So gross. Nonetheless, we decided to give the dawn of the apocalypse our best.

Giada’s Lemon Raspberry Fizz
1 cup Champagne or sparkling water
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
Crushed ice
2 tablespoons fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, thawed

Tenuta’s: Yelp it from the Rooftops!

Christmas means Kenosha. And Kenosha means Tenuta’s.

I love Tenuta’s Delicatessen and Liquors so much that I decided to Yelp about it. Check out my Tenuta’s Love Fest here. Don’t forget to facebook friend them!

A Very Merry to You (with Sprinkles on Top)!

The pinkish cookies were frosted with icing featuring a dash of red wine. We chose Caduceus’ Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra 2010 California red wine.  Thanks to Maynard, our holidays are extra merry and bright! Wishing you and yours the same!  Cheers!

Yes, that’s a Christmas yoda.

The First Supper

I could swear that tonight when we toasted, I heard the glasses go "dink" instead of "clink."

Wine: Rosso di Montalcino
Winemaker: Renieri
Vintage: 2003
Grape: Sangiovese
Region: Southern Montalcino District
Price range: ~$76
Musical pairing: Harry Connick, Jr., When My Heart Finds Christmas

Big news from the Anne Spectator household – We bought a big kid table! No longer confined to the kitchen counter for meal ingestion, we can now consider inviting others over to eat with us.  Plus – get this – it’s made of mango wood, which www.treehugger.com says is only like “the new bamboo” in terms of sustainability. This tidbit was the table’s biggest selling point, as Anne Spectator loves her Mother.