Wine of the Week with John Syfor

2010 Greystone California Chardonnay

     This affordable little beauty was presented to me last week and it is an unbelievable value. Not a heavy over-oaked fruit bomb, this wine was made with food in mind. In fact, the Greystone winery building, which was built in 1889, is the current home of the California branch of the Culinary Institute of America. The wine was originally made exclusively for the Institute, before becoming nationally available. A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the not-for-profit Institute.

     In the glass it is medium gold in color with bright, fresh aromas of tropical fruit, apples and pineapple. On the palate it is medium bodied with flavors of green apple, pears and a touch of vanilla balanced by a line of crisp acidity. At about $10 per bottle, this wine became a new candidate for my everyday house white wine. I would pair this with chicken or fuller fish dishes like tuna.

John Syfor

john@federalwine.com

Bag Lunch: Flavored Lip Balm by Sarah Sparks

If you really know me, you know I dislike the holiday season. I only tolerate it because food and lots of drinks are involved. When I read the Facebook invite for the annual TT The Bears Rockin' Holiday Flea Market & Bloody Mary Bash, I was immediately interested. Anyone trying to sell the idea of a flea market with cocktails is a-okay in my book.

The words 'Flea Market' makes me think of Church Bazaars I used to go to as a kid. The ones where things like doll heads with dusty doily dresses and plastic soda bottle bodies, or stale cookies and punch were sold; however it was not at all what I had imagined. This was going to be a hip local affair with vintage clothes, homemade jewelry, comic book clothing accessories, art prints, vinyl records, and more. With all the cool stuff being sold at this event, I had my eyes set on one booth - Bag Lunch, flavored lip balm.  The Dill Pickle flavored lip balm especially.

How could a food lover not be interested in trying some locally made food flavored lip balm??? 

When I arrived at TTs, the place was packed with people browsing vendor tables and drinking the infamous Monster Bloody Mary's. It took a few minutes to locate my destination, but as soon as I arrived I was overwhelmed with choices. I wanted to buy one of each, sit on the curb outside, and test them all. I scanned the containers looking for pickle, pickle, pickle. No luck or maybe I overlooked it because I was so excited. I quickly grabbed four flavors trying to not second guess myself - Chocolate Covered Cherry, Caramel Sundae, Juicy Pear, and Pistachio Ice Cream. I paid and ran to the bar. Not only did I want to start trying each flavor, I wanted a Bloody Mary bad.

I ordered from the bartender and saw a sign stating the Bloody Mary's were made with Ketel One. Sweet. As I was waiting, I opened the Juicy Pear and applied it to my lips. It reminded me of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. My favorite brand! My mom used to stuff my stocking with them every year when I was a child.

My drink arrived with one large celery stick (no blue cheese stuffed olives, must of came too late). I took a large sip and was not disappointed. The bartender was generous with the Ketel One. I ordered a second one and went back to testing my new lip balms. Next was the Caramel Sundae. This one reminded me of Werther's Originals. Although I thought the caramel was a fun flavor, the pear was still on the top. I felt the same about the Chocolate Covered Cherries.  It was fun, but...

Then I got to the final one - Pistachio Ice Cream - and fell in love.

It has been almost two weeks since the bazaar, and I still carry the pistachio one with me. Something about that sweet pistachio smell gets to me with each use. Curious about ordering more, I went to the Bag Lunch etsy page, found Pistachio Ice Cream, and saw the Dill Pickle flavor was available as well as some mouth watering flavors like Meatball Sandwich, Buttery French Toast, Pancake and Syrup, and CRISPY BACON (!!!!!!).

Check it out and support local: Bag Lunch Store
TT the Bears: http://www.ttthebears.com/

It's National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day!

In case you were unaware, April 2nd is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day. Rumor has it this sandwich was invented by the soldiers during the war between the years of 1941 to 1945. The soldiers wanted to make the peanut butter a little more palatable; they combined the two items creating a sandwich that will forever be a staple in many households.

Traditional PB & J Sandwich
- 2 Slices of Bread (your choice of style)
- Peanut Butter (your choice of style)
- Jelly (your choice of style)
Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and spread the jelly on the other slice. Slap together. Boom. 

There is a variety of things you can do to make it a little more interesting.

- Toast the bread
- Use waffles or french toast instead of bread slices, top with maple syrup
- Use tortilla shells or pancakes
- Use pound cake and whipped cream 
- Add some jalapeno slices
- Add banana, apple, or pear slices
- Add some marshmallow or hazelnut spread
- Add some shredded coconut or dried fruit, like raisins
- Add some potato chips 
- Instead of jelly, mash up fresh berries and add some honey 
- Grill it like a grilled cheese

What kind of twist do you do with your PB&J sandwich? (leave comment below)