Turn the clock back as we head into winter

 Slowly adjusting to wintertime Pandemic. I have not traveled far in months. No hotel stays to rack up Marriott points. Credit card tip -- If you are paying for a travel credit card, call the bank up and ask for a reduced fee for the card. You are not getting the services you paid for. I have found that they will reduce your fee without any pushback.

Wineries are adjusting to the new normal. There have been less free  shipping deals but wineries are starting to come out with holiday offers which include some good deals. My favs  include: Domaine Drouhin still has $20 shipping for 6 bottles and $30 shipping for a case. Tablas Creek has a bunch of specials with free shipping. Municipal Winemakers has free shipping on orders over $79.

New local brewpub Untied https://www.untiedbrewingco.com/  It is located on a back street in a warehouse section of  New Providence, NJ. They make good beers of all types. Very relaxed atmosphere. Indoors or out. They have music on Saturdays. Easy to socially distance as they have lots of space indoors and out.

Trying to be more creative with cooking. Go to a Trader Joes for all types of very reasonably priced food ideas. Their frozen foods can be great and their cheese selection has really improved.Use spices more assertively and think about different cuisines when trying to figure out what to cook. Instead of Italian, try Greek. Think feta cheese and spinach pie, (Trader Joes has great frozen Greek Spanakopita)Try Chinese or Mexican. Think guacamole, fried rice, dumplings and lots of veggies. (Trader Joes has some great frozen dumplings. A number of varieties. I have been making fish and chips with cod. Have you made pork schnitzel in a while with German potato salad. Pound some boneless pork chops and bread them. Lightly fry in pan. don't overcook.

Making pizza is an old standby. Add toppings of your choice. Making dough is very easy and very rewarding. A nice Chianti Clasico Reserva makes the pizza even more enticing. Look for 2016's.

Eating and Drinking Tips

Many wineries and small businesses are trying have people be able to access their products easily and safely.
Municipal Wines https://municipalwinemakers.com/ has free shipping(no minimum I believe) and 20% off all wines.
Tablas Creek https://tablascreek.com/shop has $10 shipping but check to see if they deliver to your state. They do not deliver to NJ.
Montclair Bread https://squareup.com/store/montclairbread in Montclair , NJ allows you to order bread, donuts and some groceries the day before you want to pickup. No delivery. Their baked goods are excellent. Try their ancient grains bread and jelly donuts.
The Montclair Farmers market https://www.montclairfarmersmarket.org/ is open on Saturdays. Vacciano Farm is there every week and their meats are excellent.
Pizzerias are open for takeout but now is the time to make your own pizza. You will need a pizza stone or pizza pan. A stone and pizza peel (it helps place the pizza on and off the hot stone) is preferable. You can buy one easily on Amazon.

There a number of dough recipes on the internet. Dough can be ready is 2 hours if you are in a rush. You will need dried yeast.

For sauce use canned tomatoes, San Marzano (from Italy) definitely taste better. Saute a clove of garlic(finely chopped) in a tablespoon of olive oil for 30 seconds. Add a can of tomatoes. If whole chop them up with a food processor or use your fork while in the pan. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add some basil. That's it.

Making the pizza. The stone should be in the oven. Oven should be preheated and turned up to highest temperature. My oven goes up to 550 degrees.

Stretch out your dough and place on floured peel. I use corn meal for flour. Slice mozzarella cheese thinly and place cheese on the dough leaving space between the slices.Valuable tip - placing the cheese directly on the dough keeps it on the dough when eating the pizza. Spoon sauce all around the cheese. Be generous but restrained. Then add your favorite toppings. I love slice mushrooms, prosciutto and a few leaves of spinach. Sprinkle with oregano. Get creative!! Practice will make perfect. Don't be afraid to experiment. Listen to your kids suggestions.

Cook until bubbling but not burnt. Use peel to take of oven.

Chianti Classico or Chianti Classico Reserva go great with pizza. Monsanto Chianti Classico Reserva $20 is a favorite. 2015 and 2016 are great vintages. La Massa La Massa 2016 $20 is also great if you can find it.

If you have any recommendations on food and wine let me know.

Enjoy.

Winter Blues; Random thoughts and wines

Many wineries are coming out with their new wine releases. I have been joining more winery "clubs" lately. Although you start receiving many bottles from the same winery, the wines can be impressive. I am a sucker for free shipping so wineries that provide free shipping jump to the top of my list. Of course the wines need to be great.

Municipal Wines has free shipping on orders over $100 and I can't emphasize enough how good their wines are. We opened up a bottle of their Cinsault the other day. Never before had a 100% Cinsault wine and the wine was great. Light, flavorful and just great flavor. Vinous has discovered this winery and gave the Cinsault a 92.

Denner also has free shipping if you join their club for 12 bottles a year. The wines are expensive $40 to $75 range but the quality is impressive and the critics are raving about their wines. Interestingly their new releases from 2017 and 2018 are lower in alcohol than previous releases. Have just received  the new wines but have no tried them yet but will write about them in the next few months.

What I love about wine is the different flavors and styles. These days I am  liking, lighter and flavorful wines with acid/ tannins that keep it lively as you drink. I don't like different types of wines just to be different. They need to be good different. Next time you are in a restaurant look for a good value that may be different from what you normally drink.Good wine lists can be trusted for new and unfamiliar wines. The wines you want to search out are ones that are made by winemakers using grapes and their winemaking skills. Today too many wines are made like a chemistry experiment. Same as food. I look for restaurants serving food from fresh ingredients and cooked by someone who knows what they are doing. Watch a Gordon Ramsey show to see the shortcuts and craziness that goes on in many restaurants that we might consider "good" local spots.

Good food is not cheap, neither is good wine. We need to pay a fair price for a better product. I live in an expensive part of the world. Local food and wine is not going to be cheap.We all must compromise at times but my compromise is to cook and eat at home. An average bottle of wine in a restaurant can be $30 to $60. Yet we can drink great $20 -$25 wines at home. A great local free range chicken can cost $12-$15 but how much do you spend on chicken if you have it in a restaurant. I can great free range local beef for $20 per pound for boneless strip steaks. What does a good steak cost in a top steak restaurant. You can see the idea.

Recently had a chance to eat at Del Posto in NYC  for a second time. They had a benefit dinner for the wild fire damage in Australia. Lots of Australian wines and creative food. Many guest chefs cooked the food. We found that the dishes did not go well together and as often happens the appetizers were the best things of the evening. Also found that Australia and Tasmania make some wonderful sparkling wines.
NV Ninth Island Sparkling Pipers River Chardonnay Blend, Chardonnay; 
2013 Clover Hill Vintage Release Brut Northern Tasmania Champagne Blend The Australian white wines were too oaky for my tastes and the reds were not impressive.

Recently tried 2016 Produttori del Barbaresco  which is made from the  Nebbiolo grape from Piemonte, Italy about $35. The wine is young but has great fruit and smooth tannins. Everyone enjoyed the wine. Year in and year out this wine is usually very good. Barbarescos are the softer side of Nebbiolo as compared to Barolos. Although drinking them side by side it can be difficult to ascertain the difference. The grapes are grown in the same general area, Piemonte, but in distinct towns and vineyards. Nebbiolo is a very difficult grape to grow and it can be very tannic. The wines generally need a long time to develop. There have been some very good vintages over the last few years. 2013 is a vintage to buy at this time if you can find the wines. While Barolos and Barbarescos can get pricey, I see a number of good entry level wines in the $25 to $35 range. Also do not buy cheap Barolos as it will be waste of money.