The Wine Contessa: FOOD & WINE…LIVING LA DOLCE VITA

"LIVING THE SWEET LIFE"

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CAYMUS!!!

HEIRLOOM CAPRESE SALAD

HAPPY SUMMER DAY

Is there anything more pleasurable than a wonderful meal complimented with amazing wines…I know many of you might be thinking of a few other things, but get your minds out of the gutter and back on the table where they belong..I for one being Italian, think of food and wine constantly…like this Caymus Cabernet would be great with an aged prime rib-eye or a Tesoro della Regina Pinot Grigio with a chilled seafood platter! It's like Match.com but for foodies…Now when I was a kid everything revolved around food, the shopping , preparing, cooking and finally eating of it and creating a lovely space to enjoy the fruits of your labor! My mother, as well as many members of my family were amazing cooks and they took pride in their offerings..I think it all adds up to the Presentation…yes, the food is the star but sometimes it can be upstaged by a fabulous wine and even the table scape and it's surroundings.. .so when I entertain everylast detail goes into my holiday and special occasion dinners and parties! It's like drinking wine out of a plastic cup..even crappy wine tastes good in a real stem glass..Ambience is everything, from the food on down..I always shop the perimeter of the grocery stores, that's where you find the freshest ingredients..fruits & vegetables, meat & seafood, dairy and bread..Be aware that there's millions of calories lurking

NOTHING BETTER THAN FRESH FIGS..

in all those aisle's in between..The other thing to remember is that buy your produce in season, like in the summer figs and heirloom tomatoes are at their peak as well as melons and berries! Always use a GOOD olive oil, go ahead and splurge you'll see the difference in your cooking as well as the taste..my go to ingredients, olive oil, garlic,shallots & fresh herbs …cooking doesn't have to be complex, I find fresh & simple sometimes is better! I'm very fortunate to live in California, we have abundance of

WOW GRILLED CHICKEN & ROMAINE LETTUCE

GARLIC & ROSEMARY STEAK

fresh produce year round as well as access to some of the best wines in the world…not bragging just the facts! Now as summer starts winding down in most places try to get a few more outdoor meals under your belt..have you tried grilling fresh corn?? All the natural sugar comes up and you don't need anything on it, it tastes amazing, much better that the boiled to death version, yuk..So whether you're grilling or roasting your meats and vegetables, this is the season to take advantage of nature's bounty! And don't forget the WINE…I tend to drink more whites in the summer, but typically I'm a red wine fanatic! I don't think the old rules apply as far as you should only drink white with fish and red with meat, but there is a certain amount of validity to that reasoning..lighter fare will lend itself to white wines sometimes as will a cabernet to a piece of steak but I say if the wine is GREAT go ahead and drink it with anything…Oh I almost forgot if you're still hungry there's dessert…I am not a big sweet eater, But I do like CANNOLI's and am always in search of the best ones…I have to say the east coast wins hands down, next to Italy..so let's spend our last few weeks of summer getting our fill of lazy days and warm nights, grilling and hanging out, of course with a some great wine!! Ciao until next time & Buon Appetito!

THE WINE CONTESSA