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I want to take a moment and thank everyone who has left a comment on my blog. I really enjoy reading your thoughts and comments. So if you haven’t left a comment please do so. I would love to read if you tried any of the recipes I’ve posted or try any of the wines. I would love to read if you been inspired to experiment in the kitchen or expand from your norm in wine. So come follow me on this journey of food wine and creative musings.

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XOXO
E
P.S. I love knowing I'm being read and I won't know if you don't leave a comment.
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DeAnna’s Restaurant in Lambertville, NJ

While in Lambertville we went to DeAnna’s Restaurant and Bar http://www.deannasrestaurant.com/index.php. My friend had been there before, she pick this place for us because she knows what a foodie I am. Plus that I had been looking for a chocolate dessert. You know the one that is slightly cakey but also gooey; rich melt in your mouth kind. I had several chocolate desserts during the week and they all were disappointing. She promised this would not. She was right!

The décor of the resaurant had Moroccan influences with a modern twist. The color where of delicious oranges, purples and blues with a sprinkling of flowers and bird accents. Our table had a bench on one side and 2 chairs on the other. The bench side was loaded with super comfy pillows that just beckoned you to come sit and stay a while.

This restaurant is known best for their fresh pastas which are made daily and are of course to the whimsy of the owner so you don’t know exactly which ones she has prepared for the day. The specials were an array of fish and meats. The special appetizers were Antipasto, grilled Romaine lettuce and an Eggplant Neapolitan. I had the Grilled Romaine lettuce that came with a Caesar.

 I have heard of grilled lettuce before and thought “now why would I want warm wilted lettuce”. So when presented with the opportunity, I jumped at the chance to proved myself right. Well, I was dead wrong. Yes the lettuce was slightly warmed but still crunchy. The grilling added a layer of flavor that is hard to describe. The dressing was amazing, slightly heavy with the anchovies but with the grilled flavor of the lettuce it was perfect.

Our dishes were Prosciutto with peas in a cream sauce, Pasta Bolognese and I ordered one of the special fish dishes of the day. Sorry I don’t remember the name of the fish.

The cream sauce that came with the Prosciutto and peas was surprisingly light with just the right coating of cheese and cream. You won’t leave the restaurant dragging your belly on the ground after eating this dish.

The Pasta Bolognese dish was equally delicious.  The fresh tender pasta was perfectly coated with the sauce and the sauce had an interesting twist with the addition of sausage.

The Fish dish was sautéed in olive oil over high heat until the edges were crispy and leaving the center oh so tender. It was served over a lime sauce and broccoli on the side.

Dessert oh Dessert!

Yes we had the cake that my friend raved about. Which, when we arrived were told it was not quite ready yet. It still had to set and perhaps it would be ready to serve when we had reach dessert time. Well, it was just acceptable to the chef for serving. The cake was everything my friend promised it would be and more. Soft, gooey melty perfection of chocolate.

I have to go back just to see what this cake would be like when the chef would say is was proper to serve. Which my friend said was everything I just describe to the 10^th power if you can just imagine that. We also had a cupcake with a rum cream frosting.

This too was chocolate perfection. A super moist cake that was light, airy and tender. The frosting had just a hint of rum flavor that enhanced the cream. And when paired with the chocolate cake, it made it more chocolately if there is such a word.

The service was excellent, our waitress was very accommodating. She of course was the main reason we got to enjoy the chocolate cake. I sure wish this place was closer to my area. I would be here often!

It’s awesome you stopped by!!.... Thanks

XOXO

E

Sight seeing of two towns

On our trip to the winery we also visited two adorable towns of New Hope, P.A. and Lambertville N.J.

In New Hope we visit two cute stores one was a wine store that had a large assortment of toys for wine from openers to racks for drying decanters. Who knew these things existed. They also t-shirts with cute sayings, napkins and of course glasses. We also perused a soap store that they add scents to salt scrubs, lotions and liquid soaps right there so you can pick out your favorite or mix it up yourself for a personalized scent. How yummy is that!!

In Lambertville we had coffee at the Lambertville Tracing Company.  I had my usual 4 shots of espresso over ice. They served it with coffee ice cubes. Talk about heaven in a cup the coffee was rich, dark and syrupy. With each sip I was in ecstasy. I would go back just for that but the town had tons of shops we didn’t get a chance to explore so there is a day trip in the making. 

Its awesome you stopped by!!.....Thanks
XOXO
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A Tasting

Over the weekend a friend of mine treated me to a wine tasting at Sand Castle winery http://www.sandcastlewinery.com/.

What an experience that was! I learned even more about how to taste wine and I now have admiration for Pinot Noir that I didn’t have before. What was so wonderful about this wine tasting was that we got it pair with cheese, all kinds of chocolate, nuts, wasabi peas, grapes and herbs.

He showed us how to breathe in the wine. I always just stuck my nose in the glass but he said to open your mouth slightly and breathe in with both your mouth and nose so that the middle of your tongue taste the air as well. It was amazing but it really did happen. Also not to look for legs on the glass, the way a glass was washed can affect the way it runs down a glass but to tilt your glass so that the wine is cupped in the blub of the glass and it looks separated and that will tell you the body of the wine. Sorry guys I didn’t catch which side would be the body. But I’ll be happily experimenting.

The other thing they had us do was the tasting of the wine itself first alone then with food but drinking the wine into the food. It’s amazing how food really does change the taste of wine. Like taking the sweet out of a wine or enhancing a berry flavor.

And this is where I gained my respect for Pinot Noir. Previous to this tasting I thought of Pinot Noir as red water for the most part. They had us take a sip before any food then a sip with cheese, than with a nut and then with chocolate. This wines complexity truly shown and changed with each of the pairings. I can now understand why Pinots are all the rage. I still am a heavy full bodied girl (LOL) but (as I tap my finger to my chin) I won’t be discarding a pinot noir so quickly any more.

They also took us to thier wine making area

It was totally fun and good learning experience.

Its awesome you stopped by .....Thanks

XOXO

E

A night out with the girls at Pour

Two of my friends and I went to POUR http://www.pourmtkisco.com/. What an awesome place. This is a wine bar who list consists of small production wines that are also organic. They also have some great food. Their menu is mostly appetizer with some flat breads and panni's.

We were extremely lucky that evening, the owners personally served us. They asked us what were our likes and dislikes with wine and went about giving us tasting to see if they could pick out which ones we would like best. We got to 6 different wines between the 3 of us and I'll have to say they hit each one on the nose.

As far as food, we had a tray of Charcuterie and Artisanal Cheeses which included Wild Boar Cacciatorini, Casatica di Bufala and a aged Gouda. The platter included this amazing mustard and grilled apricots amongst other things. We also had Chickpea bites

with a Gorgonzola dipping sauce. I loved these so much that I searched the Internet for a recipe and I found one. You bet I'll be cooking these up soon. We also had 2 flatbread that were out of this world.

Sorry I didn't take more pictures I got caught up in the moment and it slipped my mind. I'll do better next time. And yes there will be many next times at this place. Wonder around their web site the place is simply beautiful!!!.

It's awesome you stopped by.....Thanks
XOXO
E

Wine of the Moment

This week I'm drinking Ruah from Desert Wind a 2007 from Washington

It's a blend of Merlot (48%) Cabernet Sauvignon (36%) Cabernet Franc (16%)  Love the aroma of earth and jam. It has a great garnet red color. I loved this wine straight from the pop. ( A Day ago) Now a day later the flavor has deepened. I taste Cherry and pepper. It has a dry finish but with food it turns slightly sweet and still a dry finish. But either way its biting, in a good way.

Side note. I love that I am now really have to pay attention to what I'm drinking these days. Makes me appreciate the wine and its depth so much more. Thanks for reading you're making me a better wine enthusiast

It's awesome you stopped by....Thanks
XOXO
E

A Splash of Happy

My Living room has been taking a back seat to all that I have doing around the house. This morning I realized I really need to add something to make me happy and smile when I come into this room. I spend lots of time here and it's been making me feel blah without me even knowing it until this morning. So I decided to make a small but huge change. Here is my sofa before

Here is my sofa after

Aren't these pillows just sooo cute!!! The color and design just spoke to me.

I knoooow your asking..... where did I get them......... okaaaaay..... I won't keep you waiting any longer Home Goods! LOL where else. Now I smile every time I enter my living room. Yummmmoo!

It's awesome you stop by......Thanks!
XOXO
E