Macaron

'Tis the season for sweets galore, so why shouldn't the wine join the sweet party too? When you are doing desserts, typically the go to wines are the sweeter ones. Though there are the super sweet wine white and bubblies, there are a few sweet red wines. Macaron is definitely worth noting (and trying). As per my usual wine buying strategy, I bought this one because of the label. Let's just be real for a second...how can brightly colored cookies not catch your attention?! Well they sure caught mine, so I gave it a try. This was labeled as a semi-sweet red wine from Italy. It was a lighter red wine that had bold cherry and raspberry flavors with a shorter finish. This wine didn't have that tannic aftertaste that some red wines have. For those that shy away from sweet wines because they can sometimes taste like the sparkling grape juice you drank as a kid, this is not one of those. It was reasonably priced and worth a try. So cheers to trying something new!

Grotto is a Go

I had no idea the difference between Italian food from Italy and American Italian food. Italy uses super fresh ingredients, light sauces, and handmade pastas, which is not exactly the way they do it here. I found that it took me a while to want to go out for Italian because I didn't want to be disappointed, but then I found Grotto. Located by the Galleria, this gem is one of a few places that I have found that serve real Italian style food. They are less about drenching the pasta in sauce and more about highlighting each flavor to create a party in your mouth. To start they have this herbed olive oil with basil and crushed red pepper in it and it's served with plain sourdough bread and these cheese and herb "tortilla" strips. I am not exactly sure what it is, but it is something between a tortilla and a pita. All I know is that it's delicious and was gone in seconds. Since the temperature is rising, I chose a pasta with tomatoes, chicken, and mozzarella. There were roma, sundried, and regular tomatoes and for not loving tomatoes, I do have to say I am quit a fan of sundried tomatoes. The chicken was moist and tender and the fresh note of the basil was a great flavor boost. There wasn't too much sauce; it had just a touch of marina sauce so the pasta wasn't dry. I decided to pair my pasta dish with a Kenwood Yulupa Chardonnay. It was buttery and had a hint of oakiness to it, that lingered for a minute on your tongue. It was a perfect beverage for a delicious pasta dinner! If you haven't been to Grotto, I suggested you make it a point to try it because you won't be disappointed.

Grocery Store Gelato

Let's just be real for a moment. Ever since I visited Italy, I have become a gelato lover. I love how rich and creamy it is without the guilty feeling that usually comes along with eating ice cream. I usually stay away from grocery store gelato because sometimes it tastes more like ice cream than the real thing and other times it's just too expensive for the amount that you get. However, today was my lucky day. As I was strolling down one of the frozen food aisles and I saw this Siviero Maria tiramisu gelato. Since that's one of my favorite desserts, I figured that I probably couldn't go wrong with it in a frozen form. I was not disappointed! It had a fantastic flavor that was exactly like eating the real thing. Plus it came in a single serving, so I didn't have to have extra sitting around, meaning less temptation. If you are looking for an alternative to ice cream, be sure to try this gelato because I think that no matter what flavor you choose, you can't go wrong. Pick one up the next time you are at the store and let me know which one I need to try next.