It’s the simple things in life that make me happy. Top of the list is peanut butter. Peanut Butter, Wine and Iced Lattes would sustain me on a deserted Island for a good long time (along with pulled pork, pork rillettes and a few short ribs). As a creature of habit, everyday around 3pm my body teeters on a hypochondriac, mind made, hypoglycemic sugar fit. Not unlike Cookie Monster, ME LOVE COOKIE. I need one every day. Usually, around or near 3pm. Frozen Yogurt sometime substitutes. Not often though. I am a bonafide cookie Connoisseur!

The best cookies in the world are no longer available to me since City Bakery has closed their Brentwood outpost. That was until I discovered the Rockenwagners (http://www.rockenwagner.com) Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie. It’s pretty simple, a hardcore peanut butter cookie with a giant strawberry jam thumbprint! PB &J? Who didn’t love that? That’s what you get in this cookie and perhaps why the emotional attachment to a cookie can be so instant. This is s find if ever there was one! Three Square Café on Abott Kinney and Rockenwagner Bakery on Washington both sell them!

Tags: Abott Kinney Street, CA, Venice

I’ve been to a few wine pairings in my day. French Laundry, Gary Danko, Le Bernadine, Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse. In fact for my 16^th birthday my father brought me to Lutece (R.I.P.) and if that doesn’t raise my tasting creed here – nothing will. Which brings me to the subject. A remarkable experience that happened recently. An unexpected, almost accidental pairing that is quite possibly of the best foodwineGasm, I’ve ever had in my life.

It is this: Frick Grenache + the Cicciona Pizza from Diavola in Geyserville. I’d like to think I’m a good writer. However, words escape me right now. It seems nearly impossible that pen and paper can ever do justice to my experience. So, I’ll do my best to describe what happened on one glorious Saturday afternoon in Sonoma County. Continue Reading »

Tags: Daviola, Dry Creek Valley, Food and Wine Pairings, Frick Wines, Sonoma County Wine Tasting