Last year, we celebrated with champagne fondue and tiramisu fondue (although technically it is sparkling wine, not champagne). This year we decided to keep the bubbles and hearts theme. For the bubbles, I picked out one from the very dependable Iron Horse Vineyards, though I'm also a fan of Domaine Chandon and Schramsberg. This year it was a 2006 Iron Horse Vineyards Classic Vintage Brut, a brut blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The result is a lot of yeasty bubbles but a very traditional taste that makes it as classic as they label and can go with anything and anytime, although its traditional taste also doesn't make it necessarily stand out as particularly memorable. But bubbles are always fun- especially when within a week I get to enjoy bubbles twice (there was a Bubbles theme to a monthly women's wine locker get-together 4 days before that I had attended). Although many people seem to associate having champagne or sparkling wine with special occasions, I think it should be enjoyed whenever you want some cheer. Something about bubbles is always uplifting in mood, so why hoard it for rare occasions when just popping the cork already starts something fun and special?
Brie my valentine!
The cheese is a P'tit Basque that is a semi-soft French sheep milk cheese that is produced in the Pyrenees Mountains that form the border with Spain and is basically Basque people. The cheese is aged for seventy days and has a mild nutty flavor similar to a Spanish Manchego but with a little bit more olive oil on the skin texture and smoother. The brie is a St Andres triple cream brie that is a basically like butter. The crusty bread loaf you see if from Di Prima Dolci.
You want a piz za me?
We made this using rosemary pizza dough, portobello mushroom marinara, a mix of Tillamook's mozzarella parmesan and smoked provolone with veggie pepperoni and italian sausage, shown here before and after the heat. I liked the Italian sausage's peppery taste but thought the veggie pepperoni was a poor substitute, while he felt the exact opposite. Clearly this pizza, besides the heart shape, is more his taste then mine. He kept wondering when I was going to stop sprinkling on so much cheese so I made myself stop… but he's Jack Spratt after all and also likes to dip his pizza in more marinara. A generous dusting of more parmesan and red pepper always helps me, but I refrained from adding garlic oil or truffle oil since I already had included the cheese plate earlier… I can eat lean!
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