Monday, November 17, 2008

Great Find in Colombia and UES


I was on  a bit of a hiatus for a bit.  I just got back from a family vacation in Colombia, where I got to see my relatives.  It went by fast, but I am happy to be back in my shoebox of an apartment. 

While Colombia itself does not have any wineries, I did fall in love with 120 Cabernet Sauvignon (2006) from the Santa Rita winery in the Rapel Valley of Chile.  I found it refreshing, which I find rare in a red wine.  It went down smoothly and complimented the spicy potato chips I was munching on at a family gathering.  I found the wine at a local supermarket chain for roughly $9 USD, which is a steal to anyone.  I'm always wary of the $6 wines.

My first full day back in NYC, I stocked up on produce from Citarella and wine at McCabes Wine & Spirits.  I made what turned out to be a delicious dinner with a friend from Germany who's been staying at my parents' home.  To start, I created a salad with romaine lettuce, basil, chopped peppers, pomegranate seeds and tomatoes, with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette for the first course.  For the main course, I cooked organic boneless chicken breasts on the stovetop, which was soaked in a marinade I concocted of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey mustard, ground cumin, sage, thyme and adobo.  Marinades really work wonders - the chicken was delich!  I made a simple white rice as a side dish to the chicken.  

I grabbed a wine at McCabes to go with the meal that I had never really noticed.  My friend and I ended up polishing off  a 2007 Thierry & Guy Fat bastard chardonnay, which complimented our meal perfectly.  It is full bodied and had lemony hints to it.  It also cost about $11, which isn't too much of a sticker shot.  

I should have taken a food porn shot of tonight's dinner, but I enclosed a picture of a fantastic lunch I had during my 8 day vacation in Colombia.

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