Zoe Cuisine

All About Albarino

When I dined at Toro last week, I was a bit challenged when it came to ordering a glass of wine as their entire menu is comprised of Spanish varietals. I have tried a few Spanish wines before, mostly the reds Rioja and Malbec, but the majority are completely foreign to me and I have no clue how their flavor equates with their American and French counterparts. Thankfully Toro provides a nice one line description next to each of their wine offerings, so I was able to comfortably settle on a glass of the Martin Codax 2007 Albarino for $11. They described the wine as "crisp and tangy with lemon and lime" which sounded quite refreshing and indeed it was. I love a nice, dry, crisp white wine but I find them hard to come by so I was pleasantly surprised by the discovery of the Albarino. It's very rare that I ever remember the name of a wine I had in a restaurant to be able to look for it in a store, so I assumed that I would not be sipping another glass of Albarino for quite a while.

 

A few days later I was at my local wine store looking for a bottle of red for that night's meal when I spied a very pale yellow bottle labeled Albarino. I thought this was a coincidence since I had never heard of this wine before that week. Then just yesterday I was reading an article in the latest issue of Cooking Light about the best wine picks for popular flavors (Chinese, pizza, bbq and burgers) and noticed that Legal Seafood Wine Master and BU Wine instructor Sandy Block had recommended the Martin Codax Albarino. He claimed that "the dry white's vegetal/lime essence and tangy finish allow it to cut through thickly textured sauces." I was intrigued. This Albarino seemed to be popping up everywhere all of a sudden. I returned to the wine store in search of the bottle I had seen, and sure enough it was the Martin Codax 2007 for just $12.99. So that night I sat on my deck in the lovely 75 degree weather and sipped a delicious glass of Albarino. It was perfect. I have since done a little reading online and found out that Albarino is the most respected white wine in all of Spain, and hails from the northwest region of Galicia. It is sometimes referred to as Spain's Reisling, and is often described as citrusy, crisp and spritz-fresh (sounds a little like a mouthwash, but trust me it's good!). It is thought to be an excellent accompaniment to seafood, salads and any cuisine that incorporates citrus flavors or sauces, such as blackened scallops with a mango lime chutney. I highly recommend that you give this affordable and refreshing wine a try for your next al fesco dinner or cook out.

The Best Hummus

If you are a hummus lover like I am then you have to try Sabra. This is hands down the best hummus I have ever tasted (and I have eaten a lot of hummus over the years!). I first came across this brand while I was at the Edelweiss Market in Stowe, VT. I stopped in after a day of skiing to pick up some lunch and I spied these cute little individual cups of hummus packaged with pretzel chips for dipping. It was such an ingenious idea that I had to try it. I have been hooked on Sabra ever since. What I think is so great about this hummus is the creamy consistency which almost appears to have been whipped. The taste is smooth without the strong tahini overtone that some hummus has. It also comes in a wide variety of unique flavors such as sundried tomato, roasted pine nut, olive and my all time favorite the "supremely spicy". Instead of just blending the flavorings in with hummus, Sabra puts actual chunks of ingredients in the center of the container so you can mix it in yourself. Sabra used to be hard to find in the Boston area but I have now seen it everywhere from Savenors Market in Beacon Hill to Market Basket in Cambridge. Definitely give Sabra a try if you see it at the grocery store. I promise you will not find a better tasting store bought hummus out there.

The Best Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegars are almost as divers and varied as wines. There are REALLY good balsamic vinegars that are aged for years and can cost upwards of $100. These vinegars are hardly something you would use to make a vinaigrette for your salad on an average Tuesday night. They are more for use as an accent drizzle on meats, vegetables or fish. I have never been one to even contemplate spending more than $10 on a bottle of vinegar, and even that seemed steep to me. But about a year ago I received a bottle of Olivier 25-year old barrel aged vinegar from Williams Sonoma as a gift. All I can say is WOW. This makes other balsamics taste watery and sour. This vinegar is sweet, rich and a bit syrupy. I almost feel bad mixing it with olive oil because it tastes so good on it's own. A little bit goes a long way, thankfully, because it costs a whopping $24 a bottle. I know it's a bit extravagant, but what can I say, I am a little bit of a balsamic vinegar snob now. Try this and you'll see what I mean. Or be really nice and buy it for a fellow foodie as a gift, I know I loved receiving it!

A Taste of Thanksgiving Any Day of the Week

I am completely obsessed with pumpkin. I admit it. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin raviolis - you name it, I love it. So I was over the moon when I discovered this pumpkin frozen yogurt at Foodies grocery store in Boston's South End. It is made by a brand called Sweet Scoops which is a local business based in Portsmouth, NH. They have really interesting flavors, such as Maine Blueberry and Ginger. They also have twists on the old favorites, so instead of boring old vanilla, they have Madagascar Vanilla. I mean wouldn't you rather eat an exotic sounding vanilla if you have to eat vanilla? I know, I am a sucker for good marketing.

But marketing aside, this frozen yogurt is good for you to boot! It is made with live cultures, rBST free milk, all natural ingredients and is only 140 calories per serving. The pumpkin flavor is made with real pureed pumpkin and molasses. It is delish. You won't find Sweet Scoops at most large chain grocery stores, but you will find it at many specialty grocers in New England. If you are in the mood for Thanksgiving flavor but don't feel like the hassle of baking a pie, this is the yogurt for you. I haven't tried the other flavors yet, but I am sure I will be just as pleased.