Viva Pops Paletas at the Little Italy Mercato

San Diego is a small city. How small? Well the other day I read in the Little Italy Mercato newsletter about a couple selling gourmet paletas --the Mexican style popsicles -- at the Saturday morning market. Intrigued, I called to find out their story.

Lisa Altmann started telling me about her love of using organic fruits and herbs from the farmers at the market to create her creative Viva Pops combinations like Lemon and Lavender, Nectarine Basil, Pineapple Chili, Chocolate Banana and simpler choices like Tart Plum and Strawberry. After a few minutes, we realized that we had met each other years before at a craft show. Altmann had been selling beeswax candles; I was there with my jewelry. We had become friendly, then she and her then boyfriend Jack moved to the East Coast and we lost touch.




They're back and Lisa, who's always been a foodie and has found her calling: paletas. Sold from push-carts by vendors who ring a little bell to announce their presence, traditional paletas have always come in fanciful flavors like watermelon cantaloupe, rice pudding with cinnamon, even cucumber with lime and chile. Altmann takes it further, by using organic fruits in season and even agave nectar to sweeten some instead of any sugar.

So what do they taste like? Like biting into a piece of ripe fruit that's frozen to a perfect consistency. The Tart Plum was a gorgeous shade of gold and mouth-wateringly good; the Nectarine Basil had a wonderful creamy texture and just a hint of the herb. But my favorite was probably the Pineapple Chile (top) which starts out bright and sweet and then leaving your mouth warm and tingly. Even the youngest visitors seemed to be delighted with the discovery of Viva Pops.




For more updates from food and drink expert Maria Hunt on the latest and best when it comes to cocktails, wine and cuisine, visit www.thebubblygirl.com

Champagne & Sparkling Tasting at ENO - Revelations!

My friend Kalisa - a genuine Bubbly Girl - joined me for a beautiful afternoon of sipping international sparkling wines in the sun-filled wine room called ENO at the Hotel Del Coronado. I won't bore you with every detail of every wine we drank, because I think a virtual wine tasting is no fun. But I will point out some notable aspects and share some fun pictures from this two hour ENO-versity class taught by resident sommelier Ted Glennon.

The biggest treat for me - a rose (as in ro-zay) lover - was the Barth Rose Sekt made in Germany from pinot noir grapes. Sekt is the German term for sparkling wine and the best are made in the same traditional method used in Champagne. It's available locally from a shop run by the importers, Damon and Sabrina Goldstein of Truly Fine Wines. And at $25 a bottle, a wine of this quality is a real value when compared to champagnes and would be delicious with ham or turkey (holiday hint).

The wine was served in a red Burgundy style Riedel glass and the bowl filled with the lovely aromas of earth and plums and soft cherry. Plus there's something about drinking fine bubbly out of a lush glass that makes you feel like you're really living -- try it!


We also drank a J Vineyards Brut Rose that had a nice mineral character, but what captured my attention was the way the bubbles streamed constantly from the bottom of the glass, forming a halo on the surface of the wine. I suspect it's because the bottom of the bowl was knotched ever so slightly to give the streams of bubbles a launching point. If you're really fascinated with the fine points of etching your stems for maximum bubbles, check out this article by the erudite food science writer and Curious Cook Harold McGee.



For the dessert flight, we tasted the Marumoto Hou Hou Shu Sparkling Sake, a pretty package and a delicate bubbly that tastes of pears and a hint of yeast. But of course, the best way to finish any exploration of international bubbles is with Brachetto d'Acqui, the sweet, gently sparkling red wine from Piedmont that reminds me of cranberries, raspberries and roses. This is by Marenco Pineto and is ideal with blue cheese, turkey and stuffing or dark chocolates - such as the ones we tasted made by talented San Diego confectioner Jack Fisher.

For more news from food and drink expert Maria Hunt on the latest in great drinks, restaurants and fun things to do, visit www.thebubblygirl.com

Bubbly Around the World - Oct. 18 Tasting at ENO-

Champagne may be the best known sparkling wine from France, but by no means is it the whole story. Nearly each region of France makes its own special sparkling wine with local grapes and the same is true for other countries around the world.

If you live near San Diego and you're not busy Saturday afternoon, then stop by ENO at the Hotel Del Coronado for a couple hours of fun wine tasting. In case you haven't been, ENO (that's short for enology or the study of wine) is a modern wine, cheese and chocolate tasting room overlooking the ocean at the Hotel Del Coronado. They specialize in serving up great wines without any attitude or pretension. Sommelier Ted Glennon is leading an ENO-versity class that takes in some fascinating international sparkling wines. The list includes:

Barth, Riesling Sekt, Extra Dry, Rhiengau, Germany MV

Barth, Spatburgunder Rose, Rhiengau, Germany MV

Schloss Gobelsburger, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, Sekt, MV

Chartogne Taillet, Champagne Brut, 1999

Morumoto Brewey, Hou Hou Shu, Sparkling Sake, Okayama Ken,Japan, 2008

Marenco, "Pineto," Brachetto d' Acqui, Piedmont, Italy 2007

Ca dei Mandori, Brachetto Brut, Piedmont, Italy MV

The tasting class runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at ENO and includes pairings with cheese and chocolate. For reservations or more information, call 619 522-8546.

Sent from Heaven

I have a love-hate relationship with good desserts. I love eating them, but hate that it's s hard for me to limit myself to just one! Faced with a pastry case filled with tempting lemon tarts, bittersweet chocolate cake and a fresh fruit galettes, I might want to have one of each.

But I'm going to have to deal with my dessert issues now that there's a wonderful new pastry chef at Heaven Sent Desserts in North Park. Chef Tina Luu, who specializes in creative French style pastries made with fresh fruits and fine ingredients, took over the kitchen several months ago and visiting Heaven Set is a true delight.

I couldn't help but be drawn to the mosaic of strawberry, mango, kiwi, pineapple and starfruit atop the Tropical Fruit Tart. It was even more delicious than it looked; the flavors of the sweet ripe fruits were perfectly balanced by the delicate vanilla pastry cream and the crisp cookie crust fringed with toasted coconut. Chocaholics will find it hard to resist the bittersweet chocolate Lava Lust cake, served oozy and warm, topped with a swirl of sweetened mascarpone and a candy chocolate heart. But from the first bite, I was hooked by the retro charm of sweet whipped cream, luscious bananas and a buttery crust in Luu's Banana Cream Pie.

Besides her cafe desserts, Luu is a Michelangelo when it comes to creating specialty cakes. When Beyonce (yes, that Beyonce) was in town for her birthday party, Luu made the diva a chocolate Tree of Life cake adorned with twisted branches, frilly leaves and berries that were all edible. Luu is a skilled chef who earned a culinary degree from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and spent time with the top restaurants in the Bay Area including Bradley Ogden's One Market, Jeremiah Tower's Star's and Aqua. After a stint at the four-star Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, Luu relocated to San Diego, where she is the lead baking and pastry instructor with the Art Institute of California, San Diego and the angel in the kitchen at Heaven Sent.
Heaven Sent Desserts, 3001 University Ave. (at 30th Street) North Park. 619.793.4758

For more updates from food and drink expert Maria Hunt on the latest and best when it comes to cocktails, wine and cuisine, visit www.thebubblygirl.com

Every Day is Halloween...at Barbarella

It's only October 11, but already the neighborhood Cal-Ital bistro Barbarella in La Jolla Shores is decked out in enough Halloween decor to fill up a small store. Owner Barbara Beltaire is still a kid at heart and spends much of the year planning her display. The entire restaurant is draped in cobwebs, bats and witches; motion-activated black fuzzy spiders drop from the ceiling when diners least expect it.

The cocktail menu isn't left out when it comes to the Halloween fun; Barbarella offers a special menu of spooky seasonal drinks. The headliner is the Vampire Martini (right), a mix of Chambord, creme de coco and vodka with a chocolate rim; its garnished with plastic spider rings or gummy worms. The Captain Sparrow, combines pineapple juice, coconut cream and Pyrat Rum XO Reserve, a blend of 15-year-old Caribbean rums. It's an homage to the natty, eyeliner-wearing pirate played by Johnny Depp. My favorite though, is the Caramel Apple, which makes me think of the candied apples that were always a part of autumn in Chicago.

For more updates from food and drink expert Maria Hunt on the latest and best when it comes to cocktails, wine and cuisine, visit www.thebubblygirl.com

France's First Bubbly

One of my favorite blogs for keeping up with all matters luxurious is Luxist. Deidre Woollard is most prolific; I'm a fan because she seems to love champagne as much as I do. She wrote an interesting post on a new book y James Crowden that suggests champagne may have actually been a British invention. This theory is not new; but according to the new book Ciderland, British scientist Christopher Merrett in 1662 or so figured out adding sugar and molasses to still wine from Champagne would make it fizzy; he also started using stronger glass to keep the bottle from exploding.

Many people do believe that Dom Perignon, the nearly-blind monk who toiled making wine in the Abbey of Hautvillers invented sparkling wine in the Champagne region around 1700. He's reputed to have said: Come quickly brothers, I'm drinking stars" upon his discovery. Whether he uttered this romantic phrase or not, he didn't invent champagne. It was a natural result of bottling wine in the cold Champagne region before the wine had finished fermenting. In the spring when it warmed up, the wine started fermenting again and the bubbles were trapped inside the bottle. Dom Perignon was a brilliant winemaker and marketer; since it was nearly impossible to keep the bubbles out of wines, he decided to turn them into an asset rather than a flaw. In 1921, Moet et Chandon chose his name for their tete de cuvee.

Actually, sparkling wines were being made on purpose in the southern French region Languedoc since 1531, more than 100 years before Dom Perignon was even born. The Benedictine monks at the Abbey Saint-Hilaire near the town of Limoux made a wine they called Blanquette de Limoux using the local Mauzac grape. Today, the sparkling wines of Limoux - Blanquette and Cremant - are some of the best secret value sparkling wines in France. The Antech Cuvee Francoise Blanquette de Limoux is highly regarded and sells for under $13 at K & L. If you like your wines green, then check out the Bernard Delmas Blanquette de Limoux, a vegan and organic wine made from a blend of Mauzac and Chardonnay grapes.

Miss Flo and The Court of Two Sisters

Walking around the French Quarter and seeing people of all colors having fun seemed like the most natural thing during my visit this summer. But I was surprised to learn from a native that for many years, people of color were not allowed to go there if they were not going to work.

So it was all the more impressive to meet Floria Woodard, the diva of the bartending staff at The Court of Two Sisters, a restaurant established back in 1832!! After three visits and three hot sweaty walks over into the French Quarter, I finally caught up with her. Miss Flo as the staff call her, is a legend around the Court of Two Sisters. She's been tending bar longer than I've been alive. She started working on the floor in the late 60s, helping to integrate the waitstaff as a hostess. Later she started working behind the bar and hasn't looked back.

Though the names of many classic New Orleans drinks like the Sazerac and Mint Julep are posted on the wall behind the bar, most of the visitors ask for sweet and potent concoctions like Hurricanes, Pina Coladas and Miss Flo's own fruity creation: The Bayou Bash. Whatever you order, she serves it up with knowledgeable bartender banter and a "here you go sugar" as she passes the drink across the bar. After interviewing her about her craft and watching her work a crowd of tourists who stopped in on a bar tour, I ordered a Ramos Gin Fizz for the walk back to the hotel. The icy, gin milk shake with a hint of orange flower water was the perfect foil for the heat and made for a pleasant memory of the woman who made it. Let's pray that the next hurricane on the way bypasses the Crescent City.

Here and there in NOLA

Maybe you go to a city for a conference and then stick to the program for the whole four days. Not me! I have to get out an explore on my own. So that's what my Tales buddy Lisa and I did when there were no seminars that sounded crucial. Once you get past all the cruddy and touristy bars and start getting deeper into the French Quarter, it reveals a weathered old world beauty that lives up to its name.

For lunch one day, we popped into Galatoire's which like most of the restaurants in the area has been there since the early part of the century. I had the most delicious and huge soft-shell crab lightly fried and drizzled with a buttery meuinere sauce; I would have taken a picture but I was too hungry. Afterward, we ordered Cafe Brulot, the potent coffee drink that's spiked with cognac and orange liqueur. We had seen the whole show at Arnaud's the previous night, where the waiter held a long, clove-studded orange peel over the bowl and made blue flames dance up the spiraled peel. We couldn't wait for our own show! So it was disappointing and a bit startling when our waiter brought a silver bowl of coffee to the table, tossed in some orange peel and then torched it. That coffee stain on the table was from when he poured flaming coffee onto the table cloth for an added thrill - as if!

By the next day, Lisa was dying for some modern Southern food, so we cabbed over to Cochon, where chef Donald Link creates eclectic fare. The room was very open with lots of natural light and wood, but our waitress who seemed like she's rather be having a root canal was a downer. But we didn't care after she started bringing food like pork ribs with watermelon pickle and this insanely good pork cake (like a crab cake but with pork) on top of sweet and sour braised cabbage garnished with mango and fried pork rinds. The only thing that would have made it better was a nice glass of sekt.

It's a good thing I'm doing a lot of walking down here! Speaking of walking, I think it's still a good idea to stick with a group when walking around in the French Quarter at night. So that's what I did, hoofing it over to the far side of things for yet another Beefeater's party for Desmond Payne. There were guys dressed as Beefeaters and lots of red cocktails in honor of the Ruby Jubilee, but it was also bloody hot. I ducked out and then met up with an interesting looking group who turned out to be from O'Nieal's Grand Street Bar We've all been there; it was the scene for Steve and Aidan's bar called Scout in Sex and the City. After hearing "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Let it Be" by a man playing an instrument made of water glasses of different pitches, Jessica, Chris, and I walked back to the Hotel Monteleone. "All those people in there think they know what to do with glasses," Chris told the musician "but you really know."
I couldn't agree more.

Spirited Dinners Part 2

Most times I can look over a list of ingredients for a cocktail and decide if I'll like it or not. But as the next cocktail in the Spirited Dinner at Restaurant August in New Orleans proved, looks can be deceiving.

The first ingredient in the Ruby Bean cocktail was Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I'm no fan of the smoky, peat-mossy flavors I've found in the few Scotches I've tastes. But mixologist Charlotte Voisey tamed the smokiness with two other elements. First she added Lillet Rouge a French fortified wine made from cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes. She lightened the flavors and added a hint of sweetness with Licor 43 a Spanish liqueur made of 43 ingredients including citrus, herbs and vanilla. Finally, she brightened the cocktail with orange and lemon juices. The whole delicious effect was that of a smooth, potent and citrusy sangria, with a hint of vanilla and bitterness. It turned out to be my favorite of the evening.

Though it was paired with Chef John Besh's seafood-stuffed veal breast, Silver Queen corn and crab risotto; The Ruby Bean would be delicious with pork or even a juicy beef steak.

The last cocktail of the evening, called Bite the Bullet, paired Bulleit bourbon with Dubonnet Rouge and a whipped caramel sauce. It was tasty, with the dessert of caramelized heirloom tomatoes with creme fraiche ice cream and more caramel.

But I opted to finish my Ruby Bean for dessert.

Spirited Dinners, part 1

Pairing cocktails with dinner may sound like a novel concept, but as the Spirited Dinners on the next night of Tales of the Cocktail showed, spirits offer a range of flavors that compliment many foods. The dinners held at top restaurants around New Orleans were sponsored by the delicious new ginger liqueur Domaine de Canton.

I managed to get into the sold-out dinner at Restaurant August owned by Chef John Besh. Back in 1999, Food & Wine Magazine named Besh one of their Best New Chefs for his modern American cuisine with a southern accent. Besh earned acclaim for his work feeding people after Hurricane Katrina and appearances on Iron Chef. I loved the feel of August, set in a historic building with brick walls, wood floors and chandeliers.

Award-winning Brit bartender Charlotte Voisey started us off with a brilliantly subtle Lavender and Cucumber Sour (gin, ginger liqueur, lavender syrup, lemon, egg white) paired with a chilled melon soup spiked with Vietnamese herbs.

The most startling cocktail of the evening came next: a BLT martini. Juice from heirloom tomatoes was strained and paired with silver tequila and fresh basil. A mixture of "bacon dust" and spicy chile made a savory garnish. I can't say I'd whip up a bacon martini every week, but the novel drink was perfect with Besh's delicate crawfish agnolotti tossed with bacon and chanterelle mushrooms.

Next time, I'll tell you about the best cocktail of the evening....

Champagne Punch in New Orleans

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I just came back from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, the Lollapalooza of serious bartending and spirits. I'm not sure how one captures everything that took place - the tastings, lectures,parties and general naughtiness - but here goes.

The opening night featured a reception by the Pernod Ricard brand Beefeater's Gin, one of the event's major. The party featured a super cool bar carved completely from ice. The list of cocktails on offer were embedded in the bar! I made my way up to the bar, and ran into Desmond Payne, the master distiller at Beefeater's He's been at it for 40 years, using a recipe for Beefeaters originally created by a pharmacist named Burroughs. He points out that of all the spirits, gin is the one that gets its flavors from the unique blend of botanicals created by the distiller.


Though the Burroughs punch looks pink and very innocent, it had a definite tart bite with a bittersweet finish. And punches seem to be getting fashionable again; Julie Reiner's new bar Clover Club in Brooklyn features cocktails served in bowls for a crowd.

Have a Fizzalicious Fourth!

Hope your Fourth of July is a full of fun and fabulous explosions of laughter, fireworks and fizz!

The World's Most Luxurious Ham

Whether it's prosciutto, serrano or country, ham is one of my favorite things to eat with bubbly. The crisp wine like cava is a perfect foil for the ham's richness. But there's ham and then there's jamon iberico, an unctuous, ultra-expensive Spanish ham that tastes of nuts.

The Food & Wine Classic at Aspen brought my first taste of jamon iberico a couple years ago. Chef Jose Andres was serving deep pink slivers with a smear of soft cheese on a Spanish flatbread. The chef confided that it wasn't available in the US yet, but that he'd brought over a couple legs himself.

It's finally available to the rest of us, now that the U.S. government decided that this ham was OK for import. Jamon iberico, which comes from a special black-haired hog, is still rather rare and pricey. Then there's the crema of the ham world: jamon iberico de bellota. The bellota means the hog ranged freely eating acorns and wild plants, which gives the meat a uniquely sweet and nutty flavor.



Shelling out $12 for 5 little dribbles of iberico at Cesar in Berkeley last week, I was a bit miffed. But the price came into perspective a couple days later at Dean & Deluca in St. Helena. After a funny double-take, I bought considerably less than a quarter pound and knew we'd savor every bite.

Sex & Cocktails

If you're like half of the country (I'm talking the female half), you've probably seen the new Sex & The City movie this weekend or planning to go see it soon. It is long (2.5 hours) but was lots of fun, like an afternoon of catching up with some old girlfriends you haven't seen for a while named Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. And I was glad to see Jennifer Hudson adding some color to the mix.

Not to give anything away, but their quintessential cocktail - The Cosmopolitan - makes an appearance again in a key scene or two.

I love Cosmos, but in the interest keeping things fresh and since I'm the Bubbly Girl, I created a new version that's more in line with current cocktail mixing trends. My Sparkling Watermelon Cosmo uses fresh watermelon juice (just toss it in the blender, puree and strain) and gin - the new white spirit - topped with bubbly, in this case Piper Sonoma Brut sparkling wine.

Enjoy!

Sparkling Watermelon Cosmo
Makes 1 cocktail
2 ounces cold sparkling wine or champagne
2 ounces fresh watermelon juice
1 ounce gin
1.5 ounces Alize Red Passion
Juice of 1/8 lemon
Lemon twist

Add cold bubbly to a martini glass. Add watermelon juice, gin, Alize Red Passion and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker and shake 30 times or until your hands are freezing. Strain into the martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Buy This Book!

I started wearing lipstick in 7th grade; by the time I was in college I was a connoisseur of luxurious, deep red lipsticks that set off my dark brown skin. Which brought me to Poppy, a cool line of matte lipsticks I found at Barney's New York. Little did I know the creator was a teen-ager from Australia.

Cut to several years later when I started working on a book on appreciating everything fabulous about sparkling wine and champagne. I planned to call it The Bubbly Girl's Guide, because I knew that loving champagne also went with personality traits like being daring, having a vision for your life and not letting naysayers get at you.

I wanted to include vignettes talking to Bubbly Girls about what inspires them, which brought me back to Poppy King. Now with a new line of lipsticks called Lipstick Queen, she shared some insights into her creativity and drive. She was absolutely one of my most fun interviews ever! Besides telling me she adored Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Ms. King said:

About being happy: It’s a conscious decision to participate in your own sense of the joy in life.

About success: “If you want to look for failure, you can find that everywhere, but … remember that all the success stories we see around started on an idea and a whim and a risk,” she said. “It all depends on your goggles you view the world with. If you put on your success goggles, you’ll see that too.”

Now you can learn the rest of her story and be inspired by her wise and witty insights in "Lessons of a Lipstick Queen" (Atria, $23) on sale now at Amazon.com.

There's nothing like a good book and a glass of bubbly to set the wheels of inspiration turning!

Tales from the Kripta

My junior high Spanish didn't school me on "rayuela," the word for hopscotch. But it's in my vocabulary permanently after a visit to Rayuela, the Lower East Side restaurant that skips between different Latin cuisines to present an intriguing and delicious menu. Rayeula has attracted savvy celebs like Chris Noth, Mo Rocca, Amy Winehouse and sexy Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, who celebrated a birthday there.

The restaurant is modern yet warm, done in pale woods, accented by candles in alcoves that recall a hopscotch pattern and a live olive tree imported from California that stretches toward a second story skylight.

Chef Maximo Tejada, who worked with Nuevo Latino padrino Douglas Rodriguez, calls his cooking "estilo libre" because its a modern, freestyle cuisine completely inspired by Latin styles of cooking and ingredients. We visited the Caribbean, Mexico, Spain and South America with dishes such as a silky ceviche with guanabana and lychee; guacamole spiked with crab, carica (Brazilian papaya) stuffed with duck confit and crab-stuffed piquillo peppers in a tantalizing cilantro allioli.

Oh, and I loved Coming up Roses, a subtle cocktail with rose nectar, lime and champagne created by mixologist Junior Merino. But I really got a kick out of a rare bottle of cava that sommelier and co-ower Hector Sanz pulled out of his stash. Kripta Gran Reserva, created by winemaker Agusti Torello, comes in a stunning amphora-shaped bottle. Sanz assures me that the wine inside the handmade bottle is equally amazing, perhaps the best cava ever created.

You don't have to worry about this wine ever losing its cachet; the only U.S. store I could find with any inventory has just four bottles. I did find a source though for Torello's high-end cava vinegar, made from the same grapes as his famous wines, but sour grapes just aren't quite the same thing.

Bubble Bath

I'm in New York City this week, the capital of all things sparkling and fabulous. And am I ever enjoying the luxury of staying in a suite at the venerable St. Regis Hotel.

The room is done in beautiful shades of gold accented with pinstriped wall coverings, bombe chests and a secretary trimmed in brass scrolls, a marble fireplace and lots of chandeliers.

But the most decadent surprise awaited in the bath, where I found the menu for the signature Krug champagne baths. Just ring the butler (every floor has one) and he'll conjure up a rose petal bath with Krug Rose; a Maison du Chocolat and Krug Grande Cuvee bath; or the Ultimate with four ounces of Osetra caviar and a magnum of Krug definitely designed for sharing!

As the price tags for these baths range from $525 to $1650, you can always resort to B.Y.O.K.

Goldfinger! -- A Cocktail Recipe

Sure V-day 2008 has come and gone, but romance is a 365-day-a-year pursuit, no?

Browsing on Splendora's "What To" Blog when I found a mention of The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge. The book offers recipes using well-known aphrodisiacs like chocolate and oysters as welll as some lesser known functional foods such as artichokes, edible flowers, figs and even black beans.

Of course, this list would be incomplete without champagne. Here it comes in a honey and Cognac cocktail called Goldfinger.
Cheers!

Valentine's Goodie Recipes

So you want to make a Valentine's Day dinner for your sweetie. I don't blame you for wanting to stay in and have an intimate evening instead of being stuck at some restaurant with strangers. Here are a few tips for stress-free entertaining:

Create atmosphere with unscented candles, flowers and mood music or a movie in the background.

Keep it light (nobody wants to be too full later in the evening).

Finger foods are fun and sexy.

Create a sensual menu with different tastes and textures.

Here are some foolproof recipes for easy, impressive and romantic foods.

The menu: Ravishing Rose Cocktail
Smoked Salmon Chips with Creme Fraiche and Chives
Panna Cotta with Rasperries
Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever



A pink cocktail is a must for Valentine's and I can't think of anything more romantic than the flavor of roses. It's just an added bonus that rose water is prized for its calming and aphrodisiac qualities.

If you want to take the V-Day theme further, make raspberry ice cubes by taking a small heart-shaped mold and filling it with a combination of strained raspberry puree, water and a splash of raspberry liqueur or Alize Red Passion; freeze overnight.

Ravishing Rose Cocktail

2 ounces Sence Bulgarian Rose Essence (at Whole Foods & BevMo)
1 tablespoon raspberry puree
3 ounces chilled brut sparkling wine, like Sofia

Add the rose essence and raspberry puree to a champagne flute. Top off with chilled brut sparkling wine or champagne. Garnish with a fresh raspberry or a heart-shaped raspberry ice cube.




Whether its a cocktail party or dinner, I love making a meal out of finger foods and appetizers. Smoked salmon and potato pancakes is great, but the pancakes can be a bother. This potato chip version will be one of your favorite party appetizers; just be sure to use good quality wild smoked salmon that's not too salty.

Smoked Salmon Chips with Creme Fraiche and Chives
12 large natural-style ridged potato chips (use the kind for dipping)
12 one-inch by 1-1/2 inch squares of smoked wild salmon
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
fresh chives, snipped into little pieces

Select your 12 perfect chips and lay them out on a platter. Fold over a piece of smoked salmon and place on top of a chip. Top with a dab of creme fraiche if using or sour cream and a few pieces of chives. Repeat with the remaining chips. Eat immediately or they'll keep in the fridge for an hour or two.

Suggested Bubbly Pairing: Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee (hint, hint)



I love the creamy and delicate Italian dessert panna cotta, which means cooked cream. It's like a creme brulee without the crunchy topping and truly the easiest thing ever. This recipe is from Mark Bittman's classic "How to Cook Everything" (Macmillan, 1998) and it always works. Garnish with fresh raspberries, or make a compote of raspberries, blueberries and a splash of your favorite liqueur heated gently in a saucepan or the microwave.

Panna Cotta
1 cup milk
1 (1/4 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
Assorted berries or a mixed berry sauce

Pour 1/2 cup milk in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes so gelatin blooms or puffs up slightly. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely.

Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the black seeds; add seeds and pods to the pot along with the rest of the milk, cream and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until steam rises from the pot. Turn off heat, cover and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod, and pour the mixture into six custard cups or little bowls. Chill until set, about 2 hours. Serve in the cups or dip cups in hot water for 10 seconds, loosen the edge with the tip of a knife and invert onto dessert plates. Serve the same day with berries or sauce if you like.

Suggested bubbly pairing: Nivole Moscato d'Asti

For most people, any kind of chocolate is irresistable on Valentine's Day, but for me it has to be bittersweet and baked into a moist little cake. Adapted from a Nancy Silverton recipe, these decadent cupcakes studded with dark chocolate fill the bill.


Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 large cupcakes or 48 mini ones

1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
One 1/4 ounce package dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled, plus extr for greasing pan
5 eggs
1-1/3 cups coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
powdered sugar

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over yeast in a small mixing bowl. Pour lukewarm water over sugar and yeast. Let sit until yeast softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup flour and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Sift together cocoa powder, remaining 1 cup sugar and remaining 3/4 cup flour. Make a large well in the center of te dry ingredients and pour in butter, eggs and yeast mixture. Whisk together liquids and gradually incorporate the dry ingredients. Keep whisking until everything is thoroughly mixed. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Spoon batter into muffin tins that have been lightly greased with melted butter, filling to the rim. Bake at 375 on middle rack until cakes are firm to touch, 18 to 20 minutes for regular size or 7 to 8 minutes for minis. Dust with powdered sugar while warm and serve right away, though these keep very well for a few days in an airtight container. To make a chocolate ganache frosting, place 4 ounces chopped chocolate and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a Pyrex cup. Microwave on medium until the chocolate starts to lose its form. Whisk together into frosting.

Suggested bubbly pairing: Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui

Fancy Food Show Finds

Twice a year, foodies, restaurateurs and gourmet store owners flock to the Fancy Food Show to find the latest new food and beverages products. For the first time, the winter show was held in San Diego, bringing 14,000 foodies and lots of new trends from around the world.

With sparkling cocktails on the brain as always, here were some of my favorite finds:
Golden Star Tea a white jasmine tea with a slight sparkle, Golden Star Tea is presented as a adult beverage for someone who doesn't want alcohol. I found its fragrant aroma and taste and slight fizz enchanting. The owners say in March it will be available in New York, LA, San Francisco and on their website.


Bulgarian roses - the most prized in the world for their delicious fragrance - go into making Sence Rare European Rose Nectar that has a subtle flavor that combines rose with with a hint of citrus. The fact that the curvy glass flacon resembles a perfume bottle doesn't hurt. I'll be using it to make a sparkling Valentine's Day cocktail for NBC San Diego on Feb 11.

Rocca dei Forte is an Italian range of wines by Togni SpA that offers spumante - aka sparkling wine - from several major regions of Italy. Their new affordable line launching in the US this spring includes four offerings: Prosecco, Brachetto, Asti and Verdicchio. Each has a dark bottle with a bright capitol letter on front corresponding to the name of the wine. The biggest revelation was the Spumante Verdicchio, a light and crisp wine primarily made in the Marches with hints of nuts and warm spices. It's a very imformative web site as well -- assuming you speak Italian.