Wine Review #2

The Location:  Albertsons
The Juicer: Graffigna http://www.graffignawines.com/
The Color: Red; Malbec
The Strength: 14%
The Debut : 2007
Taste of: If you had a childhood anything like mine, than in your refrigerator you had a; 2 liter of coke, bottle of SunnyD, and 2 gallons of "whole" milk.  One of which had milk, and the other was full of KoolAid.  Ever forget the sugar in a batch of black cherry?  If you did, than you are close to the taste of this bottle.
The Food to Come:  Since we are talking about childhood, I actually did an experiment with this bottle, and paired it with a pot of "homemade," mac & cheese. The funkier the cheese the better.  Aged cheddar shells...yes! Blue cheese balsamic garganelli...go for it! Fontina tagiatelle...even better!  Get creative, the wine lends itself to the "funk" gracefully.
Thoughts & Such: You can enjoy this bottle on day 2 with no ill effect, I just wouldn't recommend it sitting in your cooler beyond that.
Since we discussed mac & cheese, here is an easy "go to" recipe I keep in my back pocket.

• 1lb  Pasta (you might have to adjust the 'liquid' in the recipe depending on the size of your noodle)
• 2c Heavy cream 
• 3ea  Slices of American cheese (yellow or white...your choice) this keeps your mac from breaking...gotta love American processed food
• 1/2 round of Boursin Cheese (Garlic and herbs is my choice but any will do. Found in the deli section of your local mega mart)
• 1c Shredded cheese (remember be creative, buy a bled or go custom)
• Salt and pepper! Add a little at a time and keep tasting, trust me you will taste a difference. (black pepper is my favorite.) 

Boil off a pot of water and cook your pasta do desired doneness.  Heat your cream to a simmer (and do not cheat on the heavy cream, no milk, no half and half, go heavy!) and throw in all your cheese.  Stir until well incorporated.  Drain of pasta (but do not rinse) and stir into your cheese sauce.  Add 1 tbsp of butter per pound of pasta for that added richness (plugra is great!) Remember depending on your size of noodle you might need to add extra cream to loosen things up, no big deal.

This pot will be great on its own, but if your really wanted to go all out, throw in some vegetables and a little protein to get the most out of your glass of wine.  I suggest going seafood, say lobster or smoked salmon, with a little spinach and bacon.  Just keep in mind the cheese you picked vs. the protein your throwing in.  Be creative but don't be reckless.

I thought I would share with you my childhood recipe for Koolaid, I can remember it like it was yesterday, it was passed down to me from my father.

• 1 Gal. Milk Jug so 1 Gal of H2O
• 2pk   Koolaid (I think black cherry is out of rotation these days)
• 2c    Sugar
• Lid on, shake to combine, let chill. Enjoy ;)   

If you decided to try out our recipe, send us a picture and we will post it up on the blog
 fnbstreet@gmail.com Don't forget your glasses of wine.