Cube Marketplace | Gourmet Food Blog

summer ratatouille with local veggies, san marzano tomatoes and m’hamsa

Rachael — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:12:57 +0000

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with San Marzano Tomatoes and M’Hamsa

Serves 6-8 people

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

2 cups eggplant (different heirloom varieties are best and available now at the market)

1 cup red bell peppers

1 cup sweet onion

1 cup romano or yellow wax beans (you can use green beans but you will need to add much later or they will cook into mush)

1 cup zucchini

1 cup yellow squash

4 cloves of garlic, quartered

1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, broken up with hands and basil removed

½ cup white wine

1 tbs chopped rosemary

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

about 1-2 cups water to add when needed

salt & pepper TT

*dice eggplant, onion, peppers, beans, zucchini & squash all about the same bite-sized pieces

In a large sauce pan heat add ¼ cup olive oil. Start the onion sand peppers cooking over medium heat. Once the onions begin to look translucent (about 5-7 minutes), add the eggplant and garlic and season with salt. Cook until veggies are mostly soft, about 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Turn up the heat, add the wine and cook about 4-5 minutes until wine is cooked out. Add the beans, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and rosemary. Bring veggies to a boil, turn down heat and cook until veggies are tender but not mushy, about 30-40 minutes. Should the mixture start to dry out, add enough water to continue the cooking process until the veggies are to your liking. Mixture should be thick and stew-like. Once everything is cooked, stir in the rest of the olive oil, season accordingly and serve over couscous, pasta, potatoes , crusty toast or rice. If you like it spicy you can add peperoncini, which is delicious!

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with San Marzano Tomatoes and M’hamsa

Serves 6-8 people

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

2 cups eggplant (different heirloom varieties are best and available now at the market)

1 cup red bell peppers

1 cup sweet onion

1 cup romano or yellow wax beans (you can use green beans but you will need to add much later or they will cook into mush)

1 cup zucchini

1 cup yellow squash

4 cloves of garlic, quartered

1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, broken up with hands and basil removed

½ cup white wine

1 tbs chopped rosemary

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

about 1-2 cups water to add when needed

salt & pepper TT

*dice eggplant, onion, peppers, beans, zucchini & squash all about the same bite-sized pieces

Serve with Les Moulins Mahjoub M’hamsa Couscous with Red Peppers.

gardening classes at cube downtown! august 14th. get your hands dirty!

Rachael — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:44:22 +0000

The Fall Vegetable Garden

August 14th, 10:30am – 12pm

This class will introduce strategies for year-round food production for Southern California gardeners. Cool season gardens can provide a bounty of fresh produce. August is a great time for planning fall gardens and to start planting seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, root vegetables and a variety of delicious leafy greens.

This class will cover the basics of planting seeds and seedlings, choosing appropriate varieties to plant, understanding day length and temperature and how they affect the growth of your fall garden.

90 minute class. $35 per person.

Using Garden Herbs

August 14th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

This class will offer fresh ideas for ways to use herbs from your garden. We will make use of common garden herbs such as rosemary, sage, lemon verbena, mint, etc. and use them to make flavored salts, herbal vinegar, butter, tea and several bath and beauty products. Participants will get to sample a variety of herbal products and get to take home an item that they make in class. Recipes will be provided.

CLASSES IN THE CUBE GARDEN!!

The Fall Vegetable Garden

August 14th, 10:30am – 12pm

This class will cover the basics of planting seeds and seedlings, choosing appropriate varieties to plant, understanding day length and temperature and how they affect the growth of your fall garden.

90 minute class. $35 per person. Sign up here.

Using Garden Herbs

August 14th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

90 minute class. $35 per person. Sign up here.

Join us at Cube Downtown for the return of cooking, wine, and gardening classes.

Plus Chef Ludo Lefebvre and The LudoBites Fried Chicken Truck and Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coolhaus!

cooking with sweet corn at cube downtown! class taught by chef erin eastland and pastry chef jun tan! august 14th.

Rachael — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:31:38 +0000

Cooking With Sweet Summer Corn

August 14th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

$75 per person

Learn hands-on techniques for preparing an array of beautiful recipes that utilize sweet summer corn. Cube Executive Chef Erin Eastland and Pastry Chef Jun Tan lead this two-hour class in the Cube Downtown Test Kitchen. Recipes will include:

Corn Chowder, Corn Pudding, and Sweet Corn Panna Cotta with Blueberries.

Tastings will be provided throughout the class, along with a complete recipe packet. Each student will receive to-go samples of the dishes that they prepare during the class, along with a glass of Italian wine that complements the sweet corn recipes.

*Bring your own chef’s knife to this class.

Cooking With Sweet Summer Corn !

August 14th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1p.m. – 3p.m.

$75 per person

Corn Chowder, Corn Pudding, and Sweet Corn Panna Cotta with Blueberries.

*Bring your own chef’s knife to this class.

Join us at Cube Downtown for the return of cooking, wine, and gardening classes.

Plus Chef Ludo Lefebvre and The LudoBites Fried Chicken Truck and Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coolhaus!

7 ingredients. 30 minutes. dinner for 4. just add vino. our simple san marzano tomato sauce recipe.

Rachael — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:53:56 +0000

Simple San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

1 cup small diced sweet onion

3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

½ cup white wine

1 can san marzano tomatoes (smashed by hand and basil removed)

¼ cup olive oil

salt

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook over med/low heat until onions are soft but not brown. Add wine and turn up heat to evaporate alcohol. Add tomatoes and simmer until sauce is thick and the water from the tomatoes is cooked out, about 30-40 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil and season with salt. Sauce should be thick and shiny.

Serve with your favorite pasta and some really good parmesan.

Simple San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

Serves 4

1 cup small diced sweet onion

3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

½ cup white wine

1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (smashed by hand and basil removed)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

salt

Heat 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook over med/low heat until onions are soft but not brown. Add wine and turn up heat to evaporate alcohol. Add tomatoes and simmer until sauce is thick and the water from the tomatoes is cooked out, about 30-40 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil and season with salt. Sauce should be thick and shiny.

Serve with your favorite pasta and some really good parmesan. Shown here with Rustichella d’Abruzzo Primo Grano Penne Lisce.

wine class at cube downtown! august 14th. giddyup.

Rachael — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:06:02 +0000

David’s Favorites: The Very Best Boutique Italian Wines

Saturday, August 14th, 2010, 12:30 p.m.

$50.00 per person

This class will focus on instructor David King’s absolute favorite boutique regional Italian wines. Explanatory tastings of six stellar wines will be offered throughout this class, including:

La Montina Franciacorta Rose

2006 Gumphof Weissburgunder

2007 Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo

2006 Caciorgna “N’anticcia” Etna Rossa

2006 Carpinetti “Dithyrambus”

2005 Braida “Bricco dell’Uccellone” Barbera d’Asti

Students will learn the basics behind this varied group of wines: how the regions that they hail from impacts their flavor profile; climate-driven characteristics; the history of the grapes; and much more. A perfect way to taste the creme-de-la-creme of the Cube wine list while learning in the process!

Click here to register. Limited space available.

Join us at Cube Downtown for the return of shopping, cooking, wine, and gardening classes.

Plus Chef Ludo Lefebvre and The Ludo Bites Fried Chicken Truck and Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coolhaus!

David’s Favorites: The Very Best Boutique Italian Wines

Saturday, August 14th, 2010, 12:30 p.m.

$50.00 per person

This class will focus on instructor David King’s absolute favorite boutique regional Italian wines. Explanatory tastings of six stellar wines will be offered throughout this class, including:

La Montina Franciacorta Rose

2006 Gumphof Weissburgunder

2007 Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo

2006 Caciorgna “N’anticcia” Etna Rossa

2006 Carpinetti “Dithyrambus”

2005 Braida “Bricco dell’Uccellone” Barbera d’Asti

Click here to register. Limited space available.

Join us at Cube Downtown for the return of cooking, wine, and gardening classes.

Plus Chef Ludo Lefebvre and The LudoBites Fried Chicken Truck and Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coolhaus!

make the menu: summer crunch salad!

Rachael — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:36:11 +0000

Crunch Salad!

Serves 6 people

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

15 blue lake green beans

15 sugar snap peas, strings removed

30 yellow wax beans

2 ears really sweet fresh corn

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts plus another ½ cup for garnish

1/8 cup chianti vinegar

1 TBS dijon or grain mustard

1 TBS honey

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

½ cup cold water

1 ½ cup hazelnut oil

about 5 ice cubes

shaved pecorino to garnish

cherry tomatoes to garnish

salt

Dressing:

In a blender, combine ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, mustard, honey, lemon, vinegar and water. Blend till a smooth paste forms. Slowly add oil to emulsify, adding ice as you go along to keep the dressing from breaking or overheating. If dressing starts to get too thick before all the oil is added use some water to thin it out. Once all dressing is emulsified, season with salt. It should be thick like an egg yolk.

Salad:

Cut the corn off the cob and place in salad bowl. Get a bowl of ice water ready. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, add some salt, enough to taste like a less salty ocean. Cut beans into bite-sized pieces, keeping the sugar snaps seporate. Blanch the green beans and yellow wax for 1 at a rolling boil and immediately plunge into ice water. Dry beans once cool with paper towels. Mix corn, beans, sugar snaps and leftover hazelnuts into salad bowl and season with good salt. Dress according to how you like, top with cherry tomatoes and shaved pecorino! YUM!

Summer Crunch Salad!

Serves 6 people

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

15 blue lake green beans

15 sugar snap peas, strings removed

30 yellow wax beans

2 ears really sweet fresh corn

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts plus another ½ cup for garnish (we use hazelnuts from Trufflebert Farms)

1/8 cup chianti vinegar

1 TBS dijon or grain mustard

1 TBS honey

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

½ cup cold water

1 ½ cup hazelnut oil

about 5 ice cubes

shaved pecorino to garnish

cherry tomatoes to garnish

salt

Dressing:

Salad:

sour cherry picking at cherry tyme orchard in leona valley

Rachael — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:36:31 +0000

I went sour cherry picking with my sister a few weeks ago at Cherry Tyme Orchard in Leona Valley. It was a lovely day and such a relaxing experience. Sour cherry pie is my most favorite pie and Cherry Tyme is the only orchard in Southern California growing sour cherries.

Jerry and his wife Melissa have owned the orchard since 2000 but the property has been growing sour cherries since the late 1950s. Then all the trees on the property were the Montmorency variety, a traditional pie cherry named for the Montmorency Valley in France.

In the 1980s a customer suggested to the then owners that they try growing the English Morello sour cherry. This sour cherry is usually preferred by customers from the Middle East because it resembles the fruit from their homeland. In 2004, Jerry decided to try growing the Balaton sour cherry. The Balaton was introduced to the US by a professor at the University of Michigan and originated in the Lake Balaton area of Hungary. Balatons have deep purple skin and bright red flesh. They are larger, firmer and somewhat sweeter than other Morello Cherries.

Currently, Cherry Tyme has over 100 sour cherry trees on their orchard and, depending on the size of the crop, the cherry season can run for several weeks, generally beginning in late June. Cherry Tyme uses no pesticides, herbicides or other any chemicals on the cherries or anywhere else on their property.

So, which type is best? Melissa tells me, “They are interchangeable for jams, jellies, pies, or can be dried and used like raisins. An award winning wine was made from sour cherries grown here, and also vodka is added to cherry juice by some folks. There are some folk remedies from the old countries that use the stems or pits, even the leaves, and adding a few dried sticks of cherry wood to a bb q fire imparts a nice flavor to meat”.

As far as picking they cherries goes, Jerry is onsite to answer any questions you might have. He can also point out the different varieties. Some believe that leaving the stem intact prolongs the life of the fruit so some people bring scissors to snip off the fruit and lave about half the stem intact. The only major picking no-no: Do not rip the cherries from the tree removing the entire stem from the branch. By doing this you remove the new growth that will become next year’s cherries.

Having grown up in Ohio with a Montmorency sour cherry tree of my own, those were the type I picked. The pie I made was perfect, and i pitted and froze the rest of my bounty for future pies and jam. The orchard is beautiful and a gentle breeze hits you as you pick. Birdies chirp. Bees buzz. It’s a really lovely way to spend the morning. And I do recommend going in the morning before temperatures in the valley get too high. No dogs are allowed in the orchard but they do have shaded picnic tables, so bring a picnic with you for lunch.

Even though sour cherries are done for this season you can still get on Cherry Tyme’s mailing list for next year. Write Melissa at: cherrytyme@email.com and she’ll add you to the list!

So how do Jerry and Melissa enjoy the bounty of their orchard? Melissa said, “We enjoy them with breakfast, and Jerry makes a great pie”.

Cherry Tyme Sour Cherries

39913 107th St. West

Leona Valley, CA 93551

66.270.0649

cherrytyme@email.com

Having grown up in Ohio with a Montmorency sour cherry tree of my own, those were the type I picked. The pie I made was perfect, and I pitted and froze the rest of my bounty for future pies and jam. The orchard is beautiful and a gentle breeze hits you as you pick. Birdies chirp. Bees buzz. It’s a really lovely way to spend the morning. And I do recommend going in the morning before temperatures in the valley get too high. No dogs are allowed in the orchard but they do have shaded picnic tables, so bring a picnic with you for lunch.

Even though sour cherries are done for this season you can still get on Cherry Tyme’s mailing list for next year.

Write Melissa at: cherrytyme@email.com and she’ll add you to the list!

So how do Jerry and Melissa enjoy the bounty of their orchard? Melissa said, “We enjoy them with breakfast, and Jerry makes a great pie”.

Cherry Tyme Sour Cherries

39913 107th St. West

Leona Valley, CA 93551

66.270.0649

cherrytyme@email.com

Need more information? Contact the Leona Valley Cherry Growers Association at 661.266.7116 or access their website here.

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give a gift, make a pie. a classic blackberry pie.

Rachael — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:24:44 +0000

you should make someone you like a pie.

a pie says “i turned my oven up to 425 in this 95 degree weather making my kitchen a sauna. i like you that much”. a pie says “thank you”, “i love you”, “you’re neat”. a pie conveys warmth and love. it oozes sweetness and fruit within its flaky crust.

you could do a pie swap. give a pie in a double pie basket with a note that says, “your turn”.

sometimes you need to give a humble pie. “i’m sorry i ran over your cat,” “i’m sorry i said you had cankles,” “i’m sorry i bought you a build-a-bear for your birthday”.

give a pie to newlyweds. with a list of your favorite pie recipes in a cute recipe box. or give a sweetie pie in a hand made box to everyone you love on valentine’s day.

give a pie to your new neighbor with a note that reads, “welcome to the neighborhood! don’t park in our spot or do anything that annoys us. Enjoy!”

visit your local flea market or vintage shop and make someone a pie in a vintage dish for their birthday with a note that reads, “happy birthday! this dish is old too.”

whatever you decide. whoever it’s for. you should make a pie as a gift.

how about blackberry pie? try this recipe on for size. soon you’ll be making tons of friends.

you should make someone you like a pie.

i’ve been a little obsessed with pie lately. for one thing, i got a tub of delicious leaf lard in from wooly pigs. plus, it’s summer, so much beautiful fruit everywhere. all this pie making got me thinking: pie gifts! for everyone!

a pie says “i turned my oven up to 425 in this 95 degree weather making my kitchen a sauna. i like you that much.” a pie says “thank you,” “i love you,” or, “you’re neat.” a pie conveys warmth and love. it oozes sweetness and fruit within its flaky crust.

you could do a pie swap. give a pie in a double pie basket with a note that says, “your turn.”

sometimes you need to give a humble pie. “i’m sorry i ran over your cat,” “i’m sorry i said you had cankles,” “i’m sorry i bought you a build-a-bear for your birthday.”

give a pie to newlyweds. with a list of your favorite pie recipes in a cute recipe box. or give a sweetie pie in a hand made box to everyone you love on valentine’s day.

give a pie to your new neighbor with a note that reads, “welcome to the neighborhood! don’t park in our spot or do anything that annoys us. Enjoy!”

visit your local flea market or vintage shop and make someone a pie in a vintage dish for their birthday with a note that reads, “happy birthday! this dish is old too.”

whatever you decide. whoever it’s for. you should make a pie as a gift. how about blackberry pie? try this recipe on for size. soon you’ll be making tons of friends. and hopefully, they’ll return the favor.

classic blackberry pie

makes 1, double crust , 9″ pie

recipe by rachael sheridan

photos by amy sheridan

1 leaf lard & butter pie crust

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

6 cups blackberries

juice of half a lemon

1 T butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 T cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

In a large bowl combine the blackberries, flour, 1 cup sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Stir to combine.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and drape the first piece into the bottom of a 9″ glass pie plate. Pour the blackberry mixture into the pie plate and dot the top of the pie with the tablespoon of butter and place the other crust on top of the pie.

Cut the excess crust from around the pie dish leaving a 1″ overhang. Don’t throw away those scraps! Save them for Piecrust Cookies.

Push the two pieces of crust together around the edge and roll and tuck the over hang under. Once you have rolled the entire edge under, crimp the crust by pushing it together with you pointer fingers and thumbs.

With a sharp pairing knife, score the top of the crust to allow steam to escape while cooking. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1 T cinnamon. Sprinkle 1 T of the cinnamon sugar over the crust of the pie (you will have extra for toast or cookies). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 40-60 minutes.

If the top crust begins to get too brown, cover it with foil.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Cool the pie completely. If you try to cut into a pie that’s too hot, it can be runny.*

*Sometimes, you just gotta cut into a hot pie. It beckons to you. I say go for it. I do. Sometimes, I just don’t give a hoot if it’s a little runny.

*Crust sticking when you roll it out? A bench scraper is my favorite way to loosen a stuck crust.

Used in this post: Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Dish, Flock Home Bird Napkins, Virginia Sin Medium Paper Plate, Teroforma Avva Large Wood Cutting Board.

peach & tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and 6-year balsamic vinegar

erin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:26:16 +0000

In my opinion, New Jersey has the best peaches, tomatoes and corn I have ever tasted, and I am VERY picky about this. Mealy peaches and tomatoes make me gag, and gummy corn makes my eyes water. Growing up in Princeton there were roadside farm stands everywhere. By midsummer, these stands were bursting with colorful heirloom tomatoes, juicy peaches, sweet white corn so good you can eat it raw and super hot stoners with their dogs that would slowly calculate your total after weighing each item 3 or 4 times before finally getting it right. I loved getting back into my blazing hot car, and blaring the Dead so the stoners would notice as my 89 volvo wagon pulled onto the road and smelling the hot peaches and tomatoes fill my car with smells of summer and the anticipation of an awesome BBQ… mmmmmm…..

There were three staples in my house during July and August. One was a fresh tomato sauce made with heirloom tomatoes, white wine, onions, garlic and fresh basil, served tossed with angel hair pasta, good olive oil and some really good bread. My mom would make and freeze about 30 containers of this to pull out throughout the year. The other was my dad’s tomato peach salad. At the age of 15 I was new to the tomato world and moving from eating cooked tomatoes in a sauce to raw tomatoes was still a big deal for me. However, after watching my dad repeatedly make this salad I decided there must be something to it. Let me just say here that my dad used to eat mayonnaise with this salad. BARF!!! He would layer the tomatoes, peaches and basil, drizzle a little balsamic and olive oil and then plop a big dollop of mayo on top (shudder). I have never liked mayo so even writing this is causing gag reflexes, but in working my way around the globual, I immediately fell in love with this combination. My dad has taught me so much; how to shoot a gun, fly fish, pick fresh watercress, find morels, shear sheep, call turkeys and raise chickens to name a few, but seriously, the tomato peach thing changed my life. By the way, the other staple was a nice cold bottle of Morro Bay Chardonnay, but at 15 I didn’t care much for it…yet.

That being said, the produce in Southern California kicks some serious ass too, and I have made the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market my second home. Although it’s hard to find anything bad at this market, the peaches from Reiger Farms and the Tomatoes from Tutti Frutti really stand out. When Cube first opened about 5 years ago and summer hit, we tested this salad with Alex’s amazing imported buffalo mozzarella and an awesome 6 year balsamic that Rachael found… the seas parted. It has been our best selling salad ever since and we get emails and inquiries starting every May, asking when we will have it. The MOST important thing about this amazingly simple salad is using the best ingredients. There are only 7 ingredients total, but each one stands out and must be perfect. Perfectly ripe peaches that are balanced in sweetness and acidity, a killer heirloom tomato, Cube imported buffalo mozzarella (we also carry burrata which people often substitute), fresh basil, 6 year aged balsamic, a medium fruity olive oil and a great sea salt. If any of these ingredients are sub-par, your salad will be too.

That being said, the produce in Southern California kicks some serious ass too, and I have made the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market my second home. Although it’s hard to find anything bad at this market, the peaches from Regier Farms and the Tomatoes from Tutti Frutti really stand out. When Cube first opened about 5 years ago and summer hit, we tested this salad with Alex’s amazing imported buffalo mozzarella and an awesome 6 year balsamic that Rachael found… the seas parted. It has been our best selling salad ever since and we get emails and inquiries starting every May, asking when we will have it. The MOST important thing about this amazingly simple salad is using the best ingredients. There are only 7 ingredients total, but each one stands out and must be perfect. Perfectly ripe peaches that are balanced in sweetness and acidity, a killer heirloom tomato, Cube imported buffalo mozzarella (we also carry burrata which people often substitute), fresh basil, 6 year aged balsamic, a medium fruity olive oil and a great sea salt. If any of these ingredients are sub-par, your salad will be too.

Cube’s Tomato Peach Salad

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland

Photos by Amy Sheridan

1 8oz ball buffalo mozzarella

2 medium heirloom tomatoes (different colors looks great, but taste and texture matters most)

2 large perfectly ripe peaches (I like yellows best because they are typically more acidic and not too sweet)

1-2 tbs 6 yr balsamic

1-2 tbs fruity olive oil

good sea salt

fresh basil

This is very easy to assemble. Slice the tomatoes into rounds starting at the bottom into ½ inch slices. Season with salt. Slice peaches into rounds parallel to the pit, same thickness, do not season peaches. On a platter layer layer one peach to one tomato. You can either slice the mozzarella and lay on top or keep whole and score the top. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over the peaches and tomatoes and just oil on the cheese. Chiffonade basil and sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!!!

take a vacation in your mind. with wine.

Rachael — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:50:21 +0000

Vacations are cool, most of the time. But sometimes they can be exhausting. For example, the airline looses your luggage, you have to spend too much time with your crazy aunt, you worry that your neighbor isn’t taking care of your dog, the weather doesn’t cooperate, or your sun tan that you thought was going to look ah-may-zing has morphed into a painful, splotchy sunburn that somehow looks like Elvis to your boss. Let’s all admit it right now, sometimes we need a vacation from our vacations.

Honestly, I don’t take too many vacations. I’m the wine dude. That’s kind of a vacation in itself. This is what I do when I want to take a vacation:

I go to Ravello with Cuomo Fiorduva. I lay out at the pool with my knock off Gucci sunglasses and listen to an Italian Opera. (Several notable Italian singers were from Campagna.) I imagine the sun glimmering off the concrete around the pool is actually the white-cliff, Amalfi coastline surrounding me. After finishing a few glasses of wine, I fall asleep dreaming that Sofia Loren and I are sitting in a little shaded cove, having just gone snorkeling, watching the shadows creep over the rocky coast.

I go to the forests of Piedmont with Ca’Rossa Roero. I surround myself with household plants until I can’t see the rest of my apartment. I sit at my wood table from IKEA and pretend it is the bark of some hundred-year-old Piedmontese monster of a tree. I then open a jar of truffle salt, just to smell, and hopefully fool myself into thinking the dogs barking across the hall are actually truffle hunting masters.

I go to the Southern Alps with Abbazzia di Novacella Lagrein. I buy a bunch of wildflowers from the flower market that I spread around the floor of my apartment. I turn my AC down to as low as my wallet will allow. Then, despite the fact that I really don’t like the movie, I blare the “Sound of Music” on my TV as I walk around my flower-strewn floor with wine in hand.

The Wine Dude abides,

David

Honestly, I don’t take too many vacations. I’m the wine dude. That’s kind of a vacation in itself. This is what I do when I want to take a vacation:

I go to the forests of Piedmont with Cascina Ca’Rossa Roero. I surround myself with household plants until I can’t see the rest of my apartment. I sit at my wood table from IKEA and pretend it is the bark of some hundred-year-old Piedmontese monster of a tree. I then open a jar of truffle salt, just to smell, and hopefully fool myself into thinking the dogs barking across the hall are actually truffle hunting masters.

The Wine Dude abides,

David