Today I made some whole wheat penne pasta with Mediterranean Pinot Grigio puttanesca sauce from Vino de milo. They’re an all-natural company from Athens, OH, that uses locally grown vegetables, a practice that I’m a big fan of. Another difference is that all their sauces, and salad dressings, are made with wine. Pinot Grigio, shiraz, merlot and more, are carefully paired with the ingredients, and they end up succeeding in providing a great, and very different, taste.
The first thing I noticed, was that I was actually able to point out ingredients in the sauce, like olives and onions. The second was that as opposed to many jarred puttanesca sauces, which are ridiculously spiced, the heat of this one was slight and subtle. The addition of the wine made the sauce absolutely amazing. I realized later that the added spice was provided from the wine, like a good Pinot Grigio would, as opposed to hot pepper flakes.
I liked this sauce quite a bit, and I’m looking forward to trying some of the other flavors. Two thumbs up!
In honor of my birthday, we are taking today off and we’ll be back on Monday. The NY Brewfest is tonight (South Street Seaport) and Beer week is all week long in NYC. Go out and try some local and possible organic beers. Local is the new green so support your local economy and brewery.
In other news, what do you guys think of the new format of only posting 3 times a week rather than 5? Leave us some feedback!
Go check out our friends Thing-One on Saturday night in NYC. Cupcakefest performers Thing-One from Jersey are releasing their new record at The Mercury Lounge. Hit them up if you are around!
If you want the best stuffed grape leaves ever, go to The Hummus Place in New York City. They are filled to the brim with rice, veggies and spices and come sitting on a bed of creamy mint sauce. There’s more on the menu too, check it out, it is heavenly!
With three locations in Manhattan, you shouldn’t have an excuse not to visit!
Sun-Dried Tomato Balsamic Vinegar Blend is made with 100% pure extra virgin olive oil infused with garlic, aged Balsamic Vinegar, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Salt, Chili Flakes, Spices and Parsley. It’s a really great combination of flavors. The vinegar blend is perfect for salads, a marinade or even as a dip. I used it as a salad dressing.
I used the dressing with a spring mix of lettuces, olives, tomatoes, and all the other fixings. The result was amazing. Interesting texture too, it’s kind of chunky due to the bits of sun-dried tomatoes and flakes of chili.
Bistro Blends is one of the local distributors for this blend and many others. The owners are Jeffery and Jaymes Elkins, two young college students who are trying to help pay for school. Their parents, Dee & Mike, also assist with some of the shows and day-to-day operations.
Check out bistroblendsnj.com to check out more information and purchase online. You can also see where Bistro Blends will be locally around the East Coast.
