Product Review: Apothic Dark Wine

I recently accepted a review bottle of "Apothic Dark," the latest selection from Apothic Wines of California. This is a very enjoyable, affordable (roughly $14) red wine that is very enjoyable on its own or paired with food.
According to the PR release, "this seasonal wine blends dark fruit flavors of blueberry and blackberry with opulent notes of coffee and dark chocolate for a rich, yet silky smooth finish."
That's not a bad description. This wine, which is fermented from a blend of varietals, is full-bodied, fruity but not overly sweet, and has a depth of flavor that would make it a good companion with meat-based dishes or dessert. I'm not a big dessert guy, but I can see this paired with chocolate very well. As for me, this would make a nice accompaniment, and finish, to a steak dinner.
For more information, go to Apothic.com. 

Little Sicily, Attica

My recent wanderings took me by the village of Attica, in Wyoming County, so I thought I'd see what sort of pizza I could find down that way.
I made two stops, the first of which was at Little Sicily Pizzeria. The name sounded promising, but the promise went largely unfulfilled.
I got a pepperoni slice. It was thin, and the underside was somewhat charred and crackled, overall a dark brown with a light dusting of corn meal.
So far, so good. But it was floppy. You can see for yourself from the photo. Maybe the slice I got had just sat around for too long, but this was not a good sign.
The toppings didn't help much. The cheese was of the type that doesn't so much melt as crumble. In other words, it separates into oil and solids. The point is, it wasn't very good cheese.
The pepperoni was OK, at least what there was of it. Four "cup and char" slices, nice and crisp, but more would've helped.
Little Sicily's website says that their "homemade sauce ... sets Little Sicily Pizzeria apart from its competitors." Maybe so, but there wasn't much of it on this slice, nor did it add considerably to the slice. The sauce was thin and provided little more than color.
When I had worked my way to the outer edge, or cornicione, things got better. The edge had a nice, breadlike quality, with a good balance of chewiness and outer crispness.
Little Sicily's website shows some very attractive pizzas. I'd love to try some of them. And maybe this is a place to go for a whole pie, not a slice. But this slice was not so good. I may give it another shot, sometime, and this is a bit far afield for my geographical scope, so I won't give it a grade. But this one slice, at least, wasn't very good.
Little Sicily Pizzeria, 121 Prospect St., Attica
(585) 708-5093
Hours
Mon. - Sat.11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun. noon - 8 p.m.

Product Review: Aunt Nellie's Beets

Know what's hot right now in the food world? Beets. That's right, beets.
Perhaps like me you were fed beets as a kid, and hated them. But they're on the culinary upswing these days, with top chefs finding all sorts of ways to use them.
And truth be told, my tastes have grown up. I cook with beets myself now and then. So I agreed to receive a sample of Aunt Nellie's canned beets.
Even before I tasted them, I noticed that these come from Marion, NY, only about a half hour's drive from Rochester. So that was cool.
I got two samples, of simple canned beets and pickled beets. The former had a remarkably mild flavor, sweet but not cloying, and a firm texture.
The pickled beets were much closer to what I remember disliking as a kid. But as I said, my tastes have changed.
There is something both weird and intriguing about pickling a naturally sweet vegetable, especially one with as distinctive a flavor as beets. These had the same firm texture as the canned beets, but with a balance of sweet and vinegary and ... well, beety.
One nice thing about Aunt Nellie's beets is that they come packed in glass jars, so you don't get that canned aluminum taste, nor do you have to worry about the chemical linings that go into some metal cans. And while you can eat them straight up, Aunt Nellie's beets can also be used in many recipes, which you can find on their website or on your favorite recipe site.
Keep an eye out for Aunt Nellie's beets. Right now you can find them at Walmart, but I suspect you'll be seeing them on more store shelves in the near future.