Bicerin Chocolata or Chocolata Bicchiere

Whatever they call it, it is Great, and it is real CHOCOLATE. I remember being in Turin, Italy with Jasper Mirabile at the oldest coffee shop in the world having our bicerin. Turin (Torino) is the capital of Piedmonte, and where the winter Olympics were held. The coffee shop was founded in 1760. WOW!! There you will see people drinking this delightful concoction in a " little glass " which is what bicerin means.

I love chocolate. It is just about my favorite food. Jasper made fun of me long after we came home about my chocolate habit. Bicerin is a mixture of expresso coffee, hot chocolate and cream.

We made this last week for our friends at Casa Somerset. Jasper dropped by and the cooking began. Bicerin was the last item, but it sure ended it on a good note.

http://www.jasperskc.com/ He is the # 1 Chef in KC.

Chocolata Bicchiere

1 cup milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. strong black coffee or espresso

1/2 c. flavored liqueur (coffee-flovored was used, but you can use almond, hazelnut, orange, or just chocolate liqueur)

1T dark rum or brandy

Whipped cream

Grated chocolate

In a saucepan, bring milk and cream to low boil, add chocolate chips to the milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, until all is melted and smooth. Add espresso. Add liqueur and rum and stir well.

If too thick, you can add a bit more milk if desired (I couldn't imagine why...)

Remove from heat and pour into espresso cups. Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and grated chocolate.

This is close to heaven.

Mike

Pizza Bella , Kansas City

As you can see, Christine is enjoying pizza at Pizza Bella. We took the family there after Christmas. Leonard Mirabile of Jasper's Restaurant told us about this restaurant, and his brother Jasper, Christine, and I have eaten there before. Leonard raved about it. http://www.jasperskc.com/

Pizza Bella is close to pizza from Italy. I was reading about others opinions / reviews on http://www.yelp.com/

They have different antipasta dishes. The brussel sprouts, with cranberries is over the top. This last trip they had new dish, roasted red cabbage and beet salad. It was so good, you have to try this one. I am putting it on one of my favorite dishes to cook at Casa Somerset.

The pizzas are cooked in just minutes, like in Italy. They have no stoves there, everything is done in their amazing wood-fired ovens. The taste from the red hot coals is in the food.

Pizza Bella is at 18th and Baltimore in Kansas City. http://www.pizzabellakc.com/ Google it and read the reviews, you will rush to eat at this unique pizza house in KC.

Enjoy the experience.

(Don't you just LOVE it when people take pictures of you eating....?) C.

Somerset, Kansas...This is where it is this weekend.

WOW!!!!! This last weekend I thought everyone had arrived in Somerset. The Louisburg Cidermill Festival entertained a packed crowd. Everyone brought their kids or grandkids, there was so much fun for all. Record crowds. After a fun time at the Cidermill, go a half mile west on 68, turn left and go two miles to Somerset Ridge Winery. People are telling their friends about this hidden treasure to visit. It all happens again this next weekend. If you are not planning to visit Miami County, KS this weekend, you are going to be in the wrong place. So much is FREE, no charge for admittance.

On your way to see Somersert Ridge Winery, check out the 120 Longhorn steers that are grazing in a field. They are just around the turn from Casa Somerset. This is Slowfood country. In addition to the longhorns, we have an EMU ranch one mile away. The 4D Acres is west on 287th. We also have Free Range chickens one mile away.

This weekend Casa Somerset Vineyard will have Applecello cake, with applecello sauce. This is from the Louisburg Cidermill cider. Come by and enjoy. This recipe is from Jasper's restaurant in KC. We are only 20 miles south of Kansas City, 4 miles west of Louisburg.

There will be alpacas at the Somerset Ridge Winery. There is an alpaca ranch nearby. Free wine tasting. A great place to spend a slow afternoon. Be sure to tell them that you heard about it on the Casa Somerset Vineyard website.

An evening at Jasper's

What an evening!!! Jasper didn't know we were coming, but the evening was our first out in many months. Christine said we needed a time away from Casa Somerset Vineyard.

When we arrived we went to the kitchen, where Jasper was preparing the evening's feast for his guests. He took time to seat us in the dining room. Jasper stayed and talked about food and Italy. Our good friend Hilary arrived, and Jasper picked a great wine for all of us. It was wonderful seeing Hilary, and the wine was magnifico!

Jasper told about his new fresh mozzarella tableside appetizer. He said it was quite a hit, and then he jumped up, got a demo table, and started making fresh mozzerella at our table. He brought a bowl of salted cheese curds and a pitcher of boiling water. Also on the cart were some beautiful heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and some balsamic glaze.

First, the water was poured over the curds and the mozzarella began to form. Jasper mixed it with his hands (in heavy gloves) and then began to work the protein in the cheese by kneading and pulling the cheese. He formed two round balls of fresh cheese. He poured balsamic on the tomatoes and added the fragrant basil. After that, he sliced the fresh made mozzarella and put it on top of the basil and tomatoes. He added more balsamic glaze to top it off.

After J made our appetizer, it seemed like everyone wanted to have the treat at their table Jasper III made the rounds taking the demo table to those tables preparing this treat! We had a great time watching a young man, Mac, there with his friend at the table next to us that was fasinated with the cheese being made at his table.

James Mirabile arrived for dinner with his wife Vickie and Miss Kansas and Miss Missouri . Jasper himself prepared the mozzarella appetizer at their table.

Jasper is the Cheese Ambassador for Wisconsin.

We ate all of the wonderful mozzarella and then our dinner, dessert, and a shot of Lemoncello.

Jasper III is going to share his Applecello recipe with me , Applecello cake coming upfor the fall season!!!

This is about the vines we just planted.

Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). Red wine grape intended for the production of barrel aged dry wine of the highest quality. Size of berries and clusters midway between Cabernet and Norton. In 2006 in west central Illinois the grapes were harvested on 9/18/06, with Brix 22.5, ph 3.32, Acid 7.75. Like Norton the berries hang extremely well and this vine could have been harvested later with little fear of late season rots.Unlike its parent Norton, which grows poorly during its first few seasons, Crimson Cabernet grows extremely well and can be trained to the top wire at the end of the first year if grown in a well managed vineyard. It can bear some trophy grapes in the second season and a modest commercial crop in the third. It seems to prefer cane pruning.Crimson Cabernet should be grown on a single curtain trellis system. The canes have a drooping tendency and are easily combed downward allowing for excellent air, sun and spray exposure. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems.The wine is a dark crimson color and has the body and middle pallet that Norton noticeably lacks but for which Cabernet is so renowned. It also is reminiscent of Merlot. We have not held stocks of wine long enough to comment on the extended aging ability of Crimson Cabernet, but of the three grand parents that we can identify (Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Vitis Cinerea) all make wines that markedly improve with age.

Mike, my husband, my friend

Every year when Valentine's Day comes around, the people that I work with start asking, "What will Mike do THIS year for your Valentine's Day surprise?" I always have to reply that I can't even imagine what he has up his sleeve. Ever since he sent the pink "Love Machine" to my work, I just try to take it all in stride and enjoy it!

This year, on Tuesday, I received a bag with fun items in it. One of them was an animated stuffed bear with a holographic readout that says "I love you" and several other things. People would walk by my office and see it and come in to play with it! On Wednesday, I received a beautiful bouquet of red and pink roses. It has lots of ferns and other flowers as accents. This came in a huge red heart-shaped vase. Along with that, I got some "just out of the oven" blueberry muffins for my department. They were wonderful! That day, when we were getting ready to go home, one of my associates said to me, "I am so glad WE married Mike!!!" :-) They all love him!

We went to dinner at Jasper's Wednesday evening ,he was the best man in our wedding.

I am so lucky to be married to my best friend.

Christine loves Mike

The Great Depression at Jasper's Tonight

Christine and I went to Jasper's tonight for our Valentine dinner. We looked at the crowd on a Wednesday night.

I listened to the news this morning and a expert said he did not believe in the stimulus package. He said let people start like Bill Gates working in a dorm room or Hobby lobby started in a garage, Dell in a basement ,this is what will get us out of this,don't have so many things stopping people from producing wealth, not as many rules. We are our own downfall. Turn America loose!!!!

It was a great meal and many more blogs will come from this one.

Amore

Mike