The Many Personalities of Cognac

While writing "100 Places Every Woman Should Go in France," I seek inspiration from a handful of Francophile blogs, such as Paris by Mouth, Paris Patisseries and David Levovitz. I am presently writing the foodie chapter and researching the heck out of regional specialties. Today, I came across Lebovitz's post titled, Sprinting Toward Finish. (His is a food & drink blog I began obsessively following earlier this year). I enjoy his colorful, nuanced writing style and can only hope mine captures the many personalities of France in such a way. 

Lebovitz writes about wrapping up year-end odds-n-ends, but ends up on a road trip to the Cognac region (a lush, crescent-shaped area in western France embracing Bordeaux). I have visited the area a few times for research purposes, but never spent much time beyond the historic sites. My ears perked up to learn he visited Martell- one of the world's oldest Cognac houses, still going strong at 300 years (est. 1715)      Booze+History=intoxicated Shawnie.

Cognac is my favorite hard liquor. (Hence, the ongoing plight to find a perfect Sidecar here in Columbus.) Yet, I know very little about the heady elixir beyond it being a fancy brandy. I tend to view Cognac as an indulgence... like when when LUPEC meets up for 'old man drinks.' Or when we're camped out at the bar of some vintage chop house. But why? Besides price.  I like to be educated about what I drink- partly because we all love a good cocktail, but mostly to direct my tours and readers toward special places and experiences (which will soon include Cognac houses). 

I started to consider the differences between the big, old grand dames: Martell (est. 1715), Remy Martin (est. 1724), and Hennessy (est. 1765), hoping to narrow it down to just one to include in my book. After 5 minutes of research, a stark realization crept in--- there are far more small cognac houses than expected. 200 producers to be exact. But one shouldn't be surprised... it's France for pete's sake! With curiosity peaked, I intend to learn what differentiates their 'personalities'- the grapes, terroir, distillation, storage, and age, no doubt. Which offer the best tours or are surrounded by the prettiest scenery? ... got this funny feeling, I'm in pretty deep with the food and drink chapters. 

Anticipate a future blog post dedicated to the champagne of brandies. And who knows? Martell might end up on the itinerary of a Wanderlust culinary tour in honor of its 300th birthday. Or perhaps, a lesser known, female-owned Cognac house might turn up as one of the 100 places every woman should visit. We've got some work to do.... Sidecars anyone?

The following images & quotes are by David Lebovitz.
"One of the best things about living in France is that each region has a personality, and a specialty. Or more specifically, many specialties. Cognac is a liquor that most of us have heard of but don’t have a lot of knowledge about, or know how it’s made or even what it is." 

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

"Labels and age don’t tell you a whole lot about Cognac, since it basically starts as a cloudy wine made from local grapes, which eventually gets distilled into a perfectly clear liquid."

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

Barefoot Contessa's Rosemary Cashews

TRY MAKING THIS FOR A HOLIDAY SNACK
SIMPLE, DELICIOUS & EASY...

Ina Garten | Barefoot in Paris | Clarkson Potter, 2004 | Serves 8

Here is a savory cocktail nibble that would satisfy a French host’s needs. These cashews were inspired by the bar nuts served at Union Square Cafe in New York City, which is one of my favorite restaurants in the world.

Note: The cashews are best served warm, but you can prepare the rosemary mixture in advance and just before guests arrive toss them and serve.—Ina Garten

Active time: 5 minutes | Total time: 7 minutes.

Barefoot Contessa Rosemary Cashews Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• 1 pound roasted unsalted cashews
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175°C).

2. Spread the cashews out on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt, and butter. Thoroughly toss the warm cashews with the spiced butter and serve warm.

My favorite Food & Drink Books of 2011

These are my personal picks for Top 10 food and cook books published in 2011-- in no particular order.  

Bûche de Noël, from the Joy of Baking

Joy of Baking Yule Log

TRIED AND TRUE Yule Log recipe from THE JOY OF BAKING, 

by Stephanie Jaworki 

This Yule Log or Bûche de Noël (BOOSH duh noh-EHL) is a unique way to carry on the tradition of celebrating Christmas and the winter solstice by burning a wooden log in the hearth. It was an innovative French pastry chef (in the late 1800s) who came up with the idea of replacing the real 'yule' log with a cake that was log shaped. While there are many recipes for this Christmas dessert, I like to use this deliciously light and moist flourless chocolate sponge cake, that is filled with chocolate whipped cream, rolled into a cylinder, and dusted with powdered sugar (to simulate snow). I also like to pile lots of sweet homemade meringue mushrooms on top and around the Yule Log for everyone to nibble on.  

Now, this chocolate sponge cake is a little different from most in that it does not contain flour. The recipe is one I adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's cookbook The Cake Bible and it is a very light and moist cake, more like a baked mousse, that seems to just melt in your mouth. Rose Levy Beranbaum describes it as "more a flourless souffle than a cake". It is baked in a sheet pan, so you do not have to worry about it deflating and also don't worry if the sponge cracks when you roll the cake around the filling as this is normal.

The chocolate flavor in this cake comes from melted semi- sweet or bittersweet chocolate which goes very nicely with the light textured chocolate whipped cream filling. While not necessary, everyone seems to enjoy the homemade meringue mushrooms which, happily, can be made several weeks in advance of Christmas.

Bo Friberg in his book The Professional Pastry Chef gives us a little history on the Yule Log. He tells us that it was a tradition, dating from pre-Christian times, to honor the God Thor and to celebrate the winter solstice with a building of a bonfire. The story goes, that as Christmas came to replace the Winter Solstice celebrations, France carried on the tradition for a 'yule' log by cutting down a tree each year and then placing it in the fireplace so the heat from the log could be used to prepare the Christmas Eve midnight supper. 

The ashes from this 'yule' log were believed to hold magical and medicinal powers that would ward off the evil spirits in the coming year. The tradition of substituting a real 'yule' log with a dessert 'Yule' Log was probably started when homes were built without fireplaces, thus not being able to burn a real 'yule' log.

Yule Log Recipe:

1/4 cup (50 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar

6 large eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces (112 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream(contains 35-40% butterfat)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanillaextract

3 tablespoon (40 grams) granulated white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Garnish: (optional)

Meringue Mushrooms-- click here for recipe.

DIRECTIONS:

Yule Log: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 17 x 12 inch (43x30 cm) baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and then butter and flour the parchment paper. 

While the eggs are still cold, separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover and bring to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).  Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) place the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about five minutes). (When you slowly raise the beaters, the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down sides of  bowl. Add the melted chocolate andbeat only to combine.

In a clean mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold a small amount of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula or whisk. Fold in the remaining whites just until incorporated. Don't over mix or the batter will deflate. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is puffed, has lost its shine, and springs back when gently pressed, about 15 -17 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cover the cake with a clean, slightly damp towel.

Chocolate Whipped Cream: In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and cocoa powder and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least one hour so the cocoa powder has time to dissolve. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.

Once the cake has cooled, spread with the cream (set 2 tablespoons aside) and then gently roll the cake, peeling off the parchment paper as you roll (the cake may crack). Trim one end of the cake at an angle and set it aside. Then place the cake, seam side down, on your serving platter. Take the slice of reserved cake and, using the reserved whipped cream, attach it to the side of the cake. Cover and chill until serving time. Just before serving remove cake from fridge, dust with confectioners' sugar and decorate with mushrooms.

Source:

Beranbaum, Rose Levy.The Cake Bible. William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York: 1988.

The Treats Truck Baking Book

The Treats Truck Baking Book

Cookies Brownies & Goodies Galore, by Kim Ima

BLOG ENTRY by Mandy Jones

 

As a culinary instructor, I'm constantly looking for new and yummy recipes to share in class. Also, as a mom & home baker, I like simple and fun recipes that I can make with my boys in our own kitchen.  When I got The Treats Truck Baking Book I knew right away it would serve both purposes.  After a quick flip through, my eyes were immediately drawn to the colorful pages and retro design.  I felt a sense of nostalgia seeing the cute drawings of candies and desserts I made during my childhood.  Each recipe is simple enough that even the novice baker will surely master the treat on their first try!  Advanced bakers, like myself, can easily see the charm in its simplicity, as it reminds me of the days when I first began to bake.

I tested a few recipes, all of which turned out quite tasty.   My favorite were the Raspberry Brownies on page 44.   The base brownie came with options: 'chewy,' 'cakey,' or 'dark chocolatey.'  From there you can modify with additional options. I chose chewy because I like my brownies more dense.   However, with a splash of some raspberry jam, the consistency balanced out perfectly.   I decided to cut the brownies from the pan with cookie cutters and share (what was left) with a few friends and, needless to say, they were a big hit!

To tickle your taste buds, check out this sampling of recipes from the Treats Truck Baking Book.  They are sure to leave you wanting more.  My recommendation is to ask Santa to leave this adorable cookbook in your stocking this year!

 

Goat Cheese Cannelloni with Morels and Truffles, by Patricia Wells

Simply Truffles

Simply Truffles, by Patricia Wells 

When asked by Morrow Cookbooks (Harper Collins) to blog about another Patricia Wells cookbook, I was all for it. Then I realized the title- Simply Truffles. Uh oh... to test a few recipes is going to cost a small fortune and I wasn't sure I could easily find truffles here in Columbus - even from our beloved North Market.  I own (and liberally use) truffle salt and truffle oil (NOTE: be sure to buy the real oil & not the 'manufactured essence'.), but have never ventured to purchase truffles proper. Having had a great time blogging earlier this year for Patricia's Salad As A Meal cookbook, I felt I should give this a go. If I can't buy truffles directly from a store, the back up plan is to find a chef here in town who might sell a bit of the 'black diamond' to a desperate truffle junkie. 

I knew back in April this book was in production and figured it would be a wonderful read. It is. I have raved in past posts about Patrica Wells's exceptional narrative and ability to make you feel as if she invited you to dinner; creating these recipes just for you. This book is no different. She writes about the folklore and pursuit of truffles and, as usual, offers wine pairings for each recipe. I also appreciate how she takes the intimidation out of  recipes that seem unapproachable- which, to some people's minds is French cuisine in general.

Let me just say up front that nearly every recipe in this book stands alone. If you can't afford or find truffles, you can replace them with just about any nutty, meaty mushroom- like porcini (I'd suggest skipping the button family because the objective is to infuse into the dishes the earthiness of truffles)... While this recommendation might undermine the whole point of her cookbook, I think it's important to remember a recipe is more than just one ingredient. These recipes seem to have versatility and flexibility even beyond replacing the truffles.

Granted, this suggestion might not work so well with the simple "truffle salt" recipe, but the Goat Cheese Cannelloni with Morels and Truffles gives us a bit of wiggle room... well, sorta.

Pasta and mushrooms. Simple. Right?  This homey, cheesy, comforting recipe caught my eye immediately. Of course, the fundamental ingredients call for pungent, garlicky  truffles and yet another popular Provencal fungus- morels. Interestingly, morels are competitively hunted here in Ohio. These hard-to-come-by 'shrooms- dubbed the "truffle of Ohio"- are in season during spring's rainy months and require keen knowledge to pick them out from under dead deciduous trees. But once you get your hands on a few, make this dish! 

(Tim Lessner-- Come April, I am kidnapping you to go morel hunting). 

Don't let this recipe scare you. Though it is long, it is not as daunting as it seems. In fact, it's fairly simple once you read through and prep all of your ingredients. This is a dish that can be prepared in advance of dinner and quickly heated when it comes time to eat. Pair the cannelloni with a crisp, acidic, mushroom-friendly white wine, like a white Rhone. Simply Trufflicious...

Goat Cheese Cannelloni with Morels and Truffles

EQUIPMENT:
Dampened cheesecloth; 10-quart pasta pot fitted with colander; four 6-inch gratin dishes; baking sheet


RECIPE:

6 oz. fresh goat cheese
2 large ultra fresh eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
grated zest of two lemons

fine sea salt
1 1/2 oz. dried morels
12 inch square sheet of fresh pasta
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup truffle & morel cream sauce (See recipe below)
1 fresh black truffle- about 1 oz. - cleaned 


1. Place cheese on a large plate. Cover it with eggs & lemon zest. Mash with a fork until the mixture has thick, smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning. Prepare up to 4 hours in advance & refrigerate.


2. Place the morels in a colander and rinse well undercold running water to rid of any grit. Transfer them to a heat proof bowl or measuring cup. Pour 2 cups of the hottest possible tap water. Let soak for 20 minutes to plump up.


3. Arrange rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


4. Carefully remove mushrooms from water with slotted spoon leaving behind any grit in the liquid.


5. Place dampened cheesecloth in colander set over large bowl. Carefully spoon the morel soaking liquid into the colander, leaving behind any grit in the bottom of the bowl/measuring cup. This liquid is used to prepare the morel truffle sauce.


6. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Arrange three kitchen towels on the counter, for draining the pasta.


7. Cut the sheet of pasta into 16 3-inch squares.


8. Fill pasta pot with 8 quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add coarse sea salt. Drop in as many pasta squares as will comfortably float in the water. Cook for about 30 seconds, removing square with a slotted spoon while still very al dente. Transfer them to the ice water. Once all are cooked and into the ice water, give the pasta squares a swish around and remove them to the towels, arranging them in a single layer.


9. Place gratin dishes side by side on the baking sheet.


10. Lift a square of pasta off the towel and turn it over. This ensures the pasta will not stick tot he towel while making the cannelloni. With a small spoon, spread about 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese mixture evenly along a third of the pasta square. **Do not fill all the way to the edges for fear of leaking**. Carefully roll the square into a cylinder- jelly-roll fashion. Place the cannelloni in the gratin dish, seam side down. Repeat until you have four rolled cannelloni side-by-side in each gratin dish.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.


11. Cover each gratin dish securely with foil to prevent pasta from drying out while cooking. Place the baking sheet with all four gratin dishes into the oven and cook about 20 minutes- or until the cannelloni are bubbling.


12. While the pasta cooks, prepare the truffle. With a vegetable peeler, peel the truffle. Mince the truffle peelings for another use, Cut the truffle into thick slices, then matchsticks.


13. Remove from the oven. Remove foil and garnish each with the morels and several tablespoons of the morel-truffle sauce. Garnish with truffle matchsticks. Serve hot.


TIPS: To infuse eggs with truffle aroma and flavor, store a whole fresh truffle and eggs (in their shells) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least two days and up to a week.


ALL PURPOSE TRUFFLE-MOREL CREAM SAUCE: 
Be sure to save the grit-free liquid reserved from plumping the dried morels.


1 cup morel soaking liquid
1/2 cup truffle juice (from can)
1 cup heavy cream


1. In a large sauce pan, reduce the mushroom liquid uncovered over high heat by half, about 10 minutes


2. Add the truffle juice and cream to the saucepan. Reduce, uncovered over high heat by half. About 15 minutes.


3. pour through a fine seive into a bowl. Store in airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.  Reheat at serving time.

The Food52 Cookbook

The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes From Exceptional Home Cooks

by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs

(published by Harper Collins/Morrow Cookbooks)

The cookbook is extremely user-friendly and contains a collection of recipes from Food52's website. If you have never checked it out, you should. Home cooks submit recipes which followers make and vote on each week. The 52 weeks of winners are included in this nicely illustrated cookbook. The recipes are accessible and family-friendly. My only complaint is with the formatting of the book. I find many of the recipes to be awkwardly printed between two pages. Even though each recipe intro offers fun insight, having to flip the page at weird points in the recipe kind of annoys me. (So does unnecessary white space). If a recipe must be printed on multiple pages, I prefer they be the facing pages. Place the photos at the beginning or end of the recipe so the text (recipe) flows without having to turn a page. Regardless, we all know we should read the recipe before preparing it, so this isn't a huge deal- just a personal preference. Food52 is otherwise a well-edited, heavily-illustrated cook book with recipes that are uncomplicated, yet creative and memorable.

SMOKY FRIED CHICKPEAS

The Smoky Fried Chickpeas tossed with paprika, garlic & lemon zest were a hit (even with the kids!!) at our Thanksgiving brunch, but they went away so fast, I didn't have a chance to take a picture. This photo is from Food 52's Website and this is a link to Food 52's slideshow by Sarah Shatz.

Photo by: Sarah Shatz

Serves enough for 4

2 large cans chickpeas

1 cup Olive Oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest, strips

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 coarse salt to taste

4 pieces garlic, sliced

1. Drain Chickpeas and set on paper towels over a colander to dry throughly (can be done 1 day in advance).
2. Heat oil in large pan (preferably cast iron) to 355 or until oil makes bubbles around 1 chickpea.
3. add lemon zest, thyme sprig, chickpeas in batches so pan doesn't crowd fry about 5 minutes until crunchy color & changes.
4. remove from oil, drain well over colander/sieve, add garlic, fry till golden.
5. Toss with smoked paprika & salt, add more if necessary..serve warm.

Pigging out in Cleveland

PHOTO: http://thegreenhousetavern.com

I have been wanting to go to the Greenhouse Tavern for quite some time now. Attending a Browns game with my husband seemed an opportune time. After a Saturday morning of Ruhlman & Ramen with Genevieve, I headed to the hotel to wait for Kevin while digging into my new cookbooks. While the primary goal for eating at Greenhouse Tavern was to 'research' it as part of a Weekend Getaway to Cleveland in the 3rd edition of my Insiders' Guide to Columbus, I am also putting together a culinary 'soil-to-table' Wanderlust Tour. GT fits the bill. 
Kevin turned up a few hours later for round two of pigging out. And I do not use the cliche 'pigging out' lightly, as Chef Jonathan Sawyer is best known for all things porcine. Even Michael Ruhlman said "have the pig"... I had no idea what that meant until we were seated and I saw a well picked-over pig head on the neighboring table. Not for me, but there was plenty of other pork on the menu. Needless to say, I was excited for this culinary experience. 

Chef Sawyer is known for his masterful use of locally sourced products and farm-to-fork philosophy. Also, Greenhouse Tavern is Ohio's first (and I believe only) certified Green Restaurant.  It was named Bon Appétit Magazine's Top Ten Restaurants in America and Chef Sawyer named Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef in 2010. The restaurant's ambiance is easy and warm. In keeping with the green theme, much of the decor uses recycled products, including the hanging lights which are made of bicycle wheels. The biggest impact is the mouth-watering aroma that punches you in the face as soon as you walk through the door. 

GT Pinot Noir, 2007

First line of business... wine. The GT's house Oregon Pinot Noir seemed a light, friendly choice for the array of dishes to come for the next 3 hours.  We opted for the Chef's Menu, which allows a choice of starter, second course, entree, and side dish. And at $44 is a great value. Little did we know Chef would send out a few additional items from each category. And so the  onslaught of food began...

Foie Gras Steamed Clams

I suppose Chef thought we were playing it safe when I ordered Foie Gras Steamed Clams (w/ butter, red onion brûlée, late harvest viognier vinegar & grilled bread) and Kevin ordered Pan Fried Padron Peppers. I have been on a bit of a shellfish odyssey lately and these clams were awesome. Silky, earthy. We sopped up every drop of broth with crusty bread. Still, he sent out plates of Crispy Hominy (w/ pork skin cracklins, pickled red onion & lime juice) and Devils on Horse Back (w/ Dee-Jay’s bacon wrapped dates, almonds, bitter chocolate & roasted fresno pepper). Each showcasing powerful flavors and textures.  

The Crispy Hominy was my favorite of the starters. 

Kevin discovered he likes dates. Devils on Horseback.

Now for the Greenhouse Tavern Crispy Chicken Wings Confit which claim supremacy over their sister-restaurants. Mind you, Kevin had not tasted the Noodlecat (Chef Sawyer's casual ramen noodle restaurant) miso bbq wings that G & I had for lunch. To my mind, the Noodlecat wings reign supreme only because I prefer saucy wings. Still, the GT chicken was exceptional and I understand the general consensus of love. 

Crispy Chicken Wings Confit w/ roasted jalapeño, lemon juice, scallions & garlic

While waiting for the entrees, we were given a platter of Pommes Frites, which were pretty darn good. Not greasy, not too crispy, and extremely aromatic with herbs and garlic tucked throughout the fries.

Aromatic Pommes Frites w/ raw garlic, rosemary & aioli

We were torn between several entrees. Kevin ordered the Pan-Fried Pork Chop Saltimbocca-- we HAD to have pig and it lived up to the Pork King's reputation. Succulent meat over pureed potatoes and red-eye gravy (which contains a shot of espresso). How can you go wrong with pork wrapped in pork (ham)?

Pan-Fried Pork Chop Saltimbocca

I left my selection to the chef. The 40 Clove Heirloom Garlic Roasted Half Chicken was strongly recommended. I had no idea what we were in store for when the server came to our table 45 minutes later with the pièce de résistance... a chicken wrapped in brioche and dramatically flayed open to reveal the insides all neatly chopped and cooked with herbs-n-such. I was only half-joking when suggeting they try this with a turkey for Thanksgiving. There are no words for how much food came to our table. I kept apologizing for not being able to eat it all...  

40 Clove Heirloom Garlic Roasted Half Chicken

40 Clove Heirloom Garlic Roasted Half Chicken

Nearly three hours and 8 or 9 courses later... after lively conversations with the owners, sous chef and wine guy... it was insisted we have dessert. We strategically ordered the smallest sized dessert, which was the Buttered Popcorn Pot de Creme. Figured we could muster down a piece or two of grown-up popcorn... but again, Chef called our bluff. Along with the caramel and sea salt covered popcorn came a huge slab of  Dobos Torte-- a glorious 7-layer vanilla cake w/ chocolate butter cream, meringue & citrus. Obviously, there was a little room left, because we managed to eat most of it. Heavenly cake. 

Dobos Torte

When our consumption had finally reached its capacity, we were taken on a tour of the lively kitchen, which contains several tables and a small bar for guests to enjoy the action (on a first-come, first-serve basis). Then we paraded up to the rooftop bar overlooking the Fourth Street entertaiment district (note: Michael Symon's Lola - the little round sign to the right). We purchased a few gift cards and bottles of wine, hoping to share the Greenhouse tavern experience with friends. After consuming a mountain of food, we welcomed the 3-block walk back to the hotel. I am grateful we Ohioans have access to high-quality food from such a creative chef; one who respects his ingredients and offers his customers a truly meaningful culinary experience. My only regret? Not having two stomachs!

We had a few hours to kill on Sunday morning, but given we ate until 11 PM on Saturday night, breakfast was not on the radar... until we wandered into brunch at the Ritz. I more or less went from food coma to food coma on this little getaway. 

Now THIS is my kind of tail-gating :-)

The Bloody Mary buffet allows you mix in your own sauces and other accountrements... 

You know you're in Cleveland when.... even the Ritz serves 'Pittsburgh Sucks Hot Sauce'. It was quite good.

Just shaking my head... classy.

And then there was football. The Browns won.