Now that's a cheese dog

All-beef dog (pre-heat in micro or broiler).
Solid bun.
Slender slab of bleu cheese.
Handful of minced onions.
A large pinch of mustard powder.

Assemble and broil until the bun's toasty and the cheese melting.

Top with cold cole slaw.

Wine: 2006 Syrah, Third Stone Winery (Monterrey County)

Drunk Friday, Jan. 25, with our usual Friday pizza, the quattro stagioni with oil base.

Excellent tip of the tongue flavors: fruit, and wood, and herb, and a nice follow-through on those flavors. We felt it was a little lacking in middle-of-the-mouth oomph, though. Maybe a little more time in the cellar would have been a good idea.

Dining Hall Cookery

Yesterday at lunch, I toasted a bun, and added a slice of provolone cheese, a small heap of cole slaw, and a big spoonful of giardineira to my garden burger. Oh, man was it good.

Sgroppino

Quartino is a small-plate Italian restaurant here in Chicago. You should come here to eat there. If you can't, however, let me tell you about one of their desserts. Sgroppino is citrus deliciousness taken to a whole new level: Limoncello, lemon gelato, and lemon vodka blended up into an adult milkshake bearing a nice punch. I've plans to try to replicate it at home and post a recipe, but for know, feel free to experiment: it should be thick thick thick like a Hoffman's milkshake.