Mmm... Mortadella!

Hello and welcome to our weekly food postings!

This week's menu highlight focuses on one of our small plates: The Rabbit and Pork Mortadella with toasted Pecans and Figs.

Mortadella is a sausage that originated in Bologna, Italy. Not so coincidentally it resembles bologna (the lunchmeat) in size and appearance. This Italian cured sausage is made of rabbit, pork, nuts, coriander and other spices, and, most importantly, fat from the throat of the pig. It is, in fact, 15% fat. After everything is mashed into a paste it is cooked for several hours at a low temperature. Fun Fact: it gets its name from the Roman word for 'mortar.'

A lovely wine that pairs nicely with the mortadella is the California Le Cigare Volant "Red Wine of the Earth." It is "clean dark garnet in color, and very southern Rhone-ish in style, with earthy forest floor, beet root, black plum and blackberry character shaded with hints of coffee, cola nut and more and more briar bramble as it opens." via here.

Lastly, let's talk about The Bloody Martini. This is a twist on the classic Bloody Mary, enjoyed by many. Ours has the standard ingredients, with a few surprises thrown in: tomato juice, onion, Worcestershire Sauce, celery, celery salt, lemon, lime, black pepper, A1, chipotle peppers, and one can of Guinness! And to answer your next question, no, you cannot get a virgin Bloody Martini...

Check back here every friday for a new food posting!