Technology …. While on the road I often spend hours downloading photos and my daily eBird checklist. However, when home the time on technology seems to ramp up. There’s good and not so good to this. I’m pretty good limiting my cyber time, but to zoom with friends and wine club activities … that’s a “yes”!
It’s time to enjoy an apertivo, wine and to make a margherita pizza. All this to happen at home connected with our wineries and Truffle Shuffle by zoom! Ah yes, the world of technology! The apertivo included Romano cheese, Marcona almonds (just recently introduced to me by my Idaho friends … Marcona almonds are sold at Trader Joes) and marinated olives. I swallow a bite of cheese, almonds and olives with some wine. Yes, I realize this is not camp food; I am home!
Our homework for this activity: watch a YouTube presentation and make the pizza dough the day before the activity. Of course we did that, thanks again to the world of technology, YouTube. (Remember it was YouTube presentations where I learned how to make sliding draws in my van, and other things.) Anyway, while enjoying our apertivo, we punched down the pizza dough again and were ready to make our pizza!
The wineries: Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery are in Glen Ellen, California. We first visited Benziger’s certified biodynamic estate years ago for a tour and wine-tasting. Then drove across the road to Imagery for a wine-tasting there. Their wine bottle labels are quite interesting because as many as 35 artists create possible future Imagery wine labels. The only requirement is to have the winery’s signature: a likeness of the Parthenon replica found on the Benziger Estate. Finding the Parthenon in the artwork is a challenge on some labels, but it is there!
Pizza creating time: we received all the ingredients to make this pizza. Flour, yeast and warm water did their magic 24 hours before! Dough was set on a pan while we added Nonna’s Truffle tomato sauce, sliced heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. We learned how to chiffonade basil. Simply lay basil leaves individually on top of each other, roll them like a burrito, slice at an angle. Then sprinkle Balinese Truffle Salt on top. This salt is from Bali, blended with French truffles and a touch of mushroom powder. The pizza goes into a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.
Time for more technology … 65 zoom participants interacted with the family/staff of the 2 wineries, who explained the different wines in this meal. The Truffle Shuffle chef explained how to prepare the pizza and answered other cooking questions. When the pizza was done, the chiffonade of basil and more Balinese Truffle salt were added to the pizza. “Mangia”, time to eat! And drink some wine! Technology brought this experience to us. With a delivery of fresh delicious ingredients and wine, we produced and eventually consumed one heck of a good meal! Grazie to all!
