The Wine Tap

Tasty Tuesday–Cooking Through a Pandemic, the Second Month

So it’s been almost two full months since we got the call that Moose’s school was moving to distance learning. I figure that’s about the time our period of isolation began, even though it wasn’t fully official until a week or so later. Anyway, I’ve continued to do a lot of cooking, and I’ve continued to try to make some family favorites as well as some new things. Most of what I’ve made so far has been pretty popular (although the pork chops weren’t a huge hit), and we’ve repeated a few meals that were especially enjoyed (cheese and chorizo quesadillas are a new favorite!).

Baking has also been a favorite pastime…we bake cookies almost every Sunday afternoon. I also made a loaf of bread (not really from scratch, because I used frozen bread dough, but there was some effort!), plus a chocoflan for Cinco de Mayo, and a cake for Ladybug’s birthday.

New this month: We were actually able to support a few businesses, as well! We did carryout from two local favorites (The Wine Tap and Beast Craft BBQ), plus mail order from two others (Portillo’s and Eli’s Cheesecake). It was nice to have a small break from cooking on those occasions, because I’ve been going pretty much non-stop for the last two months!

I’m going grocery shopping on Thursday, and I have a whole new lineup of meals that I hope we’ll all enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday–The Wine Tap (At Home)

Ryan and I have visited The Wine Tap on Main Street in downtown Belleville several times, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared the experience (which was lovely every time we went). As is the case for every restaurant in our area, the dining room is currently closed, but last week, they had a carryout special of charcuterie and cheese, so we decided to support a local business and give it a try.

As you can see, I took extra care to plate everything so it looked nice, and almost like we were at a restaurant. The cheese and meat selections were excellent (I love getting to try new things!), and I was amused by the spring-themed tulip and butterfly-shaped crackers. We were also able to get a bottle of wine (Zinfandel) to go with it, which was an extra-special treat.

Obviously, this isn’t something we can afford to do regularly if they keep offering options like this, but it was nice to support a local place in a tough time, and fun to feel fancy at home!