Siciliano's Market News, December 10 Edition

This week's list of new and returning products follow a few words about Barb's homemade pizza

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

I was wondering the other day how many slices of pizza I’ve consumed over the past sixty or so years. North of a thousand? North of two? Hell, it could be north of five grand for all I know. Now that’s a lot of sausage, cheese and pepperoni but what the hell. Whenever I get to feeling guilty for putting less than healthy food in my mouth I think about that snowy afternoon at the Bear Creek Tavern when I watched Clyde Jackson devour six Slim Jims, two hunks of pickled bologna, a bag of pork rinds, a pickled pig hock and a big plate of fried chicken gizzards. He washed it all down with two pitchers of Blatz, his favorite brew. Clyde was rail thin and didn't shuffle off this mortal coil until he was ninety-two.

My life long love affair with pizza has been wide ranging and undiscerning. I've devoured it in Chicago, New York, New Haven and New Orleans. There was that time in Key West when I had the munchies and bought a large deluxe pie at a joint called Fernando's at two in the morning. I ate half while sitting on the steps of St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Duval Street and finished it off in the motel room the next morning. Not surprisingly, one of the best pizzas I've ever had was at a small trattoria in Loro Ciuffenna, a small hill town in Tuscany.

In my younger days I would sometimes pop a frozen pie in the oven but over the years I've become a bit more discriminating. There's no shortage of good pizza joints in our west side neighborhood, Barb and I have patronized a lot of them, but sometimes when we're in the mood for pizza we'll whip up some pies at home. I say "we" but Barb does most of the heavy lifting and when she makes our home made pies she follows an old family recipe.

According to Barb, her mother Shirley would make pizza almost every Sunday evening. The box of Chef Boyardee she used and my wife now uses is meant to make two 12 inch pies but Shirley literally stretched out the ingredients to make six, in part to feed four hungry kids and her husband Don but also because they liked the crust thin and crispy. After spreading the sauce (there's plenty in the can to cover the six pies) Barb tops them with pepperoni, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, raw hamburger, shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan then pops them in a 425 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Barb only uses one package of flour to make three pies. That's plenty enough for the two of us and we have enough leftovers for the next couple days. In my opinion a slice or three of cold pizza makes a pretty tasty breakfast.

Featured Wines of the Week

Badia a Coltibuono, Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico,2011, Italy, $51.39/375ml- Extremely rare, as only small quantities are produced, this is a typical, traditional Tuscan dessert wine.

Enhanced by the creation of the DOC Vinsanto del Chianti Classico, today Badia a Coltibuono’s Vinsanto is one of the best raisin wines in the world. Golden amber, brilliant color. It’s aroma hints at honey, toasted almond and vanilla. Sweet and rich taste, balanced by vibrant acidity that enhances the clean, rich and elegant taste. Candied fruit, citrus, apricot and dried figs are the dominant notes. Very long persistent finish. (Source)

Black Badger, 2016, Red Blend, California, $25.99/750ml- 86% Syrah 7% Grenache, 7% Mouvedre. Elegant and vibrant notes of raspberries and black berries and hints of dry leather and tobacco. Savory and smooth balsamic notes with dark minerals and mature tannins. Intense and full bodied. (Source)

Michael Sullberg, 2018, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $14.19/750ml- A gorgeous ruby wine fills the glass. A juicy entry is marked by red cherry and blackberry. Fruit notes are balanced against dried lavender and a hint of spice, leading up to a long, pleasant finish. (Source)

Buy three or more bottles of wine get 10 % off.

"It's our mission at Siciliano's to sell quality wine at affordable prices."

Featured Spirits of the Week

McAfee's Benchmark old no. 8 brand bourbon, Kentucky, $11.59/750ml & $21.49/1750ml *Staff Favorite*- The nose bears caramel notes with a delicate stone-fruit backdrop. A robust and sturdy palate with some fine leather notes mingling with dry tobacco, a touch of oak and a hint of dried cherries. The finish is smooth and calming. (Source)

Akashi Whisky, Japan, $57.89/750ml- This is whisky blended in the scotch tradition, with Japanese precision, the malt is lightly peated, and vatting is mostly ex-bourbon, balanced by White Oak’s unique variety of barrels.

TASTING NOTES: The nose is very fruity with apricots and dried fruits, and a shy note of honey (Source)

Wilderness Trail, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled In Bond, $63.09/750ml- Our Bottled in Bond release mash bill is 64 percent corn, 24 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley using our yeast strains. This is one of the highest ratios of wheat used in a Bourbon made in Kentucky. We entered the cooper select, toasted and #4 char barrel at 110 proof after coming off the still around 137 proof. All of our whiskeys are aged and matured on our 168-acre campus inside any one of our six rickhouses. We have more than 100,000 barrels aging onsite.

Tasting Notes: A mix of vanilla, caramel, and mild oak make up the nose with ever-slight hints of wild flowers. The bourbon tastes of leather, pecans, burnt vanilla, and astringent oak. It finishes with a pop of caramel, light grain, maltiness, and mild oak. (Source)

New and Returning Products

2nd Shift SamSquatch, $3.59/16oz - IPA - American

2nd Shift Silhoutte, $3.59/12oz - Stout - Imperial / Double

Alaskan Hazy Bay, $1.79/12oz - Hazy Bay Juicy IPA is a juicy and flavorful hazy IPA with

moderate hop aroma and bitterness. The aroma and

flavor have a light malt character with prominent hop character that reflects fresh citrus, tropical fruit, and stone fruit flavor. This full-bodied beer has a creamy mouthfeel, and a toasty, soft finish. (Source)

Black Rocks BA Barbaric Yawp, $5.19/12oz - Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy

Black Rocks Classic Pils, $1.99/12oz - With German malt, American hops and Lake Superior water, it's a crisp and refreshing nod to a European tradition with a distinct American disobedience. (Source)

Black Rocks Coconut Brown, $1.99/12oz - Brown Ale - American

Foundation Forest City Lager, $3.29/16oz - Brewed with North American and Maine-grown pilsner malts and brown rice, Forest City Lager is a pale straw color with notes of apple and cracker, finishing dry and crisp. Named after our hometown’s nickname, we hope you enjoy our rendition of an American classic. (Source)

Foundation Riverton Flyer, $3.29/16oz - Inspired by the great lager beers of central Europe, and named after one of the first roller coasters in Maine, Riverton Flyer is a Pilsner that strikes the perfect balance of grassy and bready malts combined with spicy and herbal hops. Crack open a can and enjoy the ride. (Source)

Founders Blushing Monk, $4.59/12oz - Blushing Monk is brewed with a ridiculous amount of raspberries and with a Belgian yeast strain that keeps our head cellar operator from sleeping for a week. It pours a stunning deep berry red and, at 9.2% ABV, has a surprising kick. The perfect dessert beer, it can be enjoyed on its own or paired with fresh cheeses, fruit, cakes and more. (Source)

Hopewell As If, $4.39/16oz - As If is a West Coast-style Double IPA that restores pithy bitterness to its original status in the American craft beer pecking order. Brewed with Amarillo, Simcoe, Centennial and Chinook hops, this beer asserts its presence with notes of fresh grapefruit, spicy pine and citrus rind, all aided in impact by the IBUs of years past. (Source)

Hopewell Deluxe Imperial Chocolate, $5.09/12oz - Deluxe is an Imperial Stout brewed with barrel-aged chocolate malt and cacao nibs. This lush, decadent beer is packed with notes of rich fudge, dark chocolate and fresh espresso, making for an ideal post-dinner sipper to send off the night. (Source)

Hopewell Stay Frosty, $3.29/16oz - Stay Frosty is a Winter Lager that stands up to the frigid temps that come with the season. Full-bodied and malty with a pronounced nuttiness and slight caramel sweetness, plus a hint of noble hop spiciness to keep it easy on the palate. Cozy up. (Source)

Hopewell Vanilla Deluxe Imperial Chocolate, $5.49/12oz - Vanilla Deluxe is an Imperial Stout brewed with barrel-aged chocolate malt, cacao nibs and vanilla. This decadent dessert beer is packed with notes of rich fudge, dark chocolate and creamy vanilla, making for an ideal post-dinner sipper to send off the night. (Source)

Mikkeller I'm Watching You Lisowski, $5.99/16oz - New England-style Double India Pale Ale Brewed with Amarillo, Citra and Motueka hops. (Source)

Mikkeller Joy of Shaking It, $26.19/500ml - Imp Stout Made w/ Desiccated Coconut, Almond & Chocolate & Aged in Bourbon Barrels. (Source)

Mikkeller Staft Wizard, $4.69/16oz - Berliner-style Weisse Brewed w/ Cranberry & Yuzu. Nice and citrus forward with bold cranberry tartness. (Source)

Mikkeller Stroop Kid Shake, $21.79/500ml - Imperial Stout Made with Wafer Cookies, Caramel & Coffee & Aged in Bourbon Barrels. (Source)

Mikkeller Toasties Shake, $26.19/500ml - Imperial Stout Made w/ Toasted Coconut & Vanilla & Aged in Bourbon Barrels. (Source)

Perrin Cafe Latte, $2.09/12oz - Full-bodied brown ale with coffee, light chocolate notes, and rich roasted aromatics with added milk sugar for a creamy malt finish. (Source)

Prairie BBA Weekend, $14.99/12oz - Barrel aged imperial stout

Prairie Bourbon Paradise, $14.99/12oz - Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels with Coconut and Vanilla. (Source)

Revolution Cafe Deth, $9.39/12oz - A weaponized quantity of freshly roasted whole bean coffee from Dark Matter Coffee imbues our Deth’s Tar Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout with assertive coffee aromatics without overshadowing the base beer on the palate. Pair with rich food or enjoy on its own. Keep cold. Enjoy now. We mean it (Source)

Saugatuck Impaled It, $2.49/12oz - Pale Ale - American

Speciation Lazarus Taxon, $13.99/375ml - Whiskey BA Dark Sour w/ Cinnamon, Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla (Source)

Speciation Senesconce, $13.99/375ml - Whiskey BA Dark Sour w/ Coffee, Maple, and of course... 'Nilla. (Source)

Speciation Vanilla Incipient, $9.39/16oz - Foeder Aged Solera Sour Wheat Ale with Vanilla - This golden sour wheat ale is made in a very large oak barrel called a foeder. We call it a solera blend because it’s a perpetually blended ale - each month we pull 1/5 of its contents, and top up with freshly brewed beer. This means that a portion of every single batch of Incipient that we’ve ever brewed is in this barrel, going back over 3 years! This creates an incredibly complex and layed base beer, to which we add a different single fruit or spice to each month. (Source)

Untitled Art Blood Orange Florida Seltzer, $3.09/12oz

Untitled Art Raspberry Lime Florida Seltzer, $3.09/12oz

Urban Artifact Pinot Gris Brut, $3.59/12oz - Pinot Gris Grapes is a Brut Fruit Tart Ale a sour beer co-fermented with pinot gris grape must. (Source)

Urban Artifact Stabbur Stone, $4.99/12oz - A midwest fruit tart brewed with Yellow and Green Plum imported from Spain. (Source)

Way Up Citrus Dream, $2.19/12oz

Way Up Tropical Vision, $2.19/12oz

Stay safe. Please wear a face covering in indoor public spaces. Spread kindness not germs!