Have you ever noticed how when you become aware of something you start to see it everywhere?  Brandy is a spirit I thought appropriately served straight up in a brandy snifter.  It had never occurred to me to use brandy in a mixed drink.  The other day a bartender suggested I might like a Sidecar and explained that it was brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice.  Since then, the Sidecar is turning up everywhere simply because I have become aware of it.  Quite a taste way to kick off our Friday night!  Be forewarned, I like them strong!

Sidecar

3 ounces Brandy
1 1/2 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce lemon juice

Shake with ice. Strain into a sugared rim martini glass and garnished with a lemon twist.

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After enjoying our cocktail, we opened a wonderful bottle of wine to have with our meal. 

Tonight's pasta dish was based on a recipe I found at Thyme For Cooking.  It caught my eye because it contains both Dijon and coarse ground mustard, which is Wilson's all time favorite condiment.  The sauce is quite tasty and I really enjoy the flavor combination of the white wine and mustards.  Additionally it is a cream sauce though the recipe doesn't call for heavy cream but instead uses yogurt.  I opted for a vegan version and substituted blended silken tofu for the yogurt with a very nice, low calorie result.

Now don't laugh, but believe it or not this is a ciabatta.  I recognize it is a bit "puffier" then a ciabatta should be and it is missing the large holes expected of a ciabatta, try as I might I simply can't get it right.  I've been experimenting with different recipes and techniques hoping to make the perfect ciabatta - clearly this was not it.  However, it was quite tasty!  I served it with a locally made maple smoked goat cheese which was absolutely delicious!

Creamy Mustard Pasta Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 bell peppers (any color combination), chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ cup white wine

½ cup vegetable broth

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 ½ tablespoons whole grain mustard

1-2 T cornstarch*, dissolved in 2 T broth

½ cup plain soy yogurt or silken tofu**

½ pound pasta (about 2 cups)

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Saute the onions over medium heat for a minute or so and add the peppers, sautéing for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 3 minutes longer. Add beans, herbs, wine, broth and mustards. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 - 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch* mixture into sauce to thicken. Stir in yogurt/tofu, just until heated through.  Add hot pasta, toss to combine and serve.

* I used 2 T of the cornstarch and the sauce was a bit thicker then I would have liked.  My recommendation would be to omit the cornstarch all together as I don't feel it is necessary.

** The original recipe called for Greek yogurt or traditional yogurt.  I substituted blended silken tofu.  The tofu will result in a much thicker sauce and I suspect it would be preferable to use soy, regular or Greek yogurt to achieve a creamer sauce.