If you’re planning to have chocolate with your dinner on Valentine’s Day, here are pairing ideas for red wine lovers.

The California Institute Of Wine advises:

“California wines bring a whole crew of aromas, tastes and textures to the table. And when they meet chocolate? It’s love at first sight. The sweet, bitter and rich flavors of chocolate cozy up to the diverse personalities and varieties of California wines.”

Their suggestions follow.

Also check out:

> The Nibble’s Master Wine & Chocolate Pairing Chart.

> Pairing Wine & Cake.

> Pairing Wine & Chocolate.

> Pairing Wine & Desserts.

> Pairing Wine With Ice Cream & Sorbet.

> Pairing Beer & Chocolate

> The Different Types Of Chocolate: A Photo Glossary.
 
 
PAIRING CALIFORNIA WINE WITH CHOCOLATE
 
 
California Reds With Dark Chocolate

Pair dark chocolate with California Cabernet Sauvignons or Merlots.

The robust tannins of these red wines embrace the deep cocoa flavors of dark chocolate, creating a harmonious balance that elevates both. Observe how they bring out hidden depths and richness in each other.
 
 
California Chardonnay With White Chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, which gives it its creamy, buttery texture. Pair it with Chardonnay, the creamy white wine.

The full-bodied texture and fruitiness of Chardonnay complement the sweetness of white chocolate.

Here’s more about white chocolate.
 
 
California Rosé With Fruit-Infused Chocolates

With its bright and fruity vibes, rosé is the best partner for fruit-filled chocolates, like raspberry, orange, and lemon creams.

These rosés, often boasting notes of red berries and citrus, bring out the sweet fruit qualities of fruit-filled chocolates.
 
 
California Sparkling Wine With Just About any Chocolate

No matter your chocolate preference, there’s a sparkling wine to sip with it.

The crispness and effervescence of brut or extra brut styles cut through the richness of the chocolate, offering a delightful contrast.

A demi-sec or doux style of sparkling wine, with their sweeter profiles, complement the sweetness of the chocolate.
 
 
Port or Dessert Wine With Nutty or Caramel Chocolates

California Ports and dessert wines are sweet and succulent.

The rich, intense flavors of the wine complement the nuttiness or caramel sweetness in the chocolates.
 
 
> The history of chocolate.

> The history of wine.

> The history of Valentine’s Day.

> The history of chocolate-covered cherries.

> The history of chocolate bark and mendiants.

> The history of chocolate truffles.

> The history of chocolate ganache.

> The history of milk chocolate.

> The history of white chocolate.

[1] Pair dark chocolate with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot (photos #1 and #2 © California Wine Institute).

[2] Pair those same wines with chocolate cake, mousse, and pudding.

[3] Chocolate truffles with Port (photo © DeLallo).

[4] A sweet white dessert wine pairs nicely with chocolate caramels (photo © Delysia Chocolatier).

[1] A bubbling pan of Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo (photos #1, #2, #4 and #5 © DeLallo).

[2] The ingredients for this Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.

[3] Use fresh shrimp or the more affordable frozen shrimp (photo © Sea To Table).

[4] A bag of DelLallo Egg Fettuccine.

[5] While the fettuccine is sold in traditional coiled “nests,” they unfurl in the water to conventional long ribbons.

How about this Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe? February 6th is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, but this recipe will rack up big points on any day, and is especially festive for company. We made it for dinner.

Done in under 30 minutes, this Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe (Shrimp Alfredo for short) is so simple that you don’t need an occasion to indulge—just some tasty DeLallo Egg Pasta, shrimp, hard Italian cheeses and a few more ingredients that you may already have on hand.

> Check below for more creative Fettuccine Alfredo recipes.

> The history of Fettuccine Alfredo.

> The history of pasta.

> The different types of pasta: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: SHRIMP FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

You’ll love this recipe! We like to add a tablespoon of brandy/Cognac to the sauce, and some green peas for a pop of color.

The combination of two Italian grating cheeses, Parmesan and Asiago, add a deeper flavor profiles: sharp, nutty, and savory.

Choose large-sized shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Shoot for a size of 17-20 shrimp per pound. Remove the tails.

Another trade-up: Look for egg pasta fettuccine. Egg pasta (noodles) are a richer, heartier pasta than traditional semolina. Says DeLallo, “These golden ribbons are the perfect pasta to hold up to the creamy sauce.” You can buy them here.

While sour cream is not used in the original Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, it helps to bring the sauce together, adding a rich and ultra-creamy dimension to the final dish.

Thanks to DeLallo fine Italian foods for the recipe.

Here’s are step-by-step photos of the preparation, plus more tips.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile…

2. MELT 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. ADD the shrimp and sauté until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. MAKE the Alfredo sauce: Heat ½ cup of butter and the cream in a large saucepan on low. Simmer for 2 minutes.

5. WHISK IN the salt, pepper, the remaining garlic, and the optional brandy. Cook for 1 minute. stirring continuously. Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses and sour cream.

6. ADD the cooked pasta and the shrimp to the saucepan. Gently toss with sauce to combine. If the sauce is too thick, use some reserved pasta water to thin it out. Serve immediately.
 
 
WINE PAIRINGS

A full-bodied, oaked white wine like a buttery Chardonnay or an oaked Sauvignon Blanc will stand up to the richness of the pasta.

A medium-bodied red wine such as a Barbera or a Chianti has the acidity to cut through the richness.
 
 
MORE FETTUCCINE ALFREDO RECIPES

Talk about fusion food: This Mardi Gras challah combines the colors* of a French Catholic tradition in New Orleans—and their iconic King Cake—with the braided yeast bread challah, the sabbath bread of the Jewish people.

Mardi Gras is early this year, February 13th. To celebrate the occasion, our colleague Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog created this beauty with all natural colors. Each slice is just a little bit different.

 
Together, they create a vibrant harmony in purple, gold, and green…

…for Mardi Gras…
…for Easter…
…for any time you need some happy colors on your table.

> Here’s the recipe.

> The history of challah.

> The history of bread.

> The different types of bread: a photo glossary.
 
 
KING CAKE RECIPES

 
 
RECIPES TO SERVE WITH KING CAKE

[1] Challah braided in Mardi Gras colors (photos #1 and #2 © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Bring the whole loaf to the table and slice it in front of delighted guests.

[1] “Nutella” mousse made with Bonne Maman’s Hazelnut Chocolate Spread (photos #1 and #2 © Bonne Maman).

[2] A close up with an Easter-springtime ganache.

[3] The original: Nutella (photo © Mikael Stenberg | Unsplash).

February 5th is National Nutella Day, celebrating a hazelnut-chocolate spread that has become popular the world over. We’re celebrating it this year with this Nutella mousse recipe, Nutella being the brand name for the original spread.

Made by the Ferrero Company of Italy, the original product was called Giandujot (john-DOO-yote), after the Italian term gianduja (john-DOO-ya).

Gianduja is a filling for chocolate bonbons made of chocolate and cream, a.k.a. ganache, mixed with hazelnuts.

Giandujot was later developed into the spread we now know as Nutella®. The Ferrero Company officially introduced Nutella to the market in 1964.

Nutella became so popular that it engendered similar products. They can’t be called Nutella, of course; but the recipe below was used with Bonne Maman’s Hazelnut Chocolate Spread.

Whole Foods has its own 365 Hazelnut Cocoa Spread, and for those who don’t care for hazelnuts, Trader Joe has Cocoa Almond Spread.

> The history of Nutella.

> The history of mousse.

> The history of hazelnuts.

> The history of chocolate.
 
 
RECIPE: HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE IN COOKIE CUPS

Thanks to Bonne Maman USA for this recipe.

While the prep and cook times for the mousse are relatively quick, the ganache requires 4 hours or more—preferably overnight—to stiffen.

The recipe can be simplified by serving the mousse plain in a dessert dish (no cookie cups, no piping). For a fancier look, you can purchase individual meringue cups to hold the mousse instead of the cookie cups.

While this recipe has been garnished with two chocolate Easter eggs (photos #1 and #2), plain whipped cream will do. In other seasons, a small cookie, a piece of brittle, bark, a raspberry, or any other decor will do.
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

For The Mousse

 
For The Cookie Cups

 
Plus

The mousse is prepared in two stages: first the chocolate-hazelnut ganache and then the whipped cream to fold into it.

1. BOIL 1 cup of the heavy cream in a saucepan to begin the ganache. Place the dark chocolate pieces in a mixing bowl. Pour in 1⁄3 of the heated cream, wait a few minutes for the chocolate to melt, and then mix into a homogeneous emulsion. Add the rest of the cream in two parts.

Finally, fold in the Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. Let the ganache cool.

2. TAMP plastic wrap over the surface of the ganache and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal). Remove the ganache from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to making the whipped cream.

3. MAKE the whipped cream. First beat the two egg whites to stiff peaks. In another bowl…

4. WHIP ¾ cup of the remaining heavy cream to snowy peaks and fold in the egg whites.

5. WHIP the ganache into peaks using an electric beater, for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the whipped cream-egg white mixture to the whipped ganache, folding it in gently.

Your hazelnut chocolate mousse is ready! It will keep for 48 hours in the refrigerator.

6. MAKE the flower cookie cups. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and egg.

7. KNEAD the dough, folding in the chocolate chips, to form a uniform ball. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and roll out dough to a thickness of 3/16 inch.

8. CUT OUT the flowers using a cookie cutter (the one used for this recipe measures 4½ inches across).

9. BAKE in a cup shape by placing each flower over an upside-down muffin or cupcake mold or custard cup measuring around 3¼ inches across. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 °F. Remove from the oven.

10. LET the cookie cups cool before removing them from the mold.

11. MELT the one ounce of dark chocolate and paint the inside of the cookie cups. This chocolate coat acts as a sealant. Let cool. To reduce the setting time, place the cups in the refrigerator.

12. USE a piping bag to pipe the mousse to into the cookie cups and then. Decorate as desired.

Cheese Bits of Riverbank, California, has captured our attention with its innovative line of Cheese Bits “bite size premium snacking cheeses.”

We love innovation, and Cheese Bits has it covered with three product lines, all under the umbrella of Mozzamini Cheese Bits.

The artisanal, all-natural, premium snacking cheeses are made with milk from local Northern California dairies.

Cheese Bits come in three versions: Pearls, Sticks, and Tots.

It’s not that there haven’t been mozzarella pearls (perlini), sticks, and tots (cielegeine, boconcini) out there.

But Mozzamini has expanded the flavor palette. In addition to the traditional Original (plain), there are:

 
And, a point of difference: They are made of scamorza, not mozzarella.

Both are made from from curds that are stretched (a.k.a. pasta filata). With scamorza, however, the curds are smaller so as to retain less moisture. Here’s more about it.

The product line is made from Northern California milk, and are gluten-free.

Imagine what fun you can have sprinkling them over foods to delight family and friends.

While all four flavors are available in Pearls, Sticks, and Tots, oday we focus on the Pearls because they are elegant and tasty fun.

They’re not exactly bite-size. Those would be the Sticks and Tots.

Rather, a few of these little pearls might count as a “bite.” So let us explain:
 
 
THE SIZES OF MOZZARELLA BALLS

We’re presenting this size comparison to explain the relative size of Mozzamini Pearls.

Growing up, we only knew of one size of mozzarella: the one-pound ball carried by our supermarket. But over time, U.S. cheesemakers and importers diversified the line.

The specific timeline for when different sizes of mozzarella balls were introduced is not be well-documented. Variations in size are often driven by culinary trends, consumer demands, regional preferences, and the creativity of artisanal cheese makers.

Over time, the range of sizes expanded. Today you can find a variety in upscale markets, Italian markets, and cheese specialty stores, including:

 
 
HOW TO USE MOZZAMINI PEARLS

Note that while these pearls, made of mozzarella, can be melted, the allure is as a garnish, offering added visual, flavor, and textural appeal.

For Breakfast

 
For Lunch & Dinner

You can marinate the plain pearls in EVOO, balsamic, and herbs to use as a garnish. Or use them, along with the flavored pearls, “as is.”

 
For Dessert

 
 
WASABI PEARLS: A NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

One of the four pearl flavors, Wasabi, was honored with a prestigious Silver Medal at the most recent American Cheese Society Judging and Competition (2023), arguably the most prestigious cheese events in the U.S.

There, panels of expert judges evaluated more than cheeses 1,400 entries in various categories, scoring them taste, texture, aesthetics, and overall excellence.

Wasabi Pearls was entered in the category of International-Style With Flavor Added – All Milks.

First prize in the category (Gold Medal) went to the cumin-flavored Gouda from Oakdale Cheese.

Second prize (the Silver Medal) was shared with Buholzer Brothers Dill Havarti from Klondike Cheese Co. and Cervelle de Canut, an American version of the French-inspired fresh goat cheese spread with shallots, chives, pepper and vinegar, made by Zingerman’s Creamery.
 
 
GET YOUR CHEESE BITS

> Check the store locator for retailers near you.
 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER
 
> The history of scamorza cheese.

> The history of mozzarella cheese.

> The history of cheese.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.

[1] Start at breakfast with Strawberry or Original Pearls on your cereal, or any flavor on your eggs (all photos © Cheese Bits).

[2] Garnish breakfast eggs with Original, Wasabi, or Wood-Smoked Pearls.

[3] Pizza toast can be fun with browned Pearls of your flavor of choice.

[4] Ready for cocktails? How about crab canapés and Wood Smoked pearls.

[5] Sprinkle Pearls atop your favorite pasta.

[6] Pearls are packaged in plastic trays.

[7] Original Pearls.