The secret to good bolognese sauce is red wine. I only discovered this tonight when I made bolognese for the first time. No wonder my usual spaghetti sauce doesn’t have that special zing. The same goes for white wine and cioppino. When there’s not enough, the seafood soup lacks aroma and sophistication.

I can hold my liquor fairly well. All these fat cells are good for something after all. I haven’t had much chance to test my limit and have only been really truly drunk once before. Throwing up after too much wine isn’t very enjoyable and I don’t intend to do it again. But getting a buzz is fun when surrounded by people I trust and have fun with. Otherwise, I just feel uptight and unable to let loose for fear that alcohol could lead to me saying or doing something I regret.

My favorite alcoholic beverages are either bubbly, sweet, or both.

  • Asti Spumante champagne sparkling wine - I tasted this for the first time at the party that followed the successful defense of my PhD dissertation. It will thus be forever associated with immense relief and fear of the future.
  • Mexican Corona beer - Best with (you guessed it) Mexican food. Nifty with a wedge of lime stuffed in its neck.
  • Japanese beer - It’s impossible to resist the TV commercials featuring thirsty people cracking open a bottle and satiating their every wish.
  • Inniskillin ice wine - As elegant and sweet as every Duty Free shop.
  • Japanese plum wine - Who wouldn’t love this sweet plum syrup with a kick that makes an especially nice adult soda?

Marv and I are not big drinkers so it’s nice to have a few favorite recipes that incorporate wine. All those bottles of red and white wine that were given to us as gifts and were promptly stuffed into the cupboard for years can finally bring us joy.