I am suffering from mascarpone cheese withdrawal this morning, and let me just say it's not pretty.

Dinner last night at The Dish with Jen was delectable. My entree, mustard-crusted pork tenderloin, was served with sweet potatoes mashed with mascarpone. Oh. My. God.

Then, the evil my dear friend Jen forced me to share a massive hunk of tiramisu made with, you guessed it, the evil mascarpone (along with a generous helping of Kahlua over delicate ladyfingers). Inhaling said tiramisu was completely against my will, you understand. I mean, just because it's my favorite dessert of all time, and just because it's not her favorite, and just because the fabulous waiter recommended it with the functional equivalent of two snaps up, and just because it was a belated celebration of my birthday and I was treated like a queen the entire evening ... well, it was still coercion. That's all I'm saying.

Also, I tried Pinot Noir for the first time last night on the recommendation of the waiter. Num. Oh! And our waiter turned out to be the manager of the Polka Dog Bakery, right across the street from the restaurant. My little Rosie enjoys their yummy treats and is almost exclusively outfitted with leashes and collars from the boutique downstairs in that fine establishment. If you have a dog in your life, you might consider picking up some treats or paraphernalia for him or her at the Polka Dog this holiday season.