HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE Just finished talking over the video phone to January and the kids, Cory was hard at work in the kitchen making the turkey dinner. I am off in a couple of hours to a neighborhood gathering and the traditional dinner. So what to bring???
Have you ever received gifts of pumpkin butter. What do you do with 4 jars of it. I know you make pumpkin butter pie.
Well I went to the "knife full of cinnamon" cookbook, (see my first blog) and found Mom's pumpkin pie recipe. Made sense to me. substitute pumpkin butter for pumpkin pie filling and leave out the molasses as pumpkin butter is already pretty sweet.
put it altogether and discovered that it took about 30 minutes extra to cook. But be careful when you try this recipe as I am at 2500 hundred feet elevation so that may make a difference. I'll bet nobody at the dinner will bring a pie like this. I did a souffle cup of filling just to make sure it was OK and I LIKE IT. So if you have or can get some pumpkin butter give this a try.
recipe;
2 cups pumpkin butter
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
3 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
combine all ingredients in a blender. Beat on high until mixed. pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 400 for 15 min. reduce heat to 300 and bake 45 min. check with toothpick and add another 15 min. if necessary.
Oh yes leftovers. I have a turkey gumbo recipe that's just perfect for about 5 lbs of extra bird.
and all those extra mashed potatoes and veggies. Lets perk them up a little for round two.
Enjoy Dinner today and give thanks for your families
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
thanksgiving breakfast
Yes it's almost here, one of my favorite days, one where you get to eat all you want, all day long and never get scolded. Oh yes and watch football while your grazing through the hours leading up to a meal that's taken 3 days to prepare.
Once the family got to an age where thanksgiving dinner went to 4 pm instead of 1 pm one of my favorite things to do for the girls and any family members who had shown up the night before was a festive early morning breakfast. I spent as much time planning breakfast as the "big" dinner. I would order Kringle's from Berndtsen's bakery in Milwaukee, find the freshest fruit the store had to offer and make sure the juice was freshly squeezed.
For the adults a fresh pot of coffee and bellini's
Bellini recipe - well chilled - 3oz Raspberry sparkling ( or champagne with a 1/2 oz of chambord) 1 oz apricot nectar in a champagne flute.
for the kids - fresh OJ, concord grape juice and martinelli's sparkling apple cider.
I would get up well before others and have a platter of fresh fruit ready to serve as everyone slowly migrated to the kitchen. I stayed away from traditional fruits and went with an assortment of Kiwi, papaya, mango, dates, figs, persimmons, berries, tangerines and blood oranges if they were available.
Then they would spot the Kringle, which was a perfect compliment to the fruit.
while they were all occupied with the fruit and the kringle I would be finishing up the sit down part of breakfast. Just a few things to keep them going until that first mid morning round of appetizers would show up, usually just as the parade was finishing and the first game was due to come on.
Scrambled eggs with a little cheddar and mild chilli's
Bacon ( home grown and thick cut) EXTRA crispy - if you can't raise your own go to a good butcher shop and get their smoked and cured thick cut, you'll be glad you did.
Denise's oven fried potatoes - red potatoes cubed, coated with olive oil, sprinkled with minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried basil. mix oil and spices in plastic bag, add potatoes and shake to coat. spread on baking sheet and drizzle oil from bag over potatoes. bake at 425 until potatoes are crisp.
Peggy's Baked French Toast - this is the best french toast I have experienced so I just had to steal the recipe. this and the extra crispy bacon with maple syrup are always the big hit.
recipe: 1/2 cup butter - melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 loaf of french bread sliced thick - 3/4 inch
maple syrup
fig jam
In a large rectangular glass casserole spread a 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon evenly on the bottom.
Mix OJ, milk, eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla in rectangular dish suitable for dipping the bread.
Dip the sliced bread and layer in pan over butter and sugar mixture. drizzle over the top of bread the remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup sugar mixed with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
Bake in oven, preheated to 400 for 10 to 12 minutes flip slices over and bake another 12 minutes. serve hot with syrup and jam.
if its to close to organize this for thanksgiving don't forget Christmas is coming.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Once the family got to an age where thanksgiving dinner went to 4 pm instead of 1 pm one of my favorite things to do for the girls and any family members who had shown up the night before was a festive early morning breakfast. I spent as much time planning breakfast as the "big" dinner. I would order Kringle's from Berndtsen's bakery in Milwaukee, find the freshest fruit the store had to offer and make sure the juice was freshly squeezed.
For the adults a fresh pot of coffee and bellini's
Bellini recipe - well chilled - 3oz Raspberry sparkling ( or champagne with a 1/2 oz of chambord) 1 oz apricot nectar in a champagne flute.
for the kids - fresh OJ, concord grape juice and martinelli's sparkling apple cider.
I would get up well before others and have a platter of fresh fruit ready to serve as everyone slowly migrated to the kitchen. I stayed away from traditional fruits and went with an assortment of Kiwi, papaya, mango, dates, figs, persimmons, berries, tangerines and blood oranges if they were available.
Then they would spot the Kringle, which was a perfect compliment to the fruit.
while they were all occupied with the fruit and the kringle I would be finishing up the sit down part of breakfast. Just a few things to keep them going until that first mid morning round of appetizers would show up, usually just as the parade was finishing and the first game was due to come on.
Scrambled eggs with a little cheddar and mild chilli's
Bacon ( home grown and thick cut) EXTRA crispy - if you can't raise your own go to a good butcher shop and get their smoked and cured thick cut, you'll be glad you did.
Denise's oven fried potatoes - red potatoes cubed, coated with olive oil, sprinkled with minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried basil. mix oil and spices in plastic bag, add potatoes and shake to coat. spread on baking sheet and drizzle oil from bag over potatoes. bake at 425 until potatoes are crisp.
Peggy's Baked French Toast - this is the best french toast I have experienced so I just had to steal the recipe. this and the extra crispy bacon with maple syrup are always the big hit.
recipe: 1/2 cup butter - melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 loaf of french bread sliced thick - 3/4 inch
maple syrup
fig jam
In a large rectangular glass casserole spread a 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon evenly on the bottom.
Mix OJ, milk, eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla in rectangular dish suitable for dipping the bread.
Dip the sliced bread and layer in pan over butter and sugar mixture. drizzle over the top of bread the remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup sugar mixed with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
Bake in oven, preheated to 400 for 10 to 12 minutes flip slices over and bake another 12 minutes. serve hot with syrup and jam.
if its to close to organize this for thanksgiving don't forget Christmas is coming.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Sunday, November 15, 2009
football goulash
First of all growing up in the 50's and 60's a lot of things Mom made were called "goulash" and they were always hearty and delicious. But first a little about the web site. Its moving forward with photo's and dialogue supplied by Joe and myself. Decided the first three wines will be the Merlicious Suave Blanc, Dancing Vine Cab and Stray dog Zin. All of which do a really good job complimenting the recipes to date.
OK back to the "goulash". So Saturday was a beautiful day, just right for grilling, decided to do a little mixed grill. Some nice large boneless country ribs, whole butterflied chicken breasts, linguica sausage from Lockeford sausage company, and a couple dozen large shrimp in the shell all in a molasses and ketchup (Slovak) BBQ sauce, turned out great in the new smoker. But I ended up with leftovers, one large rib about 8 to 10 oz, half a chicken breast, one linguica sausage about 6 oz, and 9 BBQ shrimp. So football Sunday morning I checked out the rest of the frig and found plenty to work with. In days past I would simply "lop" all this together and call it good. But now, in case it turns out good, I write what I do down. And It was a good thing I did on this one. This and the Stray Dog zin was a great combo, had a couple of bowls while watching football on a beautiful fall day. this recipe will serve at least three so adjust as you need.
Don't feel like you have to wait for leftovers, you can BBQ the meats just for this recipe.
cut up the rib, chicken and sausage into 1/2 inch cubes
6 to 9 BBQ shrimp
2 cans s&w diced tomatoes ( any flavor you like)
1/2 large green pepper
1/2 tsp beef bouillon powder or one cube
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp Emeril's southwest seasoning
1/4 cup red wine ( stray dog zin)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic - chopped fine
1 - 4oz can sliced black olives
1/4 really large red onion ( or half a small onion) chopped large
grated asiago cheese
crusty bread
In a large skillet add the tomatoes, bouillon, southwest seasoning, red wine, mushrooms, green pepper and onion. saute until onions just start to get tender. add chopped olives, rib, chicken and sausage simmer 6 to 8 minutes on medium high. Add shrimp, salt and pepper to taste simmer 15 more minutes and then serve with grated cheese and warm bread. ( don't hesitate to get creative and use whatever you have available) Don' t forget the stray dog zin.
OK back to the "goulash". So Saturday was a beautiful day, just right for grilling, decided to do a little mixed grill. Some nice large boneless country ribs, whole butterflied chicken breasts, linguica sausage from Lockeford sausage company, and a couple dozen large shrimp in the shell all in a molasses and ketchup (Slovak) BBQ sauce, turned out great in the new smoker. But I ended up with leftovers, one large rib about 8 to 10 oz, half a chicken breast, one linguica sausage about 6 oz, and 9 BBQ shrimp. So football Sunday morning I checked out the rest of the frig and found plenty to work with. In days past I would simply "lop" all this together and call it good. But now, in case it turns out good, I write what I do down. And It was a good thing I did on this one. This and the Stray Dog zin was a great combo, had a couple of bowls while watching football on a beautiful fall day. this recipe will serve at least three so adjust as you need.
Don't feel like you have to wait for leftovers, you can BBQ the meats just for this recipe.
cut up the rib, chicken and sausage into 1/2 inch cubes
6 to 9 BBQ shrimp
2 cans s&w diced tomatoes ( any flavor you like)
1/2 large green pepper
1/2 tsp beef bouillon powder or one cube
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp Emeril's southwest seasoning
1/4 cup red wine ( stray dog zin)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic - chopped fine
1 - 4oz can sliced black olives
1/4 really large red onion ( or half a small onion) chopped large
grated asiago cheese
crusty bread
In a large skillet add the tomatoes, bouillon, southwest seasoning, red wine, mushrooms, green pepper and onion. saute until onions just start to get tender. add chopped olives, rib, chicken and sausage simmer 6 to 8 minutes on medium high. Add shrimp, salt and pepper to taste simmer 15 more minutes and then serve with grated cheese and warm bread. ( don't hesitate to get creative and use whatever you have available) Don' t forget the stray dog zin.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Well We are at the point in website development that we have approved the layout and need to start feeding the designers pictures, Hooray. We have been real busy bottling wines and locating wines for the new site. And of course the toughest job of trying new wines with favorite recipes. This time I have two Wednesday night dinners to catch up on and four wines to talk about. Last week we had one of the girls all time favorites. Every time they came home from college or it was their birthday this was their request. And when Natalie discovered this she asked for it every time she came to visit or we were on the east coast visiting. I have discovered that my panel of tasters, along with myself, have somewhat reduced appetites and consumption capacities so I am going to focus on some menu's with a few less courses
I enjoy starting off the evening with a cocktail, yes I know this is a wine site, but it is a comfortable way to start a good meal with friends.
we started off with a Bellini Tini and some cheese and crackers, homemade sweet pickles and garlic salsa. Then came My Mom's spinach salad from her cookbook which also holds the recipe for the all time favorite " pepper-steak cheddar noodles"we finished off the meal with what I call a simple light adult desert.
With our salad we tried a Chard from Lodi called "Demonique" it was well received by all and we found it to be a great companion to the spinach salad. It is an unoaked white wine, very refreshing, crisp and fruit filled with more stone fruit flavors than typical coastal citrusy" chards.
The really nice thing about unoaked chards is they are so much more versatile and blend well with more foods, lighter foods. It will definitely be in our first group of wines offered on the new site.
The pepper-steak cheddar noodles took on a Syrah from Valley Home Vintners. A real well made syrah in an old fashioned one liter jug style bottle. Syrah or Shiraz as it is called in different countries, is the main grape of the Northern Rhone region and is associated with many classic French wines. In the southern Rhone it used as a blending grape for many classic wines. Although its best creations will last for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth tannins. Syrah is used widely in many countries as a blending grape due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete " wine.
Wines made from Syrah grapes are often quite powerfully flavored and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on climate and soils. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical" though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these primary notes are supplemented with earthy or savory notes such as leather and truffle.
RECIPES
Bellini Tini - peach schnapps 1 1/2 oz
fresh pineapple juice 2 oz
orange juice 1 oz
sparkling wine as a floater
mix first three ingredients in an ice filled shaker serve in a martini glass with sparkling floater. garnish with orange slice.
Spinach Salad
1 lb cleaned fresh spinach
8 slices bacon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
cook bacon, reserve drippings, drain well and crumble. Tear spinach into small pieces, unless you use baby spinach, into a large salad bowl. Mix oil, vinegar and 1/4 cup bacon fat together.
Pour1/2 onto spinach and toss well. Add bacon and seasonings, toss. Add enough oil and vinegar
mixture to coat all the leaves but not enough to leave a puddle in the bottom of the bowl. Add chopped egg and mix lightly. serves 6
Pepper Steak Cheddar Noodles
1/4 cup butter
1 beef bouillon cube
1 1/2 lbs sirloin cut into strips
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 large white onion sliced
1 tblsp cornstarch
2 tblsp water
2 green peppers cut into strips
2 tblsp soy sauce
1 lrg 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
3 cups wide noodles
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet melt butter add beef and garlic powder, brown meat well. Remove meat from skillet. put sliced onion and pepper into skillet, saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return meat to skillet with tomatoes and bouillon - cook until meat is tender. Blend together cornstarch, water, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Add to meat mixture - cook until thickened stirring constantly. Cook noodles and reserve 1/4 cup water when draining noodles. place noodles in a large heated serving bowl ( very important to get the cheddar to melt correctly) add shredded cheddar and about half the reserved hot water toss until cheese in melted and creamy, add more water if cheese is still lumpy. Spoon meat mixture over noodles and serve with warm crusty bread and Valley Home Syrah.
Desert - Simple Adult fruit Desert
1 white peach - firm not soft
1 kiwi - large
1 pear
8 marachino cherries w/syrup
2 oz pyrate XO reserve rum - or any really good rum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
whipped cream
Wash all the fruit, slice peaches into thin wedges, peel and slice kiwi into rounds, slice pear into thin wedges. In a large bowl mix all fruit together add cherries and about an oz of cherry juice, add the rum and sprinkle with cinnamon, mix well without breaking up the fruit. Serve in margarita type glasses and top with whipped cream. A little sprinkle of shaved dark chocolate is a nice finishing touch. OH Yes and feel free to add rum to taste. serves 4
Next is lemon lime punch, Denise's Easy sexy salad, Chicken bouillabaisse, and Chocolate Roulade a La Creme de Glace.
I enjoy starting off the evening with a cocktail, yes I know this is a wine site, but it is a comfortable way to start a good meal with friends.
we started off with a Bellini Tini and some cheese and crackers, homemade sweet pickles and garlic salsa. Then came My Mom's spinach salad from her cookbook which also holds the recipe for the all time favorite " pepper-steak cheddar noodles"we finished off the meal with what I call a simple light adult desert.
With our salad we tried a Chard from Lodi called "Demonique" it was well received by all and we found it to be a great companion to the spinach salad. It is an unoaked white wine, very refreshing, crisp and fruit filled with more stone fruit flavors than typical coastal citrusy" chards.
The really nice thing about unoaked chards is they are so much more versatile and blend well with more foods, lighter foods. It will definitely be in our first group of wines offered on the new site.
The pepper-steak cheddar noodles took on a Syrah from Valley Home Vintners. A real well made syrah in an old fashioned one liter jug style bottle. Syrah or Shiraz as it is called in different countries, is the main grape of the Northern Rhone region and is associated with many classic French wines. In the southern Rhone it used as a blending grape for many classic wines. Although its best creations will last for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blueberry characters and smooth tannins. Syrah is used widely in many countries as a blending grape due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete " wine.
Wines made from Syrah grapes are often quite powerfully flavored and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on climate and soils. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical" though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these primary notes are supplemented with earthy or savory notes such as leather and truffle.
RECIPES
Bellini Tini - peach schnapps 1 1/2 oz
fresh pineapple juice 2 oz
orange juice 1 oz
sparkling wine as a floater
mix first three ingredients in an ice filled shaker serve in a martini glass with sparkling floater. garnish with orange slice.
Spinach Salad
1 lb cleaned fresh spinach
8 slices bacon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
cook bacon, reserve drippings, drain well and crumble. Tear spinach into small pieces, unless you use baby spinach, into a large salad bowl. Mix oil, vinegar and 1/4 cup bacon fat together.
Pour1/2 onto spinach and toss well. Add bacon and seasonings, toss. Add enough oil and vinegar
mixture to coat all the leaves but not enough to leave a puddle in the bottom of the bowl. Add chopped egg and mix lightly. serves 6
Pepper Steak Cheddar Noodles
1/4 cup butter
1 beef bouillon cube
1 1/2 lbs sirloin cut into strips
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 large white onion sliced
1 tblsp cornstarch
2 tblsp water
2 green peppers cut into strips
2 tblsp soy sauce
1 lrg 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
3 cups wide noodles
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet melt butter add beef and garlic powder, brown meat well. Remove meat from skillet. put sliced onion and pepper into skillet, saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return meat to skillet with tomatoes and bouillon - cook until meat is tender. Blend together cornstarch, water, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Add to meat mixture - cook until thickened stirring constantly. Cook noodles and reserve 1/4 cup water when draining noodles. place noodles in a large heated serving bowl ( very important to get the cheddar to melt correctly) add shredded cheddar and about half the reserved hot water toss until cheese in melted and creamy, add more water if cheese is still lumpy. Spoon meat mixture over noodles and serve with warm crusty bread and Valley Home Syrah.
Desert - Simple Adult fruit Desert
1 white peach - firm not soft
1 kiwi - large
1 pear
8 marachino cherries w/syrup
2 oz pyrate XO reserve rum - or any really good rum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
whipped cream
Wash all the fruit, slice peaches into thin wedges, peel and slice kiwi into rounds, slice pear into thin wedges. In a large bowl mix all fruit together add cherries and about an oz of cherry juice, add the rum and sprinkle with cinnamon, mix well without breaking up the fruit. Serve in margarita type glasses and top with whipped cream. A little sprinkle of shaved dark chocolate is a nice finishing touch. OH Yes and feel free to add rum to taste. serves 4
Next is lemon lime punch, Denise's Easy sexy salad, Chicken bouillabaisse, and Chocolate Roulade a La Creme de Glace.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
favorites
OK I have two favorite foods - Italian and seafood. now if you give me Italian seafood OHH baby am I a happy gobbler. (that's right that is coming soon) So guess what you are going to get a lot of. But I just bought ( for my 60th b-day present ) a really incredible BBQ / Smoker combo grill. Of course I have my outdoor Deep fryer lobster steamer giant pot, my cast iron skillets & ironclads that all lend themselves to great food recipes. So yes I am here to blog on wine but the recipes are what you'll really get into. Wine, especially the ones Lewis and I created this week the absolutely best crossfire and riata JK has ever produced, are going to just dazzle you. So I know I have not blogged much this week but I have been cooking. I did my planned recipes, my Mom's spinach salad and pepper steak chedda ( new England speak ) noodles. But last night I looked in the frig and said to myself, self I don't want to go to the store lets see what we can create.
So I found some large Idaho potatoes, a fresh tomato, a jar of diced hot cherry peppers, half a white onion, a jar of sun dried tomatoes ( one of my favorites to cook with ), 2 green peppers, some chicken leg and thighs, medium shrimp, and a bag and a half of baby spinach left over from Thursday nite dinner and hot pepper sauce. So then I went to the pantry. Olive oil, cracked pepper, salt, minced garlic, course sweet basil, marjoram, herb seasoning and chervil.
So, for I don't know for how many years, I would do this kind of cooking and get nothing but raves from whomever I was feeding but could never duplicate it, at least exactly, so now I actually right it down.
After I cooked it and had some with my 2007 stray dog zin I was impressed with both. I new I was going to need a name for it and the closest thing it reminded me of was "choucroute" not a true one but that was what came to mind. Emeril's choucroute is one of my favorite winter dishes.
I had enough left over to have it tonight with my newly bottled 07 crossfire. man was that a great combination. SO LETS COOK.
Chicken, Shrimp and spinach choucroute;
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped or minced garlic
3 large Idaho potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 large green peppers cut into strips
1 large tomato
1/2 large white onion
4 whole chicken leg and thighs - cut up, separate the leg from the thigh
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes - julienne cut
1 tbsp cento diced hot cherry peppers
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp course sweet basil
big pinch of marjoram
big pinch of herb seasoning
big pinch of chervil
24 raw medium peeled and deveined shrimp
2 6 oz bags baby spinach
In a really large deep skillet with a lid add the olive oil, cracked pepper, salt and garlic simmer on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. add chicken pieces and brown on all sides. add potatoes, green peppers, tomato and onion, sun dried tomatoes, diced cherry peppers, hot pepper sauce, basil, marjoram, herb seasoning and chervil. cover and cook stirring every few minutes until chicken is cooked about 20 minutes. add shrimp and cover until shrimp is pink 3 to 4 minutes. cover mixture with all the spinach, drizzle with more olive oil and salt lightly cover and simmer until spinach is cooked. remove from heat toss in the pan to mix up the spinach and serve with some crusty bread. a stray dog zinfandel or the Dancing Vine reserve cab sauv coming up on Bargainsonwine.com. So give this a try and let me know what you think.
BARGINS BABY BARGINS
So I found some large Idaho potatoes, a fresh tomato, a jar of diced hot cherry peppers, half a white onion, a jar of sun dried tomatoes ( one of my favorites to cook with ), 2 green peppers, some chicken leg and thighs, medium shrimp, and a bag and a half of baby spinach left over from Thursday nite dinner and hot pepper sauce. So then I went to the pantry. Olive oil, cracked pepper, salt, minced garlic, course sweet basil, marjoram, herb seasoning and chervil.
So, for I don't know for how many years, I would do this kind of cooking and get nothing but raves from whomever I was feeding but could never duplicate it, at least exactly, so now I actually right it down.
After I cooked it and had some with my 2007 stray dog zin I was impressed with both. I new I was going to need a name for it and the closest thing it reminded me of was "choucroute" not a true one but that was what came to mind. Emeril's choucroute is one of my favorite winter dishes.
I had enough left over to have it tonight with my newly bottled 07 crossfire. man was that a great combination. SO LETS COOK.
Chicken, Shrimp and spinach choucroute;
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped or minced garlic
3 large Idaho potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 large green peppers cut into strips
1 large tomato
1/2 large white onion
4 whole chicken leg and thighs - cut up, separate the leg from the thigh
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes - julienne cut
1 tbsp cento diced hot cherry peppers
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp course sweet basil
big pinch of marjoram
big pinch of herb seasoning
big pinch of chervil
24 raw medium peeled and deveined shrimp
2 6 oz bags baby spinach
In a really large deep skillet with a lid add the olive oil, cracked pepper, salt and garlic simmer on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. add chicken pieces and brown on all sides. add potatoes, green peppers, tomato and onion, sun dried tomatoes, diced cherry peppers, hot pepper sauce, basil, marjoram, herb seasoning and chervil. cover and cook stirring every few minutes until chicken is cooked about 20 minutes. add shrimp and cover until shrimp is pink 3 to 4 minutes. cover mixture with all the spinach, drizzle with more olive oil and salt lightly cover and simmer until spinach is cooked. remove from heat toss in the pan to mix up the spinach and serve with some crusty bread. a stray dog zinfandel or the Dancing Vine reserve cab sauv coming up on Bargainsonwine.com. So give this a try and let me know what you think.
BARGINS BABY BARGINS
Sunday, October 18, 2009
sauvignon blanc with whole grain pasta in white clam sauce
Yes whole grain, remember wine is a food and in moderation is good for your health, so lets work on pairing healthy foods. Many of the recipes I have and find I will "tweek" to substitute some better lifestyle ingredients. There, of course, will be some recipes that would suffer to much from substitution so trust me I am not giving up the butter yet, you're welcome P.D. I am a big fan of fresh ingredients and I prefer shopping for a meal the same day I am going to prepare it. Pasta does give you a little flexibility in that you can stock up and get creative on short notice.
The wine - Sauvignon Blanc - A green grape originally from Bordeaux is planted in most all wine producing regions and is known for producing a crisp, dry and refreshing white wine. Depending on the growing region flavors can go from "grassy" to sweet and tropical. Crisp and fresh are the two components I look for in a SB along with being a round wine with notes of melon. Colder fermentation's bring out more fruit and tropical flavors and lends itself to an unoaked style.
Expressive flavors for SB range from citrus, pear and melon to an array of tropical fruits.
SB can be one of your best value wine buys offering varietal character and versatility. It is truly "food friendly" with bright flavors and distinct character. SB can easily support spicy and aggressively flavored dishes. With evident but not overpowering acidity it easily balances richer cream sauces along with high acid foods such as fresh tomatoes and tangy cheese. Dry and crisp enough however to support a wide range of fish, shellfish, salads,soups, vegetables and citrus flavored sauces.
I have found a Sauvignon Blanc from the Lodi appellation one that is grown 100% in the delta region. The area that experiences the "delta breeze" the onshore wind that brings the cool evening breeze from San Francisco bay all the way up to Sacramento and the Sierra Foothills. This chilly evening breeze gives the SB just the right climate it craves to fully express its best characteristics. This 2007 SB called Merlicious is from E2 family wines and is done in the Kiwi style of stainless fermentation and is unoaked. This cold style of fermentation shows lots of crisp
natural acidity and irresistible aromas of gooseberry and passion fruit. The nose is bright and soothing with a lively mouth feel and slightly flinty finish. I find this SB to be most complimentary to shellfish. So being a pasta fanatic I found my whole grain pasta with white clam sauce a perfect combo for me. The recipe is below but I would only savor the thought until we can get the wines on line for you to purchase and try with this pasta. Just remember to watch for the launch of our new website http://www.bargainsonwine.com/ . You will be amazed at the value of our wines as they will truly be bargains on wines you can't get in any wine shop or market. So please be patient, gather the recipes and well before the holidays you will be able to stock up on these "bargin" wines.
** whole grain linguine with white clam sauce ( for 4 )
8 oz barrilla whole grain pasta
4 tblsp unsalted butter
1 tblsp whole wheat flour
8 oz clam juice ( 1 small bottle )
2 oz Merlicious Sauvignon Blanc
1 tblsp Italian seasoning ( I like Emeril's )
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 6 1/2 oz cans minced clams in juice
a great little addition to this recipe is to get 16 small fresh clams to steam and place on top of the pasta serving bowl or if you are plating 4 per plate.
prepare pasta according to package and your taste for al dente, drain:
melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour and mix well. Add clam juice and wine and stir until smooth. Add Italian seasoning and thyme bring to a boil over medium heat. Add clams with juice and continue to cook until slightly thickened. combine drained pasta with sauce. Toss and serve in a large family style pasta bowl with cracked ground pepper, fresh grated Romano cheese and crusty bread with olive oil on the side.
WINE - MERLICIOUS LODI SAUVIGNON BLANC
Salad recipe for another day
The wine - Sauvignon Blanc - A green grape originally from Bordeaux is planted in most all wine producing regions and is known for producing a crisp, dry and refreshing white wine. Depending on the growing region flavors can go from "grassy" to sweet and tropical. Crisp and fresh are the two components I look for in a SB along with being a round wine with notes of melon. Colder fermentation's bring out more fruit and tropical flavors and lends itself to an unoaked style.
Expressive flavors for SB range from citrus, pear and melon to an array of tropical fruits.
SB can be one of your best value wine buys offering varietal character and versatility. It is truly "food friendly" with bright flavors and distinct character. SB can easily support spicy and aggressively flavored dishes. With evident but not overpowering acidity it easily balances richer cream sauces along with high acid foods such as fresh tomatoes and tangy cheese. Dry and crisp enough however to support a wide range of fish, shellfish, salads,soups, vegetables and citrus flavored sauces.
I have found a Sauvignon Blanc from the Lodi appellation one that is grown 100% in the delta region. The area that experiences the "delta breeze" the onshore wind that brings the cool evening breeze from San Francisco bay all the way up to Sacramento and the Sierra Foothills. This chilly evening breeze gives the SB just the right climate it craves to fully express its best characteristics. This 2007 SB called Merlicious is from E2 family wines and is done in the Kiwi style of stainless fermentation and is unoaked. This cold style of fermentation shows lots of crisp
natural acidity and irresistible aromas of gooseberry and passion fruit. The nose is bright and soothing with a lively mouth feel and slightly flinty finish. I find this SB to be most complimentary to shellfish. So being a pasta fanatic I found my whole grain pasta with white clam sauce a perfect combo for me. The recipe is below but I would only savor the thought until we can get the wines on line for you to purchase and try with this pasta. Just remember to watch for the launch of our new website http://www.bargainsonwine.com/ . You will be amazed at the value of our wines as they will truly be bargains on wines you can't get in any wine shop or market. So please be patient, gather the recipes and well before the holidays you will be able to stock up on these "bargin" wines.
** whole grain linguine with white clam sauce ( for 4 )
8 oz barrilla whole grain pasta
4 tblsp unsalted butter
1 tblsp whole wheat flour
8 oz clam juice ( 1 small bottle )
2 oz Merlicious Sauvignon Blanc
1 tblsp Italian seasoning ( I like Emeril's )
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 6 1/2 oz cans minced clams in juice
a great little addition to this recipe is to get 16 small fresh clams to steam and place on top of the pasta serving bowl or if you are plating 4 per plate.
prepare pasta according to package and your taste for al dente, drain:
melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour and mix well. Add clam juice and wine and stir until smooth. Add Italian seasoning and thyme bring to a boil over medium heat. Add clams with juice and continue to cook until slightly thickened. combine drained pasta with sauce. Toss and serve in a large family style pasta bowl with cracked ground pepper, fresh grated Romano cheese and crusty bread with olive oil on the side.
WINE - MERLICIOUS LODI SAUVIGNON BLANC
Salad recipe for another day
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Well the logo is done and now the work begins on the website http://www.bargainsonwine.com/ they tell us we are looking at about 4 weeks until you will be able to order the wines I find and pair with great recipes. So here we go.
I am going to share with you on this blog all my years of passion for food and cooking and 20 years of passion for wine. All of those years have revolved around generations of family from "phoebe you burned the mashed potatoes again" to a "knife full of cinnamon" and "just add more ketchup". As we travel this road of passions I will share lots of family favorites from my mothers hand written cookbook, four identical copies one for each of her children, to my favorite recipes from my extended family and ethnic adventures.
I will take the wines we discover for you , and offer on bargainsonwine, and match them to one of those recipes. I trust of course that if you are anything like myself and are following a food and wine blog you will look at these recipes and say " Ohh! how about a little of this or a pinch of that" and when you do please share so we can all enjoy your creativity.
There are lots of family recipes out there so I am hoping that you will share some of your family favorites with me and challenge me to find a complimentary wine for you to enjoy. I am expecting Italian from Dana, Slovak from Denise - via Peggy, country from Ginger, southwest from Val, home style from JJ Cory Jessica and Eric, New England traditional from Judy, down-east seafood from Prudy - thanks to Aunt Rose, a little midwest Scandinavian from Vinny and Ami and oh yes a little from the British Isles from Chris and Roy.
I am even going to pass on some of my most appreciated creations like - Mark and Paul's jambalaya, and my traditional harvest lobster boil. And once in a while a menu created for a holiday or traditional family and friends dinner. So back to "Wednesday night dinners" - you'll get this when I share the preface to a "Knife full of cinnamon" Mom's cookbook.
So to get this going I am going to start with a really fun Sauvignon blanc I found paired with my twist on whole wheat pasta in white clam sauce. Next will be all the kid's absolute favorite Mom's pepper-steak cheddar noodles with a really fun reserve Syrah in a jug. last of the first three wines will be Ava Marie's Divinity the most complimentary wine I have ever had with a Thanksgiving turkey. Jacques Pepin fell in love with this wine in Newport ( yes -name dropper). Oh yes the turkey is deep fried and I will give you the whole menu.
As a fun and final note for tonight this blog was first hand written by candlelight during last nights first big winter storm here in the mountains 10/13/09 pasta and clam sauce tomorrow-ish.
I am going to share with you on this blog all my years of passion for food and cooking and 20 years of passion for wine. All of those years have revolved around generations of family from "phoebe you burned the mashed potatoes again" to a "knife full of cinnamon" and "just add more ketchup". As we travel this road of passions I will share lots of family favorites from my mothers hand written cookbook, four identical copies one for each of her children, to my favorite recipes from my extended family and ethnic adventures.
I will take the wines we discover for you , and offer on bargainsonwine, and match them to one of those recipes. I trust of course that if you are anything like myself and are following a food and wine blog you will look at these recipes and say " Ohh! how about a little of this or a pinch of that" and when you do please share so we can all enjoy your creativity.
There are lots of family recipes out there so I am hoping that you will share some of your family favorites with me and challenge me to find a complimentary wine for you to enjoy. I am expecting Italian from Dana, Slovak from Denise - via Peggy, country from Ginger, southwest from Val, home style from JJ Cory Jessica and Eric, New England traditional from Judy, down-east seafood from Prudy - thanks to Aunt Rose, a little midwest Scandinavian from Vinny and Ami and oh yes a little from the British Isles from Chris and Roy.
I am even going to pass on some of my most appreciated creations like - Mark and Paul's jambalaya, and my traditional harvest lobster boil. And once in a while a menu created for a holiday or traditional family and friends dinner. So back to "Wednesday night dinners" - you'll get this when I share the preface to a "Knife full of cinnamon" Mom's cookbook.
So to get this going I am going to start with a really fun Sauvignon blanc I found paired with my twist on whole wheat pasta in white clam sauce. Next will be all the kid's absolute favorite Mom's pepper-steak cheddar noodles with a really fun reserve Syrah in a jug. last of the first three wines will be Ava Marie's Divinity the most complimentary wine I have ever had with a Thanksgiving turkey. Jacques Pepin fell in love with this wine in Newport ( yes -name dropper). Oh yes the turkey is deep fried and I will give you the whole menu.
As a fun and final note for tonight this blog was first hand written by candlelight during last nights first big winter storm here in the mountains 10/13/09 pasta and clam sauce tomorrow-ish.
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