We usually start the discussion shortly after Halloween. Beef Wellington is always a favorite, as is the standing rib roast. We're leaning towards Cassoulet this year. Cassoulet is a dish that originated somewhere in the south of France. There are many variations, from the gourmet to the canned. Yes, you can buy canned Cassoulet in France! I think you'd be hard-pressed to find it canned in the US. It's a stew/casserole consisting of white beans, sausage and duck or goose confit. We made it once before; we bought the duck confit. We're thinking about making the confit ourselves this year. That, however, is a job requiring over a quart of duck fat! Hmmm...
The Bob Cratchit in me has always wanted to make Christmas goose. My sister sent me a recipe. Does anyone else have one? Please share it with us if you do.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A Nice Wine Surprise & A Book Review
Seasons Greetings! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
The weather this past weekend was atrocious. Cold, snowing, windy & dark. So, Sunday evening found my daughter and me watching football and snacking on salami, olives, Sonoma Jack cheese and pate'. What? Don't all 5-year-olds snack that way? OK, she has foodie parents, she's been chowing on salmon roe at the sushi bar since she was one-year-old. Maybe she's a little different. A glass of wine was in order, but I didn't want to open one of those special bottles I'd recently pulled from the cellar without my husband. And I was not about to brave the elements for a glass of wine. I looked in my meager wine rack that still held a few bottles from my distributor days. There was a bottle of Chateau Le Prieur, St. Emilion Grand Cru, 2002. I'd sold a few cases of it, but never tried it. So, I pulled the cork, and what a lovely surprise! Currents and a bit of leather on the nose, followed by a lovely, silky wine on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and plenty of fruit. Sorry, but you probably will have a difficult time finding this wine; the current release is the 2005 vintage. You can find it for about $42. And with '05 being hailed as the Vintage of the Century by some, it's surely a great value. (I haven't actually tasted the 2005, so buy at your own risk!)
I just finished a fun wine book. Red, White & Drunk All Over, by Natalie McLean. Natalie is what I hope to be. She's a wine writer with a well-read website, www.nataliemclean.com and a free monthly e-newsletter, Nat Decants. Check her out; she's funny, entertaining & knowledgeable. And tell her about me! A quote from Entertainment Weekly, on the front cover says "McLean's guide...is engaging and practical, and perfect for the novice." I don't really agree with that statement. First of all, I wouldn't call the book a guide, although there is a chapter on food & wine pairing which is very approachable, and helpful for novices. The rest of the book, however, is for those interested in wine and wine people. It's a compilation of stories about McLean's experiences and conversations with people in all aspects of the wine world, from vintners to merchants to critics. I really enjoyed the book. She's informative without being dry and funny without being silly. What I love most about her is her unabashed admission that she likes to catch a buzz drinking wine! That's a subject that most wine writers completely ignore. As if that has nothing to do with their reasons for drinking wine! It's a fun, fast read. I recommend it.
The weather this past weekend was atrocious. Cold, snowing, windy & dark. So, Sunday evening found my daughter and me watching football and snacking on salami, olives, Sonoma Jack cheese and pate'. What? Don't all 5-year-olds snack that way? OK, she has foodie parents, she's been chowing on salmon roe at the sushi bar since she was one-year-old. Maybe she's a little different. A glass of wine was in order, but I didn't want to open one of those special bottles I'd recently pulled from the cellar without my husband. And I was not about to brave the elements for a glass of wine. I looked in my meager wine rack that still held a few bottles from my distributor days. There was a bottle of Chateau Le Prieur, St. Emilion Grand Cru, 2002. I'd sold a few cases of it, but never tried it. So, I pulled the cork, and what a lovely surprise! Currents and a bit of leather on the nose, followed by a lovely, silky wine on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and plenty of fruit. Sorry, but you probably will have a difficult time finding this wine; the current release is the 2005 vintage. You can find it for about $42. And with '05 being hailed as the Vintage of the Century by some, it's surely a great value. (I haven't actually tasted the 2005, so buy at your own risk!)
I just finished a fun wine book. Red, White & Drunk All Over, by Natalie McLean. Natalie is what I hope to be. She's a wine writer with a well-read website, www.nataliemclean.com and a free monthly e-newsletter, Nat Decants. Check her out; she's funny, entertaining & knowledgeable. And tell her about me! A quote from Entertainment Weekly, on the front cover says "McLean's guide...is engaging and practical, and perfect for the novice." I don't really agree with that statement. First of all, I wouldn't call the book a guide, although there is a chapter on food & wine pairing which is very approachable, and helpful for novices. The rest of the book, however, is for those interested in wine and wine people. It's a compilation of stories about McLean's experiences and conversations with people in all aspects of the wine world, from vintners to merchants to critics. I really enjoyed the book. She's informative without being dry and funny without being silly. What I love most about her is her unabashed admission that she likes to catch a buzz drinking wine! That's a subject that most wine writers completely ignore. As if that has nothing to do with their reasons for drinking wine! It's a fun, fast read. I recommend it.
Monday, November 17, 2008
There's Something About a Wine Cellar
It started when I was young. My grandfather would take me down to his wine cellar and let me explore. I loved the musty smell, the dust-covered bottles and how happy he always was in his cellar. I was fascinated by the big bottles; he had a 5-liter of something that was as tall as I was! His cellar mostly contained French wines, as was probably the case for most collectors of his day. Burgundy was his favorite. I can't tell you specifically what was in his cellar, but we wine geeks of today would definitely drool. I've often said that I probably drank some of the most amazing wines of my life before I turned 18!Today, I have a much smaller cellar, but I love being in it all the same. It takes some effort to get there; two people have to lift the floor boards in my office to gain access. That makes it all the more special. Last week, we went down to pull up some wines for the holiday season. I sat on the dirt floor and pondered...how many people will we have for Thanksgiving? Christmas? What am I thinking about serving? Will we do any other entertaining during the holiday season? How many parties will we be invited to? Having answers to none of these questions, I began grabbing. A double magnum of Raymond Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997; it was highly rated on release. A 2004 Pax Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah, Mendocino County, made whan Pax was still the winemaker. A 2003 Imagery Sunny Slope Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley. A 1994 & 1995 vertical of Grgich Hills Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (pre-colored labels!) I'm looking forward to trying these cellar gems and sharing my impressions with you. Now, about the menu.....
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Election Night Dinner
I received an e-mail on Nov. 3, from my Dad. He had copied my sister as well. "What are you making for dinner tomorrow night?" he asked. You see, I couldn't help being a foodie; it's in my genes.
It may seem oddly complex for a night that one wants to be glued to the TV, but we made Peking Duck. In honor of election night, we re-named it, "Bush's Lame Duck." In reality, it is not a very difficult meal to make. The Chinese pancakes are probably the hardest part. But, it is time consuming and you have to plan ahead and start it the night before. I think that what stops most people from trying is that most recipes tell you that you have to hang the duck overnight in a cold place. You can get the exact same effect from putting it on a rack in the fridge. Recipes abound on the internet. The Food Network, http://www.foodnetwork.com/ , has five. The basic procedure is: pour boiling water over the duck twice, then hang or chill overnight, uncovered. The next day, baste with a soy/honey/sesame oil mix and roast in the oven. Seriously, it's that easy. You do have to make the Chinese pancakes though. Please, please, please do not use flour tortillas. The pancakes aren't that hard, and significant others and children can help. They are worth it.
What to drink? I like beer. A lager or pilsner. For authenticity, have Tsing Tao. But Pilsner Urquell, Stella Artois or your favorite would do just fine.
It may seem oddly complex for a night that one wants to be glued to the TV, but we made Peking Duck. In honor of election night, we re-named it, "Bush's Lame Duck." In reality, it is not a very difficult meal to make. The Chinese pancakes are probably the hardest part. But, it is time consuming and you have to plan ahead and start it the night before. I think that what stops most people from trying is that most recipes tell you that you have to hang the duck overnight in a cold place. You can get the exact same effect from putting it on a rack in the fridge. Recipes abound on the internet. The Food Network, http://www.foodnetwork.com/ , has five. The basic procedure is: pour boiling water over the duck twice, then hang or chill overnight, uncovered. The next day, baste with a soy/honey/sesame oil mix and roast in the oven. Seriously, it's that easy. You do have to make the Chinese pancakes though. Please, please, please do not use flour tortillas. The pancakes aren't that hard, and significant others and children can help. They are worth it.
What to drink? I like beer. A lager or pilsner. For authenticity, have Tsing Tao. But Pilsner Urquell, Stella Artois or your favorite would do just fine.
Birthdays
In our home, the holiday season starts on October 28, my husband's birthday. We always make a fabulous meal, and drink fabulous wine. This year was no exception. We had horseradish and dijon mustard encrusted filet mignons with potato gratin with bacon, leek and gruyere. Our wine was Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon, Helena Montana Vineyard, Knights Valley, 2003. Sometimes, a meal just turns out perfect. This was one of those times.
One of the key components of the meal is fresh horseradish. If you can get beyond the phallic nature of the root, it is worth trying. When grated, the flavor is more intense, yet less bitter than the bottled kind. It is also not as gloppy, so mixed with the dijon mustard, it adhered perfectly to the steaks. If you are going to make this dish, sear the steaks first, let them cool, then put on the horseradish/mustard mix and finish in the oven to your desired temperature.
I got the gratin recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine, Oct./Nov. 2008 issue. Let me make a plug for this glossy. There are a zillion cooking magazines out there; I read a lot of them. Many are good. Many are women's magazines in disguise; many are travel magazines in disguise; some are self-improvements magazines in disguise. Some even have political agendas. If you want a magazine that is all about great recipes and cooking techniques - period - then Fine Cooking is the choice for you. It is my absolute favorite cooking magazine. Check it out at www.finecooking.com.
We were thrilled with our wine pairing. Anakota produces two wines, both Cabernet Sauvignons. They are both produced from high-altitude, single vineyards on Mount Saint Helena in Knights Valley. The Helena Dakota vineyard is at an elevation of 750 feet, and the Helena Montana (which we had), is at 950 feet. This wine was concentrated and full of dark berries - blackberries and black currents. It was incredibly smooth; the tannins so well integrated, that I give it "Drink Now" status.
Sometimes the wine and food just melt in your mouth....
One of the key components of the meal is fresh horseradish. If you can get beyond the phallic nature of the root, it is worth trying. When grated, the flavor is more intense, yet less bitter than the bottled kind. It is also not as gloppy, so mixed with the dijon mustard, it adhered perfectly to the steaks. If you are going to make this dish, sear the steaks first, let them cool, then put on the horseradish/mustard mix and finish in the oven to your desired temperature.
I got the gratin recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine, Oct./Nov. 2008 issue. Let me make a plug for this glossy. There are a zillion cooking magazines out there; I read a lot of them. Many are good. Many are women's magazines in disguise; many are travel magazines in disguise; some are self-improvements magazines in disguise. Some even have political agendas. If you want a magazine that is all about great recipes and cooking techniques - period - then Fine Cooking is the choice for you. It is my absolute favorite cooking magazine. Check it out at www.finecooking.com.
We were thrilled with our wine pairing. Anakota produces two wines, both Cabernet Sauvignons. They are both produced from high-altitude, single vineyards on Mount Saint Helena in Knights Valley. The Helena Dakota vineyard is at an elevation of 750 feet, and the Helena Montana (which we had), is at 950 feet. This wine was concentrated and full of dark berries - blackberries and black currents. It was incredibly smooth; the tannins so well integrated, that I give it "Drink Now" status.
Sometimes the wine and food just melt in your mouth....
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Meatballs
There's something about meatballs. If you grew up in an Italian family or an Italian neighborhood (I did both), you know that there's more to meatballs than just your average comfort food. They say that bread is the staff of life; Italians think it's meatballs. They define a meal, a family, a discussion, a culture. Italians recognize their own families' meatballs like Scots recognize their families' tartans.
My own earliest meatball memories surround my great-grandmother, Nana. Born Tessie Cerami, she and her sister Josie came over on a boat from Sicily, at ages 16 and 14, through Ellis Island and made their way to Ossining, NY, where they married two brothers and lived next door to each other until their deaths, some 70 years later. Nana was the stereotypical Italian grandmother, from her clunky black shoes and wrinkly nylons to the crucifixes, visible from every vantage point in her house. Nana always had a pot of tomato sauce, filled with meatballs, simmering on the stove. Family lore said it was the same pot she put there circa 1940; she just kept adding more sauce and more meatballs. And she always had a meatball sandwich in her purse; it was the cure-all for whatever ailed you. Scrape your knee - have a meat-a-ball-a-sand-a-wich; break up with your boyfriend - have a meat-a-ball-a-sand-a-wich. As she got older, it was harder to trust the sandwich-from-the-purse, not knowing if it had been made that morning, or three weeks prior.
Nana served wine, though I can't tell you what it was. All I can say is it was red, and served in teeny-tiny glasses. I serve red wine with meatballs today, but in much larger glasses. If you've read my blog, you know that I like serving regional food with regional wines. This holds true for Italy, more than any other region. I could go into a long wine-geeky dissertation on why this is so, but here's what it boils down to: the high-acid in many Italian reds stands up to tomato sauce like no other wine can. Would I recommend sitting on the porch and sipping a nice Chianti as an apperitif? No. But with meatballs, pizza, eggplant parmesan - you bet. Chianti is in the Toscana region; Chianti Classico is a smaller region within Chianti, in theory, producing higher quality wines. Here are a few reliable producers of Chianti that you may want to try: Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Badia a Coltibuono, Ruffino, Banfi, Folonari, Rocca delle Macie. Most produce wines in a variey of price ranges.
"Mangia!" As Nana would say.
My own earliest meatball memories surround my great-grandmother, Nana. Born Tessie Cerami, she and her sister Josie came over on a boat from Sicily, at ages 16 and 14, through Ellis Island and made their way to Ossining, NY, where they married two brothers and lived next door to each other until their deaths, some 70 years later. Nana was the stereotypical Italian grandmother, from her clunky black shoes and wrinkly nylons to the crucifixes, visible from every vantage point in her house. Nana always had a pot of tomato sauce, filled with meatballs, simmering on the stove. Family lore said it was the same pot she put there circa 1940; she just kept adding more sauce and more meatballs. And she always had a meatball sandwich in her purse; it was the cure-all for whatever ailed you. Scrape your knee - have a meat-a-ball-a-sand-a-wich; break up with your boyfriend - have a meat-a-ball-a-sand-a-wich. As she got older, it was harder to trust the sandwich-from-the-purse, not knowing if it had been made that morning, or three weeks prior.
Nana served wine, though I can't tell you what it was. All I can say is it was red, and served in teeny-tiny glasses. I serve red wine with meatballs today, but in much larger glasses. If you've read my blog, you know that I like serving regional food with regional wines. This holds true for Italy, more than any other region. I could go into a long wine-geeky dissertation on why this is so, but here's what it boils down to: the high-acid in many Italian reds stands up to tomato sauce like no other wine can. Would I recommend sitting on the porch and sipping a nice Chianti as an apperitif? No. But with meatballs, pizza, eggplant parmesan - you bet. Chianti is in the Toscana region; Chianti Classico is a smaller region within Chianti, in theory, producing higher quality wines. Here are a few reliable producers of Chianti that you may want to try: Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Badia a Coltibuono, Ruffino, Banfi, Folonari, Rocca delle Macie. Most produce wines in a variey of price ranges.
"Mangia!" As Nana would say.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Falling for Fall
I love fall. I love the cooler weather, the changing leaves, wearing sweaters and making fires in the woodstove. I especially love the changes in cooking and wine drinking. While our summers are filled with salads and Sauvignon Blancs or grilled anything with a luscious Rose', as the weather turns cold, both the food and wine get warmer. I look forward to making stews, braises and anything topped with a pastry crust at this time of year. My tastes in wine, red or white, turn to the more full-bodied varieties.
Here's a dish I love making at this time of year:
Tarragon Chicken & Biscuits
1 lb. boneless chicken (breasts or thighs or a combination)
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs. chopped, fresh tarragon
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 c. white wine
3/4 c. chicken stock
1 c. heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
Biscuit Dough (recipe follows)
Make the biscuit dough first. To make the recipe easier, you can use store-bought, refrigerated biscuit dough, or make the dough from a mix.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the chicken into 1" chunks. Salt & pepper it. Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Saute chicken until almost cooked through - approximately 8 minutes, adding the mushrooms after 4 minutes. Pour off any liquid and add the white wine; cook until wine is reduced by about half, then add the chicken stock and the heavy cream. Cook until the cream thickens, adding more if the mixture is drier than chunky soup. Add the tarragon and mix to combine. Taste for salt & pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 9" x 9" baking dish and top with blobs of the biscuit dough. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until the biscuits are golden on top and the filling is bubbly.
Biscuits
2 c. all-purpose flour (I highly recommend King Arthur Flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter (cold)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
Mix all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small pieces then blend into the the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers. You can leave some larger chunks of butter. Mix in the buttermilk. You'll have a sticky, lumpy dough.
OK - a couple of disclaimers. I'm not a cookbook author, and I don't even often write down my recipes. So, consider everything I've writen as approximate and use your cook's intuition. The chicken mixture needs to be quite wet, souplike, in fact or it will dry out in the oven. So add more liquid as needed. Oven temperatures vary, as well as cooking times at different altitudes, so keep an eye on it.
So, what to drink? My recommendation is an Oregon Pinot Gris. I like the King Estate's Signature Collection Pinot Gris. Two others to try are Ponzi and Benton Lane.
I hope you'll try my recipe. Let me know how it turns out. More cool weather recipes to come!
Here's a dish I love making at this time of year:
Tarragon Chicken & Biscuits
1 lb. boneless chicken (breasts or thighs or a combination)
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs. chopped, fresh tarragon
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 c. white wine
3/4 c. chicken stock
1 c. heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
Biscuit Dough (recipe follows)
Make the biscuit dough first. To make the recipe easier, you can use store-bought, refrigerated biscuit dough, or make the dough from a mix.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the chicken into 1" chunks. Salt & pepper it. Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Saute chicken until almost cooked through - approximately 8 minutes, adding the mushrooms after 4 minutes. Pour off any liquid and add the white wine; cook until wine is reduced by about half, then add the chicken stock and the heavy cream. Cook until the cream thickens, adding more if the mixture is drier than chunky soup. Add the tarragon and mix to combine. Taste for salt & pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 9" x 9" baking dish and top with blobs of the biscuit dough. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until the biscuits are golden on top and the filling is bubbly.
Biscuits
2 c. all-purpose flour (I highly recommend King Arthur Flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter (cold)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
Mix all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small pieces then blend into the the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers. You can leave some larger chunks of butter. Mix in the buttermilk. You'll have a sticky, lumpy dough.
OK - a couple of disclaimers. I'm not a cookbook author, and I don't even often write down my recipes. So, consider everything I've writen as approximate and use your cook's intuition. The chicken mixture needs to be quite wet, souplike, in fact or it will dry out in the oven. So add more liquid as needed. Oven temperatures vary, as well as cooking times at different altitudes, so keep an eye on it.
So, what to drink? My recommendation is an Oregon Pinot Gris. I like the King Estate's Signature Collection Pinot Gris. Two others to try are Ponzi and Benton Lane.
I hope you'll try my recipe. Let me know how it turns out. More cool weather recipes to come!
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