A Few of Our Favorite Foods and Wine

When we are so busy with the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays we tend to either make our favorite easy dishes or just do take-out.

Of course we are stressed and look forward to relaxing and enjoying our meal with a glass of wine.   A perfect way to unwind and get ready for the next busy day.

Here are a few of popular dishes with suggested pairings to enjoy during the next few weeks during our pre-holiday fun.

Curry Chicken, a favorite of many -- try a Torrontes from Argentina. With its fresh citrus flavors, or apple and peach flavors it will be just right with the spicy Asian flavors. You can also choose beer if that's your preference which will refresh and cleanse the palate.

Jerk Pork has a sweet-spiciness to it that we all love. A Riesling with stone fruit and orange flavors will be complimentary to the jerk seasonings.

Lamb Vindaloo -- lamb needs a red wine that is low in tannin and served chilled. The Red Truck Zinfandel has cherry and strawberry fruit flavors; or a Cotes du Rhone Rouge with plump berry and cherry flavors are both good matches for this lamb dish.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo is a spicy red sauce dish that calls for a bubbly. With all that heat, the bubbles are refreshing and pair well with this spicy dish. Choose a Prosecco or "extra dry" sparkling wine. The hint of sweetness in the extra dry works very well with the heat of the 'diavolo'.

Happy Pre-Holiday Fun!

Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Relish and Turkey

Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without cranberries.    Some prefer the jelly-style cranberry sauce and some like the chunky cranberry sauce.

There is a difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish. Cranberry sauce is cooked with sugar,  strained to remove the skins (or not if you prefer chunky) and then cooled.   

Cranberry relish is made using fresh cranberries uncooked and adding fresh fruits, nuts, and whatever else you might like to compliment the tart berries.

I've made cranberry relish using the fresh cranberries, however after all is said and done, I actually prefer the berries cooked, so this is the recipe I've been making for many years. 

This particular recipe was given to me by a friend in the '80's and when she told me I would be surprised at how easy it was to make I had to try it.  She was right and I've been making it ever since then (way before 'foodies' began blogging).

To help reduce your pre-holiday cooking stress this can be prepared a few days in advance.  A no fuss, easy peasey!! recipe is what you need when you are preparing a holiday meal for family and friends.  This recipe takes a total of 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

Cranberry Relish
Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• orange zest from 1 orange
• 1 orange cut in sections with membrane removed
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 TBLS. chopped nuts, optional (pecans, walnuts, almonds)
• 1 tsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

Preparation:

1. In 2.5 quart saucepan add the water and sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Rinse the cranberries and add to the boiling water and sugar. Stirring occasionally bring the berries to a slow boil and cook 10-12 minutes, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour the cranberries into a bowl and set aside to cool. 

You can also add in pineapple chunks, tangerines, apples and if the children will be eating the relish eliminate the Grand Marnier and the nuts for those with nut allergies.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks

Holiday Dinner and Beaujolais Nouveau

Last Thursday was the release of the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau.    It is more than 60 years that this wine is traditionally released in France amidst lots of celebratory fanfare and festivals.

Here in the states the Beaujolais is released and ready for sale on the third Thursday in November. The wines are young and meant to be consumed within 3 to 6 months of release.

The young wine is light with plump juicy red cherry and berry flavors and mild or low tannins. All this makes for a very food friendly wine which is a great pairing for the variety of foods and flavors on our Thanksgiving tables.

Here are just three examples of the many varieties of Beaujolais' that might be offered in your local wine stores at a price of approximately $10.

• Georges Duboeuf 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau has strawberry fruit flavors with light tannins.

• Joseph Drouhin 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau has red cherry flavors in this light fruity wine.

• Henry Fessy 2011 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau has black cherry fruit flavors with just a hint of sweetness. This is a more full-bodied wine for those who prefer more boldness in their wines. Another perfect food friendly wine for the holiday dinner table.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Roasted Butternut Squash With . . .

I must admit I never made butternut squash. My mom made it occasionally but I never thought to make it -- I don't know why -- it just never called out to me until now.

I asked sister the cook how to prepare it since I know she's made butternut squash and is experienced.

She gave me a few tips. Now all I needed to do is decide what dish to make that everyone would at least want to try.

Risotto might just be the perfect foil for the squash. I haven't yet found anything that would ruin a risotto so I'm hoping this dish will be a new Thanksgiving side.

This risotto can be one of the vegetarian options you might need to add to your menu. You can also eliminate the nuts for those who may be allergic to nuts.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash peeled and cut in chunks
• 1-2 TBLS. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 TBLS. pine nuts or chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 TBLS. chopped parsley
• fresh sage leaves, chopped and for garnish

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425.  Cover a sheet pan with foil.   Cut up the squash and put it in a bowl with the olive oil and toss to coat the cubes of squash.   Place the squash on the foil and roast in the oven approximately 40-50 minutes or until tender.  Add the nuts to toast just before the squash is done for a few minutes.   Remove from oven when done and set aside.
2. Pour the stock into a 2-quart saucepan and keep it hot over low heat. (The liquid must be hot in order for the starch to be released to make the sauce creamy.)
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide 3 to 4 quart pan over medium heat then add in the chopped celery and onion, stirring occasionally until it is softened and translucent and just lightly golden.
4. Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the grains are coated with oil and “toasted” – the edges become translucent – 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it boil, stirring the rice, until wine is evaporated.
5. Season the rice lightly with salt and ladle enough of the hot stock into the pan to barely cover the rice (1-2 ladles).   Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed and you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir.
6. Continue cooking the rice on simmer and pour in approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the hot stock -- each addition of the stock should be just enough to completely moisten the rice -- and then let the rice cook until each batch of stock has been absorbed.
7. Stir constantly until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine was added. When in doubt, undercook – risotto continues to cook even after it is removed from the heat.
8. Taste the rice after the stock has absorbed to determine if the rice is al dente after about 15 minutes of cooking time.  Add the roasted butternut squash and nuts to the risotto during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter.  Place into a serving platter and add the parsley and sage.

Mangia!
Winelady Cooks


I'm sharing this recipe on the following hops. A couple of new hops I found this week are FaveDiets is a monthly hop, A Little Birdie Told Me, and Gallery of Favorites is a weekend hop. Stop by and visit them when you get a chance for some great recipes and ideas. Happy Holiday!

Chardonnay In The Fall

There are a lot of white wine lovers who are loyal to the one and only Chardonnay. That's not a bad thing, its just like the red wine lover who is loyal to Cabernet. It's o.k., really - we all have our favorite drinks and foods.

This week I've singled out Chardonnay only because we are closing in on Thanksgiving and many of the traditional foods we serve can be difficult to pair with wine.

If you want to find a few dishes that will pair well with Chardonnay here is some information that may inspire you to make some "new" traditional holiday dishes.

Chardonnay grapes are grown in different climates, cool and warm, and are fermented either in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, and sometimes both. These conditions produce very different wines.

Cool climate Chardonnay that is young and unoaked will have bright acidity with citrus flavors.
Pairings: Steamed or grilled fish, pasta or risotto with vegetables accompanied by citrus sauces or dressings.

Slightly warmer climate Chardonnays may be unoaked or lightly oaked from New World regions such as Chile, New Zealand and South Africa are more fruity and may have melon and peach flavors and will have a little more body.
Pairings: Salmon with a butter-based sauce, pork, chicken and pasta with richer style sauces or dressings that include some butter or cheese.

Full body Chardonnay that has been aged in oak barrels are higher priced and sometimes labeled 'reserve' can be from Burgundy (France), California and also from Australia and New Zealand.
Pairings: Dishes made or dressed with rich sauces such as hollandaise or bernaise, grilled veal, pumpkin ravioli, butternut squash with toasted pine nuts or walnuts. Cheeses include provolone, parmesean, Gruyere, or mild cheddar.

A few NO-NO's with Chardonnay: smoked fish and meats, Asian style foods, goat cheese, seared tuna, tomato-based dishes.



Salute!
Winelady Cooks

A Couple of Facts

I came across an article recently and thought I would share a few bits of information that we usually don't think about. I'm always looking for little bits of this and that. It makes playing Jeopardy! more fun.

Did you ever notice that when you know the answers the questions are easy, and when you don't know the answers you say WOW, these questions are difficult. So here's a few facts you may not have given much thought.

Greek Parties -- The ancient Greeks poured their wine into large bowls, almost like our punch bowls and used their cups to scoop up the wine. These bowls were called krater's.

Large Bottles -- You may have noticed the extra large size wine bottles lined up as decorations in some restaurants. These bottles hold 2, 3, and 4 times the amount of wine than the 750 ml bottles we usually buy. Some of these bottles are named Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Balthazar just to name a few. All the names of the larger bottles are from an ancient book we know as the Bible.

Chianti -- Traditionally, Chianti was sold in a wide-bodied bottle covered with a straw bottom. These bottles were called Fiaschi in Italian. Eventually, the bottle was given an English word which has a very different meaning, namely a Fiasco.

Corks -- Screw Caps on wine bottles is becoming increasingly popular. Though many wine bottles are still being sealed with natural corks. Cork is a renewable resource and is widely grown and mainly imported from the country of Portugal.

Give Thanks -- Since we are nearing Thanksgiving here's an interesting fact. The Mayflower was built originally for the purpose of shipping wine. Who Knew!!!


Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Upside Down Apple Tart Tatin

I enjoy using apples in my desserts.  There are so many varieties of apples I never remember which variety to choose.   Some supermarkets have a note attached to the variety that lets you know which apple is for cooking, baking, etc..

I was a little short on time this weekend and decided to make a quick dessert using the apples I picked up at the farm stand.

The tart tatin sounds a little fancy, but trust me, it really is very easy and you can do the prep while you a waiting for a pot of water to boil (12 minutes at most). Give it a try - this is one of those desserts that makes a great impression with very little effort.

Upside Down Apple Tart Tatin

Ingredients:

• 3 Golden Delicious Apples
• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 2 TBLS. butter
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 TBLS. water
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg optional)
  
• vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 425 degrees. Set aside four 1 cup ramekins if you have them or you can use a tart dish.
2. Peel apples, halve them and cut out the cores. Slice them in rounds, or if they crumble, that's  o.k. just slice them to fit in the ramekins.
3. Heat butter and melt in medium skillet and then add the sugar and water to the melted butter and stir, then add the cinnamon and nutmeg if using. Add the apple slices and cook for approximately 2 minutes stirring often so the sauce coats the apples.
4. Add the apples to the ramekins and pour the remaining sauce evenly over the apples.
5. Place a ramekin upside down on the puff pastry (see photo) and cut circles a little larger than the ramekin.
6. Place the pastry on top of the apples leaving extra pastry hanging over the sides of the ramekin. If you will be serving this cold then you should butter the outside of the ramekin so the pastry does not sick.
7. Put the ramekins on a baking tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, just until the pastry is cooked.
8. Cool for 10-15 minutes.  When ready to serve, invert a plate over the ramekin and then turn over the ramekin so that the pastry is on the plate and the apples are on top.  Serve warm or chilled with a scoop of ice cream and chocolate drizzle if you like.

Or you can serve it in the ramekin and enjoy as it is. Serve the ice cream on the side - it is oooh so good!

I've shared this recipe with:

Mangia!
Winelady Cooks