My Daily Bread

As 2009 comes to close there is a lot to be thankful for....new friendships, new business ventures, newly discovered wines and wine regions, great food, and lots of lessons learned. What I take with me into 2010 is everything from 2009, only magnified with a better perspective and clarity. Clarity, I've found, is all important when going through life. Just as in wine....there is no seeing clearly when there is haziness and cloudiness. The muck needs to be fined away so that a clear vision can be seen and achieved. So that's it for 2010....doing all that I do with more awareness so that true clarity can be achieved. 2010 is going to be great....for this I am thankful!

World of Wine

What a wonderful world to be apart of...wine! I love sipping it, analyzing it, discovering it, talking about it, and sharing it. Wine, just as in our world, is an eclectic mixture of hues, colors and styles. Unique unto itself where no two grapes are alike. Wine, from roman times, has brought people, traditions, and cultures together. No other beverage can stake that claim. This holiday season, let's remember that we are an eclectic mixture. Let's celebrate each other, and have wine....lots of wine!

Truffle Oil Pizza with Meritage

I love food! I love food with wine...and this is the last piece of my homemade truffle oil pizza. I'm really proud that I can make this. I make the dough and knead it myself, flatten it out and slather it with earthy truffle oil, mozzarella cheese, and then mound it with earthy mushrooms. Bake for 10 minutes in a 500 degree oven and there I have it, earthy heaven! Uncomplicated and simplistic just the way I like things. The wine I paired this with was equally earthy....a Meritage (Dr. Jebediah Drinkwells 2007), from Trader Joe's. Now, Meritage is California's answer to Bordeaux. This Meritage was a Cabernet Franc predominate wine, 60%. You can smell the earthiness of the Cabernet Franc while pouring the wine into the glass. The rest of the blend is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignion, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The perfect accompaniment to my truffle oil pizza. I really take great pleasure in making simple uncomplicated gourmet meals. Having those meals with a great bottle of wine makes it even better.

Vineyard Chic - the wine tasting notes journal

My love of wine has caused me to posses quite a lot of note book journals, beautiful note books that house all of my thought and dreams. This one in particular houses my wine tasting notes. I categorize my notes by wine region, then by reds, then by whites. So I can flip through, pick a region and know what wine varietal I had on a certain day and with what foods. This is the same note book journal I use to recommend wines to clients and friends. Not only do I write tasting notes, but I write little tidbit information about the wines region (specialty foods from the region, climate, viticulture style.....geeky stuff). It's with me always, because I never know when I'll be tasting a new wine. As with everything in my life, I only want to be surrounded by beautiful things, (beautiful food served on beautiful china, , equally beautiful cups for my tea and coffee) and my wine journal is no exception. I have several others that are filled with wine information, this one will be used until it's full, then on to the next beautiful note book. I guess that's how life should be lived .... going for one beautiful thing or experience to another.

Shear pleasures to be thankful for

Two of my favorite words and sensations for my mouth, Pouilly Fuisse (poo-E fu-say) and chocolate. Pouilly Fuisse is from the southern half of France within the Burgundy region and it's 100% chardonnay. You'd recognize it by its golden yellow color, smells of green apples, earth and a hint of vanilla. The taste is reflective of the aroma with an added creaminess that lingers in your mouth. The wine I sipped all afternoon while helping to prepare our Thanksgiving meal. The chocolate pudding, well.... I ate one for breakfast, one for lunch and one after dinner. You see, I made enough ramekins of Nigella Lawsons Gooey Chocolate Pudding to eat all day. I justified it by telling myself that it was Thanksgiving and that I deserved it. Who doesn't deserve dark chocolate anything anytime! I know it's bad....you'll see what I mean when you see the recipe, but it's worth it. I'll work it off. In thinking about Thanksgiving, being able to enjoy myself with a glass of great wine and capping it off with a decadent chocolate pudding is one of the best pleasures in my life and one that I am truly thankful for. Sharing both with family and friends.....now that puts a lasting smile on my face.

Enjoy

Gooey Chocolate Pudding

• 4 1/2 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Italian 00 for all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 4 ramekins with butter, coat with flour and shake off excess. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and flour. Set aside. In a microwave safe dish melt butter and chocolate, pour into egg, sugar and flour mixture. Whisk until fully combined. Pour mixture into ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are firm and cracking slightly and the edges set.

Chic De Vigne Wine Society of Atlanta

I created a "LinkedIn" group called Chic De Vigne Wine Society of Atlanta. Chic De Vigne means "vineyard chic" in French. I named it this because I believe that it embodies a wine lifestyle or way of life that can be achieved by all of us. We can learn a lot about lifestyle from wine regions abroad, each has one thing in common, a shared priority, family. From a lifestyle as simplistic as Italy to the elegance of Paris. I envision a movement to where the main priority in our lives is our relationship with family and friends, and at the center of it all is the sharing of great food and wine. So join the movement, it doesn't matter what city you live in. To start you off I'm sharing my favorite recipe (complements of Gourmet Magazine) with the name of my favorite St. Estephe. Usually I hide in the closet with my Bordeaux, but in honor of my lifelong purpose I think I'll share it. Enjoy, and join us on LinkedIn. Chic De Vigne, "where people, wine and great food meet".



Spaghetti with Spicy Tomato Olive Sauce

1/2 cup calamata olives cut lengthwise into slivers
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 (14 to 15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 lb spaghetti

Cook olives, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and salt and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up large pieces of tomato, until sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti in a 6 to 8 quart pot of boiling salted water.

Drain spaghetti in a colander and add to sauce. Cook, tossing, over moderately low heat until pasta is coated, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Serves 4

Wine: Frank Phelan Saint Estephe 1998

Pineau de la Loire - Chenin Blanc

The Loire Valley in France is my second favorite wine region, the first being Alsace, France. This vast wine region houses some the most exciting versatile grape varietals around. This region knows what it likes and knows what it does well, Chenin Blanc (Vouvray and Savennieres) and Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume). Not to mention the red varietal Cabernet Franc (Chinon). True, you have to know a little about French wine region names in order to know which grape variety your getting, but that's part of the fun, unless of course the wine bottle actually says Chenin Blanc like the one above. This Chenin Blanc is from India. I bought it about a year ago at a Korean food store. I love going into those types of ethnic food stores because I never know what exciting wine I'm going to come home with. I remember my first thought after seeing the bottle..."India does Chenin Blanc"? Thinking now, how could they not? Chenin Blanc is a climate adaptable grape. It can be dry or sweet depending on the climate it grew in. I knew that since India was warm that the wine would probably taste like my favorite Savennieres....stone fruit with a touch of honey. I was right. What a yummy wine! It had the right balance and acidity and went very well with my Pumpkin Pie Brulee.

enjoy


Flaky Crust

• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Pierce dough all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Whisk pumpkin and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs, then cream, spices, and salt. Pour filling into warm crust. Bake pie until filling is set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack; cool 30 minutes. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle pie evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Broil until sugar melts and begins to caramelize, turning pie for even browning, about 1 minute. Let pie stand until topping hardens, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle pie again with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Broil again until sugar browns, about 1 minute. Refrigerate pie until topping hardens, about 30 minutes. Serve or keep refrigerated no more than 2 hours longer.

thanksgiving, me and wine

Thanksgiving is probably the best holiday there is. I can always feel its vibration sometime around the middle of October. It's the best holiday because we pull out our best recipes, and share. My family has incorporated a themed Thanksgiving tradition. Each year we pick a different food type or region. For instance, last year was Italy. We feasted on braised short ribs, made the Italian way....we had sausage lasagna, canoli...all things Italian. Wonderful Italian wines were served; Brunello, Barolo, and Chianti. It was a Italian feast that any Italian would be proud of. The year before that was seafood...lobster, crab, lobster bisque soup and loads of french white wines like Chablis, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Montagny. It was a feast our founding celebrators, the Greeks and Romans, would have been jealous of. I'm not sure yet what we are doing this Thanksgiving. But what I do know for sure is that the glass above will be full of something wonderful, the company will be great, and maybe, just maybe the food will live up to years past.

vineyard chic - a splash of pumpkin

Fall is such a great time of year. For me its like New Year's.....new season means new beginnings and fall decor. My belief is that your home is a direct reflection of who you are, my reflection shows that I'm a French County girl, so all things French is what I like to be surrounded by. Here's an idea for your coffee table (French trinkets with a splash of fall); this rout iron glass table has a few French antique trinkets on it, trinkets I've collected over the years, coupled with what exemplifies fall....pumpkins. Neutral with a splash of your favorite color always works. My favorite is orange. So in honor of the new fall season, I'm sharing my favorite French Pumpkin Soup recipe......enjoy!

French Pumpkin Soup

serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 4-3/4 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 5 cups water
• sea salt
• 3/4 cup gruyere or comte cheese, grated

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until it begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, the potato, and the water; stir, and then season lightly with salt. Cover and bring t a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook covered until the pumpkin is so soft that it comes apart, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree the mixture in a food processor or with a wand mixer until smooth and uniformly blended.

Taste for seasoning, and serve with the cheese alongside.

Have this soup with your favorite Alsace Riesling.

simplicity, elegance and french baked eggs

This beautiful room filled with Parisian flare is actually a dining room within a restaurant called Les Bons Enfants. The restaurant is located about 1 and 1/2 hours from Paris in northern Burgundy, France. This is how they dine out in France, surrounded by simple elegance. I frequent the web site France Today often, just to keep up with French trends and to get ideas on living my life more simply. I've come to think that living life simply is not just what you surround yourself with, but what you surround your inner self with. Your inner simplistic self creates your outer simplistic world. With that said, I'm envisioning myself at this beautiful table with family and close friends eating brunch; baked eggs, country sausage and sparkling Italian wine, Prosecco. Enjoy the recipe:

French Baked Eggs

you need enough ramekins to feed 1 eggs per person (if 4 people, then you need 4 ramekins), salt and pepper, Gruyere cheese, and heavy cream

• melt a pat of butter in each ramekin (in the microwave)
• grind a little salt and a little pepper into each ramekin
• carefully crack one egg into each ramekin (don't break the yolk)
• using a tablespoon, top each yolk with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• then top each with grated Gruyere cheese or cheese of your choice (about 2 tablespoons of cheese)
• put each ramekin on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 11 to 16 minutes, depending upon how soft of hard you like your yolk. I like mine runny.

serve with county sausage and your favorite Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco.

Enjoy

Ode to Gourmet Magazine

I'm really going to miss Gourmet Magazine. With each issue I took a trip to somewhere very special. Each issue had great columns and commentary and recipes that would tantalized my curiosity about food. It helped me to become more adventurous with food through its recipes which explored regions around the world. Gourmet took me to wine regions around the world also. In a way I feel that Gourmet helped to bring our world together through food and wine. I have to admit secretly I wanted to write for Gourmet Magazine......too late for that. I will relish all of the issues I have though. I still carry the issue above in my pocketbook. It's from March 2008. I love looking at the pictures of France...it just reminds me of the way I think life should be lived, easy-going. One of my favorite sections within each issue of Gourmet was the "Gourmet Every Day" recipes. Here I could whip up something special for lunch or dinner in no time. Below is the crustless quiche I made often. It melts in your mouth....enjoy!

Gourmet Magazine - Crustless Quiche Recipe

serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons fine dry plain bread crumbs
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced cooked ham (1/4 lb)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (8-oz) package shredded Swiss cheese (2 cups)
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk

Equipment: a 10-inch quiche dish or 10-inch glass pie plate

Accompaniment: green salad

• preheat oven to 425 degrees F with rack in middle
• butter quiche dish, then sprinkle all over with bread crumbs
• cook onions with ham in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. spread in dish, then evenly sprinkle cheese on top.
• whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pour over cheese. bake until top is golden and custard is set in center, 20 to 25 minutes. cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

Vineyard Chic - Wine Corks

Putting wine corks in a vase or hurricane type vessel adds vineyard charm to your home. This display not only shows all the wines I've liked and loved, it symbolizes all the wine regions I've traveled to without even leaving the comforts of my home. Each cork has a history with a great meal shared with family and friends attached to it. The next time you open a bottle of wine, toss the cork into a vessel of your choice for a beautiful keepsake display of memories that will literally last forever.

Pincushions, Picnics, and Pinot Noir

There are teachable moments in life and yesterday in a beautiful park, I had mine. My family and I were graced with the presence of another beautiful family, the Leavitt's. We had been planning to get together for years and finally the time was set (6:00) and the day was planned, picnic in the park and a movie. But on this day because of a scheduling mishap (not my doing), my family and me were late. We didn't arrive until 7:45...the movie had started and the food was tucked away. I felt pretty awful about being late but that feeling went away pretty quickly. Instead of a look of what happened or why were you late? We were met with a look of sheer joy accompanied with endearing hugs. After the greetings, we were lead to the area that was planned for our picnic feast... the blankets were already laid out and waiting for us. Then the food that was packed away was pulled out and served. We had a lovingly planned feast of roast chicken, grilled asparagus, grilled corn, creamy shrimp and grits and delicious Pinot Noir wine. There was even dessert....pound cake with a whipped cream center (of which I need the recipe for). There was even pizza for the children. The atmosphere was perfect.....french fair with an outdoor movie.

This experience taught me that life is too short to not have many picnics in the park...that nothing is more important in life than having great experiences with family and great friends, and that your perception of a problem is usually not the same perception others have, always be kind, and finally what is, is what is.......work with it. I later learned from my husband that the Leavett's had originally set up a picnic table equipped with flowers and lit candles for our feast. What a wonderful gesture! Even more wonderful was to look on my doorstep this morning to find a bag with salmon, cabbage with grapes and the pincushion flowers that had adorned the picnic table. The food was apart of our picnic meal, but was forgotten at home, and they wanted to share it with us. Another wonderful gesture. Oh, and there was a note too, telling us it was a pleasure being in our company. No, the pleasure was ours to remember always!

Wine Review - La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007

You know I'm a French wine girl, so I'm really proud of myself in being able to say that this wine is probably one of the best Pinot Noirs from California I've ever had. There I said it. I know it has a lot to do with the winemaker.....and terroir.....sheer genius. I can tell that only the best sourced pinot noir grapes, throughout Sonoma, were used in this wine. It is layered with deep jammy cherry creaminess, a hint of vanilla, balanced acidity, and spice. Now creaminess is not a word associated with Pinot Noir, but I'm using it here because that's the sensation I get. Creaminess. Have this wine with goat cheese layered with wine jelly organic wine jelly and/or with roast pork or salmon.

enjoy

Lemony Paired with Lemony

Since lemon is one of my favorite mouth sensations, I decided to bake a pie and pair it with an equally lemony wine. This delicious pie is from a recipe I found on the Food and Wine web site, Lemon Ice Box Pie. First of all I don't really bake all that much, unless of course it's lemon or chocolate related. So I'm really proud of myself for attempting and accomplishing what I set out to do, which was to pair a lemon pie with my favorite lemony wine, Orvieto. The combination was perfect! as evident from the "oh my gods" from the friends, I served it to. Now in order to save my figure, I'm going to share the remains of this pie with my neighbors.

On second thought....this pie is worth the extra 30 minutes on the treadmill......

Enjoy!

Wine Gelee Heaven

You know I believe in having great food, in fact, I believe in eating meaningfully! This plate has what's left of what I call heaven. (it's left on the plate only because I needed to take a picture of it). Two pieces of cornbread crackers, topped with goat cheese and Bordeaux wine jelly. Complete heaven! I served it at a wine party I hosted, and it was a solid hit. First off when you open the jar of wine jelly and smell it.....it has you at hello and you know you're about to experience something special. Order from the european wine table and put it on topped of any cheese and cracker combination. Enjoy!

Vineyard Chic Wine Display

When you're on a budget and need to store your inexpensive and not so inexpensive wine, on top of wanting your display to look vineyard chic, what do you do? You go to your local wine shop and ask them for their empty, never going to be used again, wine crates. These were free and they are beautiful. In fact, I not only have crates for my wines, I have crates for my favorite food magazines also, placed strategically around my home. To be quite honest with you I don't believe in temperature controlled wine refrigerators. Being an "old world" kind of girl, I like placing my wine in one location and leaving it there until I'm ready to drink it. Wine is fine as long as it's stored at a constant temperature and not juggled around. Wine doesn't like being disturbed. My wine is just as happy as can be in these crates. I even have 1998 Pommard in the second crate.... I may have to drink that soon.

Vineyard Style - Tiger Mountian Vineyards

This beautiful foliage with future wine hanging from it is what might be the most perfect food.....yes wine is food, not just for the body, but for the soul. These grapes look perfect, foliage and all, but what's really important is what the wine maker does with them. Will these grapes be allowed to show themselves without too much interference? That I hope would be the case with the wine makers at Tiger Mountain Vineyards, located in Northern Georgia. These grapes are from what will be their 2009 Tannat. Tannat is a french originating red variety. Winemakers at Tiger Mountain Vineyards barrel-aged this wine for 23 months to develop multiple layers of dark berry flavors and soft tannins. It pairs well with lamb or beef. Martha Ezzard, one the owners of this beautiful winery was kind enough to share one her recipes me, so I'm going to share it with you.

Enjoy!

MARTHA'S SHRIMP AND AVOCADO FETTUCCINE WITH VIOGNIER

(serves six)

4 tbls butter

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbls minced fresh parsley

1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tbls Tiger Mountain Vineyards Viognier

1/3 c heavy cream1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

red pepper flakes (pinch)

1 firm avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

Step 1: Melt 1 tbls butter over medium heat; ad minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add parsley, shrimp and Viognier and stir for 2 minutes, until shrimp turns pink. Place on side dish.

Step 2: In the same skillet, melt 3 tbls butter and reduce heat to low. Add cream, parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook 3 minutes until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper. Add sliced avocado, saving a couple of slices to put on top.

Step 3: Cook fettuccine al dente; drain and place in warm serving dish. Add shrimp mixture and toss to coat fettuccine thoroughly.

(Hint: If you wish to cook and drain the fettuccine ahead, add a little olive oil and toss as you set aside while finishing the sauce, so the fettuccine doe snot become sticky.)

SERVE WITH CHILLED TIGER MOUNTAIN VIOGNIER!

Harvest Time 2009

There is nothing glamorous or romantic about hand-picking wine grapes, this I found out while on my intern stint picking thin skinned Malbec grapes at Stonewall Creek Vineyards over the week-end. Myself and a few other die-hards started picking at about 9:00 am on Saturday and about 1/4 of the way into it my only-child-syndrome kicked in and I thought, boy, they should hire somebody to do this, but then I remembered that's why I was there! I persevered and learned a few things. I learned the only thing great about hand-picking wine grapes is the joy of knowing that only the best selected grapes will go into that vintage and the anticipation of a wonderful wine to come. You know, hand harvesting is a standard in most old world wine regions like Bordeaux, Loire and Germany. In fact, in some of those wine regions the vines are planted on steep slopes and the only way to harvest is by hand. Which brings me to another revelation....harvest time brings wine passionate people together. After picking we partook of a tradition that happens in most Italian vineyards, the harvest feast.

We feasted on sheep’s milk cheese zucchini lasagna, sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and olive oil, and local French bread. The vegetables were grown from the garden next to the vineyard and the bread was from the local baker. Oh, and with the meal we shared a Malbec from Argentina, Catena 2006, imported by Billington Wines, Springfield, VA. All of this meal sharing was done while overlooking this beautiful vineyard....... I have to say.... it was worth it!

Bordeaux and Me

I have a true love affair with Bordeaux wine. There is nothing like a Bordeaux whether its generic (Bordeaux or Superieur), district or commune level. Of course I can hardly afford the commune level or highest appellation wines. I'm talking about the first growths; Lafite, Latour, and the Mouton-Rothschild. These I can dream heavily about and only imagine the complexity and ah ha! moments it would bring. The day will come for me, but until then I'll take a district like this Reserve De L'Estey Medoc 2006. This wine was firm and structured upon entry. A melding together of three grape varieties unmatched anywhere in the world, in my opinion. Deep berries, with wood and spice all rolled together to make one perfect union. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Malbec. I purchased it a Trader Joes for about $9.99. Have it with your next steak and sauteed vegetable dinner. Living the wine life doesn't have to cost a lot. Viva la Bordeaux!

Wine : Reserve De L'Estey Medoc

Importer : Plume Ridge Wine Negociants

Vineyard Recipes - Cass Vineyards

What could be more beautiful than the view of where wine begins, a vineyard. These pictures are of Cass Vineyard & Winery http://www.casswines.com/ located on California's central coast in Paso Robles. They specialize in wines made from Rhone Valley (France) grape varieties like; Syrah, Viognier and Grenache. They do it well! I had the pleasure of tasting some of their wines and was very impressed. Ted and Lisa Plemons are the owners of this estate and in my opinion exemplify, through their winery, what wine is all about - passion and full expression of a place. Lisa, yes we are on a first name bases, provided these recipes just for my readers. I've tried them, I love them and you will too. Enjoy!

Cass Winery Crab Cakes with Corn

1 lb. crab meat (we use Phillips Crab)
1 cup cooked corn (frozen petite white corn works well)
¼ cup finely diced onion
½ cup finely diced pepper (green, red, orange, yellow, or purple)
½ cup finely diced celery
1 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups saltine cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)
~ Combine the crab meat, corn, onion, pepper, and celery in a bowl, and toss with a rubber spatula..
~ In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the mustard and cayenne pepper. Stir into the crab meat mixture, and add salt and pepper. Gently fold in the egg and ¼ cup of the cracker crumbs with a spatula.
~ Form the crab mixture into eight patties. Carefully coat the patties with the remaining 1 cup cracker crumbs, and chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes.
~ Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium-size skillet. Cook the crab cakes over medium heat until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, adding more oil and butter as necessary. Serve immediately, with Tartar Sauce on the side.

Makes 4 luncheon-size portions

Remoulade Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco together in a bowl. Fold in the , parsley, shallots, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate, loosely covered, at least 1 hour before serving (so the flavors will come out).
1 ½ cups

Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ cup finely diced dill pickle
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco together in a bowl. Fold in the pickle, parsley, shallots, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate, loosely covered, at least 1 hour before serving (so the flavors will come out).
1 ½ cups

Copyright - The European Wine Table 2009

Vineyard Recipes - The Beechwood Inn

The vineyard is where wine begins... Living the wine life is about living life to the fullest, eating great food, savoring great wine, and doing all this with family and friends. I am dedicating my blog in part to introduce to you great vineyards from around the world, along with that, sharing great recipes from those vineyards. It will be like taking a vacation without ever leaving your home.

My first pick is not a vineyard at all, although they do have their own wines. The Beechwood Inn is a Bed and Breakfast located in the north Georgia mountains (Clayton, GA) and was voted "Best Inn for Wine Connoisseurs". It's a place where wine lovers can go to have a fabulous 5 course gourmet dinner, made with organic ingredients matched with meticulously selected wines. Gourmet breakfast is served also. Each week there is a different region or theme to indulge in; Tuscany, Spain or the Mediterrenian, just to name a few. Inn guests are often visited by celebrated wine makers and chefs from around the world. Georgia premier wine county inn provides rustic elegance in a romantic setting.

Beechwood Inn

David and Gayle Darugh - Owners/Innkeepers
220 Beechwood Drive
Clayton, Georgia 30525
706.782.5485 or 866.782.2485

http://www.beechwoodinn.ws/

Enjoy this recipe compliments of the Beechwood Inn.......

Recipe for Gnudi

Gnudi means "nude in a Tuscan dialect and is pronounced "nudie." Its name is because it is unrobed of its usual pasta covering.

Gnudi

1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 ounce) plus additional for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
Large pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour plus additional for coating
Sauce and garnishes
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 thin pancetta slices
12 whole fresh sage leaves
2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), sliced
2 large shallots, chopped
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon black truffle oil
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) chilled butter, diced

Preparation:

For gnudi: Line colander with several layers of cheese cloth and spoon ricotta cheese into colander. Let drain at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Beat egg, 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, and white pepper in large bowl to blend. Mix in drained ricotta. Sprinkle 3/4 cup flour over and stir gently to blend, do not over stir. Cover and chill dough 1 hour.

Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place some flour in bowl. For each gaudy, gently roll 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into ball. Add to flour; toss to coat lightly, shaping into short log. Using the back tines of a fork roll the log several times to decorate. Place on baking sheet.

Do ahead: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.

For sauce and garnishes: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot or extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 pancetta slices. Cook until crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining pancetta. Add whole sage leaves to skillet; sauté until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to paper towels.

Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and chopped sage. Sauté until mushrooms brown and liquids evaporate, about 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add broth to same skillet and boil until slightly reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon truffle oil and mushroom mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Cook gaudy in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, rearm sauce. Add butter; toss until blended. Using strainer or slotted spoon transfer gaudy to pot with sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats gaudy. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to large shallow bowl. Crumble pancetta over. Top with sage leaves; serve with additional Pecorino.

Copyright - The European Wine Table 2009

Savannah Deux

This photo is my attempt at taking a food shot with a tini tiny camera. It is also representative of my affection for Savannah, GA. My family and I were there during the 4th of July holiday. We had a fabulous 4 days taking in the Riverstreet sights, frolicking on Tybee Island Beach, and of course eating at Uncle Bubba's. Uncle Bubba's is a seafood place that also serves wonderful side dishes like this Red Rice dish. This rice was so good I pulled out my Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen, when I got home, and made it. It tasted a little different from the restaurant version (more tomato flavor), but good just the same. This dish actually tasted sweet to me, with the tomato sauce being the predominate ingredient. I selected a young fruity Beaujolais to go with it. Yes, you can have wine with southern food. You just have to match the flavors. The Beaujolais was fruity and low in tannin. It was a great match. This dish was good enough to stand on it's own, but it could also go as a side dish with....shall we say.... fried chicken maybe? Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Red Rice

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 tbls butter

1 cup diced Hillshire Farms sausage

One 141/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice

1 tbls Texas Pete or red hot sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

Pepper to taste; add salt to taste if desired

1 cup uncooked white rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and bell pepper in butter. Add sausage; heat until mixture is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato sauce, water, and bouillon cubes. Season with pepper and salt as needed. Stir in rice. Pour mixture into a greased casserole and bake for 45 minutes.

serves 4 to 6

Stonewall Creek Vineyards

There's nothing like sitting with a glass of wine looking out onto a beautiful vineyard. This is a picture of Stonewall Creek Vineyards in North Georgia owned by Dr. Carl and Carla Flacker. Stonewall Creek is a relatively new vineyard that I had the privilege, recently, of actually planting some grape vines. This is a special place not only because of the eventual wines that will come from it, but the philosophy behind the growing of these vines, Sustainable Viticulture. Sustainable viticulture is the "in" thing these days. Working with the naturalness of the land and only treating the vines when necessary. Some of the grape varieties grown on the vineyard are; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Manseng. French varieties that do very well in Georgia. The planting of vines on this vineyard today, will yield wines three (3) years from now. Three years time is what is takes from planting to vinification for any new vineyard. Well worth the wait!

http://www.stonewallcreek.com/

Monteluce Vineyards

A couple of week-ends ago, I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of Monteluce Vineyards new vintage. Monteluce is a planned vineyard community in northern Georgia, equipped with rolling vineyard hills, Tuscan inspired homes, gourmet restaurant with wine bar, and a Wine University that provides wine classes every Saturday. I had a simple lunch of macaroni with cheese (5 delectable cheeses) and pomme frites....I know...I was having a carb moment. Four new white wines were available for tasting. I paired my meal with their newly bottled Viognier. This viognier was really good. Solid fruit and acidity paired pretty nicely with my meal. The picture you're seeing in the box is my view from the restaurant. It's breathtakingly beautiful here! I could go on and on but I'm going to let their web site speak for them.

http://www.montaluce.com/tuscanstyle.php

Enjoy

Steak and Bordeaux

There are hardly any words for this near perfect combination.....grilled steak and Bordeaux red wine. The question for dinner last night was, "should we go out?", "should we eat in?", "if we eat in, what should we eat?" This question lingered until about 10:00 pm. You read right...10:00 pm. That's when the decision was made to have Rib Eye steaks. My husband, who is a whiz at whipping together a dinner on the fly, grilled those baby's to perfection. I, of course, knew what to do while they are cooking.....pick the wine! There was no question that we needed a wine that had a little backbone, meaning it needed to be red and tannic. Now the question then was should we have a Syrah, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux, or a red Zinfandel. The single varietals (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel) would have been fine, but I didn't want full fruit power with my steak. Instead I wanted something understated in power and that meant, going with a simple classic Bordeaux. This particular Bordeaux was a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot brings to the wine understated berry flavor and body in the form of alcohol, the Cabernet Sauvignon brings to the wine a subtle, woodsy deep berry flavor and tannin. You know, part of what makes a Bordeaux wine so good is the wine makers or negociants choice of blending proportions of their native grape varieties. Lucky for us!

Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux - Trader Joe's - $7.99

Pinot Noir Heaven

Pinot Noir is my favorite red grape variety. Great examples come from Burgundy, France. Appellations like Romanee, Pommard, and Volnay produce some of the world most prized and expensive examples of the grape. Other less expensive appellations include; Alsace, France and Oregon, USA. I bought this bottle of wine about a year ago at a Korean Market, thinking it would probably taste good. I know wine regions, and since I knew that Germany sits parallel to France's Alsace wine region, I knew this wine would taste fabulous. Upon pouring this wine into the glass I knew I had something special. The colour was light cherry with a hint of brown. The bouquet was sweet cherry mixed with earthy barnyard. It was everything I thought it would be and I hadn't even tasted it yet. I dreamed of how I could turn that bouquet fragrance into a perfume. Then came the sip....oh my goodness, I can't even explain the shear pleasure this wine brought to me. Light in body with vibrant, deep cherry and earth embedded with spice and herbs. I was good. I couldn't stop drinking it. By the time the food was on the table, barbecued ribs and grilled short ribs........my body was feeling this wine. Feeling it in a great way. My husband, who was working the grill while I was feeling the wine came in with the food. I gave him a glass....He took one sip and said, " you're good"!!!! I said, "I know".

Rheingau 2005 Pinot Noir (Edition Maximilian) $8.99 (Korean Market)

Savannah

I absolutely love Savannah, Georgia! My family and I vacation there at least twice a year. I think eventually we'll have to give in and buy a home there. Each time we go we discover another great food spot, and on this trip, believe it or not, I didn't taste a drop of wine. Hard to believe I know! This trip was devoted to great food with beer.....delectable, cool-your-mouth-off, summertime beer. My beer of choice with my Vinnie Van Go-Go's pizza....Peroni. Peroni Nastro Azzurro is an Italian beer brewed in Rome. It has the perfect balance of flavor with bitter and acidity, kind of like a Heineken only smoother in taste and paler in color. This beer also went well with my husbands left over oysters from Uncle Bubba's Seafood (one of Paula Deen's restaurants). All I kept hearing was "boy that's good", after every bite and sip. Try this beer with your summertime grilled burgers and steaks and of course pizza!

Orvieto

Orvieto, Orvieto...it has a certain ring to it. Poetic almost, which is how I will discribe it, poetic. Now you know that food and wine pairing is, for the most part, a personal choice. Which is why I chose to have this Orvieto Classico with my homemade white truffle oil and mushroom pizza. The pizza had an earthiness that I thought would match well with this wine from an Italian classico region. I was right. Let's look at Orvieto, the wine region, for a moment. Orvieto is a white wine from the west-central appellation called Orvieto within Umbria, Italy. This appellation produces dry to semi-sweet predominately white wines made with a high percentage of Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc its formal name) grapes. Complex soils of gravel, limestone, and clay make up this DOC region that produces wines, including this one, that have aromas and flavors of lemons, limes, and green apples entrenched in mineral earthiness and acidic backbone. To make matters even better for my pizza and me I had an Orvieto Classico, which is an even more refined area within the Orvieto appellation. Think of it as a city within a county. The wines from this and any classico region are more complex. This young wine was very balanced and I'm sure that if I had let it sit in the bottle for another year or two it would be just as complex with little more elegance. I didn't want to wait that long!

Gaetano D' Aquino 2007 Orvieto Classico DOC - $7.99 (Trader Joe's)


Recipe - White Truffle Oil and Mushroom Pizza

• 1 thawed pizza dough or your own bread maker pizza douth(enough for one large round pizza)
• Truffle Oil
• 4 cups of Mozzarella Cheese (just to be on the safe side)
• 1 package of Portabello Mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to bake at 500 degrees
2. Using a rolling pin roll out pizza dough into a very large circle
3. Place rolled out dough onto a pizza pie baking sheet
4. Roll the edge of the pizza dough around the entire circle (tuck under all the way around to make a pie)
5. Drizzle the Truffle Oil inside the pizza dough pie (enough to cover the dough)
6. Layer Mozzarella cheese inside the pie (enough to cover the dough and more if you like)
7. Layer Portabello Mushrooms on top of the cheese (as much as you like)
8. Place pizza into oven and bake for 10 minutes

Makes about 8 healthy slices of pizza

Obscurity is coming back into Fashion

Have you ever heard of a grape variety called Petit Manseng? Well I had some this week-end at a winery in Northern Georgia called Tiger Mountain Vineyards. This white wine was a citrus, combined with stone fruit, bomb in my mouth. Flavors of sweet apples, subtle apricot, and honey was evident in the aroma and in its taste. I had summer written all over it. It was very good and I admit that this was the first time I've tasted this varietal, so other examples I do not know. What I do know is that this young wine was balanced in flavor and body. I couldn't even tell that the wine had a 13.5% alcohol level because there was enough acidity and fruit flavor to keep the wine balanced. When the winery owners, Dr. John and Martha Ezzard, mentioned this grape variety for sample tasting, I immediately thought....France. My second thought, after tasting it was, boy this would probably make a great dessert wine. Sure enough, after a little investigating on my part, this grape variety originated in South West France, and is the principal grape variety responsible to the great wines of Juranco. Petit Manseng is a superior form of the grape Manseng. Kind of like Brunello being the superior form of Sangiovese (Chianti). Additionally, because the grape can withstand a longer growing season, in some cases, as late as November, the grape becomes concentrated with sugar, enough to produce great sweet dessert wine. Petite Manseng is becoming a quite fashionable wine within the Languedoc region of Southern France. California is seeing some plantings, and of course you can find a great example in Clayton, Georgia, at Tiger Mountain Vineyards. 706.782.4777

Introduction to Living the Wine Life

I'm a wine person. Meaning I live and breath wine. Not in a lush sense, but in a "how does it taste that way sense". It started about 14 years ago. I was at a friends home having dinner and she brought out a carafe of blush coloured wine. I sipped it with my meal and thought, "what is this, and where did it come from?" It was so delicious. Turns out is was a homemade wine, made by the friends of my friend. They lived in California and made this terrific wine in their backyard. This wasn't a store bought rose, or a name brand rose from France, it was homemade, and for me, memorable! This started my quest for getting to know wine. I started with a simple Wine Spectator course. Moved on to studying wine with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), I'm in their Diploma program now, working towards my Master of Wine designation.

In the mean time I'm going to talk and write about wine to all that will listen. Wine is the backbone of living life to the fullest.....it enhances our meals, it brings family and friends together, and it takes you to a place you may never have been before. As we will discover together, most wines, Chianti Classico for example, express the place or land they come from. You just have to close your eyes and open your senses.


Let's live the Wine Life!



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