I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

I live just a couple of hours from where I grew up, but going home for the holidays always seems like such an event to me. I don't get home as often as I should, and because it's Christmas and my brother comes home from Arizona I get especially excited to do it every year.

There's a few things that are representative of being home for me, the constants that I count on every year. On my drive through town I will inevitably see someone I went to high school with hanging off the outside deck at the Whip City Brew, one of the local "establishments". My mother will automatically take whatever laundry I walked in with and throw it immediately into the washing machine. Don't get me wrong, it's great to still have Mom do your laundry but sometimes there's things that need to be separated or washed on a certain cycle but nope, Mom will throw it all in together before I've even taken my shoes off in the house.

And then there's Cavit Pinot Grigio, the big bottle. You all know it, you've all seen it. It's the epitome of jug juice in my opinion and despite countless attempts on my part to educate my dear family on the less expensive Pinots out there that do not taste like they were made in a bathtub, the Cavit bottle is ever present in my house at Christmas.

While it may be too late to save my own mother, I can at least attempt an effort to save our 5 faithful readers. Being that Pinot Grigio is such a popular white wine order, check out the below for an upgrade in quality without much of an upgrade in price.

2011 Fontana Candida Pinot Grigio $12

From Northeast Italy, this variety has fruity flowery notes and is a crisp delicate wine. This is the perfect wine to serve at the beginning of Christmas dinner or any festive occasion. Great with appetizers, shrimp, crostinis or whatever festive treats you have. This fine example is sure to please the pinot loving crowd.

2010 Puiatti Zuccole Pinot Grigio, Italy, $13

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2011/10/19/1832597/the-perfect-complement-2010-puiatti.html#storylink=cpy

This Pinot Grigio from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy is a unique full bodied Pinot Grigio that Tricia and I used to serve all the time at Bacaro. I've had customers tell me "I don't like Pinot Grigio but I like this". That's probably because it has a bit more body to it and can stand up to a heavier meal. While the first wine mentioned is a fabulous starter wine, I would say this one would be perfect with the main course as well. Remember with wine, there are suggestions but no rules......just fun.





     

2010 Montinore Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon $12

You may or may not know that Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio, just with a different pronunciation. This Pinot Gris is fruity with tropical notes and flavors of melon, apple, and lime zest. It has a fruity yet crisp finish, displaying characteristics atypical to the usual Pinot Grigio. This wine is one of my favorites and it goes well with just about everything. I love it with prosciutto and melon or cheese with spicy mango chutney. Try it with all your Christmas appetizer delights. Goes very well with seafood also.






From Dave and Tricia, have a very happy Holiday season. Cheers!

 

Merry Christmas Cocktail

 

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I absolutely love Christmas and everything that comes with it, I always have. I have the best memories of my childhood and Christmas was always special in my house. I'm very blessed to have the parents that I do and the means they worked so hard to provide us with when I was growing up (I know, I know...it's a little sentimental but I can't help myself).

One of my favorite decorations that was always present in our house was the yule log that my father made with his own hands. Every year when we put it out we would light the candles and become entranced with the dancing light. This year Dad made me my very own yule log and I had it proudly displayed when I had a couple of friends over for dinner the other night.

I came up with a simple and delicious cocktail (cucumber vodka and soda water with a dash of simple syrup and St. Germaine) that I was serving on the rocks for when they arrived and thought it would be fun to decorate the drink in the colors of the season. I "juiced" some pieces of cucumber in empty ice cube trays and added a cranberry before topping with water (see picture). That way you had a little red and green to toast with and it added a nice pop of color to the otherwise clear cocktail.

 

 

You could also skewer different fruits, vegetables or herbs onto cocktail swords if you wanted a festive presentation.

Sorry to my Jewish friends, I'll work on a silver and blue cocktail creation for next year!

Cheers!

Trish

Still Struggling with leftover turkey? Not anymore!

Thanksgiving is over, but if you made a turkey this year, chances are its still in your fridge. If the idea of another turkey sandwich is painful to you but you don't want to throw the turkey away, I've got some good ideas. The first thing you should do is take all the meat off the bone and slice it into bite size pieces that can be made into anything. Turkey salad and soup are good options. To make the soup, just put what's left of your turkey in a big pot with carrots, onions, celery and any herbs you might have on hand. Let this cook on low low heat for several hours or overnight and then strain the liquid in the morning. If you chill it in the fridge with a piece of cheesecloth submerged just under the surface of the liquid, then the fat will rise and bind with the cheesecloth. Just simply remove it and you have grease free turkey broth! It helps to use clothespins to hold the cheesecloth in place.  From here, you can add whatever you want to the broth to make a soup. Soups freeze well and will make an excellent quick meal on a night when you don't feel like cooking.

Another idea is turkey salad. Instead of the usual mayonaise and celery concoction we are all used to, jazz it up a little. I like to mix in red and green peppers or scallions, pesto and fresh herbs. Honey mustard with red grapes and almonds is also really good. Try mixing curry powder and mango chutney into the turkey salad for a spicy sweet rendition. Keeping it interesting will make you feel like it is a brand new meal and not leftovers.

The ideas mentioned above will work just fine, but I played around with something new this year. I decided to make a pasta out of the left over turkey, gravy and vegetables in the fridge. It was quick, easy and everyone at the table liked it. Its the type of recipe you can really make your own. I used the veggies I had in the house but certainly you could substitute whatever you like. Heres what I did:


Turkey and Vegetables with Egg noodles and Brandy Sauce


1 lb egg noodles
2 cups turkey meat, cubed (or however much you have on hand)
2 cups chopped cooked carrots(pieces of squash, mushrooms, or sweet potato would be great also)
1/2 a small onion chopped
11/2 cups leftover peas or frozen thawed peas
2 cups leftover gravy (see note)
1/2 cup brandy (if you don't have brandy or cognac, white wine will work. It will taste different, but still good).
11/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
parmesan cheese to taste
fresh parsley or any herb you have lying around.

 Have a pot of boiling water ready for your pasta. Pour a bit of olive or vegetable oil in a sautee pan
and add the onion. Cook on medium heat for two minutes and then add the carrots. Add the brandy off the heat and then cook for another two minutes. Add the chicken broth and then the leftover gravy. Bring to a simmer and stir to mix well. Meanwhile, add your egg noodles and cook according to the directions on the bag. Usually its about seven minutes. Add the turkey pieces and the peas and warm through in the sauce. If the sauce seems to thick, just add more broth. You can make it as thick as you want by adding more gravy. Don't add salt until you've tasted the sauce, then season as you like. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to your sauce. Top with parmesan cheese and parsley.


note:  This recipe works best with homemade gravy. If you have store bought gravy, you can give it more flavor by simmering onions, herbs, carrots and celery in it for a few minutes. Thyme and rosemary are good herbs to choose. Sage and parsley work well also.


What to drink:

In the spirit of reusing whatever you have on hand, I would say, drink this with whatever's in the fridge. But if you want something new for the occassion I would suggest pinot noir as it pairs beautifully with turkey. Here are some suggestions for less than 25 dollars.

King Estate Pinot Noir from Oregon: Berries and subtle spices make their mark on this delicious example from Central Oregon.

 Frédéric Magnien Bourgogne Pinot Noir:  A great affordable burgundy pinot noir with floral aromas and flavors of earthy spice and red berry fruits.  

Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir: This pinot noir from California highlights the flavors of tart cherry, blackberry with a slight herbal/spicy quality. It is a wonderful bargain wine and pairs beautifully with many different foods.

Triple Layer Maple Walnut Cake.......what's not to like?

Hi everyone,
So almost every year I make a dessert to serve at Thanksgiving, but it is almost never the same dessert. This type of inconsistency has been a challenge for me over the years, but since I haven't found the "perfect" dessert yet, I have to keep on searching. I have had mixed results over the years but with mostly successful outcomes. The problem with baking is that you never really know whats going to come out of that oven! Also, you can't taste the product while its cooking like you can with sauce or soup. If it needed more sugar, thats too bad for you. The only way you'll know is when its too late to change it and everyone is biting into your sadly undersweetened bland block of cake. The key is to find a great recipe and stick to it. Luckily for all of you brave bakers, I have found that great recipe that this time, is sure to please a crowd.

 Maple syrup is a seasonal ingredient this time of year and it lends itself well to baking. It has a creamy, caramel like flavor which is distinctive but mild all at the same time. Walnuts have always been a natural match with anything maple. Though its been done time and time again, I decided not to mess with the classics when I made a triple layer maple walnut cake.

This recipe comes from the book: Sky High: Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes
by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. I changed it very slightly by adding a touch of vanilla extract and reducing the cinnamon. I added a bit more cream cheese to the frosting, but other than those small touches the recipe remains true to it's original. I have to say, this was one of the least stressful cake making experiences I've ever had. If you follow the recipe and don't get too crazy with improvizations, you should end up with a big festive cake that everyone will enjoy. Who knows, maybe I'll actually make this one a repeat...... Heres how you do it:


Triple Layer Maple Walnut cake

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups walnut halves
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup, preferably light amber (see Baker's Note)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup milk
Maple Cream Frosting
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; Serves 12 to 16

Maple Cream Frosting:

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup maple syrup
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted after measuring
a dash of vanilla extract
Makes about 4 cups

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. You can use the pan as a stencil and draw a circle around it with a pencil on a sheet of parchment. Just cut the parchment circle out and it will fit perfectly in the bottom of the cake pan. I use a pastry brush and a cup of melted butter to grease the pans. Grease them really well so the cake won't stick. I also like to dust them with a little cake flour after they have been greased.    2. Spread out the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and lightly toasted, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a dish and let cool. Leave the oven on. When the nuts are cool, set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. Finely chop the remaining toasted walnuts.  3. Combine the chopped walnuts, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low, blend well. Add the butter and maple syrup and beat until blended. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk, and milk. Add this liquid to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, beating until blended and scraping down the sides of the bowl well after each addition. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.  5. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks, gently peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.  6. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Using a cake turn table works great because it spins and makes it easier to ice the cake. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it evenly right to the edge. Repeat with the second layer and another 2/3 cup frosting. Set the third layer on top and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting, swirling the frosting decoratively with an offset palette knife or the back of a spoon. Garnish with the reserved toasted walnut halves.  Baker's Notes:
Be sure your walnuts are impeccably fresh. It will make all the difference in the world here.
Maple Cream Frosting:
1. Place the butter in a wide medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the maple syrup, raise the heat to medium-low, and boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so the syrup does not burn.
 2. Pour the hot maple butter into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature.
3. Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat well with an electric mixer to lighten. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl well and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the maple butter and vanilla extract and mix until completely blended.


 You might be asking yourself: What to I drink with this cake? Don't worry, I wouldn't forget about the wine.  For this cake, I would suggest a unique dessert wine from vermont called "Gold Leaf" made from (guess what?)......maple syrup. Here is a blurb all about Gold Leaf from the Boyden Valley Winery at boydenvalley.com 




The classic taste of Vermont captured in wine For over half a century the Boyden family has honored Vermont’s spring tradition of maple sugaring. Now we are pioneering a new tradition: crafting that maple sugar into an amazing dessert wine, Gold Leaf. Barrel-aged for two years in Tonnelier French Oak barrels, Gold Leaf possesses great depth and complexity combining supreme estate maple syrup and locally grown apples. As an aperitif or after-dinner wine, it has an exquisite mouth feel and delicate yet pronounced maple flavor with overtones of vanilla, toasted nuts and coconut.
 

Thanksgiving Hash

Happy Thanksgiving week to all! Dave and I will be on opposite ends of Massachusetts for the holiday with me home in Western Mass and he in Westport. He's tasked every year with bringing one of his dessert creations so we'll have to see what he decides to whip together this year.

I stick with a pretty traditional Thanksgiving menu myself. I've been doing my turkey the same way for years and it comes out excellent every time if I do say so myself (pretty sure I just did). A lot of flavor comes from what you stuff in the cavity of the bird, and I like to put citrus fruits and onion along with some rosemary, sage and thyme in there. Another dirty little secret? Just a few pieces of uncooked bacon if you have it on hand. Just trust me on that one.

So the leftovers...what to do, what to do. We all know the standbys--soups, sandwiches, pies and casseroles. I say put a brunch spin on it all and do yourself a solid with some turkey hash. This is absolutely delicious, so easy a turkey could make it (but probably wouldn't want to) and fun to do the next day or any day that weekend following. See our post on What To Drink With Brunch to wash it down with. These are all approximations that will serve at least 2, up to probably 4 or 5. You can adjust accordingly for a crowd.

1-2 cups leftover turkey, chopped

Leftover stuffing, just enough to bind the hash together (you made need to just separate this out some if it's all together from being refrigerated)

One sweet potato, chopped into small cubes

1/2 white or yellow onion

1/2-3/4 cup pancetta, chopped

Saute the sweet potato, onion and pancetta together until the sweet potato is fork tender, then add your chopped turkey and stuffing until it's all heated through. In another pan, have an over easy egg working. Once your hash is done plate it and then slide the egg on top.

Enjoy!

Trish

Pasta From Scratch, No Problemo!

When a good friend recently offered to have myself and my BFF, Jeanne, over for a lesson in pasta making from scratch I was all too eagerly asking what time and what I could bring. I've always wanted to have a go at making my own as I've heard many tales of success and woe over the years from various people who have dared walk the pasta from scratch plank before. When we arrived she had all of the ingredients ready to go along with our pasta rollers and recipes for us to take with us. We were going to be making traditional pasta as well as cavatelli. I took pictures as we went and the recipes are below. Naturally, sip a bottle of wine of your choice, the obvious being a good Italian red-- my recommended three would be a Chianti, Montepulciano, or Valpolicella, as you go for the complete experience.

 

The great surprise here? I actually found this easy to do...which may be the case for folks across the globe but I was going in prepared for challenge and I have to say the outcome was more like Tricia: 1, Pasta: 0. The hardest and most tedious part for me was rolling the cavatelli. Apparently there's a machine out there that does the shaping for you and I must say I will be putting that on my 'things to buy' list shortly.

Let's start with the pasta. The ingredients here are simple, 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/8 cup of oil (olive or vegetable is fine) will get you a pound of pasta. Start with a large clean work surface and make the flour and salt into a mound with a well in the middle. In that well you're going to pour in your oil (just a little) and crack your eggs into it. Grab a fork and start mixing the eggs, similar to how you would for scrambled eggs and as you go work some of the flour in from the sides of the well. It's okay if you see some egg start to run out the sides, just work the flour around it to keep it contained (Jeanne struggled a bit here, thankfully no one was hurt). Once you have the eggs and a good amount of the flour incorporated, drop the fork and use your hands to knead and work the dough into a ball. Get aggressive here, it takes a lot of beating up on this dough and it will feel dry but that's normal (if still really dry after a lot of working add a little water, just a splash).

 

Once you have it into a ball cover it with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. If you're making cavatelli the same day, now would be a good time to get started on that. Cavatelli is similar in texture to gnocchi, so it goes best with a light marinara or similar as it's heavier than traditional pasta. As I mentioned, rolling these little suckers out so that they curl the way they're supposed to did not go well for me, so consider yourself warned.

You'll need one pound of full fat ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 tsp salt and 4 cups of flour. You're going to drop your ricotta onto your work surface and then add the flour (start with 3 cups, you'll work the 4th cup in in just a bit)...work that together and then form a mound with a well as you did for the pasta. Drop your egg and milk into the middle and get to working it all together (use the same aggression as above!).

You'll notice this is much more wet than the pasta dough, so work in that 4th cup of flour as needed. Once you have your dough incorporated and formed into something that resembles a round shape, cut off pieces about the size of a piece of biscotti, and then roll those pieces into a snake that's about the size of a nickel in diameter. Use a butter knife to cut that snake into 1/2" long pieces that will be your cavatelli. This is when you want to use your fingers to flatten and roll that piece of dough until it curls onto itself, so that it looks like the picture below (actually, as these are ours and it was our first time your better reference might be to Google a pic...or just get that damn machine!) The wine came in really handy here. Once you've formed all of your dough, lay out the cavatelli on a flat surface to let them dry out some.

 

Now, back to the pasta! Uncover your ball and cut into pieces similar to what you did to make your cavatelli. These pieces are going to be run through your pasta roller, on the widest setting to start (different machines have different settings, so be sure to read your manual here). Run it through once, then fold it half and run it through again, then do that a third time. Now you're ready to run it through on a smaller setting (depending on what kind of pasta and how think you want it) just one time. As you run the dough through and lay them onto your work surface flour them just a little on the tops. Finally, run the pieces through a smaller setting (on my machine I started with setting 8, then 6, then 4 for my last) one time.

 

I wanted fettuccine, so I used the wider cut on the machine, ran the pieces through and voila! Fettuccine is made!

 

Another little neat trick that our friend taught us was that you can add some basil leaves or parsley (in the event you're making pasta for some soup or what have you) to a flat piece of the pasta dough, fold it in half and then run it through a smaller setting and the herb is embedded right into the pasta...pretty neat!

Lesson here? Well, there's a few. Most important is that homemade pasta is easy and can be done in a couple of hours at home. I froze mine as it will take me some time to go through a pound of pasta (especially considering I'm supposed to watch my gluten intake...whoops) so feel free to double or triple the recipe and do the same at home!

Bon appetito!

Trish

A Trip To Sao Paulo!

I recently took a trip south of the equator for my first time when I visited our office in Sao Paulo, Brazil for a week. I know Brazil for a lot of people who haven't been conjures up thoughts of super hot temps with super hot people that are scantily clad milling about in cafes and on beaches. Nothing was further from the truth on that front. Brazil is in the early part of their spring now gearing up for summer so temps while at times hot were mostly in the low 70s and there were a few cloudy days that threatened rain and felt even cooler. It should also be noted that there was nary a thong in sight with everyone bundled up on those cooler days, albeit a little over the top in my opinion (I'm a New Englander, I'm not bundling up in 72 degree weather!).

I absolutely loved my week there and I'll tell you why. The city offers a ton in the way of night life...there's so much to do all the time and in a city of that size it's going on 24/7. Now, I was a far cry from dancing on tables until 5 in the morning on any night, but it was interesting to hear the tales of those that have (without having their hangover). Our office there is super nice and the people in it even more so, it really made the experience that much more enjoyable. One person in the office in particular, Gabriel, was a walking, talking food blog and I happened to set up shop for the week right next to him. Yep, once he got started asking me what I'd tried so far and what I should try throughout the week I knew I sat next to the cool kid in class (at least in my fictional food and drink classroom in my head). He told me how serious Brazilians take their food and what I absolutely had to try that week. Surprisingly sushi and Italian food are very popular and are done very well in an abundance of restaurants in Sao Paulo. There are certain days of the week devoted to certain foods...for instance, Thursday is lasagna day and Wednesday is reserved for Feijoada, a stew of rice and beans with beef or pork that is very traditional down there.

Brazilians have the most delicious little way to start the day in the form of pao de queijo, which means cheese bread and that's exactly what it is, formed into a round a little smaller than a tennis ball. Anytime you combine cheese with bread you have my attention and these just topped the charts of "delicious cheesy things" I've had in my life. Wherever you could buy pao de queijo you would also find in the next tray in the case coxinha, a traditional Brazilian snack that intrigued me from the get go due to it's cone shape. Of course, my walking food blog knew of the absolute best place in the area to have coxinha so we headed over for lunch one day and had one of each of the shredded chicken filling and shredded chicken with cream cheese filling. You can top them with ketchup or hot sauce, I chose the latter and dug in. I know you're all thinking that I must have gained ten pounds by this point in my trip and well...you're probably right. Luckily the scene I referenced in the first paragraph was not playing out according to popular belief.

There's a lot of great buffets in Sao Paulo, and while buffet for a lot of people means dried out, overcooked food that's been sitting under heat lamps for the last hour, such is not the case here. Whether you want traditional local foods, Italian or sushi there is a bevy of fresh, expansive buffets with everything your heart desires. I gave in to the sushi at the request of Gabriel one day and it was one of the best things that had ever happened to me. I felt quite literally like a kid in a candy store choosing amongst the options of tempura, dumplings, sushi, sashimi, salads and miso soup. Everything was so colorful and plump. What's great about any meal anywhere in Sao Paulo is that you can wash it all down with your choice of fresh squeezed juice. You can get fresh juice anywhere in the city in the form of orange, passion fruit, watermelon, pineapple...you name it. Brazil is a hub for great produce grown right there so you have access to what we would consider tropical and exotic fruits at every turn.

We wrapped up the week by attending a local street farmer's market that has vendors serving up pastel, another "must" on my list from Gabriel. This is where I almost didn't get on my plane coming home. Pastel according to Gabriel is the result of Brazil's failed attempt at making spring rolls. What actually came out of it is a rectangular shaped pastry that is filled with any number of items and fried in oil in just a few minutes while you wait. I chose the beef and cheese, Gabriel the heart of palm. You can also get shredded beef, seafood and pizza filling. Pastel goes perfect with the traditional Brazilian drink garapa, which is sugarcane juice that's often served with lime or pineapple. We had ours with lime and it was amazing--sweet but with the lime to cut it it was exactly what I wanted on a hot day. You grab a seat where you can amongst the farmers shouting out the great bargains on their wares and chow down. After we finished and strolled through the market, I stopped at a table of spices and seasonings and proceeded to buy the man out of his offerings, wondering the whole time if I was actually going to get this through customs but excited at the culinary creations that were dancing through my head as I selected spice after spice from his array.

I know you're probably thinking "where's the wine in this post?" and well...that was the one thing Brazil couldn't offer much of. Locally made I mean. Of course there's a fantastic wine selection at restaurants across the city, and certainly wines from Argentina and Chile are prominent, but Brazil while great at many things, isn't known for their wine production. Lucky for them the pao de queijo made up for it!

Until next time Sao Paulo!

Trish

PS--Dave turned 30 while I was gone...you see he didn't do his Aviation post he was supposed to. My guess is he probably had too many and forgot everything.

What to Drink with Brunch

Here at Grapes With Dinner we are "brunch people".  Okay, it could also be said that
we're breakfast, lunch, dinner people, and anything in between people, but we really
do enjoy us a good brunch.  Brunch should also no longer be quarantined to Sundays
in our opinion, either.  Friday, Saturday, any given Monday holiday, this wonderful
hybrid meal should be enjoyed as often as possible, particularly as it offers the
loop hole on the "you shouldn't drink before noon" rule.

If you find yourself wanting to break out of the standard brunch cocktail rut, an
Aperol Spritz may be just what you need.  In my "real job" I am part of a task force
surrounding new initiatives and have counterparts based in both London and Tokyo
that I collaborate with on the regular for these projects.  It makes the "what did
you do this past weekend?" question much more interesting to say the least.  As a
matter of fact, this post was inspired by said London colleague who was off on a
long weekend to Tuscany with her boyfriend recently.  While I heart New England and
all of it's rustic charm, a long weekend in, say Maine, doesn't quite have the same
ring as a weekend in the heart of food and wine country.  She sent me pics of some
of the food and drinks they had while there and it reminded me of the classic Aperol
Spritz.  I had had it a few times before but not recently and I almost let myself
forget how good (and easy to make) it is!  Shame
on me!

For those that don't know, Aperol is an Italian apertif similar in taste but with
about half of the alcohol content of Campari.  An apertif by definition is a drink
served before dinner as a means to stimulate appetites.  With its' bitter orange and
rhubarb ingredients we feel the flavor profile of Aperol makes for a wonderful mixer
to balance out the sweet of something else that can be enjoyed right through the
meal as well!  You don't need a lot to make a drink so a bottle will last you (i.e.
you shouldn't find yourself coming home from a long day of work and sticking a straw
in the bottle to start sucking it down, it ain't that kind of party folks).

I made myself this concoction last weekend as I was enjoying my solo brunch at home
while writing.  I loosely scrambled up two eggs with local cheddar and herbs and
toasted some brioche to go with.  Herbs in eggs are the easiest way to jazz up the
ordinary and is an often overlooked step when cooking at home.  I usually have some
basil and rosemary at the very least on hand, but this day I had some leftover flat
leaf parsley and oregano from stock I made the day before, so I threw that in there
as well.  Combined with the GOOD local cheddar it was heaven.  Yes people, do
yourself a favor and understand the difference between quality, local cheddar and
the not so great stuff you get in those resealable store packages.  It tastes
better, it melts better and frankly you don't need to use as much, so you can
reconcile your budget conscious left side with that if price is an issue.

Here goes the recipe, for you to make at home or tell your bartender about at your
next brunch spot.

3 parts Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
2 parts Aperol
1 part club soda or seltzer (I used a Mandarin seltzer with mine, lovely)
Serve over ice and garnish with a big old orange slice

Cheers!

Trish  (stay tuned for Dave's big 30th birthday post this week!)

It's Called Genever, And It's Fantastic

Never ones to be deterred by the questionable or fear the unknown, Dave and I set out to attend a Genever tasting a couple of weeks back.  As always, Eno Fine Wines in Providence and the Providence Wine Academy partnered up to put on an intimate little event in a show of appreciation for their loyal patrons.

To show you how much I knew about Genever, I googled it prior to the tasting and thought I was attending a sampling of gins.  Turns out I wasn't TOO far off, but certainly not close to the mark.

Genever is wildly popular and the spirit of choice in  Holland and Belgium and according to the distillers who were our gracious educators that evening big on the scene in the United States prior to the prohibition.  This was going to be one big lesson for us and we were ready to drink!  (LEARN...I meant learn).

Representatives were on site from Bols and Diep 9 (400 and 100 year old distilleries, respectively), presenting this mysterious beverage and they informed us that Genever (pronounced ge-knee-ver), much to my chagrin, is NOT gin but a malt wine based spirit that is distilled up to three times and incorporates botanicals in the process.  For the laymen when you hear the word 'malt' involved in alcohol you want to be thinking barley, wheat, rye and corn.  Not necessarily in that order or even all together, but you know it's born of one or more if it's malted, whatever it is.

Both Diep 9 and Bols brought a range of young and old Genevers, and the tastes and profiles of the two could not be more different.  The younger Genevers definitely reminded me of gin, as they're married with a juniper malt wine then distilled with the botanicals.  I was confused at first if I should be drinking this straight or looking for a mixer of sorts, but you can do either.  We tasted all of these straight and the Dutch and Belgians apparently always enjoy them that way, and when in Holland...  Some were much lighter than others and Dave and I personally enjoyed the younger Genevers, specifically the Diep 9 Young Grain which was clear, clean and smooth and easily enjoyed neat or on the rocks.  Of course feel free to dress it up a little with some St. Germaine or fresh fruit juice if the mood strikes you.

The Bols Aged Genever won our vote in the older category, where law states it needs to be more than 15% malt wine and aged a minimum of one year to be called 'old'.  This particular one was aged 18 months in brand new charred French oak barrels.  It should be noted you can only call a Genever 'young' or 'old' in Belgium and Holland and these were more reminiscent of a scotch whiskey to us, likely due to the aging in the charred barrel.  I wish I could only be referred to as 'old' in Belgium and Holland, then I wouldn't feel the need to drink so much Genever to forget about my age.  Anyway, I digress.  Given the vast difference between the young and old, you'll want to take that into consideration depending upon your tastes and preferences.

Another fun fact about Bols is that each bottle is hand crafted from clay found only along a certain river bank in Germany (I apologize for not remembering the name of the river, at this point I had been Genever'ed).  Each bottle is a little different due to the human element involved in manufacturing.

Unless you have an upcoming trip to Holland or Belgium in the mix, you won't be able to run into any store and pick this up...thankfully our friends down at Eno at Westminster Street in Providence carry Genever and will be more than happy to undo the confusion we've likely just caused you.

Until next time,
Dave and Trish

Pork, It's What's For Lunch...and Dinner...and Leftovers

On Monday mornings, I often regale my coworkers with tales of my culinary excursions from the weekend, much to their pure joy I'm sure.  As I am a single and live alone (hopefully there's no serial killers following Grapes With Dinner) I'm usually bringing leftovers in for anyone who wants to sample.  This particular Monday I decided that samples wouldn't cut it and that the perfect cure for a case of the Mondays was some pulled pork sandwiches for the house.

Slow cooker pulled pork is one of the best things going if you ask me...nothing like set it and forget it cooking that brings accolades of your mastery to boost one's ego.  My BFF, Jeanne, makes a honey of pulled pork in the slow cooker and I use a little of what she's done over the years along with my own touches, recipe below.

What to pair it with you ask?  Good question...pulled pork is tricky.  I say throw caution to the wind, go forward without abandon and drink whatever the hell you want (I mean that's what you should really always do anyway, life is short my friends).  I would choose a bourbon or a beer myself, but if you're stuck on wine go with a light crisp white that's maybe a little effervescent like a Vino Verdhe (Portugese and delicious while extremely easy on the wallet, it's a no lose situation).

Pulled Pork:

5 lb boneless pork butt shoulder

1 and 1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

A couple big scoops of brown sugar

Some ketchup...sometimes I use this, sometimes I don't depending on if I have enough...just squeeze in a few healthy globs of it

Cook it all on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours or on high for 4 and fork shred it when it's done.  Serve this on soft rolls (potato or hamburger is my usual go to bun)

Amongst the above mentioned coworkers is one individual that recently took a disappointing spin on the dance floor with some country pork ribs.  Although this particular colleague likes to poke fun at my lack of participation in the world of technology (I'm a bit of a purist) being the nice person I am I wanted to include Dave's tried and true recipe for ribs in this post.

Enjoy Brian!

Dave's Slow Roasted Country Ribs:

2 racks of pork baby back ribs

Kosher or Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Paprika

Chili Powder

Mix about a teaspoon of each spice with a teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Rub the ribs all over with this mixture and let sit while you preheat your oven to 250. Place the ribs on a lightly oiled sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 2 hours, you want them to be tender but not totally falling off the bone. From there remove the ribs and brush with bbq sauce. Turn the broiler on in your oven and broil the ribs until they caramelize a little and the sauce sticks to them a bit. Watch these carefully as you don't want to burn them, just give them a little color and that won't take long. 

Before serving, brush again with BBQ sauce and then serve more sauce (and lots of napkins) on the side. 

There are so many BBQ sauce recipes out there but here’s an old one that we like very much and is so easy your pet pot belly pig could make it (assuming he wouldn't know what it would be used for).

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

 1 tbsp dry mustard

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp paprika

Tsp salt

Tsp: cayenne

1 cup ketchup

2 minced garlic cloves

½ a medium onion minced

Sautee onion and garlic in oil for a few minutes. Stir the remaining ingredients into the pot and cook on medium low heat for 15 minutes until thickened nicely. As Porky Pig would say himself, that's all folks!

Again...beer, bourbon, wine...your grandmother's brandy...whatever knocks your socks off, it's a free for all.

Sending our regards to Porky,

Dave and Trish

Want Some Squash Soup, Pumpkin?

Today was one of those perfect fall days that was equal parts productive and relaxing.  Actually, that's a blatant lie.  Dave is off on Long Island probably tasting his 32nd wine as I write this and I spent my morning running errands, cleaning and getting ready for a wine tasting I worked this afternoon.  Finally, I am at home with the candles lit and settling in to catch my faithful blog followers up while I sip a glass of Nero D'Avola.  Ain't no better way to spend a Saturday night if you ask me.

A couple of weeks ago Dave's best friend Alexis was celebrating her birthday along with about 60 guests at her family's seaside country abode.  Dave and his brilliant mind decided he wanted to make a whole lot of something and put it in a big pumpkin!  There was going to be quite a few vegan guests at this event, so a soup of squash and root vegetables that skipped on the animal product but not on the flavor seemed to be the perfect solution.  Enter the recipe below and the festive presentation and you've got yourself an edible party favor folks!

Surprisingly, this pumpkin was relatively easy to carve given it's size (keep in mind we had to have enough soup for 60) and after a few capacity tests using water we were ready to go.  Please note, we did NOT travel with the soup in the pumpkin...use tupperware to transport and just pour into your pumpkin upon arrival at your destination.  Naturally, we almost had no pumpkin to host our soup as Dave was loading it into the car and it nearly slid off the trunk...yes, I know...he needs to stick only to the cooking.

Regardless, it was hit and so we've decided to share it with all of you.  See below for the Curried Squash and Root Vegetable Soup a la Dave!  If you are not vegan then feel free to throw in your fair share of cream and butter to this and make it REALLY creamy!

Pick up your favorite Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for this, sit back and enjoy the rave reviews from your friends on your festive and creative presentation!

2 Large sweet Potatoes

2 medium Butternut Squash

2 onions

3 carrots

4 parsnips

½ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 qt vegetable or chicken stock

Cream (optional)

Salt to taste and parsley to garnish

Optional Topping:  Crème Fraiche and toasted pumpkin seed oil

Place everything in a big pot. If there is not enough liquid to totally cover the vegetables add some water. Bring the entire conundrum to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes or so. Then use an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor) to make it allllll creamy and smooth. Season with salt to taste and add a dash of cream and/or butter if you like. 

To serve it in a big pumpkin, just cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop everything out. Then you just pour the soup in, and put the top back on. If you have any pumpkin meat or pumpkin puree, you can add this to the soup as well when you add the other vegetables.

Bravo Dave, bravo!

Cheers!

September Goings On

The fall equinox is officially upon us!   I'm sitting in my dining room on a beautiful Saturday morning with a mug of hot breakfast tea and some toast...my Grammy would be proud.  Before I begin on what I know you're all waiting anxiously to hear about, I'd like to wish Dave's best friend Alexis a very happy birthday today!  Alexis was responsible for the 'Summer In A Glass' post when we first started this blog and I look forward to celebrating with her later.

The last you heard from me on the seasons I was near tears over the impending end of summer.  I'm happy to report that I'm over it now.  I've breathed autumn in, accepted it and moved on.  Fall in New England after all is for many the absolute best season to visit here and is a very close second to summer for me.  Everything quintessential about the fall season is here--foliage, warm fall days with cool fall nights that will soon give way to crisp days and cold nights, fires, pumpkin and apple ciders (and muffins, coffees, lattes, beers...you name it), mums and hayrides at almost every rustic New England farm you come across.

I've been out and about in my little city quite a bit these last few weeks.  I will say, I've been enjoying the ability to walk everywhere without needing to change my shirt upon arrival at my destination due to the bucket of perspiration that's come out of me from the heat.  I was on my way to a Genever tasting the other night (I know I know, what the heck is Genever...blog on that to follow) and it was perfect walking weather.  I walked past the skaters in Kennedy Plaza and soon smelled the beginnings of a busy night for Haven Bros., just gearing up for the evening to the tune of Pink Floyd.  I strolled into Symposium Books down on Westminster and ducked into Eno Fine Wines to browse.  The last of the movie nights outside was setting up and people were everywhere...shopping, eating and just enjoying a beautiful Thursday evening in Providence, reminding me that the best way to experience this town is on foot so you don't miss anything.

I attended the Rennaisance Wine Festival at the same Kennedy Plaza a couple of weeks earlier and navigated my way through the 200 wines onsite to try some fantastic Pouilly Fuisses, California Cabernets and Chardonnays, some Lambrusco and Pinot Noir.  I also caught a couple of chef demonstrations by the head chef at Constantino's on Federal Hill and Cafe Nuovo.  Once I had sufficiently tasted I moseyed on over to Westminster Street to meet a friend at Providence Coal Fired Pizza (www.providencecoalfirepizza.com), one of my favorite new spots due to their fantastic cocktails and specialty pizzas.  This is no ordinary pizza here folks!  We enjoyed a meal of baked goat cheese, pork rib appetizer and a clam pizza with littlenecks, potatoes and onions.  

Attention ladies and gay men--their cucumber cosmopolitan is amazing and I highly recommend it to wash down your grub.  If you are a straight man you should not drink that...ever.  Lucky for you they have plenty of straight man friendly cocktails as well.

Later that week I worked an industry tasting put on by MS Walker at the Westin and was fortunate enough to pour for Vin Divino wines.   Vin Divino is a wine importer from Italy and has a fantastic portfolio, mostly Italian obviously which is right in my sweet spot but they also have a few greats from other regions.  Among the wines I poured was a Gavi, Prosecco, Nero d'Avola, Merlot, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and a Fallanghina.  Not a bad job if you ask me, and the tasting showcased spirits as well so there were fantastic tequilas, whiskeys, and vodkas to boot.

Finally, I hit up a beer tasting at Bottles on the east side yesterday after work.  The Sebago Brewing Company came down from Maine and those nice folks let us taste their Frye's Leap IPA, Boathouse Brown, Local Harvest Ale and Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout.  I'm not a huge beer drinker so when I like a beer it's gotta be pretty good, and these were pretty good.  If you're a Rhody, you can find their brews at Bottles and many of the Douglas stores.

Today I'm headed to an oyster festival hosted by Hemenway's, the best seafood restaurant here in Providence and sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House.  Narragansett Beer will be flowing and I will continue enjoying the brand new autumn season.

Anyone seen Dave?

Cheers,
Trish

Top Ten Wines For Ten Dollars

Happy Hump Day!

This is a quick mid week post, courtesy of The Wine Enthusiast, posted on their Facebook page today. Everyone is always looking for bargains on wine that doesn't taste like jug juice, and I've tried most of these so I think it will meet your approval.  Keep these in mind as we come into cocktail party and gift season so you don't break the bank!

http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/Web-2012/Septembers-Top-10-Under-10/

Dave and I are headed to a gin tasting put on by the Providence Wine Academy tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.  We know how much Dave likes his gin, hopefully he can walk out of there.

Cheers!
Trish

Grapes With Dinner Goes Big Time!

Okay...well granted the owner of the shop that asked us to co-host a wine tasting is a friend of Dave's.  And sure, it was a small event in the little seaside town of Warren, RI...not really Times Square or even Wayland Square for that matter.  BUT it was the first time our name was in print and it was exciting!

Katie is the owner of a great shop in Warren on Water Street called the Wooden Midshipman (http://woodenmidshipman.blogspot.com/).  Water Street is quickly on it's way to becoming a premier East Bay destination with it's shops and restaurants paired with a fantastic water view.  The Wooden Midshipman carries local art and photography, books, jewelry, clothing, home decor, you name it that make perfect gifts for either yourself or someone in your life...I wanted one of everything!  If you're in the area be sure to stop by and check it out, I guarantee you don't leave empty handed.

Katie invited in the owner of a wine distributor called Sage Cellars for a complimentary wine tasting this past Thursday.  Jessie Sgro brought with him a 2011 Arbor Hill Riesling from the Finger Lakes region in upstate NY, as well as a Rose and a Chardonnay from Hendry Ranch Wines in Napa Valley, one of the oldest in that region having had it's beginning in 1939.  She asked Dave and I to be on hand to answer questions and she featured a few of our recommend wine reads in the store as well.

Let's start with the Riesling.  Not typically a Riesling drinker, I was pleasantly surprised by this clean, balanced, not "sickly sweet" wine.  It was great to see Germanic grapes being harvested so well in upstate New York to create a Riesling of this quality.  For those of you that say "I like sweet" this is a great wine to segue way you to some different flavors and varietals because you'll still get that sweetness that naturally comes in a Riesling but this is a semi dry wine that will prevent overkill.  If you are indulging in Chinese food or other Asian cuisine pour yourself a glass of this, it won't disappoint.

Next up is the Hendry Rose...bravo on this one, bravo.  I love a Rose in the summer as you all probably know by now.  This Rose is made with both Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and is just exceptional...refreshing with notes of red fruit.  Serve this chilled with zesty marinated meats, garlic flavors, bleu cheese.  Dave would like to add that Rose should be served with colorful foods, so be sure to take note of that.  With the pink hue of the wine and bright vegetables and fruits in dishes, it does make for a much more fun plate.

As much as you know I like Rose in the summer, you likely know by now how much I loved an oaked Chardonnay, however, I have been experiencing a bit of a transition in recent months.  Unoaked Chardonnays have been grabbing my attention more and more these days, and the Chardonnay Jesse served this night was no exception.  This is entirely fermented in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation incorporated into the process.  The result is a clean, crisp wine that is lighter in body than an oaked Chardonnay and has flavors of citrus and green apple.  This wine can take you right through fall cuisine as well--your roasts, stews, etc.  If you're not a red wine drinker this one will do you just fine.

You can pick up these great wines at Brickyard or Grapes and Grains in Barrington, RI, all extremely reasonably priced.  We hope to see Jesse again soon!

For our vegetarian reader that came from Middleboro, MA, we have a fabulous portobello mushroom dish we're trying out this week for you to pair with a Merlot (of course we'll be trying that as well so as to provide you with the best possible information we can....er...yeah, that's why).

Thanks again Katie, we'll be seeing you soon!!!

Dave and Trish

Labor Day Crab and Blues

Happy Labor Day to all of you!  I hope your summers were good and you're gearing up for fall.  I for one am having a bit of a bittersweet Labor Day...or maybe just bitter.  I had a fantastic summer with a lot of beach time, good summer foods and wine.  I'm not ready to let it go yet!  As I sit here finally catching up on a few posts we've had in the works I'm sipping a rose and mourning the inevitable departure of my betrothed, summer.  Yup, I've replaced dates with seasons...you can do that.

Yesterday Dave and I headed to the beach on what was another beautiful summer day here in New England.  Once Dave hit his sun quota, we went over to Bristol to get some blogs written while we downed some white wine and munchies.  This isn't a bad way to spend a Sunday if you ask me.

Dave had made a corn and crab chowder the previous weekend on the Cape and really wanted to share it with you all but needed a good white wine to suggest you pair it with.  It's a tough job to research that, but someone's gotta do it.  We picked up two to try, a 2010 Corvo Insolia from Sicily and a 2010 Remy Pannier Vouvray from the famed Loire Valley in France.  Both of these wines were less than $20, so don't let the fancy names scare you off.

We started with the Vouvray, which is made from a grape called Chenin Blanc.  Both of these wines are great summer whites, so those of you that like to sip on wine in warmer weather will likely be pleased with either, though they have very different flavor profiles.  The Vouvray tastes of peach, honey, flowers and golden apples.  There's some sweetness to this wine but it finishes dry and it's pale color should not lead you to believe it's too delicate to stand up to food, such is not the case!  Go ahead and enjoy this with your saltier summer spreads--cheeses, meats, grilled pizzas.

The Corvo Insolia also delivered with it's smells and tastes of white peach, pear, honeysuckle, melon and green apple.  The grape Inzolia is local to Sicily and Dave and I both remarked on how Sicily doesn't carry the great reputation for wine as other cities and regions in Italy so it was good to see them representing with this.  This is not a citrus-y wine which can be a nice deviation from some of the "usual whites" we see in summer.  It's quick on the finish and medium bodied, which means you can serve it with your seafood or poultry dishes and likely have yourself a lovely little experience.

In the end, the Vouvray won out as the best match for Dave's chowder, recipe below.  The sweetness in the wine we felt would marry well with the corn in this dish, and the weight of the wine could stand up to the heartiness of a chowder.  Either way, we thoroughly enjoyed both as we watched the sun start to set on the Narragansett Bay on the unofficial end to summer (I am literally crying as I write this).  

Run out and get the last of the delicious summer corn to whip this up and pay a proper homage to the end of the season!

Dave's Corn and Crab Chowder:

12 ears of corn (or 2 bags frozen) boiled for a few minutes, it doesn't need to be cooked through 

1+ lb. of crab (Dave wants me to make sure you know he hand harvested his on the Cape...so there you have it) dungeness, jonah or lump NO IMITATION crab meat here...or ever really

2 medium or 1 large onion, diced

4 stalks of celery, diced

3 bell peppers--color is up to you, Dave used one each green, red, yellow--he likes color

4 diced red bliss potatoes

3 strips of GOOD bacon--render this, dice it up and then throw your diced onion, celery and peppers into the bacon fat and sauté them.  

2 boxes of your favorite chicken stock (or your homemade stuff)--heat this up  to a quick boil then throw your potatoes in until they're tender.

A bundle of a few sprigs of fresh Thyme and 2 Bay leaves--if you have them dry and don't feel like running out to get fresh just do a healthy pinch of the thyme--put this into your stock and potatoes now.

Add in the corn and the crab

TEMPER in 1/2 pint of heavy cream--temper because you don't want it to separate and get chunky (blech)...so whisk in just a little at a time 

Add 1/2 stick of butter and let this all come together...a little salt and pepper to taste or if you like it HOT feel free to add your cayenne, tobasco or whatever your weapon of choice now

For summer everywhere--Dave and Trish

Trish and Dave's Awesome Adventure

This is a great time of year in my opinion.  We're deep into summer where everyone's had the opportunity to sink into it and take a big bite.  This time of year some start complaining of the heat and you start seeing the back to school specials.  For me, I want time to literally stand still...preferably at a moment when I'm on a beach looking out at the Atlantic with a cooler by my side.  The sleepy summer month of August will be here momentarily and I am savoring as much of summer as I can.  Actually, we both are...so while we have some good wine posts coming up we wanted to share with you some of what's been keeping us from blogging:

First, we had to celebrate the 4th of July (Dave chose to do this with a little too much bourbon, preventing us from attending the infamous Bristol RI 4th of July parade the next morning)Luckily there was a cookout at his parent's fabulous waterfront home to distract me.

In New England, summer means seafood...any time of year means seafood really.  Dave and I are both huge fans of a good raw bar and there are some great local oysters to be had in these parts.  We took a trip (the first for both of us) down to Matunuck Oyster Bar  (www.rhodyoysters.com) to taste their variety of locally sourced crustaceans.  It just so happened East Matunuck Beach was around the corner and it was yet another beautiful beach day.  After we stuffed ourselves with oysters, Sauvignon Blanc and fried clams we meandered on down to sit it off in our beach chairs :)

There's a great little getaway just an hour's ferry ride from Point Judith here in RI, and it's called Block Island.  It's one of my favorite places on earth and is home to about 1,000 people year round.  The island measures approximately 10 square miles in area but don't let it's size fool you!  This island is stuffed with many beautiful beaches, cliffs, houses and tons of great places to eat shop and drink.  Sign me up!  We took a trip with our mothers this past Saturday and made the most of a day on the Block.

Oh yeah...we did attend another fine tasting put on by Eno Fine Wines and the Providence Wine Academy.  Here's a little pictorial preview until Dave and I get our act together enough to post about the favorites we tried.  Happy drinking!

We hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are ours.  Cheers!

Dave and Trish