Sunday Supper

We all remember my friend Regina who took the beautiful pictures of our Chardonnay throwdown and the author of her own photography blog www.chaperonphotography.blogspot.com. She is the queen of her palace shall we say, which includes her husband Toby and beloved Golden Doodle named Holly. Regina's backyard has undergone a complete transformation since they purchased the house a few years back. With the addition of a stone patio, fire pit and outside lounge furniture we've taken to referring to it as the Lido Deck.

When Gina approached me about doing a wine pairing dinner to open the season on the Lido Deck I was more than happy to oblige. I love summer cooking...it's light and easy. Gina did a beautiful tablescape with linens and fresh flowers and I decided to do simple 3 courses: Tropical Shrimp Salad with a Pineapple Vinegarette, Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta for the entree and a chocolate raspberry confection to pair with a dessert wine I had in mind from our Jam On It post a while back. The salad would go well with a rose, the main with an oaked Chardonnay, and the sweet Shiraz with it's red fruit flavors could honestly be dessert in itself.

We selected a Portugese Rose from winemaker Casal Garcia. This wine was super inexpensive and recommended by the store owner. It was truly delightful and perfect for a starter wine at our party. It's slightly effervescent with red fruit flavors, strawberry being the most prominent, and good acidity. I had grilled the shrimp for the salad after marinating them in olive oil, salt and pepper. I marinated overnight but as long as you give it a couple of hours the shrimp will be good. The rest of the salad was as easy as you can get: bed of greens, your choice, I used mixed field greens, sliced red onion, pineapple chunks, the shrimp and then the pineapple vinegarette. The dressing is also super simple...you want about 2/3 pineapple juice to 1/3 part extra virgin olive oil, a splash of a white vinegar of your choice (I used a rice vinegar) and a good amount of salt and pepper, taste as you go. Just whisk it all together and you have a delicious, light dressing for your salad. I toasted some crostini topped with gorgonzola cheese to serve with the first course and voila!! We were on our way.

Clos Du Bois out of Sonoma in my opinion does some good wines, again at very affordable prices. I had decided to do a creamy lemon chicken pasta after Regina told me she had 3 lbs of chicken breast she had bought fresh and froze it that she wanted to use in the entree. Once that was figured out, I knew a Chardonnay with some butter and lemon would be the perfect accompaniment...shocker I know since I never really drink Chardonnay (enter sarcasm here). I cooked the pasta, fettucine, in chicken stock and 1/4 cup lemon juice...I was using the whole box of pasta given that dinner was for 7 people so I used 3 cups of chicken stock. The pasta cooks in that for about 20 minutes boiling...that way it absorbs all of the liquid and there's no straining necessary. From there, reduce the heat down and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon flour and lots of fresh lemon zest to top it. I had grilled the chicken ahead of time after marinating it in olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper so the preparation of the entree was about 30 minutes in total and I didn't have to miss all of the gossip! You can find the Clos Du Bois Chardonnay in almost any liquor store that has wine. Chill in a bucket of water and ice or in the refrigerator before serving. Because of the creamy pasta with the lemon flavors it was a great compliment to the food.

Our friend Jill took dessert off of my hands when she made chocolate raspberry cupcakes that had a raspberry filling. These cupcakes quickly became my best friends and worst enemies all at once. If you remember from the Jam Jar post this wine is a lot of jammy red fruit so the raspberry and the chocolate dessert created a literal match made in heaven. If you're interested in the cupcake recipe email me at tricia.bielinski@yahoo.com and I can see if Jill will relinquesh the secrets!

Obviously Regina needed to snap some shots of the whole thing, below are a few samples of what she took.

Here's To You, Mr. Coop

Well folks...hell may just have frozen over...or pigs might be flying. Either way, our dear David is finally graduating with his second degree in Creative Writing. Praise Jesus because if I had to hear about that thesis one more time I was going to set it afire.

So in honor of David's big day I decided to concoct a cocktail. Now, I never need a reason to think up drinks but when there is one it makes me feel even more successful.

Dave likes his gin. Actually, Dave LOVES his gin. So of course gin is the main ingredient in this little number I've decided to call Coop de Ville...paying homage to Dave's last name of course. It goes a little something like this:

Collins glass filled with ice
4 oz. gin
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Splash of Chambord

My suggestion is to sugar the rim of the glass and enjoy! Congratulations David!!!

Trish

Cinco de Mayo Cook and Brown Style

Tricia here, happy Friday!

Dave and I have some great posts coming your way including an Argentinian feast and an Alsatian white review. We're coming into a great season for food and wine, not to mention beach and picnics! We appreciate all of your interest and follows and we promise not to disappoint in providing some helpful grapes and summer dinners.

Just a quick note on a great place here in Providence, the Cook and Brown Public House. I hadn't yet been but had been reading some great reviews on it. It was Cinco de Mayo, the weather couldn't make up it's mind and Dave and I hadn't seen each other in over a week and were experiencing withdrawals.

Our solution was to go check it out. Our review: you should go check it out too...GREAT cocktails most of which are the creations of the bartender himself, Jesse Hedberg. Dave tried and loved The Bicycle, which I could tell you more about if he had been a gentleman and offered me a taste...hmph. Regardless, all cocktails are made from the best ingredients with fresh herbs and juices.

We had a couple of lovely starters including a chilled asparagus salad with smoked scallops, croutons and a lemon cream sauce as well as a tempura soft shell crab on a bed of lemony greens and lightly pickled cucumber. The crowning moment was the C&B burger we split...mouthwatering and served with house made chips. We washed this down with a bottle of 2009 Cusumano Insolia from Sicily, a white wine. It had a great nose of floral and leather, which made us think there was some oak involved in the fermentation. It had a full mouth of floral, a little apricot, some vanilla and finished quickly. Absolutely delightful! It went fantastic with the starters which called for a white and stood up to the burger we ordered as well so it was surprisingly versatile.

Cook and Brown is in a beautiful neighborhood at the edge of Providence's East Side. Take a stroll down the Blackstone Boulevard and pop in to try some of their offerings. They also do a brunch from 10-2 on Sundays.

Until next time,

Dave and Trish

The Pomimosa

Tricia here. With all Dave's going on about his cod dishes and his blah blah blah I thought I would throw in a fun little note on something I cooked up right in me own little head.

I've never been a fan of pasteurized orange juice, I much prefer fresh squeezed. But the only time I really partake in OJ is when there's a mimosa involved. As we all know it's not always possible to have fresh squeezed juice on hand at home (yes, I know I need to get myself a juicer...it's on my list but if anyone wants to send me one as a very belated housewarming email me and I'll gladly provide my address).

Easter is tomorrow and for those of us celebrating that means a lot of brunch options which in turn means a lot of brunch cocktail options. My family is big on mimosas Easter morning, until we can rationalize drinking anything else after 12 pm, mimosas are our "gateway drug".

This year I'm using Prosecco, which is a sparkling wine out of The Boot, Italy's answer to Champagne if you didn't know, and combining it with a splash of pomegranate juice. You know those POM juices they have in the produce section of the grocery store? Just that, a little lace of it on top of the Prosecco or Champagne or Cava, whatever your poison is and bam!! You have my Pomimosa!! If you want it even extra delicious use a little splash of the St. Germaine we mentioned in the Blood Orange Cocktail post!

Cheers!

Dave and Trish

Hourglass Inspirations

Tricia and I visited the Hourglass Brasserie, a beautiful Bistro owned and operated by Chef Rizwan Ahmed. Located in the historic region of downtown Bristol, this lovely restaurant serves up fabulous French inspired cuisine using local fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, casual but elegantly refined. We enjoyed innovative appetizers like foie gras sandwiches and lobster bisque with mascarpone and real vanilla beans.

For our entrees, Tricia had Lobster pasta with wild mushrooms and a tarragon thermador sauce and I had Cod loin with black trumpet demi glace, spring vegetables and pommes mousseline. The presentations were equally as stunning as the food and the servers were friendly engaging and knowledgeable.

Chef Ahmed was gracious enough to come speak to us about his restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine with us at the end of our meal. We were inspired by our experience and decided to use our creative energy to concoct our own French bistro style dinner at home. Having loved both the cod and the wine we drank with it (Domaine Cherrier Et Fils Sancerre), we chose those two items to be our focus. Tricia found the exact wine we had enjoyed for about $27 and I decided to sear cod loins and serve them over a potato puree with spring vegetables in a white wine broth. To experience the full magic of the Hourglass Brasserie, one must eat there, but even if you can’t make it there, you too can enjoy Bistro quality food and wine at home!

About the Wine: Sancerre is an appellation located in the Loire Valley of France. Both red and white wines come out of the Loire Valley (Sancerre Blanc and Sancerre Rouge) and this wine happens to be a white. The grape is Sauvignon Blanc and we can’t tell you how much we loved it! Ripe fruit and aromatic notes of peach, minerals and a hint of green pepper on the nose gave way to a lush and smooth wine with a delicate refined quality. This wine is a perfect match for fish and we think you are going to love it with our Pan Seared Cod recipe coming soon!!

Cheers!
Dave and Trish

Pan Seared Cod Loin
with Potato Puree and Seasonal Vegetables




This dish is not the easiest thing to make. Searing fish is harder than searing meat as it tends to stick to the pan. A non stick pan will not sear as well as a stainless steel pan however, so you want to use a good amount of oil to get the crispy crust on the fish. This is totally achievable, it just might take some practice. If you pull this off though, you will make a dinner that your friends will always remember. This dish is inspired by the delicate attention to detail I found when dining at the Hourglass Brasserie. I hope you enjoy it!

2 lbs. Atlantic Cod loins, about 4 pieces, 1 1/2 inches thick
8 small carrots peeled, ends trimmed, tops intact
8 Brussels sprouts halved
1 cup of white whine
1 1/2 cup of chicken stock, homemade preferred or vegetable broth
1 shallot
8 medium size potatoes, peeled
Fresh parsley
2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Good olive oil--you know, as opposed to the bad stuff :)
1/2 pint of heavy cream plus more if needed
1 stick of butter

To make the potatoes: Peel and quarter each one. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a food processor. Add a half cup of heavy cream, a half cup of chicken stock and 3/4 of a stick of butter. Puree in the food processor until silky smooth adding more liquid as needed to make a fluid silky texture. Season with salt and pepper, then puree again and taste to make sure it is right. Set the potatoes aside in a sauce pan.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the vegetables, heat up a medium sized pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook the carrots first for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and throw them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Cook the Brussels sprouts in the same water for 1 minute and add them to the carrots and iced water. Remove the vegetables from the water and set aside. To sear the cod fillets, make sure they are patted dry with a paper towel. Season one side liberally with salt and pepper. Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of vegetable oil into a heavy bottom sauté pan. Put the pan on high heat and allow the oil to get really, really hot. The hotter the better, we want it smokin' baby! When the oil begins to smoke its ready. This can take a couple minutes. Place the fish seasoned side down into the pan. Do NOT touch it. Allow the fish to cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove the fish carefully from the pan with a spatula and place on a greased baking sheet seared side up. When I did this I did it in batches or you could use two pans. I put two pieces of fish in the pan at a time. Don't try to do more. You will need to change the oil and clean the pan for the second round. I know it’s a lot of oil but the results will be awful if you don't do this. Once all the fish is seared, place it in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Keep your potatoes warm at this time by putting the pot on low heat. Heat up your sauté pan with a drizzle of olive oil to coat the pan. Put the heat on high and when the oil is just smoking, brown the brussel sprouts. Make sure that they are patted dry with a paper towel or rag before putting them into the hot oil. Flip them once and then add the carrots and the chopped shallot to the pan. Cook for a minute then add 1 cup of wine and a half cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce down just a little. Your fish should be done at this point. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for just a minute.

While it is resting, take your warmed potato puree and place a generous dollop onto each plate. Top with a piece of fish, and place the vegetables on the side. Spoon the sauce from the vegetables around the plate. Using a microplane (see note) grate some lemon zest on top of each piece. You will use about 1 lemon for four dishes. Top with some fresh parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!


Note: A Microplane is a type of grater you can buy at hardware and kitchen stores. It can be used to grate anything from citrus zest to cheese, fresh ginger or garlic, or anything in the world you can think of. One will last you a life time so it is a great investment.

Wines for Easter!

Tricia here. With Easter right around the corner we thought it may be helpful for our readers to offer some quick suggestions on what to eat with dinner.

A lot of folks out there are accustomed to having ham or lamb for Easter dinner. If you’re family is a lover of the pork like mine, you may want to pick yourself up a nice Riesling or Gewurztraminer (I can’t figure out how to do those two dots over the ‘u’ but for those of you that aren’t sure it’s pronounced gah-VUR-strah-meener). If you prefer red a nice Zinfandel will work with baked ham.

For those staring down lamb on Easter a good choice is red…something with enough fruit and acidity to handle the dish like a Merlot, Syrah or a Cabernet are your best bets.

Now hop along and pick up some grapes with Easter dinner!

Cheers,
Dave and Trish

Summer In A Glass

Every once in a while we'd like to share something with you all outside of our food and wine wheel house.  Our friend Alexis mixed us up this cocktail to enjoy before our dinner and enjoy it we did.  It's going to be my summer drink as it's refreshing and light and delish!

Blood Orange Cocktail

2 oz. Clementine vodka on ice in a rocks glass
2 oz. Blood Orange flavored soda water
Splash of St. Germaine liquer
Garnish with a blood orange slice and enjoy!!  Thanks Alexis!