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.