cooking the recipe: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Wine Facts to Know

What is the ideal temperature for wine?

Don’t make the mistake of over-chilling your whites or serving your reds too warm. Every wine has its “sweet spot” temperature that brings out all of its finest qualities. Here is a simple infographic that will help you find the right temperatures for your favorite wine.
Whites: chilled (45-55 degrees F) for a few hours in the refrigerator.
Reds: slightly cooler than room temperature (about 65 degrees); Younger fruity reds benefit from chilling.
Sparkling Wine: thoroughly chilled; refrigerate several hours or the night before serving.
Dessert Wine: room temperature.

Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.

Should I ever use a decanter for my wines?
A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment from older red wines. Also, it can be used to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine will “breathe” enough in your glass and decanting is not necessary.

Why should I swirl wine in my glass before I drink it?
By swirling your wine, oxygen is invited into the glass, which allows the aromas to escape.

Bordeaux

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France is the most influential wine-producing area in the world and has developed superfine natural still wines and the finest sparkling wine—champagne. The Bordeaux region furnishes red wine known as claret (or simply Bordeaux) and white wine, both dry except for Sauternes. The best-known Bordeaux wines are those of Médoc (red), classified and known by the vineyard names, as Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux, and Château Latour; Graves (red or white); Sauternes (white), sweet, made from overripe grapes and including the noted Château d'Yquem; and St.-Emilion and Pomerol. Burgundy wines, red and white, are somewhat lighter in body than the Bordeaux. Connoisseurs prize the Burgundies of the Côte d'Or, especially the white Montrachet, and red Clos Vougeot and Romanée. The Chablis area produces fine, white Burgundy. Good wines are made in the Loire valley (Vouvray), the Rhône valley (Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Alsace, and the Jura Mts. A great quantity of wine is produced in S France, some of it made into vermouth, distilled into brandy, or used for blending, and some of it of superior quality. great meal to go with this type of wine

Corn Beef And Cabbage, easy St Paddy's day dinner

BORDEAUX
The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. – Irish Folklore Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), “The Devil’s Dictionary” best wine with this dish is a :BORDEAUX

YOU'LL NEED:
2 Medium Onions
2 Cloves,Garlic minced
3 medium potatoes peeled & Quarter
3-4 carrots peeled & cut into chunks
3-3 1/2 lbs Corn beef Brisket
3 bay leaves
1 cup of water
1 small cabbage head cut into wedges
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 cups of brown sugar
a dash of ground clove

place onion, garlic cloves, potatoes, carrots, meat,bay leaves and water into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 5 hours,on low. Add cabbage wedges to cooker, pushing down into both. continue cooking 3 more hours or until vegetables and meat are tender, but not mushy or dry. In a bowl combine mustard, brown sugar & ground clove. Stir mixture into slow cooker 1 hour before end of cooking time. This is a wonderful way to celebrate the day, and the meat is so tended

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Chardonnay

Chardonnay

This popular and versatile grape thrives in many different climates so the wine is produced in many parts of the world. The wine can be soft and subtle or rich, buttery and full-bodied. In warmer regions, aromas can include ripe pears, melon and pineapple. It adapts well to oak, which adds scents of vanilla, butter, cedar, smoke and spice. However, the wine is sometimes criticized for having too much oak and alcohol. In cooler regions, and especially with unoaked styles, the wine is more lean and acidic and offers notes of green apples, lemon and lime. In Burgundy, chardonnay makes some of the world's finest whites, referred to by their regions, such as Meursault, Chablis and Pouilly-Fuissé. Chardonnay will pair well with rich dishes such as roast chicken, lobster in butter sauce, corn dishes, beef bourguignonne, breads, cheese, chicken and poultry, egg dishes, Asian dishes with black bean sauces, pork, seafood or recipes that have a cream base.

Check out these great wines!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Brown Butter Crepes

Crepes are just a bit tricky to make, I made several attempts before I got the hang of it,You just have to get the right amount of heat,butter and batter in the pan.but with a little practice I soon become a pro. This recipe works with both savory and sweet recipes.Crepes in my opinion are one of the most romantic foods for Valentine's Day

Makes 14 8 in. crepes

You need :

31/2 oz. ( 7 Tbs.) unsalted Butter, more soften butter for the pan.

1 3/4 cups whole milk: more as needed

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a 1-2 quart saucepan, cook the butter over medium-high heat, swirling butter every few seconds, until melted and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn golden brown.

2 to 4 minutes immediately pour the brown butter into a small bowl and let cool, almost to room temperature.

Combine the milk,eggs and salt in a blender. blend for a few seconds to combine. add the flour and blend until very smooth, about 20 seconds, add browned butter and blend for another 10 seconds. Pour the batter into a large bowl and let rest for a lest 5 minutes and up to 24 hours. (If resting for more than 30 minute cover & refrigerate.)

When ready to cook the crepes check the batter; It should be as thick as heavy cream, not as thick as pancake batter.if too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup more of milk.

heat a crepe pan with a 8-in base or a 10-in nonstick skillet with an 8-in base over medium-high heat , until a drop of water sizzle. Using a folded paper towel : grease pan with about 2/4 tsp. butter. The butter should sizzle upon contact but not instantly turn brown. If it does reduce heat as necessary.

using a ladle or measuring cup,pour 1/4 cup of batter into center of pan while simultaneously lifting pan from heat and tilting and turning in all directions, so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan.in a thin circle. if the crepe has any tiny holes in it, quickly add a few drops of batter to fill in.

cook until the edges begin to dry and lift from the side of the pan and the bottom is nicely browned.( lift up edge with a small silicone spatula or your finger to check) about 1 minute .

use the spatula or finger to flip over crepe, cook until second side is browned about 20 seconds more.

slide the crepe from pan onto a large plate or cooling rack. repeat with remaining batter. Adjusting heat and spreading more butter in pan every two or three crepes,or when ever pan begins to look a bit dry. you can stack crepes on the plate as they er done and they wont stick . Crepe will soften as they cool.

Crepes are top with raspberry preserves and raspberry butter

Best Wine for desert crepes: Riesling

Raspberry Butter

from a taste of home

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Dash lemon juice
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: about 3/4 cup. use for panacakes, walfle or crepes. see this recipe

A Wine for Valentine's Day

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When choosing a wine for Valentine's Day, look for romantic wine names. Okay sure, this is a bit hokey and subject to the excesses of the marketing department, but a wine name that suggests romance shows that you

at least put a little thought into your selection; many of these wines are actually good, and will save you some coins for that Valentine's gift.
You can't go wrong with bubbles to start the evening on a festive note."Champagne" is probably the most romantic word in wine, but there are alternatives that fit the Valentine's mood. One is La Vie en Rose sparkling wine. from Domaine du Pas Saint Martin in France's Loire Valley, it is priced at a fraction of the cost of true champagne, yet provides atmosphere with its vibrant red color. Geek Alert: it's made using the "methode ancestrale", with a single fermentation rather then the induced second (bubbly) used to make champagne and most other sparkling wines. It is also made from an obscure grape known as grolleau noir, so wine lovers can quietly cross another variety off their century list when their dates aren't looking.
The Beaujolais cru called Saint Amour probably enjoys higher sales in February then in any other month. Look for the bottling from Georges Duboeuf'; it's pleasant, fruity and food-friendly. After all, you want the wine to facilitate, not dominate, your evening. White wine lovers should consider the Hugel pinot blanc called Cuvee les Amours from Alsace. Its richness makes it an ideal partner for winter seafood dishes.
Of course, in any Valentine's Day meal, dessert is the piece de resistance, the mood-setter for the rest of the evening, If your indulging with a rich chocolate dessert, I recommend two approaches with wine: First, port matches chocolate's intensity with power, A late-bottled vintage port or a good tawny, such as the Burmester Jockey Club, reserve will do nicely
The second approach to balance chocolate's richness with a lighter, fruitier wine. Three years ago, it was recommended brachetto and other sweet, frizzy, low-alcohol reds from northern Italy as ideal playmates for chocolate. Now this category seems poised to become the next fad, capitalizing on the meteoric rise in sales of moscato. Even Yellow Tail, the popular Australian label, last month introduced Sweet Red Roo (citing a 246 percent increase in U.S., sales of sweet wine last year).
Unless you're courting an animal-rights activist, you might not want to go with a critter wine for Valentine's Day, So I suggest sticking with a brachetto, such as the widely available Rose Regale from Banfi (or La Romantica from Vinchio-Vaglio Serra (This winery has a cheaper, lighter version called La Passione). The category is growing; Red Dream from Rinaldi, is made from the malvasia grape and is somewhat richer and sweeter than brachetto. Another popular malvasia is the delightful Fracchia Antichi Giochi Casorzo called Voulet ; if that doesn't sound particularly romantic, it does in Italian. Red Wine Store

Friday, February 1, 2013

Top Breakfast Burrito Chorizo & Eggs

As a kid ever liked scramble eggs, to me they were tasteless and dry. One morning I awoke to a Delicious, but unusual aroma flowing though the house, which I followed into the kitchen. There our new housekeeper/babysitter was making breakfast for us kids. Peering into the skillet and seeing strange color scramble eggs, my first thoughts were yuck! what's that I asked, The new babysitter/housekeeper, who's name is Rosa, answered "that's scramble eggs with chorizo". Try it you just might like it ,she said. and convinced me to give the eggs a taste. Hum well I guess these strange eggs are not so bad. Rosa,was a great home cook, and in the time she spend with our family, she introduced my taste buds to lots of new flavors and dishes... I love chroizo with eggs and/or with potatoes,. especially like this breakfast burrito. I make myself a Breakfast burrito once or twice a week. Great because they er easy and quick to make, as well very satisfying. Plus! you can eat half for breakfast and then wrap up the other half and take for lunch.

Sever 4 and you'll need:

16 oz. Fresh Chorizo sausage,casting removed.

3 cups diced cooked red potatoes with onions and peppers,or frozen diced hash browns with onions and peppers.

8 large eggs.

3 tablespoons milk

1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro ( optional )

4 10 in. flour tortillas

4 pieces of foil

In a large skillet cook chorizo over medium -high heat until meat crumbles and is lightly browned . With slotted spoon, remove Chorizo from pan. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pan.Then return Chroizo to pan. Add potatoes, and cook stirring often for 10 to 15 min. or until lightly brown. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and milk. add beaten egg mixture to skillet, and cook stirring occasionally 6-8 min. or until eggs are cooked.. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and cilantro. Place tortillas on a work surface. divide egg mixture evenly among tortillas.

Roll up tortillas, and wrap in foil

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