Labor Day's Last of Summer

It may be the 'official' weekend for celebrating end of summer, but it's never too late to fire up the grill. Well, for some the snow might not make it a good time to barbecue, but it could be quite a few months before we start seeing the snowflakes.

Labor Day is celebrated in the states and in almost every state the weather is still quite hot. We still want a cold drink to quench our thirst this weekend and why not choose a crisp white wine.

Fume Blanc is California's answer to Sauvignon Blanc. It's a long story, but I'll keep it short -- when Mondavi began winemaking in California in the late '60's Sauvignon Blanc was not popular, winemakers were making the wine sweet and it was not really liked by the consumers.

The visionary that he was, Mondavi gave his sauvignon blanc the name Fume Blanc and made his wine in the same style as those made in France. It was crisp and dry with balanced acidity making it very food friendly. It soon became a favorite and the rest, as they say, is history.

So for this American celebration choose a crisp white American Fume Blanc from California's Napa Valley. The wines are light with some minerality and flavors of melon and light citrus. You can serve this wine with seafood, chicken, or pork chops. Add a cold salad with lots of fresh veggies from the farmer's market tossed with a vinaigrette or citrus dressing.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor with those you love.

Happy Holiday!

Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Guest Post at Robyn's View At Home

I'm guest posting today at Robyn's View whom I met during the Cheesecake Crazy Cooking Challenge.

I'm so honored that Robyn took a leap of faith and asked me to do a craft since my blog is dedicated to recipes.   Though I've always enjoyed doing seasonal crafts for decorating I never thought to add them to my blog.

Now that it's Back-to-School and soon we'll be enjoying the crisp autumn air I like to start the new season with a clean slate. I use a pocket organizer to keep some of my appointment cards and activity dates in one place.  It's a versatile DIY project that you can customize for your style or any season.

Visit Robyn's View for the DIY tutorial and turn your organized mess from

BEFORE

to AFTER

Robyn is a wonderful hostess so I hope you have a chance to stop by Robyn's View for a visit.


Happy Crafting!
DIY Winelady Cooks

Lobster Roll Summer Splurge

A few posts back I mentioned grampy was on vacation. We spent one of the days on the east end of Long Island enjoying the sites in a small harbor town.

The weather was one of those rare exceptional days when the sun is not too hot and there was a slight breeze coming off the water. PERFECT! for relaxing and enjoying nature.

It was a beautiful day of luxury and splurge. The luxury was two yachts that were docked in the harbor. They looked like they should have been docked in the south of France. Each had a helicopter pad and small life boats. Unfortunately I was unable to capture a decent photo because there were a couple of buildings blocking the wider view and unless I wanted to go for a swim, the photo just wasn't happening.

This shot was not a problem to capture:

The splurge was our early afternoon snack (in place of a real lunch), a lemon ice from a shop on the corner -- $3.95 for a small -- yep, a day of splurge for homemade water ice; and then a delicious lobster roll for our late lunch.

After we worked up an appetite walking through town and browsing in the antique shops we decided to have our late lunch/'early bird special' at a restaurant on the water with the perfect view of the luxury yachts we passed earlier. I had the lunch special -- fresh lobster roll with salad, and a dessert -- too good to pass up.

Now I'm obsessed with making lobster roll at home. About a week after our day trip, one of our local markets had a $2.99 lobster tail special. When I saw the ad I had to get there right away before they sold out. You know how those specials are, here one minute, gone the next. It was a good deal even though they were small - and it was just enough for my lobster roll splurge.

The restaurant version of the lobster roll I had was simply dressed with a light mayo and citrus dressing. It was just right so that's what I was going for, not too many flavors to overpower the lobster.

If you are ready for a little summer splurge give this a try. It's easy to make and if lobster tails are too expensive you can use shrimp and still enjoy a summer splurge.

Lobster Roll (New England Style)
Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked lobster meat
• 1 stalk celery finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. mayonaise
• 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 hot dog roll (or any sandwich roll you prefer)
• smear butter to spread on roll for toasting

Cooking Directions

1. Steam the lobster tails, or a whole lobster for a few minutes, just until opaque. Gently remove the lobster meat from the shell.
2. Set aside the lobster meat to cool.
3. Chop the celery and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients stir together to blend. Taste for the desired flavors, adding additional ingredients if necessary, as desired. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Add the cooled lobster meat to the dressing and stir well to coat the lobster meat.
5. Butter the roll and lightly toast. Add the lobster to your favorite sandwich roll and enjoy.

This is flexible, you can adjust how much or little of each ingredient you want to use. Begin by using less and then taste for your desired flavor.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks


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Pizza Sauce or What's For Lunch?

How can you be asking about lunch when you just finished breakfast?

OhhEemGee! grampy is on vacation.

This is a long story, but I'll try to make it short. You see, grampy travels for business so he is not home for meals during the week -- a blessing in many ways!

On weekends he's ready for a good meal but that's not much of a problem. Cook once, eat all week. I can handle that.

BUT the VACA thing -- breakfast, lunch, AND a big dinner -- is this a deluxe resort, or is a master chef on the payroll?

I'm guessing that watching T.V. all day must give you an appetite. I should look into that exercise and check out the calories burned after 4 hours plopped on the couch. Yeah, I'll do that some day when I have time (translate to maybe never).

Today we are in the midst of a huge storm so I decided to make pizza since we couldn't fire up the grill. I'm going to try to save myself some time and make 2 pizzas. There will be leftovers for lunch. Wanna' bet?

I made the pizza dough using this recipe, and set it aside to rise while I was finishing up laundry and the rest of the chores. Now it's 3:30, and I hear "I'm starvin'! When is the pizza gonna' be ready?"

I had to hurry and make the pizza sauce to get this meal going. Here's a simple pizza sauce recipe that's ready by the time you're finished rolling out the dough.

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients

• 14 oz. can tomato sauce (low salt)
• 1 garlic clove or shallot chopped
• 1 TBLS. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• chopped fresh basil to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan heal the oil and then add the chopped garlic and shallots (use both or whatever you prefer). Cook on medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.
2. Add in the tomato sauce and stir well, cook on low heat about 15 minutes.
3. Add in the oregano, basil and salt and pepper and simmer another 10 minutes.

You can make this pizza sauce in the morning and set it aside until you are ready to make the pizzas later on in the day.  That's a big time saver.

On one pizza I added to the shredded cheese some leftover chopped olives and sliced roasted peppers. The other pizza was the regular style with both shredded and fresh sliced mozzarella.

There is  3/4 of a pizza leftover. Wanna' bet grampy is not in the mood to eat pizza again, especially for lunch . . .!!!  I'll freeze it and when his vacation is over I'll have it for lunch, or maybe even for supper a couple of nights.   He won't know what he's missing.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks


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Cali Wines

California is one of the important wine regions today producing 90% of the wine in North America. As a result, the most wine purchased in North America is from California.

The varied climates of California's AVA's* make the wines unique to each region and give us the variety to choose the style of wine that fits the occasion and our palate.

Seventy Five percent of the wines produced in California are from the Central Valley AVA. Central Valley (or San Joaquin Valley) AVA is flat farmland that is further inland from the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco; the weather is warmer, sunnier and drier than other regions in California.

This week we are highligting 2 of the sub-regions in the Central Valley AVA. The Lodi region produces the ever popular zinfandel; and the Clarksburg region where Chenin Blanc is produced.

Lodi is one of the most popular AVA's in the Central Valley and is noted for producing the ever popular Zinfandel, although zinfandel is grown in almost every region in the state in the varying range of climates.

Zinfandel is known to have different personalities. At times it is a berry fruit forward red wine. It can be spicy and have strong tannins; it can be a soft and maybe slightly sweet rose style. The flavors will change based on the climate where it is grown.

Central Valley’s Clarksburg AVA climate has warm summery days and cool nights and a long dry growing season. The Clarksburg region is coming into its own and it is known for producing Chenin Blanc -- a white wine that is fighting to find it's way. There are a couple of producers making affordable Chenin Blanc that is is definitely worth trying.

This white wine is not one of the most popular varietals, however it is a food friendly wine with similar versatility as Riesling.

Chenin Blanc, like Riesling, is made in various styles from dry, off-dry to sweet. This makes Chenin Blanc pair well shellfish, oysters, pork, and soft cheeses. The sweet styles can be paired with fresh fruits and sweet desserts.

If you've been wanting to try a different wine check your local wine shop for a Zinfandel and Chenin Blanc from the Central Valley region of California.

________________________________________________________
Definition:

*AVA -- AVA is an acronym for American Viticultural Area. This is an area that has been designated as a wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguished by its geographic features. The boundries are definied by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and the United States Department of Treasury.

Once an AVA has been established, the winery must use 85% of the grapes grown in its specific region to make the wine if the AVA is referenced on its label.


Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Cheesecake

The Crazy Cooking Challenge this month is cheesecake. Doesn't everyone love cheesecake?

This will be the dessert for the week so I'm up for the challenge.

Cheesecake is one of those recipes that is very flexible.  Make one recipe and with minimal effort -- or  'add-ons' --  you can have two or three varieties for dessert.

As long as I'm baking I like to make the most of it.   Hey, I make a mess when I cook and bake so if I can do 'add-ons' it is definitely worth the mess time.

We are both chocolate lovers and fruit lovers. It's easy enough to add fresh fruit using seasonal blueberries, peaches, or any fresh fruit you have on hand so I'm going for it. Below* is an easy recipe.

A ganache for the chocolate lovers (that's me, lovely daughter, and grampy) is also quick and easy to make.*

Prepare the fresh fruit in advance, though it only takes about 10 minutes to prep and wait time is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or two (berries are ready sooner than heartier stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, etc.)

When I made the cheesecake I decided to save some of the batter to make small cheesecakes in a muffin pan so I could add the fruit. This is also a great dessert for guests or parties.

The recipe I made is one that was from a co-worker way back in the '80's which I've made often and it's always a hit. Though I have to say I did see this recipe on-line recently when I was looking for a smaller size recipe (which I didn't find), but I can't remember which site it was.

Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients

• 32 oz. Temptee Cream Cheese (or any whipped style cream cheese)
• 16 oz. sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 5 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 TBLS. cornstarch

Prep Tips: Using a 9-10" springform pan, wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan to prevent water from seeping into the cake. Fill a baking pan (large enough to hold the springform pan) with 1" of water. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. This only takes about 2 minutes (depending on the speed of your mixer).
2. Pour the batter into the springform pan and set aside.
3. Now place the baking pan with the water into the pre-heated oven. (heads up - this step kinda' helps to prevent water from spilling (yes, I did spill the water)).  Now add the springform pan to the water bath already in the oven.
4. Bake approximately 1 hour, or until the cake doesn't jiggle in the middle. I used a toothpick to be sure it was cooked in the center.
5. Let cool and then add your favorite fruit or chocolate topping.

Using fresh berries that are starting to wilt is a great way to make a fruit topping for the cheesecake. I like to macerate the fruit.  It is easy and a great way to use up fruit that is starting to over-ripen.  I don't use any specific measurements for this process because there are varying levels of sweetness in different berries and fruits based on the stage of ripeness.

*Fresh Fruit Topping

• Macerate the fruit which is really just a way to break down the fruit using sugar and acidity. It only takes a little bit of sugar, a squeeze or two of citrus (lemon or orange), and for 'adults only' add a splash of brandy or orange liqueur.
• Taste for desired sweetness or tartness and add additional ingredients accordingly.
• Let the fruit absorb the juices.
• Plan ahead if you want to use the fruit as soon as possible.  The berries will need anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on ripeness.
• Stone fruits are meatier and will need at least an hour or more to breakdown and absorb the flavors.

Chocolate ganache* is just melting chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in heated milk or cream.   I make just enough for one or two servings.  

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk or half & half (I even used coconut milk) to a small pyrex dish and heat in microwave for 20 seconds.
• Remove from microwave and add a 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips stirring until melted.  If it is not thick enough, add additional chips slowly but stirring quickly before the milk becomes too cool.  

A huge THANK YOU to Tina at Moms Crazy Cooking for hosting The Crazy Cooking Challenge and for all her hard work and commitment. This is the last Crazy Cooking Challenge for the year and I will look forward to see what Tina will be cooking up next.

Here are a few of the challenges I participated in:

Fruit Smoothies
Grilled Cheese - Not An Ordinary Sandwich
Blueberry Muffins With Streusel Topping
Spaghetti With Red Sauce - Light & Easy
Chocolate Cake

Mangia
Winelady Cooks

White Sangria Slushie

It's no secret that this summer has been hot and humid and trying to relax while sitting on the deck, well, it's not that relaxing.

I'm thinking that maybe a slushy would be refreshing. I decide to make a sangria slushie with peaches while the grill is heating up.

I've been buying peaches all summer. They have been really sweet so I've been making ice cream and slushies and even used them as one of the toppings on my cheesecake.

As I'm chopping the peach I'm thinking the peach flavor is going to be so good with the grilled chicken. I think I'm going to save some of the peaches to make a salsa for the chicken. Yum!, but that's another post for the salsa.

Making slushies are easy to make and they are flexible. You can add any kind of water (flavored, sparkling) or fruit juices along with any fruits you prefer:

peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots pineapple, oranges, mango, cherries or any variety of berries

Many slushie recipes require that you blend all the ingredients and pour the 'juice' into ice cube trays to freeze in advance. This process doesn't work for me -- when a craving is spur of the moment the 'make ahead and freeze' method doesn't work.

Here is a simple recipe that you can make whenever you want as long as you have ice cubes and any fresh fruit and/or juice you like already in the fridge. The ingredients should be cold from the fridge as opposed to room temperature.

If you don't want to add wine, that's o.k. Just add additional fruit juice and adjust the sugar to the level you prefer.

White Sangria Peach Slushie
(serves 2)
Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped peach
• 1/2 cup peach juice (or apple juice)
• 3 TBLS. agave nectar (or use powdered sugar to taste)
• 2/3 cups white wine (any dry white wine you like)
• 3 cups ice cubes

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients except for the sugar into the blender.  Only add 1 tablespoon of sugar and blend until the ice has been sufficiently crushed into a slushie.
2. Taste for desired level of sweetness.  If you need to add more sugar add 1 teaspoon at a time so as to not make it over-sweet.
3. Pour into a large glass and garnish with lemon or orange slices and a slice of the fruit you are using.

Keep Cool!

Salute!
Winelady Cooks


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Foodtastic Friday

Swiss Chard With Pasta (Vegetarian)

My mom made swiss chard all the time, so for me it is a familiar vegetable though I recently realized many have never heard of swiss chard.

Swiss chard is a green leafy vegetable originating in the Mediterranean (some sources say Sicily, maybe that's why my mom always made it - her family was from Sicily).

The Swiss Chard belongs to the beet family and in different geographic areas may be called silver chard, silver beet, seakale beet, leaf beat, or spinach chard. This leafy green vegetable can be found with bright colored stems that can be either red, yellow or orange.

An important fact we should not ignore is this rich leafy green vegetable is high in phytonutrients, as well as a rich source of minerals and vitamins, including Vitamin K. It should be noted that because of the vitamin K those who take anticoagulant type drugs (i.e., coumadin/warfarin) should be cautious about eating foods high in Vitamin K.

If you are new to swiss chard the flavor profile is mild though it has an earthiness to it. Some also compare it to fresh picked from the farmer's market spinach.

This simple to prepare dish is my mom's swiss chard with pasta (surprise!!!) recipe that I just luv and always make. It is easy and ready in less than 30 minutes -- it just takes a few extra minutes to clean the swiss chard. You can clean the swiss chard earlier in the day for a head start when you are ready to get dinner started.

One of my healthy tips for this dish is to use an alternative pasta. Hey, I'm a pasta lover, it's in my genes, but those carbs are just not what we need so I recently started using Dreamfields brand pasta.

My sister the cook tried it first and thought it was an excellent alternative to the high carb regular pasta. She said I should try it, so I did and didn't tell anyone else they were eating a healthy alternative to pasta. And would you believe they never even noticed a difference!!!!!

If you are trying to reduce the starchy carbs do give this pasta a try. If fussy grampy didn't notice a difference, then you all should give it a try -- you'll be glad you did.


To prepare for this dish:

• clean and rinse the swiss chard thoroughly in cold water to remove the loose sand
• cut the stems in 1" pieces and then remove the leaves from the stems and cut them in a rough chop. The swiss chard cooks down just like spinach, so don't worry if you think you have too much chard.
• This recipe makes enough to serve 3 or 4 adults, depending on how much pasta you like.

Swiss Chard With Pasta
Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of swiss chard, cleaned and cut
• 1 lb. pasta (your choice penne or spaghetti) (I use Dreamfields brand)
• 1 large shallot chopped
• 1-2 TBLS. olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• parmigiano reggiano shaved slices or grated (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with water and set over medium heat to boil for the pasta.
2. Heat oil in sauce pan and saute the shallots until wilted. Add in the chopped swiss chard and stir until well combined with the shallots then add in the vegetable broth. Cover and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to directions while the swiss chard is simmering.
4. Drain (save a little of the water) the pasta and add it to the cooked swiss chard and stir until well combined.  If too dry you can add a little of the pasta water.
5. Add shaved parmigiano reggiano cheese on each plate and serve.

This is a delicious heart healthy and vegetarian dish.

I also made a swiss chard salad which I will post soon.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks

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Foodtastic Friday