Roasted Tomato Sauce

I don't know where I found this recipe but I absolutely love it. Best made when tomatoes are ripe and plentiful. Buy a bushel.  The sauce freezes well.

3# of tomatoes - as ripe as you can get them before they mold
1/2 cup pure olive oil
8 medium to large cloves of garlic peeled. Yes buy the garlic at a framers market.
1 cup fresh basil OR 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the over to 325 Degrees F

Remove stems from tomatoes. Halve the tomatoes horizontally and place in a shallow baking pan with cut sides up.
Place olive oil, garlic, basil or rosemary, salt and black pepper in a food processor bowl equipped with a steel blade. Process until garlic is finely chopped.
Pour mixture over tomatoes and bake for 2-3 hours or until the tomatoes collapse, become saucy, and actually caramelize. Stir the tomatoes now and then, breaking them up as you do.
When tomatoes have been reduced to a chunky sauce, remove from oven. If the amount of tomato skin is objectionable, run all or part of the sauce through the food processor.

Makes 4.5 cups

Mediterranean Palmiers

Recipes from Kyle Gruening and Dennis Kohl " Tapas and Wine class December 2009

1 pkg frozen puff pastry sheets
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/2 cup crumbled feat or goat cheese
1/4 finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes, Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Spread 2 T pesto over pastry. Top with 1/4 c. cheese, 2 T tomato and 2 T walnuts (if desired). Starting at long sides, fold pastry toward center, leaving 1/4 inch space in center. Fold one side over the other, making a 4 layer rectangle. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, pesto, cheese, tomato. Cover pastry rectangles with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each rectangle into 15 (1/4" slices). Place cit-side down, 1" apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 14 minutes, or until golden. Remove palmiers from baking sheet and cool slightly on wire racks. Serve warm.

Proscuitto with Melon

Another recipe from Katie, 1992

1/2 # thinly sliced proscuitto ham
(1) 8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 large cantaloupe, cleaned with rind removed, sliced into thin sections

Place lemon juice in a bowl and dip each slice of cantaloupe into it.
Spread cream cheese on to proscuitto slices, taking care not to tear the ham.
Wrap each slice of melon with one or two slices of the ham.
Secure with toothpicks.
Refrigerate until serving

Queso Sauce

This recipe was part of a collection given to me by Katie in 1992

1# velveeta , light cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Your favorite brand of medium piquante sauce

In a large microwave-safe bowl, put velveeta chunks and about 1 cup piquante sauce and all the vegetables. Microwave on medium high for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring every 2 -3 minutes. Do not overcook.

Christmas Eve Tapas Extravaganza! 2017

Note: Pre Christmas eve we enjoyed shrimp cocktail, and amazing beef tenderloin that had been covered in chopped garlic and fresh herbs and left to marinate for 24 hours. We enjoyed Champagne Salmon Selection Brut, and the Biale magnum. We also tasted a South African Moscato and Italian Moscato d' Asti provided by Jan.

First Course 

Cheese, sausage and olive tray
Fresh fruit tray
Beet deviled eggs

Wines for first course

• Champagne Salmon Selection Brut, 12% abv
• Weingut Donnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spatlese, 2007, Nahe, Germany
• We also sampled some cool beers brought buy Jan and Mike

Second Course 

Oysters Rockefeller. FANTASTIC new addition to the menu.

Baked Brie with honey pistachios and served with cranberries and apple slices.

Wines for second course

• Taburno Falanghina del Sannio 2015 DOC, 13.5% abv
• Cuvaison Ada Chardonnay 2015 Carneros, Napa Valley, CA 13.5% abv
• Fiddlehead Cellars 2012 Sta Rita Hills Lollapalooza Pinot Nior Fiddlestix CA 15.5%abv
• Les Clos Grand Cru 2014, France abv 13% (Sadly we opened this and did not serve it.

Third course 2016

Fig empanadas served with corn relish and chunk salsa. 
Gorgonzola stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Always on the list.
Spicy meatballs with pineapple. My mom's recipe. I made them this year with ground buffalo which made them eve better.

Wines for the third course

• Robert Biale 2015 Sangiovese Nonna's Vineyard Oak Knoll District Napa Valley CA 14.8 abv
• Revolver Wine Co Premiere Barrique 2014 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley CA 15.2% abv
• Brandlin 2014 Mount Veder Bald Mountain Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Vally, CA 15.5% abv
• Staglin Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, CA 2010, 14.9% abv (NOTE: everyone of these wines was fantastic.  The Staglin was by far the best, in my opinion)

Dessert 2017
Almond joy bars 
(Side note regrading dessert. We are usually too full by this time to enjoy.  Next year think of something light, may flan?)

Dessert Wines
Prager 2013 Aria White Port Napa Valley CA 19.5% abv


NOTE: Pat makes delicious crab cakes so he puts them together for us to make and enjoy after Christmas. Crab cakes with lemon remoulade. Note Chardonnay is a great pairing with the crab cakes

WSET Level 3 Wine Study Schedule

WSET Level 3 Wine Study Schedule

See attached document

Link to WSET Level 3 Curriculum

Test in Chicago on 4/28/2018 5:00 PM CT

Tasting Thanksgiving Wines with Food: Thanksgiving Eve (2017)

When choosing wine for Thanksgiving, go with a combination of white and red. There are so many different dishes  so a variety of flavor profiles works best.  Plus you will guests with different wine preferences.

In general, chose wines that are higher in acid, avoid harsh tannin and strong oak, a little residual sugar is good as is low alcohol.  Say yes to herbaceous and bright wines. Below are wines my friends Dianne and Jan sampled with me on November 22, 2017 along with our tasting notes and other information about the wine.  I purchased all of the wine at Trigs in Minocqua, WI.

The Varietals and The Wines


Gewurztraminer. 
P. J. Valckenberg Gewürztraminer 2015, abv 10% $14.00

Gamay.
Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Gamay 2012 Loire, France 12% abv $21.99

Cabernet Franc
Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Champigny 2015
Loire, France abv 12.5% Medium body. $22.99

Maguis Cabernet Franc 2014 from Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Chile 14% abv $19.99

Grenache
M. Chapoutier Banyuls (500ml) 2009

Languedoc-Roussillon, France $24.99 16%abv  90% grenache $24.99

NOTE: some other wine varietal options: Viognier, a sweet Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Pinot Noir.

The Menu

Tasting Notes
First up was Gewurztraminer. We tasted this one from the Pfalz region of Germany. P. J. Valckenberg Gewürztraminer 2015, abv 10% $14.00.

I would say medium sweet, low tannin, medium body, low acid, medium finish. Beautiful lemon color with aromas of rose petals and nectarines. The taste was of honey, melon, ripe pineapple and pear. Ever so slight cinnamon spice. 

This wine paired perfect with the Curried Carrot and Apple Soup.  The soup actually gave the wine a little more zip.

Gamay seems a perfect Thanksgiving wine. We tried. Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Gamay 2012 from the Torraine region in the Loire Valley in France 12% abv $21.99

I just smile when I smell a gamay wine.  There is an intensely sweet smell of red cherries, banana and bubble gum, Bazooka to be exact. 

There is much more intensity in the taste. Off dry, medium tannin and acidity, light body.  A beautiful ruby color.  Lots of wonderful fruit flavors.  For me it was red cherry and blackberry with so spice and a little green pepper.

I liked this wine with the cranberry salsa and cream cheese.
Remember to serve slightly chilled.



Cabernet Franc
We tried 2 very different cabernet franc wines, one from France and one from Chili.

My DeLong Wine Grade Varietal Table describes the cabernet franc grape as aromatic, green peppers, cherries, black currant, pencil shavings

Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Champigny 2015 from the Loire, France ABV 12.5% Medium body. $22.99

I am working hard to develop an appreciation for this wine.  I am put off by the aroma.  For me I am hit by barnyard, leather and mushroom. The flavor is better with some blueberry, stewed fruit and white pepper. So somehow I am missing the cherries, strawberry and black currents that so many others taste.

I actually liked this wine much better with the pasta dish, Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce & Toasted Hazelnuts.  Jan and Dianne appreciated this wine far better than I did. 

Note: this wine could also be served slightly chilled.

Maguis Cabernet Franc 2014  from Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Chile. 14% abv $19.99

I much preferred this cabernet franc. The nose was blueberry, licorice, 
a little vegetal with a hint of nutmeg, It is much drier than the French 
cabernet franc but no leathery barnyard taste. The taste is more black
licorice, blueberry a little coconut. I think the 8% Petit Verdot gives it a
hint of black pepper spice and adds a little violet to the aroma.
The tannin were much more intense as this wine spent 1 year in oak.  
You will also find high acid

Also a good pairing with the pasta.

Grenache
Now for dessert. M. Chapoutier Banyuls (500ml) 2009 Languedoc-Roussillon, France 
$24.99 16%abv  90% grenache 

This was a perfect way to end the wine tasting. We paired this with a caramel apple gelato

but it really didn't need a food to compliment that wonder taste. There were warm aromas of blueberry jam and stewed fruit. On the palate it was rich, full of fruit baking spices and chocolate.

I would also love to try this with blue cheese someday.

Test your knowledge of French regions and wine varietals.

CRANBERRY SALSA OVER CREAM CHEESE

This recipe is from Stay at Home Chef
https://thestayathomechef.com/cranberry-salsa/

I first made this in Nov 2016.  Love it!!!!!!!!!!

Fresh cranberries are minced up with jalapeno into a healthy, fresh, and vibrant salsa.

Author: Rachel Farnsworth

Yield: serves a party

Ingredients

• 12 oz cranberries
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 2 jalapeños, minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar

Instructions

1. Rinse, drain, and pick over cranberries, (discarding all that are soft or bruised). Place cranberries in a food processor or blender; pulse until finely chopped but not mushy.
2. Place crushed cranberries in a bowl; mix together with green onions, jalapeños, cilantro leaves, and ginger. Pour lemon juice and sugar over and stir together.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate and allow flavors to develop. It will be a bit tart to begin with, but as it is allowed to sit it will develop even more flavor.
4. Can be served as a plain salsa, but is amazing served over cream cheese with crackers.