Appetizers to try for Thanksgiving - 20201

 All recipes are from NYC Cooking

Florentine Dip

Figs Stuffed With Goat Cheese  Sadly , no fresh figs

Baked Brie With Quick Cranberry Jam

Potato Leek Soup

 Linda Peck made this soup and her husband Tom shared it with Mike and I on November 15th.  This was the opening day of deer hunting in Michigan.  Tom shot an 8 point buck in the morning and we were celebrating with Champagne and potato soup. A great pairing!

Linda said that she makes it with half and half rather than heavy cream.  Also, fresh ingredients are the key as is well drained Nueskes bacon.

Link to recipe

Anise Pork with Figs and Apples

 Food & Wine posted this recipe in a collection of fall recipes. I fell in love. It is one of my go to recipes.  I make it all year round. The recipes was published in May 1996 by By Marcia Kiesel

Anise Pork with Figs and Apples 

Shiitake Mushrooms and Potato Enchiladas

 I have fresh shiitake mushroom from logs that our neighbors Tom and Linda gave us. I used these for the recipes rather than dried mushrooms. For this recipe I used sweet potatoes and made my own green chili sauce.  It was fantastic, I will make this again.  Thanks Yummly.

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Shiitake-Mushrooms-and-Potato-Enchiladas-983368

Holiday Wine Cocktail

 

DELICIOUS.

Claire Dailey	Mon, Dec 21, 6:37 PM

.5oz hibiscus syrup

.5oz fresh lemon juice

.5oz Cocchi Apertivo Americano Rosa (Vermouth)

3oz sparkling rose or any other sparkling wine

Add sparkling wine to wine glass or glass of choice. Fill with ice.

Combine remaining ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake and strain into wine glass. Sip and drink up!

Popcorn and Wine

 Looking for popcorn and Sauvignon blanc pairing.  Here is what I found

1. Popcorn Pairings: Wine Not? by Mark Wolf.
   

   Herb & Garlic Popcorn and Sauvignon Blanc

   You don’t have to sprinkle your popcorn with artificial seasonings to add a delightful herbal flavour. Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add freshly minced garlic. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as dill or parsley. Pour over your popcorn and serve accompanied with your favourite Sauvignon Blanc.

2. How to Match Wine and Popcorn 03 Jul, 2018 | by Deborah Zbinden 
   

   Salted Popcorn wine match: Sauvignon Blanc or Bacchus
   Goats Cheese and Sancerre. Oysters and Champagne. If you’ve never wondered why these are such timeless matches, you could put it down to the tempestuous marriage of saltiness and acidity. Salt will sooth the effect of raciest of acidity in wine while the savoury saltiness in the popcorn will be lifted in turn by the fresh citrus flavours in the wine. The moreish nature of salty snacks means you could enjoy almost any wine as you reach for another handful of salted popcorn but fresh, zesty styles will work hard for you here. A zippy, crowd-pleasing Sauvignon Blanc is the go-to here but more intrepid tasters might want to look up England’s own rising star grape variety and pour a glass of Bacchus, with its aromas of fresh blossom and cut grass, often with a teeny touch of sweetness which will cut the salt beautifully.
   
   
3. THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods Also visit our main website, TheNibble.com. TIP OF THE DAY: Popcorn & Wine Pairings February 23, 2017 at 8:57 am · Filed under Academy Awards, Tip Of The Day, Wine
   
   Read more at: https://blog.thenibble.com/2017/02/23/tip-of-the-day-popcorn-wine-pairings/
   Global Spices: With curry, harissa and other strong flavors, try gewürtztraminer, riesling or sauvignon blanc.
   
   

4. Popcorn Recipes That Pair Awesomely With Wine By Jenn September 17, 2015
   
   

   

   
   

   
   

5. 3 PERFECT POPCORN & WINE PAIRINGS FOR A TV NIGHT IN

   september 28, 2016 ·

   SEA SALT, BLACK PEPPER, OLIVE OIL POPCORN

   INGREDIENTS {SERVES 4 TO 6}

   5 1/2 cups – Popped Popcorn {use unseasoned or original flavor}

   3 to 4 tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

   Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

   RECIPE

   Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, and season. Stir until all the kernels are coated. Place in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

 

 

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

I have tried many different recipes and stumbled across this one in January 2020. It has become my go to Marinara Sauce.  The recipe comes from the "Vegetarian International Cuisine: An Essential Cookbook"@1997 from the Cheese Factory Restaurant, Wisconsin Dells, WI.

NOTE: we moved to our cabin in the fall of 2019 with no pizza delivery.  This sauce is an important part of the pizza I make just about every week. I add this sauce to this fantastic Mushroom and Gruyère Pizza from Jacque Pépin

Yield: 2 quarts sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 T olive oil

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

2 t. minced garlic

1/4/ c. finely chopped green pepper (I usually have red pepper on hand)

1 t. whole fennel seeds

1/4 t. hot pepper flakes (I am very sparing with this)

1 can (29 ounces)  tomato sauce

1 can (14.5 ounces) peeled Italian plum tomatoes with juice coarsely chopped (I use whatever tomatoes I have. If you can your own definitely use those.

1 can tomato juice (YES, use your own canned tomato juice if you have it!!!!)

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 t. salt

1 t. dried basil, crumbled (I will use fresh if I have it. Use more, of course)

1/4 t. dried thyme, crumbled

1/2 t. dried oregano, crumbled

1/2 t. ground fennel

1/4 t. coarsely ground black pepper

2 T. sugar

2 bay leaves

1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheeses

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed 5 quart saucepan. Add onion, garlic, celery, green/red pepper, fennel seeds, and hot pepper flakes; saute 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato paste, salt, basil, thyme, oregano, fennel, pepper, sugar, bay leaves, parsley, and cheese.  Bring to a slow boil and simmer approximately 45 minutes stirring frequently.

Freeze what you don't use