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 Having missed an opportunity to attend a wine event in the city last night because of a hectic schedule, my plan was to embrace the evening with a nice meal and a movie. However, a friend decided that his company would be far more entertaining than a movie. He was correct. So, I went into “chef” mode. I threw together a great meal that was served with the rest of the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon that I reviewed yesterday. The wine paired beautifully with both courses. We started with a quick & simple version of Pasta Fagioli soup. Made with vegetable broth, I added more carrots and celery than beans, creating a lighter soup. A small amount of shaved Parmesan cheese topped it off.  The main course was fresh shrimp sautéed in shallots, garlic and red peppers. Al dente vegetable linguini was added to the pan at the last moment for a quick stir. As a side dish I served sautéed broccoli rabe with olive oil and garlic. Voila! Dinner!  The wine, dinner and company all complemented each other!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina
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 Between work, company and tending to forgotten “to do” lists, the week got away from me. So it was nice to enjoy a “TGIF” get together with a friend at the end of the day. We were both feeling the need for a festive drink and decided to order Margaritas. Considering we were at an Italian restaurant, it might have been an odd drink to order. However, the bartender was a spot on mixologist. The drinks came to the table in large wine glasses…perfect!  The drinks carried us through the appetizers and entrées. I never ordered any wine! We dined on bruschettaccio, Caesar salad and Pappardelle with shrimp and arugula in a light lemon broth. And yes, as strange as it may seem, the margaritas complemented our meal.  When I got home, there were some boxes of wine waiting at my front door for me to taste and review. I will have lots to share with you this coming week, starting with some delicious Sicilian wine. Until then… Have a great Saturday!
Cheers! Penina It was the perfect evening to sit out on the deck, watch the sunset, share stories and drink wine. There was a delightful breeze and NO humidity!  The empty bottles and the last few mouthfuls of some nice wine…  We started with Montes Spring Harvest 2016 Sauvignon Blanc from the cool coastal region of Leyda Valley, Chile. The grapes are handpicked one month early, making the wine available 2 months earlier than other wines of this variety. Aurelio Montes, the chief winemaker, says this wine is “ideal to celebrate the beginning of the spring season.” The color was light yellow with a green hue. Aromas of citrus, grapefruit, mango and a hint of herbs tickled the nose. The palate offered citrus, grapefruit, lemon zest and hints of pepper. A bitter edge followed at the finish, making this a most delightful experience. Full-bodied with racy acidity makes this wine a perfect accompaniment to most food. Alcohol: 12.5% Price range: $13 to $16 http://www.monteswines.com For our dinner, I made pan seared Halibut with charred corn, mint, scallions, cherry tomatoes and fresh lime juice. A side of pear, walnut and Gorgonzola stuffed ravioli drizzled with balsamic & fig dressing, and homemade country French bread completed the meal.   We chose a 2014 J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco Monterey, Central Coast, CA to drink with our dinner. This is a “tried and true” chardonnay. I reviewed the 2014 vintage in November. The color was pale yellow with aromas of peach, strawberry, honeysuckle and nuts. The aromas carried over onto the palate with oak and a smooth buttery feel on the finish. Alcohol: 13.5% Price is approximately $14 It’s time for a swim.
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina It was a lovely weekend of celebrating birthdays and friendship. In between feasting on food and drinking an assortment of wine, we managed to sneak in a day to visit the Degas exhibit and Impressionist collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. These are two of my favorite paintings by Degas and Picasso.  One of the many wines that were opened this past weekend was a lovely 2015 Domaine du Pere Caboche – Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rosé. It is a blend of 30% Carignan and 70% Grenache, typical Côtes du Rhône varietals. It had a soft pink color with delicate aromas of raspberry, strawberry and a hint of melon. It had lots of ripe fruit on the palate with a subtle layer of spice. This medium-bodied wine was very refreshing, medium-dry, and had a silky finish. It was a perfect start to kick off the evening and paired well with the shrimp and mozzarella platters. http://www.jpboisson.com More reviews tomorrow.
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  The week flew by very quickly. Because I spent so much time outdoors, I didn’t attend to everything that I should have. It will definitely impact the week coming up. In addition to work, I have wine events, a dinner party and best of all, a puppy to socialize from the Puppies Behind Bars organization. Prior to sunset last evening, my friend arrived for dinner. We decided to open a bottle of 2012 Chateau Mourgues Du Gres ‘Les Galets Rosés’ that I had chilling in the refrigerator. Made mostly with Syrah and a small amount of Grenache, this rosé was full-bodied, dry and fruity. The color was deep salmon with fragrant aromas of strawberry, peach and raspberry. Wonderfully layered flavors of strawberry, cherry, melon and vanilla gave way to a long finish of sweet apple lingering on the palate. Francois Collard, a former journalist, owns Chateau Mourgues Du Gres. It is in the appellation of Costieres de Nimes, located on the border of Languedoc and Provence. Check out the website for more information. http://www.mourguesdugres.com  The rosé paired well with the baked Dijon-crusted salmon, corn on the cob drizzled with truffle oil and roasted asparagus.   With just a little of the rosé left and no prepared dessert, I grabbed a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chunks for a little treat. The combination of the rosé and the chocolate in our mouths was quite amazing and very delicious. It was like eating strawberries dipped in chocolate. Yummy! I’m hoping to get in a power walk before the day ends.
Have a great Sunday! Cheers! Penina  Last evening I fired up the grill and seared a large piece of tuna steak that had been marinating for a few hours in teriyaki, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger.  It was a toss up as to whether or not to serve wine or make martinis. My dinner guest said that he preferred vodka with his steak. Who was I to argue? I love vodka! I got out my classic martini glasses and made perfect martinis with Grey Goose Vodka. By the time I took this photo, we’d already devoured the olives. The tuna was done to perfection. After slicing it, I placed the tuna strips over salad. It was a perfect meal, even without the wine. Syrah, Pinot Noir or dry Rosé would have paired well with the tuna. Perhaps next time…  It’s another beautiful day. I hope to sneak in a power walk at some point. I’ve been power walking practically every day for the last few weeks! I feel great!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  It has been a beautiful weekend filled with blue skies and warm temps. And, it was the perfect setting for alfresco dining.  A few friends and I kicked off the weekend with a lovely lunch while sitting on the porch of Purdy’s Farmer & The Fish. The restaurant is located in North Salem, NY in a quaint 18th century house that dates back to 1775. Most of the herbs and vegetables used in the kitchen are grown on their five-acre farm right behind the restaurant. Farmer & The Fish has been a popular casual “hangout” spot since it first opened in 2012. It was nice to connect with everyone the other day and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the crowd throughout this summer.  I ordered one of my favorite dishes, the Seared Scallop Salad. It is made with fingerling potatoes, sunny side up egg, crispy bacon and lemon aioli. The scallops were done to perfection and although I opted out of the bacon, I enjoyed every bite! Unfortunately, the photo is not the best due to the sun hitting the table and casting shadows everywhere.  The alfresco dining continued throughout the weekend. Saturday evening I grilled vegetables and tossed it all with pasta. We enjoyed a bottle of chilled 2014 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. I reviewed this vintage in July 2015. You can read it at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/07/day-309.html. The wine was just as good last evening. http://www.oysterbaywines.com  I’m off to embrace this beautiful day!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina This past Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Culinary Institute of America, nestled on a majestic setting overlooking the Hudson River in Hyde Park, New York. The CIA also has campuses in California, Texas and Singapore.  Frances Roth and Katharine Angell founded the CIA in 1946. It is a private, not-for-profit culinary college and is one of the foremost culinary schools in the world. The CIA offers an array of Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in professional culinary arts and baking to majors in management, culinary science and applied food studies, just to name a few options. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and food/wine fanciers. It is a bustling 170-acre campus with over 2,900 students hailing from every state and 30 foreign countries as well! As I drove into this impressive community, students in their chef jackets were scurrying from one building to another creating an air of excitement and enthusiasm. In addition to dorms, library and administrative buildings, the CIA has five diverse restaurants on campus that serve as hands-on teaching kitchens and classrooms for the students.  The American Bounty Restaurant focuses on the seasons and local products, offering traditional regional dishes. The Bocuse Restaurant is named after the famous French chef, Paul Bocuse. It serves classic French cuisine using “ultra-modern cooking techniques”. Pangea offers an eclectic, global menu of “plant-forward” dishes with the idea of protecting food resources. Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici is authentic Tuscan style dining. And last, but certainly not least, the very popular Apple Pie Bakery Café shows off the talents of the CIA’s students and faculty baking & pastry artistry. It also offers simple café cuisine.  With so many interesting food options, I finally decided on Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. The restaurant is located in the Colavita Center for Italian Food & Wine. It is an impressive Tuscan-style building that is also equipped with teaching kitchens and classrooms dedicated to the study of Italian food, wine and culture. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with Venetian glass chandeliers and imported tapestry-upholstered chairs. From the moment we were seated to the time that we left, the students were gracious, attentive and very professional!  Students at CIA Our main server explained to us that the students do a rotation of time spent in “back of house” (the kitchen) and then “front of house” to get the full experience of working in a restaurant. She said that after being in the kitchen and creating the food it was also very exciting to watch the reactions of the diners consuming it. And as for our dining experience… We enjoyed a myriad of dishes that delighted our palate. The presentation was pleasing to the eye as well! We started our dining experience with Torta di Cipolle, an onion tart with balsamic vinegar and Ribollita alla Toscana, a Tuscan bean, bread and vegetable soup. The fish entrees were limited, so we both opted for the Salmone alla Griglia, grilled salmon prepared with green lentils, fennel and garlic croutons. It was a nice fusion of flavors.  I opted for a glass of Banfi Centine Rosé Toscana 2014 to have with my meal. It was dry and refreshing with lovely berry notes that led to a crisp and long finish. It complemented all the dishes, including dessert. We hardly had any room left in our tummies for dessert, but we ordered Tiramisu and a warm chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato.  The CIA is impressive with much to offer and the students’ passion for the culinary arts is contagious! I just might look into taking one of their weekend Food Enthusiast Courses! Check out their website! http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu Have a great Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  Although the warm weather was perfect for grilling last evening, I was in the mood to do some sautéing. Company was coming for dinner and I wanted something quick and easy, so that I could spend more time with my guest. So, I prepared a dish of shrimp and vegetables with rigatoni, my version of pasta primavera. I sautéed mushrooms, yellow peppers and shallots in olive oil and then threw in the asparagus, cherry tomatoes and shrimp at the end. A little parsley, basil, salt and pepper were also added. I tossed it all with the rigatoni, adding extra virgin olive oil and Romano cheese for good measure! It was hearty, but light at the same time.  An array of wines would pair well with a dish like this. It was a toss up as to which wine to open. I was leaning towards the Burgundy, but the Super Tuscan was beckoning to me as well. What a conundrum! Having tasted both wines before, I knew that whatever bottle I picked, it would be complementary to the meal.   What would you choose?
I’ll tell you about my selection in tomorrow’s post! Happy Friday!! Cheers! Penina  In the midst of spring cleaning the other day, I unearthed a box of family photos dating back to the late 1800’s. I was so totally immersed in the images before me that I didn’t realize that a good portion of the day had slipped by.  Storing memories on computers, digital cameras and phone cameras may be more convenient and easier to share with everyone, but there is something special about actually holding a photograph or browsing through an album that connects one to the visuals. In some ways, it’s akin to my drinking wine. It’s not only the sense of smell and taste of the wine, it is also the feel of the glass in my hand that makes for the total experience. Okay…I’ve gone too far. But speaking of wine… Last evening I cooked a wonderfully simple meal of baked salmon in a basil, shallot and wine sauce. Mashed potatoes, a simple salad of greens and sliced avocado drizzled with balsamic dressing accompanied it.   The wine was a 2007 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay from Napa Valley. This full-bodied wine had a beautiful bouquet of apricot, ripe peach, citrus and oak. The palate was layered with peach, honeysuckle, pear, lemon zest and a hint of caramel. It had a rich and creamy mouthfeel that continued on to a long finish. Being a 2007, I didn’t expect it to be so vibrant, but we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every sip! http://www.beringer.com Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina |
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