Category: Food

Day 432

2/27/2016

My beautiful niece came to visit on Thursday. At the age of twenty, she has had more travel adventures than most of us achieve in a lifetime! She attended her first year of college in Florence, Italy with weekend trips all over Europe. The first half of her third year of college was spent in Paris. She plans on a 3-week excursion to Southeast Asia during her senior year and upon graduation, a month in Viet Nam. She has visited many museums, wineries and attended numerous cultural events throughout Europe. I asked her if she would please pack me in her suitcase next time she goes away!

We shared many stories and got caught up on life while dining at an upbeat restaurant called Willy Nicks in Katonah, NY. Although the waiter kept calling us “girls” one too many times, the food was delicious! We dined on Sesame Tuna Crunch salad made with water chestnuts, carrots, pickled ginger, peppers and wakame with a chile-lime vinaigrette. The tuna was seared to perfection and every mouthful was a wonderful taste and texture sensation.

I enjoyed a glass of 2012 Rainstorm Pinot Noir from Oregon with the meal. The Pinot Noir grapes come from vineyards located in the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys. The Willamette Valley is situated in northern Oregon, which produces Pinot Noirs with more earthy tones and complexity. While the hotter and drier climate of Umpqua Valley located in southern Oregon produces a richer and fruitier flavor Pinot Noir. Rainstorm’s Pinot Noir is a 50/50 blend of these two wine regions. The color of the wine was soft ruby with subtle berry aromas. The palate had a fresh fruit feel, offering cherry, cranberry and a little spice. It was a little “chewy” with a warm finish.

The label is a whimsical depiction of Portland showing salmon, coffee, guitars, clouds and wine grapes.
http://pinotpassion.com

This is going to be a whirlwind weekend. I’ll be back on Monday!

Happy Saturday!

Cheers!
Penina

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Day 428

2/18/2016

1 Comment

It was a busy Wednesday and in between dealing with business, I was on a search for fresh escarole. None was to be found. It seems that due to the weird weather we’ve been experiencing, the winter crops are not fairing well and most markets aren’t selling escarole right now. I was hoping to put together a pasta dish of sautéed escarole, cannellini beans and shrimp. So, I improvised and used broccoli rabe, which actually ended up giving the dish a little more dimension.

We started the meal with a small serving of Tomato Basil Bisque and homemade peasant bread.

Prior to serving the soup, I opened a bottle of 2010 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. Instead of rich dark fruit aromas, there was an overwhelming mustiness that carried over to the palate. By the time we finished our soup, the wine had developed a small trace of cherry and plum on the palate with the mustiness still in the forefront. I was disappointed to say the least, but it was not worth waiting to see if the wine got any better.

So we left “Italy” and traveled to “Spain” and opened a 2009 Bodegas San Prudencio Depadre Rioja. I reviewed this wine in June and it was even better than I remembered. My previous review: “The color was a dark Syrian amethyst with heady aromas of dark fruits and floral bouquet. Made from Tempranillo and Garnacha, this multi-layered wine exploded on the palate with blackberry, cherry, anise, espresso beans and a hint of vanilla. It was quite impressive with a long finish. This is a wine with a lot of character and depth.” And, it is a full-bodied wine with medium tannins. Alcohol: 13.5%.
http://bodegasanprudencio.es

The wine paired well with the rest of the meal.

Happy Thursday!

Cheers!
Penina

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Day 413

1/16/2016

I’m typing on the fly. It’s a crazy day so far. As promised, here are some photos of the delicious whole wheat honey banana bread that I made yesterday. I threw in some poppy seeds for a little extra flavor. It makes a great P & J sandwich or toasted with your favorite spread. I’m sure this will be gone tomorrow! Click on the images for a closer look!

I have much to do before the Chiefs vs. Patriots game airs in a short while. Go Patriots!

After the game is over, it will be dinner and wine.

Happy Saturday!

Cheers!
Penina

Day 412

1/15/2016

It is the beginning of the Martin Luther King weekend. Friends are flying south to bask in the sun while others are heading off to ski country. I used to head down to Miami Beach with my BFF every year for this long weekend. But alas, it has been a few years since we’ve done that.

Prior to one of my friend’s leaving yesterday, we met mid afternoon for a bite to eat. We have a word to describe most meals, such as the meal eaten between breakfast and lunch, called “brunch”. I was curious to know what one might call a meal eaten between lunch and dinner. After perusing the internet, I came up with several names. My favorites were linner, dunch and lunner. I don’t think these names will ever catch on or be as popular as the term “brunch”, but I did find it interesting. And let’s not forget “Brinner”, eating traditional breakfast foods at dinnertime.

It’s time to make whole wheat honey banana bread. I’ll show you a photo tomorrow.

Have a great start to the weekend!

Happy Friday!

Cheers!
Penina

Day 408

1/8/2016

The holiday decorations have been put away and I’m already starting to think about all the flowers and herbs that I want to plant for the spring. Of course, we still need to get through a few brutal months of winter first.

The other evening it was extremely cold out and a perfect time to serve up a heaping bowl of Tomato Lentil soup to one of my favorite “wining & dining” companions. This hearty vegetarian soup is packed with protein and is quite filling. Sometimes I add a few grilled shrimp or sautéed scallops on top, but it isn’t necessary.

In addition to the soup, we shared a 2010 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, WA. This elegant and beautifully balanced wine is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Lots of dark fruit, floral and a hint of leather on the nose segued into plum, blackberry, licorice and spice on the palate. Soft tannins and an earthy finish made this a most enjoyable wine!

http://www.abeja.net

I can’t believe that the weekend is already here and my calendar is filling up with activities.

Happy Friday!

Cheers!
Penina

Day 407 Vermouth...who knew?

1/6/2016

I spent this morning chopping up lots of onions, carrots, celery and herbs for the Tomato Lentil Soup that I was making. The lentils take a few hours to cook, so I have to replenish the liquid every now and then. In addition to using water, I also refresh with dry white wine for added flavor. However, I discovered that I was out of inexpensive dry white wine, so I went for the next best thing…dry vermouth! It’s not just for martinis!

When in a pinch, you can almost always substitute dry Vermouth for any recipe calling for white wine.
Vermouth is a liquor made from wine, with different herbs and spices added for flavor. It is also known as an aromatized liquor, and some people refer to it as a fortified wine. Vermouth tends to have more flavor than most wines, so you may need to use less of it than you would if you were cooking with wine. And the bonus is that it has a long shelf life. I would encourage you to store the Vermouth in your refrigerator once opened though. It will last longer (up to 3 months) and stay fresher. I used Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth for my soup. Their Vermouth is made with a “secret” blend of rare woods, herbs and spices that was first introduced in 1900.

If cooking with white wine, you’ll want to look for a wine with high acidity and moderate alcohol content such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris and Sémillon. These are known as dry “crisp” wines, which tend to add a “punch” and work well with most recipes. You might also want to keep in mind that as wine cooks, it loses some of the subtle flavors and characteristics. So, save the more expensive wines for drinking!

The soup turned out great and I can’t wait to serve it this evening to my dinner guest! And now, I must start baking the bread!

Happy Wednesday!

Cheers!
Penina

Day 331

8/19/2015

It has been quite a challenge dealing with the high heat and humidity for the last few days. There seems to be no let up.

A few nights ago, I planned a “deck party”. However, with the soaring temperatures, I decided to move it indoors where the central air conditioning was blasting! Instead of wine, friends gravitated towards drinks with ice cubes. The “go to” drink of the evening was my invention of vodka mixed with orange juice and pure pomegranate juice. I guess you could say it was my version of a tequila sunrise. I’m calling it the “the Vodka Sunset!

In addition to drinks, I kept the fare light, but satisfying. I prepared a platter of fresh mozzarella with my homegrown tomatoes and basil. The shrimp was cold and succulent with a tangy sauce. I also served a delicious chopped salad, finger sandwiches and fresh fruit salad. Good friends, music and the perfect lighting were the final ingredients for a wonderful indoor summer garden party!

Have a great Wednesday!

Cheers!
Penina

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