Back from a long road trip to Fresno for work, I was crashing watching Top Chef (where d'ya think I get all my great cooking inspiration?) when Bill suggested opening a bottle of wine. I had gotten a white wine from Lot 18 that I had put in the fridge and forgotten, and that was what we chose. It was an inspired choice, perfect for relaxing and watching other people sweat over a hot stove.
What we drank:
Epiphany Inspiration 2008
This is a white blend and it truly is an epiphany. The full-bodied nose was predominantly apple and oak, with a hint of lemon. The front of the wine was a lovely smooth balance of fruit and acid, with notes of apple, lemon, mandarin, and a hint of oak. The mid-palate was a bit hot, although still smooth and well-balanced, with an added note of peach. The finish was silky smooth, bringing in some tannins, and lingering notes of creamy peach and oak. I rated it 8 out of 10, and just lovely. It was great just to sip, and I think it would be excellent with spicy Thai food, creamy pasta dishes, and risotto.
March 23, 2011
March 20, 2011
I Love to Cook with Wine Part Deux
It's been raining for what feels like months, although it's really only been a week. Northern Californians either wholeheartedly embrace the rain and fog typical of winter in our Mediterranean climate, or (like me) wholeheartedly despise the gloomy weather. In typical years, our winters are quite mild with beautiful deep, clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid-50's to mid-60's, interspersed with some heavy rain/fog/windstorms. This runs from about late November to early March. Every once in a while, though, we have very wet winters with rainstorm after rainstorm, and gloomy day after gloomy day. That's been this winter, and I am heartily sick of it. On the plus side, though, because we haven't been able to use our outdoor kitchen and grill, I am doing quite a bit more cooking at the stove. This has resulted in dedicated time to perfect a few things I have been trying to master for years. Bolognese sauce is one of those.
I like to use a zinfandel or sangiovese for red pasta sauces because I like the fruity and peppery notes these wines give to the sauce. Tonight, though, we had a Petite Sirah open from the night before and there was quite a bit left. I have this quirk that whatever wine I put in the sauce has to be drunk with the meal, or the experience just isn't right. Weird, I know, because I don't do this at restaurants at all. So, I decided to try the Petite Sirah, not wanting to have two open bottles hanging around. The sauce turned out to be one of my best efforts yet, and the wine complemented the meal perfectly. Below are the recipe and my tasting notes.
Bolognese ala Francesca
1 lb. ground beef, veal, pork, or turkey
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C diced carrots
1/2 C diced celery
3-4 cloves pressed garlic
1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
Basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, either fresh or dried, to taste
1 large can tomato puree or tomatoes in sauce (chop tomatoes if using those)
1 small can tomato paste
1 C red wine
2 Tbl. mascarpone (fresh mozzarella) cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground meat in skillet. Drain, remove meat and set aside. Heat skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add vegetables, pressed garlic, and herbs, saute until onion is golden and soft. In large saucepan, add meat, vegetables, tomato puree (or tomoatoes and juice), tomato paste, and red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes, until desired consistency is reached. Add mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper to taste. (Actually, I usually taste the sauce about halfway through and adjust all the seasonings.)
To serve pasta and sauce, I cook the pasta until it is nearly done (remove about 2 minutes early) and drain it. Then I put the pasta back into the pan, add the sauce, and cook this over medium-low heat for the remaning time.
What we drank:
Bogle 2004 Clarksburg Reserve Petite Sirah Merritt Island
The nose was lovely, full-bodied and rich with blackberry and oak. The front and middle of the wine were nicely balanced and very smooth, with deliciously juicy flavors of blackberry, oak and cinnamon. The finish, though, was quite tannic, and felt rough to me, although I loved the lingering notes of pepper and oak. I gave the wine 7 out of 10 because I felt the finish was flawed. However, I did notice that with time in the glass, the tannins softened and became much rounder, making me wish we'd aged this another year or so. Bogle sold out of this wine a long time ago, and this was our last bottle, so I am sad. Live and learn!
I like to use a zinfandel or sangiovese for red pasta sauces because I like the fruity and peppery notes these wines give to the sauce. Tonight, though, we had a Petite Sirah open from the night before and there was quite a bit left. I have this quirk that whatever wine I put in the sauce has to be drunk with the meal, or the experience just isn't right. Weird, I know, because I don't do this at restaurants at all. So, I decided to try the Petite Sirah, not wanting to have two open bottles hanging around. The sauce turned out to be one of my best efforts yet, and the wine complemented the meal perfectly. Below are the recipe and my tasting notes.
Bolognese ala Francesca
1 lb. ground beef, veal, pork, or turkey
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C diced carrots
1/2 C diced celery
3-4 cloves pressed garlic
1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
Basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, either fresh or dried, to taste
1 large can tomato puree or tomatoes in sauce (chop tomatoes if using those)
1 small can tomato paste
1 C red wine
2 Tbl. mascarpone (fresh mozzarella) cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground meat in skillet. Drain, remove meat and set aside. Heat skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add vegetables, pressed garlic, and herbs, saute until onion is golden and soft. In large saucepan, add meat, vegetables, tomato puree (or tomoatoes and juice), tomato paste, and red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes, until desired consistency is reached. Add mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper to taste. (Actually, I usually taste the sauce about halfway through and adjust all the seasonings.)
To serve pasta and sauce, I cook the pasta until it is nearly done (remove about 2 minutes early) and drain it. Then I put the pasta back into the pan, add the sauce, and cook this over medium-low heat for the remaning time.
What we drank:
Bogle 2004 Clarksburg Reserve Petite Sirah Merritt Island
The nose was lovely, full-bodied and rich with blackberry and oak. The front and middle of the wine were nicely balanced and very smooth, with deliciously juicy flavors of blackberry, oak and cinnamon. The finish, though, was quite tannic, and felt rough to me, although I loved the lingering notes of pepper and oak. I gave the wine 7 out of 10 because I felt the finish was flawed. However, I did notice that with time in the glass, the tannins softened and became much rounder, making me wish we'd aged this another year or so. Bogle sold out of this wine a long time ago, and this was our last bottle, so I am sad. Live and learn!
March 19, 2011
Another Red Wine Reduction
My kitchen experiments with wine continue, and as I gain confidence, I am having better results. Tonight was one of those dinner emergencies that often create wonderful culinary experiences. I was going to make Italian sausage with onions and red peppers over rice, and sadly when I pulled the sausage out of the fridge, it had expired a week ago - on the same day I bought it. Shame on me for not checking, and shame on the high-end market where I bought it. Fortunately, the sausage was sitting on the same shelf with some butternut squash ravioli I just bought (I prefer my homemade version, but rarely have time to roast the butternut squash and make the pasta dough...) so I had an immediate vision of that ravioli in another red wine reduction sauce.
I decided to try the ravioli with a different version of the red wine reduction I last made, and it really turned out well. This version was even more rich and flavorful, and would have gone better with my homemade ravioli which has a stronger, smokier flavor. It also would go well with roasted or grilled salmon, or even a pork roast. Here it is:
Fran's Red Wine Reduction #2
1 1/2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbl. maple syrup
1 750 ml bottle red wine (I used Bogle Petite Syrah)
1 500 ml bottle ruby (red) port (I used Bogle Petite Syrah Port)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 C toasted, chopped pecans (optional)
Heat a 6-qt heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until golden, 8-10 minutes, adjusting heat as needed.
Add wine, port, and maple syrup, stir and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for about 1 hour, until reduced to 1 quart.
Strain sauce into 3-qt. saucepan, place over medium to medium-low heat and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. Taste sauce, add salt & pepper to taste, adjust sweetness as needed.
Make a roux in a small saucepan: melt butter and add flour, cook and stir over medium heat until mixture begins to brown, remove from heat.
Add a little of the wine reduction to the roux, blend with whisk. Add to reduction sauce, blend well with whisk.
Continue simmering sauce until desired consistency; add toasted, chopped pecans if using.
Enjoy!
I decided to try the ravioli with a different version of the red wine reduction I last made, and it really turned out well. This version was even more rich and flavorful, and would have gone better with my homemade ravioli which has a stronger, smokier flavor. It also would go well with roasted or grilled salmon, or even a pork roast. Here it is:
Fran's Red Wine Reduction #2
1 1/2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbl. maple syrup
1 750 ml bottle red wine (I used Bogle Petite Syrah)
1 500 ml bottle ruby (red) port (I used Bogle Petite Syrah Port)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 C toasted, chopped pecans (optional)
Heat a 6-qt heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until golden, 8-10 minutes, adjusting heat as needed.
Add wine, port, and maple syrup, stir and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for about 1 hour, until reduced to 1 quart.
Strain sauce into 3-qt. saucepan, place over medium to medium-low heat and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. Taste sauce, add salt & pepper to taste, adjust sweetness as needed.
Make a roux in a small saucepan: melt butter and add flour, cook and stir over medium heat until mixture begins to brown, remove from heat.
Add a little of the wine reduction to the roux, blend with whisk. Add to reduction sauce, blend well with whisk.
Continue simmering sauce until desired consistency; add toasted, chopped pecans if using.
Enjoy!
March 8, 2011
Wine + Cheese = Dinner!
After we moved to California, I first lived in Novato, a small town in the north bay area. Nearby was a lovely cheese factory, Rouge et Noir, where my husband Bill and I would stop on motorcycle rides through the tranquil rolling hills and canyons. This is where our practice of making dinner out of wine, cheese, and either bread or crackers became an art form we practice happily to this day.
Tonight, I had a wonderful smoked fontina cheese from Whole Foods Market that I prepared by melting it in a hot skillet. First, I heated the small skillet over medium heat, then added a tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil. (Note: this works best with a cast iron skillet and can be done over a campfire as well.) When that was hot, I covered the bottom of the skillet in thin slices of the smoked fontina and let it melt and begin bubbling. This I wisked quickly to the patio table, where the crackers and a bottle of wine awaited.
What we drank:
Bogle Vineyards 2007 Reserve Zinfandel, Lodi
This wine is a bargain at under $20. The nose is a lovely balance of oak, tannins, pepper, and blackberry. The front of the wine is a little hot, although the balance is very nice with flavors of cherry, oak, and a hint of rose. The mid-palate is somewhat stronger in tannins, and the oak is more pronounced. The finish in smooth and very peppery, which lingers on the palate along with the cherry. I think this wine would do better with more aging, and gave it 7 out of 10. We bought two bottles at our last Bogle excursion, so I am going to stick one in the wine fridge and see how it does in a year or two.
This wine went very, very well with the smoked fontina and sesame crackers. There was a lovely interplay of flavors where no one flavor was overwhelmed and everything worked together quite nicely. Sitting on the patio on a perfect early-Spring evening, with the fountain running and the birds chirping, I had that "I love California!" moment that makes life here so special and memorable. When are you coming to visit? The guest suite is waiting, the wine is ready, where are you?
Tonight, I had a wonderful smoked fontina cheese from Whole Foods Market that I prepared by melting it in a hot skillet. First, I heated the small skillet over medium heat, then added a tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil. (Note: this works best with a cast iron skillet and can be done over a campfire as well.) When that was hot, I covered the bottom of the skillet in thin slices of the smoked fontina and let it melt and begin bubbling. This I wisked quickly to the patio table, where the crackers and a bottle of wine awaited.
What we drank:
Bogle Vineyards 2007 Reserve Zinfandel, Lodi
This wine is a bargain at under $20. The nose is a lovely balance of oak, tannins, pepper, and blackberry. The front of the wine is a little hot, although the balance is very nice with flavors of cherry, oak, and a hint of rose. The mid-palate is somewhat stronger in tannins, and the oak is more pronounced. The finish in smooth and very peppery, which lingers on the palate along with the cherry. I think this wine would do better with more aging, and gave it 7 out of 10. We bought two bottles at our last Bogle excursion, so I am going to stick one in the wine fridge and see how it does in a year or two.
This wine went very, very well with the smoked fontina and sesame crackers. There was a lovely interplay of flavors where no one flavor was overwhelmed and everything worked together quite nicely. Sitting on the patio on a perfect early-Spring evening, with the fountain running and the birds chirping, I had that "I love California!" moment that makes life here so special and memorable. When are you coming to visit? The guest suite is waiting, the wine is ready, where are you?
March 6, 2011
I Love to Cook with Wine
"I love to cook with wine," the tile in my kitchen proclaims, "Sometimes I even put it in the food." I laughed when I bought it, because it's close to the truth. The fact is, I do love to cook with wine and I am always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my cooking. Tonight's meal was a good example.
Butternut squash ravioli are one of my favorite ravioli, except I have never been able to find a sauce that pairs well and is light. I have made many variations of browned-butter and sage sauce, but it's just too heavy for my taste. I've tried several lighter cream sauces, but they seemed innocuous compared to the rich flavor of the butternut squash. After several hours of pondering this afternoon, it occurred to me that a red wine reduction might pair well, particularly if made with the right wine. So here is what I developed:
Fran's Red Wine Reduction for Pasta
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbl lemon-infused olive oil
2 Tbl fresh thyme, removed from sprigs (or just chop up several sprigs)
1 bay leaf
2 C red wine, Merlot or Pinot Noir work well, should be fairly fruity
2 C chicken stock
1-2 Tbl. maple syrup
1/2 C toasted pecans, chopped (toast in 350 degree oven or brown in butter on stovetop)
4 Tbl butter
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and heat. Add onion and saute for five minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf, saute for another minute or so. Add wine and broth. Bring to boil and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 35-40 minutes. Midway through, taste the reduction. If it is too tart or sour, add the maple syrup to taste. I also added a cocoa spice rub from Dean & DeLuca at this point, it had cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg, if you want to try that. Continue cooking until reduced; remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a smaller saucepan. Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Continue to simmer until thickness is to your taste. Add toasted pecans just before serving, and then pour over pasta. Be sure to have some thick crusty bread on hand to sop up the remaining sauce. You could use port for this reduction, especially if you want a sweeter sauce.
This was fantastic with the butternut squash ravioli. The fruit and acid were a perfect complement to the sweet, rich flavor of the butternut squash, without being too rich or fatty. The toasted, chopped pecans added a lovely crunchy texture to the dish. Even my ultra-picky husband loved this!
Butternut squash ravioli are one of my favorite ravioli, except I have never been able to find a sauce that pairs well and is light. I have made many variations of browned-butter and sage sauce, but it's just too heavy for my taste. I've tried several lighter cream sauces, but they seemed innocuous compared to the rich flavor of the butternut squash. After several hours of pondering this afternoon, it occurred to me that a red wine reduction might pair well, particularly if made with the right wine. So here is what I developed:
Fran's Red Wine Reduction for Pasta
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbl lemon-infused olive oil
2 Tbl fresh thyme, removed from sprigs (or just chop up several sprigs)
1 bay leaf
2 C red wine, Merlot or Pinot Noir work well, should be fairly fruity
2 C chicken stock
1-2 Tbl. maple syrup
1/2 C toasted pecans, chopped (toast in 350 degree oven or brown in butter on stovetop)
4 Tbl butter
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and heat. Add onion and saute for five minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf, saute for another minute or so. Add wine and broth. Bring to boil and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 35-40 minutes. Midway through, taste the reduction. If it is too tart or sour, add the maple syrup to taste. I also added a cocoa spice rub from Dean & DeLuca at this point, it had cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg, if you want to try that. Continue cooking until reduced; remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a smaller saucepan. Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Continue to simmer until thickness is to your taste. Add toasted pecans just before serving, and then pour over pasta. Be sure to have some thick crusty bread on hand to sop up the remaining sauce. You could use port for this reduction, especially if you want a sweeter sauce.
This was fantastic with the butternut squash ravioli. The fruit and acid were a perfect complement to the sweet, rich flavor of the butternut squash, without being too rich or fatty. The toasted, chopped pecans added a lovely crunchy texture to the dish. Even my ultra-picky husband loved this!
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