Home » Posts filed under wine
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts

Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 16, 2013 0 comments

Chicken noodle soup is right up there with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and chocolate in the comfort food lineup. There's just something soothing about a warm bowl of soup. Who can resist protein-filled broth infused with herbs, soft noodles, delicate veggies, and tender chicken? I certainly cannot...

Start by heating your oven to 375 degrees F. In a large soup pot, heat 1T butter, uniformly chop 4 large celery stalks, 4 large carrots, and 2 large yellow onions; add this mirepoix (meer-pwah) to the pot, and sauté until all the veggies are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, combine 1/2 stick room temperature butter with 1T chopped fresh sage, 1T chopped fresh thyme, and 1T chopped fresh rosemary in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper to the butter. Place your whole chicken in a large dutch oven or cast-iron pot. Now take the herb butter and use your hands to rub it under the skin of the chicken, making sure to coat the breasts as well as the legs. Rub any remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Quarter an additional yellow onion, cut 2 more carrots into thirds, and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken; leave any onion or carrot pieces that won't fit inside the bird in the pot. Then fill the pot halfway up the chicken with a dry red wine. I used cabernet sauvignon. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. 


 Once your mirepoix has finished cooking, add 2 quarts of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add 2T each of chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (hello Simon & Garfunkel) to the broth. (TayTip: to infuse your broth with another layer of flavor, finely chop and add the celery leaves from your stalks. They really drive home the tangy flavor of the celery.) Once your broth is boiling, add 3/4 of a large bag of egg noodles; one whole bag if you like your soup extra noodle-y. Add 2 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1T of cracked black pepper. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then reduce the heat to warm. When your chicken has finished roasting, remove it from the dutch oven, and place it on a cutting board to cool for 15 minutes so that you won't burn your fingers when chopping it. Pour the cooking liquid from the chicken into the broth with the noodles. When your chicken has cooled, remove the breast and leg meat, dice into whatever size you like, and add to the soup. 


SIDE NOTE: This is also the exact same base for chicken and dumplings. Instead of adding egg noodles to the boiling broth, mix 2 cups flour, 1T baking powder, 1tsp salt, and 1tsp pepper with 1 1/2 cups water until you have a batter. It should be thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than biscuits; add water or flour respectively depending on whether the batter is too thick or thin. (TayTip: this is basically Bisquick  minus the shortening. Use your favorite flour--all purpose, wheat, buckwheat, spelt, semolina--and quadruple the recipe without water. Keep it in an airtight container and use as the base for pancakes, dumplings, biscuits, waffles, etc. Homemade Bisquick at hand and much cheaper!) Take a large spoon and drop the dumplings right into the boiling broth so they form a layer on the top. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until your dumplings are cooked all the way through, but not dried out. 


The fresh herbs really are the stars of this soup. They add a flavor complexity that nothing else can. The combination of sage, rosemary, and thyme with parsley is that signature smell of savory Fall cooking. It instantly takes me back to Thanksgivings or Christmases growing up. Hearty, warm, scrumptious, and just what you need to say 'hello' to Fall. If you even have any leftover, you can pop it in a container and freeze for an entire season. Perfect for tailgates, if you're sick, rainy days inside, or anytime! Forget your soul, this chicken noodle soup is for your stomach. Buon appetito! 

Chianti Caramel and Salted Dark Chocolate Crack

Posted by Unknown Friday, August 30, 2013 0 comments

Cioccolato. Chocolat. Chocolade. Čokolada. Chocolate. Is there a more beautiful word? Especially when used in a sentence with Chianti and salt and caramel? I don't think so. And I'd be willing to debate anyone who thinks otherwise. This is definitely not a healthy dessert. Some might even say that's a contradiction of terms (I do have some healthy desserts up my sleeve, but this isn't one of them). This is called crack for two reasons. One is that it's addicting, and the other is that you crack it to break it up at the end. Also, I feel like I say this all the time, but anything that has wine definitely has my attention. Add chocolate, and I'm so there it's not even funny...

Start by spraying the largest cookie sheet you have with cooking spray. IMPORTANT: if your sheet isn't nonstick, put parchment or wax paper down, otherwise you'll have a sticky mess that won't come off the pan. Then lay as many saltines as you can fit on the sheet with the salt side down in rows. Do this before you start your caramel because once it's ready, you have a small window of time to get it from the pot to the crackers before it hardens. Next preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. In a large skillet or sauce pot (depending on how high the sides of your skillet are), melt two sticks of butter over med-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add 1 cup of dark brown sugar. What? I told you this wasn't healthy. 


So now the dessert fairy turns the butter and brown sugar into caramel. This will bubble and be constantly darkening in color, and you need to be constantly stirring it. Boil for 1-2 minutes, then add 3/4 cup of Chianti and another 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Keep stirring and DON'T leave it, or your sugar will burn faster than you can say strawberries for "dessert." Notice the nice pink color the wine adds? I will also say that at this point, you can seriously burn yourself, so no dogs, kids, or other moving objects flying around the kitchen. Boil another 1-2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved (TayTip: if you don't trust your timer or yourself, use a candy thermometer. The caramel will be done when it's reached 234 degrees F). Then take your pot and pour the Chianti caramel over the crackers. Don't worry about covering every square inch because it will spread out in the oven. Bake for 4 minutes; this is to toast the crackers and make a uniform layer of caramel.


Now for the chocolate. I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet morsels with a 60% cacao count. You can go darker, but anything over 70% will most likely be too bitter. I also wouldn't recommend milk chocolate for this particular recipe. I'm usually all for deviating from the beaten path in the kitchen, but trust me on this one: you need dark chocolate. Sprinkle 2 cups of morsels right onto the hot, caramel-covered, crackers. The residual heat will melt it; this takes about 5 minutes. Once it's melted, use a rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread it in an even layer. The last step is to sprinkle fleur de sel (use sea salt if you don't have any, but don't use iodized...you need large granules) all over the melted chocolate before it's hardened. Stick the pan in the freezer for a minimum of 45 minutes so the chocolate and caramel can set.


You will know the chocolate is completely tempered when it doesn't have a shine, but rather a matte finish. Take a butter knife or offset spatula and slide it under the crack, which will probably be in one giant sheet, and break it up to your heart's content! No rules or size specifications for the pieces. Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge or freezer for long term storage.

Gooey. Glossy. And gorgeous. Do yourself a favor RIGHT NOW, and click on the pictures to enlarge them. Then click again to zoom. You're welcome. 




Salty and sweet and wine and chocolate. This is dessert royalty, people. I bet you wouldn't think I'd describe it as light--because it isn't--but the saltines add an airiness that normal toffee or brittle doesn't have. Basically, it's less dense. Serve on ice cream, with whipped cream, by itself, or on a shoe. I guarantee it'll be equally as good in any of those scenarios. Go make it, then go on a walk if you're feeling guilty. 

Questions, comments, and recipe requests below. Buon appetito!

Smoky Crab and Tomato Bisque with Sage Goat Cheese

Posted by Unknown Sunday, August 11, 2013 0 comments

With the rain yesterday, I really wanted a bowl of something warm to cozy up to. I know what you're thinking. Soup when it's 85 degrees out? But just hear me out: all the ingredients are in season now, so you won't get them this fresh any other time of year, and it's so easy, you'll wish you could make it all year round. Crab is obviously great in the summer and the tomatoes my aunt gave me were just perfect. The term bisque refers to a type of soup originating in classical French cuisine. It is a creamy seafood soup that usually has a smooth consistency and is made from seafood stock. It is also sometimes incorrectly used to refer to creamy soups made from pureed, cooked vegetables like butternut squash. I cut a few corners in mine that I'll explain later because 1. sometimes you're just not in the mood to make everything perfect, and 2. sometimes you just don't have time. I will say this though, there is always a time and place to really put a lot of effort into your meals, and I try to do that as often as possible, but sometimes you just can't for whatever reason. Besides, you're a hard-working cook; you deserve delicious food as soon as you can make it! Alright enough, onto the food...

I started by opening a bottle of pinot noir to drink to let it breathe. This is one of the lightest red wines, and for this recipe, we're going for as light as possible with the ingredients since it's a cream-based bisque. Then I heated 2tsp of olive oil in my large cast iron skillet. Ok, side note: if I had to choose a favorite kitchen tool, it would probably be a three-way tie between my microplane, my large chef's knife, and my cast iron skillet. Seriously, there is just something magical about the flavor a seasoned skillet imparts. And since it is one solid piece of iron, it evenly distributes the heat over the surface of the pan more so than any cooking pan I've used. 

Once your oil is nice and hot, add one medium diced white onion and a large pinch of salt, and walk away from the pan. You want the onions to slightly caramelize and if you move them around constantly, they won't have a chance to keep contact with the pan in order to do so. (TayTip: only salt your onions when you want to caramelize them. Salting them releases their water content and allows the natural sugars to caramelize.) They will start to brown and burn in some places, but that's ok because you will deglaze the skillet with 2 cups of the pinot noir. Then add 5 large diced red tomatoes. Don't worry about dicing them too small because they cook down. Make sure to put all the juice and seeds in the pan too. You want as much moisture as possible, and tomatoes are a very juicy fruit. Then add 2tsp of smoked Hungarian paprika. This is an incredible spice, and I recommend using it in place of your typical paprika. If you've ever had a burger from a charcoal grill as opposed to one cooked on a stove, you know what a difference the smoked flavor can give. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until it reduces by 1/3. Use the back of a wooden spoon to occasionally smush the tomatoes as they cook down. 


Now take this base for your bisque, transfer to a blender or food processor, and pulse a few times until the large chunks of tomato and onion are smooth. If I was making a traditional bisque, I would take a mesh strainer and strain out the seeds and any pieces of tomato not pureed, but this is where I cut a corner. Transfer your pureed sauce back into the pan and put the heat on low. Next, add 1tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. It's important to add them after the pureeing process so that they have time to slowly release their spice. Then add 1cup of cooked crab meat. Lump, claw, it doesn't really matter, use whatever type of meat you like. This is an easy meal, remember? And last but not least, add 1cup of heavy cream. Here's where the decadence comes into play. Now let it sit because if you're making this to eat immediately like I was, this is the only time the flavors will have to meld together before you get the first meal out of the bisque.  


If you noticed, I really haven't added much seasoning to the bisque other than salt, paprika, and crushed red pepper. I didn't even use garlic, people, so that should've been a red flag! This is because I don't want anything to overpower the gentle, sweet flavor of the crab meat. It's very easy to obstruct that flavor with loads of garlic and a lot of herbs, so I decided to stick to a single vein and only add one herb at the end. This is where the sage goat cheese happens. This is very similar to a compound butter, and is just as easy to make. First take your goat cheese out of the fridge so it can warm up a little. Setting it beside the warm stove burner works perfectly. Then take 18-20 small sage leaves and chop them as small as you can get them. Almost like a paste (TayTip: you can chop the sage much more easily by stacking the leaves on top of each other in a single pile). You should have a little less than 1/4 cup at the end. Mix with 10oz. of goat cheese and 1tsp of cracked black pepper. To store, lie a long piece of saran wrap over a cutting board and pile the mixture on top. Take one side of the saran wrap and fold it over, then slowly roll and mold the cheese until you have a log shape, folding over the other piece of saran wrap. Twist the ends and store in the fridge. This allows you to slice little medallions to place atop the hot bisque. 


The next step is to EAT this delicious bisque. Slice a couple of goat cheese coins and set them right on top of your steaming bowl. 


As the cheese melts, the sage reaches the warm orange lava and its earthy, woodsy flavor turns into perfume. If Kennedy could put a man on the moon FORTY-FOUR years ago, why haven't we developed smell-o-vision yet? But I digress. Sage has also been used in teas, salves, and aromatherapy for centuries to calm nerves and reduce anxiety. Perfect for bisque on a rainy day, right? I can't tell you how wonderfully sweet the crab meat is. You really need to make this! The Hungarian paprika gives just enough punch to have a little tussle with the sweet crab and tangy goat cheese. The ultimate fight for flavor. But the little kiss of pinot noir makes everyone shake hands at the end of the match...I mean meal. The next time you want something warm and flavorful on a rainy day, make this bisque...tomato soup will never seem the same.  Buon appetito!



Slow Cooker Boneless Short Ribs with Walnut Basil Pesto

Posted by Unknown Friday, August 9, 2013 0 comments

Can we just stop to have a little applause for alcohol? I mean is there anything that it can't make taste phenomenal? Seriously. And not just any alcohol, wine. White in this case. When it comes to wine and meat, they're basically a match made in culinary heaven. Ok, let's be honest, anything cooked with alcohol is a match made in  culinary heaven. I don't have a problem, I promise! Try incorporating wine into the cooking process of your next dinner (and I don't mean drink it while you're cooking, although that is an acceptable practice in my book 99% of the time) and taste the insane flavor it imparts. You can't beat it. Nothing can mimic that taste. 

Since I made fish earlier this week, and that's usually what we have on Fridays for dinner, I decided to go the opposite direction and cook some good ol' red meat. I saw some boneless pork short ribs and decided they looked impeccable. And let me just tell you, the slow cooker is a godsend when cooking pork. Like scrambled eggs, they're best cooked slowly. Giving the connective tissue time to break down over a period of time in the cooker produces a juicy and tender rib (TayTip: get your butcher to leave a little bit of marbling--the white fat--on the ribs if you know you're not going to be cooking them for a couple of days. The fat helps retain moisture within the muscle). BUT, you always have to have a good flavorful topping/sauce to go with your ribs. I wasn't really feeling typical BBQ sauce, so I decided to make my pesto. Incorporating pesto with meat is a great use of this versatile Italian sauce. So let's start there...

This pesto is the traditional recipe that originated in Genoa, Italy, except for one ingredient. The name literally means to pound or crush, referencing the conventional preparing vessel used: a mortal and pestle (see the same prefix?) A mortal and pestle is currently on my wishlist, so I use a food processor. Doesn't give as rustic a consistency, but it does the trick. So, put about two cups of basil leaves, the juice of 2 small lemons, and 4 raw garlic cloves into your processor and pulse until the basil is broken down. 


Now for the salty part: freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. This is not the stuff in the bottle with the green lid, which can be good for other recipes, but not this one. The difference is that parmigiano reggiano is made under strict Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata ("controlled designation of origin") laws--kind of like the USDA. You know how champagne can only be called such if it's made in the Champagne region of France? Same thing with parmigiano reggiano. It must follow the rules and be made in certain regions in Italy; Parma, Reggio-Emilia, and Modena to name a few. SO this is the real deal good stuff! You'll need about 1/4 cup grated right into the processor. Pesto is customarily made using pine nuts, but I didn't have any, so I decided to toast some walnuts and throw them in instead (TayTip: chefs often do, and you can make non-traditional pesto using different herbs and nuts. I've done sage and almonds before and it turns out great, so don't be scared to deviate a little. Especially if you have an allergy to a certain nut). The last step is to add a small pinch of salt because the cheese is very salty, some pepper, and turn the processor to the "ON" position. As it's running, slowly stream in 1/2 cup of olive oil. It should be somewhere between a loose vinaigrette and a paste, but you can tweak the oil and add more or less depending on how you like your consistency. 


 Put it in a container or bowl and drizzle more oil on top; you always want to cover leftover pesto with oil to keep it from drying out. This can obviously be used in a plethora of different dishes: pasta, salads, as a marinade, or simply as a dip with veggies or your favorite chips/crackers.  Let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to eat it with your meat. 

Speaking of which, let's move onto the meat. Start by quartering 1 1/2 medium white onions and roughly chopping 4 garlic cloves. Place your ribs in the slow cooker and season with a pinch of salt, couple twists of black pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil. No exact measurements needed here, but don't put too much oil. The pesto already has oil in it, and the meat has fat on it. Then wiggle 2-3 stalks of fresh rosemary and thyme, respectively, on the bottom of the pan. Don't worry about removing the leaves or sprigs because they will be submerged and fall off in the cooking process. Throw your onions and garlic in, and sprinkle with 1tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Then tuck your little piggies in with a nice blanket of Pinot Grigio. 2 cups to be exact. They won't be completely covered at the start, but will cook down. Set the cooker on high, cover, and let it work its magic for 4 hours. 


The pork just melds with all of the delectable elements in the cooker. It's important that the meat have a flavor element of its own, and not just take on the flavor of the pesto. So, that's why the herbs (whose stems you can fish out of the cooker at this point) onions, garlic, wine, and red pepper flakes are key players on the field. There will be a lot of broth left in the bottom of the cooker. DON'T throw that away. Put it in a container and freeze it; the next time you get sick, you'll have a good broth packed with vitamins and protein. Once the meat is finished, it will fall apart slightly. 


For two reasons that stand out to me, this is probably one of the best dishes you can make. One, it's done in the slow cooker and you can get on with your life while it's working away. And two, you just can't beat the flavors of wine and fresh herbs. The pork is so tender you could cut it with a wooden spoon. It tastes like the crisp pinot grigio and the sweet undertone of the onions. The smell of the rosemary and thyme remind me of Thanksgiving, but paired with the basil pesto, there's no mistaking this is a summer dish. The tang of the lemon is also pretty prominent in the sauce, and toasting the walnuts takes away their bitter taste, so they do well in replacing the pine nuts. These are pork ribs taken up a notch without the gloppy BBQ sauce. Who needs all that heaviness when you can have juicy meat topped with the lightest freshest sauce around? Buon appetito!

It's So Hot...Drunken Roasted Peach Froyo Was a GOOD Choice

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, July 31, 2013 0 comments

If you get the reference in that title, good job. If not, it's a quote from the movie Anchorman.



Basically July in Richmond is hotter'n the brass hinges of hell, so I decided to make something cool and refreshing. Plus, there's alcohol in it, so win-win! And not just any alcohol, my favorite kind: red wine. It's also peach season right now, and those little firey globes are aflush with yellow, orange, and red skins, just waiting for you to pick 'em and make this creamy froyo loaded with roasted deliciousness. 

First start by slicing your peaches lengthwise and pitting them. I use the opposite end of my melon baller. This side is used to do melon decorations, but it works perfectly for sliding under the pit and slicing it out.


Then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on a cookie sheet and place the peaches flesh side down. Put a little dollop of raw honey on each half and drizzle with some Chianti wine. Place the sheet in a 400 degree F oven and roast for 20-25 minutes. 



They will look like this when done. The golden, velvet skins will have shriveled a bit and pulled away from the flesh, which is soft and charred on the edges. Let them cool for at least 20 minutes (explanation later).


Peach heaven.


Now for the additional drunken part of these drunken peaches. You'll want to make a Chianti caramel. I KNOW, RIGHT? No more words are necessary about how great that is. 


Start by melting 1.5T butter in a pan with 4oz. of the Chianti (TayTip: 4oz is the liquid equivalent of 1/2c). Add 2T brown sugar and 2tsp of pure vanilla extract. 


 Then grate some fresh whole nutmeg into the pan. About 1tsp. 


 Cook over medium-high to high heat until boiling then remove from the heat immediately as the sugar can burn very quickly. 


Now back to the cooled peaches. Toss them skins and charred parts and all into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. 


 Will look like this when finished. (TayTip: at this point you could use the peach puree as a marinade or sauce for pork, chicken, or fish)


 Then add your gorgeous, tawny caramel and blend until incorporated. 



 Now for the "yo" part, and the reason why the peaches had to cool. If you mix piping hot peaches with cold yogurt, it is going to separate. As in curds and whey, and I don't see Little Miss Muffet anywhere, so it's best to take your time with this one. Add 2.5 cups to the peach mixture and blend. 


 Pale and sunny. 


The last thing to do is put it in a container in the freezer for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best. (TayTip: use the old yogurt container to store some of the froyo in the freezer)



The peaches are no longer sour because the roasting process eliminates most of the initial acidity, but they have this incredible depth of flavor. The Chianti is a dry red wine, but still very fruity, and melded with the molten brown sugar to create a caramel, it's just insane. The nutmeg doesn't really have a flavor comparable to anything else; it's incredibly nutty. If you've ever had eggnog or a béchamel, you know how great nutmeg is with cream. Top with strawberries, shaved dark chocolate or just enjoy this froyo on it's own. Cool down with this perfect treat for the sweltering later summer months! Buon Appetito!

Popular Posts

Followers

Copyright Taylor Maria Schultes 2013. All rights reserved. Powered by Blogger.

Copyright © Food, Baby!. All rights reserved.

Super SEO created by Blogger Tuts From Jom Kenal Islam