Corn Muffins
1½ cupsall-purpose flour 1 cup fine-ground, whole-grain yellow cornmeal 1½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp sea salt ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs ¾ cup sour cream or whole milk greek yogurt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled ½ cup whole milk Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375F degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, with vegetable oil spray. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until well combined, light-colored, and thick, about 1 minute. Add sour cream, melted butter, and milk and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and use rubber spatula to gently stir until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Do not overmix.Pour batter into muffin tin cup, using a rubber spatula to scrape batter from measuring cup if needed. Place muffin tin in oven. Bake until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of 1 muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Place muffin tin on cooling rack and let muffins cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes. Using your fingertips, gently wiggle muffins to loosen from muffin tin and transfer directly to cooling rack. Let muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 12 muffins Recipe courtesy of ATK Cookbook
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an intensely aromatic wine. FACT: one of the 18 Classic Noble Grapes. It is low acidity, full bodied, oily texture and low to medium alcohol (varies depending on the style and where it’s grown). The grapes skins are light pink which gives the wine a light golden color. Super undervalued, many great examples under $20! Sweet aromatics of lychee, rose petals, red grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, apricot, orange blossom, cantaloupe, honey, ginger, allspice, cinnamon. Where? It finds its home mainly in Alsace, France; Austria, Germany, Italy (Alro Adige), USA (California and Washington), Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Hungary. Gewürztraminer can be found in dry, off dry versions to to top quality sweet Alsatian Gewürztraminer “Vendange Tardive’ (a.k.a. ‘late harvest’). Ideal pairing for Indian and Moroccan Cuisines. P. J. Valckenberg Gewürztraminer 2018 from Pfalz, Germany: Aromas of orange blossom, lychee, peach, pear, apple, grapefruit, wet stone. Palate is off dry, medium- acid, low alcohol, medium body, creamy texture. Just delicious with Butter Chicken.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided 1 onion, chopped fine 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon garam masala 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon pepper 1 ½ cups water ½ cup tomato paste 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided 1 cup heavy cream 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, trimmed ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided Optional: 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced ( if you don’t want the dish spicy) Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is softened and onion begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Off heat, stir in cream. Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; gently reheat sauce before adding hot chicken.) Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine chicken, yogurt, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in bowl and toss well to coat. Using tongs, transfer chicken to wire rack set in aluminum foil—lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175 degrees, 16 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, warm sauce over medium-low heat. Cut chicken into ¾-inch chunks and stir into sauce. Stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and season with salt to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, and serve. Serves 4-6 Pair with an aromatic wine such as Gewürztraminer Recipe courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated
Madeira 101
Madeira came about quite by accident. It began in the 1600’s – wine often spoiled over long voyages by sea and needed to be fortified (by adding a little brandy) to survive the long trip. At the time, the island of Madeira ( which is part of Portugal) was key port for voyages to the Americas and the East Indies. The casks of Madeira wine would be heated onboard the ships and cooled as the ships passed through the tropics. Shippers noticed how the wine’s flavor deepened and became better and called this sea-aging. That’s how the process of making Madeira came to be, called “Madeirisation” meaning aged under extreme heat. Madeira is a subtropical island located 500km off the coast of Morocco, with rich volcanic soils, super steep slopes which can only be harvested by hand. To irrigate water was historically captured from the highest parts of the island (around 1800m) and channeled through the man-made canals called “levadas” – many of which date back to the 16th century. Interesting Fact: Did you know that Madeira was poured during Thomas Jefferson’s toast at the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, or that it was savored at the inauguration of George Washington shortly thereafter? Madeira is a fortified wine made in a range of styles from dry to sweet. It’s sold as either Extra Dry, Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet or Sweet, all of which are marked by their high levels of acidity. Often times there is an overlap of categories of sweetness by producers. There are 6 noble allowed varietals for high quality Madeira – Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez and Tina Negra. Varietal Madeira represents the highest quality Madeira wine, perfect for aperitifs or dessert wines. These wines are made as both non-vintage blends and single vintage wines that can age for centuries due to Madeira’s unique winemaking process. Further Madeira categories are Madeira with Age Indicator, Standard Blends, Rainwater, Frasqueira and Colheita. The Maderisation is what creates this unique style of wine through heat and oxidation. It develops the brown color, high acid, tertiary flavors. There are 2 forms of maturation of Madeira – canteiro and estufagem. Estufagem heats the wines quickly in large stainless steel tanks for a minimum of 3 months, then are quickly cooled and oxidized for a period of 6-12 months.. Canteiro is a longer ageing process for higher quality wines. The wines are in large old oak barrels (400-700L) with little headspace, left in a warm warehouse exposed to the sun and heat. The high humidity helps raise the alcohol %, concentrates the sugars, acids and aromas in the wines. You will find younger wines in the warmest areas and then moved to cooler areas for longer, slower ageing. Blending happens after the ageing and usually are non-vintage because they blend different vintages, vineyard locations etc to ensure consistency in the product. Flavors of Madeira will range by style but the key flavors are Caramel, Walnut Oil, Peach, Hazelnut, Orange Peel, and Burnt Sugar. Pair with sheep’s milk cheeses, hard and crumbly cheeses such as Aged Cheddar, foie gras, chicken with cream sauce, chestnut soup, beef Wellington. The high acidity makes it such a great food pairing for any rich sauces, cheeses or high fat dishes – it cuts right through the richness.
La Gitana Amontillado
Amontillado is a dry sherry made from the Palomino grape that have been both biological and oxidative ageing process ( see Sherry 101 for more details). This type of sherry starts as a young Fino Sherry, is refortified to 17% abv which kills the flor and undergoes maturation into an Amontillado Solera System. Amontillado Sherry is slightly bolder, nutty style in between Fino and Oloroso. Amontillados are a tawny brown color, due to extended contact with air inside the solera barrels. These lower acid wines have flavors of saline, nuttiness, sautéed mushrooms and a richness best described as umami. Usually about 18% abv, perfect pairings include medium-bodied soups or flavorfully sauced white meats like pork, pheasant or rabbit. La Gitana Amontillado is a medium amber color with medium intensity of walnut, lemon, bruised apple, flor yeast, fennel, caramel, roasted walnut, almond, raisin, sultana, tomato leaf, straw, praline pecan, butterscotch, toffee. The palate is dry, low acidity, medium alcohol, medium+ intensity of walnut, lemon, bruised apple, flor yeast, fennel, caramel, roasted walnut, almond, raisin, sultana, tomato leaf, straw, praline pecan, butterscotch, toffee.
Blandy’s Sercial Madeira
Madeira is a tough nut – in the sense that it’s hard to find and not easy to understand what the heck it is, besides for cooking Madeira Chicken. Madeira is a fortified wine in a range go sweetness, from dry to sweet styles. It gets its name from the island of Madeira, Portugal, located about 400 miles off the coast of Morocco. Madeira’s unique taste comes from heating the wine, cooling it, ageing and fractional blending. The heating creates a wine with rich tertiary flavors of roasted nuts, orange peel, stewed fruit, burnt caramel, and toffee. The super high acidity is the true identifier of this wine, which comes from it’s subtropical climate, uber steep slopes, volcanic soils and types of grapes used. There are 5 permitted noble grapes that can be used (and labeled) for Madeira – Tinta Negra, Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia. This is the minimum amount of aging a wine labeled with one of the noble varieties is permitted. Varietal Madeira represents the highest quality Madeira wine, perfect for aperitifs or dessert wines. For more information on the process Madeira 101. Sercial is the brightest, crispiest style of Madeira. Sercial shows lemony, spicy, herbaceous notes and often displays a stony mineral character on the palate. These wines have a slight sweetness that is offset by their acidity, especially when served chilled. Blandy’s 10 year Sercial Madeira is a medium amber color. It has intense aromas of caramel, orange peel, burnt brown sugar, toasted walnut, wood, pine nuts, cloves, lemon peel. The palate is medium-dry, high acid, medium bodied, high alcohol and intense flavors of caramel, orange peel, burnt brown sugar, toasted walnut, wood, pine nuts, cloves, lemon peel. It is well balanced with good concentration and intensity. Pair with sheep’s milk cheeses, hard and crumbly cheeses such as Aged Cheddar, foie gras, chicken with cream sauce, chestnut soup, beef Wellington. The high acidity makes it such a great food pairing for any rich sauces, cheeses or high fat dishes – it cuts right through the richness.
Fortified Wines &Cheese
After a busy week and a day of studying, fortified wines, why not have a cheese pairing to go with it? From left to right the cheeses are a goat cheese, a cow’s milk hard cheese and a blue cheese. Each of these cheeses has certain characteristics that pair well with the below fortified wines ( this is not an exhaustive list by any means). Cheese pairs with many different types of wines. See my Wine and Cheese pairings 101 for more information. 🧀 Humbolt Fog cheese from Cypress Grovers in California is a soft ripened goat cheese with a line of ash down the center paired with a Blandy’s 10 year Sercial Madeira. The acidity of the wine cuts right through the richness of the cheese and makes your mouth sing. 🧀 Fineback from Mystic Cheese Co. in Connecticut is a cow’s milk hard cheese is crumbly yet creamy and paired beautifully with an Lustau Amontillado Sherry. The savory flavors of the Sherry were a lovely match with this cheese. 🧀 Bayley Blue cheese from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont was an incredible match with a Taylor’s LBV 2015 Port. Port has the goods to hold up to a rich and unctuous cheese like blue.
Okanagan Valley Winter Red
Need a cool weather wine to warm you up? Give Mission Hill Five Vineyards Cabernet Merlot a try! Mission Hill Family Estate is located in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Okanagan Valley AVA is one of 5 AVAs in British Columbia. The estate was established in 1981 when the region was largely unknown or undiscovered for winemaking. “The glacier-formed valley offered varying soil profiles, long, hot growing days, and diverse microclimates. These distinct subregions posed an opportunity to cultivate wine with unmistakable terroir. This potential inspired Mission Hill Family Estate’s vision for the future of Okanagan wine.” Through sustainable, organic farming practices combined with modern technology the varietals shine in the valley (technology meets traditional farming so to speak). The Mission Hill Five Vineyards Cabernet Merlot 2017 is the value wine of this vineyard and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The wine has aromas of black plums, ripe blackberry, red currant, vanilla and sage. The wine is dry, medium bodied, medium tannins and acidity, with bright flavors of black plums, ripe blackberry, red currant, espresso, black pepper, vanilla and sage. Pair with roasted duck breast with plums, braised beef ribs, grilled burger, mushroom risotto, pasta with Bolognese sauce, Asiago cheese, or eggplant Parmesan.
Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Lasagna
1 1/2lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 4 cups 1 lb. baby spinach 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. grated lemon zest 1/8 tsp grated fresh nutmeg 10 oz. whole milk cottage cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 6 no-boil lasagna noodles Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix cottage cheese, parmesan, cream, sage, cornstarch and 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper together in a bowl. Combine squash, spinach, oil, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper in a bowl, cover and microwave for 7 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the squash is just tender. Transfer to collander and drain for 5 minutes. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture into a greased 9 inch square baking dish. Lay 2 noodles in the dish, they can overlap it’s fine, and top with half of the squash mixture and half the cheese mixture. Repeat layering. Lay 2 noodles on top, cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella. ( assembled lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 24hrs.) Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and back for 30 minutes. Remove foil, rotating the dish and continue to bake till the top is golden and bubbly, 10-15 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves 4 Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen
Vaucluse GSM
Vaucluse IGT is a large region in the western border Southern Rhône to Provence. Vaucluse is spread across many of the revered southern Rhone wine AOCs and Crus – Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cotes-du-Rhone AOC (and its accompanying Villages). FACT: There are less restrictions for Vins de Pays but that does not mean it’s a low quality wine….. oh contraire! It’s the complete opposite – what it means is that it can mix grapes from two different AOCs — Cotes-du-Rhone and Ventoux — which is not allowed at the AOC level. The typical soils are clay, limestone and stoney galets which brings warmth to ripen the grapes, rich ripened fruit, higher alcohol and minerality. The Southern Rhone makes red wine blends known as GSM, which stands for Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre. Depending on the AOC the blend could include 15 grape varieties, with Grenache being the dominant grape. The blend could also include other grapes such as Cinsault, Counoise, Carignan. These wines have character, a savoriness and rustic quality balanced with ripe fruit. The Brunier family are a 6 generation winemaking family. The original estate, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe was established in 1891 in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Domaine La Roquète, Domaine Les Pallières are their most prestigious vineyards, as well as produce Vins de Pays Vaucluse. Winemakers Frédérick & Daniel Brunier have a deep knowledge and love of the terroir. They continue the family tradition and expand their holdings, as far as Lebanon with Massaya in association with Sami and Ramzi Ghosn, planted mainly in the northeast Beqaa Valley. Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge “Le Pigeoulet” 2016 Is a blend is from fruit from the Côtes-du-Rhône and Ventoux appellations. The vines are an average of 25 years old. The name Pigeoulet is from the foothills of the noble La Crau plateau. It is made up of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Carignan, 5% Cinsault. Aged in 18 months in 50% cement tanks, 50% old oak foudre. Full bodied at 14% abv (you wouldn’t know it as it’s so smooth). It has a lovely rustic, sweet berry & spice aromas of ripe plum, cranberry, blackberry, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, raspberry jam, garigue and vanilla. Palate is dry, medium acid, chalky & round medium tannins, medium+ body and high alcohol, flavors of black cherry, plum, blackberry, raspberry, leather , dust, wet stone, pepper, licorice, garigue, meat, savory, lavender, bramble, black currant and mint. It’s well balanced and deserves a roast to accompany it! Amazing quality to price point $16 Pair with Roast Bone-In Pork A La Herbes de Provence