Lamb Stew with Chimay Red Recipe
November 14, 2008 by Greg · 3 Comments
By Greg B. So with the colder weather upon us, many people are once again turning to baking foods and slow cooked meals using the oven. While this does serve a dual purpose of warming the house a bit, and making some delicious food, I’ve recently really gotten into using my crock pot. It is some of the most simple cooking and a great, simple concept: very slow, evenly distributed heat over a long period of time in a covered container. This renders all food extremely tender, moist, fully cooked and very flavorful. Read more
Jim’s Infamous Frito-Bean Salad Recipe
November 11, 2008 by Greg · 2 Comments
So, for years now, Jim, a fellow neuroscience grad student, has come to parties with his salad (Including the July 4th pig roast this past summer). When we have parties, essentially at this point, we have come to expect that he will be there. Not necessarily with beer or wine, or anything but the frito-bean salad. I also know what you’re thinking right now. ”Fritos? I haven’t had them since 6th grade. And a bean salad with fritos? This cant be good!”. Well, I’m here to tell you that this assumption is completely incorrect. The salad is great and is always a the hit of the party. Read more
Among Mexico’s Best Food: Pork Mole
By Greg B. Yes, that’s right, it’s pronounced ‘moe-lay’ and it’s fantastic. Traditional Mexican mole includes one of the New World’s classic ingredients: chocolate. Here I have a very simple recipe that makes a really splendid dinner, either for one or for a larger party of family that I’m sure everyone will really enjoy. That is, in some ways, the essence of Mexican cuisine: simple ingredients and dishes, combined in creative ways to feed large groups of family and friends. What more could one ask for? Read more
Food, Wine, Culture TV- Episode 12- Beer, Portuguese Cocktail and Fried Chicken
September 23, 2008 by michael · 2 Comments
Food, Wine, Culture TV- Episode 12: In the first episode in over a week (I’ve been quite busy!) Greg Bissonette (our beer expert) has accepted my challenge of “Battle Fried Chicken beer vs wine.” In this first episode in the series of three, we taste a beer, one of my favorite spring, summer and fall cocktails (from Portugal) and I share my simple recipe for delicious fried chicken. Be sure to check back soon to see the showdown in Episode 13, and a drunken “Battle Apple Pie” in Episode 14.
Cheers!
Food, Wine, Culture TV - Episode 8: Two easy seafood dishes and Italian White Wines
August 28, 2008 by michael · Leave a Comment
Food, Wine, Culture TV- The Real Episode 8: Today we’re making fried calamari and lobster which I pair with a couple white wines from Soave (Veneto, Italy) that I tasted in Episode 7 (here). Join me for a 12 minute journey into some great seafood and good wines!
Italian Night in an American’s Household
So, Mike has tasted the finer things of Italy, the good proscuitto and he has rated and drank many fine Italian wines and even toured the countryside finding delicious things to eat or drink. For now, however, I am home bound. However I do sometimes get caught up in the good, simple foods from Italy, and last night I made two of them: Chicken cutlets and Risotto. Below are my basic recipes for simple Italian goodness (with my own twists).
Food, Wine, Culture TV- Episode 6: Cooking show- Mike’s Mama’s Schnitzel & Rieslings!
Wow…already at episode 6! If you missed the first five, click on the FWB-TV link above (or here!). Today we’re back in our “still being renovated” kitchen where I prepare my Mama’s schnitzel with pommes frites and a few Rieslings. Carlos L. is back this time with his electric guitar to provide music and expert food tasting skills. The schnitzel turned out great, the wines are good and Carlos keeps the music rocking. (Main image credit: wikipedia.com)
A Few Recipes From Around The Blogosphere: With wine pairings!
I read a lot of food blogs and am always impressed with the number of great home chefs (and pro chefs) out there! Since I love food and wine, and enjoy coming up with interesting wine pairings for any dish, I decided to feature a few recipes from around the internet each week and offer my wine pairing advice.
From FigandCherry.Com: Red wine lamb shanks with herb mash
If this dish doesn’t look or sound amazing to you, then I’m guessing your a vegetarian! With a nice red wine sauce, the obvious pairing here would be a medium to big bodied red with good structure and dark fruits- I’d look to the left bank of the Gironde river in Bordeaux to the Cabernet-heavy blends.
Recipes for the 4th of July…with a few wine pairing ideas!
July 2, 2008 by michael · 8 Comments
Here are some recipe and wine ideas for this fourth of July that are certain to make your celebration a delicious success. Many of these come from Cathy at the Noble Pig website, which is my favorite food blog and overall just an outstanding website with great pictures, stories and more! I highly recommend you check out her website and sign up for her feeds!!!
As for the dishes below, most are simple, all are delicious and are complete with wine pairing ideas.
Appetizers:
Cinghale Shrimp on Greens: Wine Pairing: I like the fruit, acidity and complexity of a nice Spatlese Riesling. My pick: 2002 J.J. Prum Riesling Himmelreich (Spatlese) ($30)
Blue Sky Potatoes: Wine Pairing: The slight oakiness of a good Chardonnay would go well with the bacon and creamy potatoes. My pick: 2006 Wente Chardonnay Arroyo Seco Riva Ranch ($13)
Shrimp Rockefeller Stuffed Mushrooms: Wine Pairing: This is a tougher dish to pair, there are a lot of big flavors and a variety of textures. I think a safe bet would be a crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as 2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($16). Read more
Recipe: Old Ebbitt Grill Crab Cakes courtesy of Ali Ehrlich!
June 30, 2008 by michael · 9 Comments
This past weekend Kim, the dogs and I spent three days kayaking, fishing, swimming and relaxing at our friends Shenandoah River house. The company included our friends Dave and Ali (Ali is pictured here on the left, with Kim and Raja), who we met through the weekends host a few months ago. Great food was eaten, great wines were drank, and great stories were both told and written.
Ali and I got to talking about her website “Life as an E” (Ehrlich) in which she gives fun and well written commentary on her life since marrying her husband David Ehrlich (the “E”!). The blog covers much more than just what they did last Tuesday or who called them last night. In fact, it is a good source for random travel, food and wine information including tasting notes and recipes! After picking her brain a bit and going through her website, I’ve asked her to share some of her recipes with us since many of them sounded very good.
Below is recipe for “Old Ebbitt Grill Crab Cakes” which I’m going to give a shot as soon at the kitchen is finished!!! Don’t forget to check out her site which features more recipes and great food and wine ramblings!
From “Life as an “E” by Ali Ehrlich:
Old Ebbitt is a DC institution, and while this is about 99% their recipe, we have made it at home a few times and tweaked it a bit for our tastes. These are authentic Maryland style crab cakes -all lump meat with almost no filler added and tastes incredible! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
First, you will need:
1 large work bowl
1 small/ medium work bowl
a baking sheet
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (such as Old Bay)
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
4 Saltine or Ritz crackers (or ¼ cup of breadcrumbs)
1 lemon (optional)
Got everything? Now, you:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet
Pick the crabmeat over to remove excess shells and cartilage.
Combine the mayonnaise, crab seasoning, parsley, mustard, and water in the medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crabmeat and mix, being careful not to break up the lumps of crabmeat.
With your hands, break up the saltines into crumbs and mix into the crab mixture.
Form into patties and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the crab cakes over, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.
Plate and garnish with any extra fresh flat leaf parsley and lemon wedge, serve with tarter sauce on the side. Enjoy!
We usually get our crab and fresh seafood and fish from Cameron’s Seafood Market in Rockville. They have lots of locations in the DC area, and have daily and weekly specials available online.
Recipe: The million dollar cookie (courtesy of the Noble Pig)
May 14, 2008 by michael · 2 Comments
Maryland native Carolyn Gurtz recently one a million dollars for this peanut butter cookie. Our friend Cathy at the Noble Pig put her spin on it. Check out her website for step-by-step instructions and outstanding photos of the whole “million dollar cookie” making process.
Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from Carolyn Gurtz’s Million Dollar Cookies
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 package (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury Create’ n Bake refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled
Preheat oven to 375 degree.
In a small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
In another bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape the mixture into 24 1-inch balls.
Cut a roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half, crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly.
Shape one cookie dough piece around one peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat the mixture completely onto the balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with cooking spray. Flatten each ball to 1/4-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into the dough.
Bake 7 to 12 minutes (mine took eleven) or until edges are golden brown. Cool one minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.
