Friday December 26th, 2008

Chocolate Filled Croissants

The first year that Mr. B and I were married, we looked to start our own Christmas traditions together. One of my favorite traditions started that year was to enjoy chocolate filled croissants and coffee while waking up Christmas morning. Williams-Sonoma sells amazing chocolate croissants that are simple to make and a real treat hot out of the oven. You simply take them out of the freezer the night before, and in the morning they will have risen and can be popped into the oven for a quick 15 minutes. The resulting croissants are flaky, buttery, and filled with a high quality dark chocolate. Fantastic! The croissants are made by a French chef at Galaxy desserts in California and each one is rolled by hand. If you don’t live near an excellent French bakery, these are a fine way to enjoy croissants at home.

Merry Christmas! May your holiday be filled with joy and love.
Phoo-D & Mr. B

Early Phoo-D Photos-75
The croissants are out of the freezer and rising overnight.

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In the morning the croissants have risen and are ready to pop into the oven.

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Hot, buttery, chocolate filled croissants!

 

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Monday December 22nd, 2008

Bourbon Caramel Pecan Ice Cream

Early Phoo-D Photos-58

If you have been waiting for one last recipe to convince you to run out and get an ice cream maker, wait no longer. You might even be able to get it on your Christmas list if Santa is unaware of his need to shop before December 24th. Not that Santa ever does that around our house…

This weekend we had blizzard conditions and a high of -1 (should they be able to call it a high if it is below zero?), so of course, Mr. B was in the mood for ice cream. We were recently given a bag of beautiful fresh pecans from an Aunt in Alabama. Also, I had been toying with the idea of substituting brown sugar in an ice cream custard base for some time. And what goes well with brown sugar and pecans? Bourbon of course! So, I flipped through my Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream cookbook and found a recipe for caramel ice cream to use as the springboard for our Bourbon Caramel Pecan ice cream. With a little work, and several hours of patience, the resulting ice cream is undeniably the best we’ve ever made. Buttery, creamy, caramelized bourbon flavors combine with little studs of pecan creating an ice cream that stands alone. If you don’t like bourbon then this ice cream isn’t for you. But if you don’t like bourbon…does anyone not like bourbon?

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Sugar mixture before caramelizing

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Sugar mixture after caramelizing (note color change)

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Tempering the egg mixture into the caramel

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Test of patience…

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Oh, yeah!

Bourbon Caramel Pecan Ice Cream
Caramel base adapted from Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream Cookbook
Makes 1 Quart

Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons separate
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy (double) cream
4 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup quality bourbon, plus 1/8 cup separate
1/2 cup pecans, chopped into tiny pieces

Directions
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine white sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, water, and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Stop stirring at this point and cook until the syrup has darkened and is a dark coffee color, 5-6 minutes. (See photos above.) Swirl during this process to ensure even cooking and watch closely to avoid burning. If it burns, throw it out and start over.

Remove the pan from heat. Carefully pour 3/4 cup of the cream into the hot syrup (avoid splashing) and stir until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

In a small skillet toast the pecans over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and pour in 1/3 cup of bourbon. The bourbon will evaporate and be absorbed by the pecans. Let cool and place in a covered container in the fridge until you make the ice cream.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/8 cup of bourbon, and the remaining 1/4 cup of heavy cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the milk.

Slowly pour the milk mixture into the warm caramel and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it (4-6 minutes, until the custard reaches 140 degrees). Do not let the custard boil or get above 140 degrees. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.

Place the medium bowl into a larger bowl partially filled with ice cubes and water. Stir occasionally until cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate medium bowl until chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When there are five minutes left in the freezing process, slowly add in the reserved pecans. Transfer ice cream into a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze until firm. This will take at least 3 hours. Ice cream can be made up to 3 days before serving.

 

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Monday December 15th, 2008

Greek Feast

Early Phoo-D Photos-53

When I was in high school, my best girlfriend would take me out to dinner each year on my birthday. Our favorite spot to celebrate was a tiny Greek restaurant with white tablecloths and menu items that were affordable for two minimum wage earning high school students. I always ordered the same thing: Avgolemono (Lemon Soup), Greek salad, Pastitsio, and Baklava for dessert. The meal was delicious, memorable, and comfort food all at the same time.

Fast forward a few (okay, several) years later to last week. I was reading the December issue of Gourmet magazine when I came across a photo of pastitsio that stopped me in my tracks. The pastitsio I had before always used lasagna style noodles and with finely ground lamb this made the dish rather dense and sometimes mushy. This photo showed a beautiful tray of pastitsio made with rows of perfectly stacked round ziti. Genius! I knew that I had to try this recipe right away, and the week of my birthday seemed like the perfect time.

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I was so excited about the pastitsio that I decided to go big and do an entire Greek meal. Many years back, we had a family friend who ran a summer restaurant in the Greek village of Lakonias. She was kind enough to provide me with their family recipe for Avgolemono, which I’ve kept in my recipe files for years. The recipe makes a very pure and refreshing soup. Some may find it a bit bland, but I think in a small cup is a wonderful way to cleanse the palate between the heavier salad and pastitsio dishes.
Early Phoo-D Photos-46

For my birthday this year, I was given a new cookbook by Jamie Oliver with beautiful salad recipes and techniques. One of the first recipes in the book is for a delicious Greek Salad. So combining all of the above, the menu was set: Dolmes (hoarded from a trip to Trader Joe’s last April), Greek salad, Avgolemono, and Pastitsio. Baklava would have been fantastic, but sadly they can’t be bought nearby and making them from scratch would have been really over the top…There’s always next time!

Greek Salad

Greek Salad
Adapted from ‘Cook With Jamie’ by Jamie Oliver
Serves 4

Salad Ingredients:
4 ripe plum tomatoes
handful of kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly, then cut in half again
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper
herb or red wine vinegar
1 large romaine lettuce, outer leaves discarded , inner leaves washed and dried
4 oz feta cheese

Dressing Ingredients:
2 T Avocado Oil
8 T Olive Oil
4 T lemon juice
2 pinches fleur de sel
freshly ground black pepper
2 T Red wine vinegar

Directions:
Place all dressing ingredients in a small jar with lid or empty salad dressing container and shake to combine. Set aside to let ingredients meld together.

Cut tomatoes erratically into about 1/2 inch shapes. In a large bowl, mix tomatoes, olives, red onion, most of the oregano, a few splashes of the vinegar, salt and pepper and set aside for about 5 minutes.

Tear the larger lettuce leaves into pieces and leave the smaller leaves whole. Add them to the bowl, then dress everything with most of the dressing and toss gently in the bowl with your fingers, making sure each leaf is coated with dressing. Move your dressed salad to individual plates or a large platter. Crumble large chunks of feta over the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the rest of the oregano and serve.

Early Phoo-D Photos-43

Avgolemono (Lemon Soup)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely diced
2 T canola oil
2 T fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 t oregano (or 1 T fresh, finely chopped)
2 cups cooked white rice (such as basmati)
6 cups chicken broth
1 chicken breast, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T lemon juice
3 eggs

Directions:
In a medium soup pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, and oregano stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add chicken breast pieces and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in cooked rice.

Meanwhile, beat eggs with lemon juice in a medium bowl. Very slowly add hot broth, 1/4 cup at a time to gradually warm up the eggs without causing them to scramble. After adding about 1 cup of broth to eggs, remove pot from heat and slowly stir egg mixture into soup. Do not let mixture come to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a small slice of lemon to squeeze on top of the soup.

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Soup before adding in the egg mixture.

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Tempering the eggs with hot broth.
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Next up: Pastitsio! Assembling the meat sauce and bechamel.
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Ingredients for the bechamel
Pastitsio
As written in Gourmet, December, 2008
Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

For meat sauce:
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pounds ground lamb
1 (28-ounces) can whole tomatoes in juice
1 (15-ounces) can whole tomatoes in juice
4 thyme sprigs
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For béchamel sauce:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
7 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or kefalotyri cheese (2 ounces)
5 large egg yolks

For pasta:
2 pounds ziti
1 3/4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from 4 slices firm white sandwich bread)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or kefalotyri cheese

Directions:
Make meat sauce:
Cook onions in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Increase heat to high, then stir in lamb and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps with a fork, until meat starts to brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain both cans of tomatoes, reserving juice, and chop.

Pour off excess fat from skillet, then stir in tomatoes with their juice, thyme, spices, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, until some liquid has evaporated but sauce is still moist, about 40 minutes. Discard thyme.

Make béchamel while meat sauce simmers:
Melt butter in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook roux, whisking frequently, until pale golden, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in a heavy medium saucepan until just about to boil. Add milk to roux in a stream, whisking constantly until very smooth. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then cook, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, cheese, and 1 tablespoon salt.

Lightly beat yolks in a bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 cups béchamel, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining béchamel in saucepan. Cover with a round of buttered wax paper (buttered side down).

Cook pasta and assemble pastitsio:
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Cook ziti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Drain pasta, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in 1 cup béchamel.

Arrange one third of pasta lengthwise in 1 layer in a large (17-by 11-inch) baking pan (about 2 inches deep).

Add half of meat sauce (about 3 cups) to baking pan, spreading evenly over pasta.

Make another layer of pasta and top with remaining meat sauce, then arrange remaining pasta on top.

Spread remaining béchamel (about 6 cups) evenly over top layer of pasta.

Stir together bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle evenly over top of pastitsio.

Bake until crumbs are golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Cooks’ notes:
• Meat sauce can be made 2 days ahead of assembling pastitsio and chilled (covered once cool). Bring to room temperature before using in pastitsio.
• Pastitsio can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, until heated through, about 45 minutes.

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Mixing the ziti
(I couldn’t find ziti anywhere, so I used Rigatoni for a close substitute)

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Hot out of the oven!

 

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Monday December 15th, 2008

Mahogany Smoked Meats Jerky

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I am not a vegetarian.

I do love vegetables and appreciate the creativity that comes with meatless cooking, but sometimes I want nothing more than to tear into a nice piece of meat. Jerky provides fantastic satisfaction for those primal cravings without devoting the time or calories to eating a steak. One way we lived off the land when I was a child was by making delicious smoked meats and fish. Each Fall, my Dad smoked duck, salmon, and goose jerky. There was always a wide assortment of smoked meats in the fridge to snack on through the winter. Once I left home, and with it, Dad’s smokehouse, I’ve found it quite difficult to buy decent jerky. Most national brands are loaded with additives, preservatives, and artificial smoke flavor. Poor quality meat is doctored up with overpowering flavorings, and I’m left feeling like I just ate an entire bag of spicy corn nuts by myself. Not good.

I’ve yet to break down and buy/build my own smokehouse, so in the meantime I’ve been looking around for a quality source of jerky. Based on several Chowhound reviews, I located Mahogany Smoked Meats . After browsing through their gorgeous website, I decided to order the 16oz Jerky Medley – 1/8lb packages of 8 different styles and flavors of jerky. Mr. B and I have spent the past two months chewing, tearing, and happily devouring each style of jerky, taking notes as we went. Our overall conclusion? These guys know what they’re doing, and we’re hoping it doesn’t prove to be addictive! Based on our own subjective tastes, here’s what we thought of each style: (Note – We bought this anonymously, paid for it ourselves, and Mahogany Smoked Meats has no idea who we are.)

Early Phoo-D Photos-54

Slab ~ This is their most leathery style of jerky. (Think, bite and yank.) Thinly sliced, it has a slight pepper flavor with pleasant saltiness and a hint of sweetness. Classic jerky.

Western Strips ~ Slightly sweet with a hint of pepper, it’s another beefy traditional style jerky.

Black Pepper ~ This jerky is nicely balanced with a rounded pepper flavor and only a mild heat. A little on the dry side.

Turkey Sweet & Spicy* ~ Moist with an authentic turkey flavor, this jerky has a lot of umami. It starts with a honeyed sweetness and ends with a tongue tingling peppery finish. We ate the whole package at once!

Habanero** ~ Sticky, and slightly sweet, this jerky has a moist heat that starts small and buzzes your whole mouth at the end. I’d say it’s medium to hot jerky.

Teriyaki ~ Another moist jerky with sweet overtones and a hint of spice at the end. Too sweet for our tastes.

Honey Turkey ~ Sweet, soft and chewy with no pepper flavor. This didn’t have the authentic turkey flavor of the Sweet and Spicy Turkey jerky. Not a favorite.

Sweet and Spicy (beef) ~ Very good jerky with a nice umami and slight spiciness. Moist and chewy but not soft.
* This was my favorite style
** This was Mr. B’s favorite style

So if you’re looking for an unusual Christmas gift or if you’re just itching to satisfy a primal craving for excellent smoked meat, you might check out Mahogany Smoked Meats. Now if only they had a jerky of the month club…

 

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Monday December 15th, 2008

Hearty Meat Lover’s Lasagna

Early Phoo-D Photos-42

In keeping with our love for all things meaty, cheesy, and Italian, about three years ago I decided to create a lasagna recipe that would satisfy our cravings for all of the above in one fell swoop. This lasagna has now become something of a staple around our house in the winter. It is a slow cooking dish, perfect for a weekend when you want to stay inside near a warm stove. This Christmas, my entire family is headed out to visit us in the frozen Midwest and will experience first hand the joys of sub-zero temperatures. (Don’t forget to bring socks!) I decided last weekend to make a tray of this lasagna to keep handy in the freezer. That way we can easily pull it out after a day of fun and satisfy the crowd with stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.

A few tips for making this lasagna: Quality is key. I always use ground sirloin and quality Italian sausage along with fresh buffalo style mozzarella and good balsamic vinegar (not aged balsamic though, that’s too nice). Take your time. Setting aside two hours for the sauce to simmer allows the flavors to reach a deliciously concentrated depth that is well worth the wait. Use regular lasagna noodles. I’ve found that regular un-baked lasagna noodles perform identically to “no bake” labeled lasagna noodles in this recipe (and maybe all the time?).

Ready for Assembly

Early Phoo-D Photos-39

Layer Away

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Freeze or Bake!

Hearty Meat Lover’s Lasagna
Makes Two 9×13 Pans – Enough to Feed a Crowd

Ingredients:
1.2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
1.2 pounds lean ground sirloin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 package (8 oz) of sliced mushrooms
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (15 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, divided
12 lasagna noodles
32 ounces ricotta cheese (part-skim or regular)
2 eggs
2 pounds mozzarella cheese, sliced (be sure to use the fresh, soft, “buffalo” type)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large skillet with lid, cook sausage, ground sirloin, onion, mushrooms, and garlic, in olive oil over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Season with sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer on low, covered, for at least 1 1/2 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with eggs, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

To assemble, spread enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of two 9×13 inch baking dishes. Arrange 3 raw lasagna noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread noodles with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Place a third of the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the ricotta in pans. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle each pan with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup Romano cheese. Repeat layers (noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat), and top with remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheese. Cover pans with foil: to prevent sticking, spray the underneath side of foil with cooking spray.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until cheese on top is nice and golden. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Early Phoo-D Photos-41

Crunchy, chewy, gooey, Yum!

 

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Monday December 15th, 2008

Hearty Meat Lover’s Lasagna

Early Phoo-D Photos-42

In keeping with our love for all things meaty, cheesy, and Italian, about three years ago I decided to create a lasagna recipe that would satisfy our cravings for all of the above in one fell swoop. This lasagna has now become something of a staple around our house in the winter. It is a slow cooking dish, perfect for a weekend when you want to stay inside near a warm stove. This Christmas, my entire family is headed out to visit us in the frozen Midwest and will experience first hand the joys of sub-zero temperatures. (Don’t forget to bring socks!) I decided last weekend to make a tray of this lasagna to keep handy in the freezer. That way we can easily pull it out after a day of fun and satisfy the crowd with stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.

A few tips for making this lasagna: Quality is key. I always use ground sirloin and quality Italian sausage along with fresh buffalo style mozzarella and good balsamic vinegar (not aged balsamic though, that’s too nice). Take your time. Setting aside two hours for the sauce to simmer allows the flavors to reach a deliciously concentrated depth that is well worth the wait. Use regular lasagna noodles. I’ve found that regular un-baked lasagna noodles perform identically to “no bake” labeled lasagna noodles in this recipe (and maybe all the time?).

Ready for Assembly

Early Phoo-D Photos-39

Layer Away

Early Phoo-D Photos-40

Freeze or Bake!

Hearty Meat Lover’s Lasagna
Makes Two 9×13 Pans – Enough to Feed a Crowd

Ingredients:
1.2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
1.2 pounds lean ground sirloin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 package (8 oz) of sliced mushrooms
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (15 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, divided
12 lasagna noodles
32 ounces ricotta cheese (part-skim or regular)
2 eggs
2 pounds mozzarella cheese, sliced (be sure to use the fresh, soft, “buffalo” type)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large skillet with lid, cook sausage, ground sirloin, onion, mushrooms, and garlic, in olive oil over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Season with sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer on low, covered, for at least 1 1/2 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with eggs, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

To assemble, spread enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of two 9×13 inch baking dishes. Arrange 3 raw lasagna noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread noodles with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Place a third of the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the ricotta in pans. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle each pan with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup Romano cheese. Repeat layers (noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat), and top with remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheese. Cover pans with foil: to prevent sticking, spray the underneath side of foil with cooking spray.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until cheese on top is nice and golden. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Early Phoo-D Photos-41

Crunchy, chewy, gooey, Yum!

 

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Friday December 12th, 2008

Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz, 2007

Early Phoo-D Photos-35

This is the first of what I hope will be weekly posts by the other half of the Phoo-D family, Mr. B. In our household I’m typically the designated chef, and Mr. B is usually responsible for all beverage pairings. Each week, Mr. B will write about what we’re drinking and mixing along with ideas for excellent food pairings. So without further adieu, Mr. B!

Hi everyone. Having had great experiences with Australian wines over the past few years but occasionally encountering uninspiring, if not disappointing chemical creations in the below $20 price range I took note of the positive plug from the December 2008 Gourmet for the Tobreck 2007 Woodcutter’s Shiraz. Torbreck is a name I recognize from wine publications as a top rated producer and I was excited to see it on the shelf of a wine store on a recent visit to California.

We tried it out with a horseradish braised brisket dish (unfortunately this dish was not blog worthy and will be recast later this winter). However, the underlying braised meat and earthy vegetable flavors played well to this wine.

Here are the Tasting Notes:
At first the wine is young and fresh with a slight Shiraz peppery heat. It is not overly berry-rather an earthy, balanced, and round structured wine. Like all good food wines it took on more dimension with the meal-becoming deeper and slightly perfumed. Ah, this makes me want to get more! Don’t let the screwcap or the $18 price tag fool you. This is a well made Shiraz and an outstanding value. It is a wine that will pair well with a variety of hearty dishes.

I checked out more of the Torbreck story and learned that the vintner David Powell is a fan of Rhone wines and makes an assortment of interesting red and white wines from vineyards he rehabilitated in the early 90′s. Unfortunately there is not even a single distributor for his wines in all our surrounding Midwestern states, however it is possible to order the Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz from K&L online. I have a Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles in stock to try out, and look forward to posting on that wine soon.

 

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Friday December 12th, 2008

Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz, 2007

Early Phoo-D Photos-35

This is the first of what I hope will be weekly posts by the other half of the Phoo-D family, Mr. B. In our household I’m typically the designated chef, and Mr. B is usually responsible for all beverage pairings. Each week, Mr. B will write about what we’re drinking and mixing along with ideas for excellent food pairings. So without further adieu, Mr. B!

Hi everyone. Having had great experiences with Australian wines over the past few years but occasionally encountering uninspiring, if not disappointing chemical creations in the below $20 price range I took note of the positive plug from the December 2008 Gourmet for the Tobreck 2007 Woodcutter’s Shiraz. Torbreck is a name I recognize from wine publications as a top rated producer and I was excited to see it on the shelf of a wine store on a recent visit to California.

We tried it out with a horseradish braised brisket dish (unfortunately this dish was not blog worthy and will be recast later this winter). However, the underlying braised meat and earthy vegetable flavors played well to this wine.

Here are the Tasting Notes:
At first the wine is young and fresh with a slight Shiraz peppery heat. It is not overly berry-rather an earthy, balanced, and round structured wine. Like all good food wines it took on more dimension with the meal-becoming deeper and slightly perfumed. Ah, this makes me want to get more! Don’t let the screwcap or the $18 price tag fool you. This is a well made Shiraz and an outstanding value. It is a wine that will pair well with a variety of hearty dishes.

I checked out more of the Torbreck story and learned that the vintner David Powell is a fan of Rhone wines and makes an assortment of interesting red and white wines from vineyards he rehabilitated in the early 90′s. Unfortunately there is not even a single distributor for his wines in all our surrounding Midwestern states, however it is possible to order the Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz from K&L; online. I have a Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles in stock to try out, and look forward to posting on that wine soon.

 

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Wednesday December 10th, 2008

Left Coast Cosmopolitan

Early Phoo-D Photos-38

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate I thought I’d share one of my favorite cocktails with all of you. I’ve nicknamed this drink the Left Coast Cosmopolitan, because if a classic cosmopolitan brings to mind New York city and high heels, this one brings to mind sandy beaches and flip flops. If you like sweet drinks, or aren’t fond of tequila, then this probably isn’t for you. The tequila, lime and cranberry juice are balanced to highlight the freshness of each flavor without crossing the line into spiked fruit punch territory. It’s refreshing and quite delicious!

Early Phoo-D Photos-37

Mr. B, being the awesome husband he is, decided to invite our best friends over for dinner tonight and guess what…he’s cooking! So, I’ll be putting my feet up and celebrating with one of these in hand. Cheers!

Left Coast Cosmopolitan
Serves One

Ingredients:

2 oz Tequila (Patron Silver is great, avoid using aged tequila)
1/2 oz Cointreau (Triple Sec works too)
1/2 oz Cranberry Cocktail Juice (100% cranberry juice is too strongly flavored)
1/2 lime, juice only

Directions:

Place a martini glass in the freezer to chill about 10 minutes ahead of time.

Using a cocktail shaker, pour all ingredients over ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime slice and enjoy!

 

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Monday December 08th, 2008

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

One thing that Mr. B and I have in common is a deep love for spicy, gooey, tomato based, avocado filled Mexican food. When I moved out to the Midwest I left behind one of the best hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants I’ve ever frequented. This tiny place used fresh ingredients, avoided lard, and made a Mexico City style chicken soup that could conquer even the worst head cold! Since moving, I haven’t found any substitute and am now attempting to cook our favorite Mexican dishes at home on a regular basis.

A few months ago, inspired by Pioneer Woman’s Enchiladas (check out her beautiful step-by-step photographs), I decided to tackle making enchiladas at home. In keeping with my general philosophy to avoid corn syrup, I found myself unwilling to buy canned enchilada sauce which had corn syrup listed as the second ingredient! So, I tweaked, I fiddled, and I came up with a homemade enchilada sauce that is so easy and fantastic that I’ll never consider buying it again! All of the dried spices used in the sauce are available online at Penzeys Spices in case you can’t find them nearby. (They are really handy to have on hand if you want to make a variety of Mexican foods at home.)

Making Enchiladas

Making the Enchiladas

DSC_0082

Ready for Assembly

The resulting Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas are now on permanent rotation around our house. We made them again this past Friday night, and I’m already wishing I had another pan to dig into today! The enchiladas are on the medium-spicy side, so if you’re more of a mild-spicy person, use only one pimiento pepper. Also, they are not drowning in sauce, but I think the ratio of sauce to filling lets the fire-roasted flavors shine through. If you like your enchiladas really wet, then I’d suggest increasing the sauce recipe by half.

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4-6
This is a great recipe to double and then freeze half for later. To freeze, I suggest assembling a full pan up to the point of placing it in the oven. Then cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap, and follow with a layer of foil. Place in the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Once ready to cook, remove the pan from the freezer, take off the foil and plastic wrap, and stick it straight in a pre-heated oven. You may need to add an additional 10-15 minutes to the cooking time, so the enchiladas can thaw and the cheese can brown.

Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 pimiento peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced (or jalapenos if you can’t find pimientos)
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 lime (juice only)
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon each: chipolte powder, ancho chili powder, garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each: Adobo seasoning, freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling:
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3/4 lb Monterrey jack cheese, coarsely grated
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 small onions
3 poblano peppers

10-14 Corn Tortillas
Cooking Oil (such as Canola or Vegetable)

Sour Cream
Diced Tomato
Avocado Slices

Directions:
Pre-Heat Oven on Broil, with a rack in the middle.

Mix all sauce ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Trim and peel onions, slicing in half lengthwise. Place onion halves and poblano peppers on a foil-lined aluminum baking sheet. Rub cooking oil over onions and poblanos to coat. Place baking sheet in oven and broil, turning pieces with tongs as necessary until the outsides are nicely blackened but not burnt. This should take about 10 minutes, but monitor it frequently to avoid burning. Once peppers and onions are blackened, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place peppers into a paper bag to cool and help sweat off the skin. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, carefully remove outside skin along with the stem and seeds. Roughly chop onions and then peppers and set both aside along with the other filling ingredients.

Reduce Oven heat to 350 degrees.

Next, place about two inches of oil in a small pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each corn tortilla, just until soft. (About 40-60 seconds each) You don’t want the tortillas to be crispy, just flexible enough to roll around the filling. Set each tortilla aside on paper towels to drain, until all are fried.

Clear off a stretch of counter space to assemble the enchiladas (placing foil on the counter will make clean up a whole lot easier). Using tongs, gently drag each tortilla through the sauce until a thin layer covers both sides. Lay each tortilla out on the foil to be filled. Evenly distribute the chicken, poblanos, onions, and olives down the center of each tortilla. Be careful not to overfill! Sprinkle a small amount of the Monterrey Jack cheese on top of each tortilla, keeping about 2 cups of cheese aside for later. Roll each tortilla up, and place seam side down in a 9×11 greased baking dish. The enchiladas should fit snugly next to each other in the dish.

Finally spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and evenly sprinkle the remaining Monterrey Jack cheese on top. Place dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. (About 20-30 minutes) If after 30 minutes the cheese is still not browned to your liking, turn the oven to broil and watch constantly, pulling the enchiladas out once the cheese is browned (about 1-3 minutes).

Serve warm with sour cream, diced tomato, and sliced avocado on top.

 

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