Everything's better with bacon mac-n-cheese

Several months ago, I attended a “Everything’s Better With Bacon” cooking class at Schnucks (a local grocery store); it included a bacon bloody mary, warm spinach salad with bacon, pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with Dijon mustard cream sauce, bacon boursin mac-n-cheese and bacon chocolate ice cream. Yes, it was a glorious bacon-licious day! Well, I needed to share the recipe for the bacon mac-n-cheese with someone and I thought well, I might as well share it with everyone, since it really is the best mac-and-cheese.

Bacon Boursin Mac-n-Cheese 

• 1lb macaroni
• 1 qt milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 8 oz Gruyere, grated or shredded
• 4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated or shredded
• 4 oz Bousin cheese (I use garlic herb)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ lb bacon, crispy crumbled
• ¾ lb freshly sliced tomatoes (or diced)
• 1 ½ cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Boil and drain macaroni
• Heat (but don’t boil) milk in small saucepan. Melt 6 TBS butter in large pot and stir in flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with whisk. Add hot milk slowly, stirring with whisk and cook for 3-5 more minutes until thickened and smooth.
• Take off heat and add Gruyere, cheddar, Boursin, 1 tbs salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in bacon and macaroni and pour into baking dish.
• Slice tomatoes and arrange on top of macaroni. Melt remaining 2 TBS butter, combine with fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

As far as wine pairing, I don't really a perfect pairing for you. If I recall I had an unoaked Chardonnay and it was ok. We're going to have it again this weekend so I'll update if we taste anything fantastic with it!

Lush Pastitsio

In yesterday’s post, I talked about the wine part of the Terlato vertical pairing dinner and promised the recipe, so here it is. Now, it was my first time making Pastitsio and I looked at several recipes, but based mine mostly on this one. Some commented that I was very brave making a dish I’d never made for 14 people,and they are right - I was more than a bit nervous. However, I frequently make red sauce and lasagna and I knew lamb would go well with the Syrah, so I took a chance and am happy to say it turned out well!

Note: this is a bit of a labor/time intensive dish. Including grating the cheese (I was surprised that it took a really really long time to grate the cheese!) and simmering time, it was about 2 hours prepping this, not counting the baking time. I made it in the morning and let it sit in the fridge before transporting it to dinner and baking there.

Lush Pastitsio

• 2 quarts 2% milk
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 pounds ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 ¼ cup dry red wine
• Two 16 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
• One 16 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano (or 1/2 cup fresh chopped oregano, which is what I used)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ pounds penne
• 1 ¾ cups freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 large egg yolks

  

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles appear around the edge. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to the butter and whisk over moderately high heat until light golden, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the hot milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick, about 8 minutes. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and ½ tsp ground oregano. Press plastic wrap directly on the sauce and let cool.

2. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown it in a large pan with 2 tbs olive oil. Transfer the lamb to a platter. (note, the lamb I had was 80/20 so I drained about half the fat once it was browned – the oil in the sauce will soak into the dried pasta and bump up the flavor)

3. Add the shallot to the pan and cook over moderate heat until it is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, allspice and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, then the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is nearly evaporated. Add the lamb along with the tomatoes and their liquid, the tomato sauce, oregano and sugar. Season the lamb mixture with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, about ½ hour.

4. Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until barely al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well, blot dry with paper towels and let cool.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray or butter a large baking dish (I used an aluminum roasting pan for 25 lbs and used Pam). Line the bottom with one half of the penne. Spread half of the white sauce on top, then cover with the lamb sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Top with the remaining penne. Stir the egg yolks into the remaining white sauce and spread it over the penne. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the edges of the pan are golden and the sauce is bubbling. Let the Pastitsio stand for 20 minutes before cutting.

Here’s the before and after:

Anchovy Butter, Moroccan Carrots & Cab Franc

A couple weeks my wine club had a Cabernet Franc Vertical pairing dinner – with the 2004-2006 Adobe Road Cabernet Franc. As a wine club member I was able to get some library selections and we were able to get 2 of each bottle so it was a good sized dinner party. While we’ve had some other verticals, this was our first Cabernet Franc one! The wines were delicious-although one of the 2004s was past its prime, so if you have it, drink it! There was no clear favorite; it seemed to be was tied between the 2004 and 2005, although the 2006 was also lovely.

 

For dinner we had filets seasoned with garlic and tarragon, served with anchovy butter on the side (recipe follows), along with some Moroccan carrots (recipe follows), loaded baked potato casserole, and I think one other side. (my apologies if I forgot your contribution!) Anyway, this was my first time making – or even tasting – anchovy butter. It was relatively easy to make, but I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous because it smelled very anchovy-ish during the preparation stage, however I couldn’t even taste the anchovy once it was melted on the steak and even took another pat. All but one person loved it, and it paired well with the cab franc, so it’s something I’ll keep in the rotation (although not too often!). The carrots were actually amazing with the cabernet franc – and I don’t even like cooked carrots that much! For a "normal dinner" pairing I would recommend using cumin, coriander, and tarragon into as many dishes as possible. We looked at a cumin lamb recipie but opted against it because we wanted to focus on the nuances between the vintages, which was a good call, although it would’ve been an amazing pairing and is something I'll try next time I have a Cab Franc.

 

 

Here’s a couple of recipes from the event

 

Anchovy butter (makes about 20 ½ inch pats)

• 6 anchovies packed in oil
• 1 ½ stick of butter, room temp
• 1 tbs chopped tarragon
• 1 tbs garlic powder

Mash or food process ingredients together and then pour on a plastic wrap sheet. Roll into a log and refrigerate for an hour or more. Slice into pats and top steaks. (we chose to serve it on the side and allow guests to top their steaks themselves.) 

 

 

Moroccan Carrots 

• 4 medium carrots (3/4 pound), thinly sliced on a mandoline
•  1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Large pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Salt

  

1. In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the carrots for 1 minute. Drain.

 

2. In a large skillet, combine the carrots with the orange juice, water, coriander, cumin and cinnamon and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sugar and the butter. Season the carrots with salt and serve. Credit: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moroccan-carrots

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken & Rose

Rose wines are a Lush favorite of summer, and so is grilling. (truth be told, grilling isn’t a season for the Lush Household, it’s a lifestyle!) For a recent wine club event, Mr. Lush found a recipe for grilled chicken drummies that pairs wonderfully with rose, so we thought we'd share:



• 1 quart buttermilk


• 1 tablespoon onion powder


• 1 tablespoon garlic powder


• 2 tablespoons kosher salt


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1 tablespoon ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon pepper


• 4 lbs chicken drumsticks/thighs (any combo or all one, we used drumsticks)


1. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, onion and garlic powder, salt, sugar, cumin, and pepper.


2. Rinse chicken thighs /drumsticks and pat dry. Trim off excess fat. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk brine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.


3. Lift chicken from brine; discard brine. Wipe excess from chicken with paper towels.


4. Lay chicken pieces on a barbecue grill over medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.


Enjoy with your favorite rose-it went great with 2011 Andrieux & Fils Rose Cotes de Provence Cuvee Victoria, 2011 Domaine Les Aphillanthes Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé, and the 2010 Division Rose (from Washington). The Les Aphillanthes was a little fruitier than the other two, but all 3 were dry and stood up to the chicken.

Scallop Showdown

I’ve recently discovered how amazingly easy it is to make seared scallops. Dry them with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper, sear in butter for 3-4 minutes per side (10-12 per pound size). 2 big keys: start off with good quality, fresh (not frozen) scallops and don’t touch the scallops until they are seared-no constant flipping.


Last week, Miss G came over and we had a showdown with a couple of whites to see which paired best with the scallops:

2010 Watermill Gewurztraminer: from the Oregon wide of Willamette Valley, courtesy of Miss G. Crisp, dry Gewürztraminer with grapefruit which carry through the palate. Pear and floral notes round out the finish, making it a perfect pair for spicy Asian food.

VS

2010 Artiste “Dog Rose Tree” Pinot Grigio. (I’ve talked about Artiste wines before in my Artiste Series Quests. They recently started a new line of Modern wines. Taking a New World approach to winemaking, Artiste “Modern Wines” are single origin, vintage wines that express unique varietal character, and each micro-lot wine is adorned by contemporary art on the label by American artists.) I'm normally not a huge fan of pinot grigio, but this was lighlty citrusy, but not overpowering, crisp, just a hint of herbal/grassy notes.

Results: Well, we’re torn. I didn’t put lemon on my scallops, so I preferred the Pinot Grigio because the additional citrusy was a nice addition to the food. Mr. Lush and Miss G drizzled lemon on the scallops, so they preferred the Gewurztraminer and felt the citrusness of the Pinot Grigio competed with the lemon on their food, instead of complemented it. Both were excellent, good acidity and crisp ness, so you couldn’t go "wrong" with either.

 Bottom line: normally we go with a lightly oaked Sauvignon Blanc, like the Chateau Ste Michelle Horse Heaven I’ve blogged about in the past, and I think next time we’ll head back to that. It’s always fun trying new things though!



Beef Strogonoff Sandwiches

Last night I made some sandwiches for wine club and they were great with the wines- pinots, merlots, and red blends (all from the 45 degree line). The recipe was requested, so here it is. Please note I used a thinly sliced strip steak, versus the tri-tip, simply because we had an extra one to use, and I bought a pre-mixed pack of  dried mushrooms and let them soak for 30 minutes, vs using fresh ones - other than that I followed the recipie pretty closely.

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, oyster, crimini, and stemmed shiitake), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1 1/2-pound tri-tip roast, excess fat trimmed, meat cut against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, slices cut crosswise into 3-inch lengths
• 1 1/2 minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon plus 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• Crusty bread, halved.
• 1/4 cup sour cream


Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced wild mushrooms to skillet; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper and sauté until mushrooms release juices, about 6 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until mushrooms are tender and brown, about 4 minutes longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature.


Add vermouth to mushrooms and boil until almost evaporated but still moist, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Stir in whipping cream; remove from heat. Season to taste with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Cover; set aside.


Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef slices to skillet and sauté just until brown outside but still pink in center, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer beef slices to plate; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Add sliced shallots to same skillet, reduce heat to medium, and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and 1 teaspoon tomato paste (mixture will clump). Add broth and paprika and whisk to blend, scraping up browned bits. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.


Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste in small bowl to blend. Brush oil-tomato paste mixture lightly over both sides of bread slices. Broil bread just until lightly toasted, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Slice and arrange toasts on large platter.


Add beef slices and any accumulated juices to shallot mixture in skillet; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, then stir in sour cream. Remove from heat. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Rewarm mushroom mixture over medium heat. Divide beef mixture among toasts, then top each with mushroom mixture.

Crispy Kale and Sauvignon Blanc

Those of you who know me probably think my blog was hijacked – I mean, really, a post about not only Sauvignon Blanc but also a vegetable? What have I done with Wine Lush???!!

 

It really is me. I still like my steak extra super very purple rare. I still have a love affair with Chardonnay. I still generally dislike veggies. And I still rarely eat dessert and don’t care that much for chocolate.

 

Feel assured? Ok, so a bit ago a friend (Mrs. V) introduced me to crispy kale and has strongly encouraged eating “super veggies” to help make amends with my liver. Well, she is today proud, as I like a super veggie. Now before you get excited, it is tossed in olive oil and lightly salted, but it’s a way for me to enjoy a veggie with a ton of vitamin C & A and with fiber, calcium, & iron too!

Here’s the instructions:

• Rinse and dry kale – note, it shrinks WAY down during cooking so use a lot
• Toss lightly – or even lightly spray – in olive oil
• Lightly salt – I use sea salt or if you can find it, smoked salt
• Cook on cookie sheet at 400 degree for 10 minutes, turning half way through

It can be a side or an appetizer and is very easy. I’ve never had it with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but it goes well with American Sauvignon Blancs- we recently had it with the Joel Gott and it paired nicely. Just a little herbal complement with some acidity to cut through the salt. Delish! (well, for a veggie ;)

Hot drink recipies pt 2

And as promised, here's the other 3 from winemag.com/hotdrinks:

Vin Chaud
Courtesy of Noir Bar at Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA

• 1 750ml bottle Pinot Noir
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/3 cup Cognac
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange peel

Combine wine, sugar, cardamom pods and cloves in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Strain out the spices by pouring the mixture through a cheese cloth. Add the Cognac to a mug and ladle the mulled wine over it. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and orange twist. Makes 4 drinks.

 

 

Happy Swallows
Courtesy of Willy Shine of 1534, New York City

 

• 5 ounces black tea, brewed 
• 2 ounces Disaronno 
• ¼ ounce fresh lemon juice 
• 3 rose petals 

Combine the hot tea, Disarrono and lemon juice into a coffee mug. Garnish with the rose petals.

 

 

 

Rum Ta Ta 
Courtesy of LOKaL, Chicago

• 1 750ml bottle of white wine (sweet works best)
• 10 cloves 
• 2 cinnamon sticks 
• 2 spoonfuls honey

 

In a saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer, about 10 minutes. When heated, the add cloves, cinnamon sticks and honey. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes before serving.

 

Hot drink recipies

About 2 years ago, I posted a recipie for my Hot Toddy- a standy for the winter. Today I was reading Wine Enthusiast and ran across a few more - I'll publish my hot toddy today along with 3 of WE's recipies (giving credit for the bar they originally came from as well) and tomorrow I'll post 3 more:

WineLush’s Hot Toddy 

• ½ shot bourbon 
• ½ shot triplesec/cointreau/grand marnier (whichever you have)
• 1 shot brandy
• 1 tbs honey

Fill mug with hot tea. (personally I use Orange Spiced (black) Tea or Orange Passionfruit & Jasmine (green) Tea.

 

 

And 3 from winemag.com/hotdrinks:

 

 

The Beale End All

Courtesy of Chaim Dauermann of Inoteca e Liquori, New York City 

• 2 ounces spiced rum
• 1 ounce Montenegro Amaro 
• ½ ounce lemon juice 
• ¼ ounce Demerara sugar syrup 
• Dash of Regan's Orange Bitters 
• Dash of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Bitters 
• 4 ounces hot water 
• Orange peel, for garnish

Combine all ingredients, pour into a coffee mug, and garnish with an orange peel.

 

 

Midnight Cowboy Haut Chocolat
Courtesy of EDGE Bar at Four Seasons Denver, Denver, CO

 

• ¾ cup milk 
• 1 hot chocolate powder packet (your choice of any gourmet brand)
• 1½ ounces Jack Daniel‚Äôs Tennessee Whiskey
• ½ ounce Amaretto
• Whipped cream
• A pinch of allspice 
• Marshmallows, for garnish 

In a saucepan, heat the milk, then add the hot chocolate powder and mix until the chocolate is well incorporated. Add the Jack Daniels and Amaretto to the hot chocolate mixture. Pour into a coffee mug and top with whipped cream and a pinch of allspice. Serve with marshmallows on the side.

 

 

 

Death by Hot Chocolate

Courtesy of 39 Degrees at Sky Hotel, Aspen, CO

• ½ ounce Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur
•  ½ ounce Baileys Irish Cream
•  ½ ounce Navan Vanilla Cognac
•  1 hot chocolate powder packet (your choice of any gourmet brand)
•  Marshmallows, for garnish

Combine the liqueur, Irish cream and cognac. Add the powder packet of hot chocolate and garnish with marshmallows.

 

Drink that leftover watermelon with the Mint Melon Breeze

Yep, I said drink, not eat. Good news, my fellow watermelon-loving lushes. I have a new use for watermelon and liquor – one that doesn’t include keeping it the freezer overnight. Mr. Lush and I modified a recipe in the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook (love that cookbook by the way) and made a lovely summertime cocktail. (since we changed the recipie, we get to rename it of course!)

This will make around 2 pint-size, or 4 smaller Mint Melon Breezes:

First, you’ll need some simple syrup. If you don’t have some, its easy to make but needs to cool a bit before using it. Take equal parts sugar and water and boil or microwave until it reduces by half. Let it cool. That’s it – that’s simple syrup. (I actually use ½ sugar ½ Splenda, but to each their own) 

 

After you have your simple syrup, blend:

• 2 cups cubed/sliced watermelon
• 5-8 mint leaves

Strain. Mix with:

• ½ c blueberry pomegranate juice
• 1 ½ tbs simple syrup
• 1oz Cointreau
• 4-5 oz of tequila, we used El Espolón Repasado

(Note, if you use cheap tequila, use more simple syrup)

Shake, pour over ice into glass with half sugar rim. Top with mint sprig and garnish glass with watermelon slice.

 

Cheers!

Grilled Spiced Duck with Blackberry Sauce

A couple weeks ago Mr. Lush and I tried our hand at grilling a duck again. We’ve done it before, but duck is very fatty and it comes frozen solid, so it takes some planning. It actually came out fantastic, here’s the recipe. Stay tuned for the wine pairings tomorrow!

Grilled Spiced Duck with Blackberry Sauce

Blackberry Sauce: 

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 quart blackberries
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ tsp coriander
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix vinegar with cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, boil the vinegar mixture over high heat until reduced by half, about 7-10 minutes. Add the blackberries and cook, stirring very gently, until they are just softened, about 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the blackberries to a bowl. Add sugar and coriander and boil the liquid over high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3-5 minutes. (this is a good point to pause if desired, you can resume this next step when the duck is off the grill and is resting before cutting) Carefully pour the accumulated juices from the blackberries in the bowl into the saucepan and boil for about 1-2 minutes longer. Season the reduction with salt and pepper.

Spiced duck

Take 1 whole duck, thawed (ours was about 7 lbs), skin on. Score with a knife in crosshatch pattern. (“score” in this case means really cut through as much of fatty skin as you can)

Mix together the following seasonings and rub all over duck:

• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

Prepare grill/coals. Put drip can directly underneath duck and arrange hot coals around the pan. Grill the duck breasts side up for about an hour. The fat from the duck breasts will drip down through the rest and keep it moist, although be careful when you remove the duck from the grill – the fat will also sit in the cavity of the duck, so tilt it when you remove it so the fat drips to the pan. Transfer the duck to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve the duck with the blackberry sauce.

This was a slightly modified recipe from Food & Wine magazine - we used whole duck instead of duck breasts and tweaked the spices, plus we personally preferred the sauce without the blackberries, it was fairly sweet, but you can pour the sauce over the blackberries.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Dates and....well, we're still looking for the perfect pairing

Recently we had some gorgonzola stuffed bacon wrapped dates. These appetizers are amazing, by the way- sweet, salty, wonderful! (take dates, remove pit, stuff with crumbled gorgonzola, wrap in bacon, bake in 375-400 degree oven for 15 minutes.)
However, because of the many flavors involved, its a little hard to pair with wine. We went for a Sauvignon Blanc- specifically the Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. It has a bit of Semillion and is aged for 5 months in oak, so its no surprise I like it. (for those of you who don't know, I'm not a huge fan of Sauvignon Blanc - most, especially those from New Zealand, are a bit too acidic and grassy for me, so typically if I like it is has a)some oak aging b) a bit of Semillion or c) both.)
We hoped the slight acidity would cut through the bacon, but we didn't want too acidic or tart, because the dates themselves are a bit sweet. Well, it wasn't a home run pairing, I'll tell you that. It wasn't horrible or offensive; the wine is good, the dates were good, they just didn't really show each other off. We think the acidity was right, but the flavor pairing was off - perhaps it was too citrus for the dates?? We think next time we will try a dry bubbly with it? We'll let you know how it goes!

L'Ecole Apogee Pairing Dinner and Vertical

Last weekend the wine club had the pleasure of having a vertical tasting of the L’Ecole Apogee. We had the 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007-not a full vertical, but enough to see what holding on to a bottle can really do.  The 2007 was decanted for a couple hours, the 2006 was decanted for an hour or so, and the rest were not.

Dinner was paired with a horseradish and herb encrusted strip loin, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, bean salad, and Gruyere scalloped potatoes.

For the strip loin crust, I took 

• 1/2 c prepared horseradish
• 4 tbs unsalted butter
• 2 tbs thyme
• 2 tbs garlic
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tbs of red wine vinegar 
• fresh ground pepper to taste

I made it into a paste and rubbed the strip. (which was really a whole KC strip loin) Our, unfortunately, was a bit overdone and over marinated, but it was really good. In the future I would recommend marinating a for a 6 lb roast for 1-2 hours, and then cooking it in a roasting pan - uncovered- at 350 for 1.5 hours. That will give you some rare and medium rare options in the center-we marinated it for about 7 hours and it was a bit too strong for my liking, but I don't LOVE horseradish and it was a *smidge* too strong for the wines, but not much, so I think cutting down the marinading time would help.  (We cooked it for 2 hours and it was just medium in the center.) Everyone was polite, and said it was fine, but those who know me know I like my meat mooing, so it was WAY overdone for me.

So, should I make it again, that's what I'd do - if you really like horseradish you can use a tougher (and much cheaper) roast and marinate it for 6-7 hours. It was very tender. See Mr. Lush (right) in the too-small apron, getting ready to slice up the roast-isn't he dashing?? :) It was a fun event, of course, thanks to those who made it and contributed to the meal, a special thanks to Ms. G for having the 99 and 03, as well as looking up the (large amount of) information, and special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. D for hosting the event!!!

Now, onto the wines….they were all wonderful, but the 99 was a smidge past its prime. We had it a few months ago and it was perfect, and I think we just missed the window of perfection. While that makes me sad, it reminds me to keep better tabs on what we have, so we don’t miss our window. I’d rather drink a wine a few months too early than a few months too late! However, it was still very good. The 2003 and the 2005 were probably my favorites, the 2007 was just too young, it was a bit hot.

The 2006 was good, got better with a little air. The 2006 is still available if you look for it, so I’d keep an eye out and if you can find a bottle for less than $40, pick it up and forget about until 2013-2014. I certainly think these wines have the capability of aging 10+ years, but because I don’t have the finances to hold onto tons of bottles for 10 years, I’m shooting for 7!!!!

Luckily, because of a mix up, I was “forced” to buy a couple of the 2006 Perigee at a really good deal (around $31), a similar blend from L’Ecole, so we’ll lay those down for a couple years. I’ll let you know how they go!!!

Cheers!!

Lush Mulled wine

About 2 years ago I posted a recipie for mulling spices, but in that post I linked to a recipie for mulled wine in a blog that is no longer functional. (Miss you Lucy!) So, in light of the fact its getting downright chilly in the Lou, I thought it might be time to post it all together.

• 1 bottle of red wine (I like American Zinfandel)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 2 TSP pre-mixed mulling spice, or see recipe below.
• Wrap in cheesecloth and tie with a cotton string:

                    -2 cinnamon sticks

                    -1 small whole nutmeg

                    -1 tsp. whole cloves 

                    -Long orange peel, twisted

Heat wine and sugar over medium to med-high heat until just to simmer, add mulling spice (use cheese cloth or a mulling spice ball). Do a taste test after a couple minutes, when it’s the level of spice you want, take them out. The wine should not come above a simmer...add brandy...return to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Note: boiling = bitter

I like Ravenswood Zinfandel for this-something under $10. Enjoy-and don't forget, Zins have high alc content and with the brandy, this will sneak up on you!

Lush "Floresto" Cream Sauce and White Rioja

Sorry for the absence, things have been busy…but I have a gift- a recipe for you!

 

I had one of those fun cooking moments where I used what was available in the house-along with some herbs from the Lush Herb Garden-to mesh a couple recipes together and it was really good. It’s a combination of a Florentine, pesto sauce (no nuts), and alfredo sauce, so I’m calling it The Lush "Floresto" Cream Sauce…..

 

Melt in a sauce pan:

• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 tbs garlic

Then mix in:

• ¾ c heavy cream
• ¼ c skim milk until warm.
• Slowly add 1 c shredded parmesan cheese and continue stirring until fully melted. (good quality parm and constant stirring is the key)

Mix in a chopper / food processor:

• 1 ½ c baby spinach
• ¼ c fresh basil
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Slowly add the spinach / basil mixture to the cream sauce, toss with pasta (we used mini penne pasta) and other ingredients if you desire (we put in some chicken and mushrooms that was sautéed with light blackening seasonings, which was fabulous) and top with more parm cheese. For our wine pairing, we had the 2007 Marques De Caceres White Rioja-light, crisp, perfect with the cream sauce. (for other wine pairings, I'd recommend something like a California Sauv Blanc or white Bordeaux.) It was delish!

The Lush Margarita

I do love a good margarita. Of course, a good tequila is a must but so is a good, not too sugary, easy mix. So, here’s my favorite quick margarita recipe, which comes in at less calories than and also isn’t quite as sugary as the premade margartia mixes.  

• 1 can frozen Limemade (I use Minutemaid)
• ½ can frozen “Five Alive”
• 3-4 fresh limes

Take both concentrate mixes, put in 48 oz pitcher. Fill pitcher up with water. Juice 2 of the limes into the pitcher and use the 3rd for garnishing, or add it as well if you like your mix a little more tart.

That’s it, that’s your mix. Now, it seems like everytime I bring up margaritas, I get reminded of the 900 calories they have in them….good news, that’s just not the case with this one. The pitcher itself has 1050 calories, so your actual calorie count per margarita will differ based on how many margaritas you make from the pitcher, and how much liquor you put in there.

I take a pint glass, salt my rim, fill up with ice, and add in 2 oz-ish of tequila (silver or anejo) and 1 oz-ish Cointreau. (you can use Grand Marnier as well) I personally add liquor to the glass and top off with the mix, so if for some reason we don't finish the pitcher I'm not wasting good tequila. We use pint glasses and usually make 5. That’s about around 250 calories, give or take. So, that’s less than 500 calories for a pint size margarita.

Enjoy!

Rack of Lamb and Merlot

Last night I tried a new recipe for a roasted rack of lamb. It came out well so I thought I’d share it with you.

Mix ½ cup of breadcrumbs, a tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tbs rosemary (dried or fresh is fine – I used dried and crushed it with my magic bullet to blend it with the breadcrumbs). Set aside.

Mix 3 tbs of my new favorite marinade, Kraft Honey Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing and Marinade, 1 tsp dijon or deli mustard (I used Deli), a dash of cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Slice 1 frenched rack of lamb and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in ovenready skillet and quick sear the lamb. Brush with Dijon sauce and cover with bread crumb mixture. Arrange lamb bones up in the same pan you seared them in, so they leaning on each other. Cover bones with foil to prevent burning and bake in oven for 6-7 minutes at 450 for rare-med rare or longer for more done.

It was very yummy and went EXCELLENT with a birthday gift from a friend, a 1994 Canoe Ridge Merlot from Washington. (thanks Nat!)

Lush's Shrimp Scampi

Here’s the shrimp scampi recipe I promised, which is enough for about a pound of jumbo shrimp:

Mix these together and let sit for a while:
½ c chardonnay (buttery = better)
½ c butter (unsalted sweet cream)
1 tbs minced garlic (subbing garlic powder is fine)
*“a while” is at least an hour, more if you have the time

(I personally stick the butter in the measuring cup with wine and garlic and let it sit out on the counter to melt. You can microwave, just be careful to melt, not cook it, so go in like 15 second spurts.)

Cover thawed uncooked shrimp with garlic and onion powder. Let sit in fridge for a while.
Note - you have to use uncooked shrimp or else it will come out horribly rubbery.

Arrange shrimp in a glass dish with the tails layered slightly over the shrimp next to them. (the arrangement is least important part, so however you want to do it is fine) Pour the melted butter/wine mixture over the shrimp until it almost covers the shrimp. (don’t totally cover). Sprinkle with parsley and a dash of red pepper or paprika. Cook at 400 for 6-8 minutes- stop as soon as all the shrimp is pink. You might have to move or turn the shrimp and you might have to cook less or more depending on the size how arranged them, so keep an eye on it.

Enjoy with your favorite Chardonnay! (well, you could drink it with a different white, but I probably wouldn’t recommend cooking it with anything other than chardonnay)

Have a Hot Toddy to soothe your throat

With so many colds going around, one needs a good recipe for a Hot Toddy to soothe the throat....or just to enjoy on a cold winter's night. I’m happy to oblige:

WineLush’s Hot Toddy
½ shot bourbon
½ shot triplesec/cointreau/grand marnier (whichever you have)
1 shot brandy
1 tbs honey
Fill mug with hot tea. (personally I use Orange Spiced (black) Tea or Orange Passionfruit & Jasmine (green) Tea-bonus, its got antioxidants in it!)

Enjoy!!!

Homemade mulling spices for mulled wine

Earlier this week, Lucy posted a recipe for mulled wine, courtesy of another friend, Mrs. P. However, I didn’t want to buy mulling spices because they are rather expensive, so I made my own mulling spice bags. I bought some cheesecloth and made little baggies with white string. (note: you might have to double or triple your cheesecloth) Each baggie contains:

2 cinnamon sticks
1 small whole nutmeg
1 tsp. whole cloves
Long orange peel, twisted

Use this bag in place of the 2 tbs Mulling Spice in the recipe Lucy posted and viola! You will lovely aromatic mulled wine. I agree with Lucy and that an American red Zinfandel is just fantastic.

I’ve also seen variations that include star anise, allspice, and candied ginger, but I like the simple version better. You might have most of the items in my recipe already in your spice cabinet and if not, they are in most grocery stores.

These would also be a nice (inexpensive) home-made touch for holiday gifts. Happy Holidays!