May 2009

Chicken with Rosemary, Pancetta and Balsamic Vinegar

Just recently, I had to get rid of 30 years of Bon Appetit magazine issues; 30 non-stop years of one magazine. It was difficult but needed the space for Vino Luci inventory, so the time had come to follow the advice I’ve given my kids for the past couple of years, you know…if you haven’t touched it [...]

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Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Yield: 4 main course servings or 6 appetizer portions Ingredients: 12 slices thick cut bacon 12 large sea scallops, adductor muscles removed Salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh lemon juice Skewers, either metal or bamboo, soaked in water for 20 minutes Preheat the grill to medium. The bacon needs to be precooked before cooking [...]

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Chipotle Gouda Cornbread

Making this tonight to serve with leftover barbecue ribs; just enough heat- it sounds perfect! Ingredients: 5 oz all-purpose Flour 5 oz corm meal 1 1/2 oz sugar .5 oz baking powder .75 oz non-fat dry milk 4 oz Gouda cheese, shredded 1 teaspoon dry chipotle powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 egg, beaten 9 [...]

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Maple Shortbread Cookies

Canadians have put a quintessentially Canadian spin on an Old-World Tradition. The classic component is traditionally Irish shortbread, whose claim to fame is, of course, the richness of creamery butter. What makes it truly unique is the unmistakable flavor of maple syrup. Although this recipe demands two separate steps, the maple butter flavor is well [...]

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Chocolate Ancho Chile Flourless Cake

Here’s another version of a flourless chocolate cake with chili powder; this one has more butter and more chili and is served with whipped cream. Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for pan 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder 1/4 [...]

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Chocolate Hazelnut Pizza

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E. Guigal 2003 St. Joseph Syrah

The northern Rhone Valley in France is home to some of the world’s greatest Syrah. While many aficionados are familiar with the powerful wines from Cote Rotie and Hermitage, the Syrahs from the Cornas and St. Joseph appellations are often overlooked. E. Guigal is one of the world’s best winemakers year after year. Their 2003 [...]

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Denner Vineyards “Ditch Digger” Rhone-Style Blend

The 2005 Ditch Digger is a blend of 43% Grenache, 26% Syrah, 23% Mourvedre, and 8% Counoise (could this be a Paso Robles version of the famed Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel?). A deep ruby/purple color, full body, superb richness, and notes of truffle oil intermixed with black cherries, blackberries, asphalt, smoke, and camphor emerge from [...]

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Chappellet 2004 Napa Merlot

Chappellet’s 2004 Merlot is an outstanding example of the merlot varietal. Bold, rich and concentrated, with ripe, focused currant, blackberry, cedar and spice aromas that fill out on the palate, ending with firm but ripe tannins and a rich mocha note. This merlot is simply beautiful with flowery, plum, blueberry, and black cherry flavors cascading [...]

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Razor's Edge Shiraz Grenache 2006 – McLaren Vale, Australia

We unscrewed the cap of this wine last night… don’t let the second word of that sentence cause you pause. It could have been the guests at our house or the warm and saucy lasagna or just the wine itself, but whatever it was… it was good! The wine is very easy to drink (and [...]

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Spinach Cheese Pinwheels

These appetizers are amazingly simple yet really delicious; double the batch, they will disappear. Perfect for a backyard barbecue or picnic and using prepared Crescent rolls make preparation easy. Ingredients: 1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls 1/3 cup spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese 4 slices thinly sliced deli ham 1/2 cup packed fresh [...]

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Amaretto Brownies

Tyler Florence is a favorite of mine; I’m seldom disappointed with his recipes. He has decided to try something innovative and do a class on Twitter each Friday. This past week, it was Amaretto Brownies. To be honest, I didn’t follow the class; I just wanted the recipe to make for a neighbor and her [...]

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Rosemary Couscous

I didn’t know what Israeli couscous was until I found this recipe, love rosemary and just thought it sounded good. Also called pearl couscous, it’s not at all like regular couscous; it is much larger, the size of a small pearl. Don’t even think of doing this with dried rosemary; it’s uninviting and bland. I [...]

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Chicken Scallopini with Mushrooms

One of my all time favorites dishes, combining chicken in a white wine cream sauce with mushrooms and capers. YUM! Ingredients 6 boned and skinned chicken breast halves 5 Tbsp. butter 5 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 Tbsp. chopped shallots or 4 green onions, chopped| White wine to taste;1/4 to 1/2 [...]

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Chicken with Paprika

This recipe is not what some consider Chicken Paprika; one that includes noodles and sour cream. This is just some butter and paprika with salt and pepper. Really simple…and really good! Ingredients 1/2 stick butter 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper Assorted chicken pieces Melt butter and add seasonings. Pour over chicken [...]

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