What to pair with a REALLY dry Rose
Posted by Morovino in Uncategorized on February 18, 2012
Well, the new 2011 Dry Pinot Grigio Rose has been launched and several people have asked me about pairing food with dry rose style wines. Really, a good dry rose is the ultimate food wine – crisp acidity, smooth on the palate and a hint of astringency on the finish that really helps match the wine with hard-to-pair foods. Our new dry Pinot Grigio goes well with:
1. All by itself, sipping on a sunny deck.
2. Slightly bitter things like Arugula, Asparagus and Broccoli Rabe (recipe follows)
3. Very acidic foods like Ceviche (one of my faves) or a Grapefruit and Watercress Salad (recipe on the wine’s page)
4. Asian or Thai flavors
5. Tart cheeses like goat cheese
6. Salty foods like truffled popcorn
We will be enjoying the new rose on Oscar Night at The Vinos (heck, maybe we will even use a SodaStream machine to sparkle it – works great). As we munch our way through appetizers experimenting with matching foods to this awesome wine.
ROASTED BROCCOLI RABE
Pair with 2011 Avila Beach Sunset – Pinot Grigio Rose
1 large bunch Broccoli Rabe (also called Rapini)
1/3 Cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Mrs. Vino loves Broccoli Rabe! So when it went on sale at her local grocer she went a bit crazy. This meant she had to find some new ways to prepare it and this is the easiest, most delicious Broccoli Rabe dish she has ever tasted! Preheat your oven to 400 degree. Cut the bottom 2” of stem off the Broccoli Rabe (maybe more, maybe less – depends on how big your bunch is. Basically you want to cut off any really woody end bits). Wash and dry the Broccoli Rabe thoroughly (I like to use the salad spinner – it’s a great tool for this). Put the whole stems of Broccoli Rabe in a large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup olive oil. You want to lube up the Broccoli Rabe really well or it will stick to your baking sheet. Pile the Broccoli Rabe onto a rimmed baking sheet (I have one I use exclusively for roasting veggies). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the baking sheet in the oven and let roast for 15 minutes (toss once during cooking). The stems and florets get beautifully carmelized. The leaves turn into little Broccoli Rabe potato chips. Un. B. Leev. Able.
I like to do this dish with roasted chicken thighs. If you put one oven rack about halfway down in your oven and the other rack at the bottom, you can cook both the Broccoli Rabe and the chicken thighs at the same time. Sprinkle the thighs with your favorite seasoned salt and garlic powder. Put them in the oven on the rack in the halfway down position. Give them a 15 minute head start. Then put the Broccoli Rabe in the oven on the bottom rack for 15. They will finish at the same time. Add some crusty French bread and call that a gourmet meal.
5-Minute Friday (comfort food)
Posted by Morovino in Uncategorized on February 3, 2012
No prefab meal for tonight’s 5 Minute Friday! Because Mrs. Vino is in the mood for comfort food.
For some reason I’ve been craving the comfort food of my childhood – a Tuna Melt with Tomato and a pickle! Thank goodness this great meal can be put together in 5 minutes. And, I have the perfect pairing for it – our brand new, not-released-to-the-tasting-room-yet 2011 Pinot Grigio Rose. I make my tuna salad with Greek Yogurt instead of Mayonnaise to lighten it up a bit and add a bit of diced celery and green onion for texture. The yogurt adds a bit of brightness and freshness to the tuna. It’s still plenty creamy, though. So the really crisp 2011 Pinot Grigio Rose is perfect to pair with it. Oh yeah, and if this is truly my comfort meal, there has to be potato chips! And, if you spritz your chips with Truffle Oil – it goes from good to gourmet! The salty, earthy truffled chips really bring out the fruit character of the wine. Watch the blog next week for Mrs. Vino’s experiences with her brand new microwave potato chip maker (AWESOME) and learn about one of her new obsessions.
It really doesn’t matter how simple the meal – a good wine pairing will elevate it to gourmet (well, the Truffle Oil doesn’t hurt, either).
So here’s my question to you all – Do you have a 5-Minute comfort food? And, if so, what is it!
Thank you, Termites!
Posted by Morovino in Mrs. Vino's Ramblings, Restaurant (and other) Reviews on January 28, 2012
As some of you know, Casa d’Vino was recently treated for a termite infestation. I think I owe a giant “Thank you” to the termites because that treatment led us to a stay at the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. We’d heard so many good reviews about the property from our guests – and, of course, The Gardens of Avila is one of our favorite restaurants so it was a no-brainer to decide where to stay. We hadn’t had a vacation in several years so our 2-day getaway was really important to us. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful location, better service or a more relaxing stay.
We scored a West Meadows Suite (Thank you, Marina) which is almost larger than the condo we vacated. The highlight – a private hot tub on the deck. Over the course of our two days, we managed 6 soaks in the hot tub (perhaps a new Sycamore Mineral Springs record??). At the end of the stay we were pruny, but happy!
We still had to work, so we didn’t have as much time to explore as we would have liked. We did get an opportunity to walk around the facilities which look
The Labyrinth
absolutely beautiful. And we walked the labyrinth and Meditation Garden, which I just loved. I am in the process of framing some of the photos I took in the meditation garden as they make me relax just by looking at them. My only regret was that we didn’t have enough time for a class in the Yoga Dome (OK, actually I didn’t have enough time, I can’t really see Mr Vino doing Downward Dog)!
The Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort is a GREAT place to stay if your are visiting Avila!
We had already taken advantage of Restaurant Month to dine at The Gardens, so we decided to mix it up a bit. We enjoyed dinner at the Custom House one night and the Ventana Grill on the second night. Both meals were absolutely incredible and I’ll do review in a future blog.
I’m so glad we stayed very local. It just reminds me of what an exceptional place Avila Beach is. Avila Beach is the perfect destination for relaxation. It is filled with amazing friendly, efficient, helpful people. The hotels and restaurants offer a superior experience and are definitely worth visiting. In these challenging economic times, it’s so important to support our local businesses. Please make an effort to dine at our great local restaurants, get away at our fabulous local hotels, and, of course, enjoy the many diverse local wineries.
Harry’s Beef Burgundy & 2nd Chance Pinot Noir
Posted by Morovino in 5-Minute Friday, Mrs. Vino's Ramblings on January 27, 2012
Tonight we are excited to have the amazing History of Painters playing for our Friday Night Live Music series, so it will be a late, late night. That means it’s 5 Minute Friday!
Tonight’s prefabricated 5 minute dinner (OK, it’s actually a 7-8 minute dinner) is another choice from Costco – Harry’s Beef Burgundy with noodles. Hmmmm, what’s the perfect pairing with Beef Burgundy??? It must be a burgundy-style Pinot Noir! We are so lucky to have amazing Pinot Noirs on the Central Coast, but to pair with this meal, I’m going with a classic traditional European style Pinot. And, I don’t need to go too far – 2nd Chance Winery is just across Landing Passage from Morovino.
2nd Chance Winery’s 2009 Pinot Noir made from Clone 667 is earthy, rich and lighter than some of the California styled Pinot Noirs. I love the minerally, loamy notes to it. Harry’s Beef Burgundy has a nice light sauce. You can definitely taste the red wine in it. The beef is tender and the noodles are perfectly al dente after 7 minutes in the microwave.
Sure, it’s not a trip to France. This nice microwave meal is tasty all on its own. But when you pair it with the beautiful and elegant 2009 2nd Chance Pinot Noir – it’s as close as I’m going to get at 8 p.m. on a Friday night.
Enjoy!
Five Minute Friday
Posted by Morovino in Uncategorized on January 20, 2012
Welcome to a new feature in The Practical Kitchen – 5 Minute Fridays!
As much Mrs. Vino enjoys her time in the kitchen, there are just days when it is just NOT gonna happen. I’ve discovered a couple of things:
1. There are some really tasty pre-cooked dinners out there that can be microwaved in 5 minutes.
2. When those meals are paired with the right wine, it elevates the whole experience to something special!
3. If you light a couple of candles and play some nice music while you are eating your 5 minute meal and suddenly you aren’t as tired anymore.
Morovino is now doing live music on Friday evenings from 5 – 7 p.m. This means that Mrs. Vino usually gets home around 8 p.m. and is way, way too tired to cook. So every Friday, The Practical Kitchen blog will feature a different prefabricated 5 minute meal paired with a different local wine. If you have favorite pre-cooked meals, I’d love to hear about them.
Costco’s Monterey Gourmet Foods - Seafood Lasagna paired with Peloton Cellars 2010 Albarino
I always approach prefabricated seafood a bit cautiously. But the Monterey Gourmet Foods Seafood Lasagna offers really tasty, tender shrimp, scallops and fish. The sauce is creamy, the noodles are tender, it has great seafood flavor and it’s not overly salty.
Peloton Cellars 2010 Albarino is an amazingly crisp, full bodied white that has the perfect balance of acidity and creaminess to pair with the lasagna. It’s beautiful Citrine color sparkles like a jewel in the glass. It has great citrus notes and a lightly floral nose that I just love. But if you want to try this wine, hurry. I believe Peloton is almost sold out of it!
So fire up the microwave, light the candles, turn on some George Winston or Liz Story, take a deep breath and . . . enjoy.
Make your own Whole Grain Mustard
Posted by Morovino in Appetizers, Sauces and Sides, Main Courses on January 17, 2012
Just one of my many, many new obsessions. I love whole grain mustard, but it’s soooooooo expensive. Who’d have thought it was this easy to make. NOTE: for those of us who live on the Central Coast and really don’t have a good gourmet food store, you can get yellow mustard seeds at New Frontiers and brown and black mustard seeds at Amazon.com. Go for bulk sizes – those little tiny spice jars are waaaayyyyy too expensive. Sometimes garden stores will have mustard seeds as they are used for ground cover to keep land from eroding. Make sure the seeds haven’t been treated.
A recipe for easy, easy mustard crusted salmon follows, too.
Make your own YUMMY Whole Grain Mustard:
4 T. Mustard Seeds *
1/3 c. Cider Vinegar **
½ teaspoon each salt and sugar***
Put the mustard seeds in a pint mason jar or big coffee cup. Cover them with the 1/3 c. of vinegar – make sure that the seeds are completely covered- then cover with the cup with Saranwrap or put the lid on the jar. Let the seeds soak on your counter for up to 5 days. Top up the vinegar as needed. The mustard gets spicier the longer the seeds soak – I ‘m a 3-day girl–that’s about all the “spicy” I can handle. Pour off any remaining vinegar and reserve. Using your blender, immersion blender or mini chopper, grind the mustard seeds to your desired level of graininess. Traditionally this is done in a mortar and pestle. You can still do it that way if it floats your boat – but I love technology in the kitchen. Stir in ½ t salt and ½ t sugar. Use a little of the reserved vinegar to thin the mustard as desired. Refrigerate the finished mustard to stop it from getting stronger. The mustard is VERY sharp once you finish grinding it up. It needs to settle for a couple of days in the fridge before you use it.
* The yellow seeds are tangy. The brown seeds are spicy. The black seeds are hot. My favorite blend is 2T yellow and 1 T each of brown and black.
**You can use white wine, red wine or beer instead of vinegar. When you get to the blending stage, add vinegar to taste.
***You can use honey or any other sweetener instead of sugar.
My last batch was Stout and Molasses which I was awesome on mustard glazed salmon (recipe follows).
Salmon glazed with home made whole grain mustard
MUSTARD GLAZED SALMON
Serve with Morovino Barbera
4 6-ounce pieces of salmon or steelhead filet, skin on
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1 T olive oil
1 minced green onion
Salt and Pepper
Set up your oven racks – one rack should be 2nd notch from the bottom and the other should be 2nd notch from the top. Preheat your oven to 400. Take out your rimmed baking sheet and line it with foil. Place the salmon filets on the foil, skin side down. Salt and pepper the fish. Stir the mustard, olive oil and green onion (OK, you could use chives, but I ALWAYS have green onion and I NEVER have chives) together in a little glass bowl. Place 1 big spoonful of mustard on top of each filet and spread it around. Put the baking sheet in the oven on the bottom rack and roast for 6-8 minutes, depending on how thick your filet is. After 6-8 minutes, switch your oven from bake to broil. Let the broiler heat, and move your baking sheet to the top rack until the mustard gets brown and crusty – about 3 more minutes.
Pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Using a spatula, remove the fish from the skin. Somehow, miraculously, the skin sticks to the foil and the fish comes right off – it’s kind of scary how easy it is.
Serve with crusty bread or baby potatoes and your favorite veggie. Delicious and very easy.
Lox and Cream Cheese Risotto
Posted by Morovino in Main Courses on January 11, 2012
Lox & Cream Cheese Risotto
We’ve made so very many great friends in the past year or two. We love sharing our passion for food and wine with you. This recipe was inspired by our friends Carlton and JoEllen who gifted us with a most amazing piece of smoked salmon. Thanks, Joey & Carlton!
Lox and Cream Cheese Risotto
Make with Morovino Pinot Grigio/Serve with Morovino Barbera
1 c. Arborio rice
3 c. low fat chicken broth
1T olive oil
1/2 c. Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
4 ounces delicious smoked salmon from Joey & Carlton – or equivalent 
2T capers
1/4 c. reduced fat cream cheese
zest of 1 lime
I like to make Risotto in my non-stick sautese (saute pan with tall sides). It just seems to cook better in there. Put the chicken broth in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes (or put it in a small saucepan and heat it on the stove on low until it is warm). Heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the diced onion (reserve 2 T for garnish) and saute for 4 or 5 minutes until translucent (not browned). Add the Arborio rice and saute for another 2 – 3 minutes until the rice turns opaque. Coincidentally most standard ladles hold 1/2 cup. This comes in very handy when making Risotto as you add the warm broth and wine 1/2 cup at a time. SO, using your ladle, add 1/2 c. Pinot Grigio to the rice and onion. Stir until the wine is absorbed. Then add the broth 1/2 cup (one ladle full) at a time, letting each ladle full absorb before you add the next. It should take you about 25 minutes to add all the broth – if it takes less than that, your heat is turned up too high.
When you get to your last ladle full of broth, add it to the pan. Add the 1/4 cup cream cheese and the lime zest at the same time to finish the risotto. Let the broth absorb and cheese melt for 3-4 minutes. Taste a couple of grains of the rice – they should be al dente – not hard or chewy but still have a bit of texture to them.
While the risotto is finishing, dice the salmon. Put the risotto in 2 pretty bowls. Top each bowl with half the salmon, then 1 T of capers, 1T of red onion. Yes, it’s a large serving of risotto, but it’s relatively healthy and oh, so delicious.
Risotto is my ultimate 30 minute comfort food. And it serves as an amazing canvas for . . . . any flavor. Making it is a minor skill that is totally worth mastering.
Mrs. Vino has a new obsession!
Posted by Morovino in Appetizers, Sauces and Sides, Mrs. Vino's Ramblings on January 8, 2012
(actually several)
Over the holidays, I got a bit more time to “play” in the kitchen. And, I’ve discovered several new obsessions that I just have to share! My holiday gift this year was a microwave potato chip maker from the “As Seen on TV Store” – more on that later in the week. Our holiday dinner was a roast duck – the side benefit of roasting a duck is the amazing jar of pristine duck fat you end up with if you do it right – more on that later, too.
Right now I want to share with you my newest obsession – yes, I actually dream about it (and so does Mr. Vino)! CHICKEN BACON.
I don’t know where I first heard/read/saw/learned about Chicken Bacon. But a couple of weeks ago, I was removing the skin from some bone-in Chicken Thighs to make Braised Thighs and Greens (on the blog under main courses). As I was going to throw the skin away, the memory of Chicken Bacon flashed into my head. The Thighs and Greens were delicious (and healthy) and I saved the skin for th next day.
Chicken Bacon is pan-fried or roasted chicken skin. I mean SERIOUSLY roasted. Roasted til it is brown and crispy and all the fat has been rendered off. It is crunchy. It is chickeny. It is bacony. I couldn’t find a calorie count for it anywhere, but since you render off ALL THE FAT, it just can’t be that bad for you. And it’s delicious. Really delicious. So delicious that I think Mr. Vino would eat cardboard if it had chicken bacon on it.
Here’s how it works.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the skin from your chicken thighs (or breast, or go crazy and get a whole chicken nekkid). Chicken skin is slimy, so use paper towels to grab it and pull it off if you are having a hard time. Rinse the chicken skin and pat it dry. Lay the skin out flat on a rimmed baking sheet. Please note, that rim on the baking sheet is VERY IMPORTANT – cuz the fat renders off . . . in liquid form. Meanwhile back to the flat skin – try to get out as many wrinkles as possible. Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper. Or your favorite seasoned salt. Or MY favorite, a sprinkle of garlic salt. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast until the skin is brown and crisp – probably about 40 minutes, but check it after 20 minutes. Pull the baking sheet out carefully as there will be some liquid chicken fat sloshing around the bottom. Use a spatula to remove the crispy skin pieces, put them on a paper towel and blot them dry to remove even more fat. After it cools, either eat it immediately or put it in a Ziploc bag in the fridge where it will keep for several days.
OK, so how do you use it??? I use it anywhere I’d use bacon bits. So far: to top a salad, to top a risotto, to make a CBLT (chicken bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich), to top green beans, on a baked potato, eat it straight out of the pan as a salty, crunchy snack (it’s hard not to). The possibilities are endless.
I’ve seen some recipes where the chicken skin is marinated in a sweet salty sauce (like Hoisin) and they call it Chicken Candy. Haven’t tried it yet – am still loving it in its pure bacon form!
Frugal cooking doesn’t mean using the cheapest ingredients – it means using the best ingredients thoughtfully and never wasting anything. As my Grandma Vino used to say: don’t skimp on anything you are putting in your stomach, but don’t waste it either!
Cheers!
Marinated Chevre (goat cheese)
Posted by Morovino in Appetizers, Sauces and Sides, Soups and Salads on January 2, 2012
This recipe comes courtesy of Tia Vino (Mr. Vino’s Sister-in-Law) who is an outstanding and awesome cook. Mrs. Vino loves it when Tia and Tio Vino come to visit in early spring to escape the snow. She loves it for several reasons. 1. Frequently, she comes home from work to find dinner almost ready 2. Said dinner is always delicious. 3. Scott and Janet are two of her favorite people on earth. This recipe has become a staple – it makes a great appetizer, starter salad, heck even a sauce for pasta! ENJOY.
Serve with Morovino dry Pinot Grigio or Sangiovese.
1 T. butter (because when you are using a full pound of cheese, why not??)
1/3 c. (about 2 large) shallots, finely chopped
¾ – 1 lb creamy goat cheese (I get the logs at Costco)
3 roma tomatoes*
3 T. Balsamic vinegar
3 T. Soy sauce
2 t. Worcestershire Sauce
½ c. NICE olive oil
1 small handful of parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper
OK, it seems like it has a lot of ingredients and is complicated, but it’s not! With a little organization, this comes together in less than 10 minutes. Saute the shallots in the butter over medium heat – we want soft and golden, not brown and burned! Make a small “x” in the bottom of the tomatoes with a sharp pairing knife, then put them in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes or until the skin starts to peel. Carefully remove the tomatoes (those are some hot tomatoes), let them cool a moment, then peel, seed and dice them.
Here’s where we can get creative. If I’m using this as an appetizer, I cut the cheese log in half lengthwise – don’t worry if it crumbles a bit, the marinade covers a multitude of sins. If I’m using this as a salad course, I slice the log into 1” thick slices. Or, use one of those Tuperware mold things and form a pretty shape.
Whatever shape you choose, here’s what happens next. Lay the cheese in a flat dish – I use a Pyrex 9 x 9” baking dish. Spread the shallots over the cheese. Put the diced tomatoes and the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix. Pour the mixture over the cheese. Cover and let set 24 hours to 3 days in your fridge.
Fun serving options. As an appetizer, just serve the cheese log with garlic toasts. As a salad course, place 2 leaves of butter lettuce on a plate, top it with one of the cheese rounds then spoon the extra marinade on top (OMG, this is AWESOME and really fussy looking) If the log gets to crumbly, listen to what it is telling you! Smash the cheese and marinade together, then spread on small slices of peasant bread and warm in the oven. Or this is a good time to toss the cheese and sauce with hot pasta to make a main course!
*Mrs. Vino Cheat – if the Roma tomatoes don’t look good, or you don’t have the time or inclination to use fresh tomato, you can substitute 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomato, drained and it still tastes mighty good!
Happy New Year from Mrs. Vino
Posted by Morovino in Mrs. Vino's Ramblings on December 31, 2011
Wow, I cannot believe that 2012 is already here. I SWEAR it was April last week. At the turn of the year, I wanted to take a few minutes to express my thanks to all our friends, fans and wine family members.
Since I turned 30, every year has gotten more “interesting.” Some were bad years (the year I lost my mom). Some were good years (my first gold medal as a winemaker). But every year had interesting and important lessons to teach me.
In 2011, I found my confidence as a wine maker and learned to trust my palate. It was the year I learned to take constructive criticism without becoming defensive (still a work in progress, but much better). 2011 taught me to listen to David when he said we could “amp it up a notch” (or as I call it, “turn it up to 11″). Thanks for the double gold medal, David, I love you. In all, 2011 was a year of exceptional growth, joy, frustration and life lessons learned (Mother Nature is still the boss of me).
Starting any small business is always a struggle. In 2011, I believe that Morovino turned the corner and that we are poised for great things. And none of that could have happened without you. Please remember that if you live in wine country – ANY wine country – support your small, family owned wineries and be rewarded with excellent wines and great relationships.
As I look back on the past 5 years with Morovino (gosh, I cannot believe it’s been that long), I am humbled by the number of new friends Morovino has brought us. I wish you lasting peace and unlimited prosperity in the new year. And most of all – great vino!
Andrea
