Love is in the Air... Oh No, That's Just More Snow!

Okay... can somebody PLEASE tell me where is all this snow coming from?! It seems like we are getting hit by at least one snowstorm per week! So much so that I think they are starting to run out of storm names. Pax?! Isn't that the name of one of Brangelina's sons?! I am sure that's copyright infringement of some kind.

Well don't let Pax ruin your Valentine's Day. Getting snowed in with your partner can be very romantic and not to mention inexpensive. Spending all that time and energy sloshing through the snow to make your dinner reservations at an overbooked and possibly overrated restaurant? Nothing about that sounds romantic. However, a quiet evening at home preparing dinner together is not only romantic, it's also very intimate. Nothing too complicated, of course. I was thinking of something light like Baked Crispy Cod and Asparagus with Bacon & Mushrooms because nothing says "I love you" quite like bacon... well at least in my book. And no Valentine's Day would be complete without Chocolate Dipped Strawberries infused with Hazelnut Liqueur (or any flavored alcohol of your choice) and a little bubbly for dessert. Please feel free to enjoy this course away from the table... but bring a towel just in case you make a mess...

Baked Crispy Cod

Serves 2 to 4

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 (6-oz.) cod fillets
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Place fillets on a lightly greased wire rack in a baking pan; sprinkle each side evenly with salt and pepper. Spoon breadcrumb mixture evenly onto one side of each fillet, pressing down gently. Drizzle evenly with melted butter.
3. Bake at 400° for 17 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden and fish flakes with a fork.


Asparagus with Bacon & Mushrooms
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pounds fresh asparagus
• 4 bacon slices
• 1 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2- inch pieces. Cook asparagus in a covered pot of boiling salted water over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Discard remaining drippings. Crumble bacon.
3. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in hot drippings over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until shallots are tender. Add asparagus and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in crumbled bacon, salt and pepper.

Hazelnut Liqueur Infused Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

• 16 large fresh strawberries with leaves
• 1/2 cup hazelnut liqueur (such as Frangelico)
• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons shortening 
• 1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur 
• 1 ounce white chocolate, chopped

Instructions: 

1. Rinse strawberries and dry thoroughly with a napkin. If the exterior of the strawberries is too wet, this will make the chocolate less likely to stick and make the melted chocolate separate. 
2. Take the injector and fill it with the liqueur. Take a strawberry and stick it with the injector at the bottom of the strawberry (at the peak). Slowly fill the strawberry with liqueur. The strawberry may begin to overflow and that is when you need to stop. 
3. Once all of your strawberries are injected, dab the strawberries again to remove any excess moisture. Place them on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
4. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, combine bittersweet chocolate and shortening. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Stir in heavy cream and 1/4 cup of liqueur. Place white chocolate in a separate bowl, and when the chocolate has melted, place the bowl of white chocolate over the pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Be sure to remove from heat as soon as it is mostly melted, white chocolate can be sensitive.
5. Dip strawberries into chocolate, and let the excess drip off into the bowl before placing on waxed paper to set. When the strawberries have all been dipped in chocolate, dip a fork into the white chocolate, and drizzle back and forth over berries to stripe.
6. I recommend making them the night before or 3-5 hours before serving. This will allow the liqueur and the flavor of the strawberries to marry into sweet, decadent matrimony.

 

 Wine Pairing: Passion d'Etoiles Pouilly-Fuisse 2009

When it comes to fish dishes, a White Burgundy (aka French Chardonnay) makes the perfect pairing. They are crisp, fruity, herbal and complex. When paired with the right dish like this cod, amazing things can happen. For this pairing, I chose the Passion d'Etoiles Pouilly-Fuisse 2009 from the Maconnais region of Burgundy. Pouilly-Fuisse is the name of the village in the Maconnais that produces remarkably unique Chardonnays.

This was the perfect wine for this dish. The flavors just simply exploded on the palate, as each sip followed every bite of the cod. The citrus and herbal flavor of this cod dish, were enhanced by the citrus, herbal and mineral flavors of the Pouilly-Fuisse.The wine greatly compliments the food and vice versa, which should happen with all good pairings.

So grab your Valentine and let's Eat Up & Wine Down... and don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and now on Instagram!

Better Late Than Never... Okay, Way Late...

Yes... I am still alive. However, a couple of weeks ago that was completely debatable. I spent the start of the new year sick and it lasted for two weeks. See, I have asthma so I don't just catch a cold like regular folk, I develop respiratory infections. For a week, I couldn't ever speak which makes giving pairing suggestions to customers extremely difficult. Worst of all I was too sick and too weak to cook anything besides warming up a can of soup. This is why I hate being sick. By the way, Campbell's Chicken Noddle Soup still rocks!

Luckily, I was well enough to prepare Christmas and New Year's dinner. Since New Year's dinner was just a repeat of last year's dishes (see entry 1/5/13), I decided to share my Christmas with you. For Christmas dinner I made a Roasted Duck with a Cherry-Grand Marnier Glaze, Mushroom Risotto and Bacon Wrapped Aspargus Bundles. Yeah, yeah... So I'm a little late or just extremely early, but in my opinion Christmas should be celebrated every day of the year. Not because of the giving and receiving of gifts but because of those feelings of hope and joy that surround us during that time. And of course, let's not forget the food. The time of year where the word "diet" is cursed and banned. If only Christmas was year round. Aahh... to dream...

    

Roasted Duck with Cherry-Grand Marnier Glaze

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 5-6 pound duck

For The Cavity:

• Kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 oranges, halved and quartered
• 6 peppercorns

For The Exterior:

• 1 large clove garlic, minced finely
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Cherry-Grand Marnier Glaze:

• 1 cup fresh cherries 
• 1 cup cherry preserves
• 1 cup Grand Marnier

Instructions:
1.      Preheat oven to 425°F and position oven rack on its lowest level.
2.      Wash, drain, and dry the duck cavity. Remove any visible excess fat from the duck.
3.      Rub inside well with 1/4 orange before stuffing. Salt and fill cavity with garlic, oranges, and peppercorns. Rub outside skin with minced garlic, garlic powder, and salt. Truss with string. Prick the duck with a sharp fork multiple times so liquefied fat will drain off during cooking. Place duck breast side up on an elevated rack in a roasting pan. Roast uncovered.
4.      Rubbing the duck’s exterior well with salt helps to crisp the skin.
5.      Fire the duck in the center of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes.
6.      Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and cook for 2 hours. After the first hour, prick skin with a sharp fork quickly and continue roasting for another hour.
7.      Glaze the duck during roasting by spreading over the skin. Test for doneness.
8.      Total cooking time 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
9.      Remove duck from roasting pan and rest in a warm place for 15–25 minutes.

For The Glaze: 

1. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minute.  
2. Let it cool for 10 minutes. 
3. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze onto the duck skin. Make sure all parts are glazed.  
4. In between every 20 minutes, remove the duck from the oven and baste the glaze and some duck fats onto the skin. 
5. Remove from the oven and let the duck rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Mushroom Risotto
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:

• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced arborio rice
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions:
1.      Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about two minutes until it is thoroughly coated with the butter and toasted a bit. Add the wine and let everything simmer for another minute or two until the wine has evaporated.
2.      Set a timer for 18 minutes. Add about half a cup of hot broth to the risotto and stir constantly until it is absorbed. Add another half cup of stock and repeat this process, adjusting the amount of liquid you add to the needs of the rice, until 18 minutes is up. The closer the rice is to being done, the less liquid you will need to add. Add the rosemary, thyme and a final bit of broth, if necessary, and stir vigorously to combine. When risotto has once again become thick and creamy, add the mushrooms and grated cheese and stir again to combine. Finally, finish the risotto by stirring in the heavy cream and adding pepper and salt to taste.
3.      Serve immediately while hot.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Serves 6 to 12

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed off
• 12 slices bacon
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.      Divide asparagus spears into 12 bundles (3-4 pieces each). Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting 1/2" from bottom of the tips. Arrange bundle in an aluminum lined baking sheet.
3.      Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the bundles asparagus and sprinkle with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
4.      Bake for 10-15 minutes, then flip each asparagus over and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the spears have begun to wilt and bacon looks fully cooked.


Wine Pairing: 

 Frederic Esmonin "Clos Prieur" Gevrey-Chambertin 2011

 

The perfect wine with roast duck is a Red Burgundy (aka a French Pinot Noir). Why is that, you ask? Duck contains a good deal of fat so it's best to pair it with a wine that is fresh and has some acidity. It also works well with the red fruit found in Pinot Noir such as cherries and plums. I chose to pair this dish with a charming Gevrey-Chambertin that I received as a birthday gift from my boss. Thank you, Leo!
This wine is a sleeper especially for its price as compared to a lot of Premier Cru Burgundies. It has a lovely, dark berry nose with a whiff of floral. The fruit here is pure, supple and elegant with a good underlying structure. I found this wine to be racy and intense with fine tannins. The way I like it. Great balance and a refreshing finish.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and having an even, better New Year!  

And as always, let's Eat Up & Wine Down... and don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and now on Instagram!