MAY YOU FIND PEACE IN THE NEW YEAR!

A Hearty Zin, Some Jerked Goat and Spiked Carrot Juice

I got one of those dinner invitations the other day, that start me salivating like Pavlov’s dogs, as soon as I hear my friend’s voice on the phone. My girlfriend (friend, not lover) has Jamaican roots. Her voice still carries the island lilt, even though she’s lived in America for many years. She speaks and it reminds me of days spent in the sun, watching the ocean gently lick the white sandy shores of her home. She invited me over for dinner, as payment for sprucing up her resume. She said she’d cook whatever I wanted already knowing what I was going to say before I said it. We had a good laugh about her clairvoyance. We ended with her reminding me as always, to choose the wine, and to surprise her.

I knew I was going to be treated to some jerk goat and rice with a Guiness beer mixed into fresh carrot juice on the side. My favorite of favorite Jamaican food. I had to add a good merlot because it was her favorite and we would drink that while she finished preparation and served. All I had to do was sit, drink, listen and eat. She talks enough for both us.

The surprise that she asked for, would be a hearty California Red Zinfandel, a perfect complement to the sorta spicy meat on the table.

I would go so far as to say that red zin is the California signature wine. However, the grapes are not native to the state. Zinfandel grapes originally came from Italy. The same grapes are used to make both the red and white zinfandel varieties. While white zinfandel is actually pink, the red is almost black in color. It has a spicy taste, kind of peppery and fruity at the same time. It’s a wine that really goes well with burgers and pizza. The price range is big, from pretty cheap to way too expensive. Since it’s red, I guess most people drink it at room temperature. However, my wine mentor, the man who taught me about wines and in fact owned a vineyard in Spain, told me that Zin should be consumed at 65-degrees. That’s warmer than chilled, but cooler than room temp, usually. My old friend kept his wine refrig in the living room within easy reach.

Jerk Goat is an easy prep, but it does take awhile. Sometimes you have to tenderize the meat for a day before cooking. My friend’s recipe follows below for those feeling adventurous. It really is wonderful. She serves the meat with white rice, but you health conscious folks can substitute brown, it’s okay.

The Guiness and carrot juice...well make sure the carrot is freshly juiced. This drink absolutely does not work with canned carrot juice or carrot juice that is more than a half hour past juicing. In Jamaica, it is even sweetened with brown sugar or honey. I like the brown sugar version, but its really not necessary if the carrot juice is fresh. Add a sprig of mint for a kick, if you will.

Jerk Goat Preparation
1 ½ cup onion, finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 2tablespoons dried leaves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground pimiento (allspice)
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 very hot pepper, chopped,
or teaspoon hot pepper oil
1 leg of goat with bone in

Mix or puree together the onions, garlic, soy sauce, and spices to form a paste. Pierce the leg of goat all over and rub the paste all over the meat. Any unused paste (also known as "jerk rub" can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month for later use). Cover or wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight to allow spices to penetrate meat.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Sear the meat loosely covered with foil in a roasting pan at 400 F for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 F. Roast meat for another hour or two depending on weight until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 F. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking
.
If you use a tougher cut such as a neck roast for cooking, plan on a longer cooking time and on marinating the meat in a mixture of beer and lemon juice overnight. Put the jerk rub on it in the morning and then cook in the afternoon. Enjoy!


Salud!

Por two gee say Love

Is the title to one of my favorite Tina Marie songs from back in the day, when La Dona was a fixture at the top of the music charts. She loves all things Portugese and so do I when it comes to wine.

While still in school, I tasted the wines from the Douro region of Portugal. The vineyards there, produce very dry, full bodied, but gentle reds with little oak and not much tannin. Recently, I got in the mood for eggplant, something I don’t eat often, but love it when I do, and that brings me back to why I was thinking of all things Portugese.

Eggplant, which is basically a middle eastern food, goes wonderfully well with the wines of Portugal. At the time, I was in the mood for baba ghanoush, maybe some falafel, and simmered grape leaves, with a little feta cheese and a nice wine.

Now in my college days I would have settled for Mateus or Lancer’s....both pretty good and more importantly, cheap. I was on a student’s budget back then. But now, I would drop maybe $ 25-30.00 and buy a reserve Quinta de Roriz or possibly a Vinho Alvarinho if I wanted white, and I usually do. So I would probably buy both. Vinho Alvarinho should be chilled. It is soft blended grape wine that tastes like nuts and fruit. Kind of sweet, but not too sweet. The Quinta can be served at room temperature. There are less costly wines from this country. You just need to scout them out at your local wine store. I mention these two, because I like them.

My baba ghanoush, I would make from scratch or If I’m feeling lazy or rushed, then I bop out to my local grocery, to the appetizer bar where you can find, feta, or baba, or tabbouleh or hummus, and buy by the ounce. But it’s cheaper to buy the eggplant and make it yourself, trust me. Pick up some pita bread, too. You need it for scooping up the baba ghanoush.

First thing, pop the cork on your wine of choice, so you can sip while cooking. Turn on the oven to about 350-degrees. In Europe, eggplant is called aubergine, by the way. Put the aubergine in a greased shallow pan or baking dish and roast until it is soft, probably about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Put it in a bowl of cold water, then peel off the skin. Add the spices at this point. I usually use garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and tahini, if I happen to have it on hand. If I happen to be cooking for others, then I add finely diced onion and tomato. Blend it well in a blender. I used to use a fork because I couldn’t afford expensive mixing utensils. I was also taught to cook by my grandparents and they didn’t the expensive tools either. I still do things the hard way, but make it easy on yourself, if you have a blender or food processor, use it.

Now it’s best to refrigerate the mixture for a couple of hours before you eat. When you do serve, put the baba ghanoush on a plate, drizzle olive oil all over. Put the pita slices on the side. If you need meat, broil a chicken breast and serve alongside. Enjoy!

Salud!

Barefoot Wine, Football and Turkey Sandwiches

Okay, so I'm in Kroger looking for a cheap bottle of wine to go with my after thanksgiving turkey sandwich, and I stumbled across a display offering Barefoot wines for 5.99 a bottle. The display offered a cabernet, a merlot, a chardonay, and a riesling. I like clean looking, creative labels and I'd seen Barefoot wine before. It's always priced right (cheap). But I've always placed it in my "adult kool aide" category. The bottle, while nice to look at, reminds me of Boones Farm Apple wine, that 2. 50 per bottle wine that comes in many colors and flavors and goes down like soda pop.

The difference being that Barefoot is not carbonated like Boones Farm. And don't knock Boones Farm, it got me through college. I was good for days on a slice of Poppa Dino's pepperoni pizza and Boones Farm Strawberry wine. Way back then, BFW cost 1.99 per bottle.

I purchased the riesling, took it home to chill. White wines are best when cold. I'm sure you've heard that reds are best at room temperature. Well, back in the old country, room temperature was probably right around 54-degrees, pretty chilly for what we consider room temp. So if you're feeling adventurous, chill your red one time and see if you like it...

But back to leftovers and Barefoot.

I've changed my next day turkey sandwich. It used to be miracle whip on white bread with white turkey, cut diagonally.

Now that I'm a grown up, it's miracle whip on dark german rye bread with dark turkey meat. I cut across or diagonally, doesn't matter. When I was a kid, I thought the diagonal cut meant you were a grown up.

I guess I should put some lettuce or veggies on it, but then that would be breaking tradition. You can add whatever you like to the basic turkey sandwich.

Now for the drink...just as I suspected....soda with no carbonation. The taste was clean, nothing complex...hints of fruit....sweet...okay for a day after thanksgiving afternoon of watching football.

I'm going to go back and try the reds, the price is more than right, and I'm always adventurous.


Salud!

Thanksgiving

I'm sticking with two wines for this holiday, Pinot Noir as my red and German Spatlese as my white. Mom's cooking the main meal, so it will be the traditional turkey, honey baked ham, candied sweet potatoes, greens, green beans, baked beans, dressing and corn bread.

We'll probably have some apple pie, and or sweet potato pie courtesy of our next door neighbor. The wines won't be served at dinner because my parents don't drink wine. That's why I'm being selfish with my choices. I'm saving the wines for later in the evening for when I visit my cousin.

My cousin's table will also be traditional, but the libation, well the libation is more varied, from wines to scotch or bourbon, with maybe some vodka cran thrown into the mix. The second meal is also a pot luck so, my chosen wines have to be versatile, since I do plan to share.

I talked about pinot noir in my last post, so I will just name a couple of good ones that I've had recently....Try the 2007 Fess Parker, of Santa Clara or the 2006 Mia's Playground from the Russian River Valley. Both of these wines come in right around 20-bucks a bottle. I originally chose these wines because of their names. Fess Parker is an actor who used to play Davey Crockett on television and I just like the sound of Mia's Playground..

The German spatlese is a bit pricey, but a very good complement to roast turkey...I like the mosel-saar-ruwer, Germany area for this type of wine. Germans color code their wines in either brown or green glassed bottles. I prefer the brown bottle wines. Expect to plunk down 30-40 bucks per bottle. If you like, go for the kabinett which is also made from riesling grapes and costs about 20-bucks a bottle or less.

If you need a turkey recipe check out my earlier posts. There is a really nice grilled bird that you might want to try.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Salud!

Want Some Wine with that Hummus?

There are some foods that are hard to pair up with wine. For instance, I have this wonderful recipe for a vegetable wrap sandwich with chicken and hummus. Although I learned about hummus when I was in college, many years ago. It is not usually on the food radar for most of my family and friends. Hummus is an arabic spread or dip, made of cooked and mashed up chick peas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. So, I decided to try a few couplings to see what I could come up with.

I did some reading on the subject and found that hummus and wine is not so unusual in Europe...the french seem to like it with fume blanc, gewurztraminer rules in Germany....the sweetness of the wine contrasting with the saltiness of the food, maybe, while Italians, I'm told prefer pinot grigio... but not one of my favorite wines...

I decided to fall back on an old staple for me....when in doubt....I go for a pinot noir...pinot noir grapes are the grapes of Burgundy, France, but they can and are grown all over the world. Pinot is french for "pine." Noir is of course, french for "black." America is really just getting the hang of cultivating pinot grapes. The best seem to be coming out of Sonoma County. I would suggest finding a label that says something about the Russian River on it or just look for Sonoma. That's what I do. You'll spend maybe 15-20 bucks for a decent wine. Try the pinot noir, or if you like, go ahead and make your own combination. As I said this is about what tastes good...not what's right according to some wine expert.

Recipe: Vegetable Wraps with Chicken and Hummus

Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 15 min. Cooking Time: 0 min.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cooked chicken 1/2 cup chopped cucumber 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper\raw 1/2 cup chopped sugar snap peas\raw 1/2 cup chopped arugula 1/2 cup hummus 4 flour tortilla 4 leaf or butter lettuce leaf

Cooking Directions:

Combine the chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, peas, arugula, and hummus in a bowl. (You can add different vegetables according to the season and your family's preferences). Lay the wraps on the counter and cover each with a lettuce leaf. Divide the vegetable mixture among them and spread, leaving at least a 0-1/2 inch border around the edge. Roll up tightly, tucking in the edges as you roll. Cut in half and wrap in plastic food film.

* thanks Nubella

salud!

Double Deckers and Grown up Kool Aid

This long election campaign season has me looking for quick stuff to eat and drink in between campaigning for my favorite candidates. I absolutely despise fast food. But in this day and age, sometimes it is a necessity.

Thinking about fast food got me to thinking about some childhood comfort foods that I still fall back on, on long weekends when I don't feel like cooking.

My mom still serves double decker sandwiches and pop (soda) if you're grown or kool aid, if you're a kid. A double decker is what the rest of the world calls a club sandwich. It's made of three slices of bread and stuffed with what ever....meat, cheese, lettuce...you get the idea.

Mom made ham and egg double deckers and here in Cincinnati, you could go to any deli and get one. It's a staple around here. But when I grew up and tried to order one in another city, I learned that I had to be more specific. I couldn't just say bring me a ham and egg double decker.

When I did that, the waitress gave me a sandwich with boiled ham, that was okay, but the egg was fried. Here in Cincinnati, the egg is hard boiled and sliced. You gotta specify exactly what you want when out of town. Cincinnati's got many idiosyncrasies that don't translate to the rest of the country.

Now that I'm grown, I've also dispensed with the pop and kool aid, substituting a nice glass of wine instead. I still sometimes use a half dill pickle and some potato chips as my side veggie though.

The wine I like best with my double decker is a german kabinett, usually from the mosel valley. Kabinetts are first harvest wines and not as sweet as spatlese, which is the second harvest. Kabinetts are usually called table wine. I think they're quite good for daily drinking. They pair easily with most food. Kabinetts are not too expensive either. I've got one for this weekend that cost me 19.99, but I've had others that were good, for as little as 9.99.

So when you're feeling lazy about cooking try this: ham and egg double decker w/white wine, your choice.

RECIPE

2-3 slices of ham, your choice in flavor
3 slices bread, toasted
1-2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
tomato
lettuce
mayo or miracle whip or your favorite spread


You're making a sandwich now, take a piece of toast spread mayo, layer egg slices to cover bread from crust to crust
put second piece of bread on top of eggs, spread mayo, layer tomato, lettuce, meat
take third piece of bread, complete the sandwich

Now my mom salt and peppers her eggs, I don't
My sister likes onion on hers, I don't
I have had some people put a slice of cheese on it...sometimes it's okay..but then I have a tendency to leave off the meat and just use the veggies, eggs and cheese

your choice!

Salud!

Bordeaux and Bird

The buzz in the wine world these days is the 2005 Bordeaux. Bordeaux is the rolls royce of wines, very expensive, very collectible, made in France. They can be laid down or cellared for up to 20 years. I've got one in house that was bottled in 1953. The drinking window on this Chateau La Fleur Pomerol is from the year 2000 to 2010. I plan to pop the cork real soon.

This 2005 is being touted as the best in the last 50 years. I tasted it recently. It's okay. I have to be honest, I don't like young red wines, too much bite. I don't drink beaujolais at all. I prefer smoothness in my grape. The older the better, if it's red. This was okay, it will definitely be better in a few years. I tasted cherries, mainly. It was good. So I will recommend this.

I paired it with some grilled turkey. I have an old friend who turned me on to turkey on the grill and I have to admit, that I'm hooked. It's really the only way to fix and eat turkey. So I'm giving you my recipe. It's simple, cause I don't like hard to prepare recipes. I wish I lived in an area of the country where I could grill everyday. I do grill in the wintertime on those rare warm winter days, when it great to get outside...Try this...and...grill some veggies...corn, tomatoes, mushrooms...your choice...



Classic Grilled Turkey

1		oven-ready turkey (select size to fit your grill)
1		tablespoon oil
		Salt and pepper
		Herbs, rub, or seasoning to taste

Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season to taste, inside and out.

Place turkey, breast side up, in a roast holder set inside a large heavy-gauge foil pan. Place in center of cooking grate. Cook 11 to 13 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 180º F in the thigh and 170ºF in the breast. Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4oz skinless portion servings.

Note: To collect drippings for making gravy, pour a little water into foil pan. Replenish water as needed to keep drippings from burning. Remove pan from under turkey about 30 minutes before bird should be done and make gravy. (Continue cooking turkey in the center of the cooking grate)

*thank you Weber grill company

© 2008 Jo Anne Moore, JAM Publications

Pinot, Merlot...It's All Red

The change in season has gotten me started on drinking red wines. This year, I've kicked off my red season with pinot noir, or an occasional merlot thrown in for good measure. I'm not a big cabernet sauvignon drinker, preferring french burgundies when I choose to do some serious slurping. Cabernet is the little brother of french bordeaux which I save for special occasions.

The pinot noirs and merlots are softer than the cabernets, sometimes reminding me of black cherries or chocolate covered bourbon cherries. They go down smoother and the price is right, with or without food. I've been working my way through Australia, lately, and have really come to like Alice White. In addition to being tight little wines, they are also wonderful on the purse. My faves usually come in under ten bucks. I would spend more for Alice, but it's usually not necessary.

Another Australian brand that I would personally recommend is Black Opal, choose your type. Most are below fifteen bucks, and many under ten.

After choosing my pinot, I would pair it with something like Turkey Lasagna. I love lasagna. I'm trying to find recipes to use turkey instead of red meat. This recipe fills the bill. I originally used it for a dinner party, hence the high number of servings. Make the recipe, eat some, freeze some. In this economic climate, left overs are good....

Recipe: Turkey Lasagna

Servings: 16 Preparation Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 65 min.

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. ground turkey 1 medium onion\cooked, finely chopped 1 tsp. rosemary 1 tsp. tarragon 1/4 Lbs. unsalted butter 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 cup chicken stock 1-1/4 cups skim milk 3/4 cup dry white wine 1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese 12 lasagne noodle 2 cup lowfat cottage cheese

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or flameproof casserole over medium high heat. Saute ground turkey and onion about 5 minutes, stirring to break up lumps of meat, until turkey is browned. Remove from heat and discard excess liquid. Stir in rosemary, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring, without letting mixture brown. Whisk in stock, milk and wine. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes, whisking often. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Set sauce aside. Cook lasagne noodles in a large pan of boiling water 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Cover bottom of a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inches baking dish with a thin layer of sauce. Arrange a single layer of 4 slightly overlapping lasagne noodles over it. Cover with half of turkey mixture. Spoon on 1 cup cottage cheese, then spoon on another third of sauce. Arrange another layer of noodles in dish. Cover with remaining turkey mixture and cottage cheese. Spoon on half of remaining sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles, then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over top. (Dish can be prepared to this point; cover and refrigerated for 1 day before baking.) Bake about 50 minutes, until lasagne is bubbling and top is lightly browned. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. If freezing cooked food, divide into freezer/oven-proof containers in the amounts you will use at one time. Cool as quickly as possible to retain freshness. (Dairy, egg and meat based dishes should cool in refrigerator.) Cover tightly and place in freezer for up to 3 months. Reheating options: Place frozen food in oven and turn on heat to 375° F. Bake about 1 hour, or until bubbly. Or, transfer food to a covered microwave-safe container and heat on high setting until bubbly. (USDA recommends reheating meats to 165° F to destroy any bacteria.)

Per Serving: calories 243, fat 12.8g, calories from fat 47%, protein 18.5g, cholesterol 66.4mg, dietary fiber 0.5g *thanks Nubella! © 2008 Jo Anne Moore, JAM Publications

European Rose

I'm still feeling Rose, so I'd like to make another suggestion...How about some chicken salad and a nice 2006 bordeaux rose....This rose will be a little dryer than drinking something like the American Sutter Home that I suggested in my last post. As I said, American rose's are usually sweeter and not so pricey. They give good bang for the buck.

Make up a batch of chicken salad...add a hunk of french bread and voila.......lunch on a sunny autumn afternoon....

My favorite chicken salad comes from the Wildflower Cafe, which is located in Mentone, Alabama. I was there a few years ago, travelling with my sister. I've updated the recipe a little for my own tastes, but not much..

This chicken salad makes a delicious luncheon salad served on lettuce leaves with sliced avocado, or fill sandwich rolls with the mixture.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shreaded chicken
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 cup seedless green grapes, sliced
• 3 green onions, with some green, thinly sliced
• 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
• Salad greens, optional
• Shredded raddiccio, optional
• Sliced avocado, optional

Preparation:

Combine the shreaded chicken with 1/3 cup mayonnaise, sour cream, sliced grapes, sliced green onions, sliced celery, walnuts, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir in more mayo, if needed. Serve the chicken salad mixture on salad greens and raddiccio and garnish with sliced avocado. For sandwiches, line sandwich rolls with lettuce leaves and fill with chicken salad.
Serves 4 to 6.

If you'd rather have a different wine...try a beaujolais, or your favorite red....or if you'd prefer a white...a chardonnay-which leaves you open to just about anything..because as the french say-"it's all chardonnay, cherie..

Or maybe a chilled sauvignon blanc...

salud!

© 2008; Jo Anne Moore, JAM Publications

Salud!

I call myself a connoisseur of fine wine. I do collect, sometimes, laying some bottles down in the dark to age a little bit. I enjoy reading about wine and visiting vineyards and wineries. I've been drinking long enough to have definite tastes and favorite wines. I've spent enough throughout the years to justify my self titled "connoisseur label."

I even have a prized possession, a 1955 Chateau Lafleur Bordeaux, that I plan to drink if Obama wins the presidency. If he doesn't win, I will drink it sometime in 2010 because that's when it will have reached its time....

I love the ambiance of grape. I like having my friends ask me for tips, or advice when they're wining and dining their latest conquests under the candlelight.

But I have to be honest......I just love a good glass of wine...with or without food. Food is always good...but it's the grape that makes the meal.

And that's why I started this blog...to talk about what I like....Wine and the food that sets it off.

A couple of times a week I'm going to talk about wine and then I'm going to give you a recipe. I'm not going to go gourmet on you...I'm going to keep it simple...It's about enjoyment...not snobbery.

So let's fire up the stove and pop that cork!

It is officially fall in my neck of the woods, and while the weather has turned cool, I'm still in a summertime kind of mood, so today, I'm thinking Rose wine or Blush as it is sometimes called..

Rose wines are the light pink wines that many people drink over ice, kind of like adult kool aid. That's because it can be a sweet wine, like white zinfandel. European rose tends to be drier.

If you'd just like a glass....go buy a bottle of Sutter Home white zin...it's cheap and refreshing. Remember, the price of the bottle doesn't mean that what's inside is any good. Sutter Home works.

If you're going to pair it with food, I've been happy with grilled chicken or even barbecue ribs, depending on the sauce.

I've paired white zin with a burger and fries and a green salad. Simple, filling and refreshing.

If you would prefer a little pricier rose, then look for a french rose...drier and made for pasta and shrimp...



Shrimp with Lemon Basil Pasta

Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 5 min. Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1/2 Lbs. linguine or other pasta 3/4 Lbs. cooked shrimp, thawed and drained 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1-1/2 tsp. basil leaves 3/4 tsp. garlic salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water 10 minutes, or until al dente. Add shrimp and drain immediately. Return pasta mixture to pan. Combine next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Toss with cooked pasta and shrimp. Sprinkle cheese over pasta and serve immediately. About: 380 calories * thanks Nubella for the recipe... ©2008,JoAnne Moore,JAM Publications