Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A Wine Pairing Dinner Celebrating The Flavors Of Fall!

Partnering up with Foodbuzz and Visa Signature, I was able to toast in the Autumn season with a Wine Pairing Dinner;

Celebrating The Flavors Of Fall!

I invited good friends,

opened good wine,

 

and we gathered around a pretty table.

The Menu!

The appetizers and wine were served outside on the patio. I lined up the luminaries that I made and placed them on a cement edge next to the patio where they glowed bright. A few candles and a twinkling of orange light wrapped in my lemon tree made for a festive mood.

Appetizers

Pear and Blue Cheese Crostini

Even the non blue cheese loving people liked these. Seasonal pears caramelize in butter with sage and blue cheese on top of a toasted baguette slice.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Always  a hit and one of the first appetizers to go. The salty bacon wrapped around a dried date stuffed with a whole almond baked to  a sweet/salty perfection.

Chevre Cheesecake with Biscotti Crust

These are a family favorite and I love to have some of these on hand in the freezer. Perfect appetizer and it’s nice to be able to pull a few out when company stops by. These little cheesecakes got their picture taken before I had the chance to garnish them. The unexpected flavor of rosemary combined with a biscotti crust will surly tickle your taste buds.

All appetizers were served with

Rustico Nino Franco Prosecco

 

First Course

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

The butternut squash was everything I was hoping for. It was a sweeter soup due to the apples, carrots and maple syrup. It was the perfect autumn soup and I served it in these fun fresh mini pumpkins! It made quite a statement!

Served with Chateau Ste Michelle 2008 Riesling

Second Course

Salad au Chevre

Tender baby greens dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and adorned with a thyme, lavender, walnut, and bread crumb coated goat cheese medallion heated till warm and gooey.

I forgot to take a picture but will insert one as soon as I make it tonight! ;-)

Served with Hop Kiln 2008 Thousand Flower

Third Course

Creamed Vegetable Vol-au-Vents

These were made from the homemade puff pastry I made for my Daring Baker’s Challenge. The creamed vegetables was the filling from a Vegetable Pot Pie recipe I made.  I had left-overs from the DB challenge that I froze and used for this dinner. It went perfect with our Autumn theme.

Served with RRV Limited 2007 Pinot Noir

 

Forth Course

Fruit Stuffed Pork Loin w/ Fig Jam

Smashed Apple Chedder  Potato Cakes

Smashed Yukon Gold potatoes with cheddar cheese and grated apples mixed in. Formed into cakes, breaded in Panko breadcrumbs and fried to a crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside,golden patties. It really doesn’t get much better then this!

Served with Renwood 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel

Before we moved on to the dessert courses, we took time to have a little fun. I bought English Crackers that are so popular at Christmas. In side each “cracker”, there is a small gift or toy, a joke and a paper hat. I waited till after 5 bottles of wine to open them, so everyone would be a little “loosened up”! That also explains the quality of these last few photos!  ;)

Fifth Course

I knew I would forget something over the course of this dinner. As I’m typing up this post and uploading pictures, I realize I forgot the dried fruit for this platter. I also forgot to line the plate with a hydrangea leaf but if that’s the worse think I did, I did pretty darn good! Everyone was getting pretty full by this time so it wasn’t really a big deal. Few brownie points knocked off for presentation and missing ingredients! O-well!

Artesian Cheese Platter w/Dried Fruit

Pictured is an Italian Truffle Cheese wedge with Truffle Honey, a Date and Orange Cheese, a piece of Torrone Italian Candy, a cube of Apple Smoked Garlic Cheddar and a Smokey Blue Cheese Truffle.

Served with HoneyMoon 2008 Viognier

Sixth Course

By the we got to this course, I became a little impaired. We were on our 7th bottle of wine, and this next course was served with a port! I forgot the chocolate sauce for these molten cakes and what’s with that mint spring. Apparently, the photographer was slipping.

It was served with a Chocolate Coated Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Pyramid.

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

and a Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Truffle.

Served with Trentadue 2006 Zinfandel Port

Butternut and Squash Soup

By 5 Star Foodie

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups butternut squash cubes
1 onion, chopped
2/3 cup baby carrots
1 cup apples, peeled, cut up in chunks
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3.5 cups chicken stock
Salt, Cayenne pepper to taste
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup cream
Directions: (6 servings)
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add butternut squash, onion, and carrots and cook the vegetables for 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add apples and allspice, mix well. Pour chicken stock over and season with salt to taste. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Let the vegetable stand, covered for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
Blend well using immersion blender (can also use food processor or a regular blender). Strain back into a saucepan. Add maple syrup and cream and mix with an immersion blender.
Heat until the soup just starts to boil and serve immediately. Swirl cayenne pepper into each individual bowl.

  

Smashed Potatoes with Apple and Chedder

Found at Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice

(semi-adapted from Guy Fieri)
About 2 pounds of potatoes, cubed
4 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
Sea salt and fresh pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon Rosemary
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
2 large, tart apples, shredded
To a large saucepan add the potato cubes and garlic. Fill with water to just above the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes or until fork-tender.
Remove from heat and drain leaving a few tablespoon of water in the pan. Add the potatoes and garlic back to the pan with the butter, milk, rosemary and re-season with salt and pepper. Smash with a potato masher. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed or milk if too thick. Mix in the cheese and apples. Cover with a lid and let sit for five minutes before serving.

Potato Pancakes

Panko Bread Crumbs
Butter for pan-frying
Mix mashed potatoes, egg, and bread crumbs together. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. The skillet has to be hot enough to quickly brown the outsides or the cakes will melt. Add a pat of butter and coat the bottom. Add a large spoon of the mashed potato mixture and shape it into a patty using the spoon. Dip in Panko to coat. Cook about five minutes on each side until crispy golden brown. Repeat adding butter to the pan until all your pancakes are cooked. Serve with sour cream.

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup  (1 stick)  butter
1 tablespoon Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, Saigon
1/4 teaspoon Ginger, Ground
1/8 teaspoon Cloves, Ground (optional)
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425°F.  Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or soufflé dishes.  Place on baking sheet.

2.  Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted.  Whisk until chocolate is completely melted.  Stir in wine, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended.  Whisk in eggs and yolk.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour batter evenly into prepared custard cups.

3.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft.  Let stand 1 minute.  Carefully loosen edges with small knife.  Invert cakes onto serving plates.  Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar.  Serve immediately.

Make Ahead:  The chocolate mixture can be prepared up to 10 hours ahead of time.  Pour the batter into prepared custard cups; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

I hope you enjoyed our Wine Pairing Dinner Party,

Celebrating The Flavors Of Fall! We enjoyed having you visit!

Barefoot in Bodega Bay and a Giveaway!

One of our favorite place to go every year is Bodega Bay.
The land of "The Birds".

You know, the movie by Alfred Hitchcock.

We love to bring that movie with us and we watch it each year.

Traditions!

The Hubby has a history there and his sister owns a house on the bluff. We have had a few family celebrations here, like last years wine pairing dinner,
as well as our annual camping trip.

I'm ready to get barefoot and feel the warm sand between

my toes as the cold water chills my bare feet.

Now when I say camping, well... were not tent camping. Were really in a very comfortable RV. So don't feel sorry for us because you think were roughing it. We don't rough it. In fact, we've been known to get quite gourmet.

All the comforts of home and a lot cooler weather!

I got the towels loaded, the ice chest is full, and the truck is running.

It's party time at the bay.

And I have a super giveaway for you.

It's from the nice folks at Barefoot Wines.

How about a luxurious beach towel, a super cute beach tote,

a stemless wine glass and a wine opener?

All for one lucky winner who's ready to get barefoot.

The only requirements for the giveaway is that you must have a US address and you join the Barefoot Republic. It's a fun site about wine, food, and fun. Then come back and leave me a comment with your Barefooter name.

Mine is Tickletoes.

Don't laugh at me.

I cant wait to see what you come up.

Now check out the Barefoot wine flavors and let me know which is your favorite, and what food would you pair it with? I'm having another wine pairing dinner this October (for my 50th birthday!) and I could use your suggestions.

Easy enough?
Want to earn another entry?
Tweet it, Facebook it, or even blog about it!
Then come back and leave me a separate comment.
That's two entry's available if you leave me two comments.

When I come back from the beach, I'll use the random number generator
and pick a luck winner.

Good luck

Kick off those shoes and let's get Barefoot!

Palm Leaf Dinnerware For The Party!

Recently I was sent a set of some Palm Leaf Dinnerware from Marx Foods. I was having an outdoor dinner party and I thought these plates were perfect for such an occasion.. They are made out of naturally discarded sheaths of the leaves of the Adaka palm tree and are collected from the forest floor. No trees are harmed in the making of this natural and biodegradable dinnerware. They are an eco-friendly alternative to conventional disposable plates and green all the way.

For my dinner party, I served my Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates on a leaf lined plate.
It was one of three appetizers.

After our salad, I served a Cedar Planked Lemon Salmon and paired it with Gnocchi and Browned Butter. I barbequed the salmon on cedar planks with pickled Meyer lemon slices on top, a little salt and pepper, and it was cooked to perfection.
Plated on, of course, a Palm Leaf Plate.

And our main course was Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Reduction Cream served with a Wild Mushroom Saute. I used some Dried Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Dried Lobster Mushrooms, and Dried Maitake mushrooms that I also got from Marx Foods, along with some fresh Baby Portabellas.

It was a wonderful dinner complemented by these wonderful disposal plates.
Because let's face it, after an evening of delicious food and robust wine,
who wants to do dishes???

Certainly not me!


Thank you Marx Foods!

Friendship, Fun, and a S'more Cookie!

It's been a very busy month for me. Alot of traveling and going, going, going. At the beginning of the month we left for a ten day vacation along the Oregon coast with friends, only to turn around and head to Lake Almanor for our annual family wine pairing dinner.

The very next day I was off for a few days to play and
camp with old childhood friends on the Rogue River in Oregon.

We have all turned or are about to turn 50!

Kim lives in Oregon and turned 50 last November, Jenny from Florida turned in February and I, the baby of the pack, turns 50 in October.
(That is so hard to say but even harder to see in print. Sigh)
So it was a celebration of our fifties, friendships, and great wine.
Errr, I mean fabulous food. Yea, that was it.

Fifty's, Friendship, and Food!

I have known these girls many years. I met Kim when I was in 1st grade. I was five, she was six. Growing up over the years, there was Barbies, boys, party's! Where there was Kim, there was Megan. That's 45 years of friendship! It's funny, I now work at the very same elementary school that Kim and I attended. I see all those little kids, and those hallways, and the memories, it seems a lifetime ago. Well... I guess it was.

I met Jenny when we started the 9th grade. Freshman's, we were. Silly little Freshman girls with very big dreams! Ironically, this is the year my daughter starts high school and it seems weird to think I was just her age when I met Jen. How soon we all grow up.

Here's a fun cookie I wanted to share with you. Made with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows, It's a S'more cookie! Perfect for a camping trip or a backyard sleep out, this cookies delivers. If I close my eye's, let my mind wonder,and nibble a cookie, I can be transported back to the big old redwoods.


But here's a hint for perfect cookies. The recipe says to bake them for 9 minutes and then place 3 marshmallows and the Hershey pieces on the cookie and finish baking. Well...I have a recipe for a Mississippi Mud Cookie that you just bake the whole time with three marshmallows on top. So in the interest of saving a few minutes, I tried it that way.

The marshmallows slid around a bit and weren't quite as pretty as the one's where I did follow the directions. Lesson learned!



A perfect S'more cookie!

S'more Cookies
From Cookie Madness
3/4 cup butter — softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup (more or less) of mini marshmallows
2 Hershey Bars, broken into pieces

Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and (if using) other stuff.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven 375 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove and quickly press marshmallows and chocolate into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (about 3 or 4 more minutes)

Makes about 3 dozen

Old World, New Life. A Wine Pairing Dinner

We had a family celebration this last weekend at Lake Almamor.

Celebrating the birth of the newest member of the family

(5 month old Will from New York)

to celebrating the birthday of the matriarch,
it was lots of family, lots of fun, and lots of food!

The Matriarch, Isabel

With a family of 30, we had an action packed weekend. Bird house painting, swimming, and boating were just a few of the highlighted activities. And it all started with a noon tee-off for many, and a welcoming dinner on Friday night,

In the spirit of Old World, we were treated to a menu of:

Argentina Spiced Ribs
Chinese Chicken Drumsticks
German Potatoe Salad
Greek Salad
French Rolls
Dutch Chocolate Cake

Saturday afternoon held a lakeside bbq lunch .

Can you tell by the menu below that this is a family descended of Portugese?

The BBQ Menu

The wine pairing dinner was held on Saturday night.

With each meal served at a different house, we had the wine dinner over looking the golf course. Many activities were planned throughout the evening, including a family photo, games and a silent action for art work that was contributed by the many talented children in the family.

After appetizers, the children were hauled off to another one of the homes where they were served frozen pizza and brownies. The older children helped look after the younger ones. This has become an annual event that I look forward to each year.

Each place setting has their own menu and the table is
decorated with old world maps.
Several family members are in charge of different courses and
the wine that is to be served with their course.

Mozzarella and Tomato Lollipop

Appetizers
Mozzarella and Tomato Lollipops
Spanish Chorizo-stuffed Mini Potatoes
Cristalino Brut Nature Vintage Cava 2005-Spain
Nino Franko RUSTICO Prosecco di Valdabbliadene-Italy
Vinho Verde 2007-Portugal


Spanish Chorizo stuffed Mini Potatoes

First Course
Salade Au Chevre with Thyme and Lavender Honey
Pouilly Fuisse 2006
Laboure-Roi - Vallon d' Or
Burgundy, France

Second Course
Crispy Halibut on Piminton Grilled Corn Cakes
with Red Pepper Coulis
Cabernet sauvignon Rose 2008
Mulderbosh
South Africa

Third Course
Bastilla
Bodega LAN Crianza Rioja 2005
Fuenmayor, Spain
Burgans Albarino 2007
Rias Baixas, Spain


Intermezzo
Champagne, Peach and Mint Chilled Soup with Creme Fraiche


Fourth Course
Beef Medallions Wrapped in Apple-smoked Bacon
On Crispy Fries with Chimichurri Sauce
Santa Ema Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Maipo Valley
Chile

Fifth Course
Old World Cheeses with Quinche Paste, Marcona Almonds
and Turron Blando
Warre's Warrior Special Reserve Porto
Portugal

Sixth Course
Panna Cottta with Berries Compote, Vin Santo Sauce
with Italian Polenta Cookie
Moscato di Asti 2007
Del Marchesi Di Gresy
LaSerra, Italy



We finished up the weekend with a send off breakfast for the whole gang.

What's for Breakfast?

Mexican Eggs
w/salsa, avocado, and Sour Cream
German Glazed Ham
Polish Kiekbasa
Tahitian Fruit Salad
Kartoffelnester Hash Browns
Hawaiian Rolls
Flour Tortillas
Danish Pastry
Hawaiian Mimosa
Brazilian Coffee

I glad I could share my weekend with me.

I hope the menus intrigue you,

the food inspires you,

and the weekend invigorates you!

Enjoy!