As the 4th of July approaches we are getting into party mode. The vines look good and a bumper crop is a real possibility. The folks in the cellar are busy bottling, and the new screw cap machine is a success. We just received word from the California State Fair that our 2011 Russian River […]
Summertime And The Livin’ Is Easy Read More »
It’s grilling time! Much of our entertaining this time of year is done behind the bar b que grill or smoker. I always keep a supply of chile paste on hand, using it as a rub, sauce or part of dressings or spreads. INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces dried guajillo or other dark chile ¼ cup chopped
Summer BAR B QUE Chile Paste Read More »
We served these butterscotch brownies at our President’s Club part, and they were a great success. The recipe can be multiplied. INGREDIENTS ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup butter, softened 2 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ¼ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup butterscotch bits
I’ve been fooling around with this recipe for the last couple of months. You can limit yourself to wings here, but I like the various chicken parts. INGREDIENTS: ¼ cup sraracha sauce ½ stick butter 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 4-5 pound chicken; wings split, thighs cut in two, each half
Sraracha Chicken Nuggets Read More »
We should eat more beans. They’re good for us, tasty, and easy to prepare. We cooked 20 pounds of them for our birthday party – here’s a more reasonable amount. 1 pound dried beans, washed and drained Water and chicken stock Onion, quartered 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 16 oz can whole tomatoes Salt and
With St. Patrick’s Day approaching Irish cuisine is in the air. Colcannon goes well with corned beef. Traditionally it is made with cabbage, but I like Tuscan Kale for the color contrast. Any cabbage, chard or kale will work. INGREDIENTS 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and chopped I pound medium potatoes (Yukon Gold) 2 leeks
Since we bottled our 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Asian food has been on my mind. What better way to celebrate Chinese New Year than pair the new wine with an old favorite – potstickers. Ingredients 24 circular dumpling wrappers 4 ounces white radish (daikon) 4 ounces minced pork 1 egg Salt & pepper
I love onion soup, but most of the time I get a strong chicken or beef broth flavor which hides the taste of onion. In Michael Ruhlman’s new book – Ruhlman’s Twenty – he suggests substituting water for stock. The results are amazing! Here is a twist on his recipe. Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter 7-8
Onion Soup the Taft Street Way Read More »
This is a good recipe to have in your Holiday collection. It can be done ahead of time, and can easily be doubled or tripled. Ingredients 3 10oz packages frozen spinach, thawed 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped onion 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoons black pepper ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¾ cup
Butternut Squash Gratin Read More »
When you have three fig trees, you’ve got to develop a series of recipes (kind of like zucchini). Here’s a versatile recipe, one that goes well with crème fraiche and/or pound cake. Ingredients 2 pounds fresh figs ¼ cup sugar Zest from ½ orange Juice from ½ lemon 2 tablespoons water Wash figs and cut
