Mike’s Kitchen

A friend from Oregon just arrived with a big box of cherries. Pies, fruit shakes, cherry daiquiris later; we still had a pile left. Seared duck breast and cherry compote – easy and elegant. It also goes well with any Taft Street Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. INGREDIENTS: 2 5 – 6 ounce duck breast […]

My sister in law is coming for dinner and she’s a vegan. What to do? I look up a recipe for the above and it’s a bit bland, so I add a dollop of tamarind paste. The dish is great with Taft Street Sauvignon Blanc. Pure vegans don’t do semolina pasta, but I draw the

I love chicken tikka masala. It’s creamy, rich and spicy enough to charge up the taste buds. In addition, the sauce can be made ahead of time, so serving it for a crowd does not present a problem. I like to serve it with our 2018 Chalk Hill Merlot Los Amigos Vineyard. INGREDIENTS: For the

Back in the day when we were making wine in the garage at Taft Street (late 70’s), interest in home cooking was taking off, and one of the most popular dishes around was a chicken recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It was a rare potluck where Chicken Marbella wasn’t served. It has held up

This decadent chocolate cake is infused with Taft Street Merlot and is a perfect fit on the Easter dinner table. INGREDIENTS: 6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup pureed apple or pear 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish found in fine Chinese restaurants and takeouts around the world. It can be made quickly and it pairs especially well with Taft Street Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. This recipe was adapted from the work of Kenji Lopez-Alt. INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons pepper, preferably Sichuan ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon

I love polenta, either by itself or with any tomato based sauce. If there is any left over, I make patties and fry them with my eggs for breakfast. Quick, easy and tasty – my kind of food. INGREDIENTS: 4 cups chicken stock 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup polenta (cornmeal) Salt and pepper 1

With the Holidays drawing to and end, it’s time for simpler dishes. Here is an easy yet elegant main course that uses seasonal lemons and always seasonal Taft Street Sauvignon Blanc. INGREDIENTS: 8 chicken thighs, trimmed Flour, salt and pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 ½ cups Taft

With Holiday Season here and with people spending more time at home, attention turns to sweet traditional dishes. Crème brulee has been a longtime favorite and with good reason – it tastes delicious. For a seasonal twist, pair it with our 2020 Pinot Noir Nouveau from the Russian River Valley.  INGREDIENTS:  1 large egg  4 large egg