Wine Reviews Ratings

posted by admin on May 4

Seafood Fettuccine is always a top seller in our restaurants. Any pasta alfredo recipe is easy to prepare making it a great choice for family and friends. The alfredo sauce can be made several days in advance, so when it comes time to make the meal it’s a breeze. Once you master the sauce, you can use any type of protein, vegetable or pasta you desire. Giving you and endless variety of meals for the future.

Serves 4-6

• 16 ea Prawns (31-35 count)
• 8 oz. Bay scallops
• 1 cup Flour – all purpose
• 12 oz. Fish (choice of salmon, cod, halibut) – cut into 1″ pieces
• 8 oz. Clams
• 6 oz. Mussels
• 3 oz. White wine (optional)
• 4 Tbsp. Olive oil
• ¼ tsp. Kosher salt
• ½ tsp. Pepper
• 1 lb Fettuccine – dry then cooked al dente
• ½ cup Parmesan – shredded
• 4 Tbsp. Red bell pepper – diced
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley – chopped
• 4 cups Alfredo sauce – recipe follows

Heat oil in a large sauce or sauté pan on medium high heat until hot. Season prawns, scallops and fish with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Add to the pan and cook until about half way done. Add clams and mussels and continue cooking until they open up.

Remove clams and mussels from pan and deglaze pan with white wine. Add fettuccine and alfredo sauce and cook until hot and sauce coats the pasta. Transfer to a serving dish and top with clams and mussels, then garnish with parmesan, diced peppers and parsley.

Note: Do not use any clams or mussels that are already open before cooking or won’t open when cooked.

Alfredo sauce

Yields 4 cup

• 6 cups Heavy whipping cream
• ¼ lb Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Garlic – chopped
• 1½ tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. White pepper
• 3 Tbsp. White wine (optional)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese – shredded

In a sauce pot over medium heat, cook the garlic and butter until soft. Add the heavy cream, wine, salt and pepper and reduce until a thin sauce consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Note: Whipping cream bubbles over very easily. Keep an eye on it. If it begins to boil over, reduce the heat.

posted by admin on Sep 5

Wine gift baskets are a really great gift option, particularly because you can include basically whatever you want in them. This can include anything from wine to wine accessories and tickets to wine tours – whatever you can think of, and it does not even have to relate to wine, although it makes sense to stick to the general wine idea.

Making Your own Wine Gift Baskets

If you decide to make your own wine gift baskets, then the first thing you are going to have to do is to get all of the materials and tools together that you are going to need. This means buying everything that you are going to include in the basket, as well as ribbon, tape, plastic covering, and whatever other materials that you are interested in and having it ready.

You want to set the items in the basket and move them around a bit here and there, so that you can determine which way looks most aesthetically appealing, and once you have done this then you can start setting them into place and taping the plastic covering over the basket.

Buying Wine Gift Baskets

If you would prefer to just buy your wine gift baskets commercially, then you can do this as well, and there are a couple of great companies in particular that you are going to want to check out for this.

One is Wine County Gift Baskets, which is a company that offers the absolute best selection of value priced, handcrafted gift baskets and gift towers, and this includes corporate gift baskets, gourmet gift food baskets, spa gift baskets, coffee gift baskets and tea gift baskets, just to name a few of the many offered selections.

You can pick and choose from their vast and varied selection in order to make up your own personalized wine gift basket, and you can then order it hand delivered to the doorstep of the lucky receiver.

Another great option here is Express Gift Baskets, a company that was established a decade ago, in 1997, and which since then has been shipping thousands of baskets across the world. They specialize in the corporate market and carry a full line of promotional items.

They are able to incorporate any of their advertising products into custom basket designed just for you, and they can even incorporate specific logos and designs on the items that you include in the gift basket, if you wish.

posted by admin on Sep 1

Tired of the same old crockpot recipes? I’m going to give you 2 that are different, so easy and delicious! What’s worse than the same old chicken, carrots and potatoes? That’s a good meal, but you get tired of it quickly. So here are a couple that are a little bit different. There are 2 things you need to remember when it comes to crock pot cooking.

1. Don’t put frozen meat in the crock pot. Slow cookers bring up the temperature of meat slowly. That’s the point isn’t it? But if meat doesn’t reach 140 degrees within 4 hours, you run the risk of developing bacteria in your food. We don’t want this, so no frozen meat. No matter what other recipes say.

2. All crock pots cook differently. Timing will vary for each one. However, you must be absolutely sure that your crock pot brings food up to 140 degrees when on LOW. If it doesn’t, you need a new one. So, get a meat thermometer and test it.

Now here are those recipes – 2 of my family’s favorites.

Crock Pot Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

1 1⁄2 pounds chicken breast or tenders
2 packages (8 ounces each) white mushrooms, cut into thirds
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, cut into chunks
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
1 1⁄2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish
1 1⁄2 cups whole milk 1 package (1 pound) fettuccine Spray bottom of slow cooker with cooking spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Top with mushrooms. In medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir together remaining ingredients, except for the pasta. Stir constantly. Heat through and pour over chicken. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours. You can add broccoli to crock pot about 2 hours before serving. Serve over hot fettuccini.

Crock Pot Merlot Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces 12 oz sliced fresh mushroom, your choice 1 large onion, chopped 2 tsp minced garlic or 2 cloves minced 3/4 cup chicken broth, low sodium 1 6oz tomato paste 1/4 cup Merlot or any dry red wine ( if you absolutely won’t use red wine substitute chicken broth) 2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 t. dried basil 2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 t. black pepper 2 cups cooked noodles 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Place the mushrooms, onion and garlic in slow cooker. Place washed chicken pieces on top. Combine broth, tomato paste, wine, tapioca, dried basil (if using), sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour mixture over the chicken and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or on High for 4-5 hours. If you are using fresh basil, stir it in after the chicken is cooked, shortly before serving. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over cooked noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with a salad and you’re done.

posted by admin on Aug 30

Italian food is very diverse in both ingredients and flavor. Many people tend to associate Italian food with the thought of pastas and tomato-topped bread, but there is much more to Italian cooking than that! Soups, savory breads, saucy meat dishes, and delicate desserts are just a few of the great dishes that Italian cuisine has to offer. This article features three of my favorite authentic Italian recipes. I hope you enjoy them!

Sicilian Succo

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 (29-oz) cans tomato sauce
4 (6-oz) cans tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh) + additional 1 tbsp
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (fresh)
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a large pot, mix the chopped garlic, tomato sauce and paste, 1 tbsp parsley, and basil. Bring this sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer the sauce. In a bowl, mix together the pork, beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp parsley, and garlic powder. Mix this together well, then form into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Fry the meatballs in a skillet in very hot olive oil until they are thoroughly cooked. Add the meatballs to the sauce mixture and cover. Allow it to simmer on low for about four hours. Serve over noodles of your choice.

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 (14-oz) cans beef broth
1 (14.5-oz) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5-oz) can great Northern beans (un-drained)
2 small zucchini (cubed)
2 cups packed spinach (rinsed well and torn into pieces)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Use a large stock pot to brown the sausage and garlic. When the sausage has browned, add in the broth, carrots, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the beans (including the liquid) and the zucchini. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 15 minutes (or until the zucchini has become tender). Remove from the heat, then add the spinach. Put the lid back on so the heat from the rest of the soup cooks the spinach (about 5 minutes). Serve hot with a nice Italian bread.

Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
6 egg yolks
1 lb Mascarpone cheese at room temperature
(Mascarpone substitute: 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, 5 tbsp sour cream)
1 1/2 cups hot water
5 tsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
12 ounces ladyfingers or sliced sponge cake
Unsweetened cocoa (for dusting)
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate (grated) – optional

Directions:
In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of hot water with the instant coffee. Stir until the coffee has dissolved, then add the liqueur. Dip in 1 ladyfinger at a time, quickly turning it to coat. Remove it from the liquid and place it on the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch dish. Line all coffee-coated ladyfingers side by side until most of the pan’s bottom is covered. Pour half of the mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese mixture) over the top of the ladyfingers. Add another layer of coated lady fingers and cheese. Refrigerate this for about 4 hours, or until the dessert is firm. Just before serving, dust the top with cocoa. Garnish with the grated semi-sweet chocolate (if desired) and cut into squares to serve.

posted by admin on Aug 28

A Scallop Trio

Last week a listener called and asked for some scallop recipes. Like her, I have had a long and lovely affair with these sweet and tasty bi-valves. A SCUBA diver once told me the best way to eat a fresh scallop is underwater. The small bit of sea water taken in with the white flesh seasons the meat perfectly.

A Chicago classic with a twist;

SCALLOPS DE JOHNGE

Serves 6

2 Lbs. Scallops, fresh and trimmed of connective muscle and split if large

2 cloves Garlic, mashed

1/4 Lb. Unsalted Butter, softened

2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 Tsp. Fresh Chervil, chopped

2 Tbsp. Scallions, chopped

1 Tsp. Fresh Tarragon

1 1/8 Tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 Tsp. Black pepper

1 pinch Ground Nutmeg

3/4 cup Fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup Dry Sherry

Peel the garlic and mash with a garlic press of mortar and pestle; work it into the butter. Gradually add the rest of the herbs and seasonings. Mix in the crumbs and sherry. Arrange the scallops in buttered individual casseroles and top with the mixture. Bake in a 475-degree oven for 8 – 10 minutes, or until thoroughly hot and bubbly. Set the casseroles in a shallow baking pan to catch any butter overflow.

And then I wrote;

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHILI TOMATO WATER AND CILANTRO PESTO

Serves 6

2 1/2 Lbs. Scallops, fresh and trimmed of connective muscle and split if large

1/4 cup Clarified Butter

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Arrange the scallops in the pan, don’t crowd them. Use two pans or sear them in batches, keeping the first batch warm in a low oven. Brown the scallops on one side only over high heat for about 2 minutes. Remove the scallops from the pan and place browned side up in a large soup plate. Ladle 1/4 cup of the warm chili tomato water over the fillets and top each with a spoonful of pesto.

CHILI TOMATO WATER

Enough for 6 portions

2 1/2 Lbs. Ripe Tomatoes, roughly chopped

3-4 medium Jalapeno or Serrano Peppers, roughly chopped

1 1/2 Tblsp. Kosher Salt

Combine the peppers, tomato and salt in a large bowl. Drape several layers of cheesecloth in another large bowl. Pour the tomato chili mix into the cloth. Gather the ends and tie. Hang the bag over a collecting bowl in a cool place for about 24 hours. Squeeze the bag gently to extract most of the liquid. Discard the bag of tomatoes and peppers. Keep the water chilled until ready to use. Warm gently just before serving.

CILANTRO PUMPKINSEED PESTO

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 bunches Fresh parsley, washed

1 1/2 bunches Fresh cilantro, washed

1 clove Garlic, crushed

1 cup Pumpkinseeds, toasted

Juice of 1 lemon

3/4 cup Good Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Tear the parsley and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic and pulse to chop the ingredients finer. Add the pumpkinseeds and let the machine run. Slowly add the oil until all used up. Add the lemon juice and season. The pesto can be made a few days ahead. Remove the pesto from the refrigerator about 2 hours before serving to warm to room temperature.

And finally there was…….

Scallop Pan Roast

4 oz. Scallops, trimmed etc.

1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic

1 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. Fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 C. Diced Tomato

1/4 C. White wine

1 C. Heavy cream

1 tsp. Old Bay Seafood Seasoning

1/2 C. Clam Juice

Sauté scallops in garlic and butter for 1 minute. Add cilantro, parsley and tomato. Sauté 1 minute more. Add wine, cream, clam juice, and seafood seasoning ; bring to a vigorous boil then serve immediately.