Wine

Robert Biale Vineyards

November 17, 2015

RobertBTablew-wineEach time I am in Napa, I visit a vineyard I have never been or try a wine I have never had.  Today, I was able to do both.  I arrived at Robert Biale Vineyards not knowing what to expect. I was surprised and delighted to see that we were tasting 3 Zinfandels and a Petite Sirah – some of my favorite grapes in the valley.

The first wine we tried was the 2013 Black Chicken Zinfandel.  These grapes are grown on the property in the Oak Knoll District, from vines planted in the 1930’s.  I love old vine zins and this did not disappoint.  The wine is still “young” and I can imagine will only get better as it ages.  “Black Chicken” got its name, when a young Aldo Biale started making and selling zins and needed a code word for customers to purchase the wine – since he was under age. The second wine was a 2013 Varozza Vineyard Zinfandel.  These grapes are from further north in St. Helena.  The team at Biale like to refer to the area as “Sexy St. Helena”.  They grapes grown here are velvety and smooth.  I’d say it was a little “fruit forward” than the first a little more mineral and dirt (which I certainly prefer.)RobertBialeWineBottle

The last Zinfandel we tried as 2013 Monte Rosso Vineyard.  Located in Sonoma Moon Mountain, this wine is produced from vines planted in 1880’s (yes…old vine zin again).  The red soil in Sonoma provides a bold, dirty, spicy flavor – which out of the 3 this was my favorite.

At this point, we have had awesome zins, get distracted and venture off from our set tasting.  Our generous hosts, open a bottle of 2013 25th Anniversary Field Blend.  This wine is a throwback to a time when other varietals of grapes were grown in the same lots as the zinfandel.  You couldn’t sort them, so they were picked and co-fermented together like a stew.  This wine is produced with 6 different varietals, has a nice spice with an alcohol finish…when this matures, it is going to be amazing.

robertBBlackChicken

Main Dishes

The Best Grilled Cheese Ever

November 11, 2015

 

grillcheese
It’s football day, Packers and the Broncos. I like the Broncos, but I love the Packers.  I have lived in Denver for the past 9 years and follow and root for the Broncos, when of course, they are not playing the Packers.

We are going to the game, so I need to make a quick sandwich to hold us over. I remembered a pin I just added for grilled cheese. The picture looked amazing and since I am a “Cheesehead”, it seemed fitting.

This recipe was quick, easy and quite possibly the best grilled cheese ever! I followed the directions almost exactly. My picture doesn’t do it justice!  I did add ham (if you follow my blog – my husband needs to have some sort of protein with his meal to make it a meal – cheese does not count) and used Texas Toast.

Note: Make absolutely sure to count your bread in order to ensure you have enough sandwiches. I was serving 5 people and made 4 sandwiches…forgot to make my husbands food…Whoops!  He waited until I sat down and took two bites before asking “Where’s my food?”

Here is the recipe in its original form. The Best Grilled Cheese

I can not wait to experiment with other combinations and make again so I can have more than a bite.

Main Dishes

Pasta with Bacon and Asparagus

November 3, 2015

baconasparagus

Last night, we were deciding the meals for the week. My son’s girlfriend suggested an asparagus dish.  I know exactly what I want to try! I had a recipe on my list since the day my husband and I went to Barnett and Son Brewery. Ingredients include: bacon (who doesn’t like bacon?), asparagus and pasta. All yum, all my favorites. The recipe called for white wine; I happened to have a bottle that I accidentally opened that needed to be used.

I really want to start plating out meals better. So, I told Alec he needs to step up his game and make our food photos more interesting. The challenge is, we are actually eating what I blog and that photo is someone’s plate. I haven’t quite figured out how to plate, stage, photo and still eat the food while it is hot. For this meal, I’ve enlisted Alec to figure it out before the meal is done. I’m writing this before I see the picture, but I think it turned out better!

What I liked about this recipe: quick prep, minimal dishes to wash, 5 ingredients, and done in 20 minutes. What my husband didn’t like: there wasn’t enough protein to make it a full meal which I am not surprised about. He would have preferred to have a grilled chicken breast on top or make it a side dish to compliment the main course. I don’t disagree, but was a great recipe nonetheless.

I followed this recipe almost exactly as found here: 5-ingredient Bacon Asparagus Pasta I wish my photos looked this amazing!  I will have to Alec step it up!

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Pasta with Bacon and Asparagus
Author: 
Recipe type: Easy, Quick
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Quick, easy, pasta dish. Ingredients are typically on hand.
Ingredients
  • ½ box of angel hair pasta
  • ½ lb bacon uncooked diced
  • ½ lb fresh asparagus ends trimmed and cut into 2-in pieces
  • ½-1 cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta in a large pot - as instructed
  2. Cook bacon in medium saute pan over medium high heat until crispy.
  3. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside.
  4. Add asparagus to pan and saute in bacon grease 5-6 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside with bacon.
  5. Slowly add the wine to the pan, scraping the bottom with a spoon. Continue cooking until wine reduced in half. About 5 min.
  6. When pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta, asparagus, bacon and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese to the saute pan. Toss. Serve immediately (top with balance of Parmesan cheese if desired).

 

Side Dishes

P.F. Chang’s Spicy Green Beans

November 1, 2015

P.F. Changs Coppy Cat

My husband loves green beans and P.F. Chang’s.  I saw this recipe on Pinetrest and I knew I had to try it.  I frequently make P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef copycat and am looking forward to seeing if this one is just as good.

You know my garden is overflowing this year and I can’t keep up with the peppers, basil and beans.

gardenI am using pole beans, which take longer to cook, so I dropped them in boiling water for a few minutes first to make sure they were done.  Last time I tried to saute them they were really hard to eat (that’s when I discovered they take longer to cook).  When trimming, I also removed the tough string (another lesson from last time I cooked).

I left the beans whole for this recipe, but you can cut into 2 inch pieces if desired.  To see the original post (my source of inspiration) P.F. Chang’s Copycat Spicy Green Beans.

 

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P.F. Chang's Spicy Green Beans
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2 lbs of green beans (trimmed)
  • 2 green onions
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1-2 tsp of red pepper flakes (i used a little extra)
  • 2 tbl sesame oil
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • 2 tbl low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbl rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp of white vingar
  • ¼ cup of water
  • 1 tsp corn startch
Instructions
  1. Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, corn starch, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat for about 30 seconds.
  3. Add garlic, green onions and a least 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add green beans - about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the sauce - bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook another 30 sec.
  6. Serve over rice or as a side to compliment your main dish.