Mexican Fiesta

It was our turn to host the Wine Tribe Dinner, so I pondered long and hard, and decided to fall back on food from our last vacation . . . Playa Del Carmen. I came up with three tacos I’d had in various parts of Mexico; a Basil Shrimp Taco, a Chicken Fajita Taco and a Pork Carnita Taco.

For our wine competition we had the idea to have them blend their own from at least two different bottles. It was harder than you’d think!

Appetizer:

I started with a California-Mexican favorite; Guacamole and Tortilla Chips.

Next I did an “every town in Mexico” favorite; Mango, Papaya, and Cantaloupe sprinkled with Chili Powder.

Salad:

The salad is popular along the border (I purchased from the local Mexican tienda); Spicy Pickled Veggies. A must at any taquería.  

Dinner:

No photo of my favorite . . . the Caribbean Coast classic; Shrimp Tacos with fresh basil and sliced endive.

Another general all-over-Mexico taco; Fajita spiced Chicken, sliced Peppers Duros, and melted cheese.

For the last taco I went to central Mexico; The classic Pork Carnitas with an added twist of chunks of Butternut Squash.

Dessert:

Dessert was simple with different bars of Dark Chocolate, the most unusual being the Tabasco Dark Chocolate. It was very good actually. World Market carries it.

Wine:

Dan and Denise took home the coveted medallion. They combined Crankcase with Bella Piazza Reserve Port.

We came in second with a purposefully odd combo of Apothic Red with a bit of Hatcher Voignier.

Mark and Melissa mixed two Bjorn wines; Barbera, and a Zinfandel Reserva.

The next day we went wine tasting and met the new puppy at Hatcher Winery. That evening we all chipped in and chowed on pasta salad, corn soufflé, and BBQ pork ribs, followed by poor man’s strawberry short cake. The wine didn’t go to waste J

Tastes of the World

Mark and Melissa told us to bring a Cabernet Franc. A Cab Franc? Seriously? I searched high and low and found one at BevMo, and luckily it was part of the 5 cent sale; Montgras Reserva from Colchagua Valley, Chili, 2011. I tasted it and was amazed at the deep layered flavors with a hint of smoked meat. Unfortunately the second bottle didn’t taste that way at the party. We came in dead last L

Dan and Denise bought one without tasting it; Vermeil Cab Franc 2010, it started light and smooth and built in flavor as it opened.

Mark and Melissa had the winner; Inkblot by Michael David 2010. It carried the flavors I had hoped for in my bottle. Heavy, smooth with that hint of smoked pork.

Now for the meal. Words fail me . . . Yes I know many of you find that hard to believe, but it’s true. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. All I can say is that I've never had such a confused palette. They had 4 regional cheeses, olives, and made 14 dishes, representing 20 countries. The flavors were astonishing.

Sweet Carrot Salad - Morocco

Marinated Grilled Vegetables - Italy

Baba Ghanoush - Lebanon

Shrimp Summer Rolls - Viet Nam

Shrimp Balls - China

Quesadilla with Carne Asada and Guacamole - Mexico

Couscous Stuffed Peppers - Palistine

Left: Tortilla with Ham - Spain
Top: Pissaladiere with Caramelized Onions - France
Bottom: Spinach Soup - Iraq

Jerk Chicken - Jamaica

Left: Kulfi (Pistachio Ice Cream) - India
Top: Chocolate Pot de Creme - Switzerland
Bottom Right: White Russian Cream with Mango
Puree - Russia/Peru

So now do you understand why I couldn't find words to describe the food? I would say, "only words could do it justice," but in this case only taste could do it justice. Well done Shetlers!

Valentine's Day Dinner

Choosing a date that works for all of us can be a major challenge. We all sit around like a bunch of CEOs scheduling a meeting. Everybody pulls out their smart phone and checks our impacted calendar aps, except Joe who has an old flip-phone. He just laughs at us. Well we had one date available . . . Valentine’s Day! What a perfect way to spend Valentine’s, with people you love.

Dan and Denise went overboard (not the first time this has occurred). “Pre Show” was the most amazing little fresh (fresh as in Dan caught them himself) Salmon Cakes with a drizzle of Avocado Cream and Siracha Cream. The perfect blend of herbs was deeply embedded in the meat. A bowl of hot creamy Bleu Cheese Dip was excellent with the crackers.

The “Main Event” was Prime Rib with a nice little pile of Sautéed Button Mushrooms. A spray of Asparagus lay to the side with a drizzle of Hollandaise (Melissa, their oldest daughter hand peeled each asparagus and made the Hollandaise sauce). I didn't know peeling asparagus would make such a difference, but it was wonderful in both texture and flavor. Now turn your attention to the Super Charges de Pommes de Terre. I don’t know what that is, but it tasted like an amazing scalloped potatoes.

The “Grande Finale” was Chocolate Tarte with Kettle Crust, a Strawberry at its side. By now I was so full I could only manage a bite. Joe nobly finished off mine for me. What a good husband. I had opened my gift pack of homemade truffles and gobbled a couple of them. A Dark Chocolate Port Truffle (even the port is homemade) and a Red Velvet Cake Pop to be exact.

Now to the wine . . . we were told to bring a Zinfandel. We brought an old favorite, Rombauer Zin. Mark and Melissa brought a Turley Zin. Dan and Denise had an Opolo Mountain Zin. I liked all three. The Opolo is crazily jammy, perfect for dessert. The Turley was great with the appetizers. But the Rombauer won for its ability to hang in there through all the heavy flavors and not drown out the delicate flavors.

We finally won!!!! We actually got the much coveted medal. Next time is at Mark and Melissa’s.

Pumpkin Carving

Mark and Melissa invited us over for a casual dinner. Nothing fancy. Not a wine tasting competition. I was skeptical about this. I know this group . . . We brought a bottle of wine I thought would pair with Chili and Cornbread. Dan and Denise brought a wine from Mexico. Of course Mark and Melissa already had a bottle open.

 

The theme was to be “Pumpkin Carving”. Each of us brought a pumpkin, except Dan and Denise shared one. The table was waiting for us with a big bowl for carving and scooping tools, and one for pumpkin guts. Melissa had a stack of templates to choose from.

It was so nice to sit together chatting, carving, and sipping. We truly enjoy each other’s company, and that doesn’t mean conversation is always light. At times, like recently, we have some pretty heavy stuff on our minds, but it is still so good. I highly recommend having a group of “Through-thick-and thin” friends. Its old fashioned, but it shouldn’t be.

So Joe picked a traditional pumpkin design. I did the cat face. Dan surprised me by taking on the task of carving, he chose a bat. Mark did a strange looking face. It sorta looked like a happy Frankenstein.

Melissa chose an amazingly intricate design of a tree with Happy Thanksgiving written above it. I couldn’t believe how fast she did it. She must have been in training. Denise coached us all and kept us entertained through the whole thing.

Finally we turned our attention to the homemade chili and the best cornbread I’ve ever had in my whole life. I took a picture of the tattered, stained recipe for you. He said he doubles the glaze. It was delicious.

I brought an old stand-by, Apothic Red. It’s an inexpensive blend and packed with flavor. I thought it would pair with the flavors of chili. Mark and Mel had a couple of bottles open, CG Di Arie Proprietor’s Blend and Berghold Syrah Voignier, so we got to sip at a variety. Dan and Denise had been in Mexico recently in the wine country. A region of boutique wineries has flourished near Rosarito Beach. This one tasted like a dessert wine, it had such a strong blackberry/current flavor.

Even when they try to be casual it turns out wonderful!

Northern Italian Feast

Joe and I recently went to Northern Italy for two weeks. We stayed with a couple we’d met in the Bahamas, Gianluca and Egle. Their home in Milan made a great base for visiting Venice and their family’s homes. His folks live just outside Milan, and Egle’s dad lives in Trentino, up in the Dolomites (Italian Alps).

As you probably already know, a trademark of Italian cooking is to use fresh ingredients. This all inspired me to give it a try . . . a casual home style northern Italian meal.

I started with ¼” slices of Zucchini instead of crackers. I combined Sweet Pepper and Ancho Chili Chutney with Honey-Goat Cheese. It made a great little spread for the Zucchini discs. I also threw in a plate of thinly sliced Gruyere with whole wheat flat bread.

I opened a bottle of Chianti with our friend’s label. He had adopted a row of grapes and gifted us with a bottle of his personal stock. Great for the appetizers.

But now it was time to pull out the competition wine; “An Italian Blend”. We’ve never had such a diverse selection of wines. We headed outside to eat. Throughout the meal we kept a running dialogue on the wine and made notes on the glasses with our wine-glass markers.

Gianlucca’s parents prepared a feast for us one night, when we showed up hungry. His father kept getting up from the table, disappearing, and returning with vegetables which he’d cut up into big chunks. The freshness and bulkiness of it all inspired me. I went shopping with an open mind for what was fresh and seasonal. I ended up with a big bowl full of Boc Choy, Cucumbers, Tomatoes from my garden, Baby Bell Peppers, Snap Peas, and Avocados. Little dipping bowls were provided to doctor up their veggies (a very California thing); Poppyseed, Sesame Ginger, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.

While in Venice I tasted Torta Rustica for the first time at a little corner shop. I became obsessed. I had to repeat it for my dinner party. Egle and I practiced back at their condo. It was close. When I got home I attempted to replicate it, but was unable. Our ham is cured differently. That being said it came out pretty good.

Torta Rustica is extremely simple to make. Crust, ham, and mozzarella cheese. The only trick is to deal with all of the fluid produced during the cooking process. I made a baster-size chimney out of foil, and when the Torta was done I pulled the ham water out through the chimney. It worked. I roasted Asparagus and Carrots with Olive Oil and Herbs de Provence (we were very close to France J ).

For dessert, I got a hold of a fabulous recipe for Fresh Peaches marinated in pureed Basil. This I poured over store bought Italian-style Vanilla Gelato. Excellent.

So time for the unveiling of the wine. Mark and Melissa won with their Rosso Fuoco by Torre de Lancia. Dan and Denise pulled in a tight second with Rosso Piceno by Saladini Pilastri. We came in dead last with our Oreno 2010. It’s all about food pairing!

An added bonus was having A-Liu from Taiwan staying with us. She was my amazing prep-chef. I don’t know what I would have done without her. She wasn’t impressed with our wines until we opened the Muscato, and the Collaboration Port, Dan and Denise make, for dessert.