Been busy on the cooking front this past week. With the holidays rapidly approaching and being lucky that I got most of my shopping done, I had the opportunity to get in some more experimenting in the kitchen. Some of the books I have been using for inspiration include:
- Molto Italiano (by Mario Batali) – Dry Aged Ribeye for Two paired with a 1999 Red Blend (aka Solesce) from Brian Carter Cellars
- The Babbo Cookbook (by Mario Batali) – Osso Buco with Toasted Pine Nut Gremolata paired with a 2003 Pinot Noir from La Crema
- The Herbal Kitchen (by Jerry Traunfeld) – Cinnamon Basil Chicken paired with a 2003 Red Blend (aka Seven Hills Vineyard) from Pepper Bridge Winery and Chocolate Peppermint Tart (more on this one below)
- Jacques Pépin's Simple and Healthy Cooking (by guess who?) – Green Beans and Red Onions, as well as Roasted Potatoes – both served with the Dry Aged Ribeye mentioned above.
We also had some wonderful short ribs with some fellow wine lovers, Sharon and Ralph. The occasion required bringing some awesome wines from the collection, especially considering how generous they are when they come to our home for food and wine:
- 2001 Domaine de la Janasse (Vieilles Vignes) from Châteauneuf du Pape in the Rhône region of France. Awesome!
- 2002 Pahlmeyer Merlot (Direct Reserve) from Napa. Outstanding.
Recent cheeses consumed – Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, "Guinness" Cheddar, Sottocenere al Tartufo, Coach Farms Triple Cream Goat Cheese, Maytag Blue from Iowa (hey, we've been there!) and Saint Nectaire, along with some others I am sure I am neglecting….
Back to the Chocolate Peppermint Tart mentioned earlier. We made a lot more than what Marc and I could consume in a reasonable timeframe, so we called Gure, our friend who lives close by to see if she would help us out and take one for the team by taking some of the tart. What a trooper – with friends like these…. Anyway she called us up shortly after we dropped off the tart to tell us that while she LIKED the recipe, she does NOT want it (we offered to give it to her in case she wanted to make it herself after she said she really liked to bake). Now I don't want to upset our good friend in the event that she is reading this, but in honor of our good friend, Gure, below is the recipe for the Chocolate Peppermint Tart – page 1 and page 2.
Marc, we should have paired a scoop of mint chip ice cream with the tart! Oh mon dieu!
Happy Holidays everyone!
