Here's a recipe for hummus that's sure to please:
~Hummus~
2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
The juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds or tahini (sesame paste)
6-8 cloves of garlic, lightly pan toasted in extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to your taste
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients into a smooth paste, drizzling in the olive oil. Add more olive oil if you desire a smoother texture. Add a half cup of water or chicken broth to thin out the mixture if desired. Garnish with a dusting of paprika, parsley, and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve this with pita bread or chickpea flat bread, which I've posted a recipe for on this blog before.
At the tasting today we enjoyed this hummus with the 2005 Souverain Merlot from Alexander Valley. This Merlot exhibited some fine flavors of oak and blackberry with a nice easy finish that ended on an up note.
Cheers, Tony
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Paella Para Mi
It all started quite randomly, my friend Steve asked me if, in my many culinary triumphs (his words, not mine. I swear!), I had ever made paella. I humbly admitted, no. So after talking, and salivating, about it, I went off to the market to buy ingredients. I kept the proteins simple; linguica, because I couldn't find dry chorizo, and shrimp. You, of course, may add scrubbed clams, de-bearded muscles, any sort of firm flesh fish, even lobster. Here's how it came together:
~Paella para mi~
(All of these meats and seafood are optional, but one should try to include a nice variety)
1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 dozen clams
2 dozen muscles
1 pound of shrimp, 26-30 count, in shells
2 cups sliced and cooked dry chorizo, linguica, or andouille sausage
3 small lobsters, cut into serving pieces after being cooked
- Tip -
Grill all the meats and seafood instead of cooking them in the pot. Of course, cooking in the pot allows for a nice, rustic crust at the bottom of the dish when finished...
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large red or Spanish onion, chopped
1 cup colorful bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
10-15 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups uncooked short grain rice
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes or substitute 1 (14.5 oz) can of chopped tomatoes, strained
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1tbsp hot sauce (optional)
9 bay leaves
3 tbsps creole seasoning
1/2 tsp saffron threads (if you don't have saffron, try paprika, but the saffron is authentic)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups dry white wine
Aggressively season chicken with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan, over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear until brown on all sides. Remove chicken, add the sausage to the pan and brown. Replace the chicken, add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and rice. Cook together for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, bay leaves, creole seasoning, and saffron and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock and white wine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lobster pieces (cooked at this point, either grilled, or lightly steamed), cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the muscles and shrimp, cover and cook until the shells on the clams and muscles have opened, about another 3 minutes. Discard any clams or muscles that have not opened. Remove the bay leaves and serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
You can serve this dish with a nice, dry Spanish Rioja, or do what I did and enjoy it with the 2005 Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley Zinfandel. Big yet smooth right off the bat, it displayed ripe fruit flavors and a long, tasty finish. It was excellent with the paella!
Cheers!
Tony
~Paella para mi~
(All of these meats and seafood are optional, but one should try to include a nice variety)
1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 dozen clams
2 dozen muscles
1 pound of shrimp, 26-30 count, in shells
2 cups sliced and cooked dry chorizo, linguica, or andouille sausage
3 small lobsters, cut into serving pieces after being cooked
- Tip -
Grill all the meats and seafood instead of cooking them in the pot. Of course, cooking in the pot allows for a nice, rustic crust at the bottom of the dish when finished...
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large red or Spanish onion, chopped
1 cup colorful bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
10-15 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups uncooked short grain rice
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes or substitute 1 (14.5 oz) can of chopped tomatoes, strained
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1tbsp hot sauce (optional)
9 bay leaves
3 tbsps creole seasoning
1/2 tsp saffron threads (if you don't have saffron, try paprika, but the saffron is authentic)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups dry white wine
Aggressively season chicken with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan, over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear until brown on all sides. Remove chicken, add the sausage to the pan and brown. Replace the chicken, add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and rice. Cook together for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, bay leaves, creole seasoning, and saffron and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock and white wine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lobster pieces (cooked at this point, either grilled, or lightly steamed), cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the muscles and shrimp, cover and cook until the shells on the clams and muscles have opened, about another 3 minutes. Discard any clams or muscles that have not opened. Remove the bay leaves and serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
You can serve this dish with a nice, dry Spanish Rioja, or do what I did and enjoy it with the 2005 Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley Zinfandel. Big yet smooth right off the bat, it displayed ripe fruit flavors and a long, tasty finish. It was excellent with the paella!
Cheers!
Tony
Monday, April 14, 2008
Ragin' Cajun!
Are you ready for something hot, Hot, HOT!? Well, here's a nice little recipe sure to spice things up! I adapted this recipe from the "Bam" man himself, Emeril Lagasse:
~Shrimp Etouffee~
4 cups chopped red onions
2 cups chopped bell peppers (use red, orange, yellow, and green for a nice color mixture)
2 cups chopped celery
3-10 minced cloves of garlic (according to your own taste)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tsps kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1 quart shrimp stock (peel 3 lbs 21-25 count shrimp, reserve shells and heads. Simmer heads and shells in 2 quarts water with 1 quartered onion, 1 coarsely chopped carrot, and 1 cup white wine, for 30 min. Strain and simmer liquid, reducing by half. Should yield 1 quart.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add another pinch for more heat)
the 3 lbs of shrimp that were shelled
Steamed white rice for serving (cook approximately 3 cups worth)
1/2 cup thinly chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
-roux-
9 tbsps olive oil or butter
9 tbsps flour
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter or heat your oil over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the roux is golden brown. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the roux and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and season with the cayenne, bay leaves, salt, and a few good grinds of black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes and then whisk in the quart of shrimp stock.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Now, traditionally, one would season the shrimp with a bit of cayenne, toss them into the etouffee, and cook for about 5 minutes. However, one could sear the shrimp in a hot pan, then toss them into the etouffee, to introduce a bit of a deeper flavor. If you use this method, be sure not to cook the etouffee any longer.
Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately over steamed rice and top with some of the chopped green onions. Enjoy with a cold beer or your favorite table wine.
~Shrimp Etouffee~
4 cups chopped red onions
2 cups chopped bell peppers (use red, orange, yellow, and green for a nice color mixture)
2 cups chopped celery
3-10 minced cloves of garlic (according to your own taste)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tsps kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1 quart shrimp stock (peel 3 lbs 21-25 count shrimp, reserve shells and heads. Simmer heads and shells in 2 quarts water with 1 quartered onion, 1 coarsely chopped carrot, and 1 cup white wine, for 30 min. Strain and simmer liquid, reducing by half. Should yield 1 quart.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add another pinch for more heat)
the 3 lbs of shrimp that were shelled
Steamed white rice for serving (cook approximately 3 cups worth)
1/2 cup thinly chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
-roux-
9 tbsps olive oil or butter
9 tbsps flour
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter or heat your oil over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the roux is golden brown. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the roux and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and season with the cayenne, bay leaves, salt, and a few good grinds of black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes and then whisk in the quart of shrimp stock.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Now, traditionally, one would season the shrimp with a bit of cayenne, toss them into the etouffee, and cook for about 5 minutes. However, one could sear the shrimp in a hot pan, then toss them into the etouffee, to introduce a bit of a deeper flavor. If you use this method, be sure not to cook the etouffee any longer.
Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately over steamed rice and top with some of the chopped green onions. Enjoy with a cold beer or your favorite table wine.
Bon appetito,
Tony
Friday, April 11, 2008
Let us commence with the tasting!
Hello everyone, it's tasting time again! Join me tomorrow at BevMo in Rancho Cucamonga to sample some great wines. We'll be tasting "anything but cabs and chards." Be ready for pinots, zins, rieslings, sauvignon blancs, merlots, and many more, all on the 5 cent sale.
Cheers,
Tony
Cheers,
Tony
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Tasting Saturday, April 5th!
Hello everyone, please join me at BevMo Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, April 5th, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm as I'll be pouring more 5 cent favorites. Come enjoy a nice selection of reds and whites that are sure to please your palate!
Cheers,
Tony
Cheers,
Tony
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Wine Proverbs
Well, really, more like Proverbs 23:29-35 (ESV)
29Who has woe? Who has sorrow?Who has strife? Who has complaining?Who has wounds without cause?Who has redness of eyes?
30Those who tarry long over wine;those who go to try mixed wine.
31Do not look at wine when it is red,when it sparkles in the cupand goes down smoothly.
32In the end it bites like a serpentand stings like an adder.
33Your eyes will see strange things,and your heart utter perverse things.
34You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35“They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;they beat me, but I did not feel it.When shall I awake?I must have another drink.”
Makes one think...
Tony
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