Today is the day, 365 days since Chiara Planeta gave me a small six inch cutting from their beautiful property in Sambuca di Sicilia. The cutting, now a sapling, gave us a gift this week on its anniversary, a small fig. Kerry says it's too young to bear fruit, but I can't bring myself to cut it off.
It is hard to believe it has been a year since that amazing trip, where everyone of us came away knowing we were changed by it and we all had experienced something truly special by being in that place together at that particular time in our lives. I am so happy to have our little fig tree as a constant reminder of all the wonderful experiences and memories from that magical journey across Sicilia.
Remember way back when, sometime last year, the Food Network and Rachel Ray paid a little visit to Swirl and a few other great spots in New Orleans? Well, the episode FINALLY aired last month and they sent us a DVD of the segment. It's a pretty cool spot, so check it out, and you just might see yourself on the Food Network one day soon!
In honor of Oktoberfest we're holding our first ever formal beer tasting Tuesday night! But of course this isn't just any beer tasting, we'll be popping the tops on 4 really unique beers from MOA Brewery in New Zealand and tasting them with cheeses presented by Richard Sutton of St. James Cheese.
So just what makes these brew so special? MOA beers are the creation of Josh Scott, winemaker for Allan Scott Family Winemakers in New Zealand. Josh decided after years of winemaking experience to apply winemaking techniques to craft beer brewing. He starts the process off quite normally. The beer is brewed traditionally using mainly local hops, malt, wheat or barley. The beer is then bottled and a dose of yeast and sugar is added, and the cap is sealed. Just like champagne “methode traditionelle,” the bubbles produced by this second fermentation are dissolved in the liquid. When the fermentation is complete, the yeast plug that accumulates in the bottle neck is frozen and popped out. The beer is re-capped and good to go!
The result is a beer unlike any other — very crisp with fine carbonation, great mouthfeel and very refreshing!
And as an added bonus we'll be tasting/pairing two of Josh Scott's wines as well. His Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir will finish out the event. We're still working on the cheeses, but Richard loves beer and cheese pairings, so you know they'll be awesome! And the wines, beers and cheeses will be for sale after the event. Here's the lineup for the night:
Moa Original - Pilsner style lager. This beer has an abundance of hoppy notes with hints of sweet fruit and grassy aromas.
Moa Noir - Dark lager. Seductive flavors of chocolate and richly roasted coffee beans dominate, with a long, smooth finish.
Moa Blanc - White beer. Brewed from 65% wheat and 35% barley malt, it is elegantly smooth with hints of spice.
Moa 5 Hop - A powerful malty character and creamy sweetness imparts serious weight and mouth-feel to this beer.
Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc - An aromatic mix of tropical passionfruit with a hint of varietal herbaceous notes. The palate is crisp and lively with tropical passionfruit and pineapple with zesty citrus acid giving this wine great mouthfeel and a well balanced refreshing finish
Allan Scott Pinot Noir - Subtle yet textured tannins and well balanced acidity. Blackcurrant, dark plums and ripe cherry dominate the flavor profile with a hint of savory mushroom and smokiness.
Curious? Call us, we've got 5 spots left for the tasting! Tuesday, October 12 at 6pm, call 504.304.0635 $20
Kerry and I are both big fans of Yelp!, an online urban city guide that helps people find cool places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play, based on the informed opinions of locals in the know. We use it a lot when we travel, (remember that great little coffee shop we found in Chicago and the cool Italian wine bar/restaurant, 3 of Cups in New York?) It's a fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what's great, and not so great, in your world. For example, our friends over at 3 Muses are listed on yelp!, and of course have lots of great reviews (including mine), check them out here, 3 muses on yelp!.
We have a yelp page for the shop, swirl on yelp!, and have just started to use a new function they offer for people to list activities and events. So if you want to know about great things going on in our fabulous city, check out the New Orleans Events page, and if you have something to say about what we are doing over here at Swirl Wine Bar and Market, please give us a yelp!
Want to know our tapas menu before you come over on a Friday or what our drink specials are this weekend? How about up to date info on wine tastings, special impromptu events, featured cheeses, or when our Bittersweet Chocolate order or citizen nola shirts arrive? It's easy to become a fan on facebook, just go to the Swirl page, click the "like" button at the top right of your screen and you're in!
Those of you who are frequent readers of my blog know that I talk about little else but Italian wine. Every once in a while I'll throw in something from France, Spain or South America, but I rarely talk about California. And I'll be honest, it's because I get bored quickly with the over extracted "cocktail wines" that dominate the market. But something must have happened with that new moon last week, because I had a week of tasting some pretty amazing wines from the big C that made a huge impression on me.....
It all started with our friends Monica and Neil from Neat Wines showing up at the house last week to show us their new wheels and we figured we might as well taste some wine while they were there. Neil pulls this delicious blend of two of my favorite French varieties, Carignan and Grenache, with a little Syrah and Petit Sirah thrown in. The Mark Herold Winery's "Flux" is all that is good about Southern France (fans of the Tribouley wines would love this) with a California twist. Deep, almost roasted black fruits, tobacco, chocolate; dense and delicious, this was a real treat! Look for it next week...
Then there was Jason's visit with the new vintage of the Rosenblum Rockpile Zin. For those of you who like a more rich and savory style zin, this is a stunner! Beautiful black raspberries and cherry fruit, with notes of smoke and black pepper this is a wine you have to try! To make that easy for you, we decided to do a complete Rosenblum tasting in November featuring our favorites in the Rosenblum lineup that will include the Rockpile, Petit Sirah, red and white blends and more! So mark your calendar for Tuesday November 9th, more details later!
Next up was Randall Petit from Dry Creek Vineyards with a great lineup of reds and whites at amazing price points. Again, I was very impressed from start to finish with these wines, so we decided Randall would come back on a Friday so you could check them out as well. He'll be here November 19th....
Now probably the biggest surprise was a presentation of wines from Amador County. And just where is that you ask? Located just east of Napa in the Sierra Foothills this little known area has tons of small family owned wineries that you usually don't see outside of California. While Zinfandel put the area on the map, I tasted some amazing Sangiovese, Petit Sirah and blends that really made me want to see more about what this area has to offer. I ordered 3 different wines on the spot and will be tasting more next week that we will feature in a tasting we scheduled on Tuesday November 30th and we'll probably throw a Friday in to introduce you to a few more as well! In the shop now are the Runquist 1448 (great blend of zin, petit sirah and syrah) that is a killer bargain at $16.50, the Runquist Petit Sirah, around $30 and a cool, easy drinking red blend of zin and merlot from Drytown Cellars that is a steal at $12.99. Look for the tasting dates in November, you gotta try these wines!
Looking for a unique setting for your parties that has great atmosphere, fabulous wine and creative food? We offer a variety of options from private tastings to bridal showers, birthday parties and more all individually designed to meet your needs.
Private Tastings - A tasting of 5 wines with a theme in a casual "walk-about" format where attendees learn about different wines and regions, interspersed with periods of social interaction. Want a little something to munch on during your tasting? Three Muses' Chef Daniel Esses will design a menu based on our theme and provide you with creative dishes to pair with your wines.
Sample Private Tasting - 5 South American Wines accompanied by the following menu:
Piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese, shitake mushrooms and pistacios
Braised chicken empanadas with spicy aioli sauce
Lamb meatballs with fresh tomato chutney
-Private wine only tastings start at $20 per person with a 20 person minimum.
-Additional charge for food starts at $10 per person with a 3 item menu and 20 person minimum.
-Cheese plates can be added at an additional charge.
-Private tastings outside of normal business hours require a space rental fee $50/hour fee that will include party setup and cleanup.
-A 25% deposit paid by check is required to book your date.
Private Parties - Individually tailored to meet your needs. A series of wines are select based on your budget, purchased by you at a 10% discount ($200 minimum on wine purchase). Food by Three Muses can be added at an additional cost or you can bring your own food, however you will then need to supply all serving items (plates, napkins, utensils, chafing dishes, etc.)
-Cheese plates can be added at an additional charge.
-Private events taking place outside of normal business hours require a $100/hour fee, $50 during business hours to include time for setup and cleanup of event.
-A 25% deposit paid by check is required to book your date.
Call 504.304.0635 or email me at beth@swirlinthecity.com to book your event!
She's always been a bit of a pepper fiend, but after smuggling in a pepperoncino from Sicily, Kerry's addiction to peppers has reached new heights. During a cooking lesson at the Mandranova Olive Oil Estate in southern Sicily, Kerry got her hands on a fresh pepperoncino, an essential ingredient in many Sicilian/Italian recipes. Like my fig cutting, the pepper made it home to New Orleans where she dried it and used the seeds to grow pepper plants which she put in our garden in the front of the house, planted in pots in the back and gave away a few plants to some lucky friends. And now that the weather has cooled just a bit, the garden has gone crazy with pepperoncino, cayenne, habanero, jalepeno, Hungarian and some varieties of peppers that we can't even identify!
Sicilian pepperoncino grown from smuggled seeds
We put them in/on everything from soups, stir frys, sandwiches, sautees and on the grill, adding heat and incredible flavor to lots of our favorite dishes. One of our staple weekly side dishes is brown jasmine rice with sauteed peppers and garlic. Deliciously spicy, you have to love the heat of habanero's to appreciate it, but if you can handle that, you'll love it! The coconut oil is one of the key ingredients, as it adds a nice tropical flavor, complimenting the spicy habanero and jasmine aromatics of the rice.
Spicy Fried Brown Rice
2-3 cups cooked brown jasmine rice (available at whole foods)
2 T. Coconut Oil (available at whole foods)
2 Habanero Pepper, seeds and ribs carefully removed (wear gloves if you can)
3 cloves garlic
Stir fry garlic and peppers in coconut oil over medium heat until vegetables begin to caramelize. Add cooked brown rice and stir until grains are coated with the oil. Continue to fry for 5 to 10 minutes while rice absorbs the flavors. Enjoy!
The first time I tasted a wine from the Etna, I knew that something very special was happening in the eastern part of Sicily. We were in New York in late January for an Italian Trade Commission wine event and we needed a bottle of wine for our friend Lisa's birthday party. I had become intrigued by the region while researching the wine producing areas of the island for our wine and culinary tour later that year, but there was nothing from the Etna in any of our wholesaler's portfolios. In fact, like me, most had never even heard of the region until I started inquiring about the wines.
So, needing a bottle of wine to take with us to a little party, we popped into a shop in the East Village, that actually had a decent selection of Sicilian wines and there on the shelf was a wine by one of the producers I had been researching, Terre Nere. The 2006 Etna Rosso was under $20, which was very reasonable for anything coming from the area, so I was really excited to try it. And needless to say we were all impressed as it was lush (a prominent quality in the 2006 vintage) and easy drinking, with a purity of fruit and hints of dark cherries, tobacco and wild herbs, it had an earthiness and texture reminiscent of Burgundy but is distinctly Sicilian. Made with Nerello Mascalese, a native grape to the region, I was hooked and needed to know more about this region.
Fast forward, almost 2 years later, having now spent time in the region, I had been working with 2 of our wholesalers, Uncorked and Lirette Selections, on getting some of these wines to New Orleans. Pietradolce and Salvo Foti's wines were on the shelf, Frank Cornelissen's were on their way, and the Terre Nere wines would be here for Uncorked's portfolio tasting this month. And arriving with the wines was the producer himself Marco de Grazia, one of the pioneers of the region and the man really accredited with putting the Etna on the map.
So last night we had the pleasure of Marco's company in the shop for an intimate, seated tasting of his wines as well as a few others he is importing. Soft spoken, loquacious and extremely passionate about the region, it was wonderful to hear about his approach to wine making on the Etna, to taste the wines with him and hear his stories about what makes this reason so special and one of the most exciting wine producing regions in the world today. His approach is one of minimal intervention, using certified organic practices, and an almost indiscernible use of oak, allowing the expression of the true character of the wine. And what a beautiful expression it is! Unbelievably fresh with incredible aromatics, finessed tannins and a weightless quality reminiscent of Burgundy and Nebbiolo, the wines speak for themselves.
It was a wonderful experience, coming full circle with this region that has so intrigued me now for almost 2 years. So the second time I drank the Terre Nere Etna Rosso was with Marco himself in our shop with friends and customers, and I'm still just excited as ever about this wild, crazy volcano and the incredible gift it gives us in these unique wines.
Thanks to our friends at Uncorked, our inventory should arrive next week and we'll be carrying the Rosato, Etna Rosso and single vineyard Gaurdiola. Trust me, you need to try these wines!
From Robert Parker: "Proprietor Marc de Grazia is one of the pioneers of the Etna. Not only was he among the first producers to recognize the value of these once-forgotten, ancient terroirs, he also was the first producer to bring attention to the specific qualities of these vineyards by bottling single-parcel Nerellos that have become reference-point wines for the Etna." Wine Advocate, June 2010
I've always loved the wines of Planeta, but they've occupied a very special place in my heart since our visit to the winery last year during our wine and culinary tour of Sicily. While they produce wines from five different vineyard sites on the island, the estate in Sambuca is the oldest, having been in the family since the 1600's.
On a windy Sunday afternoon, Chiarra Planeta met us at the winery in Sambuca for a tour, tasting and lunch. It is quite a journey to get there, lots of winding roads through small villages that ends with the town of Sambuca, Lago Arancio and the simple but elegant centuries old buildings of the estate. The property is beautiful with the vineyards gracefully sloping down to the shores of the lake. Chiarra was a gracious host who led us through wonderful tasting of wines that are produced at the various vineyards sites and many of which are not available in the US.
Having just finished the tasting, we were heading into the dining area of the 16th century farmhouse for lunch, when I noticed a beautiful fig tree on their property. After more wine, a delicious lunch of local foods including the best fresh ricotta any of us had every eaten (believe me, we ate a lot of it on this trip!) I asked Chiara if I could possibly have a cutting from their fig tree. She said of course and cut off a small piece about 6-8" long. And most of you know that I was able to get the cutting through customs and now have a sapling that will be ready to put in the ground this fall!
It was an enchanting afternoon, as most were in Sicily, but Chiarra's warmth and hospitality made it all the more special. And I am now a Planeta fan for life!
Click here to view a slide show of our visit: Slide show
A few weeks ago, on one of my dreaded trips to Whole Foods on a weekend, I was so excited to see the giant display of Hatch Chilies. If you aren’t familiar with this particular variety of chili, let me explain. “Hatch” chilies are in actuality a variety of the common New Mexico green chili. These particular chilies are harvested in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico for only a few weeks out of the year. The Mesilla Valley lies in the southern part of the state, running from Las Cruces north about forty miles to the small town of Hatch, from where the chilies get their name.
These chilies are grown nowhere else in the world, and connoisseurs consider this one of the finest. They are large (for chilies), about 6 to 7 inches long, with a distinctively robust and earthy flavor not found in any other chili.
I bought a few for us to grill, but Kerry was so excited to see them, she went back out the next day and bought a pound. She got out the grill, roasted them and made us the most delicious Hatch Chili Enchiladas, that my mouth waters just thinking about them!
Unfortunately the season is short, and I'm a little late with this post, so they are no longer available, but you can substitute Anaheim, or Pablano chilies or save this recipe for next year!
First the Roasting
Get your charcoal grill white hot and lie the peppers directly on the grill. Let skins bubble up and get black and then turn so that they are evenly cooked. The goal is to blacken the skin without burning the flesh. Put the hot peppers in a brown paper bag to stem for 10-15 minutes. This will help loosen the skins and make them easy to remove.
Scrape the skins off the chili peppers with your fingers or a knife. Remember to use caution with hot chili peppers, the capsaicin is still in the skin even though it's been charred. Remove the seeds, stem, and veins if desired as well. Most of the heat is contained in the seeds and veins so removing them will take out some of the heat if the chili pepper is uncomfortably hot.
Chile peppers can also be peeled under running water in the sink. The water will usually wash the skins right off the flesh. Before rinsing, be aware that this can also wash away some of the smoky roasted flavor of the chili pepper.
Make the Sauce
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1lb Hatch Chilies, roasted, peeled and chopped (stems, seeds and ribs removed)
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
In a heavy saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until well softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and sauté for an additional minute, then add the flour and continue cooking for another 1 or 2 minutes.
Mix in the chili. pour in the stock and add the seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened but still very pourable.
While the sauce is cooking, prepare the enchiladas:
Ingredients
10 (7- to 8-in.) corn tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken
2 cups coarsely shredded cheddar or jack cheese, divided
Sour cream
Preparation
Prepare tortillas: In a small frying pan, bring remaining 2 cups chicken broth to a gentle simmer. Working one at a time, very briefly dip tortillas into broth to barely soften. Transfer each tortilla plate, add some of the shredded chicken and cheese, wrap tortilla around filling and transfer, seam-side down, to a 9- by 13-in. baking dish. Use 1-1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling, the other half will be scattered on top.
When the chili sauce has finish cooking, pour it over enchiladas and top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream.
Makes 5 servings; 10 enchiladas (serving size: 2 enchiladas)
One of the great things about owning your own business is that you have the ability to direct your efforts and resources to causes you are passionate about. Our decision to start "Team Swirl" began when one of our friends was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007. Christy began to train with us that year on a 20 year-old 10 speed road bike, which she road up until the day of the MS Tour. She completed the first day of the tour, 75 miles, on her new and improved road bike and has inspired us all to continue to train, raise funds and ride the MS Tour.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society uses funds collected from the MS Bike Tour to not only support research for a cure tomorrow, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS today. Because we can fight this disease by simply riding a bike, because we have chosen to help thousands of people through a contribution to the MS Bike Tour, we are now getting closer to the hour when no one will have to hear the words, "You have MS."
For the last 2 years "Team Swirl" was the top fund raiser for the Louisiana MS Tour. Last year alone we raised close to $40,000 and surpassed the large corporate teams such as Shell, Entergy, Dow, UPS and more.
-Attend our 4th Annual MS Benefit Thursday, August 26th at 6:00pm held in true Swirl style – great wine, food, auction items and people watching for a mere $20.
What Do You Get for Your $20 Donation?
* A tasting of 6 incredible wines compliments of Republic National Beverage Company
* Great wine and art related silent auction items including regular and large format bottles, gift certificates, artwork, Saints memorabilia and more!
* Delicious food to munch on while you are tasting and bidding by a local chef prepared with groceries compliments of Canseco's!
* Meet Team Swirl, our group of riders who are dedicated to raising $30,000 and making a difference for people living with MS.
*Want to bid or hang out, but not due the tasting? Have a glass of wine at the bar, the proceeds will be donated to MS this evening!
For reservations for the tasting (the event is limited to 60 people) and more information, call 504-304-0635
Saturday evenings in the summertime are usually spent at home. Knowing we had a 50+ mile ride planned for Sunday, I had the perfect excuse to make a pasta dish, surprise, surprise. But I wanted to keep it light, no heavy cream sauces or meat, and I wanted to keep it simple, not too much fuss or mess. So Gulf shrimp are a given, and with our extremely hot summer temperatures, I enjoy making sauces and pestos that don't require cooking. And Kerry's abundance of fresh herbs in the garden offers me lots of possibilities.
I made the dreaded run to Whole Foods on a Saturday for supplies, me and 5,000 other people, and was happy to see a huge table of heirloom tomatoes at the shocking price of $3.99/lb. So I load up with a those, some kale and lots of other stuff to get us through the week, and drove home to get started.
I picked up the tomatoes for a sauce I wanted to make that sort of reminds of a cross between the Sicilian Pasta Trapanese, that I adore, and an herb pesto. Based on a similar recipe from the Sicilian island of Pantelleria by Mario Batali, this one uses fresh tomatoes as the base with a mixture of 3 different herbs, spices and olive oil, no cooking required except for the pasta and shrimp of course!. It is delightfully refreshing and the addition of mint to the herb mixture gives it a different spin. You'll have some leftover that you can use the next day and serve over fish, toss with steamed veggies or whatever else you come up with! I served this with my sauteed kale recipe and the deliciously fresh Vitiano Rosato from Umbria, but sadly only 1 glass since we had to ride the next day...oh well, there's always tonight!
Serves 2
Ingredients
* 3/4 lb. fresh Gulf Shrimp, shelled and de-veined
* Olive oil, salt, pepper
Sauce
* 1/2 cup mint leaves
* 1/2 cup basil leaves
* 1/2 cup parsley leaves
* 2 cloves garlic
* 2 tablespoons capers, drained
* 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
* 1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 pound fettuccine (when I don't have time to make my own, or buy it from Chef Dan, we use the Bionaturae brand and are especially fond of the tagliatelle)
Directions
Bring 4 quarts water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
Quickly saute shrimp in a little olive oil until just barely pink. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside, reserving the pan (it should be fairly large) and oil for later.
In a blender or food processor, mix mint, basil, parsley, garlic, capers, tomatoes, black and red pepper and extra virgin olive oil to form smooth paste. If needed, add a little more olive oil. The color is a little odd, but it tastes amazing!
Cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente and drain well.
Heat up your shrimp pan again to medium heat and put the lightly cooked shrimp back in the pan. Add the drained pasta, stirring to coat it with the oil and shrimp, and cook for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, add the fresh tomato pesto and toss together until well mixed.
Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil ribbons and a little grated Grana Padano cheese.
I just love a good juicy, dry rosato on a hot summer night. Really any time of year will do, but I find them particularly satisfying during New Orleans' sweltering months of July and August. The Vitiano wines, made by Falesco in Italy's Umbria region, offer incredible values in their crisp, dry Bianco, beefy Rosso and refreshing Rosato.Owned by the brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, the goal of the winery is to strike a balance between the uniqueness of native Italian varieties and the versatility and appeal of international grapes.
Equal parts Merlot, Cabernet, and Sangiovese with a little Aleatico thrown in, this wine is a joy to drink. I served it Saturday evening as a perfect accompaniment to my Tagliatelle with Fresh Tomato Herb Sauce and Gulf Shrimp. A lush, crowd pleasing mouthful of red berries with a nice minerality, soft and balanced. Lots of finesse, great with or without food and only $11.99/bottle!
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:88pts. The 2009 Rosato from Vitiano, Riccardo Cotarella’s winery on the Umbria/Lazio border, is ridiculously good for the money. A well-articulated floral bouquet leads to berries, dried flowers and minerals. In 2009 I especially like the way the Rosato balances clarity and richness. This is a harmonious, polished effort from Vitiano. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2011.
Every visit home to Pennsylvania always involves lots of great eating and this trip was particularly focused on desserts. The abundance of fresh blueberries, black raspberries, watermelon and peaches yielded some excellent after dinner treats. My mother and my sister-in-law are both avid bakers, something which is definitely not my forte, so I always appreciate their efforts. I really wanted to post the recipe for my mother's black raspberry pie, but it was devoured before I even got to take a picture. My other favorite was my sister-in-law Missy's Very Blueberry Cake which I was able to snap a quick shot of the very last piece before it got finished off. Not my best photo, but the cake was to die for. I also love the combination of blueberries and lemon and this moist, delicious cake really complements both of them. You might remember Missy's recipe for Pumpkin Roll that I published over the holidays...
Very Blueberry Cake
Cake
½ cup butter softened
½ cup shortening
1-½ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ t. baking powder
Filling
1 T. all purpose flour
2 t. cornstarch
1 t. quick cooking tapioca
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 t. grated lemon peel
Glaze
1 Cup confectioner sugar
2 T. Milk
1 t. lemon juice
In mixing bowl cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs on at a time, and then mix in extracts. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder, mix and add to creamed mixture, blending well. Spread 2/3 of the batter in a greased 15x10 pan, reserving the other 1/3 for the end.
For filling combine flour, cornstarch and tapioca in a large bowl. Add ½ cup blueberries, mash with a fork and stir well. Add lemon peel and remaining blueberries, toss to coat. Pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter in pan. Drop remaining batter in rounded tablespoons over filling.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.
Mount Etna Pennsylvania that is....we've just returned from visiting my family for a few days, enjoying the beautiful weather, rolling hills and a pristine fresh water lake. My sister brought over a few bikes for us so we were able to get in a little training while away. Some challenging hills kept us huffing and puffing on Sunday, so we followed it up yesterday with an easy 35 miles on one of the Rails to Trails routes, the Lower Trail, reportedly one of the best kept secrets in Pennsylvania. Riding along the peaceful Juniata River, through small rural towns and farm land, it's really nice to get away, if only for a few days. We ate a lot of great food and I was able to snag one of my sister-in-laws recipes for her Very Blueberry Cake, made with fresh blueberries from my sister's garden. Look for the recipe in tomorrow's email...
The trip put me behind in my weekly email, so I will be sending it out tomorrow. Happy Trails!
Our "Go Native" Tastings have always been a hit in the shop and we're taking this one to another level as we pair these obscure grapes with cheeses from their same regions. And what better portfolio to raid for this tasting than that of Matt Lirette, our local go to guy for European wacky varietals. On Tuesday, August 10, Greg Knapps, former sommelier of Stella!, who now works with Matt, will present 5 wines from Italy, Spain and France focusing on indigenous and sometimes little known varieties and the eco-systems they thrive in. And Ron is working with our friends over at St. James Cheese to find new cheeses to pair with from the same regions for our "Go Native" cheese plate. The tasting is $12 and reservations and prepayment are required and please let us know if you'd like to reserve a cheese plate for $12 as well. Please call 504.304.0635 for reservations.
Here's a preview of what we'll be serving:
France's Loire Valley
The Cheese: Selle Sur Cher - Like many goat cheeses from the Loire Valley, the outside of Selle-sur-Cher is coated in edible ash. The ash is flavorless but adds a stunning visual contrast against the stark white goat cheese. Sweet, nutty, and peppery with mildly tangy acidity. The texture varies depending on ripeness, but it is typically dense and chewy.
The Wine:2008 Jacky Preys Cuvee Fie Gris - Before there was Sauvignon Blanc, the storytellers and wine historians say, there was Fie Gris. The believed “mother” of the white grape that produces some of the most lively wines in the world, Preys Fie Gris is made from ancient pre-phylloxera vines, some more than 100 years old. It delivers all the delightful and racy mineral energy one finds in the best Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, but with a flavorful complexity that even the top wines can only hope to match.
From Northern Spain
The Cheese: Galician Tetilla cheese is made from milk from herds of cows in the area, basically Friesians, Alpine Browns and Rubia Gallega. Its flavour is creamy and slightly salty, its texture is fine and its colour yellowish ivory, although undoubtedly its greatest characteristic is the peculiar breast-like shape that gives it its name (tetilla means small breast).
The Wine: 2008 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos del Bierzo, WA 90 pts. From steep hillside vineyards ranging in age from 60-100 years planted with Mencia, the indigenous grape of cool-climate Bierzo. The vineyards are biodynamically farmed and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Beautiful nose of lavender, incense, spice box, black cherry, and cranberry, with nice weight on the palate, intensity, and layered fruit.
Southern Italy The Cheese: Burrata is one of the most sought after cheeses in the world today and restaurants and consumers have gone burrata crazy! From the Puglia region of Italy, the heel of the boot, came this incredibly deliciously creamy cheese created in the 1920s in the town of Andria. For the uninitiated, the cheese looks like a ball of fresh mozzarella with a tiny topknot. But cut into it and the center, a tangy core of cream and stracciatella ("little rags") of mozzarella curds, oozes onto the plate. Sweet, creamy, lusciously and delicately textured it is irresistible.
The Wine: 2009 Torre Quarto Rosato - This juicy rosato from Puglia combines the great spice of Primitivo with the fruit and flesh of Uva di Troia. Weighty with good structure with succulent red berries cherries and roses with a touch of pepper on the finish.
Northern Italy
The Cheese: Fontina Val d'Aosta - Reflecting its origins in the high, Alpine slopes, Fontina is actually an Italian cousin to the French Gruyère. Raw milk is sourced from cows that graze 6,500 feet up on foothill pastures to make this rustic cheese with grassy, sometime truffly aromas. The dense, semi-soft paste has small openings, and is made from pressed, lightly cooked curds. After several months of brushing, washing, and oiling in the caves, a burnished, crusty rind protects a pale golden interior. The uniquely rich flavor is subtly fruity, earthy, mushroomy, and woody, and pairs great with roast meats and truffles.
The Wine: 2007 Mayr-Nusser "Elda" Schiava - A delicate and summery red wine from a tiny producers whose estate is virtually inside the beautiful city of Bolzano. Smoky, red berries with a hint of fig and citrus notes, a deliciously interesting made from 100% Schiava.
Abruzzo, Italy
The Cheese: Ok, this was a tough one as we could not find a cheese from Abruzzo to pair with this so we decided to go with the producer's recommendation of a blue cheese. We went a little further north in Italy for the Toma Blu, a mountain cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. This is a blue-veined toma that has been seasoned for two months on wooden planks, followed by an extended aging period in oak barriques filled with aromatic herbs and hay. This cheese has bold earthy and herbal flavors combined with a pleasant spiciness. The finish is long and pleasant,with woodsy notes.
The Wine:2007 Ciavolich PECORINO Colline Pescaresi “Aries” - Not the cheese but rather the wine! This Pecorino is certainly a wine experience. This small production white from Abruzzo is rich and full bodied with a deep golden yellow color. Soft and structured with elegant floral notes, hazelnuts and peach. The texture is velvety with a honey flavor; full and harmonious.The Ciavolich family has been cultivating the land between Chieti and Pescara in Abruzzo since 1853.
It was a pretty lazy Sunday for us. Having gotten our long bike ride in on Saturday, we had an uneventful day with no plans to leave the house in the midst of the 100 degree temperature, except a trip to Whole Foods for the weekly grocery run. As a treat to myself, for going through the torture of a packed WF on a Sunday afternoon, I always get to stop at Puccino's Coffee for a frozen puccino. What is that you ask? Frozen ice milk and espresso blended together and topped with whipped cream. I tell myself it's lowfat and usually have at least one a week as a reward for making the grocery run to Metry...any way, I digress....
I knew I wanted to make fish tonight and that I wanted to serve a chermoula sauce with it. I got a beautiful piece of coho salmon, but there wasn't a sprig of cilantro in the store so I opted for making it entirely from parsley (I usually use mainly cilantro with a just a bit of parsley). I didn't know we were out of coriander seeds at home, so I had to skip than ingredient as well, but I threw in a few other things to make up for it!
Kerry's mom gave her a little mini cuisinart one year and I love to use it for recipes like this when I'm only making enough for the night's meal. I made the chermoula first to let the flavors set and then made a rub for the salmon as well. This is a very quick, fresh summer dish that is bursting with flavor and works with just about anything, fish, chicken, meat etc. Click here for another version that I combined with eggplant and stuffed into peppers, chermoula.
Chermoula 1-1/2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley 1 clove garlic 1 t. cumin seeds pinch of saffron pinch of cayenne pepper juice from 1/2 lemon 1/2 t. paprika 1/4 t. salt 1/4 cup olive oil
Fish Rub lemon zest from 1/2 lemon salt pepper pinch chili powder olive oil
Fish 1 lb. wild coho salmon butter
Put all ingredients, except oil, of the chermoula in a food processor and pulse. When everything is well mixed, begin adding the olive oil a little at a time until well blended. Set aside.
Mix ingredients for rub and add enough oil to be able spread it onto the fish with your hands. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large pan. Quickly cook salmon to desired doneness, remove from heat and allow a little butter to melt on the filets. Add chermoula and serve.
Then there was Jason's visit with the new vintage of the Rosenblum Rockpile Zin. For those of you who like a more rich and savory style zin, this is a stunner! Beautiful black raspberries and cherry fruit, with notes of smoke and black pepper this is a wine you have to try! To make that easy for you, we decided to do a complete Rosenblum tasting in November featuring our favorites in the Rosenblum lineup that will include the Rockpile, Petit Sirah, red and white blends and more! So mark your calendar for Tuesday November 9th, more details later!
Now probably the biggest surprise was a presentation of wines from Amador County. And just where is that you ask? Located just east of Napa in the Sierra Foothills this little known area has tons of small family owned wineries that you usually don't see outside of California. While Zinfandel put the area on the map, I tasted some amazing Sangiovese, Petit Sirah and blends that really made me want to see more about what this area has to offer. I ordered 3 different wines on the spot and will be tasting more next week that we will feature in a tasting we scheduled on Tuesday November 30th and we'll probably throw a Friday in to introduce you to a few more as well! In the shop now are the Runquist 1448 (great blend of zin, petit sirah and syrah) that is a killer bargain at $16.50, the Runquist Petit Sirah, around $30 and a cool, easy drinking red blend of zin and merlot from Drytown Cellars that is a steal at $12.99. Look for the tasting dates in November, you gotta try these wines!
The Cheese: Burrata is one of the most sought after cheeses in the world today and restaurants and consumers have gone burrata crazy! From the Puglia region of Italy, the heel of the boot, came this incredibly deliciously creamy cheese created in the 1920s in the town of Andria. For the uninitiated, the cheese looks like a ball of fresh mozzarella with a tiny topknot. But cut into it and the center, a tangy core of cream and stracciatella ("little rags") of mozzarella curds, oozes onto the plate. Sweet, creamy, lusciously and delicately textured it is irresistible. 
