Looking for a way to spruce up your next holiday gathering or girls night in party? Look no further, Twin Cities Wine Sommelier Leslee Miller of Amusée, has just the right answers to adding a little pizzazz to your wine for your next event.

What ingredients are best for making your own signature ‘Wine-Tail’ or ‘Winter Sangria’?

Check it out for yourself and use these easy, fun and affordable tips yourself at your next gathering!

Girls & Grapes are back at it!  We figured that since the holdiays are so close, we might as well squeeze in a number of opportunities to drink great wine.  Below is a recap of an evening spent touring ‘blindly’ the wines of Spain.  Under tin foil until the last of the tasting notes were logged, we found the wines brought were some of our favorites so far this year.  Incidentally, a majority of these wines are good for the holiday budget and great pairings to the trimmings on your holiday table!  Wonderful foodie wines with amazing flavors and exuberant profiles. 

(And because you all commented as to how much you loved the RECIPE section in the last Girls & Grapes CRUSHPAD BLOG - we added a couple of our favorites from the nite to pair.)

 Girls & Grapes: Tour of Spain  

Wine 1:
A rosé, fun!  Smells like watermelon, cherry Chapstick.  Oh, and it tastes supple – nice.
Grenache Vega Sindoa Rosé – Surdyks $12.99
Great way to start!

Wine 2:
Corny, warm flavored, tastes like squash (root veges), apple cider, but crisp
Guessed Albariño, we were wrong…still, We really like it!  We missed the green element here because this was so silky and soft on the palate - Shaya Verdejo – $16.99  @ Pairings

Loved this wine with Erin’s Spanish Styled Deviled Eggs  (recipe below)                                                        

 Wine 3:
Floral, round, lush but flabby – lacking acidity – cotton candy!
“Valley Fair, here we come!”
Candidato Viura - $11 @ Surdyks

Wine 4:
Oily – Vaseline – perfumed – red delicious apple -pulpy.  We love this wine!  Could drink a gallon of it.
Telmo Rodriguez’s Basa blanco from Rueda – $16 @ Haskells (Plymouth location)
Grapes: Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Viura  – Wines like this make me think I have a secret crush on Telmo, shhhhh!

Wine 5:
Purple in color – cherry vanilla – sassafras (rootbeer)
Has a hint of cherry fruit but this was potentially a ‘corked’ bt- flavor was very flat & muted.  Would be a great bt for the $!
Federico Tempranillo – Ribera del Duero – $23 @ Pairings  

Wine 6:
Raisiny, dried fruit,  concentrated, herbs, leather
“23 yr old D Cups with a plum-colored lacy bra!”  ~ Leslee & Allison
$24 on the shelf- we think this is a huge winner for the $$ - We think, quite busty!
Ramirez de la Piscina Crianza Rioja (2005)
Very mature and lovely.  Rock my world kinda wine!!!

Wine 7:
Strawberry & dill with a hint of pink peppercorns
Luzon Verde Monastrell from Jumilla  $11.99 @ Surdyks
Super solid people pleaser – very approachable w a new world style
Loved this wine with Leslee’s chocolate covered blue cheese dates  (recipe below)

Wine 8:
Musk, wet leaves, over ripe raspberry- tastes cheap
Valencia Tempranillo Radio Boca – actually equals $ for $
Not mad at it for $7.99 (@ France 44)

Wine 9:
Dk jam, raspberry, blueberry – sh*t ton oak – coconut cream -yuk
Grenache fr Campo de Borja $35 – not worth the dollar
We’re not fans of the uber coconut – too much barrel!

Wine 10:
Stinky, meaty, dried meat – yummy!  Leather, dirt & tarnished.
Barnyardy but in a very good way, fruit is still very fresh.  
Mature – Epitomy of Old World wine – A very very well balanced wine all the way through!
Flor de Pingus (2001) -$150 on the shelf @ SoloVino

 Wine 11:
Strawberry & white pepper.  Aspirin.  Green. Stem-my.
Dido Grenache & Carignan, Merlot, Cab  $33 @ France 44
Limited production, female winemaker- supposedly a big deal wine…we don’t think so.

Wine 12:
Briny- cod water- dried cranberry, sage, and herbs- rosemary
Maybe the fruit has dropped out?
Montecillo Gran Reserva 1994 Rioja – 15 yrs old – Fruit not as plump but still solid as a product.
$80 on the retail shelf - 5yrs ago

Wine 13:
Yes, tomato – I love this wine!  Definitely, not for everyone, but it is Leslee & Erin’s heart-throb.
Ripe tomato.  Most interesting wine (period)!
R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosé 1995 – we love!!!! 

(No idea the pricepoint, I bought it from Solo Vino in St Paul a few years ago.  Ask Chuck for it!)

Wine 14:
Cinnamon – acetone – pruney – big red (barrel)
Ostatu Crianza-Tempranillo- Grenache- Mazuelo
$18.99 @ Haskells (Plymouth location)

Wine 15:
Dk raisenated – blkberry- supple – yet textured – tar – violet & very layered
“This smells like ribs!  Bacon!” ~ Lindsay, Allison & Katie
Numanthia Termes -$60 awesome wine for the $, well worth it! Find @ Solo Vino
This is a rock solid wine!!

 Recipes

• Spanish Styled Deviled Eggs   (Recipe compliments of Cafe Ena owner, Erin Ungerman)

Peel eggs and slice in half (Long Way)

Remove yolks and place in med size bowl

Mix Yolks with 3-5 oz smoked salmon (mash with fork)

Mix in 3-4 TBS Mayo

1 TBS Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Spoon Salmon/Egg filling into eggs 

Drizzle with truffle oil

Sprinkle with pimentón (Spanish Paprika)

•  Date Recipe that Leslee shared is  Compliments of Chef Mike Shannon of Cooks of Crocus Hill 

(This recipe was taught in Chef Mike and I’s ’Steak & Cabernet IV’ Class @ Cooks, November 2011)

Girls & Grapes Gear up for the Wines that will Grace our Thanksgiving Tables in just a few short weeks!

My fabulous group of girls that love grapes does it yet again.  With a slew of fabulous foods to snack upon and a whole gaggle of grapes to indulge – my small tasting group of chikitas rock the palate with these fun wines for the holiday table. 

With the assignment of ‘Wines that make you think of Fall’ – the girls set out this month to find more than one wine to pair to your turkey.  As it turned out, we loved almost ALL of them.  Only a couple of stinkers in the bunch, almost everything we brought seemed to match our fall moods.  Some earthy, some with pumpkin pie scents, and some with meaty notes of pepper – below are the ‘unsensored’ notes for each one.

 A lovely array of gorgeous gorgeous wines, with tasting notes, tasting suggestions, recipes that we brought to pair, price-points and retail locations to boot – to make YOUR holiday wine shopping that much easier this holiday season!

Wine 1:
Yeasty, golden in color, nutty, toasty, creamy, soapy
1998 Duval Leroy Blanc de Chardonnay Champagne
Lindsay splurged! $50 @ Pairings – Super fresh for vintaged bubbly
A perfect pairing w Allison’s pumpkin ravioli!!  (See below for Allison’s Shitake/Pumpkin Ravioli Recipe)

Wine 2:
Very goldeny in color- Petrol, shoe polish, apricot, orange, honey blossom
Guessing Old World – German Riesling ~ Great with Lindsay’s Chicken Curry Dip (See below for Lindsay’s Recipe)

Martin Schatzel Alsace Grand Cru Riesling 2001 $30 @ Kowalskis Wine Shops

Wine 3:
Huge nose- Freesia Flowers- Fresh squeezed orange- Clementine
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer – “Holy Ball$, this is good!” says Allison.
Amazing w sweet potatoes!

Wine 4:
Brite white in color- lemon rind rolled in sugar.  We think it’s intriguing. 
Ginger snaps… Spiced cookies?
Swallow Gewürztraminer, Oregon – $9 @ Kowalskis Wine Shops  ~ Good Buck for Buck!

Wine 5:
Really poopy – barnyard- peppery finish.  Sour cherry on the palate. 
Is that meat we smell?  Maybe just the end of a horse blanket.  Pepper!
Qupe Syrah, CA - $15.99 from Pairings
This is Brettanomyces to the max!   We are not a fan.  The bacteria mutes the fruit too much.

Wine 6:
Creamy raspberries and sweet blueberry pie. Fried sage would be good with this.  Tinny, like metallic.  Pepppery. 

La Vendimia Rioja – Tempranillo & Grenache $16 @ Solo Vino ~ Allison says “Frontal French Massage, yes!”  (Ummm…Don’t ask!)

We loved this one with Katie’s Mexicorn Chip Dip (See below for Katie’s recipe)

Wine 7:
Acetone, phenolics. Dried cranberry, dried fruit.  Raisiny, high acid.  Gripping.
2004 Cruor Priorat (Garnache) - $40 – Good, but we say NOT worth the dolla dolla bill, y’all.

Wine 8:
Food coloring red in color.  Stinky.  Wet ground.  Not balanced.
Really peppery and kind of green.
Steele Rosé of Cabernet Franc, CA - we’re not fans!  $15- can be found at Byerlys/Pairings. 

Jed Steele, if you’re reading this…we really love YOU, just not a fan of this particular wine!

Wine 9:
Strawberry preserves.  White pepper.  We think absolutely Gamay.
What?!!!!  It’s Carignan & Cinsault.  Corbieres (France) is our region- a total stinker.
Too expensive for the price point.  - Not even going to list the producer, just not worth it. 

Wine 10:
Cinnamon – raisin- poopy but weirdly,  fresh.  Red pepper. Cocoa powder. Savory. Thyme & fresh- meat.  One hot mess.  Disconnected.  Green.
Nothing screams fall like a 2001 Spanish Mencía!  What?
No likey- 2001 Villa de Corullón Mencía - $35 @ Kowalskis- a no go. 

Note:  Mencía as a grape, not necessarily an ager.  Much better when drunk young.

Wine 11:
Peppery cherry- raspberry- strawberry.
Cinnamon.  Great wine- Great story!!  (We love you, Leigh & Patrick!)
Dominio IV ‘Of Poetry & Roses’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon  $35 – wine winner of the nite so far!!! 

 This wine soon to be at Pairings!  Ask for it by name.

 Wine 12:
“Leopard frog slime” -(I think Lindsay’s had too much too drink tonite with that comment!)  Dirty earthy but clean.  Cherry & cinnamon.
Smells like Syrah.  We think we like from a price standpoint.
It is Quattro Mani Barbera d’Alba – Italy!  $12 @ Pairings – we like it!

Wine 13:
Cherry cough syrup.  Alcoholic.  Green cherry.
GD Vajra ‘Langhe’ Rosso – young Nebbiolo from Piedmont.  
We guessed Italian…but we weren’t necessarily down with it.

Wine 14:
Smells like banana bread draped over a pot of chocolate.  Deep dark blk blk cherry.  Blueberry.  Dusted cocoa and chocolate.  Mountain fruit. Everyone loves!!  Chewy.  Rich.  But Ripe. 
Peterson Agraria ‘Big Barn Red’, Dry Creek, CA - we love.   This wine can be purchased direct from Peterson Winery!

Recipes…

PUMPKIN & SHITAKE RAVIOLI WITH SAGE BUTTER

RAVIOLI:

• 3 tbls unsalted butter
• 1 tbl EV olive oil
• 16 shitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely diced
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp finely minced sage leaves
• 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup grated Parmesean cheese
• ½ cup fine dried bread crumbs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 sheets fresh lasagna dough (16×24”) or 24 wonton wrappers

 SAGE BUTTER:

• 8 tbls (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 16 fresh sage elaves, julienned

 Melt butter and oil. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic and sautee for 10 minutes. Stir in tamari and sage, raise heat and stir constantly for 3-5 min. Transfer into a mixing bowl. Let cool slightly, then stir in pumpkin, cheese and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper.

 Cut the pasta dough into 24 4” squares, or lay out wonton wrappers. Spoon a tablespoon of filling slight off center of each square. Brush the edges with egg white, fold over to form a triangle and press together tightly to seal. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for at least one hour before cooking.

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently cook ravioli until al dente, about 3-4 minutes. They are done when they float to the surface. Remove ravioli gently with a slotted spoon, drain, and arrange on a serving platter.

 To make the sage butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the sage and cook for 2-3 minutes to infuse the butter. Drizzle the sage butter over the ravioli. Serve with additional cheese and black pepper. Serves 4-6.

 

CHICKEN CURRY DIP

8 oz of cooked chicken

One 8 oz package of cream cheese

2 tbls Major Grey Chutney

1 tsp curry powder

2 tbls chopped onion

1/4 cup mayo

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Combine in food processor and process until it becomes a smooth dip consistency. Transfer to oven safe baking dish and bake until edges become golden brown and dip is warmed through. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

 

MEXICORN CHIP DIP

2 (11 oz) cans of Mexican-Style corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Combine the corn, tomatoes (well drained), mayo, and cheese in a bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

 

Bon appetite!

Once a quarter friend Michael Agnew, Cicerone of A Perfect Pint, and I teach a joint culinary beer/wine class at Cooks of Crocus Hill with our good pal, Chef Mike Shannon, the school’s culinary director.  With every class we teach, the crowd seems to get bigger and the wait list just that much longer.  Folks line up over a half hour early to grab their seats for the class and many continue to come to every one of the classes we teach together.  From Cozy Comforts (a menu of winter warming food), The Big Thaw (a springtime menu), to our Fall Harvest dinners – the number of combinations we’ve selected for great food, wine and beer pairings continues to grow.  With a total of eight libations poured and a menu that consists of a full five courses to indulge – it seems as if the main course and the dessert pairings as we run head to head with our beer/wine picks end up on our Best of the Best list every time we teach. 

This past week, Michael and I taught one of my favorite summer classes:  Beer, Wine and BBQ. 

With a menu that both Chef Mike Shannon and I selected months earlier to execute, one never really knows our actual beer/wine selections until the nite of our class.  Nothing is pre-selected and often times I run back and forth on my selections, changing and amending my choices right up until the nite of the event.  While we flip the first few courses between Michael’s beer choices and my wine pours – it is the entrée and the dessert courses that come head to head with immaculate pairings. 

Starting the menu off with a fresh Grilled Tomatoes & Mozzarella plate, I chose to pair a wine I was most recently introduced to through my Girls Tasting Group.  La Mano Mencía.  Mencía, a Spanish grape I’ve had quite a few times in the past, yet have never really found one tasty enough at an affordable price-point, until I met La Mano.  For a whopping $10 on a retail shelf, the wine is juicy, a bit spicy and sort of smoked and tomato-like – making it a fab pairing to our grilled tomato salad.  A combination of fresh vine ripe tomatos with a wine supple enough to pair – started the class off with a bang.  Continuing on with a Grilled Romaine & Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Salad, Michael worked his magic with Schel’s Pils – pairing perfectly to the smokey side up of the grilled romaine leaf.  Next, a Coconut Shrimp dish drizzled with Vanilla Gastrique.  I paired a white Rioja from Spanish producer Cune.  A solid, slightly flowery, yet round and melony wine made from only the Spanish white grape:  Viura – a really nice compliment to the dish.  Making friends with the crunchy side of the coconut, yet lite enough as to not take over the shrimp underneath – the pairing was a really nice ‘outside of the box’ combo. 

Moving full steam into our entrée and dessert courses, Michael and I prepared our selections when the Knife and Fork Manchego Burger hit the table.  Reaching for one of my favorite BUCK-FOR-BUCK WINES, Alexander Valley Vineyards Cab, I watched as the crowd rolled up their sleeves for the pair off.  The rock ‘em, sock ‘em $18 Cabernet, with its smokey, rich, slightly herbal structure and meaty black fruited body, was an explosive combination of flavor as it melted into Chef Mike’s bacon, garlic, Manchego fresh ground burger.  Delish!  Yet, the combination of Michael’s selection perfectly cleansed the palate before moving on to our bodacious dessert pairings. 

Grilled Peaches with a Grand Mariner Cream - get out of town!  This was absolutely lovely.  While I’ve said it a hundred times before, I have no problem repeating it a million times more until we all really truly feel comfortable stepping outside our comfort zones with dessert dishes and a non ‘dessert wine’ pairing. 

Rule of Thumb:  Select a Wine just one degree sweeter than the dessert on your plate

While yes – a Sherry, Madeira or Port – work perfectly with most desserts, reach for a little something outside the box for your next wine and dessert pairing.  I selected the Ceretto Moscato d’Asti- a rich, creamy, yet gorgeously balanced Moscato from a famously reputable Italian producer was the perfect combo.  Peachy like the dessert, with notes of fresh white flower and brite citrus – a perfect pairing.  Michael’s pairing, the Lindeman’s Pêche Lambic also a fabulous pairing.  Perfectly in line with the bit of smoke and grill left of the fruit’s outside, at the same time - supple and frothy – pairing perfectly to the combination of Grand Mariner and soft whipped cream.  Ahhh, a nite to remember and a combination of pairings fit for only some of the city’s best foodies! 

Thanks so much to all who attended and tweeted (and retweeted) our perfect combinations via Twitter!  Visit Michael’s blog for a full report on his pairings (along with a few of this class’s recipes).

 And don’t forget to log on to Amusée’s Wine Events Page for more Beer/Wine Food Pairing Classes this fall and winter at Cooks of Crocus Hill.

Still looking to put together that perfect Summer Supper?  Look no farther! 

We have your answer for an entire menu of fresh, fun summer ingredients, all the way through to their recipes.

Not only are we going to share with you one terrific menu HERE, but we’re going to share some of our favorite summer sippers – both BEER and WINE – to accompany those dishes. 

Enjoy this fabulous selection of Perfect Pairings!

I love throwing a good flat iron or flank steak on the grill in these summer months.  Whether you serve it with warm tortillas, over fresh salad greens, or just as is – it truly is one of my favorite summer suppers.  Salt n Pepper does just fine – however, I often love to throw my favorite cut in with a quick morning marinade to add a little zip to the dish.  After a full day of soaking up a marinade, that flat iron or flank becomes a perfect candidate for a hot sizzlin’ grill.

This past weekend, while cruising through my July issue of Food and Wine Magazine, I came across a new marinade by Chef Bill Kim of Chicago restaurants Urbanbelly and Belly Shack.  The ingredients of his Spicy Thai Marinade with Basil & Cilantro sounded right up my alley.  With its elements of spice and citrus, I couldn’t help to try it out on my weekend guests.  Marinades are truly some of the best secrets to easy cooking.  I certainly don’t fancy myself as a ‘cook’ of sorts – usually, it’s my job to bring the vino – yet, this past weekend- it was my turn to do the cooking. 

After only two hours of soaking up its tangy additives, I decided to go right for the grill.  With a fire nice and hot – the steak seared with delight the second it hit the iron.  The bold chile and the zesty lemon notes quickly tickled my senses.  My marinade, just only ten minutes to make, and grill time approx 10-15min, turns out was one of THE biggest hits on the grill this summer!  Fast, easy & super delicious.  The best part, taking credit (well, along with F&W Mag) for this fab summer plate.  Realizing that my husband holds the coveted ‘Grill Master’ title in the family, I like to take credit for my rarities on the grill.

Spicy Thai Marinade with Basil & Cilantro

 (Recipe on page 110 in Food & Wine Magazine)

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

8 peeled garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of Asian chile sauce (sambal oelek is best)

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

In a mini food processor, pulse the basil, cilantro, garlic, sambal oelek and fish sauce until finely chopped.  Add the lemon and lime zests and oil; pulse until the marinade is fairly smooth.  Refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Marinade your favorite cut of steak, chicken or fish & away you go!

The best part – selecting the vino to match these intricate yet bold and spicy ingredients.

I chose two for the nite and both ended up acting as Perfect Pairings.

The Vino…

1.  Peterson ‘IL Granaio’ Sangiovese ~ Dry Creek, CA    A full, yet spicy Sangiovese with character.  Acidic enough to brighten the citrus and chile elements of the dish – yet fat enough to cut the heat.  Dark Bing Cherries and tobacco-like spice.

2.  Pe’re Alessandro Barbera d’Alba ~ Piedmont, Italy   Rustic and juicy all at once.  Loved this pairing as well.  The earthy notes of the Barbera, along with its plump youthful character came together to pair gorgeously to the spice and the citrus.  Most importantly, had just enough soft plum fruit character to make friends with the chile. 

Both wines – a great value!  And, with the flank and its marinade - gorgeous. 

 Served with a little grilled romaine salad on the side – a perfect summer nite’s meal. 

Summer brings out the best in our grilling skills, doesn’t it?  While hot dogs and hamburgers are a quick and easy way to satisfy your inner grill master, why not whip up a fabulous marinade to throw on your favorite cut of meat, throw it on and call it good? 

Here, in Cooking Club Magazine, is my piece for the June issue relating to a number of grilling marinades and the wines that pair to them – for a fresh, sizzlin’ steak right off the grill.  Check ‘em out!

I love summer!

Yes, I know we went from late winter to just about practically July, but I don’t care.  I love the heat, the smell that the humidity gives the air and more.  There isn’t much I don’t appreciate about the hot summer sun on my face.  Yet, one of my favorite things about summer – is all the delicious produce that it produces!

After a long weekend of relaxing in the sun, picking weeds from my flower garden, and enjoying my time away from work - I couldn’t wait each nite to dive into the basket of local organic fruits and vegetables I had purchased throughout the weekend.  Perusing through a slew of fresh goodies from the local farmer’s markets in my hood, I was instantly reminded of the goodness that surrounds my community.  Peeps working hard to give me the best darn ingredients possible when it comes to the food that I eat.  One gem…fresh strawberries.  There isn’t anything like them.  Red through the center and juicy through to the last bite, I love fresh strawberries! 

One of THE best darn recipes, I swear, to date that I’ve had with fresh strawberries comes from my friend, Chef Mike Shannon of Cooks of Crocus Hill.  Last week at a class that Mike and I taught at Cooks on Grand in St Paul – he reminded me of that super summer recipe he makes with fresh summer strawberries.  What made this recipe even better?  The wine that I paired to it! 

The recipe (below) for Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries, I promise, will send you into orbit.  But truly, it was the wine… Contero Brachetto d’Acqui…that stole the show with this pairing.  Truly a match made in heaven and labeled in my book ~ a delightful perfect pairing!

With its scintillating ruby red color and bouquet of rose petals and raspberries, this delicious, pleasantly sweet, effervescent wine is a natural to begin or end a romantic dinner, or break out for friends and family to enjoy for holiday parties and New Year’s Eve. At only about 5.5% alcohol, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG makes a great afternoon aperitif and pairs well with bitter chocolate, light sweets, fruit tarts, and sugar cookies.  

According to the regulation of DOCG status of 1996, Brachetto d’Acqui must be produced from 100% Brachetto grapes from the specified terroir. Brachetto grapes are harvested from the end of August to mid-September. The must soaks with the skins for two days in order to obtain the desired ruby color, then aged three months in the bottle. It should be drunk young to reveal its tantalizing scent of Bulgarian roses, must, and fruit.

Served chilled in a sparkling glass ~ this sumptuous libation will have your dinner guests raving!

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

Serves 8

Recipe Complements of Chef Mike Shannon ~ Cooks of Crocus Hill

4 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half)

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 packets powdered gelatin (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)

6 tablespoons cold water

 Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat. Scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.

 Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.

 Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

 Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm ~ 2-4 hours.

 Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and top with balsamic strawberries.

Balsamic Strawberries

2 pints strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons quality balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pepper 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature.

Looking to make that fabulous Coconut Bread Pudding Recipe from yesterday’s blog post? 

Used in our Desperately Seeking Chardonnay Class at Cooks of Crocus Hill paired to a New Zealand Sparkling Chardonnay from Huia Winery of the Marlborough region. 

Here it is!

Recipe compliments of Chef Mike Shannon, Culinary Director for the Cooks of Crocus Hill stores.