Have Wine With That

How to make the perfect pie crusts - 4 different recipes - flaky, savory...

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 11:06:00 -0700

Event Planning in Southern California / Tips for planning

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 16:57:00 -0700

Taste Wine and Raise Money

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Thu, 9 Mar 2017 19:15:00 -0800

Mercury Wine Club will be sponsoring a very special event on April 1, 2016. Here is the link, if you want to join us. Wine Tasting and Fund Raising

We are raising a glass and tasting the wines of Joseph Fillippi to raise awareness as we kick of Autism Awareness month.

The wine have been chosen. We will be tasting Velluto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese (my favorite)and Syrah from the red wine collection and Vino Bianco, Muscato and Fleur de Ville. We may add others. All these wines are amazing. None are too expensive and we will have plenty on hand so that attendees can take home a bottle, or even a case. Every time a bottle of wine is purchased in conjunction with Our Village, Mercury Wine Club will donate a portion of the proceeds to Our Village. The promotion will be ongoing, as we work towards our fund raising goals for 2017.

We will have some special gifts ready for raffle prizes. Thus far we have collected a wine and food gift basket valued at $75.00, a signed (by the wine maker) double sized bottle of Sangiovese, valued at $30 and a Toy Basket.

We plan to have the play room open so that parents can bring the kids to the event and still have a great time. You can learn more about Our Village when you visit the Facebook Page that I linked to above.

Please RSVP. We want to be sure that we have enough of everything to make this one of our annual signature events. The event is free and I promise you it will be fun.

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:55:00 -0800

"Wine nourishes, refreshes, and cheers....Wherever wine is lacking, medicines become necessary "
The Talmud

On October 16 a wine tasting garden party was held by APLA HEALTh at the estate of a member of the APLA Donor Leadership Circle. We are honored to be a part of this important orginzation that physically leads by action and good deeds in supporting the LGBT community. The impeccable catered affair on a beautiful sunny day in Altadena, California abuting the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains brought out 50 donors to taste the six Joseph Filippi Winery wines. Mercury Wine Club is the exclusive distributor of Filippi wines enabling us to pass on discounted prices on all APLA generated sales.

From the chilled Chardonnay and Blush White Sin to the red wines of the 91 point Velluto, hearty Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian style Sangiovese and finally the dessert wine Fondante Ciello they complimented the excellent buffet.

We are proud to be a corporate donor participant to APLA HEALTH contributing 20% of Mercury Wine Club wine sales and memberships to that resulted in a nice donation from the event.

Click Here and do so good for others.

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:21:00 -0700

I am diving back into wine and wine events for the first time in years. What is driving me? The wines! Mercury Wine Club and all that it has to offer have motivated me to plan wine tasting events in and around the South Bay area of Los Angeles. We will be featuring wines from a variety of small production wineries in California. You can learn more on the club website.

This year, I am also partnering with Joseph Filippi and his team to get some private label wines for special gifts and special events. I can see where private label could make a an event more personal, a executive gift more fun to receive and help me with my marketing. They offer a great variety of reds, whites and sparkling wines.

This week I am preparing a wine basket for a give away. It will include fun wines for summer and eating al fresco. It will be featured at a grand opening event .

Holiday Wine Basket featuring Velluto from Joseph Filippi

When you have a special event, consider private label wines. Call us at Mise en Scene. We can help.

Eating Out In Manhattan Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:21:00 -0700

September 12, 2011

Time to Relax

By Julie Brown

Eating Out in Manhattan Beach, California.

In August, refreshing Pacific Ocean breezes witnessed the next generation restaurant located at 117 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, California. Formerly this location was owned and operated by Mitch McFanti Corporation famous now for La Paz, later Sunsets and finally, my personal favorite, Beaches.

The new beachfront dining spot, The Strand House, is made possible by the combined efforts of Michael Zisliss and the Zislis Group. The four level-space boasts stunning ocean views and seats 275 guests. Consulting chef Neal Fraser (Grace), executive chef Travis Lorton (formerly of Blackbird in Chicago and Gjelina in Venice) , and pastry chef Seth Caro (a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts) are regular patrons of the local farmers’ markets and are serving simple seasonally driven food. Many dishes are cooked in the kitchen’s wood fired spit and pizza ovens. Appetizers range in price from $9-$18 and include items such as slow cooked duck eggs with sautéed greens, forest mushrooms and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano; hand torn pasta rags with lamb sausage, roasted fennel, tomatoes, white wine and pine nuts. Main dishes range from $18-$40 and include such items as, crispy air-dried duck with baby root vegetables and apricot gastrique, grilled wild king salmon with roasted shitake mushrooms, ginger vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Leave room for dessert and you can enjoy such delights as cube-shaped butterscotch donuts with powdered bacon and burnt peach jelly, blackberry caviar and cheesecake.

I have not visited the restaurant yet. But I was please to see that Food Arts, September 2011 covered the opening of the new venue in there column, Birth Announcements. For those of you who dine in the south bay, you probably have eaten at Rock N Fish and have heard about The Shade Hotel. We have the Zislis Group to thank for both of these fabulous places in Manhattan Beach. Check out the Strand House and email me your reviews at mesplanners@gmail.com.

Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Fri, 1 Apr 2011 11:08:00 -0700

This deal is so near and dear to my heart I have to mention to engaged couples as well as wine drinkers. this is a great way to Have Wine With That. What a great get away.
Who wants to go?

$149 for an All-Inclusive Italian-Style Weekend Cooking Retreat at Las Brisas ($300 Value)

Tipsy Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 08:33:00 -0800

Just last night a friend came to me for some professional advice on a cocktail to serve at his holiday party. He wanted something that could be served warm and had that "Irish" quality we all love. Well fellow party givers, here is a tasty treat from Chow.
Tipsy Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Total time 10 minutes
Makes 2-4 servings
Very Easy Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Nutella
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of hazelnut liqueur such as Frangelico
2 tablespoons of brandy

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the milk, Nutella and 2 tablespoons of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the Nutella has melted and has been incorporated into the milk and cream.
Reduce the heat to low, add 3 tablespoons of the hazelnut liqueur and the brandy and stir to combin. Heat until the mixture is hot. Do not boil. Turn the heat off.
Place the remaining cream in a medium bowl and whisk until the cream is stiff and forms peaks. (about 2 minutes). Add the remaining liqueur and whisk it in. Pour the hot chocolate into cups and top it with a dollop of whipped cream.

I doubled the amount of liqueur when I made this drink. It was a bit strong, but I prefer it that way. Happy Holidays!
You can find many great holiday ideas and recipes at Chow (click here)

Cheese Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:27:00 -0800

Tips for making Cheese Sauce

Here are some tips I used to learn to make perfect cheese sauce, which always leads to perfect Mac n Cheese.

1. Starch, such as all-purpose flour, cornstarch, or potato flour will keep the cheese from curdling. If you use all purpose flour, add it to the mixture before the cheese; it needs to be cooked for a few minutes to remove the starchy taste.
2. The less you heat the cheese the better. When making soup, sauce or fondue, add the cheese last; then heat it only enough to melt the cheese. Often you can remove the pan from the burner and the residual heat will be enough to melt the cheese.
3. Shred, crumble or finely dice the cheese before melting it. Smaller pieces melt faster. (easier to do with cold cheese)
4. Allow the shredded cheese to come to room temperature before melting it and it will melt faster.
5. Reduced fat cheeses have different melting characteristics than regular cheeses. They take longer to melt and are not as smooth and creamy in texture. You will need a low temperature flame to melt reduced fat cheeses and they must be shredded or finely diced first.
6. And now for a tip I learned at the Melting Pot. A small amount of an acidic liquid will keep the cheese from getting stringy. You can use white wine or lemon juice. Just sprinkle a tablespoon of your acidic liquid over one cup of shredded cheese before melting it. Or use white wine as part of the sauce base.
Mac n Cheese is a crowd favorite and it is as impressive as a home baked cake. I am still perfecting my cheese combinations so I do not have a recipe yet. Why not post your favorite Mac n Cheese recipe for me to try. By the way, this dish serves well with a medium to light bodied red wine or a very crispy white selection.
Chateau-Ste-Michelle-Eroica-Riesling-2008 from www.wines.com is the wine we served with our Mac n Cheese dinner most recently. This white wine is the bottle to bring the hostess this season when you attend holiday parties. Wine Spectator gave this wine 94 points. In fact in each of the four reviews this wine did not score below 91 points.
Happy Holidays.

Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 6 Sep 2010 12:51:00 -0700

Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers Recipe

30 Minute Meals Mac & Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:42:00 -0700

30 Minute Meals - Macaroni and Cheese
This dish is so overlooked as a perfect meal. Much more popular than you would think, not easy to prepare without a good recipe but a real crowd pleaser, great Mac & Cheese
is a dish you want to know how to prepare! Here is my version, bon appetite.
This recipe feeds 6-8 adults, takes 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to finish. You will need a stove and an oven to make this dish and an oven proof casserole dish to finish.
Shopping list:
1. 1.5 pounds of elbow macaroni
2. 4 cups of grated cheese. I use a blend of three cheeses, Romano, Parmesan and Mozzarella. Mozzarella must account for at least 2 cups of the mixture so you get that creamy texture that makes Mac & Cheese so fine.
3. ½ cup of all purpose flour
4. 3 cups of chicken broth. ( I use Knoor)
5. Kosher salt and course ground black pepper.
6. 1 cup of plain bread crumbs
7. 2 tablespoons of melted butter
These are steps:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the melted butter and breadcrumbs together and set aside.
3. Boil enough water to cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 6-7 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine the cheeses and flour. Mix thoroughly.
5. Heat the chicken broth almost to a boil and slowly and continuously stir in the cheese mixture until it is a smooth cheese sauce. This will take 5 minutes of constant stirring.
6. Drain the pasta.
7. Place the pasta and the cheese sauce in the casserole dish and stir to evenly distribute the cheese sauce.
8. Turn on your broiler.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
10. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown color.
Serve this with Chianti. Chianti is a red table wine produced in Tuscany, Italy. Chianti dates back to the 13the century and was originally a white wine. Today most Chianti is a made from a blend of red grapes. The most popular grape in Chianti is Sangiovese. The Chianti producers of Italy cover a vast area of Tuscany. Chianti is the second most popular wine in Italy and a great bottle can cost as little as $12.00. Currently my favorite Chianti is Ruffino 2009. It is selling for under $11 per bottle. What I love about this bottle of wine is it only needs 20 minutes to breath and then it is perfect to drink.

Festivals Try New Techniques to Promote Attendance

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Wed, 7 Jul 2010 17:32:00 -0700

Festivals Try New Techniques to Promote Attendance

30 Minute Meals Salmon Pasta Toss

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:36:00 -0700

Ever find yourself at the grocery store, too spent from the days activities, trying to be creative with dinner. Even the most inexperienced chef can go into the kitchen and WOW your dinner companions with this dish.

If I haven't said so before, I should have....if you intend to cook once a week, keep in your cupboard, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Shallots, Dried Basil, Red Cooking Wine, White Cooking Wine, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. In your refrigerator always have Butter and Parmesan Cheese. Start a list today and call it Julie's Must Haves. Fell free to comment on things you want to add to Julie's Must Haves or email me at Mise en Scene your comments and questions.

This recipe serves four, takes 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes from start to finish. Your list of ingredients:

8 ounces of linguini
1 tablespoon of butter
12 ounces of salmon fillet, skinless and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
12 asparagus spears cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons of dried
12 grape tomatoes
2 green onions sliced using only the green part
4 teaspoons of corn starch
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese

Here are your four quick steps to a delicious dinner.

Cook the pasta in salted water for 7-9 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a 12 inch skillet over a medium heat. Cook the salmon pieces in the butter for 4-5 minutes. Fully cooked salmon will flake apart when you put a fork into the pieces of fish. Remove the salmon from the skillet.
Increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms, the garlic, and the asparagus to the skillet and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, the basil and the green onion and cook for 1 more minute.
In a cup stir the cornstarch into the chicken broth. Pour the broth over your vegetable mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add in the salmon pieces, stir and turn off the heat. Toss it with the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

If you like spicy foods you can add a finely shopped jalapeno pepper to the skillet when you are cooking the other vegetables.
I suggest you try a Columbia Valley Wine from Chateau St Michelle. Their Chardonnays from 2007 fetch 89 points for Wine Enthusiast. Bevmo carries it and sometimes offers these wines in their 5 cent sale.

You can enjoy some discounts from wines.com, just click here. Monthly wine clubs at Wine.com

Horseradish-Cream Sauce Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:56:00 -0700

Horseradish-Cream Sauce Recipe

Pinot Noir

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:02:00 -0700

Find the best deals on top rated wines under $20.
We are looking for suggestions on what dish to prepare with KJ Pinot Noir 2007

Click here to shop for this wine at Wines.com.
http://www.wine.comv/V6/Kendall-Jackson-Vintners-Reserve-Pinot-Noir-2007/wine/101976/detail.aspx
The price per bottle is just under $20.00 and we plan to pair it with a meat dish, after some careful research into the tasting notes. Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator both gave this wine 86 points. Taken right from the http://www.wine.com site, these are the wine makers notes; "

winemaker's notes:

Black cherry and raspberry fruit with velvety tannins typically found in hillside grapes along the North Coast mingle with flavors of plum and spice from our bench land vineyards along the Central Coast. Oak aging adds hints of vanilla, nuances of toast and a soft, smoky finish.

http://www.wine.comv/V6/Kendall-Jackson-Vintners-Reserve-Pinot-Noir-2007/wine/101976/detail.aspx

I could not find any reviews on this wine.

Quick Spaghetti Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:48:00 -0700

This recipe has been my life saver for years. I have prepared this dish hundreds of times and every time it gets high marks for delicious. This is a simple tomato based pasta sauce with Spicy Italian Pork Sausage and Mild Turkey Sausage.

I am about to embark on perfecting this recipe. You see, Sunday, I prepared this dish for the 100,000th time. Only this time, I made a minor change to my recipe and the sauce finally was the sauce I always wanted it to be. It was quick, delicious, did not taste overcooked, but it was thick and it clung to the linguine. This recipe is worth sharing.Keep in mind that this was a special birthday meal I was preparing so of course I wanted perfection.

A little background....
I had invited Anne Kelly to spend Sunday with me in celebration of her birthday. I had missed seeing her for her birthday. She graciously accepted. I invited her to spend the day Sunday with me. Even though I had work to do, I knew she would not be lonely at my place. I was busy Saturday night with a wedding reception at Sangria in Hermosa Beach. www.sangriahermosa.com.
When I got home I found Miss Kelly resting comfortably on my couch surrounded by her Redondo Beach Fan Club.

On Sunday on my way back from the Beach House in Hermosa Beach I ran by the grocery store and picked up:

1 large can of crushed tomato
1 bunch of fresh basil (wash before you use)
1 pound of Sweet Turkey Sausage
1 pound of Spicy Pork Sausage
2 medium shallots
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this should always be in your cupboard if you cook)
1 pound of pasta (get what you like)
Salt & pepper to taste (use only Kosher salt when you cook)

I forgot to get red cooking wine. You can not make great tomato based sauce without red wine.

Finely chopped the shallots and saute them in 1/4 cup of olive oil over a low flame.
Squeeze the meat out of the sausage casing into the pan and break the chunks of sausage into smaller pieces. Let the sausage brown. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
Add in the can of crushed tomato, and 1/2 cup of thin sliced basil leaves. stir and let it get hot.
When the sauce is bubbly add in 1/2 cup of Ruby Port (my new secret ingredient). Let the sauce cook for ten minutes.

Cook the pasta by following the directions on the package.
Drain the pasta.
Put it into a shallow bowl and toss it with your spoonfuls of the sauce until the pasta is covered in rich, thick tomato sauce.
Garnish with fresh chopped basil and shredded Parmesan. By the way every cooking kitchen should have Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the cupboard.

I would suggest that you serve this dish with a Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico reasonable priced under $15 a bottle. This wine makes the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide list. I like the pairing of Chianti with this rich sauce because the fresh fruity quality that the Sangiovese grape adds is just what it needs to balance the spicy sausage flavor with the sweet basil. This particular Chianti Classico is lighter than most. If you prefer a more concentrated and intense wine try Castelli del Grevepesa.

30 Minute Meals, Seafood Risotto

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:46:00 -0800

My kids, friends and roommates will frequently invite me to dine in so that I will contribute. They know I want to, because yes, I love to cook and I am good at it. I know what ingredients to keep in the house so that I can put together a quick meal. There is nothing more pleasant than sitting down to dinner with loved ones.

Just last night we decided after reading the table of contents from 30 Minute Italian by Fran Warde, that we wanted Seafood Risotto for dinner. Admittedly we wanted something special to celebrate the end of final exams and to welcome the holidays and time off. Seafood Risotto was enough out of ordinary to fill the bill.

A quick trip around my tiny kitchen revealed that we had all the necessary ingredients except butter (we use a lot of butter) and of course seafood. Seafood is best when purchased, cooked and eaten all in the same day. The original fast food!

This is not the recipe that was in the book. I used her recipe as a guide line. For Fran Warde’s exact recipe you can consult her book 30 minute Italian, page 46. This recipe serves four, takes 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. I used a non-stick, five quart sauce pan to cook the risotto and a two quart sauce pan to heat the chicken stock. Prep includes getting your pans and your ingredients lined up and ready to use, heating your chicken stock, chopping the shallots, garlic and parsley, and cleaning the seafood.

Here is what you will need to prepare seafood risotto.
1. 4 cups of chicken stock
2. a good pinch of saffron threads
3. 8 tablespoons of butter, plus 2 tablespoons of butter
4. 2 tablespoons of olive oil
5. 2 average sized shallots
6. 1 clove of garlic
7. 10 ounces of Arborio Rice
8. 4 ounces of scallops 20/30 size
9. 4 ounces of shrimp 20/30 size, shell and head off
10. 4 ounces of crab (I use imitation crab)
11. 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley
12. ¼ of dry white wine
13. 4 ounces of grated Parmesan, plus 1 ounce
14. salt & pepper to taste
Here are your steps to perfect, pillowy Seafood Risotto.
1. Finely chop the shallots and garlic.
2. Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium sauce pan.
3. Wash the scallops
4. Wash the shrimp and remove the tail (if it still there)
5. Melt the butter and then add in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Keep the heat medium low
6. Add in the finely chopped garlic and shallots and cook them in the butter for 5 minutes. Do not let them brown.
7. Stir in the rice and coat it thoroughly with the butter and shallot mix.
8. Cover the rice with stock and stir. As the stock is absorbed, add more.
9. Set a timer for 10 minutes and stir your rice frequently. The frequent stirring helps to evenly cook the rice.
10. After 10 minutes the rice about half cooked. Keep adding stock and stirring the risotto for another 10 minutes. I always use a timer.
11. Add the seafood and the last cup of stock. Do not stir the mixture. The stock will slowly heat and gently cook the seafood. Set your timer for 5 minutes and make sure the heat is medium low. After five minutes, stir the mixture gently.
12. When the seafood is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in 4 ounces of Parmesan.
13. Take the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cut it into small pieces and place them in the serving dish.
14. Spoon the rice onto the butter into the serving dish. Add in salt & pepper to taste.
15. Gently stir in the parsley.
16. Sprinkle the risotto with extra ounce of Parmesan.
17. Serve this with a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc and a Caesar Salad.

Green Bean Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:10:00 -0800

This green bean casserole is not your mother's recipe. This is a recipe by Kate Ramos taken from http://www.chow.com/

Green bean casserole has been a part of Thanksgiving meals for years now. I must admit my mother did not serve this dish. She did, however, serve homemade pasta, usually ravioli and meat balls. According to Wikipedia, this American Thanksgiving favorite originates in 1955 and is the creation of the Campbell Soup Company. You can find that recipe on the Internet at http://www.campbellkitchen.com/. My recipe comes from www.chow.com./

Anyone who knows me knows that the recipes must contain very fresh ingredients, no cans or boxes if they can be avoided. I am making an exception to this rule today and recommending frozen greens beans for this recipe. I have not had time to visit the farmers market to find great green beans. In fact the beans I bought at Ralphs were a disappointment.

This recipe is EASY, fast and yummy. It takes a bit of work to prepare, but after all this is the holidays and part of the fun of the holidays is the time we spend together in the kitchen preparing food. If you can get to the farmers market, buy fresh green beans, if not frozen works great.

If you do not know how to prepare a Béchamel Sauce, email me and I will post that recipe.

This casserole can be prepared the day before and popped in the oven to heat up before you serve your meal. If you prepare and refrigerate, remember to remove it from the fridge an hour before it goes into the oven so that the temperature of the dish is room temp before it goes in the oven.

Total Time: 1 hr 10 miniute
Active Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Baked in a 400 degree oven.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound fresh brown mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Béchamel Sauce (warmed)
2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves
5 medium shallots, sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup flour, for dusting the shallots
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut, trim and wash the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt to the water. One tablespoon should be enough. Add green beans and cook until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes; drain in a colander and plunge the beans into a bath of ice water. This will set the bright green color and stop the cooking. Over cooked vegetables are mushy and tasteless. You don’t want to go there. Set the green beans aside.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add mushrooms and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are brown on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Combine green beans, mushroom mixture, béchamel sauce, and thyme in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a 2-1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.
Dust sliced shallots in flour and shake off excess. Set aside.
Pour vegetable oil into a 10-inch frying pan (the oil should be 1 inch deep). Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F, about 4 minutes.
Fry shallots in batches, until light golden brown on the edges, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Top casserole with fried shallots and bake until shallots are golden and crispy and casserole is bubbly and heated through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

This Thanksgiving, one of my invited dinner guests is bringing this dish. I will review it at that time.

Happy Holiday! Don’t forget to be thankful for all your blessings.

Pesto alla Genovese

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:39:00 -0800

Pesto, or what is commonly called Pesto Genovese is one of the tastiest, easiest, and healthiest dishes you can serve. Preparing pesto takes about 15 minutes. This recipe makes a cup of sauce and that is what you need for one pound of pasta or 5 servings. Yes, a pound of pasta serves five.

Pesto is the classic Ligurian Sauce made with Basil (Liguria (pronounced [liˈgu(ː)rja]) is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and food. Wikipedia ) and it was considered somewhat exotic to my American friends a few years ago. Like all staples in the Italian refrigerator, Pesto is one of them. It is especially available in the summer when basil grows like weeds.

My grandmother made this with a mortar and pestle. I did as well once or twice. The best way to make Pesto is with a food processor.
You will need:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves packed tightly
1/3 cup of pignoli (pine nuts)
1 large clove of garlic peeled
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ cup EVOO
1/3 cup of Grated Parmesan

Put the basil, the nuts, the garlic and the salt into the food processor bowl. Let the single blade chop these ingredients for two pulses. Add the oil and blend it. Remove the mixture from the bowl and put it in a mixing bowl, fold in the cheese.
Cook the pasta in salted water. Remove and set aside ½ cup of pasta cooking water before you drain the cooked pasta. Note, always time your pasta. Check the package directions and minus 1 minute. Set your timer and check you pasta constantly after the timer is sounded, until the pasta is done to perfection. Perfect pasta is supposed to be cooked al dente and that is a matter of opinion. When the pasta is done to your satisfaction, drain it, toss it with the pesto and use that cooking water to thin out the suace if it is too thick and rich.
Serve with warm bread, a ceasar salad and a fruity Italian Wine such as Chianti or Valpolicella Classico. Valpolicella is a light quaffing wine, generally fermented in steel, kept in tanks, and then bottled in the spring, to be drunk on a daily basis. It tends to have a lively bouquet with floral notes and hints of cherry or berry fruits - this is definitely an aromatic wine. On the palate it is light, fruity, and with a pleasant touch of acidity that leaves a clean finish. Not much in the way of tannins. Should be served with first courses -- pasta with meat-based sauces and soups, or vegetable-based entrees. I love this wine, you should try one.

Rogue Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:45:00 -0800

I never intended to post a cookie recipe. Making cookies and pastries, cakes and pies have never held a fascination for me. However, when you read this blog entry you will understand why I wrote, tested and will publish a cookie recipe.

This very funny note was sent to me by one of my readers and I want to share it with you.
He called it Rogue recipes! Here is his story.

Our family went on a bit of a cookie binge last weekend, starting with several rounds of oatmeal raisins that my mother baked. I was set to have dinner with my friend Albert on Sunday night, so I decided to finish the weekend with chocolate chips, which are his favorite.

Cookies are hardly brain surgery. But as my mother always puts it, baking is an “exact science,” so I always rely on recipes when the time comes for pastries. For the chocolate chip recipe, I turned to Irma Rombauer’s old reliable Joy of Cooking, the Encyclopedia Americana of culinary craft. My mother received it at her bridal shower in 1987; its pages are wavy from steam and spotted with over twenty years of sauces; it has, as far as I can remember, never misled us. And chocolate chip cookies are hard to mess up, no matter who’s making them.

The recipe from the 1986 printing calls for half a cup of butter (a whole stick). To put this in perspective, the amount of flour required is one cup plus two tablespoons. Not having my mother’s culinary savvy or intimacy with ingredients, I followed it without a trace of skepticism. I might have listened to my mother. She stepped in just once as I was starting, to comment that the proportion of butter to other ingredients seemed high. But who was she to argue with Irma Rombauer? I took another stick of butter out of the refrigerator and pointed at the measurement markings on the wrapper — we were going to the dictionary on this one. She put on her reading glasses and laughed, saying that she had mistaken half a stick for half a cup when following the oatmeal raisin recipe. Another of her kitchen “accidents.” She makes a lot of them, yet her meals are always more delicious than any recipe promises. I’ve often wondered if “instincts” might be a better label for them. I might have considered this, of course. I might have put my stubbornness aside long enough, even, to remember that her cookies had come out perfectly sweet and fluffy.

So I sent her away and went on mixing the batter, which became more delicious with every step. Cookie batter is, as far as I’m concerned, in the same class of sublime pleasures as massages and Caribbean beaches — if it weren’t for the raw eggs, I might never bother with the oven. I didn’t doubt Irma Rombauer one bit, that is, until I started rolling the batter into balls. It was unusually sticky — mushy, even. Even as I coated the little spheres with flour, they refused to hold their shape, which is always a bad sign for something that’s on its way into the oven. But I checked myself, told myself I was being fussy, told myself I was letting my mother get to me, again. I arranged them carefully and dotingly on the sheet, the way I used to write cursive in elementary school — respecting the margins, leaving plenty of space between each word/cookie — checked the oven temperature, slid them in, and set a timer for five minutes. The recipe says ten, but I am a neurotic baker (you should have seen me when I took on crème brûlée, poking my head in front of the oven every two minutes, like a prairie dog).

I checked after three minutes. No cause for alarm — the batter was glistening, spreading out a little more quickly than I expected, leaving the chocolate chips in the center, but, eh, whatever. I left them alone and shuffled about the kitchen some more, starting the cleanup, making sure the cooling rack was set. The timer went off; I checked again. Now they were utterly slick with butter and dipping ominously low. Two had run together — so much for my careful arrangement. I narrowed my eyes and looked for even just a hint of golden brown on the bottom that would justify taking them out prematurely, but they showed none, and I decided to be patient. Still, though, I didn’t take my eyes off them. After another two minutes, golden brown appeared. I put on my oven mitt, and all at once a series of tiny bubbles broke out over their surfaces. Here I lost my patience and practically yanked the sheet out in my haste. Their color was all right, but they were dismally flat — certainly not the perky little hills of oatmeal raisin that my mother had produced. I set a timer to let them cool and solidify for a couple of minutes, before I’d transfer them to the rack, and left the kitchen.

When I came back, what I saw on the sheet looked less like cookies than like volcanic rock. They had dried to an ugly dark brown, scarred by bubbles and bumpy with ripples all the way to their edges — I was reminded of what Hawaiian lava looks like when it dries. Disgusted, I grabbed a plastic spatula, scraped them off the sheet, and laid them on the rack. Fortunately, my mother had gone out — hers was the last commentary I needed to hear just then.

As I scooped them onto a plate to take to Albert’s apartment, I ate one. To say I chewed it wouldn’t be quite right — it was more of a gnawing, smacking motion, the kind you perform when you have to dislodge a Milk Dud from your molars. As a consolation prize, the flavor was just fine.

Fortunately, Albert’s oven-roasted turkey came out beautifully, but we agreed with a sardonic laugh that the cookies should be sent back to hell. Perhaps because they were tasty, or perhaps out of pity, Albert kept the rest of the batch we didn’t eat. When I see him tonight, I will ask him frankly which was the real reason.

I was really bummed by my butter snafu, but butter is one of those things, like a puppy, that one simply can’t stay mad at. I saw Julie & Julia earlier this year, and one of the parts I found really charming and dead-on true was the “Is there anything better than butter?” monologue. I mean, who didn’t identify with that? What I should have remembered as I baked those cookies was that brief but delightful scene with Frances Sternhagen as Irma Rombauer, cautioning Julia Child about the treacherous territory of cookbook publishing. One of the things she mentioned was that, under pressure to produce such an encyclopedic cookbook, she didn’t bother to test every recipe.

Best Pork Chops Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:56:00 -0800

As you know I have been writing about pork chops lately. Well, rather than keep writing, I decided to cook. I went out to buy chops. As is always my way, I bought what was on sale. I purchased ¾” chops with a bone in. These pieces were too thin to stuff. I love stuffed pork chops and promise to make some soon. Instead I decided to lightly bread the chops, brown them and bake them. This recipe is now entitled the Best Pork Chops Ever.

Start by placing the chops in cold water and salt. Make a 10% brine solution. Refrigerate for 6 hours.

Set out two plates and shallow bowl and set up a standard breading line, flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, in that order. Bread the chops and place them on wax paper.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with EVOO and brown the chops for 3 minutes on each side. Place the browned chops in a roasting of refrigerate and bake later.

In the roasting pan add ¾ of cup of Chablis and ¾ of a cup of water. Sprinkle the chops with dried basil. You may want to cut up potatoes and place the pieces in the roasting pan with the chops. This is an easy way to get your vegetable cooked at the same time. Sprinkle the potato pieces with salt, pepper and dried basil. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Be prepared for the best pork chop ever. We paired the Best Pork Chop Ever with a Malbec from Argentina, Mendoza, the best known wine producing region of Argentina.

Argentina is making some interesting wines at the moment. Its main marketing push has been Malbec, a grape whose home is the southwest of France, where it’s the main grape in Cahors and a bit-part player in many Bordeaux blends. Malbec doesn’t have the black currant fruitiness of Cabernet; rather it is a bit darker, and a little more savoury, with spice and earth undertones. It has less of a tendency to go to lushness when grown in warm climates, which is probably a good thing.

Mendoza is the dominant wine region. Perched on the side of the Andes, this is a region that receives very little rainfall, and were it not for the ready supply of Andes melt water, viticulture wouldn’t be possible here. Another important factor is altitude: the vineyards here are high up, and with the highest vineyards in the region the extra UV light that the grapes receives causes the grapes to develop thicker skins, with more tannins (and softer tannins, too), as well as more colour. The cooling effect of altitude means that the grapes preserve acidity even when they are allowed to hang for quite a while before harvest.
I bought this wine, Moncagua at Bevmo! However, if you fall in love with Malbec, like I have you will want to start shopping for wines online. Case prices and variety rule on line and there are some amazing values for the Internet shopper. Check out my favorite online wine shop. Click here!

Shop our selection of wines that made Wine & Spirits Top 100 wines of 2009.

Enjoy!

Turkey a la Marietta

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Mon, 2 Nov 2009 09:14:00 -0800

Turkey Thighs

With Thanksgiving almost here, the grocery stores will have turkeys and turkey parts for sale from now until the year’s end. Turkey thighs are one of the tastiest parts of the bird. This recipe for turkey thighs comes from a request made by one of my readers. This recipe can serve two to three people, depending on the size of the thigh pieces.

The preparation for this recipe requires that you plan on marinating the thighs. I suggest that you place the pieces in the marinade before you leave the house for the day. When you return to prepare dinner, remove the thighs from the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking them. There is no more preparation on the thighs, you will need about 15 minutes to peel and chop the potatoes.

While they are roasting in the oven, prepare your salad. Serve this meal with a medium to full bodied red wine.
Thirty minutes before the thighs are done, uncork your red wine. Let it breath. This will allow the flavor of the wine to even out and improve.

Turkey is a flavorful meat and can stand up to most medium to full bodied red wines. I turn to www.wine.com for great choices under $20 per bottle. I have two different wines I can recommend to you for this meal. You can probably find these wines at BevMo. If you fall in love with either, the case price at www.wine.com will be the best price available. Both these wines were awarded at least 90 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 is my first choice. From the Alexander Valley region of California, this full bodied red is fruit forward, lively style and is ready to drink now. Selling for under $15 per bottle, this is a wine you should buy by the case.

For those of you who want green wines and a little less intensity I recommend Bonterra organically grown Syrah 2006 Vintage. Taken from the wine maker’s notes; maintained through an organic growing process, Syrah vineyards are entering their prime, reflected in the wine’s brilliant color and intense aromas. Bonterra Syrah blends a touch of Rhone varietals like Grenache, Mouvedre and Viognier for a powerful floral note. Concentrated berry flavors come to the fore with notes of vanilla and toasty oak spice from aging in French oak. This wine is also selling on www.wine.com for under $15 per bottle and as we head into the season of turkey dishes, you may want a case of this wine as well. This wine can convert a non red wine person to a red wine drinker. Smooth, earthy and fruity this Syrah earned 90 points from Wine Enthusiast Maga

Ingredients

• 2 turkey thighs, about 2 ½ lbs total
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 bunch of sage, chopped (2/3 oz leave
• 1 potato per person, peeled and chopped into large pieces
• Salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of white wine vinegar
• Sprinkle of olive oil
• Broth if needed while cooking

Method
• Cut deep slits into turkey thighs and rub sage and garlic mixture into cuts and onto surface. Marinate in refrigerator for 5 or 6 hours. Remove thighs from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put thighs skin side down in roasting pan. Put pan, uncovered, into oven for about 30 minutes. Then turn thighs over, add potatoes, sprinkle all with salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and broth and continue roasting until thighs are done and potatoes are tender, adding broth if needed, about 30 more minutes. Stir the potatoes once or twice during roasting. Remove from oven, let thighs and potatoes sit covered and untouched for about 20 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops For Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Sun, 1 Nov 2009 11:13:00 -0800

Frequently the best buys in the grocery are in something called a MAX PACK. What that means is you buy a larger quantity and the price per pound is reduced. Most often the MAX PACK is a special price offered on protein choices. I love this because it allows the "Marie Callendar" in me to come out. I create my own frozen entree by preparing the entire MAX PACK which is enough for tonight and I the extra I freeze already prepared servings for another night, knowing full well that my main course will be delicious and welcomed in the future. Also great fro entertaining at home. When you invite friends over for a dinner party a MAX PACK can be your best option for amazing meals at amazing prices. I like to pair this main dish with a salad, roasted potatoes made with caramelized onions and diced sweet red peppers and green beans.

Today it is Pork Chops with Apricots and Prosciutto. I love this recipe because I love using dried fruits with meat. If you have a chance to visit the Farmers Market in the fall you will find that dried fruits are plentiful, fresh, organic and delicious. Plus adding fruit helps you focus on your wine selection.

For this recipe I recommend any medium bodied red wine. My first choice is Bordeaux. If you are not familiar with Bordeaux now is your chance to discover some great wines made from Old World Traditions. These red wines offer intense flavor for a modest price and they are impressively food friendly, too. For Pork Chops with Apricots and Prosciutto try 2003 Chateau Bel-Air Lussac St.Emilion. This wine can be found in most wine shops including BevMo for the low price of $18 per bottle. On a wine list in a restaurant expect to pay in excess of $60 for this bottle.

You will need 15 minutes to prepare, cooking time is 25-30 minutes and this recipes serves six.

6 pork loin shops, cut 1” thick with the bone in
½ teaspoon of salt (use Kosher)
¼ teaspoon of black pepper (rough grind)
6 slices of prosciutto or deli baked ham
6 dried apricots
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup of a dry white wine
½ cup of water

Trim the excess fat from the chops. Using a sharp knife, slit a pocket into the meaty part of the chop, cutting towards the bone. Season chops with salt and pepper. Stuff each chop with a slice of ham and an apricot.
In a large skill heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chops and cook them on each side for 3-5 minutes so that they are lightly browned. Add the wine and the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan, cook for 25 minutes or until the chops are white throughout.

Wine Tasting and Food Sampling Event in the South Bay, Redondo Beach | Crowne Plaza and SBE Present:

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:03:00 -0700

Wine Tasting and Food Sampling Event in the South Bay, Redondo Beach | Crowne Plaza and SBE Present:

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French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Mise en Scene) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:27:00 -0700

This recipe came from www.chow.com. I made this for dinner Sunday night. Yummy and satisfying this tasty treat is not just for breakfast anymore. Besides, who has time to cook in the morning? Invite on that certain someone you want to relax with and impress and go to town with French Toast for dinner. Maybe have some bubbly wine while you are cooking. Get in a French mood.

Pair this delightful, tasty meal with hot chocolate laced with any coffee or butterscotch liquor for something different. Don't forget the whipped cream on top.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 45 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Grated zest from 1 medium orange
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 to 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices country bread, challah, or brioche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Roasted Pineapple with Rum
Vanilla ice cream or coconut sorbet (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 200°F. Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla seeds (or extract), cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large, shallow dish. Dip bread slices in egg mixture, coating each side and letting the excess drip off.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add butter. When butter foams, place a single layer of soaked bread slices in the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes; flip to brown the other side, about 3 minutes more. Place the cooked French toast on an ovenproof plate or baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you finish cooking the rest.
To serve, place two or three slices of French toast and several slices of roasted pineapple on each plate. (Reserve extra pineapple for another use.) Spoon spiced pineapple juices over top and, depending on your mood, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or coconut sorbet.