Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Guilty as Charged

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Are you a Foodie?

 

Watch Shit Foodies Say for help deciding:

 

If I’m guilty of saying nearly everything in that video… am I a Foodie?

Just please tell me I’m not intolerable… 🙂

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Speaking of foodies… we had an Atlanta Blogger Potluck on Saturday night.

It was awesome to get to try the food from the people whose posts make my stomach growl.

Photo Courtesy Lee @ inmytummy.com

 

In attendance: Emily (former blogger), Tina, Stacy, Carol, Traci, Laura (another former blogger), Alayna, and me.

 

Lee was the photog… and was also nice enough to offer up her house to us, which was fantastic because we could all sit around a coffee table and talk.  It’s hard to have a group conversation in noisy restaurants at long tables!

 

 

The food was delicious, as you might imagine.

 

At our table:

  • Sweet Potato Tot Casserole from Stacy (Mama Pea recipe!)
  • Greek salad from Tina
  • Japanese Sweet Potato Casserole from Alanya (which is going to be in her cookbook!)
  • Broccoli Salad from Carol
  • Spinach Balls from Laura
  • Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Lee
  • Olive tapenade on toasts from Traci *I think*
  • Brie and apples on water crackers from Emily *I think*
  • My Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  • My Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
  • Nutella Sandwich Cookies from Laura *I think*
  • Carrot cake from Alanya

 

My plate didn’t have an inch of room to spare…

 

 

And you better believe I cleaned my dessert plate too!

 

 

We sat around talking and eating for 4 hours!  Topic ranged from running to general gossip to horror stories.  Seriously – do NOT ever see the Human Centipede.

As you might imagine, it was all amazing and I left Lee’s house smiling and stuffed.

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Now that the gluttony portion of this post is complete… it’s time for the workout recap.

The Dr. said to take 2 weeks off of running and focus on correcting the balance or strength between my hamstrings and quads, so I’ve been good.  Today’s 70 degree Southern California-esque weather made me miss running a lot, but I did get out for a good walk.  And a treat.

 

 

Workout Recap (1/30 – 2/5)

***

Three exciting things to cover:

  1. Thanks to all for the “Buzz.”  I made the FoodBuzz twice this weekend!!!  Check it out here and here. 
  2. I actually wrote a weekend post in honor of the #ChocolateLove Bloghop.  Check out my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies here and link up your favorite chocolate recipe.
  3. Stay tuned for an AWESOME giveaway tomorrow!!!


What did you think of the Super Bowl?  (By Super Bowl I mean Madonna’s rockin’ performance.)

 

If you could have a dream-blogger potluck, who are a couple of bloggers you would invite?

 

Super Foods + Miso Carrot Soup

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Super Bowl, that is.

 

Do you know what you’re bringing to the par-tay on Sunday?  Dips and finger foods are king on game day, many of which are not exactly health foods.  Even if the party isn’t at your house, you can be sure to have a non-fried item or two to munch on if you contribute a clean item or two.

 

Here are a few game day-worthy ideas:

Chipotle Corn Hummus

 

Indian-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas (They’re like bar nuts!)

 

Baked Rutabaga Fries with Cheesy Vegan Non-Cheese Sauce (This works well with sweet potatoes and parsnips too!)

 

Roasted Red Pepper & Asparagus Mini Quiches

 

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Black Bean Burgers

 

Annnnnd… a dessert.  Not so healthy as yesterday’s Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, but OMG they are GOOD…

S’Mores Brownies

 

I should admit that I’m only in this thing for the snacks and the commercials.  If you’re like me (or not) these snacks won’t disappoint!

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Now that the football talk is out of the way, it’s time for some more orange food.  Seriously – 90% of everything I’ve eaten this week is orange – Sweet Potato Pie Smoothies, Sweet Potato Fry Nachos, Pumpkin Protein Bars, this soup…

 

 

It may be a little early for carrot soup.  The orange would be perfect for Easter!  After making it, I couldn’t wait 2 months to share it.

 

Rich miso with lots of ginger and cumin make this soup something special.  I loved the bold flavors against the sweetness from the carrot.  Add a bit of cinnamon to give it a little more depth and highlight the cumin.

 

 

This will be making another appearance for the Easter Bunny.

Like many great recipes, this one is based on a soup by Smitten Kitchen.

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Miso Carrot Soup

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 T finely chopped ginger
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 2 T white miso paste
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Optional garnish: cilantro, freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes, squeeze of lime juice


Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until onion is beginning to turn translucent (~5 mins). Add carrots and continue to sauté until carrot softens a bit (to a “steamed” softness).  Stir in broth. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender when pierced (~30 mins).

Remove fro heat and puree soup with an immersion blender (or in rounds using a regular blender). In a small bowl, whisk together the miso 1/3 C of the soup.  Stir the mixture back into soup.  Taste the soup and season with cumin and cinnamon.

Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.  I loved mine with cilantro, freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Makes 4 sides or 2 mains.

***

I’m really excited for a certain non-football event this weekend – Lee is hosting an Atlanta bloggers potluck!

What is your favorite food to bring to a party?

What are you doing other than Super Bowl-watching this weekend?

 

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

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You know you need one more cookie recipe.

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut CookiesOk, maybe 2.

I made about 100 cake balls as dessert for last Saturday’s holiday party.  If you recall, about a month ago I created 2 varieties:

For the party, I made both again.  Variety IS the spice of life.

Upon polling the crowd, I confirmed my theory that the one you like best depends on whether you prefer dark or white chocolate.  I like dark.

Since it was my first catering job, I was extra-paranoid about running out of food… so I baked cookies too!

I thought Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies were the best thing ever… but Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies may have ousted it.  *Gasp*

These are a shortbread cookie – thick and buttery.  I love the texture of shortbread (hence these rosemary-lemon and olive-basil cookies), yet I rarely make them without a savory component.

I’m so glad I tried it – the hazelnut with the brown sugar-y Biscoff spread was like buttah in my mouth (in a good way… I realize a mouth full of better isn’t for everyone Paula Deen).

Cookie #2 was my mom’s favorite: Coconut Macaroon Cookies.

With just 4 ingredients, these are the easiest things you’ll ever make.

If you love coconut, make these ASAP.  Recipe found here at Pearl and Pine (Sarah’s photography rocks, btw).

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 18-20 mins

Keywords: bake dessert biscoff hazelnuts cookie

Ingredients (24 cookies)

  • 2 C flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C salted butter, room temp
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 1/3 C firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C Biscoff spread
  • 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
  • Fleur de sal (for topping)

Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.

Cream together butter and sugars with mixer until well-blended and whipped. Add vanilla extract and egg, mixing to combine. Combine Biscoff spread with into egg mixture, again mixing until well incorporated.

Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined – careful not to over-mix. Fold in hazelnut bits.

Roll dough into a log about 3 in thick. Place the log on the edge of wax or parchment and roll it up in paper. Chill at least 2 hours in fridge until firm enough to slice. (You can also freeze until you need them.)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice log into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking trays (leave room for them to spread just a bit). Lightly sprinkle fleur de sal salt onto each round.

Bake 18-20 mins. Cookies are done with they turn a light golden-brown color. Allow cookies to cool completely before moving.

Note: You can sub any nut butter for the Biscoff (but if you haven’t tried Biscoff spread yet you are missing out!).

Powered by Recipage

***

 Happy Holidays, Everyone!  

I hope you all have a fun, happy weekend full of deliciousness.

Christmas Pesto

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Christmas shopping should be an olympic sport.

 

Really.  You must prepare in the following ways:

  • Condition – I spend all year training 😉
  • Psychological – I stockpiled all my patience that day
  • Endurance – I’d already been to kickboxing (though I decided to leave the gloves in the car)

 

I walked into the mall on a mission.  I left victorious.  Sorry mom – not revealing any secrets!

What I can share is the stuff I bought myself.  Anthropologie was having a sale… I couldn’t help it!

 

A duvet cover for just $50 (it was $228!)

 

A bowl for $1 (was $6)

 

Bad-ass necklace (not on sale... but did I mention it's bad ass?!)

Guilt of self-shopping must have taken over because I have already wrapped the presents.  This is usually a Christmas Eve activity, as I hate wrapping and procrastinate.

That's a wrap

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The next party-food chapter is: A Tale of Two Pestos

 

One bit different, one more traditional.  A little country  and a little rock and roll , if you will.

 

The second meat dish I served was a chicken pinwheel.  One filled with green pesto and one filled with red.  Festive, right?

I never cook meat at home.  Truth be told, it grosses me out to touching it.  So you can imagine the sight of me trimming and tenderizing $50 worth of raw chicken was comical.  I had chicken spread out on every available surface (on paper, of course).

Needless to say, I sanitized every inch of my kitchen after this. 

 

After pounding them all, I spread each breast with one of the pestos and shredded mozzarella.

You’ve actually seen the green pesto before – it’s this Basil-Walnut Pesto I posted about last week.

 

 

Sneaky me made these in advance and then froze them.  Pesto is convenient like that – you can put it in a container and freeze it forever.  It’s a great way to use up excess herbs.

Tip: If you freeze it in ice cube trays, you’ll have individual servings you can easily pop out and heat.  If you freeze it in a baggie, you can thaw a batch quickly by placing the bag in hot water.

 

The red pesto was my favorite with the chicken.  It’s base is sun-dried tomatoes, resulting in a stronger flavor that I loved in the two-bite sized pinwheels.

 

 

It was also a thicker pesto, which I love.  This is one you can make a spread on a sandwich like hummus.  The sun-dried tang with the nuttiness of the parm and walnuts, combined with the richness from the balsamic was a great blend.  Don’t be shy with that balsamic if you’re using the good stuff!

Now that I think of it, this would be amazing blended into hummus!

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Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  • 2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used dried, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes.  Be sure to reserve the “flavored” post-soak water)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 C yellow onion
  • 1/4 C grated parmesan
  • 1/4 C walnuts, toasted
  • 1 T Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • S+P, to taste

 

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor begin to blend adding oil slowly.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.  Consistency will be paste-like (you may need to add water or more olive oil).  

Store refrigerated for up to one week or much longer in the freezer.

Makes ~2 cups.

 

 

Pesto Pinwheels

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Pound out chicken breasts until about 1/2 in thick.  Spread pesto evenly over one side of breast.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Roll into logs and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.  Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins.

Allow to cool a bit before unwrapping.  Remove foil and slice into rounds to make pinwheels (don’t worry – the foil wrap will have caused them keep their shape).

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

***

It’s hard to believe Christmas is this weekend… tomorrow look forward to the best cookies of the season (as if we all need more cookies).

Are you done with your holiday shopping?

Is anyone else craving matzoh ball soup?!  Happy Hanukkah!

 

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

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Stuffing has never excited me.

Who knows what possessed me to decide to make it for last Saturday’s catering event!  Never say never – this stuffing was by far the crowd’s (and my own) favorite at the party.

At the height of the party, I couldn’t replenish these plates fast enough!

Sweet and savory always wins.  Apple with the chicken sausage and fresh herbs was the perfect combination.  The balance of flavors was impeccable.  The ciabatta bread gave the dish a rich chewiness, and the occasional walnut crunch was a pleasant surprise.  Next time I’d probably add even more walnuts!

As I was making this on Friday night I could barely keep myself from eating the whole pot!  A little “tester” bowl won’t hurt…

This made a TON of stuffing.  As in, I stuffed 210 fillo shells.

Halve the recipe for a smaller group.

Kroger is now OUT of fillo!

I’d love to make it again for a holiday sit-down meal to be served as a side dish!

Recipe at the end.

I haven’t forgotten Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday!

As this is getting lengthy (and this stuffing is 100x better than anything I ate today), my day of eats are lumped in collage form.

Don’t forget to hop over to Peas & Crayons to see what everyone else has been indulging in this week!

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

  • 3 C bread cubes (I used 2-day old ciabatta bread)
  • 6 T salted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 C celery
  • 1 C parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 T + 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 C roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 apples, chopped (I used red delicious)
  • 1/2 C fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 6 links chicken apple sausage
  • Fillo shells (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Prepare sausage by sautéing in a skillet until outside becomes browned and temp reached 145 degrees.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from the bread and cut  into small cubes.

On stovetop, melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat.  Add the celery, onion, parsley, herbs de provence, nutmeg, and pepper.  Sauté until tender.

Add in black pepper, chestnuts, walnuts, garlic, apple and 1/4 C of the sage.  Sauté until tender.

Stir in vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer for 2-3 mins for flavors to combine.

Gently fold in bread cubes.  Add these in gradually, adjusting amount depending on the dryness of your bread. You can always add more cubes or broth if it’s too watery or dry.

Finally, fold in your sausage bits and the remaining sage.

If using fillo shells:

Allow mixture to cool before spooning 1-2 T of the stuffing into each shell.

Stuff the shells directly in the containers.  You can re-cover and box them for storage in the freezer.  (These are great to have on hand for impromptu parties, or as a make-ahead option!)

Pre-heat oven to 325.  Place stuffed fillos on baking sheet, sprinkle each with a bit of parm, and back from 15 mins.  Serve warm.

***

 If you haven’t solidified your holiday meal plans yet, consider making this stuffing.  Trust me.  My only regret is that I didn’t get better pics!

Do you like stuffing?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Pumpkin-Pom Endive Boats + Rosemary Bean Dip

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Moral support is key to any new adventure.

Me, Mallory, and Mom

Lucky me – I had my mom and my best friend with me for my venture into the land of food service.

Mom actually walked in 5 mins before the party began with a dish to bake the Jacked Up Brie.  The problem with starting out in catering (and being a minimalist when it comes to server-ware) is a lack of resources.

The second set of “appetizer-like” munchies was a white bean dip and endive boats.

No party is complete without a veggie tray and dips!  The dip I made was a rosemary-laced chickpea dip that used rosemary-infused olive oil and Greek yogurt.

The best part about white bean dip is its simplicity – throw everything in the food processor and hit “start.”  Lemon and garlic are must-haves in virtually any bean dip I make.  They keep the Mediterranean spirit of the hummus and were perfect with the rosemary.  You could use any olive oil here, but I liked the added punch of flavor achieved by using the rosemary-infused.

Next up were the endive boats.  Theses were voted the second favorite food item of the night!  It’s funny how the simplest things can be so good!  Endive is a sturdy leaf perfect for creating bite-sized salads.  (This dish was originally going to be a giant salad with arugula, but the hostess didn’t like the idea of a non-finger food.)

Into the boats went pumpkin bits (from a Sugar Pie Pumpkin I’d roasted and diced a few days in advance),  pomegranate arils (I found whole pomegranates on sale for $2 each!), and goat cheese.  After plating the boats, I drizzled them with a champagne-pomegranate vinaigrette.  It was amazing how much of a difference the dressing made – it was just the right amount of tang to bring the flavors together.

I’ll be making these boats again for get-togethers at my house.  With the lettuce base, the possibilities for filling are endless.  These would make a great vessel for chickpea salads, tabbouleh, or even a deconstructed guacamole!

Rosemary Bean Dip

  • 2 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/3 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 T olive oil (I used rosemary-infused)
  • 3-4 T rosemary
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • S & P, to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides and adding more liquid as necessary.  Don’t be afraid to let the processor run for several minutes – it will only make the dip more smooth and delicious!

Makes 2.5 cups.

Pumpkin-Pomegranate Endive Boats

  • Endive leaves
  • Crumbled goat cheese
  • Pumpkin, roasted and diced into even squares
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Champagne-Pomegranate Vinaigrette (see below)

Trim endives, separating leaves.  Fill with goat cheese, pumpkin, and pomegranate arils.  Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Notes:

– I didn’t include amounts since there wasn’t any real measuring going on, but 6-7 good-sized whole endives will make boats for at least 15.

– You could use any vinaigrette here, but I would recommend using one that is light in color if the boats will be on display for a while.  A deeper color will stain the endive and make it less visually appealing.

Champagne-Pomegranate Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 C champagne pomegranate vinegar (found at Whole Foods)
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 T sugar
  • S & P, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

***

Tomorrow is going to be the “greatest hit” food item.  I’m a little in love with them.

What would your ideal endive boat be filled with?

Do you have the rest of the year off of work?  I’m counting down the days ’til Friday.

Catering Survival + 2 Holiday Cheese Dishes

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Recipe Googling isn’t necessarily sophisticated inspired.

Google’s Zeitgeist (a yearly report of the most searched items), inspired Bon Appetit to research the most-Googled recipes in the US for 2011.  According to their article, Americans are pretty dull in the kitchen.

  1. Chicken
  2. Meatloaf
  3. Banana Bread
  4. Chili
  5. Pancake
  6. Lasagna
  7. Pork Chop
  8. Guacamole
  9. Cupcakes
  10. Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ll give you the cupcakes because they are awesome, but meatloaf?!  Gross.

How is pizza not on the list?  It appears people prefer to have theirs made for them.  In the most searched restaurants category the top 3 restaurant searches were: Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John’s.  In that order.

Maybe the next party I cater will be a pizza theme… People need to know there are better options than Pizza Hut!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the well-wishes for my first catering job.  I am proud to announce that I survived the party!

There will be more to come on the whole experience.  Today I’m still recovering and swamped at work, so this is a short one to report that everything went swimmingly despite me waking up at 5am multiple days in a row having mild panic attacks.

What I didn’t expect was how gratifying it would be to watch people enjoy food I made.  Listening to their comments/conversations about each dish was so much fun!  Thank god they were positive comments.

Over the next week or so I’ll be sharing recipes from the event.  Today I’ll start at the beginning – the cheeses!

Often the most-eaten items at a party, I planned 2 different cheese dishes.

The first was inspired by my friend Jenn @ Peas & Crayons.  She made this Pumpkin Basil Cheesecake Spread a couple of months ago and I’ve made it 3 times since she posted the recipe!  For this party, I made a Pumpkin Rosemary-Basil version of this spread.

My modifications:

  • Add 1T of fresh rosemary 
  • Increased the basil to 10 huge leaves
  • Used 1/2 tsp of palm sugar
  • Didn’t make the Ritz crust

Like every other time I’ve made it, this spread was a hit.  It’s a great, savory cheesecake–like spread that is wonderful with some salty crackers.  The addition of rosemary was a good one – I may try it again with just rosemary and sage!

The second was a simple sugar-nut-whiskey baked brie.  Yes, its old school.  Be honest though – who doesn’t love warm, gooey, decadent brie?

What I love about the whiskey is the melted caramel-like texture (think ice cream topping caramel) is takes on when heated with the brown sugar.  No need to use fancier spirits here (not that there’s anything wrong with Jack) – the sugar takes the edge of the alcohol taste and leaves you with the underlying sweet-smokiness.

Recipe after the Monday fitness re-cap.  Much-needed fitness after that brie. 😉

Google’s Zeitgeist also looked at how people worked on their fitness.  The most popular workout search was the Thor Workout and the top diet was the Dukan Diet.  I must be out of touch – I don’t know what either of those are!

My hectic week forced me to take 2 “rest” days… but I have absolutely no regrets about it!  Here’s what my week looked like:

Workout Recap (12/12 – 12/18)

  • Monday – This BodyRock, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – This BodyRock (again), Kickboxing, Legs
  • Wednesday – 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – Bis/Back with 1.5 miles in intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – Kickboxing, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – Elliptical intervals (60 mins), Shoulders, 6 min planks

Jacked Up Brie

  • 1 round (14 oz) brie
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 C pecans, chopped
  • 1 T (heaping) Jack Daniels (or other whiskey)

Combine sugar, nuts, and whiskey in a small bowl.  Cover and place in fridge, allowing flavors to combine overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place brie in an oven-proof dish and bake 7-8 mins, until softened.  Remove from oven and pour topping over the brie.  Return to oven for 3-4 mins.

Serve with bread, crackers, and apples.

***

After being so focused on this party, it felt weird to be sitting on the couch without any food prepping to do last night!

What is your favorite cheese or cheese dish?

What has been the best food/dish you’ve had at a holiday party this season?

Holiday Wine-ing

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As we approach the holiday season, planning becomes more important.

We all get insanely busy and it’s necessary – for me at least – to have a play book.

My calendars are coordinated (work and personal), “to make” items are noted, grocery lists are written (in excel, if you’re a dork like me).  Lastly, drink pairings are solidified.

Drink pairings are important.  In order to get a good deal you need to shop NOW.   Wine “specials” wane (at least on the stuff you’d actually want to drink) as Christmas nears and the price of champagne/sparkling wine increases just in time for New Year’s Eve.

What should you buy now?

  • Beaujolais – This wine has been overlooked for years.  The French red is not overly complex; it’s a fruit-forward, drinkable wine is what I think is nice about it for parties.  2009 was a great year for Beaujolais-Villages, and you should be able to pick up a satisfying bottle for under $15.  You can even find a Cru (Cru is a designation meaning it came from one of the 10 best Beaujolais-Villages) for less than $20.  Plus, it sounds fancy when you say it.
  • Champagne/Sparkling Wine – The wine that was made for celebrations!  Significant discounts will end about 2 weeks before Christmas.  Plan ahead for NYE and pick up a few bottles of bubbly this weekend.
  • Wines from up-and-coming regions – You know how you can get clothes or art for great prices if you catch the creator before they really hit it big?  It’s no different with wines – you can find some wonderful bottles on the cheap if you branch outside of the norm.

A Few Specific Suggestions:

Beaujolais

As I said above, 2009 was a great year for Beaujolais.  The 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon is a great choice for a holiday meal.  it is light in structure, with lots of red fruit and a slight earthiness.  You can drink it with your pre-dinner charcuterie, a roast chicken or pork dinner, and a chocolate tart.

Also good is the  2009 George Debouf Beaujolais-Villages.  I picked up a bottle for just $10!  This wine is a well-balanced red with subtle berry notes (think currents and raspberries) and little herbiness that is perfect with a variety of foods or on its own.

Interesting side note: It is against French law for Beaujolais producers to release the wine before midnight on the 3rd Thursday of November.  No one remembers why.

Champagne/Sparkling

My latest affordable find is a 2009 Argentinean Sparkling Malbec from Ernesto Catena’s Alma Negra(translation = black soul) line.  It’s a beautiful salmon color with notes of rose petal and strawberry.  Not too sweet, the finish is smooth and elegant.  The price for this bottle is about $16… not as cheap as Cooks, but your head won’t be pounding in the morning. 😉

Side note: Catena also makes one of my favorite, affordable Malbecs.

Up-and-Coming

This recent article picked up by Reuters lists the Top 10 Up-and-Coming Wine Regions.  I remembered reading this article when I picked up this bottle from Portugal:

Portugal has long been known for sweeter whites, but it’s the dry reds that are gaining notoriety.  This 2005 Alentejo Roquevale Redondo is one of the regions successes.  Smooth in the mouth without compromising structure.  It’s a figgy, a little dark, and perfect for red meats or game.  It is a blend largely comprised of Tempranillo (Aragonez in Portuguese) and it was a steal at $12.

If nothing else, remember this helpful piece of advice:

Or you could always buy some of wine in a can.

***

Christmas came early – I made the FoodBuzz Top 9 with my Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal!!!   Thank you everyone and welcome new readers!

What is your favorite wine to serve/bring to parties?

Do you ever buy bottles because they are “pretty?”  No shame – we’re ALL guilty.

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Balboa Park, just before the rain
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