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Turkey Stuffing Recipe with Potatoes and Chardonnay

For Thanksgiving many people I know really enjoy turkey stuffing. For me there just never seems to be enough stuffing. The recipe below may be the answer to those who love potatoes, mushrooms and stuffing, plus it uses two cups of Chardonnay!

The information provided at the beginning of the recipe has valuable details. Be sure to read it before starting to make the stuffing.

Enjoy this recipe from Idaho® Potatoes.

Cheers!
Kathy

Stuffing with Idaho® Potatoes And Wild Mushroom And Country Pate

This is a hearty style stuffing that will give turkey or other fowl great flavor if cooked inside and is also tasty if cooked in a separate casserole with a little extra butter dabbed on top. This recipe uses our pheasant and duck liver pate, but any good quality pate from the store will compliment the stuffing. We always use lots of sage in our stuffing recipes. Depending on your personal taste you might want to hold a little sage to the side until you can taste the finished product and then make your final seasoning decision (I might add a little more). This recipe along with our other Thanksgiving recipes is more than enough for ten hungry family and friends with plenty left over for holiday weekend snacking. This recipe calls for a variety of exotic mushrooms; depending on the local supply you may need to use the dried variety. They should be rehydrated during the cooking process to obtain the richest flavor. If the recipe calls for 4 oz. of dried mushrooms and you are able to find fresh double the weight to 8oz. fresh and vice versa for fresh to dried.

Ingredients

5 lbs Idaho® potatoes
1&1/2 lbs butter
1 lb fresh portabella mushrooms (1/2 inch dice)
1 lb fresh medium domestic mushrooms
4 ounces chanterelles (dried)
4 ounces porcini (dried)
4 ounces morels (dried)
5 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms (1/2 inch dice)
½ cup diced garlic
2 large white onions (114 inch dice)
2 cups Chardonnay wine
2 large red bell peppers (114 inch dice)
1 large poblano pepper (1/4 inch dice)
1&1/2 cups fresh sage (chopped)
1 large celery (1/4 inch dice)
9 egg yolks
3 lbs county pate (1/2 inch dice)
Salt and pepper to taste
(set aside some turkey stock about one quart to adjust the moisture level before stuffing)

Directions

1. Boil Idaho® potatoes until tender with the skin on (it adds to the flavor). Drain and cool until you can handle them, remove the skins and cool completely. Next cut into ½ inch dice and set aside.

2. In a large stock pot melt 1&1/2 lbs butter and saute all fresh mushrooms with garlic, onion, and celery for approximately 5 minutes over medium high heat. Next add all dried mushrooms and sage, saute 2 minutes and then add Chardonnay wine, stir and simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated or has been cooked into the mixture. Cool completely. Next fold the mushrooms with potatoes, peppers, pate, and egg yolk, blend well and add salt and white pepper (don’t be shy with the S&P, some will naturally cook out and into the bird during the roasting.)

3. Adjust moisture level with the reserved turkey stock. Fill turkey cavity loosely with the stuffing and begin with the cooking process. Remember the key safe-healthy stuffing is to not pack the mixture into the bird.

4. Just loosely fill it, that will allow the heat to radiate all the way through, evenly cooking the stuffing. The leftover stuffing can be baked in a casserole that has been rubbed with butter and dusted with flour. Dot the top with butter and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Recipe provided by Idaho® Potatoes
The recipe source: Hudson’s On The Bend

Virginia Celebrates Cider

111514aThere are activities this weekend through next weekend celebrating cider in the state of Virginia.  Virginia is an old state compared to the rest of the country. When English settlers arrived in the 1500s and 1600s, cider was one of the first fermented beverages made in the colony. Cider (alcoholic) was made for centuries in England and was considered better for you than water. Virginia had a strong commitment to cider in the early years. Most farmers made it and most of the rich and famous from the colony served it. Today there are a number of ciders in Virginia making cider.

111514bThe word cider means different things in the United States. In the rest of the world, cider is fermented apple juice. In the Colonial America the word cider also meant fermented apple juice, today, we usually usually refer to fermented apple juice as hard cider. Currently, the word cider usually refers to unfiltered apple juice that is not fermented.

My favorite alcoholic cider comes from north of the United States in Quebec. Many cideries make a Cidre de Glace or ice cider. These are simply delicious and make excellent desserts. Virginia is probably too warm for a Cidre de Glace. My favorite Virginia cider is one fermented in a Georgian qvevri. Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, Virginia purchased several qvevris from craftsmen in the country Georgia. They buried the qvevris in the ground at the cidery and ferment ciders in them. Using a qvevri to make wine, or in this case cider, is the only winemaking process that is on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It just seems fitting that many in the state of Virginia are preserving America’s past, and at Castle Hill Cider they are preserving a past that dates several thousands of years ago.

Cider Week Virginia runs from November 14th through November 23rd. You can visit the website for a list of restaurants that will serve Virginia cider this week. There are also special cider events throughout the state.

Cheers,
Terry

Three Lake County Wineries Featured on ABC 7 this Sunday

Cache Creek VineyardsOne of Lake County's newest wineries

Cache Creek Vineyards -one of Lake County’s newest wineries

Recently I received details from Terry Dereniuk, Executive Director of the Lake County Winery Association about a television show featuring three wineries and the historic Tallman Hotel.

The broadcast will be shown on Sunday, November 16 on ABC 7. The wineries will be featured on the “Days with Zahrah” show. The wineries include Six Sigma Ranch & Winery, Brassfield Estate Winery and Cache Creek Vineyards & Winery. The Tallman Hotel, dating back to the 1870s, will also be shown.

Lake County is north of Napa. While visiting Lake County we learned that some Napa wineries also source their grapes from Lake County.

We visited all three wineries and stayed at the Tallman Hotel. For an idea of what Sunday’s show might include, check out our articles we wrote.

Cache Creek Vineyards & Winery

Cache Creek interior

Cache Creek interiorSix Sigma Ranch & Winery

Six Sigma Ranch & Winery

Brassfield Estate Winery

Tallman Hotel

If you are in a region that does not receive “Days with Zahrah” broadcasts, check the show’s website for an online segment and  information.

Enjoy discovering Lake County wineries.

Cheers!
Kathy

Vote for a Cocktail Recipe

Our daughter Erin is a mixologist in New York City. For years she has created cocktail recipes. Currently one of her recipes is in a bartender competition and Erin needs people to vote for her recipe. Voting and Erin’s recipe are on Facebook under The First Cut.

Diorama of a distillery at the Grand Marnier display at the Musée du Vin in Paris, France

Diorama of a distillery at the Grand Marnier display at the Musée du Vin in Paris, France

The recipe:

1.5 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
0.5 Cocchi Americano
1.0 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition
2 dashes hella citrus bitters
1 dash orange blossom water

Voting on Facebook is a bit of a challenge. Visit the Grand Marnier Facebook page.

Scroll to the bottom of the page window and click on the Vote Now button. That should take you to a map of the United States. Click on New York state. Scroll down to The First Cut and click on that box. You can then vote.

The liquor Grand Marnier was created in the 19th century. Green orange peels were steeped in alcohol and then fermented. The spirit produced was blended with sugar, wine brandy or cognac. After filtering the liquor is matured in oak barrels for several months. Cutty Sark is a blended Scotch whisky. The company began in the early part of the twentieth century. The Prohibition version of the whisky blend was a salute to Captain William McCoy who smuggled Cutty Sark into America during the country’s Prohibition.

Take a moment and vote for Erin’s recipe.

Cheers,
Terry

“Dial M for Merlot” Review

Dial M for Merlot is a fun novel to read. I wrote an almost 500-word review of the book that is available on the Wine Trail Traveler website under book reviews. The book is available  on Amazon as a kindle edition and as a paperback.

Just briefly, this is a novel with the main character a 30 year-old math wizard who is very awkward in social situations. He is also awkward with women and getting a second date with the same woman is difficult if not impossible.

Combine this young man with a group of knowledgeable wine enthusiasts, a couple of women and a French scoundrel and you have well-developed characters who can make this book a page turner.

The author, Howard K, easily includes details about wine that pertain to the story but does not distract from the situations taking place.

My only criticism of Dial M for Merlot was the length of many of the author’s very long sentences. However, at the same time his descriptions of characters were fascinating.

Check out this enjoyable fiction book.

Cheers, Kathy

PS: if You are looking for a non-fiction wine book, consider our three books:

A Wine Journey
A Wine Tourist’s Guide: Visiting Tasting Rooms
Georgia: Sakartvelo, The Birthplace of Wine

Signed copies of these three books are available from our online book store.

 

Mini Maple Turkey Panini with Riesling Cranberry Relish

This recipe for panini is perfect for any time of the year but especially in November. You may want to try making this with thin slices of leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast.

Many thanks to  Mirassou Winery for permission to use this recipe.

Cheers!
Kathy

Mini Maple Turkey Panini with Riesling Cranberry Relish

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

Riesling Cranberry Relish

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Mirassou Riesling
Juice and zest of 1 orange, divided
1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger
1 (12-oz.) bag fresh cranberries

Maple Turkey Panini

2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 slices sourdough bread
4 slices dark rye bread
12 slices smoked turkey
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Heat sugar, wine and orange juice in a small pan over low heat. Continue to cook until sugar begins to caramelize and has a nice caramel color.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest and ginger; let cool slightly.
  3. Place cranberries in a food processor and pulse on and off to finely chop; add to caramel mixture. (Relish may be made 1 week ahead.)
  4. To prepare sandwiches, brush a little maple syrup onto one side of sourdough bread slices.
  5. Place 3 slices turkey, a little relish and ½ cup cheese on each slice then top with dark rye.
  6. Spread sandwiches with a little butter and place in a preheated Panini grill; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is grill marked. (Or cook in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, pressing down to compress sandwich.)
  7. Cut into 4 triangles and place on a serving tray; serve immediately with remaining cranberry sauce.

Pairing Suggestion:  Mirassou® Monterey County California Riesling

Recipe provided by Mirassou Winery in California

 

Discovering Virginia’s Ciders during the Third Annual Cider Week

Castle Hill

Castle Hill Cider

Starting Friday, November 14, Virginia is celebrating the Third Annual Cider Week. The excitement continues until November 23. Events will take place at cideries and restaurants.

Cider, once a very popular drink, is now on the rise again in popularity and the industry is growing quickly. Virginia has 10 cideries.

According to a press release for Cider Week Virginia, “Virginia is currently the sixth-largest apple-producing state by acreage in the country, and cider is a rich part of the state’s heritage. Cider had its first heyday in 18th and 19th century Virginia, when it was enjoyed by some of our most notable residents, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington.”

Cider Week Events 

Events include cider tastings, cider and food pairings, a cider crawl, cider dinners and more. Visit the Cider Week Virginia website event page for details.

 Virginia Cideries

Albemarle Ciderworks

Albemarle Ciderworks

Albemarle Ciderworks
Blue Bee Cider
Bold Rock Cider
Castle Hill Cider
Foggy Ridge Cider
Old Hill Cider
Potter’s Craft Cider
Winchester Ciderworks
Cobbler Mountain Cellars
Corcoran Vineyards

During our travels we have visited and written about Albemarle Ciderworks, Castle Hill Cider,  and Corcoran Vineyards. When you visit Castle Hill Cider be sure to ask about their Georgian qvevris.

Take a trip in Virginia and discover the world of ciders during the Virginia Annual Cider Week.

Cheers!
Kathy

AprèsVin Grape Seed Oils for the Holidays

AprèsVin

AprèsVin

As the holidays quickly approach, for many people it is also time to go gift shopping. Special gifts for those who enjoy cooking include grape seed oils and grape seed flours. AprèsVin, company in the state of Washington, produces unique grape seed oils that are single varietal. At AprèsVin trucks from large wineries deliver the grape pomace keeping the grape varieties separate.

AprèsVin then dries the seeds and extracts the oil from the seeds. The rest is then milled into single varietal flour.

Grape seed oils are made in two styles: un-infused and infused. Single varietal grape seed oils available are Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Apres Vin also produces Classic and Limited Edition grape seed oils. Specialty oils include: Lime Riesling, Chipotle Merlot, Roasted Garlic Chardonnay, Grapefruit Chardonnay, Cajun Chardonnay and others.

Eric Leber and his wife, Lori Ramonas own and operate AprèsVin. They are a creative couple who are friendly and engaging. They have channeled  their creativeness into other uses for grapes including grape seed soaps and Chardonnay vine smoked sea salt. I

A fun fact on the AprèsVin website notes: Did you know that it takes 3,000 pounds of grapes, or approximately half an acre in a vineyard, to yield enough dried seeds (75 pounds) to produce ONE GALLON of AprèsVin’s varietal grape seed oil?  This same half acre of grapes will produce approximately 300 gallons of wine!”

Be sure to check out the AprèsVin website for gift ideas this season.

Cheers, Kathy

PS. Remember to purchase books from Wine Trail Traveler for gifts, too! Order directly from Wine Trail Traveler bookstore and we will autograph your books.

Books from Wine Trail Traveler

PastedGraphic-1A Wine Journey
A Wine Tourist’s Guide: Visiting Tasting Rooms
Georgia: Sakartvelo: the Birthplace of Wine

 

 

The Smithsonian Channel: United States of Drinking on November 20

The Smithsonian Channel will air United States of Drinking, a one hour special on November 20. The show will air at 8pm ET.

The show will begin with host Josh Ozersky in rural Virginia where traditional moonshine is being made. The next stop will be in Washington, DC at distillery and the journey continues throughout the country.

According to the press release, “In UNITED STATES OF DRINKING, Ozersky explores how culture, science and history all come together in some of America’s favorite drinks, including moonshine, distilled spirits, beer, wine, and cocktails. Along the way, he meets with some of America’s top moonshiners, brew masters, vintners, craft distillers and mixologists, and goes behind the scenes to deconstruct the process and sample their wares on his hunt for the quintessential American drink. He also checks in with growers, historians, lab scientists, and those masterfully skilled in the art of mixology.”

Wine and other alcoholic drinks can be fascinating for those who take time to look at the culture and history of wine. I am looking forward to viewing United States of Drinking on November 20 to discover other unique aspects of wine and more.

Some of you may know of Josh Ozersky as he has written The Hamburger: A History. He is also an editor for Esquire. Ozersky has made tv appearances on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Iron Chef America.

Cheers!
Kathy

Savannah Food & Wine Festival Coming Up Soon!

Savannah Food & Wine Festival, a food, wine and charity festival, begins in a few days on November 10 and extends until November 16. As I read over the description of the many items to choose from, my mouth began to water with anticipation of what I might enjoy if I attended.While I won’t be able to  attend this year, I can pencil it in on my calendar for next year. Numerous celebrities will attend this festival. Watch for sommeliers, chefs and authors.

Here’s a list of some of the many options to look forward to for 2014.

  • Bethesda Farm to Table Dinner
  • Wine Dinners
  • The Master Class Series: “Spain for the Holidays”
  • The Master Class Series: “A Taste of Iberia”
  • The Master Class Series: “Bon Appetit, Y’all”
  • The Master Class Series: “Catch on to Local Seafood from Pole to Plate”
  • Celebrity Chef Tour
  • “Lunch & Learn”
  • Grand Reserve Tasting & Silent Auction
  • A second silent auction
  • Epicurean Learning Experiences
  • The River Street Stroll
  • Candlelight Home Tour
  • Taste of Savannah
  • Jazz & Bubbles Brunch

Visit the Savannah Food & Wine Festival website to learn more about what it has to offer.

According to the festival website, “The Savannah Food & Wine Festival originated as a way to help our local community. In our first year, we were able to raise more than $50,000 for charities that are changing our world for the better. From America’s Second Harvest, our local food bank that feeds thousands of our area’s hungry to the West Broad YMCA, a community center that is leading an area ravished by poverty into self-sustainment, your involvement with the Savannah Food & Wine Festival is making a big impact.”

What better way is there to support others and the economy than by attending an event such as the Savannah Food & Wine Festival?

Cheers!
Kathy

 


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