February 2017

Ladies cooking a vinaigrette

Chardonnay Vinaigrette Dressing (Cooking With Wine)

“I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W.C. Fields      At a wine and jazz festival I was attending they offered a course entitled “Cooking With Wine.”  The chef prepared three courses: salad (with a vinaigrette), entrée (with a pan sauce for chicken), and dessert (with berries over ice cream).  Each of the dishes contained a reduction of the wine that was selected to accompany the dish, and the result was a perfect wine/food pairing for each course.      It seemed like such a novel idea…

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Risotto Classic With Escarole

From Opera To Risotto      Risotto is one of those dishes that can define the competence of an Italian cook. Flavor and consistency are the determinants, and bragging rights among cooks are highly sought after. As a matter of fact, Giuseppe Verdi was very proud of his rendition. He would challenge other cooks to see if they could eclipse his. Verdi’s wife is quoted as saying, “Giuseppe’s risotto is truly a dish he makes in divine fashion.”    Risotto gets its name from “riso,” the Italian word for rice. There…

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