Easy & Fancy Salmon & Buckwheat Blini Hors d'Oeuvres

This is so delicious and so easy that I hope you try it. Little rosettes of Norwegian salmon top a dollop of sour cream egg salad on a tiny buckwheat pancake and a garnish of chives is all that comprise this hors d'oeuvre. You can make the pancakes (blinis) ahead of time and freeze for up to about one month.

Other toppings work well, too. No time for making the egg salad? Stir a bit of finely chopped fresh dill fronds and grated lemon rind into creme fraiche and use that instead, then garnish with pieces of the feathery dill fronds. Rinsed and drained tiny capers also make a great addition.

If you don't have the blinis, use crackers, but we love the creamy mouth feel of the salmon, egg salad, and soft blinis. Oh, and this is an affordable hors d'oeuvre because you stretch the salmon by slicing each piece in half AND you'll have lots of blinis left over to freeze for future parties, or heat them in the oven at 350 the next morning and serve them as "silver dollar" pancakes for breakfast.

Salmon & Buckwheat Blinis

Serves: 4 (2 pieces each) with more blinis left over
Difficulty: Super easy
Prep Time: About 30 minutes
Composition Time: About 10 minutes

For blinis:
2 tablespoons of buckwheat flour
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg white
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided in half

Combine dry ingredients and whisk together in a medium size bowl. In a measuring cup, stir together egg yolk and milk. In separate bowl, whisk egg white till stiff.
Stir together the dry and wet ingredients until moist, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter. Fold in the beaten egg white.

Heat a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium high flame, brush with remaining butter and drop blini batter by tablespoons onto hot pan. Flip when golden on bottom side, as you would with pancakes, then remove to a cooling rack and repeat till you have used all the batter.

For Sour Cream Egg Salad:
1 large hard cooked egg, finely minced
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt to taste (TT)

Combine egg, sour cream, and one tablespoon chopped chives. Season with salt TT.

For salmon:
4 ounce package Norwegian salmon (nova lox)

Compose:
Top each blini with a spoonful of egg salad. Take each thinly sliced piece of salmon and cut in half horizontally so each piece will give you two long strips. Starting at a short end, roll the salmon into a rose-shaped design and nestle upright into the egg salad. Garnish with chopped chives.

To hold:
Blinis, egg salad, and salmon slices can be prepared individually ahead of time. Composed blinis can be held, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 4 hours.

Wine Pairing:
I love Acacia Pinot Noir from the Los Carneros AVA in California, and it is on sale right now at Lowes Foods for less than $14.00, which makes it very affordable for entertaining. For the Chardonnay lovers, Chateau Ste. Michelle is delicious with this hors d'oeuvre and can be found anywhere for around $13.00. Both of these wines are available at most fine grocery stores. Don't forget to ask your grocer or wine shop about discounts for quantities. Most offer 5% for half cases and 10% for full cases.

Mrs. Lochman's Salad

A couple of weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of conducting a wine tasting at the home of one of Charlotte's nicest and most gracious hosts. She invited me to share her beautiful buffet table with her friends after the tasting and then emailed me the recipe for her delicious vegetable salad, which will always make me think of her and the wonderful evening I spent with her and her friends.

This salad makes the best use of all the vegetables that are available at our farmer's markets right now. If you can't get good fresh corn, then substitute it with frozen. This just tastes like summer.

Mrs. Lochman's Salad
(a.k.a. Fresh Zucchini and Corn Salad)

1 ½ lbs. medium zucchini
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 ears)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Trim off ends of zucchini. Cut into ribbons using a vegetable parer. Place strips in a colander over a bowl. Toss with 1 ½ tsp. salt and let drain, covered in refrigerator, for at least 1 hour. Rinse the zucchini in the colander under cold running water to rinse off some of the excess salt and then drain on paper towels.

If using fresh corn, husk and clean corn. Bring water to boil in large pot and add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Immerse the corn cobs in the water, cover, return to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or until just tender. Remove from water and cool to touch, then slice kernels off cob with a sharp knife.

Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, pepper, and remaining ½ tsp. salt in large bowl. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream.

Add all veggies to dressing and toss well before serving.
Adjust seasoning if needed. Can be made 6 - 8 hours in advance.

Our icy cold Kakadu Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay was delicious with this salad!
Serves 6.

Cheers!

Chef Debbie

The Ultimate Guacamole

I bought some unripe avocados one day last week, thinking that they would turn from hard nobs to nice soft fruits after a couple of days on my counter so that I could make a vegetable salad with them, but my timing was off and they weren't ready when I needed them. So yesterday, when I found that they were perfectly ripe (they give just slightly to the touch), I decided to make guacamole with them and now I'm sharing my recipe (method) with you! Just in case you've only had rather bland "guacamole" try this method because I like mine with very bold flavors.


Have all your ingredients ready before you cut open the avocadoes, which will turn brown unless they quickly come into contact with the lime juice. Dice the onion, tomato, clean the cilantro, and stem, seed, and dice the peppers. I just noticed that the garlic is not in this picture, but you will definitely like your guacamole better if it has garlic in it. It's all a matter of personal taste, though, so increase or omit ingredients to your palate's delight.

Here is the finished guacamole just begging for a tortilla chip! Keep this in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap in contact with the surface of the dip until you're ready to serve it.

The Ultimate Guacamole

3 medium avocados, just tender to the touch but not mushy soft

1/2 cup finely minced red onion
2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced (or to taste)
2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 or 2 limes, to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 cup ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

To peel and seed avocado, run sharp knife around pit from stem to blossom end and back again. Gently grasp each half and twist. The will separate with one half retaining the round brown pit. Cup that half in one hand and tap pit with sharp side of chef knife, then twist the pit with the knife to remove it. Using a large serving spoon, run it around the avocado just under the skin and the half will easily come out in one piece.

Place avocado halves in a mediun bowl and mash with a large fork. Leave some lumps in it so it looks rustic. Add all remaining ingredients, taste, and adjust for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, or more lime juice as needed.

Place in serving bowl and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Serve with tortilla chips.

A wonderfully cold tecate would be great with this, or if you are a wine lover, pull out a cold bottle of our Vina Cordilla Sauvignon Blanc or our Kakadu Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay.

Cheers!

Chef Debbie

Wines for Humanity

Wines for Humanity is a great company to be involved with, full of warm and sharing people who want to give back to their communities.

We just had a leadership conference in Chicago and I took my new Nikon D90 camera with me. I know that I irritated all my cohorts with all my "practice" shots, but some actually came out really good. Here they are!


Anton




Sabina

Jose & Gina

Frank

Jennifer

Wine Tastings & Networking Groups

Just as birds of a feather do, wine lovers tend to flock together. We form clusters at parties where the conversation naturally migrates to comments about the wine served, tales of great tastings attended, favorite bottle openers, and our favorite BYOB restaurants. We even strike up conversations in the wine aisles at grocery stores!

I am amazed by the growing number of networking groups that are being formed for the sole purpose of gathering to appreciate wine with like-minded people. As the trend grows to entertain in the home and also to incorporate wine into business networking events, we are realizing that appreciating fine wine is an amazing catalyst to camaraderie!

I've joined a local business networking group for women, Networking Women and Wine. What great fun to gather together monthly at a local restaurant or wine bar to enjoy wine and find ways to support each other's business! Thursday I am going to lead a tasting (and pair the wines with my signature hors d'oeuvres) for a meeting of the group Women Who Wine. (Isn't that just a great name?) This group meets in private homes. I cannot wait to meet these sisters-in-the-vine and once again expand my social circle of wine enthusiasts.

Where ever you live, check your area for groups of wine enthusiasts, make new friends, enjoy some great wine together, have fun! If you are in my area, I'll help you hold a great tasting in your own home. Contact me through my website and let's plan your party!

Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~W.E.P. French

Cheers!
Chef Debbie

A Bitter Tasting at Fess Parker

Bob and I were excited about visiting the Fess Parker Winery. Our destination manager had arranged for our tasting there and we'd enjoyed the chardonnay back home. We were right in the middle of wine country and wishing we'd had more than one day to explore!

This winery is one of the most beautiful we'd seen so far. It was nothing like the Italianate pretentious structures of other wineries we'd visited. This was more like a ranch house and something that looked right at home in the rolling hills and ranches of the area.

Bob and I both grew up watching Fess Parker play Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett on TV, so it was great fun to see his picture in the tasting room. Even more fun were the little coonskin cap cork-toppers for sale!

It's hard to imagine being in a more beautiful setting and having such a terrible tasting experience. Our hostess was rude, snobby, and unwilling to volunteer any information about the wines or the ranch unless we asked pointed questions. And followed up with pointed questions. She really was irritated, I believe, that she was in such a demeaning job as a sales person for this winery.

I am absolutely sure that the performance of this hostess had a great impact on our opinion of the wines. We tasted the chardonnays and pinot noirs for which they are famous, and found all to be overpriced for their quality. That equals not a good value. This was the first winery we visited where we didn't purchase a thing, not even those cute little coonskin caps. We couldn't wait to leave, as a matter of fact.

If you want to see a truly beautiful winery and vinyard in the California style, you can visit Fess Parker at 6200 Foxen Canyon Rd. Los Olivos, CA 93441. Call them at (805) 688-1545, (800) 841-1104 if you have any questions. If you visit for a tasting, be sure to request someone other than the gal from New Zealand.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Tasting at Firestone Vinyards

Firestone Vinyard was the first estate winery in Santa Barbara County, CA. It was started by the son of the Firestone of tire fame back in 1972.

Our hostess told us that some of these vines had been planted more than 30 years ago, making these the oldest vines we have seen thus far in CA.

My friend Shannon Brunet of Global Restaurant in Charlotte told me that if I present my business card, tasting fees would be waived for those of us in the business. This was true and a real money-saver for us, allowing us to spend our money on the wine and not the tasting and glasses!

I've mentioned before how important the tasting room hostess is, and Susan Pratt at Firestone Vinyards was the best we've ever had. She was friendly, enthusiastic, and passionate about her wine knowledge. We spent almost three hours with her, joined the wine club and also will have a case or so of Firestone wines waiting for us when we get home. (Susan is the one who recommended Mattei's Tavern & Brothers Restaurant for our dinner.)

Later that evening, after our wonderful experience at the tavern in Los Olivos, we strolled through the small village. Who should drive up to us but Susan, who was visiting her church to refresh a flower arrangement! She took us into her church to show us its beauty and then spent another 30 minutes or so telling us about the area and its residents. She said that lots of past stars from Hollywood have retired to Santa Barbara County. I can see why. It is a beautiful place, full of rolling hills, woods, pastures, and history.

You can visit Firestone Vinyards at 5000 Zaca Station RoadLos Olivos CA 93441. Call them at(805) 688-3940 ext. 31 to join the wine club or ask questions. These wines are delicious and affordable for everyday drinking.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

An Evening at Mattei's Tavern & Brothers' Restaurant in Los Olivos

We love historical places, so when we passed this tavern on our way to the vinyards, we just knew we had to come back for supper. Imagine our delight when the hostess at Firestone Vinyards recommended this restaurant to us!

Chef brothers Matt and Jeff Nichols moved into this historical building and restored it to its stage coach days splendor. It's surrounded by pretty green lawns and gardens, and an original wooden water tower at the edge of its large back lawn. I can imagine hosting an evening of dining with friends on that lawn!

They definitely need some old-fashioned southern rocking chairs on this porch, don't you think? I can just imagine all the people waiting for the stage to arrive!

It wasn't easy or comfortable for folks to travel back in those days! We're definitely spoiled by our luxury cars and air conditioning!

This is the lobby of the tavern and restaurant. Back during temperance times, the tavern was moved to a small building unconnected to the stage office, but it's back now. The fireplace and beams in the ceilings are all original. I just had to ask about ghosts, and the receptionist told me that she'd heard others talk of glasses falling off shelves for no reason, and women feeling their hair being pulled. Probably just stories to tantalize the tourists, but I would have been disappointed if there hadn't been any to tell!

Our bartender was great fun and made the best dirty martinis! What a perfect good will embassador, and he set the stage for a wonderful evening!

I would say that Bob is relaxed after a full day of wine tasting and touring. Wouldn't you agree?

I think the general public never gives food servers the credit they deserve. Our waitress was fantastic. She helped my poor memory out, too, because I recognized Cheryl Ladd at the table next to ours (one of Charlie's Angels...she's the blonde cutie), but I couldn't place one of her companions. Our waitress wrote a note on her pad that the handsome gentleman with the full shock of white hair was Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Remember him from the old FBI show on TV back in the late '60s & early '70s?

What a beautiful rack of lamb! The exquisite 2007 Estate Pinot we had from Melville Vinyards in the Santa Maria Valley was the perfect pairing for Bob's lamb and my salmon. The next time we come out here we are going to do the wineries in the Santa Maria Valley and Melville will be our first stop!

You can visit Mattei's Tavern & Brothers Restaurant at 2350 Railway Avenue in Los Olivos, California 93441. Call them at (805) 688-4820 for reservations or questions.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Wine Tasting at Eos Winery in Paso Robles

I know that we at Wines for Humanity source many of our California wines from the Paso Robles area, so I was thrilled to visit the beautiful Eos Estate Winery. This is one of those places where the view is spectacular from so many vantage points, that we lingered outside for a while enjoying the scenery before we went inside.

If you visit wineries, you already know that the wine-tasting experience is totally dependent on the host or hostess you have. Colleen (below) was a real gem. We spent a lot of time enjoying her warm personality and extensive knowledge of the winery and wine-making there. The wine was delicious, and Bob joined their wine club and then had them ship some of his favorites home.

Touring at Eos is self-guided. We had places to go so just quickly peeked into the wine cave below.

In this photo is just a sampling of the more than 10,000 barrels of wine being stored, mostly in French oak with some American and other European. I wish you could smell the heady aromas of all the wines aging there.

Below is one of my favorite views of the vinyards, which stretch into the distance and seem to go on forever.

Eos Estate Vinyard is the largest winery on California’s Central Coast to run completely on alternative energy. It has a solar farm that is more than 2 acres large. Bob was impressed!

Eos Estate Vinyards is located at 5625 Highway 46 East Paso Robles, CA 93446.

Call the winery at 805.239.2562 if you have any questions about their wine, joining their wine club, or just having a delightful visit.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

What a Personal Chef Cooks at Home

In a hurry, hungry, and don't want to make a big mess in the kitchen? Help speed your evening meal prep along by keeping a zippy bag of cooked pasta in the freezer. Just prepare it according to package directions to the minimum cooking time, rinse under cold running water, drain, toss it with a bit of olive oil and freeze. When you're ready to use it, just toss the bag in the microwave on defrost setting for a couple of minutes, take out what you need, and then return the bag to the freezer for the next time.

Here's an easy recipe for a skillet dinner that's as tasty and satisfying as going out to your favorite Italian restaurant, but at a fraction of the cost and it'll feed a crowd. This freezes well, too, so freeze it in portions for quick future meals!

Italian Skillet Dinner

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. wine (dry white or dry red, what you have in the fridge)
1 pound Italian sausage, sliced 1/2 inch (mild, hot, turkey, chicken, pork...your choice)
6-8 cups cooked pasta (I used penne this time.)
2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic & basil, undrained
5 ounces fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a large, deep skillet, sauté vegetables over medium-high heat until they start to get soft; remove them from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Drain any fat, but don't wipe out the pan.

Pour the wine into the pan and return it to the burner over medium-high heat. Spoon the vegetables back into the pan and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Add sausage and tomatoes to the skillet and bring to a simmer for another 2 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the fresh spinach until it is just wilted and serve. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Serves 6 hungry people.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Chicken Stewed with Chiles

Fat is full of flavor. That is a fact, and when we try to cut fat from our foods we need to replace that satisfying flavor with something else, and the bold flavors of chile peppers are a really great way to do that.

If you've never cooked with dried chiles, try this recipe. First of all, dried chiles are easily found at almost any grocery store...even at Wal-Mart...and they are dirt cheap. I like to buy them at the Latin food markets because they sell them loose and I can pick up just the amount that I need, but if you can only find them bagged, buy them that way and they will keep almost forever.

Pasilla and Guajillo chiles are what I used in this recipe for Chicken Stewed with Chiles. They are considered to be mild (as chile peppers go) but their heat can vary from one to the next, so be sure to taste them so you can adjust the heat in your stew to suit your taste. The stew will not be as hot the second day as it is the first because the flavors have a chance to balance.

Most recipes using dried chiles begin by roasting the chiles, and this recipe that I've created is very traditional, so get out your cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan and roast your chiles as I did in the above photo. Then, while they are cooling, in a non-stick skillet brown the chicken breasts. They should be nice and brown, as this one is below.

After the chiles are roasted and cooled enough for you to handle, slice the stem off, slit the side and remove the seeds. Discard those. Then slice the peppers into thin slices, as I did in the photo below.

Toss all the vegetables and the dried chile slices together in a non-stick pan and saute until they start to soften. (Above) Add the wine and reduce by half, then stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken breasts back into the stew and continue simmering for 15 - 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. (Below) It should be nice and thick and will smell unbelievably good. You can eat it now, but it's so much better if you wait one more day.

This serves 6 people and here's the approximate nutritional breakdown:

360 Calories; 6g Fat (17.0% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 138mg Cholesterol; 718mg Sodium.

Stewed Chicken with Chiles

3 pounds chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C
1 1/2 cups sliced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced red bell pepper
2 cups onions, chopped
2 each pasilla peppers
2 each guajillo peppers
6 cloves garlic, sliced
14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine, sauvignon blanc
1 cup chicken stock

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Place dried peppers flat in pan. Roast until heated and fragrant (do not burn), then turn and warm other side. They will be soft and pliable. Remove to cutting board and allow to cool till you can handle them. Slit side of each pepper and remove seeds. Slice off stem and then slice pepper cross-wise into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.

2. Rinse, dry, and trim fat from chicken breasts. Heat nonstick pan sprayed with cooking oil spray over medium-high heat until hot, then lay breasts onto hot pan. Season with salt and pepper and allow to brown without turning on the first side, then repeat on the second side. Remove to platter.

3. In same non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking oil spray, saute bell peppers, onion, garlic, and dried peppers till vegetables begin to soften. Add wine and simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Add undrained canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Nestle the chicken breasts into the stewed vegetables (pour any juices from the plate into the stew, too), reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 - 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Cool and refrigerate overnight. (This allows all the bold flavors to learn how to cooperate with each other!)

4. When ready to serve, gently heat the chicken in the stewed sauce over medium heat on the stove. Remove chicken pieces; slice, and serve by themselves or on a bed of rice and topped with a generous spoonful of the stewed vegetables.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Recipe for Country Apple Tart

I woke up this morning and it was so cool in the house...fall is really in the air today! When the weather turns cool like this it makes me want to bake, and I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen, but I didn't have a lot of time so I threw together this rustic version of apple pie. It takes little effort to make and only one pound of apples and will serve 6-8 dinner guests easily. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you wish, or accompany it with a glass of very cold Sauternes or Muscat. Here it is:


Country Apple Tart

Pastry
1 1/2 cups flour, chilled
1/2 cup butter cold
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar

Apples
1 pound apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoon butter diced
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Have all pastry ingredients very cold. (This is extremely important!)
• Place flour, salt and butter in food processor bowl. Pulse until texture of rice.
• Add the oil and water and pulse just until dough starts to come together.
• Turn out onto plastic wrap and quickly form into disk; wrap tightly and return to refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine apples, butter, walnuts, cinnamon, and honey in a large bowl; stir to combine. Set aside.
• On parchment paper, roll out chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. (Trim edges to neaten.)
• Spoon apple mixture onto center of disk and spread evenly to within 1 1/2 inches of edge.
• Fold edges toward center.
• Sprinkle all with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Slide parchment paper with tart onto a sheet pan and place in hot oven for 40 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender and bubbling.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Back from a Foodie Road Trip!

We pulled into our garage Sunday night, clocking 3, 925 miles in two weeks on my Subaru Forester! Since this was most definitely a "food" trip, my little Subaru had to work harder on the way home because not only had hubby and I packed on some pounds, but we also had the back of the car packed tight with all that we had collected along the way: gallons of Vermont maple syrups, Quoddy Bay sea salt, Finger Lakes wines, a Vermont maple salad bowl, boxes of Bell's seasoning, jars of Raye's mustards, story books and shirts for the grandchildren, and (even though I told hubby that I wasn't going to buy any cookbooks) a bag full of cookbooks!

Of course, I'll be sharing recipes that I picked up along the way from some of the many warm and friendly folks we met. I'm just now sorting out all the pictures we took and labeling them so I don't forget who/what/where, but I promise some great recipes and dishes to come!



One of the highlights of our trip was meeting Chef Ming Tsai at his restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Mass. We were thrilled that he was there and discovered that he is as warm and friendly as he seems on his TV show, East Meets West. Hubby remembered him from Iron Chef America and that he beat Bobby Flay!

Ming's dishes are truly a fusion of cuisines and I found the wine pairing a challenge, so asked our capable server (most have been with Ming for almost 10 years) to do the pairings for us. It was interesting. The wine was delicious and so was the food, but is there a perfect pairing for smoked salmon and beef carpaccio with a tart lime-cilantro avocado salad garnish? The Pinot Noir that was served was great with the salmon and beef, but throwing the salsa into the mix made the wine disappear. The combined flavors of the smoked salmon and beef and the salsa were a party in the mouth, so I just saved the delicious Pinot to enjoy with the cracker basket. THAT was a perfect pairing!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Personal Chefs at The Kabob Grill

Can you imagine being a restaurateur hosting a group of personal chefs for dinner? Thursday evening our Carolinas Personal Chefs chapter of the USPCA decended upon The Kabob Grill at its location off Rea Road in Stonecrest.

This was an exciting experience for me because Lebanese food is not something I am at all familiar with. The closest I've gotten is lamb grilled on a skewer, or baba gannouj, or teboulleh salad.

The first thing I always do when I know I'm way out of my league with a menu is have a serious conversation with the server who, in this case and by the best happenstance, was one of the owners. I asked him if he would mind choosing my dinner for me and I told him there were no restrictions. (I was pretty sure they didn't serve anything moving on the plate or having six or more legs!) What he delivered was a real "meat and potatoes" manmeal...Lebonese style. I guess that's what I get for leaving the ordering up to a man! I have to say that it was really tasty, though, and a good representation of kabobs at their finest. (Note: There are many vegetable and even vegetarian selections on the menu.)

I should have gotten a picture of Reid's teboulleh salad. It was beautiful....deep verdant green with diced garden-ripe tomatoes gracing the top. I learned this evening that I've never added enough parsley to my teboulleh salad! If you really, really searched, you could find the grains in Reid's salad. Did I say if you really really searched? My body fairly screamed, "This is so healthy; this is so healthy!"

The next logical question was what wine to drink with all this grilled meat and bold flavors. Now, I have to tell you that I was familiar with most of the wines on the wine list, but it's always a good idea to at least try a wine that is created near where the food originates. (That's a rule of thumb to remember...they generally pair well together.) "We do have a Lebanese wine and it's delicious," I was told and so I jumped at the opportunity to try that, my first Lebanese wine!

Out our host came with my glass of Chateau KSara "Le Prieuré!" Deep purple, dark berries, spice, balanced acid and tannins enough to stand up to the grilled meats and olive oil. Yummy and perfect! I will never understand those people who insist on drinking only one variety of wine....they miss so much! If you never thought of wine being made in Lebanon (I never did!) and would like to pay a virtual visit to this winery, by all means click here.

A wonderful evening all around....good friends and colleagues, great food, wine, and service that was welcoming and friendly. I highly recommend a visit to The Kabob Grill in Stonecrest.

Barley Salad with Fresh Herbs

Are you interested in adding more whole grains to your diet? Here's a salad I made last evening, inspired by Rebekah Marion of GroupRecipes. I added the diced tomato and think that crumbled feta cheese would be a great addition, too, for variety. If you have some fresh oregano, throw that in with your fresh herbs of choice. This is really one of those salads that you can easily personalize.

I already had some cooked barley in the freezer (it freezes beautifully!), so I used some of that and reduced the other ingredients to make just the right amount for two. The flavors are even more vibrant this morning, so be sure to make this salad several hours ahead of time and the barley will absorb the flavors of the citrus, herbs, and garlic. Serve a perfectly chilled California Sauvignon Blanc or an Italian Pinot Grigio with this salad.

Here is Rebekah's original recipe:

Barley Salad with Fresh Herbs

3 cups water
1 cup uncooked pearled barley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat Italian parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 TB chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, combine water and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until barley is tender, 40-45 minutes. Drain barley (cool) and set aside. Combine green onions, red (bell) pepper, parsley, basil and mint in a large bowl. Toss in the cooked barley. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, minced garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss into barley salad, stirring to combine well. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or cold.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Monty's Grill is Great!

One of Charlotte's best-kept secrets is surely Monty's Seafood Grill in the Ballantyne community of Charlotte. Last evening we had the spicy mussels in this picture, and of course the best part of this tapa (small serving) is sopping up the delicious wine-chorizo sauce with the hot and crusty bread from the breadbasket that is always kept full. We also had our favorite steak lettuce wraps, lamb lollipops, fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, and spinach gnocchi. Yes, the selections on the menu are international yet each dish compliments the other.

Bob and I love to order a half dozen or so tapas to share, but we've had their regular entrees there and they are fantastic, too. Everything is cooked to perfection and full of bold flavors.

We find that a tapas dinner is fun and exciting as we "discover" new and varied flavors with each dish, and for us that is often much more fun than having a large serving of just one entree. Order a bottle of the Spanish Albariño, ask your server to stretch out your meal, and she'll bring you your tapas a few at a time and you're in for a wonderfully relaxing evening!

"Upscale" at Monty's means the superb quality of the food, the exquisitely tasteful yet casual ambiance, the attentive service, the balanced wine list, and the friendly proprietress (Robyn), who will always visit your table with a smile and a welcome. It does NOT mean overpriced, and that is quite refreshing! On Wednesday evenings, they also offer 1/2 price bottles of select wine, and live music later in the evenings, and they have an excellent Sunday brunch, too.

Give this privately-owned restaurant a try and I know you'll love going there as much as we do!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Chef Debbie on Tasting Wine

Do you know how to drink wine? Of course you do, but do you know how to really appreciate the wine in your glass? Pour your next glass with purpose and take a minute to do these things:

Admire the color of the wine in the glass, and the variation between the color at the rim and the color at the core. Note the vibrancy of the color...does your white fairly shine in the glass? Is your wine effervescent? Anticipate the feel of tiny bubbles bursting in your mouth.

Swirl your wine in the glass and admire the rivulets sliding down the sides. (These are also called "legs" and you can anticipate the way the wine will feel in your mouth....no legs mean a light mouth-feel and lots of thick, clinging legs mean a full-bodied wine with a long finish.)

As your nose approaches the glass, how close must it get before you can detect the scent of the wine? Place your nose as far into the glass as you can and inhale deeply. If all you detect is alcohol, set your glass aside for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to dissipate and try again. What do you smell? Flowers? Berries? Chocolate? Herbs? Try to identify as many aromas as you can, and know that what ever you smell is what you smell. (Don't worry about what somebody thinks you should smell.)

Sip and swirl the wine in your mouth, "chew" and make sure the wine has reached all your tastebuds because different parts of your mouth will detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc., and then swallow because the alcohol will hit the back of your tongue (and eventually your brain, of course). Try to identify the flavors that linger in your mouth. Are they the same as those aromas that you detected? Are there new components now? Dried fruit? Pencil box? Spice? Does your mouth feel dry inside (tannins)? Does the back of your throat burn (alcohol)? Is your mouth watering (acid)?

Make this routine a habit and soon you will discover that you will find more pleasure with each wine you try, and you will want to try new wines, make discoveries, and experiment with matching food with your wine. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Wine with WHAT???

We all know the old "red wine with meat and white wine with chicken or fish" rule, right? Pretty simple thing to remember, don't you agree? But it's no longer as simple as it was in the '70s when our wine choices at most restaurants were simply "Burgundy" and "Chablis."

One of the most enjoyable things about exploring wine is doing it in the context of food. It's like creating a third dimension. For example, at a recent wine tasting at Global restaurant in Charlotte, NC, Chef Bernard Brunet offered a delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that was quite everything that grape offers from New Zealand, bright acid and lots of vibrant, flowery and green flavors on the palate.

Now, we know that Sauvignon Blanc is generally a perfect pairing for salads with vinaigrette, seafood, Thai food, etc., but the server placed a neat shot of cold, sweet, cinnamony pureed acorn squash soup on my plate. My interest was peaked! I took a sip of the fresh, light and perfectly balanced soup, rolled it over my tongue and then, with a tiny bit of the soup still upon my tongue, sipped the wine. Amazing! The wine's acidity dropped and the vegetal qualities disappeared! The soup tasted less sweet and the squash flavor became more pure. They became the sum of each other's parts and in my mouth joined into harmonious balance. That, my friends, was a perfect example of a brilliant pairing of food with wine!

Albert W. A. Schmid, a renowned expert on wine and spirits and author of manuals for the hospitality industry advises, "If all else fails answer these three questions: Do you like the food you are eating? Do you like the wine that you are drinking? Why does this have to change? Perhaps you have stumbled on the perfect pairing between food and wine…for you. Trust yourself!"

So go out and have fun playing with your food....and wine. And don't worry if you think you might be breaking "the rules." Explore, experiment, and trust your own palate!