Wines for Before and After Dinner

“I’m so hungry—I’m too full!”

No? Crickets. Tough crowd.

Here are a few recommendations for NYE libations or your next overindulgent dinner.

Zonin, Prosecco (Brut)

Italy

My new favorite casual, any occasion bubbly, this is the perfect intro to a big meal to stimulate the appetite. And it's just the right price for entertaining guests at $6 a bottle, 'cause it taste at least like 9 bucks. Your peeps will never know. Good on its own, or for mixing with syrups or juice, especially around brunch time. You can usually find this one at Trader Joe's. $5.99

Korbel, Champagne (Brut)
Sonoma County, CA

This bottle-fermented CA bubbly was grandfathered in, so it can still call itself a champagne. It's relatively inexpensive, drinks easy, and has a clean finish. So it's kind of hard to go wrong here if you're in a pinch and need to grab something in a hurry without overthinking the selection. Available pretty much anywhere in CA. $11.99

Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine
Sonoma, CA

This one is I've mentioned before, but it's still one of my favorites. It's a more complex sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, and it's perfect for the times when you want something a little fancier, yet you don't want to break out the big bucks. (And by big, I mean springing for a $40 bottle of Moet at Costco. Might be a good one to break open New Year's Eve.) Available at most wine retailers. $13.99

Harvest Moon, Sparkling Gewürztraminer, 2008
Santa Rosa, CA

This is a great balanced sparkling wine, and the grape really comes through. A lot of sparkling wines in CA use a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir combo (sometimes with a few others thrown in), but this is a single varietal using Gewürztraminer, which immediately sets it apart. It's also not as dry as the others mentioned here, so it's a nice change. This is my splurge selection. $36

Evenus, Zinfandel Port, 2006
Paso Robles, CA

I've been obsessed with zinfandels lately, so naturally I got super excited about a zinfandel port I found at Trader Joe's the other day. The bottle is just the right size for a small dinner party or a host gift, and the port is excellent now, or it can be cellared for up to 20 years. $8.99 (375ml)

Ice Style Gewürztraminer, Harvest Moon Winery, 2007 or 2008

Another pick from my favorite winery, this dessert wine has a nice heavy body without a pesky cloying finish. Great for dessert of course, it has also been brought to my attention that it might not be unpleasant to pour a little of this wine over pancakes. It can also be cellared for a few years to increase the body and develop the wine further. The 2008 is available directly from the winery and you can order online. $35 (375 ml)

Quote from the winemaker and another reason they're my favorite winery:
For those who can appreciate a truly sweet dessert wine, this rare ICE-style wine is just for you. We recommend this delicacy with your favorite dessert or over your favorite person.

Charbay, Pomegranate Dessert Wine
St Helena, Napa Valley, CA

You may recognize Charbay as a distillery before a wine maker, but these guys dabble in just about everything. This pomegranate wine has qualities similar to a ruby port, but with lots of tanginess and acidity mixed in with the sweetness. Great pairing for chocolatey desserts or crepes. You can find it at the winery or at many online wineshops. $18 (375ml)

Linzer Cookies

When I was younger, every year around Christmas time my great aunt would send an enormous tin of homemade cookies from her little apartment in Salzburg. Besides decorating the tree, getting that box was my favorite part of the holidays. And these were not just any old cookies—they were melt-in-your-mouth-possibly-laced-with-an-illegal-substance-fight-over-the-last-one-using-sneaky-tactics cookies. And every year the top two layers were composed of the most delicious Linzer cookies ever in the world, then vanilla “kipfels” and chocolate drop cookies. Unfortunately, working with American flour and sugar, it's been impossible to get the cookies just the way Tante Mitzi used to make them. Especially considering she stores her recipe collection mostly in her head and not on paper.

So needless to say, every Linzer cookie I try gets compared to her version, and I am still chasing after the ultimate recipe. But I came across one recently that at least rates a solid second place. Surprisingly, it was from December's Cooking Light. We've made these cookies twice in the last couple of weeks, and although they're somewhat labor intensive, they're definitely worth the effort. I think they taste best the day after you bake them, with a big glass of milk.

Click here for the original recipe, but be warned, I made it way easier on you than they did.

Tools you'll need: Rolling Pin, Food Processor, Cookie Cutters


Linzer Cookies
adapted from Cooking Light

1 and ½ cups + 2 Tbsp flour
1 cup blanched almonds, whole or slivered
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
½ cup salted butter, softened
½ tsp grated lemon rind
½ tsp almond extract
4 large egg yolks
raspberry preserves or jam
powdered sugar, sifted

1. Spoon about ½ cup of the flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine the ½ cup of flour and all of the almonds in a food processor and process until fine. Add the remaining 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of flour to a mixing bowl, and combine with almond mixture, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir well.

2. In another large bowl, place sugar, butter and lemon rind; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks and almond extract and continue beating until well blended.

3. At low speed, begin adding flour mixture gradually, beating at low speed until all flour is integrated. Beat just until a soft dough forms.

4. Turn the dough out onto a nonstick surface or piece of plastic wrap and knead lightly until smooth. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, wrapping each piece in a sheet of plastic wrap. Chill for 1-2 hours.

5. When dough is sufficiently chilled, pre-heat oven to 350°.

6. The No Cursing, No Broken Cookies Method:
Roll each dough portion into about an 1/8 of an inch thickness onto a sheet of parchment paper cut to the size of your baking pan (or other nonstick baking mat). Then cut dough into shapes using a round cookie cutter, leaving a very small amount of space (¼ of an inch should do) between cookies. With each batch, remember to cut equal amounts of tops and bottoms. Your cookie cutter can be any shape, but round with fluted edges tends to be a traditional example. The size of the hole in the cookie top is totally up to you.

Remove remaining dough around cutouts, forming it into a ball and returning it to the plastic. Place dough in freezer to re-roll later, and begin working on the next portion of dough. Repeat until all dough is exhausted.

7. In between rolling out sections of dough, bake cookies one batch at a time at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Lift the entire piece of parchment paper onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. It helps to have a few baking sheets in rotation so that one pan is being prepped to go in the oven while the other is baking.

8. After pulling the cookies from the oven, let them cool several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

9. Let cookies cool completely. Take a butter knife and coat the bottom half of the cookies with a layer of raspberry jam. Use a sifter to coat the tops (the ones with the smaller holes) lightly with powdered sugar. Place cookies together to form a sandwich.

Sample cookies with cold glass of milk. Es schmeckt gut!


Helpful tips:

1. It helps to have several baking sheets so that you can rotate pans, having one ready to go in when taking the other out of the oven.
2. If you're working with parchment paper, it can be re-used for the duration of your cookie-baking adventure.
3. When rolling out the dough, make sure to lightly flour your rolling pin to avoid breakage and tearing.
4. When cutting out cookies, cut in even numbers and go ahead and cut matching tops and bottoms so you don't end up with too many of one side.
5. Use a fresh bottle of jam so that it's at room temperature for best flavor and texture.

A Cheese That's Second to...Nun

Let's give thanks to Gouda. No seriously...thank you, cheeses! I should explain that my parents have taken to a (fantastic) new holiday tradition that involves two very unrelated things: nuns and cheese. Every year sometime around Thanksgiving, they have a perfectly round, two pound Gouda shipped to our house. And this delicious cheese was made by nuns in a Cistercian monastery located in Crozet, VA.

Turns out, the Trappist (Cistercian) nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery know a thing or two about curds. They handcraft a “traditional old-style Gouda” that is aged a minimum of two months. This cheese is creamy, buttery and good for snacking or melting. Also, if you want to let it age further in your refrigerator, it will supposedly allow the flavors to develop even more. I have never really had the cheese around long enough to “age.” We typically break into it as soon as we can find a knife sharp enough to cut through the wax. As always, enjoy your cheese responsibly by bringing it to room temperature before eating and by storing it in either an air tight container or cheese paper. The nuns also suggest leaving as much of the wax on the cheese as possible, only cutting off as much as you need and coating the exposed part of the cheese with butter or olive oil to protect it.

To get yourself closer to Gouda, email the monastery at cheese@olamonastery.org or check out their website at http://www.olamonastery.org/.

Our Lady of the Angels Monastery
3365 Monastery Drive
Crozet, VA 22832

(434) 823-1452

The Best Mac and Cheese

Congratulations, you've just found the best ever mac and cheese recipe! Your search is over. Seriously. This is one my most requested recipes, though I must admit, it's not even mine. I appropriated it from Beta Wife. One of the perks of marriage, what's mine is yours. So of course I claimed it for my own. There's no fancy cheese, just cheddar and elbow mac, and a few other creamy additions. For the topping I've come to prefer crushed kettle chips over the cracker crumb topping that I used to use, so pick your favorite.

Macaroni and Cheese

(the original, best ever version)

½ lb of raw elbow macaroni, or other pasta
about 4 cups FRESHLY grated cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, finely chopped
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
black pepper
¼ cup cracker crumbs or crushed kettle chips
1 tsp butter
paprika, optional

1. Start boiling the pasta. Use butter and grease a casserole dish (about 2 quarts in size). Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

2. Grate the cheese and prep the onion, so that they'll be ready to add about the time the pasta is finished boiling.

3. Strain the macaroni and return to the pot you boiled it in. Then add the cheese, onion, mayo, sour cream, and black pepper, and integrate until well mixed.

4. Pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish and top with crushed crackers or chips, and sprinkle lightly with paprika if desired.

5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°.

just out of the oven with a crispy kettle chip topping

Holiday Treats: Homemade Peppermint Bark

Yea, it's hard to avoid the overpriced tins of candy cane striped peppermint bark in pretty much every store that carries food. Specifically I'm thinking of those terribly overpriced "gourmet" items from Williams-Sonoma. You can easily make your own version of this chocolate and peppermint combo at home. Top it with some crushed candy canes, and suddenly they're fancy enough to give away to your friends!

Items that help: a large chef's knife, a covered baking pan, and a heatproof bowl and pot combo.

Peppermint Bark

8 Tbsp butter
½ cup super fine sugar*
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups confectioners sugar
about ½ tsp peppermint extract (add to your taste)
7 oz semisweet chocolate pieces
about 4 Tbsp warm water

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. This is better than greasing because later it will allow you to lift the cookie slab out when you get ready to cut it.

2. Whisk the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Stir in the flour until the mixture binds together.

3. First Layer: Crust.
Knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough (or until you get bored), then press the dough into the pan until it covers the bottom. Poke the surface with a fork several times. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until it turns light brown. Let cool.

4. Second Layer: Peppermint Frosting
While the crust is cooling, sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl and begin gradually adding the warm water until it reaches a thick, yet spreadable consistency. Add the peppermint extract last. Spread the frosting on after the crust has cooled. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

5. Third Layer: Chocolate
After the frosting has set, melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set in a pan of warm (not quite simmering) water. Stir the chocolate constantly until it's completely melted and smooth. Don't rush things by overheating the water--this could affect the chocolate's temper. When the chocolate is ready, pour it into the pan and spread it over the frosting.

Optional: Sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces while the chocolate is warm.

Let the chocolate set several hours or overnight before cutting.

Do NOT refrigerate!

Cutting into slices:

Lift the slab out of the baking sheet and onto a kitchen table of work counter. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut into squares or slices. Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

*If you can't find superfine sugar (aka, castor sugar) at the store, try making your own. It's cheaper and less of a hassle. All you need is a fixed blade coffee grinder (that you don't plan on using for coffee ever again, not that you would anyway because if you like coffee at all you have a burr grinder) OR you can use a small food processor. Put your sugar in and zap it, then measure. Repeat until quantity needed is reached.

Homemade Turkey Stock

Ahhh, now what to do with the left over bird carcass...you know, the turkey and chicken bones from all the winter feasting. It always seems like such a waste to just throw them out. A good way to make use of them, provided you have a lot of tupperware and freezer space, is to make a stock from the bones. (It also helps you get rid of any veggies that might be getting ready to spoil.) It's simple, just throw a bunch of stuff in a large pot with water, and cook it down for a few hours. Strain it, then store it in the freezer to use later in soups and risottos. You'll be amazed at the difference between store bought and homemade.

Homemade Turkey (or chicken) Stock

1 remains of turkey/chicken (organs removed)
5 celery stalks
3-4 carrots
1 large onion
1 head of garlic, peeled
1 bunch parsley
1 Tbsp Peppercorns
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

Put turkey bones/remains in a large pot (12 quarts) and cover completely with water. Go ahead and start heating up the water. Meanwhile, cut the veggies into manageable pieces, just small enough to fit in the pot. Leave the garlic cloves whole, and parsley can go in stems and all. Add all ingredients to the stock pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 2-3 hours, or until desired potency is reached.

Let cool for about an hour. Strain any unwanted fat, then strain the liquid through a large mesh strainer. Discard solids. Portion into small tupperware containers to pull out of the freezer as needed.

The amount of stock you'll end up with will vary depending on how long you cook the liquid and how much water you decide to add, but using an average sized bird in a 12 quart pot, expect an average of 4-5 quarts to store.

Chocolatier Blue

If you're looking for foodie gifts for the holidays that are both tasty and aesthetically pleasing, Chocolatier Blue might be a good place to stop in. These artisan, hand-crafted chocolates are made with organic ingredients and come in all sorts of classic flavors -- and also a few unexpected ones. The flavors are seasonal, so right now expect to find eggnog, chestnut, gingerbread, and hazelnut. My personal favorite, unexpectedly, was the peanut butter and strawberry jam combo. And good news for the purists on your gift list, Chef Chris Blue doesn't use any artificial flavorings, extracts, or preservatives. (Expect the shelf life of these candies to only be about a week.) You can find his confections at either of Chocolatier Blue's two locations, both in Berkeley.

Chocolatier Blue

1964 University Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94704

(510) 705-8800

Chocolatier Blue Patisserie

1809 4th St.

Berkeley, CA 94710

(510) 665-9500

the eggnog truffle a CB

Oven Roasted Chicken with Hearty Root Vegetables

5 Good Reasons to try this recipe:

-You'll use seasonal ingredients
-It sticks to your ribs
-You can feed lots of people on a low budget
-It heats the kitchen on cold days
-Cooking and prep require very little effort

The next time you feel the urge to feed people, this is the dish to use. If your kitchen is under siege by your CSA's constant stream of root veggies, it's also a good solution. In fact, it currently occupies the slot of my favorite winter dish. I often serve it with/over creamy polenta, but it's just fine on its own served like a hearty stew.

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

1 pound package boneless chicken thighs

1 Tbsp olive oil

seasoning salt

paprika

black pepper

3-4 medium red/white potatoes, cut into large pieces

3 carrots, large pieces

1 cup parsnips, yellow carrots, or other root veggies, large pieces

1 large onion, chunked
10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried tarragon

black pepper

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 small twigs of rosemary

-Pre-heat oven to 400. Put all the veggies in a ziploc or tupperware and toss with olive oil and spices (through salt). Add to a roasting pan or casserole dish. Cover with chicken broth-you can always add a little more if you like lots of extra juice, but this should make plenty.

-Then use the tupperware to toss the chicken with olive oil and spices. Place on top of the veggies. Put one piece of rosemary on each side of the dish on top of the veggies. Cover with foil or a lid. Bake for 30 minutes. Baste the chicken with the juices. Bake for 30 more minutes.

-Technically it should be ready at this point, but I leave mine in another 15 minutes, basting it one more time, and lowering the temp to 350. If you're thinking about skipping the rosemary, it really makes a huge difference. Don't leave it out if you can scrounge some up.

Serve immediately.