Epicuro Nero d' Avola

I cannot tell you how much I love this wine! A big red for a small price- $5.99 at Trader Joes.  I could happily drink this wine out of Sicily daily as it embodies what I love in a wine: full bodied, fruity, dry and elegantly smooth! 

Bottle says:  Made only with the Nero d’Avola grapes, this is a great wine with a beautiful rich, bright garnered colour and full bouquet redolent of berries, cherries and spices. The flavor is clear-cut, full-bodied and elegant. Perfect with grilled red meats and game. Serve at 18 degrees Celsius.”

Spanish Tapas: "Patas Bravas" Bold Potatoes

Patatas Bravas is a favorite tapas dish of me and my husband. We have ordered it many times at tapas restaurants and I have made it a few times at home. This is the best recipe I have found for it.

6 potatoes
oil for frying
3/4 cup tomato sauce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
one clove of garlic, minced
one tablespoon vinegar
one teaspoon Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

For the sauce combine the tomato sauce, mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, paprika, cumin and pepper in a small sauce pan. Slowly heat while you prepare the potatoes.

Parboil potaotes. Drain, peel and cut into cubes. Deep-fry or saute in hot olive oil until browned and crisp. Drain and serve immediately sprinkled with salt and drizzled liberally with the spicy sauce.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Mexican "Salsa de Tomatillo y Aguacate"- Avocada and Tomatillo Salsa

I recently purchased a food processor and can now make all kinds of things I was unable to make before. One of the first things I tried with my new food processor was this salsa. It was so easy and delicious. Store bought salsa is definitely a thing of the past!

6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed well
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, stem removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 rice avocado, peeled and cubed

Instructions

Place tomatillos, onion, cilantro, garlic, chile, and salt in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth. Add avocado and puree until smooth. Add a bit of water if needed- salsa should be a little thicker than tomato sauce.

Yield:3 cups

Variation: Try using different kids of peppers. I had jalapenos on hand so I used those instead of serranos. Try adding pineapple to sweeten it up for something different.

Souverain of Alexander Valley California, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Understand, I drink cheap wine from Trader Joes. Generally wines priced between $7-13. Matt picked out this wine the other day at a wine store chain here in Minnesota called Haskells. Normally priced $20 it was on sale for $10. I didn't didn't think too much of it, that is until we drank it. I would have to say it is the best wine I have ever had. Smooth, full bodied, with a perfect finish. In fact the best word I would give to describe this wine is "elegant." If you see it buy in bulk!

Fresh Herbs

My brother-in-law Steven has a bit of a green thumb and recently put together a beautiful fresh herb basket for me with 6 herbs. Yippee- I can't wait to start eating it! Thanks, bro!

Spanish Tapas "Pollo al Ajillo"

This is an easy tapas dish: chicken sauteed with loads of garlic and then simmered in Sherry. Flavorful and juicy!

900g/2 lb chicken wings (or whole chicken cut into bite size pieces)
salt & pepper
1 head garlic (about 12 cloves)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
120 ml/4 fluid oz/ 1/2 cup dry or medium dry sherry
chopped parsley

Instructions
Cut off the wing tips and discard. Divide each wing into 2 joints. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Lightly smash the garlic cloves to split the skins, but do not peel them.

Heat the oil in deep frying pan. Add the chicken pieces and garlic to the oil and saute them very slowly. When the chicken is browned on all sides, add the bay leaf and Sherry. Continue cooking until the liquid is cooked away and the chicken begins to sizzle again. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.

Yield: Makes about 12 tapas.

Spicy Pepper Penne

This is my favorite pasta dish of all time. It is fast, easy and so dangerously delicious that I think I could eat the whole pan every time I make it. The ingredients may not seem remarkable but once you taste it I am sure it will become a staple meal in your household too!

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta (I use whole wheat penne)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
7 ounces sliced pepperoni, halved
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet layer the pasta, rosemary, pepperoni, and red peppers. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add cream and Parmesan cheese; toss to coat.

Yield: About 6 servings.

Mexican Puerquitos

One of the Hispanic cops I used to work with had these cookies in his lunch everyday. I did not think much of them until I moved away to Europe and began missing all things Arizona/Mexico. When I would come home to Arizona for visits I would buy a package of these Mexican cookies to take back to Ireland. Now that I am up in Minnesota I am without them again so I have to make them myself. Good thing they are easy to make!

3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground canela or other cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two large baking sheets. Sift together flour, ginger, canela, baking soda, salt, cloves and pepper into a bowl. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the sour cream, egg, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix again until well combined. The dough should be fairly moist.

Refridgerate the dough, covered, for 2 hours. Dust counter lightly with flour. Roll the dough out to about 1/3 inch thickness and cut cookies with a pig-shaped cutter. Transfer the cookies to baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.

To prepare the glaze, combine the egg white and water in a small bowl. Brush the cookie slightly with the glaze. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake because the puerquitos should be soft and chewy. Cool cookies for 5 minutes. Coverered, they will keep several days.

Yield: About 30 cookies.

Fancy Coffee Drinks

I received an espresso maker for Christmas this year and I finally have time to begin learning to use it. I am not a big fan of just plain espresso but I am excited about all the fancy drinks one can make with an espresso maker- like chai tea lattes and caramel macchiatos. I found some great videos on how to make these kind of drinks put out by a coffee shop in Santa Monica. At the end of this video you will see a list of how to videos for various coffee drinks.

Mexican Posole

I had been wanting to try this soup for a while when my Mexican amiga made a big batch for her work at Christmas time and brought me a bowl. Just as I suspected I loved it. Here is the recipe for this festive Mexican soup from the Mad Coyote Joe "Sonoran Grill" cookbook.

Soup
2 lbs. roasted pork or any cooked poultry
3 (14.5 ounces) cans white hominy, drained
1 teaspoon whole Mexican oregano
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup New Mexico mild red chile powder
2 (48- ounce) cans chicken broth

Garnish
1 purple cabbage, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 bunch red radishes, washed and thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and diced
1 tablespoon chile tepins (cayenne pepper may be substituted)
2 fresh limes, cut into wedges

Instructions:

In a large slow-cooker place pork or poultry, hominy, oregano, garlic, cumin, chile powder, and chicken broth. Heat on medium for 5-6 hours or longer. Stir occasionally. Serve in large soup bowls with a little of each of the following: purple cabbage, white onion, red radish, and cilantro.

Crush 1 chile tepin or add a pinch of cayenne and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Yield: Serves 8-10.