“Some wines are like mystery books that you read fast, enjoy and forget. Burgundy is like a classic that you take in slowly, assimilate and always remember.” – Jacques Lardière Since Burgundy-based négociant Maison Louis Jadot’s 2013 purchase of the 32-acre Resonance vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir fans have been in a state of... Read More
The post Producer Profile: Burgundy’s Maison Louis Jadot Debuts Oregon Résonance Pinot Noirs appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
One of my favorite things about the Winter months is all the cozy, comforting food and wine that warms you up from the inside out. These hearty, flavorful pairings just aren't the same when enjoyed any other time of year. Our latest Wine Pairing of the Week was inspired by a delightful Italian wine, the Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva.
Crafted from 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grapes harvested from 25 year old vines, the wine was also aged for 18-24 months in French oak barriques resulting in a stunning wine with a sultry purplish-red color and rich notes of blackberry compote, spiced plum, cassis, sweet herbs and polished tannins. This wine just begged for a hearty dish to pair with it and Lamb Ragu and Tagliatelle was the perfect accompaniment.
Gianni Masciarelli, the late founder of Masciarelli Tenute Agricole, established his eponymous winery in 1981 and was a champion of modern winemaking in the region and widely considered an Abruzzese pioneer. He strove to elevate the reputation of Abruzzo's wines and, among other things, is credited with introducing the Guyot training system as well as the use of French oak barrels for the ageing of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.
Shortly after founding the winery, Masciarelli married Belgrade-born Marina Cvetic who grew up in the vineyards of her grandfather's estate in Croatia. Following Gianni's untimely passing in 2008, Cvetic assumed the helm of the estate which includes over 300 acres of vineyards and olive groves in all 4 provinces of Abruzzo. She knew that continued modernization of the estate, its vineyards and winery was needed to produce the best wines and continue her husband's legacy.
While honoring tradition, Cvetic has elevated the level of the estate's wines and Masciarelli's Villa Gemma line, a line of premium wines which includes the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva ($90), a Cerasuolo Rosé ($18) and Bianco Colline Teatine ($20), represents the flagship of the estate and best embodies the style and taste of its beloved founder.
The Abruzzo region has very diverse terrain ranging from mountainous inland areas as well as a low lying coastal zone resulting in a rich and varied food culture. Due to the region's long history of shepherding, lamb and mutton dishes are very common, although moreso in the mountainous regions than by the coast, which favors seafood-inspired cuisine such as fish-based broths (brodetti) and marinades. Cheeses made from sheep and goat milk are also plentiful including ricotta, pecorino and scamorza among others. As a huge fan of the pairing principle "if it grows together it goes together," I had to select a dish inspired by the wine's place of origin.
To make the Lamb Ragu and Tagliatelle, I paid our local Italian market a visit and purchased beautiful yellow, eggy tagliatelle pasta, ground lamb, prepared marinara sauce and the freshest ricotta I could find. Also, using a good quality sauce and cheese makes a big difference, and the Liuzzi Angeloni hand dipped ricotta was beyond delicious! This artisanal cheese was even packed in the traditional metal tin, the way they've been making it for the past 80 years.
The deliciously meaty sauce clung to the eggy tagliatelle and the bright flavor of the mint was the perfect foil for the dish's richness. The lamb ragu also harmonized beautifully with the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, eliciting flavors not readily apparent when sampling the two individually - a deliciously satisfying pairing to be sure!
A variety of Italian red wines would also pair nicely with this dish:
Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino - Tuscany
Super Tuscan - Tuscany
Chianti Classico Riserva - Tuscany
Barolo - Piedmont
Barbaresco - Piedmont
Nero d’Avola - Sicily
I hope you enjoy this Wine Pairing of the Week and for previous installments, please click here. What's your personal favorite Italian food and wine pairing(s)? I'd love to hear about it so please let me know in the comments section below ~ Buon appetito!
Print Recipe
"LAMB RAGU WITH TAGLIATELLE"
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. tagliatelle pasta
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb
1 cup red wine
4 cups good marinara sauce, store bought or homemade (I used Rao's)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup good, fresh ricotta cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. When water is boiling, add a generous pinch of Kosher salt and then the uncooked pasta. Cook pasta until tender but still al dente, or firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta, retaining 1 cup of the starchy cooking liquid.
2.) Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, being careful not to burn the garlic, about 2-3 minutes.
3.) Add the ground lamb and cook until it is nicely browned. Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a spatula or wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
4.) Add the marinara sauce, stir well to combine and simmer over low heat until the flavors have melded, about 10 minutes. Add the mint and ricotta and stir well. Season to taste with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5.) Add the pasta to the pan and stir to coat. Serve pasta immediately, garnished with fresh mint leaves.
One of my favorite things about the winter months is enjoying all the cozy, comforting food and wine that warms you up from the inside out. These hearty, flavorful pairings just aren’t the same when enjoyed any other time of year. Our latest Wine Pairing of the Week was inspired by a delightful Italian wine, the 2006 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano... Read More
The post Wine Pairing of the Week: 2006 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with Lamb Ragu & Tagliatelle appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh From Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.For those focused on living a healthy lifestyle, easy access to healthy, nutritious food is essential. Florida residents are fortunate to have an abundance of locally grown, fresh produce at our fingertips and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has made supporting our local farms and eating healthier even easier with their Fresh From Florida logo.This distinctive logo (pictured above) can be found on produce in your local grocery store and on the menus of some of your favorite restaurants, indicating the product or dish contains fresh Florida-grown produce. Only members of the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC) can participate in this program which benefits both small and large farms alike. I recently had the pleasure of dining at one local restaurant that is passionate about supporting local farmers and excited about participating in this program.
Burt & Max's Bar & Grille opened in Delray Beach in 2013, representing a collaboration between restaurant moguls Dennis Max and Burt Rapoport who've been tantalizing the tastebuds of Palm Beach county diners for over three decades. Similar to its sister restaurant, the über-popular Max's Grille in east Boca Raton, Burt & Max's offers west Delray residents a neighborhood spot perfect for drinks with friends, date nights and special occasions. On the evening of my visit, I settled into a cozy booth across from the bar and had the pleasure of speaking with Executive Chef Dan Moore.Born in Thailand, Moore's passion for food was fostered by a childhood spent in the rich culinary cultures of Singapore, the Philippines and Italy. After receiving his culinary degree from Rhode Island's Johnson and Wales University, Moore set his sights on the United States, working in restaurants in Boston, Washington DC, New York, Minnesota and North Carolina. His diverse experiences continue to inform his cooking today, "I love to incorporate my experience with these cultures into my menus, especially when working with all the fresh produce we have here in Florida."
It was difficult to select from the fifteen fabulous Fresh From Florida options on the Burt & Max menu, but I ended up sampling three beginning with the Heirloom Tomato & Local Burrata Salad with balsamic glaze, Hawaiian sea salt, chiffonade of basil and California olive oil. The colorful heirloom tomatoes were perfectly ripe and juicy and their tomatoey tang was the perfect complement to the delightfully creamy burrata which was also sourced from a local producer. The pop of green from the basil, drizzle of balsamic and sprinkle of sea salt finished this dish beautifully while showcasing some of Florida's bounty at its best.
Next was Chef Moore's Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs with whipped potatoes, sauteed peas, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, shallots and garlic with natural jus. The mouthwatering presentation featured the decadent short ribs served atop a mound of creamy, whipped potatoes surrounded by Florida grown vegetables. The dish was cooked and seasoned to perfection and the fork-tender ribs barely necessitated the use of a knife. Accompanied by a glass of full-bodied J. Lohr Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, it was the perfect dish for a chilly South Florida evening!
Lastly, I sampled the Roasted Vegetable Wood-fired Pizza which had a decidedly Mediterranean flare featuring baba ganoush, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, goat cheese, and mozzarella with a dollop of lemon-dressed spicy arugula piled in the center. The various colors, textures and flavors synergized beautifully, making this dish not only visually appealing but also incredibly delicious and perhaps the perfect combination of comfort food and healthy ingredients. The pizza also paired very nicely with Etude's medium-bodied Lyric Pinot Noir from California with its lovely dark fruit and spice.
Next time you're in the mood to dine out, seek out Chef Moore's fabulous Fresh From Florida dishes at Burt & Max's Bar & Grille. Between the delicious food, friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere this restaurant is sure to become a local favorite.Burt & Max's Bar & Grille9089 W. Atlantic Avenue#100Delray Beach, FL 33446561.638.6380Cheers,
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh From Florida. All opinions are 100% mine. For those focused on living a healthy lifestyle, easy access to healthy, nutritious food is essential. Florida residents are fortunate to have an abundance of locally grown, fresh produce at our fingertips and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services... Read More
The post Dine “Fresh From Florida” at Burt & Max’s Bar & Grille in Delray Beach appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Whether you're planning on enjoying a mouthwatering Steak au Poivre a Deux this Valentine's Day or some other delicious dish, the indulgence should culminate in an amazing dessert like this decadent Red Velvet Cake. Not only am I obsessed with the delicious flavor of the bright red cake slathered with cream cheese frosting and topped with crunchy chopped pecans, this recipe has sentimental meaning for me as well.
Growing up, my family used to spend time every Summer in Captiva Island, Florida. After long days spent on the beach, in the pool or out deep sea fishing, we'd pile our sunburned selves into the family car and head straight for a restaurant called The Bubble Room.
The Bubble Room was THE place to dine in the sleepy little town on Florida's west coast and as a child it was nothing short of magical! The restaurant was a colorful, whimsical cottage painted in bright pastel pinks, reds and greens and covered from floor to ceiling in vintage memorabilia from the 1920's, 30's and 40's. A profusion of Christmas lights and related decorations including a classic toy choo choo train that whistled its way through the various dining rooms every few minutes also made it clear that "it's always Christmas at the Bubble Room!"
In keeping with the theme, the menu also featured dishes named after singers and actors from the same time period including the Henny Young One, Eddie Fisherman, Prime Rib Weissmuller, Moon Over Miami and many, many more.
Guiding you through the experience was your very own Bubble Scout, the title given to the Bubble Room's enthusiastic team of waiters and waitresses who donned Boy Scout-inspired uniforms displaying merit patches earned for accomplishments such as committing the restaurant's extensive list of delicious, unique cakes to memory.
Which brings me to my favorite thing about the Bubble Room: the Red Velvet Cake! This bright red, triple layer cake was finished with an unbelievably delicious, cream cheese frosting yet, as much as I adored it, I was never able to eat the cake right after dinner. Between their completely addictive Bubble Bread and humongous portion sizes, I was always too full by the time dessert rolled around.
So I would take my piece of cake home, pop it in the fridge overnight and enjoy it, perfectly chilled, for breakfast in the morning. Yeah, not the healthiest thing, I know - but it was pure heaven and definitely one of my favorite food memories of ALL time.
Unfortunately, following my parent’s divorce, our annual Summer trips stopped and decades passed as I moved out West to Colorado for grad school and then back East to New York. Both places were worlds away from my childhood Summer memories and life marched on.
Eventually however, I found my way back to South Florida and shortly after getting married, my husband and I spent the weekend in Captiva and I was so looking forward to returning to The Bubble Room. Thankfully, after almost 20 years since my last visit, the Red Velvet Cake was every bit as delicious as I remembered! This auspicious reunion actually inspired me to track down the recipe so I could recreate this delicious cake any time, any place.
Luckily, the recipe was featured in the Junior League of Fort Myers cookbook and I'm thrilled to be able to share it here with you in this post! And if you’ve never experienced Red Velvet Cake before you might be wondering, where on earth did they dream that up and what’s the big deal?
While no one's sure where Red Velvet Cake originated, it's rumored to have made its debut at New York's glamorous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the 1930's. Other accounts place its beginnings in Toronto at the elite Eaton's department store. The South also lays claim to the original Red Velvet Cake but what's more certain is that John Adams, owner of Adams Extract company, had the cake at the Waldorf and decided to market it to the people of Texas to sell more of his company's red food coloring and vanilla extract.
His efforts paid off and today this cake has become über-popular and for good reason! While scoffed at by culinary legends including James Beard and Irma Rombauer, there's just something utterly delicious about this unusual red cake and its heavenly cream cheese frosting.
Although a little time consuming, this recipe is actually pretty easy to make and SO completely worth it. A few helpful hints to keep in mind when making the recipe include:
I HIGHLY recommend wearing black because once you open that red food coloring, anything goes!
You might also want to invest in three 9-inch cake pans so you can cook all three layers at the same time instead of using the same pan three different times.
When frosting the cake, be careful not let any red crumbs get into the beautiful white frosting. Lay down a crumb coat and then go back over it to build it up to desired thickness.
I'd also recommend chilling the cake for a few hours before serving it to allow the cake and frosting to set up.
While I usually top the cake with chopped pecans, for Valentine's Day I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter and some red sanding sugar to make the heart design on top of the icing.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful Red Velvet Cake with your Valentine this year and hopefully create some special memories of your own! xo
print recipe"THE BUBBLE ROOM’S RED VELVET CAKE"
Author: The Bubble Room | Original recipe from the Junior League of Fort Myers
Ingredients
For the Cake:
3 3/4 cups self-rising flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
2 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup red food coloring (NOT a typo, you will need 1/3 cup or approximately 3 ounces)
For the Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
) Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda + cocoa) in a large bowl.
) Add eggs, vinegar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring and mix well.
) Spoon into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans (approximately 3 cups per pan)
) Bake 45-60 minutes or until edges of cakes pull away from pan. (Check at 45 minutes because they will probably be done.)
) After cooling for 10 minutes (no more, I don't know why), remove the cakes to wire racks to cool completely.
) Meanwhile, beat butter and cream cheese in mixer until fluffy.
) Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
) Layer the frosting between each layer of the cake, and liberally over the top and sides. Top with chopped pecans.
If you’re planning on indulging in our Steak au Poivre a Deux this Valentine’s Day, why not continue the indulgence into dessert with this deliciously decadent recipe for Red Velvet Cake. Not only am I obsessed with the delicious flavor of the bright red cake slathered with cream cheese frosting and topped with crunchy chopped pecans, this recipe has sentimental... Read More
The post Valentine’s Day Sweets: The Bubble Room’s Red Velvet Cake! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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