Pan Seared Scallops over Sautéed Spinach and Chipotle Cream Sauce Paired with 2010 Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay

When it comes to the Christmas and New years holidays, our family has a tradition of doing something, uh, non-traditional.  For example past holidays have included; Christmas in Machu Picchu, Christmas in Galipan (a village in the mountains outside Caracas - like taking a step back in time by about 100 years), Christmas in Chef Sue’s restaurant giving away Christmas meals, Christmas and New Year’s in Disney (doesn’t sound unique, but it becomes more so when you are doing it with your adult children and it becomes a culinary/drinkfest!), and so on.

This year, Chef Sue, Soon to be 1stLT Ryan and I went to Atlantic City, NJ to attend a Viking cooking school at Harrah’s Casino.  We then went on to spend New Year’s Eve and the following day with great friends and hosts Don and Beth.  First, let’s get on with the Viking Cooking School.

We have attended cooking classes at CIA Greystone, Sur La Table, Army Navy Country Club,Cook Street, Chef Sue’s 28 year sous-chef indenture program, and now the Viking School at Harrah’s.  Each of these were handled quite differently, and I now feel I have sufficient data to suggest a desirable formula – from the participant perspective.  And just so we are clear, these are not professional chef classes – these are intended for cooking enthusiasts.  I will not critique each of the classes, but I will tell you that Viking did it best albeit not perfectly.  Harvesting the best from each, here is my recipe for an ideal cooking class:

1. Start with a cocktail or a glass of wine.  Liability? How about responsibility?  Screw it – have a drink and get to know the Chef.
2. Construct cooking teams of no more than four with prep tables sized for a team of four.
3. Don’t forget the basics; bar rags, sanitizer, convenient bus cart, and aprons to send home with the students - with your logo.
4. Each team should prepare all the dishes on the menu – don’t divide the cooking among teams.
5. Have the prep tables fully stocked and ready to go.  The students may not know the definition of mise en place, but they will appreciate it!
6. Sharp knives! Always offer a short lesson on knife technique.
7. Use top-notch gear.  Nobody wants to attend a cooking class and realize their home kitchen is better equipped.
8. If something needs to go in the oven, have the oven preheated!
9. Don’t use prepared food.  Going to a cooking class and opening a jar or can of anything is unforgivable.  Only use fresh ingredients.
10. Make sure your ovens and cook tops are correctly installed (leveling was a problem more than once – uneven heating in the oven another fault).
11. For the instructors:  When there is a reason for doing something, say so!  Anyone can read a recipe, but not everyone understands the “why?”  Explain the purpose and process of correctly preparing things like a rue - why it works the way it does.  This is important for the novices, and the more experienced participants will understand.
12. Ensure you have a motivated and friendly kitchen support crew to clean an prep between courses.  In other words, while the team is working the skillet, a kitchen team should be cleaning the prep table and making it ready for the next task.
13. Include at least one element of technique the average cook could use to improve on their passion(more is better…up to a certain point of saturation that varies depending on the skills of the participants).  EVERYONE needs to go home having learned something…even the better cooks.
14. Serve the fruits of class labor at a nice dining table.  Standing around a stainless prep table in the kitchen is not classy.
15. Serve the dinner with wine paired to the dishes – and not the bottom of the shelf.  Need to charge more for that?  Go for it…the result is so much better.  Oh, and read my blog - understand why the wine and food go together, and talk about it.  This should not be a matter of “try it, you’ll like it.”
16. Offer doggy bags.  Not only will your students appreciate it, they may take the leftovers home, share them with neighbors Barney and Wilma, and you may get a recommendation.

Wow, when I started writing the list, I had now idea it would be so long.  But now that I have the magic formula, maybe I should start my own cooking school!  But before I do that, I know you have taken a cooking class and found things you liked or disliked.  Let me know!  We can grow the list and outline the five star formula for cooking classes.

Now on to the rest of our New Year’s events.  Our weekend was principally composed of sightseeing around Cape May New Jersey with Don and Beth along with a couple of stops at Cape May wineries.  I was impressed with both wineries, but fell in love with one – Hawk Haven Vineyards and Winery.  Hawk Haven is committed to producing authentic French Style wines and is doing a wonderful job.  Of course we picked up a few bottles, so you will be hearing more about Hawk Haven.

The weekend was capped off by a wonderful dinner of Pan Seared Scallops over Sautéed Spinach and Chipotle Cream Sauce prepared by Beth.  The meal was paired with Don and Beth’s standby favorite Chardonnay - Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay.  The chipotle cream sauce was a wonderful addition to the buttery sweet scallops, and the wine echoed the creamy buttery flavors while offering mouth watering acidity - a perfect complement to the scallops.

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

Golden yellow color with a pale hue. Seductive aromas of peach, melon, and citrus are balanced with honeysuckle and vanilla. On the palate, flavors of pears, peaches and melons are backed with lively acidity. A nice touch of vanilla-scented oak provides an added flavor dimension. The creamy palate has a lingering finish of melon and citrus fruit with a satisfying buttery complexity. Our favorite pairing for this wine includes scallops in a cream sauce, pasta carbonara, chicken risotto and Cornish game hen.

Next year for the holidays, I recommend a cooking class – one that meets my list of requirements for the ideal class.  At minimum, find some time to spend with friends…you can’t go wrong.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Lamb Spinach Ricotta Ravioli in a White Wine Mushroom Cream Sauce Paired with 2009 14 Hands Washington State Chardonnay

I’m afraid the description of this pairing will not follow the normal form.  First, the pairing was supposed to be with a 2009 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay – but Chef Sue and I drank it while preparing the meal – oops.  Second, I don’t have a recipe – this meal (and pairing) started as an idea and was a “cook on the fly” type experience sticking within the broad idea for the meal.  The dish is not difficult, so an idea was sufficient.  This is a common experience for our weekends at our secret Southern Maryland waterfront lair – no rules, just ideas.

Although I will not be providing a recipe, this was not that complicated with the exception of all the home made ingredients which include ricotta, lamb sausage, and the pasta.  If you are not prepared to whip up those parts in your kitchen, make a substitution from the grocery store and butcher – it won’t hurt my feelings.  Between my description and the photographs, I am confident you can recreate this wonderful dish.

In the last year, Chef Sue has tilted over the edge and decided that we should be making our own cheese.  Being a Homer Simpson-like fan of cheese, I don’t complain.  And because this is Chef Sue’s little running science project, all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labor.  Not a bad deal.  This dish started with Chef Sue making fresh ricotta.  Yum.  There is a world of difference between home made ricotta and the stuff that comes in the plastic tub.  Added to this cheesy goodness is some garlic sautéed spinach and some freshly ground lamb combined with some fennel and ground mushrooms to form the loose lamb sausage.

Next comes the pasta for creating the ravioli – just follow the pictures – easy stuff.  Once the pasta is ready, stuff it with the spinach-ricotta-lamb sausage mixture, seal it with an egg wash, cut to shape and it is ready for the swimming pool.

Finally, Chef Sue topped the cooked ravioli in a white wine mushroom cream sauce.  We used dried mushrooms, so the soaking water was a key ingredient in the sauce.  Plate, garnish (parsley and shaved parmesan), and enjoy.

The flavors in this dish are the ones that make you smile involuntarily.  Earthy mushroom, creamy smoothness from the sauce and the fresh ricotta, a little gaminess from the lamb and a touch of bitter from the spinach and garlic.  A other-worldly mixture and balance of flavors.  Add a touch of truffle oil or truffle salt to achieve interplanetary travel.

I have to be honest and tell you that it has been over a month since we prepared this meal, and I don’t recall the specific flavors of the wine (maybe the fault of that first bottle of Cakebread).  But I am confident in saying the wine was a delight and the pairing a real treat.  Lacking a crystal clear memory, here are a few notes from the people at 14 hands:

“14 Hands Chardonnay offers bright aromas of apples and pears with a touch of caramel and spice. Elegant fruit flavors give way to hints of butter and coconut, ending with a juicy finish. Balanced and approachable, this wine can stand alone as an aperitif or partners well with buttered fish, grilled pork or pasta with cream sauce.”

Sounds about right to me – and pasta with cream sauce – YES!  The fruit and buttery finish I hazily recall as prominent and key to working well with the ravioli and cream sauce.  At $12 a bottle, this wine definitely falls into the category of excellent value.

My apologies for the less than precise rendering of this pairing, but every once in a while it is good to use your imagination.  Maybe one of these days I will post a pairing with nothing but photos and let you figure it out – now there is a challenge!

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Seasoned Chicken Breast over Garlic Sautéed Baby Spinach with a Spicy White Wine Strawberry Mango Reduction Paired with 2009 Ledson Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Wow, that’s a lot of words for the title of this post.  Considering the whole idea began with the humble strawberry, it seems a bit over the top.  So here is the story.  The other day I was motivated to construct a recipe and treat Chef Sue to a nice pairing.  I went to the fridge to see what was in stock and found a basket of strawberries that looked like they had another good day left before they became mulch.  Rather than waste these tasty morsels, they became the inspiring kernel for this recipe.

I have to admit a small measure of pride with this recipe because it is 100% my own.  Normally, I have an idea of what I want to achieve, search the internet for recipes that are similar to my idea, cobble together the best bits and pieces, and voila!  This recipe came directly from the small hollow space between my ears – and I like it.

Starting with the strawberries and the idea of a reduction to lather the chicken breasts (also sitting in the fridge and searching for a purpose in life), I knew the reduction would be very sweet and a wholly strawberry celebration.  With the chicken breast as a somewhat neutral element in the dish, I needed to add some balance to the strawberries.  Within the reduction I did this by adding a mango as another layer of flavor, and a tablespoon of red pepper flakes to offer some heat.  Finally, I completed the reduction with a cup of white wine to boost the acidity.

The recipe was further balanced by the garlic sautéed spinach.  This part of the recipe brought a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness in the reduction.  Gratefully, when fully composed, the dish was very well balanced.  I love it when a plan comes together (or luck is on my side)!

The 2009 Ledson Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect match for this recipe.  This wine is explosively fruity with the aroma dominated by pineapple.  The palate matches this bright fruitiness with rich fruit flavors, well balanced acidity and a pleasant mineral finish.  Each of these elements are a heavenly compliment to the recipe.  The sweetness mirrors the sweet notes of the reduction while balancing nicely with the heat.  The fruit flavors in both the reduction and the wine play nicely with each other, and the acidity forms another finely honed balancing act with the food.  This wine is a pleasure to drink alone, but it really shines in a pairing.  This pairing was dominated by complimentary flavors (vs. contrasting) and like the recipe components, was very well balanced.

The Recipe

I am presenting this recipe as three different components in the order of preparation.  The strawberry mango reduction takes about 45 minutes, the chicken 30, and the spinach about 5 minutes.  It is very easy, and very rewarding.

Spicy White Wine Strawberry Mango Reduction

Ingredients:

• 10 medium strawberries cleaned and diced
• 1 medium mango, pealed and diced
• 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine - in this case I used one cup of Barefoot Moscato, but anything would work fine sans oak
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in a pot on low heat.
2. Stir and let simmer for 5 minute.
3. Repeat step 2 until sauce begins to steam.
4. Turn heat to medium and stir.
5. Continue until the sauce reduces to a consistency you are comfortable with.  I achieved my desired consistency in roughly 45 minutes.

Seasoned Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about one pound)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink in centers (165°F), turning once.
2. Optionally, season and place on a sheet pan in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes (still looking for 165 degrees).  I used this option.
3. Set aside - timing should coincide with sautéed spinach and spicy strawberry Mango Reduction

Garlic Sautéed Baby Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Pat dry.
2. In a very large pot or Dutch oven (my preference – uncooked spinach is voluminous and unwieldy), heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, just short of being browned.
3. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes.
4. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring until all the spinach is wilted.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Both Chef Sue and I did.  This recipe makes four servings which meant we had a great lunch the following day.  After a night in the fridge, the reduction seemed even better!

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig