Winter Fanatic Release
2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Livermore Valley
Our 2023 Sauvignon Blanc has a ripe bouquet of kiwi, lime, and orange blossom, with luscious flavors of mango, citrus, and peach. This wine is crisp, with good body and a lingering finish.
The Sauvignon Blanc is paired with Antipasto Lanny.
2021 Barbera, Livermore Valley
Our 2021 Barbera has aromas of dark cherry, dried strawberry, Plum, blackberry, violets, lavender, and vanilla, with juicy mouthwatering acidity. Will pair with rich dark meats, mushrooms, herbs, blue cheese, root veggies and braised greens.
This Barbera is paired with Salsicce al Vino Rosso over creamy Polenta (with Shiitake Mushrooms).
2020 Zinfandel, Livermore Valley
Our 2020 Livermore Valley Zinfandel has a spicy bouquet of black cherry, plum, and rose petal, with flavors of currant, dried cherries, and toasty oak. This is a full-bodied, complex wine with a lingering finish. Enjoy with hamburgers, barbeque, paella, or sausage.
This Zinfandel is paired with a hearty Beef Lasagna and Garlic Bread.
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley
Our 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has inviting aromas of cranberry, black cherry, tea, and rose petal. The palate is full and lush, with flavors of black currant, cola, mocha, and spice. Pairs well with prime rib, duck, grilled portabella mushrooms, and eggplant parmesan.
This Cabernet is paired with Gorgonzola Pasta topped with Grilled Steak.
Tawny Port
Our fourth edition Tawny Port is a bold, decadent wine with aromas of soy, toasted almonds, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and fresh cigar. Its palate is rich and smooth, with flavors of roasted nuts, maple sugar, praline, and baked apple. It has a sustained nutty finish that leads you into the next sip. Pair with roasted nuts, aged cheeses, nut tortes, pecan pie, or flan.
A blend of 50% 2006 and 50% 2009 vintages consisting of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, Souzao, and alvarinho ports. 19.0% alcohol.
This Tawny Port is paired with Dubai Chocolate Inspired Parfait Dessert. Yum, yum!
Recipes
Antipasto Lanny
Ingredients
Miniature mozzarella balls
Salami
Genoa Salami
Green olives
Kalamata olives
Artichoke Hearts
Roasted red peppers marinated
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Preparation
Drain and add into a big bowl drained olives and cut up artichoke hearts. Add mozzarella balls and chopped up salamis. Add some red pepper strips. In the bowl, add a few tablespoons of the marinade from the roasted red peppers. Add a bit of good olive oil, salt and pepper. Let your heart decide on the measurements. Mix well, making sure the meat and mozzarella are covered in the oil and red pepper marinade.
We think a bit of lemon juice would add a nice bit of flavor, but since we were pairing this with a Sauvignon Blanc, we did not want it to compete with the flavor profile of the wine. Lanny inspired this antipasto because of his love for all things olive and simple, tasty appetizers.
Salsicce al Vino Rosso over Creamy Polenta
Ingredients (for one 9x13 pan):
5-6 fresh Italian-style pork sausages (about 2-3lbs sausages) (we used a Sicilian fennel sausage)
3-4 small yellow onions quartered
4 bay leaves broken in half
1 bottle good red wine (used the Barbera, of course!)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare the sausages: With the sharp point of a paring knife, prick each sausage in several places to prevent them from bursting while cooking.
Arrange in the dish: Place the sausages in an oval or rectangular oven dish in which they will just fit. Tuck the quartered onions and bay leaves around the sausages.
Simmer the wine: In a small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer on top of the stove.
Add the wine: Pour about two-thirds of the simmered wine over and around the sausages.
Bake in the oven: Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Turn sausages and onions: After 30 minutes, use tongs to turn the sausages and onions over.
Add more wine if necessary: If the wine boils away before the sausages are done, add more from the saucepan, first reheating it so it doesn't lower the temperature of the sausages.
Continue baking: Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the wine sauce has reduced considerably and the sausages are brown.
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Adapted from: https://meghanitup.com/wprm_print/salsicce-al-vino-rosso-baked-sausages-in-red-wine
Creamy Polenta with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Polenta:
4 1/2 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups polenta (we used Bob’s Red Mill medium cornmeal)
1/4 cup vegan or regular butter
1/2 cup vegan or regular parmesan (used a good kind if possible)
Mushrooms:
20 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms (or a mix of wild mushrooms)
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
(optional) 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: Micro-greens(!), fresh parsley, parmesan, salt & pepper
Directions:
Bring water and salt to a boil. While whisking, slowly pour in polenta. Continue whisking for a minute to prevent any clumps from forming. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring once every few minutes and scraping down the sides.
Once the polenta is tender, stir in butter, cheese and more salt to taste (may not be necessary - taste before adding more salt). This can be made ahead of time, and actually is better made the night before and gently warmed up. Creamier this way.
While the polenta is cooking, heat a skillet to medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook dry for a few minutes to release moisture. Some mushrooms have more moisture. If you're using shiitake mushrooms (like we did), you can skip this step and add the butter first.
Once some of the moisture has evaporated, add butter and half of the wine. Let simmer. Add salt and continue cooking until the mushrooms start to get crispy. Add the remaining wine to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking until evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley and more salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon polenta into a bowl.
Slice sausages and top on the polenta. Add onions if desired.
Sprinkle the mushrooms on the sausages & polenta. Can add salt, pepper, or more cheese. Enjoy hot.
Adapted from: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/creamy-polenta-with-mushrooms/
Ricotta Cheese Beef Lasagna with Marinara Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes (about 1.5kg total) (see notes)
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon (about 2g) red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon (about 4g) dried oregano
1 small carrot (about 4 ounces; 110g), cut into large chunks
1 small onion (about 5 ounces; 140g), split in half
1 large stem fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons (10ml) Asian fish sauce, optional
1/4 cup (about 10g) minced fresh parsley or basil leaves (or a mix of the two)
Instructions:
Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Using your hands, crush tomatoes by squeezing them through your fingers until pieces no larger than 1/2 inch remain. Transfer 1 cup (240ml) of crushed tomatoes to a sealed container and reserve in the refrigerator until step 3.
Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a pressure cooker until butter is melted. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, carrot, onion, and basil and stir to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Seal pressure cooker and bring to high pressure. Cook for 45 minutes, then release pressure and open lid.
Using tongs, discard onion halves, carrot, and basil. Add reserved tomatoes to sauce and stir to combine. Add fish sauce, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir in minced herbs, along with additional olive oil as desired. Serve immediately, or allow to cool at room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Sauce can also be frozen in sealed containers for up to 6 months. To reheat, warm very gently in a saucepan with 1/2 cup (120ml) water, stirring until it all melts and heats through.
Beef Lasagna
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs good quality ground beef
2 cups (567 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, (20 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 cups marinara sauce, or your favorite prepared tomato pasta sauce
16 no-boil lasagna noodles, or 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles, cut into (8) 12×7-inch pieces
1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
2½ cups (340 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, (12 ounces)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, pepper and parsley and whisk until creamy and blended.
Brown the ground beef, drain any fat.
Assemble the first layer:
Spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish or casserole. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles (or 2 fresh pasta sheets) over the sauce, slightly overlapping them and pressing down lightly. Spoon a generous cup of the ricotta mixture on top the noodles, spreading it to the edges of the pasta. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella over the ricotta.
Second layer:
Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the ricotta. Spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce over the noodles and sprinkle 1 cup of the Parmesan evenly over the sauce.
Third layer
Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the tomato sauce and Parmesan. Spread with the remaining ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
Top layer
Layer the last four lasagna noodles over the ricotta. Pour the remaining 1 cup sauce over the noodles, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining ½ cup each of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and lower the oven temperature to 375F (190C). Continue baking 15 more minutes, until the cheese is lightly golden and the edges of the lasagna are crisp.
Cool the lasagna in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes to allow it to set. Cut into squares and serve.
Gorgonzola Pasta with Grilled Steak
Ingredients
12 ounces Bow Tie Pasta (Farfalle)
1 1/2 pounds Top Sirloin Angus Beef
1/2 Onion chopped
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Roma Tomato chopped
2 Green Onion chopped
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Heavy Cream
4 ounces Gorgonzola Cheese
Instructions
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook farfalle according to package. Reserve 2 tablespoons water then drain, return pasta to pot.
Season beef with salt and pepper. Cook beef on grill or grill pan for 8 minutes on each side. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut into squares.
While it cooks add olive oil and onion to large saute pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until onions are softened.
Add in tomato, green onions, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir.
Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add in gorgonzola and allow to melt thoroughly.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Add in reserved pasta water and continue to toss until pasta is well coated.
Top with steak.
Serve immediately and ENJOY!
https://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/steak-gorgonzola-pasta-recipe/
Dubai Chocolate Inspired Parfait Dessert
Ingredients
Milk Chocolate chips. Best quality you can get.
Strawberries
Pistachios
Pistacho Butter
Filo Dough
Tahini*
1 T Salted Butter
Instructions
Defrost Filo Dough. Cut into very thin strips.
In a hot pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place a thin layer of cut up filo dough In pan. Let cook for about 30 seconds, then start to toss/turn over. Ideally you want brown, but not burned. Once the strips are golden, take off heat and put into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, put in pistachio butter. Add a small amount of Tahini if you wish. Mix well.
Add the crisp filo dough to the pistachio butter. Fold in gently The goal is to keep the filo dough crunchy.
In a glass bowl or measuring cup, melt the milk chocolate chips. Heat in 20-30 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted.
Wash and cut up the strawberries.
In a bowl, place layers of the chocolate, strawberries and pistachio butter. The pistachio butter is very rich, so a little goes a long way.
For bonus points, sprinkle pistachio bits on top.
Enjoy with a glass of Port.
This dessert was inspired by my daughter, Natasha, who loves Dubai chocolate! I watched several videos on how to make a Dubai chocolate dessert and this recipe is a blend of all of them. Enjoy this rich, elegant and very decadent dessert.