From the Blog

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This blog is a place where I can share my experiences, venturing beyond wine and food pairings to explore travel, dining, wine tasting, winemaking, events, innovations, curiosities and observations. It is my hope that other winery chefs will join the conversation and share their experiences.

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July 28

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2010

Chef Richard Haake will do a demo at this Thursdays Napa Chefs Market

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This Thursday night, July 29th, Chef Richard Haake will do a recipe demo paired with  X Winery’s Carneros Chardonnay. Richard will do a cajun classic, Chicken Maque Choux, which is pronounced “Mock Shoe”. Its is so good and the recipe is below.  This dish is seasonal classic that utilizies corn, peppers and tomatoes. Its paired with the X Winery Carneros Chardonnay. We hope to see you at the Chefs Market. Richard will be giving out samples with the help of Chef Annie Baker. X Winery will also be there so join us for a summer pairing.

Cheers!!!

Chicken Maque Choux

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon corn oil

salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skin off, cut into bit size pieces

½ cup bacon

1 tablespoon bacon fat

½ cup onions, small diced

¼ cup celery, small diced

¼ cup green bell pepper, small diced

¼ cup red bell pepper, small diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 cups white wine

4 ears fresh corn, fresh cut off the cob, be sure the scrape out all the pulp

1 cup roma tomatoes, seeded and medium diced

1 tablespoon fresh picked thyme

1 tablespoon old bay seasoning

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup of heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large sauté pan over high heat add the corn oil. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan; sear the meat well making sure to brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and to a plate lined with a paper towel. In the same pan add the bacon. Cook until crispy. Strain the bacon fat into a small bowl, reserve and place the crisp bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Place deep-sided sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic then sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the corn and tomatoes, stir together with the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and Old Bay seasoning. Place the chicken back in the pan and cover with the chicken stock. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan, stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with a dash of hot sauce and serve over rice with te crispy bacon as a garnish.


June 21

0
2010

2010 Summer Drop Off Menu

Summer has finally arrived. Local summer produce will be a little slower due to a cool, wet Spring but we will make sure to search out the best local product.

Summer 2010

Family Style Menus

1.
heirloom tomato salad with caper vinaigrette

grandmother Bowman’s Maryland style fried chicken
German potato salad

Sebastopol berry trifle

2.

watermelon salad with pickled onion, cucumber and feta cheese

pork tenderloin with summer beans, roasted peppers and Brentwood corn

apricot and pistachio tart

3.

penne pasta salad with mozzarella and basil pesto

roasted Pozzi Ranch leg of lamb with ratatouille

tiramisu

4.

chopped salad with cucumber, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes,
garlic croutons and buttermilk dressing

pan seared flat iron with chimichurri
roasted zucchini and fingerling potatoes

Santa Rosa plum galette

Drop off $30.00 per person plus tax
Includes platters, Serving Utensils and Bread
Minimum order of 10

June 16

0
2010

Winery Chefs to serve “Street Food” at 2010 Taste of Howell Mountain on June 19th

Join the wineries of Howell Mountain as they host the 2010 Taste of Howell Mountain. A garden party, tasting and auction being held this Saturday June 19th at the Charles Krug Winery.

Here’s some of what will will be serving:

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Smoke Duck Tacos with Pickled Beet and Sweet Onion Salad

Porchetta Sandwiches with Rapini and Spring Garlic

Grilled Don Watson Spring Lamb Piadini, Fava Bean Puree, Arugula, Feta

Hungry yet?

April 26

0
2010

Hall Cabernet Cook Off

After taking home the Critics Choice Award for the 2010 Mustard Festival, we’ve gone and done it again and entered ourselves into a recipe contest. The Hall Cabernet Cook Off.  This time its a popularity contest as the guest will be asked to vote on the winning dish. That means we need you to join us Sunday May 16th at Hall Winery in Saint Helena. Come taste our creation along with dishes created by other Bay Area chefs, both professional and amateur.  Visit the link below for more information. Reply to this post for a coupon.

http://www.hallwines.com/cabernetcookoff

Cheers!!

Richard Haake

March 18

0
2010

Introducing Winery Chefs Spring Drop Off Menu

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Spring 2010

Family Style Menus

1.

Asparagus with Tarragon Aioli

Roasted Lemon-Thyme Marinated Cornish Hen with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette

2.

White Bean Salad with Arugula, Piquillo Peppers and Fennel

Cazuelas of Pork Shoulder with Ancho Peppers, Sundried Cherries, and Spring Garlic

Meyer Lemon Tart

3.

Mozzarella Salad with English Pea, Crispy Prosciutto and Mint

Roasted Pozzi Ranch Leg of Lamb with Roasted Nante Carrots and Cured Black Olives

Polenta Cheese Cake with Macerated Strawberries

4.

Chopped Salad with Fava Beans, Kalamata Olives, Garlic Croutons

Green Goddess Dressing

Grilled Flat Iron with Confit of Wild Mushrooms and Shallots

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding


Drop off $30.00 per person

Includes platters, Serving Utensils and Bread

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