Viewing Posts Tagged ‘Sauvignon Blanc’


July 27

0
2009

Ziata Wines by Karen Cakebread

My good friend Karen Cakebread is making two great food friendly wines under her new label Ziata. My wife, Virginia, thinks the Ziata Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best wines she has tasted this year. I created a fun summer time recipe the pairs perfectly with this beautifully structure Sauvignon Blanc. To learn more about Ziata Wines and Karen Cakebread visit her website at http://www.ziatawines.com

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Grilled Zahtar Rubbed Shrimp and Fattoush Salad
Serves 4 to 6

Zahtar Spice:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 tablespoons sumac
1 teaspoons fresh picked, chopped lemon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*Reserve some of the spice mixture to use another time with fish or poultry

1 pound medium 25/30 shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail intact
¼ cup olive oil

Dressing:
½ cup lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sumac

Salad:
2 pita rounds, torn into pieces and toasted or ready made from the store
2 romaine hearts, rough chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and medium diced
¼ cup mint, roughly chopped
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 avocado, quartered, pitted, peeled and cut into pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grind the sesame and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Combine the remaining spice ingredients and mix well.

Light the grill. Toss the shrimp in the spice mix, covering the shrimp evenly. Thread the shrimp on soaked bamboo or metal skewers. Brush the shrimp with olive oil and grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes a side until the shrimp are cooked. Remove from the grill and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl, mix well and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the salad ingredients. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss together.

To serve, portion the salad onto plates. Remove the shrimp from the skewers. Top the salad with the shrimp and serve.

April 17

0
2009

One of my favorite recipes from my Cakebread Cellars days.

Realizing I am spending too much time working on my new business and not enough time adding to my blog I am going to attempt to add some content that I have developed in the past. I worked as the resident chef for five years at Cakebread Cellars. I cant say enough kind words about the Cakebread family. They are committed to excellence and have a world class culinary program lead by culinary director, Brian Streeter. I learned much of my recipe writing techniques at the winery. It takes a lot of hard work. Here is one my recipes that is on the Cakebread Cellars website, a great source for wine and food recipes.

http://www.cakebread.com/recipes/index.cfm?recipe=SB_ahi_cuc_mango_salad.ht

March 02

0
2009

Pot of Steamed Mussels

winechef_0128.jpg Pot of Steamed Mussels
Serves 4 to 6

5 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 bay leaf, dry
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced
2 teaspoons each coarse salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup sauvignon blanc

1 loaf French baguette, warmed
1 lemon, cut into wedges

When cleaning mussels, discard any that are cracked or chipped.  If any are slightly open, discard those that do not close when lightly tapped.

In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and shallot until they are soft.  Add the bay leaf, parsley, salt, pepper and sauvignon blanc to the pot and increase the heat to high, bringing the wine to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and steam until mussels open, about 6-8 minutes.  Be careful not to over cook.

Serve in large bowls with plenty of the broth, along with the French bread to soak up the garlic broth.  Garnish with lemon wedges.

Enjoy with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or other light, crisp white wine.