Category Archives: Eat

Making soup by the book

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It snowed this morning, fat, white flakes that melted as soon as they hit the lawn.

the-soupmakers-kitchen-how-to-123813l1-240x300Those first flurries are a reminder that it’s soup season, time to scour fridge and pantry for ingredients to blend into a pot full of warmth and flavor.

Soup truly is magical food. I have seen the aroma of chicken broth lift my husband’s feet from the floor and carry him to the table.

The Soupmaker’s Kitchen, a cookbook by Philadelphia journalist and chef Aliza Green, is bubbling with inspiration. As might be expected, Green shares more than 100 recipes for potages, broths and bisques. Beyond, she offers savvy, kitchen-tested tips for organizing your own work space and reducing wasted food.

But what about stock, the Mount Everest of soupmaking? Whenever I think of stock I recall Peggy Morgan, a gifted writer and colleague at the Courier-Post, the newspaper that is and ever shall be South Jersey’s leading daily. Peggy, an exceptional home cook, confessed to having planted a flag at the summit only twice in her life. “Once for each marriage.”

In The Soupmaker’s Kitchen (Quarry Books, $24.99), Green demystifies stock and shares techniques that even a chowderhead can master. You will be amazed and gratified when you discover the depth of flavor stock adds to dishes.

Plus, you will be a good steward of the kitchen, making good use of peelings, scrapings and bones that otherwise might be tossed. Thus, the subtitle of the book: How to Save Your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup.

 

Talking turkey at Acme

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Every November, we have the Great Turkey Debate.

imagesWhich tastes better: Fresh, frozen or free?

The answer is simple. Free turkey is always best, you silly goose.

Last year, Acme was the clear loser in the turkey shootout in Supermarket Land. The chain offered a dodo bird of a deal, a mere discount on the Thanksgiving favorite while the competition handed out free poultry with combined purchases of as little as $300.

This year, Acme is bringing it with a super deal on turkey. This grocer got game. Or at least domestic birds.

Shoppers can bag a free with turkey by spending a mere $100 in a single transaction. Customers can choose from a Shadybrook frozen turkey weighing 12-19 pounds, a turkey breast of 5-7 pounds or an Empire kosher frozen turkey, which averages 12-16 pounds.

The only downside is you have to make room in your freezer well before the holiday. The deal ends Nov. 7.

A spirited cocktail for Halloween

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rszagwabottleshot300dpi2Hosts can bring an otherworldly glow to their Halloween festivities with AGWA de Bolivia, literally “Water from Bolivia,” touted as the world’s original coca leaf liqueur.

It’s a truly international blend. Choice coca leaves are plucked high in the Andes and shipped to Amsterdam where Dutch artisans quickly macerate the leaves into tea and blend with Chinese green tea, ginseng, Amazon guarana and African mint for a 60-proof herbal liqueur that is a striking bright green in color.

(MSRP: $31.99 for 750 ml)

When frozen for four hours, AGWA forms ice crystals, which concentrates the color and transforms the liquid into a green glow you would be proud to serve to Martians. Fiendishly clever!

Here’s a recipe for your Halloween sipping pleasure.

Green Angel

Ingredients:

8 basil leaves

12.5ml limoncello

37.5ml gin

25ml AGWA,

25ml pure apple juice

Vanilla sugar

 

How to Mix:

In a chilled cocktail shaker, place 7 basil leaves, fill with crushed ice, drizzle limoncello and stir.

Strain off limoncello, add 3 other liquids and stir to taste.

Rim a chilled martini glass with a lime wedge and vanilla sugar. Strain contents into glass, garnish with remaining basil leaf and serve to spirited applause.

 

Daring pairings

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I’ve long thought of Alamos wines as a culinary chum. Food friendly. Good character. Exceptional value.

alamos-seleccion-malbecIn fact, I have recommended Alamos often to fellow shoppers in the liquor store at Costco, a trusted resource for wines and spirits.

So I was happy to be invited to a five-course tasting of Alamos wines and dishes at Ela, the hip and innovative bistro in Philadelphia’s Queen Village whose edgy chef, Jason Cichonski, is as hot as his grill.

It was a memorable night for the noshing press as Jimena Turner, a charming and knowledgeable ambassador for Alamos, guided diners through four reds and a white produced by Argentina’s most prolific winemakers.

Chef Jason created a stellar menu of pairings, starting with Alamos 2012 Torrentes, a fresh white with citrus notes, teamed with spruce smoked amberjack with preserved lemon, capers and brown butter. (I’m now in the process of preserving lemons at home in the hope I can pull together a dish even half as memorable as complex melange of freshness, savory and salt.)

jason_headshot1The 2012 Malbec, my go-to red at Costco, played nicely with an earthy tartare of roasted beets with celery root, creamy house ricotta and crisp pumpernickel pita chips. It tastes way more expensive than its price tag of $7 and change, especially with an expert pairing.

Homemade spaghetti with bone marrow and wild mushrooms served with a hearty 2012 Red Blend proved a rhapsodic and rustic twosome.

Our favorite of the Alamos offerings is the 2011 Seleccion Malbec, whose round, lush and sophisticated fruit was an ideal match for the richness of wagyu beef with pumpkin, smoked potato and black garlic. It’s deep garnet color is so lovely you might be tempted to take it straight to the paint store for a match. (At less than $20 a bottle, it’s the most expensive and an affordable splurge.)

The mocha notes of the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon were a natural with dessert, a soft mound of chocolate with rosemary, raspberry and pistachio.

Chef Jason, who showed us the elaborate Ela tattoo recently inked onto his mightily muscled thigh, is focused, intense and even hunkier in person than he is on the current season of Top Chef, set in New Orleans.

I’d root for him naturally, simply because he grew up in Northeast Philly, right across the Delaware from Palmyra, N.J., my home town. After tasting his food and his skill at coaxing the best notes from the wine, I’ll stand up and cheer.

 

Bling at the Biggs Museum

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The Biggs Museum of American Art is poised to sparkle at a new event called Biggs Bling, featuring a silent auction of fine antique jewelry, estate jewelry and high-end costume jewelry provided by private donors and event sponsors.

22The fundraiser takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5, 6-9 p.m., at the museum on Federal Street in Dover. The event will feature a silent auction including an outstanding array of fine antique, period jewelry, estate jewelry and high-end costume jewelry provided by private donors and event sponsors.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres? Of course, including a mashed potato bar. There will be entertainment by the musical ensemble Melomanie and guest performer Jennifer Margaret Barker, who will perform this season’s new works fusing important pieces from the 17th and 18th Centuries and today.

“We are excited to launch Biggs Bling, the first event of its kind in Kent County, which showcases the art of jewelry,” Linda Danko, the museum’s executive director, said in a statement. “Biggs Bling is a great opportunity for women to find that perfect something to add to their jewelry collection – and for men to begin their Christmas shopping – all while supporting the area’s premier museum.”

The event’s Diamond Sponsor is Sayers Jewelers and Gemologists in Smyrna, which is donating several pieces of fine jewelry to the silent auction. Funds raised directly support the Biggs. Tickets are $50 for members and $75 for non-members, available online or by calling (302) 674-2111. Or you can hatch a deal for $36 by buying tickets on DealChicken.

White wines from the Italian Alps

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tiefenbrunnerweissburgunder_classicThe north of Italy is a wondrous place, with the effortless style and elegance of Italy blended with the impeccable precision and freshness of its Swiss and Austrian neighbors. My husband’s family hails from the Tyrolean region, where both Italian and German are widely spoken. (The Dallabridas, in fact, have cousins named Helmut and Werther, mingled with the Dinos and Daniellas.)

It’s a special place, drenched in sun, with spectacular views of the Dolomites and fertile soil, rich with minerals, that produces  youthfully fresh wines. I was introduced to one of my favorites, made in Trentino’s Alto Adige, here in the U.S.

Tiefenbrunner’s Pinot Blanco 2012 is clear, bright yellow in color, with apple  and floral aromas and a pleasing level of acidity. It has a pleasant, flinty finish that reflects its mountain roots.

Don’t think of it as a summer fresher. Enjoy this lovely white all year ’round. Pinot Blanco is the ideal accompaniment to grilled asparagus, with or without ravioli and butter. (MSRP: $17.99)

 

Uncork Savino, a better idea for preserving wine

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It’s the end of the evening and there’s still wine in the bottle.

hero-homeHey, it could happen!

So, how to ensure the wine you swooned over on Tuesday is still fit to drink on Friday?

Uncork Savino, an easy-to-use wine preservation system that empowers aficionados of the grape to indulge in their favorite wine without fear the rest of the bottle will turn into plonk.

Featured in Wine & Spirits Magazine, Savino was founded by Scott Taverna, an amateur wine enthusiast who was inspired when he opened his fridge and found a glass of fine wine sitting on the top shelf. His wife said she wanted to save it for later.

Manufactured in the U.S., Savino is the most popular wine-related Kickstarter project to date. It’s durable. It’s easy to use. It has a generous 750ml capacity and fits in most refrigerators. And you can clean it in the dishwasher.

MSRP: $59.95 or two for $99. You can buy it at www.savinowine.com and through premier wine retailers, including the Wine Enthusiast.

 

Welcome to the beach house

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It’s the Summer Solstice, the one night of the year when we have the most time to enjoy sunlight on the patio.

image002Quick! Uncork the white, nicely chilled, if you please.

The beachhouse (lowercase b, all one word) Sauvignon Blanc blend is an easy choice — after all, it has a screw top, like many wines from South Africa — and pairs effortlessly with salads, shellfish and conversation. At an MSRP of $9.99 a bottle, it’s a great value for summer entertaining. Every deck should come with a case.

In a stroke of genius, beachhouse boasts an irresistible label: a cerulean blue starfish and a list of words that is an invitation to relax: tranquil… cool… rippled sand… Get my drift?

2012 beachhouse Sauvignon Blanc is lively and refreshing. It’s pleasantly acidic, that perfect spot between lemon and lemonade. Not too dry, not too floral, but pleasingly crisp, with a finish that lingers but doesn’t overstay its welcome.

 

EatShopGo road trip: McAllen, TX

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We know that lots of Americans cross the Rio Grande to shop in Mexico. In reality, retail flows both ways. And the No. 1 shopping destination for Mexicans shopping north of the border is McAllen, Texas, where you can buy such diverse goods as a $1,000 floral print blouse, wholesale silk flowers, and frothy formal frocks for teens poised to blossom into womanhood.

photoMcAllen, population 130,000, boasts more than 40 shopping centers, according to our hosts, the McAllen Convention & Visitors’ Bureau. Not all are worth visiting if you are only in town for a few days. After all, odds are you have a Target or Walmart not far from home and you will want to reserve a good chunk of time for checking out the region’s spectacular birds and tropical plant life. (More on that in a future blog post.)

Don’t miss Jones & Jones, McAllen’s high-end specialty store, which offers such upscale wares as Mason Pearson brushes, St. Johns resort garb and a luxurious porcelain sink set in an antique vanity. Expect a posh showroom and highly attentive service.

While you are there, grab a bite to eat at Peppers at Uptown, a very good contemporary restaurant in the same shopping center. I highly recommend the Red Drum, grilled redfish served on a bed of saffron rice with white wine cream sauce, crab, tomato and spinach.

58085-1Our favorite repast in McAllen was at Lansky & Brats, an honest-to-goodness steakhouse that could go toe to toe with the best of them in Chicago. It has the vibe of a place where Sinatra would hang out, with clubby booths, dark wood tables and friendly, professional waiters. Lansky’s serves aged prime Midwestern beef and seafood flown in daily, including Alaskan king crab legs.

gallery-photo-1Do venture off Route 336 (aka North 10th Street) into downtown, where JCPenney still boasts its hip mid-century facade. Coqueta’s is one of a number of boutiques that cater to quinceañeras, the extravagant celebrations that are an important rite of passage for Latinas turning 15. Dresses are colorful, over-the-top  confections, typically with full, sweeping ballgown skirts.

During our visit, we saw a lovely quinceañera in a canary yellow gown posing for pictures in front of Nuevo Santander Gallery on North Main Street. The gallery offers museum-quality firearms, Mexican religious icons, original contemporary art and a smattering of jewelry. Located in a Spanish-style stone building, it’s a cool place to browse and acquaint yourself with local artists or do some serious shopping.

photo-1On the other end of the retail spectrum is Tonita’s Ropa Usada, where second-hand clothing is sold by the pound or at dramatic markdowns. Think of it as a treasure hunt, except the gems are designer jeans and gently used Coach bags. Among the notable finds on our visit: a Ralph Lauren sundress, still with its original hang tags, marked at $16.99.

 

From Chile, a red and a white for Dad

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Dad’s sock drawer is full. But there’s always room in the house for wine.

Pop will likely be delighted if you show up for the Father’s Day cookout with a bottle in each hand, a red and a white. Here are two great choices from Vina Ventisquero, a leading producer of estate and single vineyard wines from Chile’s most prestigious growing regions.

image005Queulat Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is pale green to the eye and fruity on the nose, with tropical aromas of grapefruit, lime, pineapple and pear. This isn’t one of those wimpy, flowery Sauv Blancs. It has a pleasingly acid taste, with a slightly flinty finish. Serve this with the salad course or with grilled swordfish.

Ventisquero’s 2011 Pinot Noir Reserva is a gorgeous color, deep ruby tinted with violet. It’s velvety and fruity, with notes of strawberries and sour cherries and gently spicy tones of vanilla. I’d chill it slightly to about 55 degrees and pour it with pork tenderloin or grilled chicken.

Both wines have an MSRP of $17.99, offering both the quality and value we appreciate in Chilean wines. Plus, Dad won’t worry that you are spending too much money on him. Or if he thinks you spent more, that’s OK, too. After all, Dad is worth it.