CHEF'S CORNER!

Discovered another great wine! A red blend by Sterling Vineyards. Vintner's Collection
'Meritage' is a wonderful blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, malbec and cabernet franc. Ahhh. I love it. And, the price ~ under $15 ~ but, not for long I fear. Guests and I tried it with a pesto/pasta/shrimp dish and thoroughly enjoyed it. Give it a try and p l e a s e let me know what you think. Enjoy.

CHEF'S CORNER!

COOKING WITH WINE... did you know?

• The acidity in wine hinders the cooking process of some vegetables. Onions should always be cooked before adding wine.
• Always allow the alcohol to evaporate after adding wine; keep unlidded for 2 minutes. However, add fortified wines such as port, sherry or Madeira just before serving (1 tb. per serving) to retain the full bodied taste, i.e. cream soups, sauces, chicken Madeira.
• Wine curdles milk and cream. Add these ingredients last and off the heat and do not allow to simmer.
• Unless specified otherwise, use medium to dry wines for cooking. They impart more flavor. One of the red wines that I like to use is Ravenswood Zinfandel. Moderately priced and very tasty.
• And, remember, if you won't drink it, don't use it for cooking! Bon Appetit!

CHEF'S CORNER!

Inn guests asked for my 'Baked Maple French Toast' recipe today. Great brunch item.. can prepare in advance and freeze! You will need a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350. Yield: 8-10 servings Recipe: Ingredients: 1 lg. loaf cinnamon/raisin bread or 2 sm. loaves (sliced into 1" fingerlike pieces) ~ 6 oz. cream cheese ~ 1/3 cup maple syrup (divided in half) ~ 10 lg. eggs ~ 1/2 stick butter (softened) ~ 2-1/2 cups milk ~ teas. vanilla ~ 1/2 cup brown sugar ~ cinnamon ~ walnuts (optional) Method: combine butter, cream cheese and half of the maple syrup - heat in microwave until softened to a creamy mixture - about 30 seconds - mix well w/fork. Place sliced bread side by side in the pan until you've filled it. Spread cream cheese mixture across top of bread. Whisk eggs, milk & remaining syrup and pour over top. Using a fork or whatever, move the bread slightly to allow egg mixture to penetrate through. Sprinkle the brown sugar across the top of egg mixture. Gently pat down to make bread uniform within the pan and not sitting above the edge. Dust with a little cinnamon & nuts, if you like. Cover w/foil and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake for 40-45 minutes depending on your oven. Shouldn't be soupy. Cut into triangles and serve hot w/a light dusting of powdered sugar. fyi: freezes very well -
take right from freezer to preheated oven and bake uncovered about as long depending on your oven. Bon Appetit! p.s. I would love your comments.

HEADS UP!

Innkeepers ~ aspiring or otherwise, I've found an excellent resource for you. Check out http://innkeepersresource.typepad.com/. Good info. Excellent tips. To do or not do. What's happening at other Inns or B&Bs. Ways to make more $ in 2010. Inn tune-up in order? Have a look.

CHEF'S CORNER!

FYI: Do you use non-stick fry pans? Want to go green? Crate & Barrel is offering 'Green Pan'. The first environmentally safe non-stick pan and no hot spots! Designed for electric, gas and ceramic stovetops. The Thermolon ceramic-based technology provides a scratch-resistant, PFOA- and PTFE-free surface that will not
deteriorate when sauteing, frying and searing at high heats. Fifty percent fewer greenhouse gases are emitted during the manufacture of 'Green Pan'. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at the price ~ $45-$60. Check them out at http://crateandbarrel.com. I would love to hear how you like them!

CHEF'S CORNER!

Discovered a very interesting chicken broth the other day called 'Thai Coconut Curry'. Apparently it is new by College Inn. It comes in a 32 oz. box with NO msg. A very nice blend of chicken broth, coconut, curry, garlic & coriander. I decided to give it a try. To 2 cups of a combination of brown & wild rice, I added enough broth to cover rice, covered it and cooked over medium heat. It needed 30 minutes (it could have gone longer) but I like it crunchy. I rough-chopped one medium vidalia onion and sauteed in olive oil. When browned, I added 3 good-sized cloves of garlic, roughly chopped and cooked for another minute. I wanted to use up a few veggies that were beginning to look a little under the weather, so in went the fresh broccoli crowns, a handful of grape tomatoes & some scallion greens. Lastly, I added a few frozen shrimp and the rice. omg. First of all, I was soooo surprised with the intense flavor the broth imparted to the rice as it boiled down. The recipe easily made enough for two. Give it a try. I would love to hear how you used it! p.s. We had a bottle of Sterling Sauvignon Blanc with it ~ oh, yeah. Life is good. Bon Appetit!

CHEF'S CORNER!

If you would like to try a great pinot noir, check out David Bruce. It's definitely worth its $20 something price tag. It was a birthday gift from a former personal chef client who really knows her wine.

FYI: it will go very well with pork or chicken dishes, grilled flank steak, as well as, Paella ~ one of my personal all time favorites, which I prepared for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the combination. Bon Appetit!

Discovered a tasty wine lately and would like to share your experience?