Thursday, January 29, 2015

Wine and Food Tasting - January 30th & 31st


Friday, January 30th (3:00 to 6:00 PM)  


Food
  • Dillapeno
  • Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip over Cream Cheese
  • Pretzel Crisps

Wines
  • Estancia Chardonnay
  • Chateau Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris
  • Mark West Pinot Noir
  •  Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

 Saturday, January 31st (1:00 to 4:00 PM)


Food
  • Dillapeno
  • Chicken Cheese Spread
  • Pretzel Crisps

Wines
  • Coppola Rosso/Bianco Chardonnay
  • Coppola Rosso/Bianco Pinot Grigio
  • Coppola Rosso/Bianco Rosso


Stock Up Saturday Sale wine is Coppola Rosso/Bianco.  Sale Price - $6.00.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Recipe: Anita's Crab, Corn and Avocado Salad


This past Saturday (January 24th) I poured Merryvale's Starmont Sauvignon Blanc. I absolutely enjoyed it because it was a refreshing change from the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I drink in the summer. Starmont Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 5% Semillion.  It was grassy with citrus on the back end.  Long finish and balanced.  Having poured it.  Tasted it.  LOVED it.  All I can think of now is how fantastic it would be paired with my Crab Salad.  I will be preparing my Crab Salad for dinner Friday night when Dave is back in town.  For now, I'll just share the recipe with you, and some pictures.

In October, when Dave and I went to Paso Robles,  our first stop was at one of our favorite Paso Robles wineries, Niner.  



I love this copse of treese in the shape of a heart.  It's been my screen saver 
since our trip to Paso in 2011.

Tasting room off to the left.

We first did the wine tasting and then went on the patio to have lunch.  Although we drink more red wines than white, be both wanted the Crab Salad.  I had Sauvignon Blanc and Dave, Chardonnay.  

Dave on the patio as we wait for lunch.  Oops!  First glass of wine gone.

Me on the patio waiting for lunch. 

The man on the right (over my shoulder) is Stephan Asseo, Winemaker
L'Aventure Winery.  Dave and I have belonged to L'Aventure since our
trip in October, 2011.  Fantastic wines.  It was great to see him at Niner
having lunch and enjoying wine.  Confirmation we have great taste.

The Crab Salad was to die for!  Dave and I discected it and asked our server what the oil was.  I wrote it down and when we arrived home, had to prepare it.

Presentation - Niner's Crab Salad

Presentation - Anita's Crab Salad


So what do you think?  Presentation looks fairly similar.  I just didn't replicate the tuile.  So here's my recipe ...

Anita's Crab, Corn and Avocado Salad
12 oz. jumbo lump crab meat
1 c. yellow corn kernels
2 avocados
salt
1 Tbl. orange olive oil
1 Tbl. lime olive oil 
¼ c. chopped cilantro

Line 4 6oz. ramekins with plastic wrap. If you have ring mold, use that.  Set aside.

Place avocado meat in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Season with salt.  Set aside.

Place 3 oz. crab meat in each ramekin. Top with ¼ c. corn.  The last layer, split the mashed avocado evenly among the ramekins. Fold over the plastic wrap and refridgerate until ready to serve.

To serve: unwrap plastic wrap.  Place serving plate on top of ramekin and flip plate/ramekin over.  Pull up ramekin and peel off plastic wrap.  Season with salt.  Drizzle each salad with ¾ teaspoon orange olive oil and ¾ teaspoon lime olive oils.  Garnish with cilantro.  ENJOY!

Yiels: 4 servings

Note:  In the summer I'll use fresh yellow corn kernels cut from the cob.  For now, I'm using TFM's frozen yellow corn (thawed).  I prepared it once with white corn and it didn't have the pretty layers of color.  Looked anemic.

Friday night when I get home from work, I will relax with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc and this salad.  (With Dave of course.) 




2014 RECIPE INDEX

Click on the recipe you're interested in and the recipe post will open in a new window.  

An asterisk (*) in front of a recipe denotes a recipe customers loved.

Recipes have been sampled by my taste testers and have my TFM customer seal of approval.  ENJOY!

A
* Apple Jalapeno Brie


B
- Broccoli Bacon Slaw

C
* Cherry Berry Brie

D

E


F
               Ricotta Salata
               Oak Smoked Cheddar/Ricotta Salata
               Chevre/Comte Gruyere
               Cranberries/Belavitano Merlot
     - #11:  Burrata/Piave
     - #13: Red Wax Gouda/Chaumes
                Raspberry

G
- Goat Cheese Topped with
         Almonds

H
- Hibiscus 1114 Cocktail
- Hibiscus Sunrise

I


J

K


L

M
- Meatballs/Kielbasa in

N


O
Over Cream Cheese/Cheese
     * Dillapeno
     * Ginger Pepper Jam
     * Honey Pepper Jam
     * Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip
     * Raspberry Salsa
     * Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam
     * Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Dip

P
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mushroom and Celery Salad
Pesto Pepper Spread (Parmesan)
Pesto Pepper Spread (Fontiago)
Pizza Dip
Pineapple Nut Cheese Spread
Portabello Mushroom Sandwich

Q  
Queso/Queso Gone Quiche

R
Raspberry Mustard Pretzel Dip
Red Bell Pepper and Cheese Torte
Roast Beef Pretzel Roll Sandwiches with Horseradish Sauce
Roasted Garlic Onion Cheese Ball
Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Cole Slaw

S
* Savory Parmigiano-Reggiano Spread
Seafood Bacon Spread
Shrimp with Sriracha Aioli
Smoked Gouda Spread
Smoky Cheese Ball
Southwest Mac 'n Cheese #2
Spicy Cheesy Corn Spread
Spicy Cornbread Pudding

T
Turkey Tortilla Pinwheels with Chipotle Chili Aioli

U


V


W
- Wild Hibiscus Creamy Lemon Cakes
Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup Recipe Brochure


X


Y


Sunday, January 25, 2015

Recipe: Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Cheese Ball - PreMoo Cheese Spread


Customers were glad to see a two table set up for sampling.  It's always enjoyable to hear customers say, "you always have the best recipes".  Not so enjoyable when customers "come for dinner".  But, that's a compliment in itself.  Just remember, the recipes are not (mostly not) my own creation.  I get them from the brands' websites, I see recipes in magazines that spark a creation, I'm a tweaker (not a twerker), and I play (with the help of my trusty taste testers).  In the end, the food gets on the table.  Let me rephrase.  In the end, if it's delicious, it gets on the table. 


First up, 


Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Cheese Ball
12 oz. Cream cheese
4 oz. Robert Rothschild Farm   
     Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Dip
4-6 oz. shredded cheese, your favorite
½ red onion, diced
Chopped nuts (optional)

Blend together and make into a ball.  Roll in chopped nuts and place on serving plate. Serve with crackers or Pretzel Crisps.

This is a Robert Rothschild recipe and the first time I've prepared it at TFM.  Customers loved this.   I lost count of how many said I should make this and sell it.  As I've mentioned in previous recipe posts, and above, I am usually compelled to tweak a recipe.  My tweak was rolling the cheese ball in smoked mixed nuts.  Robert Rothschild's recipe called for just forming it in a ball and serving.  Sheez!  Was it naked.  


*******************

Friday night I sampled PreMoo with my wines.  My last customer of the night said, "I remember when Fresh Market had a spread with PreMoo.  I  haven't seen that in a long time."  From that moment on all I could think about was preparing the spread for Saturday and I immediately texted Nicole.  This has always been a customer favorite and Saturday was no exception.

However, ... let me just say, "oopsie!"  The printed recipe that I had on the table had "4 Tbl. mayonniase".  Where that came from I have no idea.  I forgot to tell most customers about the "typo" so hopefully they'll figure it out, or look it up here in this post.



PreMoo Cheese Spread
7 oz. PreMoo cheese, shredded
½ to ¾ c. mayonnaise
2 Tbl. choped red onion (or to taste)
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. Coleman's dry mustard
1 tsp. sugar

Starting with ½ cup mayonnaise, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until thoroughly blended.  Add  more mayonnaise to reach the desired consistency, or to taste.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Serve with Pretzel Crisps or your favorite TFM crackers.

Huge hit in 2013 and still a favorite. 



Thursday, January 22, 2015

Keswick Vineyards Blending Party. And the winner (for the day) is ....


Some of you know that I was not at work last Saturday as I went to Keswick Vineyards with Dave for their Concensus Blending Party.  What a GREAT time!  If you haven't been to a blending party it's a must.  This was the second time for Dave and I.  The first one was for Molly Dooker.

Concensus is an annual wine club member blending event that takes place over 8 days.  Each day there are 9 or 10 teams of 5 or 6 people. The objective for each day is to have the BEST blend.  In the end, all 8 (best) blends are judged and a winner declared.  The winning wine becomes Keswick's house blend, Concensus.     


January 17, 2015

We all gather in the barrel room and are given 3 hours to create a blend from the varietals we are given.  For this vintage we were given 4 varietals - Touriga, Norton, Syrah, and Chambourcin.  It's up to each table to decide if they want to use all four varietals or not.

Every table was set with all we needed to begin blending.

Four varietals plus an empty bottle for our final blend.

Team Table 7 - Joann, Holli, Tracey, myself, Dave

Let the fun begin!  First on the list is taste each wine, make notes and discuss with the team.  From there, it's a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  We decided on the percentage of  each wine to include in the blend.  Then with beaker in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other ... blend away.

Joanne and Holli blending.

Dave and I blending.

Blend, swirl, sniff, sip, analyze.  Another blend. Swirl, sniff, sip, analyze.  The table begins to get a tad bit red.  Holli said if we didn't win for best blend that day, we'd at least get messiest table.




Another blend. More swirling, sniffing, sipping and savoring. (Well, not all blends were savored.)  Another blend and ...the fun keeps on going.  In all, our team created 17 blends before deciding on our final submission for the days judging.  

Judging, for the day, is by the participants.  All wines are blind tasted and each person gives each wine a score based on appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste, and overall.    The wine with the highest average score wins.

When Stephen Barnard (Winemaker) read the results we prayed we were not the lowest score. (Just like in reality shows, it sucks to be the first one eliminated.) As the wines were read from lowest rank to highest, the anticipation builds.  We were surviving 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 ... it was finally down to the top 2 wines.

Look at the look of anticipation on Holli's face.  It was down to the top 2 wines.  Then there's Dave ... ho, hum.

Best blend of the day goes to ... TABLE 7!!!  Joann, Holli, Tracey, Dave and Anita.  Our pictures will be on the label (along with the winners from the other 7 days) when the wine is released.  

Stephen Barnard, Joann, Holli, Tracey, Anita, Dave




Thank you to Cindy Schornberg (Owner Keswick Vineyards) and Holli for sending me pictures.  My ever faithful blog photographer, Bruce, wasn't with me and I didn't think to bring a camera.


Wine and Food Tasting - January 23rd & 24th


Friday, January 23rd (3:00 to 6:00 PM)  


Food
  • Cheese
  • Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Cheese Ball with Pretzel Crisps
  • Red Bell Pepper Ancho Chili Jam over Cream Cheese with Pretzel Crisps

Wines
  • J Lohr Chardonnay
  • Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc
  • Clos du Bois Rouge
  • J Lohr Cabernet

 Saturday, January 24th (1:00 to 4:00 PM)


Food
  • PreMoo Cheese Spread
  • Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Cheese Ball with Everything Pretzel Crisps
  • Red Bell Pepper Ancho Chili Jam over Cream Cheese with Everything Pretzel Crisps

Wines
  • Cambria Chardonnay
  • Starmont Sauvignon Blanc
  • Folie a Deux Zinfandel
  • Folie a Deux Cabernet
  • Mont Gras Antu Syrah


Stock Up Saturday Sale wine is Ruby Sky.  Sale Price - $7.00.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Recipes: Over Cream Cheese


Steve let me know that I hadn't updated recipes as promised last week.  So here goes ...

The following were over cream cheese.  Simple and tasty for Super Bowl parties.  

Dillapeno (SOLD OUT - as always)  I saved the juice and made myself a Dirty Dillapeno when I got home.







Robert Rothschild Raspberry Salsa







Robert Rothschild Roasted Pineapple Habanero Dip







Wickles Hoagie & Sub Sandwich Relish (Spicy but delicious - a customer favorite)










Sable & Rosenfeld Mediterranean Olive Bruschetta (SOLD OUT - as always)





I also sampled Stonewall Kitchen Tomato Herb Bruschetta with Kitchen Table Bakers Aged Parmesan Crisps.  This was a great pairing.  The Parmesan Crisps are so thick, crunchy and flavorful.


I have given  my list of food for sampling to Judson (Grocery Manager) for the next two weekends.  No hours so I'm going simple but delicious.  Not sure if it will be a two table tasting or not.  Hmmmm..... Decisions.  Decisions.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Wine and Food Tasting - January 16th & 17th


Friday, January 16th (3:00 to 6:00 PM)  


Food
  • Cheese

Wines
  • Cupcake Chardonnay
  • Louis Jadot Macon-Villages
  • Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
  • Cupcake Red Velvet

 Saturday, January 17th (1:00 to 4:00 PM)
(Malin will be filling in for me today. I'll be back next weekend.) 


Food
  • Cheese

Wines
  • Freixenet Brut 
  • Save Me San Francisco Chardonnay
  • Save Me San Francisco Pinot Noir
  • Save Me San Francisco Cabernet


Stock Up Saturday Sale wine is Firebrix.  Sale Price - $7.00.
TFM Midlothian did NOT get their shipment of Firebrix.  Doubtful it will be delivered today.  If this is the wine you want, call Midlo to see if it was delivered.  If not, you'll have to go to TFM Parham or Carytown for it. Tom is going to try and substitute another wine.  NO rainchecks - 1.  Against ABC laws and 2. Not a wine we normally keep in stock.


Monday, January 12, 2015

VOTE for Dillapeno (Smither Family Kitchen)

You all know how much I champion a product when I LOVE it.  Dillapeno from Smither Family Kitchen happens to be one.  Please take the time to vote for them (below).  THANKS!


FRIENDS AND FANS...
Our New Years resolution is to come up with a new product!

Please take 30 seconds of your time to click the link below and simply click "Vote for this entry" for Smither Family Kitchen.
100 votes makes us eligible to receive:
- $1,000 to Sam's Club (all of which will be used for raw materials to test new ideas in our kitchen)
- 1 free trip to a regional Championship Celebration and Symposium
- 1 year of mentoring and coaching from SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business"


Thank you,
 - Smither Family Kitchen




 Dillapeño  2015 Scovie Awards 
1st Place Unique Salsa
1st Place Hot & Spicy Relish

-   -   -   -   -

"I never met a nacho I didn't like." - John Smither