Not very often do I ever pull off a recipe to try BUT this one, on facebook recently, really caught my eye and taste buds. I should have been born Italian for my love of anything made with pasta and here we go.
When I forwarded this to Don with the words ‘yum. yum. yum’ he wanted to try it as well. Last night we did and here it is again. It is SO rich but Oh So awesome!
For two:
- 2 wheels of Camembert cheese
- white wine
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 tbsp. caramelized onion (for Don)
- Spaghetti for two
We used two wheels as they were small and also that Don was putting the onion in his.
You cut a circle off the top of the cheese wheel, leaving a 1/4 inch edge. Dice the bacon and cook until really crisp and drain well.
Pour enough wine in to make it level (probably 2 tbsp.) Place 1 slice approximately of bacon lard ons on top of each wheel, reserving the balance. Cook off the grated garlic and, for Don, the onion as well.
Replace the top of the cheese wheel and place in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
While the cheese is in the oven, cook your spaghetti and drain well. Remove the cheese from the oven, and carefully peel back the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1 slice of chopped crisp bacon on each wheel. Now, with tongs, pick a small amount of the spaghetti and gently roll in into the wheel, turning over and over to coat well. Place on a plate and continue this step until your plate is full (to what you would normally eat).
Pour a glass of the white wine (if you wish) and you will drool, groan and almost lick your plate clean.
Gold Leaf Wine Jelly
Sorry about yesterday, but it was my husband’s birthday and his son and family were visiting us from Alberta…hence, no recipe to post.
This is a great dessert for a celebration dinner. You only need to get edible gold flakes.
- 3 cups of Pinot Gris
- 2 envelopes plus 1 tsp. unflavoured gelatin
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. edible gold flakes
Pour 1/2 cup of the wine into a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin. Leave for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to swell.
Place sugar in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly to allow the sugar to dissolve. Boil for 1 minute and then pour over the wine/gelatin mixture to dissolve. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat gently until the liquid becomes crystal clear. Now pour in the remaining wine.
Pour this into a large measuring cup and refrigerate until it starts to thicken, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Stir in the gold flakes.
Rinse out a 9 x 9 inch glass pan with cold water. Pour in the jelly and chill until set. Turn out the jelly on a wet surface and, with a wet knife, cut into cubes. Put into your prettiest glass dishes and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.
A Real Swiss Fondue
While in Switzerland this summer, we were at the Stadkeller Restaurant and this is their recipe for a real fondue. They claim to enjoy the fondue properly, one should also consume a Kir (see recipes-signature drinks) or a crisp white wine, well chilled. Now, don’t I always say the same thing? See?….
Rub an earthenware bowl with a clove of garlic. Crush the garlic after that and leave it on the bottom of the bowl. Make sure you have about 7 oz. of cheese per person of a rich gruyere and emmental cheese, grated (half gruyere and half emmental).
Add a “knob” of butter and pour 1/4 pint of white wine per person. Place the casserole over a medium flame and stir with a wooden spoon. If the cheese forms a thick mass, continue stirring and it will be re-absorbed.
As soon as the mixture starts to cook, stir in a liqueur glass of a good kirsch in which you have dissolved a teaspoon (per every 4 people) of potato flour or corn flour. Add little grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Just before digesting, add a knifepoint of baking soda and the fondue will be lighter.
Place the casserole over a spirit lamp that can be regulated, keeping the flame just high enough to keep the fondue simmering gently while the meal is progressing.
Serve with large diced bread pieces with crust on. Spear a piece of bread with your fork and dip in the fondue, stir and……..enjoy!
Honey Cakes With Pears And Sauce
This allows each person to have their own small cake. It is a recipe for 8 people. It can be you and 7 family/guests or friends OR 8 of you….that means you really like it and don’t want to share. Shame on you! Lucky you!
Poached Pears
- 1 bottle of Gewurztraminer white wine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 3 inch long piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 4 pears, peeled, halved and cored
Bring wine, sugar, ginger, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice to a boil in a heavy sauepan. Add pear halves and simmer until just tender (12 minutes). Drain well.
Transfer to a work surface and slice lengthwise in 1/2 inch wide wedges. Place 1 sliced pear half in each of the ramekin cups and fan out.
Cakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter 8 ramekin cups.
Whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves in a bowl to blend. Using your eletric mixer, blend together the honey and butter in a large bowl to completely blend. Beat in the sour cream.
Add the dry ingredients and beat to blend. Pour a generous 1/3 cup over the pears and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden . Cool slightly and invert on pretty dessert plates.
Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup whipping cream
Stir the water, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and WITHOUT stirring watch it until it becomes a deep amber (7-8 minutes). Swirl it around the pan and remove from heat.
Slowly add the cream (it will bubble up). If you find any hard caramel bits, simply reheat on low and stir. Drizzle, generously, over the cakes.
Yum, Yum, Yum.
Apple Vichyssoise
This soup is also wonderful if you use fresh blackberries. You do not have to wait for summer. I have served this in the middle of winter and it is such a wonderful change of pace for your guests. (Has a little bit of a surprise factor). Scale of 1-10 as far as delicious and fabulous go….about a 17. Enjoy! It is WONDERFUL.
Reality: Cold Apple Soup
Serves 4
- 3 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
- 4 oz. ready made apple sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup sugar syrup (recipe follows)
- 1/2 cup Piesporter Wine
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped ginger
- 3/4 cup premium vanilla ice cream
- 2 tbsp. Calvados (apple brandy)
- 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1/3 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 granny smith apple, finely diced (garnish)
Cook apples in sugar syrup, allowing to cool down completely. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté ginger, then adding the apple sauce, wine, Calvados and cream and allow this to cool down.
Puree the mixture with the ice cream in a food processor until very smooth and pass it through a fine sieve. Stir in the cinnamon, mixing well. Refrigerate until very cold. Stir in the yogurt and garnish with a bit of the finely diced apples.
Syrup
Take one-half cup water and one-half cup sugar. Boil until sugar is melted and becomes a little thick.
Note: The yogurt taste should compliment the soup not overpower it.
Oh yeah, be sure to test the wine before using it…oh yeah, and again when testing it. Okay, okay….now open a new bottle and share with your guests as they delight in the flavours of the soup. Hav fun!
Coquille St. Jacques
Appetizers are generally a teaser prior to the main meal. Whatever you do, make the portions small or no one will be able to finish the meal. Use your imagination when serving this course. Use plates, bowls, shells or glasses; whatever you have to make it impressive. We eat with our eyes first, then with our taste buds. You can just have the appetizer and salad or appetizer and soup, if you really don’t want all three courses.
This only looks intimidating- Serves 6
- 1 lb. scallops
- 1/2 lb. button mushrooms
- 3/4 cup Chardonnay wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/2 small onion
- White pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 cup fish stock
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Lemon juice
- Panko crumbs
- Parmesan cheese
Rinse scallops, removing tough membrane. Slice mushrooms and combine with the next seven ingredients and simmer in a saucepan for four-five minutes.
Strain off stock and keep it warm. Set aside scallops and mushrooms. In the top of a heavy double broiler, melt butter, blend in flour and heat gently until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and blend in heated stock from scallops. Add the milk and heat one minute longer.
Combine beaten egg yolks and cream. Add a bit of the hot sauce to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Stir egg mixture back into the hot sauce cooking for one minute more. Do not burn.
Taste by adding a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cut scallops into quarters and combine with two-thirds of the sauce. Spoon onto shells and cover with remaining sauce. Top with crumbs and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Put under broiler until golden brown.
To make this even more elegant, you can cook three-four potatoes until tender, mash until smooth and pipe around the edge of the shell, giving it a raised edge. So, so, so good!
Roasted Root Vegetable Risotto
We show root veggies here, but you can use whatever you have in the fridge. This is leftover-risotto at its finest.
you will need:
- 1 carton chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of water
- 3 cups of leftover roasted vegetables, diced
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup crumbled, creamy Chevre cheese
- salt and white pepper to taste
In a saucepan, heat the broth with water until hot. Cut the vegetables into small pieces and melt the butter in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cooking for a few seconds so as not to burn and add the rice and stir in.
Add the wine, stirring until no wine remains. Add the broth to the mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, gently stirring until the liquid is absorbed. This should be no more than simmering until completed. This takes 22 minutes EXACTLY. No more and certainly no less. During the last 6 minutes, add the vegetables, stir in carefully then add the cheese and stir. Taste and add salt and white pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
This is more than worth the time it takes to make. Honest. Try using potatoes, yams, carrots, turnips etc.