The Grape Cup: Husky vs. Cougar Winemakers, Thurs. Nov 19 6:30-9pm, The Pickering Barn, Issaquah
What: Dinner and wine-tasting competition between Husky and Cougar Alumni Winemakers! 24 local wineries are taking the intense UW / WSU rivalry from the playing field to the tasting room to see whose wine is better – the Dawgs or the Cougs. The event is a fundraiser benefiting the Farmworkers Housing Trust.
When: Thursday November 19, 6:30-9pm
Where: The Pickering Barn in Issaquah, WA
Why: Benefit the Farmworkers Housing Trust and support your alma mater!!
Tickets: $35/person includes dinner and wine-tasting. Buy tickets here.
Wineries:
New Website, Snooth.com, Combines Wine & Social Media
What a lovely pairing- the world’s largest interactive wine database together with a social network brimming with oenophiles! Snooth.com enables users to find the best wine bargains in the world by categorizing pricing by country or zip code.
You can also connect with other Snooth users, exchange recommendations, post and subscribe to reviews, educate yourself on a myriad of wine-related topics, and manage your own personal cellar – among other things. Did I mention it’s free??
Check out Snooth and, while your at it, check out their most recent, seasonal food pairing – Roast Turkey and Syrah. Enjoy!
Recipe of the Week: Cornish Game Hens with Stuffing
photo courtesy of flickr user longhorndave
This flavorful poultry dish pairs perfectly with a glass of full-bodied Argentinian Malbec. I was lucky enough to have this for a family dinner last night, and it was truly delicious – definitely a rival for traditional Thanksgiving dinner!
Cornish Game Hen Dinner
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 Cornish Game Hens
- 4 full garlic bulbs
- 2 lemons
- 6 sprigs of Rosemary
- House herb mix
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash Cornish Game Hens inside and out with cold water and dry with paper towels.
3. Stuff each game hen with 1 full garlic bulb cut crosswise.
4. Stuff each game hen with 1/2 of 1 lemon cut in quarters.
5. Stuff 1 sprig of rosemary in each game hen.
6. Tie legs together with string.
7. Pour Olive Oil over each bird to cover it.
8. Sprinkle house herb mix over each bird and skin rosemary of each branch and sprinkle over each bird.
9. Salt and pepper each bird
10. Lay all 4 birds in a greased casserole dish, not touching each other
11. Cook in preheated oven for 1 hour for normal sized birds.
12. Take out when golden brown and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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In a separate large pan make stuffing to serve on the side.
Stuffing Ingredients
- 1 large package of Pepperige Farm Stuffing (small bits)
- 4 stalks of celery washed and strung
- 1 medium onion
- 1 apple skinned and cored
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberrries
- 1/2 cube of butter
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- Olive oil
Directions
1. In a large pan over medium heat place olive oil in pan.
2. Dice onion, celery, apple and saute in the pan for 5+minutes stirring occassionally.
3. Add butter and chicken stock
4. Add stuffing mix and heat together for 2-3 minutes under low heat
5. Transfer to a greased baking dish
6. Place in oven with the birds for the last 1/2 hour of cooking until hot
Serve the birds and stuffing with any version of cranberry sauce you like. Adding lemon zest over cranberry sauce gives it a tasty zing!
Recipe of the Week: Curry Pumpkin Soup
Halloween has come and gone once again… This means that chilly weather is swiftly approaching and you probably have some extra pumpkins on your hands! This week’s recipe will solve both problems by warming you up and making use of those leftover gourds (well, using canned pumpkin is probably easier). Did I mention this Curry Pumpkin Soup recipe pairs beautifully with a glass of aromatic, fruit-forward Viognier? Viognier is known for complementing spicy foods… perfect for this tasty seasonal dish from allrecipes.com. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until seeds begin to brown.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and curry powder until smooth. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble. Gradually whisk in broth, and cook until thickened. Stir in pumpkin and half-and-half. Season with soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Achaval Ferrer 2007 Malbec: A Keeper
Jane Macquitty, Wine Correspondent for The Times of London, recently reviewed The Wine Society, the largest mail-order wine club in the world. She reviewed many of the club’s wines and finished the article by selecting her favorite wines of the week.”The Keeper” title went to Achaval Ferrer’s 2007 Malbec! You can read the whole article here or her wonderful description of the Mendoza, Argentina Malbec below:
THE KEEPER
2007 Malbec Achaval Ferrer, Mendoza, Argentina Corney & Barrow (020-7265 2400), £12.49 Cellaring a New World wine may sound daft but Argentina’s full-throttle malbec, the country’s finest red grape, is an obvious contender. Put away this distinguished and already seductive, spicy, mulberry-stashed malbec, from one of the finest Argentine producers, for five years or so and it will develop all sorts of dusky, complex, earthy flavours. Drink now until 2012.
