Fred Soup

1/4 small head cauliflower (rough chopped)
1 med parsnip (peeled, chopped)
1/2 russet potato (peeled, chopped)
12 roasted pearl onions (peeled)
2 cloves roasted garlic
1 leek (white part only, washed, chopped)
1 c roasted celery root
3 1/2 c veggie stock
2 star anise stars
1T fennel seeds
1 t anise seeds
4 T slightly "off" chardonnay
1 T olive oil

Tie spices in cheese cloth (or put in a cute mesh metal tea strainer)
In 3 qt pot, saute leek, parsnip, and potato in olive oil
Add stock, roasted veggies, and spice bundle
Simmer until veggies squish under gentle pressure and potatoes fall apart (~25 min)
Remove spice bundle and puree soup in batches, seasoning with wine (or lemon juice - it's for acidity), salt, and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately

This would go well with a crouton or two...

Campanelli with saffron-infused carrot broth, scallops, and truffle oil

I adapted a recipe from the Dean and Delucca Food and Wine cook book for this dish.

This paired well with both a Viognier and a dry Sauvignon Blanc.

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 carrot, small dice
1 sm zucchini, small dice
12 scallops (vegan option: oyster mushrooms)
3 c carrot juice
2 T olive oil
healthy pinch cayenne
1/4 t cinnamon
healthy pinch saffron
a few gindings of nutmeg
4 c small pasta (such as campanelli)
1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted
parsley, minced
4 t white truffle oil
----------------------------
Put a pot of salted water on to boil (for the pasta).

Put a medium sauce pan over medium heat with 1T olive oil. Add sliced garlic and saute until golden. Add carrots and toss until coated in oil and a little soft, around one minute (don't let the garlic burn). Add carrot juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Simmer; don't let the carrot juice boil.

Put around 1/4 c of the warm carrot juice mixture into a teacup and add the saffron to it to steep.

Add the zucchini to the carrot juice and continue to simmer.

In another pan, heat the other 1T olive oil.

Add the pasta to the boiling water.

While the pasta is boiling, season and sear the scallops (or oyster mushrooms). Set them aside on a warm plate.

Add the saffron to the carrot juice sauce and fix seasoning.

Drain the pasta and scoop one cup of pasta into each dish. Scoop around 3/4 c of the carrot sauce over the pasta, making sure to get equal amounts of veggies into each dish. Sprinkle each dish with 1/4 of the almonds. Pile three seared scallops (mushrooms) in the middle of the dish and sprinkle with parsley. Right before serving, drizzle ~1t of white truffle oil over each plate.

Oatmeal Almond Cherry White Chocolate Cookies

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 bags (12 oz each)white chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cherries (unsweetened), cut into raisin-size pieces

Preheat oven to 375 F

Wisk flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, blend sugars and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add the flour in three batches, mixing until incorporated, but being careful not to overmix.

Remove bowl from standing mixer and stir in chocolate chips, almonds, cherries, and oats by hand.

Bake 8-9 minutes and cool on a rack.

**NOTE**
If you prefer cookies with a more "bready" texture, leave the dough in the fridge overnight before baking.

Mache with Pomegranite Seeds, Oranges, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Manchego Cheese in a Persimmon-Cinnamon dressing

Salad Ingredients:
1/4 c Toasted Hazelnuts with skin removed, roughly chopped
1 Naval Orange, Segmented
1/2 Pomegranite, De-Seeded
4T manchego cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
9 oz mache (usually one bag)

Dressing:
2 Fuyu Persimmons - peeled, seeded, and pureed
3T white wine vinegar
3T extra virgin olive oil (a mild one)
pinch cinnamon
salt, pepper, honey to taste (only if needed)

Place all salad ingredients save manchego cheese and hazelnuts in a bowl. Toss with some of the dressing (to taste) and garnish with cheese and nuts.

Rebecca on the Wine Insider's Podcast

Recipes can be found here

Venison Stew with Bacon and Wild Mushrooms

1 cup dry red wine
1 ounce dried black trumpet mushrooms
6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds venison stew meat
Black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
1 leek, white only, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 12 ounce bottle Newcastle Brown Ale or similar
1 1/2 quart veal stock or beef broth
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon allspice
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 lb wild mushrooms such as king trumpet, chanterelles, and shitakes.
3 tablespoons butter, divided.
1 pound cooked egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Bring the red wine to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the black trumpet mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are very soft, then remove the mushrooms, finely chop them and set them aside. Strain the wine to remove any grit from the mushrooms. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large stockpot cook the bacon over high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Season the venison with salt and pepper, and then lightly dust with flour. Add the oil to the bacon grease remaining in the pot and sear the venison in batches on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the pot and add the remaining flour, stirring constantly to make a roux. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping with a wooden spoon.

Add the onions and cook over medium high heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and parsnips and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the leeks, black trumpet mushrooms, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the beer and scrape to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef broth, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, allspice, bay leaves and tomato paste.

Place the stew in the insert of the slow cooker set on high for at least 5 hours. (Can cook as long as 7 hours)

1/2 to 1 hour before serving, sauté the wild mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter for around 5-7 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices. Add to the slow cooker.

Season to taste and serve with egg noodles tossed with the remaining butter. Garnish with a generous helping of the reserved bacon and a teaspoon of chopped parsley.

Thank you, Kurt, for sharing Bambi with me!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

A take on the Magnolia Bakery Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 ½ cups gingersnap cookies, crushed into crumbs
½ cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts, chopped into crumbs
¼ cup melted butter

Cheesecake filling
3 sticks (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp bourbon
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Maple Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix gingersnap crumbs, nuts, and melted butter. Press into the bottom and about 1” up the sides of a 9” springform pan. Set aside in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the cheesecake.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and bourbon in a standing mixer until cream cheese mixture is smooth. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides between each addition. Remove 1 cup of the batter and set aside. Add pumpkin puree and spices into remaining batter and mix until smooth on low speed. Pour pumpkin mixture into gingersnap crust. Dollop reserved plain cheesecake mixture onto the top of the pumpkin filling and swirl through the two several times with a long butter knife to create the marbled effect. Place prepared cheesecake on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Bake until cheesecake is firm on the outsides and not quite set in the middle, around 45 minutes. The cake must cool completely before it can be eaten. Let it cool to room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or, preferably, overnight.

When ready to eat, beat the heavy cream with the maple syrup. Serve each slice with a spoonful of cream.