Happy New Year Everyone!

I am very excited to be back. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and splendid starts to your new year. So I guess we should jump right into it. I wanted to start off the new year of posts with a reflection on a wonderful experience I had over the holiday season. Unfortunately due to several circumstances beyond our control, my girlfriend Mary and I were not able to return to our respective east coast homes for the holiday. I have some experience with this from past years, but this was Mary’s first Christmas away from her parents, friends, and adorable puppy.  To say that she was a little disappointed would be an understatement, so I had to think of something to get her excited about the prospect of staying on the west coast for Christmas. One day it hit me. PASO ROBLES!

For those of you who are not really sure where or what Paso Robles is here is a short little blurb. Paso Robles is a wonderful town and region in Central California along the Pacific coastline. The town is located about 4 hours away from Los Angeles and is one of my favorite spots on the planet. We were first introduced to this magical place in October of 2010 by Mary’s cousins Mat and Brandy. The are consummate professionals in the ways of navigating Paso Robles, so they taught us some wonderful tricks. We fell in love with the area, the vibe of the people, the beautiful scenery, and of course the out-of-this-world wine instantly. So much to the point where we began to contemplate what a move might entail.  That didn’t happen of course, but we had longed to return and I figured what better time than the holiday when we are stranded west?

The first time we journeyed up to Paso we had no idea what we were doing or how to even navigate where we should go or what we should try. It can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many wineries in the region and you only have a limited time, so where do you taste. The best answer I can give you is the one we received from Mary’s cousins. Ask for recommendations or do your research, because let’s be honest, the region has some of the greatest wine you will ever taste and some of the worst, and you must budget your time wisely. So here are a few recommendations based upon our little experience of some wineries you might want to check out when you make the trip.  Yes, when you make the trip. It is something everyone must do!

THE WINERIES:

Tablas Creek
We started our tasting adventure at a winery we had never tried before, Tablas Creek. We decided to start here because my boss is also a huge fan of Paso and this is one of her favorite places to taste, plus she wanted a bottle, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone. The winery is in a beautiful location. Tucked off the road, nestled between rows and rows of grape vines it sits prominently with an inviting tone. The tasting room is lovely, with wonderful accents of stone and metal work. To start the day we decided to share a tasting, this is not lame, this is pacing yourself. Our favorite wine was the 2009 Tannat. This was not initially offered on the tasting menu, but after explaining to our Tablas Creek representative what we enjoyed most, he allowed us to give the Tannat a try. The wine had beautifully crafted accents of spice and dark fruit with a complex and enjoyable finish. It didn’t dry out the palette, rather it enhanced it and made us very excited for what was to come.

Villa Creek 
This is by far our favorite winery in the region. We fell in love with it on our first trip up for so many reasons. First off the tasting room is located in the back half of their storage warehouse. In this warehouse they keep all the barrels of wine that are enduring the aging process. You are served your tasting on simple metal tables, with hoses and pallets in the background and adorable vineyard dogs at your feet. The staff is always so friendly, helpful, and most importantly excited. They love the wine they serve and they don’t keep it a secret. Suffice it to say that we have many favorite wines that Villa Creek supplies, but on this particular journey there were two we hadn’t tried yet, that really stood out. The 2009 Garnacha and the 2009 Mas De Maha. These two wonderful reds have a beautiful statement to make. They have a wonderful balance between sweet and tart along with subtle and intense. These wines are hard to find in the Los Angeles area so, we may have picked up a few bottles. One of the other great things about Villa Creek is that it gives a great deal of credit for its exquisite taste to the supplier of the majority of its grapes (Denner Vineyards.) So with the help of Villa Creek that was our next stop.

Denner Vineyards
Denner is currently a reservation only and member only vineyard. The reasoning is simple; They make such wonderful wine, that they run out too fast to be opened up to the general public anymore. They have so many members to accommodate with shipments that it would be to risky to worry about having a short supply. We had visited during our first trip up because Mary’s cousins were members and we did not think that we would be able to go this time, but our representative at Villa Creek saw our interest and helped us out. I think more than anything it was the fact that the town and the tasting rooms were so empty due to the holiday, but hey, we will take what we can get! Denner without a doubt has the most beautiful tasting room in Paso. The unbelievable wood work, the rounded angles on the doors and walls. I think Mary best described it when she said to me, “It’s like being in Rivendell.” (The fanboys who read this will get a kick out of that.) The wine that stood out most for us while tasting on this particular day was the 2010 Theresa. This incredibly crafted white blend gives you the sensation that you are figuratively drinking honey. But at the same time it is not an intense sweet, it is subtle and so refreshing.

Terry Hoage Vineyards
This vineyard was one we tried for the first time on this trip. I have to say that I was a little worried going into it. I mean how good can a wine made by a former pro football player be right? Awesome, that’s how good! Not only was this tasting room atop a hill that looked out over the vastness of the region, grapevines as far as the eye could see, but it had a terrific vibe and wonderful personalities. On top of all that, the wine was incredibly well done. After completing the tasting Mary and I easily decided on the 2008 Skins Grenache.  This well crafted red blend really stuck out for us due to its wonderful finish. The aromas when the glass was poured were amazing, the color excellent, but the finish sealed the deal. As it went down you could capture all the best elements of the blend. A real winner.

L’Adventure
I have to say, this winery was a Mary find.  I’ll admit I didn’t know what to expect. The name and logo seemed a little cheesy to me, and that threw me off my game a little. But Mary was enthralled so we said what the heck. We were so close having just left Terry Hoage and it was strongly recommended by the representative there. While tasting we landed on the 2009 Optimus Estate Blend. I wrapped my mind trying to figure out why I enjoyed this one so much and then as I read the blend breakdown it became clear. They were using a Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my favorite types of grapes, I am always a sucker for Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a spectacular color and vivid hint of dark fruit and vanilla that stays with you in the best possible way long after you have left the tasting room.

Bella Luna Winery
We ended out our tasting day at Bella Luna. It had been highly recommended to us and we very much wanted to go, but as the day wore on it seemed less and less likely. By the time we got there, the owners were celebrating the holidays and shutting down, but they were incredibly kind to open up a little past closing so we could do a tasting. This place has one of the best vibes we have seen in Paso. The people who own it are so excited when you come in and they love their wine and want you to love it to. Generous pours and friendly chatter make you wish you could stay forever. The wine that stuck out for us at the end of the day however was the 2008 Barbera. This wine had one of the most crisp tastes we had experienced all day. The solid tannin content and subtle hints of vanilla and blackberry made it all worth our while. It didn’t hurt that the vineyard dogs lavished all their attention on us either.

THE EXPERIENCE:

Paso has wonderful wine!  There is no doubt of this, but some of the best moments of our short holiday adventure didn’t come while tasting wine or petting the vineyard dogs. Some of the best moments came while we were driving from vineyard to vineyard.

Listening to great music while we traveled the exquisite countryside was almost worth the trip in itself. The first time, we visited we arrived shortly after the harvest. The vines, while picked cleaned, were still showing signs of life. There was still green everywhere you looked, but this time, the vines were dead. The branches more solid and their leaves a hauntingly beautiful brownish gold. But one thing we kept hearing over and over while we were tasting and talking to the locals is that spring would come, the leaves would be a wonderful green again, the grapes would ripen, and the cycle would repeat as it always does. The vines would share with one another their strength and ability to create. And share with those that looked to them, beauty and promise of a wonderful future.

This was the thing that struck me most on this adventure and why I wanted to write this entry and my first post of the new year. Wonderful spirits are an art form, worthy of praise. But the most important thing is not how expensive the bottle you are drinking is, but who you are drinking it with. As this new year begins I hope we all remember that like the vines we to have the ability to renew, reclaim, and most importantly create beauty that we can share with those around us.

Good Spirits Folks!

There is not much more I love in the world than a good smoothie. I love to have them for breakfast, snacks, lunch, or dinner. Or after dinner. Or after a good workout. Or after I’ve been sick and have a sore throat. Whenever.

I make ’em pretty simple, and always keep frozen fruit on hand to throw in. I tend to base them in milk or frozen yogurt (plain, tart, non-fat), but recently I found a recipe that used oats, and have since used oats as a thickening agent rather than using frozen yogurt.

Here’s my usual smoothie.

Blueberries. I love frozen blueberries because they turn the smoothie a lovely purple.

Peanut butter, and frozen yogurt. I love peanut butter, and put it in all my smoothies, but you can also use a banana or almond butter or another thicker ingredient.

Add some milk, and blend away…

See? I told you it’d be purple.

You can also add something fun, like I did!

If you’re going to add pomegranate, I’d suggest straining, as these made the smoothie quite gritty. Which I’m OK with, but you might not be keen on.

Other additions? Any type of berry, fresh or not, bananas, mango, apricot, citrus – whatever strikes you as delicious! I also strongly suggest adding a fourth of cup of oats, grinding them up in the blender, then adding the rest of your ingredients. The oats give your smoothie a fullness of a meal, and really add great flavor!

Recipe:

1/4 cup oats
1 cup berries (or other fruit)
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup milk (or 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup frozen yogurt)

1. Blend oats for 30 seconds, until powder.
2. Add berries/fruit, peanut butter, and milk. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Hi friends! No doubt you are all aware that I now live in Virginia and I’m operating out of a new kitchen. I thought it might be time to introduce you.

I’m not gonna lie. She’s an excellent kitchen. You could fit about 6 of my old kitchen inside my new kitchen. She’s got counter space for miles, and windows with a view of my back porch and a small tree filled area behind my house, and there’s room for a kitchen table! (However, that space is currently occupied by a card table and folding chairs).

Here are a few photos so you can get acquainted!

My own cucina sign. Jennie and I both have one adorning our kitchens.

And that’s my new favorite apron! Mary got me this Sorella Cipolla apron as a “welcome to Virginia!” housewarming gift.

Last week I wasn’t feeling so great, and neither was Jeff, so I decided to make some chicken soup. I preface this with the information that I didn’t actually end up having chicken to put in the soup – but I did use chicken broth, and I definitely recommend adding chicken to the soup in order to round out the meal.

Start with some onions. Let them sweat in a smidge of olive oil. I let them go about 10 minutes.

Cut up some carrots and celery. Or whatever vegetables tickle your fancy.

Add your veggies to your onion, and let them cook a few minutes.

I also added cauliflower, because I had some. Then I added about four cups of chicken broth, and two cups of water.

I also added a can of cannellini beans, but I would suggest you add two cans, as there definitely were not enough beans in this soup!

Then I added a ton of kale. Maybe three cups? I don’t know how much, because I was too obsessed with how pretty it was and how much I wanted to eat it raw, even though I was pretty sure that it wouldn’t be good.

I also added rosemary, and salt and pepper. And I would have added some cooked chicken at some point, or cooked the chicken in the broth first, had I had chicken. I thought I had chicken, but it was not good anymore, let me tell you.

It’s simple, fast, and delicious – and makes you feel better when you’re sick!

Recipe:

2 chicken breasts, diced and cooked
1 medium onion
6 medium carrots
6 stalks celery
2 cups cauliflower
3 cups kale
2 cans beans (cannellini preferred)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
salt
pepper
rosemary
cumin

1. Chop chicken breast and cook.
2. Chop onion, carrots, celery, and cauliflower.
3. Sweat onions for 10 minutes, add carrots and celery for additional 3 minutes.
4. Add cauliflower, chicken broth, water, and cooked chicken.
5. Let simmer 15 minutes. Add kale and beans.
6. Let simmer 10 minutes. Season, and serve.

This month’s ingredient is leeks! To fully explore leeks, we decided to accept Nikki‘s suggestion that we make a leek quiche, and to make it more fun, we both made this recipe from our separate East and West coast kitchens. It wasn’t difficult to settle on this leek and mushroom quiche recipe from smitten kitchen. Seriously, how much do you love smitten kitchen? SO MUCH, right? Okay moving on. Take a look at the quiche experience from our different perspectives.

Corelyn’s Quiche:

I decided that my biggest priority for this quiche was to add bacon. Sometimes I forget that bacon exists and that it’s delicious. I also forget about the magic of bacon grease! So, my major additions to this recipe were 8 pieces of bacon, fried until crispy and chopped, and a healthy dose of bacon grease.

My kitchen gets the best light in the late afternoon. Please forgive the fact that all of my photos are moody and full of shadows…

After 15 – 20 minutes of stewing, my leeks looked like this!

Meanwhile, I sauteed some mushrooms in a little butter, port, and (you guessed it) bacon grease. GREAT DECISION. This smelled divine.

Elsewhere, I cracked some eggs. Please note that this picture was taken while craning my head to talk to my mom on the phone.

Then I mixed in the cream and my chopped bacon. The recipe does say you can use milk if you wish. I did not wish. I used heavy cream. I should also mention that I doubled the recipe to make 2 quiches. In case you’ve noticed that this is an awfully large bowl of egg, cream, and bacon mixture.

Mixing in the leeks and mushrooms…

So, full disclosure: the smitten kitchen recipe includes a recipe for your own pastry dough. I’m sure it’s delicious, and I’m sure Jennie’s version of this quiche was 100% from scratch, but we all know I don’t bake that much. I bought frozen pie crusts. Flaky, delicious, easy!

Cover in cheese right before it goes in the oven!

I used Gruyere, because my cooking partner was Mary and she LOVES Gruyere. The recipe called for Swiss, so it was really just an upgrade.

I made two quiches and they lasted less than 24 hours.It was absolutely delicious. If I would change anything, I might add more leeks and just saute them in some butter and bacon grease rather than boiling them and letting them stew for 20 minutes.

Jennie’s Quiche:

I decided to make my quiche crust, since I am after a baker by nature.

Start with your flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse a few times in your food processor, then add your cold, cut-up butter.

After you pulse, it should look like this. Now you’re going to add cold water.

Pulse a little, and you’ll get to this. Perfect dough. It shouldn’t be sticky.

Wrap it in plastic and stick it in the refrigerator for an hour. However, if you’re me, and you put it in the freezer, then you’ll have frozen dough and it’ll be a terrible thing because you’ll be in a rush to get out the door and have frozen dough. Don’t be me; put your dough in the fridge.

Meanwhile, while that’s in the refrigerator, cut up some leeks. Now, most of you know I rarely clean/rinse my produce, but with leeks, you gotta, or else they’re covered in sand and dirt.

Once your leeks are cut up, you can put them into steam with some butter, and some water, and some salt. Let them stew in there for about 25 minutes.

Because I couldn’t find it, and because I mostly like Baby Swiss better, I switched to this from Swiss.

I used crimini mushrooms, because I like them better, and because I could.

I also added rosemary, because it was at the farmer’s market when I picked up the leeks. I must say, I do love living in California because I can get things like rosemary fresh in Los Angeles in January.

You’re going to put your mushrooms in with…you guessed it, butter! We didn’t say this was healthy.

Now, as Corelyn mentioned, she used cream. I had cream but also was trying to be conscious of health, so I used 1/2 cup cream, and a cup of milk. It turned out just fine, so I think you can do it either way.

And I added my spices…salt, pepper, and rosemary!

Back to the dough. After it’s chilled, roll it out and then roll it onto your pin.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Smooth it out into the pie tin/tart pan, and cut of the excess. Vent the bottom, and then we’re going to add tin foil and pie weights.

I used beans…the cheapest I could find, and they worked just fine! I even saved them to use for the next go around.

After you par-bake it, it’ll look something like this. Add your egg mixture now, that you’ve incorporated your leeks and mushrooms into.

Delicious. Top with the cheese. And bake!

Here’s the completed quiche. If I were to change anything, I’d add more mushrooms than I used (I used about 8 small mushrooms) and make sure to refrigerate my dough.

As you can see, east to west coast, we definitely have differences in how we interpret and make recipes, based on what’s available to us. What would you do differently? Add a different vegetable, or maybe more cheese? Let us know what you think!