A Jeanne in the Kitchen

The last couple of days have been pretty stressful for me.  The best way to wind down and de-stress, at least for me, is with a glass or two of wine.  When the temperatures drop, it is even better to relax in front of the fire with that wine.  And to make it just perfect, add a good book to the mix.  Ahhhh!  Perfection!  This is the best way to unwind and get away from the world.

Wine is truly a gift from above and has been revered throughout the times.  Here are a few things that others have to say about the “nectars of the Gods”.

“Wine is like the incarnation – it is both divine and human”

~ Paul Tillich, Philospoher and Theologian ~

 

“When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew.  The best way to learn about wine is the drinking”.

~ Alexis Lichine, Wine Writer ~

 

“To rich and poor alike hath He granted the delight of wine, that makes all pain to cease”.

~ Euripedes, one of the ancient Greek tragedians  ~

 

“Great wine requires a madman to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make it, and a lover to drink it”.

~ Salvador Dali, surrealist artist ~

 

“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup.  All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped; but with others, drink the whole bottle”.

~ Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist ~

 

 

Is it from Barcelona Spain or is it from the restaurant Barcelona in the RiNo District of North Denver?  Actually, it is from both.  I made this delicious Castilian stew from my cookbook Barcelona, which is a cookbook of the restaurant’s recipes I bought when we went for my friend Janet’s birthday,  Birthday Celebrations – Part 2 – Barcelona  all of which are originally inspired from Spanish recipes from Barcelona, Spain. It’s all good.  Believe me!  There are so many delicious recipes just waiting for me to make  and try.  My big dilemma, ALWAYS, too many dishes, too little time.  Eventually I will get around to making them all.

 

The recipe I made was a “morph” from the original Caldo Gallego.  A Caldo Gallego is a broth which is originally from the northern Spanish region of Galicia.  It is a dish with very humble beginnings, associated with the farmers of Spain.  The recipe is one that varies from season to season, region to region, and household to household.  Since it is a dish of the farmers, it was basically whatever they grew in their own gardens or had as their livestock on their own ranches that was all thrown together into this very tasty, savory stew.  Caldo Gallego is traditionally eaten in the colder months since it is a dish meant to be served very hot.   This particular stew was loaded with pork.  It had bacon, ham and chorizo.  Sorry, this stew is not for vegetarians.  You’ve got to love meat and you’ve got to love pork to really enjoy this dish.

 

 

Castilian Stew

 

1/2 lb cooked ham, large dice

1/2 lb bacon, diced

2 cups chorizo

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large shallot, diced fine

2 TBSP garlic

1/2 red bell pepper, medium dice

2 large potatoes, peeled and medium dice

2 cans tomatoes, with their juice

6 cups spinach, cut rough

5-6 cups chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

 

In a large soup pot that is very hot, cook the bacon and the chorizo in the olive oil over a medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the ham, the garlic, peppers, shallots and the potatoes and mix everything together thoroughly.

Add the tomatoes and the chicken broth and the seasonings.  Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

When the potatoes are tender, add the spinach and mix in with the stew.  Serve the stew immediately with the warm bread and wine. Esta muy delicioso!

This was yet another simple dinner, with the Castilian stew, warmed olive bread and a bold red blend.  This is a perfect dish for a cold and chilly night.  Ever since we got back from Spain, there have been many more Spanish influences in my cooking.  This was my first recipe out of many more to come from new Barcelona Cookbook.

*** The restaurant Barcelona is located at 2900 Larimer Street, Denver, Co 80205.  You can contact them at (303) 816-3300 or go to their website at barcelonawinebar.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate it when I follow a recipe and the recipe just doesn’t turn out quite the way I expected or hoped.  Ironically, when I make up own recipes and/or do my own thing, they always turn out better.  Oh well.  As I have always said, recipes are just guidelines and suggestions any way.  Recipes Are Just Suggestions  I found this beautiful recipe that I was very excited about and that I couldn’t wait to try too.  It did still end up tasting very, very good, but my presentation was not what I was looking for at all.  No worries, all that means is that I need to keep working on it.  Hopefully next time it will not only taste delicious, but well look pretty as well.

I love pumpkin everything, especially in the fall, so when I found this recipe for a pumpkin cinnamon twist I was stoked.  It came out just as it was supposed to until it came time to making the twist in the skillet.  That’s where it all started to unravel, or to come un-twisted.  I think the problem was my skillet was to large for the size of the bread dough.  As you can see, mine did not look anything like the picture.  Live and learn though, right?!  Now I know what I need to change next time.  As I said though, it still tasted very good, and in the end, that is really all the matters.

Pumpkin-Cinnamon Twist

Pumpkin Dough

1/2 cup warm water

2 TBSP sugar

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast, or 1 package

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 TBSP melted butter

 

Mix the sugar, water and yeast together and let set and rest for about 5 or so minutes, or until the mixtures becomes frothy.

Carefully mix the flour, salt and spices together in a mixer.  Then blend in the yeast mixture, the pumpkin puree and the butter, mixing at  low speed just until everything is combined.  Then switch from the beater to a dough hook and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and elastic.  This should take about 7 minutes.

Once the dough is formed, oil the bowl and and cover the dough to rest in a warm area for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

 

The Filling

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

2 TBSP cinnamon

dash of salt

 

Mix the sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon together until it is crumbly.

Spray a 10″ skillet with cooking spray

When the dough is ready, roll it out into a 16×12″ rectangle on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Then spread the butter, sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch clear all around the edges.  Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the mixture.  My cinnamon sugar mixture came out more like a paste, which is OK too, just evenly spread it around the dough.  Once in the oven, it will melt and spread.

Roll the dough tightly into a log.  So up until this point, everything came out just the way it was supposed to.  When you have the log made, you can cut it into pieces about 1 1/4-1 1/2 inches thick and make pumpkin cinnamon rolls too.  Perhaps, that is what I should have done.  But to make the twist, and not rolls, cut the dough in 1/2 lengthwise, with about 2 inches at the top in tact and carefully twist the dough, making sure the sides stay up.  Pinch the ends together so none of the filling comes out.  Spiral the dough into the skillet.  Cover and let the dough rise again for about 45-60 additional minutes.  (Now I know what I did wrong.  I thought it needed a second rise, but for whatever reason, I completely missed this step.  I did not realize this until just now.  See, even I make stupid mistakes in the kitchen too.  I would love to blame this on the fact that I made this was injured, but unfortunately, that was not the case at the time.  It was just me with too much on my plate at the time, once again trying to do too much in a rush).

Preheat the oven to 350*F or 180* C

 

After the second rise, bake the twist for about 30-40 minutes or until it is golden brown.  remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before adding the glaze and cutting it.

 

The Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

 

Mix together thoroughly and drizzle over the bread.  Serve warm and enjoy.

This is what the Pumpkin-Cinnamon Twist was supposed to look like.  It will, especially now that I know what I did wrong.  Let’s just consider this a learning experience for all of us, myself included.  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dear friend Priscilla heard about my wrist and sent over a delicious care package to help things out.  She made a delicious tomato and herb soup, some cornbread and some festive sugar cookies.  She is always so thoughtful.  This is one of the many, many reasons why I love her so much.  We have known each other for about 45 years, and every year just keeps getting better and better.

 

Good News!!!!!  The Kitchen is once again open for business.  My wrist is not yet 100% healed, but it is about 85% healed, which means I can move it all around and can do almost everything.  Thankfully, it was NOT broken after all, and was indeed just a severe sprain.  WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!  Although, believe me, the sprain was certainly very painful indeed.

The first thing I made after reopening the kitchen was a simple turkey tetrazzini with some leftover turkey.  Snomeggedon.  This was a very simple and easy meal to make that did not put to much strain on my already sprained wrist.

I started with some of the leftovers we had from this golden bird.  I am sure there will be quite a few turkey and turkey leftover features, since November is after all the month of Thanksgiving, where everyone in America will have turkey on the menu.

Turkey Tetrazzini

1 lb cooked pasta – either spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine is best

3/4 stick butter

6 TBSP flour

4 cups turkey stock or chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp each dried thyme, sage, marjoram, oregano

1 tsp nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

3 1/2-4 cups shredded or diced turkey

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 onion, diced fine or 2-3 TBSP dried onion

1 package of frozen peas

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese

 

Make a roux out of the flour and the butter by cooking the flour in the butter in a hot skillet and stirring it constantly to make sure it does not burn, until it makes a paste.  Because this is a light sauce, and is basically a buerre blanc or bechamel sauce, you do not want the roux to color to much.

Once the roux is made, add the turkey or chicken stock and mix together thoroughly, then add your spices and mix everything together well.

When the sauce is made, add the turkey and the peas and cook until everything is thoroughly heated and the peas are cooked and are no longer frozen.

Preheat the oven to 375* F and spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Evenly spread the cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking pan, then evenly spoon the turkey mixture over the noodles.

When the pasta is completely covered with the turkey mixture, mix the breadcrumbs and the Parmiginao cheese together and spread over the turkey mixture, making sure to completely cover the dish.

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned and cooked.   Serve immediately after taking it our of the oven.

This casserole doesn’t need anything else except some good white wine and bread to make the meal complete.  This is a delicious meal that also helps use up those leftovers.  I LIKE it!!!!!!

 

Larry’s work had a chili cook-off, like they do every Halloween.  Normally, I make the chili, but since I have been on the IR list (injured reserved list for all the non-sports people), and could not do it, Larry made his own chili this time.  He did a good job on it too.  For the most part, he did it all by himself, with only minimal help from me as a coach. He said there were about 25 different chili entries, but at the end of the day, his was all gone.  To me that says people liked it and it went over well.  He did not win though, but he put up a valiant effort.

He started off by searing a brisket, and then like the mad scientist, he just started throwing in all kinds of chili goodness into the crockpot.  I believe this was the last brisket we had from our partial cow we purchased from Larry’s sister.

Once the brisket was seared all around, Larry put it in a brine over night, then he cut it in small pieces for the chili.  I do not know what his secret brining recipe was.

This chili had both red and black beans, canned and fresh tomatoes and onions, and peppers of all kinds and colors.  It was definitely a loaded chili, although even Larry said he should have spiced it up more.  Chili, after all, is supposed to be bold and make a bold statement.

Larry’ Crockpot Chili

3 lbs brisket, seared and brined overnight, then cut into cubes

2 TBSP garlic

3 onions, diced medium

2 TBSP sugar

1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 orange pepper, medium dice

2 jalapeno peppers, diced fine

1 can roasted jalapenos

1 can crushed or stewed tomatoes

2 fresh tomatoes, diced medium

2 cups beef broth or water

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp coriander

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

 

Saute the onions and peppers with the sugar until the onions are translucent and they start to caramelize.  Then add the garlic and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.

Add everything to the crockpot and mix thoroughly.  Set to cook at low for about 8 hours or over night.  When you wake up, you have chili.  Serve it with all your favorite chili condiments.

 

 

 

Happy Halloween everyone.  Halloween is also known as All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and Samhain as well.  However you decide to call this day of celebration, it has always been surrounded with magic, mystery and superstition, dating back from its beginnings with the Druids and the Ancient Celts up through today.  The Ancient Celts and Druids celebrated this last day of October as the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of winter.  They believed this last night before their new year began was when the boundaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead blurred, and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.  It was celebrated with bonfires and sacrifices made to the Celtic Gods.  Costumes have always been a large part of the ceremonies.  Because times were harsh and there was often not enough food, the poor would go out begging for food, but they dressed in costumes to fool the ghosts, hoping the ghosts and spirits of the dead would not recognize them.   Often times, people disguised themselves as animals or earthen elements.

Towards the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th century, Christianity had spread into the Celtic regions, as well as the rest of Europe, and was beginning to have its own influences over the land and the people.  Pope Gregory, III was trying to rid the region of its Pagan heritage and was trying to establish Christian roots instead.   In order to make the crossover more successful, he blended a lot of the old Pagan traditions with the newer Christian traditions, in hopes of replacing the old Celtic festival of the dead with the Church-sanctioned Holiday.   This blending of the cultures is still very evident today (not just in the Samhein celebrations, but in many other holiday traditions as well).  So instead of celebrating Samhain, also know as Samhuin, or All Hallows Eve, Pope Gregory, III created All Saints Day, which is celebrated on November 1st.  In The South American countries, this is known as Dia de las Muertes, or the Day of the Dead, which is a big holiday that is celebrated by everyone.

The tradition of giving out candy started from the poor begging for food from the more well-to-do families.  At first, food was left outside as a sacrifice to the dead.  It was left outside so the ghosts of the dead would not enter the house and curse the families or the homes.    But this became a health hazard and was changed over time.  Instead of leaving food outside the home, “soul cakes” were given to the poor in exchange for the promise of them saying a prayer for the dead relatives of the more affluent people.  This was known as “going-a-souling”.    Over the years, the soul cakes evolved into the giving of candy to the children, eventually to become what is known as “trick-or-treating” today.

The carving of pumpkins is yet another old Celtic tradition, used to ward off the evil spirits, though originally turnips were used.  When the customs and traditions of Halloween spread to America, pumpkins were more readily available and were larger, and became the favored choice to carve rather than turnips.

However you celebrate, and whatever you call it, enjoy the day and Happy Halloween.

 

 

 

Hey All, I am still out of the kitchen, and still will be for a while to come, however, the wrist is slightly better today than it was yesterday.  I have a little bit more mobility and the swelling has gone down some.  So this is definitely good news.  I will keep you posted.  I will be back in the kitchen again as soon as possible.  Thank you for all your well wishes, thoughts and prayers.  Those along with the wine are really helping.  🙂

I have some sad news.   I was a victim of our latest snomeggedon.  I fell yesterday in the snow while letting the dogs out.  I thought for sure I had broken my wrist, but the x-rays did not show any breaks.  The doctor said it is a severe sprain, although I have to go in for more x-rays next week, just to make sure there are no hairline fractures.  The doctor called it “Foosh” accident – fell on out-stretched hand.  I have to wear a brace until I go back to the doctor next week, if not longer.  It is my right hand and I am very right hand dominant.  It is very swollen, and extremely sore and tender, and I have very limited mobility.  I am typing very slowly, and making a lot of mistakes.  I should be wearing my brace right now, but I took time out to let you all know why the kitchen will be closed for a minimum of a week.  I definitely feel the sharp pains all through my wrist and my arm if I move my hand to much.  There is no way I can cook.  I can barely move my hand, and holding anything is out of the question.  You never know how much you use certain parts of your body until the time comes when you can’t move them.  So, for all of you who live in snow country, BE CAREFUL out there.  We don’t need any more casualties of snomeggedon.

I apologize for this absolutely AWFUL picture of me, but …. I will blame it on my accident.   Of course, my left hand is still able to hold a glass of wine, Chardonnay, none the less, so I am still able to do the important things in life.  🙂

 

 

You all know I love my wines, and especially my rich, buttery, oaked chardonnays.  So when I found out that today, October 29, is Chardonnay day, I was overjoyed.  In the world of wine, cabernet sauvignon is known as the king of wines and its partner and queen is chardonnay.   Chardonnay grapes are the most widely planted grape variety in the world.  They grow all in all regions, and in most types of soil.   Though chardonnay grapes are very malieable, and can grow just about anywhere, they do have a few soil requirements to make them great.  Chardonnay grapes need soil that is rich with clay, chalk and limestone.  Today, chardonnay grapes are grown all over the world, but they originated in  …. Chardonnay, in the Burgundy region of Eastern France.  In California alone, there are over 100,000 acres of vineyards dedicated to chardonnay grapes alone and about 520,000 acres or 210,000 hectares worldwide.

The chardonnay grape is a neutral grape.  Many of its flavors and characteristics come from the terroir or land and soil of the region where it is grown.  There can be many different variations even within the same vineyard, depending on the soil.  You can find many different types of chardonnays too, once again depending on where they are grown and produced.  Some varieties are oaked and buttery, which are my favorites.  They are rich and full bodied and often have hints and flavors of butter, vanilla or caramel.  In cooler climates, chardonnays will have a more buttery taste.  In warmer climates, the wines will take on more citrus and tropical fruit characteristics and they will be more light to medium bodied.  A creamy chardonnay has hints of tropical fruits and butterscotch.  It too is a rich chardonnay, and is very, very good.  I will NEVER turn it down, that’s for sure.

Not only are are chardonnay grapes used for chardonnay wines, but they are also the basis for many other white wines as well, such as Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc and even champagne, just to name a few.

Chardonnay grapes after harvest.

Like all white wines, Chardonnay should be served chilled. If the wine is too warm, the alcohol tastes hot while the flavors are muddled. Too cold, and the aromas and flavors are muted. The best temperature range is 50–55°F, which can be achieved by two hours in the refrigerator or 30–40 minutes in an ice-water bath.

The most famous chardonnay in the world, is from Chateau Montalena, in Napa Valley, California.  It is “famous for winning the white wine section of the historic “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, in 1975.  Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay was in competition with nine other wines from France and California under a blind tasting, with 11 judges participating in the event. All 11 judges awarded their top scores to either the Chardonnays from Chateau Montelena or Chalone Winery, another California wine producer”, which was represented in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock.  There is even a bottle of this famous wine displayed at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.   Since I am originally from California, I am partial and perhaps more than a little biased towards the California wines, although I have had many, many good chardonnays from numerous other places in the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa too.  And yes, even France.

THE famous bottle of Chateau Montelena Wine that beat the French wine in the historic “Judgment of Paris” wine competition now forever to be remembered in the Smithsonian Institute.  (This picture was taken in 2017).

The Chateau Montelena Vineyards in Napa Valley, California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So celebrate this day of Chardonnay and sit back and enjoy a glass or two.  It doesn’t have to be expensive, nor does it have to be Chateau Montelena; just something you enjoy.  Although, if you have Chateau Montelena, it is a VERY, VERY good wine to enjoy.  I highly recommend it.