#SauvBlancDay w/ Shrimp & Citrus Sauce

tangent sauvignon blanc shrimp with fresh citrus sauce

Happy #SauvBlancDay ! I have got to be crazy.  Julie and I board an airplane to Europe this afternoon.  We should’ve had takeout pizza last night.  But today is #SauvBlancDay, and Sauvignon Blanc is Julie’s favorite wine.  We joke that every day is #SauvBlancDay for her!  I had to find an “easy, quick” recipe so … Continue reading

Garlic Ramp Pesto on Fettucine with #NWTW Viognier

viognier shrimp calamari garlic ramp pesto fettucine

The #NewWineThisWeek assignment was Viognier from France.  I spent some quality time with a variety of Viogniers this winter, so I didn’t feel a strong pull to participate this week.  Along came Saturday, and I just couldn’t resist.  I stopped by a local wine shop and picked up a $9 Viognier from the southern Rhone.  … Continue reading

BBQ Chicken part 2: Pairing with Idlewild Arneis

Idlewild arneis

Which White to Pair with BBQ Chicken & Sweet Barbecue Sauce? As part of #NWTW, we were testing out Zinfandel with an easy grilled chicken breast smothered in sweet barbecue sauce.  Always curious to find both red wines and white wines to pair with food, I wanted to try a white wine with the same … Continue reading

#NWTW: Zinfandel with BBQ Chicken

Bedrock zinfandel chicken barbecue bbq

#NWTW: Zinfandel #NWTW (New Wine This Week) is fun, but it does involve working on a deadline.  If I don’t finish by Sunday evening, I’m out of luck until the next wine and the next week!  This week: Zinfandel.  It isn’t new to many American households, but I’ll happily share my experience with my buds … Continue reading

Goat Daube and Lioco Pinot Noir

The Tail End of Braising Season We’re well into spring in Minnesota, so I’m racing to use up the last of the braising meats I picked up at our winter farmers markets (held indoors).  That said, we still have plenty of cool days where a nice warm stew or braise is perfect.  Today we have … Continue reading

#NWTW Falanghina with Calamari & Shrimp Salad

Minnesota Spring is so short-lived.  We seem to linger, locked in winter through April and suddenly it’s 80 degrees.  Maybe that’s why we jump to spring-like meals at the first hint that winter has lost its grip!  We had 6 inches of new snow overnight, and by the afternoon, a combination of snowplows and warm … Continue reading

Agnolotti al Plin & Favorita

It’s the final week in the food bloggers competition hosted by the Tourist Office of Langhe and Roero.  This week’s ingredient from the region is Agnolotti al Plin.  We love homemade pasta at our house, but truth be told, I’ve never made Agnolotti.  Never too late to learn! Agnolotti al Plin is a pasta traditionally … Continue reading

Manzo Costatine Brasato al Nebbiolo

or: Beef Short Ribs Braised in Nebbiolo I’m still having fun with the Tourist Office of Langhe and Roero’s Recipe/Food Photography contest, #LangheRoeroinCucina.  This week’s ingredient is the local beef, Razza Bovina Piemontese.  Obviously, I can’t get Razza Bovina in Minnesota, but I can get local grass-fed beef from my friends at Sunshine Harvest Farm!  … Continue reading

Black Truffle Beef Stroganoff and Barolo

It’s another week in the Tourist Office of Langhe and Roero’s Recipe/Food Photography contest, #LangheRoeroinCucina.  This week’s surprise ingredient?  Black Truffle. The real surprise, though, is that they sent out a black truffle to each of the top ten contestants to date.  A fresh black truffle, all the way from Italy?  I think I already … Continue reading

Hazelnuts, Squash & Barbera d’Alba

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Hazelnuts & Ancient Grains We’re back in the hunt in the TuLangheRoero photo/recipe contest.  This week’s ingredient? Hazelnut or Nocciola Tonda Gentile in Italian.  A first thought would be a dessert, and there are many fine traditional Piemontese desserts that feature hazelnuts. This main dish is non-traditional, but the hazelnuts shine.  … Continue reading