Wine Descriptions and Their Meaning

Wine Description

When it comes to wine, we all have our sense of taste, based on our palate. Wine tasting is subjective, just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Often time, I do rely on descriptions when I am purchasing wine. (Does that make me a sucker for these lovely wine descriptions?) I must admit, I love the sound of: hints of chocolate, vanilla, black pepper, smoky, tobacco, leather, and so on.  I simply cannot resist the temptation. Having said that, I am not always satisfied, or agree with the descriptions on some wine labels. Wine descriptions at the POP (point of purchase) are called “shelf-talkers”. They are used by companies as a great marketing tool, to lure people into buying their product.  Ultimately, you, and your palate will decide what taste good. Once, I taste a wine, I know whether I will be buying it again, or not. If I like a wine, I usually take a picture of it, and share it on my social media outlets, to have on records. I also love to explore new wines, and I am constantly searching for that heavenly taste, and wonderful aromas. Recently, I stumbled upon this lovely website Wine Folly and found this amazing list of 40 wine descriptions, and their meaning.  I hope you will enjoy it like I did. I would love to hear your own description, and/or give us your opinion under the comment section.

ACIDITY
Wines with high acidity are tart and zesty. Red wines generally have a lighter color and more tart characteristics (versus “round”). White wines are often described with characteristics similar to lemon or lime juice.

ANGULAR
An angular wine is like putting a triangle in your mouth – it hits you in specific places with high impact and not elsewhere. It’s like getting punched in the arm in the same place over and over again. An angular wine also has high acidity.

AUSTERE
This is a very unfriendly wine. It hits your mouth and then turns it inside out. It usually means the wine has very high acidity and very little fruit flavors. An austere wine is not fruit-forward nor opulent.

BARNYARD
This means the wine smells like poo. It’s never used anymore describing a wine, unless the wine writer is attempting to dig that wine an early grave.

BIG
Big describes a wine with massive flavor in your mouth that takes up all sections of your mouth and tongue. A big wine is not necessarily a fruit-forward wine, it can also mean that it has big tannins.

BRIGHT
Bright wines are higher in acidity and make your mouth water. GO TO ACIDITY

BUTTERY
A wine with buttery characteristics has been aged in oak and generally is rich and flat (less Acidity). A buttery wine often has a cream-like texture that hits the middle of your tongue almost like oil (or butter) and has a smooth finish.

CASSIS
The least fruit-like of all dark fruits. When writers mention cassis, they are often thinking of the seedy and gritty character of actual black currants. Homework assignment: try a black currant and report back.

CHARCOAL
A wine that is described as tasting like charcoal tastes gritty, it’s usually dry (with higher tannins) and has this rustic flavor. Charcoal is often associated with a similar characteristic: pencil lead (but less refined).

CHEWY TANNINS
When you take a sip of wine with chewy tannins, it dries out the interior of your mouth so that you “chew” or clean the tannins out of the insides of your mouth.

CIGAR BOX
Cigar box flavors are hinting toward sweetness and cedar-wood with an abundance of smoke. This is a super positive and desirable characteristic that wine writers love to use when they find a wine they wish they could just slowly sip on a leather chair.

COMPLEX
A complex wine simply means that when you taste it, the flavor changes from the moment you taste it to the moment you swallow. As much as I love complex wines, using the word “complex” to describe a wine is a cop-out unless you go on to describe how it’s complex.

CREAMY
Creamy is a popular description for white wines and sparkling wines fermented or aged in oak. In Champagne, creamy is a favored characteristic that is associated with the famous bottles of bubbly…such as Krug. A creamy wine could be in part because of something called Malo-Lactic conversion. Look for creamy in chardonnay if you like buttery. Look for creamy in cabernet sauvignon if you like smooth.

CRISP
The word Crisp with wine is more often used to describe a white wine. A crisp wine is most likely simple but goes really well with a porch swing on a hot day.

DENSE
When a wine writer pairs down his lengthy description of flavors and characteristics of a wine into one word, he uses dense. Dense is favored for use in bold red wines such as cabernet sauvignon, Côtes du Rhône and Brunello di Montalcino but usually isn’t a positive characteristic in other wines because it implies that wine is handicapped.

EARTHY
A classic go-to move for a wine writer trying to describe that awkward green and unpleasant finish on a wine. They don’t want to hate on the wine, they just want you to know that if you don’t like the wine it means you don’t like earthy and you’re a bad person.

ELEGANT
When a wine writer says elegant he means that the wine is NOT big, NOT fruity, NOT opulent and NOT bold. Off-vintages are often referred to as elegant vintages as they have higher acid and tend to have more ‘green’ characteristics. Elegant wines may taste like crap when they first release but they also tend to age better. Elegant is that retired ballerina who puts the fat-n-sassy retired cheerleaders to shame.

Wine Tasting, wine glasses

Wine Tasting, wine glasses

FAT
Wide, Big, Massive, Opulent: These are all similar synonyms of fat. Turns out fat is the least desirable of all of them because it’s flabby. A fat wine comes in and takes up all the room in your mouth and hangs in awkward places.

FLABBY
Flabby means the wine has no acidity. It’s a negative connotation so don’t say it to a wine maker! They will spear you with their forklift.

FLAMBOYANT
A flamboyant wine is trying to get your attention with an abundance of fruit. The writer picks up on this and calls it out. No joke.

FLESHY
Imagine the iron-laden sensation of having a piece of raw steak in your mouth that is fleshy.

FOOD FRIENDLY
This wine falls on its face unless you have it with food. It’s lacking something that eating something will fulfill. Keep in mind, wines that stand on their own are better drunk without food. doh!

GRIP or GRIPPY TANNINS
With each subsequent sip, your mouth dries up similar to how my mouth did in the Minerality Tastes Like Rocks? video. Wine with grip is hard to drink, better to sip.

HINT OF..
Hint of = This-Wine-Definitely-Has-This-Character-Especially-on-the-Finish. Expect things like oak, herbs, fruits, soil or gym socks in the flavor when there is a hint of it in the description.

INTELLECTUALLY SATISFYING
This is a rare but special occurring term used by one of the most famous wine critics, Robert Parker. Robert Parker is sure that if you are not satisfied by this wine on a hedonistic and intellectual level then you don’t deserve to drink it. This is probably true, because these words are reserved for the wines we can’t afford anyway…sadface.

JAMMY
Sommeliers and wine experts cringe when they hear this term while the rest of us delight. Jam is delicious and it is part of the PB&J experience. In wine, jammy indicates a wine with a cooked berry sweetness that is syrupy and often is used to describe American wines like zinfandel, grenache, cabernet franc and Australian shiraz…don’t be a hater.

JUICY
Juicy like the wine was grape juice just a moment ago.

LASER-LIKE
Another one of Robert Parker’s idioms that I can help mentioning. pew! pew! GO TO DENSE

LEES
Lees are an actual winemaking term describing the dead bits of yeast particles that generally sink to the bottom of a wine. Lees are stirred up once a day to make a wine have a thicker, more oily, creamy texture.

MINERALLY
Imagine that smell of fresh wet concrete; now imagine that flavor in your mouth. If you don’t have time to lick concrete, don’t worry we did.

OAKED
Oh oak! The ultimate non-grape influence to the flavors in wine. In white wine it adds butter, vanilla and sometimes coconut. In red wine it adds flavors often referred to as baking spices, vanilla and sometimes dill. There are a milieu of different countries that make oak wine barrels and wine geeks freak out over who makes the best (American v. France). We don’t vote.

OPULENT
This word is a baseline word to a style of wine that is rich, smooth and bold. If you are a rich, smooth, bold wine guy, “Opulent” is your word.

REFINED
Refined is a subset of elegant wines. This term is often used while describing tannins in a wine. These wines have the “less is more” ideology about them. GO TO ELEGANT

SILKY
Silky is the red-wine equivalent word to creamy with white wines. If you like silky for bed sheets than you will most likely enjoy silky on your tongue. GO TO CREAMY, VELVETY

STEELY
A steely wine has higher acid and more sharp edges. It is the man-ballerina of wine.

STRUCTURED
A structured wine has high tannin and acid and is hard to drink. People say “structured” because they think that if you give the wine a few years, it’ll soften up and be yummy. GO TO AUSTERE.

TIGHT
This wine is not ready to drink. When I taste a tight wine it usually has very high tannins, hard-to-identify fruit characteristics and is hard-to-drink. This wine could benefit from being decanted (see How to Decant Wine).

TOASTY
Toasty is most commonly a reference to a wine that’s oak-aged in Medium Plus Toasted Oak. It doesn’t actually taste like toast (sorry to disappoint) it’s more like slightly burnt caramel on the finish.

UNCTUOUS When a wine is unctuous it is oily.

UNOAKED
A wine that is unoaked doesn’t have vanilla, cream, butter or baking spices in it. An unoaked white wine is more zesty with lemony flavors (see Minerally), while an unoaked red wine tends to be more tart.

VELVETY
Lush, smooth and silky are all synonyms of a velvety wine. To imagine velvety, visualize watching perfectly smooth chocolate pouring into a mold on a Dove chocolate commercial.

Full credit is given to Wine Folly for this fantastic list of wine descriptions.

Let’s not forget the sense of smell which is also very important. While we can taste 4-5 distinct flavors, the nose can pick thousands of smells.

Use some of these descriptions at your next wine gathering, and pretend to be a wine connoisseur. Have fun!

Happy Tasting!

 

 

 

Spaghetti al Pomodoro con Basilico

Spaghetti al Pomodoro Con Basilico

Spaghetti al Pomodoro con Basilico

San Marzano Tomatoes

San Marzano Tomatoes

Spaghetti al Pomodoro Con BasilicoSpaghetti al Pomodoro con Basilico is Italian for spaghetti in a tomato sauce with basil. It is one of the most traditional, and classic dish you will find in Southern Italy. It originated in Naples, the land of my paternal grandparents. In the Campania region, this dish is known to be a poor man’s dish because of the simple ingredients. It is made with San Marzano tomatoes that are indigenous to the area, where they are grown on volcanic soil. They are known to be the sweetest tomatoes in the world, very succulent, and less acidic. Here in the US, there is nothing poor about this dish, because it is made with high quality ingredients. There are many variations to this traditional dish, but today, I will share with the you the basic ingredients to make a killer sauce. Italians are very proud of their heritage, and DO NOT LIKE IT, (to put it mildly) when their original recipe is modified, or altered in any way. That is totally understandable, because they are trying to keep hundreds of years of traditions.  Unfortunately, when a traditional Italian recipe is recreated, it tends to lose some of its authenticity, primarily because an ingredient cannot be found, or because it is adapted to meet a person’s lifestyle. Ideally, fresh San Marzano tomatoes would be better, but they cannot be found in my area. Canned peeled San Marzano tomatoes with the D.O.P. label is perfectly acceptable, even by Italian standards. Follow me, Let’s get cooking!

Serves: 4-6 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. Spaghetti, Anna brand, or any brand of your choice
  • 1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil, + more to drizzle
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4-6 fresh basil leaves, divided
  • 2  (28- oz) canned-San Marzano, peeled tomatoes, Flora brand
  • Sea salt to taste, for sauce and pasta
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

    Preparation:    1) Do your prepping, slice the garlic, leave one can peeled tomatoes whole, and crush the other one with your hands like the Italians do. It’s so much fun to use your hands, but, I use gloves because I have very long fingernails. (If you want to cheat, put it in the blender for 5 seconds. I didn’t tell you that, shhhhh!) Chop up 2-3 basil leaves. Set aside.2) In the meanwhile, bring water to a boil for the pasta. While that’s happening, you will have plenty of time to make the sauce.3) In a medium-size pot, heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat, sautee the garlic, as soon as it releases its aroma, (if you wait too long, the garlic will burn, and have a bitter taste) drop the peeled tomatoes, the hand-crushed tomatoes, basil, and salt to taste. Bring to a quick boil, lower the heat to medium – medium-low, simmer uncovered  for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

    4) You will be working simultaneously, while your sauce is simmering, the pasta water will come to a boil, add salt to taste, and cook pasta al dente, (to the bite). Follow package directions, minus 2 minutes of cooking time.  To check for doneness, I do it the old fashion way, I taste a strand or two of pasta.

    5) Drain pasta. By this time, the sauce should be done. Pour the pasta in the sauce, turn off the burner, and mix very well until every strand of spaghetti is coated with the sauce. It will look like a lot of sauce, but the pasta will absorb it in no time. Some cooks don’t crush the tomatoes, but that’s a personal preference.

    6) Put the spaghetti in a pasta bowl, add a little sauce on top, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with basil leaves. That’s it!

    Tip #1) please note, black pepper is not used, because the tomatoes are the featured ingredients in this dish.  I didn’t want the pepper to overpower the sweetness of the tomatoes.  This is the case, where less is more in this particular dish.

    Tip #2) Some Italian cooks prefer to serve the grated cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano on the side.

    Tip #3) Do not throw the pasta on the wall to check for doneness. Use the timer, or simply taste it.

    Tip #4) It is not necessary to put oil in the pasta water. Just stir the pasta at the beginning, to avoid them from sticking to each other. Once they start cooking, they will separate from each other.

    You will pay a premium price for these canned tomatoes, but it will be worth the dining experience. Take it from me, I have been in the kitchen for the last 25 years.

    I have used different brands of San Marzano tomatoes, but I must tell you, it was the first time I tried the Flora brand, and my family and I could not get over the sweetness, and the complex flavors of the tomatoes. I am certain there are many other great brands out there. This is my opinion, and I did not get compensated to write about it.  I’m simply sharing my experience with you in Gina’s Kitchen.

    A little known fact, Neapolitan pizza is made with San Marzano tomatoes,  known to be the best pizza in the world. Now, you can finally understand the reasoning behind it.

    I recommend a delicious Italian red wine to pair with this scrumptious dish. A super Tuscan, a Chianti, a Rosso, the list is endless, and the choice is yours. If you can find Lacryma Christi, it would pair beautifully, since it’s from the same region, and similar volcanic soil as the tomatoes.

    All the images belong to me, Foodiewinelover, except for the last image of the tomatoes. Photo credit is given to Goldlocki, found in Wikipedia.

    Spaghetti al pomodoro con basilico

Everything you see, I owe it to Spaghetti As Sophia Loren puts it, “Every thing you see, I owe it to Spaghetti.”

San Marzano Tomatoes

I hope you will try this delectable sauce, and share your experience with me.

Buon Appetito!

Happy Crushing!

Delicious Blueberry Smoothie

Delicious Blueberry Smoothie

I must admit I was never big on smoothies, until my friend Angela inspired me to make them.  Since then, I went to the grocery stores and loaded up on a variety of frozen fruits, milk and protein powder. No one can ever go hungry at my house. I tell my family, if there is nothing to snack on, just make yourself a smoothie. Although, I gave them the measurements, I always end up making it for everyone. Smoothies are now part of my daily diet. They are nutritious, satisfying, and may be used as a meal replacement. They can also be consumed in between meals, depending on your diet regimen.

Serving: 1 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 3/4 cup, 2% milk
  • 1 scoop of whey protein powder, vanilla flavored (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients in a blender, and blend them until you obtain a creamy texture.

Disclaimer: Please check with your doctor, or nutritionist before using the protein powder. What works for one person may not work for the other.

Happy Blending!

Blueberry Smoothie 234

Grilled Chicken With Q-It Up Seasoning

QItUpSeasonsing Grilled Chicken

Grilled Chicken with Q-It Up Seasoning

Grilled Chicken with QitUpSeasoning

 

BBQ Chicken with Q-It Up Seasoning

Recently, I purchased a variety of spices because I like experimenting in my kitchen.  I love to support small businesses like Kouzounas Kitchen, I know how much the owner, Krystina pours her heart and soul into her products. Her spices are very fragrant with intense flavors, and the best part about them, they are organic.  I used the Q-It Up Seasoning on chicken thighs, and they came out finger licking good on the grill.

Serves 4-6 Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients: 

  • 2 packages of chicken thighs, skinless, bone-in (about 4 lbs)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Q-It Up Seasoning Rub
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

    Preparation:

    1) Season the chicken with salt & pepper on both sides. Place in a large bowl,  add the Q-It Up Seasoning, olive oil, and lemon juice. Rub it all over the chicken, and let it marinate for at least two to three hours in the fridge. Take it out 30 minutes prior to grilling to bring it to room temperature. This way, the chicken will cook evenly.

    2) Pre-heat the BBQ grill on medium high, arrange the chicken in a single layer and cover. Cook on one side for 10-12 minutes, turn them, lower the heat, cover and cook other side for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  It is recommended to fully cook poultry until it reaches 165 degree F. temperature for safe consumption.

Q-it up Seasoning is made of a splendid combination of spices including Cinnamon, and smoke flavoring.  Please visit KouzounasKitchen to check out her lovely assortment of  spices. I also recommend the Herbes de Provence, and the Mediterranean Seafood Rub.

These opinions are mine, and based on my own experiences. I would never do a review on a product that I did not believe in.  I hope you will give them a try.

Happy Grilling From Gina’s Backyard to Yours!

 

Cinco De Mayo Avocado Salad

Avocado Salad

Avocado Salad

Avocados

It’s Cinco de Mayo,  time to celebrate Mexico’s independence. There are a varieties of food and drinks associated with Mexico. Tacos, Tamales, Tostadas, Guacamole, Margaritas, Tequila, and more. Avocados are widely used in Mexico to make guacamole, a delectable avocado dip. However, today, I am sharing with you a simple, and yummy Cinco de Mayo Avocado Salad. If you’ve never had avocados, you are missing out on some yumminess. They are delicious and very healthy for you. They contain good fat, the one that doesn’t clog up your arteries. However, keep in mind, eating too much of it will make you gain weight.

I spent my childhood in the West Indies, Haiti, where my parents owned a business. We had 2 large avocado trees, needless to say, I grew up on avocados. Those varieties were the big ones, and very tasty. It is also a big staple in the Caribbean culture, and part of their daily diet.

There are many ways to prepare avocados, you can make guacamole, or stuff them with shrimp salad. I often make a lovely salad that’s easy to prepare, and adds beautiful color to a plate.

When choosing avocados, make sure they give a little to the touch, if they are hard, it simply means they are not ripe yet. You can buy them to make at a later time, but don’t wait too long as they ripen quickly. There are many varieties, but the most common one is Hass, sometimes marketed as Haas Avocado. Here is a link from Tasty Kitchen showing you how to safely open and peel an avocado:

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/02/how-to-open-an-avocado-and-keep-all-10-fingers/

Servings: 3-4       Level of Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 Haas Avocado (From California), cut up in pieces, or diced
  • 2 – 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • Salt & black pepper to taste

Preparation: 

1.) Follow instructions how to open the avocados safely. Next, cut them lengthwise, then chop them in small pieces, or dice in equal sizes. They don’t need to be perfect (unless you’re a perfectionist)

2) Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well. Chill for at least an hour.

Serve as a delicious side dish.

Tip: You can substitute the vinegar with lime juice for a different take. It will come out equally delicious.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! Ole!

Buen Provecho y Salud!

 

Sweet Italian Sausage With Onions & Peppers

Sweet Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage Italian Sausage IMG_3368

Italian Sausage

Onions and PeppersOnions and Peppers

Italian Sausage with Peppers an Onions
It seems that I’m always cooking for a crowd, and I need to constantly be creative. There’s always an occasion to celebrate with food, and this past Saturday, the party was at our house. It was a gathering to watch the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight. My son invited about 10 friends but 15 showed up. You know how the news get around. I also had other guests for a total of 25 people. I decided to make Sweet Italian Sausage with Onions & Peppers. I tried a new method of cooking the sausages, and the result was stupendous. I always get them at one place only,  Doris Italian Market. I love them with fennel seeds, but that’s my preference. You can get them without the fennel, it’s up to your taste buds.

This method works like a charm, and the sausages will come out golden brown, if you follow my step by step instructions.

Serves: 10 – 15 with other food  – Level of Difficulty: Medium, because it is time-consuming. Allow 1 – 1.5 hour from start to finish, depending how fast you work. This recipe like most of my recipes can easily be divided into smaller portions.

Ingredients:

  • 5 lb. sweet Italian sausage with fennel seeds, (or without)
  • Generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, follow the recipe
  • 4 green bell peppers, cut in julienne (long thin strips)
  • 2  large sweet onions, sliced
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Water
  • Hoagies or sub rolls,  optional

Preparation:

You will need two pots to prepare this amount of sausage, and one pot for the onions and peppers. I like to use a deep one so the oil doesn’t splatter all over the stove. I did one pot at time, otherwise, it would be too much juggling back and forth. You certainly can cook them simultaneously, but that’s up to you.

1) In a large pot, place the sausage in a single layer and cover with enough water to be close to the same level as the sausages. (as seen on the picture) On medium-high heat, bring it to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes . Drain some of the left over water on the bottom, but if there is only a little water left, don’t worry, no need to drain, it will evaporate. In that case, leave the pot on the stove at the same temperature, medium-high, with the sausages. Pour a generous amount of olive oil, at least 1/2 cup. Pan fry for 5 minutes. You will be hearing that sizzling sound. Flip the sausages, and pan fry the other sides for another 5 minutes. They will obtain a beautiful golden brown color like you see in my pictures. Do the second batch in a different pot so the bottom is nice and clean. Place the sausages on a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes to retain its juices before cutting them. Set aside.

2) Cut peppers in julienne, and slice the onions.

3) In a new pot, on medium-high heat, heat a generous amount of olive oil, about 3/4 cup or so, drop the onions and peppers, COVER and sweat for about 10 minutes. This method will speed up the cooking process. Stir occasionally. The veggies will start to wilt nicely. REMOVE THE COVER, keeping the flame on med-high heat. At this point, the frying process will begin, and you will hear that beautiful sizzling sound again.  Add salt & pepper to taste, pan fry for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Now that everything is cooked, combine the sausage with the onions and peppers in the pot. Mix well. Dinner is ready to be served. You can eat them with a fork, or as a sub on a hoagie roll. The choice is yours.  Use a condiment of your choice.

Needless to say, there were no leftovers, and my guests were very happy with the deliciousness of the sausages.

Tip #1)  Notice, there is no slow cooking in this recipe, you will be cooking on medium-high temperature all the time. That is the only way to get a nice caramelization on the sausages and the veggies.

Tip #2) Always pay attention, and  use your judgement . My recipes are to be used as a guideline.

Happy Cooking from Gina’s Kitchen to Yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baba Ganouj, Eggplant Dip

Baba Ganouj or Baba Ganouch

Eggplant

Eggplant

You say Baba Ganoush, Baba Ghanoush, Baba Ganouch, I say Baba Ganouj or Baba Ghanouj.  In my opinion, they all may be right depending on what region of the world you’re from. Baba Ganouj is a typical Middle Eastern dip made with eggplant. I learned how to make it from my Arabic Mom. If you love eggplant like I do, you will enjoy this recipe. It’s simple, healthy and yummy. Ideally, it is better to char the eggplant on an open flame for more intense flavors, however, today I will share with you the roasted version, and a quick story to go with it. Many years ago, (when I was in my twenties) I was roasting an eggplant, then, I heard a loud explosion. I looked in the oven, and the eggplant had splattered all over the oven. I realized, I needed to pierce some holes in the eggplant to let the air out. Who knew? LOL! It was scary and funny at the same time. I learned my lesson since that experience.

Serves: 4-6 as an appetizer

Level of difficulty: Easy – Medium

Ingredients:

  •  1 large eggplant, roasted
  •  1 lemon, juiced
  •  2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped
  •  1 handful of flat leave parsley, chopped
  •  Salt and Pepper to taste
  •  Extra Virgin Olive Oil, generous amount + more to drizzle
  •  2 tbsp. Tahini (Sesame paste) found in some grocery or specialty stores. Highly recommended

Preparation:

1) IMPORTANT! Pierce holes in the eggplant with a fork or knife, to avoid it from exploding in your oven. Drizzle some oil on a tray, and roast the eggplant in a 400 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until soft on the inside.

2) Remove from the oven, scoop out the eggplant pulp with a spoon, leaving the skin.  Put it in a medium-sized bowl,  and use a masher to break it down until the desired texture. I don’t like it too creamy, but that’s a personal preference. Add lemon, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and Tahini. Mix well. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, and serve with Pita chips.

Tip #1) When choosing eggplant, make sure they are firm, with no bruises. After you buy them, I recommend that you use them within a couple of days. I can’t begin to tell you how many times, I had to throw eggplant away, because they got buried in the vegetable bin section of the fridge. You will notice the brown spots all over. Some eggplants can be bitter, luckily for me, that was never an issue. I hear some people are allergic to eggplant, please be aware of that.

Tips #2) If you buy the Tahini in a jar, after sitting for a while, you will notice the oil will surface to the top, make sure you stir it well before using it.

Happy New Month! Bon Appetit from My Kitchen to Yours,

Gina

 

Caprese Salad

CapreseSaladFoodiewinelover
In 2007, my family and I embarked on an amazing Italian trip, and one of the itineraries was Capri. It is a breathtaking island, and we took a ferry from the bay of Naples to get there.  We visited the famous Blue Grotto, ate some regional cuisine, and took a tour of the island. I must admit, I was very scared going up the mountains on the tour bus, but it  was a travel experience that I will never forget. Today, I am sharing with you an easy and delicious dish, the Caprese Salad.

It’s been in the 90’s already in South Florida, and I couldn’t think of a more refreshing salad, called Insalata Caprese, in Italian.  It literally means Capri Salad because it originated in that magnificent island. In Italy, it is usually served as an antipasto, and made with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. The colors represent the Italian flag. My son recently brought me home a basil plant, and I already had some beefsteak tomatoes, and leftover Mozzarella that I recently used in my Chicken Parmigiana. I always have extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar readily available. I was on the go, and needed a quick-lunch, and this salad hit the spot. It was a great way to reminisce about our trip. (We were there again in 2008, but that’s another blogpost.)

Serves: 2 as a meal – Super easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 Beefsteak Tomato, sliced
  • Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
  • Basil leaves, for garnish
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar, of Modena
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Arrange the tomatoes and Mozzarella on a serving plate, lightly season with salt & pepper, liberally drizzle with olive oil, and some balsamic vinegar. Garnish with basil leaves.

Voila, the salad is ready to be served! It is such a beautiful culinary creation, and so easy to prepare. Make it for your guests, and I assure you, they will love it.

Happy Cooking from My Kitchen To Yours!

Gina

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Capri, Italy, June 2007 – Hubby and me

 

 

 

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini Blossoms

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

When I lived in New Jersey many years ago, my uncle used to have a zucchini garden in the summertime. He often made Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, and I always enjoyed them. He also put them in scrambled eggs. Since then, I moved to South Florida, and could not find them anywhere.  On occasions, I would enjoy some, at a nearby Italian restaurant, but I always wanted to make it in my kitchen. Recently, my son PJ told me, he knows someone who’s growing zucchini. I screamed on the top of my lungs, and told him to get me some. Well, he came through for me, because today he brought me a nice amount of them. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Since I’ve never made them, I sought the assistance of some amazing friends who guided me in putting this recipe together. Giusy gave me the ratio for the beer and flour batter, and Angela suggested to make them the traditional Roman style, with fresh mozzarella and anchovies. It was a MAJOR HIT!

Serves: 4-8 Total:  15 zucchini flowers, keep them in a cool place so they don’t wilt.  Level of difficulty: Medium, because it takes a little time, and you have to treat them gingerly.

   Ingredients:

  • 15 zucchini blossoms, (flowers)
  • 1 cup beer, room temperature (Heineken)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Olive oil for frying
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Anchovies, fillet flat, 1 can
  • Fresh Mozzarella cheese, as needed
    Preparation:

     

    1) With a dry paper towel, gently clean the flowers. Remove the stamens, (pollen inside the flower) DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WASH THEM, YOU WILL BREAK THEM.

    2) Stuff each flower with a dollop of mozzarella cheese, (about 1 teaspoon or so depending on their size) and 1/2 of an anchovy fillet. Squeeze the top of the flower gently to close it. It will not be perfect, don’t worry about it. The batter will protect the stuffing while cooking. Set aside.

    3) Prepare the batter, by combining the flour with the beer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a whisk until you obtain a creamy texture.

    4) In the meanwhile, pour oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan, heat up on medium-high heat. Gently place the zucchini flowers in the batter, making sure, they are coated well. ( I did them in batches) and drop them in the hot oil. It will be messy, and it’s ok, just have confidence. Cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes, lower flame, if it’s too high, you want them light golden brown and not dark brown. Cook other side for another 2 minutes. Remove promptly. Serve at once. They will literally melt in your mouth. If you don’t like anchovies, then omit them. (sorry, but you will miss out). My family went bananas over this stuffing. You can also stuff them with ricotta cheese, and use club soda instead of beer, for a lighter batter.

    Please keep in mind a recipe is to be used as guideline, it’s up to you, the homecook, to watch the food, and use your judgement. Adjust the temperature setting as necessary. When frying, always make sure the oil very hot, otherwise, the food will come out soggy, and not presentable.

    This batter can be used to fry some veggies such as zucchini and cauliflower. The choice is yours.

    I hope you will have some fun in your kitchen, and try this delectable recipe.

    Happy Cooking From My Kitchen To Yours,

    Gina

    Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Shrimp Saganaki

Shrimp Saganaki

FoodieWineLoverDecember2014 029

 

Shrimp Saganaki

I love everything Greek! After all, I’m married to one, and to his Big Fat Greek family.  One of the things they enjoy doing, is eating, and they love celebrating everything with food. I do have some knowledge on the Greek culture, because I had the opportunity to visit some beautiful places in Greece. I’ve also made some wonderful Greek friends on Facebook. One of the biggest staples in Greek cooking is Feta cheese, and I love it on almost everything. There’s nothing more Greek than that in my opinion. I love it in salads, omelettes, recipes, with Pita bread, or by itself. Today, I will share with you a lovely recipe made with shrimp and feta cheese, and it’s a winner in my book. The name Saganaki is given to dishes that are cooked in this frying pan, with two handles. Traditionally, this pan is used in making shrimp dishes, and to flambe’ some delicious Greek cheeses. You don’t need this specific pan to make this recipe, but I wanted to share some of the Greek traditions with you. Some traditional recipes call for tomato paste which I love using, and they also leave the shell on the shrimp. It does make for a killer presentation.

Serves: 6-8 Level of difficulty: Easy

 Ingredients: 

  •  1.5 – 2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
  •  3 tbsp. olive oil + more
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 pint roasted cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 – 3/4 ounce ouzo, Greek liqueur
  • Salt and black pepper to taste *
  • 4-6 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled *
  • Flat leave parsley, chopped for garnish

Preparation:

1) Place tomatoes on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until caramelized.

2) In the meanwhile, In a “Saganaki” or a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, sautee the garlic, 1 minute, add the shrimp. Cook for about 3 minutes. Deglaze with ouzo, turn the shrimp, add the tomatoes, oregano, black pepper, cook for 2 minutes. Lower the flame to medium-heat,  add the Feta cheese, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp are no longer translucent. Garnish with parsley. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve with orzo, potatoes or pasta. I served mine with whole-wheat angel hair. This dish makes a wonderful meze, which is Greek for snack or appetizers.

*Be careful with the salt, as the feta is already salty. I like to buy the feta in a container, and crumble it myself. It has a fresher taste than the already crumbled one.

If you don’t have ouzo readily available, use some dry white wine, it will be the next best thing. However, ouzo is the way to go in this dish, in my opinion.

I hope you have enjoyed this blogpost, and will attempt to make it soon for your loved ones. It will be the talk of the town, I promise you.

Happy Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours!

Gina/Foodiewinelover
My Food, Wine & Travel Lifestyles

 

 

 

 

1 … 10 11 12 … 16
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com