New recipes, January 31, 2012

Lamb Chops with Lemon from the April 2011Bon Appétit, served with Spicy Bitter Melon, from Mangoes and Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, and heirloom tomatoes with green onions. The lamb is great, gets a 4. The bitter melon is interesting--even with the techniques to de-bitter it, the first taste is full of interesting flavors, including a strong bitter flavor. It gets mellower with each taste, but still challenging. Would love to taste it made by someone that makes it all the time. We give it a 2.

Carl's nephew Zac is here with his friend Jason.  They have been game to try all these new flavors--such fun!

Wine: Redwire Hawkes Bay 2007

New recipe, January 30, 2012

Arctic Char Gravlax with White Grapefruit, from the October 2011 Bon Appétit. Served with Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios from Epicurious. We used Icelandic Salmon, since Char was not available. And we used pine nuts instead of pistachios. We give the gravlax a 4, and 4 for the Brussels sprouts as well.

So I made the gravlax.  This is the point where my parents and siblings ask "who are you, and what have you done with Mark?"  We did not have a lot of really fresh fish when I was growing up, and I absolutely detest the flavor and aroma of fishy fish.  Most cooked salmon is too fishy for me.  I love salmon sushi, and it turns out I really like fresh gravlax as well.  Go figure!

Wine: Selbach 2010 Mosel Dry Riesling

New recipe, January 29, 2012

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Dill Sauce from the March 2011 Bon Appétit. The recipe include a quick zucchini pickle--we used cucumber, since that is what we have. Definitely will do this again--we give it a 4.
Wine: Brophy Clark 2009 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir

New recipe, January 28, 2012

Today's new recipe is breakfast, the Mushroom and Bacon Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes from the December 2010 Bon Appétit. This is really delicious--a definite 4. We modified by using only egg whites (used 2 egg white for each egg in the recipe) instead of whole eggs, and turkey bacon.

We cooked breakfast because we went to Ember for dinner in Breckenridge.  We were last at Ember almost 2 years ago, just after it first opened.  It was quite good then, but it has just gotten better.  The food is beautifully prepared, melding classical techniques with ingredients and flavors from around the world.  The wine list is great, and the staff (at least Melia, who served us) know the wines and potential pairing really well.  We had a wonderful time, and we think Ember is one of the best restaurant in Colorado.

New recipe, January 27, 2012

Scallops with Almonds, from the January 2000 Gourmet. I altered this, using a low fat half and half instead of cream. The brandy and onion give it a nice sweetness. It gets a 3.5, and I am curious to try it with the cream! Served with a green salad with black and white sesame seeds.
Instead of wine, this was served with the Angry Orchard Dry Cider

New recipe, January 26, 2012

Lemongrass Mojito from Epicurious--more dinner meetings, so the new recipe is another (delicious) cocktail.

New recipe, January 25, 2012

We both had dinner meetings, so we had a cocktail--the Old Pal, from the February 2012 Bon Appétit.
Tasty!

New recipe, January 24, 2012

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp from the August 2011 Cooking Light. We liked this--gets a 4!
Wine: Domaine de Pellehaut Harmonie de Gascogne 2009

New recipe, January 23, 2012

Steamed Red Snapper with Roasted Butternut Squash Purée from Top Chef The Cookbook. A very tasty dish-we give it a 4.
Wine: Willm 2010 Vin D'Alsace Riesling

New recipe, January 22, 2012

Beef Tenderloin Steaks and Balsamic Green Beans from the January/February 2012 Cooking Light. We give this a 4. We skipped the potatoes, since we are avoiding carbs at the moment.
Wine: 1998 Chateau Simard St Emilion

New recipe, January 21, 2012

The new recipe is Quick Asparagus Stir Fry from Mangoes and Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Fuguid. The simple name might put you off, but this is really excellent, we rate it 4 (will definitely do again). We had it with the African Adobo Rubbed Tuna from Epicurious, which we have loved since we first made it and gets a 5 from us!
Wine: Guy Drew 2009 Russell Vineyard Riesling, from Montezuma County Colorado, a very nice bottle of wine, well suited to this meal

New recipe, January 20, 2012

Lamb Chops and Cilantro Relish from the August 2011 Cooking Light, served with a green salad with a lemon juice and balsamic vinaigrette and diced yellow bell pepper. Rating 4--really tasty!
Wine: 2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino. Fabulous!

New recipe, January 19, 2012

Tonight we attended a report on LGBT Health in Colorado, presented by One Colorado, followed by 9 Circles at the Curious Theatre, a remarkable and powerful play. So the new recipe is a cocktail, the Parkside Fizz from the October 2011 Bon Appétit. Rating 3

New recipe, January 18, 2012

Peppered Flank Steak with Salsa from the August 2011 Cooking Light. We used flat iron steak--a new cut for us, and one we'll use again! The salsa was ok, the meat and rub were the highlight, so it gets a 3.5 overall.
No wine, as we are headed to the theater

New recipe, January 17, 2012

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Loin with Baked Apples from Bon Appétit. We modified the recipe a lot--used pork tenderloin, left the ground pork out of the stuffing, so a lot healthier than the original. But still really nice flavors, and a beautiful dish to look at as well! Served with a salad with truffled oil and almonds. We give the pork a 4. Yum!
Wine: Riesling "Hugel" Alsace 2009

New recipe, January 16, 2012

Tonight's new recipe is Herbed Shrimp and White Bean Salad from the August 2012 Cooking Light. This is very easy and flavorful--the red onion we had is pretty hot, so it is a bit too dominant. Defiring it a bit with a rinse in cold water would have been helpful. It gets a 3.5.
Wine: finished the 2005 Michel Langlois Coteaux du Giennois
Mark spent Martin Luther King Day volunteering at Project Angel Heart. They provide meals for 850 clients with life threatening illnesses in the metro area, and with their recent move to a new space, they hope to quadruple that! Let's just say it takes a lot of cabbage to feed 850 people! A day there gave me new appreciation for the tremendous work they do!

New recipe, January 15, 2012

Sautéed Chicken with Onion Jam from the January-February 2012 Cooking Light, with a green salad with tomato, bell pepper and some grated truffled pecorino. The chicken dish is simple and quite delicious--it gets a 4. The addition of the truffled pecorino adds a nice dimension to the salad--the nice salty and sheep character and the earthiness of the truffles are fun! I will certainly use this cheese on a salad again, so I guess it gets a 4 too
Wine: 2005 Michel Lanois Coteaux du Giennois. Though a little long in the tooth for most whites, this is still very nice.

New recipes, January 14, 2012

Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup from the June 2011 Food and Wine, Braised Cucumbers with Dill from the August 2011 Food and Wine, and Skirt Steak with Moroccan Spice Rub and Yogurt Sauce from the June 2006 Food and Wine. A middle eastern feast! The soup is a really interesting combination of flavors we don't often think of putting together here--it is delicious! The steak with the rub is also delicious. The cucumbers seemed a little bland by comparison. We give the soup and the steak a 4, and 3 for the soup.

Wine: Alamos 2010 Malbec

New recipe, January 13, 2012

Pan Seared Halibut with Bell Pepper Relish from the January-February 2012 Cooking Light. Nice dish, nice flaky fish. I used hot smoked paprika--might have melded a little better with sweet smoked paprika. It gets a 3.5
Wine: Domaine Jean Pascal & Fils 2009 Meursault

New recipe, January 12, 2012

Hanger Steak (we used skirt) with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce from Bon Appétit, with a side of braised fennel and celery. Very tasty, we used less butter than suggested, but still a bit high on the fat, so we give it a 3

New recipe, January 11, 2012

Vietnamese Salad, from the September 2011 Cooking Light. All the delicious fresh flavors of Vietnamese food--mint, lime, fresh chili, fish sauce-but a bit more subtle than we like--we would make it spicier, so we give it a 3. Nothing wrong with it at all--we'd like a little more character.
Wine: Brophy Clark Pinot Noir 2009

New recipe, January 10, 2012

Maple Mustard Glazed Chicken from the January 2012 Cooking Light, served with cumin roasted carrots and a green salad.
We gIve this a 3 1/2--nice sauce!
Wine: Muga Rose Rioja 2010

New recipe, January 9, 2012

Grilled Scallop Salad from the July 2011 Cooking Light. Very nice! We give it a 4. The combination of lime, watermelon and mint with the scallop is quite nice. Try it!

Wine: Ribbonwood 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

New recipes, January 8, 2012

Double Plum Baked Chicken from Cooking Light, and Leeks Vinaigrette from Bon Appétit. Green salad on the side. The leeks are especially fine! The sauce for the chicken was also quite nice.
To help us keep track of what we love, we are going to use a 1-5 scale to rate the recipes.
5 - Can't wait to make this again!
4 - Will make this again
3 - Good, may make this again
2 - OK, probably would not do it again
1 - Awful, definitely would not do it again
Using that scale, the leeks get a 4. The chicken sauce gets a 4, but the chicken was a bit tough--would make sure the chicken breast is unfolded and possible pounded to give a thinner, more rapidly cooking piece of chicken.
Wine: Infinite Monkey Theorem Petite Sirah 2009

New recipes, January 7, 2012

Curried Beef Stew and Long Bean, Cucumber and Tomato Salad, from the January 2012 Bon Appétit. These were both tasty, and are amazingly nearly fat free.

What we would do different: blanch the long beans for a little more tenderness, and increase the temp of the stew above a simmer to tenderize the beef more. The stew could use another tablespoon of Thai chili. There was a lot of broth-more vegetables would also be nice.

The wine was Bleasdale The Broad Side Langhorne Creek 2008 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec. As we hoped, the rich fruitiness from the Shiraz, which is the primary grape, was a nice match with the spiciness of both dishes, as well as the lime in the salad.

New recipe, January 6, 2012

Scallops with Warm Tomato Basil Dressing, from the June 2011 Food and Wine. Delicious! I think virtually anything with scallops are delicious, but this really is good! With a Green Salad with Diced Bell Peppers.
No wine, as we are traveling to Tabernash.

New recipe, January 5, 2012

Pan Grilled Ginger-Honey Pork Tenderloin from the December 2012 Cooking Light, with a green salad with diced bell peppers. Very tasty--the caramelization of the marinade and umami from the soy are delicious, and using a Meyer lemon from our tree is fun.
Wine: Brézème 2007 Côtes du Rhône, a very nice match.

New recipe, January 4, 2012

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup from the January 2012 Cooking Light, with a quick cucumber pickle. This soup is quite a bit lower in fat than the traditional version, but it is equally delicious!
Wine: Villa Wolf 2008 Gewürztraminer

New recipe, January 3, 2012

Chipotle Chicken from the January 2012 Cooking Light, with a roasted corn salad.
Wine: Creekside Cellars 2008 Colorado Syrah

New recipe, January 2, 2012

Chicken Piccata, from the December 2011 Cooking Light, with oven roasted parsnips with smoked paprika, and a green salad with a lemon-Viandox dressing. Very easy, very tasty--we used quite a bit less oil than the recipe calls for, and didn't miss it at all.
Wine: Ribbonwood 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc--nice match.

New recipes, January 1, 2012

For lunch, we had Hoppin' John (which contains the black eyed peas we have to celebrate the new year!) from Epicurious, with rice.  This was very tasty!

 

 Dinner is Crispy Duck Legs with Toasted Hazelnut and Garlic Sauce from the January 2012 Food and Wine, with a salad of baby kale and assorted bell peppers.  Delicious--a great way to start the New Year!

Wine: La Cartuja Priorat 2007