New recipe, October 31, 2013

Halloween is a full time job in our neighborhood--no time to cook! The new recipe is the Kamikaze (seriously, we've never done this before) from Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology. We give this a 4.

New recipe, October 30, 2013

Carl had a dinner, and Mark had a flight, so the new recipe is the John Collins cocktail, from Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology. Nice, it gets a 4!

New recipe, October 29, 2013

Another busy day, so the new recipe is the James Joyce Cocktail, from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. Tasty! It gets a 4

New recipe, October 28, 2013

Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon Croutons from the November 2013 Cooking Light. Nice flavors, we give this a 3. Served with a reprise of the Goat Cheese Polenta with Sautéed Kale, still a 4!

Wine: Fire Road 2012 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

New recipe, October 27, 2013

Soba Noodles with Spicy Cumin Lamb from the November 2013 Cooking Light. Tasty--we give this a 4. With a little more spice, this could be a 5!

Wine: Infinite Monkey Theorem Petite Sirah 2000

New recipe, October 26, 2013

Today's new recipe is a snack, Pistachio and Dried Cherry Biscotti, from the May 2011 Bon Appetit. These are quite nice--we give them a 4

New recipe, October 25, 2013

Yeasted Brown Butter Waffles from the November 2013 Bon Appétit. Rich and light at the same time--a nice treat. We give them a 4!

New recipe, October 24, 2013

Goat Cheese Polenta with Sautéed Kale from the November 2013 Cooking Light. Yum! It gets a 4.

Wine: Evolucio Furmint 2011

New recipe, October 23, 2013

With Mark on the road and Carl speaking at an evening event, the new recipe is a cocktail, the Black Tie Martini from Epicurious.com. Nice-it gets a 4!

New recipe, October 22, 2013

Pomegranate Manhattan from the June 2005 Gourmet. Nice, the pomegranate is a nice slight change in traditional manhattan flavor. We give this a 4!

New recipe, October 21, 2013

Thai Beef with Basil from the November 2013 Bon Appétit. This is a delight! We give it a 4.

Wine: Domaine Allimant-Laugner Gewürztraminer 2011

New recipes, October 20, 2013

You can just see the deer in the trees and snow--beautiful day in Tabernash.
The new recipes are Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing from the November 2013 Bon Appétit, which we give a 4. Served with Beef Daube Provençal from the October 2013 Cooking Light. This gets a 3--great flavors, the meat should have been more tender. We used a covered pot rather than a Dutch oven--wonder if that would have made the difference.

Wine: Amethyst Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

New recipes, October 19, 2013

Both are from the November 2013 Bon Appétit. Pork Tenderloin with Date and Cilantro Relish, and Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Chanterelles. We had some naan bread on the side.
These are both delicious, and they work well together. We give them both a 5!

Wine: Muriel Rioja Reserva 2007--a pleasant match!

New recipe, October 18, 2013

Tonight's new recipe is a riff on the Bucatini with Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce from the November 2013 Bon Appétit. Instead of canned tomatoes, we used fresh tomatoes, and did not remove the skins. We also added about 8 oz of fresh chanterelles. The flavors are great, and we give the riff a 4!

Served with mâché and diced red bell pepper with a dressing of Maggi, balsamic and Persian lime infused olive oil-a nice balance with the pasta!

Wine: Villa Medoro Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2008

New recipe, October 17, 2013

One more cocktail-The Preakness, from Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology. We give this a 4.

New recipe, October 16, 2013

This is a busy week, so tonight's recipe is the Presbyterian Cocktail, from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. We give this a 3.

New recipe, October 15, 2013

Another cocktail--the Vodka Gibson, from Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. It gets a 4

New recipe, October 14. 2013

There is a lot going on, so the new recipe is the Tipperary Cocktail, from Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. It gets a 4

New recipe, October 13, 2013

Today's new recipe is Orecchiette Carbonara with Charred Brussels Sprouts from the September 2013 Bon Appétit! Total 5! Make this! Served with garden tomatoes.

Wine: Poggiotondo Chianti Superiore 2009

New recipe, October 12, 2013

We got Halloween up today (THE holiday in our neighborhood). We decided to celebrate the end of tomato season with a repeat of Mario Batali's amazing Sea Scallops Alla Caprese, from The Italian Grill. It is still a total 5! The wine was the Gilles Barge Condrieu La Solarie 2010. An amazing wine.

So the new recipe is the Fresh Pear Cocktail from the October 2013 Cooking Light. It is refreshing and captures the flavors of the fall. Not a lot of alcohol, great flavors. We give it a 4.

New recipe, October 11, 2013

Nutty Carrot Pilaf from the November 2013 Food and Wine. We give it a 4, especially because of the multiple flavors including pepitas, almonds, and caraway! Served with a grilled bison rib steak.

Wine: Forgeron Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

New recipe, October 10, 2013

The new recipe is Double Apple and Brussels Sprout Slaw from the November 2013 Food and Wine. Very good--we give it a 4. Served with grilled pork tenderloin with adobo rub.

Wine: Gérard Bertrand Minervois 2008--nice with the pork, challenged by the ginger in the salad

New recipe, October 9, 2013

This is a riff off the Tomato Cherry Pizza Margherita from the April 2010 Bon Appétit. We added roasted bell peppers, baba peppers, kalamata olives, and Canadian bacon. 5!!

Wine: Dry Creek Chenin Blanc 2012

New recipe, October 8, 2013

Fennel and Orange Salad With Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette from the September 2013 Bon Appétit. Yum! This gets a 5. Served with garden tomatoes and D'Artagnan Venison and Pork Sausage with Cherries. Together, this was a 5 meal!

Wine: Muriel Rioja Reserva 2007

New recipe, October 7, 2013

Sautéed Chicken Breast with Pear Bell Pepper and Cilantro Salsa, from the October 2007 Bon Appetit. Yum! We give this a 5!

No wine, we had a Leffe Brown ale

New recipe, October 6, 2013

Tandoori Marinated Quail from the October 2013 Food and Wine. Very nice, it gets a 4! Have to watch the quail on the grill-they cook fast! Served with basmati rice and curried squash.

Wine: Hogue 2009 Riesling-- nice match, and inexpensive

New recipe, October 5, 2013

Duck Confit with Spicy Pickled Raisins, from the October 2013 Bon Appétit. I so wanted to love this! The flavors were very nice, and the duck came out over cooked and tough--would probably reduce the time at high heat to crisp the skin. It gets a 3.

Served with sautéed mushrooms and garden tomatoes.

Wine: Gilles Barges Côtes Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy 2007--a fabulous wine, but not well matched to the spiciness of the pepper in the duck recipe.

New recipe, October 4, 2013

Four Spice Duck Breasts with Carrots from the October 2013 Food and Wine. Nice flavors, we give this a 4. Served with Sautéed Mushrooms.

Wine: Chateau de Ségriès Lirac Réservée 2010

New recipe, October 3, 2013

We were exhausted by the Denver Center's excellent production of "The Death of a Salesman". So the new recipe is the Dreamy Dorini Smoking Martini from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. We give it a 3.

New recipe, October 2, 2013

Quick Quinoa Meatballs from the October 2013 Cooking Light. We used turkey instead of pork, still delicious! Cooking Light suggested serving with marinara--we went a whole different route and served Nuoc Cham, that delicious Vietnamese dipping sauce, from Epicurious. We gave the combination a 5! Served with garden tomatoes and cucumbers.

Wine: Huia Riesling 2011

New recipe, October 1, 2013

The new recipe is in the lower left corner of the plate--Beet and Olive Relish from the October 2013 Food and Wine. Very tasty--we give this a 4! Served with leftover bread salad and wild mushroom soup.

No wine--we went to see "Sister Act" at the Buell Theater--great fun!