New recipe, October 30, 2014

We saw the very funny "Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike" at the Denver Center. So the new recipe is the Goldminer's Cocktail from Grady Spears and Brigit L Binns Cowboy Cocktails. We give this a 4--like a cinnamon martini.

New recipe, October 29, 2014

Flattened Pork Chops with Greens and Mustard Pan Sauce from the November 2014 Bon Appétit. Very tasty--we give it a 4. Still haven't nailed the fine art of cooking a pork chop to just right and tender!

Wine: Chateau Simard Saint Emilion 1999--lovely wine!

New recipe, October 28, 2014

Tonight's cocktail is the Infinite Zest, from Tim Federle's Tequila Mockingbird. Pleasant, it gets a 3.

New recipe, October 27, 2014

A snack--Chile Peanut and Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix from the August 2014 Bon Appétit. This has way too much oil and salt--would try maybe 1/3 of each. The chili part is great! We give this a 2.

New recipe, October 26, 2014

Breakfast! The Onion Frittata from the May 2011 Bon Appétit. Very nice flavors, we give it a 4.

New recipe, October 25, 2014

It was the neighbors annual Hallowen party, so the new recipe is the Blue Devil cocktail, from Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide. This is very tart, seemed unbalanced. We give this a 2.

New recipe, October 24, 2014

Strip Steak with Onions and Poblanos from the November 2014 Cooking Light. A pleasant dish, which we give a 3.

Wine: Muriel Rioja Reserva 2007

New recipe, October 23, 2014

The Crystal Slipper Cocktail from Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide. Another 4.

New recipe, October 22, 2014

The Rory O'More cocktail, from Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide. This is nice. We give it a 4.

New recipe, October 21, 2014

Ham and Portobello Mushroom Casserole from Michele Morris' Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State. This is a nice, comforting breakfast dish--we give it a 3.

New recipe, October 20, 2014

Mushroom Pâté from the September/October 2014 Eating Well--rich, delicious and vegetarian! We give it a 4--our contribution to a potluck

New recipes, October 19, 2014

Spinach and Warm Mushroom Salad from the September/October 2014 Eating Well. This is what your spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette always wanted to be! We give it a 4.

Served with Two Tomato Soup with Fennel from the November 2014 Food and Wine, another delicious 4.

Wine: Kosta Browne 2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir--a good match.

New recipe, October 18, 2014

We were privileged to attend the James Beard Foundation Dinner in Tabernash. So tonight's Recipe is the Alpine Manhattan from the November 2014 Food and Wine. You have to make a pine simple syrup for this! Overall, we like the pine flavor, and it seems a bit sweet overall. We will make it again, may experiment with less of the syrup versus less sugar on the syrup. It was a pleasant evening! We give the cocktail a 4.

New recipe, October 17, 2014

Curried Pork Chop with Roasted Apples and Leeks from the September/October 2014 Eating Well. The apples and leeks make this dish, and it is a 5!

Wine: Von der Leyen Riesling 2012--a really nice, complementary match

New recipe, October 16, 2014

Prudence and Hammersmith cocktail from United Airlines Hemispheres magazine. This is fun--it uses watercress for the bitter! Tasty--it gets a 4.

New recipe, October 15, 2014

We attended an evening with Tom Rath, courtesy of the Mental Health Center of Denver. So the new recipe is the Silver Bullet cocktail from the Spring 44 website. Quite tasty, we give this a 4

New recipe, October 14, 2014

Paprika Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts from the September/October 2014 Eating Well. This is a good meal--we give it a 3.

Served with garden tomatoes

Wine: Chivite Colleción 125 Reserva 2001-a decent match

New recipe, October 13, 2014

Tonight's new recipe, after a long day not conducive to cooking, is the Spring 44 Martini, from the Spring 44 website. Very nice, it gets a 4.

New recipe, October 12, 2014

Cream of Cilantro Soup from Michele Morris' Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State. This brings back happy memories of sipping garlic soup in Ecuador--we give it a 4. Served with tamales.

No wine--we had Ommegang Game of Thrones Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale

New recipe, October 11, 2014

Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pistachios and Baby Beets, from Michele Morris' Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State. Beets and goat cheese go together so well, and this salad makes them even better. We give this a 4.

Wine: Château Peyruchet 2007

New recipe, October 10, 2014

We attended the Chef's Circle Dinner at Project Angelheart, so the new recipe is the Jewel Cocktail, from the Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide. This was very good--we give it a 4

New recipe, October 9, 2014

Quick Pork Pho from the October 2014 Bon Appétit. Very tasty--we give this a 4.

Wine: Huia Dry Riesling

New recipe, October 8, 2014

In the interest of expediency, we decided to go with another frittata--the Feta Green Onion and Asparagus Frittata from the September 2014 Cooking Light-a delightful 4. Served with more garden tomatoes.

Wine: (extraordinary) Gilles Barges Condrieu La Solarie 2010

New recipe, October 6, 2014

The tomatoes are finally really getting ripe (in October!!) so we had the ever wonderful Scallops Alla Caprese from Mario Batali's Italian Grill. It is still a 5!

So the new recipe is the Saint Florent Cocktail from the October 2014 Bon Appétit. This is pretty tart--we would have liked a little more balance between sweet and sour. We give it a 3.

New recipe, October 5, 2014

Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Michele Morris' Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State. This is a nice, warming fall soup. We feel it needs a bit more of something to make it really interesting-perhaps more curry or a little spicey heat. We give it a 3.

Served with tamales

Wine: Roseanns Zweigelt Rosé

New recipe, October 4, 2014

Spaghetti with Braised Lamb Sugo from Michele Morris' Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State. This is nice, didn't stand out as exceptional. We give it s 3. Served with a greens and garden tomato salad.

Wine: Gilles Barge Cuvée du Plessy Côte Rôtie 2007

New recipe, October 3, 2014

Grilled Shrimp with Tequila Orange Sauce and Crispy Chorizo Corn Relish (sorry--no link available), from Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State by Michele Morris. The flavors are wonderful. We used frozen Texas Gulf shrimp--the iodine flavor in these shrimp was overpowering, so we gave this a 4. With a different shrimp that lacks that iodine bomb, this would be a definite 5.

Wine: Domaine Allimant-Laugner Gewürztraminer 2012. We picked it because of the chiles in the shrimp marinade, but it was not a good match.

New recipe, October 2, 2014

Tuscan Style Garlic Herb Porkchops from the October 2014 Cooking Light. Very tasty, we give these a 4!

Wine: Domaine de Prieuré Bourgogne 2006--a very nice match

New recipe, October 1, 2014

Grilled Porkchops with Concord Grapes from the October 2014 Food and Wine. We think there may have been a typo with the brine proportions, because while the grapes were wonderful, the pork was far too salty. And it would be really nice to find seedless Concords! As made we give this a 2.

Served with heirloom tomatoes from the garden.

Wine: Villamedoro Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2008