I have a quick factoid. Unfortunately I cannot divulge my source for this information, but it's true, I promise.
I was having a conversation with someone a few days ago and they were talking about one of their friends from high school and what they do for work now. This person is the world communications director for a HUGE CA winery operation. Anywho, the fun fact that I learned from the conversation is that in the wine world, when a buzz hits the airwaves about something new and exciting more often than not (meaning more than 50% of the time) the news has to do with VA wine and it's wineries. I think that is a pretty cool factoid. We, as a state are starting to produce global level wines and there are people from around the world that come here to VA, solely, to visit our wineries.
In short, think about that next time you are at a restaurant that serves VA wine. Support your local economy, it's better stuff anyways.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A Hamburger Like No Other
So, I was on twitter the other day reading my latest tweets from my tweeple and saw that a fellow tweeter was tweeting (way too many tweet refs here) about his dinner that he was preparing. I would like to thank Dezel Quillen, the author of myvinespot.com, for the inspiration to write my first food, yes food, recipe online.
I promised all of you something more in the culinary world two years ago. Since the inception of caskproof, I have solely written about drinks and recipes for drinks. Starting today, this will change. However, what will not change is that everything will include some reference to imbibing whether it be organoleptic pairings, beer and food, or the like.
My favorite burger recipe is what I want to write about first. It goes great with a Chianti, a Super Tuscan, or a blend that mimics those flavor and bouquet notes in and on the palate. For a twist, if you can find an "off dry" red, then definitely chill that sucker down or even throw it on the rocks to pair with the adult version of what a hamburger can be. It follows here:
WARNING: YOU WILL BE HUNGRY AFTER READING THIS, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
The 'Burg:
(For easy reference, the ingredients will be loosely listed. Adjust quantity as needed)
Place the ground beef and lamb with salt, pepper, and rosemary into a large bowl and mix with your hands to incorporate all ingredients well. Sit it to the side so the love can start to happen.
In a smaller bowl mix more black pepper, the garlic (mince and mash) and mayo until combined well. This will be the sauce for the burger.
Take a cast iron skillet and cook off the bacon, reserving some of the bacon "love" to saute your onions in. Place the onion, thinly sliced, into the skillet and let caramelize. Deglaze with some of the wine that you will be drinking and pull the pan off the heat and sit this to the side.
Slice up the tomatoes. Yep, you guessed it, sit them to the side.
On a grill that has been preheated (preferably a charcoal grill), place the hamburgers that you have let the love shine in on and cook to medium or medium well. On that same grill you are going to place the pretzel rolls that have been buttered inside down and let them warm, achieving light grill marks on the inside of the buns.
Assembly, commence:
Bottom bun with the garlic mayo, burger, God's gift to us (bacon), red wine onions, big ass slice of tomato, big hunky slice of stinky bleu cheese, a little more mayo (if desired) and the top buttered pretzel roll bun.
Side dishes could include pomme frites that have been dusted with a Provencal herb blend and garlic, maybe some grilled summer squash, or even some made-from-scratch baked beans.
Viola and Cheers!
Time for me to head to the kitchen. I just made myself hungry.
I promised all of you something more in the culinary world two years ago. Since the inception of caskproof, I have solely written about drinks and recipes for drinks. Starting today, this will change. However, what will not change is that everything will include some reference to imbibing whether it be organoleptic pairings, beer and food, or the like.
My favorite burger recipe is what I want to write about first. It goes great with a Chianti, a Super Tuscan, or a blend that mimics those flavor and bouquet notes in and on the palate. For a twist, if you can find an "off dry" red, then definitely chill that sucker down or even throw it on the rocks to pair with the adult version of what a hamburger can be. It follows here:
WARNING: YOU WILL BE HUNGRY AFTER READING THIS, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
The 'Burg:
(For easy reference, the ingredients will be loosely listed. Adjust quantity as needed)
- 3 Parts 80/20 organic ground beef
- 1 Part organic ground lamb
- 1 red onion
- 1 lb. organic salt cured thick cut smoked bacon (I prefer hickory)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- a big wedge of a stinky bleu cheese (I prefer Stilton for this recipe)
- Butter (unsalted of course)
- Pretzel rolls (If you make them yourself, you will like them more.)
- A couple of heirloom tomatoes or a giant juicy beefsteak tomato will suffice
- salt
- pepper
- dried rosemary, ground into a powder
- mayo
- the bottle of wine that you will be drinking with this dish
Place the ground beef and lamb with salt, pepper, and rosemary into a large bowl and mix with your hands to incorporate all ingredients well. Sit it to the side so the love can start to happen.
In a smaller bowl mix more black pepper, the garlic (mince and mash) and mayo until combined well. This will be the sauce for the burger.
Take a cast iron skillet and cook off the bacon, reserving some of the bacon "love" to saute your onions in. Place the onion, thinly sliced, into the skillet and let caramelize. Deglaze with some of the wine that you will be drinking and pull the pan off the heat and sit this to the side.
Slice up the tomatoes. Yep, you guessed it, sit them to the side.
On a grill that has been preheated (preferably a charcoal grill), place the hamburgers that you have let the love shine in on and cook to medium or medium well. On that same grill you are going to place the pretzel rolls that have been buttered inside down and let them warm, achieving light grill marks on the inside of the buns.
Assembly, commence:
Bottom bun with the garlic mayo, burger, God's gift to us (bacon), red wine onions, big ass slice of tomato, big hunky slice of stinky bleu cheese, a little more mayo (if desired) and the top buttered pretzel roll bun.
Side dishes could include pomme frites that have been dusted with a Provencal herb blend and garlic, maybe some grilled summer squash, or even some made-from-scratch baked beans.
Viola and Cheers!
Time for me to head to the kitchen. I just made myself hungry.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Release the Beast that is Kraken!
That's what the bottle tells me to do. I must tell you that I was a bit apprehensive when purchasing this bottle. The only other time that I have had it was in a dark and stormy that a local bar made for me. The problem with that particular cocktail is that the ginger beer that they had purchased was so spicy that it single handedly (yes it's a word, cause I say so) wrecked my palate. I honestly could only taste the alcohol bite and the spice from the ginger witches brew. So, I have decided to go at it again.
This time I will try it neat, on ice, then mixed various ways.
Neat- Wow... dark, burnt, belgain sugar flavor. Laced with spices. I can pick out clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, the usual spiced rum flavors, but I am picking up some vanilla with this. Much more depth in flavor with the black rum. Diggin' it.
On the rocks- Nice toned down flavor. I tend to like rum mixed, unless we are talking about an aged rum that stands well on it's own. I could drink this on the rocks, not too shabby.
Mixed- Tonight I am mixing this with an apple spiced ginger beer that claims to be mild, we'll see about that. Whoa! Diggin' this a lot. Squeezing some lime and maybe a little tangerine into it. Nice. Sticking with this for the evening.
Release the Kraken, that's what it tells me to do, and I'm glad that I did. It's going to be a regular item this summer, I think. Next time, I am doing my twist on a Painkiller with the beast.
Argh ye matey, yo ho ho and a bottle...
This time I will try it neat, on ice, then mixed various ways.
Neat- Wow... dark, burnt, belgain sugar flavor. Laced with spices. I can pick out clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, the usual spiced rum flavors, but I am picking up some vanilla with this. Much more depth in flavor with the black rum. Diggin' it.
On the rocks- Nice toned down flavor. I tend to like rum mixed, unless we are talking about an aged rum that stands well on it's own. I could drink this on the rocks, not too shabby.
Mixed- Tonight I am mixing this with an apple spiced ginger beer that claims to be mild, we'll see about that. Whoa! Diggin' this a lot. Squeezing some lime and maybe a little tangerine into it. Nice. Sticking with this for the evening.
Release the Kraken, that's what it tells me to do, and I'm glad that I did. It's going to be a regular item this summer, I think. Next time, I am doing my twist on a Painkiller with the beast.
Argh ye matey, yo ho ho and a bottle...
Monday, April 26, 2010
Horchata Verano
Monday, March 8, 2010
Yet to be named...
Probably going with Gauguin as far as the name is concerned, but here is the drink:
Splash of ginger simple syrup, Tahitian Vanilla Rum, a splash of nostalgie (And I mean a splash) and soda. All on hard, clear ice.
.25 oz Ginger syrup
2 oz. Charbay Tahitian Vanilla Rum
.25 oz Charbay Nostalgie Black Walnut Liqueur
Top with soda
For something different, try topping with a premium lemon lime soda. I prefer the plain, but the other was different.
As always, Cheers!
Splash of ginger simple syrup, Tahitian Vanilla Rum, a splash of nostalgie (And I mean a splash) and soda. All on hard, clear ice.
.25 oz Ginger syrup
2 oz. Charbay Tahitian Vanilla Rum
.25 oz Charbay Nostalgie Black Walnut Liqueur
Top with soda
For something different, try topping with a premium lemon lime soda. I prefer the plain, but the other was different.
As always, Cheers!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
2010 Richmond, VA Wine Expo
The RVA Wine Expo was so much fun! For the "winery" (and I use that term loosely) that decided to make a "wine" with Bhut Jolokai peppers, I do not like you, and my pallette hates you. The apple/pepper wine, I can understand, but the other makes no culinary sense what-so-ever.
My favorite 3 reds of the Expo were:
1. Afton Mountain Vineyard's Festa di Bacco
2. Blenheim's Painted Red
3. Gadino Cellars' Petit Verdot
The whites were:
1. Jefferson's Pinot Gris
2. Pollack's Durant White
3. White Hall's Chardonnay and Afton's Gerwurztraminer tied.
In no particular order of course.
As always, Cheers!
My favorite 3 reds of the Expo were:
1. Afton Mountain Vineyard's Festa di Bacco
2. Blenheim's Painted Red
3. Gadino Cellars' Petit Verdot
The whites were:
1. Jefferson's Pinot Gris
2. Pollack's Durant White
3. White Hall's Chardonnay and Afton's Gerwurztraminer tied.
In no particular order of course.
As always, Cheers!
Friday, December 25, 2009
42 Below Vodka
This is my 42 Below CWC entry, enjoy!
Honey, I Shrunk my Brain Cells:
Ingredients:
1.25 oz. 42 Below Honey
.25 oz. Lemoncello
one half of a lime
one half of a lemon
one whole tangerine
.5 oz of basil and infused agave nectar*
1" of fresh jalapeno (seeds removed)
cracked ice
fresh basil
Equipment:
Muddler
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
Julep Strainer
Paring Knife
Cutting Board
Collins Glass
Preperation:
Quarter all fruit and reserve one quarter of the tangerine for garnish. Combine all quartered fruit, 42 Below Honey, lemoncello, basil-agave nectar and jalapeno into the Boston shaker and muddle, a lot.
Double strain the mix into the Collins glass through both the Hawthorne stainer and the Julep strainer. This step cleans the drink up really well. Garnish with the remaining tangerine wedge and a couple of sprigs of fresh basil. Serve with a long black straw.
Yes, 'tis a crazy color with a wacky flavor, but it's freakin' delicious.
OH- and if you don't like it, then there is something wrong with your palate and you should drink another.
* to make the basil infused agave nectar, just combine 1 oz. of basil to every 4oz. of agave nectar in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh chinos and reserve refrigerated. It should turn out vibrant green.
As always... Cheers!
Honey, I Shrunk my Brain Cells:
Ingredients:
1.25 oz. 42 Below Honey
.25 oz. Lemoncello
one half of a lime
one half of a lemon
one whole tangerine
.5 oz of basil and infused agave nectar*
1" of fresh jalapeno (seeds removed)
cracked ice
fresh basil
Equipment:
Muddler
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
Julep Strainer
Paring Knife
Cutting Board
Collins Glass
Preperation:
Quarter all fruit and reserve one quarter of the tangerine for garnish. Combine all quartered fruit, 42 Below Honey, lemoncello, basil-agave nectar and jalapeno into the Boston shaker and muddle, a lot.
Double strain the mix into the Collins glass through both the Hawthorne stainer and the Julep strainer. This step cleans the drink up really well. Garnish with the remaining tangerine wedge and a couple of sprigs of fresh basil. Serve with a long black straw.
Yes, 'tis a crazy color with a wacky flavor, but it's freakin' delicious.
OH- and if you don't like it, then there is something wrong with your palate and you should drink another.
* to make the basil infused agave nectar, just combine 1 oz. of basil to every 4oz. of agave nectar in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh chinos and reserve refrigerated. It should turn out vibrant green.
As always... Cheers!
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