Susanna Griffith, honor graduate of the Culinary Institute of America offer a menu to make your Winter meals very special.


Sparkling Winter Wonderland

The winter holiday season is the perfect time for Champagnes and Sparkling Wines. I enjoy a Sparkler at any time of year and for any occasion, but now is the time to pull out all the stops. Champagnes go with any celebration such as Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, or New Year’s Eve, whether it is a large gathering, a small intimate tête-a-tête for two, or a family gathering. As a rule, these wines go with practically anything.

First, let’s clarify some things. All Champagne is Sparkling Wine, but not all Sparkling Wine is Champagne. Champagne comes from a certain demarcated region in France, named, you guessed it, Champagne. You might hear various other terms for Sparkling Wine: Cremant (French wines not from Champagne), Cava (from Spain), Spumante (from Italy). To read more on this subject, please read the Champagne article on our Centennial website at http://www.centennialwines.com/bubbles.htm

Rather than following our usual format in writing our food and wine articles, we are changing it a bit for this time of year. With most celebrations, both small and large, we tend to purchase only one type of Sparkling Wine. Following, we will suggest a number of wines with descriptors and a number of hors d’oeuvres to match.

WINES

Charles Roux Blanc de Blancs, NV: Perfect party quaff and great mixed for Mimosas, Royales, etc. Inexpensive

Castellane Brut , NV: Laurent-Perrier’s second label. Not as complex, but pleasing, toasty with ripe fruit and lemony acidity. A crowd pleaser and relatively inexpensive for a Champagne

Laurent-Perrier NV: A big boy. Rich toasty and complex. Lovely and elegant, with a nose of toasted brioche, Pippen apple.

Larmandier Rose NV: Sexy pale pink-peach color. Bone dry, but with ripe aromas of cherries and strawberries. Creamy and toasty.

Larmandier Blanc de Blancs, NV: Another full-bodied big boy. No dosage added to this 100 % Chardonnay, but the fruit is so ripe and complex, that the tongue senses sweetness. One of my favorites.

Cremant de Bourgone , NV: Not a true Champagne, but from Burgundy, France. This is one of my host gifts during the holidays, and always a favorite. Good toast, ripe fruit, easy sipping qualities. A winner in every respect.

Louis Grenelle Grande Cuvee , NV: From Saumur, Loire in France. Tasty dry Chenin Blanc exhibiting lemony notes, apple, and orange zest. Notes of dandelion and a slight breeze of pine. Rather fascinating, and wonderful to share.

Zonin Prosecco Brut, NV: Another crowd pleaser from Italy. Light, airy, and tasty with a hint of sweetness. Perfect as an aperitif to begin a meal, or to ring in the New Year.

Castello del Poggio Spumante d’Asti, NV: A sweet style, once again, from Italy. Not cloying or bitter, as some can be, but bright and lemony with peach and apricot flavors. Divine with dessert as simple as almond cookies or as complex as a dried apricot tart with crème chantilly.

RECIPES

We have included several recipes to complement the above sparkling wines. Besides the following, offer a selection of cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin or Explorateur (triple cream Brie cheeses), Morbier, Monterey Jack, Maytag Bleu, and Chèvre. Create a crudité platter and use the following pestos and spreads as dips. Boiled and chilled shrimp, other crustaceans, and mollusks are great party fare. Serve crostini, crackers, breads-and pop the cork of your favorite bubbly!

Bleu Cheese and Pistachio Grapes
From the Culinary Institute of America
Yield: 40 Grapes
40 red or white seedless grapes
10 ounces bleu cheese
5 ounces cream cheese
10 ounces pistachio nuts, toasted, then finely chopped

• Blend the cheeses together. Coat individual grapes evenly in the cheese mixture. Freeze for 15 minutes to firm the cheese.
• When cheese is firm, roll the grapes to get an even shape. Coat grapes completely with the finely chopped pistachios.
• Arrange in the shape of a grape cluster on a platter with other tidbits.
   

Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
Yield: 24 Pieces
12 dried dates, pitted
12 dried figs
24 stuffed green olives
6 slices bacon, quartered

1. Make a small incision in each dried fruit and insert an olive.
2. Wrap one of the slivers of bacon around the fruit.
3. Place on baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.
4. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Cucumber with Smoked Salmon Spread
1 English seedless cucumber (the one wrapped in plastic)
4 ounces smoked salmon
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon minced shallots
Dash of Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
zest of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
¼ cup mayonnaise
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh dill for garnish

1. Slice cucumber into ¼ inch rounds.
2. In a bowl, flake salmon. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, adding just enough mayonnaise to bind the salad.
3. Top each cucumber round with a good teaspoonful of salmon and garnish.
4. Serve chilled.

Rye Bread with Sour Cream, Radishes, Chives, and Caviar
1 package cocktail rye bread
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup minced purple onion
¼ cup radishes, julienned
2 eggs, hard-boiled, sieved
5 ounces caviar, preferably Beluga or Oestra
Chives for garnish

1. Mix sour cream, onion, and radishes.
2. Top with sieved eggs and caviar.
3. Garnish with chives

Crostini
Yes, you can make your own Crostini. I freeze leftover artisan and French bread, and when I have a bit of time, I whip up a batch and keep them in a paper bag for party dip, soup, or salad.

Preheat Oven to 375°F
Leftover bread, cut into bite size pieces
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. On a baking sheet, spread out slices of bread.
2. Brush with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden in color.

White Bean Dip
Yield: about 1 ½ cups
1 can white beans
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup parsley, chopped
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

1. Rinse canned beans well and drain.
2. Meanwhile, smash the cloves of garlic and remove the skin and root end. Do not chop. Heat olive oil in a skillet and slowly cook the garlic until golden and softened. Remove skillet from heat and cool.
3. Puree beans in a food processor or blender, adding the garlic and olive oil, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. If it is not a creamy consistency, but too thick, add water to thin. Serve on crostini, pita points, or crackers.

Arugula Pesto
From The Herb Garden Cookbook by Lucinda Hutson
Yield: about 1 ½ cups
5 slices (3/4 inch) day-old baguette, crusts removed, torn into 1 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups tender arugula leaves, tightly packed
½ cup Italian flat-leafed parsley, tightly packed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup (or more) extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch brown sugar (optional)
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, soak the bread pieces in the vinegar and water.
2. Grind the garlic with the arugula and parsley in a food processor or blender. Add the mustard and the soaked bread and pulse until well mixed.
3. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a continuous stream until the mixture forms a thick puree, adding more oil if necessary.
4. Blend in optional brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of white pepper.
5. Serve at room temperature. Freezes beautifully.

Phyllo Triangles with Herbed Goat Cheese and Onion Confit
Yield: 20 portions
For the goat cheese filling:
4 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
½ box phyllo dough
½ cup olive oil

1. Soften goat cheese until spreadable.
2. Add the rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Blend well.

For the caramelized onions:
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ tablespoon port wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon butter

1. Over low heat, sweat the onion slices in olive oil and butter until well-softened.
2. Add sugar, vinegar, and port wine. Allow the onions to caramelize and the liquid to evaporate. Cool.

Working the phyllo dough:

1. Moisten towels and lay phyllo dough on them. Cover with more moist towels.
2. Peel one sheet of phyllo dough off the pile and lay on a clean dry cutting board. Brush lightly with olive oil and place another sheet on top. Repeat this procedure for a total of 3 sheets.
3. Trim the ends of the phyllo dough, making a straight edge. Cut 2 inch wide strips. Place 1 teaspoon of the cheese and 1 teaspoon of the onion confit into the center of the bottom of each strip. Fold into a triangle like a flag. Seal with olive oil and trim if necessary.

Bake the triangles on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Beef Satay
Yield: about 24 skewers
Preheat Oven: 400°F
Marinade:
¼ cup soy sauce
2 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
juice and zest of 1 lime
½ -1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
24 wooden skewers, 5 to 6 inches long
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. In a medium size bowl, stir the marinade ingredients together. Add the beef, toss to coat and allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, soak skewers in hot water for one hour.
3. Thread each skewer with a thin slice of the marinated meat.
4. Dip one side of each skewer in the sesame seeds.
5. Arrange on a lightly greased sheet pan and bake until sizzling, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with the following sauce.

1. In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger together. Add the hot water and blend well.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Allow to stand for one hour. Refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.