Comfort Food

Bacon Backyard BBQ for Independence Day

by liz · Jun 13, 2018

What’s the one ingredient that can make every one of your backyard BBQ dishes shine? That will kick up the flavors and make everyone come back for more?? Bacon, that’s what.

1. Figs wrapped in bacon with balsamic glaze. For an amazing starter, take some fresh figs and wrap them with bacon. Bake in the oven at 350 or until the bacon is cooked. Drizzle with balsamic glaze (or balsamic reduction). Your guests will gobble them up. Pair the figs with a light, Santa Barbara county rosé.

2. Of course you should add bacon to your burgers! and I like to stuff mine with chopped kale and feta cheese as well – get the recipe here. (And if you like this idea, check out our Green Jalapeño Margarita recipe!)

3&4. Smoky baked beans and roasted Brussels Sprouts also taste better with bacon, so sprinkle chopped bacon in after cooking or place bacon strips across the top.

5. And for dessert, just put chopped bacon right on top of a regular ol’ chocolate eclair pastry, or add it to ice cream. Bacon makes everything taste better! Along with the rosé of course…

Extra thanks to the lovely and talented Toki Lee for helping with a bacon dish photoshoot!

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Cooking with Wine: Winter Squash Chardonnay Risotto Recipe

by liz · Dec 14, 2016

Every so often, you stumble upon a Chardonnay so refreshing and unique, so unlike typical oaky-buttery-California Chardonnays, that you want to drink it, cook with it, maybe even bathe in it.

Alta Maria’s 2009 Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley is half steel-fermented and half oak-fermented, with a creamy freshness and lemon-lime quality that makes it just as perfect in a rustic dish in front of the fire as a on a warm summer day in the garden. And cooking with wine is just as important as drinking or tasting wine.

Cooking with this Chardonnay adds something special to the dish: a little more citrus, good acid and lots of flavor. And don’t forget to pour a glass to pair the wine to sip with the dish! It’s the perfect pair to either of these winter Chardonnay recipes: Winter Squash Chardonnay Risotto below and Chardonnay Roast Chicken with Santa Barbara herbs.

And for dessert, here’s my other favorite way to use winter squash…and summer squash and fall squash and…

Winter Squash Chardonnay Risotto

Author: Liz

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed, peeled winter squash medley
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
2 cups organic vegetable broth
2 cups Chardonnay (2009 Alta Maria Chardonnay)
1 ounce pancetta or prosciutto
1 medium finely chopped onion
1¼ cups uncooked Arborio rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herb mix (like lemon thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, lavender)
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine squash and 1 tablespoon oil, tossing to coat. Arrange squash in a single layer on baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until squash is just tender. Remove from pan; set aside.
Heat a large heavy-bottom stock pot over medium heat. Add pancetta to pot; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove pancetta and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to pot, then add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add ½ cup wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Continue to add remaining wine and broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in squash, herbs, cheese, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Top with pancetta.

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Cooking with Wine: Roast Chardonnay Chicken Recipe

by liz · Dec 12, 2016

I love French food and wine…and I love eating and drinking local. These two loves inspired me to create a local version of a typical French dish: oven-roasted chicken with vegetables and herbs de Provence. Of course, this is using local Chardonnay – in the dish…and in my glass.

In a Santa Barbara County garden you can find rosemary, lemon thyme, basil and chives. And garlic, of course! Also, fennel is a bountiful crop on California’s central coast, which you can usually substitute for celery, instead of a traditional mirepoix (French base of onion, carrot and celery). Browning the chicken before roasting gives it a richer flavor than more simple roasts and the end result is a savory, delicious one-pot meal that pairs perfectly with the subtle body and flavors of Alta Maria Chardonnay.

Also, try this Winter Squash Chardonnay Risotto.

Roast Chardonnay Chicken with Santa Barbara Herbs

Author: Liz

Recipe type: Main Dish

Prep time: 6 hours 20 mins

Cook time: 80 mins

Total time: 7 hours 40 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 4-pound chicken
3 cups Chardonnay (2009 Alta Maria Chardonnay)
1 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 cloves garlic: 6 whole, 2 diced
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (like lemon thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, marjoram) or 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
2 lemons: 1 sliced, 1 juiced
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
1 small onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 small green cabbage, cored and quartered

Instructions

In large bowl, combine the Chardonnay, 1 cup olive oil, diced garlic, herbs, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours. Turn occasionally.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel and garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are caramelized, spoon them along the sides of the pan.
Remove chicken from marinade and add to the middle of the pan. Sear each side until slightly brown, about 3 minutes per side. Arrange the quartered cabbage around the sides of the chicken and pour the marinade into the pan over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover the pan with a lid and roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the chicken is done (meat is cooked through when cut, leg separates easily from the body, or 170 degrees on meat thermometer). Remove lid and let it rest at room temperature 10 minutes.

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Roast chardonnay chicken with santa barbara herbs recipe

Luscious Leftovers: New Year Bloody Mary Meatloaf

by liz · Dec 10, 2016

New Year's Bloody Mary Meatloaf — New Year’s Bloody Mary Meatloaf

After a long New Year’s weekend, we had a fridge full of leftovers and a craving for comfort food. My friend the Comedienne thought up this recipe as she rummaged through a fridge-full of delicious dinner, snack and cocktail-mix remnants.

It’s great after the holidays or any time you have a lot of leftovers in the kitchen. Caramelize some onions and garlic, then add any delectable tidbits you have in the fridge: roasted potatoes, chicken and fennel sausage, figs, stuffing or other side dishes and casseroles. Blending these additions before mixing them into the ground beef spreads the flavors throughout the loaf. And after the holidays, the time is right for a unique, home-made catsup using spicy Bloody Mary mix, something we had plenty of on New Year’s Day. Perfect for curing hangovers and filling bellies.

New Year Bloody Mary Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2-4 gourmet sausages (jalapeño mango, chicken fennel or any other gourmet grocery variety)
Any amount of other leftovers (stuffing, figs, tomatoes, vegetables, gravy, etc.)
1 pound ground beef
Freshly ground salt & pepper
4 T fresh basil, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (fresh)
1/4 cup milk
Spicy Bloody Mary mix
Leftover cheese (we used Carmody, but anything will do)
5 slices pancetta

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until slightly browned/caramelized. Remove sausages from their casings, and blend along with other leftovers until smooth (if you’re using a larger amount of leftovers, reduce sausages to 2). Add half the onion/garlic mixture and blend in.

Add this blended mixture to the ground beef. Add salt, pepper, 1 cup spicy Bloody Mary mix, 2 T fresh basil, eggs, breadcrumbs and milk. Mix thoroughly.

Oil a large baking pan with sides. Lay the meat mixture in the pan in long thin layer. In the middle, lay down a strip of cheese – however much you like, we recommend a lot – and roll sides of loaf up and over the cheese (like a jelly roll). Put the meatloaf in the fridge to set and preheat the oven to 350.

Put reserve onions/garlic in small stockpot and add 2-3 cups spicy Bloody Mary mix. Add 1/4 cup red wine leftover from the night before (if you were all big drinkers the night before, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar). Cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Turn the heat off.

Place meatloaf on prepared pan and top it with a layer of the reduced Bloody Mary mixture, then lay the pancetta on top. Cook for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Garnish with remaining fresh basil and serve with Bloody Mary catsup.

Obviously, this meatloaf pairs very well with both leftover red wine and – you guessed it – spicy Bloody Marys. You’ll feel better almost immediately.

Southern Citrus Twist: Citrus Buttermilk Raisinets Muffins

by liz · Sep 17, 2012

Written by Liz –

As any real Southerner (or Midwesterner) knows, buttermilk is a very important part of any kitchen. It adds creaminess and light texture to biscuits, pancakes, breads, donuts, soups, salad dressings…and the list goes on and on. In fact, many say a biscuit isn’t a real biscuit without buttermilk, whether it’s the traditional left-over milk from churning butter or commercial-grade cultured buttermilk. It’s so important, there’s even a buttermilk-themed food truck here in Los Angeles!

These muffins, created by Maria of Two Peas and their Pod, incorporate buttermilk to give it that creamy texture, along with orange juice/peel and chocolate Raisinets for a citrus-sweet twist. If you’ve never baked with buttermilk, this recipe is an easy way to start — no dough coaxing skills required.

Citrus Buttermilk Raisinets Muffins

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

Nonstick cooking spray or paper baking liners
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup NESTLÉ RAISINETS Dark or Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Directions:
FOR MUFFINS:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

COMBINE granulated sugar and orange peel in small bowl. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant. Whisk together flour, orange sugar mixture, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir together melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract in medium bowl until well blended. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Pour liquid mixture into the well; gently stir until combined. Fold in Raisinets. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

BAKE for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in muffins comes out clean. While the muffins are baking, make the orange glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

FOR ORANGE GLAZE:
COMBINE orange juice, powdered sugar and orange peel in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary until desired consistency.

Links:

More muffin recipes:

Blue Blueberry Muffins

Pumpkin Oat Streusel Muffins

Secrets of a Sharecropper: Southern-style Buttermilk Biscuits

by liz · Sep 14, 2012

The Sharecropper is one of the most interesting members of my community. He shows up in the dark of night to build fires and cook dinners for large gatherings. No one knows where he lives or when they will see him next; he just appears, ready to lend a hand and drink a glass. And bake biscuits. Sometimes he’s gone for weeks on end, only to resurface with a new tattoo, driving a strange new vehicle (or motorcycle) we’ve never seen before, and we may never see again. He has a magically never-ending beard and a huge heart. And the best biscuit-making skills in the region.

The first time I had his biscuits, he pulled the freshly made dough out of a compartment on his black motorcycle, strode into the kitchen in all leather and asked politely for a rolling pin. They were buttery, flaky and layered with just the right amount of density and lightness. They were perfect.

Here are some of his biscuit flavor combinations:

Cracked pepper and sea salt
Smoked Andouille sausage and Cotswold cheese
Parmesan and herb
Bacon, green chile and sharp cheddar
Duck fat, Parmesan and capers
Prosciutto and smoked Gruyère

But, if you’re gonna make traditional southern biscuits, here are some guidelines…or more accurately — closely guarded biscuit secrets — to follow:

you have to use real buttermilk, no substitutes allowed
the butter should be full-fat, unsalted, herbed and frozen
self-rising flour is best, but you can use whole-wheat and other flours (but then you have to use more butter, in fact, mad amounts)
getting the ratio of liquid to flour to butter is key, and takes practice — not something you can get from a recipe
you must exercise patience, using just the right amount of rolling, resting, flattening and folding (and sometimes back again) to coax the right result out of the dough — much like the attentions paid to a woman.

Well, I don’t have the Sharecropper’s secret recipe, his dough-coaxing skills or any tattoos, but I know I’ll see his leather-clad tribal-decorated self soon, and he’ll be bearing his gift: the best southern-style buttermilk biscuits I’ve ever had.

Culinary in the Country: Gourmet Food & Wine in North Carolina

by liz · May 28, 2012

There’s at least one winery in every state, but that doesn’t mean you should taste the local wine when you’re driving through Oklahoma.

But in North Carolina, they’ve been slowly converting tobacco crops to grape vines over the last 10 years, thanks in part to an incentive by the state government to do so. In this state, the wines go gloriously with the local gourmet cuisine. You can find gourmet food and wine in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley.

Yes, I found some lovely things to eat in the boonies of North Carolina. One place was Twenty One & Main in Elkin, a bistro serving up some incredibly tasty lunches and dinners in these here parts. On this day, the lunch special was a salmon tartare sandwich, with edamame paste, grilled pineapple, and wasabi cabbage, shown above. And it pairs perfectly with a crisp, white Italian wine from Raffaldini vineyards.

The next night for dinner, my hosts served me another local wine (or was it cider?) on the deck as the sun was setting over 12 acres of green crops and wooded fields. Then they proceeded to fix a grilled romaine salad, with a chipotle-caesar dressing, alongside grilled beef and buffalo with a Cabernet reduction sauce.

But the best thing I ate in the North Carolina countryside was fried okra straws, with produce picked straight from the garden just moments before. I never liked okra as a child…it seemed like everyone in the Midwest breaded and fried okra the exact same way and then smothered it with ketchup. It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever eaten.

But these were glorious. My hosts sliced them thinly, lengthwise, to look like straws. Then, they dipped them in spicy corn meal mix, and flash fried them in a deep fryer.

These spicy fried okra straws were the best okra I’d ever eaten! I never thought someone could fix okra for me that I actually liked! And now it was fixed…along with the best summer evening, in the woods, on a deck, I’d had in a long, long time.