My favorite CSFs, Cape Anne Fresh Catch and Port Clyde Fresh Catch, are featured in a new Bon Appetit report.  Click on the image below for a few of my favorite seafood recipes.

Mention cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves this time of year, and mulled cider comes to mind.  So as we enjoyed the wines in this report, we wondered more than once about how a completely grape-based beverage could bring to mind baking spices.  It's a question requiring careful study (grin), so let's investigate further... (pdf file)

I first noticed this piece earlier this year - it's just as thought provoking now.

Buying from the local farmers’ market offers great opportunities to cut down on food system energy use, but it's not because the food there has traveled less than the food at the grocery store. It's because the aisles of a typical grocery store are mostly filled with highly-processed and packaged food, while farmers markets offer mostly whole or minimally-processed foods.  Read more...

(And even the kids eat them)  Recipe.

They go with just about anything, not just turkey.  But I'll start there.  Recipe.

The crew was here all day to shoot seven new recipes.  It feels fantastic to sit down!

This batch will appear on the Phantom Gourmet in January.  For the archives, check out the show restaurant recipe file. I'm definitely going to revisit Stuffing Muffins for Thanksgiving.


Does cooking make you happy?  Just look into your mixing bowl and the answer is there:

"We have an enormous body of data telling us that plant-rich diets are very healthy," says Josephine Briggs, head of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, another NIH center. "As soon as we take these various antioxidants [and other nutrients] out and put them in a pill, we're not consistently getting a benefit." (WSJ Article)

Just about the most indulgent treatment of eggplant you can imagine.  Boy are these tasty. 

Most people call these and appetizer, but in my book they're easily a main course.

A dry Sangiovese-based wine is a natural partner, although a good Pinot Noir might go well with that ricotta.

Prepared for the Phantom Gourmet.  Click here for the recipe and video.

A good friend of mine calibrates his wine purchases by using wine words.  When sources he trusts use terms like creosote or blueberry, he knows that there’s a good chance he’ll like those wines. 

 

One such descriptor for me is earth (and sometimes leaves).  Earthy flavors, of course, can cut both ways. I associate baked earth with warm climate wines from places like Tuscany or Barossa, where it describes the ripe concentrated flavor of the fruit.  At other times the word is an attempt to articulate the taste of terroir in the wine, the soil or climate that contributes to any carefully made bottle.  This is the source of the French expression gout de terroir– (literally taste of earth) which is usually meant as high praise. At the other end are unappetizing elements (barnyard or swampy, anyone?) that point to flaws in the wine.

Here are a few favorites from the full tasting list.  (subscribe for  more).

Angoris, Colli Orientali Del Friuli, Vos Da Vigne, Refosco Dal Peduncolo Rosso, 2006, Italy, Blanchards, $11  “Vos Da Vigne” translates as Voice of the Vine, and I love this concept.  Here the voice says roasted cherries, earth and clove, and a hint of anise.  Yum.  A-          

Domaine Tempier, Bandol, Vielles Vignes, 2004, France, $35  Cellar Dweller.  A fat, round, balanced wine with charcoal, earth and ripe fruit flavors.  Velvety smooth.  A-          

Parducci, Mendocino, Sustainable Red, Merlot, 2007, wine.com, $11  Prunes.  Baked fruits.  Fall leaves. Even a little umame - definitely in a good way.  A tasty harvest basket of a wine.  Sustainable credentials proudly listed on the back.  B+           

Domaine Mas Du Bouquet, Vacqueyras, Grand Vin de la Vallee du Rhone, 2009, France, Lower Falls Wine, $18  Blackberry, candied apple, charcoal and warm earth.  An appealing wine from a producer who emphasizes sustainable agriculture.  B+    

Earthy wines often pair well with rustic, earthy dishes.  Roast meats, roast chicken, and stews come to mind.  A few of my favorites – Coq au Vin (Chicken in Wine) and Grilled Lamb.  And you could do worse than meatloaf cupcakes

In vino veritas,

Tod

Like to play with your food?  Here's a fun one prepared for the Phantom Gourmet.  Click on the picture for the recipe and video.



As for a wine match - go for an off dry Riesling.

It's hard not to like Jamie Oliver. 

(http://bit.ly/o5QbAq)

(Written for the Powisset Farm Blog)