August 28, 2010

Oloroso & The Secret Sherry Society

Tales from the IFBC:

Love started with the first sip of Amontillado. Maybe it's the Spanish flamenco guitar in the background but I feel as though I've been transported from Theo's parking lot to Montilla Spain, the birthplace of this particular aged sherry....the next bite was a spicy tuna empanada paired with a young and dry Fino Sherry.

True love began with Oloroso and the buttery tart bite of melting Manchego and Jamon Serrano. All I can say is, I would drive miles for this pairing. The buttery- tartness of the mini sandwich accompanied by the nutty vinous body of the Oloroso Sherry....YUM!

I consulted with Pamela of The Secret Sherry Society about pairing Manchego with fig preserves and toasted almonds (one of my favorite snacks!!)....the best Sherry for this will be Manzanilla. Now I can transform my snack into a suitable course to serve with Sherry for a dessert at my next dinner party. The Secret Sherry Society's tasting notes describes this Sherry as "A straw colored wine with a dry, sharp bouquet which is light on the palate. It is aged under the very special type of 'flor' that exclusively grows in bodegas located in Sanlucar de Barrameda."

I can't wait to try it!!

Do you have a favorite Sherry pairing?
If so please DO tell.

August 27, 2010

IFBC

This weekend I'll be attending the 2nd Annual International Food Blogger Conference!

You may notice a difference in the quality of my photos (and posts for that matter) as I will be posting from my blackberry. These photos will merely be place holders until I can get my hands back to my computer. Please simply disregard the messaging from blackberry at the end of my posts, as I will most likely be in foodie bliss at this conference and will inevitably forget to add the proper code to delete this line of text. I'm already giddy just thinking about it....food writers, food, wine, editors, fellow food bloggers, chefs & workshops oh my!

I'm so looking forward to all of the workshops, but I'm most excited for digital photography tips from Penny De Los Santos! You can find her photos featured in National Geographic, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur Magazine and many other publications.

Tonight we kick off the weekend with a speech from Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me. Wines from Walla Walla Wine Alliance, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Chateau Ste. Michelle & Jordan Winery. One of the featured chefs this evening is a fellow CCA alumni, Jason Wilson owner and executive chef of CRUSH.

This is my first mobile blog post so wish me luck!

August 10, 2010

Victoria's Thai Green Curry Paste

fresh thai green curry paste
This simple creation is a favorite around my house. Using a food processor with the blade attachment puree the following ingredients into a thick paste:

a bunch of cilantro
a bunch of thai basil
a few stalks of lemongrass
1" nub of fresh ginger or galangal
a small bunch of scallion tips
3 large garlic cloves
several kaffir lime leaves
at least 5 thai green chiles

Simmer at least 1/4 of the paste with your favorite vegetables, protein & coconut milk until all ingredients are cooked through.
Finish the curry with fresh lime juice & sea salt. Freeze the remaining paste in small glass mason jars. For instant Thai Green Curry, simply defrost overnight at room temperature.

August 9, 2010

Chiles


Urfa Biber
Aleppo
Cayenne - African

August 8, 2010

Gluten-Free & Vegan Birthdays

August is a big month for birthdays in my family. We celebrated both Travis' birthday & his mom's birthday this weekend. The Babycakes cookbook has been a big hit since the banana bread, so I baked Babycakes' Chocolate Cupcakes for Travis' birthday dessert. For his mom's cake I went with Babycakes' Double-Chocolate Crumb Cake.

August 6, 2010

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Thai Eggplant
Purple Carrots