March Food & Wine Pairing...

"Imagine having guests for dinner and serving bad food and cheap wine!" -Cindi

On Feb. 1st, as promised we put all the subscriber names in a drawing and had someone other than Mom and I draw from it (to be fair). Well...as luck would have it the name chosen was Jim and Lee Fabiano.
No pressure there, right? Ha! We actually went full circle from being ecstatic that they were the ones chosen and how much fun it would be to have them over for dinner, especially since we knew them, and then the “ what were we thinking” kicked in. When it’s just Mom and I we worry so much that we choose the right wines to pair and whether or not the food will turn out OK and what if out of all of the wines we bought, none of them work and so on. We go through this every time so I guess it would only be natural that in the event we’re entertaining someone else, there would be an element of anxiety. However, by the time that afternoon rolled around it was all good. We had the wines bought and either decanted or on ice, the food prepared and ready to go and pictures taken (all but the ones for dinner of course). We were actually quite organized if I do say so myself.
Jim and Lee arrived around 7 PM., we had a pre-dinner glass of wine and hors d’ oeuvres’. Dave (my step dad) put in a Rat Pack DVD and we all hung out in the kitchen laughing and enjoying the evening. Knowing Jim and Lee typically enjoy ‘late night dinners’, we were in no hurry.
The night was great, and then....we served dinner!


We had decided a few weeks back that we would serve a Lenten menu and keep it very light and simple for the month of March. Mom came across a Parmesan-Crusted Cod recipe that sounded like it would be exactly what we were shooting for, so we went from there. Now mind you, although the whole purpose was to be ‘light and simple’, Mom and I tend to like a lot of flavor in our food, so you can imagine our surprise upon taking that first bite. As mom so perfectly put it....”it’s like eating air!” I was trying very hard not to express my shock but she didn’t hesitate. All I could think was “oh my gosh, we blew it! Of all the incredible menus we have prepared and shared with our readers, the one time we invite someone to join us, we blew it! “
Well, by the end of the meal we had all agreed that it was exactly what we had meant it to be. Not too extravagant, not too heavy and perfect for a late night dinner.
The wine was equally surprising (as usual). Our pairing wines were as follows:

Lindemans Riesling (ok...)
Korta Sauvignon Blanc (no!)
Bare Foot Pinot Grigio (yes!)
Foley Pinot Noir (great wine but didn’t pair well)
Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon (...see below)

Lee is not a fan of riesling at all and really likes Pinot Noir, however, with the meal she much preferred the riesling. We actually all agreed that the riesling was very nice. The Sauvignon Blanc, the one we were sure would be ‘the one’, did nothing with the meal. Very flat and tasteless was the general opinion. The Pinot Noir...ok, but not great. And of course, I had to throw in the Cabernet. After once again going round and round about serving a heavy wine with a light menu, Mom and I both agreed that this was very good! Although not our top choice with this particular dinner, we really like it (enough to finish off after dinner).
Above all, the Pinot Grigio took the win. Less fruity, more crisp and just light enough to pair well with the cod and enough flavor to enhance the entire meal.
So after all was said and done and the disappointment of that first initial bite, things really started to look up and didn’t end up being near the disaster that we thought it was going to be. As Jim said, we accomplished what we set out to do and that was to serve a light, simple, late night menu. Anyone who prefers a little less ‘zest’ will agree, this was a nice recipe. We all thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and the additional input of Jim and Lee was great. They were wonderful guests to have and although we do not intend to host another pairing anytime soon, we will definitely do it again someday. We’ll keep you posted.
Cheers - Candi & Cindi


“Light, refreshing and late”, were the words of Jim Fabiano describing this menu. Although not as ‘over the top’ as our previous menu pairings, very good for this Lenten dinner.

Parmesan - Crusted Cod Fillets
w/ Lemon Caper Butter (cod: RecipeZaar.com)
Serves 4

Cod
4 Skinless cod fish fillets
1/3 cup Japanese style bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese.

Lemon Caper Butter
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 TBS capers

Preheat oven to 450°
Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse and pat dry fish and place on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl stir together Panko crumbs and cheese; sprinkle and lightly press onto fish. Bake, uncovered, 4-6 minutes for each 1/2 inch thickness of fish, until crumbs are golden and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drizzle with Lemon Caper Butter and serve.

Crisp Green Beans

Blanch green beans, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Risotto (DeLallo From Ric’s)

1 small onion, minced
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 46 Oz. can chicken broth
12 Oz. jar DeLallo Roasted Red Pepper
1 Lb. DeLallo Italian Risotto Rice
3 Oz. grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

In casserole dish, sauté chopped onion in olive oil until tender. Add rice and stir until coated evenly. Add 1/3 can of the chicken broth and maintain a slow boil; stir continuously. As broth is absorbed, add remaining heated broth one cup at a time. Stir in Parmesan cheese, roasted pepper and black pepper. The rice is done when it is al dente, or firm to the bite but tender.

Chicken Alfredo

With Merlot......could have very well been another choice of wine but that's what I had so that's what I tried. Surprisingly very good!

Comming Soon....

Sorry...sorry...sorry!
Due to some needed re-organization, re-grouping and just plain rest, Mom and I are taking a little break from our food and wine pairing. However, rest assured we will be back soon, very soon and better than ever to kick off the 2010 year!
- cheers

Healthy living, and Pizza?

Yep, that's right! Mom and I did our food and wine pairing for Jan. tonight and it's all about healthy/organic living......And it was PIZZA!
Ok, I really don't know how much more healthy it was (calories, etc) but it was all made with organic and fresh foods so it was REALLY good and I'm sure more healthy than your average pizza. All (or most) ingredients were purchased at our local health food store (Green Tree) and we even paired an organic wine.
Come back in Jan. (or subscribe to Mt. Pleasant Monthly) to view our monthly pairings!

The Menu:
Our traditional Beef Tenderloin with a spin...
We like to keep things a little spiced up around the holiday's and choose not to serve the traditional 'ham and turkey' dinners. Our tradition is beef tenderloin. Last year we prepared tenderloin with Gorgonzola and this year...

Very good but a bit different from our norm. I personally prefer the latter but you can be the critic.

The Wine:
We pretty much went right down the line with this one starting with:

Korbel Extra Dry Champagne
Sutter Home 08' Chardonnay
J. Lohr 07' Cabernet
Bleasdale 05' Cabernet
Yellow Tail 08' Cabernet - Merlot
Fetzer 07' Merlot

We thought we'd throw the Champagne in to enhance the 'Christmas ambiance' and it actually turned out to be Mom's 2nd choice, however, all in all we found that the higher up the scale (from lightest to heaviest) that we went, the less we liked the wine with this menu. They got a little too bitter and strong toward the end so we both agreed...yes, that's right....the Chardonnay was our favorite. After all of the times Mom forced Chardonnay on our menus, never being successful in a good pairing, this time it was hands down the favorite of the evening.
We would also like to than Elliot's Floral for the beautiful handcrafted center piece!
We would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and cheers to all! - Candi & Cindi

Black Tie Beef Tenderloin (Entertaining Magazine)
Makes 12 servings

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (5 1/2 to 6 pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 recipe Madeira Reduction (below)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub on outside of tenderloin. Place on rack in roasting pan, and roast for 20 mins.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Cook for 20 to 25 mins. or until a meat thermometer inserted into center reaches 145 degrees (medium) or desired degree of doneness. Cool 10 mins. and cut into thin slices. Serve with Madeira Reduction.

Madeira Reduction (Entertaining Magazine)

4 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 Shallots, minced
4 Cups Madeira wine
2 Cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shallot, and sauté 2 to 3 mins. Add Madeira and bring to a simmer, cook for 5 mins. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 20-25 mins. Whisk in remaining butter.




White Truffle Risotto
(Entertaining Magazine)
Makes 12 servings

4 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 quarts hot chicken broth
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
Garnish with white truffle oil

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp. butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, cook 2 to 3 mins., stirring constantly. Add rice, cook 2 to 3 mins. or until very lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add hot chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, allowing liquid to be absorbed after each addition, stirring constantly.
Repeat procedure until rice becomes creamy in texture, about 30-35 mins.
Remove from heat, stir in cheese, white pepper, and remaining butter. Drizzle with white truffle oil

Sautéed Swiss Chard (Entertaining Magazine)
Makes 10 - 12 servings

6 pounds Swiss chard (about 6 bunches)
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 tsp. minced garlic, divided
4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, divided

Remove stalks and roughly chop Swiss chard leaves.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. garlic and half of the Swiss chard, tossing to coat with oil until wilted. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.


Chocolate Sushi (Entertaining Magazine)
Makes 1 1/2 dozen

8 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup bitter sweat chocolate morsels
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 recipe Chantilly Cream (below)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Garnish wit fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 14x 10 in. jelly roll pan, set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and 1 cup sugar, beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 mins.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat, stir in chocolate until melted and smooth. Add vanilla, stirring will to combine, cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Combine chocolate mixture with egg yolk mixture, mix until will combined. Gently fold in egg whites in thirds until well combined.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 15 mins. and cool completely. Freeze cake 2 more hours.
With a serrated knife, cut cake into 1 1/2 x 2 in. pieces. Spread center with Chantilly Cream, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Gently roll into a cylinder to enclose filling.
Freeze 2 or more hours. gently roll each cylinder in cocoa powder. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chantilly Cream

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 min. Gradually add sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

More Shopping...yeah!!!

After pondering what to do for the Christmas/Dec. pairing this month, Mom and I have decided to step it up a notch.On the phone the other night we went back and forth between 'keeping it traditional' and 'stepping it up'...so, we've decided to take a trip next weekend to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor Michigan and take it from there.

Never been but have researched them online and get their catalogs and are extremely excited to make the trip!!
They are an international market offering all kinds of cheeses, breads, spices,(from around the world) baked goods, and lots of 'homemade' goodies as well,etc.! Last I checked, they were rated one of the "Top 25 markets in the world" according to Food and Wine Magazine.
Can't wait and will keep you posted!
Cheers - Candi & Cindi

Thanksgiving in Oct.

Yes...that's right. We spent Sunday afternoon prepairing and enjoying a mock thanksgiving dinner for the November pairing in the magazine. I'm not going to give specifics at this point (you have to wait til' the magazine comes out the 1st of Nov.), but can you say...Thanksgiving Duck??
That's right! As you know we like to keep things a bit edgy so instead of the traditional turkey dinner we served up fresh duck. Not too bad. I have to say it won't be a regular for me or anything but everything'a worth a shot. The wine on the other hand was amazing! This was by far the most difficult pairing we've had to date. Every single wine we paired could easily be served with this menu...but of course we chose our favorite.
We had a ton of fun regardless, as usual!
If you'd like to subscribe to the magazine to be sure to get your hard copy every month, visit www.mtpleasantmonthly.com and as always...
Cheers - Candi & Cindi

Our October Pairing

The Menu
We decided in honor of the latest release of the movie "Julie and Julia" and both of us enjoying it immensely, we were sooo going to make the Boeuf Bourguignon for this months pairing.

WOW! Talk about a job! Aside from shopping, planning and multiple late night phone conversations, the day itself was non-stop. Mom started bright and early and I got there about noon to start shooting pictures and cooking.
All in all we had a great time and the menu was delicious, however, we both agreed that it was "way too much work for Beef Stew!" But worth the fun for our purposes.

The Wine
We had decided we would go with all reds with this pairing as it was a pretty heavy meal with lots of ingredients. However, I've been reading this great book that indicated perhaps a 'very heavy white' may be the perfect pair for this type of recipe, so I brought a Chardonnay. Anyone who reads our pairings knows that I'm the 'red' lover and Mom is the 'white' lover (or used to be anyway). So every time we pair, she has to throw in a Chardonnay (which I hate) and it never pairs well. So this time you can imagine the look on her face when I walked in with a Chardonnay and she had all reds. You know...the Mom look.

This is what we paired:
* Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 06'
* Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay 07'
* Louis Jadot Pino Noir Bourgongne 05'
* Moutron Cadet Bordeaux '07
* Les Trois Cournnes Cotes - du - Rhone 07'
* Deadly Zins Zinfandel 07'
* = Cindi's (Mom) * = Candi's (me)

For me this one was very hard and Mom and I couldn't seem to agree on anything. I really did think the Chardonnay went well but she hated it. She liked the Pinot Noir and I thought it was very blah. Finally, once we got to the heavier reds we both liked them but I liked the Cotes and the Zin, She liked the Cotes and Pinot Noir....ugh!
So to make it fair, since we both liked the Cotes - du - Rhone, that's the one we decided to call our 'winner'. It was very good and went very smoothly with the entire meal. However, if you like a lighter red, you may like the Pinot Noir and if you like a very heavy red, you may like the Zinfandel but I would say the Cotes - du - Rhone was a great balance between the two. As always, feel free to let us know what you thought.
- Cheers
Candi & Cindi (see recipe below)
Boeuf Bourguignon (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) for 6 people

A 6-oz. chuck of bacon
A 9 - 10 in. fireproof casserole dish 3" deep
1 Tbsp. olive oil
A slotted spoon
3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut into 2" cubes (We used top cut pot roast)
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine (we used Louis Jadot Pinot Noir)
2 - 3 cups brown beef stock
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind
18 - 24 small white onions
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter


Remove rind from bacon and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4 in. thick and 1 1/2 in. long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 mins. in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 - 3 mins. to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it a few pieces at a time in the hot oil an bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole dish and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in center position of preheated oven for 4 mins. Toss the meat and return to oven 4 mins. more. (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, saute the mushrooms and onions and set aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few Tbsp. of stock. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

For immediate serving, cover the casserole and simmer for 2 - 3 mins., basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in the casserole dish.

* She has a few different options and processes in her book but we are giving you the version of what we did.

We also served blanched green beans drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic mashed potatoes (also from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

Diva's Uncorked

Well....as you can see it's been a week or so since we've updated our blog....busy, busy, busssyyy...
But! We'll be here tonight, 9 pm. Just sign in to your right and join the conversation.

New Piecs

Just wanted to share a couple of our new pieces from our online shop

Working on a few more and will have posted soon.
Thanks!

Julie and Julia...??? Or just Candi & Cindi...

We decided in honor of the latest release of the movie "Julie and Julia" and both of us enjoying it immensely, we were sooo going to make the Boeuf Bourguignon for our next pairing. So that's exactly what we set out to do. Hence, the last two weeks have been filled with ideas, shopping, late night phone conversations, etc., right up to the very last minute including mom running to the store umpteen times (the very morning) and replacing almost everything we already had due to her occasional (and inherant) insanity!
All in all it was a lot of fun but "Way too much work for Beef Stew!"
Great fun and will fill all of you in on October 1st.
- Cheers

Online Wine Tasting...How to join in!

Welcome!!!! To the right of your screen you'll see an orange 'chat box'. Just click on "Set Name", then type your name into the 'Temporary Name' box, set it, and your good to go (hopefully)! And Mom....hopefully you can figure it out cuz' Cody has my cell so you can't call me...lol.

'Uncorked' or 'Un...something'...

We're 'gearing up' for our first online wine tasting / virtual 'girls night out...in'!

The Agenda:

For the first meeting it's pretty much 'do your own thing'. Choose a wine of your choice, put your jamys (sp.?) on and go to http://www.candiandcindiuncorked.com/ to engage in nothing but food and wine girl talk.

Future Meetings:

We'll discuss this at the first meeting, but I think it would be cool for one of us (someone different), every week, to assign a recipe for our 'Diva's Uncorked Happy Hour'. But I also think there should be rules to the recipe, like...no more than 10 ingredients or something like that so the recipes don't get too difficult. We'd like to keep it simple as we're most likely going to be doing this late at night and not all of us want to come home from work and make an ellaborate meal at 8:00pm (on top of what we made for the fam.). We'll talk more on this Thurs. night.

The Intent:

Drink wine with friends (without having to leave the house), learn more (opinions, facts, etc.) about the wonderful world of wine (from many) and most of all HAVE FUN! Remember, this is a 'girls night out...in'.

We'll see what the group brings, but we anticipate that no matter what, it will be a good time!

Hope to see you Thursday!

-Cheers

Candi & Cindi

September Pairing...Grilled Salmon

The Menu:
Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!
Being our last 'summer' pairing for the year, we thought we'd go out with a bang serving up one of our favorite summertime dishes...Grilled Salmon.
This particular recipe was a combination of two that we found. We knew we definitely wanted to grill the salmon and keep it very light and simple but then came across another recipe with Arugala sauce that we thought looked scrumptious so we did both. The salad was a very simple spinich salad with lemon juice and olive oil in which I have enjoyed for years but until now couldn't get Mom to 'bite', and guess what...She loved it!

We also had Mom's excellent Black Bean Salad that is always a hit with any meal but went exceptionally well with the salmon.

The Wine:
This one was kind of tricky for me whereas Mom nailed her favorite right off the bat. As usual, we placed our bets as we sat down to dinner. The wines we paired were...

Beringers Founders Estate Savignon Blanc 07'
Mizza Corona Pinot Gris 08'
Lindeman's Pinot Noir 09'
Yellow Tail Pinot Noir 09'
Marcus James Malbec 08
Mystery Wine...

The Result: Let the Games Begin
Mom decided to spice things up a bit by serving a 'mystery wine' which she poured into a decanter and hid the bottle before I got there. This was the one she thought would be the winner. I on the other hand thought it would be the Malbec as salmon is a pretty heavy fish and being grilled, I thought would call for a heavier wine.
After tasting all the wines I was sooo confused - none of them, including my pick really had that 'WOW' factor. The only one I could say was really good was the mystery wine, but it still wasn't "all that" for me. Mom on the other hand knew right away that her favorite was the mystery wine. She loved it from the first sip! She of course wouldn't reveal it's label until I made my final choice.
After going back and forth between wines, I had finally decided that the mystery wine would have to be it. It was definintely my favorite among the others so I had to give in.
The label....? One that I had bought in the Leeleneau Pennisula on one of our wine tasting trips. I knew I'd never drink it so after letting it sit for months in my wine rack, I gave it to Mom quite sometime ago. It's an off-dry white wine produced by Shady Lane Cellars called Scerenity, with a very strong vanilla / floral taste to it. I also now have orders to pick up another bottle on my next trip in September.
Once again, we had a great time and a great menu. Until next month...
- Cheers
Candi & Cindi

Grilled Salmon w/Arugula Sauce

The Salmon (Williams-Sonoma)

4 salmon fillets, each 5 to 7 oz.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Grapeseed oil for brushing
4 tsp. lemon-infused olive oil (we used olive oil & lemon juice)
8 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and brush with grapeseed oil. Place the fillets on the grill and cook turning once until the fish is firm to the touch (4-5 min. per side). Transfer the fillets to plates and drizzle with about 1 tsp. of the lemon oil and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately.




The Sauce (Wine, Food and Friends)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped arugula
2/3 cup of water
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshley ground black pepper
1 garlic clove chopped
1 slice white bread (we used about a cup of garlic croutons)

Combine all 10 ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. Drizzle over prepared salmon.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1/3 cup lime juice (we use fresh squeezed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 15oz. cans black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 avacado, diced (we didn't use avacado)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper in a small covered bowl. Shake until mixed.
Combine beans, corn, avacado, pepper, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl. cover with dressing, mix well and serve.
Spinach Salad

Fresh baby spinach leaves
Red onion
grape tomatoes
feta cheese
olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

My Very Own NEW Recipe

Actually...I hate to say that cuz' everytime I start feeling pretty good about a new concoction, I'll find out that it's been a recipe for years, however, either way, this is a great snack (I've actually had it for dinner the last two nights...shameful).
Put a 'bunch' of butter in a frying pan and melt on medium high. Place a slice of Ciabatta bread (buttered on both sides) in the pan. Sprinkle with basil or herbs/spices of choice (fresh basil would be awesome). Brown on both sides and remove. Then (in the same pan, same butter) place two slices of tomatoes. Fry briefly, just enough to warm and soak in butter (this literally takes 2 seconds). Place that on the bread. Then melt a little brie to spread on the top of bread and tomato, pour a glass of Merlot (or wine of choice) and you have an awesome bread, cheese and wine snack! TO DIE FOR!!! (seriously, with that amount of butter going on, I can't gaurantee that you won't)! But it's worth it.
-Cheers

Got It!!!

I finally got our Chat Box set up for the weekly event! This will be sooo cool, even if it's just a few of us.
I'm very excited to see what kind of wines are brought to the (virtual) 'table' and what the overall opinions and discussions are about.
I'm going to say, for the first wine club event "Diva's Uncorked Thursday", we'll all just choose our own wine, food is optional, and discussion will be on all of the different types of wine chosen and our thoughts and opinions on each. We would like to know the producer, region and vintage so keep your bottle close by (I'm guessin' that wont be a problem...) and we'll go from there.
The first event will take place next Thursday, Sept. 3rd @ 9:00 pm. and ( we intend anyway) to continue every Thursday night. We will let you know of any changes and further info.
-Cheers
Candi & Cindi

Diva's Uncorked

Sorry for the confusion on the website the last few hours. I'm attempting to find and install an interactive widget to be able to host....Diva's Uncorked Thursdays!!

This will be designed for anyone (i.e.,followers, friends, strangers, wine lovers of all kinds, from all over...over 21 of course!) to join us in a virtual social event (well...the wine will be real of course) tasting and discussing all kinds of great wines while chatting about them in a live chat on our blog.

Here's what we're thinking. Every Thursday night we will hold an online open forum. You may be a mom that doesn't get out much due to husband and kids, or someone who works way too much to want to go out and be away from home on a Thurs. night, or just someone who would like an excuse to kick back, chit chat, make new friends and enjoy a great glass of wine....and the best part? You don't even have to leave your house or worry about how you look!

The only thing I haven't figured out yet is if we should assign a particular wine each week and all discuss our thoughts, opinions, etc. or if everyone should choose their own wine and share with all what kind it is, your thoughts and opinions, what you're eating it with (if anything), etc. I think maybe the second option may be the way to go but let us know what you think. In the meantime, we'll work out the quirks and get this weekly party started asap.
-Cheers
Candi & Cindi

Julie and Julia

Went to see Julie and Julia yesterday. So cute! It reminded me so much of Mom and I and our never ending food and wine venture, and some of the things that happened in the movie (i.e. dropping the chicken, making a mess, etc.), hit very close to home (like the Tiramisu gig a few months ago)!
Anyway....great movie!

A great frozen Sangria

Recently my hubby and I went to dinner with friends and I had a triple berry Sangria. It was sooo good and I thought hey, that shouldn't be too hard to concoct, right? It wasn't at all hard and in fact, I think I liked mine better.
All I did was put some blueberries, strawberries and raspberries in the blender with ice and 1/2 a bottle of Merlot and voila! Great summer drink and so easy!
You can use whatever fruit you want, be creative and let us know what you come up with. We'll share it on our blog.

Some NEW Stuff

Just posting a few of our latest creations...
This one is one of my favorites

When we're not working on the magazine, website, menu, advertising, etc...I'm painting!
I found this awesome website featuring all kinds of talented and creative people selling their hand made art. Etsy.com
Anyone interested in great art IT'S A MUST VISIT SITE!

So, there will be much more to come and I will keep everyone posted as best I can.
All glasses can be viewed and purchased at our new online store...
The Candi & Cindi Uncorked Store

Next on the Agenda

Well...it's that time again.
Mom and I spent last week preparing (and pairing) the September edition of Candi & Cindi Uncorked Food & Wine Pairing. Although the meal was excellent, the wine was quite surprising and definitely a first in our pairings (for me anyway) but nonetheless, enjoyable and sure to appease. The Sept. edition of Mt. Pleasant Monthly will be on the shelves Sept. 1 so get your copy, or subscribe at www.mtpleasantmonthly.com.

Back by Popular Demand

Well...not really. We just thought it would be fun.

Because we love food and wine so much, we've decided to open The Candi & Cindi Uncorked Store featuring one of a kind, hand painted wine glasses.

There is only one of each glass and are all painted and signed by Candi & Cindi Uncorked.
You can view what we have so far at our Ebay store:
The Candi & Cindi Uncorked Store
We will add additional glasses as they become available.
-Cheers

Our Diva Trip

Yes, this was a great 'girl' trip.
A couple of weeks ago we had decided to make a day (or two) of a trip up north to enjoy shopping, eating, drinking, a Diva party and the girls!

So last week Mom, Karen McConnell and myself headed up to Petosky and Harbor Springs to do just that.
Leaving early in the morning we arrive in Petosky about noon, had lunch and shopped before making our way to our friends house in which we were staying and joining for the Diva Party later that night.
The girls started arriving about 4 p.m to get ready for our bus trip to the party.

After enjoying a couple of cocktails on the deck, our ride was there and ready to drive us on our Diva excursion for the evening.

We had sooo much fun!

Of course because of the bus ride and picking other people up along the way, we were a bit late, but none the less, made it to the party and had a great time!

The next day we made our way to Harbor Springs for more shopping, eating, drinking and the 'girls'.
We ran into a few of our friends that were still there from the night before as well, and all decided to take a boat ride around the harbor where we brought a couple bottles of wine, kicked back and enjoyed the scenery.

It was a great 2 days and we all had so much fun together. The company was excellent and the experience was definitely a great one! Can't wait to do it again...

-Cheers

August Pairing! BBQ Ribs

As I said on our blog a few weeks ago, maybe, just maybe we are actually learning something from all this nonsense. You'd think eating and drinking wine would be a pretty simple task to tackle, but we have definitely questioned ourselves on our actual 'knowledge' of such many times in the past.

We've actually started staking our bets before dinner even begins on which wine(s) we think will pair the best with the menu. This time, although there were many wines discussed (and purchased) we each had our own preconceived notion about what we thought would be 'the one'. Low and behold, the one I thought came in second and moms....'The One'!

We were both quite shocked but quite gratified at the same time thinking there may be a good possibility that we have made some progress in this whole food and wine pairing venture. The fact that we're agreeing...kinda' scary but I guess that's what happens when you actually know what you're talking about. We even agreed on which ones to decant and not decant. Yeah, weird right? (Don't let it alarm you too much, I'm quite certain it was a freak thing).

Anyway, the wines we tried with the menu were:

Bogle Old Vine Zinfindel ($12)
Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon ($10)
Malbec ($10)
Circle Spring Shiraz ($10)
Pico Syra ($10)

I thought it would be the Malbec, mom thought the Shiraz and we were both right on, well...except for hers was the best. We had tried the Old Vine Zin. in the past and did not like it at all but thought we'd give it another shot. We still 'do not like it at all'. I do have to say that I have tried it by itself and it is not bad but so far we have yet to make a good pairing with it. The
Cabernet was ok, but not great and the Syra....ehe. It was definitely between the Malbec and the Shiraz and we had to agree that the Shiraz did it all the way around.
We hope that you will enjoy this menu with the little bit of summer that we have left and as always, feel free to let us know what you think.
-Cheers
Candi & Cindi
BBQ Ribs

Rub

Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Cumin
Emeril's Original Essence
To taste for all

Barbeque Sauce

Bull's Eye

Sprinkle ribs with each seasoning. Place on grill (about 400° direct heat) for 15 min. (7 1/2 min/side) Remove from grill and wrap in foil. Place in paper bag and put in a 200° oven on a baking sheet for three hours. Place back on the grill for 15 min. (indirect medium) and mop with barbeque sauce.
Serve.

Grilled - Roasted New Potatoes

2 lbs new potatoes, each 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter, scrubbed and quartered
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to coat potatoes. Grill over direct medium heat until tender and browned on all sides, about 15 -20 min., scooping and turning with a wide spatula every 5 mins. until tender.

Easy Creamy Cole Slaw

1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmans)
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1 small onion grated or shredded
5 cups packaged cole slaw mix

For dressing, in a large bowl, stir together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed.
Add cole slaw mix and onion. Toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

The Big Screen....!

Not really, but you would think anyway!
For months I have been trying to get Mom to let us tape our pairings and post them to the website, you tube, etc. You would think I was asking her to perform an Emmy Award winning moment or something...."no, not this time"..."no, I look terrible"..."no, I'm not in the mood tonight"..."no, no, no!"
Well, low and behold, she calls me tonight and says...(you guessed it)..."I've been thinking. We should video tape our pairings and put them on the site".

You're absolutely right mom, we should. What a great idea! (would have been the oprative response).

Instead,it was more like, " Are you freakin' kidding me!? How many times have I brought this up!? How many times have I told you we need to be doing this and you in some way, shape or form prohibited it from happening! Now all of the sudden you are some genius is the world of social media and branding? You're right mom, it's a great idea, let's do it!(was the actual response).

Anyway, despite who's idea it actually was, and when it will take place is still yet to be determined, however, we did invite my aunts for the sept. pairing and I think that would be a great place to start! We'll keep you posted but either way, it will be a great time! With my Mom, my aunts and myself...oh yeah! It's garaunteed to be a great time!
-Cheers

The Big Screen....!

No ryme...No reason

To answer all of those questions that we seem to get doing what we do....no, I did not 'grow up' drinking wine, no, my mom didn't drink wine while I was growing up (not at all that I can remember), and no...we have not had any 'formal education' or line of expertise in our family.
We simply enjoy food, wine and life and thoroughly enjoy sharing it with our friends and readers. We would never claim (by any stretch of the imagination) to be 'professionals' or 'experts' in our field. To us it is a form of pure enjoyment, curiosity and the need to find our own truths and opinions and pass them on as suggestions to our readers.
Don't get me wrong! We definitley do our research into what 'pairs best with what' (according to the experts), but we always throw in our own ideas and opinions of what we think will go with what food, and more often then not (to our surprise), we end up choosing a great, off the wall wine that we would never guess would pair with that particular menu.
The ultimate thrill and purpose of our pairings? Not to claim supremisy of knowledge in the world of food and wine, but to provide our friends and readers with a fun, informational, family and friend oriented way to cook, eat, drink and enjoy life with those that mean the most! After all, what could be more important?
-Cheers
Candi & Cindi

NEW WEBSITE!

This won't apply to all, but Mt. Pleasant has a new website! Packed full of information regarding the Central Michigan area. Including not only our monthly wine pairing but other community related articles, real estate, garage sales, classifieds, hotels, restaurants, business directory, auto sales, calendar of events, entertainment and soo much more. The website is completely user operated and offers a ton of information regarding the Central Michigan area.
Visit www.experiencemtpleasant.com for a one click, one stop shop for everything Mt. Pleasant, Michigan!

Ok, so maybe....

Just maybe we really are learning something from all of this nonsense!
We've now started staking our bets before dinner even begins on what each of us thinks will go (wine wise) with the menu.
This past Wed. we held our monthly pairing for the magazine and although we bought and thought of many different wines to pair, we each had one in mind that we just knew was going to the 'the one.' Low and behold....my pick came in second, and mom's...the winner! She was sooo proud of herself.
The funny part is we're actually starting to agree, which is kinda scary. We even agreed on which ones to decant and which ones not to decant.
So I guess the moral of the story is, we're either learning something (together) with this whole food and wine pairing venture that we're on, or we've just gotten really over arguing about it. I personally can't believe the latter will ever be true so we'll stick to "we're actually learning something"....yeah!
(And I just have to say...aren't the dishes AWESOME!!! Thanks to Gray's Furniture downtown for the beautiful dishes that they had just set up moments before we came in!)

Fourth of July Picinic Menu

Ok, my bad....
I've been so wrapped up in the menu for the magazine, etc. that I totally bombed at getting on our blog on time. So sorry but please enjoy!

This was definitely a first for us. Quite often we have more than one wine that pairs great with the menu and have a hard time narrowing it down, and other times there is just no comparison.

There will be one wine that stands out above the rest making it an easy call. However, this time was just the opposite. We had a very hard time choosing one as none of them were that great. Don't get me wrong, they were all very good, but paired with the food there just wasn't that 'WOW' factor that we go for in our pairings.

Here is what we tried:

Vendange Savignon Blanc California 07'
Belconte Trebbiano d' Abrussa Italy 07'
* Ravenswood Vitners Blend Chardonnay California 07'
Juno Rose' 08'
Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir 07'
Gabbiano Chianti 07'

When it came right down to it, it was definitely between the Chardonnay and Chianti. I know....two completely different wines right? Yes they are and they definitely had two completely different effects on the food making it difficult to choose. We both agreed that it had to be the Chardonnay based on the fact that it was above all the best (but still not quite what we were looking for).
I'm sure we'll try this one again sometime as it's going to drive us crazy until we find it but in the meantime, do your own pairing and let us know what you may come up with.
-Cheers
Candi & Cindi

Nellie's Southern Fried Chicken

1 package Pick of the Chick
2 cups flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Crisco

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry chicken pieces. Melt Crisco in large, deep frying pan. Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a large platter. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour mixture until well coated and slowly place in pan and fry, turning occassionaly until cooked thoroughly (about 10-15 min. or until meat reaches 180 degrees).

The biscuits were Pillsbury Grands (yep...in the tube) .

Watermelon Salad

5 cups seedless ripe, juicy watermelon cubed
1 1/2 lbs. round, ripe tomatoes 3/4" cubed
1 small red onion quartered and thinly sliced
3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Cracked black pepper to taste

Combine watermelon and tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and salt tossing to coat. Let stand 15 min.
Stir in onion (THINLY SLICED!), vinegar and oil. chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle with cracked pepper to taste

Cindi's Potato
Salad

5 lbs. red potatoes
8 boiled eggs
1 large onion
Lots of Hellmann's
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Dill pickle juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and place in large serving bowl. Stir in all ingredients to desired consistency and taste.

Very Simple Dessert
Blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream layered in dessert glass.