Citrus Mulled Wine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter to me tastes like glasses of warm mulled wine flavored with winter spices, citrus & vanilla! I first tried mulled wine at Epcot in the Norway pavilion and I was hooked!  Warm winter Sangria!   If you love wine and sangria you will love this, and the whole house will smell like Christmas! 

Citrus Mulled Wine Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of Red Wine
• 4 clementines
• 1 grpefruit
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 apple
• 1 cup of sugar, or to taste
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg (grated)
• 1 whole vanilla pod (split)
• 2 star anise

To serve

• lemon, lime, oranges and grapefruit  (cut into thick wedges and thin slices)

To begin: Zest with a lemon zester or cheese grater one of each citrus fruit.

In a large heavy-based saucepan heat the sugar over a medium heat, then add in the zest and squeeze in the clementine, orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime juice (over a sieve to catch any seeds). Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg.  Stir for one minute to mix everything into the sugar syrup base.

Split a vanilla pod with a knife down its length, add it and the seeds to the saucepan and add in just enough red wine to cover the sugar. Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the small amount of red wine, and then bring to the boil while stirring. Keep on a rolling simmer for about 4 minutes, or until a thick citrus spiced syrup is produced. Make sure the syrup does not burn, turn down the heat and stir if catching.

Making The Citrus Mulled Wine - Sugar & Peel - Citrus Syrup - Mulling The Wine

When your syrup is ready turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and both bottles of wine. Gently heat the wine on a low heat, stir occasionally and after around 15 minutes turn it off.

With a sharp knife prepare the fruit slices and wedges. It looks good to have a mixture of thick wedges and thin slices served in the glasses. Leave the peel on but remove any noticeable pith and seeds.

After the wine has mulled through, sieve the wine into a jug, punch bowl or clean saucepan to serve from and add back in the cinnamon sticks and the prepared fruit wedges.

When it is still warm and delicious, ladle the Citrus Mulled Wine into glasses with one or two wedges of citrus fruit and serve. Enjoy!  Merry Christmas!

Ice Ornaments

This is a fun and quick craft to do with the kiddies and they look beautiful shimmering in the sun!

Here’s how to make Ice Ornaments:

- Use any mold or baking tins you have around the house

- Any type of flower or berries, we used cranberries

- Place your flowers or berries in the center of your mold, fill with water

- Snip 6 inches of colored yarn and fold in half.

- Place the center point of the yarn into the water, poking it to the bottom of the mold.

- Place the molds in the freezer or on your porch depending on the weather, for several hours until they are frozen solid.

- Remove from molds by warming the outside slightly with your hands, warm running water, or a warm cloth.

-Grab  the string and tie around a branch.

Christmas Truffles

Truffles as a hostess gift!  Who doesn't like chocolate!? Merry Christmas!   8 ounces good quality chocolate cut into small pieces 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons alcohol :Cognac, brandy, Grand Marnier, kirsch, or rum optional Different Coatings for Truffles: Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder Confectioners Sugar (Icing or Powdered) Toasted and Chopped Nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) Toasted Coconut Shaved Chocolate For Truffles:  Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside.  Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.  Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth.  If desired, add the liqueur. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the truffle mixture is firm (this will take several hours or overnight). Place your coatings for the truffles on a plate. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator. With your hands, or else a melon baller or small spoon form the chocolate into round or mis-shaped bite-sized balls. Immediately roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or tray. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm. Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 30 small truffles. To Toast Nuts: Preheat oven to 350 and bake nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds) about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. For hazelnuts toast about 15 minutes or until the skins start to blister. Remove from oven and roll in a clean dish towel. Let the nuts 'steam' for about 5 minutes and then remove the skins. Once the nuts have cooled, chop coarsely.

Easy dessert idea for the Holiday Party Season

I have a lot of friends asking me for ideas on what to bring to parties this Holiday season, here is my answer:  BERRY PARFAIT!  It is an easy and beautiful addition to any party table and a welcome alternative to all the baked goods.
You can make this any way you want with any combo of berries, fruit, and whipped cream, Cool Whip or Yogurt.  For an extra kick, soak your berries in Grand Marnier overnight before assembly, or to make it a trifle add some layers of pound cake! This is one dessert you can not screw up!

Marcus Samuelsson’s Gnocchi

Marcus Samuelsson just seems like he is a sweet, cool guy.  He has an amazing life story and his food reflects how interesting he is. Chef Samuelsson was orphaned in a tuberculosis epidemic raging through his native Ethiopia when he was just three years old. After finding shelter in a Swedish field hospital, he and his young sister were adopted by a young Swedish couple. He started to learn how to cook at the age of six or seven. He studied at the Culinary Institute in Gotenborg and at various places in Switzerland and Austria before taking an eight-month internship at Aquavit in New York City. He then took a position at Georges Blanc in Lyon, France, a three-star Michelin restaurant. Most recently he was the winner of Top Chef Masters!

Marcus Samuelsson’s Gnocchi
Ingredients:
1 cup sea salt

2 Idaho potatoes (1/2 pound)
2 garlic cloves unpeeled, plus 1 garlic clove thinly sliced

2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove thinly sliced

3 teaspoons chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper








1.    Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Spread the sea salt on a baking sheet. Arrange the potatoes and the unpeeled garlic on the salt and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and continue to roast the potatoes until very tender, about another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

3. Peel the potatoes and garlic and put them through a ricer into a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks, salt, and nutmeg to taste and mix well. Add the flour and knead until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough. (The more the dough is worked, the more flour you will need, resulting in heavier gnocchi.) Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

4.    On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half and roll each half into ½-inch thick rope. Cut each rope into ½-inch-long pieces and press the tines of a fork into each piece to make grooves in the surface. Place the gnocchi on a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour.  (At this point, you can divide the gnocchi into servings by arranging on pieces of plastic wrap dusted with flour. Wrap each serving in plastic wrap or place in zip-locked plastic bag and freeze).
  
5.    Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with water and ice cubes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, drop the gnocchi (fresh or frozen) into the water and summer until they float to the top, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and lace in the ice bath for 30 seconds.

6.    To reheat the gnocchi, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the gnocchi and the sliced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with chives and serve.

* I tossed it with some cherry tomatos and fennel


Delicious, and kid friendly too!

My Rock Star Chef List

I am on vacation this week so as you can see I am making simple things whenever I can.  Once I am back home in my kitchen I will dig in to the more elaborate.
The following list of my favorites and their web links is what I am going to work my way through over the next couple weeks.  I understand that a few of your favorites may be missing so send me a note with your chef and recipe (take it easy on me) and I will try and do it. Once I master my Rock Star Chefs recipes I will try out some Master Pastry Chefs!

Alex Guarnaschelli
Art Smith
Bobby Flay 
Charlie Palmer
Charlie Trotter
Daniel Boulud
David Burke
Emeril Lagasse
Gordon Ramsay
Graham Elliot
Jamie Oliver
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Curtis Stone
Rick Bayless
Lidia Bastianich
Marcus Samuelsson
Mark McEwan
Mario Batali
Susan Feniger
Thomas Keller
Todd English
Tom Colicchio
Wolfgang Puck

* My Celebrity chef recipes will continue with amazing recipes from Curtis Stone, Wofgang Puck, Tom Colicchio and the rest of my list in January 2011

Chef Keller, let me count the ways!

When it comes to my next Rock Star Chef, Hubert Keller, I do not even know where to begin!  Simply put I LOVE his food and flare! He is a culinary genius and if I had to choose one chef to take with me on a deserted island it would probably be him, well him AND Curtis Stone, but that is for other reasons:)

Chef Keller hails from one of the most beautiful places in the world, Alsace, France ,and it shines through all his dishes. I enjoy watching him as a judge on Top Chef Just Desserts and he was fantastic on Top Chef Masters.
I first had the pleasure of tasting his fantastic fare at a business dinner at Fleur de Lyss in Las Vegas. Every single person at the table of 12 devoured everything on their plates and I ended up going back the next night for an equally amazing dining experience.  
Imagine my delight when I found out he had just opened a BURGER BAR.  He had me at the "Burger" part:) Ever since that heavenly night when I savored my Kobe beef burger, no burger has even came close. Every Vegas trip HAS to include a stop at the Burger Bar.  I try a new creation every time and all of them are heaven!  Next time you are in Vegas you HAVE to give it a try.   
Before you make another burger at home you MUST watch THIS clip.  


Perfect French Fries
by Hubert Keller and Penelope Wisner
from Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burger
(Wiley, 2009)
Serves 4 to 6
Perfection takes time. Three days, in fact. The long soaking leaches starch from the potatoes so they turn golden and crispy on the outside and white and fluffy on the inside.
Build your own: Depending on how you choose to cut your potatoes, you can make fat or skinny fries, wedges or shoestrings. Skins on or off, your choice. I like to serve fries in small earthenware flowerpots. You could also fashion a cone of parchment paper and fit it inside a narrow glass as a holder, then fill the cone with fries.—Hubert Keller and Penelope Wisner

 Ingredients
4 large (about 2 pounds) potatoes, preferably russets, peeled, if desired
6 to 8 cups vegetable or sunflower oil for deep frying
Coarse sea salt

Want it? Click it.

Directions
1. Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water to cover, then let them soak overnight, refrigerated. The next day, drain and cut them. For skinny fries, cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut these lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. For fat fries, simply increase the width of your slices. For wedges, cut the potatoes lengthwise in half, then cut the halves into wedges. To make evenly sized wedges, if the potatoes are very fat, you may need to cut a lengthwise slice out of the middle of the potato and either discard it or cut it into fat fries. For shoestrings, use the julienne blade of a mandoline and cut the potatoes into very fine strips. However they are cut, place the potatoes in a bowl, cover with cold water, and again let them soak overnight, refrigerated.
2. When ready to fry, drain the potatoes well and pat dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Cover a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Put 2 cups of oil per potato in a deep, heavy pot or deep fryer. The oil should fill the pot at least one-third full. Heat it to 250?F. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until they are cooked through but remain almost white, about 5 minutes. Drain on the prepared baking sheet. The fries may be prepared up to this point several hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. Just before serving, heat the oil to 360?F. Again working in batches, fry the potatoes until they are golden and crisp. The timing will depend on the size you have cut your potatoes, but allow about 3 minutes for skinny fries. When done, drain them briefly on paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt. Scoop them into a bowl and serve immediately.

Buffalo Burger

I made mine without the cheese and apples but added some pesto, mustard and onion as garnish. It does not look as pretty as the creations in the book but the taste is awesome.  A few more tries with these recipes and my BBQ's next summer will be off the hook! Buffalo is suprisingly a great lean meat. The fries, as their name suggests, are perfection!

This is a simple and great-tasting cheeseburger. The meat has a deep, rich flavor and is becoming more popular as people come to understand that buffalo is healthful as well as delicious. The red wine-cooked onions add complexity and moistness to the buffalo.
Build your own: You could omit the onion (in that case, be extra careful not to overcook the burger), use them for a topping, or knead them into a beef or lamb burger. If pressed for time, use raw apple for its sweet-tart crunch or leave it out. Tapenade (page 128 of the book) would make a great addition to this burger, adding rich, pungent flavor and moisture.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium (about 2-1/2 ounces) red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 pounds coarsely ground buffalo, chilled
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1 large, unpeeled tart apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• About 2 tablespoons brown sugar for sprinkling
• 4 focaccia buns
• 4 slices (about 6 ounces) Gruyere cheese
• 2 large handfuls watercress and/or sprouts
• 1 large, ripe tomato, thinly sliced (optional)

In a medium sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and stir and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and thyme, bring to a boil, and cook until the pan is nearly dry, about 10 minutes. Let the onion cool to at least room temperature. The onion can be cooked a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
Using your hands, gently knead the meat in a large bowl together with the onion and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper. Handling lightly to keep the texture light and juicy, divide the meat into 4 evenly sized patties about 1 inch thick. The burgers can be shaped and refrigerated, covered, for several hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot or build a medium-hot fire in a barbecue. Generously season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the burgers in the skillet, turning once or twice, for 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Do not press down on the patties. With a large spoon, baste the burgers several times with the fat in the pan. (You can also preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and cook the burgers on top of the stove until they are brown on both sides, and then finish them in the oven.) To grill the burgers, oil the grate, arrange the patties on it, and cover. Cook as above.
While the burgers cook, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and brush the apple slices on both sides. Place them in a saute pan over medium heat or on the perimeter of the grill to cook slowly. You want them to get tender but not fall apart. After about 1 minute, turn the slices and sprinkle them lightly with brown sugar. Cook for another minute, turn, and sprinkle with sugar again. Turn, cook for another minute, and then immediately remove the slices to a plate. Cut the slices in half.
When the burgers are about half cooked, toast the buns in a toaster oven or under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat, until lightly toasted. Or toast them on the outer perimeter of the grill rack.
For the last minute or two of cooking, drape a slice of cheese over each burger to melt. Then remove them to a warm platter, sprinkle with pepper, keep warm, and let rest for several minutes before serving.
To build the burgers, fan apple slices on the bun bottoms, and top with watercress, tomato slices, if using, burgers, and then the bun tops. Serve immediately.