back to store

800.625.8238

Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Egg White Frittata with Lox and Arugula

May 8, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Perfect for Mother’s Day Brunch, this simple yet elegant meal comes together in under 20 minutes and is sure to please Mom!

Ingredients

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, lox, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

In a 10-inch, ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the arugula and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the arugula has wilted, about 1 minute. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir to combine the ingredients. Cook, without stirring for 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until set, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Slide the frittata onto a platter. Using a serrated knife, cut the frittata into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis from www.foodnetwork.com.

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Grilled Steak With Tapenade

April 28, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Healthy and delicious, this flavorful dish comes together in a snap and pairs perfectly with our Viña Magna Tempranillo Crianza Ribera del Duero 2011 from our April’s Collector’s Series.

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Pulse the olives, shallot, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon in a food processor; season with salt and pepper.

Pierce the steak all over with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Rub 1 heaping tablespoon olive mixture all over the steak, then set aside, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the remaining olive mixture with the tomatoes, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon in a small bowl.

Grill the steak until browned on one side, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook about 7 more minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Cut in half; reserve one half for steak sandwiches (at right). Thinly slice the remaining steak against the grain and top with the olive-tomato tapenade.

Recipe and photo by Food Network Kitchens courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Tomato-Cheddar Strata with Broccoli

April 14, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Perfect for Easter Brunch, this flavorful and impressive dish works best if made the night before to ensure the bread has time to soak up all the flavors.

Ingredients

  • 4½ c. 1-inch bread cubes
  • butter
  • 6 oz. shredded Cheddar (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 c. halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 c. frozen broccoli florets
  • 1½ tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 8 large eggs
  • 3 c. milk
  • 1¼ tsp. salt
  • .13 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 oz. ricotta cheese
  • 1 tsp. herbes de Provence

Directions

Place bread in a buttered 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top bread with 1 cup Cheddar, tomatoes, broccoli, and 1 tablespoon parsley.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over bread and gently press to soak every cube. Add dollops of ricotta over top. Sprinkle strata with herbes de Provence and remaining Cheddar. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight.

Remove strata from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until strata is puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe by Susan Sugarman and photo by Quentin Bacon courtesy of www.countryliving.com. 

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Potato Leek Soup

March 31, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (best quality such as Swanson)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Chives, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
  2. Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
  3. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it’s too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.

Recipe and photo by Jennifer Segal courtesy of www.onceuponachef.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Shepherd’s Pie

March 13, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:
For the meat filling:

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

 Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown from www.foodnetwork.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Super Bowl Foods & Wine

February 3, 2017 by Kristina Manning

The big game is happening this Sunday. Party food is high in calories, so we will all be chucking that diet we all started at the first of the year. Oh boy, I am looking forward to eating party food and drinking my fair share of some tasty wines. Oh yeah, and watching the Patriots and Seahawks battle for the title.

Don’t just stick to one type of wine, enjoy your Super Bowl party food with a variety of wines. If your friends are like mine the wine won’t go to waste. Start with a sparkling wine, Viognier, Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc with the veggie tray or chips if you dare.

Work your way through the game with either a Merlot or Zinfandel and then a Cabernet Sauvignon while munching on the chili, burgers, meatballs and pizza.

Just because it is game day don’t forget the chocolate with a port or a sherry to complete a great party night.

Here is an infographic to help you pair up your party foods with your wines for the Big Game Day.

Wine-Pairings

Chips & Dip: Champagne, Cava, Chardonnay, Australian Shiraz
Veggie & Fruit Trays: Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Noir
Pizza: Pinot Grigio, California Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
Chili: Merlot, Chianti, Camenere, Cabernet Franc
Buffalo Wings: Spanish Cava, American Zinfandel, Riesling, Gewurztraminer
Burgers & Hot Dogs: Argentinean Malbec, Bordeaux, California Cabernet, Zinfandel
Chocolate Desserts: Port, P.X. Sherry, Pinot Noir, Grenache

Posted in: Notes from the Panel, Recipes and Pairings

Roasted Cod with Warm Tomato-Olive-Caper Tapenade

January 27, 2017 by Kristina Manning

Ingredients:

  • roasted-cod-with-warm-tomato-olive-caper-tapenade1 pound cod fillet
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped cured olives
  • 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Rub cod with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 20 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 112 minutes. Add olives and capers; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds more. Stir in oregano and vinegar; remove from heat. Spoon the tapenade over the cod to serve.

Easy cleanup: Recipes that require cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that can be hard to clean. To save time and keep your baking sheet looking fresh, line it with a layer of foil before you apply the cooking spray.

Recipe from EatingWell Test Kitchen courtesy of www.eatingwell.com.

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Check out our Wine Clubs

  • Premier Series Wine Club
  • Bold Reds Wine Club
  • Masters Series Wine Club
  • Collectors Series Wine Club

Wine Lovers’ Pages

  • Food & Wine Pairings
  • Old World Wine Regions
  • Grape Varietals
  • Wine Making Process

Recent Posts

  • Argentina: Where Quality and Variety Abound
  • What to Expect in August 2024
  • Armenia: Back to the Future
  • What to Look for in July 2024

Wine Topics

  • Featured Selections
  • In the News
  • Interesting Wine Info
  • Member of the Month
  • Notes from the Panel
  • Recipes and Pairings
  • Uncategorized
  • Wine Education
  • Wine Events
  • Wine Humor
  • Wine Regions
Sign up for our rss feed

Archives

The International Wine of the Month Club

The International Wine of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609