Ingredients:

• 1 (3-rib) prime rib beef roast, about 6 pounds
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• Fresh rosemary and thyme, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pinch sugar
• 1/4 cup water or beef drippings
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

Buying and trimming: When ordering the rib roast from a butcher, be sure to request a “top choice” roast cut from the small loin end; the best being ribs 12 through 10. Have the butcher cut off the chine/backbone. The rib bones look best if they are shortened and frenched, have the butcher do this for you as well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the roast, rib side down, in a large roasting pan. In a small bowl mash together garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil to make a paste. Smear the paste generously over the entire roast. Scatter the vegetables around the meat and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or approximately 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare. Check the internal temperature of the roast in several places with an instant-read thermometer, it should register 120 to 125 degrees F. for medium rare.

Remove the beef to a carving board and allow to rest for 20 minutes to let the juices settle. Note: the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 10 degrees. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator so you can use the broth for the au jus and save the fat for Yorkshire pudding. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the cabernet and scrape up the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Add sugar, water/beef drippings, reserved vegetables and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids before serving.

Recipe from Tyler Florence courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons salt
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
• 6 sprigs thyme
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 duck legs with thighs
• 4 duck wings, trimmed
• About 4 cups duck fat

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt in the bottom of a dish or plastic container large enough to hold the duck pieces in a single layer. Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the container. Arrange the duck, skin-side up, over the salt mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, garlic, shallots, and thyme and a little pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.

2. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Melt the duck fat in a small saucepan. Brush the salt and seasonings off the duck. Arrange the duck pieces in a single snug layer in a high-sided baking dish or ovenproof saucepan. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven. Cool and store the duck in the fat. (The confit will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.)

Recipe by Tom Colicchio courtesy of www.epicurious.com.

Hearty yet healthy, serve this dish with polenta and broccolini for a dish that is sure to impress. Try pairing it with Montaña Rioja Crianza 2012 from this month’s Premier Series.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/3 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

Photo and recipe from: www.myrecipes.com.

Don’t let the name of this recipe the deter you, this dish is surprisingly easy and will soon end up in your permanente rotation of favorite dishes. Try pairing with this Collector’s Series Luca G Lot Tupungato Mendoza Chardonnay 2013.

Ingredients:

• 4 supremes (boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Big pinch white pepper
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot or green onion
• 1/4 pound diced or sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup white or brown stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup port, Madeira or dry white vermouth
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. (I ran out of wax paper, so I skipped that step and simply covered the pot…worked fine for me.) After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done. (Julia’s recipe was originally written using small chicken cutlets. For average sized supermarket chicken breasts, I found the cook time to be 30-35 minutes.)
4. Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).
5. To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 and photo and recipe courtesy www.KitchenJoy.com.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 pound linguine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 cup baby arugula, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• Two 1 1/2-pound lobsters, steamed, meat removed

Directions:

1. Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and bacon and cook until the bacon is beginning to crisp, 8 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the salt, tomato puree and cream; stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine for 1 minute less than the package instructions, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese directly on the naked pasta and toss to coat in sauce. Add up to 1 cup of the pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed. Stir in the arugula, basil, tarragon, peas and lobster meat; simmer until everything is heated through, 1 minute. Serve with additional Parmesan if desired.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.5-pound) pork shoulder roast (mine was bone-in)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 12 ounces of beer
• 32 ounces of barbecue sauce + additional for drizzling
• 12 small flour or corn tortillas
• 4-6 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese
• 1 batch of crispy onion straws

Mango Salsa:

• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Optional but yields the best result: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear the pork on every side (about 2-3 minutes per side) until golden brown before adding to the crockpot.
2. Add pork to crockpot with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours, tossing once or twice if desired. After 8 hours, shred pork with forks or kitchen tongs and add remaining barbecue sauce. Toss pork to coat and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to absorb everything. Remove bone (if bone-in) before serving.
3. I made the mango salsa about 2 hours before serving and the crispy onion straws about 1 hour before. To assemble tacos, place pork in the center of the tortilla and top with a drizzle of barbecue sauce if desired. Add on cheddar, then onion straws and then a big spoonful of mango salsa. Eat up!

Mango Salsa:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to mix. Can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, is best when sits for a few hours so the flavors marry.

Recipe & photo by Jessica Merchant from www.howsweeteats.com