My wife and I are right in the middle of preparing for a huge catering event this weekend in Sonoma. It’s called “Passport to Dry Creek Valley,” which is an annual event showing off the wines, and vineyards, of the beautiful Dry Creek Valley (photo from visitwineroad.com). We will be doing the food for our dear friend Bill Frick, at the amazing Frick Winery for the 12th straight year. Despite all the planning and prep work, it's a lot of fun and we always look forward to it.
There are over 50 wineries involved in this event, and thousands of wine enthusiasts will be eating and sipping their way through the valley. By the way, if you have a chance, check out the Frick Winery website. Bill produces some of the most delicious wine in California.
Due to the limited time to film clips and write articles, there will probably not be any new videos until after the weekend. I may do a couple posts before I leave, especially if any new About video recipes air, but no promises! This will be the perfect time to review your favorite recipes and make sure you haven't missed any. Don't forget to use the google search box in the side bar to find the ingredients you are interested in. Enjoy!
The spring sun says, "Use fresh green asparagus," but the chilly breeze says "how about a creamy, comforting casserole?" I say let's have both. This video recipe shows my fairly straightforward approach to the great American casserole. This recipe can be used for almost any combination of protein and vegetable, and the results will be just as delicious.
I'm not usually a big "blancher" of asparagus, preferring to pan-roast or grill it, but in this recipe the quick dip in boiling water is necessary to lock in that beautiful green color that remains vibrant even after 30 minutes of baking. The other atypical behavior here is the use of canned cream of mushroom soup. I can't ever remember using it to make soup. Why would you, when homemade mushroom soup is so far superior? But, when making a casserole, it seems completely right, if not required.
No matter what kind of casserole you're making, the best part is the crispy top. You Seinfeld fans will, of course, fondly remember the muffin tops, and pudding skins episodes. What about a restaurant that serves only the top of the casserole? Let's see, what should I call it?
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves minced garlic 2 tbsp flour 3 cups milk 1 can cream of mushroom soup cayenne and salt to taste 8 oz dry wide egg noodles 2 bunch asparagus 4 cooked chicken breasts 6 oz white cheddar cheese 3/4 cup bread crumbs 2 tbsp olive oil
I'm still working on the redesign, but I got tired of looking at that stupid jackhammering Chef clipart, so I took a break to post this photo of a very sexy, and young, spring chicken (is that redundant?).
Also known as "game hen," this tender and sweet bird was marinated in blood orange juice, garlic, chili sauce and rosemary. It was then grilled over hickory to this gorgeous finish.
Forks and knifes were quickly replaced by fingers, and the fabulous birds were torn limb from limb. God they were good. I promise to film this one next time! Okay, back to the lab.
As you may have noticed, the formatting of the blog has changed. I am experimenting with different layouts, so you may see some strange and scary formatting on this blog for a few days. Since I have been trying to increase the monetization of the site I had to get rid of the giant green banner at the top as it was taking up too much space. The new layout also takes advantage of the wider screens people are using. Thank you for your patience!
My wife and I are right in the middle of preparing for a huge catering event this weekend in Sonoma. It’s called “Passport to Dry Creek Valley,” which is an annual event showing off the wines, and vineyards, of the beautiful Dry Creek Valley (photo from visitwineroad.com). We will be doing the food for our dear friend Bill Frick, at the amazing Frick Winery for the 12th straight year. Despite all the planning and prep work, it's a lot of fun and we always look forward to it.
eating and sipping their way through the valley. By the way, if you have a chance, check out the Frick Winery website. Bill produces some of the most delicious wine in California.
