SoCo Lifestyle

The Night of San Lorenzo Presented by Finaldy Special Events

The night of San Lorenzo is celebrated in Italy on August 10th. Since this date  coincides with the annual appearance of the Perseids meteor showers, there is a tradition that says if you wish on a shooting star on this night, then your wish will come true.

We had our own celebration of the Night of San Lorenzo in Gilroy, CA organized by Finaldy Special Events and Catering.

This magical evening was held on the LaVigna Patio at Hecker Pass Winery, a beautiful natural setting that was enhanced by beautiful decorations designed by Monica Filice, owner of Finaldy.

There were welcoming Mimosa cocktails accompanied hors d'oeuvres that included tuille cups of Parmesan cheese filled with asparagus creme, artisinal salame, nuts and cheese.

The chef of the evening was Fulvia Steffenone from Torino, Italy. Also known by her nickname, La Fufi, Chef Steffenone has impressive
credentials that include consulting to the Italian government, contributing to magazines such as Cucina Italia,cookbook author and restaurateur. However, the only bona fides we needed that evening was the outstanding menu that she prepared in traditional courses.

The first course was an abundant array of appetizers all beautifully presented: a new style caprese served in a glass, a tuna/green bean compote served in a cappucino cup, eggs stuffed with olives and bread, tomato/cheese  souffle with basil sauce, a carmelized red onion quiche and while I really like all of the appetizers,
my personal preference was an unusual shrimp cocktail with green apples, pistachios and coconut. A Blanc de Blanc and Zinfandel from Hecker Pass

The pasta course featured a lasagna layered with zucchini pesto and a timbale of rice pizzaiola.

The second course was a plate of Chicken Cacciotora served with a mille feuille of potatos. The sauce on the chicken was very fresh and the potatos were divine. The wines  paired with both the pasta and second course were Petite Sirah and a Carignane

Desserts or Dolci were a cantaloupe cocktail with port wine reduction, a dark chocolate torte with almonds served with vanilla gelato and hazelnut and pistachio gelato from Gelato Massimo. A Moscato and a ruby port was offered with dessert.

A duo of young musicians called the Line-Up channeled  the "Rat Pack" providing great music to enjoy throughout the evening.

As they say in the commercials, "But wait, there is more." There was even a raffle with bottles of Hecker Pass Wines and tickets for future Finaldy events as prizes.

It was a wonderful evening where we shared delicious food, wine and laughter with our friends and family under the stars. I did not see a shooting star but for what more could I wish.

Go to the Finaldy web site to learn of other events including cooking classes under the tutelage of Chef Steffenone.

Turkey Chili

Having reached food saturation during the holidays, I am working on a repertoire of recipes that are lighter and healthier. I wanted to develop a chili recipe that uses lean turkey meat and includes a lot of vegetables and fiber. The LOML is not a big fan of ground turkey, so I wanted to give him the big flavors that he prefers.

This recipe incorporates beer as it evokes good childhood memories. While my mother was not an enthusiastic cook, I always loved the chili that she made which included a healthy dose of beer. Since I grew up in St. Louis, the home of Anheuser Busch, it was considered a boost to the local economy. If you have any concerns about the alcohol, you can substitute for the beer by using more stock.

I know this looks like a lot of ingredients but the preparation is simple. After a little sauteeing, everything else goes into the pot.

Turkey Chili with Beer and Beans 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onions
• ½ red bell pepper
• ½ Anaheim Chili
• ½ jalapeno
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound ground turkey (lean white meat)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed organic tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (16-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 12 oz bottle beer
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce 
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Directions:
In a dutch oven, saute onions and all of the peppers in olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute. Now add the ground turkey and cook until browned.

Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally

 

Aver Family Vineyards' Tasting Room Open for Business

 

The Aver Family Vineyards has opened a tasting room adjacent to their beautiful home and vineyards located off of Watsonville Road in Gilroy. They are open to the public from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the first and third weekends of every month. Signs are prominently placed on Watsonville Road to direct you to the winery.

In addition to the tasting room, they have a patio full of tables and chairs that create a relaxing environment. Visitors are encouraged to bring picnics and snacks to accompany their wines.

John and Carolyn Aver and the tasting room volunteers are gracious hosts who will guide you through the tasting so you will get a full appreciation of their wines. They will also increase your understanding by sharing their philosophy about wine making and farming.

Many of wines are estate-grown, but Aver branches out and produces wines obtained from other vineyards. Most of the wines can be enjoyed young or cellared and allowed to mature. John Aver is happy to guide you if your are interested in how long to hold the wines.

As mentioned in this blog before, Aver Family has inspirational names for their wines. Here are some of the wines you may enjoy on a visit*:

• Aver Family Album - each year this is a new varietal. The photos on the labels truly feature John and Carolyn's family members. The 2010 bottling is a luscious Viognier.
• Homage - Syrah - Santa Clara Valley 
• Hope - Rhone Style Blend - Santa Clara Valley
• Heritage - Cabernet Sauvignon - Central Coast
• Blessings - Petite Sirah - Santa Clara Valley 

*The offerings on a tasting table can change based on availability of the wines. 

Aver Family Vineyards
2900 Soma Way  Gilroy, CA 95020
Phone: (408) 847-7412
Hours: Open from noon to 5 p.m. on the first and third weekend of each month and for special events. Private tastings can also be arranged.

Chiles Rellenos - Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn and Carrots

I recently received some beautiful organic poblano peppers in my CSA box from Timptations. I vowed to use them in some creative fashion before they wilted away. 

 

On Saturday morning I was watching the PBS cooking shows. I don't know if it was it serendipitous, a manifestation, the stars aligning or just a huge coincidence but Rick Bayless's show was on chile rellenos. While watching how he handled the chiles, and assessing what I had on hand, a recipe coalesced in my mind. 

 

Chile Rellenos - Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn and Carrots

 

I had only three peppers, but the great thing about this recipe, is that it easily scales to produce more servings with a minimal amount of additional effort.

Cork v. Screwtop - The Great Experiment

One of the things I enjoy about Martin Ranch Winery is how winemaker, Dan Martin, shares his knowledge and passion about winemaking. We were recently at the Winery for the release party of the 2009 Lester Family Vineyards Pinot Noir.  Dan and his cellar master, David, enlisted all of the attendees to be guinea pigs for an intriguing experiment.

 

When preparing the 2010 J.D. Hurley Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Clara Valley), David and Dan put all of the grapes into one tank. However, when it came time to bottle the wine, they decided to put half of the Sauvignon Blanc into bottles with screwtops and the other half into bottles with corks.  The challenge for us party-goers was to taste the two wines and see if we could distinguish between the them. 

 

This is the type of experiment in which I am happy to be a test subject. I never thought that I had a particularly sophisticated palate. But, after I tasted the wines side-by-side, I could detect a distinctive difference between the two wines. The wine in the screwtop bottle was bright, fruity and clean. The Sauvignon Blanc with the cork tasted more complex, even a little woodsy. 

 

My favorite was the wine in the bottle closed with the cork.  However, there were people who preferred the wine with the screwtop cap.

Can vintners create wines that appeal to broader cross-sections just by using different bottling techniques? Has anyone else been able to taste a screw-top and cork-bottled wine side by side?

 

Farro with Cauliflower and Oven-Dried Tomatoes

 
 
 
 

Farro Salad with Cauliflower and Oven-Dried Tomatoes

 

As an enthusiastic user Italian ingredients and whole grains, I was intrigued when I started seeing postings about farro, an ancient grain that was used by the Romans. As it is a low-yielding grain, it fell out of favor in preference to other crops, however, it has experienced a renaissance and most of it is grown in the Abruzzo region. I started to see blog postings with recipes and decided it to give it a try.

At first, it was very hard to find farro and I mail-ordered it from Amazon.  Recently, the Costco in Redwood City, CA has been carrying very reasonably priced 3 lb bags of the farro perlato, which is the faster cooking version.

 

I have made several variations, serving it hot, room temperature, or cold.  The add-ins vary depending on the season.  I made a butternut farro dish at Thanksgiving; I have given it a Caprese-spin and a springtime asparagus fling. Sometimes it is a compilations of vegetables that are in the refrigerator and this was the inspiration for the Cauliflower and Roasted Tomato version that I made recently. The cauliflower was part of my Timptations CSA box and it was time to use it or lose it.

 

I started roasting tomatoes this summer. This batch is from rather plump San Marzanos that I purchased at LJB Farms.  I found that if I  quarter the tomatoes, add sliced garlic, salt, pepper, herbs and sprinkle with olive oil they will nicely roast in a 200^o overnight.  While I kept some in the fridge for immediate use, I also put some aside in the freezer to enjoy later in the year.

 

Santa Pietra - Great Find in Hollister

I had been studying my map of local wineries and determined that Pietra Santa Winery would be the next winery for a visitation.  However, on this journey I had to question my standing as an "expert" on our local wineries as I found out that Pietra Santa is part of the San Benito County Wine Trail.  There are five wineries with tasting rooms located on Cienega Road (off Hwy 26).  I knew DeRose was located nearby but I was totally oblivious to the other three wineries and all that this area has to offer.

The winery, owned by the Blackburn family since 2005, is located on a spectacular 450 acre setting. Since not all of the estate is suitable for viticulture, 25 acres is planted with olive trees. So they deliver twice the agricultural delights by producing award-winning wines and pressing their own olive oil.

Pietra Santa, which translates to Sacred Stone in Italian, honors their soil that is rich from deposits of granite and limestone, a type of soil that is found in some of the great vineyards in the world. Pietra Santa is one of the oldest vineyards in California having been first planted by a Frenchman, Theophile Vache in 1850.

Troublemakers in Campbell

 
Travieso. It sounds like an Italian-inspired name. Right?  Wrong! Travieso is a Spanish word that means troublemaker. This mischievous moniker informs the artwork and the spirit of the winery. For instance, the mascot of Travieso winery is the chupacabra, or goat sucker, a creature, which according to legend, sucks the blood from livestock.  The chupacabra is handsomely portrayed on the poster above, and we have embraced his motto as our own.

2011 SF Chronicle Wine Competition - Santa Clara Valley Winners

 

 Congratulations to our Santa Clara Valley wineries for winning so many medals at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The SF Chronicle is the world's largest American wine competition with 5,050 entries from 23 states.  Wines are entered in categories of varietals, blend styles and most categories are further divided by price range.

Special recognition to the wineries who won Best of Class in their categories: Castillo's Hillside Shire won best Cabernet Franc with its 2008 Estate Cabernet Franc, Jason-Stephens' 2007 Estate Select Merlot got top honors in the  Merlot $30.00 - $39.99 and Solis for taking the Italian White Varietals with its 2010 Estate Fiano. Additionally, all of the wines that both Jason-Stephen and Kirigin entered into the competition won awards. 

For information on these award-winning wineries, click on the links on my blog, which will direct you to their websites. 

You can experience first hand the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition by attending the public tasting on February 19th at Fort Mason.  Check this website for ticket information.

Winery/Category	Wine	Award
Aver Family Vineyards
Syrah/Shiraz - $30.00 to $39.99	2008 Homage Syrah	Silver
Rhone Other Varietals and Blends	2008 Hope	Bronze
Cabernet Sauvignon - $35.00 to $39.99	2007 Heritage	Silver
Castillos Hillside Shire Winery
Sangiovese	2008 Castillo Estate Sangiovese	Bronze
Syrah/Shiraz- $15.00 to $19.99	2008 Castillo Estate Syrah	Bronze
Petite Sirah - $20.00 & Over	2008 Castillo Estate Petite Sirah	Gold
Cabernet Sauvignon - $40.00 to $49.99	2008 Castillo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
Cabernet Franc	2008 Castillo Estate Cabernet Franc	Best of Class
Port	2009 Castillo Estate Port	Silver
Cinnabar Vineyards
Chardonnay - $15.00 to $19.99	2009 Chardonnay	Siver
Syrah/Shiraz - $30.00 to $39.99	2008 Syrah	Silver
Merlot- $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Merlot	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $40.00 to $49.99	2006 Cabernet Sauvignon	Gold
Bordeaux Blends - $20.00 to $29.99	2007 Mercury Rising	Gold
Clos LaChance
Chardonnay - $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Chardonnay	Bronze
Rhone Other White Varietals and Blends	NV Mommy Juice	Silver
Rhone Other White Varietals and Blends	NV Wicked Good	Silver
Pinot Noir - $30.00 to $34.99	2007 Pinot Noir	Silver
Rhone Other Varietals and Blends	2008 Mommy Juice Red Wine	Silver
Rhone Other Varietals and Blends	NV Wicked Good Red Wine	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon -$15.00 to $19.99	2008 Cabernet Sauvignon	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $35.00 to $39.99	2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
Bordeaux Blends - $50.00 & Over	2007 Joli Meritage	Silver
Creekview Vineyards
Zinfandel - $20.00 to $24.99	2008 Zinfandel	Silver
Zinfandel - $30.00 to $34.99	2008 Old Vine Zinfandel	Bronze
Syrah/Shiraz - $25.00 to $29.99	2008 Syrah	Bronze
Merlot - $25.00 to $29.99	2008 VCR Merlot	Bronze
Fernwood Cellars
Chardonnay - $30.00 to $34.99	2009 Vanumanutagi Chardonnay	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $40.00 to $49.99	2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Gold
Fortino Winery
Syrah/Shiraz - $25.00 to $29.99	2007 Syrah	Bronze
All Other Red Varietals/Blends	NV Maribella Red Table Wine	Bronze
Guglielmo Winery
Syrah/Shiraz - $30.00 to $39.99	2007 Syrah	Bronze
Petite Sirah - $20.00 & Over	2007 Estate Petite Sirah	Gold
Merlot- $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Merlot	Silver
Jason-Stephens Winery
Chardonnay - $30.00 to $34.99	2009 Estate Select Chardonnay	Bronze
Zinfandel - $35.00 t0 $39.99	2008 Estate Select Zinfandel	Silver
Syrah/Shiraz - $30.00 to $39.99	2007 Estate Select Syrah	Silver
Merlot - $25.00 to $29.99	2007 Estate Merlot	Silver
Merlot - $30.00 to $39.99	2007 Estate Select Merlot	Best of Class
Cabernet Sauvignon - $25.00 to $29.99	2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
Bordeaux Blends - $30.00 to $39.99	2007 Estate Meritage	Silver
All Other Red Varietals/Blends	2007 Cab/Syrah	Silver
Kirigin Cellars
Italian Other White Varietals and Blends	2009 Estate Malvasia Bianca	Gold
Zinfandel - up to $19.99	2007 Zinfandel	Bronze
Syrah/Shiraz- $15.00 to $19.99	2007 Syrah	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon -$15.00 to $19.99	2008 Cabernet Sauvignon	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $35.00 to $39.99	2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
All Other Red Varietals/Blends	NV Estate Red	Silver
Red Dessert - RS>4.0	NV Vino de Mocca	Silver
Martin Ranch
Sauvignon Blanc or Fume-$14.00 to $19.99	2009 JD Hurley Santa Clara Valley Sauvignon Blanc	Bronze
Sauvignon Blanc or Fume-$14.00 to $19.99	2009 JD Hurley Arroyo Seco Sauvignon Blanc	Silver
Merlot- $15.00 to $19.99	2007 JD Hurley Merlot	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $20.00 to $24.99	2006 JD Hurley Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
Sangiovese	2007 Therese Vineyards Sangiovese	Silver
Syrah/Shiraz - $30.00 to $39.99	2007Therese Vineyards Lester Family Syrah	Bronze
Cabernet Sauvignon - $40.00 to $49.99	2006 Therese Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	Silver
Malbec	2008 Therese Vineyards Dos Nians Vineyard Malbec	Bronze
Muccigrosso Vineyards
Zinfandel - up to $19.99	2007 Lyn Zin	Gold
Zinfandel - up to $19.99	2006 Lyn Zin	Silver
Zinfandel - $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Moniz Vineyard Stan Zin	Silver
Italian Other Varietals and Blends (red)	2007 Table Two	Gold
All Other Red Varietals/Blends	2007 Sirah Syrah	Bronze
Sarahs Vineyard
Chardonnay - $25.00 to $29.99	2008 Chardonnay	Bronze
Rhone Other White Varietals and Blends	2009 Cote de Madone Blanc	Silver
Pinot Noir - $30.00 to $34.99	2008 Estate Pinot Noir	Gold
Rhone Other Varietals and Blends	208 Cote de Madone	Silver
Satori Cellars
Petite Sirah - $20.00 & Over	2006 Estate Ha-Ha Petite Sirah	Silver
Petite Sirah - $20.00 & Over	2007 Estate Ha-Ha Petite Sirah	Bronze
Rhone Other Varietals and Blends	2007 Estate Harmonic Convergence	Bronze
Merlot- $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Estate Violet Flame Merlo	Bronze
Cabernet Sauvignon - $25.00 to $29.99	2007 Estate Blue Hand Cabernet Sauvignon	Bronze
Cabernet Sauvignon - $30.00 to $34.99	2007 Jubilees Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	Gold
Solis Winery
Italian Other White Varietals and Blends	2010 Estate Fiano	Best of Class
White Blush	2009 Vino Roseo di Sangiovese	Silver
Sangiovese	2007 Estate Sangiovese	Gold
Syrah/Shiraz - $20.00 to $24.99	2006 Syrah	Silver
Sycamore Creek
Petite Sirah - Up to $19.99	2007 Petite Sirah	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $20.00 to $24.99	2007 Winemakers Select Cabernet Sauvignon	Silver
Cabernet Sauvignon - $30.00 to $34.99	2007 Estate Uvas Valley Cabernet Sauvignon	Gold
Bordeaux Blends - $30.00 to $39.99	2007 Mosaico	Gold

New Orleans - October 2010

Since the theme of my blog includes, "other things of interest",  I am going to write about my recent trip to New Orleans.  While my visit was primarily work related, I was there for a week and I managed to dine in some great spots in New Orleans.

I apologize for the paucity of photos.  I am an event manager, so during the day I am shlepping so much stuff with me that when I go out for dinner, it is a blessed relief to carry only a room key and credit card.

Tommy's Cuisine
746 Tchoupitoulas

This is a classic New Orleans spot located right around the corner from our hotel. I had some delicious Oysters Rockefeller and wonderful grilled grouper. This may not be a spot for gourmets or foodies, but it has good versions of traditional Orleans dishes and a good vibe.

Cafe Du Monde
800 Decatur Street

Founded in 1862, the Cafe Du Monde is one of the magic places in the world.  I have to go there every time I go to New Orleans.  I love watching all of the people and it seems as if locals and tourists alike enjoy hanging out there enjoying the cafe au laits and beignets. 

One day I needed a fix and went to the satellite location in the Riverwalk Mall which is next door to the Convention Center.  While it does not have atmosphere of the original, you can sit, enjoy the repast and watch the Mississippi River rolling along.

Feast 
200 Julia St.