This weeks events at Old World Winery

This has been a fun week with two events at Old World Winery. We started off with Wine Meet Up & Industry Open House, arranged by William Allen followed by another Flavor Art Winemaker Dinner "A Chocolatey Dinner" and the release of Darek's 2005 Two Rock Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Coast.


Despite ongoing Restaurant Week and an unpredictable weather, pending between sun, rain and snow, both events had a great turn out.


Click here to see more pictures from the "Wine Meet Up" at Facebook

I have for quite awhile had a "mind craving" to infuse cocoa into savory food and this Thursday's dinner gave me the perfect opportunity to play with flavor, texture, plating and wine pairing. In a time when there is a lack of seasonal veggies and February's ♥ Valentine's Day ♥ chocolate seemed like a great adventure.

I feel so fortunate to get in contact with and be surrounded by people that have the same passion and love for food and beverage as I do. It is now time to start to get my head spinning for next months dinner - the question is: Can we excel from this last one???

We started out with hors d'oeuvres:
Deviled Coconut Eggs with Cocoa Nibs
Paired with 2008 Tweek Block Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
and
Brandy Glazed Chicken Skewers Drizzled with Dark Chocolate
2005 Two Rock Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Coast - Premiere release!


First Course:
Roasted Poblanos with Grilled Banana and Cocoa Cream Cheese Spread on Hazelnut Toast
Paired with 2008 Bon Temps LeBlanc, Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast

Second Course:
Spinach Salad with Shellfish, Crispy Bacon, Shaved Bitter Sweet Chocolate and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Paired with 2007 White Knight Rose, Russian River Valley


Third Course:
Espresso and Chili Marinated Duck Leg with Wild West Rice and Mole
2005 Laughlin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Fourth Course:
Three Layered Chocolate Mousse with Spicy Mexican Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with a Pecan Caramel
2004 Laughlin Vineyard Zinfandel , Russian River Valley

Click here to see more pictures from Flavor Art Winemaker Dinner on Facebook

Old World Winery's winemaker Darek and Chef Helena on Sonoma County Today

Part 1 - Meet Darek Trowbridge, the wine maker of Old World Winery & Chef Helena:



Click here for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to see Sonoma County Today's interview with Darek Trowbridge, winemaker at Old World Winery and Chef Helena, interviewed by Dana DiRicco on her local TV show Food & Wine of Sonoma County.

Part 2 - Continuing interview:



Part 3 - Continuing interview:

February Flavor Art - Winemaker Dinner @ Old World Winery

Welcome back for another Flavor Art Dinner
February's theme is:
Cocoa

Thursday February 24th at 5:30 pm
Limited seats @ Old World Winery
About winemaker Darek Trowbridge

Call (707) 490-6696 for reservations
Price $65 per person for food and wine
Wine club members $45

Vegetarian Option will be available upon request.

Hors d'oeuvres:

Deviled Coconut Eggs with Cocoa Nibs
2008 Tweek Block Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Brandy Glazed Chicken Skewers Drizzled with Bitter Chocolate
2005 Two Rock Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Coast - Premiere release!

First Course:
Roasted Poblanos with Grilled Banana and Cocoa Cream Cheese Spread on Hazelnut Toast
2008 Bon Temps LeBlanc, Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast

Second Course:
Spinach Salad with Shellfish, Crispy Bacon, Shaved Bitter Chocolate and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
2007 White Night Rose, Russian River Valley

Third Course:
Espresso and Chili Marinated Duck Leg with Wild West Rice and Mole
2005 Laughlin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Fourth Course:
Three Layered Chocolate Mousse with Spicy Mexican Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with a Pecan Caramel
2004 Laughlin Vineyard Zinfandel , Russian River Valley

Exceptional weather should be celebrated with an excellent dessert

Woke up to another gorgeous day in northern California.
This wonderful weather is easy to get use to :)

=26 grader celsius

With it being warmer outside than indoors, it was a perfect day for a walk with the dogs to the creek and then to open up doors and windows to air out the cold and wet winter feeling.

A warm day like this calls for a delicious summer dessert; how about:

Home Made Chocolate Ice Cream

2 1/4 C Half and Half (50% heavy whipping cream and 50% whole milk)
1/2 C Cocoa Powder
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract

4 Egg Yolks
3/4 C Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 TBSP Coffee Liqueur

1. Place your ice cream mixer bowl in the freezer, preferable over night.
2. Blend Half and Half, Cocoa and Vanilla in a pot and bring to simmer.
3. In a big bowl, whip yolks and sugar until smooth.


4. Temper egg mix with hot cocoa. How to temper = Pour a little of hot liquid into egg mix while whisking. Add rest of hot cocoa and mix well.


5. Refrigerate ice cream mix until completely cold.
6. Pour ice cream mix into frozen bowl, cover and run your ice cream mixer for approximately 30 minutes or until the whole mix has thickened.
7. Pour slowly in the Coffee Liqueur* and run mixer until incorporated.


8. Scrape ready ice cream into a plastic container with a tight lid, suitable for holding it in freezer.
9. Freeze for at least an hour before serving.


Could not help my self...took some right away... I like my ice cream quite soft :)

Enjoy!

*If you do not want alcohol in your ice cream, boil and chill the liqueur prior to mixing it in; the liqueur prevents the ice cream from getting to hard, so it will be easier for you to scoop it later.

Helena as finalist in Cacique "Go Auténtico" Cook-off on The Cooking Channel

Watch all 6 episodes here:













Watch all 6 episodes in HD

In the mood for something sweet

In my refrigerator I have some beautiful Pink Lady Apples. I looked up a recipe that I got as a teen from my aunt Irene in Sweden.

Soft Apple Cake

Batter:
1 Stick Soft Unsalted Butter
1 C Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
2 C All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 C Whole Milk

Filling:
2 Apples

Topping:
1 TBSP Cinnamon
2 TBSP Raw Sugar
1/4 C Sliced or Chopped Almonds
3 TBSP Cold Unsalted Butter

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Stir butter soft butter with granulated sugar until fluffy.
3. Add egg while continue stirring.
4. Mix flour with baking powder and fold into batter until lump free.
5. Add milk and stir until smooth.
6. Pour batter into a greased oven safe bowl.
7. Push peeled apple slices into batter.


8. Sprinkle cinnamon, raw sugar over and top with almonds.
9. Slice cold butter thin and layer it over the topping.


10.Bake approximate 40-60 minutes, until top center is firm.
11. Let sit to rest a minimum of 10 minutes.
12. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!




Pink Lady--
Yet another import from the land "down under" this variety was originally named Cripp's Pink. Developed and bred by the agriculture department of Western Australia in 1973, Pink Lady apples are a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. Introduced to the United States by way of New Zealand in the late eighties, the fruit is medium in size and conical in shape, with a distinctive pink blush over a yellow background. The fine-grained flesh of this apple is crisp and crunchy and, because it does not brown easily after being cut, Pink Lady is a desirable addition to fresh vegetable and fruit salads. When eaten out-of-hand, the first bite tastes pleasantly tart and is followed by a delicious sweetness. Pink Lady ripens in September and can be found in most markets right through late spring months.