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The title of this post alone makes me drool. Think creamy, warm risotto, dotted with nutty parmesan and bursting with the flavors of your favorite wine. For a comforting and elegant long-weekend meal at home, I can’t think of anything better.

Today’s Foodie Feature is Karen from Gourmet Recipes for One, a blog that combines beautiful photos, a clean, eye-pleasing design, and gourmet recipes that are truly mouthwatering. In addition to being a fan of her blog, I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Karen at the Red White Tasting Crew event last week. I am excited that she is sharing the gorgeous recipe below with us; you will likely be seeing it again on the blog when I make it!

Happy Friday! Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

red wine risotto

When I sat down to think about what to write for my guest blog for Travel, Wine, and Dine, I thought I’d create a new recipe just for the occasion, and one that included wine of course. Since risotto is one of my favorite things, I thought I’d make a version with wine as the main ingredient. Risotto is super easy to make, made all in one pot (love that!) and the hardest thing about it is the patience of stirring it for 20-25 minutes until it’s done. But when it is, you’ll adore this creamy, delicious Italian dish. This version is made with one of my favorite red wines for drinking so I thought I’d try it in the risotto. Phantom from Bogle Vineyards is a rich, luxurious blend of three unique varietals (Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre) and I love the rich purple-ish red color that is gives the risotto. And it’s a perfect wine for this recipe (Barolo is another good option as well). So, grab your own favorite red wine (or try mine) and give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think. And thanks to Meghan for letting me share your blog. Cheers!

red wine risotto

This recipe is super simple and really highlights the wine that you use, so be sure to use a wine that you would drink as well. It’s perfect for one, or really easy to increase for entertaining.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 shallot, finely minced

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good red wine

2 – 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock

1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook until slightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add broth, a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Continue adding stock, a 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. 2. Remove from heat and stir in butter until completely incorporated, followed by Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve warm with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano over top.

Serves 1, or 2 appetizer-sized servings.

Tags: cooking, Food, guest post, red wine, risotto

Pure Decadence

While the weather outside might be frightful, I love any excuse to have my husband home during the day. Even if he is working, it is nice to have lunch together and to be able to have dinner before 8:00, so yesterday I took the snowed-in opportunity to make an extra special dessert.

Snow in Boston

I had never made a flourless chocolate cake before, but since I am a huge fan of the dense, silky, chocolate-ness of flourless cakes, I decided to use my recent adventurous baking spirit to make my own.

Per usual, I started out by consulting a bunch of recipes and decided to use a flourless chocolate cake recipe from Epicurious because it required the least amount of eggs.

dark chocolate

I started by chopping some high quality dark chocolate, then melting it until glossy in a makeshift double boiler. I love how shiny the chocolate gets, and my husband said that he could smell it from across our condo.

chocolate and butter in a double boiler

Once the chocolate and butter were melted and combined, I whisked in the sugar, using slightly less than the 3/4 cup called for.

whisk together chocolate and sugar

Next in, the eggs, and finally, the cocoa powder which gave the batter a very thick consistency.

cocoa powder

I poured it into a greased pie plate, baked for 25 minutes, and voila, ended up with a perfect flourless chocolate cake without a single crack! Smile 

flourless chocolate cake

Yum yum yum yum! The cake was just as I wanted it to be, chocolatey but not sugary, rich and smooth, pure decadence. I served it with a sauce made of Trader Joe’s frozen berry blend, simmered with a little bit of water and sugar.

flourless chocolate cake

We didn’t have any ice cream in the house, but I could definitely see this with vanilla or coffee ice cream as well. This recipe was exceedingly easy; the most important part it seemed, was making sure the pan was fully greased and letting the cake cool enough before I turned it out of the pan. I am learning lessons from past baking mistakes! I will definitely be making this cake again; it would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day menu at home.

When it comes to dessert, do you lean toward chocolate? Or do you prefer more fruit-based desserts like pies and crumbles?

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe from Epicurious.com

  • 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-14478#ixzz1ArPVGmyM

Tags: baking, cake, chocolate, dessert, flourless chocolate cake, Food

After a freezing cold 18 mile run yesterday, all I wanted was to order some pizza and to spend the rest of the night on the couch. But that wouldn’t be a fun blog post, now would it?  So I persevered with my plans to whip up a crab and corn chowder without following a recipe. One of the reasons I love soups and chowders so much.

potatoes and onions

I started out the chowder by dicing up a small yellow onion and cutting about 15 small red potatoes in eighths. I then added them to olive oil in my Le Creuset French Oven. A few minutes after I started cooking the onions and potatoes, I added two cups of water to the mix as well as a vegetable bouillon cube and a few shakes of cayenne pepper.

Letting all of that bubble away, I poured myself a glass of Bonny Doon Vineyards Muscat and went off to read blogs for a few minutes.

I returned when the base of the chowder was bubbling away, checked the potatoes to see that they were cooked most of the way through, and added an entire bag of Trader Joe’s organic sweet corn. Trader Joe’s sells some good frozen corn, especially this organic variety and their frozen fire roasted corn which they were out of. As much as I love Trader Joe’s it makes me sad when their supplies are inconsistent.

organic sweet corn

Here is the part where I ask you not to judge. I used Trader Joe’s canned crab, two cans to be exact. I had planned on buying fresh crab meat, but once I got home did not feel like going out again. I keep canned crab on hand for quick dishes like garlicky crab and pasta, and these always seem to do the trick. But they make me feel as un-gourmet as it gets.

crab meat

corn and potatoes

Once I added the crab, it was time for a quick taste, where I determined that more cayenne and black pepper needed to be added. I swirled in about 3/4 cup of heavy cream, stirred it all up, and let it simmer until the hubby arrived home.The whole time I was cooking, I was thinking that corn and crab chowder really blends some of my favorite things from summer, corn and seafood, with some winter comfort, cream and potatoes. It’s an almost deceiving meal, like a crab bake in a pot.

corn and crab chowder

Mmm mmm mm. . . the chowder turned out perfectly. The broth had a slight hint of heat but nothing spicy, the crab was succulently sweet, and the potatoes provided a filling, warm addition for my growling stomach. After we had eaten, I proclaimed, a few times, that I am pretty good at this cooking thing!

corn and crab chowder

I served the chowder with corn bread from a box, Trader Joe’s style. I know corn bread is easy to make, but I had this in my cabinet and decided to make it. Just add an egg, oil, and milk, and pop it in the oven!

corn bread

My husband received the official word that he can work from home, and since I am home everyday anyway, today should be a fun combination of work, cleaning, baking, and hanging out.

Do you have a snow day or a work from home day today? Or should we all be jealous that you live somewhere warm and sunny without everlasting snow? Winking smile

Tags: chowder, corn, crab, dinner, Food, potatoes, recipe, soup

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