“The success of the dinner depends as much upon the company as the cook.”
Ward McAllister, (1890)
New Year’s Resolution for 2012-MORE Couples Dinner Parties at my house.
Not what you expected?
I already exercise enough and don’t watch too much TV anyway. Being the self-proclaimed FOOD REBEL that I am,sticking with this resolution should be easy. Short Ribs are one of my winter time favorite comfort meals. What better way to share that comfort than with 4 couples celebrating friendship with food and wine on a cold Saturday evening. I planned the meal and asked everyone to bring a a side dish for sharing with our dinner.
Casual,warm and Rustic Meals shared with my friends is my favorite way to entertain. And,there is nothing better than enjoying a great glass of wine or two that is in harmony with the food I am serving. The meal,the food,the wine and the friends were especially all in harmony this Saturday night.
The Menu:
Oven-Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Pomegranate Glaze
Lazarolli’s Raviogi~ Their version of Italian-style Pierogies~Filled with Yukon Gold Potatoes,Caramelized Onions and Gruyere
Riesling Poached Pear Salad with Spicy Pecans and Cranberry-Ginger Dressing
Sweet and Sour Green Beans with topped with Crispy Benton’s Bacon
Warm Artichoke Dip with Olives and Pita crisps
Mezzaluna Bread
Warm Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream
WINES PAIRINGS:
First Course: CAPION 1C 2008 White Wine Blend of Chardonnay,Roussanne,Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc Region of France
Second Course: Chiroubles 2010 100% Gamay from Beaujolais,France.
Dessert: Chateau La Fleur Des Pins 2007 Sauternes Blend from France
*LAZZAROLI’S PASTA SHOP is a local pasta shop located in the Germantown Area of Nashville.Tom Lazzaro makes Old World,hand-crafted small batch pasta and ravioli. You have to check this place out! Some of the best artisan pasta I have ever had and is available with many unique fillings and styles.
Beef Short Ribs with Pomegranate Glaze Recipe as follows:
Serves 8 to 10 guests
20 custom cut short ribs- Thanks to Fresh Market for providing amazing high quality short ribs
3 fresh Bay leaves
Garlic-2 Tablespoonful minced
Onion-1 large,small dice
Carrots-3 brunoise cut
Celery-3 stalks-small dice
Tomato Paste-2 Tablespoonful
Brown Sugar- 1 heaping tablespoonful
Fresh Thyme-8 springs
Beef Stock-1 large box
Wine-about 2 cups
Veal Base-1 container MORE THAN GOURMET BRAND
Pomegranate Molasses-about 1/2 bottle *This can be purchased at any Middle Eastern Grocery
Soy Sauce-2 Tablespoonful
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce-2 Tablespoonful
Pomegranate Seeds for garnish
Flour for Dredging
salt/pepper
Olive Oil
Directions:
Thoroughly season the short ribs with salt and pepper and coat all over with flour.Remove the browned ribs and add to a large and deep roasting pan.
Heat a large pan with olive oil and brown the ribs in batches on all sides. Start with about 1/2 cup of oil and add more as necessary.
In another pan with olive oil,sauté carrots,celery and onions until lightly browned.Add garlic during the cooking process to prevent over-cooking the garlic. Once cooked,add to the roasting pan with the ribs.
Once all of the ribs are browned,transfer to a large roasting pan.
Add the wine and beef stock to the warm pan that the short ribs were browned in, scraping up the bits with a wooden spoon.
Add the veal stock,bay leaves,fresh thyme,tomato paste,soy sauce,brown sugar and reduce till slightly thickened.
Add reduction to the large pan with the short ribs and sautéed vegetables.
Tightly seal with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours until thick and bubbly and the meat has fallen off the bone.
salt,pepper and flour the short ribs
brown in olive on all sides and transfer to a large roasting pan
saute’ the chopped vegetables
reduce the wine,beef stock and veal stock with the herbs,brown sugar, tomato paste and Pomegranate Molasses
pour the reduction over the short ribs
add the sautéed veggies and gently combine
I always greet my guests with a fun cocktail to begin the evening. Tonight it was a blend of chilled pomegranate juice,gin,homemade lime simple syrup and a splash of Prosecco topped with pomegranate seeds
Amy’s warm artichoke dip-delicious appetizer to start off an evening with friends
While everyone was talking and enjoying their appetizers,I prepared the first course.
THE SALAD:
Chilled Poached Pears in Riesling,lemons,honey and cardamom
Field Greens salad tossed with Walnut Oil
Balsamic glaze drizzle
Sweet and spicy pecans-Trader Joe’s
Cranberry Ginger Vinaigrette-Tart Cranberries and Spicy Ginger were a perfect accompaniment to the spicy Poached Pears and continued the tart-sweet Pomegranate dinner theme!
Over the holidays,my trip to Charleston,SC lead me to Magnolia’s Restaurant. I was inspired by the pear salad that I had there and wanted to recreate this first course for my friends. I doubled the recipe from Food Network and added 2 lemons and their zest and 2 TB of honey.
The Wine: CAPION 1C 2008 White Wine Blend from the Languedoc-Roussillon of France. This elegant wine was chosen to complement the pears that were poached in Riesling and lemon. The fruit was fresh and floral with hints of tropical fruits and the lively acidity really made a great match with the salad.
This is the salad I had at Magnolia’s in Charleston. It was so delicious I just knew I had to try to make it myself when I got home!
How did I do?
Lazzaroli’s Pasta
delicious pillows of pasta filled with caramelized onions,Yukon Gold potatoes and nutty gruyere cheese
Sweet and Sour Green Beans topped with Smoky Benton’s Bacon
Recipe:
2 packages Fresh Green Beans steamed and then cooled. Place in a large bowl.
8 pieces of Benton’s Bacon Cooked Crisp,crumbled and set aside
2 small shallots
2 Tablespoonsful brown sugar
1 Tablespoonful red wine vinegar
Soy Sauce – a few shots
Olive Oil
After the bacon is cooked,pour out most of the bacon fat,reserving about a tablespoonful or so. Saute’ the shallots until soft,then add the sugar,soy sauce,olive and vinegar. Simmer on medium until thickened slightly and pour over green beans,toss and top with the bacon. This made a fabulous side dish and the flavors paired well with the savory and tangy ribs.
Rachel’s Freshly Baked Herbed Mezzaluna Bread
Rachel and I have been inspired by many recipes from The Dairy Hollow House SOUP and BREAD COOKBOOK-A Country INN-Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon. A must-have cookbook full of delicious rustic bread and soup recipes from the inn located in the Ozark Mountains.
You can make the dough from the scratch recipe in the cookbook OR use the refrigerated tubes of rustic bread dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store OR use purchased pizza dough from the store.
Simply roll out circles and spread with a mixture of butter,olive oil,pressed garlic cloves and a combination of fresh herbs such as rosemary,basil,savory,thyme and oregano.
Drizzle the dough circles with olive oil,top with the herb mixture and fold circles in half. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Put the bread in a basket and pass,letting your guests tear off what they want. This is a delicious bread for sharing.
The Wine:
Chiroubles 2010 Beaujolais
This Beaujolais wine pairing with the Pomegranate Beef Short Ribs was magnificent! This intense wine made from the Gamay Grape from the area of Burgundy,France known as Beaujolais is refreshing tart,fresh and full of juicy raspberries. Its great acidity and structure were a perfect match with the intense savory short ribs with the tart and sweet flavor of the Pomegranate Molasses. There is something about earthiness of this wine and it’s minerality paired with the RUSTIC Beef Short Ribs that just worked. It was Delicious!
Deb’s Warm Apple Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping
The wine:
Chateau La Fleur Des Pins 2007 Sauternes a Grand Vin of Bordeaux,France
Dessert wine with the Apple Pie,vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce
The next time you serve warm Apple Crumb Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce,you might want to consider a dessert wine pairing.The warm,apple pie spiced with cinnamon and topped with caramel sauce was a match made in heaven!
This luscious sweet and delightfully acidic botrytis-affected blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion grapes was well-balanced with it concentrated flavors of sweet and acid. The flavors and aromas of orange marmalade,caramel,creme brûlée and tropical fruits were the right pairing with the apple pie. Another hit with my guests!
I sure hope one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to enjoy wine and food with your friends. I am glad I did!