Since this is what my kitchen looks like right now, it’s understandable that I am not doing a lot of cooking these days. We are combining our kitchen and dining room to make one big kitchen. Very exciting, but I miss cooking! Should only be a month to six weeks to complete. Thinking about what should be the first meal that I cook in my new kitchen…would love suggestions from my readers!
Fortunately our family and friends have seen to it that we get fed well during our kitchen remodel ~ so thoughtful!
My bubbly sister-in-law took me out to lunch at my favorite neighborhood restaurant River and Rail. I had the Green Bibb Salad. The reason I love this salad is that the Buttermilk Herb Dressing is in the bottom of the bowl along with Clemson blue (cheese), pistachios, celery, and little chunks of Virginia apple, which helps to distribute the dressing more evenly as you eat the salad. I look forward to preparing salads that way when I get my kitchen back. Blue cheese is not my favorite so they substituted Parmesan cheese on my salad, yum! For dessert we enjoyed an ice cream trio ~ Honey Lavender ice cream is pictured on the above left. Unique and delicious!
My bubbly friend made this beautifully delicious fresh coconut cake for Easter…yum!!! The fresh eggs in the photo above are compliments of my bubbly friends hens. The hens even colored their eggs for Easter (of course they color their eggs all year round!).
My bubbly friend also made this lovely strawberry appetizer…fresh strawberries halves stuffed with a combination of softened brie cheese, blue cheese and chopped toasted pecans. Delicioso!
“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” Galileo
Enjoyed this bubbly over the weekend…Ruby Red Grapefruit Rosé SPARKLES! you will think that you’ve just cut into a fresh ruby-red grapefruit. It’s easy to see why this is all the rage in Paris…lots of tiny bubbles, a lovely light grapefruit flavor with a tee-tiny bit of sweetness. $13 range.
McGah Family Cellars flagship wine is “Scarlett” named after the founder’s daughter. http://www.scarlettwines.com
“My philosophy is simple: create the most natural and expressive wines California can offer. I believe in allowing the fruit to fully reveal itself in the wines, encouraging the personality and terroir of the vineyards, while showcasing itself to the fullest extent. Thus, allowing the wines to be true to their nature and bringing harmony to the bottle.” ~ Mike Smith / Winemaker
Another wine we shared with bubbly friends this past weekend was McGah Family Vineyards Scarlett Sauvignon Blanc. Honeydew “green melon” flavors along with notes of honeysuckle, Meyer lemons and lime blossoms. Clean, crisp finish. $30 range. Excellent pairing with Thai food.
Easter Wine!
Notes from The Champagne Guide 2014-2015:
Laurent-Perrier macarates its rosé for 12-72 hours, depending on fruit ripeness, until the color is fixed and the aroma resembles freshly picked raspberries. So crucial is timing, legend has it that the first Chef de Cave, Edouard Leclerc, slept by the tank to stop it just in time! This wine has achieved that elusive ideal of volume and finesse, the world’s best-selling rosé champagne epitomizes the ultra-restraint of rosé’s finest expressions. All the more remarkable for the challenging saignée method.
One of the first times that we served this delightful rosé, one of our guests exclaimed “Oh! Easter Wine!” She explained that her mother always liked to serve wine that matched her pink dining room drapes on Easter Sunday (White Zinfandel Wine). We all got quite a giggle over that story and we continue to call this Rosé Brut “Easter Wine” to this day.
Perfect for Spring sippin’ because it is so nice and light. A grenache/cinsault/syrah rosé blend. $15 range. Very fresh with notes of strawberries, peaches and rose petals. I love this bottle…the base of which is cast into the impression of a full rose flower.
My bubbly friend introduced me to Noosa Blackberry Serrano Yogurt. Served with fresh blackberries it made a perfectly yummy healthy dessert. Just the right amount of sweet and just the right amount of heat.
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