2 1/1lbs shredded processed Swiss cheese (must be “processed cheese”)*

16 oz Wheatridge in the Nook Chardonnay 8 oz. Widmer Broken Halo IPA

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt Method

*(It’s important to use this style of cheese as it contains flour. This enables it to be held hot for longer periods of time as opposed to regular cheese fondue which must be eaten promptly as it tends to break down rather quickly.)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and turn on medium/low heat. Whisk occasionally until smooth them serve with bread cubes. For use at a party, hold in your fondue warmer for service. If it seems to get too thick during your party, add a little hot water to thin it out. You can save leftovers in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days just reheat on low heat. Stirring as it warms up.

Epicurious             

Be sure to put out hot sauce for those who like extra heat.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 ¾ cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 small bay leaves

5 14 ½ -ounce cans beef broth

1 28-ounce can dices tomato salsa (medium-hot)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound lean ground beef

¼ pound bulk pork sausage

6 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal

¼ cup whole milk

1 large egg

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup long-grain white rice

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add 1 ¾ cups onions, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaves; sauté 5 minutes.  Add broth, tomatoes with juices, salsa and ¼ cup cilantro; bring to boil.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ground beef, pork sausage, cornmeal, whole milk, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, then remaining 1 cup onions, 2 garlic cloves and ¼ cup cilantro in medium bowl.  Mix well.  Shape meat mixture by generous tablespoonfuls into 1- to 1 ¼ -inch balls.  Add rice and meatballs to soup and bring to boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve with Wheatridge Sangiovese!

 
4 to 5 lb. Salmon fillet
Salmon Paste:
1 cup parmesan Cheese,
   Shredded or grated.
¼ cup olive oil
½ cube butter
3 Tablespoon lemon juice
3Tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
Mix fish paste ingredients together.  Set in refrigerator for ½ hour in order to “set up”. 
 

Remove mixture from refrigerator and gently spread over the meat side of the fillet. Start your grill on high, place salmon on grill meat side down. Cook approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until fish turns from bright to pale in color.  Spread turns slightly brown.  Gently remove fish using 2 spatulas and serve immediately. Serves 4 people.

Prepare your ribs:

Peel membrane from ribs, using a spoon to start removing the membrane then use paper towel to grab the membrane and finish pulling off.  

Use your favorite rub and or at least garlic salt for seasoning both sides of your ribs. 

Cooking:

Lay bone side down on grill for one hour.  Do not raise lid during cooking time. At the end of the first hour, remove ribs from grill and wrap in a single layer of foil and return to the grill for an another hour.  Remove from grill and remove the ribs from the foil and return the ribs the grill for another hour.  The last half hour, baste with your favorite BBQ sauce.

A creamy topping and pretty presentation make it elegant enough for company, but it’s also fast to fix on busy weeknight.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

½ cup grated parmesan Cheese

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

2 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

1 Tablespoon chicken broth

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.

2 Tablespoons diced pimientos

½ cup sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese.

Flatten chicken to ½ in. thickness.  In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the Parmesan cheese, basil and oregano.  Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 Tablespoons butter for 4-5minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, sauté onions and garlic in remaining butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender.  Add flour and salt; stir in milk and broth until blended.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in spinach and pimientos; heat through.

Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream until blended. Spoon over chicken,; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Yield 6 servings.  Serve this with Wheatridge Merlot for a perfect meal.

1 can (14 ½ ounces) beef or chicken broth

1 can (6 ounces) tomato sauce

2 medium green peppers, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 teaspoons dried parsley-flakes

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes.

1 pound smoked sausage, halved and cut in ¼ -inch slices 

½ pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Hot cooked rice.

In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Stir in the green peppers, onion, celery, garlic and seasonings.  Stir in chicken and sausage.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is tender.  Stir in shrimp.  Cover and cook 15 -30 minutes longer or until the shrimp turn pink.  Serve with rice.  Yield: 11 servings

I also came across a decadent chocolate cake recipe on the internet.  Go to the Today Show webpage and search for “the most clicked on chocolate cake recipe”.  It is divine!

Laurie

There will be pitter patter of little paws in The Nook this spring.  We have been in contact with David Hartwig, the owner of Skidboot.  If you have not visited his website, it is a must see.  www.skidboot.com 

So far “Ruby” seems to be the approved name for the new puppy.  She will arrive sometime in March.  Click here to see pictures of the puppies. 

February

We are in our first week of the Art Showcase. There are so many wonderful pieces of artwork!  We have oil and acrylic paintings, textured pictures and photos.  Thank you to all who loaned their favorite artwork for our February event.   Special thanks go out to Sue Smith, working extra hours to create wonderful delicacies for our palette.  I am most excited to taste the blue cheese truffles paired with our 2005 Barbera.  The truffles will be available in the tasting room February 10^th, 11^th and the 17^th through the 19^th.  Sue will be present in the tasting room, February 11^th.  It’s exciting to be able to show the talents in the area; we look forward to sharing this with you.

Best,

Laurie Bartlemay