Tag: Wine

Up to 25, 50 or 100 euros: Rotterdam is known as “Manhattan on the Maas” and here’s our ultimate guide for experiences to be enjoyed by all. Follow our tips!

Make-ahead overnight dinner rolls? YES, PLEASE! And they come out amazingly soft + buttery. I bet you can’t stop with just 1 roll!

When the holidays roll around, people are typically looking forward to the standing rib roast, the old fashioned glazed ham and the roasted rack of lamb.

Me? I have my eyes on something entirely different. Something with far less protein and far more carbs.

It’s the warm dinner rolls here, especially when they’re this fluffy and buttery.

They’re legit irresistible. So naturally I just had four rolls. And I’m not sorry about it at all.

But the best part is that these homemade rolls can be prepared ahead of time. You can refrigerate overnight and then let it rise until doubled in size. Then bake right before serving.

Or you can simply bake as directed and freeze in Ziploc freezer bags for your carb needs anytime, anywhere.

I would personally go for the latter though, especially for that 1AM carb-loaded craving you’ll have in a few days.

The post Make Ahead Yeast Rolls appeared first on Damn Delicious.

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The International Photo Awards crowned their winners in New York. Take a look at the most impressive pictures awarded this year among over 20.000 submissions.

The most amazing (and easiest!) melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin using the simplest ingredients!

Well, it’s a Christmas miracle!

Well, not really, just close enough.

Because this roasted beef tenderloin is just short of a miracle.

I’m serious.

It’s just that good.

It melts in your mouth with every bite – so tender and so flavorful with the easiest seasonings ever.

And the whole process is easy peasy.

It requires a simple roast in the oven – all you need to do is keep an eye on it to make sure it reaches the desired doneness to avoid overcooking.

My only tip is to use an instant-read thermometer. That’s it!

It will be sure to wow all your guests come Christmas morning.

Or for your next dinner party. Or date night.

It’s seriously a win-win for all parties involved.

The post Best Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce appeared first on Damn Delicious.

Lee Wolen knows how to exhibit art on the plate. After all, the Cleveland-born chef has worked everywhere from Moto, the now-defunct Chicago restaurant specializing in high-tech molecular gastronomy, to New York fine-dining spot Eleven Madison Park, known for its showstopper dishes.

At his Chicago restaurant Boka, however, presentation is considered, but taste is primary. “Yeah, we like [food] to look nice and impress guests, but when it comes down to it, the most important things at Boka are flavor, texture and deliciousness,” Wolen says.

The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, executes these elements well across the board, but its poultry dishes in particular have become favorites among local diners. Wolen credits his success in part to his tenure at Eleven Madison Park, where he worked as a sous chef from 2008 to 2012, during which time the restaurant earned numerous accolades. “I can thank Eleven Madison for a lot of things that I’ve learned with cooking fish and meat,” Wolen said. “I think they do an amazing job of it.”

Wolen, who jokes that he “pretty much only eats chicken,” naturally recommends a classic roast chicken—a mainstay on Boka’s menu—for the winter holiday table. Not the parts, he emphasizes, but the whole bird.

“I think it’s really important, when you can, to cook things whole,” he says. “They are more delicious, rest properly, and there’s a visual effect to seeing a whole roasted chicken, rather than just a boneless skinless chicken breast on the plate.”

But this isn’t your average roast chicken recipe. Mushrooms, sautéed celery root and pickled mustard seeds add extra moisture and flavor, while wet-brining the chickens, then letting them sit and dry for 24 hours or so, promises a perfect golden-brown color.

“I know it’s a bit [much],” Wolen says, “but if it’s possible to dry them for two days, it makes a big difference when you do roast.”

The effort of planning one to two days ahead for the chicken is compensated for by a quick side dish: honeynut squash salad with bitter greens, honeycrisp apple, goat Gouda and an apple cider vinaigrette.

“I don’t like peeling butternut squash,” Wolen says. “[Honeynut squash] is really easy to work with; you don’t have to peel them because you can eat the skin.”

For wine pairings, Wolen looks to Boka’s general manager Jon Leopold and head sommelier Alisandro Serna for guidance. For the roast chicken on its own, they recommend a fruit-forward Rhône red like the 2015 Georges Vernay Côtes du Rhône Ste.-Agathe. “[It works] especially with the oyster mushrooms that are on the chicken, which have a little bit of a grilled touch to them; it adds a nice complement to that sort of smokiness,” Leopold says.

For the full meal with the honeynut squash salad, Leopold and Serna recommend a California white, the 2015 Arietta On The White Keys, which consists mainly of Sauvignon Blanc, with some Sémillon. “You get some green elements from the Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s mostly a big, full-flavored wine with some nice, round melon flavors,” says Leopold. “The oak just really [makes] a nice complement to the flavors of the squash, the apple and the Gouda.”

Below, Wine Spectator shares recently rated selections of similar Sauvignon-Sémillon blends and Rhône reds.

Though it’s certainly not the first time Wolen will be making these dishes for the holiday table, this year will bring a fresh new take to his traditions. He reveals, “It’s our son’s first Christmas.”

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Roast Chicken with Celery Root, Mushrooms and Pickled Mustard Seeds

For the chicken

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 gallon warm water
• 2 whole 3- to 4-pound chickens
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Sautéed celery root (recipe follows)
• Roasted mushrooms (recipe follows)
• Pickled mustard seeds (recipe follows)

1. In a large pot or brining bag, combine the salt and sugar with 1 gallon warm water, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

2. Add the whole chickens and submerge. Cover and refrigerate overnight, for a total of 24 hours.

3. Remove the birds from the brine, pat them dry and truss them using kitchen twine. Place in the refrigerator uncovered on a roasting rack for another 24 hours to dry out the skin for best color while roasting.

4. Preheat oven to 475 F. Pull the chickens from the refrigerator and rub the 3 tablespoons of butter on the skin.

5. Place the chickens on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up. Transfer to the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes; as the skin begins to turn golden-brown, rotate the pan to ensure even cooking. When a meat thermometer inserted between a leg and a thigh joint registers 160 F, remove and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

6. Place the celery root and roasted mushrooms on a platter. Carve the chickens into quarters and serve on the platter with the vegetables. Finish with the pickled mustard seeds and the chicken pan drippings. Serves 4.

For the sautéed celery root

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 heads celery root (celeriac), peeled with a vegetable peeler and grated on a cheese grater
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt, to taste
• Lemon juice, to taste
• 1 cup chopped chives

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium and add the caraway seeds. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice grinder. (Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle; or, in a pinch, put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy pan).

2. In a medium sauté pan, on low heat, add the butter and cook until melted and beginning to foam. Add the celery root and slowly cook, stirring until tender and the butter becomes brown.

3. Transfer celery root to a medium bowl and season with salt, lemon juice and caraway seeds. Finish with chives, and reserve.

For the roasted mushrooms

• 1 pound king trumpet mushrooms, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt

1. Slice the mushrooms into quarters.

2. In a medium pan, warm the butter over medium heat until foamy and starting to turn brown, then add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook until tender, and season with salt to taste.

For the pickled mustard seeds

• 1 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 2 cups white balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salt

1. Add the mustard seeds to a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and strain. Repeat this process 3 times.

2. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup water with the vinegar, sugar and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 10 minutes. Pour into a heatproof container, cover and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill overnight to let the mustard seeds bloom and absorb the pickling liquid.

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Honeynut Squash Salad with Bitter Greens, Honeycrisp Apple, Goat Gouda and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

For the squash

• 4 whole honeynut squash, quartered but not peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Place the squash on a parchment-lined cookie tray and roast for about 15 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

For the cider vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup good-quality apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt, swirling pan occasionally. Butter will foam and then begin to darken. When butter is brown and fragrantly nutty, remove from heat.

2. Combine all ingredients with a whisk. (This creates a “broken” vinaigrette that can be whisked lightly back together, if needed, just before serving.) Reserve at room temperature.

For the salad

• 3 heads endive
• 2 heads Castelfranco radicchio
• 1 head escarole
• 2 heads Little Gem lettuce
• 2 Honeycrisp apples, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped chives
• 1/2 pound goat Gouda cheese

Tear all the lettuces into bite-size pieces and combine with the apple, roasted squash and chives in a large bowl. Dress to your liking with the cider vinaigrette and place on a platter. Using a Microplane grater, finish with a heavy topping of goat Gouda. Serves 4.

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12 Recommended Value Wines

Note: The following list is a selection of outstanding and very good red and white wines from recently rated releases. More options can be found in our Wine Ratings Search.

Full-Flavored Sauvignon Blanc– and Sémillon-Based Whites

CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC Pessac-Léognan White Lagrave-Martillac 2016 Score: 90 | $30
Alluring, with white peach, brioche, wet straw, honeysuckle and meringue notes all gliding through in lockstep. Shows lovely feel and length. Drink now through 2019. 1,500 cases imported.—James Molesworth

RODNEY STRONG Sauvignon Blanc Northern Sonoma Charlotte’s Home 2017 Score: 89 | $17
Distinctive, opening with a smoky, toasty note that melts into marmalade, yuzu and pomelo flavors, with vibrant acidity, spice accents and a terrific sense of harmony on the finish. Drink now. 90,000 cases imported.—MaryAnn Worobiec

CHÂTEAU DE CAROLLE Graves White 2017 Score: 88 | $20
This offers a mix of plump nectarine and tangerine notes offset by zippy floral, citrus pith and quinine accents, which all marry nicely through the finish. Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle. Drink now through 2020. 1,500 cases imported.—J.M.

CHÂTEAU DE LAGARDE Côtes de Bordeaux St.-Macaire White Cuvée Prestige 2015 Score: 88 | $20
A plump and friendly style, with orange curd and yellow apple notes mixed with fennel, honeysuckle and salted butter notes. A crowd-pleaser. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now. 1,250 cases imported.—J.M.

GROTH Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2017 Score: 88 | $24
Distinctive, with an overtone of marmalade and honey and a whiff of smoke and white pepper to the core of lemon-lime flavors, on a juicy body. Drink now. 31,000 cases imported.—M.W.

MAHANA Sauvignon Blanc Nelson 2015 Score: 88 | $30
Honey, nut and floral notes add a richness to the core of peach, apricot and pear flavors in this white, with a lushness to the full body and fresh acidity. Drink now. 1,645 cases imported.—M.W.

Côtes du Rhône Reds

BOUTINOT Côtes du Rhône-Villages Séguret Les Coteaux Schisteux 2015 Score: 91 | $20
Inviting, with a mix of blueberry, raspberry and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors scored with a licorice note on the finish. A light-handed apple wood note gives this a frame. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2022. 3,333 cases imported.—James Molesworth

CHÂTEAU DE MANISSY Côtes du Rhône Oracle 2016 Score: 91 | $12
The lovely dark plum and blackberry fruit is inlaid with singed mesquite, tobacco and dried lavender notes. Shows subtle grip through the finish. A solid wine, with character. Grenache, Carignan and Counoise. Drink now through 2019. 10,000 cases imported.—J.M.

CLOS DU MONT-OLIVET Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes 2016 Score: 90 | $20
This ripples with delicious cherry paste and plum preserve flavors, inlaid with light violet, incense and lavender notes. The fleshy finish lingers. Drink now through 2019. 1,000 cases imported.—J.M.

GUY MOUSSET & FILS Côtes du Rhône 2016 Score: 90 | $13
Shows the vivid ripeness of the vintage, featuring a blast of blackberry and boysenberry confiture flavors. Stays focused and racy, with black tea, anise and graphite notes sparkling throughout. Drink now through 2019. 4,000 cases imported.—J.M.

HALOS DE JUPITER Côtes du Rhône 2016 Score: 90 | $16
Ripe and inviting, with warm plum and raspberry puree flavors backed by light tea, anise and fruitcake notes. Offers a fleshy, open-knit finish. Drink now through 2019. 2,000 cases imported.—J.M.

PIERRE AMADIEU Côtes du Rhône Grande Réserve 2016 Score: 90 | $16
Ripe and juicy, with a beam of black cherry and plum compote flavors driving atop a graphite spine. Reveals a flash of tobacco on the finish. Drink now through 2019. 2,000 cases imported.—J.M.

Patrick Léon, one of France’s most influential winemakers and owner of Château Les Trois Croix, in Bordeaux’s Fronsac region, died on Dec. 11. He had been battling cancer for more than a decade and developed an infection a few days earlier. Léon was 75 years old and still an active winemaker.

“He loved people. He never had a job but a passion—wine—and it was a way of living for him around the world,” his daughter Karine Léon told Wine Spectator.

The Bordeaux native enjoyed a career that spanned 50 years and four continents, crafting wines at iconic estates like Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Lascombes in Bordeaux, Château d’Esclans in Provence, Almaviva in Chile and Opus One in Napa Valley.

“Patrick was a new type of man for Bordeaux,” Tim Mondavi told Wine Spectator. The two men worked as co-winemakers at Opus One for 16 years. “The French wine world following World War II was provincial. Patrick was part of a generation that had a more open perspective.”

Léon earned his enology diploma at Bordeaux University in 1964, studying under the legendary professor, researcher and consulting enologist Emile Peynaud. In 1967, Léon started an enology laboratory with Jacques Blouin at the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture. By 1972, he was technical director for Alexis Lichine, making wines at Château Lascombes in Margaux and Château Castera in Lesparre-Médoc.

Léon entered the Mouton-Rothschild group in the early 1980s, taking over as technical director in 1984 and eventually rising to group managing director on the board. He oversaw winemaking at the Rothschilds’ many estates during his two decades working with them.

“On Patrick’s watch, Mouton-Rothschild spread its wings to the world, and that appealed to Patrick,” said Mondavi. “He was apt technically, active in syndicates in Bordeaux and Burgundy, and he had an interest beyond Bordeaux.”

Leon’s open-minded approach, combined with a tremendous technical skill, made him one of the forerunners to international winemakers we have today. “He had an insatiable appetite for adventure and exploration in the world of wine,” Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci told Wine Spectator. “His curiosity and passion allowed him to make great wines in all colors, from a wide range of grape varieties and in many countries.”

Léon retired from the Mouton-Rothschild group in 2004. Throughout his long career, he gained a reputation as a respected mentor. “Patrick’s enthusiasm was contagious. His leadership, caring nature, and deep capacity to share were gifts that allowed his ‘students’ to learn and grow in a challenging, yet safe environment,” said Silacci.

Although Léon had retired from Mouton, he didn’t retire from winemaking, working as an international consultant. In 2006, he began consulting with Alexis Lichine’s son Sacha at Château d’Esclans in Provence, helping to create premium rosés Garrus and Whispering Angel. The brand was one of several that energized the rosé category in the United States.

Léon and his wife Yvette bought Château Les Trois Croix in 1995. The 37-acre estate in Fronsac, looking out over the Dordogne River, was their home. The estate is run today by their son Bertrand. Léon is also survived by his wife Yvette and their daughters Karine and Stéphanie.

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When 2018 kicked off, we asked in-the-know wine pros what to expect for the year: more bubbles, more New Zealand, more Napa and, they hoped, better “natural” wine. The past 12 months have borne out many of their prognostications—but thrown some curveballs as well.

What’s in store for 2019? Or rather, what should wine drinkers be paying attention to? We asked these nine sommeliers from Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners to peer into their crystal ball–ware and tell us what they foresee—but they also wanted to tell us what they’d like to expel into the spit bucket of wine-fad history.

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Wine Spectator: What’s the biggest wine trend you predict for 2019? Or what would you most like to see (or see disappear)?

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John Lancaster, wine director at Best of Award of Excellence winner Boulevard in San Francisco

One of the wine trends I see coming next year is the oversupply of rosé—too much rosé out there; too much is getting made in California. Demand is increasing, but not at the rate of production.

The one thing that I would like to see go away—and I think it has started to already—is the proliferation of orange wines. I just have never quite understood the oxidized-white-wine thing outside of Sherry. So if those went away, it would be just fine with me.

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Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou, wine director at Award of Excellence winner Allora in Sacramento, Calif.

I think the biggest wine trend coming in 2019 is the rise and appreciation for the wines of Puglia and other not-so-popular Italian regions. I think the wines of Puglia are on the rise, especially since travel and vacation trends are increasing to the region. I think people want to see more from the countries they love, but maybe branch out and be a bit more adventurous with their selections.

A trend I am hoping to see disappear would be natural wines made just for the sake of being “natural.” By that I mean, that is the sales pitch versus wines that just so happen to be natural, because they don’t need to do X, Y, and Z to still have freshness. I am all for minimal intervention with wines, if you have the terroir, grapes and hand to back it up.

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Luciano De Riso, wine director at Best of Award of Excellence winner Grand Old House in George Town, Cayman Islands

I believe that next year, we will see people looking to drink more mature wines and large-formats, as they are becoming more affordable and readily available.

I hope the Coravin trend goes away. Most wines are made with love, passion and tremendous hard work; when we open a bottle, we pay respect to that. Why do we need to steal a sip today or tomorrow with the Coravin?

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Lenka Davis, wine director at Award of Excellence winner Barbareño in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Allowing some mental space for the proliferation of legal cannabis into our industry is crucial. As the drug sheds the social stigma, I foresee more experts in the cannabis field being more prominent and crossing paths with wine. The recent Constellation Brands investment in the cannabis industry proves just that.

My biggest desire is to one day see nutritional labels on wine bottles that would list the contents and all the additives so the consumers can make informed decisions. In the age of ubiquitous allergies, it is paramount that we can explore which components of the wines react with individual consumers.

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Richard Hanauer, beverage director for Chicago-based RPM Restaurants, including two locations of Best of Award of Excellence winner RPM Italian and RPM Steak.

I think the Iberian Peninsula is ready to blow up. More fuller-bodied wines are now being sought out, and the two countries there, Spain and Portugal, produce some of the world’s finest—and they produce them very differently, for that matter. While Spain is capitalizing on international varietals being delivered with ridiculous value, Portugal is staying true to its native varieties. Either way, both countries are making incredibly valued full-bodied wines that are great alternatives to similar New World renditions.

Tchotchkes [I’d like to see disappear]. I’d be happy if I never saw an engraved reverse-aerating decanter that connects to your Alexa. Wine inside the bottle is awesome on its own!

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Cedric Nicaise, wine director at Grand Award winner Eleven Madison Park in New York:

I’m pretty over “natural wine.” Not wine that is made using sustainable and environmentally viable methods. [Rather] I am hoping to see an end to the catchall category of “natural wine,” where the story is much better than what’s in the bottle. I don’t want to taste flawed wines because someone else thinks they are cool in 2019.

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Carlin Karr, wine director at Best of Award of Excellence winner Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder, Colo.

I think the Jura is really exciting again. Producers like Tissot and Domaine du Pélican are making better wines than ever before. I can’t get enough of their Chardonnays, and they offer a value-driven alternative to Burgundy. I also think we are going to see a lot more exciting, small, great producers from Chianti. Chianti Classico, in general, is getting better and better, and there are a ton of exciting new producers making 100-percent Sangiovese wines that are fresh, lively and utterly delicious.

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Seán Gargano, wine director at Award of Excellence winner The Legal Eagle in Dublin, Ireland

I’m very impressed with unfortified Palomino from Andalucía. I think it could be the savior of Sanlúcar and Jerez as Sherry sales continue to decline. Unfortified Palomino makes a fantastic aperitif wine with smoked almonds but also works superbly with fish and grilled vegetables. My favorites are Callejuela Blanco de Hornillos and Ramiro Ibáñez’s Cota 45. I sell Ramiro’s UBE Miraflores, but I’m also crazy about UBE Maina when I can afford it.

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Jeremiah Morehouse, wine director at Grand Award winner Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco

Wine trends can be tricky to predict. I would like to see people become more adventurous with their wine choices, expand out of the norm or the comfort zone, and trust us sommeliers to recommend tasty wines the same way they would trust any other specialist. Get off those phones and talk to us instead.

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Find out how great pastry chefs like Cedric Grolet and Jordi Roca are putting a fun spin on Christmas this year.

Michelin star restaurant Heron & Grey, in Dublin is to close its doors in the new year as one of its owners looks to spend more time with his family.