This post is sponsored by La Crema Wines. All opinions here are my own. You can find the companion recipes over on the La Crema blog. 

Apologies for the quiet here this past month. Things have been busy, and cooking, writing, and reflecting have fallen by the wayside a bit. We’ve got 24 days to go until our wedding, which is both insane and kind of a relief. I’m feeling rock solid about marrying Trevor, which is 99.9% of the battle, but there’s still a lot of miscellaneous stress associated with hosting a party for 50 with all kinds of societal and emotional strings attached. I’ve got a lot of thoughts on weddings at this point, but I’ll save those for a later date.

Today, what I’m here to talk about is this Scandinavian dinner menu – my latest collaboration with La Crema wines. It’s inspired by my recent trip to Iceland: in July I finally took advantage of Boston’s relative proximity to Scandinavia and spent a long weekend there. Iceland has been at the top of my travel wishlist for years and I was so excited to finally be in the land of moss-covered lava and epic waterfalls. I have to do a real travelogue at some point, but suffice it to say that the Icelandic landscape is incredible (and here’s a few teaser shots!). One moment we were driving through an alien landscape of hardened lava boulders tumbling into the sea, the next there were pockets of geyser steam rising up all around us, and then, suddenly, we were in the midst of fields of lupine in front of massive glaciers.

Iceland is known for being pretty expensive. I certainly found this to be true, particularly when it came to food. The silver lining to this was that the price differential between cheap food and fancy food was much smaller than it is here in the US. While a gas station hamburger could set you back $20, a three-course meal with wine at a top restaurant only cost $60. So despite the expense, we managed to have some very good meals. Our most memorable culinary experience was a 3 course dinner at Forettabarinn in Reykjavik. It was our final night as a group (and a semi-bachelorette celebration) after a long weekend of adventuring in South Iceland. The food was creative and well-executed, the wine was abundant, and the company was unbeatable. That lovely dinner served as the inspiration for this one.

There are three courses to this menu. First, a super-simple Smoked Salmon and Rye Crackers appetizer. Everyone should have a few minimal-effort, but still fancy-feeling appetizers in their repertoire. This should be one of them. The only “cooking” is to whip up a little cream with capers, slice a cucumber, and assemble. It’s also very portable, so guests can easily grab one of these and a glass of wine while mingling. On that note, the wine to open for this course is La Crema’s Monterey Chardonnay. Its bright acidity and smooth texture stands up nicely to the fatty, smoky salmon and rich caper cream.

The main event consists of two parts – Mashed Potato Waffles with Horseradish Sauce and Mustard-Thyme Pulled Leg of Lamb. I don’t think I’ve ever had lamb served BBQ style before my dinner at Forettabarinn, but it’s so wonderful. Ideally, I would have liked to use a slightly more economical and fattier lamb shoulder for this recipe, but I couldn’t find one at my butcher. The result was still good – tender, falling apart lamb, completely imbued with the flavors of mustard and wine and paprika. It was delicious on top of the potato waffles with a bit of horseradish sauce and grainy mustard. For this course, I opened a bottle of La Crema’s Monterey Pinot Noir and it was so good together! Just tangy and juicy and yum.

For dessert, I whipped up a light Skyr Mousse with Wild Blueberry Sauce and Gingerbread Crumbs. If you’re not familiar with it, skyr is Iceland’s answer to yogurt, only it’s thicker and tangier. Similar to Greek yogurt, it’s rich in protein and very trendy here in the US. To turn it into mousse, I incorporated whipped cream and a hint of sugar. It was such a treat – light and airy with a distinct tang from the skyr. It was also so simple to put together. The only other recipes I saw for skyr mousse involved a fussy gelatin method, but I opted for a much simpler treatment here – whip cream, whip skyr, fold together, serve. With the maple-blueberry sauce and a sprinkling of gingerbead cookie crumbs it’s a more-than-the-sum-of-it’s-parts dessert.

You can find the recipes for the first two courses on the La Crema blog: Smoked Salmon Rye Crackers with Caper Cream; Mashed Potato Waffles with Horseradish Sauce; and Mustard-Thyme Pulled Leg of Lamb. The Skyr Mousse with Wild Blueberries recipe is below!

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Skyr Mousse with Wild Blueberries and Sweet Gingerbread Crumbs

A simple skyr-based mousse made from whipped cream and thick, yogurt-like Icelandic skyr. Served with wild-blueberry sauce and gingerbread crumbs.

Inspired by dinner at Forettabarinn

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild Maine blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 4 TBS sugar
• 1 cup plain or maple flavored skyr (Icelandic yogurt), chilled
• 1.5 oz. gingerbread cookies, preferably Anna’s Swedish Thins
• 1 TBS brown sugar

Instructions

1. Place the blueberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and stir to mix. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer the berries until they have burst and released their juices and the sauce is slightly syrupy, about 8-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to be sure they don’t burn. Remove from the heat, transfer the blueberry sauce to a storage container, and chill thoroughly.
2. To make the mousse, whip the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks have formed. Add the sugar and beat for a few seconds longer, just to incorporate the sugar into the cream. In a separate bowl, beat the skyr for 30 seconds until it is lightened slightly. Add half of the whipped cream to the skyr and use a spatula to gently fold together. Repeat with the remaining half of the whipped cream, folding just enough to mix the two together. Don’t overfold or your mousse may deflate. Chill the mousse until ready to serve.
3. Place the gingerbread cookies and the brown sugar in a small food processor and pulse several times to make crumbs. Set crumbs aside.
4. To serve the mousse, drizzle the chilled blueberry sauce on top of the mousse. Sprinkle with the gingerbread crumbs. Serve immediately

The post Scandinavian Dinner with La Crema: Skyr Mousse with Wild Blueberries and Sweet Gingerbread Crumbs appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

*This post is sponsored by La Crema Wines. All opinions here are my own. You can find the companion recipes over on the La Crema blog. 

As soon as the first hint of spring arrives, I start thinking about rosé wine. Perhaps I’m just more susceptible to social trends and marketing than I think I am, but somehow, that first chilled glass of rosé, preferably consumed on a terrace on a sunny but cool evening, has come to embody the fact that summer is coming. In March and April I test the waters with a glass here and there, usually consumed indoors while looking longingly at the outdoors, wishing spring would hurry up and get here. And then May hits, and it’s all rosé all the time (#roséallday, people).

In celebration of the start of rosé season, I’ve put together a pairing dinner using La Crema’s two rosé wines – the Monterey Pinot Noir Rosé and the Saralee’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé. In the past my dinner series collaboration with La Crema has taken us to Japan for Izakaya, Latin America for a spicy Thanksgiving menu, and Italy for a summery seafood feast. Now, for spring and for rosé, we’re going to France, where effortless appetizers and simple but elegant entrées are king. And also there’s a lot of pink wine.

There are four courses in this menu. First, a Spring Crudité Platter. If you are thinking to yourself, “how boring,” bear with me a moment. This is not a platter of dry baby carrots and too-thick ranch dressing sitting, ignored, in a corner. This is a vibrant, effortless display of spring’s best vegetables. Blanched asparagus, snap peas, tender spring carrots, bitter endive, spicy radish slices, and sweet pepper… all served with an addictive, pale green herb aioli. Crudité platters can be very classy.

Second, a simple and savory Goat Cheese Tart with Peas and Prosciutto. It’s similar to a quiche, but thinner and denser. It’s also so, so good. Even if you’re not tackling the whole French Rosé Dinner menu, give this goat cheese tart a try. It’s  a great multipurpose recipe to have in your cooking arsenal, and you can vary the vegetables with the season. Equally good warm or cold, a thin slice is a perfect appetizer for dinner, while a big slice makes a filling breakfast.

The main course is a lovely Baked Halibut Provençal – halibut marinated in lemon and olive oil and served over a rich tomato, olive, and caper sauce. It’s inspired by the time I spent in Provence years ago, on my first vacation with Trevor. We rented an apartment at the top of a hill in Cassis and spent a week there. It was a tiny little place with an expansive patio, and every day after beach hopping we would hike up the hundreds of dusty stone steps with bags of vegetables from the market hanging on our shoulders. We were using most of our disposable income on the apartment so we ate simply – ratatouille and grilled chicken. This recipe takes it’s cues from those meals. A simple but perfectly cooked protein accompanied by a sauce full of seasonal vegetables and herbs.

And to finish off this lovely French dinner, a cake! Or, mini Strawberries and Cream Chiffon Cakes, to be precise. I wanted to make a French version of strawberry shortcake, one of my favorite spring desserts. I swapped the buttery shortcakes for a light and airy chiffon cake, and layered the chiffon cake with strawberries and whipped cream. A few more tweaks upped the elegance – there’s rosé in the cake batter and mint and tarragon in the strawberries.

This cake was everything I was hoping it would be. I was worried that it would be worse than your standard strawberry shortcake. Strawberry shortcake is, after all, pretty difficult to improve upon. But the chiffon cake – soft and airy – was the perfect thing for soaking up all the delicious strawberry juices. The rosé wine flavor was just barely present in the cake, and you could taste the mint and tarragon in the strawberries, too. It was the kind of dessert that I thought about multiple times while sitting at work. That’s the surest sign of a win, in my book.

You can find the recipes for the first three courses on the La Crema blog: Spring Crudité Platter, Goat Cheese Tart with Peas and Prosciutto and Baked Halibut Provençal. The Strawberries and Cream Chiffon Cake recipe is below!

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Strawberries and Cream Chiffon Cakes

A French take on Strawberry Shortcake, using light and airy chiffon cake as the base. The chiffon cake has rose wine whipped into the batter for a hint of flavor, and the strawberries are macerated with fresh tarragon and mint.

Chiffon cake recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 6
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup rosé wine
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

For the filling:

• 2 lb. strawberries, washed, hulled, and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 TBS minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 2 TBS minced fresh mint leaves
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 11×17 inch sheet pan lightly with cooking spray, then line with a piece of parchment paper. Set the prepared pan aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until evenly combined. Now add the wet ingredients – the egg yolks, wine, canola oil, and vanilla and beat thoroughly, until a smooth batter is formed. Set this batter aside.
3. In a large, clean bowl, begin beating the egg whites on high speed (or vigorously by hand). After about 30 seconds, stop and add the cream of tartar, then continue beating. Beat until the egg whites are very stiff and glossy – they should completely hold their shape. Add a third of the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the batter and gently fold with a spatula until the two mixtures are evenly combined. Now add the remaining egg whites and fold in until evenly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared sheet pan and use a spatula to spread evenly. Bake until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed, about 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake. Let cool to room temperature, then invert the cake on a piece of aluminum foil and peel off the parchment paper. Set the cake aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
4. For the filling: Place the sliced strawberries in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of sugar and the minced mint and tarragon leaves. Stir to coat the berries with sugar. Set aside and let macerate for at least 15 minutes. You can also cover the berries and let them sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
5. When you are ready to assemble and serve the cakes, beat the heavy cream on high with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until it is whipped enough to hold it’s shape. Avoid over-beating as it will take on a butter-like consistency. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Cut the cake into 12 squares that are approximately 4 inches wide. For each cake, place one cake square on a plate. Cover with 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of strawberries and their juice, arranging neatly. Spread some whipped cream on top, then repeat the layers – cake, strawberries, whipped cream – once more. Garnish with a strawberry. Serve immediately.

The post French Spring Dinner with La Crema: Strawberries and Cream Chiffon Cakes appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Last year, Trevor and I spent Valentine’s Day in the executive lounge of the Hong Kong Airport Marriott. It was actually quite nice – we were at the tail end of our 6 weeks in Asia, waiting for our connection back to the US, having just come back from an incredible vacation in Japan. We were really exhausted, and for two entire days we didn’t leave the hotel. We never travel like that – we are always on the go, exploring, trying new things. But we were tired, and it was raining, and we’d already spent 5 weeks in Hong Kong. So we just stayed inside the massive hotel, taking long showers, watching TV, and working from the top floor lounge. There was unlimited free wine and snacks. If every Valentine’s were like that, I’d be perfectly happy.

This year, Trevor will be working at the restaurant and I’ll probably be home catching up on the 5 weeks of miscellaneous chores and errands I didn’t do while we were in Portugal. When Trevor gets home we’ll probably sneak in an episode of Arrested Development and maybe I’ll pop open a bottle of champagne. Actually, I think I’ll definitely pop open a bottle of champagne. And I’ll bake something chocolatey. It may be subdued, but we’ll make it just as romantic as a big dinner out. In my book, a few hours together is all you really need to appreciate someone you love.

However, if your plans are a bit more exciting than mine, I have something festive for you: Chambord-Hibiscus Champagne Punch. This is what I would be making if I were throwing a little dinner party or girls’ night for Valentine’s Day. I seem to have a bit of a thing for pink, sparkling drinks. I’ve got Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats and Rhubarb Prosecco Spritzers and now I’ve gone and made a whole punch full of Chambord and hibiscus-infused-vodka and champagne. It’s quite easy to put together, and a little dangerous – the way a good punch should be.

I partnered with Drizly to bring you this recipe – they dropped off the Chambord and champagne within an hour, and we were ready to go. Drizly works with a number of fantastic cocktail bloggers: you can find more recipes on their Tastemakers page.

Disclosure: As a Top Shelf blogger, Drizly provided me with the alcohol for this post free of charge, but I was not otherwise compensated. As usual, all opinions are my own!

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More pink and sparkling drinks…

Blood Orange Mimosas

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats

Strawberry Champagne Shrub

Chambord-Hibiscus Champagne Punch

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe. Serves 4-6.

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup hibiscus-infused vodka, chilled (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup Chambord
• 1 1/2 cups champagne, chilled
• fresh raspberries, for garnish

1. Place the raspberries, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the raspberries have become very soft and started to disintegrate. Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, then pour into a glass jar and refrigerate until chilled.
2. Mix the chilled raspberry syrup, hibiscus-infused vodka, and chambord together in a punch bowl. Add ice. Just before serving, add the champagne to the punch, then ladle the punch into glasses. Top each glass of with a little bit more champagne and a few fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

Hibiscus-Infused Vodka

Makes 2 cups.

• 2 cups vodka
• 2 bags of hibiscus tea, such as Tazo Passion

1. Cut open the tea bags and empty the contents into a sterilized pint jar. Pour the vodka over the tea and stir a few times with a clean spoon to mix. Cover the jar with a lid or plastic wrap and let infuse at room temperature for 6-8 hours. When it is done infusing, strain the vodka through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar. Use in recipes as directed.

The post Chambord-Hibiscus Champagne Punch with Drizly appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Tokyo was a whirlwind. First of all, its huge. It’s not the kind of city you can see in a few days, or even a week. Add to that the cultural barrier and Tokyo seemed almost impenetrable to me, much more so than the other places we visited in Japan. So during the three days we spent there, I felt like I just barely dipped my toe in to the water.

We did experience some if it. We saw the bright neon lights of Akihabara Electric Town, which was complete sensory overload – the electric, futuristic Tokyo of the movies. At the Tsukiji Fish Market, we watched the vendors portion the enormous tuna into slabs and peered into tanks of squid and scallops. Outside the market, Trevor ate the biggest oyster I’ve ever seen. We ate sushi of the highest quality, the only non-Japanese people sitting at the counter, pointing and arigato our only forms of communication. We spent hours in the train station, eating porky tonkotsu ramen and shopping in anime stores, a whole store for each character. In Ginza, we explored department stores with whole floors dedicated to high-end foods, sampling what we could afford. A friend living in Tokyo took us out for fresh bonito and sake. We went to a park where the rapeseed was blooming, rendering the whole field a gentle, glowing yellow.

And we went to an izakaya for dinner, one of our most memorable nights. If you ever go to Tokyo, find your way to an izakaya. Located under elevated train tracks and down alleyways, these smoke-filled, hole-in-the-wall taverns are an experience. Filled with rowdy Japanese businessmen still in their suits, sometimes they are little more than a collection of plastic crates and an open grill protected by heavy plastic sheeting. But the food they turn out – skewers of grilled yakitori, platters of light and airy tempura, bowls of udon noodles – is sublime.

Recently, hoping to warm up a cold wintry night, we partnered with La Crema to attempt to replicate our izakaya experience at home. On our menu: tsukune with egg yolk, miso-marinated pork skewers, and seasonal vegetable tempura with mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and sweet potato. We broke out the indoor grill pan, cracked a few bottles of La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris and Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, and settled in for a night of cooking, drinking, and noshing.

Tsukune, my favorite yakitori dish, is a lightly seasoned, grilled chicken meatball served with a salty sweet tare sauce and a raw egg yolk. The Miso Pork Skewers are an easy dish – a simple marinade, some pork tenderloin, and a few minutes on the grill are all you need. Tempura is a bit trickier to master, but well worth it for the crispy, golden brown vegetables that are a staple of Japanese-American restaurants. All together, they make a fine meal: a bite of tsukune, a few pieces of tempura sweet potato, a sip of crisp Pinot Gris. It’s a great way to warm up a January night at home while reminiscing about past travels.

All of the recipes can be found on the La Crema blog (Tsukune, Miso Pork Skewers, and Winter Vegetable Tempura). And if you’re looking for dessert, might I suggest these Matcha Cream Puffs? I’ve got more matcha desserts in the works, but these are a good starting point.

More from Japan:
Japan Travelogue Part One: Kyoto; Matcha Cream Puffs
Japan Travelogue Part Two: Ise; Ginger Chicken Miso Ramen

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by La Crema. All opinions are honest and my own.

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This year Trevor and I are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. It’s my doing – even though our house is small and unfinished and we’ll need our guests to bring their own chairs, I really wanted to do it, to bring our families together in our home. It will probably be a little bit stressful and uncoordinated and messy, but I’m still thrilled we’re doing it.

I was thinking, on the morning of Election Day last week, how great Thanksgiving is. How it is something truly American and something to be proud of. Two days for the entire country to be with their families, a holiday with no religious element, no political element, just a time reserved for being thankful and being with family. What a nice thing! A holiday designed to celebrate gratitude! I know that sentiment can get lost amidst the planning and family squabbles and food and excitement for the start of the “holiday season,” but let’s try to bring it front and center this year, at least for a few hours next Thursday. In the midst of a busy season, let’s use Thanksgiving as the bright spot that it is – a time to rest, to take a break from our busyness, to slow down and focus on the people and things that matter most to us.

We’re still tinkering with our menu for next week, but last weekend we did a sort of test run, putting together a Latin-inspired Thanksgiving menu. It’s the latest in our series of globally-inspired dinner menus we’ve been creating in partnership with La Crema Wines – the others include October’s autumnal Korean dinner, the summer’s Italian seafood feast, and a Greek-American cookout for Labor Day. I have unexpectedly fallen in love with the Latin culture over the past two years of travel, and a big part of that is due to the food. There’s so much more to Latin cuisine than I realized before I started traveling there. So this Thanksgiving menu is laced with chiles and rich sauces that remind me of dinners in Colombia and Chile.

As a main dish, we created a Mole Roasted Chicken (or turkey, if you’re feeding more than two people!) with a very-simplified mole sauce, that uses the basic techniques of a traditional mole but takes a few shortcuts. We also made a Cornbread, Chorizo, and Poblano Stuffing – I could have eaten an entire tray of it on my own and I think it’s one we’ll repeat next week for the real thing. As a side dish, Chipotle Sweet Potato Pommes Anna, a super simple dish that’s easy to make but has tons of flavor and a lovely presentation. And for dessert, a showstopper of a pie, a far cry from your traditional apple and pumpkin pies but still equally deserving of a spot on your Thanksgiving table: Chocolate Mousse and Passion Fruit Pie.

One of the foods I fell in love with in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, was passion fruit. If you’ve never had the chance to try one, seek it out – it’s sweet and citrusy and tangy and unlike any other flavor I know. Chocolate and passion fruit has become one of my favorite combos, and it’s now my standard order at any gelato place that offers passion fruit as one of the flavors. I first experienced the pure deliciousness of chocolate and passion fruit at a restaurant in Chile that served me an enormous bowl of incredibly rich and decadent chocolate mousse with a passion fruit caramel on top – I think it was the best dessert of my life. I may have to take some more time to think about that statement, but off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything that surpasses it. That dessert was the primary inspiration for this pie, which combines a passion fruit curd with a light chocolate mousse and a buttery chocolate cookie crust.

It was shockingly hard to find passion fruit near me in Boston, and when I did, they were pretty pricey – $1.99 a piece and I needed 5 to scrape together 2/3 of a cup of pulp. But as soon as I cut into one and that beautiful, tangy smell filled the air I knew it was worth it. Turning the fruit into a curd stretches the flavor and also gives you a filling with a beautiful, silky texture. The passion fruit curd together with the chocolate mousse made the pie pretty much everything I imagined it would be.

The recipe for the pie is below, and you can find the recipes for the Mole Roasted Chicken, the Cornbread, Chorizo, and Poblano Stuffing, and the Chipotle Sweet Potato Pommes Anna on the La Crema blog. All three dishes were designed to pair equally well with La Crema’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay or their Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Since a “help yourself” policy is usually best when it comes to wine and big holidays, it makes sense to choose a few versatile bottles that will be good at any point during the meal and will also give guests the flexibility to choose for themselves. These two La Crema bottles fit the bill perfectly.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by La Crema. All opinions are honest and my own.

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Chocolate Mousse and Passion Fruit Pie

Serves 8. Passion fruit curd recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson. Chocolate mousse pie adapted from Chowhound.

For the passion fruit curd:

• 2/3 c. passion fruit pulp (from 6-7 ripe passion fruit)
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 stick butter

For the chocolate mousse and pie crust:

• 6 oz. chocolate cookies
• 4 TBS salted butter
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 TBS sugar
• 2 egg whites

1. To make the passion fruit curd: place the passion fruit pulp in a food processor and pulse several times to loosen the juice from the seeds. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add about half of the seeds and pulp to the juice, and discard the other half (or eat it!). Add the sugar, eggs, and egg yolk to the passion fruit juice and whisk to combine very thoroughly. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the passion fruit mixture to the melted butter, whisking vigorously as soon as you add it to the pan to prevent the eggs in the mixture from scrambling. Cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the curd has thickened to a spoonable consistency. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until set, at least 3 hours.
3. To make the pie crust: preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chocolate cookies in a food processor and pulse until they are small crumbs of even size. Melt the 4 TBS butter in the microwave and stir into the cookie crumbs. Press the cookie crumbs around the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.
4. To make the chocolate mousse: roughly chop the chocolate and place pieces in a metal bowl. Add ¼ cup of the heavy cream to the bowl with the chocolate. Bring a small saucepan half full of water to a boil. Place the metal bowl over the boiling water and whisk chocolate until evenly melted. Set aside and let cool slightly. Beat the remaining heavy cream together with the sugar until the whipped cream holds a firm peak. Fold half of the whipped cream into the warm chocolate mixture, taking care not to overmix. After incorporating the first half of the cream, gently fold in the second half of the whipped cream, leaving some streaks of white and chocolate. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the mousse.
5. To assemble the pie: spoon the chilled passion fruit curd evenly over the bottom of the cookie crust. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate mousse over the top of the curd, leaving some of the curd visible around the edges of the pie. Dome the mousse in the center of the pie. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, at least 3 hours. You can also freeze the pie for 1-2 hours for a firmer set.

The post Latin Thanksgiving: Chocolate Mousse and Passion Fruit Pie appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Wheat ales are hands down my favorite beers, and I particularly love Belgian ones. I love the hints of sweetness and citrus, the light body and easy drinkability. I know you all see a lot of wine around here, but there are days when a beer is so much more refreshing and casual and somehow just better. And on those days, nine times out of ten I am reaching for a Belgian wheat ale, and I’m never disappointed with my choice. So partnering with Hoegaarden (pronounced “who-gar-den”!), a brewery that has been brewing wheat ales in Belgium for almost 600 years, was an excellent chance to spend time working with a beer made by true experts of my favorite brewing style.

Light, citrusy wheat ales are a great match for seafood dishes, and since I’ve been building my seafood recipe repertoire after a lifetime of avoiding eating it at all costs (you can read more about that particular piece of my history here and here if you’re curious…), coming up with a few new recipes to pair with Hoegaarden was a fun challenge. When I think of seafood and beer, my thoughts immediately skew to summertime – images of seafood shacks lining long sandy beaches, the scent of just-greasy-enough fish sandwiches and French fries wafting over the dunes, frosty brown bottles brought to your lips while you survey the ocean through sunglasses, everything sparkling and blown out in tones of blue and blonde. But it’s October, and October in New England is all coziness and sweaters and crunching through leaves. How could I take that easy breezy summer beach feeling and make it appropriate for fall?

The answer: take a bunch of summer seafood classics – fish sandwiches, fried seafood, and steamed mussels – and make the flavors just a little bit heartier, a little bit more warming. Start with a platter of just-fried popcorn shrimp, dipped in an addictive lemon-garlic aioli. When you’ve had your fill of the crunchy-creamy bite-sized shrimp, bring out a steaming bowl of mussels, simmered in a mixture of Hoegaarden and garlic-butter and crème fraiche and finished with a shower of fresh parsley. If you’re really feeling the Belgian vibe, serve the mussels with a basket of French fries (frozen ones are fine, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t) for a take on the classic dish Moules Frites. Alternatively, a fresh baguette for sopping up the creamy sauce will work. Last, bring out Salmon B.L.A.T.s, where each piece of salmon is glazed in an orange-mustard sauce before being sandwiched between a soft brioche bun, two crispy pieces of bacon, a thick slice of summer’s last heirloom tomato, and a few slices of creamy avocado. Enjoy everything outside on a beautiful fall afternoon, with a six pack or two of chilled Hoegaarden and some good company. Relax and savor the fact that it’s the weekend, that it’s still warm enough to be outside, that you’re surrounded by good friends and good food and good beer.

In the mood for a Hoegaarden or two but don’t feel like schlepping out to the store? If you’re in Drizly’s delivery area (most major US cities!), head to Drizly.com and you can have it delivered to your door in an hour. Even better, readers can use the code “WHO141” at checkout for a special offer when purchasing Hoegaarden. Once you’ve cracked your beer (and hopefully cooked up at least one of these recipes to go with it) snap a pic and share it with #itsWHOgaarden… I’d love to see what you’re cooking up! 

This post was sponsored by Drizly and Hoegaarden. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Paprika-Dusted Popcorn Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

• 1 lb. uncooked Key West shrimp (51-60 count), thawed according to package directions
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. panko
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 TBS finely minced fresh parsley
• Canola oil for frying

For the Lemon-Garlic Aioli:

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ c. canola oil
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a small bowl, whik the eggs until smooth. Put the flour in a second small bowl. In a third bowl, whisk together the panko, salt, smoked paprika, and minced parsley. Working a few at a time, dip the thawed shrimp first into the egg, then in the flour, then back in the egg. Let the shrimp drip for a moment or two to rid excess moisture, then dip in the panko mixture and set on a plate.
2. Once you have breaded all of the shrimp, heat a frying pan filled with about half an inch of canola oil over medium high heat. Working in batches of 5-6 at a time, place the shrimp in the frying pan – they should sizzle immediately upon contact with the oil if the oil is hot enough. Fry for 20-30 seconds on one side, flip, fry for another 20 seconds, and then use tongs to remove the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate. The shrimp should be just cooked through.
3. To make the aioli, place the minced garlic, the egg and egg yolk, the sea salt, and the canola oil in a wide-mouth mason jar. Place an immersion blender that just barely fits inside the mason jar straight up and down in the jar. With the immersion blender fit snugly into the jar, start blending the mixture, moving the blender very slowly straight up as the mixture emulsifies. After blending for about 60 seconds you should have a smooth, creamy aioli. Whisk the olive oil into the mixture a tablespoon at a time, blending completely before adding the next tablespoon. Whisk the lemon juice into the aioli. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the hot shrimp with the aioli on the side.

Hoegaarden-Steamed Mussels with Crème Fraiche

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

• 2 TBS salted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
• ¼ tsp red pepper falkes
• 2 lb. mussels, debearded and thorough rinsed (discard any mussels with broken or cracked shells)
• Fresh juice and zest from ½ of a navel orange
• One 12-oz bottle of Hoegaarden
• ¼ c. crème fraiche
• 2 TBS minced fresh parsley
• French fries or baguette, for serving

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and thyme to the melted butter and saute just until fragrant, about 60-90 seconds. Add the diced shallot and the red pepper flakes and saute, stirring frequently, until the shallot is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the cleaned mussels to the pan along with the orange juice, orange zest, and Hoegaarden. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pan. Steam the mussels for 5-8 minutes, or just until they have all opened. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
3. Continue simmering the cooking liquid for the mussels until it has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and parsley before pouring the sauce back over the mussels. Serve mussels with french fries or baguette.

Orange-Glazed Salmon B.L.A.T.s

Serves 4. Bacon cooking instructions from The Kitchn.

• 8 strips bacon
• ½ cup fresh orange juice from 2 navel oranges
• 1 TBS brown sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS mustard
• 2 lbs. fresh salmon filets, deboned and cut into 4 equally sized pieces
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 brioche buns, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 large, ripe heirloom tomato, sliced horizontally
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 4 large leaves of butter lettuce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To cook the bacon, line a large baking sheet with tinfoil. Place the bacon strips on the lined baking sheet in a single layer so that they aren’t touching each other. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and pour the hot fat out of the pan and into a can (to discard or reuse once cooled). Return the bacon to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, until crispy and browned. Set bacon aside.
2. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, and mustard to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the sauce is reduce by half and makes a runny glaze, about 7-9 minutes. Set glaze aside.
3. Preheat the oven to broil on high. Line a large baking sheet with tinfoil. Heat 1 TBS of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Season the salmon lightly with sea salt, then add 1 piece of salmon to the pan skin-side down. Salmon skin should crackle immediately when you place it in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crispy, and then use a spatula to remove the salmon and place on the foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filets. Note that if the pan is not hot enough before adding the fish the salmon skin will stick to the pan.
4. Spoon the glaze evenly over the tops of the crisped salmon filets. Broil until the salmon is just cooked through. This will vary with the thickness of the salmon, but should take 8-10 minutes for a piece of salmon that is one inch thick. Remove salmon and set aside.
5. To assemble the sandwiches, place one large piece of lettuce and one piece of salmon on the bottom half of each of the four brioche buns. Top each piece of salmon with two strips of bacon, one or two large slices of tomato, and slices from half or an avocado. Place the second half of the bun on top of the sandwich and serve immediately.

The post Hoegaarden Seafood Dinner: Popcorn Shrimp, Ale-Steamed Mussels, and Salmon B.L.A.T.s appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I’ve been working with La Crema for a while now, and we recently seem to have found a groove in a series of internationally-themed dinners to pair with their Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noirs. In July we did an al fresco Italian seafood feast, for Labor Day we had a Greek-American cook-out, and now, as the weather turns colder, we’re looking to the other side of the world to find the inspiration for this Korean-inspired dinner. I say Korean-inspired because, well, I’m not Korean, and I’ve never even been to Korea, and I don’t want to call these recipes something they are not. Because they are definitely not traditional, authentically-prepared Korean recipes, the kind of recipe that gets passed down from generation to generation and takes a lifetime to learn. What they are are a collection of delicious recipes that attempt to incorporate some of the influences and flavors of Korean cooking into the way I cook and eat at home.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to the food! The appetizer here is Vegetarian Lentil and Mushroom Mandu, Korea’s stuffed dumpling. Trevor walked in the door just as I was frying these up. “You’re just in time,” I told him, and he grabbed one (one of the ugly ones that I would let him eat before photos) straight from the frying pan. He bit into one and sort of grunted appreciatively before I said “they’re vegetarian.” At which point he looked at me with a mixture of anger and confusion, so upset because he didn’t even notice they were vegetarian. (Also when we eat vegetarian food without me telling him in advance he feels like I’m tricking him.) Because lentils and mushrooms and cabbage can taste as good as ground pork when wrapped up in a dumpling and fried. Not that I have anything against pork, I just love being able to create vegetarian food that’s as satisfying as meat. You can find the Mandu recipe here on the La Crema blog.

For the main event, we have two dishes – a simple Cabbage and Kimchi Salad with Sesame-Miso Dressing, and an Autumn Bibimbap. The salad is all about the super flavorful and creamy dressing – a mixture of tahini, miso, honey, ginger, and rice vinegar. It’s the kind of dressing that makes eating raw cabbage slightly addictive instead of slightly awful. The addition of kimchi – a funky, tangy, spicy fermented cabbage dish that’s ubiquitous at any Korean meal – brings an unexpected heat and excitement to an otherwise sweet and mild salad. The bibimbap, which is inspired by the book Bowl: Vegetarian Recipes for Ramen, Pho, Bibimbap, Dumplings, and other One-Dish Meals, includes a few seasonal variations on a classic bibimbap: gochujang-roasted brussels sprouts and tamari-roasted portobello mushrooms. Mixed with the more traditional toppings of bulgogi-marinated beef, pickled cucumbers, and a fried egg, it makes a comforting, delicious fall dinner, especially served with a glass of La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris. The bright minerality of the wine is a good counterpoint to the spicy gochujang and rich egg in the bibimbap and the funky heat of the kimchi in the salad. (Find the bibimbap recipe here and the cabbage and kimchi salad recipe here!)

And for dessert, we have Red Bean Paste Filled Sesame Cookies, which are arguably more inspired by our time in Hong Kong and Japan than Korea but the flavors seemed to be loosely aligned with Korean desserts. I knew what I wanted these cookies to taste and look like, but I wasn’t quite sure how to get there. Incessant googling of variations on “crispy sesame cookies stuffed with red bean paste” didn’t reveal anything, so I had to experiment on my own. I started with the vague idea that these cookies should have the texture of shortbread, crumbly and buttery, with a distinct sesame flavor from a generous amount of tahini. And I knew I wanted them to be sizable, big enough that you could fill them amply with sweet red bean paste. I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out – and they were super easy to make. They’re not perfect perfect, but I’ll come back with an updated recipe if I end up tinkering with them any more.

Stay tuned, because I’m really excited about what La Crema and I have cooked up for Thanksgiving! Think chipotle, passionfruit, mole sauce… it’s going to be all kinds of delicious.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by La Crema. All opinions are honest and my own.

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Red Bean Paste Filled Sesame Cookies

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe. Makes 8 large cookies.

• 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 c. tahini paste
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. cake flour
• 1/2 c. sweetened red bean paste, store bought or homemade, chilled
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the tahini paste until it is evenly combined with the butter. Sift the powdered sugar into the butter-tahini mixture and beat until evenly combined. Stir in the cake flour and beat until a smooth dough is formed. Dough should stick together in a ball when you make one with your hands. If the dough is too difficult to work with, chill for about 30 minutes before continuing.
3. To form the cookies, take ~1 TBS of dough and use a cupped hand to form a half sphere with a hollow center. Fill the center of the cookie with 1 tsp of the chilled red bean paste, then carefully close the tops of the cookie dough over the top of the red bean paste. Roll into a ball and then flatten slightly to make a thick, disc-shaped cookie. Use a fork to gently press hash-marks into the top of the cookie and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat until you have used all of the dough. Bake cookies until golden brown and just beginning to crack, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

The post Korean-Inspired Dinner: Red Bean Paste Filled Sesame Cookies appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

For the first 25 years of my life, I abhorred seafood. All of it. Yes, including lobster. Yes, including shrimp. I’ve written about it before so I won’t rehash it again. Suffice it to say, that through travel and the necessity of eating what’s available/local/good, I got over it. And in the past few months, the amount – and variety – of seafood that I eat has grown exponentially. I just got home from a week in Portugal where, not only did I eat some form of seafood every day, I ate, and loved, octopus, squid, and scallops. My mother wouldn’t recognize the girl who used to cry through meals when a “no thank you portion” of baked cod sat sadly on her plate.

This summer, I’ve been cooking lots of seafood at home, too – perhaps to make up for lost time, or perhaps because it just goes so well with a chilled glass of white wine. To celebrate my newfound love of seafood, I put together a little Italian seafood dinner paired with three La Crema wines. It’s the sort of meal that demands to be eaten outside at the end of a hot, sunny day, when the sun is just beginning to slip behind the trees and the breeze picks up again. It’s also the sort of meal that should be lingered over, with plenty of conversation and several bottles of wine on ice, within arm’s reach. It’s slow food.

The first course is a take on Mussels Bruschetta – sauté fennel and garlic until tender and fragrant, then steam the mussels just until they open. Add a splash of Chardonnay, a handful of tomatoes, and fresh basil and parsley, then serve on top of freshly-toasted bread. Set the toasts out on a tray and open a bottle of La Crema Monterey Chardonnay to kick off the evening. Next, a Salmon Carpaccio served on a salad of spicy greens, a light, refreshing, and elegant summer dish. The carpaccio – like an Italian-style ceviche – relies on juicy lemons and herbs like parsley and thyme to both flavor and “cook” the raw fish. Pair it with a crisp, bright La Crema Pinot Gris.

The main event is a Seafood Pasta with Squid, Clams, and Tomatoes – because in my mind, no Italian meal is complete without pasta. Wide rough-cut noodles of eggy pappardelle tossed with flash-fried squid, steamed clams, and fresh tomatoes make a simple and delicious main. If you have the time to make the fresh pasta yourself, do it. The ritual of making pasta at home – cracking the eggs into a well of flour; drawing the tines of a fork through the mixture until it is no longer eggs and flour but a dough; slowly kneading the dough until it’s soft and pliable; rolling the dough into thinner and thinner sheets; folding and pressing and re-rolling; cutting the sheets into thick noodles; hanging them to dry on wooden dowels – takes time and love but it’s so worth it. With the pasta, serve your last bottle of wine, a chilled, buttery La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

You can find recipes for all three dishes on the La Crema blog – Mussels and Fennel Bruschetta, Salmon Carpaccio and Spicy Greens Salad, and Seafood Pasta with Squid, Clams, and Tomatoes.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by La Crema. All opinions are honest and my own.

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We spent last weekend in Maine, in what felt like the real kick-off to the summer. I love the way Maine smells – like pine needles drenched in sun, freshly cut hay, lake water, wood shavings, and the occasional whiff of smoke. When I step out of the car I inhale deeply, taking in everything sweet and fresh and good about a place where days are spent outdoors and the windows are always open. It was a blissful few days. I went swimming every day, hiked on mossy trails and rocky ones, ate fried seafood overlooking the harbor, and caught a few beautiful sunsets – one from a small cabin deck with a 180° view of the ocean, one from the middle of the harbor, bobbing gently in our boat, and two from the picnic table where we gather for wine and dinner. I can’t wait to go back.

While we were there, we put together a sunny Sunday brunch featuring Stonewall Kitchen products in celebration of their 25^th anniversary. Stonewall Kitchen is a Maine company through and through, headquartered in a beautiful space in York, Maine. They are probably most famous for their jams and jellies (especially the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam!), but I’ve tried a number of their sauces and spreads and all of their products are truly high quality and delicious. Started by two young men selling their jams and chutneys at a farmer’s market, Stonewall Kitchen has expanded into a company that is a household name for many. You can read more of their story, and check out all their delicious products, on their anniversary website, Taste of 25 Years.

For our brunch, we used four Stonewall products to put together three delicious recipes. First, Sea Breeze Mimosas, the simplest thing in the world to make – just a splash of chilled cranberry-grapefruit Sea Breeze Mixer, a dash of cranberry bitters, and a healthy pour of prosecco. If you’re getting an extra strong start to your day, a little bit of vodka added to the mix doesn’t hurt either. Second, a Smoky Roasted Garlic Hash – potatoes sautéed with shallots, Roasted Garlic Oil and smoked paprika, strips of roasted red pepper and poblano, a sprinkling of scallions, and a crispy olive-oil fried egg to top each serving. And to finish off the dish, an essential topping: Habanero Mango Hot Sauce. This smoky, slightly sweet, slow-burn hot sauce is absolutely delicious – I’m kicking myself for leaving it behind with my family (we put it on everything from eggs to burgers to baked beans over the course of the weekend).

The last recipe, and in my opinion the star of the show, Wild Maine Blueberry Jam Doughnuts. These are the doughnuts of your dreams – light, just a little bit chewy, rolled in a generous amount of cinnamon sugar, and stuffed to the gills with Wild Maine Blueberry Jam. There’s a trendy/hipster doughnut shop near us in Boston that makes jelly doughnuts that I dream about (so much so that I got one for my birthday breakfast for the past two years) – and these were even better. Every single one of my family members tried to have just one and ended up eating two – even my weight-lifting, sugar-avoiding little brother.

Congrats to Corinne of Spare Cake on winning! A Giveaway! I have good news – Stonewall Kitchen is also hosting a giveaway to send one reader their own set of products to make a delicious, Maine-inspired brunch. In addition to the four products I used in these recipes, you will also receive a canister of Farmhouse Pancake and Waffle Mix and the most adorable Downeast Coffee Mug to round out your brunch-making kit. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to spend a summer morning. By entering the giveaway, you are agreeing to the contest rules as outlined at the bottom of this post.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Stonewall Kitchen, but all opinions are honest and my own as usual.

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Sea Breeze Mimosas

Serves 1.

• 1/4 c. Stonewall Kitchen Sea Breeze Mixer, chilled
• 1 dash bitters
• 1 oz. vodka (optional)
• 1 c. chilled Prosecco

1. Pour Sea Breeze Mixer into a champagne glass. Add 1 dash bitters and vodka, if using. Top with chilled Prosecco. Serve immediately.

Wild Maine Blueberry Jam Doughnuts

Makes 12 large doughnuts. Recipe adapted from Taste of Home and Serious Eats.

• 1 c. milk, heated until warm but not hot to the touch
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 c. plus 1 TBS sugar, divided
• 3 TBS softened butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. AP flour
• 1 1/2 c. bread flour
• canola oil or shortening, for frying
• 1 c. sugar mixed with 2 tsp ground cinnamon, for coating
• 2 jars Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam

1. Place warm milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the milk, along with 1 TBS of the sugar. Stir for 30 seconds, then let stand 10 minutes, until yeast is foamy. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and remaining 1/4 c. sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in salt, then beat in eggs until completely mixed in. Add milk and both kinds of flour and stir until a smooth dough is formed. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in the fridge overnight.
3. When ready to fry doughnuts, remove the dough from the fridge. Shape into a flat disc, then roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use a biscuit cutter or glass to cut 3 inch circles out of the dough, and place doughnuts on a baking sheet or tray. Re-roll any scrap dough to make more doughnuts. Cover doughnuts with a towel and let rise for 20 minutes.
4. Heat canola oil or shortenining in a high-sided frying pan or dutch oven until the temperature reaches 350-375ºF. Fry doughnuts one at a time in the hot oil, flipping once. Doughnuts should fry for about 1 minute per side before they are golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. You may need to adjust the temperature up or down as you go.
5. Combine the 1 c. sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a paper bag. Immediately after frying each doughnut, place it in the paper bag and shake the bag to coat the doughnut with cinnamon-sugar before placing it on a plate to cool. Repeat the frying and sugar coating process until all doughnuts are cooked.
6. Once the doughnuts are cool to the touch, begin filling them. Place the blueberry jam in a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip. Insert the pastry tip into the side of the doughnut and fill until the doughnut is heavy and jam is starting to come out the front of the doughnut. Serve doughnuts as soon as possible after filling them.

Smoky Roasted Garlic Potato Hash

Serves 4.

• 8-10 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• sea salt
• 2 TBS Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Oil, divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 eggs
• Stonewall Kitchen Habanero Mango Hot Sauce, for serving

1. Add the cubed potatoes and white vinegar to a large pot. Fill with cold water to cover the potatoes and salt generously. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil gently until potatoes are just tender when poked with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then toss with 1 TBS of the roasted garlic oil and the smoked paprika. Set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler to high. Place the poblano pepper and red pepper on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, then place under the broil. Broil until pepper skin is beginning to blacken and blister, then use tongs to turn the peppers to another side. This should take about 5 minutes per side. Once peppers are blackened all over, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, remove and discard the stems and seeds, and slice the pepper flesh into thin strips.
3. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until browned and crispy, about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the sliced shallots and saute until golden brown. Add the cooked potatoes to the pan and season generously with sea salt. Fry the potatoes until golden brown all over, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes total. Remove from the heat and mix with the sliced peppers. Transfer to a large platter.
4. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a frying pan. Carefully crack the eggs into the hot oil and fry sunny-side up. Place the fried eggs on top of the potato hash. Serve with the Habanero Mango Hot Sauce.

Giveaway Rules

• No purchase necessary
• Void where prohibited
• One entry per household, and only entries answering the listed question will be considered
• The sponsor of this giveaway is Stonewall Kitchen
• The estimated retail value of the products is $49.25
• The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received
• This contest is only open to U.S. citizens over the age of 18
• The contest will open today, July 11^th, 2016 at posting time and will close at 11PM EST on Friday, July 22nd, 2016
• One winner will be selected randomly and contacted via email (so please leave an accurate email address!). If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, the winner forfeits their prize and an alternate winner will be chosen.
• I will post the winner here by Monday, August 1^st, 2016

The post Stonewall Kitchen Maine Brunch (and Giveaway!) appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

April, as I’m sure you all are well aware, is Earth Month. Although Earth Day itself falls on April 22nd, all month long we celebrate our world and take part in activities to protect its resources – our national parks, our clean water, our food, our air. Over the past year, I’ve begun thinking more about where my food comes from, and what went into creating it. I have more questions than I did before – what did this chicken eat? Was it healthy? What chemicals did this spinach absorb while it was growing? How far did this avocado travel to get to me? I care because how food was raised has a direct impact on not only my health, but the health of the earth. Putting too many constraints around your food sourcing can take away the joy of cooking, so I’m not, and probably never will be, a die-hard locavore or organic eater. But I do believe that when you can afford it, and when you can manage seeking out the best possible ingredients on top of all the other things you have on your to-do list, choosing consciously-raised ingredients is worth it.

I’ve also been noticing more and more how much better I feel when I put good, plant-based foods into my body (or, it might be more accurate to say that I notice more how bad I feel when I fill up on grease and empty carbs). I’ll never totally give up cheese or chocolate or hamburgers, but  I have started to treat those foods as, well, treats. Still, I have a killer sweet tooth, and one of the hardest things for me about healthy eating is finding  desserts that satisfy my cravings without totally blowing my healthy habits.

All this to say that when Star Market approached me about partnering with them on a post for Earth Month, using ingredients from some of the organic and environmentally-conscious brands they carry in their stores, I was on board. Throughout the month of April, they’ve been running their “Every Cart Counts” campaign, encouraging shoppers to choose ingredients from WhiteWave brands like So Delicious, Earthbound Farm, Silk, Simply Pure, Horizon, and Vega. As part of the promotion, some lucky shoppers around the country have had WhiteWave buy their entire cart of groceries when they contain one or more participating items – because a single choice can have a big impact on your health and your environment, and that’s worth rewarding!

Because of the afore-mentioned sweet tooth, I decided I wanted to work on a dessert recipe to help promote this campaign. Something that felt like dessert, not health food masquerading as dessert, but still cut out a little fat and a little sugar from my dessert choices. Using just 5 ingredients – So Delicious Unsweetened Almond Milk, eggs, gelatin, dates, and cinnamon – I made a simple but elegant almond milk panna cotta, topped with a berry sauce using Earthbound Farm’s organic frozen berries. Panna cotta is one of the easiest desserts out there, and I was able to throw this together in 20 minutes right after work, put it in the fridge to set for a few hours, and then enjoy that same night after dinner. It’s very light – since the panna cotta itself uses only dates as sweetener, it relies on the berry sauce for the bulk of its sweetness (although a caramel or chocolate sauce would be equally at home here, I think).

Treat the earth right, treat yourself right – the next time you’re at the grocery store, take a moment mid-shop and look at your cart. Is there anything you could swap for something that will not only be better for you and your family, but better for our environment, too? Could a bag of frozen spinach make a better filling addition than ground beef for your lasagna, leaving you to enjoy a nice steak later in the week guilt free? Would your kids be OK with coconut milk ice cream this week instead of a dairy-based treat? Even the small choices once a week add up – every cart counts!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Safeway. The opinions and text are all mine.

Cinnamon Almond Milk Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce

Serves 4.

• 2 1/4 c. So Delicious Unsweetened Almond Milk, divided
• 6 pitted dates
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 packet (1/4 oz.) gelatin
• 1 c. Earthbound Farms frozen berries
• 1/4 c. sugar

1. Place 2 cups of the almond milk and the dates in a blender and blend on high until mixture is smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cinnamon together until yolks are pale yellow and smooth. Pour the hot almond milk mixture into the eggs in a thin stream, whisking the eggs as you do so, to temper the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to a simmer, whisking the whole time to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Mixture should thicken slightly. Remove from the heat once thickened.
2. Put the remaining 1/4 cup of almond milk in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the milk and let stand for one minute. Pour the hot almond milk through a fine-mesh sieve on top of the gelatin, pressing on any solids that remain in the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir gelatin and almond milk mixture to thoroughly combine. Pour the panna cotta mixture into four 4-oz ramekins. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.
3. To make the berry sauce, place frozen berries and sugar in a small saucepan, heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until berries have released their juice and have softened to the point where you can squish them with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. To serve the panna cotta, remove the ramekins from the fridge. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each panna cotta to loosen it from the ramekin. Place a plate on top of each ramekin, and invert to unmold the panna cotta. Serve topped with a generous spoonful of berry sauce.

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Just a quick hello today to share with you a series I’ve been working on over the past few months. I’ve been collaborating with La Crema Wines to come up with three winter salads – salads that are healthy and fresh dishes but still hearty enough to make a filling meal on a cold night.  It’s tempting to eat comfort food all winter long – it’s what we crave! – but I find that keeping my diet balanced (e.g. following that bowl of cheesy, comforting pasta at lunch with a lighter salad at dinner) can help me stay feeling energized and motivated.

The first salad in the series is an all-white stunner. Roasted cauliflower, crunchy Belgian endive, sweet pears, grapes, and toasted pine nuts all come together with a blue cheese and buttermilk dressing to hit all the notes a salad needs: savory, bitter, sweet, and rich. I served this one with a glass of La Crema Monterey Chardonnay, which has a buttery richness that complements the funky blue cheese and bitter endive really nicely. Find the recipe here.

Sticking with the monochrome theme, the next salad is a festive mix of red fruits and veggies. With Russian red kale, beets, red cabbage, fresh pomegranate seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette, it’s tangy, juicy, and really good for you. Served alongside a glass of La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, it makes a light lunch or dinner that will leave you satisfied without feeling bogged down by heavy carbs and dairy. Find the recipe here.

The last salad in the series, and my favorite, celebrates sweet, juicy January citrus – such a welcome relief in the middle of the winter. This salad, featuring grapefruit, blood orange, fennel, and white-wine poached shrimp, is super simple, but still very flavorful, light, and satisfying. The rich and buttery shrimp offset the fresh tang of the citrus and the faintly sweet crunch of the fennel. Serve this salad with a glass of La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris. Its clean brightness and slight acidity are the perfect match for the tangy flavors of the salad. Find the recipe here. 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

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I can’t believe how quickly this month is slipping by. I had been hoping to get a few more blog posts published in the past few weeks, but find myself too preoccupied / overwhelmed by the combination of preparing for our short-term move to Hong Kong in January, trying to get the basics of a wedding planned before we leave, continuing to slowly renovate the house (although the burden of this one has primarily fallen on Trevor), and the general busy-ness that comes with the holidays every year. All of the things going on in our lives right now are good – they’re so good! – but they’re also big things, things that might be stressful at times on their own, and are definitely a little stressful taken all at once. Still, despite the stress, I’m enjoying having this season at home, and I’ve been making a point of taking the little extra time I do have to savor the loveliness of fall – whether it’s a quick afternoon walk on those last few warm, golden days of the year; a cup of hot chocolate as a break from work; or a savory pot pie like this one on a chilly Friday night.

Last month, Greek Gods Yogurt reached out to me about working with them to develop a pie recipe featuring one of their thick, tangy Greek yogurts. I can safely say that pie is one of my favorite food groups, so I was quick to agree to the collaboration. I love savory pies, especially after all the incredible ones I had in Russian (this rabbit and mushroom pie is one of my all-time favorites), so I decided to go a savory route with this recipe. This pot pie is filled with thick-cut chunks of beef, saucy mushrooms, pancetta, and tender potatoes. The sauce is a mixture of beef stock, dark ale, and a few heaping spoonfuls of Greek yogurt. The yogurt adds an incredible richness and tanginess to the savory filling, elevating the hearty flavors just a touch and giving each bite a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. I was really pleased with the way this recipe turned out – it’s another one that I left in the fridge to keep Trevor fed while I was in Hong Kong, but I was seriously disappointed that I only had a chance to have one serving. I guess that just means I’ll have to make it again sooner rather than later.

I used Greek Gods’ plain variety for the pie recipe, but I also had the opportunity to try a number of their other flavors. My favorite was definitely the Honey Salted Caramel, which was great on its own or with granola for breakfast, but was particularly delicious served on top of the Salted Caramel Apple Cake I made last month to celebrate our engagement. Greek Gods Yogurt is sharing a number of other delicious-looking pie recipes, sweet and savory, over on their Facebook page – head on over if you’re looking for pie inspiration for next week.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Greek Gods Yogurt. All opinions are honest and my own.

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Beef, Mushroom, and Ale Pot Pie

Serves 6.

• 2 TBS olive oil, divided
• 4 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 10 crimini mushrooms, quartered
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 TBS flour
• 1 c. dark ale
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1 TBS worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS mustard
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 c. Greek Gods Yogurt plain Greek yogurt
• 1 recipe kulebyaka dough, using yogurt in place of sour cream (another pie dough or puff pastry will work equally well for the crust)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 TBS of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast-iron casserole over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute, stirring frequently, until crisped all over, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms, and thyme and saute until golden brown and reduced in volume by half. Season to taste with salt, then transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 TBS of olive oil to the dutch oven and add the beef cubes to the pan. Brown the beef on all sides, which should take about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the beef and stir to coat. Add the mushrooms and pancetta back to the beef, along with the ale, beef stock, worcestershire, soy, and mustard. Stir to combine everything, then place the lid on the dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Roast, covered, for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid, add the chopped potatoes, and continue roasting, uncovered, until beef and potatoes are tender and sauce is reduced, about another 45 minutes.
3. At this stage, remove the dutch oven from the oven and stir the Greek yogurt into the filling. Roll out your prepared pie crust or puff pastry and place on top of the pot pie, carefully covering the edges of the dutch oven (don’t touch the hot pan!). Return to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

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I’m quite excited to be collaborating with Stonewall Kitchen on this post. Stonewall is a well-loved New England brand, based out of York, Maine. They are probably best known for their jams and jellies, but they also carry a broad range of other specialty food products, from Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce (yum) to Butternut Squash Risotto Mix (yum) to Maple Bacon Aioli (double yum!). Having Stonewall products in my pantry always feels like a bit of a special treat – the kind of treat that inspires such scenarios as “oh, yes, I have raspberry hot fudge sauce in the fridge! I should definitely have some ice cream tonight.” And for other New Englanders, I can attest that visiting their store/production facility/cooking school in York is a worthwhile detour on any trip from Boston up north (or honestly, as a destination in and of itself).

But I don’t want to gush too much lest you think I’m going to forget about sharing this delicious-looking brunch dish you see here. Right now everything seems like it’s fall, fall, fall. That’s true all over the U.S., I’m sure, but I have to imagine that the everything-fall-craze is especially prevalent here in New England, land of apples and brilliant foliage and quaint Vermont towns. Fall is by far my favorite season, and I’m so happy that I’m actually home for it – the first season of the year that I’m truly here for, in fact. Fall cooking is no small part of the reason that fall is my favorite, what with the abundance of squash and apples and cruciferous vegetables to roast and braise and stew. When the team over at Stonewall sent a list of fall products that I might be able to put to good use in a new Katie at the Kitchen Door recipe, the list read like a celebration of all the delicious autumnal flavors you could ever hope to pack into one kitchen: Apple Cranberry Chutney, Caramel Apple Butter, Maple Bacon Onion Jam, Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce, and so on. It was a hard list to choose from, but ultimately I couldn’t resist the Apple Cider Jam, which I knew would be absolutely delicious in a savory-sweet application.

The Apple Cider Jam is thick and sweet and heavily spiced with holiday spices (I’m not sure precisely what’s in it – trade secret? – but think along the lines of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.). Having a spoonful is like eating apple pie filling but concentrated down into one delicious bite. That said, it needs a little bit of tempering for use in a savory context, so for this recipe I mixed it with apple cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper for a sweet-and-tangy glaze. We brushed the glaze on wild salmon, which we then broiled until just cooked through, and served on top of potato-apple latkes with a poached egg and hollandaise for a fancy-pants version of eggs benedict. It was incredible – crunchy fried potato latkes, rich sweet-and-tangy salmon, soft and runny eggs (although I’ll admit I overcooked them slightly – it was my first time poaching an egg, if you can believe that!), and of course, buttery hollandaise sauce. So much flavor and texture and deliciousness in every bite.

Now, I want to take a minute here to say that I get that making cider-jam-glazed salmon and latkes and poached eggs and hollandaise sauce is a time commitment. This is definitely a weekend luxury meal. But the salmon by itself is incredibly quick to prepare – it probably takes 10 minutes from start to finish – and would be a great weeknight dinner with any number of side dishes. So keep that in mind before you write this recipe off as too complicated! And when you do have an hour on a lazy Sunday morning, make the whole thing. I promise you, it will not be a wasted hour.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Stonewall Kitchen, but all opinions are honest and my own as usual.

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Cider-Jam-Glazed Salmon and Potato Latke Eggs Benedict

Serves 4. Latke-making guidance from Serious Eats. Hollandaise and poached egg recipes from linked sources.

For the latkes:

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1 large apple
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 egg, lightly beaten.
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 c. canola oil, for frying

For the salmon:

• 4 TBS Stonewall Kitchen Apple Cider Jam
• 1 TBS plus 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 TBS olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb. wild-caught salmon fillets with skin-on, cut into individual portions
• 1 TBS canola oil

To assemble:

• 4 poached eggs
• 1 c. hollandaise sauce
• fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. To make the latkes: Peel the potatoes. Using a food processor with a grating disk attached, or the large holes on a hand-held box grater, evenly shred the potatoes. Place in a large bowl and squeeze the potatoes to remove excess liquid, pouring the liquid off into another bowl as you work. You should try to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the potatoes – it may help to set the potatoes aside for 2-3 minutes in between rounds of squeezing them dry. Let the separate potato liquid sit for a few minutes, then pour off the water on top, leaving the thick white potato starch on the bottom of the bowl. Add the potato starch back to the shredded potatoes and stir to mix.
2. Shred the apple and the onion in the food processor or on the box grater. Squeeze to remove excess liquid, discarding the liquid, and add the shredded onion and apple to the potato. Stir in the beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until a piece of potato sizzles when dropped into the oil. Form the potato mixture into palm-sized patties and place gently in the oil. Fry the latkes in batches, for 3-4 minutes per side, draining the finished latkes on a paper-towel lined plate. If you are making the latkes in advance, you can re-heat the latkes in a low-temperature oven immediately before serving.
3. To make the salmon: Preheat the broiler on the high setting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider jam, apple cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Grease a foil-lined baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil. Brush the salmon fillets with the jam mixture, spreading it on thickly. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and place the glazed salmon fillets skin-side down in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just to crisp the salmon skin and cook the bottom of the fillets. Do not flip the fillets. Transfer directly from the frying pan to the prepared baking sheet, skin-side still down. Put the salmon under the broiler and broil until salmon is just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven.
4. To assemble: Place a warm latke on each place, and top with one of the salmon fillets. Gently place a poached egg on top of the salmon, and drizzle with the hollandaise sauce. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.

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Although I personally am not going back to school this year (and I don’t have any little ones to account for either), I still am very much feeling the back-to-school vibe these past few weeks. Perhaps it’s just part of living in an area with such a high concentration of universities, or maybe it’s due to the fact that I have so many friends who are in grad school that are just coming back to the area after summers away. Or, it could simply be because when I’m on my morning runs the neon-vested crossing guards are back in place at every crosswalk and I usually jog by at least 2 or 3 elementary school kids, walking to school with backpacks and sneakers that still look conspicuously new.

Despite the fact that I’m not a student, teacher, or parent of a student, I still love the back-to-school feeling that September brings. It reminds me of cracking open brand new notebooks, family dinners around the kitchen table (after a summer of casual outdoor eating at dusk), and wearing maroon sweaters when it’s still way to hot to wear sweaters, because you just can’t resist. This September, I’ve teamed up with Old El Paso and Shaws to help create an easy, nutritious recipe perfect for those busy evenings when you’re just picking the fall routine back up. These Enchilada-Style Stuffed Peppers are a great solution for after-school weeknight dinners – they do take a little bit of planning ahead to account for overall cooking time, but require very minimal active time. They’re completely vegetarian (great for Meatless Mondays!), using lentils and brown rice flavored with Old El Paso taco seasoning mix as the filling in place of the more traditional ground beef. Once the filling is prepared and the peppers are stuffed, all you need to complete the dish are a can of enchilada sauce, some shredded cheese, and a quick bake in the oven. These have plenty of protein and limited fat, and they are just as satisfying (if not more so!) as a meaty version.

And don’t forget to clip the Box Tops from your Old El Paso products! Man, I used to get really excited about Box Tops. Now that I’m no longer a 5th grader they aren’t quite as exciting for me personally, but if you do have kids, it’s kind of a fun way to help generate money for schools. At my current life stage, my closest connection to schools is probably all of my teacher friends, and I know they appreciate every dime they can get towards improving their classrooms.

Enchilada-Style Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4-6.

• 5 large red or yellow bell peppers
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 packet Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 c. brown rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. black French lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. water
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
• One 10-oz. can Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce
• 1/2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stem and seed the peppers, then cut peppers in half lengthwise. Blanch the peppers in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, cut-side up, in a casserole dish.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and the Old El Paso taco seasoning mix to the oil and stir to thoroughly coat the onions with the seasoning. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the rice and lentils to the onions and stir to coat with the seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the water and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the tomatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the mixture, covered, until rice and lentils have absorbed all of the liquid, about 30-40 minutes. Taste to be sure they are tender then remove from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spoon the rice and lentil mixture into the peppers in the casserole dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over and around the peppers, then sprinkle the cheese on top of each pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is golden brown on top. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Only Box Tops For Education registered schools can redeem Box Tops. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school. Limit $20,000 per school, per school year for Box Tops redeemed through the Clip Program. See www.boxtops4education.com for program details. 

Old El Paso products, found at your local Shaws store, are an easy weeknight meal solution.
Shoppers can clip the Box Tops found on the Old El Paso packaging, and on other General Mills products, to earn 10 cents each for their schools through the Box Tops for Education program. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Safeway / Shaws and Old El Paso . The opinions and text are all mine.

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Well, summer is officially over, with Labor Day come and gone. I have to admit, though, that it doesn’t feel like it yet (and I’m still hoping to get one or two more beach days in, having been forced to cram all of my summery activities into the last few weeks). And grilling season, well that’s certainly not over. In fact, you could argue that we’re getting into one of the best times for grilling – it’s a little bit cooler and pleasant to spend time outside, there’s an incredible abundance of produce available that benefits from a slight charring (think peppers, corn, peaches, eggplant…), and when does a nice piece of steak or rack of ribs not sound appealing?

For the last installment of my summer Pork and Pinot collaboration with La Crema Wines, we headed out to the grill, for what is arguably America’s favorite form of pork – barbecue. One of Trevor’s favorite things to cook is big cuts of pork (ribs, Boston butt, etc.) long and slow over a smoky charcoal grill. And it just so happens, having spent my college years in North Carolina, a great pulled pork sandwich is one of my favorite things to eat. We’re a good match, no?

This particular version of the pulled pork uses a variation on our standard rub, which includes sweet and smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, and a touch of cayenne. We grill it for about 3-4 hours in aluminum pans, and then serve it smothered with sauce on soft rolls. I made a homemade BBQ sauce too, with blackberries, Pinot Noir, and chipotle as the dominant flavors, to play up the smokiness in the pork and to make it pair even better with La Crema Pinot Noir.

My mom and Robbie joined us for the somewhat impromptu cook-out. They’ve just come home after spending all summer in Maine (something I’m going to do again one of these years) and it’s nice to have them back within “you wanna have dinner?” distance, especially since it’s Robbie’s last year at home before heading off to college. The pork was the star of the meal, but we also had grilled corn, chicken wings, cole slaw, plenty of La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir, and burgundy pie with the last of the goat cheese and blackberry ice cream. It was a good meal – and it turned out to be the first of several over the course of the long weekend, including an extravagant dinner out in Newburyport and steak tips and peach sangria at my cousin’s BBQ on Monday. But what’s Labor Day for if not for a final hurrah of summer eating and drinking?

P.S. Several of these Pork and Pinot recipes I’ve been developing for La Crema were recently featured on Food and Wine (as was this Oyster Shooter picture I took for one of my restaurant clients earlier this year). Go check it out!

For full instructions and the recipe for Pulled Pork with Blackberry Pinot BBQ Sauce, head over to the La Crema Blog!

More Pork and Pinot posts…

• Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Sage Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
• Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly
• Pork Belly Banh Mi Sandwiches
• The Perfect Charcuterie Board

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post La Crema Pork and Pinot #5: Pulled Pork with Blackberry Pinot BBQ Sauce appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.