Indigo Harvest Party

October 14, 2015

Last month, we threw a little get-together at work to congratulate two teammates who had achieved some major milestones. The vibe was supposed to be casual and nothing too fussy, yet I wanted it to feel pulled together with some commonality. Since it was almost fall, but was still so incredibly hot, I decided to play around with a harvest theme that incorporated some cooler hues to keep the design from being too stuffy and hot on a scorching September afternoon (no reds or oranges here!). Thanks to a recent trip to the Rose Bowl Flea, I had a ton of indigo fabric that I knew would make a great base. I picked up some weathered indigo cloth napkins from World Market to keep the look cohesive and to create some contrast against our simple white plates. Playing off of the harvest theme, each place setting had a little artichoke on the napkin and larger artichokes, bay leaf, and simple fall greens placed down the center of the table. I evenly spaced a few white marble candlesticks and some simple votives to bring in a little warmth and glow. Since we were super limited on time, I threw some extra greens in a pitcher for the buffet table and painted a really quick congratulatory sign with watercolor to hang above. The food was also kept simple with a cheese and charcuterie board to pair with each of the wines we were going to be serving that night. A few sprigs of green kept everything tied together and we were ready to go! Take a look at some of my favorite shots from the party below. Cheers!

{All images by Joel Maus of Studio EMP}

Fig & Chevre Ciabatta Toast

October 8, 2015

Toast is really having a moment. I’m fairly certain that avocado toast opened the toast door and now it’s everywhere in every shape, size and ingredient combination. And honestly, what isn’t there to love about toast? Growing up, I ate toast almost every morning (peanut butter was my favorite) and I don’t really know when or why I stopped, but I’m a big fan of this new toast trend and exploring new ways to enjoy it.

With a leftover loaf of ciabatta and a a handful of figs remaining from our fig frenzy at the office, I decided to try a combination of flavors that I’d been wanting to explore. This crostini was a huge hit so I decided on a toast and whipped these up in almost no time. The end result was pretty incredible. They were easy enough to throw together in under 15 minutes, but felt a little fancy with the drizzled honey and sprinkling of thyme. AND, with the perfect wine pairing, they were certainly something that you could eat anytime during the day or night. Toast isn’t just for breakfast anymore, people! Cheers!

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

I N G R E D I E N T S

6 slices of fresh ciabatta
1 tbs. butter (melted)
8 oz. chevré
3 figs (thinly sliced)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 tbs. honey

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 and butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta.
Place slices on baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes (until bread starts to toast). Remove from oven and carefully flip toasts. Bake for another 3-4 minutes being careful not to let the toast burn.
Remove from oven and allow toasts to cool slightly.
While toasts are still hot, but cool enough to be handled, spread each piece with chevré and top with 3-4 slices of fig.
Garnish each toast with a few small pieces of thyme and drizzle honey over top.
Serve immediately and serve with Chardonnay (for white lovers) or Pinot Noir (for red lovers) – my recommendation is the Pinot which is known to pair wonderfully with chevré. Cheers!

Chicken a la Vendemmia

October 1, 2015

With pound of leftover figs from our Fig & Rosemary Sparkling Cocktail and Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza, I was on the hunt for a yummy fall harvest inspired recipe. When I stumbled upon Michael Chiarello’s Chicken a la Vendemmia recipe, I was sold. What better way to use up our figs than with ripe grapes that could be pulled off of our own vineyard? Since I was making this in LA and not at the Napa house, I opted to use table grapes instead, but next year when I’m in Napa for harvest, I’m definitely making this with grapes from our vines. I sought out to replicated the dish with a few little tweaks along the way and was delighted with how simple and delicious this turned out to be. I’ve never cooked a bone-in chicken breast, but it was so juicy and wonderful that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to cook a boneless/skinless chicken breast again – so much better! The skin and fennel added just the right amount of savory crunch and it’s hard to go wrong with figs. The combination of the figs and grape made for a sweet sauce over the chicken that paired wonderfully with a well balanced, lightly oaked Chardonnay. YUM!

Find the original recipe here and make sure you check out Michael’s restaurant, Bottega in Yountville the next time you visit Napa – it’s one of our favorites. Cheers!

Time: 1 hour
Yield: 2 servings

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 lbs grapes (seeded or seedless table grapes)
2 large bone-in chicken breasts (skin on)
Sea salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons fennel
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup shallot, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
1 cup fresh figs (halved)

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Using a food processor, puree the grapes and then strain. You want to extract as much of the juice as possible so you may need to press the solids up against a sieve to do so. 2 lbs. of grapes should yield about 2 cups of juice.
Season your chicken breasts liberally with fennel. Sprinkle each with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium/high heat. Once your skillet is hot, add the olive oil and chicken (skin side down) and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and cook until chicken is done (10-15 minutes).
Remove chicken from the skillet and discard all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the shallot and cook until softened and slightly transparent. Add rosemary for 10-15 seconds before incorporating your grape juice, stirring to evenly distribute the heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes (or until mixture starts to reduce) and add your figs. Allow figs to warm throughout (about 1-2 more minutes before removing from heat).
Plate your chicken and pour the sauce and figs overtop. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve with a glass of ONEHOPE Chardonnay. Cheers!

Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza

September 29, 2015

Last week when I was experimenting with fall figs, I whipped up a yummy Fig & Rosemary Sparkling Cocktail that ended up being a team favorite. We had a pound of figs left over and some prosciutto so I fired up the oven to create a crispy flatbread. I was so surprised at how incredible this was! I’d never rolled our my own dough so this was the first pizza from “scratch” that I’d made, (although the fresh dough was still store-bought – can’t take all of the credit!) so I had no idea what to expect. I was ecstatic at how perfect the crust was and the combination of salty and savory prosciutto, creaminess of the mozzarella, sweetness of the figs and slightly sharp parmesan made this a crowd pleaser. This paired perfectly with a glass of Edna Valley Pinot Noir… with just the right amount dark cherry on the nose, concentrated fruit, a touch of nutmeg and fall spice on the palate, the Pinot really complimented the sweet and savory flavor profile of the pizza. I’ll definitely be making this again! So easy and so worth the TINY bit of extra effort to get that perfect crust. Cheers!

Time: 45 minutes
Yield: One 16″ round flatbread pizza

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 tbs. flour
16 oz. pizza dough (we used Trader Joe’s pre-made classic dough)
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. prosciutto
8 oz. fresh mozzarella (sliced)
5-6 figs (thinly sliced)
1.5 cups arugula
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shaved)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you’re using a pizza stone, make sure your stone is in the oven during the preheating process (dramatic shifts in temperatures can cause a pizza stone to shatter if the stone isn’t warm before placing it in your oven).
If your dough is refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature before working with it. Flour your work surface and gently kneed, stretch and roll dough to desired shape and size. Ours was ~16″ in diameter.
Brush a little olive oil on the dough and top with prosciutto and mozzarella. Transfer dough to your pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes (or until crust has started to crisp).
While the pizza is in the oven, carefully top the pizza with figs and bake for 3 more minutes. You want to give the figs time to warm up and heat throughout without over cooking them.
While the figs are warming, place arugula in a bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt.
Remove pizza from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow pizza to sit for 1-2 minutes before slicing. Top with arugula and shaved parmesan. Serve with a glass of ONEHOPE Pinot Noir for the perfect pairing. Cheers!

New York

September 24, 2015

New York is one of my favorite cities in the world so when one of our closest friends decided to get married there, we were thrilled to be making a trip back. This is by no means a full city guide as we only had a few days to explore, but here were a few of my favorite places on this trip:

E A T

The Spotted Pig: It’s honestly tough to have a bad meal in New York because there are so many restaurants that the competition is incredibly high and some the best chefs in the world call it their home. The foodie scene is unparalleled. The Spotted Pig was the best meals I’ve ever had in New York City – so much so that I went twice in a day with two different groups of people – Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone! You need to order:

The Deviled Egg – My dad makes a MEAN deviled egg, but this one was easily my second favorite ever.
Devils on Horseback – Absolutely insanely delicious dates wrapped in bacon – a wonderful balance of sweet and savory. The perfect salty, savory crunch of bacon followed by a soft, decadent date on the inside – YUM.
Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnudi with Basil Pesto – My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish. I’m a huge pasta person in general, but gnocchi and ravioli are my jam. The gnudi is made up of several balls of ricotta stuffed pasta – a little smaller than a golf ball each. Lightly covered in a delicious basil pesto, the gnudi is absolutely perfect. I ordered this dish both times and had a really hard time sharing.
Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring Fries – I was lucky enough to try this burger on both trips. I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life. Perfectly seasoned and juicy with just the right amount of mild/medium blue (which I usually don’t love on a burger). The shoestring fries take this dish over the top and are absolutely addicting.

Bleecker Street Pizza: The first time I had pizza in New York, it was at a shitty, 7-11 style joint at 4:00 in the morning and it was TERRIBLE. The crust was flimsy, the cheese resembled that of 90’s cafeteria pizza and it was honestly disgusting. To this day, it was the only bad meal I’ve ever had in New York. I swore that I was a Detroit style (square) or Chicago style (deep dish) girl at heart and that my life was totally fine without New York pizza. Since so many people rave about it including our foodie friends and since it was 4:00 in the morning on Saturday (and I was a bit tipsy and easy to convince), I decided to give it a try again at Bleecker Street Pizza and my pizza world was flipped upside down. The PERFECT size slices that can be folded in half (but not flimsy by any means!) with the best, unforgettable crunch. NOMS! Absolutely mouth-watering pizza. Order:

Whatever the hell kind of pizza you like because absolutely nothing is going to suck.

Burger Joint: Hidden behind a curtain in the back of Le Parker Meridien on 56th and 6th, this place rocked our world. We went after a 7:30 showing of Les Miserables and I’m so glad our friend made the suggestion. While they have the best diner style burgers and shakes imaginable, there’s nothing fancy about this place. I felt like I’d been transported to a funky old diner in Detroit with mismatched decor, autographs on the wall, wood paneling and all sorts of grease and smells. So delicious. Order:

A cheeseburger with everything on it.
Fries
Shake

D R I N K

Experimental Cocktail Club: Jake and I aren’t exactly big into clubs (although I did have a clubbing spree when I first moved to LA – hay Hollywood!), but we were spending time with our friends who know all of the best places in the city, so ECC in the lower east side it was! Slightly swanky with great decor and an incredible DJ, ECC brings in the best mixologists in the world to craft cocktails that are some of the best you’ll ever have…. so good that we were there until just before closing. Eeeek! Order:

Burning Passion Punch – But ONLY one! An awesome combination of rum and passion fruit. They slice open a passion fruit and set both halves on fire before delivering it to your table. Delicious.
Brazilian Magic Punch – Yaguara Cachaca, coconut milk, almond milk, pineapple, verjus, agave, black and white peppers, Chilean peppers, cocoa beans, vanilla, rose buds – WHAT?! Hands down the best cocktail I’ve had in years. Order it. You won’t regret it.

B R E A T H

The High Line: If you’re eating and drinking as much as we were, a trip to the High Line is a must. An elevated railroad turned beautiful park, the High Line runs from Gansevoort St. in Meatpacking to West 34th Street on the city’s west side. It can get a bit crowded so go early and enjoy some pretty stunning views of Manhattan.

Battery Park City: I’d never been to southern most point of Manhattan, but it’s where our friends were getting married and I couldn’t wait to explore a new part of the city. Watching the sun set over the Statue of Liberty was simply unforgettable and an experience I couldn’t recommend more.

S H O P

ABC Carpet & Home: There is so much shopping in New York that it’s hard to go wrong, but my favorite place there is still ABC Carpet & Home. I went exploring with Beth on Thursday afternoon and we spent a few hours wandering around each level getting design inspiration and doing some preliminary sourcing for the Napa project. We bought way too many cards and little gifts on the first level, but honestly could have walked away with anything in that store provided we had the $ and means to drag it back to LA.

And that’s a wrap! Where are your favorite places in NY?

Pumpkin Doughnuts

September 16, 2015

This morning is an early one! A bunch of us from work are jetting off to New York on the first flight out to celebrate the marriage of one of our co-workers and I can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle! It also doesn’t hurt that the wedding is in NY being that I’ve been dying to get back there – it’s been over a year! I was hoping for a super brisk, fall week, but the forecast is unfortunately showing 80+ every day we’re there, so I’ll just have to deal with my overwhelming #basic fall nostalgia and pumpkin cravings. In yearning for all things fall, I thought I’d pass along one of my favorite recipe finds from last year – Pumpkin Doughnuts! I can’t wait to make these again when I’m back from NY. I made a few of my own adjustments (below), but find the original recipe here. It’s ~~almost~~ fall, y’all!

PS: Proof that Americans Love Pumpkin Flavored Everything & An In-Depth Analysis of Pumpkin Spice’s World Domination – two good reads on America’s obsession with fall pumpkins.

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 doughnuts

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Coating
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/butter doughnut wells and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add your wet ingredients (oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Using a mixer, blend until mixture is well combined.
Spoon mixture into your doughnut baking pan. Each well should be filled about 1/2 of the way. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until doughnut is firm, but not cooked all of the way through (toothpick should not come out clean).
Remove from oven and gently remove each doughnut from individual wells. Grease/butter each well again and fill wells with more batter about 1/2 of the way. Place your partially cooked doughnuts on top of the new batter and bake for 7-10 more minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Because the batter is quite heavy, these doughnuts won’t puff up like you’re used to traditionally. The first time I made these, I skipped adding more batter and flipping the first set of doughnuts over – my doughnuts were flat on the bottom 😉
Once doughnuts are baked all the way through, let them cool slightly and remove from the pan. While doughnuts are cooling combine coating sugar and cinnamon in a ziplock bag. Add one doughnut at a time and shake until completely coated. Enjoy while warm with your favorite coffee or hot apple cider. YUM!

Weekend in Aspen

September 15, 2015

When a business partner asked Jake and I to attend Jazz Aspen over Labor Day weekend, we were sold. I visited Aspen with Jake for the first time in June for a work event and we simply couldn’t squeeze enough in to feel like we’d really taken advantage of all it has to offer. This trip couldn’t have come at a better time – LA was just entering a record breaking heatwave and Jake’s travel schedule has been nuts. A weekend away as a couple was just what the doctor ordered. Check out a few of our favorite places below:

S T A Y

The Villas at Snowmass – Jake and I stayed here and we couldn’t have been happier with our experience. We were walking distance to the festival (less than a 5 minute walk) and since we were spending 4 nights there, it was nice to have a full kitchen to stock up on our choice of food, beer and wine so that we weren’t eating every single meal out. Having a fireplace and a second bathroom was lovely and we felt right at home.

The Viceroy Snowmass – Chic contemporary design meets warm mountain lodge. While we didn’t stay here on this trip, we dropped by on our last day. I’ve had a long love affair with Viceroy hotels and this one was no exception – stunning views, guest rooms, pool and restaurants. While there are convenient shuttles everywhere in Aspen/Snowmass, the Viceroy is within walking distance to the lifts making it a perfect stay in the winter for those looking to hit the slopes.

Hotel Jerome – Historic, classic and perfectly chic, the Hotel Jerome was my first taste of Aspen in June and remains a favorite. The staff is so welcoming and the design is spot on. The bar is one of my favorite places in Aspen and is so perfectly curated that I could explore it for hours. Black walls, beautiful wainscoting, inlaid cowhide tile runners, an elegant fireplace with grasscloth backed built-ins make this the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and some conversation. With a modern men’s cigar lounge/bar in my design project future, I’ll definitely be citing this place as inspiration.

E A T / D R I N K

Casa Tua – Absolutely delicious Northern Italian cuisine and a fantastic wine list. It’s no wonder Casa Tua is one of Aspen’s highest rated restaurants. We were able to taste the Burrata salad as well as the daily Risotto and Gnocchi – all phenomenal. We felt completely at home with wonderful staff and service in a beautifully designed, inviting space.

Matsuhisa – If you’ve never visited one of Chef Nobu’s restaurants, you need to. The freshest ingredients, clean, crisp yet complex flavors and meticulous, painstakingly perfect execution make for an unforgettable experience. In typical Nobu form, the menu offers very little description of what you’re to receive so allow your server to make recommendations and guide you through your tasting experience.

B R E A T H

Bike – After we’d adjusted to the altitude, we planned to rent bikes on what disappointingly ended up being the one rainy and cold day during our visit. We didn’t end up doing the ride like we’d hoped, but will definitely make time for that during our next visit. There is so much to see in the Aspen/Snowmass area that you can only experience outside of a car so a bike rental is a great way to get some fresh air and come a little closer to nature. The ride from Snowmass to Aspen is about 90 minutes (mostly downhill) so definitely consider a one way rental unless you’re hoping to make a day of it and ride uphill on the way back.

Gondola – The gondola experience in Telluride was absolutely unforgettable so we knew we wanted to take the gondola up to the top of Aspen mountain. I’m so glad we made the time to do it. While it rained during our ride, we were able to view the most amazing and vibrant rainbow over the mountain and valley. The views and trails at the top are so worth the $20 ticket (I had no idea that there was a HUGE mountain range behind Aspen mountain!) – the sight was breathtaking. I can only imagine how awesome it must be in the winter. We’d been told not to eat at the Sundeck Restaurant by some friends, but we were starving when we got up there and decided to anyway. I was so shocked at how great the food was for just a simple ski lodge cafeteria. I’m glad we grabbed a bite to eat and a beer before exploring and making our way back down.

Walk – Aspen is honestly the cutest little city. It’s such a quaint mountain town that’s a little more touristy than Telluride and more historic and slightly less gingerbread than Park City. It’s pristine yet wild at the same time and there’s character around every corner with mountains and endless nature at every angle. Even the runoff system around the town creates tiny little street side creeks that curious kids and dogs play in endlessly and bistro lights strung across the brick and cobblestone streets add just the right amount of warm charm. I can’t wait to plan a trip there in the winter so we can see Aspen in all her snowy glory.

Have you been to Aspen? I’d love to hear your recommendations too!

{I didn’t bring the right kind of lens on the gondola, but shot the picture above of the rainbow on my iPhone.}

Pappardelle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese

February 13, 2015

When brainstorming for a simple meal to pair with our Pinot Noir at ONEHOPE, I had one thing stuck in my mind and knew we had to make it work – pasta. Pasta is so simple to make and can be manipulated to perfectly pair with any wine. Whether you’re craving something creamy, acidic, cheesy, spicy – there’s a pasta for every desired taste profile. Since mushrooms and goat cheese are both wonderful for a Pinot Noir, I searched the web for inspiration and landed on this. Done and done! A ribbon pasta just seemed more romantic (a la Lady and the Tramp) so I decided on Pappardelle in lieu of Ziti to keep with our Valentine’s Day theme and to also really soak up that goat cheese. This savory, hearty pasta pairs wonderfully with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is just acidic enough to cut through the rich goat cheese and is the perfect, full bodied and earthy compliment to portobello mushrooms and sweet, caramelized onions. YUM!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound pappardelle pasta
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 onions (chopped)
1 pound portobello mushrooms (stems and gills removed, caps sliced in half and then crosswise into ~1/4″ slices)
4 ounces goat cheese (crumbled)
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions

In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir occasionally for ~30-40 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
While onions are caramelizing, in a large pot, boil your pasta in salted water according pasta’s instructions.
Remove onions from pan and heat 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir until soft and medium brown. In the same pan, add the onions, balsamic vinegar, pepper, half the parsley.
When pasta is fully cooked, drain and add remaining olive oil to the pot. Return cooked pasta to pot, add the onion and mushroom mixture, salt, water, 2/3 of the goat cheese and 2 ounces of grated parmesan. Toss while making sure to evenly coat pasta and meld flavors. Plate immediately.
Garnish each dish with remaining fresh, crumbled goat cheese, top with remaining parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.
Pair with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir. Cheers!

PS: Check out my other Valentine’s Day wine pairings here and here.

Wilted Frisée with Coarse Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Granny Smith Apples

February 12, 2015

No meal is complete without something green so when putting together a 3 course wine dinner, I knew we needed a little something fresh that would be a perfect pairing with Chardonnay. While I was bouncing around ideas with our Sommelier, she threw out the idea of a wilted frisée salad. Honestly, I was skeptical. Frisée are the little bitter greens that I’ve always picked out of a mixed green salad simply because they’re always a little too tough or frankly, bitter (which they are by nature). I’ve never been a fan. Creating a salad comprised of all frisée scared me, but she convinced me when she suggested slightly wilting it to make it easier to eat and to help meld the flavors of a course grain mustard vinaigrette. I decided to take the chance and I’m so glad I did. I could not believe how much I LOVED this salad – I actually went back for seconds! The combination of light, slightly bitter greens, mustard vinaigrette and apples are the prefect compliment to our California Chardonnay. The chopped, granny smith apples bring out the hint of apple and pear in the wine while the mustard vinaigrette offers the perfect touch of acidity to compliment the bitterness of the greens. This is a delicious, light and crisp salad to enjoy before a hearty main course (coming tomorrow). YUM! Give it a try this weekend for your Valentine and I promise you’ll love it. Just be sure to pair it with a little Chardonnay. The combo is pretty spectacular. Scroll down to view the recipe!

Yield: 2 salads

Ingredients

1 head frisée
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup feta
1/2 medium granny smith apple (chopped)

Directions

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Toss greens in pan until slightly wilted and just starting to brown.
3. To make your vinaigrette, whisk together mustard, red wine vinegar, black pepper, salt and remaining olive oil.
4. In a large bowl, toss greens, chopped apple, feta and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve with a crisp chardonnay.

Cherry Preserves & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizer

February 11, 2015

Happy Wine Wednesday! With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I wanted to share a little something I put together for work – Valentine’s Day food and wine pairings. Jake and I are true foodies and we love exploring new restaurants in our area, but some of my happiest memories with him are when we’ve cooked together and enjoyed a great bottle of wine at home. The goal was to create 3 easy-moderate recipes that paired deliciously with three of our wines and could be simply replicated by a couple or whichever partner has decided to treat the other on Valentines Day. I did some research and after bouncing ideas around with our Sommelier, we decided on a few that would be perfect. We gave them a try and they were SO GOOD! I will definitely, 100% be making each of these again… and maybe this weekend!

The first one is a sweet and savory pastry that will melt in your mouth. Paired with ONEHOPE California Chardonnay, the goat cheese, cherry and buttery pastry highlight the crisp apple and pear notes in the wine. Enjoy the hint of caramel on the finish to perfectly meld with the savory goat cheese and pastry. YUM! Find the recipe below and stay tuned for two more yummy treats tomorrow and Friday. xoxo

Yield: 4 large pastries

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry
8 oz. cherry preserves
8 oz. chevre
Egg wash (1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water lightly beaten)
2 tbs melted butter
Powdered sugar (optional)

…and the perfect Chardonnay 🙂

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. If using frozen puff pastry, allow it to thaw for 30 minutes. You want your pastry to be workable, but not sticky.
3. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll dough to just under 1/4″
4. Cut out your dough using a large cookie cutter. We were able to cut out 8 large hearts (enough for 4 pastries) and 4 small hearts (enough for 2 pastries).
5. Place half of the cut out dough on your work surface and layer shapes with chevre and preserves. Be careful not to use too much of the either cheese or preserves. For a 4″ heart cookie cutter, we used about 2 tablespoons chevre and 2 tablespoons preserves per pastry. Be sure to leave a 1/2″ border of dough around the filling.
6. Place the remaining dough shapes on your work surface. Using a knife, score the dough in whatever design desired. This will allow your pastry to vent while baking.
7. Give the scored dough shapes a little stretch and place over the shapes with the chevre and cherry preserves. Make sure the edges line up.
8. Using a fork, press the top and bottom layers of dough together around the edge of your pastry to seal it shut.
9. Using a brush, lightly coat each pastry with egg wash and melted butter. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes (or until edges are golden and pastry begins to flake).
10. Remove from oven and allow pastries to set for 2-3 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

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