Tales From The Wine Store

Movin’ to the Country, Gonna Eat a Lot of Peaches (and other Good Stuff)

I love this time of year – peak Farmer’s Market season – tomatoes, zucchini, and especially peaches. And when I think of peaches, I can’t help but think of this song by The Presidents of the Unites States 🙂

We wanted to choose a cookbook that would highlight local ingredients from the farmer’s market, and chose Emeril Legasse’s Farm to Fork. There are so many good recipes in this cookbook!

We started off with a Watermelon Limeade with Tequila as our cocktail. Very refreshing, and highly recommended by everyone (even without the tequila)!

Dee was in charge of the appetizer and made the Tomato, Zucchini, and Leek Galette. Oh. My. Goodness. This was so delicious, and looks pretty easy to make! According to Dee, the hardest part was chopping the vegetables, which can actually be therapeutic in my opinion. And you can’t beat puff pastry as the crust – just roll it out!

Laura was in charge of the salad and made Beet Salad with Cheese Crisps and Walnut Dressing. Even if you don’t like beets you would like this salad – tastes good and is good for you! And, as Laura discovered, there is a difference between sherry vinegar and sherry – you don’t want to confuse the two ingredients or you will end up with something that does not taste very good. Luckily she tasted the dressing before tossing the salad (always a good idea to take a taste of your food before serving to guests).

We served The Ripper from Booker Vineyards with the salad – the grenache really complemented the earthiness from the beets. Yum!

Nancy was the hostess and made the entree – Herb-Crusted Cod with Tomato Tapenade served with Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. She had everything prepared ahead of time, and was able to cook the fish quickly after we finished our salads. I need more fish in my diet, and this is something I will definitely be making in the future. So good and fresh! And the potatoes were perfect!

We drank a chardonnay from Whitcraft Winery with the fish – it was delicious! Even if you don’t think you like chardonnay you will like this wine – I kept asking Nancy “are you sure this is a chardonnay?” So good!

Finally, the dessert – and the inspiration for this post’s title. I made Ricotta Napoleons with Fresh Peaches – and the peaches really were the star! This is peak time for them in Illinois – they are so sweet and juicy and just perfect! Also, this dessert can be made ahead of time, and then assembled right before serving, which makes it a good choice for a dinner party. The recipe calls for fresh berries, but you can substitute whatever fruit is fresh and in season. This was my first time working with phyllo dough, and I guess I really didn’t understand how thin the layers were, or how much I needed to buy. Since I was doubling the recipe I bought four packages of phyllo dough, and now I have 3 1/2 packages left – oh well, I’ll just need to make something else!

And you’re welcome for the earworm!

Drinkin’ With (Abe) Lincoln in Menard County

Petersburg and the surrounding area has always been one of my favorite places to visit. It is a short drive (around 30 minutes) from Springfield, and is the home to New Salem, where Abraham Lincoln lived as a young man. It is definitely worth checking out! There are several things to do in Petersburg and the surrounding area, and I am only going to touch on the things we did on this date. There will definitely be a future blog post about more fun stuff to do in Petersburg.

We arrived in Petersburg in time for lunch and decided to go to The Corner Cafe. This nice little restaurant is nothing fancy, but they serve really good food with lots of things to choose from. If you can’t find something on the menu to eat, then you must not be hungry!

After lunch we decided to go to Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, which is only about 15 minutes away from Petersburg. Since it was a Thursday, they were not very busy, just another table besides us. On the weekends they have usually have bands, so plan accordingly! It’s a good idea to bring your own lawn chairs. We shared a bottle of wine and solved all of the world’s problems.

Next stop was back in Petersburg to a new wine bar called 1st and 3rd Boutique and Wine Bar – this a really cute place to go shopping plus get your drink on! They have a small selection of wine you can purchase to take home or drink there. We chose to drink there and enjoyed sitting in the upstairs part of their shop.

Final stop was at West of Wise Winery, which is located about 10 minutes south of Petersburg on Route 123. I believe this is actually still considered Petersburg (or at least I always consider it Petersburg). It is small winery with a large area to kick back and enjoy some of their locally made vino. Again, since it was a Thursday, there weren’t very many people, but we did see the group of ladies who were at Hill Prairie Winery – I wonder if they were doing the same thing we were? We enjoyed a bottle and chatted about how much we loved being retired 🙂

Fun and pretty drive out in the country, but still close to Springfield. A great way to spend the afternoon!

Illinois Amish Country (and a Stop at a Winery)

We decided to go east and travel to Arthur, home to the largest and oldest Amish community in Illinois. Arthur is about an hour and a half from Springfield, and we wanted to get there for lunch.

If you are eating lunch in Arthur, and a first time visitor, you really need to go to Yoder’s Kitchen – just for the experience. They have a buffet, which I normally don’t like, but there were some tasty items (like the fried chicken!). You can also order off of the menu. There was some peanut butter on the table that was out of this world! Very sweet tasting so you wouldn’t want to eat a lot of it, but I would imagine it would be great on ice cream or pancakes. It is a large building that can seat a lot of people, so even if you have to wait it won’t take long for a table to open up.

After Yoder’s we decided to go to a few stores looking for Amish goods. As we found out, most of the stores carry items made by the Amish in Ohio and then shipped here. Next time I go to Arthur I plan to do more research so I can find where the local farmers are selling their items.

We ended up at Beachy’s, which is the main reason I wanted to go to Arthur in the first place. My friend Tracie has been talking about Beachy’s for years, and it was on my list of things I had to do. I didn’t know what to expect … Beachy’s is a huge warehouse-like store full of bulk goods, with a focus on the Amish community. If you are looking for obscure ingredients, you will probably find it here! I was overwhelmed and definitely under prepared for this store – next time we go I will have a list!

Before we departed from Arthur, I wanted to stop by a local butcher shop. Laura texted me to try Das Schlacht Haus, and I am so glad we found it! This butcher shop is actually located outside of Arthur on a farm. It is small inside, with about four stand-up freezers full of meat. I purchased a couple of New York Strip steaks and some bacon, and Sharon got a couple of ribeye steaks. We all agreed – the meat is so good! Worthy of another trip to Arthur!

We headed out of Arthur towards Pana to go to Arpeggio Winery. This took us about an hour, winding through the countryside.

Arpeggio Winery is definitely worth visiting – the owners converted a 100-year old barn into a beautiful venue. It is really stunning! They have music most Sundays, and are only about an hour away from Springfield.

Definitely going to hit up these spots again in the future!

Chatham to Medora

I’ll be the first to admit, 2020 may not have been the best year to retire if your plan was to travel extensively. And that was my plan. And even though we are still in the pandemic, it was time to start venturing outside of my small bubble.

Instead of hopping on a plane or driving for hours to get somewhere, I wanted to start exploring the area I have lived my whole life and find fun things to do. I guess my point is living in Central Illinois doesn’t have to suck! There are lots of things to do and explore, you just have to be open to it.

First stop was Chatham to hit up Sangamo Brewing for some grub. I love this place! I have never had a bad meal there, and it is just a real gem. If you love craft beer this is the place. If you love a great beer garden, this is the place. If you love great food … well, you get it. If you have not tried it I highly recommend taking the drive to Chatham to try it out. The quesadillas are sooooo goooood!

After lunch we ventured south on Route 4 to Auburn, then Route 104 to Waverly, and finally south on Route 111. Our destination was Wild Pickens Winery, which is technically between Chesterfield and Medora. It will take you about an hour to get there from Chatham. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

I had driven by Wild Pickens Winery several times coming home from St. Louis but had never stopped, even though I was very intrigued. The winery is located in the country, and it is a really pretty setting. I would usually be driving by on a Sunday, and it always looked like they had a huge crowd. We were visiting on a Thursday so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. They have a big dining room and a huge outside area. They make their own wine, but they also serve other wines as well, as well as beer. As we were leaving, Todd, the owner, came out to introduce himself. What a nice guy! He’s living the dream right now, so go out and support him! They have music most Saturdays and Sundays, so if you go, get there early.

We decided to head north on Route 111 and stop at Vixen Hill Winery in Palmyra. Vixen Hill Winery is located one mile off of Route 111 on Palmyra Road. It will take you about a half an hour to get there from Wild Pickens Winery.

I have been to Vixen Hill Winery a couple of times … very nice people own and work at the winery, which makes it easy to come back! They make their own wine there, and we shared a bottle out on the patio. Since it was a Thursday we had the place to ourselves. They usually have music on the weekends. Another great place that is not very far from Springfield.

We headed back towards Auburn to stop at a couple of places that I love – Bewitching Botanicals and Slauterhouse Brewery. If you have not been to Bewitching Botanicals – go there! The owner makes a lot of the products herself – face soaps, body polishes, shampoos, conditioners, bath bombs, etc. Way too many to list here! All made from natural, sustainable ingredients. The rest of the store is stocked with tons of unique products – let me just say you have to go see it! Go, go, go!

After shopping we met the guys down at Slauterhouse Brewery. It is located in a former meatpacking plant, hence the name (very clever). The beer is fanatastic – soooo good. The very nice people working behind the bar will help you decide what to order, or you can order a flight. Very cute patio set-up, and they usually have music on the weekends.

After this, we headed back to Chatham and Springfield – but what a fun day with great company! More fun local trips coming!

No Reservations About Rao’s Restaurant

My midwestern family has a connection to the famous Rao’s Restaurant in New York City. Not a strong enough relationship to ever get a reservation mind you, but it is a good story. My mom was adopted as a baby, and in the course of discovering who her father was, she befriended a lady named Ruby, who was the sister of my mother’s biological mother’s husband (this is tricky). Ruby became “Aunt Ruby”, even though she is not a blood relation, but she was kind and treated my mother like family. Aunt Ruby’s daughter moved to New York City and married one of the owners of Rao’s Restaurant, and Ruby followed her there. My mom would get a big basket full of Rao’s products at Christmas, and I was introduced to their bottled marinara and pasta sauces. Seriously, if you are buying pasta sauces, these are the best!

I have two Rao’s Cookbooks, but for Cookbook Club I chose the original one – Rao’s Cookbook – Over 100 Years of Italian Cooking. There are so many good recipes in this cookbook, but my absolute favorites are the marinara sauce and Anna and Frankie’s Meatballs.

We started off the evening with a Negroni and some Italian Cheeses. The Negroni was very refreshing and a great way to kick off our Italian-themed dinner.

For starters, Dee made the Rao’s Simple Mixed Green Salad. Tasted exactly like a salad from an Italian restaurant should taste like! The fennel was really good and something I normally don’t use.

I made the main dish, and chose Braised Veal Shanks (Ossobuco) and served it with polenta. I used pork shanks as well for those in our group who do not eat veal, and both meats turned out really good, fall off the bone tender.

Nancy made the sides – Peas and Prosciutto and Sautéed Mushrooms. Confession time – I hate peas, always have. But as an “adult” I’m trying to eat vegetables I would normally pass on. These peas were great! So great I will probably even make them myself! Nancy used the La Sueur brand of canned peas, and I think this made a huge difference. And who doesn’t love mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and white wine? So easy but so delicious!

Last but definitely not least was dessert. Laura made a delicious cheesecake – a lot of cheesecakes can be dense and heavy, but this one was very light and delicious. And instead of a graham cracker crust, you use a dusting of bread crumbs. It really lets the cheesecake shine! You can serve it with fruit, but I thought it was excellent on its own.

The food and wine was delicious, and it’s always great getting together to cook. Bon Appetit!

Cioppino in the Garden

“Summertime … and the living is easy …” This is how I feel this year! So good to be out and about, socializing with friends. This is not a “typical” Cookbook Club event, but since there were two members present, and a whole slew of fabulous cooks coming, I wanted to highlight our friend Jacob’s party.

Jacob lives in the country and is widely known in our circle of friends as a fabulous cook and host. He makes entertaining look effortless, and does not seem to stress about anything! The setting was perfect for an outdoor soirée.

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had cioppino. I know I have never made it, and now I’m not sure why. Let me just say this – it. was. so. good. In fact, Jacob gave us the leftover broth when we left! Jacob used Giada’s recipe for cioppino, with a few modifications: He replaced the fish stock with two 6.5 ounce cans of clams in sauce; one 28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes; four cups of vegetable stock; 1/2 cup of good fish stock; and 1/3 cup of Bragg Liquid Aminos.

I brought Ina Garten’s Panzanella – this is my go-to side dish for summertime potlucks and parties. It is so good, easy, and looks really pretty.

So many good dishes to choose from – we did not go home hungry!

For dessert, Jacob made Mexican Sweet Corn Cake – this is a great summer dessert, and not too sweet! Beautifully presented, with just a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Friends, food, and fireflies (and dogs) – what else do we really need?

An Early Father’s Day Lunch With The ‘Rents

Technically, this does not fit the format or rules for Cookbook Club. But it was another gathering with a couple of fantastic recipes that I wanted to share, and did include half of the Cookbook Club.

This year we had to move up our Father’s Day Celebration since my mom is having surgery. One of my biggest takeaways from 2020 – do not take getting together with your family for granted!

I offered to host, and to keep it simple I decided to cook hamburgers on the grill. You can’t go wrong there! My only comment on this – key to a good burger is a toasted bun. Am I right?

My sister Dee is famous for her French Onion Dip – she gets asked to bring it everywhere. And it is the most delicious and addicting thing out there – I dream about this dip! Plus it comes from Ina Garten, who is THE QUEEN of entertaining! Pan-Fried Onion Dip

Dee is also famous for her baked beans, but she routinely spills them in her car when transporting to a party. So, I decided to take on the baked beans, even though there was a lot of pressure to make them as good as hers. I found this recipe for Katie Lee’s Peach, Bourbon and Bacon Baked Beans – I won’t say this recipe was as good as Dee’s, or that my family would even agree with me, but I personally loved it! I cooked it in the oven for much longer than the recipe stated, only because I like my beans to be thicker and not soupy.

The star of the meal was the dessert – Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova by Nigella Lawson. I have been wanting to make this recipe for years, and finally had the time and opportunity to make it. Plus, I put Nigella up there in the same category as Ina – wonderful, no fail recipes, and somebody you would like to have a cocktail with 🙂 I made it with strawberries since they were in season, and thought it turned out perfect.

I hope I pass on my love of cooking to my nieces 🙂

Every gathering feels extra special this year, and I can’t wait for our next party!

A Jubilee Experience

April 9, 2021

Hallelujah! After spending most of a year locked down and masked up, the Cookbook Club is fully vaccinated, which means a celebration, or “Jubilee”. We chose Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin as we celebrated spring and our friendship.

Dee was the hostess, and we took advantage of great weather to have a cocktail in the back yard. She made the Planter’s Punch, which did actually pack quite a punch, but was very good!

I love Laura’s t-shirt from Reverie Apparel

While we were outside drinking, Dee was inside prepping the main dish.

We started with the Wilted Mixed Greens with Bacon complements of Laura – it is a salad you will dream of having over and over! The dressing, the bacon, the blue cheese – all of it together makes a scrumptious salad. You can find the recipe here: https://www.thekitchn.com/jubilees-wilted-mixed-greens-with-bacon-22995449

Our main dish was Pork Chops with Rich Caper-Lemon Sauce, which was made by Dee. It was so good. I’m not very good at cooking pork chops – I usually overcook them and they turn out very dry. These were perfectly cooked, which can be hard to do when you are cooking for a dinner party. The recipe can be found here: https://palatablepastime.com/2019/11/08/pork-chops-caper-lemon-sauce/

We had some delicious side dishes! Nancy made the Sweetened Potato Rolls (notice how she selected the “Sweet” recipe) and the Black-Eyed Peas and Rice; Laura made the Maque Choux (Fried Corn with Green Peppers). I could have made a meal on the sides alone! Recipes are here: Sweetened Potato Rolls – https://www.austin360.com/foodanddining/20191118/jubileersquo-writes-new-narrative-about-black-food-in-america; Black-Eyed Peas and Rice – https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a30141244/toni-tipton-martin-interview/; Maque Choux – https://buzzfixtoday.com/maque-choux-for-corn-season/

And yes, after all of this food, we still had dessert! I made the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and it was so easy and really delicious! The recipe is here: https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/256046/pineapple-upside-down-cake-recipe-jubilee-cookbook-toni-tipon-martin/

All of the recipes we tried were wonderful, and I would definitely recommend Jubilee to everyone!

Je Voudrais Un Steak Frite S’il Vous Plais!

October 16, 2020

October of 2020 … we naively thought the worst of the pandemic was over. And it was so good to get together, since we had barely seen each other during the lockdown. We decided to be super indulgent and chose My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz as our cookbook for the meal. So many good recipes!

I was responsible for the appetizer, and made the Onion Tart. First of all, I am allergic to onions. Not the ‘throat closing, can’t breathe’ kind of allergic, but allergic nonetheless. And look at that mound of onions!

Secondly, I barely like anchovies, but can take them in small doses. So of course I think I bought the biggest ones out there!

It was delicious! And I will definitely make it again! For the recipe, click here: https://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2016/12/french-fridays-onion-tart-from-my-paris-kitchen/

Dee made the Fennel, Radish, Orange, and Crab Salad – OMG!! It was so beautiful and delicious! The recipe can be found here: https://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2017/12/french-fridays-fennel-radish-orange-and-crab-salad-from-my-paris-kitchen/

Laura (and Dave) were the hosts, and served Steak Frites. Délicieux! Dave made the steaks using the sous vide method, which was super smart when serving eight people, and wanting to get the meat done at the same time at the correct temperature. The recipe can be found here: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/steak-frites-with-mustard-butter

Nancy made the dessert – and it was spectacular! The Salted Butter Caramel-Chocolate Mousse is super indulgent, and just what we needed to finish this meal. The recipe can be found here: https://unwrittenrecipes.com/blog/2016/my-paris-kitchens-salted-butter-caramel-chocolate-mousse-famous-fridays

So much fun, food, friendship, and doggies!

The “Ultimutt” Dog Party

September 25, 2020

Since Cookbook Club events were few and far between this year, I wanted to include something we did for our furry pals that our friends Jamie and Karen hosted. I mean who doesn’t love dogs?!?! And who doesn’t love a dog party?!?!

No cooking at this party … appetizers, pizza, and booze. And dog treats. And dog snuggles.

Randi, Otis, Bowie, and Huck looking for a place to poop.

Randi, Bowie, Otis, Jack, Huck, Blue, Oscar, and Brutus were there along were their parents. And although I don’t I have a pet, I consider myself a god-parent to all of my furry friends.