Root Beer Craze: Not Your Father's & Coney Island

Every summer there seems to be one hot product that flies off our shelves and we cannot keep in stock. Last year was Narragansett's Dels Shandy and this year....what else but root beer flavored beer. The two brands to hit the Massachusetts market are Not Your Father's Root Beer and Coney Island Hard Root Beer (Sam Adams product). 

Not Your Father's Root Beer from Small Town Brewery in Illinois tastes and smells just like the real thing. It really is remarkable how it tastes exactly like all of the root beer brands you grew up drinking. For 5.9% ABV, it is barely recognizable. Personally, I think I can only have a couple of these in one sitting, as the sweetness does fill me up. Aside from that I cannot think of a bad thing to say about Not Your Father's Root Beer. 

The second alcoholic root beer to hit the Massachusetts market is Coney Island Brewing Hard Root Beer. The brewing company was founded in 2007 by Jeremy Cowen of Shmaltz Brewing Company. It recently underwent a transition in 2013 when Sam Adams acquired the brewery. The Hard Root Beer is 5.8 % ABV, which is right on par with Not Your Father's version. The only main difference in taste profiles between the two is that Coney Island has more spice and a slightly less sugary taste. 

If you do pick up a 6-pack of either version I highly recommend making a root beer float! I scooped Trader Joe's French Vanilla into a tall glass and floated the beer on top for a delicious dessert turned nightcap. 

Have a great weekend! 

Lagunitas Citrusinensis Pale Ale

 

As part of their onehitters series, Lagunitas released a spin on their New Dogtown Pale Ale. CitruSinensis is a hopped ale brewed with natural blood orange flavors, which is perfect and refreshing for summer.  

Citrus aromas pour out of my glass and are joined by juicy and sweet notes. The sip is a burst of citrus, grapefruit and malty hops. Boy, this is beer refreshing! The finish has a strong blood orange taste, which has some sweetness upfront with a tail end of bitterness. Even though the hops give off a bitterness, there is a lingering sweetness aftertaste. Such an interesting combination of bitter and sweet that keeps you wanting one more taste. 

  Overall, very crisp and easy to drink this summer. This is rather limited so I definitely suggest picking up a 6 pack if you see it! (P.S. My store still has a couple left!) 

What's your favorite Lagunitas beer? Have a great day! 

Lemon Butter Scallops

Scallops are one of my favorite food items to order while out to eat in the summertime. I do not know why I do not cook them myself more often because they are very quick and easy. I tried out a lemon butter sauce recipe for my pound of scallops with a side salad and it turned out delicious. The best part about scallops is that a glass of your favorite Sauvignon Blanc marries the flavors perfectly together!

All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes. I do suggest preparing your side dishes ahead of time since the scallops cook fast!  

For ingredients you will need the following: 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

1 pound scallops 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Ingredients for the lemon butter sauce: 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

Juice of 1 lemon 

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) 

Instructions: 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium high heat.

Rinse scallops with cold water and thoroughly pat dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add scallops to the pan and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center (about 1-2 minutes per side). Set aside and cover to keep warm. 

To make the lemon butter sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in your pan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Pour the lemon butter sauce over your scallops and garnish with parsley, if desired. Bon appetit!  

Food & Wine As Of Lately

One night after work I stopped at Wegmans and picked myself up a prepared to go meal. They have really great options for the nights when you need something quick and healthy. I chose salmon topped with pesto and paired it with a Rose sample from my Monsieur Touton salesman. I tend to lean towards Rose from Provence because of its crisp, dry and fresh flavor profile. 

MiMi en Provence, Grande Reserve Rose 2014 is made from the same juice as Whispering Angel (hot Rose of the moment) but for half the cost! It is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, which gives it a pale pink color. Strawberries, white peach and rose petal give this wine a wonderful aroma and crisp taste. It paired great with my salmon and I can imagine it going well with any seafood dish.

Also I cannot forget to mention the Ornellaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil pictured above. It is absolutely AMAZING!  Ornellaia's oil is a product of olives pressed from about 2,000 trees that grow on the grounds of the winery. Many of the trees are over 100 years old, which is no surprise since the Ornellaia Esate was created in 1981. 

My knowledge of oil olive is miniscule, but I do know how exceptional Ornellaia's wine portfolio is and they did not skimp when it came to their oil. I highly recommend this Tuscan extra virgin olive oil if you are ever looking for a present for the ultimate foodie in your life. 

For the 4th I made devil food cupcakes topped with strawberries and blueberries to create a dessert American Flag! Hope your 4th consisted of great company and food!

Shrimp Scampi & Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc

Seafood and Sauvignon Blanc is one of my all time favorite food/wine combinations. For dinner the other night I made shrimp scampi and served it with Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc. The shrimp scampi recipe I used was very simple which made for a quick and tasty meal. I will stress that you should buy the shrimp already deveined. I made the mistake of not doing that and boy did it add on extra time to the prep! :-(

Here is the recipe I followed: 

8 ounces linguine

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 pound shrimp (16-24), shelled and deveined 

4 cloves of garlic, chopped 

1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional) 

1/4 cup white wine 

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 

salt and pepper to taste 

1 teasoon lemon zest 

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 

1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on package.

2. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until frothing. Add the shrimp. Cook for  2 minutes, flip, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then cook for an additional minute. When done cooking, transfer the shrimp to a large bowl. 

3. Add white wine and lemon juice to the pan, deglaze it, simmer for a minute and remove from heat. 

4. Season with salt and pepper, stir in lemon zest and parsley before tossing with the shrimp and pasta. 

I topped the dish with some Parmesan cheese and a little extra red pepper flakes. On a side note, the grocery store sold out of lemons so I improvised with a meyer lemon (cross between a real lemon and a mandarin). It definitely gave the dish a sweeter citrus twist, but overall it worked! 

The Emmolo Sauivgon Blanc comes from the Wagner Family of Wine a.k.a. the world of Caymus! I think by know you can tell I have a love for all things Caymus. I am beyond excited to visit the winery in almost a month. Eek! 

Anyways, Emmolo is made by Jenny Wagner, the grandaughter of Charlie Wagner. It is named after Jenny's Italian maternal family and was founded by her mother Cheryl Emmolo in 1994. This wine is truly an elegant representation of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Light bodied and crisp are two perfect words to describe Emmolo. 

Aromas of citrus, lemon grass and a hint of grapefruit delight my senses. The palate does not disappoint with pear and more grapefruit/citrus flavors. The crisp minerality and acidity is what really draws me to this wine. Emmolo is not overpowered by fruit but instead minerality driven, which I find to be very engaging on the palate. This crisp white wine will pair nicely with a various seafood and summer style dishes.       

Have a great weekend! 

Dona Paula Estate Red Blend & Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

I recently made another Pinterest creation, courtesy of Brown Sugar's cooking blog, for dinner that is definitely worth sharing: Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken! A quick and easy recipe that adds a kick to your normal breaded chicken breast. I paired the dish with a red blend from Argentina. The wine, Dona Paula Estate Black Edition, blends Malbec (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (37%) and Petite Verdot (3%) together for a full body, smooth red. If I was in the mood for a white, I would have chosen a Gewurztraminer or an Alsatian Riesling to combat the heat of the jalapenos stuffed in the chicken. 

The Dona Paula red blend received 94 points from James Suckling and he described it as "all here." I could not agree more, as I found this full body wine to have everything I want in a red blend. I find a majority of red blends under $20 to lack a real backbone in tannins and body, resulting in more of a sugary fruit juice. Dona Paula Red Blend expresses dark fruit, vanilla and notes of red pepper spice. Velvety tannins and a long, smooth finish are a result of the Cabernet and the Petite Verdot, which sets it apart from a typical Malbec. This wines runs anywhere from $13 to $15 for a 750ml bottle.

If you are interested in recreating this easy stuffed chicken recipe, I have included it at the bottom.  highly recommend it for its flavor and its simple ingredients! 

Ingredients 

• 2 boneless chicken breast 
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 3/4 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese 
• 1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, diced and deseeded (about 3 small jalapeno peppers) 
• 1 cup flour 
• 2 eggs whisked 
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs 
• olive oil
• salt and pepper 
• butcher twine or toothpicks (the butcher twine holds the chicken together better) 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees  

2. Make a slit about an inch long in the middle of each chicken breast. Just long enough to make a pocket in the middle of the breast. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 

3. Stir the cream cheese in a small bowl until its creamy and smooth. Add the cheese and diced/deseeded jalapeno peppers. Stir until well combined. 

4. Take a handful of the cheese mixture and stuff the inside of each chicken breast. You want to get as much of the mixture in the pocket as you can without over stuffing it to the point where you can't close the chicken breast.  

5. Use two pieces of butchers twine to secure the chicken. Wrap each piece around the chicken, double tie the twine, make a knot and cut off the extra pieces. Remember to cut the twine off after cooking! 

6. Pour the flour and the bread crumbs in separate plates and set aside for the moment. Whisk your eggs and then pour into a shallow plate or bowl. Take each chicken and coat it in the flour first, then the egg and last the bread crumbs. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated in all of the layers. 

7. Using a large saute pan on the stove at a medium heat, prep the pan with olive oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Once the pan is ready, saute each chicken breast for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then place the chicken on a baking sheet, covered in wax paper or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 

8. Place inside the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes and allow to cool before serving. 

Hope you have a chance to try this recipe out. Have a great day! 

Friday Favorites

Here are some products I'm currently liking for some weekend fun inspiration.

Save Me San Francisco Bulletproof Picasso Sauvignon Blanc

One of my current favorites for a Sauvignon Blanc under $10. A bright, colorful label and a twist off top make this wine perfect for spring. A blend of citrus notes highlight this fruit-forward style Sauvigon Blanc. It is fermented in 100% stainless steel, which gives the wine a clean and crisp finish.   

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 

If you are looking for a nice gift for a Cabernet drinker and do not want to spend over $30, this Mondavi Napa is perfect. Big, bold, rich and smooth. Dark fruit berries and herbal notes are blended in the glass. Leather, a touch of vanilla and a subtle oak presence on the finish. The addition of 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, %1 Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec to the Cabernet grapes to give the wine a soft, Bordeaux style blend.    

Ballast Point Sculpin Grapefruit 

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin is hands down my favorite beer of the moment and possibly through out the whole summer! It is the perfect marriage of an IPA and grapefruit juice. Stay tuned for a whole post reviewing this limited time seasonal. 

Jack Daniels Fire 

The latest player to the cinnamon whiskey game: Jack Daniels Fire. The original contender, Fireball, is really the only shot I will order while at a bar. However, Jack's version may have me rethinking my order. The first main difference between the products is that you know what type of whiskey is used with Fire. The whiskey base is more of a mystery with Fireball. Second, I find Jack Fire does not have the syrupy aftertaste that I associate with Fireball. 

Have a great weekend!