Making Wine and Spices Dance

This is one of my favorites movies. I miss those winter days in upstate Ithaca, NY with my family, snowed in watching movies like French Kiss. One of my favorite scenes is when they are at his childhood home and they are discussing aromas, herbs, and wine.

Wine and spices compliment each other well. Here is a great chart you can download/pdf made by Kendall Jackson to use as a guide. Whenever I combine herbs/spices with wine, it appears as if they are dancing. For example, I love to make marinades....and after I put all of my spices in a bowl with some olive oil, I add the wine and the spices will start dancing!


Over the weekend we hung out with friends and the question came up, "What is the difference between a spice and an herb?" So we did some research and found the distinction between the two.

Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous (non-woody) plants. Herbs can be both fresh or dried. Herbs originated from temperate climates such as Italy, France, and England.

Spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark. Spices are native to warm tropical climates and can be woody or herbaceous plants. Spices often are more potent and stronger flavored than herbs; as a result they typically are used in smaller amounts. Some spices are used not only to add taste, but also as a preservative.

Some plants are both herbs and spices. For example, the leaves of Coriandrum sativum are the source of cilantro (herb) while coriander (spice) is from the plant's seeds. Dill is another example. The seeds are a spice while dill weed is an herb derived from the plant's stems and leaves.

Here is a great Herb & Spice Guide which provides suggestions on use and what form it is found (dried vs. fresh). Here is another list of Herbs & Spices where you can click on any herb or spice and get its background.

Some herbs and spices are hard to find. I found a great online store called Penzeys that has those unique flavorings not easily found in local stores (such as juniper berries or lemon grass). Penzey's actually has a store in downtown Menlo Park, CA. If you are ever wine tasting or passing through Murphy's CA (home of Ironstone Winery), another great place to buy herbs and spices is at The Spice Tin. What a great shop! I always find gifts for people there (Birthday, Christmas, House-warming, etc).

There is a great recipe that I found in the Wine Spectator (issue Jan 31-Feb 28, 2009) for Short Ribs cooked in wine and herbs. It is a great Sunday dinner dish that takes a few hours to cook.

Short Ribs in Wine
(serves 4-6)

4-5 Ibs. beef short ribs, cut into 3" pieces
salt & freshly ground pepper
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 whole sprigs of sage
2 bay leaves
1 sprig marjoram
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 large white onion, sliced
1 large carrot, 1" chunks
3 Tblp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups full-bodied red wine
1-1.5 cups beef broth

Take the leaves off all of the sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sage, and marjoram. Mix in a bowl with the basil, salt, and pepper. Roll and rub the ribs with the herb mixture. In a large deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the ribs in batches, browning the meat well on all sides - about 10 minutes total per batch. Removed the ribs and set aside for a bit.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the remaining fat in the pan, saute the onion and carrot until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in the wine and broth, scraping the bottom to loosen brown bits. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by a third to a half.

Add bay leaves and ribs, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and transfer to the oven. Let the meat roast gently for 2-3 hours, turning carefully once per hour. Remove from the oven when the meat is tender and beginning to pull away from the bone. We sauteed some brussel sprouts with Parmesan cheese for a side dish. We also made some mashed potatoes with garlic, butter, and chives.

The magazine suggested a Cotes du Rhone for this dish, but we didn't have a bottle on hand. Instead we tried the Ménage à Trois and it was excellent.

Are you making a mattress stuffed with rosemary?

I am in the midst of reading a book my mother gave me by Marlena de Blasi called A Thousand Days in Tuscany. It is great! Marlena often asks her friend from town to find her more rosemary. He says to her one day, "Are you making a mattress stuffed with rosemary? I have never known a person so fixed on this weed as you are."

Italians are known for their use of this fragrant herb in many food preparations. Perhaps this use grew from the fact that rosemary grows spontaneously on the rocky terrain along the Mediterranean coasts in incredible quantities. Rosemary is also very popular in other cuisines such as those of France, Spain and Greece. Rosemary is a perennial plant and in warmer climates (such as Southern Italy or Texas) it can grow to be a shrubby five or six foot high bush loaded with blue flowers.

The word rosemary means “dew from the sea”.... from the Latin word rosmarinus. Maybe this is why I find that Sea Salt and Rosemary compliment each other well, especially in bread.

There is a great bread recipe in the Joy of Cooking, where you can add any herb you desire to the dough. I have modified this recipe a little. Rosemary or Italian Seasoning taste amazing in this bread. It is on page 597 (Fast White Bread) and makes one or two loaves, depending on how large you want each loaf.

On page 591, it explains that you don't have to let the yeast dissolve prior when you use higher temp water (but only up to 130°F or you might kill the yeast). Also, when you use milk, the bread is more tender/cake-like. When you use water, it makes a chewier bread. I like water because it makes a heartier bread and I use it at dinner to soak up deliciousness.

2 cups flour (bread flour is best)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 teaspoons) quick-rise or active dry yeast
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup very warm (115°F to 125°F) water
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted or softened
1 Tbsp. Rosemary or Italian Seasoning

In a large bowl, mix the yeast, water, butter, sugar, salt, and rosemary together. Add 2 cups of flour. Continue to add 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough is moist, but not sticky. It ends up being about 1-1.5 cups flour.

On a floured surface, knead for about 10 minutes by hand (or with the dough hook on low to medium speed) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an olive oiled bowl and turn it over to coat with olive oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75°F to 85°F) until doubled in bulk, 40 to 45 minutes. Grease a cookie sheet if you want 2 long thinner loaves or grease a 9x5" loaf pan for 1 loaf.

Punch down the dough. If you want 2 long/thin loaves, shape them and place onto greased cookie sheet. If you are using a 9x5" loaf pan, form it into a loaf and place seam side down in the greased pan. Oil the top of bread and cover loosely with a clean cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the loaf for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake about 30 minutes more. If you made 2 smaller loaves on a cookie sheet, only cook about 20 minutes more. Bake until the crust is golden brown, or if the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Remove the loaf from the pan to a rack and let cool completely. One tasty tip is to take out the dough out of the oven after 8 min between temperature changing (from 450°F to 350°F) and brush olive oil on the surface, sprinkle with sea salt, and put back into oven.


There is an easy Pork Tenderloin recipe that I make with Rosemary and tastes great with the bread. It is quick and barely any mess to clean up. I love that! There is an optional sauce consisting of tomatoes you can serve on top (see below). The bread tastes great when soaking up the tomatoes.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

pork tenderloin
potatoes (red look nice, but any will do)
Rosemary (fresh preferably, but dried will do)
onions
garlic
mushrooms
white wine
chicken broth
olive oil
butter
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven at 425°F. Cut the potatoes into cubes. Slice up the onions into 1/4" slices. Slice the garlic cloves into thirds. Cut mushrooms into large pieces. Spread all of these out in the bottom of a casserole dish/bowl with a cover. Put about 1-2 Tbsp. of butter cut into small bits and drop in various places in bowl. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 Tbsp Rosemary, 1/8 tsp black pepper (chicken broth has a lot of sodium so I don't add salt to this dish), and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Whisk together. Pour over vegetables. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven. Stir vegetables around in the wine/broth liquid. Put the pork tenderloin on top of the vegetables, submerging at least 1/4 of it into the liquid. Cover and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until pork is done (depending on thickness of cut). Cook tomatoes in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking pork (see below).

Sauce: Heated Tomatoes
2 - 2.5 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a saucepan, bring tomatoes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over pork.



Another great way to cook rosemary is with potatoes as a side dish. There are two ways you can prepare these; as crispy potatoes or roasted potatoes. Depending on the look you want for your dish or the mood you're in, they are both delicious. The crispy potatoes are great for a more casual dinner, maybe served with burgers/steaks at a cookout, use to replace french fries, have as unique breakfast home-fries, or as a side dish for brunch. The roasted potatoes are great if you are going for presentation. They look nice with steak, fish, or a fancy lunch.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary

small red potatoes (whole or sliced in half)
rosemary, crushed
sea salt
olive oil

Preheat oven at 425°F. Wash and dry potatoes. The potatoes look nice if they are not sliced, but take longer to cook. They also look nice sliced in half. Mix in a bowl the potatoes, rosemary, sea salt, and olive oil. Make sure the potatoes are well coated in olive oil. Spread out into a glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 50-60 minutes. Gently stir potatoes every 20 minutes to prevent burning onto the side of the glass dish. Uncover the last 10 minutes of baking.

Crispy Red Potatoes with Rosemary

red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
rosemary, crushed into small pieces
sea salt
olive oil

Boil red potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked. Drain and then gently mix in a bowl the potatoes, rosemary, sea salt, and olive oil. On a cookie sheet, spread the potatoes out. Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes to prevent burning (depends how hot your stove is).


Rosemary also compliments chicken very well. This is another clean-up free dish and barely makes a mess. You can throw a bunch of vegetables in with the chicken and bake in the oven. I use a combination of pieces; thighs, legs, and breasts with the skin on to retain juices. You can also stuff a whole chicken with stuffing and put in the pan with vegetables and rosemary. Other ideas are adding apples for a sweeter taste or you could squirt lemons over everything before you put into oven.

Vegetable ideas: asparagus (whole), zucchini/yellow squash (cut into thick slices or sticks), carrots,

Rosemary Chicken & Vegetables

Chicken (thighs, legs, breast)
small red potatoes
olive oil
rosemary
sea salt
pepper
onion
mushrooms
garlic, cut cloves in half
vegetables (your pick)
chicken broth
white wine
apples, cut into quarters (optional)

Preheat oven at 350°F. Mix rosemary, sea salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Put everything else into a large baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over them and 3/4 of your spice mixture. Gently stir the vegetables to lightly coat with oil and spices. Add the apples. Place chicken in pan in vegetables. Rub olive oil on top of skin and sprinkle the rest of the spices on top of chicken pieces (or onto whole chicken). Pour a chicken broth and white wine into bottom of pan to prevent dryness and burning. Cover dish and bake for 45 minutes. Check it after 25 minutes or so, gently stir around the vegetables to see if they are burning. If it looks like it is getting a dry, add a little chicken broth or water. When you insert a meat thermometer, chicken should be 165°F or higher when it's done.

There is an Italian variation of this dish served with polenta that I found on BBC's website. This dish would be nice with a great salad.

Rosemary Chicken & Polenta

Polenta
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and salt and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and a splash of chicken broth, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn. Turn the heat up to high, add the rest of the chicken stock, bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have mixed in all of the cornmeal, pour into 13x9" baking dish. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, gently stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper. Then gradually add the Parmesan.

Once set, turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into squares, rounds, or triangles. If you have extra pieces after making this dish, save for another meal. When you are ready to use the leftover polenta, brush each side with olive oil and saute in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, or grill. Serve on the side.

Next:
chicken pieces, skin on (thighs, legs, breasts)
cherry tomatoes
crushed rosemary
garlic cloves, halved
polenta, cut into triangles
olive oil

Preheat oven to about 410-420°F (depending on how hot your oven is). Spread out the polenta pieces in the bottom of a baking dish or roasting pan. On top of the polenta, place the chicken pieces, tomatoes, garlic, and rosemary. Add crushed black pepper if desired. Drizzle olive oil all over. Bake for 25 minutes, or until meat thermometer says 165°F or higher. The polenta will also start to become crispy on edges.



Pot Roasts are great with red wine and rosemary. After cooking for a few hours, their flavors become squisito!

Rosemary Pot Roast
(Serves 6-8)

2 to 3 pounds beef roast (chuck), about 2 inches thick (tri-tip, top round or brisket also work)
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 small red potatoes, cut into halves
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced (shallots are good)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks (or use about 16 whole baby carrots, peeled)
2 small turnips, peeled and quartered
2 small parsnips, peeled and cut into thick slices
(You may also add Jerusalem artichokes, rutabagas, golden beets, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, or any other vegetables you like)

For the meat and vegetables:
Preheat your oven to 325°F. In a large "stovetop to oven" pan (dutch ovens are great), heat the oil over medium high heat. Roll the roast in salt-&-peppered flour. Add the roast and brown well on both sides. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Stir in the onions, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan and boil until reduced to a thick syrup. Add the stock and the Worcestershire sauce and bring back to a simmer. Add the cracked pepper and the roast to the dutch oven.

Cover the pan and place in the oven for 1.5 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and add the potatoes, onion, carrots, turnips and parsnips. Replace the cover and place back in the oven for 30 minutes longer.

To serve:
Remove the meat and vegetables from the pan and keep warm. In the pan, skim any excess fat from the broth. Stir in the dill and parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour broth into a gravy dish to serve with meat. Serve the meat and vegetables along with crusty delicious bread and the broth. Also, offering mustard and horseradish on the side are great for spreading on the roast.

BASIL (Ocimum basilicum)

There are many varieties of basil. Sweet basil is the one I use the most for red sauce, pesto, caprese salad, etc.

When I buy fresh at the market I put it in a tall glass or vase on the counter in the corner of the kitchen. First I rinse the basil, snip the ends of the stems at an angle, and pull any dead looking leaves off. Placing into something tall and narrow helps support the stems. I have a Pom glass that works great (which they no longer make!). Having a green plant in the kitchen looks great and basil has a nice fresh aroma. Don't put vase of basil in the sun, they will wilt immediately. After a week or so basil begins to get wilty and droopy looking. Keep an eye on it if you haven't used it up yet. When some of the leaves start looking black, they are on their way out and and need to be dried. Snip off and lay the leaves on a paper towel to dry out.

I like using small fresh leaves for dishes that are not cooked, like salads. Whole leaves offer better presentation. However, for things like red sauce I break the leaves up into pieces the size of my thumb nail. Big enough so you taste them but so big so that they overpower a spoonful/bite.

Dried basil purchased at the store is fine. However, I have discovered that if you are going to use dried basil, basil tastes best when you buy it fresh and dry it out yourself. I just bought a bunch to dry out and help last through the winter. You will never get full flavor when using dried basil, so keep this in mind when substituting dried for fresh. If you find yourself in dire need and without fresh basil, use 1/3 the amount of dried basil substituted for fresh. One tablespoon of fresh chopped basil equals 1 teaspoon dried.

If you have a pot of basil growing, pluck only the big leaves. When the flowers start to bud, nip it away quickly. Once the flowers start to grow and bloom, the leaves will lose their flavor. You must bring the pot indoors in winter and keep it near the window and warm.

There are many varieties of basil. The most common is sweet basil, which is what I have. Other types often used are cinnamon basil (used in some teas), lemon basil (used with fish) and anise basil (used in Thai curries, also called Thai basil). The leaves of sweet basil curve when they are ripe, while the other types are somewhat flat and differ in length, but maintain a similar shape. You might also have seen purple basil in more “exotic” dishes. The leaves look like the sweet basil’s but are dark purple in color.


One great side dish that uses fresh basil are stuffed tomatoes with ricotta cheese.

Stuffed Roma Tomatoes

8 Roma (plum) tomatoes, cut in half
1.5 cups (approx) of ricotta cheese
handful of fresh chopped basil
handful of fresh chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
breadcrumbs
kosher salt
olive oil

Cut your tomatoes in half, length wise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds with a melon baller or anything else that you can use to get the insides out. Turn the tomato halves upside down on paper towels to drain out the moisture. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese with the garlic & herbs. You could add Parmesan or other herbs if you like. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the tomato halves and place the tomatoes onto an oiled baking sheet. Top with dried seasoned bread crumbs, or Ritz cracker crumbs (Panko crumbs work too). Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt and bake in a 400F degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Let it rest a few minutes before serving.


There is a great recipe that involves cooking Roma tomatoes in olive oil and herbs all day. I found this idea on one of my favorite blogs (Orangette) that Sarah suggested to me. The finished product compliments many delicious repast. You can use any herb you like, but I think basil is great for this. Depending on what I am craving or the meals I plan on making, I will switch around the herbs (e.g. ground coriander, basil, oregano, dill, Italian seasoning, fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc).

Pomodori al Forno
Ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma
Olive oil
Sea salt
Herbs

Wash the tomatoes, cut off the stem end, and halve them lengthwise. There are two ways these can be cooked.

1) Baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Pour a bit of olive oil into a small bowl, dip a pastry brush into it, and brush the tomato halves lightly with oil. Place them, skin side down, on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle them with sea salt and ground coriander (or another herb you would like)—about a pinch of each for every four to six tomato halves.

Bake the tomatoes until they shrink to about 1/3 of their original size but are still soft and juicy, 4 to 6 hours. [I usually let mine go for the maximum time.] Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator.

2) Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 250°F. Pour 1/2 cup oil into 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup oil. Sprinkle with oregano (or a different herb you like, garlic cloves are nice submerged in the oil too), sugar, and salt. Bake 1 hour. Using tongs, turn tomatoes over. Bake 1 hour longer. Turn tomatoes over again. Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring tomatoes to plate when soft (time will vary, depending on ripeness of tomatoes), about 15 to 45 minutes longer.

I usually pour everything into a mason jar and refrigerate until I want to use it. It is good up to about 2 weeks. You can use it for a variety of things:

- use the tomatoes in a salad (e.g. caprese)
- use the oil for salad dressing or on top of a pasta dish
- drizzle oil and put tomatoes on top of steak with onions
- use the tomatoes on top of homemade pizza



Pesto is another great way to use basil. My mother taught me a great trick for storing pesto in the freezer. Spoon about 1/8 cup (or whatever would be the portion you need for a meal) onto a sheet of Press-n-Seal by spacing out the globs. Cover it with another layer of Press-n-Seal, making sure the edges are sealed to prevent freezer burn. Store in the freezer and you can cut away the portions with scissors whenever you want to use the pesto.

Pesto

3 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper

Put basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. While processing, add olive oil slowly. Use the pulse when adding the cheese, salt, and pepper.

To help preserve the bright green color of fresh basil, chill the olive oil before adding it to the food processor (the cold mitigates some of the heat generated in the food processor). Some people add vitamin C to preserve color.

You can use pesto in a variety of meals:
- sandwiches: use peso in place of mayonnaise or mix it in with mayonnaise
- Make a pesto sauce for a pasta dinner