Spaghetti Squash

Dinner tonight was an easy weeknight 'stir fry'.  Here is the recipe I used:  http://laurenariza.com/2012/11/16/buttery-spaghetti-squash-with-lemon-arugula-and-parmesan/

Spaghetti squash, garlic, arugula, scallion whites and tops (separated) lemon zest,  lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and I added heirloom cherry tomatoes. 

Saute the garlic and scallion whites, add the pre-cooked squash, let it all get hot and mixed. Add the arugula and lemon - toss. Add the cheese and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper a couple times along the way. Taste before you serve.

We added a little additional cheese and salt as we ate. 

Serve with a homemade baguette. I made three baguettes this weekend. Had mussels fra Diavolo with the first loaf. 

Notes: I roasted the squash last night so tonight really was less than 30 minutes.  Double everything except the squash and the cheese.  Rough chop the arugula, mine was too fine. Add the tomatoes as late as possible to get heat without becoming mushy. 
Tomorrow, mussels fra diavolo over spaghetti squash with arugula, and baguette #3!

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Dessert and Sparkling Wine

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

A white wine is made from Glera grapes (same grape as Prosecco) and a second red wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. These two wines are then blended, creating a wine with a beautiful rose hue and bright flavors. In the second stage, the Charmat method is used to bring about a secondary fermentation before the wine is bottled under pressure, preserving all of the fresh and fragrant characteristics of the wine.

Crostata con Frutti de Bosco, rustic tart shell, macerated mixed berries, crystal rose petal gelato. The 'rustic' shell was a thick shortbread crust, the gelato was subtle flavor, and there were more strawberries than I personally like.

Ruffino Wine Dinner - 4th Course, Entree

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

The Entree course was Braciola di Agnello a la Griglia - grilled lamb chop, smashed baby potatoes, tuscan black kale.  The lamb was perfectly cooked and the smashed potatoes were kinda plain and uninspired.  Both were improved magnitudes with a little seasoning, something that should have been done in the kitchen before serving.  The kale, while tasty, was a bit tough as the midrib was still attached.

Paired with a Brunello, Greppone Mazzi, produced with Sangiovese grapes in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 80 km south of Florence.  Today Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's best-known and most expensive wines.  This wine ages well,  unlike the fresher wines earlier in the evening.

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Third Course

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

The next wine is one I am sure most wine buyers are familiar with, at least here in NJ (NJ is the largest US market for Ruffino): their Chianti Classico. However no straw bottle, not THAT Classico.

 

Paired with this was a light Stufato con Frutti di Mare (Cacciucco).  Stufato is the "Garden in a Pot" so this had a light fresh tomato sauce.  Frutti di Mare and Cacciucco are Tuscan Seafood Stew. It is February in New Jersey, why are we lighting this up this menu?

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Second Course

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

Following the melon, we had Ganbretto con Fagioli - savory grilled shrimp, braised white beans, olive oil drizzle. Paired with:

Ruffino Wine Dinner at the Chart House

The Chart House, Weehawken New Jersey

Chart House, Lincoln Harbor Pier D-T, Weehawken, NJ 07086

Ruffino Import Company is having a wine dinner at the Chart House restaurant in Weehawken New Jersey tonight.  A great way to celebrate Valentine's Day a little early.  Just a word of warning, this is going to be another epic multi-part post.

Poggio Casciano Estate Via di Poggio al Mandorlo, 1 – loc. Quarate, 50011 - Bagno a Ripoli (FI)

Tonight's dinner wines

The first course was Insalata di Melone:  micro rocket, parma prosciutto, Meyer lemon gastrique.  The melon was cut thin which made the melon to prosciutto ratio very good.

This was paired with the 2017 Orvieto Classico, Tuscany.  A little sweeter than we usually like, but it cut the pork fat and complemented the gastrique. It will be a good summer wine.

See the next post for the Second Course.

Happy Belated Birthday to Barney and Lisa

 

Noord, 1046 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148, (267) 909-9704

Lisa Leonard and I share a birth date, so every year we all get together to celebrate in one way or another.  This year, Brunch in the Passyunk Square Area of Philadelphia:  Passyunk Square is an up-and-coming neighborhood of brownstones and historic, narrow "trinity" houses. Affordable housing and diverse dining options attract hipsters and young professionals alike. East Passyunk Avenue is lined with vintage shops, gastropubs and Vietnamese pho soup spots, as well as cheesesteak rivals Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. Outdoor street festivals are popular here during the warmer months. (Thanks Google for the verbiage)

The location, the unusual yet familiar items on the Brunch menu and the BYOB policy drew us to this restaurant.

As it was a celebration, we brought Prosecco.  The table was brought molasses Bread with brown sugar butter.

I ordered the Keshi Yena (Netherland Antilles Cheesy Casserole): ground chicken, gouda, sambal, raisin, olive, pepper, grilled pineapple. The casserole was tasty if not attractive under the eggs, but if you were to serve lasagna sans noodles, it would not be pretty either.

Lisa ordered a different item from the hash menu, the Seasonal Vegetable Hash: a saute of market vegetables, red potatoes, fresh herbs, lemon, two sunny side eggs.  Seasonal today meant potato and cauliflower in a tomato sauce.  I tasted it and found it uninspired.

Amy had the Gooseberry Wenteltefjes (Classic Dutch Toast) with nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, whipped cream, powdered sugar.  These were not the sweet slices of French Toast I think of, they are almost savory.

After Brunch, we walked around the neighborhood, stopping at the Primal Supply Meats Butcher Shop which was having a tasting of products from Fishtown Ferments.  

I sampled the sauerkraut and the beets. I bought the seeded sauerkraut.  It has cumin seeds in addition to the traditional caraway.                         .

We also hit Urban Jungle, a fun garden shop, currently starting to move into the spring planting season.