Category: Wine

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup drained capers
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups watercress (preferably the kind that’s already trimmed, rinsed, bagged)
6 ounces smoked salmon, torn or cut into bite-size pieces

Directions

Mix lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste in a 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup. Add capers and onion; toss to coat. Slowly add oil, pushing onion aside and beating with a small whisk or fork to form a thick dressing.

Mix watercress and half the salmon in a large bowl. When ready to serve, pour dressing over watercress and salmon; toss to coat. Arrange on salad plates, garnishing each with remaining smoked salmon.

Ingredients

1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick

Directions

In a large skillet, cook onion in butter over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in wine or broth and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, salt and pepper; rub over steaks. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F). Serve with caramelized onions.

Ingredients

2 pounds alligator meat, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper

Optional dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

Place alligator meat in a medium bowl, and mix with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate about 10 minutes.

Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch, and heat over a medium-high flame.

Add to a large resealable bag the flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Squeeze off excess liquid from meat, and add one handful of meat to the resealable bag. Shake to coat. Remove meat, shake off excess flour, and set on a plate. Repeat with remaining meat.

When oil is hot, place meat pieces into oil, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels, and serve hot.

To prepare dipping sauce, mix together in a small bowl the mayonnaise, horseradish, brown mustard, and red wine vinegar.

Ingredients

3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 pound small shrimp – peeled and deveined
2 pears – peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon sherry wine, or to taste

Directions

Combine the cubed squash, milk and chicken broth in a saucepan. Season with salt, pepper, curry powder, celery salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until squash is tender, stirring frequently to prevent the milk from scorching.

Add 1/2 the shrimp, and 1/2 the pears to the soup, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Add the remaining shrimp and remaining pears to the soup, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque. Stir in sherry wine, and remove from heat. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.