Blog

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 tablespoon white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
20 radishes, trimmed
1 pinch white sugar

Directions

Pour the water into a small saucepan along with the wine, garlic, onion, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the radishes, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the radishes are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the radishes to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and add a pinch of sugar. Boil until the liquid has reduced by half, then pour over the hot radishes.

Ingredients

1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup white sugar
ice
4 slices lime
4 slices lemon
4 slices green apples
1 bunch green grapes
1 cup club soda

Directions

Combine white wine, brandy, and sugar in a large pitcher, then stir in ice. Continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then add the lime, lemon, apples, and grapes. Stir in the club soda.

Ingredients

2 beets (can substitute golden or chioga)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios (can substitute almonds or hazelnuts)
2 yellow endive
4 cups arugula
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (can substitute white balsamic or champagne)
1 1/4 cups light pure olive oil
1 minced, medium shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch white sugar
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place washed, but not trimmed or peeled beets on top of 1 cup salt on a baking sheet, and roast in a 350 degrees F oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until fork-tender. Let cool. Wearing gloves or holding with a piece of plastic wrap, cut off stems, and peel. Cut each beet in half, cut in 1/2 inch slices, then medium dice by cutting in the opposite direction.

Toast nuts in a 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, tossing once.

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients, mixing well, adding nuts when cool.

Trim the end of the endive, cut in half, separating the leaves for each half, but reforming each as 1/2 a head of endive. For each salad, place 1/2 cup beets, 1 cup arugula, an 1/2 endive on a plate. For each salad begin with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Toss each of the three components, separately in the vinaigrette, making sure to toss the beets last. Top with 1/8 cup of shaved parmesan.

Repeat for remaining three salads. Serve immediately. Reserve left-over dressing.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
3 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups water
3 hot chile peppers, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon grass, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Melt the butter in a deep pan over medium heat. Add the green onions, and cook until soft. Stir in the cucumbers, vinegar, chicken broth, water, chile peppers, parsley, cilantro, lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the cucumbers are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until evenly blended, and simmer 10 minutes more.