Ideas for Parties & Entertaining |
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Here are some suggestions from what we have stocked at the store with Thanksgiving in mind: Chateau St. Michelle Riesling--The Columbia Valley is a round, medium bodied, off dry Riesling that is delicate and floral in character, tasting of honeysuckle and apple, with citrus overtones. Light and tangy, modestly sweet, with refreshing apple and melon flavors. This Riesling delivers classic characters of juicy peach apricot ripe pear and sweet citrus with subtle slate and mineral notes. It is versatile and simple a pleasure to drink. $10.39 Walnut City Pinot Noir--Harmonious, ripe red fruit with spice, nutmeg, and anise. Medium bodied, well-balanced on palate. Soft ripe berry/marionberry with oak, spice, cinnamon, and hint of tobacco. $16.59 Gloria Ferrer Brut NV--Smooth and refreshing, with a tasty mix of creamy pear, apple, and doughy piecrust flavors that are focused and long on the finish, turning creamy. Drink now through 2009. 7,000 cases made. $18.99 Cristalino Cava—Best Value by Wall Street Journal tasting panel. One of the great bargains on the shelf today. Clean and lovely, with lemon, kiwi, flowers and even a touch of honey and a long refreshing finish. $7.15 Fetzer Gewürztraminer-- It’s often called gavurtz because it’s hard to say, and even harder to spell. This wine, though, is a secret weapon, great for taming spicy foods or sipping on its own. Enjoy the honeyed apricot and peach flavors in the glass, and breathe deeply to capture the aromas of rose petals and honeysuckle. Lots of people love this wine, even if they’ll never spell it. Just ask for gavurtz. $9.99 Holly’s Blend—This wine offers tasty lemon oil and floral notes, medium body, superb fruit, and crisp, underlying acidity. $9.99 Grammona Cava--A delicious, high quality sparking white, aged 3-4 years on its own yeasts before bottling, it exhibits classic brioche and pear scents, tiny, well-formed bubbles, medium body, a hint of chalkiness, and a crisp, fresh, lively finish. $17.49 Jordan Vineyard & Winery 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) -- A Cabernet Sauvignon “with some age on it” this wine has soft tannins, doesn’t overwhelm the white meat, and yet stands up against the dark meat. According to John Brecker and Dorothy Gaiter, writing in the November 11 edition of the Wall Street Journal, “Its complex layers of tastes and nuances make all of the various flavors and textures on the table seem a little different and more interesting with each bite . . . This has it all: dark rich color; dry, dense-packed fruit; real structure; and purity of taste. Very classy.” We have 12 left at $49.99 a bottle. Note Well: Some of the wines listed above will be featured at our in-store wine tasting event on Saturday, November 19. Click here for Wine Tasting Event details.
Before-Dinner and After-Dinner Drinks Before dinner ─ especially if serving a large, complex meal accompanied by a few different varieties of wine ─ it's probably best to keep the alcohol consumption low. Although mixed drinks can be served in moderation, we would suggest having Prosecco -- a light, dry Italian sparkler -- available for your guests. After dinner drinks, on the other hand, are designed to be the perfect end to a great meal. There are two main types of after dinner drinks, digestifs and the creamy sweet kind. Digestifs, such as brandy, port or whiskey help relax the stomach after a meal. Others, like a grasshopper are simply a sweet, fun dessert. Here are a few suggestions:
Every family seems to have certain traditions about what to serve as accompaniments to the standard roasted turkey. Some of these traditions go back to what their parents served and even what their grandparents and great-grandparents always put out on the Thanksgiving table. But new traditions begin every year, and it might be interesting to add at least one side dish from the traditions of others. Our search around the Internet, and within our own recipe box, came up with these recipes. Some of them will seem familiar, while others may be completely new to you.
Julia Child's Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Preheat
the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes
under running hot water, remove any blemishes, and plunge a small
sharp knife down about an inch into each potato in 5 or 6 places, to
let out baking steam. Line a baking pan with foil (the potatoes will
exude juices that will burn, staining your pan), and arrange the
potatoes in it, in 1 layer. Bake in the lower middle level of the
preheated oven for about an hour, or until they are thoroughly
tender when squeezed and a knife pierces through them easily. Cut
each potato in half lengthwise and then open up to cool. Scrape the
flesh into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and mash with a mixing fork or
potato masher. Or put them in your heavy-duty mixer to break out at
slow speed with the paddle attachment--careful not to go too fast
and turn them gluey. Blend in salt and pepper, and the butter and/or
cream or milk. Taste very carefully and correct seasoning, folding
in the optional fresh ginger to taste.
Broccoli Cheese CasseroleFrom Diana Rattray,INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
Directions for broccoli cheese
casserole
Spoon broccoli cheese casserole
mixture into a lightly buttered 2-quart casserole. Combine stuffing
mix and 1/4 cup melted butter; spoon over broccoli casserole. Bake
at 350° for 30 minutes. Broccoli cheese casserole serves 6.
Sage and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients 6 medium baking potatoes (2 pounds total), peeled and cut into eighths 1 cup coarsely chopped onion (1 large) 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil 2 teaspoons snipped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon ground sage 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 to 1-1/4 cups buttermilk Salt and black pepper Directions 1. In a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish combine potatoes and onions. In a small bowl combine water, oil, sage, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; drizzle over potatoes and onions. 2. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and browned, stirring twice. 3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually beat in enough buttermilk to make smooth and fluffy. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.
Creamed OnionsDespite its English roots, this dish has become a cherished American favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in New York and beyond. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr Ingredients
2
lb white pearl onions, left unpeeled Preparation Blanch onions in a 3-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a colander and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain and peel onions. Put onions and 1 teaspoon salt in same pot and add fresh water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well in colander and transfer to a buttered 2-quart baking dish. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cream in a stream, whisking, and bring to a simmer, whisking. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pour sauce over onions. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle toasted crumbs evenly over onions and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Cooks' note: Short-Cut Version:
6 to 8 servings INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Servings: 6 servings Prep. Time: :20 Total Time: :45 Ingredients
1 can (10-3/4 oz.)
cream of mushroom soup Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 1-quart casserole dish stir in mushroom soup and soy sauce. Add green beans and stir to blend. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Top with french fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes. To some people it would be a heresy not to have pumpkin and/or mince pie at the end of their Thanksgiving meal. If you want to try something different, but your holiday meal wouldn't be complete without pumpkin, serve a pumpkin spice bundt cake made with pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce and egg whites to keep fat at a minimum. Drizzle with a mixture of powdered sugar, skim milk and vanilla extract. Or, present a scrumptious pumpkin cheesecake, made with a lowfat graham cracker crust, pumpkin puree, lowfat cream cheese and traditional pumpkin seasonings like nutmeg, ginger and cloves. But if you're willing to venture a little off the beaten track, this Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding is another alternative. Ingredients:
Directions
Whether you call it "dressing" or "stuffing," there seems to be as many recipes for it as there are people who make it. So rather than making a strong recommendation or suggestion, we refer you to the All Recipes Web Site which contains (at last count) 117 different stuffing recipes -- everything from the "traditional" to one based on crumbled up White Castle™ hamburgers! And for those of you who run out of oven space, here's one variation you can prepare in your crock pot:
1/2 pound butter
Possible additions: A
handful or so of dried cranberries, sliced black
olives, or sliced mushrooms.
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