In the Kitchen With Sheri Archives
Mar 11, 2011
My mom makes this chicken dish that I consider her signature dish. Growing up I remember eating it a least once every 2 weeks and it was her go-to recipe any time she needed to take a meal to a friend. Several years ago when I had to take dinner to a friend who had recently had a baby, I was trying to come up with something to make and it occurred to me that my mom’s chicken dish was the perfect thing. Ever since then it has been a staple in my house too (and a go-to …
Mar 03, 2011
I’ve been trying to decide on what to pair with this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2008 Maison l’Aiglon, and I really wanted to try to make something that I have never attempted before. So, after searching through several different cookbooks and some of my favorite cooking websites, I have decided that tonight I am going to attempt to make Shrimp and Grits to pair with the Maison l’Aiglon.
Shrimp and Grits is a pretty classic Southern recipe and there are any number of different variations. Since I live in North Carolina though, if you …
Feb 25, 2011
Well, after putting it to a vote, I decided to actually veto the results and go with my choice for a food pairing for this week’s Wine of the Week. I figured since Peter nominated fish sticks and Bill suggested grilled chicken that I had to exercise my power of dictatorship and go with a meal that I thought would not only be a bit healthier, but also a better match for the Josephine Dubois Grande Reserve Pinot Noir. So much for democracy in the Morano household!
A few weeks ago I had happened to be over at my …
Feb 17, 2011
While some of you might have decided to go with the Les Coteaux as part of your Valentine’s Day meal, for those of you who did not, I wanted to include an alternate pairing for this week’s Wine of the Week which I think I will attempt to make this evening.
A little background…
I decided that while the Les Coteaux would be fabulous with a grilled steak, I want to try to do something a little bit different as a food pairing this week. The Les Coteaux has fairly firm tannins and notes of raspberries, black fruits, pepper …
Feb 10, 2011
A few weeks ago, in an effort to do something a little bit different for dinner (we had been in a major chicken rut), I challenged myself to come up with some sort of recipe for a healthy, but interesting meal that didn’t involve chicken or beef. Looking around the grocery store, I spied a bag of frozen shrimp (uncooked, deveined, tail removed). Although I didn’t have anything in mind at that moment, they seemed like a good place to start.
After a little bit of thinking, I finally came up with something that we liked so …
Feb 04, 2011
We’ve discussed before how great the wines of the Côtes du Rhône appellation are for pairing with a wide variety of foods. These wines are also terrific for serving at parties. Put those two things together and this week’s Wine of the Week would make a perfect wine to serve at your Super Bowl party this weekend (it is one I plan to serve at mine, too)!
Call me traditional, but I always think of chili as the ideal food for a Super Bowl party. Since we have several friends who are vegetarians, I always make both a veggie chili and a meat-based chili when I have a chili party. A while …
Jan 28, 2011
Regular readers of this section of the website are probably pretty aware of the fact that from time to time I love a good steak or hamburger. I try to limit my meat consumption, but from time to time, there are few things I enjoy more than pairing a good red wine with what I have always referred as “pink meat.”
My husband makes fun of me for using meat to refer to beef, but growing up, we ate mostly beef, chicken and turkey, so in my world, all meat was beef and we used meat to differentiate …
Jan 20, 2011
This has been one of those weeks where not too much has gone right. I’m sure many of you out there can sympathize. So as you can imagine, cooking has not been at the top of my list. Although I have to admit, I always find this a shame. When life gets busy and stressful, there is no place I would rather be than in my kitchen. Whether it is baking cookies or trying out a new recipe I spotted in this month’s Cooking Light for a lightened-up Mexican casserole (it looks really terrific and I …
Jan 13, 2011
My husband and I have a running joke that there are 3 reasons that I married him. The first is because he makes terrific coffee and he makes my morning coffee (2/3 milk that has been heated 85 seconds in the microwave mixed with 1/3 coffee with about ¾ tsp of sugar added) better than I do. And yes, I do know that’s a pretty high-maintenance cup of coffee. The second reason is that he always knows where he is going and he doesn’t make fun of me for not really knowing my left from my right or …
Jan 07, 2011
I have to admit, putting together the wine pairing for this week has been a little tough. I’ve been battling a cold since mid-December and it got really bad about a week ago. Unfortunately, my husband and son have also been sick, so nobody has felt like doing much cooking around here. But luckily yesterday things started to seem a bit better and I can feel the congestion starting to lift. The best part of this is that food (and wine) is finally starting to taste a bit better. The last few days nothing but cough drops …
Dec 29, 2010
For a while now I have wanted to try my hand at making Cassoulet. I’m not sure why, except that ever since I read Julia Child’s autobiography I’ve been intrigued by some of the traditional French recipes she discussed and have wanted to learn how to make them.
Cassoulet is a dish that dates back to at least the 14th century and is a specialty of the South of France. There are a number of different variations and certain parts of the Southwest and the South of France are known for their versions of this traditional peasant …
Dec 28, 2010
Sometimes you just have to improvise. Given my usual preference for eating locally grown, organic or humanely raised meats, it might come as somewhat of a shock to some of you out there that I occasionally enjoy a cheeseburger at McDonald’s. I’ve been ordering the same thing since I was a little girl – plain cheeseburger, only ketchup (and, of course, fries).
This year Christmas Day found me on the road with my family heading from New York to Maine. Since we knew we were going to be traveling, we did the big holiday feast on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning we got up early, unwrapped presents, ate Kringle (a Danish …
Dec 16, 2010
Even though the weather outside is frightful (and here in North Carolina it is a real mess of ice and sleet), I decided I would turn to the South Beach Diet for some inspiration for a pairing with this week’s Wine of the Week, the Domaine du Tariquet Classic. Nothing like thinking about a warm beach in Florida to forget about the cold temperature outside!
Since the Domaine du Tariquet is a light bodied white wine with aromas and flavors of citrus fruits and white flowers, I was looking for a dish that would balance and not overwhelm this delicate wine. I was also hoping to find something that would be easy to make …
Dec 09, 2010
I don’t know about where you live, but here in Durham, NC the temperatures have been lower than normal this week. So in addition to pulling out all of the hats, gloves, scarves, heavy coats and boots (we even had some snow last weekend), I’ve been searching out some of my favorite recipes for hearty soups and stews.
Since this week’s Wine of the Week is the Pierre Laplace from Madiran (a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon), it seemed only appropriate to make a beef stew for dinner last night to pair with it.
My beef stew recipe …
Dec 01, 2010
As I mentioned a few days ago in my Wine of the Week post, I was planning on going light menu-wise this week. So in keeping with that plan, last night I made a chicken dish that was a delicious match for the Domaine de la Rossignole “Cuvée L’Essentiel.”
Although I wanted the meal to be “light” I still wanted to make it filling. So first I made a salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes) and added my own salad dressing (I use about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and mix that with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar). To give the salad dressing a bit of a “creamy” taste, …
Nov 17, 2010
It’s the week before Thanksgiving and all through my house, not a dish is in use yet, not even a pot..
If you ask me, this is a great week to NOT be cooking. Many of us are gearing up for next week’s big festivities, and so it somehow seems a bit silly to spend a whole lot of time this week in the kitchen. Instead of worrying about this week, I say give yourself a break and look to do some fast, easy meals this week – even take-out if you like.
So what …
Nov 04, 2010
This week’s wine of the week is the Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé from Alsace. This Cremant is made from 100% Pinot Noir and I have decided that it is just the wine to pair with a brunch that I am planning for Sunday.
I love to entertain, but sometimes it can be pretty exhausting. The coordination that goes into a dinner party can be a bit overwhelming and I often find that it is hard to avoid spending the entire evening in the kitchen while everyone else watches. And then, a few years ago, due to some scheduling problems a dinner party that I had been planning got moved around and became a …
Oct 29, 2010
I’ve been trying to decide what to pair with this week’s Wine of the Week, the Terre d’Ardoise Carignan Vieilles Vignes and it finally hit me – chicken enchiladas! I was looking back through my tasting notes for this wine and noticed that I had jotted down a few possible pairings including a lamb tagine, lamb kebabs and beef enchiladas. Now, before I get into how I ended up deciding on chicken enchiladas after reading my notes, I have to go back in time a few years.
You have to realize that when I first met my husband 6 years ago, one of the first things he asked me was whether or not I …
Oct 22, 2010
I’m a little behind in this week’s food pairing post since my cooking schedule has been a little off lately. But last night I finally had the opportunity to get in the kitchen and do something fun to pair with this week’s wine of the week, the Domaine de Montbourgeau Chardonnay.
I was mulling over a few different options when a recipe for Chicken-Butternut Tagine popped into my inbox. As I have mentioned in past, we belong to a CSA and receive a share of vegetables each week from a local farm. Lately I have had a surplus of butternut squash and banana peppers (if anyone has some recipes for how to …
Oct 14, 2010
This week’s wine of the week is the 2008 Château Fonfroide from Bordeaux. It is a blend of three grapes – Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Now usually I like to pair a wine like this with a beef dish – something like hamburgers, a steak or a beef stew. But this week, I’m feeling a bit tempted to try something new and different. So I’ve decided to attempt a lamb chop recipe for dinner tonight.
As I mentioned in my Wine of the Week post, wines that are tannic do best when paired with ingredients that contain some protein and fat. The tannins react with the proteins …
Oct 07, 2010
I got a recipe for a fish dish in an email the other day that not only looked very easy and delicious, but it sounded like just the thing to pair with the Wine of the Week, the Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Blanc.
The recipe is from Real Simple and it is a Roasted Tilapia with potatoes and lemons. What I like about this recipe (besides the fact that it only involves using one baking sheet to prepare the whole meal) is that it offers a nice mix of flavors that will pair really well with a wine like …
Sep 30, 2010
Ever since I wrote up the Wine of the Week, the Cèdre Héritage, I’ve been thinking about one of the food pairings I suggested – steak fajitas. I have to admit – I’ve never made steak fajitas – only chicken fajitas. But I figured it shouldn’t be too hard to adapt my recipe to account for the switch from chicken to beef.
And the recipe? Well, several years ago, Bill and I discovered a fajita seasoning from Target’s Archer Farms label that was super easy and really delicious. All I did was add it to a mixture of red wine vinegar and olive oil and voilà! It worked beautifully. …
Sep 22, 2010
This week’s Wine of the Week is the Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut. The versatility of this wine has actually made it a bit of a challenge as there are so many dishes I’m interested in trying to pair with it! But after some debate, I decided that for this week’s food pairing I would attempt to prepare a dish that I haven’t made in quite some time (8 years to be exact) – seared scallops.
My husband, Bill, is a big fan of scallops and, while I like them too, I’m rarely (if ever) inspired to cook them at home – it’s much easier to just order them at a restaurant and let …
Sep 16, 2010
I’ve had a bit of a hectic week this week so far, so tonight I decided that dinner needed to be something quick and fast. Since I wanted to pair this week’s Wine of the Week with my meal, I also wanted it to be something that would work well with the Domaine Labbé.
I have to admit that ever since I mentioned that the Domaine Labbé would work well with quiche, I’ve been in the mood for it (funny how that happens). Since I just cleaned out the freezer the other day and tossed my last (broken) pie crust, my options were to either make a quiche crust from scratch (which kind …
Sep 10, 2010
I know I said that I was planning on pairing the Château des Reyssiers with something quick and easy, but that was before my week took a turn for the worse and my son came down with an ear infection. So with Peter out of school and us stuck at home, I had a bit more time to putter in the kitchen. And that’s why this week’s food pairing is a little bit more involved…
I was in the mood for chicken and lately I have been thinking about a dish I had in the Jura, so I decided I would attempt to recreate it – with a few modifications. I figured that …
Sep 02, 2010
As I mentioned recently, we have been making an effort at my house to eat more fish for dinner. We decided that too many of our meals were chicken based, so in an attempt to branch out and be a bit more healthy, we have been experimenting with a weekly fish night and one or two nights of vegetarian meals in addition to the usual suspects (chicken, beef and pork).
I have on my agenda to do a salmon and Marsannay pairing, but when I was at the store yesterday I decided that the halibut looked better than the salmon, so that pairing will have to wait for a few more days. In the …
Aug 20, 2010
I mentioned in my write-up of the Wine of the Week that I was a little torn as to what dish I wanted to try out with the Domaine du Cros as there were a number of different options I wanted to consider. After much deliberation, I decided to go with a recipe I discovered in Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Pasta cookbook. The dish, Farfalle with Spicy Sausage and Kale, has several ingredients that I thought would go well with the Domaine du Cros, mainly sausage, some cremini mushrooms and kale.
The dish is fairly easy to make, and …
Aug 12, 2010
I have been on vacation for the last two weeks but am home now and about to start gearing up for the Fall. I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for some cooler temperatures! But before the temperature starts to drop, I thought I would share a food and wine pairing with you that will not only help you to beat the heat, but it will add a nice kick to your evening meal.
Since I knew that the Viognier from Vidal Fleury was going to be an upcoming wine of the week, it was one …
Jul 29, 2010
I’m on the road again this week, but this time I’m up in Maine for a family vacation – so it’s the best kind of travel! The first few days here were sunny, but cool – just perfect. Unfortunately, the last 2 days have seen the temperature (and the humidity) jump way up. While we are right on a lake which gives us plenty of opportunities to cool off, it has been important to find meals that involved little work and more importantly, required little time in the oven.
With all of the fresh produce available at this …
Jul 26, 2010
I was on the road this past week doing some educational seminars for the wine trade on the West Coast, so again I am behind a few days on my food and wine pairing post for the Wine of the Week. While I enjoyed my trip, which included stops in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is always so nice to come home. And this past trip was a little crazy in terms of scheduling and allowing for regular meals, so I was also very happy to get home to my kitchen!
Since I had missed out on …
Jul 19, 2010
I was out of town again this past week and so my opportunities to play in my kitchen were definitely limited. However, some time spent puttering in the kitchen over this past weekend more than made up for it. Since last week I did not have a chance to do a pairing featuring the Francois Montand Blanc de Blanc Brut, I thought that I would do a weekend pairing instead!
Saturday mornings around my house almost always involve a trip to one of the local Farmers’ markets. This time of year (even though it has been very hot …
Jul 07, 2010
When I was at Domaine Houchart last week, I asked Florence Quiot what kind of dishes she likes to serve with her family’s rosé. She told me that she was fond of dishes that included lots of fresh tomatoes and eggplant. So using those as suggestions, and given that tomatoes are in great supply around our house these days, I decided that I would see if I could whip up something that would pair well with the Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé, my Wine of the Week.
In the spirit of improvisation, I decided that this week I would wing …
Jun 16, 2010
Five years ago, at a birthday party for my husband’s niece, my sister-in-law made a chicken dish that was one of the most delicious dishes I have ever been served at a party. The chicken was moist and tender and just the right balance of sweet and savory, as it had been baked in a sauce with oregano, capers, olives and dried plums (or prunes – but I think dried plums is a nicer term). I did ask Carol for the recipe (as my husband was equally impressed with the dish), but somehow I think she forgot about sending it …
Jun 09, 2010
Back when I was studying for my Master of Wine exams, I did a series of tastings over the course of a week that involved opening a huge number of bottles. I didn’t want all the wine to go to waste, so a friend of mine decided to use it for cooking. He made a giant batch of Beef stew with all of the leftover reds, and a chicken in a white wine mushroom cream sauce with the rest. He was nice enough to freeze a bunch of both meals and give them to me. The chicken in …
Jun 02, 2010
This week’s Wine of the Week is the 2008 Pierre Sparr Riesling Selection from Alsace. We are big fans of the Riesling grape in my house and this is a wine that makes a frequent appearance on the dinner table. Alsace is a warm and dry region and the wines produced there have a lot of flavor and body. I find Riesling to be extremely versatile and I pair it with everything from grilled shrimp to chicken dishes or curry dishes. While you don’t have to pair it with something spicy, I find that Riesling does a great …
May 26, 2010
The wine of the week this week is the Clairette de Die “Cuvée Imperiale” La Cave de Die Jaillance from the Clairette de Die AOC in the Rhone Valley and in my house, the food of the week would have to be strawberries. We are in full blown strawberry season here where I live in North Carolina and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. Although I am a fruit lover in general, I think that strawberries, especially those that are right from the farm or the farmer’s market, are right at the top of my list. I could put …
May 19, 2010
I don’t know about you, but we eat a lot of chicken in our house. Grilled chicken and salad is probably our go-to meal – it’s something I can make quickly and easily and without a lot of fuss. But it is pretty easy to get tired of plain old chicken and so I am constantly on the lookout for good (and easy) chicken dishes. The wine of the week this week is the Pierre Chermette Beaujolais, so I was inspired to go digging for a chicken dish that met 3 qualifications – it needed to be easy, it …
