Do you use a slow cooker (Crockpot)? Rich and I got one last Christmas and I’m surprised by how much I use it. I mainly make soups in it, but lately I’ve been making black beans.
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Butternut Squash Soup
It feels like fall here in Columbus, so I’m taking full advantage and starting to make all my fall favorites. I started with pumpkin chocolate chunk muffins last week, and this week I’m making butternut squash soup. The soup tastes like fall in a bowl, in the best way possible.
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Garlic Chili Popcorn
Rich and I got really into popcorn a few years ago. We started experimenting with different stove top popping techniques and different seasoning. This one is hands-down our favorite. It’s salty, spicy, and perfectly crunchy. So do yourself and a favor and make a batch before your next Netflix binge!
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Muffins
I already know what your thinking, “pumpkin, really Gretchen?” I know, I know. But here’s the thing, pumpkin isn’t something I decided I loved when everyone and their brother got on the pumpkin train thanks to pumpkin spice lattes. Honestly, I don’t even like pumpkin spice lattes.
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Favorite Summer Recipes
How is it already September? With Labor being the unofficial end of summer, I thought I would share my 4 favorite recipes using summer produce. Have you made any of them yet?
Pasta with Grated Zucchini, Parmesan, and Garlic
Roasted Eggplant with Sauteed Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Have a great long weekend!
Zucchini Potato Fritters with Goat Cheese
It’s that time of year. Zucchini is in full force at the farmers market and I go crazy, buying armfuls of the versatile vegetable without a definitive plan on what to do with it. Next thing I know, I’m roasting it, eating it in pasta, and adding it to any and every dish. One of my favorite ways to use my zucchini bounty? Grate it along with potatoes to make into fritters. Plus, goat cheese never hurts a recipe, right?
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Roasted Tomato Soup
This is one of my favorite soups. So much so, that it was the first thing I ever cooked for Rich. He was coming over for dinner and I asked him if he liked tomato soup and grilled cheese (who doesn’t?) and later he told me he thought that meant I was heating up a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and making a grilled cheese with American cheese slices. Ha! That was obviously very early into our relationship.
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French Chocolate Cake
This French Chocolate Cake is on of my favorite desserts that I’ve made in a long time. That’s a big statement coming from me. It’s one of those cakes that looks beautiful and tastes even better.
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Crispy Gnocchi with Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese
Have you ever had crispy gnocchi? It sounds weird and counter intuitive, as gnocchi is soft and dough-like, but trust me, crispy gnocchi is delicious! I first thought to lightly pan fry the gnocchi after boiling them a few years ago.
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Picking the Perfect White Wine
David Sipress Cartoon from The New Yorker
Is anyone intimidated by white wine? Red wine, sure, I feel like I kind of know what I’m talking about, or at least know what I like. But white wine? Forget about it. I think my intimidation stemmed from not knowing much about it or finding a white wine I truly enjoyed. Then it was 90 degrees out and suddenly I decided, this was the summer I was going to learn about white wine.
My first step was to go to my local wine store, The Twisted Vine and ask for help. This was the best thing I did. I told one of the owners my feelings on white wine and what I liked and didn’t like. I don’t like Chardonnay because I don’t like the oaky-ness of it. I don’t like Riesling because I don’t like super sweet wines. And I don’t like Pinot Grigio because I don’t think it tastes like much. Turns out I’m not alone.
The owner started asking me more questions and we came to the conclusion that I like white wines that are crisp and have mineral undertones. This lead to my new found love of French white wines. He suggested a few to try, all under $15 a bottle (score!). I bought a few (or 6) bottles and began my “research.” I can honestly say I enjoyed all the French white wines I took home. More importantly, I’m not so intimidated by white wines anymore. When I’m out to dinner I stick to the French whites, from a region I have had a few bottles from, and have continuously had good luck.
The process of finding wine you enjoy can be intimidating when it should be fun. Here are some of my suggestions to finding wine you love:
- Go to a wine store, or a wine shop within a larger grocery store, and find someone to help you. Seriously, the people that work in the wine department want to help, and 9 times out of 10 they know what they’re talking about.
- Identify flavors you like and don’t like, i.e. sweet, acidic, oak, citrus, etc. This way you have a place to start the conversation with the person helping you.
- When you find a wine you like, go back to where you got it and tell them, they should be able to help you find similar ones that you’ll also like. Plus, the staff will eventually get to know your tastes and recommend new wines you haven’t even had a chance to ask about.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things, including wine from small producers.
Cheers!