Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (well-balanced flavours that complement each other)

THE TEST: Let me start off my saying that my husband thinks I’m the victim of my own expectations. I think he may be right.

It’s no secret that since returning to the world of full-time work four years ago, my blog has suffered terrible neglect. Try as I might – finding a work/life/blog balance continues to elude me. But when the January issue of Food & Wine Magazine arrived in my mailbox and I laid eyes on the piri piri chicken and fries gracing the cover, I was filled with a strong sense of determination. This cover recipe must be made and will mark my triumphant return to the world of food blogging.

Yes – this was going to happen.

The entire month goes by and I start panicking. Quick phone call to our favourite butcher (insert shout-out to Pasture to Plate!) revealed they were sold out of chicken breasts and thighs so in an act of desperation I pulled a package of wings out of the freezer and left in the fridge to thaw overnight. My plan was to make the piri piri marinade in the morning before work and then leave the chicken to infuse with all that spicy goodness until we got home.

Of course in my mind things went a lot more smoothly than reality.

It didn’t take long for me to become flustered as I juggled getting ready for work, making lunches for the kids, micro-managing getting them dressed because after all these years it still seems to be a struggle to get socks on, while simultaneously trying to make the marinade. With my work phone in one hand responding to emails and the other pouring cereal for a hangry kid, things quickly spun out of control.

I managed to stage my first photo for the blog post but couldn’t find my SLR camera. Quick phone call to Mr. Spock confirmed it was at his office. No problem, that’s why iPhones have such a great camera – for times like this. I grab my cellphone and get ready to take the first shot only to find my memory was full. I hastily plugged it into my computer and started downloading all of my files to make room.

Meanwhile the kids are starting to stare at me in a weird way.

“Mom – are you okay?”

“Yup – just busy being the victim of my own expectations!”

“Okay. But I need you to sign my homework book and there’s a field trip form I need to return today….”

You get the picture.

I finally snapped my first pic and moved on to chopping the red Thai peppers (couldn’t find red jalapeños or fresno peppers to save my life), dried chiles de árbol, garlic, shallot, ginger and cilantro. Did I remember about the hot peppers when applying my make-up? Nope – not until I went to blend my eye cream.

Moving on.

I buzzed everything in the blender along with champagne vinegar, olive oil and sweet smoked paprika then seasoned with salt and pepper and mixed with the chicken. A valiant effort went into trying to make the blender photo look Instagram worthy but I couldn’t get it right and in the end my eldest daughter took my phone away because by this point she was seriously worried they’d be late for school. So I quickly doused the chicken with the marinade and tossed into the fridge for later and hustled out the door.

#GoodTimes

THE RESULTS: After the morning mayhem I can’t tell you how lovely it was to have Mr. Spock pick-up the kids and start barbequing the wings, so that by the time I got home the house smelled delicious and all I had to focus on was the glass of wine he put in my hand.

I love you sweetie.

If you’re able to barbeque the chicken instead of bake in the oven I highly recommend going that route, as it really dialed up that smokey piri piri flavour. The kids found the chicken a bit on the spicy side but managed to eat it all. I opted to slather on more of the piri piri sauce and combined with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice the combination was perfect. The heat from the chillies complimented the acid from the lemon and tang of the vinegar, while the cilantro brightened everything up nicely. If I were to critique the recipe in any way it would be to suggest adding more vinegar as it got lost a bit with everything else going on in the sauce.

Despite all the drama in the end I’m happy I made this recipe because it’s a keeper, and I’m damn proud of the fact this post got up. Even though it’s February.

Cover Recipe:
Piri Piri Chicken with Crispy Potatoes

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com.

Written & photographed by
Stay-At-Home-Chef

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine. Joining me along the way is my fellow blogger Aimée from Food, Je t’Aimée, and our resident wine expert Kendall Harris of Wine2Three who provides us with fantastic wine pairings for each month’s cover.

Want to join in on the fun? We’d love the company! Pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send me an email at info@cookthatbook.com to let me know you made the cover recipe, and if you’re a blogger don’t forget to post a link to your post in the comments below.

Ricotta & Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fennel & Radicchio

Rating: 5 out of 5 (great vegetarian option for Thanksgiving)

Initial Thoughts: October’s cover recipe screams comfort food!

THE TEST: This month was extra special for me as it heralded the return of my culinary cohort Aimée from Food, Je t’Aimée, plus I had the pleasure of cooking and sharing this meal with Kendall Harris of Wine2Three! Our resident wine expert is currently on sabbatical in France for the next several months, so I was thrilled to host her for a Food & Wine Magazine cover dinner before she flew across the Atlantic. It was so much fun being able to experience this month’s recipe and wine pairing together at the same table. Definitely something that we will have to do again in the future.

Now on to the food!

After what has felt like an endless stream of meat dishes, it was with enthused relief that I prepared to tackle this pasta dish. Stuffed with sautéed fennel and radicchio along with ricotta and fontina cheeses, this recipe is meant to suffice as a vegetarian main dish option for Thanksgiving. Baked in a homemade marinara sauce and layered with additional fontina, it was easy to see how seasonally appropriate this pasta bake would be to serve guests at this time of year.

The recipe itself is not difficult, but there are several steps involved. Feel free to use a good quality jarred marinara sauce if you are short on time, but believe me when I say this sauce is definitely worth the extra effort. Olive oil is infused with garlic before tomato paste, whole tomatoes and basil are added along with salt and pepper and some sugar for sweetness, and a dash of cream.

THE RESULTS: Initially after tasting the fennel/radicchio mixture I was concerned it would be too bitter, but once it had a chance to bake everything mellowed out nicely and even the flavour of fennel was not overpowering. The creaminess of the cheese mixture (fontina – where have you been all my life!) balanced the bite of the veggies and the acidicy of the tomato sauce. The results? Perfectly balanced pasta dish that was full of fantastic flavours and deeply satisfying. I was surprised at how hearty the fennel and radicchio filling turned out; it was ironically very meaty!

One piece of advice I would offer is to let the veggies cool completely before adding the rest of the ingredients for the filling. This display of patience will help prevent everything from melting together and allow each ingredient to stand out more independently from the others.

And as for the tomato sauce? No wonder it’s called Best-Ever Marinara! Hands down one of the best (and easiest) tomato sauces I’ve had the pleasure of making.

Well-done Grace Parisi…yet another successful cover recipe.

(Don’t forget to hop on over to Food, Je t’Aimée to see how our fair Aimée made out with this recipe!)

Cover Recipe: Ricotta-and-Fontina-Stuffed Shells with Fennel and Radicchio

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com 

Wine Pairing by Kendall Harris of Wine2Three

I had such fun watching Jasmine cook this amazing meal and take the time to photograph the beautiful pictures you see above! For this particular meal I brought an Italian wine; Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. I enjoyed sharing it with Jasmine and chatting with her about its flavour and how well it paired with this wonderful meal.

I have a special relationship with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Back in my ’20s, I tasted a wine I liked and noticed it said Montepulciano d’Abruzzo on the label. At the time I wasn’t sure if that was the name of the wine, the company who bottled it, or the name of a castle in Italy. But what I did know was that I loved the wine and had to seek it out again. The next time I was in a wine shop, I asked for a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and was subsequently handed a wine with a different label than I remembered. I was a bit confused, but when I tasted the wine it held the same delicious qualities. It has since become my go-to Italian wine! I now know that Montepulciano is the name of the grape, and Abruzzo is the region (essentially it means the Montepulciano grape of Abruzzo).

NOTE: To add to the confusion there happens to be a town in Italy called Montepulciano, which produces a wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This wine is not made with the Montepulciano grape, it is made with Sangiovese which is Italy’s most planted red grape variety. But I digress!

After Sangiovese, Montepulciano is Italy’s second most widely dispersed indigenous grape variety. It produces a wine that pairs perfectly with the Italian dish we enjoyed from this month’s cover. It is not a heavy wine and so is perfect to serve alongside pasta, plus it has that wonderful acidity (the quality that makes your mouth water) for which Italian wines are renowned. Jasmine noticed some nice spice in it, and we both loved how fruity and bright it tasted. I hope this is a wine you explore and enjoy with your next Italian meal (maybe this recipe?) – cheers!

Kendall Harris is a wine blogger who shares her adventures in the wine world as Wine2three on Twitter & Facebook. She has an Advanced Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and is passionate about sharing her wine knowledge with others. “Like” her page on Facebook for fun, informative wine posts!  

Written & photographed by
Stay-At-Home-Chef

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine. Joining me along the way is my fellow blogger Aimée from Food, Je t’Aimée, and our resident wine expert Kendall Harris of Wine2Three who provides us with fantastic wine pairings for each month’s cover.

Want to join in on the fun? We’d love the company! Pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send me an email at info@cookthatbook.com to let me know you made the cover recipe, and if you’re a blogger don’t forget to post a link to your post in the comments below.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 out of 5 (fresh & full of flavours that highlight the tomato perfectly)

Initial Thoughts: Looking at the cover picture I could practically taste the fresh, juicy tomatoes…bring on summer’s bounty!

THE TEST: This month I found myself cooking alone, as Aimée from Food, Je t’Aimée is in the middle of launching her new site and is currently stuck in cyber limbo for the time being. Glad I had Kendall Harris of Wine2Three to keep me hydrated while preparing this tasty summer salad! Don’t forget to check out her fantastic wine pairing at the bottom of this post…she opted for a pinot gris from one of my favourite vineyards.

This recipe has several layers of flavour that are each made separately and then assembled just before serving. Bright, jewel toned heirloom tomatoes are sliced and diced and showcased on a platter over which shallots pickled in red wine vinegar are sprinkled, a warmed olive oil, anchovy (I used anchovy paste), garlic and lemon zest dressing is poured overtop the tomatoes with sliced hardboiled eggs placed on top. This recipe is perfect to make ahead when entertaining as you can quickly assemble it at the last minute, and your guests will be impressed with this tasty twist on the usual tomato salad.

THE RESULTS: Despite all of the different layers of flavour in this salad the taste of tomatoes is never overshadowed. The taste explosion of the juicy, sweet fruit paired with the salty anchovy vinaigrette and tang from the pickled shallots is fantastic. I love how each ingredient works so hard to help the others shine. Talk about good culinary teamwork!

I was a bit anxious serving this to the kids as I had no idea what they would think, but my unease was for nothing as they gobbled it up and asked for seconds. Needless to say I walked away from the dinner table that night feeling triumphant. Another Food & Wine success!

Cover Recipe:
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette 

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

Wine Pairing by Kendall Harris of Wine2Three

Nothing more summery than an heirloom tomato salad, and with so many wonderful flavours going on in this recipe you will need a wonderful summery white wine to stand alongside. This Pinot Gris, from British Columbia’s Poplar Grove winery, hits all the right notes!

Pinot Gris is also called Pinot Grigio in Italy or if the wine has been vinified in the more zippy Italian style (zippy = more acidic), whereas Pinot Gris is the term winemaker’s use when the grape is vinified in the more French style, as is this the case with this particular wine.

Pinot Gris is the signature white wine of Poplar Grove winery, and they’ve won many accolades for this and past vintages of Pinot Gris. You’ll notice aromas of lemongrass, apple and peaches, and on the palate (as you sip it), you’ll get refreshing lemon and apple flavours with a hint of apricot. Pinot Gris also has a characteristic “minerality,” which some describe as a wet stone flavour, so look for that. I like to think you taste B.C.’s wonderful terroir when you detect that minerality! Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio in general, is a great wine to have on hand and is a widely appealing white wine – not as lemony as Sauvignon Blanc, not as buttery and oaky as some Chardonnays, not as lime-ey or sweet as Rieslings can be – really, the perfect “house wine”. And if you happen to be in B.C., be sure to look for Poplar Grove’s version…it’s one of the best!

Kendall Harris is a wine blogger who shares her adventures in the wine world as Wine2three on Twitter & Facebook. She has an Advanced Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and is passionate about sharing her wine knowledge with others. “Like” her page on Facebook for fun, informative wine posts!

Written & photographed by
Stay-At-Home-Chef

Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (fun summer eats!)

Initial Thoughts: Two grilling recipes in a row – must be summertime!

THE TEST: As soon as my June issue of Food & Wine Magazine arrived, I was immediately struck by the photo on the front cover. The photographer utilized a stark white background to make the food really pop. In fact, the only colour in the picture comes from the delicious spread of food and wine. Definitely helped to create a summer feel.

© 2012 CookThatBook

© 2012 CookThatBook

The recipe itself – Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak – was developed by Grace Parisi, senior recipe developer for the magazine. If you haven’t had a chance to try any of Grace’s other recipes, I urge you to take some time and browse through her past recipes. Not only does she come up with some fantastic ideas, but the results are reliably delicious. Click here to view past F&W recipes by Grace Parisi.

© 2012 CookThatBook

© 2012 CookThatBook

The Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak is one of six recipes included in a special make-ahead grilling section, an article that highlights easy marinades, brines and pastes to help elevate your summer grilling to the next level. The marinade for the steak itself is a basic vinaigrette, which the meat soaks in for a 24 hour period before being thrown on the grill. Garlic, rosemary, oregano, whole-grain mustard and olive oil along with some salt and pepper is all it takes. Quick buzz in the blender and you’re done.

© 2012 CookThatBook

THE RESULTS: This was a homerun in our household, and I must admit to breathing a huge sigh of relief at its success. With epic fails for the last two cover recipes, I was starting to develop some self-esteem issues!

© 2012 CookThatBook

We served the steak as per the directions in the recipe; sliced thinly and placed on top of crusty bread along with grilled leeks and cherry tomatoes. It was a quick and stress-free meal that tasted great and had the kids coming back for more! You could easily serve each component separately or chose different side dishes to compliment the steak, but I liked building open-faced sandwiches with the grilled veggies.

Don’t forget to head over to Food, Je t’Aimée and see what my F&W accomplice Aimée thought about this month’s recipe. Rumour on the street is that she is in lieu of a BBQ, so I’m curious to read about her results. Where there’s a will there’s a way! And be sure to check out Kendall Harris of Wine2Three’s wine pairing. In search of the ultimate BBQ wine, she opted for a delightful Malbec.

If you would like to join us next month, the more the merrier. So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine and be sure to send us your thoughts, comments and photos. We’d love to hear from you.

Cover Recipe:
Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak 

© 2012 CookThatBook

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

Wine Pairing by Kendall Harris of Wine2Three

On the hunt for the perfect BBQ wine, I thought I’d take a cue from a country famous for its outdoor BBQ’s: Argentina. And Argentina’s most famous grape happens to be Malbec, which is a hearty, complementary pairing for this recipe. Malbec originally comes from France where it was one of the grapes blended into Bordeaux reds, but this grape’s success really lies in Argentina. Some say it fell in love with that country and never looked back!

I was thrilled to find this Valle Las Acequias Malbec from Mendoza, an area of Argentina famous for its Malbec vineyards. The very first smell of this intense wine is enough to make you swoon; you’ll detect notes of blackberry, ripe raspberry and even some floral notes. On the palate you’ll get more of those delicious berry flavours with hints of chocolate and espresso. Delish! And with the tannins characteristic of Malbec, it makes it the perfect wine to serve with a nice grilled steak. And as you’re sipping Argentinian Malbec, don’t forget to toast with a hearty “Salud!”

Kendall Harris shares her adventures in the wine world as Wine2three on Twitter & Facebook. She is WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Advanced Certified & is currently developing a weekly wine series on ShawTV, where she is a full-time reporter. Join her on Facebook – click LIKE at www.facebook.com/wine2three for regular fun wine info!

Written & photographed by
Stay-At-Home-Chef

Asian Beef with Basil

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (disappointing flavour)

Initial Thoughts: The photo of this fresh looking beef dish literally jumps off the page!

THE TEST: April’s Food & Wine Magazine cover recipe is an exciting Asian Beef with Basil dish. The photo has a modern look and feel that is fresh, and I couldn’t wait to give the recipe a try. Just reading the list of ingredients had me drooling over the imagined flavour punch. Lemongrass? Ginger? Garlic? Anise? Basil? Yes please!

© 2012 CookThatBook

© 2012 CookThatBook

Beef chuck is marinated at room temperature for 30 minutes in a mixture of blended garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce, oil, salt, sugar and Chinese five-spice powder. Let me tell ya folks – the smell is absolutely incredible. INCREDIBLE! Every five minutes I would ‘happen’ to wander by the beef and stop for a big ol’ sniff just to make sure the aromatics were as tantalizing as I remembered. And each and every time I fell more in love with the smells that wafted up from the bowl.

© 2012 CookThatBook

Next step? Sauté the beef and remove from the heat before adding onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper which is browned and then cooked down in a mixture of water and tomato paste. The beef is added back into the pot along with beef broth, carrots, star anise and more lemongrass. After approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes the beef is ready to be served over rice noodles garnished with fresh basil and red chile.

© 2012 CookThatBook

© 2012 CookThatBook

THE RESULTS: Now after my big flavour buildup I’m sorry to have to inform readers that I was disappointed in this dish. With all of those lovely and powerfully flavoured ingredients I found the results to be more bland than anticipated. Don’t get me wrong – it was good. But in comparison to the way it smelled while cooking the overall flavour of the beef was weak. Good thing I happened to have a fantastic bottle of Yalumba Viognier on hand to serve (wine pairing courtesy of Kendall Harris of Wine2Three).

That being said, please take the time to hop over to Food, Je t’Aimée because I know Aimée absolutely loved this recipe. I’m happy her results turned out better than mine! It’s a good reminder about how subjective the world of food can be…even when cooking from the same recipe.

If you would like to join us next month, the more the merrier. So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine and be sure to send us your thoughts, comments and photos. We’d love to hear from you.

Cover Recipe:
Asian Beef with Basil 

© 2012 CookThatBook

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

Wine Pairing by Kendall Harris of Wine2Three
This month’s cover recipe was a fun challenge in terms of a food and wine pairing. I could see there was beef (so immediately my thoughts turned to red wine), but it was served on top of a bed of light rice noodles (which subsequently turned my thoughts to white). Upon closer inspection of the recipe, I could see there was some spice called for which made me think of a fruity white wine like Gewurztraminer. But because beef is a heavier protein than fish or shrimp, I wanted a white with a little more oomph, a little more body, a little more weight to it, and I thought: Viognier. Specifically Yalumba Viognier, which is one of the nicest Viogniers I’ve ever had. Yalumba was the first winery to plant Viognier vines in Australia and they know what they’re doing with this often challenging varietal.

When you swirl and sniff a glass of Viognier, you will almost always detect an unmistakable aroma of peach and white flowers. This is the first white wine I learned to identify by scent alone, and it was that peachy fragrance that gave it away! It’s such a beautiful wine ‘on the nose’ as they say. And when you taste it, Viognier will have gorgeous fruity characteristics (which will make it pair so well with this spicy dish) and it will also have a pleasing viscosity to it; it doesn’t seem ‘watery’ as some very light (and cheap) wines sometimes can, but has more body to it which will make it pair perfectly with this Asian flavoured dish.

Cheers – I hope you enjoy this pairing!

This month’s wine pairing suggestion is Yalumba Viognier

Kendall Harris shares her adventures in the wine world as Wine2three on Twitter & Facebook. She is WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Advanced Certified & is currently developing a weekly wine series on ShawTV, where she is a full time reporter. Join her on Facebook – click LIKE at www.facebook.com/wine2three for regular fun wine info!