News
Every year about this time, the little town of Palisade turns into Wine Central with the annual Colorado Mountain Winefest, this year being the 20 anniversary.
Starting on Thursday with a wine reception and golfing at Bookcliff Country Club and running through Sunday's tours and dinners, Colorado's wine industry puffs out its collective chest with pride.
To many, the highlight is Saturday's Festival in the Park (10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) with 56 participating wineries, cheese makers, peach growers and other, including us, vendors! (You really gotta try our “Vineyard” series of wine-based cheesecakes). For some, the VIP Experience is the ultimate way to enjoy the festival, an ever-changing buffet, a tented seating area and much, much more!
So, come on out to Palisade this weekend and get your wine on. For more information, visit their website at www.coloradowinefest.com or call them at 970-464-0111.
This week's ‘Recipe of the Week' is one that I did for the Peach Festival a few years ago, but it is made with cabernet...
CRAVINGS IN THE COMMUNITY
Last column, we asked our readers what their food cravings are and two stood out:
From Vicki: I had to laugh when reading your story of the Salt Lake trip planned around eating at In-N-Out Burger. My husband plans our yearly trip to Yuma, Ariz., around eating at Roberto's Mexican Restaurant in Parker, Ariz.
We drive to Mesquite to spend a day or two and then leave at just the precise moment in the morning so we can arrive to eat lunch at Roberto's. It is just a small brick building with limited seating (most people just take out); you definitely eat there for the great food not the atmosphere.
My husband always orders #6, the seafood platter with shrimp cooked in red sauce; he has never even tried anything else on the menu. We began eating at Roberto's 15 years ago when it was located in Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Imagine my husband's horror when we stopped to eat one year and found it had been replaced by Starbucks; the whole trip was ruined! As we traveled on toward Yuma with much sadness and moaning as my husband kept repeating “A Starbucks I can't believe it,” a mirage appeared as we traveled through Parker. There on the side of a little brick building was a Roberto's sign. Never has our motorhome made such a quick right turn. In November, we will continue our tradition of dining in the little brick building, praying they never move again.
And from Marge: This one is soooo easy. Mine has to be Kona's in Pacific Beach, S.D. BUT don't ever call it Pacific Beach! It is PB to the locals. Where else would you gladly wait in a long line outdoors to have a breakfast cooked for you and served by waitresses on a paper plate and plastic fork and knives?
The reason you would wait is the food is so good, especially the cheesy potatoes and perfectly cooked eggs, bacon or French toast..and it's cheap $$ and cash only.
Another BIG reason is that you get to eat it outdoors on the deck overlooking the beach next to the Crystal Pier at Garnet Avenue. Watching the surf break onto the cool sand, or watching the beach and boardwalk people from one of the best people-watching spots while eating a delicious, giant breakfast California burrito (my husband's favorite) or a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast...Well, what could be better?
DID YOU KNOW?
The Maverick Cookbook is now on sale! One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the scholarship funds of the CMU Alumni Association and the Culinary Program. You can pick up a copy (or two, what a great gift) at the Alumni office, at the CMU Bookstore, or online at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21035_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=245. Cost is $14.95 for 99 pages of recipes from alumni, faculty and staff.
--------------------------------------
Lee is the founder and owner of Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Catering. He can be reached at decadencecheesecakes@mindspring.com, through their website at www.decadencecheesecakes.com, on Facebook or by calling 256-4688!
Starting on Thursday with a wine reception and golfing at Bookcliff Country Club and running through Sunday's tours and dinners, Colorado's wine industry puffs out its collective chest with pride.
To many, the highlight is Saturday's Festival in the Park (10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) with 56 participating wineries, cheese makers, peach growers and other, including us, vendors! (You really gotta try our “Vineyard” series of wine-based cheesecakes). For some, the VIP Experience is the ultimate way to enjoy the festival, an ever-changing buffet, a tented seating area and much, much more!
So, come on out to Palisade this weekend and get your wine on. For more information, visit their website at www.coloradowinefest.com or call them at 970-464-0111.
This week's ‘Recipe of the Week' is one that I did for the Peach Festival a few years ago, but it is made with cabernet...
CRAVINGS IN THE COMMUNITY
Last column, we asked our readers what their food cravings are and two stood out:
From Vicki: I had to laugh when reading your story of the Salt Lake trip planned around eating at In-N-Out Burger. My husband plans our yearly trip to Yuma, Ariz., around eating at Roberto's Mexican Restaurant in Parker, Ariz.
We drive to Mesquite to spend a day or two and then leave at just the precise moment in the morning so we can arrive to eat lunch at Roberto's. It is just a small brick building with limited seating (most people just take out); you definitely eat there for the great food not the atmosphere.
My husband always orders #6, the seafood platter with shrimp cooked in red sauce; he has never even tried anything else on the menu. We began eating at Roberto's 15 years ago when it was located in Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Imagine my husband's horror when we stopped to eat one year and found it had been replaced by Starbucks; the whole trip was ruined! As we traveled on toward Yuma with much sadness and moaning as my husband kept repeating “A Starbucks I can't believe it,” a mirage appeared as we traveled through Parker. There on the side of a little brick building was a Roberto's sign. Never has our motorhome made such a quick right turn. In November, we will continue our tradition of dining in the little brick building, praying they never move again.
And from Marge: This one is soooo easy. Mine has to be Kona's in Pacific Beach, S.D. BUT don't ever call it Pacific Beach! It is PB to the locals. Where else would you gladly wait in a long line outdoors to have a breakfast cooked for you and served by waitresses on a paper plate and plastic fork and knives?
The reason you would wait is the food is so good, especially the cheesy potatoes and perfectly cooked eggs, bacon or French toast..and it's cheap $$ and cash only.
Another BIG reason is that you get to eat it outdoors on the deck overlooking the beach next to the Crystal Pier at Garnet Avenue. Watching the surf break onto the cool sand, or watching the beach and boardwalk people from one of the best people-watching spots while eating a delicious, giant breakfast California burrito (my husband's favorite) or a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast...Well, what could be better?
DID YOU KNOW?
The Maverick Cookbook is now on sale! One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the scholarship funds of the CMU Alumni Association and the Culinary Program. You can pick up a copy (or two, what a great gift) at the Alumni office, at the CMU Bookstore, or online at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21035_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=245. Cost is $14.95 for 99 pages of recipes from alumni, faculty and staff.
--------------------------------------
Lee is the founder and owner of Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Catering. He can be reached at decadencecheesecakes@mindspring.com, through their website at www.decadencecheesecakes.com, on Facebook or by calling 256-4688!
Palisade Poached Peaches in Cabernet
6 whole Palisade peaches1 bottle of Colorado Cabernet (we used a 1999 Canyon Wind Cabernet)
1 cup GW sugar
1 vanilla bean
Blackberry ice cream
Fresh blackberries
Blanch peaches by dipping them into a saucepan of boiling water for about 10 seconds. Lift out, peel and section into eighths.
Take a saucepan that is big enough to hold all of the peach eighths in a single layer and add your wine, sugar (adjust to taste as you want to achieve your level of sweetness) and your vanilla bean, split along the length. Bring to a simmer; once all of the sugar has dissolved, add the peaches and simmer until al dente, just starting to become tender.
Move the peaches and liquid to a bowl where all of the peaches are covered by the liquid and cool to room temp. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Take some wide champagne glasses and arrange 4 peach eighths in the glass. Fill the glasses halfway with the poaching liquid. Place a scoop of blackberry ice cream on top of each glass and sprinkle with fresh blackberries. Top off with a dollop of crème fraiche. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
And this week's website of the week is all about cooking with wine — Easy Food and Wine: http://www.easyfoodandwine.com
