Happy New Year at Silverlake Wine

Remember how much fun we had last year? Well we're gearing up to do it again by clinking our Riedel's to the New Year at Silverlake Wine for the year's first Sunday tasting on January 4th. Here's what you'll be missing if you don't make it:

*House made Hot Sausage on Pumpkin Brioche with Spicy Rapini and Peppadew Relish.

*Marinated Branzino with Confit Black Garbanzo Beans, Roasted Bell Peppers and Castelveltrano Olive Tapenade Crostini.

*Roasted Colorado Lamb Leg with a Creamy Gorgonzola Fondue and Maple Pecan Gremolata over Ground Barley Date & Pickled Fennel Salad.

*Trio of Bittersweet Chocolate and Cardamon Doughnut Holes with Pistachio Ice Cream and Sour Chocolate Sauce.

Twenty bucks with Napa Valley Wine pairings. Can't beat it folks. Reservations are limited to only 65 this time around so Chop! Chop! 323.662.9027

Also check out Eater LA where Josh Lurie of Food GPS named the tastings at Silverlake Wine as his Biggest Dining Surprise of 2008!! Also he noted Matt's Pumpkin Lasagne as one of the Top 15 Dishes of the year.

Caramelized Polenta Peach Cake

Yes, peach season is over. Yes, this cake is one I served at Silverlake Wine several tastings back, so yes, I am aware I'm broaching on yesterday's news, but a very nice lady from the restaurant asked me for the recipe today and I'm not gonna turn her down. For the hardliners, file this one away until next summer. For the rest of us, substitute winter berries. The cake is still great and has an optional step that is useful for many applications calling for a fragrant note of citrus.

Caramelized Polenta Peach Cake

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1 cup instant Italian polenta

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 oz butter, softened, plus more for ramekins 

1 1/2 cup sugar

Zest of two lemons

1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

6 large egg yolks

1 cup cream fraiche

1/2 c plain yogurt

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

Juice of two lemons 

6 large peaches, halved and pitted (or sub 6 cups berries)

1 cup berries

1/2 c brown sugar

A few mint leaves for garnish

Lemon Verbena or Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 500F. 

Place 8 medium size ramekins on a sheet pan. Divide the turbinado sugar between all of them and squeeze some lemon juice to moisten the sugar. Now place this sheet pan under the broiler to caramelize the sugar being careful not to burn it. Just a couple minutes. Remove from broiler and lower oven to 350F. Rub some butter on the sides of the ramekins.

Combine flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine cream fraiche and yogurt. Set aside

Place the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer.

Party Trick!

Just as guests are about to arrive, collect the sugar, lemon zest, and pulp from the vanilla

 Dry the bean by placing it in your oven overnight and then reserve it for another use like vanilla sugar 

Place this mixture into a food processor. 

When the doorbell rings, pulse the sugar 7-10 times until the oil from the zest gingerly wafts into your kitchen. 

Your people will chatter among themselves about what a baking wizard you are. 

This step is optional, but has a really pretty effect on the cake as well as your olfactories.  Add the lemon sugar to the butter or the sugar, zest and vanilla extract. Cream until light and fluffy. With the motor running, add the yolks one at a time, scraping after each addition. Beat until smooth.

Add 1/3 of the dries and mix on low or you'll be covered in flour. Next add half the yogurt mixture, mix on low, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue ending with the dries and beat just until mixed. Don't over do it or your cake will be tough.

Take an ice cream scoop and divide the batter between the ramekins. Place a peach half, cut side up into the batter which will rise over the peach once it is baked. Add berries and sprinkle generously with brown sugar.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes until they are golden brown. Allow to cool and invert on a serving plate. Scoop some ice cream on top and eat up!

Mushroom Ragu on Crispy Polenta Cakes

Out of deference for the many vegetarians in the house, we did these little bites as a tray pass for the November Silverlake Wine Tasting.  Although Matt used chanterelle mushrooms he found at the farmer's market, really any will work such as the tried and true button mushroom which turns this easy appetizer into an economical one that anyone who likes mushrooms loves. If you're in a rush and you don't want to be bothered with the snazzy polenta cake, go ahead and use some whole grain crackers straight out of the box or thin, toasted baguette slices. Quick, affordable, delicious. Oh and vegetarian.

MUSHROOM RAGU

6 oz ricotta cheese

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 shallot, minced

1 bunch chives, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lb mushrooms (preferably wild but button is fine), torn into small, bite-sized pieces

1 bunch sage leaves, chopped

2 oz white wine

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, lemon juice and zest, shallot, chives, salt and pepper.

Heat a medium saute pan over high flames until it begins to smoke. Coat the bottom of the pan with the oil and then gently add the mushrooms or you will get zapped with hot oil.

Stir the mushrooms to prevent burning and continue to cook until they are crispy and golden brown. Add the chopped sage and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the white wine carefully so as not to ignite. Cook 1 minute more and then remove from heat.

Add the hot mushrooms to the ricotta mixture, folding to incorporate. Cover and reserve until you are ready to use.

CRISPY POLENTA CAKES

1 cup instant Italian polenta

2 cups stock or salted water

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for garnish

1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Rub two baking sheets with olive oil and set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, bring the stock or water to a boil, then add polenta and lower heat to a simmer. Whisk until the polenta becomes smooth and thick, approximately 7-8 minutes. Still whisking, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. 

Pour the polenta onto one of the prepared baking sheets and spread flat with a greased offset spatula. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Preheat oven to 450F

When cool, cut the polenta into desired bite-sized shapes and place on the other greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

To construct, place a small spoonful of the ragu atop the baked polenta and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese. 

Confit Baby Artichokes

Tossed in rice or pasta, mixed in a green salad or a warm potato salad, confit baby artichokes make a great addition to almost any dish. Puree them to make a creamy spread for sandwiches or crostinis, use them as an accompaniment for meats and cheeses, stuff them into bell peppers and roast them, use the flavored oil for dressings... YUM! For the Silverlake Wine tasting, Matt crushed the confit artichokes and layered them in lasagne. These little guys are a bit time consuming to clean, but once you turn them into a confit (slow cooked in oil), they will hold covered in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks ready to impress any hungry guest. Put them in jars and give them as gifts. Please save some for us. We love 'em!

25 Fresh Baby Green or Violet Artichokes           

1 lemon

1 White Onion

6 cloves of Garlic

1 bunch of Italian Parsley chopped fine

16 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoons Salt

2 Teaspoons Pepper

To clean the Artichokes:

Prepare a large bowl of cold water to reserve cleaned artichokes and squeeze the lemon into water. Using your hands, remove the outer leaves of the artichoke until the bottom half of it’s flower is yellow and the tips are still green or violet. Cut those tips off. Now for the stem: use a peeler to strip it’s woody exterior until it is yellow and there is no more green or brown.

Put cleaned artichokes into the lemon water until cooking time to prevent them from turning brown.

Confit:

Finely mince the onion and garlic and mix with the parsley. In a large, cold sauce pot, place the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, and onion. Strain the artichokes from the water and toss in a mixing bowl with salt and pepper. Arrange the artichokes stem up, in the sauce pot with the oil so they are all standing. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or tightly fitting lid and set atop stove.

On high heat, bring artichokes to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes covered. Remove from heat. Artichokes should be soft when a knife is inserted, if not return to heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store, covered in refrigerator.