Here's How It Goes

And that wraps up our Silverlake Wine Tastings for this year. Down below you see myself with George Cossette, co-owner of SLW, who you may have heard on KCRW's Good Food. He is essentially an alcohol Wikipedia. I ask him questions in which he always responds with an articulate and fascinating answer. How I am unable to retain this information is shocking to me. I can say with the utmost of confidence that all of his wine recommendations are spot on so don't worry if you too do not recall his explanations, you will, as I,  relish the drink instead.

photos: George Simian

Napa Comes to Silverlake

When Matt and I went to Napa last week, we brought back with us a pig and lots of produce from Hudson Ranch to feature at Silverlake Wine. If you missed out on this menu that got a shout out in LA Times' Daily Dish, I am very sorry.

Photos: Beata Bernina

Eating Well At Silverlake Wine

Our Regular Food Truck Night Gets A Shout Out

Slam Dunk

Sunday Silverlake Wine Tastings is where we got our start. Sundays have become busy full service catering days for us now but whenever we can manage it, we love to go back to our roots like we did last week. Here's what was served:

Sunday Silverlake Wine Tasting Defined

Each Sunday, SLW has a special guest to do the food. We do the food about once a month, and it goes off! Follow us on Twitter to see when we're there cookin'!

photos by George Simian

and Beata Bernina

New Delicious Items

A-hem, have I mentioned any of our new delicious items we've got out there this year?? I don't think so. We've got tamales, flatbreads, and empanadas all available in our freezers at our retail outlets like Silverlake Wine but I'll get to those later. For now allow me to show you some yumness we featured yesterday at the Silverlake Wine Sunday Tasting. Above, you see the likes of Roasted Tomato Grassini, Parmesean Rosemary Crackers, and (oh me, oh my!) Sweet and Sour Potato Chips! All will be sold in bags at Silverlake Wine. Have ever you had fresh made potatoe chips? No? You haven't lived. Please do try to inhale some soon.

Next, well this is one we were doing for the holidays because I love pumpkin and I love pretty bite-size desserts that compel me to look rather than eat. This one is a Spicy Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toasted Marshmallow atop a Chocolate Cookie. Patrons at Silverlake Wine did not seem to mind that approaching February I am still hung up on pumpkin. It is a Power Food afterall!!!

Our fabulous Taz cures his own salmon rendering a sweeter, richer version than what I have found anywhere else. Matt paired it with Burrata and Fresh Ricotta Raviolis with Crispy Greens and a Garlic and Chive Sauce. Creamy, Salty, Crunchy and Goey.... this should be a title of a song.

In attendance we were graced with Tal's parents visiting from Florida. Tal's sweet mother is a regular reader of this blog and for that we say: Joyce, you rule!!! 

Blow Out 2010

Every year, we get to do the final tasting at Silverlake Wine before their holiday craziness. It is their tradition to serve bubbles in all price ranges for guests to sample and decide which one they want to crack open to start off the New Year. Our four courses to accompany these offerings were as follows:

Black & Blue Wild Boar Tenderloin over Fried Garbanzo Bean and Swiss Chard Cavalo Nero

Risotto with House Cured Pancetta (Tad made it) served with Braised Persimmons and Crispy Kale

Seared Chicken Roulade with Spicy Purple Potato Salad

Smoked Lamb Sloppy Joes on Brioche with Coleslaw and Mozzarella

Holiday Menu at SLW

Here is a sampling of our
Holiday Menu

See the Full Menu here

And Order Now for Delivery or Pick-Up!

Silverlake Wine Ten Ten Ten

Matt Sauteed Golden Beets in Brown Butter and Marjoram

The Menu Served with Wines from Ojai Winery

Yes, we had a couple weddings on 10-10-10, but we also managed to squeeze in a Sunday SLW Tasting because it's hard to stay away for too long.

Annual Whole Roasted Pig at Silverlake Wine

First Course

Fresh Lima Bean Salad with House-Made Ricotta made from Straus Organic Barista Milk

Yes, I said Straus Barista Milk. We inherit it from Intelligentsia, one of the perks of doing the food at their Pasadena Coffee House. Straus is a very creamy milk that is strained for Baristas to make their fabulous coffees. We are gifted it from time to time and make Ricotta Cheese from it which is pretty much a slice of heaven.

Second Course

Burrata and Smoked Mozzarella Lasagna served with Wild Yellow Roma Tomatoes from Schaner Farms

Schaner Farms- have you tried their eggs?? Please do try their eggs.

Third Course

Wild Caught Salmon atop Shaved Asparagus and Pea Tendril Salad with Tomatillo Salsa

Fourth Course

Whole Nieman Ranch Roasted Pig!

De-boned and Stuffed with Pork Belly

Beautiful Photos Courtesy of:
George Simian
and
Beata Bernina

SLW August 1st

We just couldn't stay away!!

Originally intended as a Drop-Off, we couldn't help ourselves...


We joined Tad and started with a Lasagna Course of Japanese Eggplant and Roasted Yam with Chestnut Cream, Topped with Pea Tendrils in a Chestnut Honey Vinaigrette and Smoked Sea Salt to finish.




Next up were Pig Tacos with Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo









And Lamb Meatballs with Romesco and Lemon Creme Fraiche

Guess What? We're gonna be there again this Sunday August 8th to Celebrate Intelligentsia Pasadena Opening!!

Reservations a Must: 323.662.9024

Silverlake Wine Tasting July

Matt and I went to the Saturday Farmer's Market in Santa Monica with the intentions of getting something unusual, okay weird. What we found were Bushels of Raw Chickpeas which neither of us had ever seen the likes of. Matt scooped up all of them and we brought a bunch to our July Silverlake Wine Sunday Tasting where he had attendees shucking them for themselves. He assured Randy that he would indeed sweep the floor of shells that curious tasters would be tossing, but they politely, graciously kept them in neat piles on their plate. Much appreciated.

Matt served these chickpeas as a raw salad with radish and broccoli sprouts on top of exceptionally fabulous figs with fresh goats milk ricotta and saffron glaze. The textures were unbeatable. People were licking their plates, especially Silverlake's own JD Flip-Flip

The Menu

Figs and Raw Chickpea Salad with Saffron Glaze

Artichoke Lasagna with Fresh Artichoke and Pea Tendril Salad

Whole Roasted Halibut with Fava Bean, English Pea & Roasted Tomato Chutney served with a Charred Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Prime Rib Sliders on Brioche with Sweet and Sour Onions, Aged Cheddar, House-Made Ketchup, Garlic Aioli and Onion Sprouts.

.....................

Silverlake Wine Tasting June

Pardon my Belated Posting of our June Silverlake Wine Tasting, it was a good one!!!

The wine BTW was spectacular, all from B de E, my favorite was the Grenacha. Do yourself a favor and go to SLW to get some!

Check out this Salad Matt did for the first course: That truffle looking thing over on the right was a Black Radish which is even more punchy than a typical radish. And those two red and white striped circles on the left, those are called Candy Cane Beets. They are raw here to preserve their pretty pattern and their taste in that form is more mild than a raw red beet. Also featured in this Farmer's Market salad is Cilantro Blossoms, Arugula Flowers, Sweet Corn (the Wednesday Market, namely McGrath Farms, was Brilliant on this particular week!), as well as house made Ricotta and a Yellow Beet Puree that was such an unusual addition that everyone (myself, Wilder and Randy anyway) looked at Matt as if he'd lost it. Then of course we tasted it mixed with all the vegetable offerings and wished there was enough for a third helping.

Second Course

The Pasta Course! But Of Course!!!!

Molten Mac-n-Cheese Family Style Lasagna
made with Aged Cheddar and Smoked Bechemel with Sauteed Soft Pretzels.

Third Course

ALERT: Sports Bar Theme! This was the week of the NBA Finals!

Fried Jidori Chicken Wings
tossed in Pineapple BBQ Sauce made from the braising liquid of Pork Osso Buco served with Spicy Coleslaw

Fourth Course

Matt Braided Steak!!

Granola and Berry Fed Prime Cap Steak
served with Pea Tendrils, Fried Fava Bean Tendrils, Sugar Snap Peas and Fava Beans tossed in a Creamy Garlic Dressing

For those of you watching the Laker game on this particular Sunday... you missed out!!!

SLW May 16th

Silverlake Wine Tasting - May 16th!!!

Following what Howard Stern called "The Party of the Decade" Matt featured several menu items from that event for the Tasting on Sunday and, man, were they ever goooood!

It all started with the Fried Squash Blossums topped with Cornichon Sauce. Yes, these little bouquets were fried but oh so delicately in tempura batter and as if that weren't flavorful enough, they hosted a surprising burst of creamy ricotta and just a bit of crab that was so fresh that you, like me, might envision a mermaid shucking claws for you all morning in her sea kitchen. It was other worldly I kid you not.

Next came-- stand back-- Waffles sauteed in Brown Butter and Sage under Spicy Fried Chicken, Blueberry Maple Syrup and Creme Fraiche. Move over Roco's, these are bite size, tangy, sweet and spicy, and you got nothing on 'em.








And then of course there must be a pasta course so Matt fired up some Cavatelli and threw in Sausage & Pork Belly, English Peas, Snow Pea Tendrils, Crushed Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Buratta Cheese. Get out!!!

For the final course, Matt served his Bite Size Shepherd's Pie made from Slow Braised Beef Brisket, Sweet Potatoes, and Toasted Cinnamon Marshmallows. Hey now! Trust me when I say it was all pretty spectacular. I have witnesses.