Our wine expert pairs wines for holiday dinner

Our wine expert pairs wines for holiday dinner

Thanksgiving dinner is one of the more difficult meals to pair with wines because of the broad variety of flavors that many of us use in your traditional family dishes. One decision to make is whether to try and serve one wine that is versatile enough to handle every single item on the table or to serve a couple of different wines that complement the various dishes.

Diann Greene has provided us with a little of wonderful recipes for turkey with cornbread stuffing, spicy corn casserole and a sweet potato casserole with praline topping -- with ingredients that include onion, celery, brown sugar, butter, pecans and cayenne pepper. So just where do you begin in trying to select the perfect wine or wines that your dinner guests will enjoy with their meal? Well, I think a great place to always start is a sparkling wine.

Contrary to what many believe, sparkling wines are made to drink with food --- in addition to their universal use as a festive toast. These wines complement a wide variety of foods --- anything from brie and gouda cheese to spicy Asian foods to shellfish served with warm butter. In reality, the acidity that is found in sparkling wines cuts through the butter and provides a crisp, refreshing flavor.

One of my favorite sparkling wines is the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir. This wine is a non vintage, meaning it was produced by blending grapes from different vintages. Once you pour a glass you will notice that it has a faint light pink hue. This wine should taste somewhat creamy and lush, with an aroma of red berries and it will complement every of the above told dishes. The Blanc de Noir is produced in Sonoma County and retails for approximately $13 a bottle.

Dry Rieslings are typically very refreshing and also complement a large variety of flavors and spices. The 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Dry Riesling should also pair well with the spices and other ingredients that are used to make this Thanksgiving dinner. Specifically, I am looking forward to tasting this Dry Riesling with the spicy corn casserole. Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the largest producers of Riesling worldwide, making more than 660,000 cases of this particular wine which should make it well-to-do to find. This wine retails for $9 a bottle.

When the topic of wine selections and Thanksgiving dinner are discussed, I must confess that my first thought is Pinot Noir. In my opinion, a Pinot Noir with very light, soft tannins is the perfect complement to a roasted turkey and dressing. In an earlier column, I reviewed the 2006 Wente Vineyards Reliz Creek Pinot Noir, which was rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast. This wine should pair very well, having previously enjoyed it alongside roasted chicken.

In addition, the 2007 Wild Horse Pinot Noir from the Central Coast of California is a great choice. This wine recently received an 89 rating from the Wine Spectator and retails for approximately $23 a bottle. It has flavors of red berries and nice soft tannins. The Pinot Noir is the flagship wine of Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards, which is named after the wild mustangs that used to freely roam nearby the wineries' vineyards.

Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a festival paying homage to the harvest, which now we celebrate as a holiday feast with family and friends. Nothing is more enjoyable than to raise a nice glass of wine and give thanks for the efficacy to share this meal with those who mean the most.

Jim Rawe, a family attorney in Bradenton, is an avid collector of fine wines. His column appears weekly.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

While looking for persimmon bread, I found this recipe for Mary Patillo's casserole.

It is true that it has nothing to do with persimmons of any kind. I just bought a little of sweet potatoes as well as was remembering just how good a cook Mary was. I though that you might like it instead. This recipe feeds 10-12 individuals so you might want to cut it in half for a family of 4.

Ingredients:
7 cups of finely grated raw sweet potatoes
4 eggs
1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon orange juice
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
2 cups water

Directions: Mix all ingredients. Pour into 1-1/2 quart greased casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 F. degrees for one hour. Remove cover and continue baking for 15 minutes longer.

I just can't support myself and I must tell you to add to this dish's dinner a green onion stuffed pork chop for each person, some green rice and hot rolls.

Don't ask me if this combination is good for you. It is just something I like. You could add a small lettuce and tomato salad.

That's good for you and adds color to your dinner.

Call me when you get it ready and I will be right over. It is Gooder'n Syrup. Von

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AGRILIFE: Holiday meals able to taste good and be healthy

AGRILIFE: Holiday meals able to taste good and be healthy

Buy fresh turkey and cook it in a cooking bag. It'll be moist and brown without extra fat and sodium. Substitute pork tenderloin or fresh ham for cured ham brined with salt. Check the label to ensure the pork tenderloin isn't brined.

Make corn bread for dressing with stone-ground cornmeal and whole-wheat flour. Add low-sodium broth or pan drippings with the fat skimmed off instead of lard or butter. Use herbs and spices for added flavor.

In casseroles, substitute reduced-fat, low-sodium condensed soups for regular canned soups. Use reduced-fat margarine, low-cholesterol egg substitute, reduced-fat cheese and evaporated skim milk. For topping, use whole wheat bread crumbs or low-sodium crackers.

For sweet potato casserole, substitute artificial sweetener for half the sugar or cut the sugar by a third. Use light margarine instead of butter or regular margarine.

In congealed salads, use sugar-free gelatin, fresh or canned fruit in its own juice and reduced-fat cream cheese.

Season cooked vegetables with a little olive oil and a couple of shakes from a commercial spice-herb mixture.

Serve whole-wheat rolls or bread. Accompany them with reduced-sugar fruit spread or a little olive oil.

Offer one or two desserts. Make one a lower-fat, lower-calorie dessert like regular angel food cake with warm fruit compote, baked apples filled with pecans or banana pudding made with sugar-free vanilla pudding, light whipped cream and reduced-fat vanilla wafers. Have a basket of seasonal fruits on hand as an alternative.

If you are making pan gravy, first skim the fat off pan drippings. For cream or white sauces, use fat-free (skim) milk and soft tub or liquid margarine.

Use vegetable oil for biscuits instead of lard or butter and fat-free (skim) milk or 1 percent buttermilk instead of regular milk.

Mash sweet potato for pie with orange juice concentrate, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon and exclusively one egg. Leave out the butter.

For cakes, cookies, quick breads and pancakes, use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Two egg whites could be substituted in many recipes for one whole egg.

With meats and poultry (chicken and turkey), trim away completely of the visible fat and take off poultry skin.

To keep calorie counts low, use the smallest plate accessible and leave space around each food item. Pile food no higher than the thickness of a hand --- laid flat, not propped on its side.

Wait at least 15 minutes after the meal before choosing a dessert.

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Reporter trades pens for pots and pans, lives to tell tale

Reporter trades pens for pots and pans, lives to tell tale

The first thing you ought to know about Laurie Kuzneski is that she either has the patience of St. Monica or is a patient in St. Monica's. I'm not yet sure which.

Nonetheless, either aptly explains how it is that she could conduct weeklong, children's cooking camps in her house kitchen. And it explains why she would open her kitchen to me, a stranger whose history strongly suggests a natural inclination toward personal disaster. Especially, that is, when open flame, sharp objects and heavy machinery are involved.

To wit: I once accidentally lit my car on fire. And I once buzzed my thumb on a spinning table saw blade while building a prop for a Halloween costume.

Now the other thing you ought to know is that she is a good cook, self-taught. Or at least she seems to be. I'm not a proper judge. For lunch the other day, I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat with chili sauce. She owns a home-based peanut brittle business, Miss Laurie's Gourmet Kitchen, and she is preparing to ship a 600-pound order, more than a quarter-ton. That, I'll argue, gives probable cause.

*
With that in mind, I'll bring you to the point of this story, which is to explore what happens when a hopeless bachelor attends a class on how to cook an honest Thanksgiving dinner.

The supposition, at least from the editors who assigned this to me, being that the turkey suffers third-degree burns, firefighters are contacted and much hilarity ensues.

q q q

If nothing else, the editors picked the right man for the job, as evidenced by the contents of my refrigerator, which are, at the time of this writing:

Cheese, two slices, processed American. Individually wrapped.

Chili sauce, Heinz. Bottled.


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Steak and cheese sub, 9th Street Deli. Remnant.

Apples, three. Rotting.

Tomato, one. Sliced.

Mayonnaise, one jar. Light. And separating.

Now, in my defense, I do eat three squares a day. Literally. That's the shape of the packaging my meals come in.

And I have worked professionally in kitchens. I spent about a year at a Subway knockoff chain before accepting a position at an Auntie Anne's pretzel stand. There I was promoted to certified employee. Even had to take a 100-question test, which I passed flawlessly, mostly due to someone slipped me a copy of it in advance.

q q q

I arrived at Laurie's house. It's a Tuesday night, and for once, I'm on time. And proud of it. But I'm disappointed in myself for having failed to bring a bottle of wine.

I had obtained one, but I didn't pay much mind to what I was obtaining.

It was red. It had a cork. And it wasn't in a box. Good enough.

Only later did I look at the name on the label, a French term for a sinful living arrangement. But as applied to the wine, it refers to the three types of grapes used to make it.

From this arises a dilemma in social etiquette: Do I show up empty-handed or do I present my hostess with a suggestively named wine?

Fearing an awkward moment even before the evening had a chance to start, I opted for the former and hoped that hard work and charming personality would mitigate this faux pas.

q q q

Laurie invites me in, and I take note of the kitchen.

Stone countertops. Kettle faucet. And a commercial-grade, gas-fired oven. I'm fairly sure it has enough BTUs to smelt copper.

Yup. I'm already in over my head.

``How about we make a martini?'' she asks.

Capital idea.

It's pumpkin, and it tastes good. I'm not discerning about my drink; I'll drink a Schlitz if you put it in front of me.

The recipe, she explains, is courtesy of her sister-in-law, the Martini Mistress. Really. She has a Web site and everything.

``She's not shabby, my sister-in-law,'' she said.

q q q

Soon, my classmates arrive. We're completely gathered around the island, and we get under way.

Laurie explained to the class that I am to serve as her sous-chef.

``God help you all,'' I said.

``Which is why I cooked an entire meal ahead of time,'' she interjects.

On the menu that evening: turkey and gravy with stuffing and mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce. ``Not the kind that's in the shape of a can,'' Laurie said. Sweet potato casserole. Brussels sprouts. Roasted garlic and butternut squash soup. Pumpkin pie. And pumpkin martinis.

``I was thinking soup to nuts, so this'll help you deal with the nuts,'' she said.

So over the next three hours, I performed many tasks foreign to me. I mashed the mashed potatoes. I salted with a sea salt grinder. I whipped the whipped cream.

I asked Laurie's husband if his wife realized that grocery stores sell tubs of this stuff, already made.

``Don't tell her that,'' he said. ``She might beat you.''

She even let me pulse the cranberries in the food processor.

``You've graduated to power tools,'' one of my classmates said.

q q q

As we're cooking, I thought back to my childhood Thanksgivings, which traditionally were at my grandmother's.

Dinners there were never so much a dinner as they were a chow line in the mess hall. A bird that took I don't know how numerous hours to prepare usually was ravaged in five minutes.

And afterward, everyone would fall asleep, save for my aunt, mother, and grandmother, who were left to do the dishes. And that was the extent of that day.

Ah, memories.

So if anything, I left Laurie's kitchen that night with an appreciation for the work that goes into a big dinner. And a sense of accomplishment in having not ruined anything. You have to take pride in the small things, right?

And I learned a couple of things, too.

Such as that there is a difference between stuffing and dressing. Stuffing, as it turns out, is what is stuffed inside the turkey. Dressing, meanwhile, is stuffing that isn't shoved in the bird. Really, though, it's all still cubed bread if you ask me.

But most importantly, I learned that I do not have a passion for cooking, which is why I suspect I'll continue to use chili sauce as a sandwich condiment.

I'm sure this news will greatly disappoint my mother, who lately has been asking, in a pleading way, ``So are you going to cook dinner this year?''

Nope, I tell her. But I'll make the martinis.

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Faith briefs for Nov. 21

Faith briefs for Nov. 21

Editor's note: Send items about church events for the Faith section to: faith@nwfdailynews.com. Photos should be jpeg attachments. Regular deadline is 5 p.m. Saturday to be eligible for the next Saturday's section. Items are run on a space-available basis.

Thanksgiving event

FORT WALTON BEACH --- Wright Baptist Church invites the community to a Thanksgiving Celebration noon-2 p.m. today.

Turkey, dressing and completely the trimmings'll be served.

Music and fellowship included.

And it's all free. Call the church office at 862-4123.

12th annual Gift Fair

FORT WALTON BEACH -- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will hold its 12th Annual Mission Gift Fair titled, "God's Work --- Our Hands" 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday in the early Christian Life Center, 363 Miracle Strip Parkway.

Shop for unique gifts such as goats, pigs or baby chicks as donations to support children and families across the world. Learn about the global and local missions supported by Holy Trinity Lutheran through this event.

Donations are accompanied by a gift card for the recipient. Prices range from $1 and up.

Admission to the fair is free.

Chili supper

FORT WALTON BEACH --- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will host its annual family-style Thanksgiving Eve Chili Supper at 6 p.m. Nov. 25.

Members will bring their favorite pots of chili, soup, or stew to the new Christian Life Center. The annual Thanksgiving Eve worship service with communion will follow at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

Everyone is welcome.

The Season of Advent begins on Nov. 29 at the 8:15 and 11 a.m. services with the focus on the Second Coming of Christ. A series of mid-week Advent services will be held on Wednesdays, Dec. 2, 9 and 16 7-7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

Thanksgiving dinner

FORT WALTON BEACH --- Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church will serve its annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 26 at the church, 102 S.E. Fourth St.

The public is invited to worship. Call the church at 850-243-2024.

Thanksgiving Dinner

FORT WALTON BEACH --- Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, Trinity United Methodist Church will celebrate its 9th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and all are invited.

Bring family and friends anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to enjoy fellowship and to give thanks for the numerous blessings from God.

The menu is: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, reen beans, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and an ssortment of pies (apple, sweet potato and pumpkin).

No reservations required. Catering is by Golden Corral.

Fruits of the Spirit

FORT WALTON BEACH --- Living in Real Faith Conference continues at 6 tonight at Northwest Florida State College Campus Auditorium in Fort Walton Beach.

Praise music will be provided by First Baptist of Mary Esther Saturday night. Soloist Jeana Marie Gowens also will perform.

Speakers are Mary Esther Mayor and missionary Chuck Bolton, Okaloosa county Tax Collector and evangelist Chris Hughes, and missionary-evangelist the Rev. Billy Gray.

Christmas project

NICEVILLE --- Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project, is calling on local children, families, churches, businesses, schools and community groups to fill shoe boxes full of gifts for children overseas who are suffering from disease, famine, war, terrorism and natural disaster.

National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23.

Relay Centers in this area are at Village Baptist in Destin, The Community Life Center in Gulf Breeze, Pine Level Baptist Church in Jay, First Baptist Church of Milton, First Baptist Church of Baker, First Baptist Church of Niceville and Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.

For more information, visit samaritanspurse.org online or call 850-217-4177.

Crafts exhibit

FREEPORT --- Freeport Presbyterian Church is sponsoring a celebration today of the artistic gifts God has blessed its congregation with. The event will be held in the church's Fellowship Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Note that this is an exhibit only. Information for all of the artisans and crafters will be available to contact any of them later regarding purchases.

The church is at 340 State Road 20, on the south side.

St. Nicholas Fair

SHALIMAR --- Anglican Church of the Resurrection will hold its first St. Nicholas Fair and Craft Show 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 5.

Hand-crafted jewelry, Advent trees, bookmarks, Christmas cards, Christmas gift tags and more will be offered for sale. There will be a children's "Secret Santa" (ages 12 and under) and face painting.

The event will be at the Parish House next the church on the corner of 8th Street and 9th Avenue.

Contact: Sheila Kingman at 651-2894, or sheila_14@cox.net.

Crop crop slated

DESTIN -- Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in conjunction with the Society of St. Andrews will host a crop drop in the parking lot of Grace Lutheran Church in Destin 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

Local food banks and soup kitchens will arrive throughout the day to collect produce in time for their Thanksgiving needs. About 300 volunteers from local Lutheran churches will be on hand to direct recipients, bag produce, load and unload vehicles and provide food for other volunteers.

Call Jaclyn or Dave Saviola at 850-337-4750.

'Such a Night as This'

DESTIN --- The dinner theater production, "Such a Night as This," will be presented by the multidenominational drama group 2nd Acts on Dec. 4, 5 and 6 at Grace Lutheran Church, 4325 Commons Drive West.

The Friday and Saturday shows are at 6:30 p.m., and the Sunday show is at 5 p.m.

Tickets are available at Eagle's Wings Book & Gifts, 14071 F, Emerald Coast Pkwy. (Bealls & Office Max shopping complex). Tickets must be purchased in advance. No telephone reservations will be accepted.

Store hours are Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Visit the 2nd Acts Web site at 2ndActs.net.

Gospel concerts

Gospel music concerts are scheduled for: Nov. 24 at 7 p.m., The Bowling Family, Pace Assembly Of God, Pace. Nov. 28 at 7 p.m., The Dixie Echoes, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Laurel Hill.

'Touch of Christmas'

The Christian Symphonic Band & Strings will present "A Touch of Christmas" at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at Destin United Methodist Church, 200 Beach Drive, and at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at Navarre United Methodist Church, 9474 Navarre Parkway.

Admission is free; a love offering will be collected during the concert.

The program includes unusual as well as conventional music. Selections include "C'est Noel," "I Saw Three Ships," "A Canticle of Angels and Kings," "Joy to the World," "We Need a Little Christmas" and many others.

Director is Carole Williams. Special guest Kim Cannon will performa t the Destin concert, and Deanne Smith will perform at the Navarre concert.

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Hot potato

Hot potato

At Ruth's Chris Steak House, an entire section of your menu is devoted to potatoes, and one of my favorites is our sweet potato casserole. With sweet potatoes and pecans, this simple, yet decadent dish is the perfect side to any fall meal and'll wow friends and family when accompanied by a Thanksgiving turkey.

One of the best flavors of fall, the sweet potato is versatile. In this simple recipe, its natural sweetness and soft texture shines through, and the color is incredibly vibrant. A hearty vegetable, the sweet potato is filled with vitamins and nutrients. One serving has nearly 800 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A, 65 percent of Vitamin C and is filled with fiber.

Sweet potato's natural sugars blended with the addition of sugar, brown sugar and vanilla make sweet potato casserole quite a treat. One of my favorite ways to enjoy sweet potato casserole is for dessert, served a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In fact, we often have numerous Ruth's Chris regulars who request their sweet potato casserole this way as a sweet end to their hearty steak dinner.

Whether or not you serve sweet potato casserole with dinner or dessert, it is one dish that is simple, delicious and sure to please a crowd -- just in time for the holidays.

If you prefer to take a break from the kitchen this Thanksgiving, order our sweet potato casserole and any of our different delicious sides to go with a 48-hour advance notice. You could join us at any of the four metro Atlanta locations on Thanksgiving Day and enjoy our regular dinner menu in addition to a traditional turkey dinner. SP

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Sweet Potatoes: It's a sweet time of the year

Sweet Potatoes: It's a sweet time of the year

The arrival of what passes for fall in our part of the world caught me by surprise.

That's not really hard to figure, though, since the arrival of autumn's often very hard to spot. It usually happens on a Thursday afternoon, right about 2 p.m. when everybody is at work, then it is gone inside about 20 minutes.

No, if you're a new arrival to the humid subtropics, fall is not what you call a protracted. Summer --- that lasts forever. Fall is not so much a season as a transition from Indian summer to Mardi Gras.

But one sure sign of the arrival of fall in our neck of the woods is the appearance of farmers and other independent contractors selling sweet potatoes by the sack-full on the side of the road. Hand-lettered signs proclaim the arrival of Baldwin-grown sweet potatoes.

holloway portions.JPG

Speaking only for myself, I'd much rather eat a fresh sweet potato than put on a sweater and enjoy a modify in the season.

My favorite way to enjoy this is the simplest, baked with just a hint of butter and cinnamon for flavoring. If they are especially sweet, then I skip the butter and the cinnamon and eat them as nature intended.

But there comes a time when you crave something more from your sweet potatoes, when you want to raise the bar a bit and make them something extra special.

As has been habit for the past several years, I was latterly asked to help judge the Baldwin County Sweet Potato Recipe Contest. It is open to middle and high school students in the county and is one of the highlights of my year.

The ingenuity these young cooks show and the recipes they concoct are always a very good.

The winning recipe in the junior division was from Jarrod Shreves of Central Baldwin Middle School. You have to like a man who gives credit to his mama.

Mom's Best Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups boiled sweet potatoes

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 stick butter

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

For topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, softened

Wash sweet potatoes and cut into pieces. Put sweet potatoes into water and boil for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes and cool. After potatoes have cooled enough, peel off the skin.

In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes with the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed. Put sweet potato mixture into a 2-quart dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, make the topping.

Mix together completely topping ingredients with a mixer on medium speed. Remove sweet potato mixture from oven and put the topping on top and bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

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