NY Strip Steaks
I've spent a few years around various farms and ranches in Montana and Washington State working with livestock and performing various farming duties and I’ve had the opportunity to dine on some very good steak. I’ve been a real fan of steak ever since and so I was very excited to meet the folks at Best Filet Mignon and taste their product, paired with our Il Barone Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, of course. You can read about our meeting in our last blog post, but let’s talk about the NY Strip steaks.
Just when I thought I had tasted the finest filet mignon ever, our friends at Best Filet Mignon sent me a package of their NY Strip steaks and I didn’t waste any time organizing a party and then heading to the grill. The steak was cooked to perfection which was great, but now all my friends have very high expectations when they come for dinner!
Sent overnight in an elegant shipping box, the NY Strip steaks, in their vacuum sealed pouch were very fresh, just like the filet mignon steaks I tasted earlier. Their steak is USDA prime and no hormones or antibiotics are ever used in the diet of their cattle.
What really impressed me was that Executive Chef, Phil Horn of Best Filet Mignon included a great recipe which I followed. Here it is. Follow every step and you won’t be disappointed.
Roasted Garlic Dijon Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 pounds medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup (or more) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions
- Placed peeled garlic cloves in small piece of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, pinch of salt, close and place in 425 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.
- Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes.
- Drain well.
- Return potatoes to pot. Add butter, roasted garlic cloves and mash potatoes until almost smooth.
- Mix in 2/3 cup milk and Dijon mustard.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Parmesan Tomato Crisps
Ingredients
- 6 cups thinly sliced beefsteak tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Gently drizzle and toss the sliced tomatoes in the olive oil to coat slices.
- Place slices without overlapping onto dehydrator shelves or a baking pan.
- If you are baking preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.
- Sprinkle mixture over each slice.
- Depending on how thick the slices of tomato are, dehydrating could take anywhere from 12-24 hours.
- If baking check every 30 minutes until edges show some charring, could take 2-3 hours.
To order these delicious NY Strip Steaks from Best Filet Mignon, head to their website. Normally, Best Filet Mignon offers their 8 pack of 10 oz. NY Strip steaks for $289, but for a limited time, friends of Castello di Amorosa will receive $100 off which includes free FedEx overnight shipping. Simply enter the code “cdany” at checkout.
And if that’s not enough, you should know that BestFiletMignon.com is more than Filet Mignon. If you need guidance, ideas, or culinary advice, call the chef on his personal cell at 310-729-3264 or email him at chef@bestfiletmignon.com.
Stay tuned for more recipes from Chef Phil and wine pairing ideas from Castello di Amorosa.
Nov 30, 2015 at 8:10 PM
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Salmon with………
It is well known the health benefits of salmon are seemingly endless. From cardiovascular health to muscle and tissue regeneration, to eye health-- regularly including this meaty fish in our diet even bolsters our metabolism! Additionally, salmon is an excellent source of beneficial fatty acids like omega-3 as well as a good source of vitamins A and D.
Salmon is also exceptionally wine friendly; the chameleon of the sea when looking for the perfect pairing. Salmon works with whites, reds and rosé, so if salmon is on the menu let the cooking method and spices guide your pairings.
In the words of Billy Joel “a bottle of red and a bottle of white, it all depends on your appetite”.
Well, your appetite and perhaps what was in the latest Castello Wine Club shipment!
Chardonnay with Lemon Pepper and Garlic Baked Salmon
With brilliant stone fruit, a hint of creamy citrus (think merengue) and just a breath of fig and hazelnut the 2013 Bien Nacido Chardonnay is the perfect canvas for this salmon preparation. Keep the sides fresh and vibrant like this hash of sweet corn and edamame. Liberally season the fish with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet or in a non-stick pan. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degree oven.
Sangiovese with Cajun Spiced Salmon
Salmon is a hearty meaty fish with high fat content (the good fats!) so it can play with high acid, high clarity varietals like Sangiovese. For the seasoning I used a Cajun spice rub but added additional garlic and black pepper. I wanted the spice to bring zing and pizzazz with our latest Sangiovese release. The 2012 Sangiovese shows vibrant notes of ripe red raspberry, rhubarb and trademark anise. It is a mid-palate explosion of delicious and perfect with the rich spiced salmon
Pinot Noir with Ginger, Soy, and Balsamic Grilled Salmon
A simple soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger marinade, with a dash of lemon and garlic, are the perfect salty-sweet complement to rich salmon fillets. Evocative Asian notes of ginger and soy are classic flavors for Pinot Noir pairing and the smoky grill perfectly accentuates this earthy wine. Our Anderson Valley Pinot Noir has just a touch of exotic spice but the palate showstopper is the obvious grace and elegance iconic to cool climate Pinot Noir.
Comments (3255)Roll Into Spring
Ah, spring-- Vernal Equinox! Vernal refers to spring and equinox is derived from Latin meaning “equal night” as days and nights are approximately equal everywhere. Increased daylight and the promise of warming temperatures brings the reawakening of flora and fauna. Spring refers not only to the time of year, but also to a season of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, and regrowth; literally to ‘spring’ forth.
In Wine country, the dry winter grass has greened; the yellow –orange mustard is almost blindingly brilliant. Birds are chirping as they ready nests for soon to be hatched chicks. The low croak of frogs around the pond echoes and the rhythmic chirp of the night’s crickets are a sure sign of mild evenings.
In the vineyard, young fragile buds break through as grapevines begin their annual growth cycle.
The extra winter blanket is folded and tucked away and the windows are now opened to welcome a fresh breeze each morning. A big glass of iced tea in the afternoon is suddenly more appealing than a hot mug of Earl Grey and a day at the coast requires umbrellas intended for shade instead of showers.
Spring also holds the possibility of picnics, baseball games, back yard barbecues and dining al fresco. Days off spent indoors seems sacrilegious when the warm sun demands our presence. For dinner; thoughts of salads and grilled kebabs are edging out from the shadow of winter’s hearty soups and casseroles and a perfectly chilled white wine seems like a great way to end a day as we linger a little longer each night before twilight.
As you ease into Spring, relax a bit later each day, stop and smell the green—and if there is snow on the ground outside your door, hang on! You’ll be rolling into spring before you know it.
A beautiful Spring day in the Carneros region of Napa Valley!
First, a stop by Domaine Carneros for sparkling and then a cheese pairing at Artesa Winery. This is what I call a ’market research' day!
After a long day of tough research (ahem), dinner has to be qucik and easy. This Asian cabbage slaw is flavorful, easy to make, and packed with healthy veggies. The 2012 Castello di Amorosa Pinot Bianco is an elegant juicy fruit- laden white; light, zippy and refreshing. Perfect with this Rainbow Sushi Roll and exotic Asian flavors.
Asian Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin (or white wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
½ large white cabbage, shredded
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup toasted almond slivers or cashew pieces
2 ounces broken ramen noodles
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Mix soy sauce, mirin, water, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and brown sugar in a small pot over low heat. Heat, stirring, just until the sugar has fully dissolved. Whisk in the grape seed oil and set aside to cool.
Place the cabbage, scallions, almond slivers, and uncooked noodles in a salad bowl. Pour half of the dressing over and toss until every piece of vegetable is coated. Add more dressing until the salad is well coated. The remaining dressing will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for at least 1 week.
Garnish with sesame seeds or mandarin orange slices.
Score!
American Idol, Miss USA, The Olympics, elections, books, dancing, movies, food, wine. From singing competitions to the food we eat and the wine we drink, it is compared and calibrated by a score. What are the parameters used to grant a number or a rating and how reliable are ratings when so much of what we find pleasing, appealing or excellent is purely subjective. For instance, can we look to a score on a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to gauge a wine’s potential for enjoyment when individual tastes vary so widely? Wine is scrutinized, gauged and rated not by peers or consumers but, by 'professionals' who ascribe these ratings as a score intended for submission to the public via magazines, websites, social media etc.
Let’s dissect and analyze a wine score. What goes into a wine rating?
A wine rating is a score assigned by one or more wine critics for a wine tasted as a summary of that critic's evaluation of that wine. A wine rating is therefore a subjective quality score, typically numerical. Over the last couple of decades, the 50-100 scale introduced by Robert M Parker Jr. has become the standard. This scale is now used by ‘the big 3’, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and Wine Advocate.
95-100 Classic: a great wine
90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
50-74 Not recommended
In addition to a simple numerical score most wine ratings are meant to be a supplement to the wine tasting notes, which are brief descriptions of the critic's impression of the wine, including aromatics, flavor qualities, and ageing potential or drinking window. However, the emphasis is more often on the score applied by a critic rather than on the actual tasting notes.
Castello di Amorosa wines have been well received by ‘The Big 3’. Parker’s accolades for Il Barone and La Castellana were a huge boon for Castello di Amorosa as one of our first published big ratings. Wine Enthusiast’s critical acclaim for Castello's wines is a source of great pride and most recently, Wine Spectator has granted some very big numbers indeed.
2010 La Castellana: James Laube, Wine Spectator (92 Points) – Intense, with firm, ripe, vibrant cedar, red and dark berry, anise and loamy earth flavors, framed by chewy tannins and ending with a long finish laced with notes of black licorice. Drink now through 2024.
2010 Don Thomas: James Laube, Wine Spectator (94 Points) – Amazingly complex and refined, tuned to a mix of red and dark berry that’s elegant and graceful without sacrificing Cabernet’s power and torque. Ends with classic Bourdeaux-like cedar and cigar box touches, gliding along with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.
In an effort to remain unbiased, educated and in-touch with the amazing wines of Napa Valley we conduct blind tastings throughout the year for our Castello staff to participate in.
A great tasting needs a great room!
We tasted 27 different Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in the Great Hall of Castello di Amorosa--
Here is the line-up....
The bottles were placed in a brown bag and numbered by a non-tasting non-voting participant....
....which guarantees an unbiased result.
Castello Pres Georg Salzner and Vice President Jim Sullivan enter the results.
The room cheered when the winner was revealed!
Check out more great scores for Castello di Amorosa's wines-
Castello di Amorosa Wine Accolades
Opening Ceremonies and Gold Medals
As the western United States wades through another year of drought and record- breaking almost non-existent rainfall totals (so far!), old man winter has tackled the mid-west and sucker-punched much of the nation with record-breaking cold temps. Another event is approaching to further benchmark winter 2014. On February 06 the 22nd Winter Olympic Games begin in Sochi Russia—and the opening ceremonies televised on February 07 are sure-to-be epic.
The first celebration of the Winter Olympic Games was held in Chamonix, France in 1924 and have now been hosted on three continents. Twelve countries have attended every Winter Olympic games and six of those (Austria, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United States) have earned medals at every Winter Olympic Games. However, only one - the United States - has earned gold at each Olympic Games.
In wine country, January ushers in one more iconic winter event, The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This competition began in 1983 as the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Wine Competition. Today, it is known as the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and holds the title of the largest competition of American Wines in the World….a wine Olympics. On the subject of olympics and medals and earning gold (in wine competitions there is a double gold and the coveted Best of Class!), I could turn this into an all-around high-five big kudos to Castello di Amorosa’s amazing wine making team with the recent Gold Medal performances but instead, I am getting ready for a sure-to-be-epic opening ceremony of my own, time for a glass of gold medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon.
Beyond Double Gold—Best of Class
2012 Pinot Bianco, 2012 Gewurztraminer and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Best of Class and tonight, best in the glass
2009 Castello di Amorosa Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorite Cabernets. It exhibits depth and strength but exudes finesse and elegance. Exactly what every gold medalist needs—power and grace!
Opening Ceremony Night Dinner --Because timing is important too!
Salisbury Steak with Fingerling Potato Hash
Make this revised classic in 30 minutes!
For the Salisbury Steaks combine:
1.5 pound lean ground beef
1 tsp. coarse ground pepper
½ sweet onion finely chopped
½ package onion soup mix
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. ketchup
1 egg
2 tsps. Worcestershire
Form into 4-6 oval patties and brown in large sauté pan, approximately 2-3 minutes each side. Remove and place in shallow backing dish and finish in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Potato Hash:
Dice potatoes, mushrooms, and remaining ½ sweet onion. Brown onion in 3 Tbsp. butter. Add mushrooms and potatoes after onions have begun to sweat. Add beef stock/broth, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow simmer adding broth as needed approx.15 minutes.
Remove Salisbury Steaks from oven and serve with hash
Enjoy!
Feb 6, 2014 at 12:33 PM
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Experience Taste
While enjoying a 'Royal Pairing' at the Castello, it happened. Once again, the stage was perfectly set. The winter wind was blowing and the unending sunshine had temporarily given way to much-needed rainfall. Through looming clouds the late afternoon sun peeked out just enough to splash a bright ray of light dazzling the Vaca Mountains. During this tasting experience….it happened…we fully experienced the tasting and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Is a wine tasting experience simply a contemplation of taste? To savor or enjoy on our palate? Or, is how we taste influenced by all of our senses and emotions subject to and affected by our surroundings? Wine tasting is defined as the “palate’s examination and evaluation of taste”. I can’t find fault with this scientific and clinical definition, but, it does seem sterile. When tasting wine our sensations of taste and smell are fundamental, however, by setting the stage we can taste not just what is in the glass, but, we can savor the entire experience; experience taste.
A wine tasting experience is visual- demonstrated by Castello president Georg Salzner and Dario Sattui
Not only by examining the content of the glass....
a beautiful environment impacts our enjoyment of an experience.
The room was picture-perfect, warm and inviting. The glasses were glistening and the candles were glowing.
Many chefs are fond of the saying, “we eat with our eyes first”, and there is research to support this. Studies have shown when we find food visually appealing, not only do we enjoy it more, we also absorb more nutrients from it.
What we hear also has impact. Music evokes emotions and feelings and can be far more powerful than spoken language. Andrea Bocelli gets me every time...
The most important element is to surround yourself with friends and people you love. Create a tasting experience whenever you want and wherever you are and you will truly experience taste.
Castello team members Alison, Jason, Kylee and Melissa sharing laughs and great vino!
My husband and I sharing a moment....salud!
A 'Season To Taste'
I am a cooking and food magazine junkie. It all started with my Mom and a ritual that took place during our visit to the ‘beauty parlor’ (not a salon, but the beauty parlor!) for Mom’s weekly scheduled shampoo and set. Here she regularly scoured through the latest edition of ‘Family Circle’, ‘Good Housekeeping’ and ‘Sunset’ magazines and recited recipes in a much too loud voice so I (and everyone in a 20 yard radius) could hear her over the constant noise generated by the mission control-like dryer chair. I would nod with dutiful approval dotted with an intermittent ‘yep, sounds good’ which were typically enough to satiate her. To add to her enjoyment and proof I really was listening, I even managed to insert a question or two; “what is braising?” or “why does it have to be sifted?” This launched her into an explanation that today seems worthy of ‘Food Network’. However, one particular phrase seemed to arise on nearly every recipe and always required definition and clarification — “season to taste”.
Mom explained the following:
Add salt until it you taste it. If it seems bland- it probably is. Increase by a ¼ tsp. and taste after each addition.
Add seasoning and spices (pepper, fresh herbs, dried seasoning) until the taste is in balance with the rest of the flavors. Make sure spices and seasonings cook along with the dish. However, additional fresh herbs added at the end can make a big difference.
Add acid (Tabasco, lemon juice, or vinegar) if it tastes flat or one-dimensional. Hot sauce works in creamy dishes because the acid from the vinegar and the heat from the peppers boost the flavors. Keep a light hand; if the dish isn't supposed to be "spicy hot" add just a splash of hot sauce then use vinegar or lemon juice.
Add sugar; the tried and true fix if you overdo it. Sugar balances both salty and bitter flavors. Adding a touch of sugar makes too salty taste less salty and too bitter or sour taste less bitter without actually decreasing the amount of salt or acid in the recipe.
The thing is, Mom’s beauty shop narrations were not idle or forgotten ideas of an affordable casserole or a quick and easy dessert, they were her inspiration for future meals and goodies that made it to the family table and eventually led to my life-long pursuit of ‘tasting’.
Here is one of my cold-weather favorites. It is hearty, spicy, savory and comforting; ideal to keep in the fridge and warm up after a day of visiting with friends and family or after hours of wrapping followed by seconds of unwrapping. Remember always adjust the spices as you progress and as in all recipes—season to taste!
I wish you perfectly seasoned greetings--
Happy Holidays!
Mary Davidek
Deconstructed Albondigas
4 Cups Beef Broth
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 large cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. spicy sausage
2 heads of cabbage, cored and diced
1 small bag frozen white corn
4-6 carrots thinly sliced
4-6 stalks diced celery
4 large cloves minced garlic
1 bunch of chopped cilantro (set some aside for garnish)
1 large diced brown onion
Season to taste =)
Brown ground meat and/or sausage. Add to a large pot with all other ingredients. Cook over medium low heat until vegetables are to desired softness. To accelerate the cooking process, give the veggies a quick sauté before adding to the pot. Stir and taste often and, as always, add seasoning as needed.
My current library. The Better Homes and Garden cook book was a wedding gift from who else; my Mom. Held together by a rubber band, for 24 years I have referred to this book filled with hand written notes and recipes.
‘Deconstructed’ is contemporary food lingo but Mom would have just said this was quicker and easier than making and cooking meatballs! This is tasty and easy to reheat during the upcoming week of merriment or freeze leftovers in containers for up to 6 months.
Dry, crisp and almost exotic; Castello di Amorosa’s Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer balances the spice and works with the richness of the ground meat and sausage. Perfect for a first course or as a hearty meal served with fresh bread or warm tortillas.
Dec 24, 2013 at 5:51 PM
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