Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Aprons & Stilettos

Maasai Welcome Song & Dance – Tanzania, East Africa

We Sang, We Danced, We Laughed

For this weeks photo challenge, I decided to share two magical moments from my travels to East Africa. We sang, we danced, we laughed for hours with the wonderful Maasai people in Tanzania. Through the many activities of dance, song, drink, eat, build and story – I experienced first hand the beautiful culture of the Maasai tribe.

Jambo, Jambo Bwana, habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni mwakaribishwa, [Tanzania] yetu hakuna matata.
[Tanzania] nchi nzuri. Hakuna matata.
Nchi ya kupendeza. Hakuna matata.
Nchi ya ma’ajabu. Hakuna matata.
Nchi yenye amani. Hakuna matata.

More sharing to come… Kwaheri ~Crystal

Pearl Couscous With Dry Fruits, Nuts and a Citrus Vinaigrette

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Aprons & Stilettos

As you know from my previous post, I LOVE couscous. What is couscous exactly? It’s a coarsely ground pasta made from semolina, a type of wheat. Why do I love it? It’s versatile, healthy (loaded with protein, selenium and potassium) and it’s quick to prepare.

Today’s recipe is a beautiful fusion of Israeli couscous (pearl couscous), dried fruits, fresh herbs, local cheese and nuts inspired by friend and Executive Chef, Robin Lehnhoff-McCray.

This easy lunch or light dinner option pairs perfectly with a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc and a warm afternoon on the patio. Enjoy and cheers to the warmer days ahead!

4 cups cooked Pearl Couscous
¼ cup dry apricots, chopped
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup dry cranberries
½ bunch fresh mint, chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
½ tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 cup Valley Ford Estero Gold cheese, grated
¼ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
¾ cup citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for 1 hour then serve.

Serves 5

Citrus Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
½ cup Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine zest, mustard, juices, sugar and parsley. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (This recipe makes 1 ½ cups of vinaigrette. Save the remaining dressing and toss with fresh greens the next day!)

*Enjoy – Crystal

Bitchen’ Chocolate-Grenache Truffles

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Aprons & Stilettos

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and tonight I made some bitchen’ Chocolate-Grenache truffles for a Valentine’s Day pajama party I’m attending tomorrow. The requirements? Jammies, vino and some sort of chocolate goodness to share. I had a few glasses left of the 2009 Bitch Aragon Grenache from Spain that I opened last night to pair with my pizza and decided to use it up in this easy-to-make and oh so decadent recipe.

Chocolate-Grenache Truffles

10 ounces semi sweet (60%-70% cocoa)* chocolate (chopped small)
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 cup grenache wine (you can substitute any strong red wine. I’ve make Cabernet and Zin truffles before… experiment and have fun!)
6 tablespoon heavy cream
1 ¼ cup confectioners sugar (sifted)

In a small saucepan heat the wine on medium-high and reduce until you have about 4 tablespoons. Once reduced, melt chocolate on low with the butter and wine reduction using a double boiler. Don’t have a double boiler? No problem. Heat some water in a pot and place a heat resistant bowl over it. This will allow the chocolate to melt without it burning. Stir the mixture until smooth and then remove from heat and mix in cream and powdered sugar. Pour mixture into a glass baking dish. Cover and chill over night.

Once chilled, use a scoop to portion the truffles and roll to desired ball size. Roll in following mixture to coat.

Sift Together

1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Makes 24 truffles *Use the best quality chocolate you can find. Chocolate chips will not work well for this recipe.

Thanks to our winery chef, Robin Lehnhoff-McCray, who shared with me a similar recipe many years ago!

Like this recipe? Check out our Chocolate Cranberry Zinfandel Brownies recipe.

Bitch Aragon Grenache 2009

This is a wine about pleasure. Subversive pleasure. Dark cherry and raspberry aromas are underpinned with spicy, peppery notes with hints of anise. Aragon Grenache displays extraordinary natural acid balance, even at elevated ripeness levels

Winemakers will tell you that Grenache is a bitch to grow. And, it’s a bitch to make. It’s a wine that can easily be vapid, but potentially as profound as wine gets. Bitch Grenache Aragon 2009 from a selection of un-oaked Grenache wines from various sub-regions of Aragon and Navarra, around the Southern regions of the Ebro river valley. The wine sees no oak. The objective of the wine is to provide pure, explosive, unadulterated, hedonistic, uncompromising, juicy Grenache.

Retail: $12.99