Wines That Pop!

Today’s recipe was an old favorite of my mom’s when we were entertaining guests.  Now, it’s a treat I only make during the holidays. One look at the ingredients and you’ll know why.  You can’t eat something made with butter and cream cheese every day, but the dough is so moist and flaky and the mushroom filling so rich and satisfying, your guests will will devour them.  It’s a great little appetizer to serve on New Year’s. Allow me to present to you this week’s recipe:  Mushroom Crescents.

The rich flavors of this appetizer play well with the light bubbles of champagne or prosecco.  They also stand up to a bold tannic red such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Crust:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 1 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, washed, dried and finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic very finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme (needles only, no stem)
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions:

In a bowl, beat the 8 oz. of cream cheese and ½ cup butter until smooth; slowly stir in flour a little at a time, just until all the flour is incorporated. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.  The colder the dough is when placed in the oven, the flakier the crust.

While the dough is chilling, melt the remaining butter in a skillet or saucepan, add the mushrooms and onion and sauté over medium heat until tender.  Remove from the heat. Add the 3 oz. of cream cheese, salt, thyme, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; stir until cheese is melted. Cool to room temperature.

As the filling cools, prepare a floured surface and roll the dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use a 10.oz glass to cut the dough into 3-in. circles.

Combine the egg and water and lightly brush the edges of circles with the egg wash.  Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in center of each circle. Fold over; seal and decorate the edges by pressing them down with the tines of a fork.

Cut 3  ½ inch slits across the top of each crescent to vent the steam.  Brush the top and sides of each crescent with egg mixture.  Place ½ apart on a lightly greased or non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe yields about 3 dozen tasty treats.

Pasta has long been a “go to” meal in my house that was always sure to please.  I’m a big one for homemade sauces and variety in my food, so for me, a plate of pasta is not always served in tomato sauce.

Today’s recipe is a dish my father used to make as one of his “signature” dishes when guests were over.  It was also one of my mom’s favorites, so it would oft times make an appearance on her birthday.  So, without further adieu, all me to present:

DAD’S SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

• 1/2 lb. thick sliced bacon (prosciutto or pancetta)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 5 large pitted black olives, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 3. T butter
• 1/2 cup Riunite Italian white wine or Sutter Home White Zinfendel
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 T. Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmigiana cheese
• 2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 10 twists of fresh cracked black pepper
• salt ( to taste)
• 1 lb. thick spaghetti

Bring one large pot of water to boil. As the water is heating, cook the bacon, then drain and crumble it and set it aside. In a separate bowl, add the eggs, and whisk until fluffy; then add both cheeses, the black pepper, parsley, and salt and let sit until it comes up to room temperature. If these ingredients are too cold, the recipe will not come together properly. While the above ingredients warm up, in a separate frying pan, sauté the chopped garlic and onion in the olive oil and butter over low heat until the onion is soft. Add the crumbled bacon, sliced olives, red pepper flakes, and white wine to the frying pan and cook slowly to boil off the alcohol and slightly reduce the wine. When reduced, turn off the heat and leave everything in the frying pan. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook till al dente (about 10 min.) When the spaghetti is just over half cooked, begin to re-heat the onion, bacon, wine mixture until hot. Drain the spaghetti but do not rinse. Return the hot spaghetti to the pot and immediately start to slowly stir in the egg and cheese mixture, then immediately stir in the hot onion, bacon, wine mixture. The heat from the pasta and other ingredients will cook the eggs. Serve while still hot. Goes well with a side of garlic bread.  The flavor profile of this dish lends itself nicely to both a light and crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a big bold Cabernet!