The Four Seasonings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 ounce parmesan, grated
• 4 ounces fresh lasagne sheets, cooked
• 6 ounces mozzarella, grated
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a baking dish. Cut the pumpkin into thin slices and arrange in a single layer. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour or until softened, turning halfway though.

Place the ricotta pine nuts, basil, garlic, and parmesan in a bowl and mix well.

Brush an 8 inch baking dish with oil. Arrange one third of the pasta sheets over the base of the dish and spread with the ricotta mixture. Top with half of the remaining lasagne sheets.

Arrange the pumpkin evenly over the pasta with as few gaps as possible. Season with salt and pepper is necessary, and top with the remaining pasta sheets.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups coarse bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch florets
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
• 3 cups shredded Gouda cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound short pasta such as rigatoni, cooked until al dente

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, melted butter, parsley, 1 teaspoon. of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon. of the black pepper.

In a 4-quart pot over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons butter. Add the cauliflower to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Add 2 Tbs. water to the pot and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Add to the bowl with the cauliflower. Wash out the pot.

In the same pot over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and milk and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the cheeses, the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne, nutmeg and cream and stir until melted. Then stir in the pasta and cauliflower. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and cook until the bread crumbs are crispy and brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 3 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon herbes de provence
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

Combine the rice, stock, mushrooms, butter, and herbes de provence in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 50 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Let stand covered for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled
• 1 large clove garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Add to a large saucepan and cover with cold water and a little salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat and drain the potatoes well.

Rub the inside of an oval baking dish with the cut garlic and grease with a little of the butter.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put half of the potatoes into the dish, spreading them evenly. Sprinkle with half of the nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Add 1/2 of the cheese and then another layer of potatoes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.

Beat together the cream and milk and pour evenly over the potatoes. Finish by scattering the remaining cheese on top with a few small pieces of butter dotted over the surface.

Bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes until a crisp brown crust forms. Serve immediately from the baking dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup saké
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
• 1/2 pound bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• steamed rice for serving

Preparation:

In a Dutch oven over high heat, combine the water, soy sauce, saké, brown sugar, five-spice powder, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Submerge the chicken pieces in the liquid and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Turn the pieces over and continue to simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 8 minutes more.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Bring the braising liquid to a boil over medium heat, add the bok choy and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the bok choy to the platter, arranging it around the chicken.

Bring the braising liquid to a boil over high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the honey and sesame oil. Pour over the chicken and bok choy and serve with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 5 large tomatoes
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup vodka
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Peel and seed the tomatoes, then cut them into small dice. If the tomatoes are very juicy, drain them for about 10 minutes in a colander. Set aside.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and add the pasta to the fry pan.

Add the cream and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour into a warmed large, shallow bowl. Serve immediately.

Ingredients:

• 24 spring roll wrappers
• 24 medium shrimp
• 24 thai basil leaves
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 cup cooked rice vermicelli, chopped
• 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup garlic sprouts
• 1/4 cup ground peanuts
• 1/2 cup ponzu sauce

Preparation:

In a small bowl, rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms in warm water. When the mushrooms are soft, remove the mushrooms from the water, saving mushroom broth. When mushrooms cool, squeeze remaining water out and chop them into small pieces.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp. In a small saucepan, bring the reserved mushroom broth to a light boil. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink, this should take less than a minute. Remove from heat and immediately put shrimp into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, cut shrimp in half length-wise.

Combine the grated carrot, shredded cabbage, chopped vermicelli, shiitake mushrooms, and garlic sprouts in a large bowl.

In a shallow bowl filled with warm water, place one wrapper at a time into the water for about 30 seconds, until it softens slightly. Place wrapper on a damp linen towel and allow to soften for another 20 seconds.

Place a spoonful of filling in the center of wrapper, then top with 2 shrimp halves and a basil leaf. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up to cover the filling, then fold the sides inward. Finally, roll the spring roll tightly with remaining wrapped and place seam-down of plate. Repeat with remaining spring rolls.

For the sauce, combine the ground peanuts and ponzu in a bowl and serve.

Ingredients:

Crêpes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 cup orange suprèmes (segments)
• 2 tablespoons cognac

Preparation:

For the crêpes, whisk together flour, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter until smooth. Heat a little vegetable oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in some batter (about 1/3 cup per crêpe) and rotate skillet so a thin layer of batter covers the bottom. Fry until brown on underside and dry on top. Flip crêpe and cook for another 20 seconds or until lightly brown. Transfer crêpe to a plate and continue until all batter is used. Fold crêpes in half and then in half again to make triangles. Set aside.

To make the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and grated orange zest and cook until caramelized. Pour in orange juice and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until reduced slightly. Add Grand Marnier, orange suprèmes and crêpes to the pan and coat with sauce. Drizzle over cognac and flambé. Place 2 crêpes on each plate and spoon over sauce.

Heavy aroma of oak with hints of blueberry. Full bodied, very strong tannins, and heavy oak flavor. Also had notes of black pepper and coffee. A little harsh, but has the potential to age well.

Enticing aroma of sweet red grapes and toasted marshmallow. Sweet concord grapes and earthy dried berries coats the mouth while the gentle warming properties of the alcohol accentuates the lasting red apple finish.