February 2011 Issue 19

Please note – we changed our hours Tuesday thru Thursday 11am to 5pm, Friday 11am to 7pm, and Saturday 10am to 3pm.  We will be closed Sundays and Mondays.  We have decided to keep hours that are consistent with the seasons and will notify and post as necessary. 

Our email list is getting long so moving forward, we are looking at making a few changes.  If you think you have been lost in the shuffle, please send us an email so we can add you back in.  This will be taking place over the next month or so.  We are also looking at changing to a blog site for the ease of use, so if you have any preferences or requests, please let us know, we always love to hear from you

Upcoming events:  Join us February 27, 2011 at Hannah Nicole Vineyard for the Contra Costa Wine Grower’s Spring Festival.  Admission is $20/person at the door.  Meet the Vintner’s and the Wine makers and enjoy the food and fun. Drop us a note if you plan to attend, we’d love to know.  Save the date:   May 27-29, 2011 Kansas City Barbeque Society is sanctioning a BBQ event at the Streets of Brentwood http://www.kcbs.us/events.php?year=2011&month=5&id=2804.  Check out our Facebook page and soon you can see the event site for more details (they are a bit sketchy as of this writing but there will be non-professional categories for our favorite BBQ friends).  Categories include Chili, Salsa, Desserts, and more, so pull out the stops and join the fun!  Any of you that enter the event qualify for a discount on items purchased at BSO² for that contest.  Please contact me for more information and check to see, we might be your competition too!

This Month’s Tip   This is not so much of a tip than a quote “Wine is for sharing"  When cooking with white wine, use a Sauvignon Blanc.  America’s test kitchens, tested several whites and found that the Sauvignon Blanc provided the best results.

DID YOU KNOW…cinnamon is recommended for respiratory ailments such as colds, sinus congestion, and bronchitis.  Take as a tea, spice, inhalant, massage oil or powder.

About our clients: 

Anta Beinerte, What can I say about this wonderful person, most of you know her and her golden heart.  She is a frequent client to our shop sharing her thoughts and recipes to all.  Visit her Facebook page “Share your favorite recipes”.  Feel free to post your favorite recipe and check out all that are there.  She has a great palate and ideas to match. She is good for wine pairing as well.

Saint Valentine's Day is an annual commemoration celebrating love and affection betweenintimate companions.   The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in a time about 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in the late 1960's along with several other holidays, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectionery, and sending greeting cards(i.e. "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love middle ages when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include theheart shaped  outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid.

It seems we are always looking for the “romantic Dinner for 2” for our Valentine; sea food and steak seem to be among the top of the list.  Let’s turn it up this year.  How about Shrimp Diablo and Steak au Poivre and chocolate mousse for dessert?  These meals are simple to do at home and still be able to have that romantic evening with the one you love. Don’t forget a Valentine’s Day Beverage, Vivid Bliss sparkling wine on sale until 2/14/2011 for $18.95 per bottle, come enjoy your bliss

Monthly Recipe(s)

Shrimp Diablo Serving is for 2

8-10 Large shrimp, deveined, tail on

½ cup red onion, large dice

½ cup yellow onion, large dice

1 clove garlic, chopped

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 jalapeño pepper, sliced with seeds

2 large roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup white wine

1 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Hometown Spice

Grated parmesan cheese

¼ lb linguine, cooked

In a large sauté pan, melt butter with Olive Oil over medium heat.  Sauté onions and jalapeño, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic, crushed red pepper and shrimp and cook until shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, lemon juice and white wine and reduce until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Divide cooked linguine into two bowls and spoon sauce over.  Grate cheese over dish.  Serve immediately.  Wine:  Valdigue, Sauvignon Blanc

            Steak au Poivre Serving is for 4

4 - 6 to 8 ounce tenderloin steaks no more than 1 1/2 “ thick

2 tablespoon au Poivre spice, coarsely crushed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions

½ cup beef stock

1/3 cup Cognac, plus a little more

1 cup heavy cream

Remove steaks from refrigerator, pat with paper towel, press the steaks into the pepper mix on both sides let sit for up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.  In a medium skillet over medium heat melt 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil.  Once the butter is golden in color, place the steaks in the pan.  Cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  Once done remove the steaks and place on a warm plate and tent, the steaks will continue to cook.  Add the stock and boil down to about half, remove from heat, then add the 1/3 cup Cognac and boil rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes, add the cream bring the mixture back to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.  Add steaks back to the pan and spoon the sauce over and serve.  Wine:  a nice Cabernet or Zinfandel.

Chocolate Mouse Serving is for 8, this is one of the best desserts I know.  Break out the coffee and some Brentwood Cellars port to accompany this precious morsel.  If you like Reese’s chips, you can combine the chocolate and the Reese’s chips to make a Reese’s Mouse, about 50/50.

1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate morsels

½ cup brewed espresso coffee

½ cup Grand Marnier

4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy or whipping cream, cold

¼ cup sugar

8 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract separated.

Garnish with rosebuds or violets (optional)

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Add the espresso, Grand Marnier, and vanilla.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Whip 1 cup of cream until thick.  Gradually add the sugar, betting until the cream is stiff.  Beat the egg whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the whipped cream.  Stir about one third of the cream mixture thoroughly into the chocolate mixture.  Then scrape the remaining cream mixture over the chocolate base, and gently fold them together.  Pour the mousse into individual dessert cups or serving bowl and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.  At serving time whip the remaining cup of cream until thickened, add ½ teaspoon vanilla and whip to soft peaks.  Top each portion with a dollop of whipping cream and garnish.