winedoc

If you were creating a home reference library for cooking (from general food writing to cookbooks), what would be on your shelf?

Babajada sounds amazing. Since you're in MI, I imagine these early spring evenings are chilly, so a hot mug of chocolate would be divine.

Nigella Lawson roasts chicken with za'atar. It's less of a recipe and more of a method. Judging from the pictures I think a lot more can be done because the chicken skin doesn't seem crispy enough: http://www.food.com/recipe/nigellas-zaatar-chicken-378600 She serves it with a fattoush salad. This blog's preparation looks more appealing than the previous link's. I think the chicken should be patted dry before oiling in placing on the spices. i also think they should have more space in the pan instead of being crammed together. Lack of room causes steam, and steam causes rubbery skin: http://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2013/08/zaatar-chicken-with-fattoush.html

My favorite frittata came from leftovers: rotisserie chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and basil. I cut the tomatoes in half and put them cut-side up on the surface of the frittata just before it went into the oven.

You could have a whole milanese meal if you have the risotto as the first course and the pork chop as the second course with a cooked vegetable. If together, going the lighter route without the marrow and using chicken stock might be nice because the breaded cutlet might seem a bit heavy with the risotto. So many options.

I love black bean soup, and prefer recipes where the broth gets thick and rich. I have found a lot of great recipes, but the broth stays pretty liquid. Anyone have any tips or recipes?

Take out some of the flesh from each avocado half, dice it, and add it to crab salad. Then stuff it back into the half-empty avocado. Pretty presentation and make the crab seem even more decadent.

He's definitely a keeper!

I second the idea that it's worthwhile to whip the egg whites before folding them into the batter. I'm out of cooking commission since I had surgery recently, so my boyfriend made me waffles from scratch and took the time to whip and fold in the whites instead of putting the whole egg in, and the rise was amazing! Super fluffy waffles. We used a ceramic waffle iron, which doesn't stick at all. He made a berry sauce by simmering a cup of frozen blackberries and sweet black cherries with a splash of water and teaspoon of coconut sugar until the berries began to break. Then mixed a tablespoon of water and teaspoon of arrowroot starch and added it to the simmering sauce to thicken. A delicious maple syrup alternative.

Lots of California citrus: grapefruit, meyer lemons, navel oranges, and cara cara oranges. Pears and apples. Still limited in the variety of fruits this time of year. I try to stick to things that are available in North America rather than relying on fruits that come from far away.

Out of curiosity, are you serving pork chop alla milanese with this meal?

I haven't used marrow in risotta alla milanese because of lack of availability, but if I could get it I would use it. Have you found anyone use celery in this risotto? I haven't used it myself but I watched a video (can't remember the reference) where the person making the risotto started with a thumb-sized piece of celery. Unsalted butter is always my preference so I can control the salt in the food. I like a mixture of oil and butter to have a balance of richness and control of cooking temperature. Though you could just use all clarified butter. For question 4, I think it's dependent on whether you use marrow or not. If you're using a marrow bone, a richer stock seems more appropriate. Chicken broth just seems like something anyone has hanging around the kitchen, so it's an easy go-to. For question 5, I personally have the best results adding the saffron to the broth after I've used half of it. I find the saffron flavor is more robust if I let it bloom in the broth later rather than adding it earlier. I'm going to say this is personal preference. This is my usual Italian food reference: https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Spoon-New-Kitchen/dp/0714862568

Could you cut the meat off the bone, cut it into slivers, and make a pork fajita or stir-fry? Both would allow for quick cooking along with the moisture of vegetables to keep the meat from drying out.

One roast and some chops sounds like the best of both worlds! I like this recipe with pork loin chops: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-chops-alla-pizzaiola-recipe You can add sauteed fennel, mushrooms, onions, and peppers to "smother" them with a tomato veggie sauce.

Pork loin and pork tenderloin are not the same cuts of meat. Even though both can be prepared with the same seasoning, loin does well with low-and-slow cooking whereas tenderloin can be cooked at a much higher heat and stay tender. I like to cut the loin into boneless chops or the tenderloin into medallions and grill both of them about the same way. They both stay tender when grilled, but the loin might have to be watched a bit more carefully to keep from drying out. A marinade or brine should help prevent drying.

Update on some successful pairings: 2015 Menage a Trois Gold Chardonnay with coconut filled chocolate and cheesecake filled chocolate. The Chardonnay has enough fresh notes to cut through the richness of the fillings but still creamy enough to pair well. 2014 The White Ribbon Hunter Valley Shiraz with mocha, mint chocolate, and milk chocolate! This one was a total surprise to pair with so many flavors. I was looking for an Australia Shiraz because I thought the eucalyptus/menthol aromas that come through would pair well with the mint. This Shiraz isn't as much of a fruit bomb as others. It makes the milk chocolate seem more velvety, pairs with earthiness of the coffee, and doesn't cut short the mint flavor at the finish. Still looking for an amontillado sherry to go with peanut butter chocolate.

I like dark chocolate baked goods with port, but a dark chocolate truffle may not be a good match. It will be a fun experiment, though. I love tempranillo, so I will have to try that. I bought Cline Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel in the hopes it will pair with something. Maybe it will go with dark chocolate. Cheesecake has been a tough one to match because it's a little tangy. I'll have to get sherry. What kind of sherry do you like?

I feel motivated to buy a soda stream now!

I'm not familiar with methode rotuts. Is that a sparkling wine method different than the traditional?

Hi everyone! I've been doing some research on wine and chocolate pairings. So far I've found a few tasty combinations, but I have some more unusual chocolates to pair with and I was hoping to get some suggestions! I've been tasting chocolates with various fillings. So far, I've paired orange chocolate with 2015 J. Lohr Bay Mist Monterey County White Riesling, which is slightly sweet with subtle effervescence with notes of fresh pear and orange zest and was bright enough to pair with citrus. I paired smoked sea salt caramel, regular sea salt caramel, and almond toffee with Offley Tawny Port, which had spice and red fruit notes that paired well with buttery toffee and caramel. Other chocolates I want to pair include coconut, mint, dark, milk, raspberry, peanut butter, and cheesecake. I was thinking of pairing the peanut butter with amontillado sherry, the cheesecake and coconut with a buttery chardonnay, the raspberry with pinot noir, and the milk and dark chocolates with ruby port. Any favorite pairings out there? Thanks!

I'd like to introduce myself! I found this forum because I'd like to learn more about food writing. I have bachelor's and master's degrees in biology and a Ph.D. in plant and soil sciences with an emphasis in viticulture. I'm currently working as a viticulture researcher with projects all over California. I love everything about cooking and food, from grocery shopping to menu planning. I keep a blog as an outlet for my cooking adventures, but I'd like to expand to incorporate my training as a researcher with my love of food and cooking. I enjoy watching all kinds of food documentaries and welcome suggestions!