Tag: food

wine

Adventures in Enology: Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club

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Several months ago, I stopped in Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant on a whim. I sat at the bar and proceeded to order to my heart’s content. I chatted with the bartender and decided, at the end of my meal, to join the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club.

I signed up for the lowest commitment – one bottle per month – just to see if I would enjoy the membership. I’ve since tried 6 of their wines, read several of the monthly newsletters, did a wine tasting, and dined at the restaurant again. I feel pretty comfortable offering an opinion on Cooper’s Hawk.

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This prosecco was delicious when chilled. I had it with chocolate.

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I really loved how well this went with an Indian curry I had.

 

I found Cooper’s Hawk’s wine club to offer fantastic value. Firstly, they offer a plethora of wines for you to try. Also, you have considerable flexibility with your monthly wine selections; you aren’t “locked in” to any particular wine offering.  They offer generous promotional coupons, both for just being a member as well as coupons in celebration of your birthday. The club also offers monthly themed events where members can enjoy exclusive menu offerings and limited edition wines.

However, if you’re looking for a spectacular wine, I can’t really recommend one from Cooper’s Hawk. I found that the wines are not particularly complex or fascinating, but decidedly SOLID. This is not a condemnation of the brand; indeed, the wines are tasty and enjoyable. I just haven’t had one that I found to be amazing.

These wines are a good option for those new to wine tasting and that want something better than most of the variety available at your local grocer. And again, the wine club is still a great way to get some experience with wine tasting.

Are any of you members of Cooper’s Hawk wine club? Do you have any particular Cooper’s Hawk wines that you could recommend?

food

Kitchen Secret: Dalmatinska (Dalmatian) Soup

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I’m still not 100% clear on how I came across this kitchen savior. I suspect this arrived in one of my Try the World boxes, but then again, I can’t remember.

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All I know is that I prepared the soup per the directions, and I instantly fell in love. This soup is the perfect basic vegetarian soup: just enough salt and just enough other flavors to make a well balanced base for any food, yet delicious enough to enjoy on its own. When added to boiling water, this dry mix turns into a reddish translucent broth with tiny balls of dough (similar in size and texture to large grain couscous).

The issue with most bouillon products is that they contain animal fat, which I avoid when I’m adhering to a vegetarian/vegan diet. So this vegetarian option is a great alternative to using standard bouillon cubes or packaged chicken or beef stock.

You can eat it prepared per the package, or you can do like I do: add a bag of frozen vegetables, or strain out the dough balls and use the broth as a base for sauces or to season other foods. What I really enjoy about Dalmatian soup is that it has lots of flavor but there isn’t one flavor that overwhelms the others. Also, the soup is generic enough where it could be used as a base for several ethnic dishes without overpowering signature ethnic seasonings and flavors, like curry, coconut or masala.

Dalmatian soup is a Croatian product, and since my hometown doesn’t have a large Eastern European presence, it’s difficult to find this in local stores. I order my Dalmatian soup from Parthenon Foods, which specializes in making European food products available stateside via online ordering.

Have any of you tried Dalmatian soup before? What did you think of it? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

food

Luscious Vegan Broccoli Soup

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I eat a primarily vegan diet (I only deviate when I’m trying international dishes, like the sumptuous nyama choma [Kenyan beef stew] I tried last week). But I enjoy creating delicious vegan dishes whenever the inspiration strikes.

This is a recipe I created a few months ago, when the weather was still chilly and I wanted a creamy, cheesy soup sans dairy. I wish I had taken a photo, since I won’t be making this tasty dish again until late fall/winter.

I hope you enjoy!

Vegan Broccoli & Cheese Soup

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium Russet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups of broccoli, washed and chopped
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons shredded vegan cheddar cheese (along with shreds for garnish)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
salt, pepper and onion powder (to taste)
Chopped green onions (for garnish)

Rinse onion and potatoes well, then add to a medium sized pot, with enough water to cover. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil together until the onion and potatoes are soft. Reserve 1 cup of boiled water. Let onion and potatoes cool.

Once cool, add onion, potatoes, nutritional yeast, almond milk, and shredded vegan cheddar cheese to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Return blended vegetables to pot, along with reserved water. Stir together well, and add broccoli. Heat on low until just before reaching the boiling point. Check that the broccoli is soft before removing from heat. Add salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and a few vegan cheese shreds.