Legal Sea Foods Features the "Wines of Sonoma County" with Insights from VP of Beverage Operations and Master of Wine, Sandy Block!

One of the perks of living in sunny South Florida is the 24/7 access to fresh, fabulous seafood. If you also happen to prefer a glass of wine with your fruits de mer, let me introduce you to a local restaurant dedicated to the pairing of fine wines and seafood that's currently offering a delicious, vinous promotion.

From May 14 - June 10 Legal Sea Foods in Boca Raton will be showcasing the "Wines of Sonoma County" featuring selections from producers including Terlato, Benziger, Sonoma-Cutrer, Patz & Hall, DeLoach, Dutton-Goldfield, Seghesio, Kenwood and Silver Oak. In addition to their Wine Spectator award-winning Sonoma selections by the glass and by the bottle, they will be offering both red and white tasting flights, giving customers the opportunity to try three wines at a time. I also had the chance to speak with the restaurant's Vice President of Beverage Operations and Master of Wine, Sandy Block, via telephone, who expressed the goal of the promotion as, "to highlight the diversity of Sonoma and give guests the opportunity to taste as well as compare and contrast the different AVA's of the region." As far as pairing these wines with the restaurant's menu selections, Block added, "because of Sonoma's cooler climate, the wines have higher acid levels, minerality and structure that go remarkably well with seafood."

Sandy Block, VP of Beverage Operations

Legal Sea Foods has been setting the bar for quality and freshness in the seafood industry for over 60 years and with 30 restaurants dotting the East Coast, their commitment to quality also extends into the realm of wine. Block, just the fourth Master of Wine from the United States, joined the company in 1994 and has done much to grow the wine program which includes a strong emphasis on educating the staff that sells it. "We really invest alot in training our staff. People don't come to restaurants to read; personal interaction is most important. Our staff needs to make the wine come alive for our customers." When it comes to food and wine pairing, "We try not to be too dogmatic," Block says, "having fun is the main goal." His favorite part of the job? "Passing on knowledge to the team and the feeling of having touched people and gotten them excited about something, whether its guests or staff."

Sonoma County Whites

Selecting wines for the restaurants' lists occurs during twice yearly blind tastings to prevent the tasting panel from being biased by labels, prices or producers. The end result is a user friendly, well-rounded selection of wines with some highly recognizable names (i.e. Cakebread, Silver Oak) as well as new and exciting offerings for customers to explore. What wine is Block most excited about these days? "I've fallen in love with South Africa and am obsessed with Chenin Blanc! There has been a dramatic improvement in South African wines in recent years." When pressed for the name of a producer, "I'm most excited about the De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc which is barrel fermented and dry and works well with crab and lobster. I've also always liked the Kanonkop Pinotage and the 'Petit' Pinotage from Ken Forrester which goes well with medium-bodied fish such as tuna."

Sonoma County Reds

As part of this promotion, Block has added the first Pinot Grigio to the wine list at Legal Sea Foods. What makes the 2010 Terlato Family Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Grigio so special? Block explained this wine is, "Very good and distinct from an Italian Pinot Grigio. Coming from the Terlato family, who are responsible for bringing Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio into the world, the wine has a great bloodline as well." When asked about guests' vinous preferences over the past few years, Block added, "Over the last few years people have been much more versatile in what they've been drinking. We used to sell one glass of red for every 5-6 glasses of white. Now it's more like one glass of red for every 2 glasses of white."

Lamb with Cucumber Sauce

Following a tasting of the lineup of wines featured in the Sonoma County Promotion and a delicious assortment of some of "Legal's" signature dishes, it was evident that indeed, excellent pairings abound! Some not-to-be-missed favorites included:

•  The Double Stuffed Baked Shrimp featured a jumbo shrimp wrapped in a delicious, buttery crabmeat stuffing and paired deliciously with the crisp, fruity 2010 Terlato Pinot Grigio, Russian River Valley.
•  The classic Grilled Scallops, adorned simply with salt, pepper and a very light butter and herb sauce, paired beautifully with the creaminess and acidity of the 2009 Benziger Chardonnay from Carneros.
• Legal's Signature Crab Cake, chock full of jumbo lump crabmeat and served with a delicious, creamy mustard sauce and arugula salad, was positively divine with the citrus and spice of the 2010 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.
• The Thai Style Crispy Montauk Calamari with pineapple, peanuts and  a delightful subtle heat were mouth-watering paired with the ripe fruit and spice of the 2010 Dutton-Goldfield "Dutton Ranch" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
• The Wood Grilled Steak Tips with Mashed Potatoes and Braised Greens were delicious paired with the juicy berries and black pepper of the 2010 Seghesio Family Vineyards Sonoma Zinfandel.
• A new item on the Happy Hour Menu was the flavorful and delicious Lamb with Cucumber Sauce, a take on a traditional tzatziki, that paired perfectly with the rich, velvety 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If you're in the mood for a splurge - it's delicious!

Legal's Signature Crab Cake

I couldn't end my interview without asking Block for his personal favorite food and wine pairing on the menu. After adding that money was no object, Block admitted that, "I'm a lobster fan, and on a special occasion I'd prefer it paired with a minerally Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Les Folatieres.' Its richness and body with just the right amount of oak it make it a wonderful yet subtle accompaniment. I might also select a dry Riesling such as the Trimbach 'Cuvee Frederic Emile' from Alsace. It has alot of minerality, high acidity and verges on the oily side which works beautifully with lobster."

What's not to love about that?

Legal Sea Foods is located at 6000 Glades Road at Town Center in Boca Raton. Please call 561-447-2112 for reservations and for more information, visit www.legalseafoods.com.

Cheers,

Guilty Pleasures: Strawberry Cupcake = Summer on a Plate!

The Glamorous Gourmet is here to brighten your Monday with the latest installment of Guilty Pleasures! I came across this little gem at All Star Cupcakes in Boca Raton and, I have to say, it is essentially Summer on a plate! This delightful strawberry cupcake is deliciously pink, perfectly sweet and even has actual fruit on top to balance out the "guilty" - what's not to love about that? It was so yummy I was inspired to break out the Wedgwood for the photo. I think Aunt Mary would definitely approve!

All Star Cupcakes bakes their cupcakes fresh every day and makes all kinds of delicious flavors including S'mores, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Red Velvet just to name a few. If your week is off to a slow start or if you have a Summer Soiree or luncheon coming up, swing by and pick up a few of these lovelies. I guarantee they will be very well-received! What's your favorite cupcake flavor?
 Have a delicious day! 

"Savor the Moment" Cooking Demonstration at Bloomingdales with Chef John Paul

This past Saturday, the Junior League of Boca Raton held a cooking demonstration at Bloomingdales featuring fabulous recipes from "Savor the Moment." We wanted to showcase recipes that would be perfect for a delicious Spring or Summer meal. We were fortunate enough to enlist acclaimed local chef, Chef John Paul, to perform the demonstration.

An alum of Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute, Chef John Paul has cooked in kitchens from Nantucket to South Beach and explored culinary destinations around the world. He is currently a Private Chef and prepares amazing menus for local events, private dinner parties and holiday meals through his company, Custom Cuisine. He was delightful to work with and, after perusing "Savor the Moment" for a few days, he came up with a variety of creative menu ideas. After listening to them (and boy, they were gooood) we finally decided on the following menu:

Sahara Dates (p.20)
Walnut and Gorgonzola Crostini (pg. 66)
Shiitake and Warm Corn Salad (pg. 126)
Hacienda Skirt Steak (pg. 153)
Cappuccino Brownies (pg. 259)

The creamy Sahara Dates were delicious stuffed with a filling of walnuts, blue cheese, cream cheese and butter (no calories, I swear!). Chef John Paul marinated the Hacienda Skirt Steaks in a delicious Adobo marinade including fresh cilantro, garlic, white vinegar, cumin, oregano, thyme and olive oil for twelve hours before grilling. He's a fan of this particluar cut of meat since it's conducive to cooking to various temperature levels simultaneously due to the variations in thickness of the steaks. Once grilled, he plated the skirt steak on a dreamy bed of flavorful Shiitake and Warm Corn Salad consisting of fresh corn kernels, shiitake mushrooms, bacon, walnuts, arugula and aged goat cheese. It never would have occurred to me to put these two recipes together (that's why he's the Chef!) but the flavors paired beautifully. This combination is also ideal because it can be served at room temperature and seems to get more delicious the longer it "hangs out." Perfect for reducing the stress factor of having to serve it right away!

I offered to help out by making the Cappuccino Brownies and while making them is a lengthy, three step process I do believe they were worth it! With rich flavors of espresso and bittersweet chocolate, the walnut studded brownies were topped with a layer of cream cheese and cinnamon frosting and finished off with a decadent Mocha Glaze made with more espresso, bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream. I have never melted so much chocolate in my life! Even though the recipe called for melting the chocolate in a double boiler, I always use the microwave which really does a fantastic job. Seriously, if you are a chocolate and/or coffee fan - these might be your new favorite brownies!

Chef John Paul garnished the platters with beautiful, bright orange, nasturtium flowers and herbs from his personal garden which also produces a plethora of other herbs and edible greens. It made for a beautiful presentation and I thought our audience was about to rush the stage...the food smelled and looked so good (I was sooo with them!)

We also were fortunate to have some of the original Cookbook Committee members in attendance, women who were involved in the creation of the book from the beginning: Wanda Harrold who served as Cookbook Assistant Chairperson on the Original Committee as well as Cookbook Chairperson on the Post Publication Committee; Laura Stoltz, a Recipe Contributor and Tester; and Mary Lavalle a Recipe Contributor and Tester as well who, to this day, works at the League office and handles "all things cookbook." I call her the "Cookbook Goddess" because the Cookbook Committee just couldn't function without her knowledge, caring and support. After passing out samples of all the delicious dishes, a number of the attendees were impressed enough to purchase copies of "Savor the Moment." Thanks to everyone who did, especially Mrs. Yvonne Bachman who bought three copies! As I've mentioned previously, all proceeds from cookbook sales support our local community projects and I hope you all enjoy this fabulous book.

I'm also really looking forward to our 10th Anniversary "Savor the Moment" Dinner Parties next weekend. Steve and I are hosting one and if you (this means YOU) would like to participate by hosting a dinner party at your home, please let me know! It doesn't matter where you live.nd If you like to entertain it's really ideal and here's why: you select a menu from 5 of our predetermined menus including: "Casting Off the Day" Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres, "Pastas del Sol, Dining Al Fresco", a fabulous "French Country Charm" Brunch, a "Splendor in the Grass" Pool Party or Picnic, or a "Night to Remember" Sit Down Dinner; you then invite a few friends, assign a dish to each to prepare and bring, and proceed to have a wonderful evening to support a great cause! Oh yeah, and don't forget to take plenty of photos. I'd be happy to e-mail the menus to anyone who'd be interested, and would greatly appreciate your support - thank you!




You can contact Chef John Paul of Custom Cuisine at (561)789-2799 or johnpaul_customcuisine@yahoo.com