Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1985

J had this one in his wine collection, and since we've decided to travel abroad indefinitely for the time being, he decided that there was no time like the present to open it with family for Christmas Day dinner.

Though it did need a bit of time to breathe, it was still drinkable, a bit too 'old' tasting for my taste, but perhaps it was due to the disintegrating cork.

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Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

I revised an old recipe I had to freshen up the holiday classic of making shortbread cookies. I simply fell in love with the dough... ice cream like texture flecked with ruby red dried cranberries.... hmmm maybe La Casa Gelato could make a new flavour of gelato to add to their 208+ flavours... Photography by *kaishin* So, you'll need the following to get started: 2 cups sifted flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1 cup unsalted rm temp. butter ½ cup confectioner's (powder) sugar ½ cup chopped dried cranberries 1 Tbsp flour (to coat cranberries) I n a small bowl sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In medium bowl, cream butter with electric beater on high, until ver soft and creamy. Then add sugar and beat until completely smooth. On low speed, gradually add dry ingredients in, scrapping bowl with spatula and beat until smooth. Mix the Tbsp of flour into the chopped cranberries, this is to prevent them from clumping up in the dough mixture. Then put cranbe...

Balsamic Vinegar Pancakes

Photos posted by Kaishin Chu © 2009. I created this recipe a few years back while we vacationed in Tofino in a log cabin. I had hoped to make buttermilk pancakes (a recipe originally developed in my college days), but we couldn't find any buttermilk to purchase at the local little market on our way into town. Since I often adapt recipes in lieu of missing ingredients, so in this case seeing that I had brought a container of strawberries macerating in balsamic vinegar, I thought I would use the vinegar with milk to create something similar to buttermilk. I figured it couldn't hurt. Photos posted by Kaishin Chu © 2009. The breakfast turned out amazing, the pancakes were fluffy yet substantial, moist and full of flavour, esp. with maple syrup... After the meal, the idea for a proper recipe was set forth. Last year, I dreamt up another delectable recipe using balsamic vinegar left over from macerating fruit, to make panna cotta... I'll save that recipe to share with you for a...

Roasted Warm & Rich

Photography: kaishin chu © 2009. One thing both J and I love to smell during the winter months esp. is the smell of garlic roasitng in the house. It is intoxicating. We figured out the settings needed for our toaster oven to do a proper job, and we are so happy for it. (it's been much cooler in the month of Dec - Feb here, temp avg. around 11-17C, and with non insulated housing [ for the humid months] and no central heating, it took a bit of playing around to get the right temp to cook it in the proper time.) ---- Cut top off, drizzle olive oil, dash of salt, cover with foil in pan, roast, enjoy aromas, then devour. Toaster oven in winter: 375F for 1-1/4 hour, then left inside to cool down for 1/2 hour. In our Vancouver convection oven: 325F for 45 min, and left inside to cool down for 1/2 - 1 hour. If you like it less pungent, lower temp and lengthen roast time :)

. dash of food .

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