Blue Cheese Gougeres Recipe 
courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002 

1 cup whole milk 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/8 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence, recipe follows 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
4 large eggs, at room temperature 
1/4 pound blue cheese, or other creamy blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, butter, salt, black pepper, and Essence over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the flour, and stir constantly with a large wooden spoon to incorporate, about 1 minute. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after the addition of each. Add the cheese and beat until mixed well and a slightly soft dough forms. 

Drop the dough by the spoonful on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning): 
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 
2 tablespoons salt 
2 tablespoons garlic powder 
1 tablespoon black pepper 
1 tablespoon onion powder 
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano 
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. 
Yield: about 2/3 cup 

Warm Roasted Mushroom and Feta Salad Recipe
courtesy Sally James

This is one of my favorite salad appetizers for a cool winter night. Roasting mushrooms brings out their earthy and wood flavors, and it also sends some tantalizing aromas through the kitchen. To prepare the mushrooms, it's best to clean them with just a damp paper towel, and to roast them in a rimmed pan that will catch all the juices. You can either used mixed Asian greens for this dish or choose your own selection.


4 cups mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake and oyster 
1/2 red onion, finely diced 
4 cups mixed baby Asian greens, such as mizuna or tatsoi, or curly endive 
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts or pine nuts (see note) 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon freshly squeeze lemon juice 
1 teaspoon Dijon or horseradish mustard 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the salad, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
Line a foil baking sheet or other large rimmed pan with parchment paper or foil, making sure to cover the pan completely and over the rim so it catches all the juices from the mushrooms. 

Place the mushrooms in a single layer on the prepared pan, Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they have started to soften and lose their juices. Carefully tip the pan to pour the liquid into a bowl; set aside. Let the mushrooms cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms with the red onion. 

To serve, divide the greens among the plates and top with the warm mushrooms. Scatter the feta and pecans over the mushrooms. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard to the reserved mushroom juice, mix well, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salads and serve immediately. 

Note: To toast the nuts, place them in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss them continuously in the skillet until they begin to turn a light golden color. Transfer the nuts to a plate and spread them out in a single layer to cool.

Fried Calamari Recipe 
courtesy Giada De Laurentiis 

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying 
1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 tablespoons dried parsley 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 lemons, cut into wedges 
1 cup simple tomato sauce, recipe follows or jarred marinara sauce, warmed

Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. 
Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.


Simple Tomato Sauce: 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1 small onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 stalk celery, chopped 
1 carrot, chopped 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 
2 dried bay leaves 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional 
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. 

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce. 

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months. 

Yield: 6 cups 
Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 
East of preparation: easy

Baccala Meatballs: Polpette di Baccala 
Recipe copyright Mario Batali,

2 pounds baccala (salted cod), soaked for 48 hours in several changes of water, drained and chopped 
1 cup bread crumbs 
4 beaten eggs 
2 cloves garlic, sliced 
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 quarts extra-virgin olive oil, for frying 
2 lemons, cut into wedges

In a large bowl, combine the baccala, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well but do not over-mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and then form the mixture into 1-inch balls. 
In a tall-sided pot, heat the olive oil to 375 degrees F. 
Add a few balls at a time to the hot oil and cook until uniformly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

 At Pond Point we have a wide array of Demi-Sec's from around the World - ask us about them !!!! 

DESSERTS

Italian Fig Cookies 
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse,


Filling: 
2 cups dried figs, hard tips discarded 
1 1/2 cups dried dates, pitted 
1 cup raisins 
3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped 
3/4 cup whole walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped 
1/2 cup orange marmalade 
1/2 cup honey 
1/4 cup brandy 
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest 
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
For Dough: 
4 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup sugar 
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
1 large egg 
1/2 cup milk 
1 tablespoon vanilla 
1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash 
Colored sprinkles, for decorating


To make the filling, in a food processor, combine the figs, dates and raisins and process to finely chop. Place the mixture in a medium bowl, add remaining filling ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. 
To make the dough, in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Add the butter and blend with your fingertips until most of mixture resembles coarse meal. 

In a medium bowl, beat the egg, milk and vanilla together. Add to the dry mixture and stir to make a rough dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 pieces, cover, and refrigerate for 45 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. 

On a lightly floured surface, one at a time, roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch square. Cut the dough into 4 by 3-inch rectangles. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of each rectangle. Fold the long sides of each rectangle inward to the center to enclose the filling; pinch the edges to seal. Turn the cookies seam-sides down and press gently to flatten the seams. With a floured knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide slices and arrange 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and decorate with colored sprinkles. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

Transfer to wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature 

Quick Sticky Buns Recipe 
courtesy Gourmet Magazine 

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 
2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
2 teaspoons light fresh lemon juice 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans 
1 (8 ounce) Bread Dough 
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 9 by 3-inch pan. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium and whisk until sugar melts and syrup boils. Pour syrup evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Unroll dough on floured surface; press perforations together. Roll out dough to 8 by 12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 sugar and cinnamon. Starting at I short side, roll up dough jelly roll style. Cut crosswise into eight 1-inch-thick rounds. Arrange rounds in syrup in pan. Arrange dough slices cut side down in prepare dish, spacing evenly. Cover with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Turn out onto platter. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

from fineliving.com

Stop by anytime to check our multitude of fine Wines, Beers & Spirits. If you have visited our Wine Shoppe you know how vast our selection is, if you haven't stopped by, you owe it to yourself to stop by and see what you have been missing !!!!!

Also check out our Partners in Wine - Cafe Atlantique & The Wine Bar  @ Cafe Atlantique

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