Archive for June, 2012

Strawberry Gem Cupcakes paired with eco.love Riesling for the 4th of July! by Erinn Dailey

Posted by , June 28th, 2012

Recipe Intro:
Thank you all for voting on which recipe I should share. Cupcakes won! Yippie! I decided to create a wonderful and healthy cupcake option that will be perfect for any 4th of July party or picnic. Not only do these cupcakes taste incredible but you can feel great about eating one or even two because they are packed full of nutrition. They are delicious on their own but even better paired with a chilled glass of eco.love Riesling. The cupcakes were inspired by (my celebrity crush) Tyler Florence’s beet cake recipe in his cookbook, “Dinner at my place”. While flipping through Ty Flo’s book for inspiration I came across his beet cake recipe and thought it was a genius way to create a red cake with some nutritional value. Like Tyler, I am using beets to color the cake but have changed quite a bit in the recipe so the end result is colorful, festive for the fourth of July, and much healthier. Let me know what you think and happy fourth! GOD BLESS AMERICA, CUPCAKES, AND eco.love RIESLING!

Paired with: eco.love Riesling

Ingredient List:

Cakes:
11/2 cup of all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoon all natural strawberry extract (I like frontier brand)
2 tablespoons pomegranate or regular molasses
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup of raw palm sugar or any natural sweetener
11/4 cup finely chopped peeled beets (I used a food processor)

Frosting:
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake liners to your cupcake pan (12 cupcakes). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix sugar, strawberry extract, molasses, eggs, buttermilk, and oil in separate bowl. Add wet to dry and then fold in beets. Scoop batter in the cupcake liners and fill about ¾ full. I like to use an ice cream scoop to ensure I scoop even amounts of batter into all 12 cups.
Bake in cupcake pan for 20 minutes or until cakes are puffed and a cake tester interested into center of cakes comes out clean. While the cakes are baking use a blender or food processor to blend the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and honey to a smooth frosting. Once the cupcakes have cooled frost the cakes with a pastry bag or a plastic bag with a small hole cut in the corner. Top with diced strawberries and blueberries. Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefits from ingredients:
whole wheat pastry flour- high in B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, and minerals
pomegranate or regular molasses- high in iron
eggs- high in protein and contain all 9 essential amino acids
buttermilk- high in potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, riboflavin as well as phosphorus.
coconut oil- great for weight loss and increased immunity
raw palm sugar- high in potassium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins
beet- calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber, vitamins A & C, niacin, and biotin
greek yogurt- protein, calcium, and probiotics
honey- natural energy boost, immunity system builder, full of vitamins and minerals

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In Conversation: with eco.love designer Isabelle Da Rold

Posted by , June 27th, 2012

Call us shallow but we love a good-looking bottle. I mean a well designed, eye catching, dazzling, complex beauty that shows as much care was put into the presentation as was to the contents.

Our eco.love bottles are often admired (and it isn’t just from us proud parents) so we decided it was high time to share the story and put the spotlight on the creative genius behind eco.love’s aesthetic. Introducing Isabelle Da Rold, designer extraordinaire.

Isa is a graphic and product designer who has worked with brands such as Tony&Tina Cosmetics, Philadelphia Distilling, Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Vieux Carré Absinthe, XXX Shine Whiskey, Raison Pure New York, MTV Networks, 901 Tequila, Palm Bay International, Mionetto USA, Eddie Funkhouser Cosmetics and Maidenform, to name but a few! We hope you get to know (and love) her as much as we do in this Q&A.

 

Q: What is your design background/what led you to this field?

A: It’s safe to say my earliest memories are of drawing and painting. It runs in the family I suppose. My grandmother, who moved from Paris to Malibu in the 50’s is a painter and sculptor. My parents are both artists as well, my father worked in advertising but I took a slightly different route, graduating from Parsons school of design and first working in Illustration at places like MTV and then working in cosmetics where I began to incorporate illustration into product and packaging design.

 Q: Are there certain types of clients/businesses you prefer to work for/with?

A: Basically, any client that allows a certain amount of creative freedom in the early stages of conception. It’s important, if the end product is going to work visually, that the boundaries aren’t too constrained in the early stages. eco.love Wines definitely gave me that freedom, and it paid off. In the end it’s about working together to find the right balance.

Q: What has been one of your favorite design projects?

A: eco.love!

Q: What was your inspiration for the eco.love label?

A: It was important to choose a color palette for each varietal – this almost gives each bottle it’s personality. Then it was case of trying to come up with something that hadn’t been done before in the wine world. I just tried to create an illustration that represented flavor and the sensation you get when the wine first hits your taste buds. It’s all about the impact and a celebration of all things natural.

Q: What is your favorite eco.love varietal? 

A: It’s really difficult to choose because I truly love them all! But since I have to give an answer I think the Sauvignon Blanc takes first place, it just reminds me of sunshine. It’s really bright and well balanced; I love grilled seafood so it’s a perfect marriage with food that I love.

Q: What is your favorite thing about New York in the spring or summer?

A: That’s a tough question… Growing up in New York I would spend most of my Summers in France, where my family comes from, so I don’t associate New York with summer too much. I actually love the cold! New York in the Fall & Winter can be beautiful, with crystal clear blue skies and the falling leaves. I think there is as much energy in the autumn as in the spring. But I do love the west village in the summer: good shops, restaurants, charming houses, trees, flowers, and… SHADE!

 

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Haute Chef: James Beard Award-winning chef Shawn McClain’s Duck Fat-Roasted Baby Beet Salad

Posted by , June 22nd, 2012

Shawn McClain is the executive chef of Sage at ARIA Resort & Casino. A native of San Diego, CA, Shawn is a graduate of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Evanston, IL. He is a James Beard Award-winning chef responsible for a series of wildly successful restaurants such as Spring, Green Zebra, Custom House, and most recently Sage.

Chef Shawn McClain

Duck Fat-Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Jamon Iberico, Sugared Pecans, and Crescenza Cheese Foam
This chilled roasted baby beet salad is heavenly for spring. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the beets and the duck fat makes this dish unbelievably rich and flavorful. Balanced with the acidity in our sauvignon blanc this combo makes us want to sit outside on a warm spring afternoon and indulge!
Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Roasted Beets:
2 lb  mixed baby beets
8 oz  duck fat-or substitute extra virgin olive oil
2 oz  red wine vinegar
4 ea black peppercorns
1 ea sprig fresh thyme
1 ea bay leaf
sea salt to taste

For the Pecans:
½ lb Pecans
1 oz sugar
sea salt to taste
oil, for frying

For the Crescenza Cheese Foam:
120 g Crescenza Cheese
50 g heavy Cream
1/8 tsp xanthan Gum
1 ea egg yolk
1 oz water
¾ ea sheet gelatin, bloomed in cold water

For Plating
8 ea Shaved Jamon Iberico Ham slices
2 cups Mixed Baby Gem Lettuces
Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil to dress greens.

Method:
For the Roasted Beets:
Combine all ingredients together in a roasting pan, cover, and cook for roughly 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Peel when still warm, cut in quarters and chill.

For the Pecans:
Blanch the pecans in boiling water for five minutes.  Drain the nuts and while still warm toss with sugar.  Flash Fry the nuts for one minute in 350 degree oil.  Season with sea salt.

For the Crescenza Cheese Foam:
Slowly warm the cream and cheese over a double boiler.  Once warm, sprinkle the xanthan gum to the cheese mixture.  Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pot, cook the egg yolk and water together while whisking continuously until ribbons form.  Once that occurs, add the bloomed gelatin.  Combine the two mixtures, pass through a fine sieve, and place in ISI charger.  Chill in a refrigerator 1 hour.

For Plating
Season the cooked beets with Sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Arrange on 4 serving plates and lay slices of ham on top.  Lightly dress greens and artfully place on top and around salad.  Disperse charged cheese foam from the ISI canister onto each plate and sprinkle on pecans.  Serve and enjoy!

Pairs with: eco.love Sauvignon Blanc

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Love in the Kitchen: Meet our new resident foodie Erinn Dailey!

Posted by , June 21st, 2012

Hi eco.lovers! I’m Erinn and I want to invite you to join us on a new adventure called, Love in the Kitchen. Every month I will share a new recipe that pairs nicely with one of our varietals. I’m looking forward to interacting with you through our blog and Facebook page on all things culinary.

A bit about me…
Food has always been a big theme in my life. In my family, cooking has been a way of sharing stories and experiences. I remember my mom’s tattered Betty Crocker cookbook that had been passed down for generations complete with that wonderful old book smell. I would flip through the pages that had been thumbed-over, spilled on, creased, dog-eared and stuck together.

My mom told me she could always find the recipes that her mother loved by allowing the book to flip open to the most well worn pages. These stories felt special, likes secrets sent to me from my grandma even though she was a world away. The day I left for college my mom gave me the cookbook, and I was overcome with joy.

When I really miss someone I make their favorite foods and it makes me feel like we are at the table together. The smell of lentils on the stove reminds me of laughing with my dad and siblings as kids growing up in Sonoma, CA. To me, cooking is love.

I’m looking forward to sharing my first recipe with you next week! I hope you join me in this adventure and that you too can feel love in the kitchen.

xo, Erinn (your resident foodie)

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Happy Hour: Amelie Wine Bar

Posted by , June 14th, 2012

We know you are going to absolutely love our pick for this month. Amelie is a San Francisco staple, this wine bar is known for their European charm, delicious wines and cheeses, and gorgeous ambiance. Ohlala!

Join us behind the scenes in conversation with co-owner Germain Michel as he shares the Amelie story.

Germain Michel, co-owner of Amelie

Q: What was your inspiration to open Amelie?

A: I was working in SF bars and restaurants and was missing a bar with a nice atmosphere, where no shots were served, where good quality wine in adequate glassware were served at good prices. Before all wine bars were really boring in San Francisco and missing the European feeling of the wine and not the pretention.

Q: Is there a story behind the name?

A: Amelie is the daughter of my partner Samy who lives in NYC, she is 7 years old now and I am the godfather.

Q: If you could sum up Amelie in 3 words what would they be?

A: Great and affordable wine – ambiance – service – quality food – rare cheese.

Q: What is your favorite thing about San Francisco in June?

A: As a kite surfer I will say the wind!

Q: What would you pair with a glass of eco.love Riesling?

A: By itself it is great already but with a creamy Roquefort (blue cheese) will be pretty awesome.

 Amelie San Francisco

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