TGIF!

Hello Central New Yorkers! I don't know what it's doing in your neck of the woods, but where I am the sun is shining! My goodness, 2 days in a row!! How can you not be happy when the sun is shining? It almost makes the snow and cold temperatures bearable. The funny thing about when the sun is shining in the middle of winter... you walk outside thinking it's 40 - 50 degrees, when in fact it's 20(ish). That was me yesterday. I was so excited to see the sun that off to work I went, wearing only a hoodie. Yikes. So then what do you do? Run back inside and put on more layers or be brave and run to the car? I decided to be brave and wear only the hoodie. Not that smart, but I survived. I'll be smarter today, I'll wear a hoodie AND a scarf. 


In case you were wondering (which I know you weren't) I was wearing my Georgetown Hoya sweatshirt. Fresh off a Wednesday night win versus Pitt- I had to! I know... a Syracuse girl rooting for Georgetown? I may get kicked out of Syracuse for saying such things! For the record I am all about Syracuse Orangemen, until it's basketball season and they are playing Georgetown. More on this Monday after my early birthday present from my Mom- SU vs Georgetown tickets! GREATEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!


So on this glorious sunny day what am I doing with my time? Taking a walk? Catching up on household chores? Packing for the move I am making at the end of February? Nope. Here I sit catching up on an article that my mom called me about.  Of all the things I should be getting done today I am reading and blogging. Sorry Mom, I guess this means I am not blowing you off for laundry but for my computer. Oops.

When I was younger my family called me the "recycling queen." I'm pretty sure that I attempted to recycle everything. I was, and still am proud of the title. Imagine my excitement with all the talk about everything becoming or being "green." No more plastic water bottles for me, I feel like I have every reusable grocery bag known to man, I'm in the process of changing all my batteries to recycled batteries, I'm a vegetarian, I even found cat litter that's made purely of pine and I am a huge advocate for buying local products. The list goes on from there. I was ecstatic when my Mom called me on Monday to tell me about an article in the Post Standard (Syracuse's daily paper- if anyone reading this is not from here) that featured Red Tail Ridge Winery.


Red Tail Ridge is located on Seneca Lake. The winery is owned by Nancy Irelan and her husband, Michael Schnelle. Red Tail Ridge Winery has gone green! They are seeking certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The featured article was written by Don Cazentre, food and drink editor for The Post Standard.  Don also has his own featured blog called "Drinks Blog" on syracuse.com.  Very cool. 

When it comes to sustainability, I would by lying if I didn't tell you that some of the terminology is over my head.  What is easy enough to understand is Red Tail Ridge tries to purchase their goods and services within 500 miles of their winery - reducing their carbon footprint AND contributing to economic growth in Central New York, they also made the wine processing building with front wall consisting of almost nothing but windows. Nancy Irelan works in the natural light from the windows instead of turning the lights on. She is quoted in the article saying, “I can work all day without turning them on." "That lowers energy use.” 


The most stunning piece of information I read was that it cost less to buy 34 acres on Seneca Lake (with enough left over to start building) then it does to buy 3 acres in California. Not surprising that California is more expensive than Central New York, but wow 34 acres?! Red Tail Ridge was at the Pride of New York Harvest Festival this year. I did get to sample their wine and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I suggest anyone reading this blog to try their wine we need to keep businesses like this alive in Central New York!

Cheers!
~CNY Dessert Muse


PS as I finish writing this I just realized, this past weekend I bought "green" toilet paper. 100% recycled toilet paper. $3.99 for 12 rolls. Not as thick as some, but it is soft. I told ya, "recycling queen"!


For more information:


* Red Tail Ridge Winery's green efforts, click here.
* Don Cazentre's blog, click here.
* "A Greener Approach to Reds and Whites", original article, click here.




Photography credits:


* Cover art featured on Green CNY, a section of The Post Standard, published 1/19/2010 
* Nancy Irelan standing outside of the wine processing buiding 
photgrahed by Steven Cannerelli for The Post Standard
* Red Tail Ridge's vineyard 
photgraphed by David Lassman for The Post Standard

Mango Salsa Glazed Pork

Ok, it's official, I am now a "foodie." I went from failing miserably at Jell-O to dreaming up food ideas. I will admit listening to people "ooh and ahhh" over what I cooked or baked is wonderful!!!!!

From a young age I would dream up ideas for paintings or sculptures in my head and then bring them to life. Apparently my creative outlet is now shifting gears towards food. Is it possible that I could go from studio art > graphic design > food? Hmm I don't know. Only time will tell I suppose. I do know that  when I have watched Cake Boss or Ace of Cakes that some of the cake decorators have no formal bakery training. They do seem to have an art background..... Interesting. I think my mom is right, I have to look into a baker who is willing to offer some sort of apprenticeship. 

The following recipe is a recipe that has been going through my head for days until I could put it all together. The mango salsa is the real star of this recipe. I was skeptical of trusting myself but I will admit, it was delicious.

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork chops
dark brown sugar
butter or margarine
green onions
canned pineapple rings
mint
cilantro
vinegar
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
fresh ground black pepper
salt
cayenne pepper
ginger
red pepper
mango
brown rice


Directions:
1. Place 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar in a mixing bowl add salt and pepper along with 1 tsp of pineapple juice. Lightly sprinkle some ginger.  Snip a few green parts of the onion and add to mixture**.
** My daughter did not like the taste of the onion with the sweet. I thought it helped add some flavor to the pork and balance out the sweetness. According to your individual tastes, it is possible to leave this ingredient out.
2. Brush glaze on pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Dice mango, red pepper, and white part of the green onion. Then salt and pepper to taste. Add cayenne pepper sparingly. You want just a touch of heat. Enough to know it's there without being overpowering.
4. Add 1 tsp of cilantro.
5. Sprinkle evoo, about a teaspoon. Mix well. Then add a couple dashes of white or apple vinegar. 
6. Lastly, add 2 leaves of mint. Yum!
7. Cook your rice according to the directions. The butter or margarine in the ingredient  list is to add to the water before adding the rice. 
8. Bake the pork chops at 350 degrees for about half an hour. I put a pineapple wheel and some mango salsa on top while baking. But you can do whatever works for you. The idea is for the mango salsa to enhance the dish.


All ingredients were purchased at Wegmans. 
Wine pairing for this meal: Dr. Frank's Semi-Dry Reisling. (So delicious!!!)

Enjoy!!


 ps all pictures were taken by my daughter!! I think she did a fabulous job!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hello fellow bloggers and food lovers!! 

I wanted to take the time to post a non-food related blog. Today is a day to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.   I wish I had the honor to hear him speak just one time. His words ring true today as they did years ago. All politics aside, he speaks of hope, love, strength and taking care of each other. Though I am guilty of letting my pride get in the way I truly hope that I live a life that is just and that I teach my daughter to do the same. 

If you have never watched or read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech today would be a good day to do so. Or to re-read his amazing words. 

I leave you with just a few of his powerful words:

"We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back"

"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream."

Our love and respect for one another is what truly matters.  


Have an amazing day!!!

A Winter Wonderland of Wineries!

Hello Central New Yorkers!


Well here we are in the thick of winter around here. Ah January, the coldest, snowiest month around. Now is the time of year that we all hibernate. No one wants to go outside and brush off the foot of snow on their car. I'm getting cold just thinking about it.


Once the holidays are over my venturing out in the cold is O-V-E-R! Work and the grocery store that's about it for me. The trouble is that around this time I get a little cabin fever. While it's nice to spend a Sunday curled up under my favorite blanket watching movies I don't want to do this every Sunday. Who am I kidding, it's not movies I am watching it's Iron Chef. I'm addicted!

If you ski then you have plenty to do in Central New York. I have no desire to push myself down a gigantic snow covered hill at high speeds hoping to not smack into any people, or trees. I just envision myself turning into a big snowball rolling down the hill with nothing but my skis and poles sticking out. Just like Goofy. (if you need a good laugh click on the link and watch the You Tube video- it's priceless.)


No skiing  or snowboarding for you either??? Well, our local wineries have a lot going on in the winter months. If you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift for your loved one I suggest researching your local wineries. Many have a weekend event, and some include discounted hotel rooms. But, before I get ahead of myself I'm talking about January. Right now, until January 18th Seneca Lake Wine Trail is holding it's Bargain Bash. It doesn't require any tickets. If you follow the link you'll see all the wineries that are offering huge discounts on  holiday merchandise and wine. Doesn't hurt to get stocked up! Maybe it'll even include a "buy one, get one free" deal, which happens to be my mom's favorite.


Pasta & Wine is THIS weekend. Tickets are still available. Barilla will be providing the pasta for the wineries.  I encourage you to visit Barilla's website to learn about the projects for the community they are hosting, along with some delicious recipes. Each of the wineries is serving a different pasta dish. Delizioso!!! (Italian for delicious)


February is Wine & Chocolate at the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Coincidentally, two of my favorite things are wine and chocolate! You can attend one day or stay for the full 2 day event. Perfect for Valentine's Day!! (hint, hint)

March is the Cruisin' the Tropics weekend event. By the time March is upon us it's dark, it's gloomy, still too cold... and full of sludge. Eck! Our local wineries are livening things up with their tropical themes. For example, Anthony Road Winery's theme is Puerto Rico. Hazlitt's (home of Red Cat) is featuring a shipwrecked theme and Miles Wine Cellar is hosting the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. (in a perfect world Johnny Depp would be making an appearance there!!) Dust off your coconut bra, it's party time!


April is Spring Wine & Cheese weekend. Cheese, what a fantastic guilty pleasure. McCadam Cheese and Cabot Cheese is sponsoring this event. Cabot is my favorite cheese brand ever!!! They offer the most delicious reduced fat cheese I have ever tasted. Full of flavor, light on fat. Perfect. When I went to the Pride of New York State Harvest Fest I attended a wine & cheese seminar. Cabot and McCadam cheese was featured during this seminar. In case you didn't know McCadam Cheese is from right here in New York, established in 1876. Cabot Cheese is McCadam Cheese's sister company. Yup, it says Vermont on the package but it takes a joint effort between Vermont and Upstate New York to make this delicious cheese. As we all know I am all about buying local products.  

I will have more to say about the wineries in upcoming months, so here is just a taste of what the Seneca Wine Trail has to offer if you're going a little stir crazy. I feel bad that I have only mentioned the Seneca WIne Trail. It's the only wine trail I've visited so far, rest easy because I plan on visiting the rest. If you're reading this Mom... I'm taking you with me!! If you're interested in what the other wine trails have going on I have posted the links below.


Cayuga Wine Trail
Keuka Lake Wine Trail


As always, thank you for reading and stay warm Central New York.


Cheers!!

Cheesecake, Attempt 1

Cheesecake... Everybody loves it right?! I don't think I've ever met anyone that doesn't like cheesecake. When I was looking up how to bake cheesecake without a spring form pan there was so much information and tips about cheesecake. Needless to say... I was intimidated. I've put off making cheesecake for months now. Thanks to Wegman's I've had 4 packages of cream cheese leftover from all of my holiday baking. Over the holidays I found Wegman's brand cream cheese for 79 cents a package, 1/3 less fat even. Hello cheesecake.


So after weeks of putting it off I figured Luke's visit was the perfect opportunity to attempt cheesecake. He loves me no matter what, so if it ends up tasting awful I'll just fill up his wine glass a bit more and he won't remember.


Before I start typing the ingredients and directions let me state, this is attempt 1. Yes, it did turn out well. Luke LOVED it. I thought it was ok. There are things that I would most definitely change. I will only get better with time. Look out family and friends..... It's cheesecake time.


The Crust
Wegmans W O's (just as good as Oreos)
margarine
cinnamon
* Crush 15-20 W O's (I used the back of a ladle) add melted margarine and sprinkle in some cinnamon to give it a warm taste to it. Place crushed cookie mixture in greased cake pan or spring form pan, including the sides. I did put parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Then place in the freezer while you make the rest of the cake.

The Cake
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract 
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso
*Melt the stick of butter on medium low heat, then add unsweetened chocolate. Take off heat and pour into large mixing bowl. Add sugar, eggs, almond extract, and instant espresso, mix thoroughly. Then mix in flour. Pour into cake pan and set aside.


The Cheese
(3) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened.
1/2 cup sugar
zest of half an orange
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
*Place ingredients in  a large mixing bowl and mix  until just smooth. Then spoon into cake pan, spreading evenly over chocolate.


The Topping
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
whip cream
*Melt chocolate then add whip cream. Spread onto cooled cake before refrigerating.


Place cake pan in a water bath. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 45-50 minutes. Turn off oven and let cake cool in oven. Spread "the topping" over the cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Although it can be served warm. Both taste delicious. Tastes even better with some New York State, Pinot Noir. My favorite Wagner Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve.


Cheers!

Shrimp Scampi

One of my best friends left me for the bright and beautiful LA a couple years ago. I'm still working on forgiving him. I look forward to his visits back to Central NY. Our time is normally spent having a "date night" and going to a movie and out for dinner and drinks. For this visit I decided we'd do something different, I would make dinner. My daughter is the only 10 yr old I know with a love of seafood. And I mean all seafood. She's been eating calamari for years! Clams, lobster, crab, occasionally haddock, and now she loves shrimp. One of the reasons why I love cooking so much is because I like the idea that I can control exactly what is going into my family's mouth. I can control how much salt, sugar etc. And I can use all natural ingredients. 

For anyone who lives in Central NY, you know how amazing Wegman's is. I feel like you can find anything there. It's so colorful. During the summer months there are local farmer's products you can buy. I really like the fact that the Wegman's brand product are labeled vegetarian, low sodium, vegan, gluten free etc. 


I decided to make shrimp scampi. Off to Wegman's I went. I have never bought shrimp before.  Thank goodness for my job otherwise I'd have no clue. With shrimp in hand I went home to make some delicious dinner for two of my favorite people.


Shrimp Scampi
1 pound wild 16-20 count shrimp
package of linguini
4 cloves garlic
2 lemons
3 TBSP margarine 
dry white wine, Belhurst Winery Pinot grigio
parsley
extra virgin olive oil
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
* Don't forget to de-vein and de-poopy the shrimp. Wegman's had already  cut the shell so it was so much easier to peel. And their shrimp is available thawed or frozen. 
Dear Wegman's I love you.

Directions
1. place 2 1/2 TBSP of evoo  and margarine, fresh ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt in a saute pan on medium-low heat
2. add 4 cloves of minced garlic, cook for about a minute
3. add 1/2 cup of dry white wine, I used pinot grigio
4. add shrimp, cooking for about 5 minutes
5. take off heat add 1/3 cup of fresh parsley, lemon slices, 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon, and 1/2 lemon zest
6. place back over low heat add crushed red pepper and toss.
8. pour over cooked linguini and toss, sprinkle lightly with freshly grated parmesan cheese.


PS : I have this meal in the inexpensive meal category. The most expensive part was the shrimp. It was $10.99 for a pound which was 22 shrimp. The lemons were 79 cents a piece, parsley was $1.29 for a huge bunch of fresh parsley. Margarine, evoo, and the garlic I already had on hand. The bottle of Pinot Grigio was $8.  $23 for a dinner with a ton of leftovers!!


A bottle of wine, delicious dinner, and great conversation... My night was complete.

Baked goodies, brought right to your door?! Yes!

There's always a holiday or special occasion right around the corner- which excuses my constant craving for some chocolatey goodness. But for those of you that prefer to have someone else do the baking (and the clean up) I am here to help......... 


Need baked goods for your school, office party, birthday party, holiday party... or just because...... contact me!

Every order is custom made for you!!! And in most cases, brought right to your door!! 

Pricing is as follows:

Cupcakes

standard cupcakes $15 per dozen  

fruit filled cupcakes $18  per dozen

specialty cupcakes $ 24 per dozen

Cookies

standard cookies $6 per dozen

decorated cookies $9 per dozen

specialty cookies $15 per dozen

Truffles

$12 per dozen (all truffles come decorated)

Petit Fours 

$15 per dozen, fruit filled $21 per dozen

"Holiday Mix" 

$10 per dozen 

(cookies, truffles, and chocolate covered pretzels)

**baby shower, bridal shower, wedding or specialty cakes please contact me for pricing.

phone 882-1889 
email cnydessertmuse@yahoo.com

I look forward to help make your special occasions delicious! 

~CNY Dessert Muse