The Count’s Soon to be Favorite Caramel Apple

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many quaint and curious cyberworld volumes for a perfect caramel apple recipe, the light bulb went on! I said to my self “Self, is there a wine caramel apple recipe out there?” And the answer is a spoocktacular and banshee wailing “Yes!” Be still my tell-tale heart! It’s sort of Halloweenie-fitting that the Red Wine Carmel Apple recipe comes to us in the death throes of the last issue of Gourmet which was instituted in 1941. This month’s announcement from parent company Conde Nest, illustrates the changing trends in the epicurean world due to a fledgling economy. Lavish is out, green and thrifty is in. And this is not a bad thing. I did try 2-3 recipes from Gourmet, but always had to look for some exotic or obscure ingredients that sent the cost of preparing the dish somewhat beyond my meager means. Sometimes the simpler & less time consuming recipes will allow you more time to banter and actually enjoy your meal with friends and family. So tonight, my fellow ghoulie gourmets, I will be actually making this recipe for my Favorite Count (wink, wink, Santos!). I will be using a Rosemount 2005 Shiraz (left over from Erica & Bruce’s wedding) and I will be cutting the apples into wedges and pouring the wine caramel sauce over the slices to save time. This culinary delight will then be enjoyed with tonight’s viewing of the Hitchcock 1963 classic “The Birds”. This will be my precursor to All Hallows Eve and to how Stephen King so eloquently stated “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Here’s to living, my friends!

Greetings my fellow connoisseurs!
As for this past weekend, I spent it lovingly making the Recipe of the Month from the Rock Resorts newsletter. Chef Mary Nearn’s (La Posada de Santa Fe in New Mexico) recipe for Coriander Crusted Scallops with Chive Potato Hash and Sweet Corn Sauce recipe forced me to learn some “new” cooking techniques, including how to make herbed oil, how to strip corn on the cob and how to cook scallops perfectly. The sweet /russet potatoes combination with the scrumptious sweet corn sauce was awesome. I must confess that I am a total klutz with a knife, so my dear husband, diced everything for me. As for the wine, I originally thought about having a Sauvignon Blanc but out the corner of my eye at Publix, I spotted Ecologica, an organic wine made with 60% Torrontes and 40% Chardonnay, which had been touted as one of the first Fair Trade Certified(TM) and organic wines to be sold in the nation. I had recently tasted the Crios Torrontes ((pronounced tore-rahn-TEZ), from Argentina upon my son’s enthusiastic suggestion and liked it quite a bit. I wondered how the Chardonnay would recast the Torrontes taste and promptly dropped it in my cart for the modest price of $12.99. I chilled this wine for approx 25 mins and placed it in a terra cotta wine cooler. I let it breathe for approximately 20 mins before serving. It does have a convenient screw top.

Read on for the tasting notes:

A New Venture

....so on the advice of dear primito Jerry, I have decided to start a blog on my experiences with wine and food! I currently love to cook "different" foods and drink all wines. Here in my little corner of cyber-space, I will lend voice to my tastings for your kind perusal!