There are wine bull’s-eyes where high values intersect with low prices. On the low end, that sweet spot centers around the $20 range. Below, Eric Asimov selects 20 excellent bottles at that price point that won’t break the bank
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Roasted Farmer’s Market Veggies with Berbere Spice and Tofu
I made these lovely skewers with organic baby beets, baby portabella mushrooms and purple, white and orange carrots from the new Sunset Strip Farmers Market but you can substitute with whatever is in season. Pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini, cherry tomato, Brussel sprouts etc. would all be delicious. Try to cut everything approximately the same size so they cook evenly. If you’re using asparagus in the mix reserve and add after 20 minutes. Berbere is a delicious Ethiopian spice blend available at specialty and ethnic food markets and online or you can make your own. Enjoy! -Jacq
Preheat oven to 400*
Makes 4 main dish salads, 6 sides or appetizer salads or 8-10 skewers
Ingredients:
2 lbs Fresh Veggies cut into aprox. 1-inch chunks
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp fresh torn Cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Berbere Spice
8 oz. Extra-firm Tofu cut into dice
Toss your vegetables, tofu and cilantro with olive oil and spices. Place in oven on a baking sheet or roasting pan for 20 minutes. Turn vegetables and roast until tender aprox 15 more minutes.
Serve on skewers or as a side or on top of a salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil…
Homemade Worcestershire Sauce Recipe
All of the recipes I’ve posted on this site are my originals, but this is one I don’t think I would have come up with on my own and it looks too good not to share…Jacq
Photo Credit: André Baranowski
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1⁄2 cup molasses
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup tamarind concentrate
3 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
3 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole cloves
1⁄2 tsp. curry powder
5 cardamom pods, smashed
4 chiles de árbol, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1″ stick cinnamon
1 anchovy, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1⁄2″ piece ginger, peeled
and crushed
1⁄2 cup sugar
Read how to turn these ingredients into a “delicious homemade version which is bolder and bigger than its bottled cousin” @ Worcestershire Sauce Recipe – Saveur.com.
Fourth of July Punchbowl
- Gin is a marvelous summer drink. Everyone complains that they can’t drink gin, that they prefer vodka, that gin leaves them crying hysterically in i-hop doorways at 4am. The naughty ponies… Anyway, to those that proclaim they don’t like gin, I make them this and change their minds:
In a large industrial size cocktail shaker muddle
10 slices of cucumber
3/4 sprigs of mint
2 1/2oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 1/2 oz simple syrup
Then add 8 oz gin, shake and double strain into a punchbowl. I like to add a large block of ice (again I use old fashioned jello molds, for this cocktail I would freeze some mint leaves or lime slices within)
The result is a lovely, fresh, not too sweet ginny drink, perfect for ladling out under the sun.
Alice xo
Sangria Flora
I find a sangria is the perfect thing for a day like the 4th July, since the longer the ingredients marinade together the better. Sangria Flora is a beautiful summery drink, super easy to make and really delicious.
1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine
1 cup of St Germain
2 ripe white peaches
Two handfuls of raspberries
Optional- you can always add other summer berries like Chinese wineberries, strawberries, blueberries and even Muscat grapes.
Stir all the ingredients into a carafe or puncbowl and allow the fruit to soak in the mixture between 3-8 hours. Then add ice. I like to freeze old jelly moulds with edible flowers inside the water, it looks so cool to have big pretty blocks of flower filled ice floating in your punch bowl, chilling your drink but not diluting too much!
Cheers!-Alice xo
How Bartenders Use Liqueurs and Bitters
A cocktail party shouldn’t start with the first brandish of a shaker; it should start with a menu. Curating a short list of drinks, instead of casting around for something novel to mix with that gin, allows you to serve drinks that will please even your most discerning guests, and to be a more nimble host.
Take inspiration from any bar that prides itself on its cocktails. Survey the back bar. What will stand out is a selection of what bartenders call modifiers: liqueurs, bitters, vermouths and fortified wines…
Read more and try their cocktail recipe generator at– How Bartenders Use Liqueurs and Bitters – NYTimes.com.
The Beauty of the Farmers Market
One of my favorite ways to start the day is with a trip to the farmers market. The Beverly Hills Farmers Market is not the biggest or most well-known in the Los Angeles area, but it has everything you want out of a farmers market. Farm fresh and organic produce, local artisanal foodstuff and bath products, organic meats, eggs, and flowers, and on most weeks even a petting zoo and live music.
The farmers market is a great place to discover unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and be inspired to create new recipes. This week I found a couple to try. This is from Vang Farms in Fresno. They told me it’s called Japanese Broccoli but when I checked online I found its usually called Chinese Broccoli or Chinese Kale. Is there a political motive behind the name change? Perhaps, but we won’t bother with speculation. It’s beautiful by any name and tastes like a cross between bok choy and broccolini.
I also tried this wonderful fruit called sapote from Rancho Mexico Lindo. It tastes like a very ripe, sweet pear with a bit of a citrus tang. Apparently one of the best ways to eat it is to freeze slices and eat them as they thaw, but I didn’t get that far, it was too good as-is. In this picture it’s sitting on top of yellow grapefruit from the Rancho. 
Another benefit of shopping at the farmer’s market is you get to know growers directly. No one is more knowledgeable about a product than the person who grew it. Here are a couple of tips I got this week: Debbie at Wong Farms said fresh picked tomatoes are best left out of the fridge. Store them at room temperature for the best flavor and sweetness. Keep them out of direct sunlight unless they need to ripen. If they begin to look over ripe, stick them in the fridge and use asap. 
Sheila from Mayeda Farms told me to put a couple of pennies in the water to keep my tulips standing up straight. According to care2.com’s nontoxic guide to keeping flowers fresh copper is a fungicide and acts to preserve the water from too many yeasts and fungi. Its only been a day but so far so good.
Of course there is also the bonus feel good factor when you shop at the market knowing by shopping locally you’re reducing your carbon footprint and supporting the local economy and farmers. How often do you get to save the planet by buying delicious food? It’s a no brainer 😉
The L.A. Times has a great interactive map listing all the farmers markets in Southern California. Or go to Localharvest.org to find farmers markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area nationwide. I hope you have as much fun as I do at the market! Let me know if you find any great discoveries or tips. Thanks!- JK
Good Morning Maple Nut Granola
Once you try making your own, you’ll never buy packaged granola again. Not only will it be the best you’ve ever had, but it’s super easy, preservative-free, and way less expensive than buying ready made. Its great for breakfast,, but also on top of baked fruit for dessert as a snack. If there are any other nuts you love, go ahead and add or substitute a 1/2 cup of them. Sunflower seeds, pepitas, pecans, they’re all great. You can also use honey instead of maple syrup. Or try it with macadamia nuts, dried pineapple and coconut for a tropical flair! My favorite oats to use are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Oats.
Good Morning Maple Nut Granola
2 cups rolled or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp flax seeds
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp agave
1.5 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp chili powder (my secret ingredient, Shhh.)
Coconut oil
Set cranberries and raisins in a bowl and barely cover with hot water to plump
Preheat oven to 325*, dip a paper towel or basting brush in coconut oil and rub it over a baking sheet in a very thin layer to coat.
Place all other dry ingredients except the sugar and spices in large bowl and mix together with your hands. In a separate bowl, whisk together the liquids and spices and drizzle over the oat mixture. Toss to coat. Drain the cranberries and raisins and add to the mixture, add the turbinado sugar and toss again. Spread evenly over baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30 min, stirring halfway through.
Remove from oven and break up any big chunks. Let cool and serve your favorite way. Store in an airtight container for fresh granola all week long.
Enjoy!-JK