Al Spoler

Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay, Santa Barbara '10 **1/2(value!)
Anglewood Chardonnay, Cailfornia '09 **
Alain Normand Macon Le Roche Vineuse '10 **
T&P Matrot Bourgogne Chardonnay '10 *1/2

Two weeks ago we thought it would be good to re-visit some cooking fundamentals, so we took a look at working with milk and cream.   This week we'll continue with dairy and take a look at sour cream, yogurt and butter.

SOUR CREAM: 

-This is light cream that has been inoculated with beneficial bacteria who convert the lactose sugar into lactic acid, a mildly sour compound.   Furthermore, the cream is drained, and mixed with a little gelatin to give it a bit of firmness.

 
At this time of the year, as we ease into warmer weather, our instincts lead us to eating lighter foods.   High on the list of lighter fare are savory tarts, crisp flaky pastries filled with all sorts of good things.   These are great for breakfast, lunch or as an appetizer, and they are tasty without being too filling.

You have a lot of options with tarts.   You can make a full sized tart and cut it into modest slices, or you can make smaller individual tartlets, or tiny little tart cups filled with the featured ingredients.

Pura Sicilia "Purato" Nero d'Avola Sicilia '10 * 1/2
Primatura Primitivo, Puglia IGT '10 **
Resta Salice Salentino Ross '07 *** (value!)
Masciarelli Trebbiano d'Abbruzzo '10 **
Tenuta di Circeno Chianti Classico Riserva '06 ** 1/2
Tenuta di Circeno Chianti Classico (DOC) '07  **1/2
Salletico Proseco DOC Extra Dry, NV *

Paul Thomas Sancerre, Chavignol Pinot Noir '09 * 1/2
Rascal Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon NV **
Mossback Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley '10 **  (value!)
Castle Rock Pinot Noir, Carneros '09 **

Every now and then on our show, we like to get back to basics and try to cover some of those essentials of cooking that it is important to keep in mind.   Working with dairy products is just such an example, which as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Waterfront Kitchen points out, we're really talking about molecular chemistry here.   Here are some tips:

 MILK

Available now in the Baltimore market, these wines are first rate bargains.  Line-priced at $34 per 3 liter box, that works out to an equivalent per/bottle price of $8.50.   The merlot is outstanding.

Open Door Cellars Chardonnay 2010 **
Open Door Cellars Merlot 2010 *** (value!)
Open Door Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ** 1/2

Passover and Easter are coming up soon, and it's a day of the year when families really like to get together for a lovely springtime meal.   I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that we could recommend quite a few dishes that would be appropriate for both traditions.   Of course Passover is a a special meal with an abundance of ritual, including special foods, but there is always room on the table for something a little extra.   And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Waterfront Kitchen points out, there are many recipes that are suitable both for a Kos

Bacardi Rums from Puerto Rico:
Bacardi Superiore**       Bacardi 8 year old***     Bacardi Reserva 12 year old***

Other Rums of Note:
English Harbor (Antigua) **1/2
Atlantico (Dominican Republic) **1/2
Zaya (Trinidad) ***      Zacupla (Trinidad) ***

Every year as the fields of Maryland slowly get back into production, we start to see evidence of the first greens of the season.   Salad greens and spinach immediately come to mind, but there is an entire class of greens that are about to make an appearance, and those would be the savory full flavored cousins of the garlic tribe.   And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Waterfront Kitchen reports there are a lot of very tasty things coming up out of the ground.