Bogle Vineyard Wine Tasting

A trip to Sacramento is a perfect reason to visit wineries and there are so many choices. Bogle is nearby with lovely picnic areas under sunny skies. We stopped at a local deli and brought our own picnic supplies. Nothing like interesting and exotic cheeses and crackers with wines. Humboldt Fog cheese is great spread on apples too.

Chocolate Icebox Cake from Magnolia Bakery

In 1924 The National Biscuit Company (today's Nabisco) introduced their Famous Chocolate Wafers. The chocolate wafers were similar in taste to an unfilled Oreo but lighter, thinner and crisper. A cake recipe developed in the 1930's called for stacking them, separating with a layer of sweetened whipped cream. They soften overnight. The hard part of this recipe is finding the chocolate wafers in your local grocery store but they can be ordered on Amazon. The presentation is very impressive.

Chocolate Icebox Cake/Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (9-ounce) packages chocolate wafer cookies
Unsweetened cocoa (or chocolate shavings)

In a large bowl, beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
On a flat serving plate, arrange 7 cookies side by side in a circle, keeping 1 cookie in the center.
Spread with 1/2 cup whipped cream, making a 7-inch circle. Repeat with remaining cookies and cream, making 11 layers of cookies and ending with a layer of cream (there will be a few cookies left over). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, dust top lightly with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings or crumbled chocolate wafers.

* Servings: 8

Mint Chocolate Icebox Cake

Chocolate Mint Icebox Cake
1 3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 tsp mint extract
1/4 c. sugar
1 (9 oz.) pkg. chocolate wafers
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips

Adapted from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart
The wafers soak up that cream and this easy-to-make cake becomes soft and delicious. Beautiful presentation.

Beat the heavy cream, extract & sugar until stiff peaks form.
Spread about 1 teaspoon of cream on each wafer and form stacks on a plate.
Line a serving platter with two side-by-side sheets of wax paper. Lay the stacks horizontally along the seam, pressing gently to form a log.
With an spatula, cover the log with the remaining cream. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and fresh mint sprig.

Grilled Corn Salad

Grilling vegetables with spices adds so much flavor to the dish. We had fresh corn, tomatoes, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary and fresh basil. Marinating in cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar or lime juice pulls everything together.

Want to really impress guests? Serve the vegetables as an appetizer with these tasty corn cups. The Historical League featured these at the Sandra Day O'Connor Open House held at the AHS Museum.

CORN CUPS

Ingredients:
6 T butter, at room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
Pinch salt

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and cream cheese.
3. Sift the corn meal, flour and salt together in a separate bowl.
4. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until incorporated.
5. Place on a clean counter an gently knead a few times and divide into 1-inch balls. The dough can be rolled and cut into rounds.
6. Press the ball or rounds into a mini muffin mold, pressing down in the center to fill the mold and form a cup.
7. Bake until light brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and molds to finish cooling on a rack.

Makes about 30 cups

Shrimp Salad

Bonnie Newhoff is one of the best cooks in the League. She uses fresh ingredients from her garden when she can and isn't afraid to experiment with recipes. This salad was a welcome addition at one of our meetings.

Green Salad with Shrimp page 174 Tastes & Treasures

2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 or 3 avocados, sliced
2 pounds small shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 bunch spinach, trimmed
1 head romaine, trimmed and leaves separated
1 head iceberg lettuce, trimmed and leaves separated
1 pound bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Combine the oil, cottage cheese, onion, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, peppercorns and cayenne pepper in a blender or food processor and process until mixed. Combine the cottage cheese mixture, avocados and shrimp in a bowl and mix gently. Chill, covered, for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse the spinach, romaine and iceberg lettuce and wrap in damp clean kitchen towels. Chill for 8 to 10 hours.

Tear the greens into bite-size pieces. Combine the greens and the shrimp mixture in a salad bowl and mix gently. Sprinkle with the bacon and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10

Wrigley Mansion hosts Mixer

Phoenix Convention Center sponsors 'Mixers' to network with groups promoting the area. The Historical League represents the Museum at these events as well as promotes the Historymakers Gala and Tastes & Treasures cookbook. The Wrigley Mansion is a perfect venue and we enjoyed the panoramic views, the interesting guests and the wonderful food. I only look like I am playing the piano with PR chair Tobe Daum and President Pat Faur.

The Shrimp Panna Cotta that Pat is holding is an unique mix of grilled shrimp over a pudding type base in a lovely presentation.

Panna cotta

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cups plain goat's-milk or whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 
  

Preparation

For panna cotta:
Pour 2 tablespoons water into small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Whisk 1 cup cream, yogurt, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 cup cream and 1/2 cup sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and cream comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve gelatin. Mix hot cream-gelatin mixture into yogurt mixture in bowl. Divide mixture among six 3/4-cup ramekins, using about 1/2 cup for each. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Panna-Cotta-with-Strawberries-and-Balsamic-Vinegar-106433#ixzz0sGcmX6Iz

Celebrate 4th of July with Chocolate Icebox Cake

A Thank You to those men and women who serve in our armed forces as we celebrate Independence Day.

Frozen desserts are very popular ones for a hot 4th in Phoenix. They are cool to eat and you don't heat up the house turning on the oven. Try this recipe from El Chorro Lodge. As an historic venue for the valley, we are happy to report that El Chorro is spruced up and looking wonderful after it's remodeling with new owners.

Chocolate Icebox Cake pg 80 Tastes & Treasures cookbook
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 ¾ pounds semisweet chocolate
7 cups heavy whipping cream
2 ounces (1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar
7 egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup hot water
1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Process the graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and the butter in a food processor until combined. Press over the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water and keep warm. Whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar and the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the melted chocolate. Add half the whipped cream mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water. Add to the remaining whipped cream mixture. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the cooled crust and sprinkle with the walnuts. Freeze, uncovered, for 8 to 10 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve.
Serves 15
Note: Avoid turning on the oven by buying a pre-made graham cracker crust.
We have made it into an Icebox Pie in the past but this time decided to make it into cupcakes, omit the walnuts and top with blueberries and fruit for a 4th of July tribute.