This is a great dish to pair with red wine and a great dish to make with a bit of extra beef stew that might be left over from the night before. It is a red wine friendly dish and works beautifully with the Zinfandel from Rockpile. When we make this for our clients, we braise short ribs with the red wine we are pairing it with, but feel free to use any braised beef or even pork or lamb.
This is one of my favorite little hors d’oeuvres. It is quick, easy to make and very popular. Be sure you prepare lots of them! The combination of sweet, spicy, salty and smoky makes this dish a great match for Paradise Ridge Sparkling Zinfandel.
This is a lovely & simple dessert. I was first introduced to this dish many years ago at the Horseman’s Restaurant in Karen, Kenya. They are small cones filled with brandied whipped cream. To enhance the pairing with the Ode to Joy, I have added lightly caramelized apples as a light last-minute drizzle on top. I present them by filling a glass bowl with whole espresso beans, then standing these filled cones in the beans. As they sit for the first few minutes, the cone and cream on the bottom take on a flavor from the espresso that adds another dimension to this treat.
Pair with the Paradise Ridge Winery’s Sauvignon Blanc. Making your own cured salmon is much easier than most people think and well worth the effort. However, feel free to substitute your favorite gravlax or cured salmon in this recipe. The richness of the salmon & cream cheese is balanced by the clean flavors of this wine. Once the ingredients are gathered, this is a very simple hors d’oeuvre to make.
