Gourmet Caramel Apples 2010

Family Reunion

20th Annual Lenti ~ Fioretti Family Reunion was held at The Brenner Ranch, Sunday, October 17, 2010. Great food, great people, perfect weather. Many thanks to all of the guests, the cooks and our hosts, Teri & Chuck for an excellent and joyful event! Family cooks, please be sure to submit your recipes to me ASAP for inclusion in the Family Keepsake Cookbook. Thank you!

Click here to see the food (& a few people LOL).

Love, Katie

Left Hander - Fall Wine Pick 2010

MOLLYDOOKER (Aussie for "Left Hander") WINES from South Australia are winning awards and rave reviews all over the world for their incredibly fruity, big and delicious wines. These wines will be your new favorites, believe me! I LOVE every one I have tried! The happy vintners, Sparky & Sarah Marquis produced a total of TEN wines from their 2009 vintage that have a rating of over 92/100 points!!! FIVE of them are priced at $25.00 per bottle. (There's also a white verdelho, "The Violinist" which I have not yet tried). Check it out and let me know what you think! You can find Mollydooker wines at Binny's or Costco or check your local liquor store or wine shop. They can also be purchased online and carefully shipped to your front door. Cute, retro labeling and easy access screw tops make this fabulous wine an even nicer experience. The most affordable wines ($25.00 per bottle) are spectacular and popping up on great wine lists in great restaurants for between $60.00 and $70.00 per bottle.

Affordable 2009 Vintage REDS you MUST experience:

The Scooter ~ Merlot ~ 95 points ~ "shirazy", opulent and luscious

The Maitre'D ~ Cabernet Sauvignon ~ 94 points ~ full bodied and generous, like moi'

The Boxer ~ Shiraz ~ 95 points ~ mouthful of flavor

Two Left Feet ~ Blend of Shiraz, Cab & Merlot ~ 96 points ~ velvety, rich and truly loved (by me) Yes Yes Yes

Truth be told, I have not yet had the pleasure (longing, though) of experiencing the pricier

2009 Blue Eyed Boy (except for Mark, lol) 98 pointer Shiraz-a-matazz

or the

2009 Gigglepot 94 pointer Cab

or the

2009 Carnival of Love 98 pointer Shiraz

or the

2009 Enchanted Path 97 pointer Shiraz/Cab blend

or sadly, the illustrious

2009 Velvet Glove 99 pointer Shiraz.

I have a dream . . .

Katharine Fioretti

KATIE'S PASSION KITCHEN

10-10-10

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food" . . . W.C. Fields

Stay Tuned

Here are a few upcoming feature stories: (i.e., I don't have time to post these on this beautiful morning, LOL) . . .

Stay tuned for my upcoming post on supple, delectable and downright fabulous Mollydooker wines from down under. G'Day mates!

Whole grain goodness... See what I can do with this $1.17 bag of whole wheat grain from Rubino's.

Low & Slow

A method (and recipe) for braising beef short ribs until they are fall-apart tender.

Stay Tuned To KPK

Tuning Out Now,

Love, Katie