Kalamata Olive Bread with Gorg & Walnuts

Kalamata Olive Bread with Gorg & Walnuts

Friday, October 22, 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



Sunday, October 10, 2010

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

Saturday, October 9, 2010

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

Mediterranean Fish Stew

Mediterranean Fish Stew
A KPK cross between Spanish style Cod and French Boullabaisse

Smoky Spanish Albondigas Soup

Smoky Spanish Albondigas Soup

Summer Vegetable Soup

Summer Vegetable Soup
aka "Got-To-Go" Soup, inspired by Louie

MORE 4 U

From here, you can continue scrolling down to check out some of my favorite dishes and KPK highlights.

For more posts (articles), recipes, stories and pictures, you can scroll up (in the right column under "What You Missed") and click on 2008, 2009 2010, 2011, 2012 or 2013. As of June, 2013, there are are total of 139 posts in KPK. You can spend more time here when you know where to look, right?! Another way to enjoy my kitchen is to click on any items of interest in the section entitled "Passion Posts", also up above in the right column.

Love, Katie ~ I am so glad you're here! Stay awhile!

Super Healthy Salad

Super Healthy Salad
. . . featuring Roasted Rutabagas (or Swede Turnips, if you wish)

Grilled Corn with Tarragon Cream

Grilled Corn with Tarragon Cream
Click on the image to link to a simple and lovely recipe at Fine Cooking

Cinnamon Pecan Katies

Cinnamon Pecan Katies
Yes I Did

Forbidden Rice Salad

Forbidden Rice Salad
Black "Forbidden Rice" from China is delicious and loaded with antioxidants

Pasta with Hot Pancetta, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Parmesan & Power Greens

Pasta with Hot Pancetta, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Parmesan & Power Greens

Indian Carrot Salad

Indian Carrot Salad

Fluffy Milk Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Softly Whipped Cocoa Cream

Fluffy Milk Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Softly Whipped Cocoa Cream

Asparagus & Mozzarella Frittata

Asparagus & Mozzarella Frittata

Grilled Eggplant is Layered Up for an Eggplant Gratin with Fresh Basil and 4 Cheeses

Grilled Eggplant is Layered Up for an Eggplant Gratin with Fresh Basil and 4 Cheeses

Oven Roasted Plum Tomatoes

Oven Roasted Plum Tomatoes

Oven Roasted Herb Butter Turkey Breast, Gemstone Potatoes & Buttery Peas

Oven Roasted Herb Butter Turkey Breast, Gemstone Potatoes & Buttery Peas

Egg Ribbon Salad with Pancetta & Shaved Parmesan

Egg Ribbon Salad with Pancetta & Shaved Parmesan

Fresh Strawberry Slices & Whole Raspberries tucked into cream cheese frosted vanilla cupcakes

Fresh Strawberry Slices & Whole Raspberries tucked into cream cheese frosted vanilla cupcakes

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops
an outdoor grill regular at the crib

Smokin' Beets

Smokin' Beets

Roasted Beet & Potato Salad

Roasted Beet & Potato Salad

Rosemary Flatbread

Rosemary Flatbread

"Hola" from Mi Pueblo, San Jose, CA

"Hola" from Mi Pueblo, San Jose, CA

Rapini Frittata

Rapini Frittata

Healthy Portabella

Healthy Portabella

Italian Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad with D'Amato's Focaccia

Italian Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad with D'Amato's Focaccia

Fried Asparagus

Fried Asparagus

Day Off Breakfast

Day Off Breakfast
Boiled Eggs & Whole Grain Toast ~ Simple Pleasures are the BEST!

Last Minute Lentil Soup

Last Minute Lentil Soup
with carrots, celery, and a little kale . . . topped with a heap of conchigliette pasta and parmigiano reggiano

A Sampling of Christmas

A Sampling of Christmas
KPK Pecan Shortbread Cookies and Almond Cookies