Skip to main content

The 'Ab Ovo Usque Ad Mala' Recipes + Some Bubbles from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG #ChefsSecret


As my parents' friends trickled in for our Thanksgiving lunch, we exchanged greetings and my boys handed out glasses of Italian bubbles. Several of the group had been to our table before; but a few were new. The ones that were new had received a warning ahead of time: "My daughter doesn't prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal. But if you aren't expecting turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy - and are up for a little culinary adventure - you'll enjoy it. Come hungry," my mother cautioned.


The table was set with china, linens, and each setting had my menu...
On the Table
But I still explained that everything I was serving was inspired by the historical fiction novel The Chef's Secret by Crystal King*. Then we settled in for a feast and chatted about the recipes and the inspiration. I have posted almost everything and you can find the recipes here...click on the titles to go to the original recipe post.








In the Glass

Back in July, Nicole of Somm's Table, had extended an invitation for me to join her at a Prosecco Superiore luncheon in San Francisco. Sponsored by the Consorzio of Prosecco Superiore DOCG, organized by Charles Communications, and hosted by Perbacco, we were treated to course after course and pairing after pairing all the while learning from Iris Rowlee, Perbacco's wine director, and Giulia Pussini from the Consorzio. What an amazing experience!


In any case, they sent me home with beautiful literature on the region and a bottle of Sommariva NV Brut, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. Jake and I sipped and enjoyed it that evening. So, I knew that I wanted to track down a few bottles for our Thanksgiving feast.


Nothing goes so well from course to course as Italian bubbles and Prosecco Superiore is the reigning monarch in that hierarchy. You can click to read about my explorations and pairings last July: here.


The Sommariva NV Brut Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is crisp and aromatic, offering layers of herbs and stone fruit with hints of toasted nuts. Its broad range of aromas carry over to the palate with brightness and vibrant acidity, making it incredibly versatile and food friendly. 

Though it probably would have been a match for every single course, I did pour a Sangiovese from Umbria with the quail and the sausages. However, I myself moved back to the bubbles for the dessert course.

And this is a wrap on my Thanksgiving recipes. I wonder if Crystal will have her third novel out anytime soon for my next year's menu! I hope so.


There are so many things for which I am thankful this year. But, for this post, I'll leave it at being thankful for inspiration, creativity, and Italian bubbles. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Cin cin.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t...

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event."  Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry...

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce...