For the Love of Wonton Wrappers

I just love cooking with wonton wrappers. They offer a "crunch" in every bite and make appetizers look so wonderful. I've made crab appetizers in wonton wrappers and  am in the process of creating more appetizers using wonton wrappers. You can add savory or sweet fillings in the wonton wrappers and pair them with so many different wines depending on the filling. Also, working with wonton wrappers creates a group activity for your family and guest. They can stuff and seal the wrapper's and you can fry them. Also, check out this older post with a Mexican inspired appetizer with a lovely Ceja Vineyards red wine.  http://lorrieswineandfoodworld.blogspot.com/2011/08/wine-review-ceja-vineyards-2007-vino-de.html

Lorrie’s Crab Appetizers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of lump crab meat
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons of mixed seasoning ( I use fresh Italian parsley, yellow onion, celery, 2 cloves of garlic and ¼ of a red bell pepper finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• 2 or more pinches of Cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup of Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 16 oz. package of wonton wrappers
• Enough canola oil to deep fry (about 2 inches or so of oil)

Preparation

Melt butter on low heat in a skillet. Then add the chopped seasoning, then creole seasoning, and the cayenne pepper. Let mixture cook for about 5 minutes or so, on low flame until tender. Stir mixture. Then add crab meat and cream of mushroom soup. Stir mixture. If you feel that you need more cream of mushroom soup, add another tablespoon. Then add the Italian bread crumbs. Stir mixture. Remove mixture from heat. Take a wonton wrapper and a melon baller or small spoon and put a small amount of the crab mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Moisten three edges of the wrapper with water and seal tightly. This very important to seal tightly! These instructions should be on the back of the wonton wrapper package. Heat oil in frying pan or deep fryer. Test by flicking a little water in the pan. If it pops, it is hot enough to begin frying. Cook wontons until lightly browned on both sides. Place on a platter with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. This is a good group activity, the friends can wrap and the cook can fry!

Check out an older post to get a suggested sparkling wine for this pairing http://lorrieswineandfoodworld.blogspot.com/2011/08/wine-review-schramsberg-2008-blanc-de.html

Wine and Entertaining Videos

I just love watching wine and entertaining videos. Here are a few nice videos I found while surfing the web! Wine is not just a beverage, it is a lifestyle. So, drink wine, cook, laugh and enjoy family and friends in style with some of the nice tips that are found in these videos. Also, check out some of my wine picks on this blog and try them. Let me know what you think. Summer is alsost over, so while the temperatures are still warm, sip on some whites and rose` wines to salute summer.

http://www.youtube.com/kundefamilyestate#p/u/1/tcQg8P3mW38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d9NPUW7pM4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=N_WQvv7fQ8E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1QSLrffPCvc

Cheers,

Lorrie

Wine Review: White Oak 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine has a dark garnet hue. The nose has aromas of dark fruit flavors, primarily black cherry, cassis, vanilla and toasty oak. The palate mirrors the nose along with hints of coffee and a slight hint of black olive. This wine is supple, but  has some tannins, but the tannins gives the wine structure and balance. I would pair this wine with gourmet burgers, steaks, bruschetta with pastrami as an ingredient in the topping. I would also pair it with tapas that include black olives and salami, aged cheddar and Cahill Porter Cheese. Note: This wine was a sample provided by White Oak Vineyards & Winery. http://www.whiteoakwinery.com  SRP $30.00

Lorrie's Super Bruschetta

1 head of roasted garlic toes (recipe will follow)

(1) 8 oz package of cream cheese

½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon of Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons of melted I can't believe it's not butter

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

20 diagonally sliced pieces of French bread

(1) 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers

½ lb. of thinly sliced beef pastrami

(1) 8 oz. block of Fontina cheese

dried chives for garnish

To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the head of garlic, just enough to see the garlic toes exposed. Put in a square of aluminum foil. Put olive oil on top and add about a teaspoon of water on the bottom of the foil, close up and bake for an hour. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic to release the toes of garlic. This can be done ahead of time to save in prep time. In addition, the cream cheese mixture can be made ahead as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix melted margarine and olive oil together in a cup. Brush the slices of bread with the olive oil mixture and bake for about 5-7 minutes.

In a food processor, combine cream cheese, roasted garlic, cheddar cheese, cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning and pulse until blended.

Remove bread slices from the oven and spread a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Then add a piece of roasted red pepper. Then add a small piece of pastrami, then a thin slice of Fontina cheese, and a drop of oil on each slice of bread. Sprinkle with chives. Bake in oven until the cheese is melted. About 5 minutes.

Try this wine with this appetizer and let me know what you think!

Wine Review: White Oak 2007 Napa Valley Merlot

This wine has a dark garnet hue. The nose is filled with dark fruit aromas, primarily black cherry, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and spice. The palate mirrors the nose as it relates to the flavor profile along with supple tannins, but tannins firm enough to give this wine structure and balance. This wine would pair well with gourmet burgers, especially if stuffed with a pat of rosemary compound butter enclosed inside the burger patty. Remember not to press the burger when grilling with compound butter, you will lose the butter! This wine would also pair well with a grilled steak. If using an indoor grill pan, I use a little extra virgin olive oil and and a sprig of rosemary in my grill pan to add that extra layer of flavor to my steaks. I love to marinade my steaks (rib eye) in Stubb's Beef Marinade prior to grilling them. Another great pairing would be with Cahill Porter Cheese, I love how this cheese looks with the marbling and its rich flavor.  Note: this wine was a sample provided by White Oak Vineyards & Winery http://www.whiteoakwinery.com SRP $26.00

Davis Bynum 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir

This wine has a cranberry hue. The nose is filled with ripe juicy red fruit aromas of cherries and strawberries with a bit of spice. The palate mirrored the nose with a hint of earthiness and some slight herbal notes in the mid palate. The wine finished with bright fruit flavors and a bit of acidity, making this a great wine to pair with food. The wine has a smooth and silky mouth feel, but has some structure that provides balance. The wine has a nice finish.  I would pair this wine with salmon, pork, chicken, (roasted, baked or southern fried), anything with prosciutto, Purple Haze goat cheese because of the lavender and fennel pollen coating, cream cheese topped with Tabasco Brand Red Pepper Jelly served with crackers, bruschetta with mushrooms, melted Fontina cheese and bacon crumbled on top and Mimolette cheese.  Note: This wine was a sample provided by Davis Bynum Winery. http://www.davisbynum.com/ SRP $30.00 

Herbes de Provence Pan Seared Salmon with Caper Sauce

• 4 salmon fillets
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Herbes de Provence (lightly sprinkled on each fillet)
• 2 ½ tablespoons of olive oil (reserve I ½ tablespoons for skillet)
• ½ of a lemon

Caper Sauce

1 cup of Mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of small capers (drained of brine)

4 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rub fillets with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and Herbes de Provence. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat. Place fillets in pan, skin side up, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until edges turn golden. Then, turn over and cook for about a minute. Remove fillets from skillet and place in a baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze lemon juice on baked salmon fillets.

Caper Sauce

Preparation

Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers and Tabasco sauce, and serve in a pretty serving bowl.

I like serving this with herbed rice and a grape tomato and mixed greens salad. Wine Recommendation: 2009 Davis Bynum Russian River Pinot Noir http://www.davisbynum.com/

Wine Review: Bogle 2009 California Pinot Noir

This wine has a cranberry hue. The wine has aromas of earth, strawberries and cherries, along with a bit of spice. The palate mirrors the nose with an addition of herbal notes integrated with the red fruit, earthiness and spice. This wine is what I call a "bang for the buck" wine. I think it would pair well with salmon, bruschetta with mushrooms topped with Fontina cheese that has been melted, and then sprinkled with crumbled bacon, pork roast, fried or roast chicken. I paired it with a piece of Mimolette cheese. The depth of flavor and saltiness of the cheese really brought out the red fruit flavors in this wine. Note: This wine was a sample provided by Bogle Winery http://www.boglewinery.com SRP $11.00

Wine Review: Ceja Vineyards 2007 Vino de Casa

This wine has a dark garnet color. The nose is filled with cherries, dark plums and spice. The wine is a blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate mirrors the nose with a hint of cocoa, and a bit of lead or minerality, which gives this wine structure. There is a nice acidity that makes this wine great to pair with food. The finish has a nice length showcasing all of the flavors you experience on the palate. I paired this wine with a creation of mine called, "Lorrie's Wonton Tacos." It is an appetizer that is great for a group of family and friends, because they can assist the cook by assembling the wonton tacos, and the cook just has to fry, and of course sip this wine. Note: This wine was a sample provided by Ceja Vineyards http://www.cejavineyards.com SRP $20.00

Note: I don't have how may appetizers this makes because I just fried them, until I got "full". This was my lunch!

Lorrie's Wonton Tacos

Ingredients

1 package of wonton wrappers
1 lb. of lean ground chuck
1 packet of Taco Seasoning mix (I used Old El Paso)
I 8oz  package of  nacho & taco grated cheese (cheddar, monterey jack blended with spices. Kroger's Brand)
I egg plus I tablespoon of water whisked together
Canola oil to fry ( about 1 and 1/2 inches high in a cast iron skillet)
Sour cream
Taco sauce

Preparation

Cook ground meat by following the directions on the back of the taco seasoning package. Lay out wonton wrappers, put a little less than 1/2 tablespoon of cheese and ground meat mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Note: make sure not to over fill, you will not be able to close and seal them correctly. Brush the  wrappers lightly around the edges withthe egg mixture and seal tightly. Heat oil until when you flick a few drops of water and there is a pop; do not over heat oil!  Fry until they are a light golden brown color. Drain on a platter with paper towels. I served them on an appetizer plate with a dollop of sour cream and some taco sauce. These appetizers really brought out the fruit and hints of spice in this wine.

Here is the wine tasting video that shows the bottle image and much more! Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-qiWxFpR5I&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-qiWxFpR5I&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>