Pinot Noir

In Our Final Pescatarian Holiday Recipe from Bob Blumer, We Toss Meat-Eaters a Bone

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Bob Blumer's bacon-wrapped trout recipe

Bob Blumer has New Idiom for 2022: ‘When Pigs Swim Upstream’

As we wish all of our friends and family a Happy New Year, we also thought we’d wrap Bob Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ Recipe Series by committing the wonderful sin of adding bacon into the mix. It’s been seven weeks of this series – inspired by the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Winemaker Rob Lloyd’s pescatarian ways – so it’s only fair to our meat-eating fans to feed their need for some fatty goodness. Right?

This also gives our Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir a chance to shine as a delicious pairing!

This is the seventh and final installment of Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ 2021 recipes series with Lloyd Cellars. If you’d like to see all of his ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ recipes, we invite you to scroll through our Online Recipes section. Shop our Online Store or utilize our Store Locator for local shopping!

Purchase Our ‘Flavor Bomb’ Gift Collection Featuring Blumer’s Latest Cookbook & Four Wines

Bob Blumer’s Bacon-Wrapped Trout

Bob Blumer

Our final 'Pescatarian Holiday' recipe throws a bone to meat-eaters!
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

  • 4 trout head and tail on, gutted
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 large sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 lemons halved, then sliced
  • 1½ pounds sliced bacon
  • toothpicks

Instructions

 

  • Preheat grill to medium-high direct heat
  • Rinse and pat dry fish inside and out. Drizzle cavity of trout with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with 4 lemon slices and 2 sprigs of thyme.
  • Wrap trout with bacon like a mummy, using toothpicks to hold bacon in place. Each trout will require approximately 6 strips of bacon.
  • Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until bacon is crispy and trout is cooked throughout. Resist moving fish around, but peek underneath to ensure that bacon isn’t burning. If necessary, modulate the heat so that the bacon doesn’t burn before the fish is cooked.

Notes

Level of difficulty: As easy as wrapping a gift, then putting it on the BBQ

Active prep/cooking time: 20 minutes Grilling time: 10 minutes

Pan version: Trout can be pan-seared in a dry pan over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until cooked throughout.

Advance work: Trout can be wrapped in bacon and refrigerated earlier in the day.

 

Keyword Bacon, Bob Blumer, Trout

Holiday Adulting with Ahi Sno-Cones & Cookbook Author Bob Blumer

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Blumer's Ahi Sno-Cone Recipe

Growing up should never mean loosing your sense of whimsy or adventure – especially in the kitchen!

In our fourth installment of Celeb Chef and Cookbook Author Bob Blumer’s seven-part ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ series for Lloyd Cellars, he delivers his crazy-delicious ‘Ahi Sno-Cone’ recipe while evoking fond childhood memories. Oh, the joy of childhood when your parents would give in to ‘Please, please, please, can we get a sno-cone!’ They’d fane reluctance as they slipped you change and allowed you to make the purchase on your own. It was part of growing up, learning to negotiate, and managing a transaction. Blumer constantly reminds us to revel in the joy and memories of eating our favorite things by flavor bombing nostalgic bites for the here and now of our adult lives!

Blumer’s ‘Ahi Sno-Cone’ is yet another dish that pairs well with both our Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay and Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. If you’d like to look back at all of Blumer’s recipes and others, we invite you to scroll through our online Recipes section.

Purchase Our ‘Flavor Bomb’ Gift Collection Featuring Blumer’s Latest Cookbook & Four Wines

Blumer's Ahi Sno-Cone Recipe

Blumer’s Ahi Sno-Cones

Bob Blumer

Sno-Cones that will warm hearts this holiday season.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Japanese

Servings 16 Sno-Cones

Equipment

  • 12, 4 or 6-ounce paper cones (available in office water coolers and at restaurant supply stores)

Ingredients

  

  • 1 cup peanut oil for brushing wonton wrappers
  • 16 3½- inch square wonton wrappers 4 are back-ups
  • 10 ounces sushi-quality ahi tuna diced finely
  • 1 fragrant peach papaya or mango peeled, pitted and diced into ¼-inch cubes
  • 2 green onions sliced finely
  • 10 mint leaves chopped finely
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 ripe avocado peeled and pitted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
  • 12 teeny weenie cherry tomatoes or cranberries, or pomegranate seeds

Instructions

 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a small bowl, set out 1 cup peanut oil along with a small pastry brush. On a baking sheet, set out 12 paper cones.
  • Trim 12 wonton wrappers according to diagram (see below). Generously brush both sides of each wrapper with peanut oil. Wrap 1 wrapper around each cone and press seam together. Twist the bottom around itself and pinch to seal. Bake for 5 – 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. When cones cool, twist them off the cups. Reserve.
  • In a medium bowl, combine tuna, peach, green onion, mint, zest and sesame seeds. Reserve.
  • In a small bowl, combine wasabi, sesame oil, soy, honey, ginger and lime juice. Taste and adjust if necessary. Reserve.
  • In a mini food processor, or in a bowl with a whisk, puree avocado and lemon juice until it is super smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Transfer to a small piping bag or a small resealable bag with the corner clipped. Reserve.

To Finish & Serve

  • Add dressing to tuna, starting with half. Toss and add more as required to dress, but not drench. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Spoon tuna into cones. Top with a dollop of avocado puree and a cherry tomato. Serve cones in shot glasses, or your own cone holder.

Notes

Uncommon Goods: Cone-shaped paper cups (available in office water coolers, at restaurant supply stores like Smart & Final, or on Amazon.com); sushi quality tuna is available at most groceries with a fresh fish counter. Have the fishmonger sign off on you consuming it raw before purchasing.

How To: Wonton Wrap Illustration

Level of Difficulty: Wonton cones require the pattern-making skills and dexterity of an amateur seamstress.

Shortcuts: Skip the wonton cups and serve tartare in paper cones or mini paper cups.

Advance Work: Wonton cones, dressing, and the slicing and dicing of tartare ingredients can be done earlier in the day. Toss just before serving.

Keyword Ahi, Appetizer,, Bob Blumer, Pescatarian

Hunger Fighter Bob Blumer’s Crab (Cup)cake is a Savory Delight – Visually & Tastefully

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Blumer crab (cup)cake recipe
Blumer is an Ambassador to Second Harvest in Toronto and a supporter of Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. He’s pictured here with Chef Mary Sue Milliken, Share Our Strength Emeritus Board Member

Lloyd Cellars is recommending that you embrace and fight being crabby this holiday season. First, by supporting Blumer’s efforts in fighting hunger through Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. You’ll feel so good knowing you’re helping feed hungry children. Second, by embracing Blumer’s savory Crab (Cup)cakes recipe below to share with friends and family this holiday season. This magical recipe, which pairs beautifully with both our Carneros Chardonnay and Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is guaranteed to lift the spirits of even the most committed Grinch in your social circle.

About No Kid Hungry

No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.

This December, Blumer launched his 12 Drops of Christmas campaign on Instagram @BobBlumer. Every day he is offering an item from his art archives or cookbooks. Where noted, 100% of the selling price will be in the form of a direct, tax-deductible donation to @NoKidHungry, as part of his fundraising for the upcoming 2-day, 200-mile Chefscycle.

Other items—which will be noted—are conventional sales. His first drop was a signed, limited-edition lithograph he illustrated for his book Surreal Gourmet Entertains. It is 22” x 32” on fine art paper. The price is a $200usd, tax-deductible donation to NoKidHungry. He’s covering the postage and is happy to personalize it. There are a few available. DM him on Instagram @BobBlumer to order and arrange for the direct donation.

#chefcycle #nokidhungry #surrealgourmet

Blumer crab (cup)cake recipe

Bob Blumer’s Crab (Cup)Cakes

Bob Blumer

If you're going to feel crabby around the holidays, make it good crabby!
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 15 mins

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American

Servings 4 Crab Cupcakes

Equipment

  • cupcake liners; muffin tin (not uncommon, but crucial); piping bag with a startip (ideal, but not necessary)

Ingredients

  

Crab Cupcake

  • 1 small beet
  • 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 green onion finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons bread crumbs or panko
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • zest of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • ¼ jalapeño pepper seeds discarded, minced
  • 8 ounces fresh frozen or tinned crab meat (your choices will vary depending on your shopping options. But fear not, all versions will be tasty in this recipe)

Instructions

 

To Finish & Serve

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Spray interior of muffin tin with spray oil. Line the tin with 4 paper liners. Generously spray interior of liners. Spoon crab mixture into liners. Gently press crab mixture down and flatten level with the top of the tin.
  • Just before putting cupcakes in the oven, reheat potatoes by covering the bowl with aluminum foil and placing it over a pot of boiling water for 5 – 10 minutes. When potatoes are steaming hot, finely grate approximately 1 tablespoon of beet and add it to potatoes. Blend thoroughly with a fork. Add more beet for a deeper color if desired.
  • Bake cupcakes for 8 minutes, or until cakes are fully set, yet still moist. Remove cakes from tin immediately so that they do not continue to cook.
  • Use a piping bag with a star tip, or a table knife to ice the cupcakes.

Notes

Level of difficulty: About the same as making cupcakes from scratch

Advance work: The crab mixture can be prepared earlier in the day, to the point that the cakes are ready to be baked. Bake and ice just before serving; Mashed potatoes can be made earlier in the day then reheated over a double boiler just before serving (add grated beet after reheating)

Keyword Bob Blumer, Crab Appetizer, Lloyd Cellars, Recipe

In Pics: Lloyd Cellars new signature event ‘Ferments & Fashion’ in Chicago

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Our Inaugural 'Ferments & Fashion' Mixer Brings Style and Smiles to Chicago's Bustling South Loop!
Lloyd Cellars launches new signature event 'Ferments & Fashion' in Chicago

Our Inaugural ‘Ferments & Fashion’ Mixer Brings Style and Smiles to Chicago’s Bustling South Loop!

Special thanks to Sweeney Taud StudioZ & Social Club for hosting us, to DJ Simmy for stepping in on the turntables, and of course vintage clothing stylist Derricka Cole for her paring vintage collection with our vintages. Check her out at @old_new_thrifted2. The following is a gallery that was captured by our friend and photographer Gina Gabero!

Our Pescatarian Holiday with Celeb Chef & Author Bob Blumer is Dishwasher Safe

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Blumer's Dishwasher Salmon

Bob Blumer comes clean on making the Thanksgiving kitchen way more interesting!

To celebrate the 2021 Holiday Season, Lloyd Cellars and Celebrity Chef and Cookbook Author Bob Blumer will share seven fish recipes beginning the week of Thanksgiving.

Inspired by Winemaker Rob Lloyd’s pescatarian predilections and the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, Chef Blumer brings his creative and playful twist to each recipe.

We all know that smiles over delicious food are one of the world’s greatest gifts, especially these days!

Additionally, the Thanksgiving turkey can be a challenge at times to deliver a juicy bird to the table – and it takes hours. Blumer’s surreal ‘Dishwasher Salmon with Honey-Ginger Sauce’ is, believe it or not, one of the most consistent, quick and entertaining ways to deliver perfectly poached filets to your guests.

This dish will pair beautifully with both our Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay and Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir!

Purchase Our ‘Flavor Bomb’ Gift Collection Featuring Blumer’s Latest Cookbook & Four Wines for the Holidays!
Blumer's Dishwasher Salmon

Dishwasher Salmon with Honey-Ginger Sauce

Bob Blumer, host of Food Network's The Surreal Gourmet, has been doing it for years, claiming to have cooked salmon in dishwashers around the world. All you have to do is wrap the salmon tightly in foil, stick the packet in the top rack, and run it on a regular cycle. ~ Food Network
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 1 hr

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

  • Dishwasher
  • Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

  

SALMON INGREDIENTS

  • 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin off
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 lemons
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • toasted sesame seeds to finish
  • finely sliced green onion to finish

HONEY-GINGER SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Asian-style hot sauce to taste optional

Instructions

 

SALMON INSTRUCTIONS

  • Place 1 fillet in the center of each square and fold up the outer edges.
  • Cut 4 14-inch(ish) square sheets of aluminum foil.
  • Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fold the last ¼-inch of each seam over itself 2 or 3 times and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create an airtight and watertight seal around each packet (see photo). To test if the packets are airtight, press down gently on each one with your hand. If any air escapes, rewrap. (SEE PHOTOS BELOW)
  • Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher for the entire “normal” cycle.
  • While salmon is “cooking”, prepare the honey-ginger sauce.
  • When cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil, place one fillet on each plate. (Note: Don’t be concerned about the opaque white beads that appear on the fillets. They are simply a redistribution of the salmon’s natural fats.)

HONEY-GINGER INSTRUCTIONS

  • To a small saucepan add honey, soy, sesame oil, ginger, orange zest and black pepper.
  • Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 – 5 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Add hot sauce to taste, if desired. Reserve. Reheat over a low heat just before serving.
  • To Serve Spoon honey ginger sauce overtop each fillet and finish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Notes

  1. Do not attempt to cook a whole fish (don’t think it hasn’t been tried).
  2. Always place fish packets on the top rack.
  3. Make sure other items in the dishwasher, such as silverware, are securely stowed so that they do not fly around and pierce the foil packets.
  4. Set the dishwasher to the “normal” cycle. Some modern dishwashers have “economy” and “cool dry” settings, which are undesirable because they conserve heat. On the other end of the spectrum, the “pots and pans” setting can overcook the fish.
  5. Run salmon through the entire wash-and-dry cycle.
  6. Only attempt to cook salmon while doing the dishes after you have mastered the art of creating air-tight packages.

Level of difficulty: As easy as loading the dishwasher

Shortcuts: Skip the sauce

Advance work: Salmon packets can be prepared earlier in the day

Oven method: Don’t have a dishwasher? Bake foil-wrapped packets in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 minutes (imagine that!).

Keyword Salmon

Lloyd Cellars & Prescription Vineyards Q3 Market Support!

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Lloyd Cellars Q3 2021 Market Update

VIVINO Scan data illustrates 71% growth since the launch of our 2021 marketing and communications campaigns. Prescription Vineyards in-market programming continues with its exclusive ‘Friday-Eve Live’ wine and music showcases through the end of 2021 – both virtual and live.

In our Lloyd Cellars Market Update, we always share recent scores and links to promotional assets such as Shelf-Talkers, Line Cards, Data Sheets, and Bottle Shots.

~ Please read on for more marketing activities and links to our recent blog features! ~

Lloyd Cellars Collateral | Prescription Collateral

Greg Moore, Director of Sales | Greg@LloydCellars.com | (415) 385-9658

Joel Quigley, Director of Marketing Communications | Joel@LloydCellars.com | (707) 495-0831

The Somm Journal & Nat Geo Webinars

The launch of the highly anticipated New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by National Geographic Books is the catalyst for the innovative approach and synergies among industry leaders in their categories. The SOMM Journal — in association with National Geographic and SommCon — invites you to participate in these complimentary, one-of-a-kind wine-tasting webinar series entitled Geographical Digest.

July 29th 2021 @ 11am PT
Buyer’s Forum: In association with the Somm Foundation, Prescription Vineyards tastes along with 40 qualified wine buyers featuring the upcoming release of our 2019 Clarksburg Chardonnay
Winemaker Rob Lloyd & Director of Sales Greg Moore Lead Our Discussion

September 14th 2021 @ 9:00am PT
National Geographic “Balancing Act: Chardonnay at its Best’ Webinar
in association with the Somm Foundation
Winemaker Rob Lloyd to Speak to Carneros Chardonnay

Note: These webinars are part of a year-long marketing campaign that includes advertising, editorial, and social media

The Somm Journal and Nat Geo’s Post-Coverage of the Pinot Noir Webinar Featuring Rob Lloyd with Six Int’l Winemakers

‘Friday-Eve Live’ Goes Virtual for Our ‘Wine & Music to Rock Your World’ August Promotion

Friday-Eve Live August 2021 x2

‘Friday-Eve Live’ is a production of Lloyd Cellars and Prescription Vineyards, in partnership with A&R Worldwide and Passport Approved Radio and our family of musical artists.

‘The Imaginaries’ Perform August 12 | ‘Waiting for Smith’ Performs August 26

Lloyd Cellars & Prescription announce sponsorship of Hispanic Heritage Month, partnership with two-time Grammy Award-winning Latin artist, Marlow Rosado!

In support of Hispanic Heritage Month, Prescription is underwriting Marlow’s Colorful Sounds concert at Ramkat in Winston-Salem on September 30th in partnership with the Hispanic League. The North Carolina market visit also includes in-store consumer tasting in Winston-Salem and Charlotte.

Texas November In-Market Visit Fouces on Austin Food & Wine, with Promotional Partnerships and Events with Austin Monthly and San Antonio Current

Our November Texas in-market campaign, combining events, print and digital promotions, media lunches and dinners, and ApexDrop Instagram Influencer Holiday Campaign, is expected to generate several million impressions.

One-on-one consumer tastings at exclusive venues in Austin and San Antonio will create demand for our wines at retailers and restaurants throughout the Lone Star state!

The Drop on ApexDrop!

In addition to ApexDrop’s robust content generation and product sampling, each campaign with the 50 Instagram Influencers has had a total following of more than 750,000 followers. Over our last three campaigns, our total reach has surpassed 1.5 million with our Engagements reaching more than 60,000. We invite you to visit our Instagram accounts with Tags to see the quality and diversity of our content and, of course, follow us!

Lloyd Cellars Instagram | Prescription Instagram

Recent Scores & Reviews

Lloyd Cellars Blog Features | Prescription Blog Features
Facebook.com/LloydCellars | Facebook.com/PrescriptionVineyards

Chef Bleifer’s Roast Pork Recipe Carries the Fourth of July Weekend!

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Chef Rob Bleifer's Fourth-of-July Menu

Make this delicious Roast Pork with House Rub entree for Saturday dinner; turn leftovers into Sunday picnic sandwiches!

We’re very excited that the Fourth of July is on an actual weekend this year. (Honestly, it’s kind of a bummer when it lands on a Wednesday, right?) This weekend we’re making Chef Rob Bleifer’s Roast Pork recipe for our Saturday evening entree and pairing it with our Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Then for our Sunday Fourth of July celebration, we’re going to chop up the leftover pork and toss it with barbecue sauce to make pork sandwiches. This strategy allows for less time in the kitchen and more time to celebrate with friends and family…and to sip more Pinot Noir! Follow the former Food Network Executive Chef’s adventures on Instagram: @chef_robear

P.S. We plan to make pork tacos on Monday 🙂

Shop >>> Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Roast Pork with House Rub

Chef Robert Bleifer goes for a classic, pairing pork with our Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. What makes this recipe so satisfying is the rub and the technique to bring it to the table.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

Pork Roast

  • 1 Pork Shoulder about 2 inches thick and 4 pounds.
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons dry rub recipe below
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

RUB

  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

 

  • Combine all the rub ingredients in 1 cup jar with a lid and shake until completely mixed. Store for up to 6 months with your spices.
  • Preheat oven to 230 degrees.
  • Rub pork all over with oil. Season with herbs and salt.
  • Place on a large sheet pan or shallow roasting pan and roast for about 4 hours or, when internal temperature is at least 180 and as high as 207.
  • Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
  • Slice and serve either on your favorite bread or with roast potatoes and your favorite seasonal vegetable.

Notes

Chop leftover pork, toss with BBQ sauce for delicious leftover sandwiches.

Keyword Chef Robert Bleifer, Lloyd Cellars, Pinot Noir, Recipe, Roast Pork

String Theory: Unifying a Single-Bowl Meal with Spaghetti Noodles

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Chef Bleifer Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
The Pastafarians were the first to connect String Theory and single-bowl noodle dishes through abstract thought. We arrived at this saucy mind space after a couple of glasses of Lloyd Cellars Pinot Noir. Image courtesy of venganza.org.

As the world of science continues to pursue a unifying theory to explain physics, known as String Theory, the culinary world solved the one-bowl meal conundrum centuries ago. In 2005, a team of archaeologists reported finding an earthenware bowl that contained 4000-year-old noodles at the Lajia archaeological site in China. So from Asian noodles to Italian spaghetti (there’s a Marco Polo relativity joke somewhere here), these unleavened dough strings have been the cookery connectors in serving up endless deliciousness in single-bowl servings.

Our good friend Chef Robert Bleifer, former Executive Chef at Food Network and father, knows the advantages of serving up healthy, one-bowl meals to the family. Here, he shares his Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs recipe. But, of course, he’s ‘adulted’ the meal by pairing our Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir with this tasty and easy recipe. Dish up this combo to friends and family and let your minds wander off to places yet unexplored!

Make sure to follow Chef Bleifer’s culinary adventures on Instagram: @chef_robear

Shop >>> Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Chef Bleifer Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Chef Bleifer Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

You'll want to gobble down Chef Robert Bleifer's turkey meatball and spaghetti recipe – each bite followed by a sip from a goblet full of our robust Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir!
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

  

  • 1 pound ground turkey not lean!
  • 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs place 1 large slice of bread in a spice grinder or mini-chopper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmeggiano
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • Fresh grated parm and basil for serving optional

Instructions

 

  • In a medium-large bowl, mix together: turkey, breadcrumbs, parm, herbs, garlic, egg yolk, and salt. Mix thoroughly and form into balls slightly smaller than ping-pong balls. You should have close to 20.
  • Place a large saute pan medium-high heat, add the oil, and brown the meatball on all sides (adjusting the heat as necessary to keep from burning.)
  • When fully browned, deglaze with red wine, scrape up any stuck browned bits and let reduce until just a tablespoon remains. Transfer to a medium saucepan with the stock and marinara. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes. If the sauce has gotten too thick, add water to bring back to the consistency of the jarred sauce.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to packaged directions.
  • Drain pasta, immediately toss with sauce and serve immediately.
  • Serve with extra grated parm and fresh basil if desired.

Keyword Chef Robert Bleifer, Lloyd Cellars, Pinot Noir, Recipe, Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Celebrate National ‘Bloomsday’ with Chef Rob Bleifer’s Herb-Roasted Chicken

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James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist, short story writer, poet, teacher, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century.

Our Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a Classic Pairing with Roast Chicken and a Good Read

June 16th is National Bloomsday, commemorating the life and legend of Irish writer James Joyce. The significance of June 16 is taken from his 1922 novel, “Ulysses,” which takes place on June 16, 1904, and follows a day in the life of the story’s protagonist Leopold Bloom. (Coincidently, “Ulysses” was published just after the end of the Spanish Flu Pandemic.)

Throughout Ulysses, food plays an important role in revealing the characters’ personalities. Food and its consumption receive a complex and subtle significance reflecting social class, temperament, and offers opportunities for interaction.

Lloyd Cellars is all about the role food plays in our lives, and over the past year-and-a-half, the impact it’s had on the hospitality world and especially restaurants. We’re celebrating the resilience of restaurateurs, chefs, servers, and front- and back-of-house folk with our ‘Back to Fine Dining’ campaign to inspire people to get out and support!

We’re also sharing recipes from our friend Chef Robert Bleifer to inspire families to once again gather around the table with friends to break bread and toast to better times. We thought Chef’s Herb-Roasted Chicken recipe was a good fit for the day, though we’re sure Joyce would have requested the bird’s livers fried.

Enjoy and remember to follow Chef Bleifer on Instagram at @chef_robear!

Click here to order our Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Chef Bleifer Herb-Roasted Chicken

Chef Bleifer is all about the spatchcock technique – the chicken cooks more evenly as it's on a level surface, so the breast and thigh meat are done at the same time. It's all about balance, just like our Lloyd Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, a blend from the Rio Vista and La Viña vineyards.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

  • 1 chicken 4-5 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 sprigs rosemary stems removed and chopped
  • 4 sprigs thyme stems removed and chopped
  • 4 sprigs marjoram stems removed and chopped
  • 1 large clove of garlic sliced thin
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

 

  • If you choose, you can marinate the chicken at room temperature for 2 hours before cooking, or just go straight into the oven.
  • Spatchcock the chicken, aka remove the backbone, so that the chicken can lay flat for cooking.
  • The easiest way to remove the backbone is to cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears, starting next to the tail and working your way down towards the neck.
  • Once the backbone is removed, either press hard on the middle of the breast to help flatten the chicken or make a slight cut on the underside by the keel bone to make this easier.
  • Once the chicken is spatchcocked, gently slide your fingers under the skin and place half of the chopped herbs and garlic under the skin.
  • Rub the chicken all over with olive oil.
  • Season liberally with salt and pepper and season the underside with the remaining chopped herbs and garlic.
  • Heat oven to 400.
  • Place the chicken on a large sheet pan or shallow roasting pan and place in oven with the legs towards the back of the oven. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the chicken after 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 160 in the breast and 180 in the thighs.
  • If you had marinated the chicken at room temperature, cooking time should be somewhat shorter. Begin checking the internal temperature after 60 minutes.
  • When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and place on a carving board and let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
  • Serve with rice or potatoes and your favorite seasonal vegetable.

Source material: https://nationaltoday.com/bloomsday/

Lars Leicht of The Somm Journal, and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, co-hosted ‘Pinot Noir: Aspects from Delicacy to Durability’

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The SOMM Journal — in association with National Geographic and SommCon – Webinars

Lloyd Cellars was honored to have our very own winemaker Rob Lloyd as a panelist of seven featured winemakers from around the world

In the spirit of continuing education for beverage professionals and consumers, The SOMM Journal — in association with National Geographic and SommCon — is hosting a series of complimentary, one-of-a-kind wine-tasting webinar series entitled Geographical Digest. The events are hosted virtually by winemakers from across the globe and broadcast live. Videos of the webinars are available on-demand soon after airing.

~ The Synopsis and Featured Regions and Wineries ~

Winemakers have a funny relationship with Pinot Noir: The quirky grape can gratify or frustrate, be delicate or durable, muse or mischief, but one way or another it always inspires passion and pride. Lars Leicht of The Somm Journal, and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, co-host this Pinot parley with seven wine whisperers from distinct terroirs around the world.

>>> If you’d like to jump ahead to Rob’s interview, it begins at 1:06:45 <<<

Louis Jadot — Burgundy, France
Willakenzie Oregon — Willamette Valley, OR
Merry Edwards — Russian River, CA
Domaine Anderson — Anderson Valley, CA
Calera — Mt. Harlan AVA/Central Coast, CA 
>>> Lloyd Cellars — Sta. Rita Hills, CA <<<
Giesen — Marlborough, New Zealand