Tag: grapes

Food ‘n Flix – Sideways

This is my second month to be a part of the Food ‘n Flix bloggers’ circle (see here for my first month).  This month is hosted by Tina at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor; and she has chosen the movie Sideways to be our inspiration.

Sideways is a movie about friendship, relationships, happiness, and most of all – WINE.  Set in Napa Valley, vineyards and wineries provide the background to the film and wine almost becomes a character itself.

I wanted to make something that would feel like it belonged in Napa Valley, and that would pair well with wine.  I thought about coffee rubbed pork with a wine sauce, or braised ribs, but eventually I settled down on something simple and fresh – Focaccia with grapes, rosemary, pine nuts, olive oil, and sea salt served with fresh homemade ricotta. (more…)

Homemade Ricotta – Summer’s Last Hurrah

I was browsing through blogs and found a series of recipes on Alexandra’s Kitchen involving homemade ricotta cheese that looked perfect for the end of summer. The recipes all looked really great but I questioned whether or not making ricotta versus buying it would make that much of a difference. I decided to go ahead and try it since it didn’t look all that difficult.


All you have to do is boil milk and cream, and add vinegar to curdle the milk.

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