LIWINEDAD

  To round out the food service at our Labor Day weekend gathering, we added to the menu a homemade Bucket-O-Shells, which are two large trays of mixed seafood cooked in a fragrant wine and garlic broth (Fig 01).   Overall, an easy dish to prepare, the most challenging part is the assembly of all the ingredients (Fig 02); the actual cook is quick and easy on a well-powered gas grill.  The most important is the approximately 18 - 19 Lbs.  of seafood.  In our case, the Seafood portion was generously supplied by friends and neighbors sourced from New Wave Seafood in Wantagh.   New Wave Seafood is an excellent source for all seafood; send them a list ahead of time, and they will have the order ready and waiting for pick-up.   All the base ingredients we chop, slice and seal in vacuum bags a few days in advance (Fig 03).   All the vegetables and chorizo sausage came from Stew Leonards in East Meadow, including the aluminum trays.   Also, do not skimp on the quality of wine and use a good

  Sunday, 04 September 2022, the day before Labor Day, is a warm sunny day, so a good reason to gather family and friends in the backyard for steaks, seafood, and wine.  To open the day, we started with a side-by-side tasting of two Pinot Niro’s from Seabold Cellars , the same vintage but different vineyards (Fig 01).   The wine was outstanding, and a follow-on post discusses everyone’s thoughts on the wine.   The beef was one of the two main Entrees and weight in at about 12 Lbs.   before grilling (Fig 02).   McCall Wines Grass Feed steak and some mid-western corn-finished beef via Stew Leonards .   Both grilled up fine and served medium rare (Fig 03).   There was a very noticeable difference between the two, with a separate write-up to follow.   The second entrée is a home concoction called a “bucket of shells” and is about 15 lbs of seafood (Thank you, New Wave Seafood ) steamed in white wine, garlic, and chorizo broth.   Accompanying the entrees are Sautéed Mushrooms , Caramelized

  Now, with all the second-quarter wine in stock, it is time for some home cooking to pair with the wine.  The seafood and other ingredients came from New Wave Seafood and Stew Leonards-East Meadow , as fresh ingredients are essential.   The Shrimp are six large ones mounted on 2 Rosemary infused Olive oil-coated bamboo skewers.   Then using the assembled   Shrimp, sprinkle them with a dash of Old Bay , spray with EVOO, and set them aside to rest in the fridge for several hours.   The Asparagus is young pencil size with about 1 ½ inch of the bottoms cut off (reserve ends for soup).   The marinate consisted of an envelope of Kraft Good Seasoning Zesty Italian salad dressing mix, Persian Lime infused EVOO and well-aged White Balsamic Vinegar .   The Asparagus was marinated in the mixture for at least 4 hours.   Next, the Shrimp and the Asparagus were grilled on an outside Bar-B-Que infrared searing station.   The Shrimp for about 1 minute per side and the Asparagus for about 4 minut

  Sometimes the best dinner is a simple home-cooked dinner; last night was one of those.  The seafood and other ingredients came from New Wave Seafood and Stew Leonards-East Meadow , as fresh ingredients are essential.   The Shrimp are six large ones mounted on 2 Rosemary infused Olive oil-coated bamboo skewers.   Then using the assembled   Shrimp, sprinkle them with a dash of Old Bay , spray with EVOO, and set them aside to rest in the fridge for several hours.   Using a fresh Zucchini and a Kitchen Aid Mixer Spiralizing attachment did quick work of producing a nice pile of Zoodles.   The Zoodles are laid out on paper towels to air dry for about an hour.   Starting with just a touch of rosemary-infused EVOO, sauté fresh chopped Garlic, then add a chunk of Irish butter.   When melted and sizzling, stir in the Zoodles, stirring constantly, then add grated Romano cheese to taste.   The Shrimp are seared on an inferred burner (Very hot 1800 ⁰ F) on the Bar-B-Que for about 1 minute per

  Today’s trip is the last wine pick-up for the second quarter, including a full tasting and lunch.  The expedition was longer, spanning about 175 miles and almost 7 hours around #northforkwinetrail (Fig 04).  Our first stop was for lunch at Braun Seafood , a place I have been looking to try for quite some time.   Braun is a full-service wholesale and retail seafood market but also expanded into a restaurant (Fig 01) in the same style as New Wave Seafood in Wantagh.   We had a leisurely lunch that was very well done, and a post just about the food will be coming out soon.     After lunch, we succeeded in picking up our Lieb Cellars June club selection (Fig 02).   The last stop of the day was at EV & EM Vineyards , which is a required revisit now that they have all the furniture and are fully open (Fig 03).  The different vibe from Laurel Lake Winery makes EV & EM well worth returning many times.  A full posting on this great visit will be posted shortly.  Lastly, while not o

  R eturn visit July 2022 Great dinner for two.  We opened with Caesar Salad (Fig 01) and outrageously good Steamers, huge, plump, not over cooked and lots of them in a fantastic broth (Fig 02).  For the entrées a Shrimp Quesadilla (Fig 03) and fantastic pair of fried soft-shell crabs (Fig 04). All of this was paired with a few glasses of a New Zealand Marlborough district Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  #lifood #newwaveseafood FIG 01 - NEW WAVE SEAFOOD CAESAR SALAD 15 JUL 2022 FIG 02 - NEW WAVE SEAFOOD STEAMERS 15 JUL 2022 FIG 03 - NEW WAVE SEAFOOD SHRIMP QUESADILLA 15 JUL 2022 FIG 04 - NEWWAVE SEAFOOD FRIED SOFT SHELL CRABS 15 JUL 2022

  The next wine from our winter pick-ups to enjoy is a Wölffer Estates 2020 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc .   Sauvignon Blanc is one favorite and a clear winner over a Chardonnay in the white wine family.   One thing that makes Sauvignon Blanc so enjoyable is the diversity available from the wine regions worldwide and its modest price.   The flavor profile ranges from a simple, clean, crisp, unoaked high acid from New Zealand to a rich complex Sancerre that is well oaked from France.   The Wölffer is east of the center, being closer in complexity to a Sancerre.   The color is shimmering light gold, entirely transparent with just some thin legs (Figure 1).   The nose fills the glass with clear herbaceous notes, orchard fruits (pears), grass, and a slight hint of honeysuckle.   As the wine has touched oak, it was served a bit warmer at 52 ⁰ F than a New Zealand version that is better at about 48 ⁰ F.   The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, delicious fruit such as lime and green apple.   Also

Summertime is here, and it is time to practice the art of grilling outdoors.  Pan-searing tuna during the winter months has been a staple in this household but taking it outdoors raises it to a new flavor level.  First, you need a magnificent fresh hunk of Tuna about one ¼ inch thick and a 1800 ⁰ F searing station as part of your Bar-B-Que.  Searing the Tuna steak on each side for about 2 minutes will be fine and leave a nice, rare center.  As each side of the Tuna turns golden brown, bast it with a mixture of Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi as a finishing glaze.  Next, plate the grilled Tuna on 1/4lb of Seaweed salad complemented with a ¼ lb. of Italian holiday salad.  The Tuna, Seaweed Salad, and Italian Holiday salad were all from New Wave Seafood .  In about 15 minutes, you have a complete Seafood dinner.  Enjoy.   TUNA DINNER

  Today's post is a follow-up tasting covering  Raphael's joint venture with Tellers Steakhouse as promoted by Northforker magazine ; what a combination for the north fork wine scene.   A fascinating posting popped up on the Northforker blog posting highlighting a joint venture between Raphael and Tellers, an American Chophouse ( Bohlsen Restaurant Group [Tellers, Prime, Central Market, Harbor Club, H 2 O, and Monsoon]).  Given this background, I acquired two bottles for Father’s Day as an extended tasting.  Through the work of Raphael's winemaker Anthony Nappa and Teller's Sommelier Paulo Villella , they have created Tellers Celebration Blend private label wine, which looks to be a Long Island version of a right bank Bordeaux. The blend leads with Merlot then Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc.   Raphael refers to this as a quintessential Bordeaux blend, and while the blend does contain all the classic grape varietals, the blend is somewhat

  We returned, and New wave is upholding their 5-star local seafood place.  This time we brought a friend and explored all new items.  The openers were Caesar Salad, Lobster Bisque, and Italian Seafood Platter.  The Caesar salad was a classic with crisp, very flavorful croutons, lots of shaved cheese, creamy, flavorful dressing, and crisp romaine lettuce. The Lobster bisque was rich, creamy, and chuck full of lobster meat.  The Italian seafood platter is outstanding, arriving tableside with a generous portion of Shrimp, Calamari, and Scungilli with olives, peppers and finished with a red wine vinaigrette.  Plated with the seafood was a bean salad including chickpeas, kidney beans, and corn, a meal in its self.  For the mains, we had Lobster stuffed ravioli, Blackened Swordfish, and crab legs.  The crab legs were cooked to perfection, the swordfish tender, moist, and bursting with Cajun flavor.  The Lobster Raviolis were large squid ink striped ravioli covered in vodka sauce. Yet again

  New Wave is a seafood retail wholesale store that expands into a restaurant next door.  The store itself is pack with fresh daily fish, clams, mussels, lobsters, squid and the list goes on. There is also a sizeable frozen selection of lobster tails, squid, king crab legs, and much more.  If you do not see it, ask for it, and it will appear from somewhere in the back room.  The restaurant is a good size and is fully covid safe.  The menu is extensive, with all the classic fish dinners and, of course, a few selections for the landlubbers.  They have no problem going off the menu and preparing something the way you like it, including just grabbing something from the store.  On our last visit, we started with the seafood chili and a Caesar salad.  The seafood chili was a good-sized bowl light on the beans and heavy on the seafood.  The seafood varies each day and reflects the chef's inspiration and what is available from the store.  The chili boasted a rich mix of clams, baby squid,