Tag: Nero d’avola wine

Italian Meat Loaf ~ Comfort Food Deluxe

Winter is starting to move on here in central Massachusetts. The daylight hours grow longer as we roll steadily toward the spring equinox. Tis’ the season for cooking! A lovely comfort food is meatloaf. Today, enjoy a traditional budget saver with an Italian twist.

Vi piace un po’ di sapore della Sicilia. Enjoy a little taste of Sicily adding a dash of fennel and Nero d’Avola wine.

Italian Meat Loaf

2 1/ lbs. lean ground beef
1 lb pork sausage
2 cloves of garlic
*1 small finely diced shallot
*1 medium shredded carrots
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
*dash of fennel seeds
*1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
*1/4 to 1/2 cup of bread crumbs or 1/2 cup cooked white rice
*1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup crushed tomato
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 ounces Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

dashes of cumin, rosemary, fresh cracked black pepper and/or red pepper flakes

Serves six adults

Cooking Tips

I recommend a fine shred for the aromatics of garlic, shallot, and carrot. The reader may substitute onion for a stronger taste. The parmesan cheese is improvisation as are other items on the list with this asterisk symbol * before the ingredient.

All the ingredients should be at room temperature when this dish is being prepared for cooking. Put everything out on the kitchen counter at least a 1/2 hour before preparation.

A cooking tip I brought back from Sicily is to finely grind the spices and herbs together in a mortar and pestle. No one flavor dominates a Sicilian dish, there is a blend of several subtle flavors well minced together. Saute the aromatics first, allowing them to cool completely, before blending all the ingredients together.

Place in a meatloaf or bread size pan brushed with olive oil. Cook in the oven at 375 F for about 60 minutes. After cooking, let the meatloaf rest outside the oven for about 1/2 hour. Any cooking oils or liquids will be reabsorbed into the dish making it extra scrumptious.

I used Stemmari Wine 2015 Nero d’Avola variety in the recipe. The reader should be certain the wine is dry red. Serve this dish with fresh Italian bread, green beans and a glass of this Sicilian wine for a lovely mid-winter evening meal.

Si Mangia Bene e Vive Bene! Buon Appetito!

 

 

 

Destination Sicily ~ Planeta Winery

At this time of year, people may be making plans for travel in the next several months. A best destination for lovers of art, ancient history, food, and wine is Sicily. The island is a little Eden with mile upon mile of neatly cultivated fields. Farmers build dry mortar stone walls around their property. In the spring months, nature plants a live border of red poppies and broom.  Both have a fine sense of order with straight lines curving over and around hills. There are delightful vistas of citrus and olive groves. It is not possible to visit Sicily and not drive by vineyards. Sicily is well-known for growing and bottling superb dry red wines. An excellent destination is Planeta Winery.

 

The Planeta family have several estates in Sicily. The winery near Noto is called Buonivini which means good wines. The grapes cultivated include: Nero d’ Avola, Frappato, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Grecanico, Chardonnay, Fiano, Viognier, Carricante, and Moscato Bianco. Besides wine they also have acres of olive and carob trees. Visitors can tour the underground wine making facilities at Noto. The family uses modern and traditional techniques. Buyers can purchase wines and olive oil during the tour. Of course, there will be a sampling to find the right one for the dinner table. My favorites are Santa Cecilia and Plumbago. The wood casks at Planeta are sealed with a large plug of beeswax. The entrance to the production areas are graced with enormous rosemary shrubs. The dry Sicilian air is sweet on the estate. The breezes mellow and pleasing. The eye enjoys a sweeping panorama of green. Every inch of this property feels special.

 

There are six Planeta cantina’s on the island. Cantina La Baronia near Messina. Cantina Feudo di Mezzo near Taormina. Cantina Buonivini near Noto. Cantina Dorilli near Vittoria. Cantina Dispensa and Cantina Ulmo near Marsalla. This travel route takes the visitor around the island through some of the most scenic landscapes of Sicily. There are wonderful Greek ruins to visit and baroque cities waiting to be seen.

Click on this link to the website Planeta family and plan a visit. Planeta wines are available at fine wine shops in the United States. Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge Massachusetts offers several varieties for sale. Enjoy good food with good wine.