Alouette Wine and Dine ‘09!

Let me get this out of the way first just because I’ve been singing this song in my head for the last few days now.

Hahahaha, sorry.  Serious post now.

Alouette sent me over their entire product line of cheese two days ago which overwhelmed/suprised the hell out of me.  Usually when people say they’re going to send you something it’s one or two things not their entire lineup of products.  I opened the box with 22 pounds of cheese and at first I thought, “what am I going to do with all of this”?  So I called Mindy and said, “Tomorrow, wine and cheese party at the house”? She said, “sure”.  That’s all I needed to hear!

Double Creme Baby Brie with a Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Take 1.5 cups of balsamic and slowly reduce it to about 3 tablespoons then pour it over the cheese like so!

Sweet and Spicy Pepper Medley Cheese Dip with a Thai Infusion served with a French Boule

Ingredients:

• 1 container Alouette Sweet and Spicy Pepper Medley Cheese
• 5 cups water
• 1 lemongrass stalk, 1 inch slices
• 3 tbsp. Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste
• 1/2 tbsp. Huy Fong Foods Garlic Chili Sauce
• 1 tsp. Sriracha Sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cornstarch slurry

Procedure:

1. Set aside cheese
2. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan except for the cornstarch slurry
3. Reduce mixture by half then strain and slowly work in slurry
4. Place cheese in stand mixer along with liquid mixture then whisk together and serve!

Pancetta Wrapped Gorgonzola Stuffed Dates

They taste a lot better than they look.  Slice date, stuff, wrap with pancetta, bake for 5-7 minutes, and enjoy!

Acorn and Butternut Squash Soup with Crumbled Goat Cheese Provencal

Ingredients:

• Turkey broth…..made it myself!
• 2 Acorn Squash
• 1 Butternut Squash
• Parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• White Wine
• Mirepoix (celery, carrots, onion)
• Salt pork
• Salt and pepper, tt
• Smoked Paprika, tt
• Alouette Crumbled Goat Cheese Provencal

Procedure:

1. Take salt pork and render fat
2. Remove pork bits and throw in mirepoix. THROW IT IN THERE!!!!
3. Deglaze with white wine and reduce then deglaze again. You don’t have to deglaze twice….I do because I’m awesome.
4. Add turkey broth, squash, parsley, bay leaves, smoked paprika, salt and pepper
5. Remove bay leaves then puree!
6. Adjust seasonings then serve with cheese crumbled on top

Spring Salad with Cucumber Vinaigrette and Alouette Crumbled Feta Mediterranean

Put cucumber in a food processor then strain it, take the liquid, add it to white wine vinegar, and a great olive oil then mix and add it over a salad. Throw in some cheese and you’re done!

Buffalo Turkey Leg with a hand mixed Alouette Blue Cheese Dressing (almost broke a sweat!)

Ingredients:

• Turkey legs, brined in brown sugar and alderwood smoked salt
• Smoked Paprika
• Parsley infused salt
• Pink and Black Pepper, ground
• Mayo……1 cup canola oil….1 egg….whisked together!
• Alouette Blue Cheese
• 2 tbsp. yogurt
• Frank’s Hot Sauce
• Clarified Butter

Procedure:

1. Rub turkey legs with smoked paprika, parsley infused salt, and peppers
2. Roast until done
3. In a small sauce pan heat up Frank’s Hot Sauce then add the clarified butter and simmer for 10 minutes
4. Mix together mayo, yogurt, and blue cheese
5. Pour Frank’s Sauce over turkey leg then serve with blue cheese dressing.
6. Stop looking at it funny and just grab the whole damn thing and eat it!

Boiled Artichoke with Alouette Spinach and Artichoke Spreadable Cheese

Prep the artichoke then boil it in salty water. Remove leaves then serve with cheese.  Use the leaves as a scoop for the cheese!  Are they leaves? I don’t know/care.

Lamb Gyro with Alouette Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

• Lamb…..rubbed with salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Cucumbers
• Yogurt
• Dill
• Lemon Juice
• Salt and pepper, tt
• Alouette Feta Cheese

Procedure:

1. Make a tzatziki with the cucumbers, yogurt, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil…..let cool in refrigerator. I would tell you my recipe but I’m keeping it for myself.
2. Heat up olive oil in a pan then cook lamb until you have reached desired doneness then let rest and dice
3. Serve lamb, tzatziki, and crumbled cheese on gyro bread.
4. I can be your gyro baby!

Thanks for sending me your products, Alouette! I had fun with them and so did these people.

The selt timer setting on the camera is awesome!

I’m ready for a much larger event in 2010 so make it happen Alouette!!

Eric