Toast to the Tour Event #2

Toast to the Tour #2 kicks off at Quail Valley Country Club in Vero Beach, FL with proceeds going to SFPGA Foundation http://bit.ly/8MBHTU

Toast to the Tour Supports South Florida PGA Foundation

Toast to Humanity held an event at one of South Florida’s PGA Clubs benefiting the foundation which supports Habitat for Humanity. Toast to the Tour Events will be happening throughout 2012!

WeekendWineWatch is excited to feature Caliche Rum!

It’s been six generations in the making exclusively from the Serrallés Family Distillery, the birthplace of premium Puerto Rican rum. If you want a little more Caliche Rum we have a recipe for a Cali Mojito to enjoy with your tropical fish cakes.

Cali Mojito

Caliche Rum

In a shaker combine:

2 oz Caliche Rum
3/4 oz fresh squeezed and strained lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1/2 chilled club soda
8 mint leaves
1 lime wheel and a large mint sprigs for garnish

Lightly muddle the mint. Add the remaining ingredients fill with ice and shake until well chilled, strain into an ice filled highball glass and top with the club soda, stir and garnish.

Cheers ~ Bonnie

Tropical Fish cakes with Sweet Chili and Mango Sauce Recipe

Tropical Fish cakes with Sweet Chili and Mango

Caliche Rum Perfect for Tropical Fish Cakes

Sauce Recipe.

Tropical Fish cakes with Sweet Chili and Mango Sauce Recipe

When I think of a smooth, velvety and softly citrus toned white rum, my mind always strays to spicy, tropical fish cakes. With a nice crunchy crust to play off the rum’s texture and the sweet mango sauce pairs with the Caliche caramel notes, these cakes with the rum will make you dream Caribbean. ~ Sally James

Tropical Fish cakes with Sweet Chili and Mango Sauce

1 ½ pound firm boneless, skinless white fish, salmon or seafood (or a mixture)
1 large potato, peeled and grated
½ white onion, finely chopped
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Panko or coarse cornmeal, for coating
olive or grapeseed oil, for cooking
Mango Sauce
1 mango
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, or to taste

To make the sauce, cut the mango into chunks and puree or mash with the lime juice. Stir in the sweet chili sauce a little at a time to taste.

Cut fish into large pieces and place in a food processor with the egg, potato and onion and basil. Process until coarsely chopped. Shape into cakes and roll in panko.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large non-stick pan and cook the cakes for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness, or until cooked as desired. Serve with the sauce.

Cheers!

How do you pronounce it?

How do you pronounce one of the most world-renowned Cognac’s – CAMUS? “Kah-moo”

CAMUS Cognac is WeekendWineWatch’s Featured Cognac

Toast is honored to expand our featured wine & spirits brands to focus on one of the top Cognac’s in the world – CAMUS Cognac. They launched in the U.S. in Summer 2010.

CAMUS is sold in over 140 countries and on-board 50 international airlines. Cognacs for the U.S. Market include the CAMUS ELEGANCE range introducing a new flavor profile in the world of Cognac and the CAMUS BORDERIES XO.

We look forward to sharing these Cognacs that are available in the United States with you in future posts.

Cheers,

Bonnie

Sally James’ February Pairing: Squash Soup with CAMUS Cognac Flamed Shitakes

In this recipe, I have added macadamias to bring an added silky rich texture to match the velvety texture of the CAMUS Cognac, and mustard to compliment the rich aromas and spicy notes.
Adding tea to the soup and topping with wild mushrooms will help to downplay the alcohol and enhance the earthiness and beauty of the CAMUS Cognac. And I’ll find any excuse to incorporate a small amount of the paired beverage into the dish to make a perfect partnership, hence flaming the mushrooms in the CAMUS Cognac! ~ Sally James

Squash Soup with CAMUS Cognac Flamed Shitakes

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon golden mustard seeds
¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts
3 cups diced pumpkin or squash (kaboocha or delicato is ideal)
½ cup black tea
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
CAMUS Cognac Flamed Shitakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups small shitake mushrooms
¼ cup CAMUSCognac

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, mustard seeds and macadamias, and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Add the squash and cook 1-2 minutes further, then pour over the tea and stock. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until squash is soft.
Tip off some of the liquid, and reserve, then puree the remainder using an immersion blender, or in a blender, until smooth and creamy. Add more of the cooking liquid to bring to desired consistency.
Keep warm.

For the shitakes, heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add mushrooms. Cook for 2- 3 minutes then pour in the cognac. Ignite carefully and when flames subside, remove from heat..

Spoon soup into bowls, add the mushrooms and some of the liquid and serve straight away.

Photography – Sally James

“The emotion inspired by a great cognac is always
revealing of the perfect blend of Man and Nature.”

–Cyril Camus

Home of the CAMUS family and dear to its heart, the Borderies region is the smallest growing area within Cognac. CAMUS XO Borderies represents the greatest homage man can pay to this exceptional region.

Lyi Lying along the Charente River, on well-exposed chalk slopes, the
vines of the Borderies enjoy perfect hydrological balance, enabling
them to produce wonderfully aromatic cognacs, with great aging
potential. These rare cognacs have a distinctive velvety texture and
remarkable aromatic intensity, which becomes creamy and superbly
rounded with age.

This exceptional XO partly comes from the most precious vineyards
of the CAMUS family. Distilled on the lees and after long oak-aging,
CAMUS XO Borderies combines striking aromatic intensity with
a rich and creamy texture, revealing hints of delicate spice and
fruit, and culminating in a superbly persistent, delicately spicy and
pastry finish. Produced in limited quantities, this is a unique tasting
experience with powerful, rich and creamy, with intense aromas of
pastry, cinnamon, aged port and dried fruits.

Cheers~

Bonnie

Concannon Irish Whiskey

Concannon Irish Whiskey is an exciting new collaboration between California’s Concannon Vineyard, California’s first Irish-American winery, and Ireland’s Cooley Distillery. Concannon is craft distilled then aged for a minimum of four years, then finished in Concannon’s signature Petite Sirah barrels for optimal flavor and complexity. Slainté!

Concannon Irish Whiskey

Saint Laurent Syrah 2006

SAINT LAURENT SYRAH 2006

Bright and flavorful, this Syrah has a juicy mouthful of dark blackberry and raspberry with hints ofspice and barrel aged 18 months mostly in French oak with 21% of that being new. I shared this little gem at two of my wine tasting events with members of discriminating taste and it was by far the it of the evening!

Earned 91 Points by Wine Spectator 

Saint Laurent Syrah 2006

SAINT LAURENT

Michael and Laura Laurent Mrachek, have been successful, quality fruit growers of apples, sweet cherries and blueberries, humbly beginning with 4 acres of cherries in 1978. Their success is directly attributed to Michael’s vision to see that diversification would allow him to farm farther into the future. He saw that growing wine grapes would anchor his agricultural portfolio and make a more solid farming operation. His mother’s family, theMathison clan, farmed tree fruits in the mountain valleys of the Wenatchee area for more than 100 years, and he believed that wine grape production would help to ensure his own “family legacy”. The farming operation of Lucky Bohemian Farms now holds 500+ acres ofapples, cherries, berries and grapes in 3 geographic locations.

In 1999, Mike planted the first 60 acres, on the Wahluke slope, to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today the vineyards blanket 260 prime, fertile acres near the mighty Columbia River. The vineyard sites, on the Wahluke Slope, are located in the heart of the famous Columbia Valley AVA. This terroir is known for several unique characteristics; first, is thegreat solar intensity – its day length and growing degree days; second, is the unique soil profile and fertility created by ancient lava flows and glacial floods – in the channeled scablands region. This dramatic and fertile growing environment grows consistent luscious, premier wine grapes which are sought out by world class wine makers. Thelovely, full bodied and fruit filled wines that our state has become famous for, start with an excellent “terroir”. Add to this unique terroir, a very diligent viticulture program. Theteam at Saint Laurent hopes that you will take a moment to savor the fruits of our “vertically integrated” farming operation from “vine to fine wine”.