Anise-Orange Shrimp and Scallop Skewers

Specially created for pairing with the McKenna 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon McCormick Anise Seed
1 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ginger, Ground
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Coarse Grind
1 pound large sea scallops
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce:
Mix 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons each sliced green onion, honey and soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Ginger until well blended.

Directions:
Mix orange juice, oil, anise seed, garlic salt, ginger and pepper in small bowl. Place seafood in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove seafood from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Alternately thread shrimp and scallops onto skewers.

Grill over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque. Serve with Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe and Photo Coutesy of McCormick & Company, Inc.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar

Specially created for pairing with the Fog 2008 Zinfandel

Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, OR sage OR thyme
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine oil, vinegar, and garlic with rosemary in a self-sealing bag. Add pork tenderloins and marinate them for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Season tenderloins with salt and pepper.

Grill over medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted reads 160 degrees F. Slice to serve.

Serves 4.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of National Pork Board.

Grilled Chicken and Chorizo Skewers

Specially created for pairing with the Cloud 2009 Pinot Grigio

Ingredients:
2 oz. chicken tenderloins, cut into 4 pieces; or pieces of boneless, skinless breast
3/4 oz. chorizo sausage cut into "half moons" resulting in three 1/4 oz. pieces
Four 1" x 1" red bell pepper pieces (optional: saute in a little olive oil to soften)
Four 1" x 1" yellow bell pepper pieces (optional: saute in a little olive oil to soften)
Four 1" x 1" Spanish onion pieces (optional: saute in a little olive oil to soften)
Approx. 8" bamboo skewer (soaked in cold water ahead of time)
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch ground black pepper
1 tsp. olive oil to brush before grilling
1 TBL cumin aioli (recipe follows)
Chopped parsley to garnish

For the cumin aioli:
1 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
2 TBL ground cumin powder (or to taste)

Directions:
Assemble the skewers alternating ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Brush with olive oil and grill until chicken is cooked. Serve with cumin aioli. Sprinkle parsley to garnish.

Mix all together. Chill at least 1/2 hour to let flavors develop.

Makes 1 skewer; multiply the ingredients amounts by the number of servings desired.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of National Chicken Council

Herb Marinated Steak

Specially created for pairing with the Fog 2008 Nebbiolo

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Coarse Ground
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin or London broil steak (about 1-inch thick)


Directions:
Mix wine, oil and seasonings in small bowl. Place steak in large re-sealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove steak from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices across the grain.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc.

Garlic Herb Tilapia

Specially created for pairing with the Cloud 2009 Number Nine Blend

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Mustard, Ground
1 pound tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Ground

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and ground mustard in medium bowl until well blended.

Place fish on foil-lined shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread fish with herb butter mixture.

Bake 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc.

Introducing a New Brand from WineShop At Home

We would like to introduce you to Cloud...
Our first release is Cloud Number Nine Blend and Pinot Grigio with their beautiful blue bottles and white twist caps.

The new Cloud "Twist Cap" means it's ready to go, perfect for the picnic or the porch. Serve it at mealtime and store some for later. Twist is, sip it now; it reseals perfectly and is still good to go when you're ready to go.

Why is the twist cap so great for an everyday wine?

• Performs at the same level as a cork but easy to store upright in the fridge
• Allows wine to age through the natural chemical reactions without the introduction of excess oxygen - which is preferable for any everyday wine you might open and take a nip of throughout the week.

Fun Fact: The twist cap, also known as a Stelvin closure, is rapidly becoming popular. They are widely used in Australia and New Zealand. An initiative promoting the twist cap in New Zealand has resulted in about 90% of the wines from there being closed with twist caps. The newest versions of the screw cap have come a long way from the caps found for many years on inferior wines. They obviously eliminate the cork taint issue, and help maintain the quality of the wine by forming a tight seal that keeps out oxygen. Perfect for those who do not use a full bottle and want to easily close and store for future use.

Try it, twist it, and sip it; we think you'll go crazy for the twist of this cap too!

- WineShop At Home

Special Discount on White Wines

Here is your chance to stock up on the white wines featured for pairing with our recipes. Order your whites with a 40% discount now at http://www.ocwineparties.com/ before they are gone!

Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Basil and Mint Vinaigrette

Specially created for pairing with the Fleur Bleu 2009 Pinot Noir

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 - 4 pounds

Brine:
4 quarts water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt

Vinaigrette:
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tsp honey
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbls fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbls fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
Make brine by combining water, sugar and salt in large stockpot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, or until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. "Butterfly" chicken by removing backbone by cutting down either side of the backbone with a sharp knife. Remove the backbone. When brine is cool, add chicken to stockpot and refrigerate at least one, and up to five, hours. Do not brine longer as chicken will become too salty. Remove chicken from brine and pat with paper towels to dry.

Heat grill to high, or, if using coals, heat and arrange with more coals on one side of grill than the other. (This creates two areas of heat - one high and the other cooler.) Place chicken over high heat and grill about 4 minutes per side until nicely browned.

Turn off middle burner of gas grill (or one burner if there are only two) and move chicken over the area that is turned off. Or, if using charcoal grill, move chicken to cooler area of grill. Grill chicken for another 18-20 minutes, turning often, until chicken registers 180 degrees F when a thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.

While chicken is grilling, make vinaigrette by combining all ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With motor running, slowly pour oil into mixture; continue pulsing until well-incorporated. Remove chicken to a platter and pour vinaigrette over hot chicken. Turn chicken to coat in sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe Courtesy of National Chicken Council

Lobster Rolls

Specially created for pairing with the Fleur Bleu 2009 Riesling

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fully cooked lobster meat or 1 (2 1/2 pound) live lobster
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup bottled mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon fresh tarragon
2 small scallions, thinkly sliced
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 to 3 New England-style hot dog buns
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:
If using live lobsters, steam or boil them. Let cool at room temperature. Use a cleaver to crack and remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tails.

Cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. You may pick all the meat from the carcass and add it to the meat or freeze the carcass for soup or broth.

Place the cucumber in a colander for at least 5 minutes to drain the excess liquid. Combine the lobster, cucumber mayonnaise, and tarragon. Add the scallions.

Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat a large heavy skillet (12 to 14-inches) over medium-low heat (a black cast-iron pan is perfect).

Lightly butter both sides of each bun. Place them in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Turn the buns over and toast the other side. Or toast the buns under a broiler instead.

When the buns are ready, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad. Place each roll on a small paper or china plate; garnish with pickles and potato chips. Serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of LobsterHelp.com

"Happy" Pork Chops

Specially created for pairing with the EVO 2008 Cabernet Franc

Ingredients:
6 pork blade steaks, (1/2-3/4-inch thick), seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons corn oil, OR olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 medium jalapeno chiles, minced
1 cup water
2 cups chicken broth
fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet; add pork. Sear pork on both sides on medium-high heat just until brown, about 1 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and cover loosely with foil.

Add garlic and onions to skillet. Cook and stir until tender, about 2 minutes, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add rice, stirring constantly until rice just begins to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, jalapeno chiles, beer and broth or water. Bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes.

Place pork on top of rice; cover. Simmer 8 or 9 minutes until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe and Courtesy of National Pork Board

White Fish Provencal

Specially created for pairing with the Broadmoore Estates 2009 Chenin Blanc

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds halibut fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup Kalamata, green or black olives, pitted and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Basil Leaves
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Thyme Leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Place fish in single layer in baking dish coated with no stick cooking spray. Lightly season fish with salt and pepper. Bake 12 minutes. If fish is over 1-inch thick, increase cooking time to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes, olives, wine, basil, garlic and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes.

Remove fish from oven. Spoon sauce over fish. Return to oven; bake 5 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc.

America's Favorite Pork Chops

Specially created for pairing with the Broadmoore Estates 2008 Sangiovese

Ingredients:
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
3/4 cup Italian dressing
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a self-sealing bag; seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or as long as overnight).

Remove chops from bag, discarding marinade, and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until just done, about 8 to 11 minutes total cooking time, until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of National Pork Board

Oven-Fried Chicken

Specially created for pairing with the Broadmoore Estates 2008 Zinfandel

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Oregano Leaves

1/4 teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper, Ground

1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts halves or thighs

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 15x10x1-inch baking pan with no stick cooking spray.

Mix flour, seasoned salt, oregano and pepper in shallow dish. Moisten chicken with milk. Coat evenly with flour mixture. Place chicken in single layer on prepared pan. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 5 servings.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc.

Roasted Pears with Almonds, Cranberries and White Chocolate Drizzle

Specially created for pairing with the Ceres 2009 Late Harvest Viognier
Ingredients:3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons McCormick Gourmet Collection Cinnamon, Saigon
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Nutmeg, Ground
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Cloves, Ground
4 firm ripe pears, such as Bosc or Anjou, halved and cored
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in small bowl. Place pear halves, cut-side up, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with no stick cooking spray. Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until pears are tender, spooning brown sugar mixture over pears halfway through baking. Cool slightly.

Bring cream just to boil in small saucepan on medium heat. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth.

To serve, place a pear half on each of 8 dessert plates. Stir brown sugar mixture in baking dish. Spoon over pear halves. Sprinkle with almonds and cranberries. Drizzle generously with white chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.