Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics Turning Up the VolumeIna's Vinaigrette Recipe (02:07) 6 to 8 servings 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup good olive oil Salad greens or mesclun mix for 6 to 8 people Watch how to make this recipe. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Place the salad greens in a medium bowl and add enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately. 2008, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved Help Around the KitchenBasic beef and red wine casserole As nights get nippy, take comfort in a hearty casserole, perfect for warming up your midweek, without breaking a sweat! Beef recipes, Winter recipes

Casserole is also the term applied to the covered dish in which food is cooked slowly in the oven. To avoid confusion, we refer to it as a casserole dish in this article. Cuts of meat that are suitable for use in a casserole are those which benefit from long, slow, moist cooking. Beef chuck steak is a good cut to use. It is a tough, less expensive cut of meat with much connective tissue that will soften and become tender if simmered gently over a long period. Even though this connective tissue softens, it will still hold the meat fibre together so that it doesn't disintegrate. Meat cuts like fillet, rump and sirloin are unsuitable as they have little or no connective tissue and will fall apart if cooked in this way. Another advantage of using inexpensive cuts of meat is that they are usually more flavoursome. This recipe features inChardonnayis a very versatile wine grape: its flavor and aromas are easily influenced by where it's grown and how it's made. Fruit flavors range from apple and lime in cooler climates to tropical fruits in warmer places.

When barreled in oak, it takes on a richness characterized by honey and butter flavors. When barreled in stainless steel, it often retains more mineral flavors and comes across as fresher on the palate. Chardonnay excels in Burgundy, France. Cool coastal areas of California also produce excellent Chardonnay.Chardonnay is a favorite with seafood. Minerally versions, like those from Chablis, France, pair particularly well with oysters.Riesling is a crisp, clean wine with green apple, pear and lime flavors. The best offer pleasing mineral qualities as well. With age, Riesling takes on honey flavors and attractive oily aromas. Riesling grows well in Germany, the Alsace region of France, the Finger Lakes region of New York, and parts of Australia and Washington State.Riesling pairs nicely with spicy foods, poultry and pork. Try it with Thai food.Pinot Gris is made from grapes that generally produce different styles of wine depending on where the grapes are grown and how they're handled in the cellar.

In the Alsace region of France, and in places like Oregon and New Zealand, Pinot Gris typically makes rich wines marked by a bit of spice. The Italian style (Pinot Grigio) tends to be fresh, crisp and refreshing.Sample either style with seafood and pasta dishes, vegetarian food and poultry.Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, crisp, aromatic wine with grapefruit and grassy flavors. top wine tours in australiaThis wine is the star of the Loire region of France. best wine high alcohol contentIt also shines in the Bordeaux region, where it is often blended with Semillon. best tasting homemade wine recipesIn the New World, New Zealand has emerged as a prime spot for Sauvignon Blanc.Sauvignon Blanc is a food-friendly wine that goes well with many seafood, poultry and vegetable dishes.best red wine for roast

Stay tuned for more articles about wine and food, including regional food and wine pairings from around the world.Merlotis a soft, supple wine with nice fruit flavors of plums and blackberries and occasionally mint, chocolate and eucalyptus flavors and aromas. Typically, it is ready to drink earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, which sometimes needs a few years for its astringent tannins to mellow. best chicago wine storesOutside of Europe, New World Merlot shines in places like California, Chile and Washington State.Cabernet Sauvignonis more assertive than Merlot, with more tannin and greater aging potential. best red wine buy online indiaIt can have flavors of blackberries, plums, black currants, and cassis. Aged in oak, Cabernet Sauvignon can take on flavors of vanilla, cedar, chocolate, and coffee. Beyond Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon does well in Napa, California, where it produces smooth, ripe wines.

Washington State, Chile and Australia are also making excellent Cabernet.Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are very nice with meat dishes like beef and lamb.Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult grape to grow, made its mark initially in Burgundy, France. The grape continues to deliver single-varietal wines that are among the best in the world. Pinot Noirs are delicate wines that taste of red fruits like cherries, raspberries and strawberries. With age, flavors and aromas become more complex, developing earthy notes like mushrooms and decaying leaves. Burgundy in particular is noted for developing these earthy flavors. In the New World, tasty Pinot Noir is being made in Oregon, New Zealand, and some of the cooler appellations of California.Pinot Noir is a versatile food wine, great with poultry, salmon, meat and vegetable dishes.ShirazAustralian versions are typically big, bold and spicy with jammy fruit and aromas of leather and black fruit. Syrahis at home in the Rhone region of France, where the grape makes spicy, rich, darkly delicious wines that increase in complexity as they age.

Syrah also makes delicious wines in Australia, where it is marketed as Shiraz. Syrah also excels in Washington State, where it often displays an attractive acid balance, and in California, where the styles vary significantly.Syrah is a very versatile wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods. It's terrific with grilled meats.Sangioveseis the wine grape that makes Chianti, a tremendous food wine with flavors and aromas of cherries and rose petals.Nebbiolo is the grape variety that makes Barolo and Barbaresco, the noble (and pricey) red wines of the Piedmont region of Italy. With age, flavor notes of plums and cherries are enhanced by flavors of smoke, tar and roses.Malbec is a star in Argentina, where it produces inky wines with an attractive smoke and leather quality. It also stands out in Cahors in southern France.Tempranillo is a famous grape of Spain, where it is used in wines of the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions.Gamay makes the fresh and fruity, raspberry-flavored wines of the Beaujolais region of Burgundy.Zinfandel has found its home in California, where it produces big, fruity, often spicy red wines.