Cooking with Joe Canal's

It's the time of year when home-made everything seems to be a first choice, even with our busy lives. We thought we'd share a few recipes with you that include ingredients that you can find at our stores.

Bourbon Chocolate Bread Pudding (from food52.com)
Serves 6

•     2 cups whole milk
•     4 eggs
•     1/3 cup bourbon
•     8 ounces 72% dark chocolate, chopped
•     4 cups day-old French bread cubes (packed)
•     1/2 cup turbinado sugar

-Preheat oven to 350.

-Whisk together milk, eggs, and bourbon. In a large bowl, combine the liquids with the chocolate, bread cubes, and sugar. Toss to coat and set aside to soak for about 45 minutes. Gently stir once or twice while soaking.

-Pour mixture into a 1.5 quart baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the custard has set and the top of the pudding is slightly crispy (be careful not to overcook). Serve warm or at warm temperature.

If you need Bourbon for this recipe only, ask at Customer Service for 375ML ("pint") or 200ML ("half-pint") bottles. We carry Knob Creek in the pint size at both stores, and Jim Beam and Woodford Reserve are available in Lawrenceville.

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach and Lemon Garlic

Several Joe Canal's team members visited St. Francis Winery, in Sonoma County, earlier this year. They have an award-winning restaurant there, and were just voted Best Restaurant in the US by Open Table readers. This dish, which will pair beautifully with the St. Francis Sonoma Chardonnay, is best viewed at their web site: Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Lemon-Garlic - Pasta - Categories - Recipes - Culinary - St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

If you enjoy cooking, you should definitely check their many other recipes.

 

Corn-Jalapeno Cakes with Smoked Salmon

From Chateau Ste. Michelle. Follow the link to the recipe and pair with their Sauvignon Blanc.

http://www.ste-michelle.com/wine-and-food/recipes/corn-jalapeno-cakes-with-smoked-salmon

 

Main Course Suggestions

Castello Banfi, a winery that this writer was fortunate to have visited last year, offers a number of recipes for all courses on their web site. Follow/copy and paste this link for main course suggestions from the heart of Tuscany:

http://www.castellobanfi.com/pdf_files/MainCourses.pdf

 

Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

From Abita Beer, who learned this from Rachel Ray. Again, follow/copy and paste the link. You'll be happy that you did:

http://abita.com/brews/recipes/beer-braised-shrimp-with-louisiana-salsa-and-rice

 

With just this small sampling of recipes, we've illustrated how the wine, beer and spirits that are available at Joe Canal's can add sop much to your meals. And we've also shown that our partner wineries, brewers and distillers can provide crowd-pleasing recipes on their own web sites. So when you need a fresh meal idea, check the web site for your favorite brand; they just might have the answer for you.