I’ve had calls and email from people who want the recipes from our Third Saturday wine and cooking group I wrote about in today’s column. I’m happy to offer what I can. First, my plan was to make the Shrimp and Gruyere Cheesecake already on the blog and offered by chef Jose Gutierrez. But I wanted to add bacon. Then my daughter wanted me to make enough so she could take one home. And I’m not one for precise measurements, anyway. And, I forgot to add extra eggs even though I was increasing the recipe (I didn’t double it–I guess it was 50 percent more.) So what I’m going to do is give you Jose’s recipe, which will surely be better than mine, marking in bold where I made changes. Then you’ll find a link to Alyce Mantia’s blog for the Watermelon Gazpacho, and I’ll give you another link to Mary and Joel Smith’s chocolate mint ice cream. I’m not certain this is the recipe they used, but I think it is. They served it with Nabisco Chocolate Wafers.

Shrimp and Gruyere Cheesecake (I added bacon)

Crust: 

1 ½ packs butter flavored crackers – crushed

¼ c. melted butter

 Filling:

3 Tbsp. butter (did not use, because I used the bacon)

3 slices bacon, finely chopped

½ lb. medium size shrimp, cooked and chopped

1/3 c. red pepper, finely diced

1/3 c. yellow onion, finely diced

1/3 c. yellow or green pepper, finely diced (optional)

1 large clove garlic, minced

½  c. milk 16 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. mayonnaise

4 large eggs

1/3 c. shredded Gruyere cheese (approx. 5 oz.) (used about 1 cup)

1 t. white pepper (used black pepper)

  Directions:

Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter.  Press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan or individual molds.  Set aside.

In medium saucepan, sauté peppers, onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp. butter for 4-5 minutes until tender. (In skillet, brown bacon until crisp, then add peppers, onion and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes, until tender) Add shrimp and sauté one minute more.  Drain well and set aside.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, just until yellow disappears.  Gradually stir in milk until just blended.  Fold in shrimp and pepper mixture, shredded Gruyere and pepper.  Pour mixture into prepared cracker crust.  Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes for spring form pan or for small molds until set.  Turn off oven.  Leave door ajar and let cheesecake stand in oven for an additional hour.  Remove from oven and cool.  Serve at room temperature. 

Watermelon gazpacho: Go to http://mantias.blogspot.com/search?q=watermelon

For the chocolate mint ice cream, go to: http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-food-recipes/desserts/fresh-organic-chocolate-mint-ice-cream.html

What a day. Let’s get right down to all my many wrongs.

1. For tomorrow night’s wine tasting, we’re drinking a Baltos 2005, made by Dominio De Tares in the Bierzo region of northwest Spain. In my column this morning I wrote that it was only available at Buster’s. This is what we were told by the distributor, but it’s a mistake. You can also buy it at Yorkshire Liquors, 5669 Quince, 767-1971.

2. There are blueberries available at Nesbit Blueberry Farm, despite what you read in my column this morning. This mistake is entirely mine. I relied on information from someone other than the owner and I definitely should’ve called him. I talked to someone in his family, but not him. I’ll run a correction in tomorrow’s paper with more information.

3. Not a mistake here, but I want to clarify to anyone who doesn’t know: You can listen to Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s show “The Splendid Table” on WKNO-FM 91.1 on Sundays at 10 a.m. We ran a wire story about her in today’s paper and did not mention that her show airs locally.

So, how’s YOUR morning?

I have a coworker who cannot cook green beans the way she wants them: Like her grandmother did. She puts them in a pot with salt pork and cooks them down, but says that they come out stringy. The flavor is right, but they’re full of tough strings. I sent pictures to her to make sure she wasn’t cooking favas or something, and she says nope, just plain pole beans. She thought about stringing them, but said there’s no obvious string to pull. I don’t know what to tell her offhand, but will look into it. Meanwhile, does anyone know what she needs to do?

I thought I was strong, thought I was able to say no and mean it, but with a truly lovely and very persuasive family gathered round chanting “Go! Go! Go!”, I tried my first Jagerbomb yesterday. It will be my last! I managed to get about half of it down–it’s an ounce of Jagermeister surrounded by Red Bull in the special cup shown here–but that was it. Still, hey, I tried, and there’s a picture of it somewhere that my daughter can’t wait to get her hands on.

I’m writing about the Courts family, which won the Patio Porker category at the MIM Barbecue, and this is their family drink for cookouts (for the adults, of course). We have one in our family, too: The mango daiquiri (or sometimes a mojito). What about your crew? What’s the adult drink of choice when y’all haul out the grill?

Tonight we’re doing something a little different and letting a chef be our expert. Jose Gutierrez, chef/owner of Encore Restaurant and Bar and his wife, Colleen DePete, are going to guide us through a bottle of Sauvion Rose d’Anjou 2007. I had a bottle of the 2006 a few weeks ago and was smitten. I hear the 2007 is even better.

You can find a Jose’s suggested recipe in a previous post, though it’s probably too late to make it if you haven’t already. It’s been a busy week for me and I haven’t, so we’ll be doing something very simple. See you back here at 7!

I’m late getting this week’s wine to you, but here it is: Sauvion Rose d’Anjou 2007. I had the 2006 a few weeks ago and it was lovely. I hear the 2007 is even better. And here’s a recipe from Jose Gutierrez, who along with his wife Colleen DePeete, will be the expert on Thursday. I think I’ll make the cheesecake on Wednesday and take it out of the fridge when I get home on Thursday.

Shrimp and Gruyere Cheesecake – (Serves 8 Dinner Portions) Crust: 

1 ½ packs butter flavored crackers – crushed

¼ c. melted butter

 Filling:

3 Tbsp. butter

½ lb. medium size shrimp, cooked and chopped

1/3 c. red pepper, finely diced

1/3 c. yellow onion, finely diced

1/3 c. yellow or green pepper, finely diced (optional)

1 large clove garlic, minced

½  c. milk

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. mayonnaise

4 large eggs

1/3 c. shredded Gruyere cheese (approx. 5 oz.)

1 t. white pepper

  Directions:

Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter.  Press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan or individual molds.  Set aside.

In medium saucepan, sauté peppers, onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp. butter for 4-5 minutes until tender.  Add shrimp and sauté one minute more.  Drain well and set aside.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, just until yellow disappears.  Gradually stir in milk until just blended.  Fold in shrimp and pepper mixture, shredded Gruyere and pepper.  Pour mixture into prepared cracker crust.  Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes for spring form pan or for small molds until set.  Turn off oven.  Leave door ajar and let cheesecake stand in oven for an additional hour.  Remove from oven and cool.  Serve at room temperature.

I’m still gathering information for our new GoMemphis listings, so I’ll be asking everyone to contribute to Best Bets from time to time, like we did for the Top 10 lists back a bit ago (you’ll see those when GoMemphis launches next month).

So let’s start with a Best Bet for a romantic meal. If you want to celebrate a special occasion with your sweetheart, where’s your favorite romantic spot to eat?

Come had back at 7 tonight and join John Vego from Buster’s and me as we enjoy this Austrian wine. Poor John–he’s got family in town and had his weeks confused. But he’s a good sport so he’s going to be with us, probably eating shellfish, while the rest of the family enjoys ribeyes and something red.

I’m running a wire story about hot dogs next week and I want to include favorite places in town for a good dog. I like Jimmy’s in Bartlett–the plain ol’ Chicago-style is my fave. Tell me where you go.

The Creole Tomato Festival in New Orleans starts tomorrow and I’m happy to say that the report was issued this morning giving those tomatoes the green light. I’m working on local stores to see if we can get some shipped in–let me tell you, no tomato compares. The first time I ate one, it was like I was tasting a tomato for the first time. When I can get them, I don’t eat any other kind. Keep your fingers crossed!

So what are you doing without your slicers? Frankly, I’m not missing them since I was buying on-the-vine or grape tomatoes–still a little early for good local ones.

Love the picture, by the way. I never leave Louisiana (in season) without a box about this size full of those gems.