Cooking up a Plan for Port

Greetings to my Lovely Friends, Family and Fellow Port Fans!

I am so excited to tell you all about the new project I am working on!

My New Project

The project is called Cooking with Port, a cookbook that incorporates Port into every recipe. This cookbook is designed to increase the enjoyment and enthusiasm of port drinkers and expose the versatility of port/fortified wine. The cookbook will have 30-50 recipes. I will be using our very own Meyer Family Port, a 10 Year Tawny Solera Style Fortifed Red Zinfandel, and designing the recipes with its subtle raspberry flavor in mind.

I Need Your Help with…

· Suggestions for recipes

· Joining me for Tasting/Brainstorming Parties

· Suggestions on a name for the cookbook

The Tasting/Brainstorming Parties

When - Saturdays: June 12^th, July 10^th, & August 7^th

Where – My Home in San Francisco

Time – From 2pm to 5pm

RSVP – Holly Meyer, meyerhc@gmail.com

* Bring your taste buds, recipes and come ready to enjoy our new recipes, talk port and meet other food and port fans. We will give two bottles of Meyer Family Port to anyone who brings a new dish made with our port.

Here is some Information about Our 10 Year Tawny Port

Made in a modified solera method, Meyer Family Port is one of California's signature fortified wines. This rich and complex Port is a blend of several vintages of old-vine Zinfandel that average eight years of age at release.

On the nose, the Meyer Family Port displays aromas of baked fruit and cooking spice, along with warm notes of alembic Zinfandel brandy. Rich and round on the palate, its lush flavors of sweet cassis and brandied cherries are framed by integrated oak and fine acidity. This delicious Port has a long, concentrated finish and pairs beautifully with artisanal blue cheeses, intense chocolate desserts, or a good cigar.

For more information, visit www.meyerfamilycellars.com.

Keeping You Informed…

This is the first post of my blog to keep an updated record on our progress, new recipes and any other news. We will be posting a new recipe monthly on the Meyer Family Cellars website (www.meyerfamilycellars.com) and on our Meyer Family Cellars Newsletter. To add some further inspiration, I have included the recipe that started it all, the Meyer Family Port Chocolate Truffle recipe.

Meyer Family Port Chocolate Truffles

Yields (12 - 1 oz. truffles)

INSIDE

8 oz Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 Tbsp Meyer Family Cellars Port

1 Tbsp Raspberry Puree

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

4 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

· Place 8 oz chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl and set aside

· Place butter and cream in a pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer

· Pour butter and crew mixture over chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute.

· Incorporate the butter and cream mixture into the chocolate using a wire whisk. Start mixing in the center of the bowl with small circles. Gradually incorporate more chocolate by making larger circles until smooth.

· Stir in Meyer Family Port and Raspberry Juice.

· Pour into a shallow container and chill until firm for approximately 4 hours. (The depth of the chocolate will determine how long it takes for the mixture to set.)

· When chocolate filling is set, shape by hand or use miniature ice cream scoop, place on a parchment lined sheet pan, refrigerate until ready to dip.

OUTSIDE

Roll in Ground Chocolate

OR

8 oz Bittersweet Chocolate

4 tsp Canola Oil

1-2 oz White Chocolate

· Melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler. (Not to exceed 115 degrees F) Remove from heat and add and whisk in oil. (Perfect dipping temperature is between 85-90 degrees F)

· Drop truffles into melted dipping chocolate and remove with a chocolate fork and place on parchment paper to harden.

· Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat and drizzle in desired pattern