Greetings from the Food & Wine festival in Aspen, Colorado!

We arrived last night and attended a fabulous opening party at the St. Regis. It was full of good eats, good wine and great conversation. We rubbed elbows with food personalities such as Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio from Bravo TV’s Top Chef!

We also shared a glass of wine with Sissy Biggers, who is hosting “The Classic Cook-off” at Food & Wine Sunday morning. She frequently appears in cooking segments on the The Today Show, CBS Early Show and has been showcased on Food Network’s Ready, Set, Cook! and ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover. We talked about her activities and about Sargento. She loves the Sargento Artisan Blends and her daughter enjoys Sargento Mozzarella String Cheese snack sticks. We look forward to keeping in touch with her.

Today was the first day of tasting and it turned out great. Everyone enjoyed our flatbread pizza recipe, which we are sharing below. The tasters agreed it paired very well with the Cavit Pinor Noir. Many people came back for second or thirds - yes, we know who you are!

We are excited for another day of tastings tomorrow and will come back to dish up the details. Stay tuned!

Mushroom and Herb Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
3 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or sage
1/4 cup white wine1 flatbread
2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat over to 450°F.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2 minutes. Remove onion from skillet; set aside.
3. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme to skillet; cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in wine: cook over high heat 1 minute more or until wine is evaporated.
4. Sprinkle flatbread with 1 cup cheese. Top with mushroom mixture, onion and remaining cheese.
5. Bake in preheated 450°F oven 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

In this newest video, we explore Wisconsin, America’s top cheese-producing state in terms of quantity and quality. Wisconsin cheesemakers produce more than 500 varieties, types and styles of cheese, far more than any state.The American Club, located in Kohler, Wisconsin is the only AAA Five Diamond resort hotel in the Midwest. Known for their gourmet dining, Executive Chef Ulrich Koberstein shows how to make a delicious Truffle Mac’ and Cheese.

 

 Truffle Mac’ and Cheese: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (336)

Comfort foods, like the Truffle Mac’ and Cheese featured in this video, bring relaxing evenings and conjure warm memories. Whether enjoying these dishes at home or in a restaurant, here are a few wines with the right mix of fruit and acidity to enliven favorite comfort foods.

• Decadent Cheese Dishes – Delicious cheese recipes like the Truffle Mac’ and Cheese call for a balanced Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc.
• Hearty Meat Meals – Beef pot pie, fried chicken and meatloaf go well with a hearty wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot.
• Soups and Chowders – Steaming bowls of soup go well with warm wines like a Pinot Noir or red Burgundy.
• Pizza and Hamburgers – Comfort foods like these go well with Zinfandel and Syrah.

Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of summer. Whether or not it will be a warm weekend, make sure to get together with friends and bring this delicious Herbed Gougere appetizer.Ingredients1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine1/4 tsp. salt1 cup all-purpose flour4 eggs1 cup (4 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Swiss Cheese, divided1/4 cup (1 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Parmesan Cheese1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill weed1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives or 1 tsp. dried chivesDirections

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Heat 1 cup water, butter and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add flour all at once, beating until smooth.
3. Return saucepan to medium heat; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until dough becomes stiff and pulls away from sides of pan.
4. Remove from heat and beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in 2/3 cup Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, dill and chives.
5. Drop heaping tablespoonsful of dough on greased baking sheet creating one 15-inch ring, with dough barely touching. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese.
6. Bake in preheated 425°F oven 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

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INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup chipotle salsa
1 can (8 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked chicken, coarsely shredded
1-1/2 tsp. salt
24 large corn tortilla chips
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup (1 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 24 appetizers

1. Comine salsa, tomatoes and vinegar in blender or food processor; process until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; cook onions 5 minutes or until tender. Add salsa mixture to onions; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in chicken and salt.
3. Arrange chips on serving platter. Top each with heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture, avocado and shredded cheese.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Impress your friends and family during the weekend’s Mexican festivities by serving this Double Cheddar Polenta.

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INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup polenta or cornmeal
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup (2 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Double Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, combine water with milk, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often with a large wooden spoon, until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes.
3. Add butter and stir until melted. Add the cheeses and stir well. Serve hot.

St. Patrick’s Day is an annual feast day to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Incorporating the traditional Irish staple, potatoes, these delicious twice-baked potatoes offer a little green fun for entertaining Irish festivities.