Ingredients
4 large plum tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cups (5 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, garbanzo beans and cheese in large bowl.
2. Combine sour cream, lime juice, salt and pepper in small bowl. Add to cheese mixture; toss well.
3. Spoon over spinach leaves; sprinkle with cilantro.

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1. Blend oil, lemon juice, 1/2 cup cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt in food processor or blender for 10 seconds.
2. Toss lettuce, bacon and dressing in large bowl. Arrange on salad plates; top with pear slices, chives and remaining cheese. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

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Sweet Onion Tart

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 lbs. (about 3 medium) sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup light or regular sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Double Cheddar Cheese
Unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add sour cream, salt and pepper; mix well. Stir in onion mixture and 1 cup cheese; pour into pie crust.
4. Bake in preheated 450°F oven 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 30 minutes more or until golden brown and set in center. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; let stand 20 minutes.
5. Cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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We got to rub elbows with some well-known chefs and food personalities, including Iron Chef Michael Symon., chef-owner of Lola and Lolita. He loved the Mushroom and Herb Flatbread Pizza with Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese.

Overall, it was a great event we were proud to be a part of. Can’t wait till next year!

We had great weather throughout the entire event.

Guests enjoyed a variety of food from crab claws to Sargento cheese.

Iron Chef Michael Symon proudly displays the flatbread pizza - he came back for seconds after a cooking competition.

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One of our most memorable moments was chatting with Michelle Bernstein, the chef of Michy’s in Miami, Florida. She recently won the Best Chef in the South award at the 18th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Michelle hosts the hit public television series Check, Please! South Florida, defeated Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America and co-hosted The Food Network’s Melting Pot, a show that presents the traditions, stories and recipes of her Latin background. We are really looking forward to the upcoming release of Michelle’s first cookbook.

We will be sure to upload pictures as soon as we can to show you all the happenings! In the meantime, check out the Food & Wine Classic site at http://www.foodandwine.com/promo/classic.

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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.

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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.

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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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Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

INGREDIENTS

1 (10-inch) unbaked pie crust or puff pastry
1/4 cup finely chopped white or green onions
1-1/2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup crisply cooked bacon, crumbled (or finely diced ham)
5 eggs
1 egg yolk
2-1/2 cups half-and-half
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Dash pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup (4 oz. Sargento® Artisan Blends™ Shredded Swiss Cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 38 minutes
Serves: 6

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line pie plate with pie crust or puff pastry. Bake in preheated 400°F oven 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook onions in butter until transparent; mix with bacon or ham; set aside.
4. Turn oven down to 375°F.
5. Beat eggs and yolk lightly. Blend in half-and-half, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, if desired.
6. Place meat and onion mixture in pie crust. Top with cheese; pour egg mixture over cheese.
7. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 30 minutes or until filling is golden brown and puffy.

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Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

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.

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