The Caterist Files ~ A Hallo-wine Tasting!

Eerie music playing in the background, Halloween decor on the walls, buffet and in the doorways!

It's a Hallo Wine Tasting Party!!! Autumn and wine tasting just seem to go hand in hand...I don't know if it's the whole harvest thing, combined with the fresh & full, fruity flavors of wine...or maybe it's that the foods just lend themselves so well to the Halloween theme! Come on along...you'll see!

I love this Pinterest idea! It's simple and inexpensive! Simply take a roll of black flat chalkboard paper and wrap it around a cardboard runner that you've cut down to fit your area. I like this idea for an informal afternoon wine tasting. You may or may not opt to cover the labels. Or cover them with a seasonal 'costume', like these spooky wines...

Make a space for each of the wines that you want to serve, with liinks to the tasting pairings. When I do a wine tasting party, I usually suggest doing 5 wines... a light bodied white, a medium bodied white, a medium red, a full bodied red and a dessert wine.

We'll get into more detail in a bit.

For a more formal approach, yet still in the Halloween spirit, I like this setting for the tasting buffet.

I love the elegance of the black on black, with the varied textures and surfaces. It just screams 'Halloween'!

This is, actually, set up for a Halloween supper club setting. So, just imagine that where each wine glass is, would go the bottle of wine for that station. Use a large charger on top of the spooky feathers for the corresponding tasting items. Or set two smaller tasting offering plates directly on the square tile and arrange the feathers around them. See?? You'll have one extra space, at either end of the table...dedicate that to the large fruit and cheese platter for the evening, and the small bowls of nibbles. I like to use this tablescape for a more formal or evening Halloween Wine Tasting event.

If you're doing a charity wine tasting event, or just love your guests, why not splurge on some cute Dollar Store Halloween wine glasses and let each guest take home thier glass for the evening! Hey...it saves on you having to do all those dishes! And it's a nice gesture!

Now, I wouldn't do more than 2 glasses per guest, and it's actually acceptable to have a single glass throughout the entire tasting, if there's a nearby bar sink for your guests to rinse. If you really want separate glasses for each wine, I'd highly suggest just going with the crystal look disposables. Otherwise, you're looking at a bazillion glasses at the end of the affair! No bueno!!

Guest seating...unless it's a short tasting meeting, with just 2 or 3 wines, you'll need tables for your guests to sit and enjoy what they're tasting! Not anything as huge as for a full dinner...just a small setting, such as this one...dessert plate on a napkin lined charger with dessert and hors d'eouvres forks, spoon if necessary and their wine glass for the night. A simple white tablecloth with a spooky seasonal runner...and a cool centerpiece, voila!! I do love this tablescape by Decor to Adore!!

Okay, we're about ready for the wine & food, now! We'll start off with the fruit and cheese tray that goes for the entire tasting. This goes at either end of the table, along with assorted nibbles...these, with the fresh fruits and non assertive cheeses help to cleanse the palate between wines. This tray shows sliced apples, both sweet and tart, orange slices, red and green grapes, mild cheddar, provolone and pepper jack. We'll save the stouter cheeses for their stouter wine buddies.

Assorted Nibbles...can we be any more vague?? Those would be things like nuts, dried fruits, seeds, chex mix, pretzles... straight from the grocery is fine, or you could doctor things up a bit!

Sweet & Spicy Snips & Snails...aka Mixed Nuts...these are so simple! And so good!!

In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add in a good tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, a tablespoon of sugar, a good pinch of cayenne, a sprinkle of salt and a grind or several of fresh cracked black pepper. Just take your can of Planter's Mixed Nuts, add them to the pan, and toss to coat. Turn heat up to medium high, and stir the nuts, coating well, till you can smell the herbs and spices.

Toasted Jealousy, from the Green Eyed Monster...aka Edamame. This is actually available ready to eat, now, on the specialty shelves of the fresh produce section, with the fancy dancy nuts and such. But it's really simple to make...it starts with a bag of frozen edamame. Thaw them and pat them dry on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, toss to thoroughly coat, and give a good liberal sprinkle of Cajun seasoning, kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes, till they start to brown. Serve.

Nut Crusted Eye of Newt...aka Cream Cheese Grapes with Nuts. Just beat together 2 tablespoons of mayo with 8 oz. of soft cream cheese. Add a pound of seedless grapes...green red or both. Stir to coat well. Put 1-1/2 cups of finely chopped, toasted nuts on a sheet and roll the grapes in them. Chill grapes for a couple of hours. Serve on a tray!

Moving on to the pairings!! We always do 2 or 3 appetizers to pair with each wine, so you can taste how the wine goes with each flavor combination. It truly is a play on the senses, with the beautiful visuals, the enticing smells, the varied textures, the 'tink' of the glass as you pour the wine, and, finally, the combined flavors! We always move from the lightest to the dark, for a nice progression of flavor intensity. Here we go!

A light bodied white wine begins our wine journey! A nice Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc fits the bill here. The brand, Barefoot, has an award winning Pinot that you might want to try out!

Pears and a mild white cheese are traditional with the light white wine. This can be as simple as a single plate of thinly sliced pears and sliced Monterrey Jack cheese...or try this simple, yet elegant, presentation !

Vegetarian Vampire Fangs...Thinly sliced pears, having soaked in a lemon water bath to help hold off discoloration, are dried, laid out on a platter and topped with a small dollop of whole milk ricotta, a drizzle of honey, a few dried cranberries and a pinch of chopped pistachios. Couldn't be easier!

Sea Monkies with Dracula's Bain Dipping Sauce...Spicy roast shrimp with a thick, spicy, garlicky dipping sauce! I think naming these dishes must be half the fun!! Take your extra large shrimp, that have been cleaned and deveined, and pat them dry on a cookie sheet. A couple per guest should be sufficient...it's a wine 'tasting', after all! Make sure that each shrimp has its own little block of real estate, so they'll roast and not steam! Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat well. Sprinkle with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and blackening seasoning. If you don't have blackening seasoning, you could sprinkle over some paprika, a bit of cayenne, dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. That'll get you the same flavor profile. Toss well to coat all the shrimp. Bake in a preheated 450 oven about 5 minutes. Flip the shrimp and let finish off. As soon as they've curled to form a 'c', and are pink coral, they're done. Done overcook these little monkies! Take them off the hot pan immediately, and spread them out to cool to room temperature. To make the sauce, saute half a small onion, minced, in a tablespoon of butter in a small skillet. When it's nearly soft, add a few to several cloves of finely minced, or grated, garlic. Cook over medium a minute more. Add in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and cook out the raw flavor. Add in a good splash of white wine, stir to blend. Reduce for a minute. Add in a cup of thick ketchup, horseradish to taste, and a finishing squeeze of lemon juice...salt and pepper to taste. Chill this till serving time, to allow the flavors to meld.

Haunted Pond Tartlets...Spinach Artichoke Dip filled! Don't you just love it??? I've done this before using both the pre-formed phyllo tartlets, pictured above, and using wonton wraps (the small ones), tucked into mini muffin tins and baked crisp. Either way is fine, and both are quite good...it depends on how much time you have to play! Use your favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip, of try the one on the back of the Knorr Vegetable Soup mix...

It adds wonderful depths of flavor to the ordinary Spinach Artichoke Dip! It makes a lot! You'll have left-overs, probably! Most likely! Enjoy it melted on split Italian bread with extra cheese!

Sorry, I got distracted! Next wine!!

Chardonnay is a medium bodied white wine...it's full of fun!

And, it's the beginning to the cheese factor of its pairing partner! Fondue! This is a Crab Cheese Fondue...we call it

Melted Madness...bwahahahaha! Put a quarter cup of white wine in a saucepan, heat over low. Add in a 5 oz. jar of Kraft Old English Sharp Cheddar and 8 oz. of completely soft cream cheese. Melt together. Add 1/2 teaspoon of worcestershire, a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder, each, a half teaspoon of pepper, and a nice dash of cayenne, for heat. Mix well. Fold in 8 to 12 oz. crabmeat...go real with this...no imitation. If you're going to do the hurling pumpkin presentation, this dip goes in the 'brain' bowl, with guacamole coming from the mouth. Reheat it in a glass bowl in the microwave just before setting it out in the pumpkin. Or put it in a fondue warmer. Bread tombtones for dipping, tortilla chips or crackers go well.

Another prime partner food for the medium white wine is guacamole...That's why this Chardonnay station is prime for the 'hurling pumpkin' tray. Crab Cheese Dip for the brains and guacamole for the...well, you know! Now, of course, we might not all be keen on the hurling pumpkin...so, you can just set this up in a second hollowed out small pumpkin, with Halloween colored dip chips, if you prefer.

The medium bodied white wine also pairs well with salmon, here's an idea on that pairing!

The Fisherman's Demise...Salmon Ball, is perfect to compliment the medium bodied white wine.

Take an 8 oz. package of smoked salmon, chopped...mix with 8 oz. soft cream cheese, a large shallot, minced, 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, a tablespoon of chopped capers and a squeeze of lemon, for brightness. A sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper goes in...mix it thoroughly and shape it into a ball...or better yet, a coffin...it IS the Fisherman's Demise, after all! Roll it in crushed pistachio nuts, or other of your preference. Surround it with crackers of your choice, or crostini cut into Halloween shapes.

No, your eyes do not deceive you!! Buttered Popcorn...Popped Weasel Buttons...does go well with the medium white wine!! Go ahead...toss some in the microwave, pop and bowl!

Here's a cute Daddy Long Legs Cheeseball, also perfect for the medium white wine! Take 2 softened 8 oz. cream cheese and put in in a bowl with an 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, a quarter cup of minced red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons of minced shallot, 2 tablespoons of green onion tops, thinly sliced, a tablespoon of Lawry's seasoning salt and 5 slices of crisp bacon, chopped. Form it into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill to set. Before serving, roll in chopped pecans, add pipe cleaners for legs, sliced black olives for eyes and surround with crackers!! Eerily cute!! And it tastes good, too!!

Moving on...over to the red side of wine! We start with the medium bodied red wines...Pinot Noir, Chianti, and the lighter Merlots. As we move into the deeper realms of flavor and fullness, the partner foods become more flavorfull!

There are a lot of my favorite snacks that go so very perfectly with these wines!!

Let's start with the cheeziness!!

Twisted Wizard's Wands...aka Cheese Straws are done with puffed pastry dough. Take a single sheet, and roll it out slightly on a floured surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut into strips about 3/4" wide. Spray with butter flavored cooking spray, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, paprika and cayenne. Twist the strips and lay on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 425 until they're nicely crisped...10 to 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them. They can go from perfect to 'oh, damn!' in moments!

And, we have the traditional Southern Cheese Straws,

Baby Wizard Wands, too! So easy! They are delicious, too!

Just take a stick of soft butter, 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar, at room temperature so it blends right in, 1 1/2 cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne...more, if you like it hotter...put it all in your food processor and pulse till it comes together in a ball. If needed, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to help it all mesh. Some brands of cheese are moister than others, and a pre shredded cheese will be drier than a freshly shredded block.

You can pipe this with a cookie press, if you have one. If you don't, just press the mass into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for a half hour. Roll out on a floured surface till it's a1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to slice into long strips or short strips, whatever you like. The fun thing about this recipe is its versatility! You can use half sharp cheddar and half pepper jack, or any other cheese that you like! Even throw in some Parmesan, if you want! Add coarse black pepper, or crushed pepper flakes; even dried Italian seasoning works!! Anyway, lay the straws out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're lightly browned.

Gently remove to cool on a rack.

RIP Pate...aka Poor Man's Pate. This is a great pairing for the medium red! It's really simple, too! Just cook a pound of chicken liver in simmering chicken stock for 7 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the stock. Put the livers in your food processor with 1 stick of softened butter, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper, 1/2 cup of grated onion, 1 or 2 grated cloves of garlic, 4 hard boiled eggs and 2 tablespoons of cognac or the reserved stock. Pulse just till blended. Fold in a half cup of fresh, chopped parsley, if desired. Line a small coffin shaped container with plastic wrap, add the pate, press in to pack it well. Bring the wrap over the top and seal. Chill overnight. It pulls out easily using the wrap! Just invert it on your serving plate and serve with Halloween crostini!

And, it gets no esier than this! Shards!!! Parmesan shards, at that! Just use your vegetable peeler to shave off shards from a nice block of good quality Parmesan!

And, on to the next wine!

The full bodied red wine family includes Shiraz,

Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the deeper Merlots.

Serve at room temperature.

The food pairings for this group of wines have the most robust of all the flavor profiles!

This is where the heartiest of the hearty finger foods come in! A small plate of Smoked Summer Sausage and Sharp Cheddar Cheese fits the bill perfectly!

Another great treat is Hunchback Knuckles...also known as Frenched Asian Glazed Drumettes.

This one's a little trickier. 'Frenching ', in the culinary world, has zero to do with any romantic ideas!! It's where we scrape the meat of the drumette from the 'handle', forcing it to the top of the piece. This makes the drumettes far less messy to eat! If you don't feel you want to do this, you can ask your butcher to do it for you. After the Frenching, the recipe is easy as pie!! In a large ziplock bag, place a cup of soy sauce, a quarter cup of oil, a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a pinch of Kosher salt, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, a half teaspoon of paprika and a teaspoon of sriracha...more, if you can take it! This will marinate a couple dozen drumettes. Let them sit for an hour or so. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil! Trust me, you do NOT want to do clean up on this pan!!! Spary with nonstick spray, like Pam. Place the wings on the sheet, allowing space between. Sprinkle them with sugar. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat more of the marinade over them, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're cooked through. Baste a couple of times. Let them get good and sticky!

The 'handle' will dry out, and it won't be a total mess!

Here, we have a lovely platter of Zombie Eyeballs! Or, Mini Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce.

You can use a frozen good guality meatball, but we prefer to make our own. A pound of ground beef will yield at least 24 of these 1" meatballs. In a large bowl, place a pound of ground chuck, or ground sirloin, a half cup of fresh breadcrumbs, one large egg, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley, a clove of minced garlic, a quarter teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a pinch of cayenne, a teaspoon of Kosher salt and a half teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly. If you overwork the meat, it will give you tough meatballs! No one wants tough meatballs! I use my smallest ice cream scoop to make 1" balls. Lay them out on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 to minutes. Meanwhile, Set your crockpot to 325 (high), mix a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, 3/4 cup of chili sauce, a tablespoon of brown sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Place the meatballs in the sauce, stir gently and cook for an hour. Lower to warm till serving time. Set out on a platter with party picks, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Sausage Stuffed Skullcaps...or Mushrooms are hearty enough to hold their own with the full bodied red wine. And, as many times, and recipes that I've tried, I always end up with more than enough filling. I guess I've just learned to accept this as par for the course. I use 2 dozen stuffing mushrooms, the larger ones; the small ones are pesky, and hardly worth the effort! First, wipe off the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Remove the stems, chop them finely, and set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a bowl. Mix 3 tablespoons of good olive oil and 2-1/2 tablespoons of Marsala or a medium Sherry. Toss the caps with this mixture, coating well. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat. Add in 3/4 pound of sweet Italian sausage, crumbling it as you go. Use your potato masher to break it up finely, as it cooks. When the sausage is browned through, add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Stir in 6 scallions, minced and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook another few minutes. Add in 2/3 cup of panko bread crumbs, stir to mix well. Stir in 5 oz of very soft, room temperature cream cheese, until the mixture is evenly creamy. Off the heat, stir in 1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, a good pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add in some red pepper flakes for kick, if you want...I usually do! Let cool slightly. Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage stuffing. Arrange them on a baking sheet leaving a little space between, so they don't just steam. Bake at 325 for about 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crusty.

Marinated Eye of Newt...or Marinated Olives, as they're more commonly known! You'll need a quart of the large green Spanish olives. Get them from the deli section of the store. Drain well. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 4 sliced cloves of garlic, a large sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped, the zest of half an orange, and its juice, a teaspoon of red chili flakes, a tablespoon of sweet smoked paprika and 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil. Warm it up slowly, to infuse the flavors into the oil. Add the olives. Let them steep until they're cool. Serve at room temperature.

And that, friends, is the full bodied red wine! On, now, to our finale, The Dessert Wines!!

You'll have to make a choice , here! Just pick your favorite direction! By nature, the sparkling wine is the least 'heavy' in flavor. A white moscat would be a lightly sweet wine. A sweet rose', or Ruby Rose', would be considered richly sweet. Sweet red is the heaviest in flavor. The fortified wines are wines with additional flavors...like a dessert chocolate wine.

The white Moscato is a deliciously light, not cloyingly sweet, dessert wine. I like to pair it with fruit and cheesecake bites.

These Tuxedo Blackberry Bites start with a chocolate cookie crust. Grind up half a package of Oreos original in your food processor, until you have fine crumbs. Add a stick of melted butter and pulse just to mix. Line a 9 x 12 pan with heavy duty foil, allowing overhang on each side, so you can pull out the the cheesecake after it's cooled. Spray the foil with Pam. Press the crumbs into the pan, bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, to set the crust. Meanwhile, put a can of sweetened condensed milk into the bowl of your stand mixer with 2 packages of well softened cream cheese. Beat to completely mix. Add in 1/2 cup of white cake mix and 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Mix. Add in 3 eggs, beating untill combined, then add 2 teaspoons of good vanilla extract. Let the crust cool slightly before you add the cheesecake mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. I like to place a cake pan with a half inch of water in the oven, on the lowest rack as it's preheating, and leave it there through the baking process. This creates a moist environment, and helps keep the cheesecake from cracking.

With the Sweet Red Dessert Wine, I like a rich chocolate dessert like Chocolate Truffles, or a nice bittersweet chocolate flourless cake.

Truffles are easily prepared! Take a good half pound, each, of a good bittersweet and a semisweet chocolate, like Lindt or Ghiradelli. Chop them finely and put them in a heat proof mixing bowl. Heat 1 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan, just to the boiling point. Turn the heat off and let the cream sit for half a minute. Pour the cream through a fine mesh strainer, over the chocolate. Slowly whisk the cream and chocolate together, until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of Gran Marnier, a tablespoon of prepared coffee and half teaspoon of good vanilla extract. Set aside for an hour. Scoop into 1 inch balls and set them on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for half an hour, until firm. Roll in powdered cocoa, or dip in

coconut or finely chopped nuts. Serve at room temperature.

And, you might just want to set out some Chocolate Wine, itself!!! Wine not?? It's all in good fun!

I hope you've enjoyed this expose on the Wine Tasting Party, Halloween Style!! Now, go and throw your own!! If you need help catering this event, let me know !!

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