Gourmet Sunday

So, I am sorry I haven't posted in two days! I got swept away by life this weekend and decided to post later. I had lots of amazing food, that for the most part I don't have pictures of because I did not bring my camera. My grandmother moved back to NYC this weekend and my boyfriend moved in! On Saturday to celebrate we had wine and cheese. I skimmed over a book that my mom got me for Christmas before making any decisions! The book is titled "Cheese & Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying" by Janet Fletcher. This book is terrific, especially if you want to learn more about cheese! I love cheese and I love wine; but, I don't often worry about how they go together. I had bought a bottle of Fetzer 2005 Sauvignon Blanc at my last visit to Trader Joes Wine Shop. In the cheese and wine book, I looked up varying cheeses that might go well with a Sauvignon Blanc. There were lots of choices, so I wrote down a couple and headed to Whole Foods. I never spent anytime in the cheese section, mainly because I know where to find my favorites; but, it was time to try something new. I picked out a wedge of Mahon, imported from Spain. Well, let me tell you, the wine and cheese were delicious. The wine buy itself was not a knock out, but it was a great bottle for the value. I would certainly go back for another bottle. I believe it was 6.99 or 7.99 at Trader Joes. It was light, not overly dry, and somewhat sweet. The cheese was firm and salty, which balanced out the sweetness of the wine. I decided that the cheese tasted like the love child of muenster and cheddar cheese. I recommend picking up both of these for a special occasion!



On Sunday, I had a lot of gourmet! But, I have decided to focus on one meal. It was time, I bought a mini-chop, and we made hummus and falafel. It wasn't outstanding, but it was great. Both the hummus and falafel completely surpassed my expectations. I can't imagine what the hummus will taste like at the end of the summer when I have been allowed ample practice sessions! For the hummus we started with a Barefoot Contessa recipe for the foundation and then kept adding stuff to our taste.



The original recipe we used called for 4 garlic cloves (we would use less next time, so maybe 3), 2 cups of chickpeas drained, 1/3 cup of tahini (maybe use a little less of this next time as well), 6tbs of lemon, 2tbs of water, and a couple dashes of hot sauce (we used a lot more than a couple dashes!), and salt and pepper to taste.



We also added some olive oil to ours and chili powder. It was really easy and fun to use my new mini-chop! Start by chopping the garlic in the mini-chop and then add all the rest of the ingredients and let the machine do all the work. We tasted throughout, which I recommend doing.



The falafel we didn't make from scratch, but we plan on doing so soon! We took a mix, added water, let it sit for 15 minutes, made mini patties, drizzled olive oil on both sides, and broiled in the oven for 8 minutes (must flip halfway through).



We decided to make falafel sandwiches. We had forgotten to buy pitas at the store so we used tortillas. In the sandwich we added a couple falafel, hummus, hot sauce of our choice, lettuce, tomatoes, and a drizzle of goddess dressing. The falafel was a little dry, but the sandwich was amazing. If you have any tips for making hummus leave a comment.