ADD SPARKLE TO YOUR SUNDAY BRUNCH WITH LA MARCA PROSECCO

Long, lazy days spent with family and friends are just the kind of way we love spending our summer vacays!  And what better way to bring together people than great food and drink.  We love entertaining outdoors where guests can mingle, grab some bites and sip cool drinks. Or, for another great indulgence we prepare a Sunday brunch.

Anyone who comes to one of our fetes knows that we love our sparkling wine.  In fact, consumption of Italian sparkling wines in Canada has grown more than 14 per cent over the past several years (we knew we weren't alone).

So, we were thrilled to  discover a great addition to our summer soirees or matinees - La Marca Prosecco.  Founded 40 years ago, La Marca is a cooperative representing 5,000 local winegrowers who farm more than 17,000 acres in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The result?  A prosecco with a clean, refreshing style with a delicate, floral palate and bright acidity that pairs wonderfully with fresh summer treats (recipes below). Winemaker Fabrizio Gatto sums up the La Marca Prosecco's appeal. “We believe that Prosecco is not a special occasion wine: it’s for every day because it has a refreshing style and is a versatile pairing for a wide range of foods.”

No summer brunch could go without a touch of pretty décor- why not incorporate La Marca’s signature blue and silver colour palatte into napkins, plate chargers and tablecloths and don’t forget a shiny silver bucket to chill your prosecco!

We hope you try out these easy to make recipes at your next summer brunch.  Cheers to summer! The best news is that La Marca is widely available in retail stores for under $20 (a bargain).

Recipes to try at your next summer brunch:

 

Why not mix up an easy aperitif cocktail like La Marca’s Elderflower Fizz:

Ingredients:

1/2 part Elderflower Liqueur
Top with La Marca Prosecco

Instructions
Add Elderflower Liqueur to the bottom of a chilled champagne flute and top with La Marca Prosecco. Garnish with a strawberry.

Try this easy (and chef approved) La Marca infused ricotta cheese with herbs, Canadian Prosciutto, wild flower honeycomb, toasted walnuts, and figs glazed in La Marca Prosecco, orange zest (see photo above)

Recipe by: Kevin Prendergast, Executive Chef, Hilton Toronto

Ingredients:

500 mL (2 cups) La Marca Prosecco

15 mL (1 tbsp) wild flower honey

2-3 fresh or dried figs

125 mL (1/2 cup) ricotta cheese

3-4 slices, prosciutto

3-4 pieces, toasted walnuts

1 wild flower honey comb

Chives, edible flowers, to garnish

Method:

La Marca Prosecco Reduction

500mL (2 cups) La Marca Prosecco

15mL (1 tbsp) Wild flower honey

Combine both ingredients together in sauce pan over medium heat (275F) and reduce until light golden syrupy consistency about ¼ of a cup remaining and cool to room temperature.

Glazed Figs

2-3 fresh or dried figs, quartered

30ml (2 tbsp) La Marca Prosecco reduction

Method:  Gently toss the fresh or dried figs into the La Marca Prosecco reduction and set aside to marinate.

La Marca Prosecco Spiked Ricotta with Fresh Herbs

125mL (½ cup) ricotta cheese

5mL (1 tsp) La Marca Prosecco reduction

Handful of chopped chives

Method:  Combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside in the fridge.

Plate assembly: With a small spatula, spread 50 grams of La Marca infused ricotta. Place 3-4 slices prosciutto, 3-4 pieces toasted walnuts, wild flower honeycomb and edible flower garnish on the La Marca ricotta in an artistic fashion. Serves 2 as a shared plate.  Enjoy!

Chef notes:  Wild Flower honeycomb, edible flowers as well as seedling are available at most gourmet grocery stores.

 

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SUMMER BARBECUING WITH BIC AND CHEF ROB ROSSI

Nothing says “summer” like a BBQ with family and friends! There's just one little rub - the hassle of charcoal. Enter the BIC™ FlameDisk® a portable, outdoor grilling solution.  It looks like a disposable metal cooking container with holes but uses ethanol (from corn) as the main fuel ingredient.  It is easy to use simply peel off the film cover exposing the holes, light  the fuel through any one of the outer holes and then grill.  It saves time and chef Rob Rossi, 2011 Top Chef Canada contestant and owner of new Toronto restaurant, Bestellen agrees."While I’m inspired every day to create and cook for my customers, I’m a big fan of barbecuing; it’s such an authentic and fun way to cook and provides a form of entertainment which is relaxed and casual with very little clean-up.  Whether you’re camping, boating, day tripping, urban BBQing, or looking for a family gathering on a moment’s notice, the BIC™ FlameDisk® is a quick and convenient outdoor barbequing solution!”

Check out some recipes that Chef Rossi created with the BIC™ FlameDisk® in mind:

Smoky Spanish Style Steak Marinade
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 ounce olive oil
½ lemon, juiced

1. Measure out all dry ingredients and place into a medium sized bowl.
2. Using a chef’s knife, chop garlic until minced fine. Add garlic to dry ingredients.
3. Juice lemon into bowl.
4. Pick thyme off stems, chop roughly.
5. To finish marinade drizzle olive oil into dry ingredients while combing with a whisk.
6. Once marinade is done place meat into a bowl and coat the meat generously. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Serves two

Grilled Sweet Peppers
3 sweet red peppers
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place sweet peppers onto grill grate over BIC™ FlameDisk®; cook until blistered and soft.
2. Set peppers aside to cool. Once cool, peel and seed peppers by removing stem and skins.
3. Place peppers into medium sized bowl and combine with sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and maple syrup.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Finish with chopped basil.

Serves two


Recipes courtesy of Chef Rob Rossi, BIC™ FlameDisk® spokesperson


www.bicworld.com

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT K&S MEDIA 2012 

You may visit the NEW Summer 2012 digital edition of City Style and Living magazine (also available in print) at the following address (follow the three simple steps to access the full magazine, online) :

1) go to http://www.citystyleandliving.com
2) click on the 'front cover' image, on the left hand side of your screen
3) to flip through the e-magazine, click on the bottom right hand corner
of the magazine, just as you would our print magazine!

Follow us on twitter @CityStyleMag

HOLIDAY GUIDE 2009

If you haven't already,check out the the CSL Holiday Guide 2009/2010 at:

http://www.citystyleandliving.com/holidayguide_2009/