Cookerati

Merrill was from Texas, the grand daughter of German immigrants.  Paul was from New Jersey the grandson of Italian immigrants. They met in Texas, married and started a vineyard that they called Messina Hof.  This book tells of their meeting, their families, their traditions. 

It contains recipes passed down from their immigrant backgrounds, most of which pair up well with or use Messina Hof wines to create.  The story continues with their vineyard/winery building and their raising of their son.  Throughout the book are delicious sounding recipes.  There are guidelines on pairing wines with foods.  The Bonarrigos talk about building a community with their vineyard including people in picking the grapes, building a villa, hosting weddings. 

This book was more than just a recipe book it was a book about the vineyard, the family, the business all intertwined with great food.  I loved the beginning that talked about the immigrant roots.  I grew up in NYC the granddaughter of immigrants with neighbors who were Italian immigrants that grew grapes in their backyard and made wine in their basement.  So I could imagine Paul’s family doing the same thing.  This book makes a really nice gift, especially if you are into visiting wineries.  If you’ve had Messina Hof wine, or been to their Villa and want to remember a great visit, this would be a great thing to have as a reminder of that visit. Even if you have never been to Messina Hof, the recipes most made with wine sound so delicious. This book is filled with pictures from the vineyard, of the family, of the food and the grapes, really nice quality pictures. 

Here are a couple of their most popular sauces to serve over crepes pancakes and french toast.

Pinot Grigio Applesauce

• 1 cup chopped apples
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Messina Hof Pinot Grigio

In a saucepan, saute apples in butter until tender.  Add brown sugar, cook until the sugar begins to caramelize the apples.  Add wine; reduce until liquid reaches the consistency of syrup.  Makes about a 1/2 cup.

Strawberry Port Wine Sauce

• 1/4 cup water
• 11/2 cups sugar
• 11/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1 cup strawberry or raspberry jelly
• 1/2 cup Messina Hof Tawny Port

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add strawberries; reduce until liquid reaches the consistency of syrup.  Add jelly and win; heat through. Cook until sauce reaches desired consistency.  Makes about 2 cups.