Melted Cheese, please! + Hurrah! Syrah!

I hope my acupuncturist and Shiatsu practitioner don't read this...in Chinese medicine, cheese is to be avoided as it "causes dampness in the body". In fact, my incredibly knowledgeable acupuncturist gave me a detailed, scientifically documented, and thorough explanation of why our digestive system is not designed for ingesting dairy. It seems irrefutable; but I love cheese! I can't promise not to eat cheese, just to eat less of it! Sometimes, one just needs a bit of gooey, melty cheese, especially on a cold day with a great glass of wine to pair with it. I thought of this as I reflected on what to serve with the luscious 2006 Matthews Estate Syrah. It received 92 points from Wine Spectator and it's a wonderful wine. The expert winemaker describes it thusly: "A beautifully aromatic wine with ripe blueberry and fresh fig. A lingering of leather, black pepper and spice. A palette focused with mild tannins and minerals, a structured wine with a soft lingering finish leaving you with hints of violets. This Syrah shows Matthews' move toward a cooler climate style, with subtlety and layers of game and beef blood." In my (non-expert) tasting, I have no idea what is meant by "game and beef blood"--the idea of drinking blood sounds hideous to me! I don't taste that, what I do experience with the Matthews Estate is a rich, complex Syrah with structure, a full mouth of fruit with notes of black pepper and spice, and the lovely lingering smooth finish the winemaker describes. I was thinking that a multi-flavored dish with Portobello (a good pairing for Syrah) would complement this wine and that a cheesy center (similar to Chicken Cordon Bleu) would be a fun surprise. Voila! A recipe was born, I hope you enjoy it.

I actually love my acupuncturist and shiatsu practicioner--they have been restoring my energy and healing my body! I recommend Shiatsu Rincon in Carpenteria for a sublime experience. It's tucked into Gubernador Canyon and housed in a handcrafted home with a genuine Japanese o-furo (hot bath). Relax in the private bath overlooking a peaceful Zen garden, then give yourself over to capable hands for the best Shiatsu you've ever had, then acupuncture to heal hurts or revitalize your system. Ahh, bliss...

QUINOA STUFFED SAVOY CABBAGE WITH PORTOBELLO SAUCE:
8 Savoy cabbage leaves (about half a head)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup dry quinoa
2 cups broth--either vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter + extra for greasing muffin tin
1 Tbsp. garlic (about 2 cloves) minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. marjoram
1 5.5 oz. can of V8
4 oz. Gruyere--cut into 1 oz. chunks
Green top of one shallot, sliced finely

Boil enough water in a pot to cook the Savoy cabbage (about 2 quarts). When the water boils, put in the cabbage leaves and blanch for just a couple minutes so the leaves are cooked but before they start falling apart. Carefully put into a collander, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse lentils, drain, then put into a pot with the broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil, stir, cover tightly and turn heat to low to simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms and spices over low heat until onions and mushrooms are cooked. Divide in half and put half in with the quinoa mixture, stir thoroughly--the quinoa will be soft like mashed potatoes. Set aside to cool, taste and add additional salt if desired.

Add the can of V8 to the half of the mushroom mixture still in the saucepan and simmer for ten minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Put into the blender and puree until smooth. Grease four of the holes in a large muffin tin with butter. Pat the cabbage dry with a paper towel if needed. Put a cabbage leaf in each hole, then use the extra leaves to fill in so the Savoy will line the muffin tin hole with enough left to cover the top when done (see photo at left). Fill each cabbage leaf halfway with the quinoa mixture, then place the Gruyere in the center. Fill the rest with quinoa mixture, packing it down so the top is level with the top of the muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes.

Reheat the sauce so it is warm when the cabbages are ready, taste and adjust seasoning. Carefully put a (unheated) cookie sheet on top of the muffin tin, then quickly turn it over so the stuffed cabbage ends upside down on the cookie sheet. Spoon a fourth of the sauce on the bottom of each serving plate, then use a spatula to center a stuffed cabbage on each plate, sprinkle with minced shallot greens. Serves 4. Pair this recipe with the 2006 Matthews Estate Syrah.