Hey I Have Something Cool To “Wine” About!

by on Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 with

THE CROSSINGS SAUVIGNON BLANC

IS ONE OF LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES!

LOS ANGELES, CA… Usually when I have a lot to whine about it’s not a good thing BUT when I blog I have a lot to “wine” about it’s whole different ball game all together. Last Wednesday evening, I was in for a treat! As I drove down the congested LA highways and byways, I had no idea what cool things were in store for me. Once my car finally came in for landing, I found myself in this little downtown, East Los Angeles enclave that if you blinked you’d miss it. It has art galleries, a brewery, residences and it’s home to a small cooking studio called “Hip Cooks!” My best friend, knows I’m no Cat Corra or Wolfgang Puck so she set up a healthy, gluten free, cooking class and paired the experience with a wine that perfectly compliments the flavors, ingredients and ultimately food that become our home made dinner… The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc.

HOW I BECAME A “HIP COOK”

The atmosphere at Hip Cooks couldn’t be more chill and mellow. Whether you’ve taken numerous cooking classes or as in my case, this would become my first… everyone will find their stride and comfort zone here. The instructors were super clear, broke everything down in a manner that was easy to digest (pun intended) and made each step both fun and educational. Their confidence and enthusiasm got me going. And realize I’m the girl who’s adept at burning toast. So these cooking divas are more than okay in my book. The teachers showed us chopping and dicing techniques (there are actual techniques? Who knew?) and insider tips to safely prep your meal without losing a finger in the process. Here’s the menu of what we crafted…

New potato, green bean, basil & pine nut salad
Scallop spiedini with anchovy, lemon, rosemary sauce
Lemon rice with roasted fennel
Raspberry walnut roll

Each dish was make with lots of love and a ton of laughter! Is this the secret to a great culinary result? I’m not 100% sure, but my instincts are leading me to believe this is the truth! I diced peppers, cut potatoes and learned to season and sear scallops! It was super relaxing and made me completely detach from the million other things going on in my life. The mental cathartic attached to cooking, is really an awesome bonus I wasn’t fully aware until this class put it all into perspective for me. And drinking a little vino didn’t hurt either. So let me debrief on you which wine we choose and why!

COOKING WITH THE CROSSINGS

White wine is my jam! Since I was little… oops I mean since I was 21 and able to legally consumer alcohol! The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc is exceptional in every way possible and it doesn’t take a wine connoisseur to figure this out. It has lifted notes of gooseberry and passionfruit with hints of citrus notes. So it blends fruit flavors with a crisp mineral finish. It goes fantastic with fresh and cooked seafood dishes like oysters, prawns and fish. I can also envision it paired with chicken dishes, entree salads and gourmet cheese tastings. Check out more about this wine and the brand HERE!

Preparing the Scallops & pairing them with The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc is lovely!

ONE LAST TOAST!

The evening was magical, certainly delicious, educational and maybe I’d even go as far as to say healing. It was one part the loving Hip Cook Instructors, one part the food, a big part The Crossings Wine AND the biggest part was Romy Schorr of RomyRaves.com the gal-in-the-know who brought all of these elements soulfully together in one setting for one spectacular evening. So hopefully as you’re reading this, you’re picking up what I’m putting down…

When you entertain The Crossings Wines are the most affordable, well crafted you can serve to your guests
And if you don’t know the art of quality entertaining, fear not, one good class at Hip Cooks and you have Martha Stewart wondering what your secret sauce is?????

The Hostess With The Mostess, Romy Schorr.

Romy, myself blowing you a kiss and all our girlfriends we shared this evening with!

DISCLAIMER: I was gifted the cooking class and compensated for composing this blog about The Crossings Wine. However my opinions about this experience and brands are coming from my heart and are an honest reflection about the night. Also please drink responsibly and never, ever allow yourself to drive at any level on unsafe intoxication. Cheers!