Made easy in the Casual Vineyard Table

By Mary Swift-Swan

Looking for that perfect cookbook for your favorite chef? Looking for one that has easy directions to follow, wine pairing notes for every meal and makes it possible to produce elegant meals with ease? Look no more. The Casual Vineyard Table is just the book. Released with the Fall harvest, it is in time for the Holidays. It is an excellent idea book for entertaining and for gifts for your favorite chef. One recipe is very much in keeping with our December Cuisine theme with a recipe for a Pomegranate Sauce that is delicious.

The book was written by Kimball Jones,the executive chef for Wente Winery, and Carolyn Wente, the President of Wente Winery, in Livermore. Both are fine chefs, very personable, enjoy working together and they truly love to cook. They work together developing meals and recipes for guests at their beautiful restaurant set in the middle of the wine country. The wine is worth the trip and the food is wonderful.

Carolyn learned to cook helping in the kitchen with her mother to create a menu and meals fit for kings at a casual vineyard table. On a moments notice visitor came to the winery since she was a child. Vintners, dignitaries from Europe and around the world joined their table over the years.. Numbers could be daunting at times so they made excellent food easy. These seeming gourmet meals are made easy for the at home chef and want-a-be chef to work with because even a child could help make them quickly. Carolyn’s love of cooking is reflected in the way she shares how to make simple ingredients turn out a well balance meal to share with friends and family one to remember.

A restaurant was the logical next step. Kimball joined with Carolyn to make the restaurant one that carries over the feel of a home cooked meal fit for kings. After many requests Kimball and Carolyn first published a book of their restaurant recipes in 1999. It was very well received. The more elegant meals can take a bit more time but they are well tested by several home chefs to make sure that they work well in the home. The basics are included like ‘Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna with Tapenade and Lentils.’ And much much more.

Both books are available in fine book stores and at the Wente Winery. Wente has 5000 arces of vineyard and has been family owned and operated through 4 generations. A wine tasting trip to Livermore’s quiet wine country ending with a dinner at the Restaurant would be wonderful date with those you love this holiday. Might start with one or both of these must have cook books to see what might be just around the corner of the Bay.