Lime Meringue Pie
Kevin Donnelly

Having a lime tree in my backyard, I am very fond of lime desserts, including my Key Lime Pie. For this Mini-Tasting, I chose to take a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, and substitute limes for the lemons.

Ingredients

• Homemade Pie Crust*
• 5 large egg yolks(use the whites in the meringue below)
• 1 1/3 cups (320ml) water
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (38g) cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh Lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. lime zest
• 2 Tbsp. (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Meringue

• 5 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making Lime meringue pie. I always make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
2. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Partially blind bakey our pie crust. (Follow blind baking instructions through step 9.) Tip: You can get started on the Lime meringue pie filling steps while your crust is blind baking. But making the filling is time sensitive because you will temper the egg yolks, so if multi-tasking isn’t your thing, just wait until your crust is done blind baking before beginning the filling.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
4. Watch the video above to see how I work through each of the following steps.
5. Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk the water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, Lime juice, and Lime zest together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will be thin and cloudy, then eventually begin thickening and bubbling after about 6 minutes. Once thickened, give it a whisk and reduce heat to low.
6. Temper the egg yolks: Very slowly stream a few large spoonful’s of warm Lime mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Then, also in a very slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface. See my video above as an example. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter. Spread filling into the warm partially baked crust. Set aside as you prepare the meringue. (Don’t let the filling cool down too much as you want a warm filling when you top with the meringue in step 7. The warm filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation.)
7. Make the meringue: With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and salt, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread meringue on top of filling. (I like to make decorative peaks with the back of a large spoon. See video above.) Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the edges so that it touches the crust. This helps prevent the meringue from weeping.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the meringue is browned on top. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4 hours before slicing and serving.
9. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Lime meringue pie tastes best on day 1 because it doesn’t keep very well. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, the meringue will wilt and separate over time. Best to enjoy right away.

Shrimp, Bean & Leek Stew

Ingredients
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest and 2 Tbsp.
lemon juice
1 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, grated
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb. peeled, deveined large shrimp
(tails removed)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 large bunch of leeks, trimmed and
halved lengthwise, white and green
parts sliced crosswise 1/2-inch
thick (or 1 large onion, minced)
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans or
other white beans, rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions
COMBINE lemon zest, paprika, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss
to coat.

MELT butter over medium-high heat
in large pot.

ADD shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and starting to curl, 2-3 minutes.

TRANSFER shrimp to plate using aslotted spoon; set aside.

ADD leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until leaks are soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

ADD beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high.

LOWER heat and simmer, 8-10 minutes.

STIR in reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, parsley and lemon juice.

SEASON with salt and pepper.

—Recipe courtesy
OCWS member Janet Peal

After Janet Riordan tried this Milk Chocolate Pistachio Tart at her women’s group dinner, she just had to share it with OCWS members at the last Mini-Tasting.

“I loved it immediately (I mean really, chocolate crust with a chocolate filling, toss in pistachios, damn, yum),” says Janet, a 20-year member. “I enjoy baking and always try to include new recipes.”

While this version calls for safflower oil, Janet substituted cannoli oil for its taste. When it comes to the chocolate, Janet uses Dove milk chocolate candies. She also notes that she made the tart the day before serving and it was just as fresh and delicious.

Milk Chocolate Pistachio Tart

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray for pan

Crust:

¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped

¼ tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pistachio Paste:

½ cup unsalted shelled pistachios

¼ cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. safflower oil

Filling:

5 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup whole milk

1 large egg, beaten

Garnish:

Finely chopped pistachios

Directions

Crust:

COAT 9-inch fluted round tart pan with removeable bottom with cooking spray. Make the crust

WHISK together flour cocoa powder, chopped pistachios and ¼ tsp. salt.

BEAT butter on medium speed until fluffy, about three minutes.

ADD sugar and beat until pale, about two minutes. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, then flour mixture until just combined and dough holds together when pressed between two fingers.

PRESS dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

ROLL out dough between two pieces of clear plastic wrap to create an 11-inch round, ¼-inch thick piece.

PRESS dough into bottom and up sides of tart pan. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pan using knife.

REFRIGERATE until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees.

BAKE until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely; reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Pistachio Paste:

PULSE pistachios, sugar and ¼ tsp. salt in food processor until mixture begins to clump together.

ADD oil and pulse until smooth and paste-like.

SPREAD evenly into bottom of cooled tart shell, pressing firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup until flat and smooth.

Filling:

PLACE chocolate in heatproof bowl. Heat cream and milk in saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes.

WHISK slowly until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.

STIR in eggs until combined.

PLACE tart shell on baking sheet and pour in filling.

BAKE until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.

GARNISH with finely chopped pistachios.

Dino Amico credits his mom for this version of Venetian Mac and Cheese served at a recent Mini-Tasting.

“My passion is to cook for crowds and that is usually weekends; I like to heighten our experience with wine and food and put a satisfying feeling in our bellies,” Dino says. “In the end, I just want all guests to be happy and joyful.”

Dino likes to mix up the cheeses to provide different flavors to the traditional all-Italian, so he’ll venture into German or American cheese flavors.

Venetian Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

12 oz. wide egg noodles

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup (packed) grated fontina cheese

3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (grated) mozzarella cheese

4 oz. cooked boiled ham, diced (optional)

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. Butter 9”x13”x2” glass baking dish.

COOK noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well (do not rinse).

WHISK milk, cream, flour, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend.

STIR the in 1 cup of the fontina, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the ham and parsley.

ADD the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer noodle mixture to prepared baking dish.

COMBINE remaining 1 cup of fontina, ¼ cup of Parmesan and ¼ cup of mozzarella in small bowl; toss to blend.

SPRINKLE cheese mixture over noodle mixture.

BAKE until sauce bubbles and cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Congratulations to all of the winners and a big thank you to the hosts. Please send your recipes to George Cravens at george@ocws.org for possible publication on the OCWS website.

Wendy Taylor took home accolades for her Cassoulet dish at March’s Rhone Mini-Tasting. It was Wendy’s first time making this recipe

“I also never had used Duck Confit before,” says Wendy,
who joined the OCWS with husband Stacey 20 years ago
when the newly married couple sought out an activity they
could enjoy together. “It was very flavorful and everything
including the fat of the confit was used. It was a perfect
complement to the Rhone wines served.”

Wendy says she loves this type of recipe for a potluck
because it is all in one dish.

“A casserole dish is awesome for keeping the heat in
the dish while traveling and waiting to be served at the
event location,” Wendy says.

The recipe is a variation of one she found online,
only Wendy altered the recipe by adding cooked,
chopped carrots, celery and onion to the dish prior to
baking.

Cassoulet
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dried white beans
8 1/4 cups cold water
2 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups chopped onion (3/4 lb.)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (6 large
cloves)
1 (3”) piece celery, cut into thirds
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
3 whole cloves
3 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs plus
1/2 cup chopped leaves
1/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 (14-oz.) can stewed tomatoes,
puréed or finely chopped with juice
4 confit duck legs* (1 3/4 lb. total)
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil (if necessary)
1 lb. cooked garlic pork sausage* or
smoked pork kielbasa, cut crosswise
into 1/3”-thick slices
2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
(preferably from a baguette)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
SOAK AND COOK BEANS:
Step 1
Cover beans with cold water by 2” in
large bowl and soak 8-12 hours. Drain
in colander.

Step 2
Transfer beans to 6- to 8-quart pot
and bring to boil with 8 cups cold
water, broth, tomato paste, onion,
and 2 Tbsp. garlic. Put celery, thyme,
bay leaf, cloves, parsley sprigs, and
peppercorns in cheesecloth and
tie into bundle with string to make
bouquet garni. Add bouquet garni to
beans, then reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered, until beans are almost
tender (45 minutes to 1 hour). Stir
in tomatoes with juice and simmer
until beans are just tender (about 15
minutes).

PREPARE DUCK AND SAUSAGE:
Step 3
Remove skin and fat from duck legs
and cut skin and fat into 1/2” pieces.
Separate duck meat from bones,
leaving it in large pieces, and transfer
meat to bowl. Add bones to bean pot.

Step 4
Cook duck skin and fat with remaining
1/4 cup cold water in a 10” heavy skillet
over moderate heat, stirring, until water
is evaporated and fat is rendered,
about 5 minutes. Continue to cook,
stirring frequently, until skin is crisp, 3-6
minutes more. Transfer cracklings with
slotted spoon to paper towels to drain,
leaving fat in skillet. (You should have
about 1/4 cup fat; if not, add olive oil.)

Step 5
Brown sausage in batches in fat in
skillet, then transfer to bowl with duck
meat, reserving skillet.

Step 6
Preheat oven to 350°F.
MAKE BREADCRUMB TOPPING:

Step 7
Add remaining tablespoon garlic to fat
in skillet and cook over moderate heat,
stirring, 1 minute. Stir in breadcrumbs
and cook, stirring, until pale golden,
about 2 minutes. Remove from heat
and stir in chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp.
salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and cracklings.

ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE:
Step 8
Remove bouquet garni and duck
bones from beans and discard, then
stir in kielbasa, duck meat, remaining
teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 tsp.
pepper.
Step 9
Ladle cassoulet into casserole dish,
distributing meat and beans evenly.
(Meat and beans should be level with
liquid; if they are submerged, ladle
excess liquid back into pot and boil until
reduced, then pour back into casserole
dish.) Spread breadcrumb topping
evenly over cassoulet.

BAKE CASSEROLE:
Step 10
Bake in lower third of oven until bubbling
and the crust is golden, about
1 hour.

Tamara Reddy says she had some creme de cassis on hand she had brought home from a trip around the wine regions of France and wanted to use it in something chocolate and decadent for a recent OCWS mini-tasting.

She had never made this recipe before, but she was 100 percent confident in her Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. So she searched for a dessert using Cassis, found one, and made it with confidence.

“Ina is the best, I use her recipes extensively,” says Tamara, who along with husband Michael has been an Orange County Wine Society member for eight years. “To date, the recipes have won me a good number of bottles of wine at our Mini-Tasting events.”

Chocolate Cassis Cake

For the Cake:
Baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy
12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. crème de cassis liqueur
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For the Glaze:
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 Tbsp. crème de cassis liqueur
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

To Serve:
2 (½ pint) boxes fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup crème de cassis liqueur

DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray it again with baking spray.

MELT butter and chocolate together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

WHISK in the cocoa powder, cassis liqueur and vanilla; set aside.

IN THE BOWL of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar and salt on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow and triple in volume.

POUR chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and carefully but thoroughly fold them together with a rubber spatula.

POUR batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until just barely set in the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then release the sides of the pan. Invert the cake carefully onto a flat serving plate, remove the parchment paper and cool completely.

FOR THE GLAZE, melt the chocolate and cream together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Off the heat, whisk in the cassis and vanilla.

COOL for 10 minutes and spread over just the top of the cake.

BEFORE SERVING (15 minutes), toss the berries gently with the sugar and cassis liqueur. Cut the cake in wedges and serve with the berries on the side.

Do you have something delicious to share? Please send your recipes to George Cravens at george@ocws.org for possible publication on the OCWS website.

Oven Braised Veal Stew
with Black Pepper &
Cherries

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. boneless veal stew meat cut
into 2-inch pieces
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
¾ cup boiling water
2 Tbsp. veal demi-glace (try
Williams-Sonoma)
2 cups fresh or undrained thawed
frozen pitted cherries
2½ Tbsp. honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine (Syrah, Barbara,
Pinot Noir) optional
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
½ package of flat butter noodles

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place veal pieces in bowl; sprinkle all over with pepper and 1 tsp. salt. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat. Melt butter with oil in 5 to 6 qt. Dutch oven over high heat. Working in two batches (if necessary), add veal; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer veal to a bowl using a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour off drippings from the Dutch oven.

Stir together ¾ cup boiling water and demi-glace mixture, cherries, honey, cinnamon, cardamom bay leaf and optional red wine to Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat, scraping bottom and sides of oven to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover; nestle veal in the cherry mixture.

Cover and roast in preheated oven until veal is very tender, about 90 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. salt. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately over noodles.

Optional Thickening

Deglaze the stew. Pour veal and cherry stew into a bowl through a sieve. Place veal and cherry mixture in a bowl and set aside. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add ½ cup heavy cream. Heat over medium heat until the sauce has thickened, 10-15 minutes. Return veal, cherry mixture to the sauce and reheat over medium heat 10 minutes.

Make Ahead

Stew can be made up to three days ahead; let cool then cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently over medium.

Oven Braised Veal Stew with Black Pepper & Cherries recipe courtesy Barb White. Got something delicious to share? Please send your recipes to George Cravens at george@ocws.org for possible publication on the OCWS
website.

OCWS member Elee Phillips made the popular Cranberry, Brie and Pancetta Bites for the Winemakers Goup’s Christmas Party in December. By all accounts, it was a real hit.

“Baked brie is one of my—and many of my friends’—favorite appetizers,” Elee says. “But I wanted something different and easier to serve to a crowd. That’s when I came across the recipe on the Well Plated by Erin website.

The original recipe called for roasted pecans and rosemary sprigs and since Elee is allergic to nuts and “can’t stand biting into little leaves of rosemary,” she came up with an alternative—pancetta!

Cranberry, Brie and Pancetta Bites

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry

1 small round brie cheese

8 oz. cranberry orange sauce (I used this recipe: but you can use any jam

2 slices pancetta (approx. 1/8” thick)

Oil

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375°; spray mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

ROLL OUT and cut sheet of puff pastry into 24 2” squares.

PRESS one square into each muffin cup.

CUT brie in half horizontally and dice the one half into about ½” cubes.

PLACE one cube in each cup.

DICE pancetta into small (approx. 1/8”) cubes.

SAUTEE small cubes in 1 tsp. of oil until crisp; drain on paper towel and wait until cool.

SCOOP 1 tsp. cranberry sauce into each cup (I use a small melon baller).

SPRINKLE pancetta over each cup.

BAKE for 18-20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

Got something delicious to share? Please send your recipes to George Cravens at george@ocws.org for possible publication on the OCWS website.