Espressed

Vino

So Well !

white wines of summer By scott richards

We asked Kerri Corsano, barista at The Griffin Bookshop and Coffee bar on Caroline to concoct us a summertime café special to assuage our caffeine craving and soothe our sweet tooth. The result is the Iced Black Forest Latte - try it with a bagged sandwich at The Griffin! 1/2 oz. Torani Creme De Cacao Syrup 1 1/2 oz. Torani Raspberry Syrup 2 oz. Espresso5 oz. cold milk Poured over coffee ice cubes! Whipped Cream, for garnish

photo by k. Corsano

Nothing beats the heat better then an iced cold espresso drink and what better combination is there then chocolate, raspberry and espresso...omg!! Griffin’s (exclusive!) coffee ice cubes add to the experience.

The Griffin Bookshop and Coffee Bar is located at 723 Caroline; Eileen Griffin, proprietor.

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997

Front Porch Fredericksburg 12

June 2013

Front porch fredericksburg

june bugs

Olde Towne BUTCHER Don’t Forget Father’s Day! Corner of William & Charles Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540.370.4105

Our Barista’s Pick

For extra decadence: Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon raspberry syrup on top of whipped cream, and sprinkle chocolate shavings... Place a cherry on top!

Season’s Bounty

Even though we have had a cool spring, the promise of warmer weather is right on the corner where we are standing today – and it is hot! The rains we received lately have nicely watered the gardens that have been planted, as well as given farmers a nice soaking to start the agricultural season. But the real sign that the warm weather is here to stay is the emergence of the lighter white wines of summer, chilled to a cool 55-60 degrees F. Chardonnay, with its generally oaky and buttery taste, is traditionally thought of as the wine for warm weather. There are, however, many wines that offer a cool refreshing taste without having to experience the density often found in Chardonnay. Traminette, a gewurztraminer hybrid developed at Cornell University in upstate New York, has made big inroads in the Virginia wine industry due to its suitability to the climate. With a refreshing, spicy taste, it is perfect for those hot days of languishing on the back deck. Because of the spice one finds when drinking this wine, traminette makes an excellent pairing with light Asian cuisine, in particular Thai. The French offering of the lighter whites is particularly appealing. From the Loire River Valley, adjacent to the town of Tours, is the area of Vouvray, in which a very nice chenin blanc is made. The soil in the valley consists of limestone that has been eroded into various forms such as the more prevalent gravel and clay, mixed with sand. The winery of Barton and Guestier produces a chenin blanc that many drink no matter what the weather because of the richness of its taste and the supple yet lighter body of the wine. An upfront fruitiness, brought about by aging in stainless steel, greets the palette and is followed by a slight taste of acidity that offers just the right amount of refreshment before leaving the consumer with a moderate mineral finish. With the acidity, this wine works well as an aperitif, awakening one’s taste buds. A colleague who grew up in drinking wine in France and Germany, commented that Barton and Guestier was the best of this type of wine she had tasted. For those who like their wines well chilled, few wines can withstand the cold like a pic poul out of the Languedoc region of France. Produced by Pinet, this is a wine that cannot be chilled too much and yet, retains excellent flavor and clarity even when it has been made colder than most. As with Vouvray, this wine gives a fruity taste that is light without losing any of the character of the wine.

Sweet wines have become quite popular giving rise to drinking moscato, wine made from a grape that with an inherent sweetness that has been grossly misused in most domestic wines made with it giving a taste that is more like simple syrup than wine. The abuse of this grape becomes apparent when it is tried in the vineyard and the true nature of the fruit blossoms forth as the gentle sweetness of the grape is followed by floral overtones. The Italians have mastered the use of the muscat grape producing wines that mirror the taste found in the vineyard and accompanied by a pleasing effervescence that not only opens and excites the palette, but cleanses it as well. Bartenura produces an excellent example of Italian Moscato, which provides an excellent experience both as a pairing to an aperitif as well as by itself just for enjoyment. So, with these few suggestions, do not let yourself be caught short-handed for good wines to enjoy. Be sure to explore these wines and others at the wine establishments around the Fredericksburg area. Scott Richards owns Loch Haven Vineyards. He is a member of VA Vineyards Association, blogs at fromthevine.wordpress.com, and is a wine columnist for Front Porch and sports writer for The Caroline Progress.

The Griffin Bookshop & Coffee Bar Introducing Bag Lunches! Fresh Sandwiches Tastefully Priced Scrumptiously Delicious New & Used Books/Coffee 723 Caroline Street 540-899-8041

By vanessa moncure Snapshot on a faded Polaroid - a group of laughing children, barefoot and clustered around a large junebug, its back leg tethered to a length of string. I remember the summer sounds of chittering cicadas, the snapping blades of a hedge-trimmer, a lawn mower throwing arcs of fragrant grass. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial usher of summer, but real summer began when school ended. Admonished by our moms to “stay out of the house!” we gathered, barefoot, down at the lake. The best part of the day was opening our paper lunch bags and comparing/trading the contents. Half a fluffernutter sandwich for a DingDong? How about bologna with mustard for peanut butter celery sticks? Fond memories all. But now the best junebugs for me are the cocktail and the bug-like crustaceans, the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. Boiled, steamed, spiced, broiled, fried, fire-roasted, stewed or pan-sauteed, crabs either soft- or hard-shelled are the essence of summer dining. I know I’d never trade a crabcake for anything in your brown bag!

SOFT SHELL SAUTÉ: Trim and clean the soft shell you can tell they are live if you see small bubbles. Dust lightly with flour and saute over medium heat in half/half mixture of butter/oil until browned, cooked. Serve with homemade tartar and buttermilk corn bread. Tartar Sauce - 1 c. mayo, ¼ c. ea. minced celery, sweet relish, onion, fresh parsley, 1 tsp. lemon juice, S&P. Buttermilk Corn Bread - Mix together dry ingredients - 1 c. ea. flour and yellow cornmeal, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt; combine w/ mixed liquid ingredients - 2 well-beaten eggs, ? c. oil or melted butter, ? - ¾ c. buttermilk. Stir just until moistened, then spoon into preheated, then greased, cast iron skillet. Bake in preheated 400F oven 18-25 min. or til golden brown and firm.

STEAMED OR SPICED CRABS: Best to buy males, or jimmies, heavy for their size. Prepare a large deep pot (a canner or one you use for frying turkeys is great) with a rack in the bottom (so crabs can steam). Add equal amounts of water, vinegar and beer 3 to 4 inches up the side and bring to a boil. When boiling, layer crabs, sprinkling generously with Old Bay seasoning between each single crab layer. Cover and steam about 30 min. Drain, then pile the hot crabs on a newspaper-layered table and everyone dig in! Serve with small ramekins of melted

www.oldetownebutcher.com

butter, ketchup mixed with Old Bay, and a butter, Old Bay and Worchestershire sauce mixture. Don’t forget a mallet and small knife per person - and plenty of saltines and paper towels.

Open: 9am - 9pm Monday through Saturday 11am - 6pm Sunday Lee Russell Proprietor

CRAB CAKES: Don’t let any of the cooked crab go to waste - pick them and save the meat (or buy a pound). Watch for place of origin on the label - Maryland and Virginia are known for delicious crab - yet my local grocery store carries only imported blue crab. For one pound of crab, beat together two eggs, ½ tsp. Old Bay, white pepper, 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce, 1 tsp. dijon mustard. Gently fold in crabmeat then add just enough mayonnaise to bind. Form into cakes, then cover with cracker meal, breadcrumbs, or Panko. Saute over medium heat in mixture of butter and canola oil until golden brown, turning once. Serve w/ tartar sauce. The crabcake must be held together just by willpower; no bread or cracker filler.

STEWED CRAB: A summer version of oyster stew. Melt 4 oz. butter in 3-qt. deep pan. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, white pepper and salt. Smash a large garlic clove and saute briefly (not to brown, just to soften). Pour in 1 qt. half and half and 2 c. milk - heat to a near boil, remove garlic, then add 1 lb. picked jumbo lump crabmeat, reserving 6-8 portions of lump crabmeat. Bring to a simmer, then ladle into 6-8 shallow bowls, top with reserved crabmeat and minced chives. Serve hot.

AND A JUNE BUG COCKTAIL: The old crab houses on the Maryland shore all had tall, cold specialtyof-the-house cocktails. Try this Junebug Make a pitcher for quick refills. Use a tall, Tom Collins-style glass, fill with ice. Mix together 6 oz. Midori, 3 oz. each rum and banana liqueurs, 6-oz. container Coco Lopez, 6 oz. sweet and sour mix, and 1 qt. pineapple juice - keep refrigerated if you have any left over. Don’t crabs remind you of a bug? That’s what my grandsons think of lobsters - “big bugs that bite”.

S ammy T’ s DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S

Serving Great Food Since 1981

Home of the “Camper Special” & the Best Burger in Town 801 Caroline Street

(540) 371-2008

Try Our Self-Serve Yogurt open 11:30 am Daily Still Owned by the Emory Family

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings

Vanessa Moncure evokes in us memories of her great Chez V Catering of days gone by.

Fredericksburgtrolley.com

540-898-0737

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