by Tina Swithin

I wear several hats for the Travel Paso Robles Alliance but one of my favorite jobs is scouting around for new and exciting recipes.  With over 200 local wineries and the best restaurants this side of the Mississippi, I have an endless supply of artisan delights right at my fingertips.  I am one lucky lady!   

Being that the holidays are behind us, I have been on the hunt for recipes that are a little bit lighter and more nutritious.  I have had my fill (and then some) of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and everything else that graces a holiday table.  Throughout the year, I tend to lean towards foods that are on the  healthy side.  I am a huge fan of hummus so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this Curry Spiced Hummus recipe from Le Cuvier Winery in Paso Robles.  I couldn't wait to get home and try it! 

by Tina Swithin

If you anything like me, you either have New Year's Eve planned months in advance or you are trying to invite yourself to a party at the very last minute.  In this case, you would be known as a "New Year's Eve Crasher".  This year is a great example-- I herby admit to being a New Year's Eve Crasher.  I had the very best intentions for advanced planning but once again I find myself sitting here pondering...what to do?  What to do?  

Luckily for me (and for you), I have an inside connection which is known as the "Paso Robles Insider".  I made some phone calls and discovered a few places to ring in the New Year- Paso Robles style!  If you are staring at an empty calendar entry for December 31, 2011, please don't fret.  Grab your phone, pen and calendar and let's start planning!      

One event that I discovered was the Twilight Masquerade at Robert Hall Winery.  Attendees are asked to arrive in formal attire and you will be given a mask at the door.  If you really want to get into the festivities, grab your favorite masquerade costume and plan to have a New Year's Eve for the memory books. 

This event takes place in the cavern at Robert Hall Winery and there are actually two options for the evening.  You can enjoy dinner, music and dancing or if you choose to forgoe the dinner and just hit the dance floor while partaking in appetizers, wine and good music. Click here for additional information on the Twighlight Mascarade at Robert Hall Winery.

Another fabulous event that I came across is the New Year's Eve Celebration at the luxurius La Bellasera Hotel.  The evening kicks off from 7-8pm with a welcome reception where you will enjoy Hors d'oeuvres and a complimentary signature cocktail. Then, enjoy their opulent five course dinner including a premium cheese tasting, stacked caprese salad, lemon sorbet intermezzo, an entree of Filet Mignon & Prosciutto wrapped Scallops with Grilled Scallion Mashed Potatoes and Balsamic Glazed Asparagus, and finally a dessert trio including a champagne cupcake, chocolate covered strawberry and chocolate mousse!  Enjoy party favors, a special midnight toast and more. 

PS: A little birdie told me that there are lodging packages available so you can really ring in the New Year in style! 

You can also head out for the Fabulous Forties Wine Maker Dinner at Poalillo Vineyards which starts at 8pm.  Partake in a gourmet, five course winemaker's dinner while enjoying Poalillo Wines and a champagne toast at midnight.  Please come dressed elegant, dressy or in your finest 40's attire.  Click here to view the menu and additional details.

Happy New Year!!! 

Tina Swithin is the PR Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.

by Tina Swithin

Each month we invite you to "Guess the Winery".  This month's featured winery sits on the west side of Paso Robles in the Adelaida area.

Still in need of clues?  They are also know as the House-Of-Reds, producing; Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah. Rose, Late Harvest and Vintage Port.  

Tina Swithin is the Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.

by Danika Reed, Vivant Fine Cheese

Hello Cheese Lovers!

The holidays are all about getting together with family and friends to reflect on the past year and spend some quality time celebrating all that we are so fortunate to have. Of course, getting together usually involves food, and in our case, definitely involves cheese! One of the most enjoyable eating experiences is gathering a group of friends around a big pot of fondue. It feels so festive and cozy, especially this time of year!

In our holiday shipment of our Vivant Fine Cheese Club, we included a classic fondue cheese: Comtè. We also included Danika's "famous" fondue recipe.

Danika's Famous Classic Swiss Fondue

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Comte, grated
1/2 pound Central Coast Creamery Holey Cow Baby Swiss
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Kirsch (optional)
1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
Crusty French bread, cubed, for dipping

Method:
1. Use the clove of garlic to rub the inside of a fondue pot (if ceramic) or other large pot.
2. Pour dry white wine into the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch and Kirsch (can substitute chicken broth).
4. Gradually add the Comtè and Holey Cow to the saucepan and stir constantly. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
5. When the cheese has just melted, gradually stir in the cornstarch and Kirsch mixture.
6. Allow fondue to simmer, still constantly stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
7. If necessary, transfer fondue to fondue pot. Set the flame beneath the fondue pot to medium and use fondue forks to dip bread into cheese.

Enjoy!

Danika Reed is the Cheese Monger at Vivant Fine Cheese, located in historic downtown Paso Robles. The Central Coast's premier cheese tasting room features premium, local and imported handcrafted artisan cheeses paired with the finest Central Coast wine and beer.  Danika is our monthly guest blogger for Cheese'n it Up!

By Sasha Irving, Studios on the Park

Downtown Paso Robles is an art lover’s paradise during the month of December. Unique shows at three local fine art venues offer exciting original works for everyone on your list!

Winter White: Creativity comes to life with Studios on the Park’s current show, Winter White. This juried exhibition features artistic interpretations of the color of the season by more than 30 local artists. Juror and judge John Cosby selected original works in a variety of media that demonstrate personal vision and creative approach as well as excellence in execution. Studios on the Park, a nonprofit open studios art center, is located at 1130 Pine Street. For more information visit www.StudiosOnThePark.org.

The Armstrong Collection: Pierce Modern Gallery is hosting the Cal Poly Duane & Annie Armstrong exhibit through January 2012.  Working hand in hand, Cal Poly and PierceModern have made this fundraising show a success, with all Cal Poly proceeds going to support the arts and education.  Since this is a fundraising event, there are currently two silent auctions going on for the two signature paintings shown and all offers are considered on any of the other paintings in the gallery.  A must see show for your holidays. Pierce Modern Gallery, located at 617 12th Street, is open Thursday through Monday.

For more information, call 805.975.4860 or visit www.PierceModern.com

A Little Nightmare Before Christmas: Vale Fine Art is proud to present “Nightmare Before Christmas,” a two-man show featuring the extraordinary work of Neo Gothic pop-surrealists, Edward Walton Wilcox and Lee Harvey Roswell. The exhibition will be on view from December 13 through January 13, 2012. An opening reception for the artists will be at the gallery on Tuesday, December 13 from 6pm-9pm.

The work of Edward Walton Wilcox exposes his darkest dreaming; hand-carved Gothic altarpieces soar twelve feet high while young maidens in nightgowns and child-size skeletons are captured in landscapes of blazing windmills.  Hauntingly beautiful, the work is overt in its reference to Gothic convention, in both content and physical facture. Wilcox explains his art saying, "I am fascinated with the fine line between beauty and repulsion as I continue to navigate the 'dangerous reaches of the unconscious' whereby a 'romance troubled by nightmares' may be further explored." 

Lee Harvey Roswell is a self-taught artist from Freefall, New York, whose work is noted for its blend of angst and humor. Themes of death and entropy, tribulation and futility run amok in his distinctly surreal, often-slapstick/ often-nightmarish world. The result is at once mocking and melancholic.

Vale Fine Art is located at 619 12th Street (beside Pierce Modern Gallery). For more information contact gallery owner Madeline Vale via email at ValeFineArt@gmail.com or by phone at 310-795-4680.

Sasha Irving is the Programs Director of Studios on the Park and the Coordinator of the annual Paso Robles Festival of the Arts. Proud to be a native Paso Roblan, she is also a member of Balet Folklorico Cachanilla and an usher at Old Mission San Miguel Arcangel.  For more information please visit www.studiosonthepark.org or call 805.238.9800

by Tina Swithin, Travel Paso Robles Alliance

We've dedicated this blog series to some truly authentic Paso Robles gifts that will delight those on your Christmas list.  How authentic, you ask?  They are grown right here in Paso Robles!  

Paso Robles is quickly becoming known as a producer of fabulous olive oils.  Just when I think that I know everything about Paso, I discover something new.  For instance, Niner Wine Estates produces more than just great wines.  They also produce  olive oil!  The  Niner Wine Estates Olive Oil is estate grown from their eastside Bootjack Ranch Vineyard property, carefully made and bottled in limited quantities each year. This vintage is a blend of Arbequina, a Spanish variety and Frantoio, an Italian variety. The Arbequina brings a buttery mouthfeel and a peppery finish, while the Frantoio offers fruity aromas and a sweet sensation which makes them excellent blending partners. The 2010 Extra Virgin is medium-bodied, mildly pungent and tastes overall very clean. It finishes with a light spicy almond note.  This would make a splendid stocking stuffer for the gourmet goddess in your life.  

While olives and wine seem to take the spotlight in Paso Robles, there is an amazing little farm in Paso Robles which deserves a place on the stage.  Bring in the holidays with the joy of gourmet treats from  Limerock Orchards, Paso Robles' wine country walnut farm.  I had the pleasure of speaking to Olivia Wenger of Limerock Orchards who was happy to share her scrumptious Walnut Holiday Taster with Inside Paso Robles.  This delicious gift includes 4 lbs of organic, in-shell walnuts, 250ml roasted walnut oil and 8 ounces of creamy, raw walnut butter and a walnut oil recipe card. Yum!

Each product from Limerock Orchards is produced from their delicious, dryland farmed walnuts which are known for their sweet, buttery flavor. While you are doing your holiday shopping at Limerock Orchards, I highly recommend picking up some extra walnut butter for your own kitchen.  It's amazing on everything from crepes to hot cereal. 

Niner Wine Estates is located at 2400 Highway 46 West in Paso Robles                                 www.ninerwine.com or call 805-239-2233.

Limerock Orchards is located at 7210 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles                          www.limerockorchards.com or call 805-238-6887

Tina Swithin is the PR Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.

 

 

 

by Tina Swithin, Travel Paso Robles Alliance

Are you still seeking that special gift for the one you love?  Luckily, I’ve done the work so you can rest assured that you’ll have the best gift under the tree.  I happily continue on my quest to bring you the very best gift ideas in Paso Robles. The theme for this series is quite simple: Rest, Relation and Pampering in Paso Robles. 

by Jim Allen, Director of Marketing for Hearst Castle

For the past 23 years, I have been fortunate to enjoy the holiday season and decorations at Hearst Castle from an insider viewpoint.  As I made my way up the familiar winding hilltop road this past week, I was just as excited as the very first time I traveled the very same route many years ago.  The extraordinary Christmas displays at Hearst Castle are something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.    

People often ask my advice on which tour I recommend for the holiday season.  The Grand Rooms Tour is a great way to see the house during the holidays as that tour includes the most lavishly decorated rooms.  You will be able to tour the Assembly Room, Refectory, and the Morning Room.  In my personal opinion, you really can’t go wrong when selecting a tour to see Christmastime at the Castle as there are decorations throughout the entire estate. 

by Tina Swithin

The holiday season seems to go hand in hand with rich, heavy recipes.  I am always on the hunt for light, simple and healthy to counterbalance the normal trend in December.  I know that I will get my fill of turkeys, hams and everything that goes along with the holidays so a break from those staple items is always welcomed in my home.  This recipe of sole stuffed with lemon rice is nothing short of refreshing which also describes the wine that I recommend pairing it with.

by Tina Swithin, Travel Paso Robles Alliance

I love shopping.  That is a fact, my friends.  Every part of it makes me happy.  I stumbled upon a quote yesterday from Bo Derek who said, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping".  I know exactly where to go shopping so I have no issues with the happiness part of that equation.  You want in on my little secret, don't you?  The place to shop is Paso Robles-- our own local mecca for wine, artisan delights, gourmet goodies and much more.