When I heard of a new winery opening up in Point Pleasant, I had it penciled in my calendar for weeks.
OSR, which stands for Our Sibling Rebelry, is churning out all kinds of unique wines.
They have a traditional series - called the Nekkid series - where you'll find chardonnay, moscato, etc.
And then they have the bourbon barrel-aged wine series, which includes Hillbilly Love Juice. "Hillbilly Love Juice is a unique blend of white wine and apple. It is then aged in the same bourbon barrels previously used by Velvet Buddha. Aged for 2 months in these barrels, Hillbilly Love evolves into slightly sweet Blush. Notes of apple and toasted oak."
The Franken-wine line includes a cotton candy wine and one named "Betty," which is a rhubarb strawberry wine.
And, finally, the fourth series is Legendary. This includes TNT: Our home for decades, has been the TNT area. The first launch of our dedicated series of wine is appropriately named. Ohio grown Concord Grapes and Jalapeno are paired up for a deep red jammy wine with a slight heat on the back-end.
I tasted a few different ones, and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch!
I kinda think Hillbilly Love Juice is a funny name though, so I'm fond of it.
But I love that there are all kinds of interesting flavors! There's a jalapeno one that was in the works.
Have you been? Which wine is your favorite?
My latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:
You may see them lining softball fields or growing along the highway — small, yellowish-orange fruits dotting the leaves.
The persimmon, a native American tree in the southeastern United States, is finally ready.
It’s during the fall that the small fruit ripens and produces sweet, pulpy nectar. But it’s not until after the first frost that you can dig in. Once they receive that chilly kiss, the persimmons trade their harsh bite in favor of a sweetness that everyone — raccoons, foxes, opossums and squirrels included — savors.
You know the persimmons are ripe once they have fallen to the ground, or do so with a little shake of the tree. And once you have gathered a basketful of fruit, you have many options: baked goods like pudding, cookies and more.
Persimmons can be used in most recipes that call for mashed pumpkin, applesauce or plums. Or they can even be used as a topping on ice cream!
Even persimmon seeds are useful in the transition of seasons. According to folklore, the shape, once split in two, can predict the winter weather. The seed takes the form of one of three different shapes:
A knife:
And with its versatility and tasty flavor, it’s a gem in our cuisine. Try it with your morning breakfast or part of your dessert. Just make sure you scoop some up before it’s too chilly — or before someone else does.
Plum Bread Pudding with Maple Butter Sauce and Spiced Whipped Cream
The persimmons just received their first touch of frost, so here’s a recipe that could use those coveted persimmons or a substitute: plums. West Virginia chef Brittany Furbee, who won Food Network’s "Cooks vs. Cons" show, whipped up a perfect fall-inspired dish that puts those gems to use. Try it with a cup of coffee for maximum “mmm.” Brittany Furbee is an award-winning competitive home chef from Morgantown. Learn more by visiting Brittany Furbee’s Culinary Adventures on Facebook at facebook.com/BrittanyFurbeesCulinaryAdventures.
6 cups stale bread, cubed
3 eggs
½ cups half-and-half
1 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 persimmons, chopped (plums can be substituted for persimmons)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans
For the spiced whipped cream:
2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch pan.
Mix together eggs, half-and-half, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 5 minutes. If many of the cubes are still dry, add additional milk until coated.
In another bowl mix together chopped plums, dark brown sugar, maple syrup, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, golden raisins and pecans. Combine with bread mixture.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.
For the spiced whipped cream: In a large bowl combine heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, cloves and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 3-4 minutes. (Whipped cream can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.)
For the sauce: Combine additional maple syrup, butter, cinnamon and salt in a sauce pan. Warm over low heat and stir often until combined. Pour over bread pudding. Top with spiced whipped cream and serve warm.
You may see them lining softball fields or growing along the highway — small, yellowish-orange fruits dotting the leaves.
The persimmon, a native American tree in the southeastern United States, is finally ready.
It’s during the fall that the small fruit ripens and produces sweet, pulpy nectar. But it’s not until after the first frost that you can dig in. Once they receive that chilly kiss, the persimmons trade their harsh bite in favor of a sweetness that everyone — raccoons, foxes, opossums and squirrels included — savors.
You know the persimmons are ripe once they have fallen to the ground, or do so with a little shake of the tree. And once you have gathered a basketful of fruit, you have many options: baked goods like pudding, cookies and more.
Persimmons can be used in most recipes that call for mashed pumpkin, applesauce or plums. Or they can even be used as a topping on ice cream!
Even persimmon seeds are useful in the transition of seasons. According to folklore, the shape, once split in two, can predict the winter weather. The seed takes the form of one of three different shapes:
A knife:
- This is the most severe symbol, indicating there will be a cold, icy winter where the wind will cut through you like a blade.
- This symbol indicates a mild winter with light, powdery snow.
- This symbol represents a shovel, which will be needed to dig out of all the snow.
And with its versatility and tasty flavor, it’s a gem in our cuisine. Try it with your morning breakfast or part of your dessert. Just make sure you scoop some up before it’s too chilly — or before someone else does.
Plum Bread Pudding with Maple Butter Sauce and Spiced Whipped Cream
The persimmons just received their first touch of frost, so here’s a recipe that could use those coveted persimmons or a substitute: plums. West Virginia chef Brittany Furbee, who won Food Network’s "Cooks vs. Cons" show, whipped up a perfect fall-inspired dish that puts those gems to use. Try it with a cup of coffee for maximum “mmm.” Brittany Furbee is an award-winning competitive home chef from Morgantown. Learn more by visiting Brittany Furbee’s Culinary Adventures on Facebook at facebook.com/BrittanyFurbeesCulinaryAdventures.
6 cups stale bread, cubed
3 eggs
½ cups half-and-half
1 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 persimmons, chopped (plums can be substituted for persimmons)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans
For the spiced whipped cream:
2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch pan.
Mix together eggs, half-and-half, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 5 minutes. If many of the cubes are still dry, add additional milk until coated.
In another bowl mix together chopped plums, dark brown sugar, maple syrup, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, golden raisins and pecans. Combine with bread mixture.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.
For the spiced whipped cream: In a large bowl combine heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, cloves and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 3-4 minutes. (Whipped cream can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.)
For the sauce: Combine additional maple syrup, butter, cinnamon and salt in a sauce pan. Warm over low heat and stir often until combined. Pour over bread pudding. Top with spiced whipped cream and serve warm.
The Lighthouse in Point Pleasant made the list of unique places to dine a few years ago.
It's since gone through some ownership changes, so I wasn't able to catch it open while I've been in the area.
But, recently, I was able to check it out. Branded as Katie's Lighthouse, it has a main bar area, with some dining seating up to the left.
The menu has fried appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches.
I mixed it up a bit with two appetizers - sliders and mozzarella sticks.
Have you ever been?
Any time I can celebrate the pepperoni roll, I'm happy. It's even better if I get to eat some while I'm at it.
Mountaineer Week recently hosted its second annual Pepperoni Roll Day where area pepperoni roll makers came together to compete for top 'roni roll honors.
And, yours truly was there to sling books and eat rolls.
There were some new contenders this year, like Home Industry, Pasco's & Clubhouse Grill
1st Mid-Atlantic Market
2nd Tomaro's
3rd Byrd's Donuts
People's Choice: Mid-Atlantic Market
Judge's Choice: Byrd's Donuts
After all the pepperoni rolls, I was able to check out the craft fair, where I saw a few cool things like these candles from Penn & Co.
And these candies from A La Carte!
What's your favorite part of Mountaineer Week?
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