Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 15, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 15, 2014 
8 FOOD & DRINK Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 15, 2014 
8 FOOD & DRINK 
B.R. CHARDONNAY GOOD VALUE FOR LESS THAN $15 
& HOT DOGS 
Chardonnay is the most popular grape grown in California, with over 100,000 acres, it is the wine 
type variety with the most acreage planted in California. Cabernet Sauvignon was the second most 
planted wine grape in California with 76,800 total acres. Thus, Chardonnay is the most used grape 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills 
thechefknows@yahoo.com 
for bottles wines and sparkling wines. There’s 
your history lesson! 

We visit the North Coast in the heart of the 

Sonoma Valley for an above average Chardonnay 
Silver Label by the B.R. Winery. This is a 100% chardonnay grapes blend. Many of you prefer the 
oaky taste of Chardonnay while others tend to like the buttery taste of Chardonnay. This Silver 
Label offers a toasty oak flavor with a sure hint of green apple and lemon. The grapes are sourced 
from a variety of local Sonoma Vineyards. My suggestion is not to chill this bottle too much but 
instead pour it at just below room temperature. Through personal experience, pouring just below 
room temperature really brought out a great taste, especially with the jumbo shrimp that I paired it 
with. Though I will say that a pairing of food is not a must, it’s fine to just open and drink right away. 
Remember: buy it to drink, not to save. Note: This Chardonnay is a little darker then most in color. 

Dills Score - 

Each week I will 
give you my Dills 
Score. I have added 
points for value. 
I’m starting with a 
base of 50 points; I 
added 7 points for 
color, 7 points for 
aroma or “nose”, 8points for taste, 8 
points for finish, 
and 8 points for my 
overall impression, 
which includes my value rating. 


The Chardonnay is available at Vons/Pavilions and other retailers for about $13 

Rumor: A New restaurant featuring hot dogs is taking the place of the Sushi spot on Sierra Madre 
Blvd. Stay Tuned 

Tune into Dining w/ Dills Sunday 5 PM on 790KABC Radio 
Email Peter at thechefknows@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter @KINGOFCUISINE 


FRIENDS OF THE SIERRA 
MADRE LIBRARY WINE AND 
CUISINE TASTING 

For an evening of fine wine and cuisine and lively entertainment join us at the 44th annual Friends 
of the Sierra Madre Library Wine and Cuisine Tasting. This elegant affair is being held on Friday 
evening, February 21, 2014, at Alverno Villa, 675 West Highland Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA. (parking 
entrance on Michillinda Avenue). 

Such vintners as Manzanita Creek, Berringer/Treasury, Coppola, Wild Horse, and Maddalena 
Vineyards will be providing superb wines for your tasting pleasure. The fine local restaurants offering 
delectable hors d’oeuvres and desserts include Trattorria Neapolis, El Cholo, Green Street, Sierra 
Brigante, The Only Place in Town, and Pie ‘N Burger. 

Tickets to the premier event are $80 and allow you early admission at 6:00PM. You will be treated to 
a wine tasting with a local sommelier, specially selected hors d’oeuvres, and a unique raffle. Tickets to 
the premier event are limited to 100 guests and are going fast so act quickly to enjoy these exceptional 
activities. Tickets to the main event are $60 and provide admission at 7:00PM. You will enjoy quality 
wines from a number of award winning wineries and tastings from many fine local restaurants. We 
are limiting the number of tickets sold to 400 to add to your enjoyment. Tickets to both the premier 
event and main event are on sale at the Sierra Madre Library, the Bottle Shop, Savor the Flavor, and 
Arnold’s Frontier Hardware. 

Throughout the evening you will enjoy live music as you stroll about the lovely grounds of Alverno 
sampling the wonderful wines and appetizers. Magic Castle magicians will add to your entertainment 
and pleasure. A silent auction will again be offering lovely artwork, services, tickets to special events, 
restaurant vouchers, and many other tempting items. 

For a delightful evening of enjoying fine wines, tasty food, and lively entertainment amidst the 
company of friends, joins us at Alverno Villa on February 21, 2014. The Friends of the Sierra Madre 
Library is a non-profit organization and all proceeds benefit the Sierra Madre Library. For more 
information visit our website at www.sierramadrelibraryfriends.org, or call the library at 626 3557186. 


YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
Call Patricia at 626-818-2698 Today!
LASAGNE ROLLS 
INGREDIENTS 

Sauce: 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg 

Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

1 large egg, beaten to blend

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces) 

DIRECTIONS

 To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the 
flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the 
sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, 
and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to 
blend. 
Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender 

but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them 

from sticking. 
Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the 
prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread a large spoonful (about 3 
tablespoons worth) of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle 
like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in 
the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce 
over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the 
lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 
minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let 
stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over 
medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

 Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lasagna-rolls-recipe.print.
html?oc=linkback 

SAVOR BRINGS THE GOODIES - PART II 

Foodie Tips and Tidbits for SavorThe Flavor -Sierra Madre* 

The Fancy Food Show -Picking The Products for Our Customers 

After 16 years, we have developed a small cadre of most favorite purveyors--Stonewall Kitchens 
for their sublime sweet and savoring 
combination condiments and Fran’s for 
their decadent chocolate and caramel 
dessert sauces. We visit this small “can’t 
miss” group early in the show to place 
orders, taste their new offerings and 
renew friendships. 


After placing orders with our “All-Stars,” 
we visit vendors who we have researched 
and identified as “potentially” a Savor 
partner. THIS WHERE THE REAL 
ADVENTURE BEGINS! 


Out of the miles of aisles of items we 
could pick, how do we select what we 
want to bring home? 


It’s a combination of four elements: 


The Look--visually, the product must 
jump off the shelf at you; graphics and 
label contribute in a major way to initial 
visual appeal. 


The Taste--flavor is key; it must alert 
one’s taste buds and trigger the brain’s 
pleasure center. Chocolate is the best 
example. Flavor must evoke a “must 
have” response. 


Where is it available to our customers? 
From the beginning, we have not carried 
products that are available in the big box chain stores. How special can it be if you can find it 
everywhere? 



Pricing--typically made in smaller batches, often by family businesses, specialty foods are almost 
always pricier that mass market items. And because Savor buys in small quantities, volume 
discounts are not available to us to, pass on to our customers. This presents a big challenge to us; 
frequently, we pass up a really wonderful product because we think it costs too much. 

A Word about Taste 

We don’t claim to be the final arbiters of taste, but as in art, we know what we like. Regular Savor 
customers know that there are always a variety of goodies to taste every day. Since many of our 
items are new to the market, unless customers can sample, they don’t know what to expect. So, 
when we evaluate a new food, they typically wind up in one of four categories: 

1. Creative/Wow! I wish I had thought of this!! This is original and creative and we want it! Think 
of our new Fruit Vinegars or Anette’s Tequila Lime Brittle. 
2. This is the best I ever tasted! These win SOFI Awards and our hearts and often wind up on our 
shelves. Think of Basil Olive Oil or Sundried Tomato Ketchup. 
3. Unremarkable. These fulfill the expected taste and texture profile, but bring nothing extra or 
interesting to the experience. You will not find these at Savor the Flavor. 
4. What were they thinking?! This category is reserved of those products which, in our estimation, 
should have remained an idea on paper. 
New products are arriving daily, so stop in and check them out! 
Some of our favorites are: 

From Stonewall Kitchen: 

* Sriracha Aioli 
* Harissa sauce 
* Truffle Spread 
Goodness Gracie’s Heavenly Toffee Cookies 

Effie’s Malted Cocoa Cakes & Malted Rye Cakes 

Cocomel’s Coconut Milk Caramels 

Tipsy Tapas Cheese Stuffed Baby Squash 

Savor the Flavor, 11 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre. Www.savortheflavor.net