When it comes to movie night entertaining, Emmy award-winning chef and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis recommends serving sharable nibbles and setting the scene with inspired wine pairings.

Planning a get-together soon? Try one of these entertaining-ready recipes, complete with Bella Sera® wine pairings, for further inspiration. For more movie night recipe ideas from Giada, and wine pairing tips, visit www.bellaserawine.com.

Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups Bella Sera Pinot Grigio
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 pounds littleneck clams, scrummed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups arugula, tough stems removed

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add wine, shrimp and clams, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer until shrimp are pink and clams have opened, about 7 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened.
3. Add spaghetti to skillet with seafood mixture. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine, then gently fold in arugula. Mound pasta on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Serves
Yield 4 to 6 servings

Notes, Tips & Suggestions
“Bella Sera Pinot Grigio is light-bodied, refreshing and has a hint of citrus – it’s the perfect complement to lighter recipes.” – Celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis

Reprinted from “Everyday Pasta” by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright (c) 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, Inc.

SOURCE:
Bella Sera

This trend is due, in part, to the uncertain economy. Recent research from the International Food Information Council found that 79 percent of consumers cite price as a key factor in deciding which drink items to purchase in a store. With equipment and recipes readily available today, consumers are embracing this DIY trend and cutting costs by making their own custom drinks at home.

Whatever your taste preference, it’s easy to create personalized beverages for yourself, your family and guests to enjoy all winter long.

Hot-coffee indulgence.

According to the National Coffee Association, gourmet coffee continues to be a significant portion (37 percent) of total coffee consumed. If hot coffee is your way to pamper yourself, endless varieties are available, from classic French roast to Hawaiian Kona and New Orleans chicory.

Choose to brew your way.

To make great coffee, start with the right coffeemaker. Look for one that fills easily and lets you create large or small batches and different brew strengths. For instance, Calphalon’s Quick Brew 12-cup Coffee Maker offers both regular or bold custom brew settings – plus the flexibility to brew up to 12 cups at a time when you have a crowd, or just one to four cups for smaller groups. Brewing up to 25 percent faster than comparable standard coffee makers, the Calphalon Quick Brew 12-cup Coffee Maker won’t keep your guests waiting either.

Add cream to your cup.

Once you’ve brewed your coffee, personalize it further with coffee creamers. They’re available in everything from traditional vanilla, almond or hazelnut to enticing new combinations like honey-vanilla cream and white chocolate caramel latte.

Make it special.

Many specialty coffee drinks are also easy to make at home, such as mocha coffee, gingerbread coffee, almond coffee and Irish coffee. They can often be made with just a few simple ingredients from recipes on websites such as allrecipes.com and others, providing a fun way to top off a dinner party or savor alone by the fireplace.  

Create a new blend.

Research shows more coffee lovers are buying whole beans and grinding them at home for a fresher, richer flavor. Take your coffee grinds one step further and become a true “Roastmaster” by creating a whole new blend of your own. Mix and match flavored beans or beans from different coffee-growing countries to develop new tastes and sensations you won’t find in your average cup of coffee. For peak flavor and the ultimate freshness, package your blend in an airtight container and store it in a dark, room-temperature location.

So go ahead and turn yourself loose in the kitchen. It’s easier than ever to customize your cup.

A 12-bottle set of 1988 DRC Romanee-Conti recently went for $117,000. But not everyone can afford a six-figure case of wine. Many wine connoisseurs own bottles that are far less expensive, but the way you should care for and protect your wine remains the same.

Whether your collection includes the six 2000 Chateau Lafite-Rothschilds that recently sold for $14,500 in the fall auction at Zachy’s, or bottles from your favorite wine club, your wine needs to be protected not only to retain your investment value but also to ensure quality.

If you have a wine collection, or are thinking of building one, here’s how to care for your bottles, according to Don Soss, the vice president of high-net-worth insurance at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, a high-net-worth insurer that specializes in insuring wine collections.

* Keep an eye on your climate control

A temperature of 55 degrees with relative humidity between 60 to 65 percent are ideal for long-term wine storage. The cool temperature slows the aging process, while the humidity prevents moisture inside the wine bottle from moving into the cork and eventually evaporating into the air. Keep in mind that ideal temperatures do vary somewhat depending on the type of wine you are storing. Attics and garages are not ideal places to store wine, as temperatures can fluctuate greatly in these locations.

* Limit your collection’s exposure to light — A dark room is best for storing wine. Fluorescent light can be harmful.

* Wines should be kept in a stable environment — Vibration is harmful to wine, as it disturbs the sediment. Keep the bottles in a horizontal position.

* Back up your power supply — Your wine collection could be at risk during a sustained power outage. A permanent back-up generator will help protect your investment.

* Consider renting a storage space — If you lack adequate space to store your collection, professional wine storage facilities are available in most major cities.

* Insure your collection separately if it is valuable — As wine collections increase in value, collectors should consider insuring their collection.

Depending on the wine’s value, your collection should probably be insured separately from your general homeowner’s insurance policy Soss says. If not, you may run the risk that it is under-insured. The average value of a bottle in a wine cellar is often $100 or more; individual bottles can easily reach $700 to $1,000 for top wines. A cellar that contains, say, 500 to 1,000 bottles, can be worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Values can easily climb into the millions for larger collections.

* Choose blanket coverage or itemized coverage, or a combination of the two

With blanket coverage, your entire collection is covered under one limit, with a single bottle limit of up to $50,000 (with a Fireman’s Fund policy). Itemized coverage is recommended for wines valued at $10,000 or more and can be combined with blanket coverage to provide the best protection for your collection. Under certain coverage options, no deductible applies.

* If you buy insurance, be sure it covers all risks

Buy coverage that spans a wide spectrum of causes of loss including fire and theft, breakage, flood, and a range of others. You will also need coverage for loss due to power outage or mechanical breakdown of heating, cooling and humidity control equipment, all of which are critical coverages for oenophiles.

* Don’t transport your wine without checking with your insurer first

Before you transport your wine, ask your agent or insurer if this is a covered risk by your insurance policy. Be certain your wine is protected worldwide and while in transit.

* Security is imperative

Include your wine collection in your security system plans. Do background checks on household staff to avoid “inside” burglaries.

Wine collections are a passionate investment and are important to protect. Unlike other collections, you get to enjoy consuming the contents and add to the collection more often.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
4 whole eggs, well beaten
¾  C sugar
4 T flour (mixed into sugar)
1 1/3 C Green Label Karo® Waffle Syrup (can use dark)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple flavoring
4 T butter, soft or melted
1 1/3 C chopped pecans
 Stir flour into sugar, and mix into the rest of the ingredients, adding pecans last.  I use a whisk to mix. Pour into 9″ unbaked pie shell and bake 45 – 50 minutes at 350°. Check at 40 minutes. 
If top is getting too brown, cover with a loose sheet of foil.  I use a “pie ring” to keep the crust from getting too brown but you can make your own with strips of foil.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
1 Baked pie crust
5 T sifted flour
1 C brown sugar
3 T butter
1½ C milk
2 egg yolks, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Combine flour, brown sugar, & butter, blend. Add milk & cook in heavy kettle, until thickened, stirring constantly.
Pour small amount of mixture over egg yolks, stirring vigorously. Return to kettle & boil 10 minutes longer or until thick. Add vanilla. Cool. Pour in to pie crust & top with meringue.
Meringue:
2 egg whites
4 T sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp. cream of tartar.
Brown in oven.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
2/3 C Molasses
½ C Sugar
½ C butter flavored shortening
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Baking soda
2 C flour
1 C Sour milk
1 egg, beaten
Heat first 6 ingredients to boiling, stirring constantly.  Cool to lukewarm. Sift soda and four together and add alternately with milk and eggs, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Pour into lined cupcake pans and bake in a 350° oven for 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes 16 cupcakes.
Orange Buttercream Frosting
½ C butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
Zest from 1 orange
2 T of orange juice (more if needed for spreading consistence)
Cream butter, gradually beat in sugar, creaming well. Add zest from orange and orange juice; beat to blend thoroughly creating desired spreading consistence.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
3¼ C sifted flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter or margarine
1¼ C sugar
1 egg
½ tsp oil of anise
¼ C of milk
Red food coloring
Measure flour, baking powder and salt together in sifter. Cream butter or margarine and sugar in large bowl; beat in egg and anise oil. Sift in dry ingredients, a third at a time, adding alternately with milk; stir until well-blended.
Spoon half of dough into medium-size bowl; blend in a few drops of red coloring to tint dough pink; leave other half plain.Pinch off about a teaspoonful each of pink and white doughs at a time, and roll each into a pencil-thin strip about 5 inches long on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board.  Place strips side by side,  then twist the 2 into a rope.  Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° 10 minutes or until firm. Remove carefully, cool on wire racks.  Store with waxed paper or transparent wrap between layers, in container with a tight fitting lid.  (If time does not permit the making of the twists, the dough works well for drop cookies.) (December, 1962 “Everywoman’s Family Circle”)

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
24 maraschino cherries with stems
Waxed paper
1 Packag of Chocolate or White Candy Coat
24 milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses
48 almond slices
ICING:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Black, red & blue food coloring (Black & Red for White Mice – Blue for Christmas)
Icing bags or 2 plastic sandwich bags
Drain the cherries and dry them off with a paper towel.  Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Unwrap the Hershey’s kisses.
Melt the candy coat squares as needed in a double boiler or microwave until smooth
Holding a cherry by its stem, dip it into the chocolate and swirl it around to completely cover the fruit. Set it on its side on the waxed paper (twist the stem so it sticks up). Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss onto the cherry for the head. Then immediately press (gently) two almond slices in between the cherry and the kiss for the ears. Repeat to make each mouse.
Make a thick icing by mixing 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with a teaspoon of water. If the mixture is too dry, stir in more water, a few drops at a time, until you have a thick, smooth icing. Divide the icing among three small bowls.
Tint one bowl of icing black or blue. Spoon each of the three icings into a plastic bag and snip a tiny corner from each. Pipe white eye dots on the mice for eyes, let them set for 10 minutes. Pipe blue or black dot on each of the white dots (animate them to look different ways!), let set & serve. For white mice, pipe red eye dots on the mice, let them set for 10 minutes then pipe black pupils onto eye.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
4 eight ounce pkgs cream cheese
6 oz sour cream
1 cube (½ cup) butter
5 eggs
2 T cornstarch
 ¼ C sugar
1¼ tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
Let cream cheese, sour cream, butter and eggs, stand at room temperature for 1 hour.  Preheat over to 375°. Blend cream cheese, butter sour cream together.  Add cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Blend.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat well each time. Pour into 9 to 9-1/2″ greased spring form pan. Place in larger roasting pan filled with enough warm water to come halfway up the side of the spring form pan. Bake 1 hour or until top is golden brown.  Turn off oven.  Let cake sit in oven 1 hour with door open. Remove from oven and let sit 2 hours.  Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours before serving.  Makes a nice presentation if you top with cherry pie filling and let some of the “juice” run down the side. If you prefer a cheesecake with a crumb bottom, use 1 Cup flour, mix in 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional) and 6 Tbsps butter.  Press onto the bottom of the springform pan, Bake 325° degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
2/3 C dried apricots
½ C soft butter or margarine
¼ C granulated sugar
1 C sifted all purpose flour
1/3 C sifted all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼  tsp salt
1 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ C chopped nuts
Confectioners’ sugar
Rinse apricots, cover with water, and boil 10 minutes. Drain, cool, chop.  Heat oven to 350°. Grease 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan. Mix until crumbly: butter, granulated sugar, and 1 cup flour. Pack into pan.  Bake about 25 minute or until lightly browned.  Sift together 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, salt. Gradually beat brown sugar into eggs.  Add flour mixture and mix well.  Mix in vanilla, nuts and apricots. Spread over baker layer.  Bake 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pan and then cut into bars.  Roll in confectioners’ sugar. (Old “Good Housekeeping Magazine” — 1960′s)