Chef Jason's Butternut Squash Bisque

Not everyone liked the squash that grandma put on the table while you were growing up.

Whoa now.  I am not discrediting the hard work your grandmother put into preparing the perfect Thanksgiving Day feast.  I am simply saying that, when you think back to those memorable meals of years past, do you really remember the squash?

Not all take the time to make a squash dish right.  Some boil squash.  Some roast with butter, brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon.  It has become a secondary side, passed over for more delicious Thanksgiving offerings.

Butternut squash can be a delicious side dish when you get to know and understand what you are working with.  Butternut squash is a SuperFood; it is high in antioxidants and low in calories, which assists in providing energy. The taste profile is similar to a pumpkin; it is nutty and sweet.  The riper the gourd becomes, the sweeter it is.  To create a well balanced dish, add a little spice to it!

Want to "wow" your guests on Turkey Day this year?  Follow the instructions below to make a scrumptious butternut squash bisque that is sure to become a family favorite.

Ingredients:

1 each butternut squash peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes

2 medium onions diced in 1 inch cubes

2 carrots diced in 1 inch cubes

3 stalks of celery diced in 1 inch cubes

3 granny smith apples peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes

3 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon of Ancho chili powder

A little (and I mean a little pinch) of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

6 cups chicken stock

2 to 3 cups heavy cream

Pinch of basil or micro greens (optional)

Step 1:  Gather and prep your ingredients

Cutting the butternut squash, carrots, celery, and apples into 1 inch cubes takes some time.  May I recommend a good chef's knife to assist in cutting?  I prefer a Henckels Four Star 8 inch chef's knife.  It holds and edge well when properly maintained and cuts effortlessly.  It fits well in my hand...but I have smaller hands.  Stay tuned for a separate blog pertaining to knife selection and use.

I also recommend putting on some tunes while you prepare this dish.  My personal favorites are anything by Pearl Jam or holiday tunes when preparing for Thanksgiving.  Having the football game in the background also helps pass the chopping time.  Total time to prepare your ingredients: 30 Minutes.

Step 2:  Mix and bake.

How's your hand feeling?!  Typically after chopping for 30 minutes I'll take a 5 minute break.   This is an ideal time to get a glass of wine.  Tony Miller always provides excellent recommendations!

Mix all of your well chopped ingredients, along with the spices, together.  Doesn't it look like fall?

Roast in a 350° oven for 40 minutes stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3:  Boil and simmer.

After the veggies are done add them to a large stock pot and add your 6 cups of chicken stock.

My personal recommendation for a good chicken stock is Swanson 33% Less Sodium Broth.  It is a quality product that does not sacrifice flavor.  Making your own chicken broth is always preferable; however Swanson’s is a quality shortcut.  I use it in the kitchen quite often.

Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 4:  Blend.

Using a stick blender or a blender puree, blend the ingredients.  At this point your mixture will be soft enough to do so.  Feel free to finish the glass of wine you obtained after Step 1.

Step 5:  Add cream, season to taste.

Add 2-3 cups of heavy cream and simmer again for about 20 minutes. Make sure you taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Check the score of the football game.  I personally am a New York Giants fan and they typically do not play on Thanksgiving Day.  This always makes watching football and preparing food less stressful. 

For the Cowboys fans out there, start preparing this dish before your game starts.  Go Giants.

Step 6:  Plate, serve, and enjoy!

Using a ladle, pour the fruits of your labor into your favorite soup vessel.  Garnish with a pinch of basil or micro greens if you deem necessary.

Enjoy with crusted bread and wine! 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Chef Jason Lee is the Chef de Cuisine at The Westin Kierland Villas.

Chef graduated Mohawk Community College in Rome, New York.

He has been the Chef de Cuisine at The Westin Kierland Villas since June 2013.

The Wine Newsletter: Q4 2016

Have you ever attended a wine event on property, either the Wine Tasting or the Reserve Wine Dinner? For those who have, you know the extensive knowledge resident wine expert Tony Miller showcases weekly during our signature events. Many who have attended haven’t do so just once; you come back time and time again for great company, educational information, and a unique wine experience.

For those of your who haven’t attended, I recommend contacting our Concierge Team at 480.624.1702 and reserving your spot now! These events fill up quite quickly as Tony has creating quite the following over the past decade.

Many of you may recall opting to receive wine information during your last visit. I am excited to see such a high response rate and desire for wine information. I have asked for Tony’s assistance in authoring the Wine Newsletter. Wine trends, a featured grape, and our newest wines on site will highlight the newsletter.

Without further ado, the Wine Newsletter by Tony Miller…

Current Trends

Consolidation and expansion. 

Family wineries are being purchased by larger wine groups or conglomerates and those larger groups are expanding their holding and their reach across the globe. For those who favor family wineries over large corporate-run wineries, the trend towards consolidation may not be a good one as it could lead to conglomerates squeezing out small wineries on store shelves or  increasing winery production at the expense of quality.  However, the Jackson Family Wineries see acquisitions differently and their model may in fact be a good thing for the consumer.

Jess Jackson sought out opportunities to purchase premium wineries to augment his Kendall-Jackson label and at the time of his death in 2011.  He had purchased wineries as diverse and as famous as Byron, Matanzas Creek, Arrowood, Freemark Abbey and Cambria. After Jess's passing, the Family has aggressively expanded into Oregon, a state in which they had no holdings.  Jackson now owns four wineries in Oregon, including Willakenzie and Penner-Ash as well as owns over 1000 acres of vineyards and looking for more. They own wineries South Africa, Italy, France, Australia and also bought Siduri, Field Stone and Copain in California. The Jackson Family now owns over 40 wineries world-wide and they're continuing to look in Australia and England (for sparkling wines).

 You may ask: how is this potentially good for consumers?  Many small family-owned wineries don't have the marketing expertise or the funds to distribute nationally or even regionally.  The Jackson national distribution system is unmatched so greater national distribution of their small winery products is likely. In addition, when Jackson buys a winery, it is to improve overall wine quality while leaving each winery's house style mostly untouched. Sometimes conglomerates purchase a winery to rapidly expand their production to take advantage of a good trade name, often at the expense of overall quality. Jackson brings premium vineyard sourcing, a deep bench of experienced winemakers, branding and marketing experts, national distribution and very deep pockets to the table with no need to carelessly expand wine production. Taken together, it’s reasonable for the consumer to expect better access to better wines once each new Jackson-owned winery is fully integrated into their corporate structure.

In general, as the Jackson theory of buying wineries is to improve them and market their products effectively, being purchased by the Jackson Family is a good thing for small wineries and potentially for the consumer. Many of the previous winery owners/winemakers stay on, free to concentrate on doing the hands-on work of a winery and not having to worry day-to-day about marketing, sales or the financials. Their one charge is to produce good wine. Only time will tell where/when this expansion and consolidation ends, and not all large wine groups align themselves with the Jackson acquisition model, but based on the expansion of  the Jackson Family holdings and the overall quality that Jackson's premium portfolio produces, consolidation need not be a bad development for the wine consumer.

Featured Grape: Torrontes

The featured grape for this newsletter is Argentina's famous white grape known as Torrontes. With over 30,00 acres planted in Argentina, it is, by far the most widely planted white grape in that country. 

The Torrontes currently grown in Argentina is really three different grapes; Torrontes Riojano, Torrontes Sanjuanino and Torrontes Mendocino, and although Torrontes is strictly a New World grape, they all trace their roots back to Spain. Each variety has slightly different flavor traits, but DNA profiling of this grape shows all Torrontes to be the progeny of the crossing between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica,two common Spanish varieties. Today's Torrontes incorporates the best of these two parent grapes; the bright acidity of Criolla and the aromatics of Muscat.

Sales of Torrontes in the United States are growing as more consumers try this unique wine. This grape seems to thrive in Argentina's arid, high altitudes vineyards, especially those in Mendoza and Salta.  When carefully grown and made, Torrontes can be a beautifully aromatic dry white wine that offers bright fruits, crisp acidity and beautiful floral aromas. When proper care is not taken (when the grapes are over cropped or fermentation is rushed) Torrontes can be bitter, limp and overly alcoholic. Care needs to be taken when selecting a Torrontes as not all of them are good, but when the qualities of this unique grape are properly displayed, it can be a beautiful and unique wine for any occasion.

Wines of the Quarter

2015 Kaiken Terroir Series Torrontes
Kaiken was established in 2002 by Aurelio Montes, founding partner of the world-famous Montes Winery in Chile. His intent was to produce uniquely Argentinean wines that differ from his Chilean products.  Aurelio's son Aurelio, Jr. is now the winemaker at Kaiken and he's creating wonderful wines that fulfill his father's vision; thoroughly Argentinean.

Although Kaiken produces several Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, their Torrontes is consistently a great expression of this grape. The vineyards, at an elevation of 5200 feet, offer plenty of sun and very cool nights which is perfect for Torrontes. The grapes were hand-picked in March 2015 in the early morning and immediately destemmed and gently crushed before slow, cold, 21 day fermentation in stainless steel. The wine was then allowed to settle and age in stainless for six months before bottling, having never seen any oak.

The wine displays classic Torrontes aromas and flavors of ripe peaches, mango, oranges, tangerines, white grapefruit, pears, pineapple, kiwi and apricots along with hints of vanilla crème, honeydew, almonds and spring flowers.  It shows very intense fruits along with beautiful floral aromatics, bright, thirst-quenching acidity and a satisfyingly layered finish. What makes this wine particularly interesting is the near-perfect balance of aromas and acids.  Some Torrontes can be flabby in the absence of natural acids and others can be overly floral to the point that the fruit is obscured.  

This Torrontes treads that fine line perfectly and is thus a wonderful wine to pair with holiday ham, pork chops, Cornish game hens, crab cakes, grilled salmon, Asian stir-fry, grilled shrimp, lemon chicken, sushi/sashimi, New England clam chowder, prosciutto-wrapped melon or a cheese/fruit plate.  Drink it now and over the next 9-12 months.  Only 2000 cases were produced and most of it went to the U.K. This wine has very little exposure in the U.S.  -  $23.99 per bottle

2013 Diora Three Crowns Estate Red

Gaspare Indelicato's family grew wine grapes in Sicily for many generations so when he came to California from Sicily over 90 years ago, it was natural that he planted vineyards. His first vineyard was planted near the Central Valley town of Manteca in 1924. The family wine business grew into a very large winery operation over the ensuing years by marketing almost twenty different wine trade names, all of which emphasized value-priced wines aimed at the mass market. However, they've recently expanded their wine portfolio to include a few upscale and more interesting wines still offered at relative value pricing.

Their Diora line features the Three Crowns blend from their vineyards near Monterey.  This area was chosen for vineyards because its proximity to the cooling breezes of Monterey Bay delays grape ripening and provides richer fruit with great flavor density. It took 20 days in multiple vineyards to pick all the fruit vine-by-vines with several passes through each vineyard to pick each vine at optimum ripeness by hand. In 2013, the wine is composed of 84% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 4% Viognier and 4% Petite Sirah, all hand-picked before separate stainless steel fermentation. Each wine was then aged separately in 92% new French oak for 18 months before the final blend was composed and bottled. 

The inclusion of the aromatic white grape Viognier in this blend is interesting. Viognier seems to darker the color of this red wine while intensifying both the aroma and the depth of flavor. The final blend displays aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, black cherries, red and black plums, wild strawberries and black raspberries along with hints of white pepper, spring flowers, vanilla and black olives. It shows a very soft, lush texture, low acids and velvety tannins and a long easy-drinking black-fruit-filled finish.

Pair it with grilled steaks, ribs, burgers, pizza, lamb chops, steak tacos, pork tenderloin, lasagna, a cheese plate or dark chocolate brownies. Drink it now and over the next 18-24 months. Only 1125 cases were produced.  (L.A. International Wine Competition 96 points Best of Class) (California State Fair Wine Competition 95 points Best of Class) (Wine Enthusiast 93 points) - $29.95 per bottle

If you desire any further information or would like to purchase the wine, please contact John Voita directly at john.voita@westin.com.  Please note that deliveries are not available to all areas.  We recommend that if you desire wine for the holiday season that it be shipped no later than December 12th.  

Wine Event Information

It is always a pleasure hosting the wine events for you.  Please be sure to register prior to your arrival to ensure you are a part of the experience.  Thank you.

Tony Miller

Resident Wine Expert

The Westin Kierland Villas

The Villas Explorer: November 12 - November 18

Below are a list of our on sight activities for the week on November 12 to November 18.

To register for any events, please contact the Concierge at 480.624.1702.

John Voita
Food, Beverage, and FUN Manager

john.voita@westin.com

Thanksgiving Pre-Order Information

Who is ready for Turkey Day?! 

Guests travel great distances to spend their holiday season with us at The Westin Kierland Villas.  In an effort to make you feel at home, the Culinary Team offers the option of having us prepare their Thanksgiving feast for them.  Please take a look at our offerings available this year (below).

As Chef Jason Lee describes it:

My team and I are ready to make your Thanksgiving a memorable one!

A traditional New England Thanksgiving feast with a twist from our team. Kicked up giblet gravy not shy on the giblets, cornbread stuffing loaded with fresh chestnuts and cranberries. Not your Grandmas Cranberry mold but my very own personal twist loaded with warm spices and red wine.  This year we are offering something new (and something guests love during our Fire Up the FUN: Grilling 101 events): Chef Travis' famous cider brined slow roasted pork loin!  It is sure to leave you wanting more!  A roasted butternut squash bisque like none other plus much more.

If you desire to have us prepare their meal, please note the following:

• All orders must be placed by 12:00pm on Monday, November 21 and submitted to the McDowell Market and Grill.
• Payment will be required upon ordering.
• Orders can be retrieved between 11:00am and 4:00pm on Thanksgiving Day.

     
           If you would like to order prior to your arrival, please print the menu below, annotate what you desire, and email it to john.voita@westin.com.

Welcome to The Westin Kierland Villas Blog

Welcome to The Westin Kierland Villas Blog.  

My name is John Voita, III.  For those of you who I have not had the pleasure to meet, I am the Food, Beverage, and FUN Manager at your lovely resort.  I have been an associate on this property since March of 2007, joining the team as a Service Express Attendant following my service in the United States Army.  After three years of providing assistance on our Front Drive I was promoted to your FUN Supervisor.  In 2012 I became your FUN Manager.  In August of 2014 I began managing all food and beverage operations as well.

The journey I have experienced here at The Westin Kierland Villas has been, well, fun!  Not many people have the pleasure of waking up each day and going into a workplace that essentially is a vacation.  Even fewer are tasked with creating a “fun” environment for those who desire to participate.  I am blessed to have been a part of your vacations for nearly a decade.

I have always enjoyed providing memorable experiences while you are staying with us.  Now I have the opportunity to continue providing those experiences following your departure.  Again, welcome to The Westin Kierland Villas Blog.

This blog has been created in an effort to continue to provide “fun” information to you following your departure.  Need a recipe from Chef Jason?  I have access to his recipe book!  Want to know what wines Tony Miller is pouring currently?  I have the distinct pleasure of talking to him almost every day!  What is the name of the tree at the Recreation Pool?  What’s happening in the Scottsdale area?  When are property renovations occurring?  What is in the Fifty Dollar Margarita?  This blog will be a place to stay connected.

I will be the “Editor in Chief” of this blog.   Different associates on property will contribute, providing insight to several aspects and topics.  I will even get our General Manager, Scott Caldwell, to author some articles!  I will edit and put forth the information to you, sharing our blog posts on our social media sites.  If you have ideas for an editorial topic, please let me know! 

My hope is that the information you obtain from this blog will be beneficial and educational.  Your property is beautiful and I am excited to provide you with another avenue to stay connected to it.

John Voita, III

Food, Beverage, and FUN Manager

john.voita@westin.com