Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups (250 g/ or 1/2 lb) flour
3/4 cup (100g or 3 1/4 oz) cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (175 g or 6 oz) butter
1 3/4 cup (350 g or 15 oz) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups (300 ml or 1/2 pt) well-rounded red wine
Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)

*For the wine jelly*
1/2 cup (125 g or 4 oz) concord grape jelly
2 to 3 tablesppons cabernet sauvignon or red wine

Mixing Instructions:
Requires 2 9-inch cake pans. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the pans, line each with a round of parchment paper and brush again with butter. Sprinkle the pan with flour, discarding the excess. Sift flour with cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter in an electric mixer, beat in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, then the vanilla, and continue beating 1 to 2 minutes. Sift a third of the flour mixture over the butter mixture and fold them together, using spoon. Fold in a third of the wine. Add the remain flour and wine alternately in two batches. Spread the batter in the prepared pans.

Cooking Instructions:
Bake in the oven until the cakes start to shrink from the sides of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes; a metal skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Let the cakes cook 10 minutes in the pans, then turn them out on a rack to cook completely. Meanwhile, make the wine jelly: melt the jelly with the wine over low heat, stirring gently until combined. Let cool. Shortly before serving, sandwich the cake layers with the cooled jelly. Sprinkle the top with confectioners sugar and transfer the cake to a plate to serve.

Ingredients:
4 giant portabella mushrooms
1 clove minced garlic or 1 minced shallot
6 to 8 marinated sun dried tomatoes, minced
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon each: minced fresh thyme, basil and oregano
1/4 cup chopped pecans or tasted pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Mixing Instructions:
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and grate or mince the stems. In a small bowl, combine the stems, garlic, tomatoes, Gruyere chees, red wine, herbs and nuts. Season the stuffing to taste with salt and pepper (If the sun-dried tomatoes are salty, no additional salt may be needed. Brush the mushroom caps with the olive oil and mound the stuffing inside.

Cooking Instructions:
Grill or broil until the cheese starts to melt, about 10 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 lb lean (88% lean ground beef)
1/4 lb ground pork
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley (fresh preferred)
1/2 to 1 cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs (Progresso)
2 to 4 full tablespoons grated Italian cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine

Mixing Instructions:
In a bowl, add the eggs, garlic, parsley, grated cheese and wine. Add meat and mix well. Add breadcrumbs slowly to obtain a consistency to form a tightly rolled ball.

Cooking Instructions:
Fry in a skillet with 1/4" deep oil. Turn heat on to medium. Gently brown meatballs on all sides, turning carfully not to break them or have them stick to the skillet. Simmer in your favorite tomato sauce for futher cooking.

Notes:
Depending on your taste, use garlic as you prefer...also grated cheese.

Ingredients:
2 Lbs Ground Meat:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb Italian sausage (released from casing)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup grated Italian cheese
1/2 cup catsup
2 Tbsp. mustard
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup red wine

Mixing Instructions:
In a large bowl, add eggs, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, onion, cheese, catsup, mustard and wine. Mix well Add meat. Mix gently but thoroughly by hand until all ingredients have been incorporated into the meat. Add breadcrumb, (more if necessary) to obtain a firm consistence, not loose, not crumbly. Top with slices of bacon

Cooking Instructions:
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Pour off drippings

Let stand for 15 minutes before removing from pan for slicing.