Wildfire holds gluten free wine dinner

Wildfire in Tysons Corner will host a gluten-free wine dinner on August 10. Here are the deets:


Wildfire Tysons Galleria features a savory gluten-free menu daily that offers guests a worry-free culinary experience full of flavor.

Executive Chef Steven Lukis creates the evening’s dinner to feature menus items such as Citrus Cured Salmon and Braised Short Ribs. Co-founder of DC Gluties (http://www.dcgluties.com/), Brandi Horton, will discuss eating and drinking gluten-free.

The four-course dinner will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The entire evening – food, wine, tax and gratuity – is priced at $55 per person. Seating is limited. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Michelle Bringham at (703) 442-9110 or visit wildfirerestaurant.com.

Reception
Assorted Gluten Free Pizzas
shrimp & pesto, fresh mozzarella & tomato, roasted vegetable & goat cheese
Danzante Pinot Grigio ‘08

First Course
Citrus Cured Salmon
baby greens, hazelnut vinaigrette
Estancia Monterey Chardonnay ‘07

Second Course
Braised Short Rib
roasted root vegetables
Hess “Monterey/Mendocino” Syrah ‘06

Dessert
Pear Tartlet
crème anglaise
Robert Mondavi Moscato d’Oro ‘06

Kelly's been having a grape time

Sorry for the dark blog for the past few weeks--I had a great trip to the Alto Adige wine region in northeastern Italy, and I've been swamped catching up.

Stay tuned for more info from Kelly's Grape Times. And in the meantime, follow me on Twitter @kmagyarics. You can also see my latest tweets on the home page of my blog.

Cheers!

N/A "Rickeys"

I have been feeling a bit under the weather the past few days, so I've been playing around with some n/a versions of the Rickey (I'm using that term liberally, as they all have club soda, but lack the gin or bourbon in a "real" Rickey.) Using any of a number of syrups infused with fresh herbs, and other simple ingredients, renders some refreshing takes that are perfect anytime you want something tasty but unleaded.

For all of the infused syrups, take 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar and put them into a small saucepan. Let it come to a boil, and then boil until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, and add a good handful of the herbs of choice. Let steep for 15 minutes, or to taste. Remove the herbs, let the syrup cool completely, and then place into a container with a tightly fitting lid. The syrups will keep for a week or so in the fridge.

Here are some combos to try:

* Rosemary syrup, lemon bitters and/or squeezed lemon wedge, club soda.

* Basil syrup, muddled strawberries, club soda

* Basil syrup, tomato water (fresh or strained tomato juice), club soda, freshly cracked pepper.

* Lavender syrup, grapefruit juice and/or grapefruit bitters, club soda

* Thai Basil syrup, coconut water or juice (not coconut milk), lime juice, club soda

* Sage syrup, muddled blackberries, lemon juice, club soda