Denis Culinary Tours

GROUNDWORK GRENACHE This wine flaunts the diversity and elegance of Central Coast Grenache, leading with aromatics of raspberry cobbler, white pepper, Moroccan dates, tart cherries, cocoa powder, brown sugar and Provencal lamb stew. In the mouth are subtle shadings from blood orange, eucalyptus, fresh ground espresso roast, thyme, forest floor and grilled venison. A pleasant, dusty herbaciousness rounds out the palate, recalling rosemary, sage and tarragon. It is a wine with ... the complexity of offerings twice its price. GROUNDWORK GRENACHE BLANC A lively nose of jasmine, honeysuckle, snap pea, thai sweet basil and belgian farm ale spicing, leads in to a luxurious, viscous palate. There are flavors of ginger ale, cucumber water, candied grapefruit, wild strawberries and junmai sake, that are have depth in saline-rich minerality. Finishes with elegance, marked by acidity that can handle diverse food. You can find this one at Ensminger Liquor Store - more information

Summer is all about 'les légumes' - and one of the vegetables we enjoy working with is: the round zucchini. They are super versatile and perfect for stuffing!  Create your own recipe and share it with us. Heat the oven to 350 Chopped all vegetables Sauteed vegetables in olive oil Stuffed zucchinis Place in an oven dish with broth at the bottom. Cook for about 1 hour.

Bluestem ,  one of Kansas City’s premiere dining destinations, has reopened last week with a brand new look.  After a brief close for renovation, space in the sleek new kitchen was reconfigured so that diners can watch their food as it is plated in the open kitchen area. The pastry kitchen, located at the back of the lounge, is also an open layout, inviting glimpses of the expert chefs creating bluestem’s decadent desserts. Dining Room Lounge Bar Dining room Photos by Bonjwing Lee

 A Sunday or so ago, current husband and I trekked out to Independence for a chance to create our own bowl at bd’s Mongolian Barbeque. There’s also one in Overland Park, but I was determined to go east because I’d heard about their enormous beer selection – good enough reason to go, said my obliging hubby.  First the food – there’s lots of it, you get to choose what you want, and it’s all quite tasty. There are a couple of different price points, depending on just how hungry you are, and you can eat it there of course, take it to go, or eat it there AND take it to go all very, very reasonably. I think big eaters really like it here. Once you’ve filled your bowl(s) with meats and /or fish (Surimi aka Krab, mussels, shrimp, calamari), vegetables of all varieties, and more other stuff than I can remember, you create your sauce (there’s recipes on the walls for the challenged) from a huge variety of oils, sauces and spices, and take it all over to the grill where a young ma...

Who is Al Fresco anyway and when can I meet him?  Em Chamas After our so-called spring (really, snow forecast for April 14th?), it’s time to dine outside. Any time you can, in Kansas City, you should. No, you must. Even if you are in the anti-outside contingent, therefore likely a member also of the “I hate picnics” cabal, at least once a season you should choose to dine under the stars, among the cars, outside the bars. Why? you ask. For goshsake’s why? Meet Al Fresco. Actually it’s a what, not a who. Sometimes written hyphenated or as one word, alfresco, it originated in the 1700s in Italy: literally meaning ‘in the fresh’ and it often referred to mural painting, on fresh and not-so-dry plaster. The English adapted the fresh part and added it to air, hence dining outside or in the open air. Several reasons come to mind. First, in our beloved Kansas City, chancing McCormick & Schmick's upon a day that’s still glorious when you have chosen to eat out i...

Vermeil Wine Dinner at The Majestic Restaurant Wednesday, May 14th 2014 6:30pm Join Coach Dick Vermeil of Vermeil Wines at The Majestic on Wednesday, May 14th at 6:30pm for a four course wine dinner featuring Vermeil Wines and a paired menu prepared by Chef Liz Huffman.  Coach will be on hand to talk about the wines during the meal and autograph bottles for sale after the dinner.   $60 per person - reservations required.  Call 816-221-1888 or  Online Reservation First Course   Poached and Chilled Wild Maine Mussels, Green Curry Aioli, Sugar Snap Peas, Red Bell Peppers, Romaine Hearts Vermeil Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Second Course   Savory Duck Confit Tart, Braised Leeks, Red Chard, Herbed Velouté Vermeil XXXIV Red Blend 2009 Third Course Grilled Petite Filet, Shiitake Mushroom Risotto, Fried Spinach, Roasted Garlic Oil Jean Louis Vermeil Frediani Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Fourth Course  Baked Gougeres,...

HOLLYWOOD CASINO GEARS UP FOR KANSAS SPEEDWAY'S FIRST EVER NIGHT RACES Driver meet-and-greet; patio post race party; live music; and Turn 2 Sports Bar specials are all celebrations at Hollywood Casino in honor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series night race weekend. Chefs and staff at Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway have created a full weekend of activities for race goers as well as those looking for an exciting way to celebrate gaming, racing, food and nightlife throughout the venues at Hollywood Casino. Kansas Speedway will host its first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series night race on May 10. In addition, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run under the lights the evening before for the first time on Friday, May 9. Festivities are planned throughout the weekend at Hollywood Casino to coincide with the races debut. "We've scheduled a variety of specials, restaurant events and parties that will appeal to race goers, casino guests and local Kansas Citian...

SPOTLIGHT: When a Pizza Place is Not JUST a Pizza Place . . . Phil Bourne and Waldo Pizza I caught Phil Bourne, owner of Waldo Pizza, twice in the last week – once at his restaurant, the other time on the phone.  Waldo Pizza has long been a favorite of ours – and almost everyone else in the broadly surrounding neighborhood as near as I could tell.  I’ve never been to the Lee’s Summit restaurant (1543 NE Douglas Street) The pizza joint has been there since 1987; Phil bought it on April Fool’s Day in 1993.  Originally from St. Louis, he’d been in the record business for a while, but his brother owned a casual restaurant and he thought it might be fun.  He started working at Waldo Pizza two years earlier – from dishwasher to delivery person to waiter before the original owners said they were tired of it and Phil made them an offer. Since then, he has basically turned it into simply the kind of pizza place he would enjoy himself.  It’s St. Louis ...

JJ’s restaurant plans to reopen in late summer in the new Plaza Vista building, 18-months after the original restaurant was demolished in a fiery explosion that killed one worker and injured others. Jimmy Frantzes considered rebuilding on the original JJ’s site but it was too expensive. "It is ironic to start over in the Plaza Vista site", Jimmy said. The new restaurant is going to have a prominent location with a large outdoor patio overlooking Roanoke, and the complex offered abundant parking. As for the original JJ’s site, a corner yellow brick facade and front entryway tile are nearly all that remain. The Frantze brothers haven’t decided what they will do with the property. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/23/4977102/jjs-restaurant-to-reopen-across.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/23/4977102/jjs-restaurant-to-reopen-across.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/23/4977102/jj...

Crepes with Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze and Mascarpone Ice Cream Serves 8 Total Time: 1 hour FOR CREPES 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1/2 cup water 6 tablespoons butter, melted (plus additional for cooking) 3 eggs 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt FOR RASPBERRY BALSAMIC GLAZE: 2 cups fresh raspberries 8 Tblsp balsamic vinegar reduction* 4 tablespoons sugar FOR ICE CREAM Cafe Provence Mascarpone Ice Cream* *Available at French Market. 1. In a blender, process the flour, milk, water, butter, sugar, eggs and salt in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk 1/3 cup at a time, until the batter is a liquid consistency. Set batter aside for 20 minutes. (Resting the batter is very important.) 2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the raspberries, balsamic vinegar, and sugar to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. Crush the cooked berries and strain the mixture, if desired, before serving....

Cheese Whiz Calm down.  It’s OK.  Not to worry.  You haven’t missed it YET.  I’m trying to quell the savage cheese loving beast I live with.  He’s salivating over National Cheese  Fondue Day and worried he somehow, in the cold months of winter, missed it. Again, calm.  Calm.  Focus.  For although National Cheese Lovers Day (January 20) is past, there is still . . . April 11 th !  If you’re already a member of the Melting Pot’s Club Fondue, you’ve received the magic email that gives you specials in the month of April at the restaurant which has the creamy, decadent meal down to a fine art.  Luckily, National Cheese Fondue Day has kinda morphed into a month at the Fondue Pot’s Plaza location so I went early to taste and test – primarily because this is a place that’s fallen off my radar over the years. What I discovered the other day, once downstairs, is a cozy yet big enough restaurant with spaces for families, ...

Join us for the 14th Street Wine Walk Saturday, April 26th, 2014 Stroll along 14th Street in the Power & Light District and enjoy various wines and tasting plates at each participating venue. GA tickets are $25 & VIP tickets are $40. Proceeds benefit the Young Leadership Committee of JDRF.   Must be 21+. General Admission tickets are $25 and VIP tickets are $40. Limited tickets available. Buy tickets at missiontix.com/KCWineWalk . #KCWineWalk

Talking with Ken Baker My last heart-to-heart was a few months ago with Celina Tio of Julian, Collection , and The Belfr y. The other day I got to spend a little quality time with Ken Baker, Proprietor and Chef at Pachamama’s in Lawrence.  I love talking with professionals like him who are articulate, interesting and fun, all at the same time.  First, if you’ve not been to this shiny restaurant for a while, hike on back.  It’s got a very cool vibe (how much does that term age me?) and an expanded (Star) Bar and outdoor dining area, should we ever be able to eat outside again.  Their happy hour with specials every night is worth the trip alone. But enough of that.  I wanted to know about the man wearing the apron. Turns out he started his own catering business in high school.  He was mostly inspired by a neighbor in the food industry from Africa who loved to cook – and gave Ken his first set of knives.  After graduating from KU (in politic...