Pasta Puttanesca with Villa del Monte's Cabernet Sauvignon

In Murder Before The Bell Rick is having dinner with Mona, a woman whose estranged husband  may have killed the principal of Central High School.

"I hope that you don't mind my ordering," Mona said. "But this happens to be the best item on the menu. Puttanesca was created by the prostitutes of Naples to give them strength and stamina."

Rick Podowski and the Hefty Trio a group of four middle-aged overweight high school English teachers fight to save their friend accused of murdering the school principal. The story begins when Rick arrives at Central High School and sees the administration building engulfed in flames. Later, the police discover the charred body of the principal and as the police start to gather evidence to frame the acting principal, Rick and the Hefty Trio start their own inquiry. They discover that their friend and the principal are both involved in illegal activities with a former South Vietnamese Colonel who runs a language school on the campus every Sunday. The community loves the Colonel and is unaware that he owns a house of prostitution in the neighborhood and employs a local Mexican gang for security. A rival gang wants part of the action. The excitement continues as Rick and the Hefty Trio while working to solve the mystery indulge in gourmet Mexican, Irish, Italian and Polish dishes from their ethnic heritages, paired with unique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

Rick's Pasta Puttanesca with Villa del Monte's Cabernet Sauvignon

Rick has always been amazed by the varied and types of pastas found in Italy. The Villa del Monte Cabernet Sauvignon has a complex bouquet and flavors that go well with this dish.

Serves 6

28 ounce canned chopped tomatoes

1 pound of linguine

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 to 4 anchovies

2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

A pinch to 1 teaspoon or more of red pepper flakes

1/3 cup black olives, chopped or sliced

1-1/2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon of dried parsley

Bring a pot of water to a boil and then cook the pasta.

While the water is warming, heat the olive oil in a stainless steel or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute, stirring or tossing frequently until onion is transparent but not browned. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes; continue to saute for another minute or two.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until heated through. Then, add the olives, capers, and herbs. Continue to stir until very hot to give time for the flavors to mix and develop. This takes about five minutes. Taste and salt if necessary.

Mix with drained pasta. This dish is best served with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Rick likes to serve this dish with a Caprese salad made from garden tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  He pours some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the dish.

Villa del Monte Winery

John Overstreet and Neil Perrelli have continued to work in Silicon Valley high tech companies. Since they were neighbors, and both had a passion for making wine they joined six other families and an experienced winemaker to produce their own wine and this continued for about six years. The first wine was an excellent Pinot and this encouraged them to continue. Finally they decided to become professionals and they have been making wine under the Villa del Monte label since 2006.

They purchase grapes from the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara Valley, and from Napa County. The Cabernet and Pinot Noir grapes come from small plots of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains managed by John and Neil. The grapes are pressed and crushed on site, and aged in French and American oak barrels in the forest-protected, solar-powered winery building.

When the wine is ready an army of over two hundred volunteers descend on the winery to do the bottling and the labeling. The winery enjoys huge support from the community because John and Neil donate a substantial amount of wine for charity events.

The winery production is 1,000 cases a year of Chardonnay, Cabernet, Malbec, Merlot, Merlot Dessert wine, Pinot, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Syrah Rosé. They have won many awards for their fine wines.

Irish Shepherd's Pie with Pelican Ranch Cinsault

Irish Shepherd's Pie, Garden Tomatoes, And Dutch Crunch Bread

Rick had a hard time getting through the day of the memorial service, and it was a relief that evening when Elaine arrived home, to sit on the deck and share an Irish Shepherds Pie while drinking Pelican Ranch Censault. Wanting to keep Rick's cholesterol manageable, Elaine had made the pie with turkey, instead of beef, and the gravy combined with the mashed potatoes provided the perfect comfort food.

                                                                    From Death Of A Foster Child

Death of a Foster Child explores the guilt felt when the foster placement of a teenage girl in the home of Rick Podowski and his wife failed. To complicate matters, the foster child was brutally murdered and the authorities believe she was selling drugs on the school campus and by implication asserted that the foster parents allowed this behavior. Rick Podowski with the help of Leti Ramos, Erin McGinty and Teresa Spinelli, also know as The Hefty Trio investigate to learn the truth.

In the process of investigating, they discover the world of drug sales on the high school campus, the underlying challenges facing students in a gang infested school, as well as the difficulties faced by special education students. The reader will experience the frustrations of foster parents when faced with a system that is designed to keep the children dependent. Suggestions to improve foster care and move the children towards independence are provided at the end of the book.

Rick and The Hefty Trio love to eat and the book contains ethnic recipes with pairings of boutique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

Irish Shepherd's Pie with Pelican Ranch Cinsault

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium chopped onion

2 sliced carrots

4 tablespoons flour

1 can of beef stock

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 pound cooked ground beef or ground turkey

1 1/2 pounds mashed potatoes

8 ounces of frozen peas

Irish cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F. Brown the ground beef or ground turkey. Remove from the pan.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and sauté it. After adding the carrots, stir in the flour and cook until it is slightly browned then add the stock and herbs.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce it a little by cooking for about five minutes. Add the meat and bring it back to a boil. Add the frozen peas.

Place in a pie pan or a deep baking dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes. Grate some Irish cheese over the top about 10 minutes before the end of cooking for extra flavor.

Serves 4

Pelican Ranch Cinsault 

Pelican Ranch Winery is a small family owned and operated winery specializing in Rhone and Burgundy style wines from the best vineyards in California. Established in 1997, production is limited to 100 cases from each vineyard for a total of about 1500 cases. The winery began commercial production in 1997 in a shared space with the Roudon-Smith Winery in Scotts Valley. In 2003, they were one of the first to open a tasting room in the Surf City Winemaker's area of Santa Cruz. February 1, 2011, marked the establishment of their new facility in Capitola.

Phil Crews, the owner and winemaker, is a professor of chemistry at UCSC's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and a noted expert in marine sponges. As part of his curriculum, he also teaches a course titled, Introduction to Wines and Wine Chemistry.

His wines are made using Oregon Oak for all of his reds, which are unfiltered and unfined and French barrels for his Chardonnay. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Pinotage, Grenache, Syrah Rose, Raspberry Dessert Wine, Chardonnay, and Rousanne.

Bigos—Hunter's Stew (The Polish national Dish) with Burrell School's Syrah

To bolster his new determination, Rick recalled his favorite saying, "When faced with a crisis —make dinner." Beginning with a glass of Burrell School's Syrah he focused for a second on the bold flavor. It was a double award winner and an absolutely great tasting wine. Going to the refrigerator, he took out the pot of Bigos that he had made earlier in the week. Bigos was always better a few days later when the flavors of the sauerkraut, ham, and Polish sausage had thoroughly blended together.

                                                    Rick Podowski in Murder Before The Bell

Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio fight to save their friend accused of murdering the school principal. The story begins when Rick arrives at Central High School and sees the administration building engulfed in flames. Later, the police discover the charred body of the principal and as the police start to gather evidence to frame the acting principal, Rick and The Hefty Trio start their own inquiry. They discover that their friend and the principal are both involved in illegal activities with a former South Vietnamese Colonel who runs a language school on the campus every Sunday. The community loves the Colonel and is unaware that he owns a house of prostitution in the neighborhood and employs a local Mexican gang for security. A rival gang wants part of the action. The excitement continues as Rick and The Hefty Trio while working to solve the mystery indulge in gourmet Mexican, Irish, Italian and Polish dishes from their ethnic heritages, paired with unique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

 Bigos—Hunter's Stew (The Polish national Dish) with Burrell School's Syrah

This recipe comes from the Bigos Bar website first developed by Mike Oborski, the honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Kidderminister, England. Rick likes this dish with a glass of Burrell School's Syrah because the boldness of the dish is complemented by the boldness of the wine. 

Serves 4 (This recipe can be doubled or tripled)

1 lb. sauerkraut

1/2 lb. ham with bone, pork spareribs pork rib roast, or chicken

1 bay leaves

1/2 ounce. dried mushrooms, chopped

1/2 onion chopped and sautéed in butter

5 black peppercorns

3 allspice berries

1/4-teaspoon salt

4 cups beef broth,

1 lbs. green cabbage, chopped like sauerkraut

1 tablespoons butter or margarine

l pound of Polish Kiełbasa

Rinse sauerkraut with cold water and drain well. In a large stockpot, combine sauerkraut, ham or pork, bay leaves, mushrooms, peppercorns, allspice and salt. Add 2 cups of broth, bouillon, or water. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes. Remove meat and let it cool.

Place cabbage in a large saucepan. Add remaining 2 cups broth, bouillon, or water. Bring to boil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, 1 hour or until cabbage is tender. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Bone the cooked meat. Cut cooked meat into 1/2-inch cubes.

Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add cooked meat, smoked sausage, and white sausage. Sauté over medium heat 10 minutes or until browned. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Also, add the onions. Cover and cook over low heat 1 hour or longer. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve hot.

Bigos, pierogi and salad--delicious!

 The secret of old-time Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated on successive days, peaking at the 6th or 7th day. In between, store covered in the refrigerator.