Capital Prime March 2024 Newsletter

As the first blooms of spring begin to unfurl, we at Capital Prime invite you to awaken your senses to a season of renewal and celebration. This March, prepare to be enchanted by an exquisite Easter dinner buffet on March 31st, a symphony of flavors and colors meticulously curated to delight your palate.

 

Dive into a personal journey with our esteemed Chef Jennifer Miller, as she shares her culinary inspirations and secrets behind the sensational dishes awaiting you.

 

Join us in this month's journey of discovery, indulgence, and unforgettable experiences. Welcome to the March edition of your Capital Prime newsletter, where every word is a step into a world of exquisite tastes and serene escapes.

Chef's Corner: Preparing Seafood Dishes

Here we are, the beginning of March and temperatures are all over the place. Flowers are starting to pop back up; trees are budding; the birds have returned from their much shorter-than-normal trip south, and lent is here in full swing; fish features are my favorites to prepare. There are so many directions you can head and so many types of seafood!

 

While many of us dive into a perhaps unfamiliar territory of cooking fish, the best advice I can give is to go forward with confidence! Start, of course, with the given; the fresher, the better! Although the frozen packages of fish work, they will pale in comparison with both flavor and texture. Your best bet is to check in with your local butcher. I highly recommend Monticello's fantastic salmon selection.

 

When cooking fish, you do not want to flip it more than once.  The skin side should always go down in the pan first and stay down for about 10 minutes. Fish should be cooked 75% of the way, skin side down, in an excellent gentle heat before flipping. I prefer a nice hot cast iron skillet so the skin gets perfectly crispy. I can also throw the whole pan in the oven to finish after flipping to finish.

 

Fish is very easy to overseason. With fish, go light. Especially lighter seafood like sea bass, scallops, or halibut. A little goes a long way. My go-to seasonings are sea salt, garlic, paprika, basil, dill, chives, and cracked pepper. A nice lemon zest rubbed into your sea salt is a phenomenal way to amp up the flavor safely. You can always amp up more flavors in your side dishes to help the fish shine! Such as fresh herbs and citrus. A marinade is another easy way to make your seafood dish shine!

 

At the end of the day, go forward with gentle confidence, and remember to have fun!  If calling it a day and going out to eat instead is your preferred method this season, we have you covered! Every Friday, we will have a delicious fish feature planned for you, including bringing in some fun fish outside of our menu! Stay tuned on Instagram or Facebook to follow these creations.

 

Cheers,

Executive Chef

Through the Grapevine

 

As we near winter's completion and embrace spring's inauguration, I would like to focus on another “old” to “new” concept. In the world of wine, you will hear the aphorisms of “Old World” wine versus “New World” wine. If you are curious as to the distinction, please keep reading!

 

Initially the terms served as a way to describe a specific taste in wine and the sector of the world the grapes were grown in. In alliance with the Court of Master Sommeliers and through my own studies, I have found it is more related to traditions than the geography of where the wine is produced.  Influence has become the distinguishing element when exploring the nuances between Old World and New World wines. 

 

Old World regions are the origin places for many grape varieties.  The winemakers who have cultivated them for centuries have exported their wines, grapes,  as well as their wine-making traditions all over the world. The striking differences in flavor are with Old World you will have a lighter body, lower alcohol, higher acidity, and more earthy notes.

 

New World wines may sometimes start with grapes acquired from Old World sources, but then they inject their own vision of what they want the finished product to be! New World offers a fuller body, higher alcohol, lower acidity, and a more fruit-forward taste on the palate.

 

As Author Ray A. Davis once said, “Following all the rules leaves a completed checklist; following your heart achieves a completed you.” and that’s precisely what New World winemakers have done.  New World wines started out mimicking, then innovated and evolved into something new.

 

These winemakers borrowed grapes and traditions, but over time Old World traditions were thrown out through happenstance or creativity, creating new traditions and a need for a designation between geographical traditions.

 

For the month of March, we will feature a special wine duel between old and new world wines from our remarkable wine keeper!

 

Domaine Du Pegau, Chateauneuf du Pape France vs

Daou “Soul of a Lion”, Paso Robles California
 

J. Vincent “Marie Antoinette”, Pouilly-Fuisse France vs The Hess Collection “The Lioness”, Napa Valley California

 

Enjoy the duel of your choice with a 3oz pour of both contestants for a limited time at this discounted price!

 

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