Get a 'Taste of New York' on Public Television!

Thanks for reading my tips on wine and food pairing!

Another reason to love Public Television -

Debuting this summer, "Taste of New York" is a new series that features winemakers, farmers and restaurateurs from all parts of New York.

The series examines greenmarkets in New York City and highlights the winemakers, food producers and restaurants of New York's major agricultural regions: Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, Niagara and Lake Erie, the Adirondack North Country, and the Capital Region.

To learn more about the series visit WXXI.org/tasteofny


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Roasted Lamb with Charmoula food and red wine pairing

Fellow Wine Blogger Erika Strum offers her fragrant recipe for Roasted Lamb with Charmoula on her blog StrumErika.com. According to Strum, Charmoula is a Middle Eastern herb and garlic sauce that yields, "a great deal of flavor beyond its modest preparation time."

Her Charmoula recipe includes cumin seeds, Italian parsley, mint, cilantro, garlic cloves, sweet smoked paprika or Hungarian paprika, cayenne pepper and lemon juice.

She used a whole lamb roast and marinated the meat overnight so that the spices were well-absorbed.

Strum served the lamb with homemade taboule, hummus, and pita and a glass of Cabernet but also recommends a red Rhone wine for this Mediterranean feast.

Do you enjoy Mediterranean food?

Related Articles:

Seta mushroom entree and wine pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/mediterranean-diet-seta-mushroom-recipe.html

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DVD review: Martha's Stewart - Martha's Favorite Family Dinners

Wonderful video full of solid recipes for dinner. Ideal gift for newlywed, college grad, first apartment, newly divorced dad and especially anyone who wants to invite the neighbors, friends, coworkers over for dinner but doesn't know what to serve.

This DVD would be a great housewarming gift with a few bottles of wine for a young couple new in town.

Recipes include:

CHICKEN - crusty mustard chicken, chicken marsala, roast chicken, lemon chicken cutlets, chicken and dumplings and chicken chili.

MEAT - meatloaf 101 (this recipe will knock your socks off), crock pot pot roast, lamb chops, roast pork, seared beef with oranges and arugula, and spicy flank steak.

PASTA - midnight pastas, spicy squash pasta, macaroni pie, tagliatelle with Bolognese ragout, spaghetti with Brooklyn clam sauce, and papparfelle with mushrooms and brussels sprouts.

FISH - grilled tuna steaks, fish nuggets with tartar sauce, pan-sauteed trout, salt-baked red snapper, herbed steamed halibut and hot smoked salmon.

VEGETARIAN - stuffed peppers, back bean burger, squash casserole, wilted escarole and garlic-fried garbanzo beans, brazilian rice and beans and roasted poblano gazpacho.


Related articles:

How to serve an Italian-style dinner
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-serve-italian-style-dinner.html

How to serve wine at your wine dinner
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-many-wine-glasses-for-wine-dinner.html

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Tips for Your Wine Country Vacation

Thanks for reading my wine and food pairing tips!

The Gourmet Meetup group had a great time learning how to prepare foods from items found in the bulk aisle of the Honest Weight Food Coop last night! Thanks so much to Karisa and Liz for their helping hands. That's Karisa in the photo plating up some of the delicious samples.

More information about the group is here:

http://cooking.meetup.com/534/


The video of the week will really help if you are planning a visit to wine country this spring or summer.

Tips include - what to wear, what NOT to wear, how to plan your schedule, what to ask when purchasing wine at a winery and how to store your wine.

http://www.youtube.com/v/WYl5P_LzGWw



If you are a Vayniac, I hope to see you at Wine Library tomorrow between 11 - 2 pm.

My upcoming wine classes were mentioned in the Schenectady Gazette this week. I hope to see you there.
http://www.dailygazette.net/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMailGif&Type=text/html&Path=SCH/2008/03/26&ID=Ar04100&Locale=&ChunkNum=0

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Tips on Visiting Napa and a DVD Review of A Taste of California

DVD Review - A Taste of California

I found the first disc in this series so disappointing, I will not be watching the rest.

I wanted good information about the Napa Wine Region - the inside scoop on remarkable wineries and interesting museums. The Napa disc was instead packed with one glowing B&B review after another. If you want a sneak peek at selected bed and breakfasts in the Napa Valley, rent it. If you have a hotel and are looking for concrete information on vacation activities, look elsewhere.

If you are visiting Napa or Sonoma for a wine country vacation I DO recommend visiting COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts at 500 First Street, Napa, California, first.

Sign up for their Wine Tasting 101 class, held from 10:15 - 10:45 am daily.
When I took the class last year, handouts included a map of Napa and Sonoma and a 'passport' for local wineries.

Other classes are listed here: http://www.copia.org/content/everyday_at_copia

If you take a few classes, you might run into my favorite instructor at COPIA, Kevin Toomajian. He showed me that I could drink wine with potato chips!

COPIA also has a daily food class (and you can sample the recipes).

Check out what they are teaching this month by visiting here:
http://www.copia.org/content/daily_food_class

Would you take a wine class as part of a wine country vacation?

Related article:
Tips for improving your wine palate
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/tips-for-improving-your-wine-palate.html


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Feedback on my Wine Videos

In an article for the Austin Statesman titled 'What can you learn on YouTube?' Sarah Linder searched the popular video shaing site for educational material. Her Goal #2? Learn more about wine.

Linder said, "My ambitions are not lofty here. I don't need to be able to hold forth about "mouth feel" or "notes of tobacco and blackberry.

I just want to make wine and food pairings that make my tastebuds swoon. I kicked things off with "Free Wine Class: How to Pair Wine With Cheese," hosted by Kathleen Lisson, who also offers several other wine videos.

Lisson delivered advice in a concise, entertaining way, explaining just enough of why certain pairings work to be interesting without bogging things down.

Maybe it was the cute little quiz she offered at the end, but I still remember that sweet wines go with my beloved pungent cheeses even though I haven't been able to test this out for myself.

I also liked 'Chocolate & Wine Pairing' from winespectatorvideo.com and 'Pizza and Wine Pairing' from classicwines.com. Like Lisson, the hosts of these videos are geekily lovable and take a non-snobby approach."

Thanks for the compliments!

Check out my wine videos here: http://youtube.com/khlisson


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Troy Farmers Market and my Wine Classes in Clifton Park, NY

Thanks for reading my wine and food pairing tips!

Do you live in Clifton Park? Check out my wine classes in May at Grooms Tavern. More information is here:
http://www.cliftonpark.org/townhall/groomstavernevents.asp

I had the chance to visit the Troy Farmers' Market last weekend, where I met my new friend, the rooster pictured above.

Even though it is cold outside, I found farmers selling carrots, apples, onions, exotic mushrooms, fresh breads, local wine, and several types of cheeses.

The staff tells me that the best time to visit is between 10 - 11 am and especially between 1 and 2 pm. Find hours, directions, vendor information and more at their website: http://www.troymarket.org/

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How to Host a Movie Night - Four Excellent Wine and Food Pairings

The folks who make Clos du Bois wine in California have come up with a great idea - host a fancy grown-up Classic Movie night for friends complete with wine and food pairings.

Tips on how to invite your friends, what to serve and how to set the mood are at their website.

Suggested movie night wine and food pairings include:

Parmesan Popcorn and Chardonnay
Tuna Toasts and Pinot Grigio
Mushroom Pesto Crostini and Shiraz, and
Your favorite takeout pizza with a bottle of Zinfandel


Would you host a Classic movie night for your friends?

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Traveling to Monterey, California? Learn about Monterey Grapes

Will you visit Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Salina or Big Sur, California this year? Consider adding wine tasting to your schedule.

According to the Monterey County Vitners and Growers Association, about 85 vintners and growers call Monterey County "home", and the County boasts over 40,000 acres planted in varietal winegrapes.

Within the designation of Monterey County, the region has nine American Viticultural Areas (AVAs):

Monterey
Santa Lucia Highlands
Arroyo Seco
San Lucas
Hames Valley
Chalone
Carmel Valley
San Antonio Valley
San Bernabe

California wine lovers can find information about Monterey Wine Country at the MCVGA website. Two videos provide information about this beautiful AVA.

A wine trail map is here: http://www.montereywines.org/wineries_map.html
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How to 'Drink Local' - 17 Local Restaurants celebrate New York wine

Thanks for reading my food and wine pairing tips!

Would you like to try some New York wines?
According to the website http://www.newyorkwinesanddines.org/
the following Capital Region restaurants will be serving New York wines in the month of April:

Barcelona Restaurant - Albany, NY
Carmine's Restaurant - Albany, NY
Filet 7 West - Latham, NY
Grey Gelding Bistro - Saratoga Springs, NY
LaSerre Restaurant - Albany, NY
Mezza Notte Ristorante - Albany, NY
Milano Restaurant - Latham, NY
Minissale's Wine Cellar Café - Troy, NY
Mountain View Brasserie - Greenville, NY
Old Daley Inn Catering Co. - Troy, NY
Provence Restaurant - Albany, NY
Scotti's Italian Restaurant - Schenectady, NY
Spiaks Restaurant - Watervliet, NY
The Crooked Lake House - Averill Park, NY
The Parker Inn - Schenectady, NY
The Wine Bar & Bistro on Lark - Albany, NY
Yono's & dP an American Brasserie - Albany, NY


I know that dP serves my favorite New York wine - Dr. Frank's Rkatsiteli, by the glass.

What is your favorite New York wine?



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For New Wine Drinkers: Wine Preference Quiz

We all have different palates. That's a hard fact to convince alot of drinkers who think the sun rises and sets on America's multi-million dollar palate in Monkton.

I read in a recent issue of the Washington Post that the folks at budometer.com have come up with a quiz that determines what types of wine you might like based upon your taste in salty snacks, soda, coffee and spirits.

I took the test and my tastes in coffee, snacks and mixed drinks DO mirror my wine preferences.

My results are as follows:
I prefer dry wines with very low intensity flavor, high fruit, very low oak, no discernible tannins and low acidity.

Take the test here: budometer.com

I spent some time deconstructing the test. I will use the questions and answers to explain to drinkers WHY they like the wines they do and point new drinkers in the right direction so they don't walk away from their first few bottles thinking "I hate all wine."

Guys, use this test to 'magically' choose the right wine for the table when you impress your new girlfriend with your cooking skills.

Find out what types of coffee and mixed drinks she likes, then take the test using her answers. Use a food and wine matching tool like Natalie MaClean offers to find meals that match her favorite types of wine and you're set.

A few takeways:

A love for salty food can mean sensitivity to bitterness.

A tolerance for Gin, Cognac and Scotch can mean the drinker would
enjoy a more intense wine.

Black coffee lovers could prefer dry, intense, oaky, tannic, acidic
wines with low fruit.

Margarita lovers could enjoy a sweeter wine with moderate to high acidity.

Kahlua and Rum and Coke drinkers could enjoy a sweeter wine.

Does the test reflect your preferences?

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How to Try New Cheeses

The Splendid Table offers a insightful audio interview by famed Cheese Monger Steve Jenkins. Jenkins, author of The Cheese Primer, offers tips on how to get out of a cheese rut.

If you love your Manchego, put your hunk back in the fridge and get ready to learn about Roncal from Navarre, Spain.

If you think you know Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort, Jenkins recommends trying smoky blues from Massachusetts and Oregon.

If you've only tried Cabot cheddar, the ever-opinionated Jenkins urges you to sample Grafton Cheddar from Vermont or Fiscalini Cheddar from California.


How many new cheeses have you tried this year?

Related Article:
Free video class on wine and cheese pairing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XthfDWIeN_g

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Three Strong Cheeses - Morbier, Aged Cheddar, Abondance

Thanks for reading my Wine and Food Pairing Tips!

I am pleased to announce a new meeting for the Capital Region Gourmet Meetup. We will be learning how to brew and enjoy loose teas from around the world. For more information and to RSVP for this informative tour of a local tea shop, please visit the Gourmet Meetup website at : http://cooking.meetup.com/534/


On a recent trip to the Warehouse Farmers Market in Albany, I tried an aged Cheddar from Four Brothers Goat Dairy & Hammond Dairy in Millerton, NY. I enjoyed the sharp flavor, especially when the cheesemaker let me compare and contrast with a similar, creamier cheese without all the years of aging.

So I thought I was a real cheese connoisseur until....

I tried a hunk of Morbier, a cheese with a great story behind it, on a recent trip to Long Island. Morbier, a is a French semi-soft cows' milk cheese named after the village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. The cheese is divided in two by a black layer of ashes separating the milk derived from the morning milking and the evening milking of the cows.

I really wanted to like this cheese. I love the story behind it.

Unfortunately, the aroma was too intense for me.

I thought it might be because the cheese itself was going bad, but I encountered a similar type of aroma in a piece of Abondance cheese I purchased at the Coop last week.

An ammonia scent is a solid indicator that a cheese has gone bad. These cheeses were not overly ammonia-scented.

Abondance is a raw-milk cheese made in the Haute-Savoie department of France, and named after the Abondance commune and it's eponymous breed of cattle.

The aroma I couldn't get past could have been described kindly as 'used hay.' It smelled to me more like feral cat. Not dirty, just like a hormone or gland excretion.

The Abondance from the coop was rated a 10 out of 10 by cheese expert Steve Jenkins, so I know this is a pleasurable scent to the discriminating cheese connoisseur, but I couldn't take it.

I am a little disappointed. I LOVE Steve Jenkin's Cheese Primer and hoped that we would have similar cheese palates.

I enjoy wines tinged with Brettanomyces aromas, so I thought I could learn to enjoy funky cheeses as well.

A quick Google search offers several websites advising Gamay-based wines (think Beaujolais) as recommended pairings for Morbier cheese. Perhaps the fruitiness of the wine would allow me to gloss over the aroma of the cheese and concentrate on it's texture.

For now I will stick to aged Cheddars and continue exploring the Cheese counter at the Honest Weight.

Do you enjoy smelly cheeses? Which is your favorite?


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How to serve Brie and Camembert, Baked Brie Recipe

In an article for the Battle Creek Enquirer entitled, "The Test Kitchen: Cheese, it's good," Karen Johnson offers tips on using Brie and Camembert for a cheese tray at a party and beyond!

Johnson recommends Brie and Camembert as a creamy contrast to a sharp cheddar and a rich Bleu cheese on your party cheese tray.

Serve Brie with sliced peaches, plums and strawberries and Camembert with apricots or mangos. Both cheeses pair well with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Johnson recommends tossing chunks of Brie and Camembert, sauteed mushrooms and minced garlic with your favorite cooked pasta. This is a great way to use every bit of the leftover cheese on your cheese plate!

Johnson also offers quick recipes for baked Brie bites, Camembert croutons and Baked Brie en Croute.

I am a big fan of Brie, even though the only Brie style cheese available in America is made from Pasteurized milk. I picked up a the classic trio of Brie, crusty bread and red grapes on a recent trip to Long Island and enjoyed the cheese spread over the bread as a simple late night snack.

How do you eat Brie and Camembert Cheeses?

Related Article:
How to Serve Brie and Camembert Cheeses
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-serve-brie-and-other-cheese-at.html

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A cooking tip for Boeuf Bourguignon - a French food and wine pairing

In an article for the Lansing State Journal entitled 'Don't skimp on cooking wine for beef dish,' Frank and Kate Sutherland recommend NOT using cheap cooking wine when preparing boeuf bourguignon.

The Sutherland's state that "the original recipe calls for Burgundy(Pinot Noir) but you can use any dry red wine. Don't skimp on the cooking wine too much, for a cheap wine can affect the quality of the dish. An $8 to $10 bottle of red will do."

The Sutherland's also agree with the common wisdom that the guests should drink the same type of wine that was used in cooking the stew.

Red Burgundy wine is a common match for this dish, because the wine and recipe come from the same area of France.

Do you serve French wine with French food?

Related Article:
Pot Roast Food and Wine Pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-roast-food-and-wine-pairing.html

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Tomme de Levezu Cheese and Wine Pairing; Barcelona restaurant wine list

Thanks for reading my Wine and Food Pairing Tips!

I grabbed a great cheese at the Coop this weekend - a hunk of Tomme de Levezu. Tomme de Levezu is a aged cheese made from raw sheep's milk, imported from the Northern Pyrenees. I found it creamy with a nut-like flavor, a good texture and a pleasant aftertaste.

I cut off small chunks and enjoyed this cheese with small bites of Gustav's special 'behind the counter' grilled olives.

Pinot Noir would be a good match for this earthy cheese. A regional match would be a Pinot Noir from nearby Burgundy.

My article profiling delicious wine and food pairings at Albany's Barcelona restaurant is in this month's CD On Tap. Pick up your copy at local hotspots or look online by clicking 'Online Editions' at http://www.cdontap.com/ (article is on page 19).

I am so happy to report that the Gourmet Meetup's March meeting is totally full! The Meetup has around 30 members now, and I am organizing a visit to a spice vendor for us in April, sign up for the Meetup to get the latest information. Click here to join the Capital Region Gourmet Meetup (it's free): http://cooking.meetup.com/534/


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60 great music suggestions for a classy dinner party

Musician and fellow CSW Joe Roberts has some tips for choosing the right music for your next dinner party.

Roberts says that, "whether your guests are future in-laws, business contacts, or good friends, when you're planning a classy dinner party, the choice of music has just as much 'make-it-or-break-it' potential on the evening as your choice of food & wine."

He recommends playing music that follows his 'Rule of the Crowd Pleasers,' providing dinner guests with music that has an approachability that will appeal to the novices, but enough interesting things going on to please the experts in your group.

Some ideas include:

A popular artist performing classy songs outside their normal genre(think rapper Queen Latifah's Dana Owens Album of jazz standards, for example) can appeal to a very wide audience.

Serving Italian food and wine? Check out some of Italy's Baroque composers like Vivaldi and Corelli to go along with it - their music is famous for having a broad appeal, with enough interesting counter-melodies to impress the music buffs.

With a French food and wine pairing, consider playing music by Parisian guitar player Django Reinhardt.

American cuisine and killer Napa wine? Anything from Miles Davis' ballad period is sure to serve you well.


The folks at the forums on the Wine Library website are also jazz lovers. When I mentioned that I was listening to Miles Davis and Coltrane, their suggestions included plenty of dinner party jazz.

Several albums by Miles Davis were highly recommended, including In A Silent Way, Sketches of Spain, Ballads and Blues Master, 58 Stella By Starlight Sessions, My Funny Valentine and Four More and Birth Of The Cool. Davis' Kind of Blue was called an album with the "perfect energy at the beginning of a dinner party."

Theolonius Monk's suggested albums include Monk's Dream, Straight no Chaser and Live @ The 5 Spot.

Stan Getz was recommended for the albums Sweet Rain, Bossa Nova Years and The Girl from Ipanema.

Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin and Lady Day

Other artists and albums that would play well as background ambiance music at a special dinner include:

Take Five by Dave Brubeck
The Quintet Live @ Massey Hall
Chet Baker- My Funny Valentine
Mingus - Ah Um
Trane - Lush Life or Ballads
The Quintet Live @ Massey Hall
Benny Green & Russell Malone - Live at Jazz @ The Bistro
Kenny Barron & Regina Carter - Freefall
Houston Person - My Romance
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall 1957
Roy Eldridge in Paris
McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy
Alice Coltrane - Transcendence
Louis Armstrong - Hot House Five
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Ben Webster - The Soul of Ben Webster
Coleman Hawkins- Body and Soul
Stanley Turrentine - Sugar
Dave Brubeck – Time Out
George Winston - December
Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love
Diana Krall - The Girl In the Other Room
Denzal Sinclaire - Denzal Sinclaire
Sophie Milman - Sophie Milman
Kenny G - Songs in the Key of G
Sonny Rollins - Sound Of Sonny
Lee Morgan - Sidewinder
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby
Bob James - Straight up
Grover Washington - Time out of Mind
Keith Jarrett - Standards, Live at the Blue Note
Brad Mehldau - The Art of Trio
Oscar Peterson - Montreux 77
Greyboy Allstars - West Coast Boogaloo
Wynton Marsalis - J Mood
An Evening With Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock
Bobby Enriquez - The Wildman Returns
McLaughlin/Hussain - I Remember Shakti: A Night in Bombay
Michel Camilo - Live at the Blue Note
Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Live at Mt. Fuji
Horace Silver - 6 pieces of silver
Herbie Hancock - Inventions & Dimensions
Johnny Hartman with Coltrane
Count Basie with Joe Williams
Ellington at Newport


Other artists include: John Scofield, Martin Medeski & Wood, Charlie Hunter Trio, Hank Mobley, Getz/Gilberto, The Rippingtons, Tito Puente, Nat King Cole and Richard "Groove" Holmes.

A big Thank You to SierraDoc, ChefJune, half century, leatherpalate, DJA, Steve Jones, Francis S, WinoMoose, Monrovino, Kdawg, GeneV, GlassRunnethEmpty, skipowda, barrelmonkey and many, many more Vayniacs who gave me their suggestions.

Do you play music when entertaining friends? Please add your suggestions in the comments section of this post!


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Five Wine Education Videos from Sommelier Andrew Stover

Here are some great education videos by fellow Certified Specialist of Wine Andrew Stover.

Stover holds a Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild and is the Wine Director and Sommelier for OYA Restaurant & Lounge, where he has revamped the entire wine program making it more food friendly and consumer driven.

Videos include:

Tips from a Sommelier
How to Open a bottle of Champagne
How to Store wine
How to Decant a bottle of red wine, and
Appreciating Rose wines

Stover teaches a food and wine pairing seminar at The George Washington University as part of the Event Management Certificate Program in the GW School of Business and publishes a wine blog, www.chiefwino.com


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Video review of a Finger Lakes Chardonnay

This week's video features a few oaky wine jokes and my 'Videotasting' review of a completely UNOAKED Chardonnay from the Finger Lakes, NY wine region - watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/v/qJYAEmp7gKI




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Anchovy Onion Tart and Rose Wine recipe

Welcome Spring with a treat from the South of France


Emeril Lagasse's recipe for Pissaladiere, an Anchovy and Onion Tart, which is a classic dish in Provence, includes yellow onions, minced garlic, black pepper, fresh thyme, anchovy fillets, Nicoise olives and frozen puff pastry.

The key to this recipe is slowly caramelizing the onions over low heat.

I love olives and anchovies, so this recipe is a winner for me!

After cooking, serve the flavorful tart warm, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and accompanied with a glass of chilled dry Rose wine made from the grapes of the South of France, including Syrah, Grenache and/or Cinsault.

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Everyday Enchiladas and Rioja Wine

Everyday Enchiladas and Rioja Wine

This is my go to meal - The full recipe is dinner for four, or just cooking one 8 enchilada pan provides dinner two (save the other half of the filling, tortillas and sauce for a few days later.) A Red Rioja wine pairs well with this easy dish.

16 corn tortillas (6-inch) or 8 larger flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
3 cups 'fiesta blend' shredded cheese (available in the plastic ziploc
top package)
1 can black beans, drained
1 package fresh spinach
1 can corn kernels
6 sliced scallions, white and green parts separated
1 tsp. cumin
salt and ground pepper

I use my hands to mix the filling - In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, and scallion whites. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. You can also add rice or whatever is burrito-esque that you have in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish, or, in a pinch, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and make aluminum foil 'walls' on the four edges.

Stack 8 tortillas, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute (use all 16 if you have a crowd, otherwise, save the other 8 for the next time you want to make these enchiladas with your remaining filling and sauce).
Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.

Sprinkle enchiladas with cheese and top with enchilada sauce. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with more cheese and the scallion greens.

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How NOT to be a wine snob; new group for local gourmet cooks

In this video, Finger Lakes winemaker Chris Stamp shares his secret for how to NOT be a wine snob. Find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTqpd-ghIJc

Albany, NY area food lovers - would you like to learn more about gourmet cooking? Please join me at the Capital Region Gourmet Meetup at http://cooking.meetup.com/534/

Braised Beef Bourguignon recipe and wine pairing

St. Francis Winery and Vineyards in Santa Rosa, CA offers a recipe for Braised Beef Bourguignon with bacon and mushrooms as a food pairing with Zinfandel wine.

The Braised Beef Bourguignon with bacon and mushrooms recipe includes beef round, a celery stalk, garlic cloves, carrots, onions, red wine, flour, dried thyme, a bay leaf, tomato paste, beef broth, bacon, white onions, and button mushrooms.

Have you paired Beef Bourguignon with Zinfandel?

Related Article:

Pot Roast Food and Wine Pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-roast-food-and-wine-pairing.html

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Rock Lobster recipe and wine pairing

The Chefs at Red Lobster offer several different seafood recipes on their website, including a simple-looking preparation of Grilled Rock Lobster that they recommend serving with a Sauvignon Blanc.

The Rock Lobster recipe includes paprika, white pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice.

Find this recipe as well as tips on preparing Tilapia, Crab, Flounder, Salmon and other seafood meals here:

http://www.redlobster.com/kitchen/

I have been seeing Sauvignon Blanc recommended as a pairing for seafood and other dishes. What is your favorite pairing for Sauvignon Blanc?

Related article:

Wine and Fish Pairing Guide
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/wine-and-fish-pairing-guide-how-to.html

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Four Food and Wine Pairing from Fleming's Steakhouse

Fleming's Steakhouse in Boston is having a special wine pairing dinner featuring the wines of Paul Newman and Francis Ford Coppola. Food and wine pairings include:

Sicilian Bruschettas topped with Olive Oil, Roma Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs and Spicy Tuna Tartare on Focaccia Crackers partnered with a dry sparkling Pinot Blanc, blended with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. Flavor notes include aromas of ripe apricots, tangerine, pear, melon, Meyer lemon and honeysuckle.

Seared Arctic Char nestled on a Fennel and Citrus Salad is paired with a Chardonnay. Flavor notes include aromas of tropical fruits, citrus, apple, pear and a touch of sweet vanilla on the bright, citrusy finish.

Glazed Duck Breast marinated in Newman's Own Teriyaki, fanned over a Crispy Polenta Cake with Roasted Grapes is matched with Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavor notes include ripe berry and cherry fruit, accented by black pepper, chocolate, herbaceous and sweet cedar notes.

Filet "Corleone" with Porcini Mushrooms, served on a bed of Sweet Onion Risotto surrounded by a Winter Vegetable Bouquet is paired with a Bordeaux style cabernet blend. flavor notes include blackberry, plum and roasted espresso with white pepper and vanilla.

Do any of these wine and food pairings appeal to you? What taste combinations would you enjoy?

Related Article:
Wine and Food Pairings from Yono's Restaurant
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/pairing-ideas-from-yonos-wine-and-food.html

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Video: How to Pair Wine with Asian Cuisine

The video of the week features tips on pairing wine with Asian cuisine. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQfMF5E4Gkg


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Celebrate Fathers with this Spanish tapas recipe and Rioja wine pairing

The Rioja wine region in Spain is doing a great job of marketing their wines to food lovers with their Vibrant Rioja newsletter.

March 19th is Father's day in Spain. Why not bring your family together and honor your Father or the Father of your children with a festive Spanish meal? Find other holidays to serve Spanish Foods and Wines by using this Spanish Holidays Calendar.

http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Information/NationalHolidays.htm

Rioja was recently named Wine Enthusiast magazine's "Wine Region of the Year." And is the official Wine of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

To start off your Spanish meal, here is a recipe for Queso Manchego Con Aceitunas Y Piquillos ( Manchego Cheese Canapes With Olives And Piquillo Peppers ) from VibrantRioja.com.

According to their newsletter, this tapa, "comes straight from Et Corregtttor, the most delightful bar and restaurant in the region of La Mancha where Manchego cheese is made and windmills form the times of Errant Knight Don Quixote still stand.

Makes 24 canapes

• One 13/4-inch wedge (about 1/2 pound) Manchego cheese
• 30 cured black olives, pitted and chopped
• 3/4 cup chapped piquillo peppers or pimientos
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Minced fresh parsley

Cut the wedge of cheese lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices to form triangular pieces. In a mortar or mini processor, mash to a paste the olives, piquillos, anchovies, and oil. Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture on each cheese slice. Sprinkle with parsley and arrange attractively on a serving dish.

The newsletter recommends serving this tapa with a glass of Rioja Crianza.

According to VibrantRioja.com, "Crianzas tend to emphasize fresh fruit above all else and spend less time in bottle than Reservas. This fruity freshness makes them a perfect foil for aged sheep's milk cheeses like Manchego, acting almost like a schmear of fruit jam on top of a buttery, slightly piquant cheese."

Would you serve a Spanish meal to family or loved ones?

Related Article:

Spanish entrees to serve with the rest of that bottle of Rioja wine
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-to-serve-for-dinner-with-spanish.html


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18 Hunter-friendly recipes for Venison, Antelope, Grouse, Quail and Duck - and my suggested wine pairings

A perfect site for the hunter in your life, Texas Hunt Works has over sixty wild game recipes, including preparations for Venison, Antelope, Pork, Bird and Waterfowl. These are great recipes to get those frozen packages of venison out of your freezer and on to the dining room table tonight!

Recipes include:

Stir Fried Venison Strips
Million Dollar Venison Stew
Texas Snakebite Chili
Low Fat Venison Stroganoff
Elk / Deer Spanish Pot Roast
Venison Stuffed Green Peppers
Venison Shish-Kabobs

Antelope Ginger Straps
Antelope Moambe Stew
Lemon Pepper Antelope
Roast Antelope with Carrot/Rosemary sauce
Seared Antelope With Porcini Cream Sauce

Wild Boar Korean Meatballs

Stuffed Breasts of Grouse
Quail in Corn Bread Stuffing
Sharptail on Mushroom Toast
Veloute Sauce Duck Potstickers
Pineapple Baked Quail

Wild game matches with a big red game-y wine like Rioja, Syrah or Zinfandel.

Related links:

How to Cook Wild Game
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/wine-pairings-tips-on-cooking-wild-game.html


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How to Improve Your Relationship

In the New York Times article, Reinventing Date Night for Long-Married Couples, Tara Parker-Pope explores the potential pitfalls of the married couples' usual weekly 'date night.' Parker-Pope reports that brain and behavior researchers have found that a regular evening out with friends or at a favorite restaurant does less to strengthen their marital bond that spending time exploring new and different activities that they both enjoy.

New Date Night Options could include trying a new restaurant, taking an art class or going to an amusement park.

According to Parker-Pope, research shows that novelty — simply doing new things together as a couple — may help bring the butterflies back, recreating the chemical surges of early courtship.

Discovering wine together is my suggestion for a great New Date Night activity. Possible activities could include signing up for a wine class, purchasing a sample case from a trusted local wine shop and trying a different wine and food pairing once a week, or joining a wine tasting group.

Would you like to explore wine with your partner?

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