May Wine Classes in Clifton Park, NY

You are invited to learn about wine with me every Friday this May!

I am teaching a series of wine classes for the Town of Clifton Park.

The classes are $5 each and are open to everyone, not just Clifton Park residents.

Interested wine lovers can call 371-6667 for more information on how to register.


How to Order and Enjoy Wine at a Restaurant

Date: 5/2/2008 7:00 p.m. Grooms Tavern, Clifton Park, NY
Fee: $5
Imagine you are celebrating a special occasion by treating a friend or
loved one to dinner at one of the Capital Region's finest restaurants.
She orders her favorite dish, and you know how to make this meal into
a memory that will last a lifetime - the perfect bottle of wine. But
which one should you choose, what should you be looking for when
tasting that sample sip of wine and what are you supposed to do with
the cork when the sommelier hands it to you anyway? 'How to Order and
Enjoy Wine at a Restaurant' will feature tips on how to use the
sommelier's expertise to your advantage and impress your fellow table
guests by correctly ordering wine at a restaurant.

Easy Tips for Wine and Cheese Pairing

Date: 5/6/2008 7:00 p.m. Grooms Tavern, Clifton Park, NY
Fee: $5
The perfect appetizer? The perfect dessert? The perfect treat to
relax with after a long, hard week? Cheese, of course! Learn about
the basic types of cheese and popular wine and cheese pairing in this
fun class. 'Easy Tips for Wine and Cheese Pairing' will provide ideas
and inspiration for your next dinner party or social event.

How to Get the Most Out of a Vineyard Visit

Date: 5/16/2008 7:00 p.m. Grooms Tavern, Clifton Park, NY
Fee: $5
Have a couple of days free on your schedule? Want to get out of the
house, recharge your batteries, and spend quality time with a loved
one or group of friends? Visiting a few of New York's 240 wineries is
the perfect opportunity to get back to nature and have fun learning
about wine in a peaceful, picturesque environment. 'How to Get the
Most Out of a Vineyard Visit' will feature time and money saving tips
and tourist information for a relaxing daytrip or weekend at one of
New York's many wine trails.

How to Hold a Wine Dinner at Your Home

Date: 5/30/2008 7:00 p.m. Grooms Tavern, Clifton Park, NY
Fee: $5
Strengthening your relationships and reconnect with old friends by
inviting loved ones over for a dinner party at your house sounds like
a great idea. But ... how many courses are enough, which wines should
you serve and which glasses should you use? 'How to Hold a Wine
Dinner at Your Home' will feature practical tips for sharing a wine
and food pairing meal with friends.

How to Improve Your Wine Palate

Date: 6/6/2008 7:00 p.m. Grooms Tavern, Clifton Park, NY
Fee: $5
"A hint of ripe black fruit aromas, complex flavors of blackberry,
black cherry, currant and minerals with a mild
tobacco/chocolate/toasty oak character picking up through the mid
palate." Ever wondered how wine writers taste all the different
things? Would you like to improve your 'wine tasting buds' using
items you can find at the supermarket or right in your own kitchen?
'How to Improve Your Wine Palate' will feature seven easy tips for
getting more 'flavor' out of every glass of wine you drink.

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Top five movie for food lovers, a.k.a. 'Foodies'

Nothing gives me more inspiration to cook something flavorful than a movie that revolves around food. Add a few of these movies to your Netflix queue and grab a bottle of wine - you're about to be inspired!

Chocolat
Babette's Feast
Eat Drink Man Woman
Tampopo
Tortilla Soup

Want to learn more about gourmet ingredients? Join the Capital
District Gourmet Meetup. Details here: http://cooking.meetup.com/534/

What are your favorite 'Foodie' movies?

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Video Review - Joanne Weir's Cooking Class

I am a rather simple chef at home, so I appreciated that Weir and a guest prepare relatively simple meals in this cooking instruction video.

I came away with a lot of great meal ideas; Weir covers sauces, Spanish food, vegetarian food, souffles, braising and more.

The wine information was a bonus - Weir recommends serving several of her dishes with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

There are several videos in this series, I found new tips and recipe ideas in each one, so I recommend renting them all from Netflix.

Do you like to learn about cooking from cooking videos?

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Kevin Zraly at the Wine and Culinary Center!

Thanks for reading my wine and food pairing tips!

The New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua will feature classes from one of my favorite wine writers - best-selling wine author Kevin Zraly! Zraly's book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is a great first wine book and one of the few permanent books on my wine bookshelf.

According to the Wine and Culinary Center website, The Rendezvous with Riesling will feature Zraly's "One Hour Riesling Expert" class on May 8. Participants will be invited to taste some of New York's finest Rieslings while learning from Zraly during the class, from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Presemted in the center's Educational Theater, the course will offer students a taste of all styles of Riesling. The
general-admission Rendezvous with Riesling event will go on before and after the class, from 7 to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $55 per person for general admission and $95 per person for general admission plus the Kevin Zraly "One-Hour Riesling Expert" class.

On May 9, Zraly will teach a master class, sharing his appreciation for New York wines and his expertise in tasting wines of the world.

For more information, visit the Wine and Culinary Center website:
http://www.nywcc.com/learn/program_schedule_prod.php?id=61
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Recipes for Sauvignon Blanc lovers - Simply Ming: The Complete Collection

Simply Ming: The Complete Collection

Simply Ming features Emmy Award-winning Chef Ming Tsai demonstrating 'East-West cooking.' Ming's show, originally aired on WGBH Boston Public Television, has a great concept - create a master sauce/dish and expand upon it to make several different delicious dishes.
The wine pairing advice for each dish adds value, especially for the home chef looking for some great dinner party inpsiration. Ming sure likes his Sauvignon Blanc, so if you enjoy SB, you will love his dishes!

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Goat Cheese, Triple Cream and Muenster wine and cheese pairings

In remembrance of a recent visit to France, my friend Wendy recently served an appetizing wine and cheese pairing featuring a Loire goat cheese, a triple cream from Burgundy and a Muenster from Alsace.

Wendy paired a Picpoul de Pinet 2006 from Cave Les Vignobles Montagnac and Cremant Saumur Rose from Domaine Vieux Pressior with the goat cheese.

The Domaine Bott-Geyl Pinot D'Alsace (a white blend of Pinot Noir, Auxerrios, Pinot Blanc) 2004, and Pinot Gris were paired with the Muenster

The Cabernet Franc from AOC Touraine 2005 Domaine des Corbilliers and Gouleyant AOC Cahors from George Vigouroux were paired with the Triple cream bloomy rind cheese (Wendy said it has a stronger flavor than most).

Wendy said that she likes to buy her cheeses in New York City at the Murray's in Grand Central.

Murray's Cheese, "New York's oldest and best cheese shop," has two convenient locations in New York City: Greenwich Village and The Grand Central Terminal Marketplace.

Some of these cheeses are also available at the Cheese Plate at Water Street Market, 10 Main Street in New Paltz.

My cheesemonger is Gustav from the Honest Weight Co-op in Albany.

What's your favorite wine and cheese pairing?

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Award winning Winery in Northern New York - Adirondack, Thousand Islands Seaway region

According to the Wine Press, the newsletter of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the Dallas Morning News International Wine Competition awarded Gold Medals to my favorite wine, the Dr. Frank 2005 Rkatsiteli.

Gold Medals were also awarded to Chateau Frank 2000 Blanc de Blanc, Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Chardonnay, Thousand Islands 2006 Vignoles, and Torry Ridge Blue Sapphire, along with 8 Silver and 11 Bronze medals for other New York wines.

The Thousand Islands Winery is New York's northernmost winery! It's worth a visit if you vacation in the beautiful Clayton. NY area. Find out more here: http://www.thousandislandswinery.com/

I got the chance to talk with Roxy from the Thousand Islands Winery last year. Learn more about winemaking on New York's NEWEST wine trail here:


Many thanks to Gary Wiltbank from Wiltbank Farm in Saugerties for sharing some great information on cooking with mushrooms with the Gourmet Meetup last Saturday at the Troy Farmers Market.

Wiltbank Farms Shiitake & Oyster mushrooms are grown in a controlled environment without chemicals, preservatives or manure. Mushrooms, especially Gary's Shiitake mushrooms, are well paired with a glass of Pinot Noir.

The Gourmet meetup's next meetup will focus on cooking and flavoring food with gourmet oils - Live near Albany, NY? Join the Meetup here: http://cooking.meetup.com/534/

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Top Ten Tips for Planning a Sucessful Dinner from Cooking Instructor Joanne Weir

PBS cooking instructor Joanne Weir offers recipes, cooking tips and the following advice for planning a dinner for friends at her website, http://www.joanneweir.com/

Plan ahead.

Prepare everything in advance that you possibly can (this includes food and table settings).

Don't skimp: buy the best you can afford and lots of it.

Practice: never serve a dish you haven't mastered.

Never, never apologize for the food.

Always have a story to tell about the food or the wine you serve.

Invite wonderful, interesting people.

Don't be bound by the boy/girl/boy/girl seating rule.

If you're entertaining outdoors, always have a backup plan in case the weather turns on you.

Make sure your dessert is worth coming for.

I love the tip to have a story to tell about the food or the wine you serve. It makes the meal so much more memorable and inspires the most creative conversations!

Which of these tips is the most important to you?

Related Articles:
Learn How to Cook with Bulk Food Ingredients with the Capital District Gourmet Meetup Group http://cooking.meetup.com/534/

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What to serve with Tawny, Ruby, and Vintage Port wine

Sandeman had an informative advertisement in a recent issue of Wine Spectator detailing wine and food pairing combinations for their Ruby, Tawny and Vintage Port wines.

According to the ad, Ruby Port can be paired with cheese and chocolate based desserts like chocolate cake and mousse.

Tawny Port will is best served with Roquefort and other blue cheeses, fresh peaches, and caramel based desserts like apple pie, pecan pie and creme brulee.


Vintage Port will match best with rich cheeses or dark chocolate.

Would you serve a glass of good Port wine with a dessert at your next dinner?

Related articles:

How to Serve Port Wine
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/serving-port-wine-best-port-wine-for.html
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How to use Snooth

I had fabulous fun at the Wine Century club dinner - making two new friends: Philip James of Snooth and the amazing LeNell Smothers, owner of LeNell's, a wine and spirit boutique in Brooklyn, NY.

Snooth can be a very valuable wine search engine for wine newbies. One example:

You want to buy a bottle of wine as a gift, but all you know is that the reciever likes spicy red wines. Head on over to Snooth and type in 'spicy red wine.'

When you have a few extra minutes, play around with Snooth. It's a great resource.



After attending Take Back the Night in Albany last night, I fixed
Emeril Lagasse's recipe for Pissaladiere, an Anchovy and Onion Tart. The taste is oniony, anchovy-salty and has a wonderfully flaky crust.

I loved the tart, and my Italian Greyhound waited desperately for any of it to fall, but my cat Zephyr could care less about the pound of onion slowly caramelizing on the stove.

This recipe is great with a dry Rose wine.


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How to get Red Wine out of the carpet

Fellow Wine Century Club member Jennifer Rosen recently shared this 'home remedy' for a common problem for those who enjoy wine - a red wine spill on the carpet.

Rosen recommends mixing 1 part Blue Dawn detergent (or whatever dish detergent you have under the sink) to 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and pouring it on the wine spill.

Do you have a tip for removing a wine stain from the carpet?

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Four wine pairings for a tropical 'Key West' dinner

Spring has come at last to Albany, NY!

According to fellow Blogger Steve Barnes, La Serre restaurant, located at 14 Green Street in Albany, recently hosted a Margaritaville wine dinner.

The wine and food pairing menu included the following matches:

Riesling was matched with Mango-orange spread, coconut chicken, cucumber and crab mousse, and island-style guacamole.

Sauvignon Blanc was paired with "Deserted Island" grouper with red-onion marmalade.

Syrah accompanied the "Key Largo" corn chowder.

Carmenere was the wine pairing for "Islamorada" pork loin, tropical-fruit salsa, and potato cake.

Would you prepare a "Key West" style dinner for friends on a warm spring day?

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Sparkling Wines and Brunch Food Pairings

Thanks for reading my wine and food pairing tips!

I would like to thank my new friends Debbie, Lynn, Teal and Jenn for sharing recipes at the first meeting of the Cup of Sugar Recipe Swap. We also talked about how we learned to cook. If you'd like to join the recipe swap, visit the Gourmet Group website here:

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

I look forward to meeting some of my fellow Wine Century Club members this evening in New York City.

I also had a great time pairing different types of Sparkling Wines with my Almost Foodies group.


I found that a glass of Cava, a dry sparkling wine from Spain, paired well with a cinnamon soup and hearty roasted home fries.


A glass of slightly sweeter New York sparkling wine made from the Cayuga White grape paired well with crepes and baked brie with nuts and honey drizzled apples.

I have found that wine, even sparkling wine, likes to be sweeter than its food pairing.

What do you like to eat with a glass of Sparkling Wine?

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Chinese Takeout and Red Wine Pairing

In a San Francisco Chronicle article titled 'Potstickers and Pinot Noir,' Lynne Char Bennett recommends Pinot Noirs from the California's Carneros region as a match with Chinese food.

Bennett explains that the Carneros Pinot Noir's, "cherry, red-raspberry and strawberry-fruit aromas and flavors will support but not overpower Chinese ingredients like oyster sauce, soy sauce and fermented black beans. The contrast of salty-savory sauces to tart red fruit is a complementary match."


She recommends medium-weight ingredients - including pork, game bird, duck, mushrooms and salmon as exceptional Pinot Noir matches, specifically Chinese pork dumplings (jiaozi), and potstickers.

Bennett's Potsticker and dipping sauce recipes are here -
http://www.ocregister.com/life/sauce-water-oil-1984870-cup-filling

I enjoy seafood and noddle dishes when ordering Chinese takeout, so I usually pop a bottle of Gewurztraminer. I am interested to try a cool climate Pinot Noir with Bennett's pairing suggestions.

Would you serve Pinot Noir with Chinese Takeout?

Related articles:
What wine goes with Chinese Food?
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-wine-goes-with-chinese-food.html

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How to use Gourmet Loose Teas and Gourmet Oils

Thanks for reading my wine and food pairing tips!

I take a break from wine in this post to talk about my favorite beverage at work: TEA!

Dr. Michelle Marks gave a great presentation on tea to the Capital District Gourmet Meetup last night.

She explained the difference between white, black, green and oolong teas and told us what tisane and rooibos 'teas' are. Watch her in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNDuNYtpHM#



The Capital District Gourmet Meetup will learn about 'Oils for Optimum Health and Taste' on Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 PM at the Honest Weight Food Coop.

If you attend, you will learn how to cook and flavor food with oils from the everyday to the exotic, including Truffle, Grapeseed, Sesame, Rice Bran, Sunflower, Hemp, Flax and Olive Oils from the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany.

Which oils are good for cooking with high heat?
Which oils are better for a last minute dash of flavor?
Which oils are best as a salad dressing?
Do some oils have health benefits?

We will sample several oils, learn tasty and healthful recipes and learn about how to use oils in gourmet cooking and delicious salads.

If you have never tasted sesame or truffle oil, this is a MUST ATTEND event.

Learn more here:
http://cooking.meetup.com/534/calendar/7701176/


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Albany, NY Winemaking Class and Julia Child Video Review

Albany, NY area wine lovers - why not take your passion for wine one step further and learn how to make your own wine?

The Waterford Museum in Waterford, NY is offering a home winemaking class on April 29th.

Details are here: http://waterfordmuseum.com/annualworkshop.htm

This workshop is a fund-raiser for the Museum. I attended last last year and had fun getting some hands on experience at home winemaking.

Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom -
What a great video. The mother of TV chefs is lauded by Jacques Pepin, Charlie Gibson, Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Jasper White, Alice Waters, and Thomas Keller.

Good choice for a foodie Saturday afternoon.

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Over 100 Free Italian Recipes from Barilla

Pasta Lovers! Enjoy these free pasta recipes from Barilla.

Related Articles:

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

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20 wine friendly recipes, including "Wine-Can Chicken"

Finger Lakes New York winery offers food and wine pairing recipes

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars website offers recipes and food pairings from Grady Wells, a writer and consultant living in Ithaca, New York.

Dry Riesling lovers will enjoy recipes for Grilled Duck Legs, Pork Chop Packets with Potatoes and Apples, Braised Pork Ribs, Sausages & Sauerkraut, and Asian Chicken with Vegetables. Semi-dry Riesling pairs with Chicken Curry with Apricots with Roast Pork Tenderloins.

Chardonnay lovers will want to check out recipes for Grilled Shrimp over Linguine & Arugula, Wine-Can Chicken, Baked Salmon with Salsa, and Broiled Jumbo Shrimp with Citrus and Garlic Lamorea.

Pinot Noir is paired with Roast Turkey with Pinot Noir Orange Glaze and Grilled Lamburgers with Feta Cheese.

Cabernet Franc is matches with Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts, Feta and Red Pepper Pizza and Harvest Beef Daube with Roast Vegetables.

Merlot loving recipes include Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak with Mushroom Sauce, Garlic Lover's Braised Beef with Merlot, Pork Loin Grilled over Grape Vines, and Risotto with Bacon, Porcini, and Toasted Walnuts.

Kudos to a winery that knows the importance of wine and food pairing.

Have you tried a Cabernet Franc wine and food pairing?

Wine and Cheese Pairings featuring local cheeses
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/local-cheese-pairings-for-riesling.html


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Red Wine Pairing for Sauerkraut

Thank you for reading my food and wine pairing tips!

I found a great match for one of my favorite side dishes - tangy Sauerkraut!

Let me tell you more in this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R56nTp_zdT4




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How to Match Red Wine and Chinese Takeout

In a San Francisco Chronicle article titled 'Potstickers and Pinot Noir,' Lynne Char Bennett recommends Pinot Noirs from the California's Carneros region as a match with Chinese food.

Bennett explains that the Carneros Pinot Noir's, "cherry, red-raspberry and strawberry-fruit aromas and flavors will support but not overpower Chinese ingredients like oyster sauce, soy sauce and fermented black beans. The contrast of salty-savory sauces to tart red fruit is a complementary match."

She recommends medium-weight ingredients - including pork, game bird, duck, mushrooms and salmon as exceptional Pinot Noir matches, specifically Chinese pork dumplings (jiaozi), and potstickers.

Bennett's Potsticker and dipping sauce recipes are here -
http://www.ocregister.com/life/sauce-water-oil-1984870-cup-filling

I enjoy seafood and noddle dishes when ordering Chinese takeout, so I usually pop a bottle of Gewurztraminer. I am interested to try a cool climate Pinot Noir with Bennett's pairing suggestions.

Would you serve Pinot Noir with Chinese Takeout?

Related articles:
What wine goes with Chinese Food?
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-wine-goes-with-chinese-food.html

Did you like this article? Click HERE to Subscribe to Kathleen Lisson's FREE Wine and Food Pairing Tips by Email.

How to choose a Sparkling Wine with Brunch

In the Vancouver Sun article, 'The bubbly goodness of sparkling wine,' sommelier and wine educator D.J. Kearney. Kearney provides tips on serving sparkling wine at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Kearney recommends She suggests a Muscat-based sparkling wine such as Moscato d'Asti to go with waffles or crepes, salmon with a Pinot Noir sparkler and Asian food with a Riesling-based German sekt.

She also enjoys Vintage champagne with truffled chicken, sparkling shiraz with lamb burgers or sparkling rosé with southern-style barbecue.

I have found that Moscato d'Asti, an Italian sparkling wine, is a great bubbly for new wine drinkers, and German Sekt is a very affordable alternative to 'real' Champagne prices.

How often do you drink Sparkling Wine?

Related Articles:

Champagne and Food Pairings
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/champagne-and-food-pairings.html

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WBW : St. Maure Chaput and Taleggio cheese and wine pairing

Thank you for reading my wine and food pairing blog!

I picked up a piece of St Maure Chaput from the Honest Weight Co-op in Albany, NY last week.

This is a cheese from Quebec made from raw goat's milk and coated with vegetable ashes. I found this cheese mild and tangy. My coworkers found the cheese's smell more intense than I did.

To serve the cheese, I sliced it widthwise and separated out the ashes with a knife. I served a slice on a cracker and drizzled it with a little honey. Served plain, this cheese could pair well with a light, refreshing Chardonnay or Cabernet Franc wine.

Last night I purchased, on the good advice of my blogging friend Alex, a wedge of Taleggio Caravaggio, a washed rind cow's milk cheese from Italy.

I paired it with tapas and a glass of 2005 Fabrice Gasnier Chinon, a Cabernet Franc based wine from the Loire Valley in France. The cheese is gooey and thick, and brought out the tanginess on the Cab Franc.

I also paired the Cab Franc with rice flavored with white truffle butter, steamed broccoli and sesame oil and sauteed oyster and shitake mushrooms with a dash of pepper.

The vegetal tasting broccoli with the toasty sesame oil topping and the Cabernet Franc were a great match.

The mushroomy taste of the shitake mushrooms also matched well with the Cabernet Franc.

The Cabernet Franc caught the earthy undertone of the Truffles, but the overall delicate flavor of the truffle butter was overpowered by the wine's stronger flavors.

In this Youtube video, Scott from Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yann, NY shares food pairing tips for his winery's Cabernet Franc.

He says that steak, pizza and burgers are perfect matches for this red wine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAT4_2ovnnQ

What do you like to drink with Cabernet Franc?


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Recipe and Napa Wine Pairing for Ossobuco

The fine folks at Sodaro Estate Winery sent me this recipe for Ossobuco, recommending it as a perfect pairing with their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

A great wine and food pairing tip is - match a full bodied, flavorful wine like a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a full bodied, flavorful dish.

What other full bodied dishes would match well with a full bodied red wine?

The Ritz Restaurant Ossobuco

8 portions Ossobucco, 24 oz. each, cleaned and tied
1 large carrot, peeled and diced into small pieces
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 large yellow onion, small dice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
12 oz. red wine
12 oz. can plum tomatoes, peeled and pureed
1 quart vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Season Ossobucco with salt, black pepper and dust with flour.
In a separate pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil and reserve to the side.
In a deep braising pan, high enough to cover Ossobuco with liquids, lightly sauté vegetables and garlic. Turn off heat.
Place Ossobuco in braising pan. Add red wine and tomato puree.
Pour reserved vegetable broth, covering Ossobuco.
Place a lid on roasting pan and cook for around 2 ½ hours or until fork tender.

Yields 8 portions.


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How to Make Baked Brie en Croute

In an article titled, 'Brie en Croute, an oldie but goodie' for the Philadelphia Daily News, Chef Jim Coleman, corporate chef at Normandy Farm and Blue Bell Country Club, offers pointers on preparing and serving baked Brie, a party appetizer that combines, "a delicious, flaky crust with creamy, melted, oozing cheese."

One key to Coleman's baked Brie is starting with a slightly underripe cheese. He also advises freezing the Brie for 10 to 20 minutes before baking to prevent the cheese from thoroughly melting. Other tips include using a hot oven and choosing a pastry crust made with butter, not oil.

Would you serve baked Brie at a party?

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

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