Eggs and Red Wine pairings

In the Oregonian article,">'The "incredible edible egg" plus bruschetta sauce yields supper in a flash,' Katherine Miller offers a simple recipe for a quick weeknight dinner that can pair with a glass of red 'Beaujolais' wine.

Her Herbed Vegetable and Goat Cheese Frittata only requires bottled bruschetta, goat cheese and eggs, but quickly cooks into a satisfying, flavorful mid week meal.

Do you use eggs in your dinner recipes?

Related Article:
Food and Wine Pairings with the Top Five 'Health' Foods - Beans, Blueberries, Salmon, Eggs and Sweet Potatoes http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/food-and-wine-pairings-with-top-five.html

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Snow Crab and White Wine recipe and wine pairing

In an article in the Globe and Mail titled, "Snow Crab and Asparagus in Tomato Gelée," Norman LaPrise shares a recipe for Snow Crab that pairs well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay.

The ingredients list is short and simple - tomatoes, Sheets of gelatin as needed, asparagus spears, snow crab meat, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, but the process of making a gelee is new to me, so it may prove to be an interesting kitchen experiment for a confident home chef.

Would you make a gelee?

Related Article:
The 'How to Match Wine and Fish' Guide - http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/wine-and-fish-pairing-guide-how-to.html

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Educational Wine Article

Wine Education Article from Food and Wine Magazine

In 'What Chefs Want to Know About Wine and Aren't Afraid to Ask,' an article for Food and Wine magazine, Kristin Donnelly shared highlights from a recent wine class that taught chefs the basics of winemaking.

Topics covered include information on harvesting grapes and the fermentation and aging of wine.

Related Article:
Are you interested in studying about wine? My tips for passing the Certified Specialist of Wine exam are here:
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/certified-specialist-of-wine-exam-how-i.html

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Ten recipe food pairings for Chianti wine

My fellow Wine Century Club member Darby Higgs is giving away ten recipes that pair perfectly with a glass of Chianti or Sangiovese wine.

Dishes include Minestra al Pesto, Tuscan Fish Soup, Pizza Margarita, Trippa A Romana, Veal Chops in Red Wine and more.

The recipes are free with your free subscription to Vinodiversity! Vinodiversity is a great newsletter for wine lovers interested in learning about unusual varieties of wine.

More information is here: http://www.vinodiversity.com/sangiovese-cookbook.html

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Wine-Based Cocktail recipes

In the Washington Post article "A Lighter Way to Mix It Up," Jason Wilson's recent Spirits column offers information about wine based cocktails dubbed 'winetails.'

A 'Calimocho' is a 50/50 mix of Red Rioja wine and Soda pop.

A Star Gazer is made with Chardonnay, dark rum, vanilla simple syrup and pineapple juice.

An Ecco Sidro, is made with muddled ginger, apple cider, chai tea powder and Ecco Domani Chianti.

More 'winetail' recipes and Wilson's take on this new breed of drink are in his column.

Would you try a wine based cocktail?

Related Article:
How to make Wine - based cocktails
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-make-wine-based-cocktails-and.html



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Shrimp and Albarino food and wine pairing

Hot weather and soaring gasoline prices are an unfortunate combination for wine lovers on a budget, but the tangy flavor of an inexpensive glass of Albarino can save the day!

Food and Wine magazine offers a summertime seafood pairing for Albarino - Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce. According to the website, "The dipping sauce is almost chutney-like with chunks of whole tomatoes; lemongrass and lime juice add tang."

The tanginess of the sauce matches the acidity of the wine, making the flavors in both 'pop,' creating a flavorful combination in your mouth!

For summertime sipping, an acidic white wine like Albarino is a refreshing break from more medium and full bodied wines.

Have you tried 'Vinho Verde' or Albarino wine?



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White Zinfandel wine and food pairings

Drink What You Like - food matches for White Zinfandel

After drilling the same theme into my wine students' heads for five weeks in a row - "Drink What You Like" - I have to admit that I am remiss in not posting wine and food pairings for a type of wine that one of my students, Rosa, admitted very bravely that she loves.

These matches are for you, Rosa –

Pepperoni Pizza is mentioned as a match for White Zin in this article:
http://www.americanwinery.com/reading_room/article/174/Wine_&_Pizza_Matcher_

White Zinfandel is also listed as a pairing for a hamburger with Pickled Relish & Yellow Mustard here:
http://www.americanwinery.com/reading_room/article/176/Wine_With_My_Burger%20_

Vigilant lists White Zinfandel matches, including pasta dishes with cream sauces, fish, pork, bacon and pancetta, mild cheeses, Asian cuisine, couscous, crab cakes, Creole, crudités, dessert, egg dishes, Indian cuisine and tandoori spices, lamb, pâté, and anti-pasto, at its website here: http://education.vigilantinc.com/residential/wine-food-guide.asp

Even Eric Asimov has experimented with White Zin, and found it was a good match with a meal of scallops over linguine:
http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/06/27/white-zin-memories/

Drink what you like.

If you like White Zinfandel, try matching it with meals that could also be paired with an off-dry Riesling.

Leave YOUR recommendations in the comments section of this post.


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Wine and Pizza pairings - search for your favorite toppings!

Andrea Immer penned an amazingly informative article on pairing wine with leftovers – read her wine matches for turkey, macaroni, ham and cheese, and red beans and rice here:
http://www.americanwinery.com/reading_room/article/175/Wine_With_Leftovers

Also worth a look is this article on matching wine to your favorite pizza toppings:
http://www.americanwinery.com/reading_room/article/174/Wine_&_Pizza_Matcher_
Choose from Cheese, Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushroom & Onion, Vegetarian and Hawaiian.

Congrats to New York! An off-dry New York Riesling is the recommended pairing for a Hawaiian pizza's pineapple and ham flavor combination.

These articles are great for a quick suggestion and also a good resource for understanding the thought process behind wine and food pairing.

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Grill-Friendly Food and Wine Pairing: Salmon and Leeks Paired with Tempranillo

From the Wine Spectator, a recipe that pairs well with Tempranillo!

'Grilled Salmon Steaks and Leeks with Couscous Salad' features the flavors of salmon, mustard and leeks. Tempranillo is an interesting change from salmon's usual wine partner, Pinot Noir. This looks like a great recipe for out on the grill or indoors using a George Foreman-type grill.

What to eat with the rest of the wine in your bottle?

Natalie MacLean recommends several other entrees that pair well with Tempranillo, including Eggplant Parmigiana. Her list is here: http://www.natdecants.com/matcher/results.asp?type=wine&id=89

Have you used leeks in a recipe?

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Why Wine Dinner Pairings Work

The Wine Press Newsletter reports that the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, CA recently held a New York wine and food pairing event featuring dishes the chef specifically created with New York foods.

I love to look at wine and food pairing menus, trying to figure out the chef's logic gives me practice in coming up with my own food matches. I have put my thoughts on a few of the pairings in parenthesis, can you figure out the rest of the food and wine matches?

Chateau Frank Blanc de Noirs with Chilled Yellow Pepper Bisque(do you have a fresh vegetable naturally sweet soup recipe? This might be a great pairing wine - the truth is, sparkling wine pairs with most any dish!) and New York Goat Cheese and Crisp Prosciutto (Blanc de Noirs, a sparkling wine made from red wine grapes as a pairing for tangy goat cheese and savory salty Prosciutto);

Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling with Roasted Salmon Crusted with Horseradish Sauce;

Anthony Road Semi-Dry Riesling with Alsatian Style Braised Cabbage and Quail (match regional style wines with their regional foods - Riesling is famous in Alsace, France, so pair an Alsatian style recipe with the flavor of a local wine);

Chateau LaFayette Reneau Emporer's Blush with Pan Roasted Chicken with Garlic Herb Croquette;

Jamesport Cabernet Franc with Roast Duck with Fig Pudding;

Baldwin Strawberry Wine with New York Cheesecake (we know that strawberries and cheesecake pair well together, a sweet strawberry wine would be a liquid version of this pairing!)

Wolffer Late Harvest Chardonnay with Fruit Tartlets.

Related Article:
Joanne Weir's Ten Tips for Planning a Successful Dinner http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/04/top-ten-tips-for-planning-sucessful.html

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Camping and Hiking Recipes with Red and White wine pairings

Karisa from the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany shared tips for picnic and hiking friendly meals at last night's Gourmet group meeting.
The video is here:http://www.youtube.com/v/miYR4OCjo1U




Local grocery chain Price Chopper has teamed up with Rachael Ray to offer several recipes fit for grilling and camping. Recipes are here.

Rachael Ray offers a vegetarian-friendly recipe for her Grilled
Vegetable Platter with Crumbled Ricotta Salata here:
http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Recipe_Detail_Stub.las?-token.RecipeNbr=18100&-token.Action=R2&-token.S=CC6T9R1681E0eb8P730204D0ttVN6L53D9C08B|10430|0806021323|||||

Grilled vegetables could pair well with a oaky Chardonnay, but this recipe might be more flavorful with a light-bodied red wine, especially if you are eating by firelight in the woods, surrounded by that wonderful scent of pine trees and campfire smoke.

Chill red and white wines with a wine bottle chiller sleeve like the one sold by Vacu Vin. An example is here, but I think they are also available at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond.


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Best White Wine with Seafood - one fun way to pair seafood and white wine

What goes best with a seafood entree? Food and Wine magazine suggests a white wine from a coastal vineyard! In the article 'Coastal Whites: Top Seafood Matches,' author Megan Krigbaum provides details on wines from Australia, Sicily and Spain.

Would you try pairing seafood with wine from a seaside vineyard?

Related Article:
The 'How to Match Wine and Fish' Guide - http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/wine-and-fish-pairing-guide-how-to.html

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Shrimp with Garlic Sauce Wine and Food Pairing Recipe

The folks at Dr. Frank's in Hammondsport, NY recommend trying this mouth watering Wine Club Recipe with a glass of their 92 point rated Gewurztraminer!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Dr. Frank Gewurztraminer
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet and add the shrimp and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, wine, paprika, cilantro, pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the Parmesan and stir. Remove from heat and serve over prepared pasta or rice.

Their spicy, flavorful Gewurztraminer will match this recipe for two reasons - 1. the spices on the recipe will match the flavors in the wine and 2. the wine is in the recipe itself!

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Summertime food and wine pairing: Fish Tacos and Coastal Chardonnay

From Food and Wine: Fish Tacos with Creamy Lime Guacamole and Cabbage Slaw

I love Fish Tacos! The crunchy batter fried fish, the creamy sour cream, the amazing taste of Guacamole. I had my first fish tacos back where I grew up in Northern California, but now they are on restaurant menus across the country. Pair this homemade version with a tangy Chardonnay.

The recipe and tips on which wine to match with your Fish Tacos are
here: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fish-tacos-with-creamy-lime-guacamole-and-cabbage-slaw


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Wine Book Review - The Sipping Point

Book review: The Sipping Point – a crash course in wine by Laurie Forster "The Wine Coach"

This book is a great introduction to Laurie Forster's teaching style as a "Wine Coach" to wine drinkers in the Washington D.C. and Maryland area.

Forster offers advice on how navigate the basics of wine – opening the bottle, tasting the wine, ordering at a restaurant, selecting the right glass and choosing a delicious food pairing.

This is a great resource for new wine drinkers and anyone in the DC / Maryland area interested in incorporating a wine tasting or wine education event into their next conference, meeting or other group event.

http://www.thewinecoach.com/

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Wine and Food Pairing - fondue, restaurant matching, take out 'sauce' and wine pairings

You Can Have Your Wine and Eat It, Too

Old fashioned advice from fellow Wine Century club members Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg - cook with the same wine you serve!

Expanding on this age old wisdom, Page and Dornenburg offer a wine and fondue match and give tips on when to use wine in cooking, how to improve a wine and food pairing at a restaurant and how to make your take out wine friendly.

I will have to try 'spiking' the sauce on my take-out the next time I want a great wine and food pairing.

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Caviar and Wine Pairings

Young. Sexy. Elegant.

That's the new reputation of caviar, according to Adam Stevenson, executive chef for Earth & Ocean restaurant at the W Hotel in Seattle.

In the article 'A new crowd cultivates a taste for caviar,' for USA Today, Tina Dirmann features fresh ideas on how to serve caviar to your party guests. More than just an expensive topping for toast points, these salty, briny fish eggs can add flavor to entrees and even tacos.

Caviar's natural wine match is a flute of Champagne.

Would you consider serving Caviar to your guests?

Related post:
Twenty "wine lover approved" red wine and appetizer pairings http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/02/best-red-wine-and-appetizer-pairings.html

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How to Improve Your Wine Palate Class

You are invited -
I am giving my last class on wine for the Town of Clifton Park, NY this Friday.

This class is $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 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.

As my students have come to expect - crazy things will happen at my wine classes. You may be chosen to suck on a wet tea bag! Don't miss it!


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Wine and Cheese Pairing Workshop in the Hudson Valley

According to the Shawangunk Wine Trail June 2008 Newsletter, Applewood Winery is hosting two delicious classes in June:

Saturday, June 7: Cheese and wine workshop featuring Chef Suzanne
Donovan from 2-3:30PM. Chef Suzanne will guide you through the wooly
world of pairing cheeses and wines and leave you with a better sense of how to combine flavors to maximize enjoyment of both the cheese and the wine. Feel confident when choosing cheeses for your next party! The class is small (15 people) and relaxed, allowing plenty of time for questions. Make your reservations in advance by calling Michele at 845-988-9292 or email info@applewoodwinery.com. Fee is $25.

Saturday, June 21: Food and wine workshop with Chef Jody from 2-3:30 PM. Learn the basics of pairing food and wine while sampling different Applewood wines. Chef Jody will prepare bites of different kinds of food representing the different components of flavor. Fee is $25.

My wine and cheese pairing video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XthfDWIeN_g


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Wine in the New Harvard Food Pyramid

Wine makes an appearance in the new Food Pyramid from the Harvard School of Public Health. The Healthy Eating Pyramid seems to be the exact opposite of the Western Diet - refined grains, fatty meats and soda pop are in the tiny triangle on top, leaving whole grains, plants and exercise with plenty of room on the bottom. Wine is part of a healthful diet, but they are careful not to urge non-drinkers to start consuming alcohol.

Five tips for healthy eating and a more in-depth look at the pyramid is here:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/index.html

Is your diet similar to the one shown on the Healthy Eating Pyramid?

Will you make changes to your diet as a result of the Pyramid?

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