deVine Table

Squash Fritters with Chimichurri Paired with Malbec

Trying to come up with of a way to reinvent some leftover spaghetti squash, I recalled a recipe for fritters in Greg Atkinson’s book, “At the Kitchen Table.” His version is based on parsnips, but I can’t get the hubby to eat those. Besides, we were in need of a side dish to pair with a Malbec.

So, after a few tweaks, this is what I came up with. When I asked the hubby what he thought of the Spaghetti Squash Fritters he replied, “There’s spaghetti squash in there? I couldn’t tell; they’re delicious.”

Makes 8 fritters

• 3/4 cup cooked spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon Cilantro Chimichurri, plus extra for serving
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter

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The food and wine pairing classes I’ve taken at Northwest Wine Academy have had an ongoing influence on me. In Varietals II where red wine is explored at great length, we were tasked with serving a dish to pair with Malbec. I’m now obsessed with pairing food with Malbec. All the time. Seriously. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a quick and dirty guide for throwing a party together when time and money are limited. We’ve culled together a couple of our favorite recipes, drink ideas, and party planning tips to help keep the merry in your merrymaking.

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Washington winery, Walter Dacon, crafts some lush and decadent wines. One of our favorite wines that they’ve produced has been their Roussanne. Sadly, they haven’t bottled any in recent vintages. So when our good friend Vivian discovered a bottle of the 2006 and one of the 2007 vintages in the winery’s library, we planned a special pairing dinner. Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, there are those who might be stunned that anyone might have leftover wine from dinner. When it happens who can bear to let even a drop of our precious juice go to waste? The good news is, there’s no need to pour that wine down the drain!

1. Cook pasta in wine. I saw Mario Batali do this on The Chew and thought, “why the heck haven’t I done that before?”  If you’ve got some inexpensive wine in the house, using it to make Wine Stained Gemelli and Sausage Meatballs is well worth considering. Read the rest of this entry »

What a tough day of food + wine pairing at NW Wine Academy looks like

As a student at the Northwest Wine Academy,  finals in food and wine pairing classes involve creating and presenting our very best pairings. In Varietals I, a class focusing on white varietals, our friend Vivian prepared this “Magical Austrian Soup”. Our instructor, Chef Lenny Rede still waxes poetic about this warming wonder.

Many thanks to Vivian for her generosity and willingness to share this delectable recipe she adapted from Bernard Clayton Jr.’s  The Complete Book of Soups and Stews.

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Utterly decadent Cardamaro Ice Cream

I’m still obsessed with Cardamaro. Not only have I incorporated it into biscotti, but also this recipe. This is a decadent treat that I love serving to dinner guests for dessert. There is nothing like homemade ice cream so refreshingly cool, creamy, and smooth. With an automatic ice cream maker, it’s unbelievably easy to make. In the long run your own machine will save you money and you’ll have better quality ice cream.  I dedicate this recipe to my friends, Lisa and Kristi, who are true believers in the value of a home ice cream maker.

This recipe is inspired by the book Ice Cream by Liz Franklin.  This usually serves 4 people in our house.  You could serve 6, but you’ll probably leave people wanting more!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cardamaro

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the chilled freezer bowl of the ice cream maker. Turn on the machine and check it after 25 minutes. If it’s not thick enough, give it another 5 minutes or so until it reaches your desired consistency. Homemade ice cream melts very quickly, so be sure to dish it up and eat it right away. Immediately transfer any leftover ice cream into a freezer safe container and put it in the freezer.

We are fortunate in Seattle to have so many wine events taking place at any given time. How to choose which to attend? This is our take on some of our favorites that inspire our palates.

Chef Wayne, Me, and Rick Small of Woodward Canyon at a past Andaluca Wine Dinner

Mosel Wine Merchants Riesling Tasting at the Wild Ginger in Seattle August 29 5-7 pm

What’s so great about it? At just $15 this wine event is a terrific value. Wines from Clemens Busch, Peter Lauer, Stein, Spater-Veit and Steinmetz will be accompanied by light appetizers. Riesling from the Mosel and food from Wild Ginger all for $15 – what’s not to like? Besides, the International Riesling Foundation tells us,

“By drinking Riesling, you become a better person.”

Is this event for you? Whether you’re already a Riesling fan or Riesling curious, this is a great opportunity to sample a number of different tastes. If you’d like to explore wines that deliver everything from a touch of sweet apple and pear to a dry minerally finish, this is one of the best ways to do it. The two Summer of Riesling events we’ve attended so far have been fantastic. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a great summer sipper? Pinot Gris is a light to medium bodied white wine with refreshing acidity that is perfect for pairing with dinner on a warm summer evening. Northwest produced Pinot Gris tends to be a bit heavier than its Italian counterpart, Pinot Grigio. Keep the body of the wine in mind when pairing with food as you don’t want the food to overpower the wine, and vice versa.

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Last Sunday Terry Theise, a leading importer of Riesling from Germany and Austria, was hosted by Wild Ginger for one of their Summer of Riesling dinners. The hubby and I are big fans of Riesling and Wild Ginger’s food. And who knows when an opportunity to meet Terry Theise will arise again? So, we decided it would be worth the splurge to attend. It was.

Not only were Terry’s comments entertaining, they brought out my inner cheerleader. When he talks about the general perception of “sweet” wines as being negative in the public eye he explains, Read the rest of this entry »