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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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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Prawns Poached in Cream Over Couscous

If you think being a student at the Northwest Wine Academy sounds like fun, you’re right! One of my current assignments is a group research project focused on a meal paired with wine. The “task” is to dine together with other students, then describe the meal, the wine pairings, and overall impressions of the meal. As luck would have it, my friends were planning a multi-course meal to celebrate my birthday in our traditional way. That meal has become fodder for this project. The topic happens to dovetail nicely into the theme for this blog, so I am sharing it here as this meal exemplifies what I consider the be the ultimate in food and wine pairing. (more…)

The Tortilla Mixture Seconds After Poured into Hot Pan

When we attended EDI’s Inclusion Fusion benefit dinner and auction in May our friend, Carol, “won” a cooking class with Chef Joey Serquinia of the Harvest Vine. Today we had the great pleasure of attending that class and feasting on the most flavorful brunch I have ever eaten.

Chef Joey’s lesson involved the secret to making a Tortilla Española con Crujiente de Jamón Serrano. Que? That means potato onion omelet wrapped in crispy serrano ham with piquillo pepper foam. This is the same appetizer he prepared at the Inclusion Fusion event based on a classic Spanish dish.

Wrapping Tortilla Slices with Jamon Serrano

When I’ve tried to make the dish at home before, I layered the potatoes. Chef doesn’t advise that method because it can leave pockets that the egg mixture doesn’t permeate. His technique is to roast the peeled and sliced potatoes first so that they are cooked through, but not brown. Let them cool and then combine them with the eggs. This cuts down on active prep time, and the end product still looks delectable.

After the tortilla was cooked, it got a little fancied up before being served. Chef sliced the finished tortilla into strips, and wrapped them with slices of jamón serrano. He then drizzled the wrapped tortilla strips with allioli and topped everything off with piquillo foam. The finished dish looked like a work of art with that explosion of neon orange foam, but that didn’t stop us from eating every last savory bite.

The Finished Tortilla

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Food Pairings at Riesling Rendezvous

Earlier in July I was fortunate to receive a media pass to cover the Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle. In the Grand Tasting Catalog handed out at the event, there is an eye catching ad sponsored by Destination Riesling that reads,

“If your food could speak, it would ask for a glass of Riesling.”

Riesling truly is a very food friendly wine. Selecting the right Riesling can be a little confusing, however, because it is made in so many styles ranging from bone dry to sweet. The drier styles are good for pairing with creamy sauces. It’s great with shellfish, too. Last winter our friend Bean served us crab paired with a variety of brands of Riesling including Hudson Shah from Woodhouse Family Cellars. The crisp clean finish of the wine lets the crab shine through. Fantastic! The sweeter off-dry styles complement spicy food such as Thai or Mexican dishes.

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Smoked Trout Pate

This recipe was inspired by a tapas class I took from Chef Tom Black at the late Culinary Communion. If you’re serving it at a party, you can make it earlier in the day.We like to pair this with the Grgich Hills Fumé Blanc.

Serves 6-8 people.

• 1 medium russet potato (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• smoked trout
• 1 shallot chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• dash of pepper
• crackers for serving – we like La Panzanella Croccantini

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Friends Gather in the Kitchen for TasteLive

Last month we had the pleasure of participating in a TasteLive event featuring several wines from Kunde Family Estate. Roger and I have a fond memory of visiting this Sonoma winery’s expansive tasting room during our last visit to California. Fun fact: the boxing scenes in the movie Bottleshock were filmed on the Kunde grounds.

When we host TasteLive events, we follow the example set by our friend, Bean. We invite a group of friends, let them know what wines will be poured, and encourage them to bring a dish to pair and share. Then, when the clock strikes the designated time we open the bottles along with other TasteLive participants wherever they may be. Simultaneously, we all Tweet about our tasting, sharing our comments and experiences online.

On the Menu:

• Salad with Prawns, Hearts of Palm, and Herbs by Vivian
• Smoked Eggplant by Veena
• Truffled Bean Puree with Fresh Fennel
• Shredded Chicken with Balsamic Barbecue Sauce in Mini Tortillas
• Apple Clafoutis by Carolyn

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On an overnight stay in Richland in order to attend the Wine Bloggers’ Conference excursion to Yakima Valley, we dined at the Taverna Tagaris. Conveniently located right off I-182, we easily found the place. The weather was very accommodating and allowed us to enjoy our first outdoor meal of the summer, next to a water fountain that kept us cool on this warm evening. I selected several options from the appetizer section of the menu for my meal. The meze plate, a sampler of 3 spreads, included hummus, spicy artichoke, and skordalia. I also ordered a Greek salad. It’s a nice salad, though not really a traditional version. The highlight of my meal was a dish called Gambas el Ajillo (spicy garlic shrimp). Paprika lends a beautiful intense orange shade to the shrimp, and the flavors are powerful. This is a dish I would definitely order again!

The Wine Pairing

The wines served at the Taverna come from the adjacent Tagaris Winery. Craving something cool and refreshing, but not willing to commit to the 16 ounce glass of beer on the menu, I opted for a glass of the House Rosé Table Wine for $6. This wine was made for summer! Offering notes of bright raspberry and strawberry followed by a crisp finish, it was just what I was hoping for. It paired with every dish on the table with the exception of the spicy artichoke spread. Then again, I have yet to try any wine that pairs well with spicy artichoke spread.

Estrella Family Creamery's Valentina

Imagine eating 20 different cheese dishes, each paired with a wine, over the course of 3 hours. For students in the Cheese and Wine Pairing class at Northwest Wine Academy, this is how we spent our last class. Each student’s wine and cheese pairing presented to class is part of that person’s grade.

There were some pretty creative preparations, too. In fact, this was the first time I’ve been served cheesy grits. Even if I had tasted them before, I don’t know that it would have occurred to me to serve them with Semillon. One of the bolder pairings of the evening was a blue cheese fondue. Even though each serving was delivered in a small ramekin, it was full of big flavor, and paired with a big Washington red wine to boot. One of the students even went to the effort of preparing cheese soufflés. As a memorable way to wrap up class, the final pairing of the night was blue cheese ice cream served with a sauternes.  

If this kind of learning experience intrigues you, consider enrolling in Advanced Food and Wine Pairing with Chef Lenny Rede this summer.

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