deVine Table

Skiing Date Props

Remember the Mystery Date game? The premise was for the player to collect enough cards in order to be ready for the date that will appear when she opens the door. The cards identify different components of an outfit. Naturally, each outfit corresponds to one of four dating scenarios including the formal dance date, bowling date, skiing date, and the beach date.

Keeping those scenarios in mind, what would happen if you replace collecting the right outfit with procuring corresponding wine and food? For example, say you’re going to the beach. What wine would you want to drink? Then consider what food you’d want to take on a beach date. Doesn’t that make food and wine pairing sound a lot easier than navigating a lot of rules about tannin and acidity in wine?

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There is no doubt about it, Chardonnay is definitely one of the hubby’s favorite wine varieties. So as a Christmas gift to him, I organized a special wine dinner at home featuring Chardonnay along with some of his favorite food pairings.

Sure, a lot of people have moved to the ABC camp (Anything But Chardonnay).  A big oaky Chardonnay isn’t for everyone, after all. Plus, the oakier the wine, the harder it can be to pair it with food. Pick the right foods, however, and you get some nice butter on butter action going between the food and the wine. That’s right, you had me at butter. (more…)

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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The Makings of Cheese Fondue

“I heart fondue,” said Vivian as we gathered around the table the night before Valentine’s Day and speared heart shaped cut outs of bread to dip into the fondue pot.  The room filled with laughter at the joke, but seriously who doesn’t love a pot of melted cheese? Plus, it’s easy party fare.

While most people take the dreary weather of winter as an opportunity to complain, I like to look at it as an opportunity to enjoy some warming comfort foods. Melted cheesey goodness is a personal favorite.  The blog Cooking Stuff has a cheese fondue recipe very similar to the one I use.

We’re not traditionalists with regard to what items to dip in it, and usually have a mix of different breads. This time we had a loaf of Tall Grass Bakery’s fougasse, Bakery Nouveau’s whole grain carrot bread, and Upper Crust Bakery’s whole wheat bread cut into heart shapes. A heart shaped cookie cutter easily does the trick, and the leftover bread scraps can be made into bread crumbs.

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If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to throw a fun party, consider hosting a salami pairing. Here’s how it works. Select three to five different types of salami with different flavor profiles. Offer at least one type of beverage for each different salami. Throw in some cheese and crackers and you’re ready to party! Read on to learn how we did it.

Wild Boar Salami with Rosemary Crusted Pecorino

The Salami

We served 5 different flavors of Creminelli salami*.

Americano Salami, inspired by the American dish, pork chops and apple sauce.

Barolo Salami, made with generous amounts of Barolo wine.

Musica Salami, with a strong flavor due to the addition of pork liver and clove.

Wild Boar Salami, seasoned with cloves and juniper berries.

Salami Tartufo, with black summer truffles.

Wines Ready to Meet Their Match

The Favored Beverages

2007 Aventino Tempranillo

Finnriver Farmstead Apple Cider

2006 Forgeron Cellars Chardonnay

2006 Kiona Zinfandel

2008 Ceci La Luna Lambrusco

2009 Montinore Estate Borealis

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How will you be celebrating Virtual Cabernet Day on September 2nd? We’re going with the same format we used for the Virtual Chardonnay Tasting.  In fact, it is pretty much the same for all of the virtual tastings we host. We invite friends to join us to “pair and share” food with the wine. While we’re tasting we’ll tweet about the wines as well as our favorite pairings.  Hopefully others will be doing the same so that we can compare notes and get inspiration for future tastings.

The Wine List

Januik 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Glencorrie 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Snoqualmie 2001 Rosebud Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

We haven’t quite figured out the menu in its entirety. I’m pondering Pesto Risotto. What do you like to pair with Cabernet Sauvignon?

Curried Quinoa Salad

This salad is terrific for summer meals on the patio with a refreshing wine such as Gewürztraminer. I’ve adapted the recipe from the Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook to incorporate more ingredients from my farmer’s market and local producers. Serves 4

For the quinoa:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa rinsed (you must rinse the quinoa otherwise it tastes bitter)

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chutney
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the salad:

• 2 ripe peaches, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 salad onion, chopped

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A Table Set for Tea

Is there a special ocassion coming up? Fantastic! Let’s set the table.

In spring, a white backdrop with white flowers and just a touch of color offers guests a setting that feels pristine and fresh. Using the good china adds a sense of elegance. To keep it from feeling stuffy, simply don’t put more china and silver on the table than is necessary.

Hosting afternoon tea is fun and simple. After all, there is no big meal to worry about serving. Here is what we enjoy at our table:

• Lavender Shortbread from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld
• Fruit Platter
• Black Tea – consider giving Lavender Earl Gray a try
• Moscato d’Asti

Whether you are celebrating Mother’s Day, a graduation, or a bride to be, consider doing it over tea.

The Rib Fest Table

Food and wine bring people together. Here is a perfect example. It was barely a year ago that Bean, Vivian, Ed, and I met through the Northwest Wine Academy. Shortly after that, we began getting together for food and wine pairing experiments. Since last summer, we have become fixtures at each other’s tables. Now, we are celebrating birthdays together. Just as we did last Saturday for my husband Roger’s birthday.

Menu planning for this event could not have been easier for me. These three folks who have known my husband for less than a year were able to get him to reveal the favorite at home dishes he’d like to eat on this occasion. I find that impressive. When I ask what he wants for dinner, I don’t get any specifics. Not even a hint.

Dinner Time!

The Menu

• Spinach Salad with Candied Bacon prepared by Ed paired with Walter Dacon 2008 Roussanne
•  Costco Ribs, as requested by the hubby, contributed by Vivian and Ed paired with Sheridan Vineyard 2005 Syrah
•  Risotto and Roasted Veggies prepared by the Missus and
• Smoked salmon, smoked tomatoes, smoked mushrooms, and “Seattle Slugs” prepared by Bean paired with Mount Baker Vineyards 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon
•  Tiramisu paired with Moscato d’Asti

Pesto Risotto

I love that these friends of ours took such great joy in soliciting a menu from my husband. Then they went on to plan, purchase, transport, prepare, and contribute food and wine to a dinner to celebrate the most important person in my life. It was a wonderful evening that we will always treasure.

So, are you feeling inspired to invite friends to your table to share food and wine? I bet it will be a night you won’t soon forget.

"Seattle Slug" aka Portabello Piece

 Preparation

It’s easy enough to pick up some ribs from Costco! Unless, of course, you don’t have a membership. As Vivian learned from this experience, however, chances are we all know someone who does.

The risotto is prepared by tweaking my recipe, Risotto for Wine Lovers. Simply substitute 1/4 cup of pesto for the garlic cloves, and use beef stock rather than chicken.

Bean’s preparation for salmon can be found on her blog, Fairbanks Fantastic Foods and Feasts. Her ”Seattle Slugs” can be duplicated by making her recipe for Portabello Pieces.

Tiramisu has long been one of Roger’s favorite desserts. I learned to make a traditional version from Iole Aguero. She provides authentic Italian recipes and teaches with passion. Classes with Iole  can often be found in Seattle at the PCC Natural Markets and Blue Ribbon Cooking School. It’s great to have Tiramisu in your party repertoire, because it needs to be assembled the night before.

Wine Pairing

At Roger’s request, we opened a bottle of the Walter Dacon 2008 Roussanne this evening. It is his favorite white wine. We are grateful that Vivian was willing to transport this back from the winery in Shelton for us!

Party Wines

Not being a rib eater, I turned to Bean and Vivian for a suggested variety to pair with the hubby’s eagerly anticipated meat fest. Taking their advice into account, we opened a Sheridan Vineyard 2005 Syrah to go with the ribs. Only they can tell you how the two paired. However, I can tell you this Yakima Valley Syrah is terrific with roasted leeks. Vivian somehow managed to save a splash of the Roussanne for her ribs, and said the two were delicious together.

Since we enjoy experimenting with food and wine pairings, we also opened a bottle of Thurston Wolfe 2006 Petite Syrah. This turned out to be Roger’s favorite red wine of the evening.

Continuing on in the spirit of experimentation, a bottle of Rex Hill 2005 Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir made its way onto the table. After all, Pinot and portabellos are a classic pairing. This Oregon wine offers bright cherries on the nose and palate.

The Mount Baker Vineyards 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon was a recent purchase of ours. We bought a magnum of this wine during a recent visit to the tasting room after Roger learned that the winery still had this vintage available. Back in 1999, he had brought a bottle of this Washington Cabernet Sauvignon to a dinner party I hosted, and the wine still haunted him! The wine has aged remarkably well, and it was wonderful with the risotto. Then we tried it with roasted tomatoes and, discovered a match made in Heaven!

We always seem to have a bottle of Moscato d’Asti in the fridge. Serve it with Tiramisu and you have a classic pairing.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to open as many wines as we did to have as much fun. Experimenting with wine and food pairing just makes it more interesting!

Melon Wrapped in Prosciutto

Gathering around the table with friends is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. Part of what makes it a joy is that I am very fortunate to have friends who like to bring their own dishes to share. Great anticipation builds while we wait to see what food will make its way onto our table. This weekend, Roger and I had the pleasure of hosting Julie and Ken. 

We selected an Italian theme for our dinner. This encouraged me to serve something incorporating the fresh ricotta made from my home cheese making experiment. So, what to do with that cheese? Make Baked Rigatoni with Fresh Ricotta. Delicious!

The Menu

• Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic, and Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade
• Melon Wrapped in Prosciutto with Arugula
• Baked Rigatoni with Fresh Ricotta
• Tarragon Chicken
• Chocolate Truffles

Here is one of my secrets. I don’t always make everything from scratch. I aspire to. However, when preparing multiple courses, I often find it best to make a couple of dishes of my own. Then, the menu gets rounded out with food made from scratch by local purveyors. This way, I don’t get stressed and our guests are able to eat at a reasonable time. For example, the tapenade served on this occasion came from my local PCC Natural Market. The Smoked Tomato Sauce for the rigatoni came from Cucina Fresca based in Pike Place Market. The fresh pasta from La Mondellina, a small shop in Magnolia.

Rigatoni Plated

Whenever possible, I choose recipes for a dinner party that can be prepared ahead of time, and need only be put on the table or in the oven when guests arrive. Both the Baked Penne and the Tarragon Chicken can be assembled in advance, then wait in the fridge until it comes time to put them in the oven. So, before guests arrive, it’s important to be sure the oven is preheated.

A prepared appetizer plate is also ready and waiting for our guests’ arrival. I recommend always having food and beverages ready to offer your guests right away. Don’t offer them drinks until some food is ready. I mean it! Why? I’ve been to that party where everyone got drunk at the start of the evening. Drunk and hungry. Hungry and….let’s say, less polite than usual.

On this evening, I breathed a sigh of relief as our guests enhanced our menu with Melon Wrapped in Prosciutto and chocolate truffles from Oh! Chocolate.

The Time Table

Up to one week in advance make the fresh ricotta.

Up to 2 days in advance boil the fresh penne until just al dente, and assemble the pasta dish with the ricotta. It can be tightly sealed and refrigerated until ready to bake.  

Up to 1 night in advance begin marinating the chicken.

The afternoon of the dinner finish any prep work for the pasta and chicken dishes. Refrigerate them until time to bake.

One hour before guests are scheduled to arrive plate the appetizers.

Fifteen minutes before guests arrive, preheat the oven to 375°.

When guests arrive, serve the appetizers.

Upon completion of appetizers, place the pasta dish in the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

Serve the melon and prosciutto.

Take the pasta out of the oven when ready.

Remove plastic from the chicken dish and put it in the oven.

Serve the pasta at the table.

Serve the chicken when ready.

Wine Pairing

The opening wine for the appetizer platter and melon was Boomtown Pinot Gris. This light, crisp wine paired very well with the variety of foods.

 Our friends brought a bottle of Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva. This red wine offers plum on the palate and a nice, velvety finish. It is a food friendly wine that doesn’t overpower. We enjoyed it with the pasta. In the spirit of experimentation, we also tasted it with the chicken, which brought out nice smokey notes in the wine.

Syrah is our favorite variety to pair with the Tarragon Chicken. So, we left Italy momentarily, returning to the Northwest for a Nefarious Cellars 2006 Estate Syrah. As always, a terrific pairing.

Our thanks to our guests for joining us at our table.