deVine Table

A plate full of magically delicious dishes

A great food and wine pairing can be magical! Such a match takes each component to the next level. On the other hand, a poor combination can make the wine taste nasty. That’s why I’m often surprised when a winery hosts an event where something like jalapeno artichoke dip is served. Sure, it’s inexpensive to feed to the masses, but it won’t bring out the best in any wine.

Because I’ve been to so many wine events where I’ve been served the likes of pickled asparagus and other wine-unfriendly fare, I find myself especially tickled when a winery gets it right. The best example I have come across so far has been at Tyrus Evan, Ken Wright’s winery that focuses on warm weather grapes.

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Giardiniera Salad

This recipe came about while I was preparing material for an Italian wines class. Inspiration came from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine. I’ve simplified the recipe  because I needed to easily feed a crowd. In fact, quantities can be doubled or quadrupled to do just that! So next time you’re hosting a casual spaghetti night or pizza night dinner, consider including this in the mix. It’s not expensive, and it takes just minutes to put together. (more…)

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…)

Radicchio Bread Salad for Wine

While at the International Food Bloggers’ Conference (IFBC) I had a conversation with a couple about radicchio, and pairing it with wine. As I was strolling through the produce section of the supermarket a couple of days later, I saw some beautiful radicchio. The memory of that conversation still fresh, I couldn’t resist snatching up that red colored head bearing a resemblance to an infant cabbage. After all, it is one of the few vegetables I can get the hubby to eat. Or so went my rationale. In any case, I find that it also stands up very well to red wines, bringing out the fruit in the wine. Armed with that radicchio, and determined to get the hubby to eat his veggies, I created this version of a bread salad.

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Tabbouleh Salad

This quarter I’m enrolled in the Advanced Food and Wine Pairing class at Northwest Wine Academy. The topic of last week’s class was earthiness. Among the 12 food items served to us this evening by our instructor, Chef Lenny Rede, was tabbouleh salad.

Tabbouleh initially makes me think of lemon. Lemon makes me think of Pinot Grigio. So, I usually drink Pinot Grigio with tabbouleh.  In fact we enjoyed the 2008 Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Grigio with our tabbouleh at dinner the other night. While that is definitely a white wine option, there are possibilities beyond white wine with this salad.

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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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