Valentine's Day is a bit of a special occassion here. Julie and I started dating on Valentine's Day a number of years back, as well as it being a classic Hallmark holiday. In short, it's really not simply a day of 'hate and rage' for us. :-) So, that means a nice dinner. Some years, we've gone out for dinner. The experience of dinner out on the holiday has been decidedly mixed, however. In Georgia, we did have a wonderful 5 course dinner at Five and Ten one year--well worth it, in spite of a rather exorbitant price tag. More commonly, dinner out on the holiday has been more hit or miss. One year, we went to a nice place (by reputation); during dinner, we managed to have a glass of wine spilled on us by our server, our wine selection rather poorly judged by the server because it was a screw cap (it was an Oregon Pinot that sold for around $55/bottle--not a crappy wine by any means, aside from the inappropriateness of the comment.), and we ate rubbery over-cooked, fishy smelling scallops and a rather forgetable rabbit ragout. While that might have been the worst, most dinners out on Valentine's Day (and other major holidays) are just rather disappointing. Restaurants are inevitably slammed, so they're stressed out. They don't take the time on either the service or cooking side to make sure everything is perfect--simply do NOT have the time. The menus, when "special" prix fixe, are often unimaginative and usually simple to prepare.
As a result of all of this, we decided this year to spend less, eat better, and do so at a more leisurely rate, while cooking at home. Now, for a lot of folks, this might be stressful. But I love cooking, so I didn't mind at all. And, I must say, in spite of a few missteps along the way (spilled water, spilled egg whites, slightly over-blanched pearl onions) , it came out quite well. I decided on a 4 course dinner--simply skipping the sorbet/granita course. We did wine pairings with starter, salad, and main, as well, though since there were just 2 of us, kept with the same wine for starter and salad (two people, three bottles.... not so smart).
So, what did we do?
1. Seared Foie gras with cherry-marsala reduction and baguette.
2. Asparagus-haricots verts salad with blood orange and lemon-olive oil vinaigrette.
3. Blanquette de veau.
4. Chocolate creme brulee.
Wines:
L. Mawby Blanc de blancs sparkling Michigan wine (with 1 and 2)
Domaine Romanin 2007 Pouilly-Fuisse "Terroir de Fuisse" (with 3)
So, how was it cooking these things? Pretty straight-forward, not too bad.
1. Foie Gras: Simply took a handful of dried cherries, soaked em in marsala for a couple hours. Took foie gras, sliced it, and seared it in a jet-hot cast iron pan for about 30 seconds. Plated it, deglazed with the cherries and marsala. The wine cooked down very quick making a thick sauce, which poured over the foie with the cherries. Sliced the baguette thin, used bread to soak up the sauce and to hold the foie. Very yummy, rather fatty, a bit sweet. Wine was very acidic, lemony, so it cut through the fat and sweet cherries very well. Wow!
2. Asparagus/Haricots Verts salad: A cinch to make. Steamed the veggies for a few minutes, just to al dente, and shocked in cold water. Plated with wedges out of a blood orange. Dressed with a home-made dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, with a bit of salt and white pepper. Simple, tasty, refreshing after fatty foie. Was too acidic, vegetal, to work well with the wine. Would use a sancerre, maybe, instead, or a rose.
3. Blanquette de veau: (aka, veal stew with mushrooms and pearl onions in cream-lemon sauce). This is a complicated, sort of futzy thing to cook, but it's not hard at all. Start with veal stew meat, or breast or shoulder meat, cut into large cubes. Add to pan with stock or water or mix of the two, an onion studded with a few cloves, a carrot or two, and a stalk of celery, as well as some herbs (thyme, parsley, bay leaves). Cook this for about 2 hours. Meanwhile, in two other pans cook pearl onions and quartered mushrooms in stock or water with butter, and salt. Cook until stock almost evaporates, making almost a glaze on the veggies. After the 2 hours is up, pull the veal pieces out of the cooking liquid. Strain the liquid out into another pan, tossing the "stock" veggies, but keeping the liquid. In yet another pan, make a light roux with flour and butter. Gradually work cooking liquid into the roux. Add cream. Add lemon juice. Add an egg or two, tempering it in. Season with salt and more white pepper as needed. Meanwhile, cook up some plain white rice to serve this over. Put veal and veggies back in sauce. Serve stew, meat, veggies, and sauce over white rice.
The dish is admittedly heavy, rather complex to make, but oh so tasty. This classic French stew was beautiful with the just slightly oaky, very acidic, lemony Pouilly-Fuisse. Yum.
4. Finally, creme brulee: Again, a classic, albeit heavy dessert, made of eggs, cream, sugar, turned into a custard, cooked in a bain marie in the oven. Cocoa powder and vanilla extract, with a pinch of salt rounded this out. Finished by sprinkling sugar on top of the finished custard, and torched with a propane torch. The hard, caramelized top contrasts beautifully with the creamy custard below. Nothing says indulgence like that first spoon whack cracking the sugar layer on the creme brulee.
So, was it better than dinner out? The food was every bit as good. We ate it all over a period of about 3 hours--longer than we'd have been able to command a table at a restaurant. If we'd have eaten out, the meal would have easily cost in excess of $250 or $300. We paid a fraction of that, I got to improve and use my culinary skills, and in all, a fun time was had... so, restaurant reservations next year? I doubt it. We managed to eat two rather controversial foods, a remarkably high fat, high calorie meal. Clearly, this would not be an every-day meal--weight annd arteries would not stand it. But as an indulgent, wonderful holiday meal, oh yeah.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A special wine
A few days ago, we opened up a bottle of slightly older wine--a close-out from our local wine store. I knew the producer's reputation, but I hadn't had this one before, and it was from a rather hot vintage and as a close-out, might or might not have been wonderfully stored. So, expectations were not all that high... well... it was one of the most memorable wines I've had in a long while.
So, what was it? A 2003 Domaine Puech Chaud Coteaux du Languedoc. The producer is Rene Rostaing, better known for his northern Rhone wines. But this had many of the same notes as northern Rhones, probably because the cepage was heavy on syrah--but blended with grenache mourvedre, and other grapes. The wine had many of the classic notes of the heat of the 2003 vintage in the Midi. It had great dark fruit flavors, slightly stewed in nature from the hot year, though mellowed by age, great garrigue and anise herbaceous notes. There was a classic syrah peppery note, some oak hints, roasted meat and maybe even bacon. Moderately rustic-earthy in style, it brought a surprisingly decent amount of acid for the vintage, and good minerality and tannis. There was an unusual combination of subtle complexity and power in this wine--something all too rare in wines, and just blew me away. It was drinking just beautifully now, and I think it probably has a few years on it yet--maybe 3 or even 5. That I got the bottle for $16 really made the day for me. It drank far better than many wines 3 times the price. My only regret--that I only was able to get the one bottle. Wish I had a case.
So, what was it? A 2003 Domaine Puech Chaud Coteaux du Languedoc. The producer is Rene Rostaing, better known for his northern Rhone wines. But this had many of the same notes as northern Rhones, probably because the cepage was heavy on syrah--but blended with grenache mourvedre, and other grapes. The wine had many of the classic notes of the heat of the 2003 vintage in the Midi. It had great dark fruit flavors, slightly stewed in nature from the hot year, though mellowed by age, great garrigue and anise herbaceous notes. There was a classic syrah peppery note, some oak hints, roasted meat and maybe even bacon. Moderately rustic-earthy in style, it brought a surprisingly decent amount of acid for the vintage, and good minerality and tannis. There was an unusual combination of subtle complexity and power in this wine--something all too rare in wines, and just blew me away. It was drinking just beautifully now, and I think it probably has a few years on it yet--maybe 3 or even 5. That I got the bottle for $16 really made the day for me. It drank far better than many wines 3 times the price. My only regret--that I only was able to get the one bottle. Wish I had a case.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve Dinner
So, my wife is suffering from pneumonia this holiday break. So, there is no travel for us. Making the best of it, we are celebrating Christmas Eve at home (and Christmas day with some friends). I had been planning an earlier celebration of the holidays one evening this past week for Julie and me, but we decided to move it to Christmas Eve.
So, what did I make? Well, of course, a roast goose. Coated in a citrus spice rub, with onion and lemon in the cavity. Into the oven until done, started at 425, down to 350. Did a cherry-brandy-port sauce to accompany it. Came out absolutely beautifully--crispy skin, juicy meat, and the sauce worked wonders. Since roasting a goose produces seemingly cups full of fat, it provided opportunities for nicely roasting some fingerling potatoes. Of course, a dressing is a must--did it with dried bread, plus pork-cherry sausage and poultry style seasonings. Gravy i a must, too. But the real hit were the Brussels Sprouts and roasted chestnuts--par-cooked and roasted first, respectively, then sauted in a bit of goose fat and finished with a bit of cream. It was absolutely delicious. In all, it was a most delicious dinner, and even Julie, sick as she is, enjoyed it.
But the real coup de grace was the wine pairing. I picked a 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir--Patricia Green's single vineyard bottling from Four Winds Vineyard. This wine comes from a rather coastal part of the Willamette Valley--west of Yamhill, even. There is not a lot of Pinot growing around this vineyard. But there sure should be more. It's one of the most burgundian, earthy, rustic Oregon pinots I've ever tasted. While it's definitely unique--very acidic, decent cherry fruit, balanced by tons of minerality and integrated tannins, violet flower nose, and tons of earth--leather, truffle, forest floor, it is perhaps most reminiscent of some Gevrey-Chambertin. The acidity cut through the fat of the meal beautifully. The fruit notes mirrored the cherry sauce well, and the rustic, gamy notes worked well with those flavors in the goose. As far as I"m concerned, this was perhaps the best new world wine I've had all year, and one of the best pinot noirs (Some from Bourgogne still eclipse this, but not by that much). The pairing was one of those things that just worked gorgeously--that rare moment where the pairing isn't just good, but where the food and wine really combine to make something far better than the parts alone. I love it when that happens-far too rarely for my personal liking, but what a treat when it does!
So, what did I make? Well, of course, a roast goose. Coated in a citrus spice rub, with onion and lemon in the cavity. Into the oven until done, started at 425, down to 350. Did a cherry-brandy-port sauce to accompany it. Came out absolutely beautifully--crispy skin, juicy meat, and the sauce worked wonders. Since roasting a goose produces seemingly cups full of fat, it provided opportunities for nicely roasting some fingerling potatoes. Of course, a dressing is a must--did it with dried bread, plus pork-cherry sausage and poultry style seasonings. Gravy i a must, too. But the real hit were the Brussels Sprouts and roasted chestnuts--par-cooked and roasted first, respectively, then sauted in a bit of goose fat and finished with a bit of cream. It was absolutely delicious. In all, it was a most delicious dinner, and even Julie, sick as she is, enjoyed it.
But the real coup de grace was the wine pairing. I picked a 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir--Patricia Green's single vineyard bottling from Four Winds Vineyard. This wine comes from a rather coastal part of the Willamette Valley--west of Yamhill, even. There is not a lot of Pinot growing around this vineyard. But there sure should be more. It's one of the most burgundian, earthy, rustic Oregon pinots I've ever tasted. While it's definitely unique--very acidic, decent cherry fruit, balanced by tons of minerality and integrated tannins, violet flower nose, and tons of earth--leather, truffle, forest floor, it is perhaps most reminiscent of some Gevrey-Chambertin. The acidity cut through the fat of the meal beautifully. The fruit notes mirrored the cherry sauce well, and the rustic, gamy notes worked well with those flavors in the goose. As far as I"m concerned, this was perhaps the best new world wine I've had all year, and one of the best pinot noirs (Some from Bourgogne still eclipse this, but not by that much). The pairing was one of those things that just worked gorgeously--that rare moment where the pairing isn't just good, but where the food and wine really combine to make something far better than the parts alone. I love it when that happens-far too rarely for my personal liking, but what a treat when it does!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cooking Marathon
Put mildly, yesterday was a cooking marathon for me. I generally think our cookware collection is excessive--we have more Staub and Le Creuset Dutch/French ovens than most people would need, and likewise, merging two households meant multiple stockpots. Now, I was thinking, gosh, we should really part with some of these. Yesterday convinced me that maybe it's not time for that.
This grew out of a combination of a half bushel of tomatoes, two chicken carcasses, and a lovely beef brisket. So, the planned main meal was a beef brisket carbonnade--essentially, a piece of beef braised in beer with a bunch of onions. This worked nicely--the sweet onions combined with a bit of balsamic, some mustard, the beer, and the beef to make a wonderful stew. Cooked in a dutch oven, in the oven, just large enough for the brisket, it was served with egg noodles cooked in a stock/pasta pot stove top.
Then there was the stock. I make my own stock--in this case, from the carcasses of two chickens--one broken down and made into a white stew, the other roasted, each over the last couple weeks. The bones, plus veggies, cook on low for hours on a back burner with filtered water, all in a big stock pot. Simple, tasty, great base for soups, stews, etc.
Finally, the "big picture"--the tomatoes from farmers market. We've just had a hard freeze, so this is pretty much it for getting a big batch of cooking tomatoes. Earlier in the year, I'd made batches of tomato sauce, and some tomato soup. But this was a really big batch. so, naturally, I made not one, but two, soups. The first was a spicy soup combining roasted jalapenos, poblanos, roasted tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Roasting makes peeling tomoatoes relatively easy. Onions, of course, served as a base for the soup, along with stock and some white wine. The result is a spicy soup that is enhanced by a dollop of sour cream, and perhaps a squeeze of lime. This is a truly fun soup to make.
My second tomato soup first involved peeling tomatoes after a dunk in boiling water. The soup then was built on a base of bacon and red onions. Sweet red peppers were used, along with thyme. The tomatoes cooked in stock and wine, and were again pureed. In the end, cream and milk brought added complexity. In all, very yummy! And a rather sweeter version than the first soup.
So, this all led to a big chest freezer full of soups and stock, set aside for the winter. A long tough day in the kitchen. But worthwhile and fun.
This grew out of a combination of a half bushel of tomatoes, two chicken carcasses, and a lovely beef brisket. So, the planned main meal was a beef brisket carbonnade--essentially, a piece of beef braised in beer with a bunch of onions. This worked nicely--the sweet onions combined with a bit of balsamic, some mustard, the beer, and the beef to make a wonderful stew. Cooked in a dutch oven, in the oven, just large enough for the brisket, it was served with egg noodles cooked in a stock/pasta pot stove top.
Then there was the stock. I make my own stock--in this case, from the carcasses of two chickens--one broken down and made into a white stew, the other roasted, each over the last couple weeks. The bones, plus veggies, cook on low for hours on a back burner with filtered water, all in a big stock pot. Simple, tasty, great base for soups, stews, etc.
Finally, the "big picture"--the tomatoes from farmers market. We've just had a hard freeze, so this is pretty much it for getting a big batch of cooking tomatoes. Earlier in the year, I'd made batches of tomato sauce, and some tomato soup. But this was a really big batch. so, naturally, I made not one, but two, soups. The first was a spicy soup combining roasted jalapenos, poblanos, roasted tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Roasting makes peeling tomoatoes relatively easy. Onions, of course, served as a base for the soup, along with stock and some white wine. The result is a spicy soup that is enhanced by a dollop of sour cream, and perhaps a squeeze of lime. This is a truly fun soup to make.
My second tomato soup first involved peeling tomatoes after a dunk in boiling water. The soup then was built on a base of bacon and red onions. Sweet red peppers were used, along with thyme. The tomatoes cooked in stock and wine, and were again pureed. In the end, cream and milk brought added complexity. In all, very yummy! And a rather sweeter version than the first soup.
So, this all led to a big chest freezer full of soups and stock, set aside for the winter. A long tough day in the kitchen. But worthwhile and fun.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
scallops, bacon, brussels sprouts... oh my.
Our local grocery store had dry-pack, frozen scallops on a ridiculously cheap sale. Suspicious, but willling to take a risk, we bought some. Thawed those babies out overnight, and got to cook them tonight. So... what to make with them? Well... we only had about 10 scallops--plenty as part of a bigger dish, but not a stand alone quantity, necessarily. First thing I thought of were some wonderful bacon-wrapped scallops I'd had before. Yummy. But that was an appetizer portion. I've had them seared in cream sauce before--served wtih pasta. That is always good, if a bit rich and "tried and true". Then I looked in the fridge--we had some brussels sprouts from the farmers market. Now, these go well with bacon, and they make a nice warm slaw when julienned and cooked in cream. So... could this all be brought together in one wonderful, glorious dish? I decided to experiment.
So, started some water, cooked penne pasta. Part 2 was the bacon-brussels sprouts in a cream sauce--basically, the pasta sauce. Started by browning about 1/3 lb. of bacon, threw in a finely diced shallot, and the julienned sprouts. With good stirring, seasoned with salt and pepper, this cooked up pretty nice. I then deglazed wtih some white wine, and cooked that down, then adding cream and grated parmesan cheese. All this was quite good, but a bit flat. The juice from half a lemon brightened it up beautifully. When the pasta was done to al dente, I added it to the sauce and cooked for another minute or so. Then, into pasta bowls.
Meanwhile, it was time to cook the scallops. I chose a very simple approach. Salt, a bit of pepper, a quick pan sear on each side for about a minute/side. When done, they went on top of the pasta.
The dish was amazing! The earthy sprouts, the sweet-briny scallops, the smoky bacon, the nutty cheese, the brightness from the citrus. It was a real flavor circus. Of course, I would not in any way call this a healthy dish--bacon, cream, pasta... but dang, it was good.
Now, if I make this again, and I probably will do something similar, I'll make a few changes, I think. Pancetta instead of bacon should add a bit of refinement. (or,, at least, a better bacon!) I think some toasted pinenuts or walnuts would be a nice addition. Otherwise, I think it's pretty much spot on.
Now, as to the wine: I paired it with a 2006 Dubois Vouvray. This is the 'classic' scallops wine, and it really sang with the food. This was not an expensive wine, by any stretch--just over $10/bottle. It is not what I'd call a high end Vouvray. But it was tasty, balanced, and paired wonderfully with dinner. The acid in the wine cut through the cream sauce. The slight sweetness in this demi-sec provided a good match to the sweetness of the scallops. The slight nutty notes highlighted the parmesan. In short, this was one of those really wonderful, serendipitous meals. I had no particular expectation that this would work out. I simply decided to "go for it", and see what happened. And, we were richly rewarded for that tonight.
So, started some water, cooked penne pasta. Part 2 was the bacon-brussels sprouts in a cream sauce--basically, the pasta sauce. Started by browning about 1/3 lb. of bacon, threw in a finely diced shallot, and the julienned sprouts. With good stirring, seasoned with salt and pepper, this cooked up pretty nice. I then deglazed wtih some white wine, and cooked that down, then adding cream and grated parmesan cheese. All this was quite good, but a bit flat. The juice from half a lemon brightened it up beautifully. When the pasta was done to al dente, I added it to the sauce and cooked for another minute or so. Then, into pasta bowls.
Meanwhile, it was time to cook the scallops. I chose a very simple approach. Salt, a bit of pepper, a quick pan sear on each side for about a minute/side. When done, they went on top of the pasta.
The dish was amazing! The earthy sprouts, the sweet-briny scallops, the smoky bacon, the nutty cheese, the brightness from the citrus. It was a real flavor circus. Of course, I would not in any way call this a healthy dish--bacon, cream, pasta... but dang, it was good.
Now, if I make this again, and I probably will do something similar, I'll make a few changes, I think. Pancetta instead of bacon should add a bit of refinement. (or,, at least, a better bacon!) I think some toasted pinenuts or walnuts would be a nice addition. Otherwise, I think it's pretty much spot on.
Now, as to the wine: I paired it with a 2006 Dubois Vouvray. This is the 'classic' scallops wine, and it really sang with the food. This was not an expensive wine, by any stretch--just over $10/bottle. It is not what I'd call a high end Vouvray. But it was tasty, balanced, and paired wonderfully with dinner. The acid in the wine cut through the cream sauce. The slight sweetness in this demi-sec provided a good match to the sweetness of the scallops. The slight nutty notes highlighted the parmesan. In short, this was one of those really wonderful, serendipitous meals. I had no particular expectation that this would work out. I simply decided to "go for it", and see what happened. And, we were richly rewarded for that tonight.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
I'm drowning in zucchini...
Not really. But we got a couple big ones in the farmers market, and had some left from a past week that weren't great, but needed used soon. So... what to do? Why, zucchini soup, of course. This made a wonderful lunch, paired with goat cheese and a baguette, and a gorgeous pinot blanc from Michigan.
The soup was uber-simple. Basically, dice up an onion (or 2-3, depending on how much soup you're making), some garlic. Sweat them down in butter and olive oil for about 5-10 minutes. Add coarsely chopped zukes--about 4X more in volume than onions, I'd say. Maybe a bit of celery, though that's optional. Sweat that all down for another 5-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add some wine (white) if you want, and some chicken stock (homemade if you can; it's SO worth it). How much? Well, that depends on what you like your soup to be like. This chiefly determines whether you will have a thick, almost porridge-like soup, or a thinner item. More fluid = thinner soup. I like it thick and hearty. So I only did enough fluid to cover the zukes by maybe 1/2 inch. after 15-20 minutes in the fluid, take a stick blender to it (or puree it in batches in a blender, or whatever you like). Blend to a level you like for texture. Add cream to taste and health desires. If you really don't want to spend hte money, calories, and fat content on putting real cream in, you can get alot of the same effect by cooking a couple of potatoes into the soup at the start (add at the same time as zukes--and use starchy potatoes, not more waxy ones.) Adjust salt and pepper, and add some heat if you like from hot pepper flakes. At the end, I added a couple eggs, tempered in to prevent curdling. This helps hte texture, and thickens things up a bit. Yum!
with a soup like this, a baguette is almost a requirement. TOday, we added some goat cheese from a producer at the Farmer's Market. We get our goat yogurt from them, too. It's so good and fresh. Yum.
Finally, the wine... Left Foot Charley's 2008 Pinot Blanc. This is perhaps the most exceptional PB I've ever tasted. It outshines most from Alsace; it outshines most from Oregon. It's got a beautiful floral, minerally nose, with clover honey notes, an acidic palate, and an immense, mineral finish. There's more complexity and more beauty in this than you could ever expect, and the price is right at $18. Very deservedly, this wine won a double gold at the Michigan Wine competition, and sadly, the winery is virtually out of it. We've got 4 more bottles of it, and I intend to drink at least two more this year, and perhaps keep one for next year, and for grins, age one for a few years. I love its youthful fresh beauty, so I am reticent to age it, but I sense it's got the acid, minerals, and fruit to hold for a few years and perhaps become a real wonderful nutty aged white. So, we shall see.
The soup was uber-simple. Basically, dice up an onion (or 2-3, depending on how much soup you're making), some garlic. Sweat them down in butter and olive oil for about 5-10 minutes. Add coarsely chopped zukes--about 4X more in volume than onions, I'd say. Maybe a bit of celery, though that's optional. Sweat that all down for another 5-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add some wine (white) if you want, and some chicken stock (homemade if you can; it's SO worth it). How much? Well, that depends on what you like your soup to be like. This chiefly determines whether you will have a thick, almost porridge-like soup, or a thinner item. More fluid = thinner soup. I like it thick and hearty. So I only did enough fluid to cover the zukes by maybe 1/2 inch. after 15-20 minutes in the fluid, take a stick blender to it (or puree it in batches in a blender, or whatever you like). Blend to a level you like for texture. Add cream to taste and health desires. If you really don't want to spend hte money, calories, and fat content on putting real cream in, you can get alot of the same effect by cooking a couple of potatoes into the soup at the start (add at the same time as zukes--and use starchy potatoes, not more waxy ones.) Adjust salt and pepper, and add some heat if you like from hot pepper flakes. At the end, I added a couple eggs, tempered in to prevent curdling. This helps hte texture, and thickens things up a bit. Yum!
with a soup like this, a baguette is almost a requirement. TOday, we added some goat cheese from a producer at the Farmer's Market. We get our goat yogurt from them, too. It's so good and fresh. Yum.
Finally, the wine... Left Foot Charley's 2008 Pinot Blanc. This is perhaps the most exceptional PB I've ever tasted. It outshines most from Alsace; it outshines most from Oregon. It's got a beautiful floral, minerally nose, with clover honey notes, an acidic palate, and an immense, mineral finish. There's more complexity and more beauty in this than you could ever expect, and the price is right at $18. Very deservedly, this wine won a double gold at the Michigan Wine competition, and sadly, the winery is virtually out of it. We've got 4 more bottles of it, and I intend to drink at least two more this year, and perhaps keep one for next year, and for grins, age one for a few years. I love its youthful fresh beauty, so I am reticent to age it, but I sense it's got the acid, minerals, and fruit to hold for a few years and perhaps become a real wonderful nutty aged white. So, we shall see.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Lamb, goat yogurt, ratatouille, and Rhone
Hmmm.. No, it doesn't really rhyme. But it's what was for dinner tonight. Lamb rib chops, marinated as usual in lemon-garlic-oregano, paired with a garlic-goat yogurt sauce (Yes, this is amazing stuff! And it's rather goaty! In the very best way!). But tonight, I paired it with ratatouille as a side. Now, what is ratatouille? Basically a stew/saute/casserole combining bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. Tonight, I roasted my veggies before adding them to the piperade of onion, pepper and tomato. It brought out an extra layer of flavor that was very nice, above and beyond sauteeing them in olive oil. Yum.
I had picked up a bottle of the Domaine de la Tourade 2007 Cotes du Rhone, and though I figured it might be young, I wanted to try it. You may remember reading my waxing poetic about this producer's 2003 Vacqueyras, and the CDR did not disappoint. It's incredibly big and complex for a CDR, tons of raspberry fruit, some garrigue, minerality, cocoa notes, roast meat, holy cats! I love this wine already, and it's showing well; it also has all the hallmarks of a wine that should last for years, maybe a decade or more. I intend to pick up at least 4, probably 6, bottles of this to watch it age over time. I also have a few bottles of their 2005 Gigondas, and a couple of their 05 CDR in the cellar. I'm just incredibly impressed by this producer. By now, you may have realized that I'm a Rhone freak--if I could only drink wines from one region fo the world for the rest of my life, I'd likely pick these--for their rusticity, their complexity, their diversity, their friendliness to food, their accessibility when young and the rewards of cellaring. (Burgundy would be a close second, but that's another post.)
Much as I expected, the wine and food also paired beautifully. First of all, lamb and Rhone tends to go well (for that matter, lamb and most red french wines go well...) together. Second, ratatouille comes from the same general region as Rhone wines (for that matter, so does lamb). Finally, there are the flavors and traits of the wine and food that really make it work. The tannins and acid in the wine nicely cut through the fat in the lamb. The fruit accentuated the sweetness of the lamb meat and the veggies in the ratatouille. In short, a lovely pairing.
I had picked up a bottle of the Domaine de la Tourade 2007 Cotes du Rhone, and though I figured it might be young, I wanted to try it. You may remember reading my waxing poetic about this producer's 2003 Vacqueyras, and the CDR did not disappoint. It's incredibly big and complex for a CDR, tons of raspberry fruit, some garrigue, minerality, cocoa notes, roast meat, holy cats! I love this wine already, and it's showing well; it also has all the hallmarks of a wine that should last for years, maybe a decade or more. I intend to pick up at least 4, probably 6, bottles of this to watch it age over time. I also have a few bottles of their 2005 Gigondas, and a couple of their 05 CDR in the cellar. I'm just incredibly impressed by this producer. By now, you may have realized that I'm a Rhone freak--if I could only drink wines from one region fo the world for the rest of my life, I'd likely pick these--for their rusticity, their complexity, their diversity, their friendliness to food, their accessibility when young and the rewards of cellaring. (Burgundy would be a close second, but that's another post.)
Much as I expected, the wine and food also paired beautifully. First of all, lamb and Rhone tends to go well (for that matter, lamb and most red french wines go well...) together. Second, ratatouille comes from the same general region as Rhone wines (for that matter, so does lamb). Finally, there are the flavors and traits of the wine and food that really make it work. The tannins and acid in the wine nicely cut through the fat in the lamb. The fruit accentuated the sweetness of the lamb meat and the veggies in the ratatouille. In short, a lovely pairing.
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