Between the Vines

Angie Quaale's Well Seasoned was a perfect venue for tonight's Fraser Valley Tweetup

Three questions: Do you like to cook? Do you like to eat? Do you Tweet?

Surely you answered "yes" to at least two of those questions, if not to all three.

In any event, get yourself over to Angie Quaale's Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store on the by-pass in Langley, B.C. It's packed full of all sorts of gourmet goodies, gadgets, and equipment and offers cooking lessons and a wine club.

I'm thrilled we don't have to travel all the way to the big city (Vancouver, if you're wondering) just to get our fill of truffle oil, 14-year-old balsamic vinegar, and cold-pressed olive oil from France, Spain, Greece, Italy...you get the picture.

Well Seasoned was the venue for tonight's Fraser Valley Tweetup, courtesy of owner @AngieQuaale. It was great to see @vino_g (my Santa Rosa Wine Bloggers' Conference buddy), @WorthEveryBite (baker of the most delicious miniature pastries), and dozens more Tweeps.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

EAT! Fraser Valley returns to Tradex in Abbotsford, September 11, 12, and 13

They're coming back! Last year's EAT! Fraser Valley was a real hit and this year's line up promises to be just as delicious.

And it's the place to be this weekend. It's where you can taste all sorts of new foods and beverages, discover and buy food products and cooking ingredients, improve your wine and beer appreciation (Vancouver's own Wine Diva will be there), and talk with producers, growers, vintner's, and brewers. I'm looking forward to spending some quality hours there this coming weekend. Of course, the Food Network celebrity chefs will entertain as they showcase their talents on stage.

EAT! Fraser Valley is billed as the "largest consumer food, beverage, and cooking festival in suburban Vancouver" and is taking place at Tradex in Abbotsford, B.C. this weekend, September 11 to 13, 2009.

The food show features food, beverage (including wine, beer, and spirits), and kitchen goods exhibitors along with wineries, breweries, restaurants, cooking demonstrations, wine and cheese seminars, and cookbook authors.

Click here to see the schedule for the Food Network Celebrity and Grapes & Hops Presentation stages.

A yummy weekend, indeed.

Salut!

It’s a place and a wine: Chablis

This piece was originally published in the July 9, 2009 issue of My City, a monthly magazine distributed with the Abbotsford News.

We love asparagus but are challenged to find a wine that can work well with it. Vegetables can be tough to pair with wine at the very best of times, and asparagus is one vegetable that surely tests the limits. That’s why I usually serve it alongside our main meal. But when we recently had good friends over for dinner, I got brave and served it as the main attraction in a roasted asparagus salad dressed with a lemon-and-caper mayonnaise.

After cleaning and breaking away the woody parts of the stems, I tossed the raw asparagus in olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper. I laid all the little pretties out on a cookie sheet and roasted them for about 12 minutes at 450˚ F. You can do this just as easily on the barbeque, using one of those dishes designed to keep small bits of food from falling through the grills. The idea is to end up with asparagus that have a tiny bit of char and are ‘just’ done. They’ll continue to cook a little while they’re cooling down and you’re getting the greens and dressing ready.

The dressing is a simple mixture of four or five tablespoons of ready-made mayonnaise, a teaspoon of lemon juice, two teaspoons of jarred capers, and, added at the very end, two tablespoons of heavy cream. Whisk that lot together and season it with salt and pepper if you think it needs any.

Toss four to six cups of greens (depends how much you want, really) with no more than a couple of tablespoons of the mayo mixture—you want the greens very lightly dressed. On individual plates, lay the asparagus atop the greens you’ve already dished and then drizzle the rest of the dressing over top. Garnish with extra capers, if you like.

Serve the salad and French bread with a bottle of Chablis and you’ve found a perfect pairing.

We poured the 2005 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy ($44.99/13% ABV) to go with this salad. And ‘go’ it did. It’s a classic representation... read more.

Unexpected dinner guests? Just add wine

I love impromptu dinner parties because they always inspire me to be creative—quickly.

Here’s how I handled six people for dinner and just two skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

First, I took stock of other provisions on hand: olive oil, fettuccine noodles, a baguette, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cooking onion, dried and fresh basil, about eight mushrooms, garlic, organic chicken broth, a couple of different lettuces, some Campari tomatoes, and two bottles of the Jackson-Triggs 2006 Proprietors’ Reserve Chardonnay
($13.00/13% ABV).

Then I took to chilling the wine, using our quick-chill sleeve for one bottle so I could start drinking it nearly right away.

After slicing and browning the chicken breasts, I added the onion, garlic, mushrooms, sea salt, freshly cracked white pepper, a small palm full of dried basil, and browned it all a little more. Then I added about two cups of chicken broth and two cups of the wine to the pot. In my estimation, two cups of wine or stock is roughly equal to four glugs (glug-glug-glug-glug) poured directly from container to pot.

While that lot simmered, I cut the cream cheese into small chunks and measured out about one cup of grated parmesan cheese. And, because I maintain that one should never cook with a wine he or she is unwilling to drink, I refilled my glass.

Read more...

*This column was originally published in the May edition of Friday! Newsmagazine, a Black Press publication distributed monthly with the Abbotsford News.

*Please note that the Winemaker's Dinner in the Gallery mentioned in the column has been cancelled; however, the Rotary Wine Tasting & Silent Auction is still a go.

 

Pork 'n pinot: each mouthful of food brought out the brilliance of the wine

So, here's what I did tonight with pork and B.C.'s Black Cloud pinot noir...

I took one of the recipes from Natalie MacLean's website—pork chops stuffed with red onion confit, dates, and dried cranberries—and modified it to suit our dinner guests and groceries on hand.

First, instead of pork chops, I roasted at a high heat two small racks of pork I had marinated (for about an hour) in finely chopped garlic, a Port-style blackberry wine—fortified fruit wine from Fort Wine Co.—fresh sage, freshly ground pepper and sea salt, and a little Dijon mustard. Oh yes, plus a splash of B.C.'s own Black Cloud pinot noir, which is available in the Fraser Valley at Whatcom Wine & Spirits.

While the roasts were in the oven, I put together the confit called for in the original recipe, but instead of adding Port, figs, and dried cranberries, I used more of the blackberry dessert wine, dried Bing cherries, and dried cranberries. Oh yes, plus a splash of Black Cloud pinot noir. And, instead of stuffing the meat before cooking, I used it as a topping once the roasting was finished.

Along side the main, I served brown rice cooked in organic chicken broth, grilled portabello mushrooms, and a tossed salad dressed with a mixture of olive oil and the Fort's blackberry balsamic vinegar.

Here's where it gets really good. I served a bottle of—you guessed it—Black Cloud pinot noir with dinner. It was perfect! The juicy cherries, smooth spice, smoke, and earth of the wine literally walked hand-in-hand with the food at dinner. Each sip made the food taste better, and each mouthful of food brought out the brilliance of the wine.

I've said it before, but it is certainly worth repeating:

It's an absolutely glorious thing when your
food and wine bring out the best in each other.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Coq au vin, an oh-so-easy way to cook chicken

I just love anything that's easy, delicious, and goes with wine!  I typically use a pinot noir or Burgundy for coq au vin, but I just finished drinking an '05 Pétales d'Osoyoos that I think would work really well; in fact, I have a couple of bottles left so I think I'll make coq au vin for Sunday's supper.

 

Watch  below as Chef Jean-Pierre shows you how easy it really is.

 

Enjoy!

 

Roasted prime rib paired with syrah for supper on Christmas Eve

We always have a big-deal dinner on Christmas Eve, but it's never turkey.  Please don't misunderstand; we absolutely love turkey and its myriad trimmings.  It's just that we like something a little different on Christmas Eve.  So some years it's fondue or raclette, other years it's sushi and tempura, and other years it's a beef tenderloin or prime rib roast.

This year it's a 3.72 kg prime rib—a real beauty, I might add—that I'll prepare using a take-off of the recipe on pages 231-2 of This Food, That Wine, a not-like-every-other cookbook featuring the recipes, wine selections, and wit of T.V. food-and-wine experts Angie Macrae and Stacey Metulynsky.  I'm deviating from the prime rib recipe by using salted butter instead of unsalted, shallots instead of onion, adding a little dried thyme to the rub, and pouring syrah instead of shiraz.

To accompany this prime cut of meat, I'm making a gravy from wine and beef drippings, rosemary-roasted potatoes, cauliflower baked with butter and nutmeg, steamed broccoli, and sliced vine-ripened tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with freshly picked basil.

Now, syrah and shiraz are made from the same varietal (type of grape); however, their styles are different.  Shiraz, a wine brought to perfection (and the mass North American market) by the Australians, tends to be bigger and beefier, if you will.  Its aromas and flavours are spiced with pepper and loaded with tons of intense ripe fruit, including black current, black cherry, and plum.  Syrah, on the other hand, is more earthy, with dark berry and fruit flavours and aromas that aren't as jammy, but are just as intense. And the pepper in a syrah is often more pronounced than in a shiraz...perfect for me and my family!

For tonight I have two bottles of Poplar Grove's 2005 Syrah ($40.00/13.8% ABV), grown and produced in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.  As well, I have two bottles of 2007 Saint Cosme ($19.99/13.5% ABV), a 100% syrah from the appellation known as Côtes-du-Rhône in the Southern Rhône region of France, where typically you'd find red-wine blends that include grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre grapes.

Now, all I need are people to help eat and drink everything.  I've just lost eight of my guests to safety—they've decided to stay home rather than risk life and limb by driving in this most unusual (and unwelcome) snow storm here on B.C.'s south coast.

Salut!

Copyright © 2008 Kathleen Rake.  All rights reserved.

Want to read some more wine stuff?

Interested in reading some of my past wine columns as printed in Friday! Newsmagazine, a Black Press Publication?  Just click one of the links below:

        November, 2008  

A good reason for a party: Beaujolais Nouveau

My pal Joanne Severn of Rebar Creative and I are eagerly anticipating the third Thursday in November because that’s the day wine merchants around the world (from Tokyo to Abbotsford to New York to Paris, France) will be shouting, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” (Read more...)

October, 2008
Floral, fruit and spice: Perfect for Asian dishes

September, 2008
Worth the phone call; worth the drive

 

August, 2008

Big-deal Burgundian

 

July, 2008

A rosé by any other name

 

June, 2008

Juicy reds for the patio

 

May, 2008

Nifty new wines to taste

 

April, 2008

Food, Friends & Wine

Copyright © 2008 Kathleen Rake.  All rights reserved.

It's Thanksgiving in Canada! What wine should I serve with my turkey dinner?

The one question I've been asked more than any other this week has been, "What wine should I serve with my Thanksgiving turkey dinner?"

Thanksgiving dinner is a comfort-food bonanza, at least it is in our family.  Our table is always filled with lots of the roasted, basted bird, rich gravy, savoury stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, tart cranberry sauce (see my quick-n-easy recipe for cranberry sauce below), and vegetables that run the gamut from green and strong, like Brussel sprouts, to sweeter and gentler, like carrots and corn.  Oh yes, please don't forget the pickles! And the hot buns with butter.

Because there are so many flavours and textures at Thanksgiving dinner, I always choose a wine that can complement or contrast most of them.  That takes me, once again, to two of the most food-friendly wines going, pinot noir and riesling, and there are plenty of Canadian-made bottles to fit the bill.

Pinot noir and riesling wines (I prefer the dry or just off-dry rieslings) are not heavy, dense, or overly complicated (please don't confuse that with simple and boring) so they won't overpower or clash with the meal.  Their acidity, fruitiness, and tannin levels make them the well-rounded cherished guest at a dinner table. They do it all--from cutting through the fatty richness of the gravy and standing up to the sweet-tart cranberries, to cleansing your palate for the next gorgeous bite.

What makes them even better is that they have interesting layers of flavours and complexities that make them lovely on their own.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and family!

Note:
     Canadian's celebrate Thanksgiving in October, while our neighbours (neighbors) to the south celebrate the fourth Thursday in November.
     We both like to celebrate with lots of yummy food, palate-pleasing wine, good friends, and loving family.  What our U.S. cousins have over us is the date of their celebration.  And what I mean by that is they (by virtue of celebrating right after the third Thursday in November) get to take advantage of another really great wine for turkey & ham dinner with all the gorgeous fixings...Beaujolais Nouveau!

* * * * *

Here's my cranberry sauce recipe--quick-n-easy:

Take one bag of fresh cranberries, wash them and then put them in a big pot.  Add a quarter cup of either orange juice, pinot noir, or riesling (maybe I'll try Grand Marnier next time); a quarter cup of brown sugar; and a dash each of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Turn the stove onto high until the works start to "pop" and boil. Then turn it down to low and stir constantly until it reaches the desired thickness level, watching carefully to see if it needs more liquid.  This usually takes less than five minutes. 

Taste the sauce now and see if you want more of something in it--but be careful because it's hot! Once you reach your desired flavour mix, let the sauce cool and then serve it with dinner.

Copyright (c) 2008 Kathleen Rake.  All rights reserved.

It's an absolutely glorious thing when your food and wine bring out the best in each other

There is hardly a pinot noir I've tasted that I haven't liked.  More accurately, there's hardly a pinot noir I haven't liked at least a little bit when served with food.  I may never buy a bottle of that particular one again, or order a glass of it in a restaurant, but I can usually find something "good" about it.

There are, however, some I like far more than others and will be sure to buy and drink again--the 2006 Pinot Noir ($21.90) from Robin Ridge Winery in B.C.'s Similkameen Valley is one of those.

Now, before you start to think that a pinot noir from North America is all I drink, let me assure you that I am quite in L-O-V-E with many varietals (types of grapes) and many of the grape-growing regions throughout the world.  I tend to be more partial to the cooler-climate and food-friendlier wines, but that's just a generalization because there are certainly several warm-climate wines I would walk a mile to drink.  But, I digress.

I had picked up the bottle of Robin Ridge Pinot Noir at Denman Place Wines while I was in Vancouver earlier this week and decided I'd try it out with my world-famous (okay, make that family-and-friends famous) hamburger soup--an oh-so-easy, very tasty, and teenager-filling meal when accompanied with some crusty bread and a freshly tossed salad.

The wine surprised me with first its aromas and then its velvety balance. I found red cherries and berries, a light reference to carnations, and some smoky tobacco on the nose.  When I sipped it, I was blessed with a whole mouthful of ripe strawberries, a little vanilla, a rich earthiness, and a really decent finish. This is a full-bodied pinot noir that keeps its elegance.

The wine was perfect with my soup!  And even better--the soup was perfect with my wine.  It's an absolutely glorious thing when your food and wine bring out the best in each other.

Next time, I may try a little Robin Ridge Pinot Noir in the soup.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'm not a chef, but I am a pretty good cook, at least I am according to those who keep returning for dinner. So, here's how I make the soup--in under an hour:

• I simply brown about 500g (that's just over a pound for my friends from the U.S.) of extra lean ground beef, a chopped-up cooking onion, a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic, and two or three stalks of celery, diced and with the leaves if you have them.
• Then I add two or three 900ml (just less than a quart each) Tetra Paks of good-quality, low-sodium beef bouillon, some freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste, about a tablespoon of dried thyme, a bay leaf, and about half a cup (sometimes more) of real wild rice--not the instant stuff.
• I bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.
• Five minutes before the end, I add two cups of frozen peas, or broccoli, or both.
• Just before I serve it, I add about a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Copyright (c) 2008 Kathleen Rake.  All rights reserved.