Bone-In Roast Pork A La Herbes de Provence
4 chop (3-4 lbs) pork rib roast, fat on salt and pepper 3 tbsp. Herbes de Provence 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and separated into cloves 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme 3 bay leaves 1 cup Rosé wine (or dry white such as Sauvignon Blanc) 1 cup chicken stock The night before (or at least 3 hours before cooking the roast), generously salt the roast all over and place in the fridge uncovered. Don’t worry, the meat won’t go bad. What this does is tenderize the meat from the inside out (through osmosis). It will keep the meat juicy and the crust crispier. When you are ready to cook, heat the oven to 400F. Pat the roast dry, rub 1 tbsp. olive oil over the roast. Season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Heat the oil in a large Dutch over at medium-high heat and brown the meat all over, about 4-5 minutes per side. Add the vegetables, herbs, stock and wine to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and place in the oven. After 20 minutes turn the heat down to 325F and bak for another 45 minutes – 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160F. Transfer meat to a cutting board, cover with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain the juices in the bot and boil down a little to concentrate the flavors, about 5 minutes. Carve the roast and spoon over sauce. Pair with a savory Souther Rhone wine such as a Vaucluse GSM or a Grenache blend. Based on a recipe from Laura Calder Dinner Chez Moi
Cote de Rhone
Rhône blend a.k.a GSM- what is that exactly? GSM stands for Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre. Let’s start with the basics – where it got it’s claim to fame, the Cote de Rhône. The Cote de Rhône region is located in southeast France, just north of Languedoc Roussillon region. The region is divided into 2 subregions – the Northern and Southern. They may as well be separate regions because they are polar opposites as can be – from climate, soils and grape varietals to name a few. The Northern region has a moderate continental climate, steep slopes and terraced vineyards . The many valleys protect the Rhône from the strong Mistral winds. Syrah is the only permitted red variety along with white varietals Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne. This region is further subdivided into 8 Crus – you may have heard of Saint Joseph, Crozes Hermitage and Hermitage. The Southern has a Mediterranean climate with flatter areas & stony soils (galets). The area produces Rosé, White, Red and Fortified. The vines are either bush vines or trellis trained due to the Mistral winds, heat and dryness. The red blend ( GSM) can include up 18 varieties such GSM plus Cinsault, Counoise , Carignan. There are 9 crus in this region such as Gigondas or Chateauneuf du Pape (the first AOC in 🇫🇷 France). Here are a few tips when buying a Cote de Rhône: The quality levels start at Cote de Rhône, Cote de Rhône Villages (has to be at least 50% Grenache , 95 districts) and then the Crus as mentioned above. Northern vs Southern has completely different styles of wines Don’t be afraid to ask your local specialty wine shop for a recommendation This wine is a lovely Cote de Rhône from Vignerons Ardechois. The grapes are carefully “selected for the quality of its terroir, its sun exposure, the age of the vines, and watched year-round with a serious pruning, limited yields, a soil work to express the quintessence of their Ardèche land.” Organically grown, parcel segmented and thoughtfully crafted. They create forgoes quality/value wines. If you have never tried a Cote de Rhône start with a reputable, affordable Cote de Rhône and move your way up the quality ladder. This particular blend could also include other grapes such as Cinsault, Counoise , Carignan Full bodied, complex wines that are savory & rustic with medium/medium+ tannins and acid, sweet berry, spice – ripe plum, cranberry, blackberry, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, raspberry jam, garigue, vanilla and black olive. Perfect with Herbes de Provence Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon and Spiced Carrots as I have made or grilled pork roast. It’s a wonderful fall wine that warms the soul with its complexity.
Classic Moët & Chandon Champagne
Moët & Chandon is the Champagne of success and glamour since 1743. Renowned for its achievements and legendary pioneering spirit, Moët & Chandon is synonymous with both cherished traditions and modern pleasures and has helped celebrate life’s most triumphant moments for more than 270 years.. Moët Impérial is the House’s iconic champagne. Created in 1869, it embodies Moët & Chandon’s unique style, a style distinguished by its bright fruitiness, its seductive palate and its elegant maturity. Every glass overflows with the House’s hallmark values of history, generosity, savoir-faire, success, boldness and elegance—values still at the heart of its global appeal. Toward the end of the 18th century, Jean-Remy Moët, grandson of founder Claude Moët, became famous as the man who introduced champagne to the world. The important figures of the era, from the Marquise de Pompadour to Talleyrand to Napoleon quickly fell in love with the House’s effervescent wine. Moët & Chandon was soon the icon of success and elegance that it remains to this day. Created from more than 100 different wines, of which 20% to 30% are reserve wines specially selected to enhance its maturity, complexity and constancy, the assemblage reflects the diversity and complementarity of the three grapes varietals : The wine is a blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. Pale lemon color with tiny, lively bubbles. Medium+ intensity brioche toast vanilla golden apple fig strawberry lemon pastry. Palate is dry high acid medium body medium+ intensity of brioche toast vanilla golden apple fig strawberry lemon pastry cream pear and long hazelnut finish just delicious Pair with Cheese – Fresh & Soft, Cheese – Hard Aged, Cheese – Nutty & Semi-Firm, Cured Meats, Fish – White, Shellfish
Wine and Cheese 101
Cheese and wine is a very popular food pairing and wine paring topic. Pretty much everyone loves cheese. It’s a quick and easy appetizer when you have company, a flavor contributor to a dish or just plain delicious! The holidays cheese plates are a great way to start a meal. Here are some basic wine and cheese pairings to elevate your next dinner party, holiday meal, girls night, treat yourself night or stay at home date night. Cheese Types: Soft cheeses such Brie de Meaux, Camembert and Goat cheese are rich yet light. These cheeses are creamy and it’s almost like eating butter. Incredibly moorish. A soft cheese needs a wine with higher acid that will cut through the richness of the cheese and also cleanse the palate. It would clash terribly with a full bodied red such as Cabernet Sauvignon because of the high tannins. Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan or Manchego are salty and have texture. Pairs well with a medium to full bodied reds because of the higher salt and higher tannins work well together or a rich fortified wine can stand up to a richer texture and saltier cheese. Blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton are very rich in flavor, creamy texture and salty. These types of cheeses need a wine that is powerful and can stand up to the rich, strong flavors of Blue Cheese. Soft Cheese Pair soft ripened cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Goat cheese or Brillat Savarin with a white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc, a crisp Rosé or a sparkling wine such as Champagne or Crémant. A fortified wine option would be Amontillado Sherry A red option would be a light and fruity red such as Gamay or Pinot Noir work well because they are all higher in acid. Hard Cheese Try a dry Sherry such as an Oloroso or Paolo Cortado. A sweeetened PX Sherry or a Tawny Port (10 or 20 years) with hard cheeses gives a nice sweet to salty contrast and has the goods to hold up to hard aged cheeses. An oaky Chardonnay goes very well with strong cheddar. For red wine drinkers, why not try a Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec with your next extra Aged Sharp Cheddar, Garnacha with Manchego or Sangiovese with Parmesan. Blue Cheese These types of cheeses pair well with a sweet wine such as Late Bottle Vintage (LBV) Port, PX Sherry, Icewine or Sauternes. The savory Stilton or Cabrales begs to be paired with the unctuous, sweet notes of these rich wines.
Creamy Broccoli Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press 1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder Pinch cayenne pepper Table salt 2-3 cups water 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups vegetable broth 2 ounces baby spinach (2 loosely packed cups) 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese Freshly ground black pepper Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking. Add broth and 1 cup water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with homemade croutons. Serves 4. Recipe based on America’s Test Kitchen
Caramel Pumpkin Pie
1 x 9 inch single crust, partially baked and cooled 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp. cognac or dark rum 2 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 tsp. ground ginger pinch of each – freshly grated nutmeg and allspice, sea salt 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extact 2 large eggs Lightly sweetened whipped cream, to serve Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the pie plate on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly over the bottom of a nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat without stirring. Continue to cook the sugar until it starts to turn a deep amber. This is the fun part. It will start to bubble and foam. Watch the sugar until the color deepens and you have large bubbles (you don’t want to burn it). When it’s ready, lower the heat to medium and add the pieces of butter, stirring constantly. Once the butter is blended in, pour the cream into the mixture slowly. It will hiss and bubble and probably clump a little, but it will even out as you keep stirring. If you have large clumps, keep it on the heat and stir until they melt down a bit. Pour into a heatproof bowl and cool for about 10-15 minutes. While the caramel cools, make the rest of the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, spices, vanilla and eggs until smooth.Add the caramel, pour into crust and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. You will know it’s done when the filling puffs and the middle does not jiggle. A knife inserted into the middle should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep for 2 days lightly covered in the refrigerator. Top with cream and serve. Serves 6-8 Pairs beautifully with a Taylor Fladgate 20 year old Tawny Port Recipe: Baking From My Home to Yours by Dories Greenspan
Roasted Salmon With Almond Vinaigrette
4 x 5oz salmon filets, skin on 2 tsp. vegetable oil 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Almond Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup whole almonds, chopped and toasted 2 tsp honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tbsp water 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives salt and pepper Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Heat the oven to 475F. Make 4 shallow slashes in the skin side of the salmon to ensure that the salmon doesn’t curl when baking. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Redue the oven temperature to 275F. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, place the filets on the pan skin side down. Roast until the center still translucent and 125F for medium-rare, about 8-12 minutes. Transfer to plate and top with vinaigrette. Pair with a Loire Valley Sauvingnon Blanc such as Menetou-Salon or a Chateau Thivin from Brouilly
Chateau Thivin Brouilly
Contrary to popular belief, not all fish needs to be paired with a white wine. A “red” fish such as Salmon or Tuna pair amazingly with a Gamay or Pinot Noir. It is a complementary pairing due to the high acidity which cut through the richness of the fish. Château Thivin was founded in 1877 and is the oldest wine-growing estate in Mont-Brouilly in Beaujolais, France. The family’s wine growing and winemaking passion began over a century prior to the purchase of the Chateau. Today the family estate is run by the the 5th and 6the generations of the Geoffray family. They work all work in the vineyards and winery. The love and respect of what the generations before them created is evident throughout. “We are constantly looking to optimize our growing practices, to ensure a perfect balance in the vineyard’s ecosystem with vines in good health and grapes of optimum quality, faithfully reflecting their origins.” Through natural grass and flower rows, sheep grazing, light tilling beneath the vines, together with the regular addition of compost and natural products to stimulate the vine’s defences, are all growing techniques that help us maintain and improve the biological activity of our soils. The grapes are hand picked and sorted, vilified in whole bunches and partially de-stemmed for 14–15 days, matured in oak tuns until the June following the harvest. This Cote de Brouilly is made from 100% Gamay grapes. It’s light bodied wine is a pale ruby color. The palate is dry with medium intensity and body, low tannins and lively high acid. Flavors and aromas of fresh strawberry, violet, cherry, cranberry, banana, mushrooms, earthy cloves, thyme, blueberries, plum, cassis, oh so delicious Beaujolais. Now for the pairing – roasted salmon with a toasted almond vinaigrette, steamed Jasmin rice and olive oil broccoli.
Thanksgiving Holiday Meal Wine Pairing
Thanksgiving is around the corner and meal planning is in full force. You can’t have a holiday meal without some delicious wine! That would be unholiday like! I’m here to help you solve the mystery of what to pick and make your job easier. Thanksgiving or any big holiday meal can be tricky to pick a wine that best goes with the meal because there are SO many flavors going on! Rather than trying to match wines to individual flavors or dishes, go for bottles that complement a wide variety of foods. There are many schools of thought on Thanksgiving/turkey day wine pairing. The classic, traditional wines are Pinot Noir for Red, Riesling for Whites and Champagne for Sparkling. Below I will further list the classic pairing and why they do so well, and offer some new, fun wine options. Red Wine: Light-bodied red wines with little/small amount of oak and soft medium tannins are a great option. These wines will have a ton of fruit and acid to compliment the meal but not overshadow the meal or dishes. Pinot Noir is food friendly wine with classic holiday flavors such as cranberry, red apple skin, dried leaves, and allspice. Gamay (Beaujolais) has fruit, earthy funk, and a hint of smokiness come together beautifully. Zinfandel or Syrah are also great options – ripe fruit, warm spice and medium tannins. Your turkey, ham or stuffing will love these wines. White wine: Sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley or Riesling both have all the citrus, minerality and acid your big meal needs to cut through the richness. Chenin Blanc from South Africa or Loire Valley -South African Chenin These wines won’t overpower the flavors of milder meats and sides. Rosé – what can I say? A dry rosé has great acidity, it’s got fruit. Chill and it’s a refreshing wine to have with your turkey meal. Don’t forget a sparkling dry rosés will also work just like still dry rosés: They go with everything and the bubbles are always fun. Try a French Corsica Rosé, a Spanish Garnacha Rosado or a Rosé Champagne Sparkling Wine Sparkling wines bring both elegance and phenomenal food-pairing versatility to virtually any meal. They shine at the Thanksgiving dinner table because they typically carry a decent dose of acidity while adding a festive flair to the table. Keep an eye out for Extra Brut (Extra-Dry/, less than 6g/L of sugar), Brut style could be a bit sweet to accompany a turkey meal. Try a Pares Balta Brut Cava (it only has 4.4g/L of sugar), a Mirabella Franciacorta (Italy’s luxury equivalent to Champagne) or a classic Champagne Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite part of the meal – Desert! Pumpkin pie tends to be sweet with warm spices which means you need something equally sweet and luscious. Break out the Tawny Port to match with your Pumpkin Pie or a sweet Oloroso Sherry – both have the sweetness and richness to match for pumpkin pie. Red Wine Classic: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Zinfandel or Syrah I would suggest trying: Mencia, Bobal, Schiava, Lambrusco, Zweigelt, Primitivo or Cabernet Franc Very food friendly wines that are light to medium bodied with light to medium tannins and most importantly higher acid. Sparkling Wine Classic: Champagne I would suggest trying: Cava, Crémant, South Africa Cap Classique or New World Sparkling wine – make sure it’s Extra Brut The sparklers have the acidity and crispness to cut through the rich meal and make it festive. White Wine Classic: Dry Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Gri/Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay I would suggest trying: Chenin Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Verdejo, White Rhone Blend or Soave The importance is the high acidity and flavors won’t overpower the meal. Rosé Wine Classic: Provence Rosé I would suggest trying: Corsica or northern Italy Rosé, Rosé Cava, Rosé Champagne A dry version would be great with ham or turkey and the acid is a great palate cleanser
Creamless Tomato Soup
4 tbsp. olive oil plus extra for drizzling 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced pinch red pepper flakes 1 tsp sea salt 2 bay leaves 2 x 28oz cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes 3 slices crusty bread, torn up into 1 inch pieces 1 tbsp. brown sugar 2 cups vegetable brotyh 2 tbsp. brandy Heat 4 tbsp. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Cook stirring often till onions are soft, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to break them up. Add in the bread, sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook till the bread is softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup either in a blender or with an immersion blender. Put back into the pot and add in the brandy and broth. Cook for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Laddle into bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Serves 6