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
Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo
Contrary to popular belief not all Nebbiolo wines are heavy weight Italian reds (think Barolo and Barbaresco, these are the big guns). Nebbiolo also shines in its youth in ripe cranberry, raspberry, cherry, rose petals and earthy minerality qualities with a lively acidity and medium, soft tannins. Vietti was founded in the 1800s by Carlo Vietti. The winery is currently being run by the 4th generation of the Vietti family. Both art and winemaking were a big part of the family. In the 1970’s a number of Vietti wines have been labelled with specially-designed original works of art (lithographs, xylographies, etchings, silkscreens, linocuts) which were inspired by the wine of that particular vintage. Alfredo Currado tells the story: “The idea was conceived in the company of a group of friends one winter’s evening around a bottle of Barolo Rocche. Some of them were artists, and while we were tasting a few bottles they were fired with enthusiasm just on seeing the colour of the wine in the glass. They said wines like these deserved to be graced with labels unlike any other: labels designed by Artists. In the excitement of the moment we drew up a list of Artists, and the following day what had seemed to be a fanciful idea began to take shape”. To this date, the Vietti labels are renowned for being one of the very finest Italian wine labels. The grapes come from different vineyards of Nebbiolo most from Barolo and some from the Barbaresco area. Alcoholic fermentation lasts around 3 to 4 weeks. Each parcel is processed and aged separately until when they select the ones will be included for the blend. The wine is aged in large Slavonianb casks for approximately 2 years. Afterwards, the different barrels are blended in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling. Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo 2017 is a delicious example of what a Langhe wine should be – pale ruby color and with aromas of cherry, raspberry, leather, anise, tar, rose petal, mint, tobacco, milk chocolate & earthy. Palate is dry with flavors cherry, raspberry, leather, anise, tobacco, earthy, mint tar rose petal high tannins, high acid, medium alcohol and medium+ body. Think roasted garlic beef tenderloin, Parmesan-Reggiano or truffle tagliatelle. I paired this wine with a delicious antipasti- Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Castelvetrano Olives, Fig Jam and garlic crostini AND a prosciutto di parma mozzarella pizza.
Oloroso Sherry
Sherry is Spain’s top produced fortified wine in the Jerez DO. Fun Fact: Sherry is the oldest denomination of origin in Spain. The “sherry triangle” is formed by three key cities: Jerez de la Frontera (hence the name Jerez = Sherry), Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Soils are Albariza, pure white soils with a high level of chalk and limestone. Sherry comes in many styles, both dry and sweet. For more information see my guide to Sherry 101 Bodega Emilio Hidalgo was founded in 1874. It is one of the top most reputable Sherry producers in Jerez. Today it’s run by the 5th generation who maintains the traditions that have been carefully preserved and enriched over 130 years. This Oloroso Dry Sherry is rich, intense nuts and roasted notes and a bone-dry mouthfeel. Pale amber color with aromas toasted walnut, caramel, vanilla, orange zest, mushrooms, dried figs, toffee, saline and salted almonds. Palate is dry with flavors of walnut, caramel, vanilla, orange zest, coffee, toffee, earthy, dried figs, prunes, raisins and salted almonds mushrooms with medium acid and a long finish. Just delicious My pairing with the Oloroso – Prosciutto, Castelvetrano olives, cheeses such as Manchego with honey and Délice de Bourgogne (Triple Cream Brie), salted almonds and dried figs. It was a heavenly combination. Cheeses and Olives from @grapesandgourmetri
Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day
Beaujolais Nouveau Day is marked in France on the third Thursday in November marked with festivals, music, parties. It all started over a hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the end of the harvest with light and fruity ready to drink wines. In the early 1960’s some winemakers, such as Georges Duboeuf, thought it would be fun to make it a contest as to who could get the wines to Paris the fastest. This attracted much media attention throughout the country, by the 1970’s it was a national event. Beaujolais Nouveau is an inexpensive wine meant to be drunk young – it is a fun and easy drinking wine. It’s made using the process of ‘carbonic maceration’ whereby whole bunches of grapes are fermented in sealed tanks topped with carbon dioxide. In this scenario, the fermentation starts inside individual grapes. The whole clusters are then pressed and fermentation finishes. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the grapes without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins. The wine is bottles very quickly, about 6 – 8 weeks after harvest. Buying a Beaujolais: The classification ranges from Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais AOP (there are 96 winemaking villages), Beaujolais Villages AOP (there are 38), Beaujolais Supérieur and Beaujolais Crus (there are 10 Crus). Beaujolais Nouveau: Flavors: Fruity aromas and flavors of light raspberry, cranberry, candied like fruit, banana and fig. Acidity: High Tannins: Low Serve: Slightly chilled Pair with your next Thanksgiving Turkey – the higher acidity, low tannins and fruit forwardness make it an all around great meal wine.
Sherry 101
Photo courtesy of Fino Jarana
Pere Mata Cava Cupada Rosé
“Pere Mata is something of a mad scientist, making micro adjustments to his cuvées as he chases the dream of making Cava as good as Champagne.” – Thomas Calder. In 2000 Pere Mata decided to make his first Cavas with the Champagne growers model after many years of making wines for larger producers. He, along with other small producers of Cava, focus is on top quality rivaling Champagne. The vines are on average 30 years old and are all hand harvested. “Pere releases small amounts of numbered “Cupadas” for his non-vintage cuvées. Each new Cupada will contain slight adjustments from the previous Cupada, and once a Cupada is finished, the next one is released.” He focuses on organic farming and winemaking (less human intervention possible). He believes in purity of the fruit is key, therefore a zero dosage for his Cavas, which makes a very dry wine. The wines are aged a minimum of 24 months, some up to 48 months. This Cava was aged for 24 months on the less and has zero dosage (a.k.a. Brut Nature). The Cupada Cava Rosado is made from 35% Macabeo, 20% Xarello, 20% Parellada and 25% Monastrell. The base wine is a 2013 vintage. The wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel to protect the primary aromas. Pere Mata Cava Cupada Reserva Rosé NV is a beautiful salmon pink color. Aromas medium intensity of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, peach, blood orange, pear, lemon, fennel, yeast, minerality and cream. Palate is bone dry (it has zero dosage), medium body, lively bubbles, creamy mousse, medium+ acidity with flavors of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, peach, blood orange, pear, lemon, fennel, yeast, wet stone and cream. Medium finish – excellent value to quality. Pair with Jamón Ibérico, seafood, salmon tartare, tuna sashimi, grilled or roasted vegetables, grilled smoked paprika pork tenderloin kebabs.