food and wine pairings

You are currently browsing articles tagged food and wine pairings.

There is little better than a hearty meal paired with a good glass of wine and someone you love, a good book, or a favorite TV show. (Hey, I love spending time with others, but I adore my “me time” just as much!) It’s even better when said hearty meal is simple and whipped up from what’s in the fridge. On a dreary recent evening, I took advantage of a few fine ingredients in the house to make a one-skillet meal that included some delicious Spanish wine, in the meal as well as in the glass.

food and wine pairing

This skillet was all about the ingredients. I don’t generally buy tomatoes in the winter, but I had a major tomato craving and went for these beauties from Backyard Farms, a company I came to know through a blogger event a couple of summers ago.

Backyard Farms tomatoes

The other ingredients? A red onion, chorizo, white beans, and whole wheat couscous. I started off by heating the chorizo and onion on medium until sizzling and browning an then added in the chopped tomatoes and white beans, letting everything simmer until combined.

chorizo skillet

In a separate pot, I cooked up the couscous. I just love pearl couscous; it’s a cozy touch to a meal.

whole wheat couscous

The final piece of the skillet was a glug of good Spanish red wine by Pena do Lobo. The grape the wine was made with is Mencia. The wine was lush and fruity with a slight herbal note to it, and it was a nice little addition to the skillet.

Pena do Lobo wine

When all was said and done, we had a nice little bowl of white beans, chorizo, and tomatoes and a soul-warming red wine. Add in a fire, and the night was complete. Meals like this, with a little music for kitchen dance parties, make me want to cook again!

Happy Friday! Do you have any fun weekend plans? In addition to more work around our new house and some projects on the condo we are selling, I have a birthday outing and a brunch outing. Bring on the weekend!

Tags: chorizo, comfort food, cooking with wine, Food, food and wine pairing, food and wine pairings, recipe

Summer is for strawberries, and a couple of weeks ago, I had the delicious pleasure of joining Post 390 for their Farm to Post dinner with Ward’s Berry Farm. Post 390 features a different farm every month; you may remember when I dined with the cheese farmers from 5Spoke Creamery. One of the things I love about these dinners is that they really introduce guests to the farm, its products, and the people behind them. It’s a warm and wonderful way to enjoy food while learning where it comes from. The Post 390 does an amazing job with the ingredients they select, and their wine pairings are always excellent.

Lin and I arrived and were welcomed with the cocktail of the evening, the “Strawberry Ward”. This delicious blend of Pisco Porton, Cherry Heering, Ward’s Farm strawberries, balsamic, ad lemon offered a refreshing, natural berry taste without too much sweetness.

Strawberry Ward Cocktail The cocktail was paired with Sea Scallop and Tuna Sashimi and Maine Crab Stuffed Monkfish Cheek. We then received an introduction to the guests from Ward’s Berry Farm and watched a video taken when the Post 390 staff visited the farm. Everyone had great things to say about the experience, and I now definitely want to plan a day trip there.

Ward's Berry Farm The first course of our tasting menu was Hot Smoked Salmon with Ward’s Berry Farm chioggia beets, herbed chevre, strawberry salsa, and candied pignole, paired with Domaine Pascal Pibaleau Crémant de Loire Rosé. This course was a favorite of many; the components just went so well together and made for an unforgettable dish. The wine’s strawberry notes complimented the flavors in the dish, and fine, abundant bubbles made it feel celebratory.

hot smoked salmon with beetscremant de loire Next up, we were treated to Ricotta and Arugula Ravioli Carbonara with sugar snap peas, spring onion, and house bacon, paired with Laporte Pouilly-Fume. Again, a perfect pairing, matching a rich, creamy and flavorful ravioli dish with a tart wine with minerality and acidity that brought out the flavors of the food really nicely.

ricotta and arugula ravioli carbonara Our third course was Skillet Seared Hailbut with German butterball potato vichyssoise, gremoulada braised romaine lettuce, baby carrots and baby peas, paired with St. Urbans-Hof Riesling. Light and flaky fish with the spring veggies. went well with a light, crispy, and fruity Riesling.

skillet seared halibut And there was more! Carved Saddle of Spring Lamb with the most delicious Cherokee and Two Star Lettuce salad with feta, oregano, and mustard vinaigrette. I could eat simple, zesty salads like this every day and wish the salads I made came close. A spicy, earthy red, Mas de la Dame La Stele was paired with this dish, and I could not stop sticking my nose in the glass. The nose of the wine was simply beautiful and required lots of time to stop and breathe it in.

lamb The final course of the night was a Strawberry Crème Fraiche Tart, paired with Chambers Muscat. As stuffed as I was from all of the other courses, I found eating this dessert easy (and necessary!). The tartness of the crème fraiche made it seem light and fresh; the strawberries added pure summer.

strawberry creme fraiche tart

My dining companions were a ton of fun, as they always are at Post 390. They have a great team that puts a lot of thought and love into the work they do, and they are happy to share. I would definitely recommend checking out a Farm to Post dinner soon.

How have you been enjoying summer strawberries? Have you had strawberries in a savory course?

 

 

My dinner was hosted by Post 390, however all opinions are my own.

Tags: Boston, dinner, events, farm to post, farm to table, Food, food and wine, food and wine pairings, Post 390, strawberries

There’s nothing I love more than a good wine and food pairing, and wine dinners are one of the best ways to experience expert pairings. Last Friday I got to attend a preview of Del Frisco’s new World of Wine Dinner Series, making its debut this March with a region near and dear to my heart, Napa Valley.

The preview consisted of a delicious raw bar, and four tables, one for each wine dinner that Del Frisco’s has planned, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Northern Italy. We made our way around the room twice, first tasting the whites at each table, then the reds. At each table, a knowledgeable representative was able to answer our questions, share interesting information about the wines, and generally made the experience one that was fun, interactive, and of course, delicious.

oysters

Just like this preview reception, the World of Wine dinners will provide an opportunity for interactive wine education. Executive Chef Derek Barragan will prepare five courses for each of the dinners; Del Frisco’s breadth of wine knowledge, through their Director of Wine, Jay Foster and four expert Sommeliers will be shared with dinner guests in an intimate setting. During the dinners, Foster and his team will travel from table-to-table during each course to involve guests in sight, smell, and taste characteristics in each wine as well as how they relate to the region.

Menus for the first two World of Wine dinners as well as dates for later dinners are below. Dinners cost $100 plus tax and gratuity. For more information on Boston’s wine dinners, call 617-345-3941 or visit Del Frisco’s website.

 

Del Frisco’s World of Wine Dinner Menus

March 22nd Dinner

Cheese plates on table
Passed Sparkling

1st Cliff Lede Sauvignon blanc
Green chile braised pheasant enchilada, blood orange, queso fresco

2nd Rombauer Cabernet
Applewood smoked pork belly confit, Caramelized Granny Smith grits, cardamom-sage
jus.

3rd Nickel and Nickel CC Ranch Cabernet
Australian lamb Ribeye, local goat cheese bread pudding, wild berry lamb Demi,
watercress.

4th Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet
Prosciutto wrapped filet mignon, foie gras, russet-sweet potato gratin

Dessert, Dolce by Far Niente
Lemon cupcake with lavender meringue.

—————————————————————————-

Bordeaux Dinner June 7th

Cheese plates on each table
Passed Sparkling

1st Course: CH. Graville Lacoste White
Ahi Tuna Tartare, Toasted Sesame Wafer, English Cucumber Mingonette

2nd Course: CH. Mylord Saint Emillion
Georges Bank Scallop, White Truffle-Corn Bisque, Sweet
Basil Vinaigrette (Garnish w/ Micro Basil)

3rd Course: CH. de Bellvue: Margeaux
Duck Confit-Cannellini Bean Stew, Red Chile-Corn
Muffin, Wild Baby Arugula

4th Course CH. Deyrem Valentin
Slow Braised Beef Cheek, Smoked Vermont Cheddar
Grits, Crispy Onions, Red Currant Jus

Dessert: Ch. Laribotte Sauternes
Summer Peach Bread Pudding, Honey Whipped Mascarpone

Burgundy Dinner August 16th – Menu to Follow
Northern Italy Dinner October 25th – Menu to Follow

Tags: Boston, Del Frisco's, events, Food, food and wine pairings, wine, wine dinner

« Older entries

new restaurant
WordPress SEO fine-tune by Meta SEO Pack from Poradnik Webmastera