Syrah....why?

Oddly enough...despite all of my ranting and raving about Euro-focused, traditional wines and that overall style..my Americana kicks in now and then I find myself jonesing for some really well made Californian Syrah. Yes, those who know me well are shaking their heads. You gotta be kidding me? Nope- Cali Syrah. Ojai. Copain. Edmunds St John. Really crunchy, chewy, black pepper laced, dirt stuffed, blackberry jammed, old fashioned fruit forward Cali C-Rah...

And it only comes when I'm also absolutely jonesing for some Americana home cooking. Real deal American hamburgers. You know. The burger that's 3 inches high with a tomato slice that's almost 1/2 an inch thick. And red onion- a requirement....or....A fantastic well made Chili. Last night was chili. Well made. No Syrah. A very good house Negroamaro...very chewy, earthy, and crunchy...so I was happy. Still, I wanted a Syrah.

I bring this up as I truly believe that we Americans don't understand Syrah. What do you do with it. The answer is eat it with American food. American Syrah is big and bold. Forward and hugely flavorful. Sounds like our food, no?

So, next time your jonesing for a great burger, chili, Tex-Mex, braised shortribs, BBQ, etc....Go pop a bottle of Syrah from the West Coast. A knew discovery awaits. I guarantee it.

Daydreams of far off European Mountain meals

I totally believe in a direct correlation between a place, its food, and its wine...and the feeling you can get from just thinking about those things together.

For instance, just the other day I was flipping through my iPod and came upon a couple tracks from Pavarotti. It was about 4pm on a Sunday and my mind almost immediately was transported to Tuscany, to fresh pasta with ham and tomato cream sauce...and a beautiful bottle of Chianti...

That said, same goes for the New World as well. Napa makes sense in Napa. It's a grandiose place. The food is perfect, fresh, and almost constructed like every dish was designed to be in a Food and Wine Magazine pictorial. The wines drink the same way. Perfection of fruit is a place that many Napa vintners seem interested in growing. Sometimes...usually in very grandiose places, with grandiose dishes...steakhouses, for example...Napa wines make sense to me.

Right now, for me though...I like the backwoods. Right now it's cold where I live- very cold. My mind often shifts to daydreams of entering a small tavern in Europe just before dark. A hearty stew over noodles in a small service iron kettle. Chunks of warm peasant bread. Mountain cheeses. And a bottle of red wine to match...

Reduction

The more and more I study cooking technique and theory, the more I find myself understanding that great really soulfull food comes from a slow steady reduction. Pierre Franey's recipes are based on it. Marcella Hazan's recipes are based on it. Keller's recipes are based on it.

The other night I prepared a simple roasted chicken. I roasted the chicken, and upon done-ness, took the chicken out of the pan, poured off a decent amount of the fat, added some white wine, and then reduced everything until I had a small amount of liquid left. The recution took almost 10 minutes. I swirled in some butter. Carved the chicken and served with rice.

Wifey licked the plate clean- literally- and declared it one of the most magnificent meals she had ever had.

Little Man...usually averse to chicken...cried for thirds!!!

Wow! 2 for 2. I studied my success. I didn't stuff anything in the chicken. Didn't add any stock to the pan while roasting- nor did I add any onions in the pan. And I didn't even baste the bird while cooking. Just a slow dry roast until finished. And then that sauce.

Lesson learned:

Reduction folks. When in doubt- reduce and you will create flavor.

Bird Day

It's very trendy to recommend fruity wines with the whole Thanksgiving thing. Zinfandel for reds. Riesling for whites. Sure, they work...

But, I would advise a different course for something deeper- earth. The food we eat on Thanksgiving is food from the Earth. Potatoes. Mushrooms. Celery. Bread. Cranberries. Turkey and reduced meat gravvy. Sure you could toss in sweet potatoes, but even these are Earthy food. So, I advocate a match.

For reds, drink Burgundy- specifically wines from the Cote de Nuits. If on a budget drink Haut Cote de Nuits or Marsannay. Of course, great Bourgogne Rouge is always advised. Or, drink really kick ass Cru Beaujolais- La Pierre Morgon, Roilette Fleurie, Michaud Brouilly are all advised. Or, Loire reds. Joguet, Olga Raffault and Baudry Chinons, or Breton Bourgeuils.

For whites- white Burgundy. Specifically- Chablis. Raveneau if you got and can afford it. If not- older Pinson, Fevre, Dauvissant, or Picq. Or, Thevenet....older Thevenet. That said, don' turn down Cote d'Or whites if you can get 'em or can afford them as well....

As you can see I'm steering you into France. Italy's no slouch as well...but more on he red side than white.

Barbera.....specifically...Giacomo Conterno, Mascarello, and/or Trinchero. I'm also a fan of Clerico's Ciabot bottling.

Weight Watchers?

My wife has dragged me back into one of those "we need to lose 15lbs" moments. I'm complaining, but not really. I have been feeling a little sluggish lately and the lure of luxurious food is not as compelling as before because of my heft- so to speak. So, why not?

So, she's joined Weight Watchers, and of course therefore so have I- not by choice, mind you. Now, I've done the Miami Beach Diet. As you've read, I've done an Ayurvedic Cleanse, and now here I am studying the Weight Watchers program.

Greatly reduced portions.

Hugely reduced Carbs.

Hugely reduced fatty proteins.

Massive amounts of veggies and heavy water based fruits (ie- apples).

And wherever possible, buy low fat. And wherever possible, they're recommending that you buy the Weight Watchers brand. Hmmm?

Whatever. The important thing for me (as I know this much- each person's metabolism and body configuration is wildly different), is exercise, heavy veggies, low low sugar, and small portions of everything else. And the one thing Weight Watchers also asks you to do is zero vino....

So, I'm going to do this Weight Watchers thing with my wife- for my wife. But, honestly, I know my body. Run. Eat your veggies- lots of 'em. Tiny portions on everything else. Sugar is your enemy. And watch your snacking. I do this, I bet I lose 10lbs in 2 weeks.

We'll see.

The olive recipe

Do you love olives?

I love olives.

There used to be a great restaurant on the West side of mid-town Manhattan- La Locanda- and when you sat down Pep,e 'the proprietor', would bring you a marinated small plate of black olives and lentils. I could eat just that dish for the rest of my life.

What I now know, but never saw, was the intense marinade that those simple olives and lentils under went in order to bring them to that higher place. So, now I'm going to pass on what I consider to be one of the great antipasto dishes of all time...

Buy some olives that you like...maybe some big green Sicilians, some Kalamatas, some Nicoise, etc...

Rinse them thoroughly with water to get as much of the salt and vinegar out.

Put them in a large bowl.

Take 5-8 large garlic cloves. Crush them and peel the skin off. Put them in the same bowl.

Crack some large pepper chunks into the bowl. Sea salt into the bowl as well.

If you want, maybe add some lemon peel to the bowl.

Throw in some earthy aromatic herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary into the bowl. If you only have dried- so be it.

Add like a little tiny dollop of cumin to the bowl. This is important! Don't forget the cumin- a little more is safer than a little less.

Get some decent olive oil and almost cover all the ingredients.

Mix well.

Let stand for a day.

You now have one of the best dipping olive oils on the planet. And the olives are delicious as well...

In an ideal world, go to a good wine shop and buy a nice $14.99 bottle of Friulian Tocai of get Bisol Prosecco. If they're trying to sell you on something they recommend that's a couple of dollars more...go for it. You only live once.

Sante!

Alfredo

Cheap and easy I say...(and the kid will scarf it down)...

Cook some pasta (rigatoni if you got it).

In a separate large casserole dish, melt some butter (a good amount) and cream and milk together. Salt and pepper. Don't boil but make sure the butter is melted and the mixture is integrated. Add pasta. Stir to coat. Cook together for like 5 minutes. Add a cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese, a teeny dash of nutmeg, and a little more milk (if needed). Finely chop up some parsley and add it.

Serve. I all but guarantee that your spouse and your child will scarf this down.

Recommended wines:

Italian Barbera d'Alba or Barbera d'Asti. Aglianico from outside of Naples, or Lagrein from the Alto Adige. Whatever it is...make sure you're drinking something Italian with this and that it's red and big.