Wine & Food Pairings
I think people are intimidated about cooking duck — me included, to some extent. All the talk about rendering the fat, getting a good sear, not to mention duck confit (something I have yet to tackle) can make duck seem like something better left to the professionals. But I finally got fed up with the intimidation of it all and [...]
Read more →I’ve always liked a good veggie burger — I like the black bean, Mexican-ish versions, I like the mushroomy ones, and I adore anything resembling falafel. Here’s a chickpea take on the currently-popular slider. I recommend serving them open-face on toasted whole wheat slider buns. As for garnishes, I like a slight smear of mayo, a [...]
Read more →I recently tasted through a lineup of new releases from Niner Wine Estates – here are two that really stood out for me, paired with a two-course menu featuring a version of a dill-flecked Greek salad, grilled sausages and sauteed haricots vert tossed with roasted cashews and blue cheese. Niner Wine Estates was founed in 2001 in Paso Robles, California [...]
Read more →Asparagus is often thought of as one of those “cannot pair with wine” ingredients. But I think that’s overstating things. Yes, it’s true, asparagus can often affect the taste of a wine more than many other ingredients. That’s because asparagus contains a type of sulfur compound that can give wines a vegetal character — or magnify [...]
Read more →I came across a pretty traditional recipe for Jewish honey cake in an old Frugal Gourmet cookbook, but tweaked it a bit. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to switch to all whole wheat flours, at least in my own kitchen. So I used white whole wheat flour (plus a bit of amaranth flour, because I had some, [...]
Read more →This is my go-to pâté — I’ve been making it for years. The walnut version below is what I usually do, though during the holidays, I’m apt to substitute dried currants (as I did in this picture). Either way, don’t be intimidated — making pâté is much easier than you think. Just look in the chicken [...]
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