Wine Food Pairing in the Bahamas. It is always great when you can use fresh food from the area. Fresh conch is as close as the nearest dock where locals come in to sell their catch....they will even clean it for you and for just a couple of dollars you can whip up a gourmet treat!
Conch ceviche is easy to prepare and there are several variations....I like mine with a "medium" heat to it.
Now get out your chopping board, chef knife and begin! Chop the cleaned conch into small pieces, the red onion,celery, red, green and yellow peppers follow along with fresh squeezed orange and lime juice. I salt to taste and then get out my Tabasco and experiment. You can always add more, but you can't take it away! When a light perspiration begins to form on my brow it is just right and I put it in the refrigerator for just a bit to "cook".
Next comes the critical issue of Wine Food Pairing....... everyone knows that beer complements spicy food—the fizz, the slight "hoppy" bitterness, the chill—all counter the effect of heat. The same qualities—cold and bubbles—that makes beer so popular a pairing with spicy foods works with wine. How about a chilled bottle of champagne to beat the heat? I love Freixenet, but any sparkling bubbly will do.
Wine Food Pairing is an Adventure and a Challenge, so go out there, experiment and enjoy! CHEERS!
For a tasty cracked conch recipe go to: http://Bahama-Vacation.blogspot.com
Wine Food Pairing - try the "family" sized bottle!
Wine Food Pairing ..... try the "family" sized (1.5 liter) bottle of Cavit Pinot Grigio. It is a wonderfully crisp Pinot from Italy and when chilled properly a fine pairing with a veggie pasta.
One of my specialties is to saute the veggies, use some of the wine for the sauce along with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, of course! Sipping some Pinot along with the preparation, of course, is mandatory!
I like to use angel hair pasta and then sprinkle toasted pine nuts and little bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, just to be decadent! Somehow the family sized bottle is just perfect to complete the meal...
Have fun with your Wine food Pairing ........ CHEERS!
For information on terrific wine and cheese pairings go to Wine and Cheese Unlimited
Wine Food Pairing .....Turducken?
What, you ask, is a Turducken....and why would I want or need to do Wine Food Pairing with it? The answer to these questions is not for the faint of heart!
About 4 years ago I was watching a Thanksgiving cooking show and perked up my ears when I heard something about stuffing your turkey with a duck and then stuffing the duck with a chicken…..hence Turducken. Holy Cow, my new Thanksgiving tradition was born! The main focus for preparing this delight is de-boning everything….everything, that is, except for the turkey drumsticks which gives you a lovely presentation! Well, I can tell you that I had never done this before…. fortunately life has blessed me with an Austrian man in my life that seems to be able to do almost anything….including de-boning various fowl!
Prepare whatever stuffing you choose. We chose bread crumbs, mushrooms, onions, celery with some tasty herbs and then a sprinkling of cooking sherry between the birds.
Now that the birds are de-boned, stuffed, sprinkled and sewn together….did I forget to mention the sewing part? You MUST remember to have your turkey needle and string ready to stitch those bad boys up or you will really have a mess! Next you pop the whole thing into a 225 degree oven for about 10 to 12 hours….give or take depending on the weight of the turducken.
We chose a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinot Grigio from Italy to pair with our meal….both were wonderful compliments to the poultry!
As I always say, Wine Food Pairing is an adventure and a challenge that you need to meet head on…. so, go forth brandishing your carving knife, be brave and tackle a turducken for your next Thanksgiving dinner! CHEERS!
To locate terrific Chilean and Italian wines go to Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing .... Champagne and Gems!
I love Wine Food Pairing! What is more versatile in life? Have you ever tried pairing your Champagne with diamonds and other fine jewels?
One of our neighbors has a friend who is diamond merchant from South Africa. Every year he comes to Florida for a brief vacation. What better reason is there to have a party?
Anybody can pair wine with cheese or food, but think of it....sparkling wine with twinkling gems....SUPER!
Wine Food Pairing is quite a challenge....are you up for it? For more information on sparkling wines visit Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing ….I’ll have a glass of Zweigelt, please!
My Wine Food Pairing adventures have taken me to Austria on occasion, and is there anything more romantic than sitting in an Austrian wine house, known as a heurigen?
A typical heurigen is marked by pine boughs over the door and has large wooden picnic tables and benches. Many of them have seating outside in courtyard gardens….usually, they have a wonderful view. Visitors seat themselves and order their wine at the table from a passing server. After a few glasses of wine, visitors then head up to buffet counter to get their food and bring it back to the table. Potato salads, pickled vegetables and smoked meats account for most of the tasty offerings at the counter, but they will make you a fresh schnitzel or fried chicken.
One of my favorite wines to order is Zweigelt. It comes from the red wine territory of Burgenland in eastern Austria, south of Vienna and along the border with Hungary. Zweigelt is a new grape on the wine scene, developed in 1922 by Fritz Zweigelt, an Austrian scientist. Originally called rotburger, the name was changed to honor its creator.
Zweigelt reminds me a of a spicy Beaujolais and has a freshness that goes great with a wide range of foods including a traditional schnitzel, which is a meat cutlet, pounded thin, usually breaded and sautéed. It can be made with veal, pork or turkey and you can have it plain or with a variety of sauces….YUM!
Wine Food Pairing takes a lot of practice....so go out there, experiment and enjoy. There are no wrong pairings! CHEERS!For a lot more information on domestic and international wines check out Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing...Cajun, anyone?
Hot, spicy Cajun food....Wine Food Pairing....what to do?
The wonderful "heat" from Cajun cooking...primarily from cayenne, requires, a low alcohol, white wine. A crisp Pinot Grigio or Muscat will have your taste buds dancing to Zydeco without upping the heat! These wines will cool the heat with their high acidity and without the high alcohol content.
Champagne, with all those tiny bubbles, is also a terrific choice. When my neighbor, Pete, prepares his annual "mud bug" boil, I always pair it with Freixenet Brut....OK I am a princess, but what could be better than great friends, terrific spicy food and a chilled glass of bubbly? As I have said many times, Wine Food Pairing is an adventure.......so step up to the plate and enjoy! CHEERS!
Cellars Wine Club has a lot of information to share with your on your next wine food pairing!
The wonderful "heat" from Cajun cooking...primarily from cayenne, requires, a low alcohol, white wine. A crisp Pinot Grigio or Muscat will have your taste buds dancing to Zydeco without upping the heat! These wines will cool the heat with their high acidity and without the high alcohol content.
Champagne, with all those tiny bubbles, is also a terrific choice. When my neighbor, Pete, prepares his annual "mud bug" boil, I always pair it with Freixenet Brut....OK I am a princess, but what could be better than great friends, terrific spicy food and a chilled glass of bubbly? As I have said many times, Wine Food Pairing is an adventure.......so step up to the plate and enjoy! CHEERS!
Cellars Wine Club has a lot of information to share with your on your next wine food pairing!
Wine Food Pairing...Celebrate the Snapper!
For those of you that scoff....I take my wine food pairing seriously!Here I am in the Abacos, Bahamas...we had just reeled in a lovely snapper and I thought quickly....what do we have on the boat that would pair nicely with this delightful fish? Freixenet Brut, of course! This terrific sparkling wine was just what the doctor ordered to cool our parched throats after a long day of fishing.
I do my fish on the barbie in foil with sliced vidalia onions, fresh lemon, extra virgin olive oil and whatever fresh herbs that are plentiful on the boat (I keep a few pots on the boat when we cruise).
Of course by the time by the time the fish was done on the barbie we had finished the Freixenet and we were on to a crisp chilled Pinot Grigio to complement the moist snapper! Thank you Mr. Snapper for a terrific dinner!
Wine food pairing is an adventure to enjoy! CHEERS!
For more information on wine food pairing check out Cellars Wine Club
Fun wine food pairing....try chocolate!
For fun with your wine food pairing, try chocolate......you'll find that it can be a dessert wine's best friend!
When selecting chocolates to pair with your dessert wine, you should be searching for one important number: the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate. Usually, this percentage is marked clearly on the label or box containing the piece of chocolate. The amount of cocoa dictates how sweet the chocolate will be. For example, 30% cocoa and 70% sugar present in most milk chocolates, make for a sweet and creamy taste that does not compliment dessert wines as well.
The choice has everything to do with the selection of wine to pair with the chocolate. The lighter, sweet fruit aspects of Madeira team up nicely with a very dark, over 70% cocoa chocolate. However, if you can't find Madeira, a Tawny or Ruby Port serves as a good substitute...... even a Cabernet. I've found a site that seems to have one of the best selections of wine.......check out Cellars Wine Club
Quality dark chocolate pieces, truly compliment sweet wines. So experiment with pieces of various dark chocolates next time you do a wine food pairing with a dessert wine. You love cheese plates; why not chocolate plates? ENJOY!
What about cheese for your next Wine Food Pairing?
Wine Food Pairing with cheese goes together like peanut butter and jelly and even the experts can't agree when you pair wine and cheese. The only thing that they agree on is that it tastes good!
It always comes down to personal taste, but a few guidelines do seem to ring true....
Red wines do better with milder cheeses....
Sweet wines work best with a wide range of flavors....
The "stinkier" the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be.....
Always remember that the fat from the cheese sometimes makes the red wines seem tasteless. On the other hand, a Champagne or sparkling wine can cut through the fat and give you a flavorful experience.
I have found some great wine cheese baskets that make great gifts for yourself or a wine lover friend....check out Cheese and Wine Unlimited
It always comes down to the fact that Wine Food Pairing is an adventure.....so practice, practice, practice........and enjoy! CHEERS!
It always comes down to personal taste, but a few guidelines do seem to ring true....
Red wines do better with milder cheeses....
Sweet wines work best with a wide range of flavors....
The "stinkier" the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be.....
Always remember that the fat from the cheese sometimes makes the red wines seem tasteless. On the other hand, a Champagne or sparkling wine can cut through the fat and give you a flavorful experience.
I have found some great wine cheese baskets that make great gifts for yourself or a wine lover friend....check out Cheese and Wine Unlimited
It always comes down to the fact that Wine Food Pairing is an adventure.....so practice, practice, practice........and enjoy! CHEERS!
Try salt with your next Wine Food Pairing!
Have you ever thought about the effect salt has on the taste of wine when you do your Wine Food Pairing? Apparently it enhances the flavor of your favorite wine and in addition makes you want to drink more!
Of course personal preference is different for everyone so there are no absolute rights and wrongs to wine food pairing, but try eating salted nuts and sipping a Sauvignon Blanc. Most people find that it tastes less acidic. Crazy, huh?
It always amazes me how different wines taste with a variety of foods. Wine Food Pairing is definately not for the faint of heart....so go out there and experiment....and of course....ENJOY! CHEERS!!
Information is always key when wine food pairing..click on Cellars Wine Club
Of course personal preference is different for everyone so there are no absolute rights and wrongs to wine food pairing, but try eating salted nuts and sipping a Sauvignon Blanc. Most people find that it tastes less acidic. Crazy, huh?
It always amazes me how different wines taste with a variety of foods. Wine Food Pairing is definately not for the faint of heart....so go out there and experiment....and of course....ENJOY! CHEERS!!
Information is always key when wine food pairing..click on Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing teams up with Thai Vinaigrette!
I recently was fortunate enough to attend a cooking demonstration at Roy's Restaurant in Naples, Florida, where Wine Food Pairing was the order of the day!
For those of you who haven't heard of Roy's, it is centered around Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Chef Nick prepared a Sesame Crusted Chilean Sea Bass and teamed it up with a Frisee-Panzanella Salad, Thai Chili Vinaigrette! It was paired up with a wonderful Chardonnay from California. YUM!
The sea bass was "melt in your mouth " and the bite of the Thai vinaigrette was smoothed out by the buttery Chardonnay....altogether delightful!
What a way to discover Wine Food Pairing......CHEERS!
For information on exciting new wines orto order for your next wine food pairing, click on Cellars Wine Club
For those of you who haven't heard of Roy's, it is centered around Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Chef Nick prepared a Sesame Crusted Chilean Sea Bass and teamed it up with a Frisee-Panzanella Salad, Thai Chili Vinaigrette! It was paired up with a wonderful Chardonnay from California. YUM!
The sea bass was "melt in your mouth " and the bite of the Thai vinaigrette was smoothed out by the buttery Chardonnay....altogether delightful!
What a way to discover Wine Food Pairing......CHEERS!
For information on exciting new wines orto order for your next wine food pairing, click on Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing for the barbecue!
Is beer the the king of barbecue food or is there room for wine food pairing at the grill?
Summer is here and that means the grills come out. Everyone is looking for a refreshing beverage that beats the heat and goes well with their favorite barbecue. With wine's increase in popularity comes the challenge of finding a wine to serve that not only beats the heat, but goes well with all those "grill" favorites! From tangy ribs to a delicious steak or perhaps even shrimp on the barbie, the friends I polled all loved the "blush" wines of White Zin or Rose.
Served chilled it beats the heat both on the outside as well as inside!
Learn for yourself what combinations of tastes YOU enjoy the most. Feel free to experiment with Wine Food Pairing, and enjoy! CHEERS!
To look for your next delightful White Zin or Rose, check out Cellars Wine Club
Summer is here and that means the grills come out. Everyone is looking for a refreshing beverage that beats the heat and goes well with their favorite barbecue. With wine's increase in popularity comes the challenge of finding a wine to serve that not only beats the heat, but goes well with all those "grill" favorites! From tangy ribs to a delicious steak or perhaps even shrimp on the barbie, the friends I polled all loved the "blush" wines of White Zin or Rose.
Served chilled it beats the heat both on the outside as well as inside!
Learn for yourself what combinations of tastes YOU enjoy the most. Feel free to experiment with Wine Food Pairing, and enjoy! CHEERS!
To look for your next delightful White Zin or Rose, check out Cellars Wine Club
Wine Food Pairing with Oysters!
Who would think that wine food pairing with oysters and red wine would work? Aren’t you “supposed” to drink beer with oysters?
Apparently 40% of the population surveyed found nothing wrong with it, in fact, they enjoyed the combination! It seems that a lot of “pairing” combinations come from personal taste and body chemistry. In the same survey, it was found, that, 60% thought the combination awful with a terrible metallic taste ruining both the wine and the oysters.
Many times I go to the store and am boggled at the wine selections…and there is no one to ask that seems to know about the wines. My favorite online site for information is Cellars Wine Club ….just click on it and see what you think.
So the the word of the day is to relax! If you enjoy the wine food pairing of wine and oysters then don’t worry. Most foods go with most wines….CHEERS!
Wine Food Pairing.....
Many people worry needlessly about wine food pairing, the plain fact of the matter is that most foods go with most wines. It is NOT rocket science!
There are of course exceptions, but often it is a matter of personal taste or individual chemistry. Here are a couple of experiments which help demonstrate the effect of wine and food on each other. Sip a tart white wine then bite into a wedge of lemon, try the wine again and notice the apparent change in flavor of the wine. Next taste a very tannic, cabernet, then bite into a green olive and try the wine again. Suddenly the wine tastes smooth and velvety. YIKES…who would of thought!
Wine food pairing should be a FUN adventure…… so go forth into the wonderful world of wines and experiment…..CHEERS!
For more information on wines go to Cellars Wine Club
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)