Wine Food Pairing .... Wine and Cheese... old favorite!

Wine Food Pairing ....... sometimes the simplest is the best!

Hubert, an old friend stopped by unexpectedly and in Austria that means bringing out the wine! Austria is world known for its wonderful wines, but the small country doesn't produce enough to export much further than Germany.

I found a terrific Blaufrankish ( a mellow red) in the cellar and a yummy Geramont Leicht cheese (similar to a Brie) in the pantry. Teamed up with some Italian grapes and and slices of a freshly baked pumpkin seed bread we were in heaven! Sometimes the old favorites are the most satisfying. Wine Food Pairing is an adventure that I really enjoy! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing - Speckknoedel and Eierschwammerl...YIKES!!!

Who would think that Wine Food Pairing could be such a verbal challenge? Speckknoedel and Eierschwammerl...I can't pronounce it, but it sure is tasty!

Speckknoedel is a yummy Austrian bacon bread dumpling and a staple in the local diet. Eierschwammer are Chantrelle mushrooms that are collected locally. My husband put on his chef's hat the other night and whipped up this traditional favorite for me.

We began by pouring ourselves a refreshing glass of white sturm...a terrific fizzy "early" wine.....this beverage makes working in the kitchen a lot of fun!

He started with the dumplings first....bread cubes, eggs, milk, salt, pepper and fresh parsley....this gets combined in a large bowl. Next, you add onions and bacon sauteed in butter....OK, we aren't counting calories here! Form these bad boys into balls and drop in boiling salted water and watch them float around a bit.

The sauce comes next! Everything used in cooking is fresh, which makes the food even tastier. He sauteed the mushrooms with onions, white wine, herbs of Provence, creme freshe and butter.....rich and wonderful!

I lighted a couple of candles, opened an Austrian Roter Tafelwein (red table wine) which paired wonderfully with the rich, meaty mushroom sauce. Austrian wine food pairing at it's best! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing in the northeast!

Excerpts from an email from my good friends Pat and Bob..... Wine Food Pairing is popular with all my friends!

Just Returned last night from Pat's brothers in Rhode Island. Quite the eat fest!! The first day we went on a boat ride for a water tour of Narragansett Bay, followed by a dinner prepared at their house overlooking the bay, of fresh mussels and linguine. The Yellow Tail Cav and Chardonnay went well with everything.

Friday started early with a 7 am cast off for a fishing charter for the boys. We ended up with 28 Blue Fish all in the 8-12 lb range. A blast!! The Capt said he was going to put us in his Hall of Fame! Friday evening featured fresh grilled blue fish with a mayonnaise horseradish sauce. Again the 2 Yellow Tails worked well. Yummmmmy!

Saturday featured a lazy day around the house, with the main activity be smoking the remainder of the blue fish. Starting with a brine featuring Jack Daniels, we did several batches using several different dry seasonings, applied after the brining process. Again....yummy. Saturday's smoking activities were briefly interrupted to obtain the fixings for dinner. A quick trip to the commercial docks in Newport yielded 14 1-1/4 lobsters for $5 each....right off the boat. Although the smoking activities required great quantities of beer, the lobster went well with the Yellow Tail !

Sunday am brought about eggs Benedict for brunch complete with a "scratch" hollandaise sauce. A late lunch consisted of left overs, including a wonderful lobster salad. Once again the Yellow Tails complimented all of the treats. Even with all of our best efforts we did fall a little short of last years record of 1 stick of butter per person per day.

YIKES!!!!! Sounds like Wine Food Pairing at its best! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing - Mushroom Schnitzel and ?

Wine Food Pairing in Austria....such an adventure!

September is the time of year in Austria when foraging for wild mushrooms is at its peak. These fungi are found in the mountains right after a bit of rain, when the sun comes out.......of course, you need to have local knowledge of these treats lest you end up in the local ER or worse!

We had the good fortune to be invited to a friends home in Austria for a wonderful meal of wild mushrooms prepared "schnitzel" style!

The large mushroom caps were cut into smaller pieces and the stems discarded. The pieces were dredged in flour, egg wash, bread crumbs and sauteed to a golden brown.......served with rice pilaf and crispy green salad it made for a terrific vegetarian meal.

We paired this tasty treat with a German Sparkling Reisling....absolutely wonderful! Wine Food Pairing is an adventure to be enjoyed....so go out and try something new! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing or Wine Hair Pairing?

Wine Food Pairing or is it Wine Hair Pairing?

In an attempt to share my adventures in Wine Food Pairing with you, we go go Schwarzau, Austria .... a little village south of Vienna to do some girlie hair "stuff". Think about it....you are sitting in the hair dresser's chair and don't speak the language, ie. German...what is the universal language? CHAMPAGNE, of course ... or in this case ProSecco...a fine sparkling wine!

Vera, my hair dresser, knew just how to communicate....a little hair color, a little bubbly wine and a few girlie giggles! Make Wine Food Pairing a part of your routine and have fun with it! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing .... are there Pyramids in Vienna?

Wine Food Pairing in a Pyramid? In Vienna? Go figure!

A very stylish hotel convention center in Vienna, Austria is the Pyramid Hotel which is indeed built like a very large glass pyramid. This is where Houdini (my Maltese) and I met my friend, Sigi, for a glass of wonderful Austrian red wine, Zweigelt. This rich smooth wine paired beautifully with the cheese plate we nibbled on....some Brie, a "stinky" blue and a few fresh grapes on the side!

Relaxing on the plush leather couches, people watching and enjoying our time together, we saw several people walking through the lobby and bar in bathrobes....unusual to see. Sigi explained to me that there is a terrific wellness area in the hotel and it is quite normal for the Europeans to wander about in their robes! YIKES!

As I always say, Wine Food Pairing is an adventure.....you never know what you'll run into next! So, go out and enjoy what the wine world has to offer. CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing in F***king, Austria!

I always say that Wine Food Pairing is an adventure and now, boys and girls, here is the proof! My latest travels have taken me to the tiny village in Austria named F***king (that's pronounced Fooking!) Lest you think I am just talking "naughty", I am standing next to the road sign....unfortunately, it is a small village and I was unable to find a T-shirt to buy.

F***king is located in upper Austria, just a few miles outside of Salzburg. Even though it is just a stones throw from a large city like Salzburg, it was darn hard to find! We had to stop several times to ask shopkeepers directions to F***ing......everyone was very helpful....no one thought it amusing that we were searching for this tiny town......not a one even twitched a smile! Obviously, this is not a bad word in the German language.

I, of course, take my mission of Wine Food Pairing seriously and wanted to stop at the local F***king cafe for a glass of wine and a bite of regional food, but F***king was so small that we couldn't find a cafe...........no F***king hotel either! Imagine that!

OK, not to be detoured from my original mission, my husband and I pulled over to the side of the road (next to the F***king road sign!) and had a quick picnic.....actually we sat in the car because it was F***king raining outside! (OOPS! bad word!). We had purchased some food and wine while getting directions to F***king and I opened up a delightful Roter Tafelwein from Sonneilten (that's Red table wine). This Austrian wine can be found almost anywhere in the country, but I have never seen it in the US...I guess they don't make enough to export. We paired this with a "zesty" Kase Cabanossi (cheese sausage) ....simply delish! What could be better on a rainy afternoon?

In doing a bit of research on F***king, I came across a hilarious video posted on youtube with Roseanne Barr and Graham Norton. If you are in the mood for a real belly laugh click on this link....I almost wet my pants!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85R8O9COLqo

Wine Food Pairing, an adventure and a challenge, but can be a lot of fun! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing ...... A long flight to Europe!

I am preparing for a long transatlantic flight to Europe and I will be traveling with my little Maltese, Houdini in the cabin with me. It will be a 9 ½ hr. flight from Ft. Myers, Florida to Munich, Germany to meet my husband, who will then drive us to Vienna, where we are staying. Wine Food Pairing is not high on my priority list at this time, but I get a call from my friends and neighbors, Carol and Jim and they would like to stop over for a quick goodbye .... I am packed and ready to leave....just more pacing about to do, but that really isn't important. I meet them at the door and Jim hands me a bag and tells me to be careful....it is open....YIKES!!!!!! Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio....my VERY FAVORITE!!!!! OK .... no need to pace anymore! This is what good friends are all about!

We move out into the entertainment room that is usually bright and cheery, but at this time it is closed up in preparation for my 2 month absence....it doesn't matter....good wine....GREAT friends....what more is there? Wine Friends Pairing!

Plastic cups with wonderful wine, relaxing conversation between friends and I am now ready for the next step on my journey.....the doorbell rings and the limo is here to take Houdini and me to the airport.....a few quick goodbyes with my friends and I am off to my next Wine Food Pairing adventure! CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing ... LTU flight to Europe!

Wine Food Pairing is always an adventure ..... I am sitting in Vienna recounting my wonderful flight form Ft. Myers, Florida to Munich. In Business class we had a choice of several wonderful red wines along with our choice of dinner items. I decided upon the delicious pasta entree .... WONDERFUL! LTU always has terrific service and the flight was only half filled so the service was excellent.

I had an after dinner "medicinal herbal" schnapps and fell asleep only to awake for breakfast somewhere over Ireland (I think!). A hot towel for freshening up, breakfast and hot coffee for a quick "wake up" before landing in Germany.

Yes, Wine Food Pairing is sometimes a challenge, but I am up for it ... CHEERS!

Wine Food Pairing - a Greek adventure!

Wine Food Pairing ...an American having a Greek adventure in Austria!

This local taverna in Linz, Austria came highly recommended by our local friends. It was a full house and the host took our name and then handed us a menu to look at and a glass of Ouzo....I loved it already!

We were seated overlooking the Danube and ordered Retsina, a famous Greek wine that tastes of the resin from the pine cask it is held in and Tsatsiki a refreshing appetizer made from yogurt, cucumbers and garlic....YUM!

Our entre was Moussaka, sometimes known as the Greek "national" dish. Moussaka is a savory layered casserole with sliced eggplant on the bottom, minced lamb, herbs and spices in the middle and topped with a bechamel sauce that is baked until a crusty golden brown.

The tasty "pine" wine paired beautifully with the Tsatsiki and the Moussaka....a terrific Wine Food Pairing! CHEERS!

To locate terrific Greek wines go to Cellars Wine Club