“Simi”lar stories, Fabulous Pairings

They have similar backgrounds and similar goals, so it is not surprising that Simi Winery and Chef Kolin Vazzoler make a great pair.  Both from Italian heritage, the winery and Chef Kolin focus on producing high quality wines and foods that are sourced locally.  Kolin learned about the culinary arts from his mother and grandmother.  Now he teaches others in the industry about pairing the Simi wines and mentors those new to the profession.

I had the opportunity to talk with Kolin yesterday at the Austin Food and Wine Festival.  Kolin grew up in British Columbia where he earned his culinary certification and began his career.  He moved to San Francisco to work with Gary Danko and spent eight years honing his skills in the city before heading to Healdsburg to work at Simi Winery.

I asked him how working at a winery differs from the restaurant world.  If you’ve spent any time in the industry you know that the hours can be daunting, so that is one benefit the winery offers.  In a restaurant, the chef creates the dish and then you seek out the wine that will work best with the food.  At the winery, the opposite holds true.  He is creating a dish that will best highlight the wine.  In the creative process, adjustments often have to be made, but Kolin has learned a few tricks that we can easily apply.  For example, if the wine is coming across “hot,” add some acid, lemon or salt.  If the wine seems to be falling flat, add savory notes, herbs perhaps.

At the festival, Kolin was pairing the 2010 Sonoma County Pinot Noir with Crispy Chicken Skin, Mushroom Purée, and Dried Cherry.  And what a pairing it was.  The mushroom puree accented the earthy notes in the wine.  The dried cherry echoed the red fruits and the ginger salt highlighted the spice.  Delicious.

So what food and wine combinations have surprised Kolin?  He now enjoys pairing seafood with reds.  Catalan stew, Cioppino, Acqua Pazza all have ingredients which create depth and spice and they need something heavier, spicier to compliment the dish.

And what is his current favorite pairing with the Simi wines?  The Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon is both bright and rich.  Great fruit is balanced by fresh earthy notes.  Full, but not heavy, he enjoys pairing this wine with one of their specialty pizzas with charred radicchio and gorgonzola.  Yum.

My brother is also a chef in the Bay area and about the same age as Kolin.  I’ve watched him go from creating complicated, multi-ingredient works of art to a much simpler approach.  Find good food, in season, locally sourced and you don’t need to do much to it.  The food speaks for itself.  Your job is to find the combinations that work well together and let the natural beauty of the food shine.  From talking with Kolin, it is apparent that he has gone through a similar transition.  Eat what is available, fresh.  Play with it, but keep it simple.  Returning to his roots, this style of cooking is a natural fit for Kolin.

Although the restaurant is not generally open to the public, they do have private events and are working to make his dishes more accessible.  During summer weekends, pizzas and other rustic Italian fare are available.  They are looking into creating dishes to be enjoyed at home and “pop-up” dinners as well.  If you can’t make it to Healdsburg, Simi Wines are readily available and Chef Kolin has shared many of the recipes for his favorite pairings on the website.  Now to find the time to execute them…Cheers!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a pass to the Austin Food and Wine Festival in order to write this piece.  The opinions and thoughts are my own.

Transitions- Part 1

Spring is a time of transitions.  Some are surficial: purging closets, boots to sandals.  Some are botanical: bud break, the emergence of a crocus.  Some are spiritual: an awakening, a yearning.  All around, there is a renewed energy, a pull.  All week-long I have felt the need to write, a to-do list of pieces that need to be written, but I haven’t had the focus or time.  I awakened this morning after ELEVEN hours asleep, with the idea of transition.  It is the theme that is both pulling me to write and connecting the jumbled ideas, which cover the aforementioned range.  To spare you the crazy of my thought patterns, I’ve decided to break it into two parts.  I’ll start with the surficial.

It has been a brutal winter for many of you, so I hesitate to share that we have had a few days in the 80s.  When the thermostat begins to hit that range, it generally means I get my first cravings for Sauvignon Blanc.  Our grill died last fall and my husband finally had time to go pick out a replacement on Saturday.  So, I headed to the store for something to grill and some SB.  I don’t know about you, but I pick fish based on what is wild and what looks the freshest.  I had a preparation in mind, so I had already gotten the sides.  My shopping buddy also thought the Coho salmon was the “shiniest” so that’s what we chose.  (BTW, I didn’t even tell him what to look for, he’s got the instinct.  His uncles would be proud.)   He also did well with the Sauvignon Blanc label picking.

I started with the Israeli couscous so it had time to cool to room temp.  I browned it in sunflower oil for about 5 minutes, boiled for 15, then drained.  I added olive oil and salt so it wouldn’t be sticky, then started on the fish.  I  drizzled with olive oil, added salt and pepper, chopped rosemary and oregano, and lemon zest.  For the salad, I used bibb lettuce, toasted pine nuts, shaved parmesan, and grilled raddichio.  While the boys grilled the fish and raddichio, I tossed parsley, oregano, lemon juice, and the extra pine nuts in the couscous.  On the side, I had Castelvetrano olives.

Since my brother-in-law moved here, we’ve shared many meals and he’s been very complimentary.  It means a lot to me since he went to culinary school.  This was the first time, however, that he’s said, “If you gave this meal to professionals, they would not tell you to add one thing.  It is perfectly balanced and complimentary.”  Who-hoo!  Love it when that happens.  Especially with a meal that is healthy and easy to throw together.

The wine I paired it with was a 2012 Doña Paula Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc.  Bright fruit, a bit of herb and a lot of grapefruit.  This paired perfectly and, priced around $12, it is a wine you can drink anytime.

If you want something a little more elegant, the 2010 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc would work nicely too.  It has the lively citrus and herbal notes, but the addition of 6% Semillon and 5 months in oak soften the wine a little.  The wine has some briny, savory notes that would play well with food.  This wine retails around $20 and was provided as a sample*.

Saturday was in the eighties, Wednesday was in the fifties.  Transitions are like that.  A few steps forward, a few steps back.  Progress, regression.  They can be slow and daunting, or immediate and undeniable.  Regardless of the results, the process, the learning, the discovery often has its own rewards.  Some are intrinsic and some are as simple as a delicious meal with people you love.

*{Disclosure: I was provided with the Robert Mondavi wine from PR Firm, Folsom & Associates. All statements and opinions expressed in this article are my own.}

Amigos Especiales-Gun Bun Tempranillo

Last Sunday we had an afternoon dinner with THOSE friends.  You know, the ones.  We used to travel to Sonoma together and make Bacchus look like a monk.  Those weekends translated into all day food and wine festivals in our own backyards, almost every weekend. Corks flying, pans frying.  Until we added to the brood.  Now we are lucky if we can get together twice a year.  And until recently, one of the ladies was left out because of maternal matters.  But, we are coming out of that phase and their birthdays (one week apart) served as the perfect excuse to get together, even though it looks a little different now.  (Fewer) Corks flying and (more) pans frying and the occasional baby crying.

It was a beautiful day here in Austin so we decided to plan around the weather.  I thought we’d go Spanish.  I picked up some Manchego, Brazos Valley Eden brie (with vegetable ash-divine), olives, peppers, salami, and some veggies for appetizers al fresco.  I’ve learned to make a separate snack plate for the littles or my cherubs will devour all the olives and cured meats.  That’s just not good for anyone.

While the kids ran wild in capes and gowns, blowing bubbles and having tea parties, the adults were able to sit under the pergola, sipping Tempranillo and catching up.  It was wonderful. 

For dinner, I planned Flank and Flap steak with Chimichurri sauce, Patatas Bravas, and asparagus.  I marinated the steak in olive and sunflower oil, garlic, and salt. The good thing about this dinner is tha can do most of the work ahead of time.  For the Chimichurri I used a ton of parsley, oregano, olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, salt and a little crushed red pepper.   I made the tomato sauce with a bunch of garlic, olive oil, choppped tomatoes, chicken broth, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne. 

Many recipes call for frying the potatoes, but I roasted them in sunflower and olive oil at 450.  We did the steak in a cast iron pan.  I blanched the asparagus and then quickly sautéed them in the pan I had used for steak while it sat.  For wine, we broke out a Tempranillo with a story.

Gundlach Bundschu has a special place in our hearts.  If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how instrumental they were in my decision to start writing.  While on a tour there, we heard a great story about their Tempranillo.  I won’t name names, but somebody may or may not have snuck some rootstock back from Spain.  They may or may not have had some a stinky cheese wheel in said bag that may or may not have been confiscated at customs, allowing the rootstock to find a new home in Sonoma.  Legend has it, anyway.  No matter where this rootstock came from, it is doing great things in its current soil.

This wine is beautiful in the glass and its color represents it well.  Red and blue fruits, acid and earth.  Bright and smooth.  Complexity in the tobacco and cocoa notes.  I love this wine and it paired perfectly.  It was like they were made for each other.  Well, in fact they were. 

I guess you could say the same about our friends.  You know, THOSE friends.  The ones you can come to when your face is puffy and tear-stained.  The ones that you can tell anything to and know you are safe.  The ones that can make you laugh, let you vent, and tell you when to zip it.  Friends that are worth celebrating.  Cheers to that.

Forbidden Fruit

So, it is time for a cleanse of sorts.  Too much fun, too much stress, the holidays, and lots of celebrating with company have left me with more than a few posts. Ahem.  Time to lay off the booze and get back to the gym, so this week, I will write a few food posts or maybe repeat a past piece.

I have been trying to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals in our home.  My sister’s success with the Anti-inflammatory diet, some inspiration from blogs I love (yes, you Lauren), and general health practices are great motivators.  Tonight’s dinner was delicious and one worth sharing.

I picked up some forbidden (black) rice at Whole Foods, although I’ve never used it.  In an attempt to use the veggies I had, I made this salad.  Even the kids loved it.  To quote my daughter, “Are you kidding me?  This is delicious!”  I’ll make it again.  Even though I didn’t pair it with anything, a Riesling would have been great.  Next time, I’ll add some cilantro, too. And the hubs and I put a little Siracha on at the end.

Forbidden Rice Salad

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

2 Purple Spring onions (from Pa’s garden), thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1/3 cup cashews

2 cups cooked forbidden rice (while warm I melted some coconut oil over it)

Top with avocado and mango

Dressing:

1 Tbsp. Sunflower oil

1 Tbsp. Rice Wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Lime juice

Tsp. Sugar

Salt and pepper

Need a ‘Rita?

Today is National Margarita Day, a holiday which I am sure you will not mind celebrating.  If you live here in Texas, I am sure you are well-versed in all things agave.  Before I moved here I had only experienced very harsh, very gold, and very dangerous tequila.  I had not yet had a Mexican martini or learned how to mix a proper ‘rita on the rocks.  If you have not yet seen how tasty, clean, and versatile a margarita can be, today is a great day for experimenting.

You may have heard about the snow in Arizona this past week.  Because of that, the PGA tournament has had its share of delays.  So, this week on Back9 Network, I decided to do a cocktail with egg white and tequila, “Snow Falling on the Agave,” based on a Prado.  Head over for a brief tutorial on tequila and a few other recipes.

To try out the recipes, I had some ladies from our neighborhood over for a taste test.  We also sampled some locally made mixes and played with them.  If you have been reading long, you know that I am not keen on mixes, generally.  I would rather start from scratch and adjust.  However, when we had company this past weekend they wanted to try the Central Market fresh margarita mix.  Since the only ingredients were lime juice, simple syrup, and orange juice I was in.  I also picked up some locally made pineapple and jalapeno mix.  Made by Carter’s Select, the only ingredients are water, lime juice, lemon juice, cane sugar, pineapple and jalapeno.     

The Central Market mix was a hit.  I only added El Jimador tequila.  It was a very classic, very tasty drink.  I had them sip as is, then we added some Blood Orange San Pellegrino.  Yummy, but too sweet.  I would, in the future, either just squeeze in some fresh blood orange or have just lime juice and the Pellegrino.  Finally we added some bitters to the blood orange.  That was the favorite.  The bitters cut some of the sweet and added a nice dimension.

For the Prado, I couldn’t find maraschino liqueur, so I substitued the juice.  I have a feeling is was not a good substitution because the drink was rather forgettable.  I think adding some cinnamon would help.  I will keep an eye out for the liqueur and try again.

The Carter’s was rather tasty for a bottled mix.  A good amount of warmth from the jalapeno and it could not have been easier.  I would, if time allowed, still prefer fresh juice and steeping the jalapeno in the tequila, but in a pinch, this is a really good choice.

Today, I plan on trying another version.  Cucumber.  I’ll try Espolón Tequila, agave, lime juice, and muddle some cucumber slices.  Perhaps garnish with some cilantro?  I’ll let you know.  

What margarita will you be enjoying today?  Cheers!

Greatest Hits of 2012

At the end of the year, WordPress sent me a summary of my year.  Sort of a year in review for the writer.  How many visitors, which posts were the most viewed, et cetera.  They invite you to share the information with your readers.  At first, I thought, “How Silly.  That is like Justin Bieber releasing a Greatest Hits.”  After all, I’ve only just begun (I hope you heard Karen Carpenter just then).  But then I looked at my top five posts from the year and I thought, “Yes, that is a pretty good cross-section of what I have done.”  So I am sharing it with a little back story.  Think of it as a pathetic version of Storytellers.  Cheers!

1 “Hey Girl…I love SAHMs” October 2012

Don’t you love new friends?  Especially those that share your affinity for all things Gosling?  And can make you laugh out loud with a text?  And inspire silly posts?  Me too.  It is no wonder this got a lot of views.  He’s impossible to resist. 

2 Grief and Gratitude  September 2012

I was due to write a new post, but it was September 11th, and I could not write about anything but.  I asked a group of ladies that write about wine if it was okay to venture outside that box.  With their encouragement, I did so.  This is my tribute to a dear, dear friend.

3 OTBN- A Gift from Gundlach Bundschu  February 2012

The first piece of writing I ever put out publicly was a 3rd place poem for a poetry contest at Gundlach Bundschu.  The second piece took first.  It was their encouragement that inspired me to write.  This was a post in which I “shared” the 1997 Cab Franc I received as a prize with my readers.

4 Trends, Schmends-I never gave up on you, Merlot January 2012 

If you have read for very long at all, you know that it is not uncommon to get a hint of psychology in the front and some introspection in the finish.  In Vino Veritas.

5 Molto Bene, Y’all  April 2012

I have loved, loved, loved getting involved in the Texas wine scene.  So many great things being produced, so many great people, and still so much to learn.  Thank you for welcoming me in and for your generous spirits.  This is a piece on a local winery that I grow more fond of with each visit.

So, there you have it.  A little personal stuff, a little humor, a lot of wine.  Some paired, some shared.  Yes, this is a blog about wine, but it is really so much more to me.  Thank you for reading and giving me a place to share, to grow, to learn.

A Day Late…But Not a Bit Short

Last night was the Texas Wine Twitter chat featuring three lovely wines and Chef Josh Watkins of The Carillon Restaurant here in Austin (see pairings below).  I will be making that Celery root and apple soup with Duchman Viognier soon.  Because we have been in full combat mode, fighting a nasty respiratory virus, I had to miss the tasting at a fellow Texas wine lover’s house and could only tweet vicariously.  I made up for it today.  

My husband made a pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto and sage.  My brother-in-law made salad with pears sautéed in maple syrup which became part of the vinaigrette.  My job was to pair and hold my sweet son.  Honestly, a kangaroo pouch would have come in handy the last few days since he’s too big for a sling and can’t be off me for more than a minute at a time when he’s sick.

I paired the meal with McPherson Sangiovese.  A good pairing brings out the best in both and this was spot on.  The fruit was subtle as to not compete, but with enough earthy backbone to hold its own.  The salt of the prosciutto, the sweet of the pear, the acidity of the vinaigrette all worked with the Sangiovese.  Yum.

This is a very food friendly wine that can go in many directions and blend right in.  I have joked before that I think Kim McPherson and I have kindred palates.  I love everything he makes.  The Sangiovese is no exception.  Thanks to Chef Josh Watkins for the great suggestions and to all the Texas wine advocates and producers for all you do!

 Duchman Family Winery Viognier

Celery root-apple soup
Spiced apples with brandy syrup

McPherson Sangiovese
Free-raised veal tenderloin with sweet potato hash, and mustard greens with bacon gastrique
Beef tenderloin with Brussels sprouts and potato puree
Braised beef short ribs with grill romaine and pickled radish

Fall Creek or Messina Hof Muscat Canelli (semi-sweet)
Buttermilk panna cotta
Manchester cheese
Almond cake

Fond Memories-Robert Mondavi

There are some wines that invite an immediate image.  One sip and you are transplanted, to a memory or an ideal.  Robert Mondavi’s 2010 Napa Valley Pinot Noir conjures images of fallen leaves and cashmere sweaters, blackberry brambles and tartan blankets.  It is just what I want from a Pinot Noir.

Many years ago, I spent a week of early autumn in the hills of Santa Rosa.  We picked blackberries for cobbler in the late morning sun, trudged through tall, crisp grasses on afternoon walks, and shared blankets and stories in the evening.  Bottle after bottle, I drank in Sonoma and felt like I was home.  The bottle says “Carneros,” but I taste Santa Rosa.

If the sense of smell is that which is most closely affiliated with memories, then this wine has the potential to help you make some fabulous ones.  Blackberry, nutmeg, and soft oak.  The fruit bursts on the palate and slowly fades to sweet, woodsy spice.  I chose to pair the wine with a pork tenderloin.  I covered the bottom of the pan with sliced onion and peppers, coated the tenderloin with several herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I tossed fingerling potatoes in rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I served them with a salad of mixed greens, red pear, and Maytag blue cheese. 

The pairing was quite nice.  The herbs enhanced the fruit, the oak carried the wine through the cheese, and the pear played nicely with the nutmeg notes.  I would buy this wine again in a heartbeat.  Another nice pairing would be a salad with blackberries and hazelnuts with goat cheese medallions.  You could go in many directions with this wine.

The first piece of writing I put out publically was a poem, an ode to a wine that brought me back to an afternoon in Sonoma.  That is what a good wine does.  It gives you a piece of a time and place.  It speaks to your closely held memories and can transport you.  Thank you, Robert Mondavi, for the brief vacation on a Sunday evening.

*{Disclosure: I was provided with this wine from PR Firm, Folsom & Associates. All statements and opinions expressed in this article are my own. The photo of a Carneros vineyard was provided by my father-in-law.}

My Favorite Kind of Evening

If you have littles, you know how hard it can be to make plans ahead of time.   The best laid plans are easily derailed by a runny nose or a meltdown brought on by a missed nap.  My good friends understand this, so we are all fans of the last-minute plans.  One example, that is quickly becoming a tradition with my sweet neighbor, is the last-minute potluck. The conversation usually begins like this. “I need to get out of my house.  What are your plans for dinner?”  And it usually ends with, “I’ll be over in 30 minutes.” 

Now, if asked to describe my ideal evening, it would be good food, good wine, good friends, on a good porch.  We had all of those last night.  We must have been on the same wavelength because we were both planning on Portobellos for entrees and a tomato salad.  Our combined effort became a delightful Italian feast, alfresco. Our spread included:

Grilled Portobellos marinated with balsamic, olive oil, and herbs

Sautéed Portobellos with fresh mozzarella

Tomato Basil Salad

Tomato, Cucumber, and Olive Salad

Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Grilled Ciabatta with Goat Cheese and Grilled Red Pepper

Arugula Salad with Parmesan and Lemon

We paired the meal with a  2007 Wellington Meeks Hilltop Zinfandel.  Gorgeous berries and just enough spice.  Black pepper and licorice.  Intense fruit and soft, smooth finish.  Super yum.  A good rule of thumb when pairing food and wine is to match regions.  Cheese from the Loire Valley?  Open a Vouvray or Cab Franc.  Paella on the menu? Rioja or Granacha should work. Central Italian fare?  Primitivo, Zin, or Sangiovese if you are looking for a red.  Of course, this isn’t a “rule,” just a starting point.  As your palate develops, you will know just what you want, which may or may not be a regional match.

I love a good Merlot with good chocolate and that is exactly how we ended our evening.  After a rousing game of flashlight tag, complete with an Opossum sighting, we opened a 2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Merlot to have with a bar of Patric 70% Dark Chocolate.  The wine brought out the berry in the chocolate; the chocolate enhanced similar notes in the wine.  A perfect pairing and a perfect way to end my favorite kind of evening.

A Friend Indeed

On our way to Colorado, we stopped at McPherson Winery in Lubbock, Texas and loaded up.  Truly.  Our truck was p-a-c-k-e-d and yet I still found room for over a case of wine.  Priorities, right?  Before visiting, I had tried the Tre Colore and the Viognier, both of which I really enjoyed.  I knew I would like his wine, I just didn’t realize that I would like ALL his wine.  That doesn’t happen very often.

McPherson Tasting Room

One of the gems we picked up was Les Copains, a white blend of Grenache Blanc (45%), Viognier (45%), and Roussanne (10%).  Translated from French, Les Copains means, “the friends” or “the buddies.”  This is a lovely, versatile blend which retails for about $14.  The Viognier gives it rich floral notes, the Grenache Blanc gave it green and citrus notes, and the Rousanne balances the two to create a fantastic summer wine.

One of our last nights of the trip, we were staying with friends in Boulder and picked up some Italian food at a restaurant called Arugula.  Since that is one of my favorite greens, I thought we were on to something.  I ordered the Summer Vegetable Risotto and the Scallops for my husband.  I figured that our “friends” would work with both.  They did so splendidly.

When we returned home, I was still dreaming about the pairing so I tried to replicate it at home.  Unfortunately, I could not find Les Copains that day, but the risotto replication was spot on. I think I will have to add some to our next shipment since we, of course, joined the wine club.  See if you can find some near you, or go ahead and order some.  In the meantime, try out this risotto and pair it with a light to medium bodied, crisp summer white.

Summer Vegetable Risotto (Inspired by the one at Arugula)

Warm 3 cups (I did half and half) water or chicken stock in a 2 qt sauce pan.

Add about 2 tsp. Olive oil to a sauté pan.

 Sauté 1 medium onion over medium heat until soft, reduce to low heat.

Add about 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half.

Cut the corn off the cob from 1-2 ears and add to the pan.

Stir until warm and slightly wilting.

Salt and pepper to taste, turn off the heat.  Warm again quickly when ready to add to risotto.

Pour yourself a glass of wine for the following steps.  It will make it taste better.  Trust me.

Put about 1-2 oz of white wine and 1 cup Arborio rice in a 3 qt. pan or similar. 

Gradually add the warm water/broth, about a half a cup at a time, while stirring. 

When the liquid is absorbed, continue adding until the rice has reached a creamy consistency. (The whole process took me about 30-45 min.)

When the risotto is cooked, stir in  3-4 oz. plain Goat Cheese.

Then add the warmed vegetables, and about 8 basil leaves, chiffonade.

I hope the recipe is easy to follow.  I don’t generally write (or follow) recipes, but please let me know if you have questions.  Cheers!