Thursday, June 02, 2011

Wine Etiquette

I happened to get the following info in a press release from the Colorado Mountain Wine Fest. But considering that Salute! wine festival will be Saturday in downtown Winston-Salem, the timing couldn’t have been better, and this has some good advice.

The following are some excerpts of tips from Sarah Catlin, executive director of the Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade, Colo.
which celebrates its 20th annual event Sept. 17, offers her tips on how to best enjoy this season’s wine festivals.

Wear comfy clothing and shoes. Know the environment so you dress properly. The Colorado Mountain Winefest is an outdoor event. Wearing appropriate sun protection, clothes for the venue and comfortable shoes will make it more enjoyable.

Eat before you go. Most all festivals will have food at the event, however you’re likely to go straight to the tasting tents. Having a bit of food in your stomach will help you pace yourself. And be sure to eat while you’re there!

Pace yourself. Most wine tastings are a one ounce pour. Take into consideration that an average glass of wine is five ounces. If there are 50 wineries in attendance and you only taste one wine from each winery, that’s the equivalent of 10 glasses of wine! Drinking equal parts water is always smart. Drink responsibly.

Take a break. This goes along with pacing yourself. Take a break from tasting, and work off some of the wine and energy while enjoying the entertainment. You can also take a break to act like “Lucy” and stomp grapes, watch chef demonstrations and peruse the artists’ booths.

Festival Tasting Etiquette

Winery tents are not a bar. Pour and move. To keep things moving at a particular winery’s tent, choose the wine that you would like to taste and move to the back of the line. Sip the wine while the line is moving. You want the festival experience to be fun for everyone, and it’s not fun when several people belly up to the bar, slowing the line.

Don’t like it? Don’t drink it. Life’s too short for wine you don’t enjoy. This is what the spittoons are for.

Pick and choose. Don’t try to drink everything. Either ask for your favorite type of wine, or ask the winery folks what they think is their best.

Make a list. If you find a wine you love, be sure to either write it down so you can visit the winery or buy the wine immediately.

Don’t drink and drive. It doesn’t matter how many tastes you’ve had, you want a designated driver. To encourage this practice, many festivals offer a non-drinker ticket at a reduced price.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Hot Off the Grill

Here are some more recipes from newly released grilling cookbooks I wrote about in the Journal May 25.
To see the story, click here.

Sticky Sweet Ribs

Makes 4 servings.

1½ cups plain barbecue sauce

¼ cup pancake syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

2 racks pork back ribs (about 4 pounds)

¼ cup white vinegar

1. Mix the barbecue sauce, syrup and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Place ribs on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow casserole dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add vinegar to pan and tightly cover with foil.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from oven, carefully lift off foil and pour out liquid. Be careful of the steam.

5. Heat grill to medium-high.

6. Place ribs on grill, meaty side down. Baste with the reserved sauce. Cook 5 minutes, until ribs start to get grill marks, then flip. Baste and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.

7. Remove ribs from heat. Baste one more time, then serve.

Recipe adapted from “Sam the Cooking Guy” (Wiley).

Grilled Corn and Quinoa Salad

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

5 ears corn, husk on but silks removed

4 green onions, rottos and tops trimmed

2 cups quinoa, well rinsed

3¼ cups water

Salt

4 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Juice of 3 limes (about ¼ cup)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Black pepper

1. Soak the corn in a large pot of water for 20 minutes. Remove, shake well, and squeeze to remove excess water.

2. While the corn soaks, rinse quinoa in water and drain. Then place quinoa, the 3¼ cups water and the salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile heat grill to heat (550 degrees).

4. Grill corn for 5 minutes with lid closed. Turn corn and grill 5 more minutes with lid closed. Remove corn and let rest 5 minutes.

5. Place sheets of foil on grill rack. Pull back the husks to expose the corn kernels, then place the ears on the foil on the grill. Cook with lid closed about 5 minutes to slightly char the kernels. Add green onions, close lid and cook 3 minutes. Remove corn and onions.

6. When cool enough to handle, slice the green onions and cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Add sliced onions and kernels to quinoa. Add tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and oil. Add salt and pepper, toss well, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Recipe adapted from “Latin Grilling” (Ten Speed Press).

Tuna with Avocado-Wasabi Puree

Makes 4 servings.

2 avocadoes, pitted, peeled, and cut into small chunks

1 tablespoons wasabi

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or finely chopped scallions)

½ cup Garlic-Soy Sauce Marinade (recipe below)

4 tuna steaks (about 2 pound), about ¾ inch thick

1. In a bowl, combine avocado, wasabi, lime juice, salt and chives. Mash with a fork. Set aside.

2. Pour marinade into a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Lay tuna steaks in the marinade and gently flip four times until well coated.

3. Heat a grill to medium. Brush cooking grate clean and oil it well. Grill the tuna quickly, about 2 minutes, turning once. You want to just sear the tuna; it should still be rare, almost raw, inside. Remove from grill, top with avocado-wasabi puree and serve.

Recipe adapted from “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press).

Garlic-Soy Sauce Marinade
This versatile marinade can be used on everything from fish to steak. The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Makes ½ cup.
¼ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Mix again before using.
Recipe adapted from “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press).

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Trotting Out the Turkey

It’s been about six months since Thanksgiving, so hopefully everyone has recovered from anygluts of holiday turkey.

Turkey cutlets can be good answer to weeknight dinner: Quick, easy and similar to, but not exactly like, ubiquitous chicken.

The recipe below shows one of many ways to dress up turkey cutlets—in this case with some mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and mustard.

Sautéed Turkey Breast
1 lb. turkey breast cutlets
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped mushroom caps
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1-2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

1. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with garlic powder and rub in. Lightly salt and pepper.
2. Coat large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Place mushroom caps
and shallots in skillet, sauté for about 1 minute, then push vegetables to side of skillet.
3. Place turkey in skillet and sauté for 5-8 minutes on one side until browned; turn turkey and cook
another 5-8 minutes, stirring vegetables until turkey is cooked through – no longer pink in the
center.
4. Combine lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard in small bowl and mix well. Add to pan
and cook over low heat until heated through – about 1 minute. Top with a sprinkle of parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information for one serving: 130 calories, 3 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 2 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 0 g
dietary fiber, 140 mg sodium.

Recipe and photo courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Summer Fun

Looking for a different dish for summer?

Here’s a neat, light take on a Lebansese classic, from Chef Joumana Accad, a native of Lebanon who blogs at TasteofBeirut.com.

Shawarma is traditionally made with lamb, beef or chicken cooked on a spit. .Here Accad lightens the dish by substituting fish.

Spices: 2 teaspoons of sumac, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, pinch of cinnamon and salt, a dash of chili flakes
4 fish fillets of your choice
3 (or more, to taste) cloves of garlic
Olive oil, as needed
1/2 cup of tahini (4 ounces, 125 ml)
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (4 ounces, 125 ml)
1/2 cup of walnuts, crushed
1 bunch of cilantro or dill or flat-parsley
4 medium tomatoes
1 large avocado
          1.  Mix all the spices and sprinkle on the fish fillets, both front and back. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and set the fillets aside. Crush the garlic with a dash of salt in a mortar until pasty. Transfer to a bowl, add the tahini and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and stir, add up to 1/2 cup of water and stir constantly until the mixture, called a tarator. is smooth. You want it fairly thick and not too watery, so always add the water gradually, checking the texture and taste and adjust if needed.
          2.  Grill the fish or pan-fry in some olive oil until the fish is done. While the fish is cooking, slice the tomatoes, avocados and onions, if using. Open each pita, slather with tarator, sprinkle some crushed walnuts, extra herbs, place the fish in the bread, add the tomato slices and avocado slices and serve.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Joumana Accad.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Best Chef of the Southeast

Andrea Reusing, who I wrote about on April 20, was named Best Chef of the Southeast May 9 at the James Beard Awards.

Reusing is the chef and owner of Lantern, an Asian restaurant in Chapel Hill noted for its use of local, seasonal N.C. ingredients. I had written about Reusing and her newly published cookbookk, “Cooking in the Moment.”

You can read my story here.

Monday, May 09, 2011

Top Cookbooks

Here are the winners of the James Beard Awards for cookbooks, announced May 6. Kudos to James Villas, a North Carolina native, for his book on the role of pork in Southern cooking:

— Cookbook Hall of Fame
“On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen” by Harold McGee
— Cookbook of the Year
“Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy” by Diana Kennedy
— American cooking
“Pig: King of the Southern Table” by James Villas
— Baking and dessert
“Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours” by Kim Boyce
— Beverage
“Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World’s Top Wine Professionals” by Jordan Mackay and Rajat Parr
— Cooking from a professional point of view
“Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine” by Rene Redzepi
— General cooking
“The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century” by Amanda Hesser
— Healthy Focus
“The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook” by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen
— International
“Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories” by Grace Young
— Photography
“Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine” by Rene Redzepi (Photographer — Ditte Isager)
— Reference and scholarship
“Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes” by Mark Bitterman
— Single subject
“Meat: A Kitchen Education” by James Peterson
— Writing and literature
“Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food” by Paul Greenberg

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Cumin-Crusted Salmon

The flavor of salmon responds really well to such spices as cumin and coriander, as shown in this easy recipe.

Cumin Crusted Salmon

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound wild salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 8 strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Lemon wedges, for garnish

1. In medium mixing bowl combine cumin, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper.

2. Coat salmon strips completely with cumin mix.

3. Heat large skillet brushed with canola oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Gently place fish strips in hot skillet. Sear strips until crusty and salmon is cooked through 6-10 minutes.

4. Top with a sprinkle of cilantro, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information for one serving: 170 calories, 10 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 g carbohydrate,
20 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 190 mg sodium.

Photo and Recipe from American Institute for Cancer Research.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Wine & Oysters

The winners of the 17th annual Pacific Oyster Wine Competition were recently announced.

The contest, sponsored by Taylor Shellfish Farms in Seattle, seeks to find the best wines to pair with oysters.

From 119 wines, these were judged as the Top Ten:

Brassfield Estate Winery ‘09 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

Cadaretta ‘10 SBS (WA)

**Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery ‘09 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

*Hogue Cellars ‘09 Pinot Grigio (WA)

**King Estate Winery Signature Collection ‘09 Pinot Gris (OR)

**Kunde Family Estate ‘10 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

Pine Ridge Vineyards ‘10 Chenin Blanc + Viognier (CA)

**Robledo Family Winery ‘09 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

Three Pears ‘10 Pinot Grigio (CA)

*Van Duzer Vineyards ‘10 Estate Pinot Gris (OR)

One asterisk means a prior winner. Two asterisks mean prior winner two or more years.

For more info, check out http://www.oysterwine.com/

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Emeril Again

Emeril Lagasse will host a new series about iconic American restaurants beginning at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5.

“The Originals with Emeril” will be shown on the Cooking Channel (Time Warner digital-tier channel 353).

In each 30-minute episode, Lagasse will travel to a historic restaurant to uncover the story behind its success.

Episodes will feature Charlie Chaplin’s Hollywood hangout and the favorite dining spot of Martin Luther King in Atlanta, as well as the birthplaces of Boston cream pie in New England and the French dip sandwich in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Have Cake, Will Travel

New cake series
On Food Network
The Food Network will premiere “Have Cake Will Travel” at 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 26. The show features cake decorator Ashley Vicos and her staff as they travel around the country designing cakes for special events.
In the first episode, Vicos visits with the Harlem Globetrotters and creates a basketball-themed cake.
Vicos is the owner of Sweet Ashley’s in Atlanta.