March 10, 2010

Evening of Spanish Food & Wine, March 19, 2010

Posted by scooter4j under Catering by Victoria, Food + Wine = Art, Wine Pairing | Tags: , , , , |
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Evening of Spanish Food & Wine, March 19, 2010

¡Hola!

Another food and wine pairing!  Spanish foods and wines this time.

It’s all going down on the evening of March 19.

When and Where

March 19, 2010, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu (in order of presentation)

  • Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup, with cream & dry sherry) - Tempranillo/Garnacha (ideally from Valdepeñas)
  • Filete Empanado with Endivias con Queso Cabrales (Breaded Beefsteak with Endive and Blue Cheese) - Syrah (yeah! Spain produces syrahs; ideally from Catalunya)
  • Tortilla Española with Spanish Sausage with Sauteed Onions & Peppers - Rioja Blanco
  • Vieiras Gratinadas (baked scallops) - Pinot Grigio
  • Cinnamon Ice Cream and Lemon-Almond cake - Oloroso Sherry

Cost/Registration

$28/person (through March 14); $32/person after that and until March 17, when registration closes). Note that this cost is for the food only.

How Things Work on That Night…

With each of the foods, Victoria describes the food (special ingredients, preparation style, etc) and I describe the wines and why I’ve recommended the particular wine/varietal for the designated food. Our goal is to do more than just provide a great evening of food and wine – we want to provide a little education as well so that you can do your own food and wine pairing and multiply your enjoyment.

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 22 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines as people register for the event. I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone. I’ll be asking each couples (or individual, as applicable) to bring a bottle of wine to share with the group.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

February 2, 2010

Evening of Italian Food & Wine, February 12, 2010

Posted by scooter4j under Catering by Victoria, Food + Wine = Art, Wine Pairing | Tags: , , |
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wine_cheese_0012Sold Out!

Evening of Italian Food & Wine, February 12, 2010

Hello Again!

It’s been a while.  Are you still interested in food and wine pairing?

I hope so – we’re going to host another Evening of Food and Wine in February – February 12, to be precise. It would be a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day (especially since we’re focusing on the the foods and wine of Italy – the romance capital of the world).

And – a lot of you know this, but for those who don’t – Victoria is Italian and is a stunning chef of Italian cuisine.  This is one you won’t want to miss!

When and Where

February 12, 2010, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu (in order of presentation)

  • Arugula and Fava Bean Crostini - Soave Classico
  • Calamari in the Luciana Style (Calamari in a spicy sauce of garlic, white wine, red pepper flake, Italian parsley, and fresh thyme) - Vernaccia di San Gimignano
  • Veal Scaloppine with Porcini Sauce (Veal Scaloppine and Porcini mushrooms in a white cream sauce) - Chianti Classico
  • Chevre & Arugula Ravioli with Pancetta Tomato Sauce - Pinot Grigio
  • Polenta with Italian Sausage & Rapini - Barbera d’Alba
  • Panna Cotta with  Strawberries Amaretti - Moscato d’Asti

How Things Work

With each of the foods, Victoria describes the food (special ingredients, preparation style, etc) and I describe the wines and why I’ve recommended the particular wine/varietal for the designated food.  Our goal is to do more than just provide a great evening of food and wine – we want to provide a little education as well so that you can do your own food and wine pairing and multiply your enjoyment.

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 22 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines as people register for the event. I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone.  I’ll be asking each couples (or individual, as applicable) to bring a bottle of wine to share with the group.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

April 19, 2009

Evening of Food & Wine, May 15, 2009: “Haute Cuisine” France

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Stellar event!!  Here are the wines (in order served):

  • 2006 Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet Sevre et Maine (with the scallop)
  • 2005 Domaine Vocoret & Fils Chablis Premier Cru (with the lobster bisque)
  • 2005 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé (with the Salade Nicoise)
  • 2005 Olivier Guyot Marsannay La Montagne (Red Burgundy) (with theHerb-Rubbed Duck with Tart Cherry and Sage Sauce).  Most people I talked to considered this to be the best pairing of the evening.
  • 2000 Barton & Guestier Chateau Magnol Haut-Mèdoc (Red Bordeaux) (with the Beef in Bernaise Sauce)
  • 2005 La Fleur d’Or Sauternes (with the desserts)

Food + Wine = ArtEvening of Food & Wine, May 15, 2009: “Haute Cuisine” France

Ready for another night of French food and wine? The May 15th Food + Wine = Art event explores the “sophisticated” wines and foods of France… we’re calling it “Haute Cuisine”.  The foods and wines of this event will reflect more of the offerings one would find in the cities.

Accordingly, we’ll dial up the service a bit: the food will be plated and served in courses as will the wine.  Rather than our typical up-front description of the foods and wines, we’ll discuss each course individually (and briefly!).

The menu for May 15 and other bits of info are detailed below but there are some things I want to highlight:

  • Payment must accompany an RSVP to reserve spots.
  • The cost is higher than normal due to the more elaborate menu and service.

Moving on, here are the details in which you’re surely interested….

When and Where

May 15, 2009, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu (in order of presentation)

  • Caviar  - Champagne
  • Boeuf Bearnaise (Beef in Bernaise Sauce) – Red Bordeaux
  • Bisque de Langoustine (Lobster Bisque) – Chablis
  • Salade Nicoise (seared tuna, black olives, greens, tomatoes) – White Burgundy
  • Canard au Goût Âpre de Cerise (Herb-Rubbed Duck with Tart Cherry and Sage Sauce) – Red Burgundy
  • Various desserts – Sauternes

Cost/Registration

$35/person. Note that this cost is for the food only.

To register, please send me an email (scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com) to RSVP (then I have your email address so I can assign your wine) and pay via the PayPal button below.
Pay Now

How Things Work

We always describe the foods and wines served at our events, providing details that we hope you find interesting.  Normally we do this at the beginning of the event; this time, however, we’ll discuss the food and wine in courses.  It’s going to be fun and different.

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 24 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines to people as they RSVP – one bottle per couple. I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

March 25, 2009

Evening of Food & Wine, April 3, 2009: “Rustic” France

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Argentinian Flank Steak with Arepas

Sold Out!

Evening of Food & Wine, April 3, 2009: “Rustic” France

Those of you who have been tracking our plan for 2009 know that the April 3 Food + Wine = Art event covers the wines and foods of France.  Well, that remains true BUT – we are actually going to have two nights focusing on France because there is just too many good wine varietals and regions from France to cover in one session.  The two nights are April 3 and May 1 (we’ll push the Italy evening, which was originally scheduled for May 1, back a month).

We’re not going to have the same wines both nights, nor the same theme both nights.  Instead, here’s what we’re going to do:  we’ll focus on “rustic” foods and matching wines on April 3, and “sophisticated” foods and matching wines on May 1.  Yes, these categories are coarse and there is bound to be some overlap, but we’re trying to classify stews and the like as “rustic” stuff and the foods with elaborate sauces, ingredients as “sophisticated”.

The menu for April 3 and other bits of info are detailed below but there are some things I want to highlight:

  • Payment must accompany an RSVP to reserve spots.
  • The wines/regions that we’ll cover on May 1 include the Burgundies (red & white), Bordeaux (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauternes), Champagne, and Chablis.

Moving on, here are the details in which you’re surely interested….

Cost/Registration

Sold Out

When and Where

April 3, 2009, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu

  • Coq au Vin (chicken in red wine, bacon, onion and mushrooms) – Crozes Hermitage
  • Fonds d’Artichauts au gratin (stuffed artichoke bottoms with cream filling containing gruyere & shallots, vermouth, garlic) Pouilly Fume, Vouvray
  • Varietal Cheese Tray will go with all evening wines
  • Cassoulet (baked haricots blanc with lamb, pork rind & bacon, tomato puree, herbs)  Beaujolais
  • Salade au Roquefort  Alsatian Gewurztraminer
  • Sauté de Boeuf à la Provençale (fresh tomato sauce, olives & herbs)  Chateauneuf-du-Pape
  • Tarte  aux Poires – (Pear Tart -pears poached in Bordeaux accompanied with with almond custard) Late-harvest chenin blanc
  • Éclairs au Chocolat coffee

How Things Work

For those of you who are new to our events let me provide a little explanation about how things work.

At the beginning of the event (which is informal, by the way), Victoria and I go through each of the menu items on the menu – Victoria describes the food, ingredients, and cooking details, and I explain why I recommended the wines I did and specific things to look for in the pairing. After that, we all get to eat great food and drink good wine and see how good food and wine can be together….

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 24 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines to people as they RSVP – one bottle per couple. I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone – we don’t mandate that everyone brings an $80 bottle! – though if you want to, we won’t argue ;) That said, I’d say that guests typically spend between $20 and $25 per bottle.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

March 23, 2009

Sweet Sentiments

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This past weekend, we participated in a surprise 70th birthday party.  It was certainly a highlight of my week.

I was contacted by a local professional who wanted to do something special for his wife who would be celebrating a milestone birthday.  He called to gather some information about our catering services in order to make a decision about how best to distinguish the birthday.  He’d thought about gathering their friends and going out to dinner to a nice restaurant.  He’d never actually worked with a catering company before.  When he called and told me about his considerations, I suggested that we meet to talk in greater detail about how we might be able to help him.

When we met, I felt excited about helping him show his wife a special time along with  their closest friends.  They would all be in on the surprise and his son’s who lived nearby would help us pull off the deed.

We talked about menu, decoration, details….  We talked about budget and cost, china, glassware and linens.  We planned a special birthday cake, it had to be her favorite, of course.  “Not a problem,” I told him.  “You can relax about things on my end.   I will see that everything is perfect.  All you need to do is take her away from the house while we set it all up.”

When the time came, we pulled up to the house, and met his son who was there to let us in.  Setting a table, with linens, china, silverware, candles and fresh cut flowers was completed.  Then we setup the cocktail table in the living room with a platter of beautifully displayed antipasti, accompanied with crostini.  Plates, cocktail napkins and shiny forks were at the ready.

Specially selected wine was opened to allow it to breathe and the wine glasses set nearby.  Guests would be able to help themselves while they waited for the guest of honor.  Nearby, the inviting angle food cake was placed on a crystal pedestal.  It was layered with fresh, juicy strawberries and light whipped cream.  This was her favorite cake…details.  The buffet was set with a coordinating overlay and the necessary catering equipment.  Sternos were lit and water pans filled.

The salad was dressed and tossed and placed on the buffet.  The Cambro (temperature controlled food carrier) was popped open.  A pan of elegant potato purée with wild mushroom ragout was assembled and stationed in the chafer.  An herb roasted beef rib roast was place on a cutting board to be carved.  It had been cooked perfectly to medium rare with those nice crusty ends.  The cut beef was layed asthetically into an insert pan, the au jus poured over it and freshly minced parsley was sprinkled.  A dish of zippy horseradish sauce was unveiled and set close by.  Sweet cream butter pats were snugged next to the freshly baked sunflower wheat rolls.  Deatils.

I surveyed the setting.  Water glasses were filled and placed on the dining table.  Candles were lit.  A quick glance around the room reminded me to set a pair of crystal salt and pepper shakers on the buffet.  Again, was everything as it should be?  Oh yes.  It was lovely.  It smelled delicious, warm and inviting.  This scene would be the Greeter of their guests who were due to start arriving in 10 minutes.

Secretly I wished I could stay.  I wanted to see her surprise, her delight.  I wanted to see him beam and he lavished love on his wife in the generous gift.  But of course I couldn’t.  We had to go, take our van and our equipment away, leaving no trace that might give the surprise away.  Tomorrow I would look forward to hearing all about it when I came to pick up the equipment.

These are some of my favorite ways to serve.  I get great joy from helping people realize their vision for their event.   It is important to me to capture their vision, making it my own.  The details cannot be overlooked.  The details are precisely what will personalize it; what will make it theirs.  If I were hiring a professional to perform these serves, I would expect no less.  Consequently, these customers always get my very best.   And that is not something that I put on their invoice…it’s just a given.

When I spoke with the man the following day on the phone, I could hear the smile in his voice.  “She was so surprised.  Everything was delicious!  You didn’t miss a detail.”  (!)

 

March 17, 2009

Flan de Queso

Posted by Chef Victoria under Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Food + Wine = Art, Recipes, Wine Pairing | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Flan de Queso, an authentic South American dulce.

Flan de Queso, an authentic South American dulce.

Un Favorito!!  Flan de Queso is a traditional dessert in South America.  This particular custard recipe is especially easy, and some have commented to me that it is “the best flan they have ever tasted.”  That being said, the recipe was found in a blog online at Seattle Bon Vivant.   I modified slightly to make individual servings for our event guests.  We also served the flan with fresh, ripe diced mango and tangy kiwi slices.  But what really made this dessert was the wine that was paired so perfectly with it.

Wine Suggestion: 2005 La Yunta Torrontes Tardio, La Rioja, Argentina

Flan de Queso (Cheese Flan)

Makes about 8-10 individual desserts.

For the custard:

1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
5  large eggs
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon orange liqueur or Grand  Marnier

For the caramel:

1 cup  sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the caramel.

Slowly and very carefully melt one cup of sugar into a heavy bottomed stainless pan at medium high heat to get it started.  Lower heat to medium, slowly stirring sugar using a wooden spoon or whisk to incorporate small amounts of the sugar, making sure it is fully dissolved before adding a bit more.

Lower the temperature and cook until the sugar turns to a beautiful golden brown color but does not burn or gets too dark. Carefully but swiftly, as caramel hardens quickly, tip the pan around to coat the sides (away from you).

Pour the flan mixture in the caramel into lightly buttered or sprayed 6 ounce ramekins. Bake using the Bain Marie (water bath) Method in a 375F oven for about 20 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted near center comes out clean. Test doneness about every 3-5 minutes. It should be set but still a  little giggly.  Avoid over-baking the custard as they may crack.

Plated Flan de Queso.

Plated Flan de Queso.

Remove flan from oven and let cool slightly. Chill before serving.   Use a thin metal spatula and run it once around the inside rim before inverting the ramekin on to a serving dish.   The custard will have absorbed much of the caramel, but some may still run out and over the top.

 

March 10, 2009

Parlez-vous français?

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Catering by Victoria, Food + Wine = Art, Wine Pairing | Tags: , , , |
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flagfrance

Well, do you eat French cuisine, at least?  Do you enjoy French wines?

Please join us for Part 1 of our Food + Wine = Art destination event when we travel to France on Friday April 3rd.  No need for a passport or even to pack your bags…this is a one night event where we will dine and drink our way through some wonderful regions in France.

Chef Victoria Queen will create French classic cuisine and our Wine Capitan Scott Queen will expertly pair exquisite wines with the food.  Because French wines and this delicious cuisine is so vast and extensive, we will be visiting the destination twice, with each evening being different.  Part 2 will be on Friday, May 1st.  As our guest, you are welcome to attend one or both evenings.  Some of you who know from attending our past events, space is limited, so if you decide to join us, please contact Scott to for further information and to reserve your spot in advance.  scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com . Feel free to don your beret!


 

February 24, 2009

Evening of South American Food and Wine, March 6, 2009

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Lamb Kebabs with Rosemary Chimichurri.

Lamb Kebabs with Rosemary Chimichurri.

Another Update!

Here is the list of wines we had on Friday night:

with the Empanada de Carne Argentina

  • 2005 Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile

with the Ensalada  de Chile

  • 2007 Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile (was in bottle cooler)
  • 2008 Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile

with the Grilled Chorizo

  • 2007 TaraPaca Carmenere, Maipo Valley, Chile (in the decanter)
  • 2007 MontGras Reserva Carmenere, Colchagua Valley, Chile

with the Argentinean Beef

  • 2006 Durigutti Malbec Mendoza, Argentina (in the decanter)
  • 2006 Trapiche Broquel Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

with the Chilean Cazuela de Mariscos

  • 2007 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes, Salta, Argentina (in the bottle cooler)
  • 2007 Don Rodolfo Torrontes, Cafayate Valley, Argentina (with the black and yellow label)

with the Roasted Lamb Kebobs

  • 2007 Santa Rita Reserva Merlot, Maipo Valley, Chile

with the Flan de Queso

  • 2005 La Yunta Torrontes Tardio, La Rioja, Argentina (in the bottle cooler)
  • 2007 Elderton Botrytis Semillon, Australia

Special Wine

  • 2008 Crios de Susan Balbo, Rose of Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Update

Registration is now closed for this event.

Greetings!

On March 6 we continue our series of events bringing the foods and wines of specific wine-producing regions to our neck of the woods (since, given the economy, we can’t go *there*). This time we’ll be enjoying the cuisine and viticulture of South America.

South America produces a lot of very good wines, particularly Torrontés, Carmenère, and Malbec from Argentinan and Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot from Chile.  To go with these wonderful wines, Chef Victoria has found some inviting recipes – those of you who have previously attended know that she will amaze us as usual with her ability to produce great food regardless of the region.  It’s shaping up to be a quite pleasing evening :)

The menu and other bits of info are detailed below but there are some changes I want to highlight:

  • Payment must accompany an RSVP to reserve spots.
  • Because we are offering more beef, lamb, and, particularly, seafood with this South American menu the price per person is $5/person more than normal.

Cost/Registration

Registration is now closed.

When and Where

March 6, 2009, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu

  • Empanadas de Carne Argentina (Pastry Pouches with onions, peppers and meat, garlic & cumin) - Chardonnay
  • Ensalada Chilean (Fresh tomato, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & cilantro) – Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
  • Chilean Cazuela de Mariscos (seafood stew, tomato base, a little spicy) – Torrontés
  • Grilled Chorizo – Carmenère
  • Arepas de Venezuela (Cornmeal Cakes/Bread) – no specific wine as these will be eaten with other menu items
  • Cordero de la Barbacoa con Chimichurri (Roasted Lamb Kebabs with Potatos and Rosemary Chimichuri) – Merlot
  • Argentinean Beef (Flank Steak with garlic & red pepper flakes, cilantro & lime) – Malbec
  • Flan de Queso (cheese custard – similar to cheesecake with caramel sauce) – Late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc or late-harvest Semillon

For those of you who are new to our events let me provide a little explanation about how things work.

At the beginning of the event (which is informal, by the way), Victoria and I go through each of the menu items on the menu – Victoria describes the food, ingredients, and cooking details, and I explain why I recommended the wines I did and specific things to look for in the pairing. After that, we all get to eat great food and drink good wine and see how good food and wine can be together…. in other words, experience art.

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 24 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines to people as they RSVP – one bottle per couple. I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone – we don’t mandate that everyone brings an $80 bottle! – though if you want to, we won’t argue ;) That said, I’d say that guests typically spend between $20 and $25 per bottle.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

February 3, 2009

Evening of German Food and Wine, February 13, 2009

Posted by scooter4j under Catering by Victoria, Food + Wine = Art | Tags: , , , , , |
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Update

Here is a list of the wines we had on Friday night…. see the menu below to correlate the wines with the menu items…

2007 Schmitt Söhne IceWine, Pfalz region
2003 Niersteiner Olberg Riesling Beerenauslese, Rheinhessen region
2006 Grafen Reipperg Lemberger, Württemberg region
2005 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region (was positioned near the Bavarian Sausage Pot)
2007 Valckenberg Gewürztraminer, Pfalz region
2005 Robert König Assmannshäuser Höhenberg Spätburgunder, Rheingau region (in the decanter)
2006 Josef Drathen Riesling Kabinett, Rheinhessen region (positioned near the pretzels)
2007 Dr. Loosen Riesling, from the Mosel region (positioned near the pretzels)
2005 Rietburg Dornfelder Trocken, Pfalz region
2007 Peter Mertes Riesling Spätlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region (positioned near the spaetzle)

Sold Out

…. but you can send me an email (scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com) and if there are enough interested parties we can schedule another night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hallo!

Victoria received a Christmas card this year that had this on the front cover:
“I once read about a lady who would make ice cubes out of leftover wine.  I never knew that was possible.”

This is on the inside:
“To have leftover wine, I mean.”

I thought that was funny :)

On February 13 we begin our series of events bringing the foods and wines of specific wine-producing regions to our neck of the woods (since, given the economy, we can’t go *there*).  The first “visitation” is Germany.

I have to say that I’m really looking forward to this.  I have a “thang” going on with German wines.  I just love them.  Perhaps its my German heritage, I don’t know, but I find them noble and mysterious.  On February 13 we’ll be pairing German wines with German foods, giving us the chance to experience how the wines were really meant to be consumed.

I hope you can come and try them with us.

Cost/Registration

$25/person (through February 7); $30/person after that until February 11 when registration closes. Note that this cost is for the food only.

To register, please send me an email (scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com) to RSVP (then I have your email address so I can assign your wine) and pay via the PayPal button below.
Pay Now

When and Where

February 13, 2009, 7pm – 9pm
Caffè Victoria 1296-A Main Street, Windsor, Colorado

Menu

  • Potato Latkes – Riesling (Kabinett or Spätlese), Gewürtztraminer
  • Varietal Käse Tray (Butterkase, Hirtenkase, Tilster, Weinkase) – All the German wines listed in the menu
  • Pretzel-Crusted Swine with Orange-Mustard Sauce – Riesling Spätlese, Spätburgunder
  • Beef Sauerbraten with Spätzle in Brown Butter – Dornfelder, Spätburgunder, Lemberger
  • Bavarian Sausage Hot Pot – Gewürtztraminer, Dornfelder
  • Chicken in Riesling – Riesling (Spätlese or Auslese)
  • Apfel Strudel – Dessert Riesling (Ice-wine, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese)

For those of you who are new to our events let me provide a little explanation about how things work.

At the beginning of the event (which is informal, by the way), Victoria and I go through each of the menu items on the menu – Victoria describes the food, ingredients, and cooking details, and I explain why I recommended the wines I did and specific things to look for in the pairing.  After that, we all get to eat great food and drink good wine and see how good food and wine can be together…. in other words, experience art.

A couple more things:

  • Space is limited to 24 people.
  • I’ll “assign” wines to people as they RSVP – one bottle per couple.  I generally only assign the varietal, allowing guests to choose the specific bottling so that they can purchase a wine in their comfort zone – we don’t mandate that everyone brings an $80 bottle! – though if you want to, we won’t argue ;)   That said, I’d say that guests typically spend between $20 and $25 per bottle.

f you have any questions or comments, please contact me at scott@foodpluswineequalsart.com.

NOTE: you must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

January 25, 2009

Wild Salmon, Risotto, Manchego Salad with White Burgundy

Posted by scooter4j under Chef Notes, Food + Wine = Art | Tags: , , , |
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Last week we had a most excellent dinner featuring a food-and-wine pairing worth noting….

On the menu was wonderful salad including strawberries, toasted pecans, and manchego cheese shavings dressed with a very light balsamic-vinegar dressing.  Additionally, there was creamy risotto and grilled wild Pacific salmon.  With that I paired a 2004 Domaine Paquet Macon Fuissé white burgundy.

The wine was quite good (I need to add tasting notes to the blog don’t I?!! —-) – medium+ acidity coupled with robust apple/pear fruit and just a touch of oak (I far prefer the french approach to oaking chardonnays over the new world approach), medium+ body.

The acidity in the wine was very complementary to the balsamic dressing and the fruitiness of the wine loved the relative sweetness of the dressing.  The touch of oak coupled with the acidity did amazing things with the manchego cheese.  The most amazing thing though, was the interaction of the wine and the strawberry: a sip of wine followed by a bit of strawberry produced the most perfect, clean strawberry taste.  It was wonderful.

The body of the wine and its hint of oak was perfect for the risotto (which has a bit of nuttiness in the flavor).  Lastly, the wine and salmon had the perfect body for each other.

We’re likely to feature this pairing at one of our upcoming Food + Wine = Art events.

 

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