Classic Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan with 2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling: 5/5

2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling: 89/100

Growing up, my family ate a lot of chicken—grilled chicken breasts, creamed chicken and biscuits, chicken parmesan, roasted chicken, the list goes on. By the time I was twelve my dad was not shy about letting my mom know his feelings about having “chicken again”. With my dad apparently out of the house this past Tuesday, my mom adamantly claimed to me on the phone, “I’m making chicken parmesan.” Personally, I love chicken. You can grill it, fry it, boil it, bake it, mince it, shred it, even can it, and it will still taste good. So it was only natural that I would make chicken parmesan for Project Runway night.

Now, how many times have you gotten off of work, tired and hungry, and grabbed a jar of Prego or Ragu, and boiled some pasta to make pasta marinara? Up until last night, I thought making pasta sauce was some sort of full day event. Thoughts of old Italian women dressed in floor length dresses with flowing blouses, standing over huge pots, stirring all day, creating the perfect sauce. Well that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it always struck me as something hard. It’s not. Here is a recipe for a fail safe marinara sauce: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Marinara-Sauce-Yet/Detail.aspx If you like your sauce a little chunky, don’t purée everything together. To mine I added a chopped hot house tomato to the mix, adding some freshness and texture. You don’t have to use fresh parsley, but the flavor will be a bit more vibrant if you do. I’m telling you, you can make this sauce in the time it takes your water to boil and your pasta to cook.

Just like frying some bacon, pan fried chicken parmesan can get a little messy, but it’s well worth it. You can do a baked version if you don’t want to splatter oil all over your stove, but personally, I think pan fried takes on an extra crispiness that the oven just doesn’t provide. Start by slicing 2-3 boneless chicken breasts in half. If you’d like, you can flatten the halved chicken breasts by pounding, but it’s not necessary. Coat the halved chicken breasts with flour, then dip them into a bowl with 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of milk that has been whisked together. After the egg bath, dip them into a bowl of panko (or bread crumbs), dried basil, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan. Heat an oil coated skillet over a medium-high flame, and fry the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.

With the entire kitchen smelling of frying chicken, and simmering marinara, I waited for the chicken to finish, and then it was time to eat. Preparing everything took under an hour, not to bad for restaurant quality chicken parmesan. Topping Michael and I’s meal with some freshly grated parmesan, and slicing some fresh wheat baguette, we both sat with a sigh of relief for some relaxation.

As far as wine goes, chicken parmesan is one of those chameleon meals. Usually with a red sauce you would want to pair it with a red wine. But if it were just chicken, you would want white. It really depends on your mood. A Pinot Noir would bring out the vibrancy of the garlic and sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce, while a chardonnay would add a crispness and bright quality to the meal. I just happened to still have a bottle of 2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling in the fridge, so I decided that would work just fine.

With a golden hue, and a vibrant aroma of delicate apple blossoms and pear, I swirled the Chardonnay Riesling, anticipating another great wine. Resting on my palate with a fruity flavor, and semi-sweetness from the Riesling, the wine left a lingering mineral finish, indicative of the Dr. Frank’s winery. Structured with the body of a Chardonnay I knew the wine would be able to stand up to the red sauce, and bring out the flavors of the chicken.

Piercing the crispy golden exterior of my chicken breast, I wasted no time scooping up some pasta and sauce, creating the perfect first bite. With the crunch from the panko, the sweetness of the tomatoes, and the bite from the parmesan, I was transported to that authentic italian restaurant my family used to frequent growing up in Rockford— the smell of garlic and wine lingering in the air, and the taste of marinara in my mouth.

Following the first bite with another drink of wine, the tomatoes took on an extra sweetness, while my palate was cleansed with the minerality in the wine. The fruitiness in the Chardonnay Riesling was not too sweet, nor the chicken to fatty, so both flavor profiles intertwined in my mouth creating a delicate dance.

Sopping up the rest of my sauce with my baguette, I was left with a pristinely clean plate. Finishing just in time for my phone to buzz with a text from Zack, I went back to the kitchen to fry up some fresh chicken. Zack was entertaining two visitors from France, and I thought it would be great to provide a home-cooked meal for two travelers. Both were surprised, and ecstatic about the meal, and I tried to stay humble about my excitement.

Unfortunately there was no new project runway yesterday, but with the French visitors, we decided that Julie and Julia would be a fitting movie to watch. Another Perfect Pair.

Pork Chops and Pinot

Dijon Crusted Pork Chops with Asparagus, Cous Cous, and a salad of Pears, Endive, and Pecans with Pinot Noir: 5/5

2008 Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir : 85/100

2008 Valle Perdido Pinot Noir : 90/100

2008 Mud House Pinot Noir: 92/100

Sorry about the delay in getting this posted. These past two weeks have been very eventful, putting my interviewing skills to the test. Cross your fingers! Anyways, last Thursday I did a horizontal tasting of three Pinot Noirs, all of which were apart of the Bon Vivant Portfolio.

Since all three wines were Pinot Noir, I didn’t have to worry about making three different dishes to pair the wines with, but I wanted to make sure that what I chose would enhance, instead of compete with the wine. Finding an awesome deal on pork chops at Dominick’s, I decided that dijon crusted pork chops with asparagus, cous cous, and a pear and endive salad would provide the right amount flavor to accentuate the wine.

As far as pork chops goes, this recipe is a fail safe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dijon-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx Only taking about 45 minutes to make, this would work well to just pop in the oven after you get done with a hard day at work. While this recipe calls for season bread crumbs, I used panko doctored up with some dried parsley, tarragon, salt, pepper, and a little basil. Panko just gets crispier and crunchier in the oven.

Usually when it comes to sides I am all about making things from scratch, but for cous cous, I’ve always liked the Near East boxes. With flavors like garlic and olive oil, and pine nuts and herbs, preparation is a breeze, and the taste is legit.

For the asparagus I just boiled some water and blanched some chopped stalks until they were the slightest bit soft, and then I strained and rinsed with cold water. Usually blanching requires and ice bath to stop the veggies from cooking, but cold tap water works well too.

Inspired by The Cheesecake Factory menu, I decided to make a salad of pears, endives, and glazed pecans in a lemon honey vinaigrette. For those of you who haven’t had endvie before, they can be found near the lettuce and green things, like cilantro. They are kind of like miniature hearts of romaine, but they have a softer consistency, yet hold their shape beautifully. For the salad I chopped the pear into cubes, combined the glazed pecans (I used emeralds pecan pie glazed pecans), and drizzled a little vinaigrette across the leaves. Shelbey, my veggie/vegan friend said it was one of her favorite things I had ever put together. Good doesn’t have to mean complex.

With my mind all over the place from doing interviewing, and thinking about the future, and what steps to take next, the whole meal only took about 50 minutes to make, and then it was time to sit down, relax, and enjoy some wine.

Sitting down to eat, Shelbey, Michael, and I each poured a different glass of wine. Since we are all close, we just decided to pass our glasses in a circle, tasting each of the three wines. If you are doing a tasting party at home and you don’t have a ka-jillion, wine glasses, or don’t feel like washing every dish in the house, you can set up a rinsing station, and tell each guest to rinse their glass before trying another wine.

WIth the smell of honey, and dijon mustard, wafting toward my nose, I was tempted to dig into my plate right away, but with some self control I made sure to inspect the wines.

First up, the Pacifico Sur from Chili. Lifting the glass to my nose I was met with a somewhat ethanol-y burn in my nostrils. After sitting in my glass for a couple of minutes, the ethanol gave way to raspberry and black cherry aromas, but I was hesitant to take a gulp right away. Holding the glass over my plate, the wine shown a ruby translucence, a common characteristic of Pinot Noir. Taking a swig, my palate was coated in a recognizable weight, that sent the sides of my tongue buzzing. After a gulp my throat resonated with an unfortunate burn. I would not classify a burning sensation as a sophisticated finish.

Moving on to the Valle Perdido from Argentina I was struck right away with the darker, richer color of the wine. Taking in the aromas I wasn’t met with any ethanol, but rather a fruit salad of cherries, raspberries, and tropical fruit—much more vibrant that the Pacifico Sur. Taking a gulp, the wine was not as present in my mouth as the Pacifico Sur, but still tickled the tip of my tongue before ending with a slightly fruity finish. Comparing the two, I would definitely choose the Valle Perdido over the Pacifico Sur.

Moving across the ocean into New Zealand, the tasting finished with the Mud House from Marlborough. Much more purple than the other two wines, I swirled my glass, evoking the wine’s aromas. Met with a spicy and fruity aroma, I was able to pick out raspberry and cherry. Taking a mouthful, I was met with a very well structured body that gave way to a lingering taste of cinnamon and cherries.

Paired with the pork chops and salad, the effect carried an overall light quality with it. The Pinot Noir’s were able to enhance the fruity, lemony flavors in the salad, while bringing out the anise flavor of the tarragon in the panko crust. Between Mike, Shelbey, and I, we decided that the Mud House was our favorite, followed by Valle Perdido, and then Pacifico Sur. For these three bottles, I guess price did mean quality. Feeling the buzz, conversation flowed as freely as the wine, and we all decided it was another perfect pair.

Swirl, Swish, Swallow

One of my latest sponsors, Bon Vivant Distributing from right here in Chicago, IL, told me to take a look through their portfolio and see if anything caught my eye. The first thing I thought was a structured tasting.

For less experienced wine drinkers tastings provide a perfect way to experience the differences in wines. There are three primary types of tasting: general, horizontal, and vertical.

A general tasting can be done with any wines, with no restrictions. If you are a wine novice I recommend doing a general white wine tasting of Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grgio, and Chardonnay. This really lets your palate experience the differences between the wines. For a red tasting I recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. When tasting be aware of the body of the wines and make sure to cleanse your palate between gulps.

Vertical tastings are tricky, and usually done on site at vineyards. Tasting the same varietal of wine, from the same vineyard, with the only difference being the vintage (year) is not always possible when perusing the shelves at your favorite wine shop. Showcasing differences in the weather, the soil, and the aging of the wine, vertical tastings really let you see that no two wines are created equal.

What we did this past Thursday was considered a horizontal tasting. With three different Pinot Noirs of the same vintage, 2008, we were to experience the differences between geography, climate, and soil. Now it is very important to have a group when doing a tasting. Just as each wine is different, so is each persons palate, so it is good to have to discussion when tasting to really realize what you are experiencing.

Grown in the Curico Valley, on the middle coast of Chili, the Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir, boasts a ruby red color, aromas of cherries and raspberries, and is said to have a smooth elegant texture with a sophisticated finish. Now sometimes I think winemakers say and write things because they sound good. Like sophisticated finish, how does a wine possess sophistication? Retailing at $13.99 a bottle, the Pinot would be the cheapest selection of the night.

Traveling just south west of Chili’s Curico Valley, the second Pinot Noir, from Agentina’s Patagonia region, was produced by Valle Perdido winery. With a red garnet color, aromas of red fruit, cherries, even tropical notes, and a well structured body and a lingering finish, the wine was a bit heavier in body than the Pacifico Sur. Being produced so close together, I was anxious to see what difference, if any, there would be. Retailing at $14.99 a bottle this was are middle of the road wine.

Completing the trifecta, the journey would end across the Pacific Ocean in Marlborough, New Zealand’s Centra Otago region, specifically at the Mud House Winery. Retailing at $24.99, this was the most expensive of the three wines. So does price always mean quality? That is what I wanted to find out. Described as having a bright ruby red color, aromas of berry compote, and sweet spices, and a palate of bright red fruit and a delicate acidity, I was anxious to see what type of differences soil and geography would play.

With tastings, food is important as well. A general tasting might need a light appetizer, a salad course, and a heavier entree. A vertical tasting can be paired with a single entree that fits the structure of the wine, and the same goes for a horizontal tasting as well. Generally speaking, Pinot Noir, is a lighter fruitier wine, and doesn’t stand up well to heavy stews and red meat, so I planned on making dijon crusted pork chops with asparagus, cous cous, and a pear and endive salad. With the night set, the fate lie in the bottles, would there be a perfect pair?

That's Amore

Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with 2007 Eos Estate French Connection: 5/5

2007 Eos Estate French Connection: 91/100

Pairing Eos Estate’s 2007 French Connection with Pure Dark’s™ cardamom allspice rounds would have been delicious in and of itself, but with Valentines day only two days away I wanted to see if I could push the culinary envelope a little further.

Inspired by an episode of Iron Chef where Duff Goldman stuffs a beef roast with chocolate and chili threads, I set out to infuse the chocolate with some meat. Now at first, I thought, I’ve had chocolate and bacon before, and with the added a salty element, the chocolate seems much more savory, but chocolate for a main course?

Usually I will find a recipe either in a cook book or online, but I really wanted to test what I’ve learned so far in my culinary expeditions, so after a couple of days of pondering I came up with something I thought would work perfectly. My plan? A chili rubbed pork tenderloin stuffed with Pure Dark™ cardamom allspice rounds, drizzled with a sherry and coffee reduction. On the side, pink champagne risotto, with a salad of arugula, strawberries, and roasted almonds in a lemon champagne vinaigrette. Sounds good right? Paired with the bottle of French Connection, the meal sounded romantic and delicious.

Since I didn’t really use any recipes, I can’t link you to other websites, so listed below are the instruction for making this romantic meal. Sorry about the length.

Being Thursday, Shelbey and Zach were both coming over, so I wanted to make sure there would be something substantial for them to eat, and the risotto was my answer. I’m sure you’ve all heard of risotto before, but for those of you who have never made it, risotto has that stick to your ribs quality like mashed potatoes, but can be infused with a broad range of flavors.

With the succulent smell of pork and spices melding with the champagne and coffee lingering in the air, the warm feeling of love circulated through the apartment, tickling our nostrils. As a culinary joke, I tried to incorporate as many aphrodisiacs as possible and the list included: chocolate, champagne, strawberries, almonds, arugula, coffee, garlic, vanilla, honey, and nutmeg. Needless to say there was romance in the air.

Slicing into the pork loin, the inside oozed with chocolate, and the pork looked perfectly juicy. Grabbing my handy dandy biscuit cutter I made a round of risotto on the upper left hand corner of the plate, with two slices of pork leaned against it. After a smear of reduction and a smattering of arugula, I fanned the strawberry as a last garnish, and the plating was complete.

Giving the wine a good 6 hours to breath I anxiously poured everyone a glass. In case you didn’t read below, the Eos Estate’s French connection is a traditional blend of red Bordelaise grape varieties consisting of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Described as having dark notes of leather and cigar wrapper I lowered my nose for a sniff. Met with rich tones of tobacco and plum, the aroma combined with the cinnamon and spice lingering in the air, causing my mouth to salivate, and my heart to drop. I was in love, and I hadn’t even had a bite.

Taking a mouthful of wine, rich flavors of black currant and berries danced around my tongue, with the fullness of silk and noticeable tannins. With a lingering finish of tobacco I just knew the wine was going to bring out the flavors of the coffee and sherry.

Cutting into the pork tenderloin I made sure to get a bite with some chocolate. It was the moment of truth, would the dish be a success? As I bit down on the juicy bite of pork, my mouth was overtaken by a wave of sensations. A slow burning chipotle rose to the front before being whisked away by cinnamon, leaving allspice and cardamom tangoing on the tip of my tongue. The velvety texture of chocolate and the chewiness of the pork harmoniously coated my palate, while the faint bitterness of coffee worked its way through. Taking a bite of risotto and salad I was met with a refreshing acidity, with a slight bitterness from the arugula. With the added crunch of the almond and the sweetness of the champagne in the vinaigrette, the effect was mouth watering and cleansing, preparing me for another drink of wine.

With a playfulness the wine seamed to bring out a different flavor of the dish each drink—strawberry, cinnamon, chocolate, coffee. With upfront tannins my palate was not left feeling coated, but rather refreshed and ready for another bite of food. As our glass began emptying, the room started feeling a bit warmer, the light a bit dimmer, and the beating of my heart, a bit louder. I was in love, not only with the man sitting across from me, but also the dish in front of me.

With full hearts, full stomachs, and enriched palates we all sat down to watch project runway, though the show was drowned out with giggles and jokes of the “aphrodisiacs”. As the night came to a close, and the candles were blown out, one by one, the clear night sky reflected off a still lake Michigan—truly a romantic affair, and another Pefect Pair.

Pork Tenderloin - cooking time approx: 1 1/2 hours largely unattended

Ingredients

1 1½ - 2 lbs. plain, un-marinated pork tenderloin

1/3 - 1/2 cup Chili Rub - ingredients listed below*

1/3 cup Pure Dark™ Cardamom Allspice Rounds, or high quality dark chocolate discs.

Chili Rub

Combine all of the following and stir:

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp all spice -more if not using Pure Dark™

(1 tsp cardamom - if not using Pure Dark™)

1 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional, omit if spice sensitive)

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, omit if spice sensitive)

You can modify this rub, I recommend taking a small piece of chocolate dashed with some rub and trying the combination, then you can adjust to your liking. If you don’t have all of the above listed spices I recommend grabbing a Creole Seasoning from the store, like Zatarain’s or Tony Chacere’s, and adding some cinnamon and nutmeg to it.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Butterfly Pork Tenderloin lengthwise from end to end, so you are able to open the loin like a book.
3. Dust the inside of the loin with rub and layer chocolate throughout, overlapping pieces so there is a row of chocolate in the center of the loin.
4. Close and use remaining rub to coat the outside of the loin, massaging the seasoning into every crevasse.
5. Using toothpicks, secure the pork loin closed so the chocolate will not ooze out during baking.
6. Let the loin rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours before baking (optional)
7. Cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Rotate pan once half way through cooking to ensure evenness. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Pink Champagne Risotto - cooking time approx: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 large shallots (or 1 med onion) chopped fine

3 cloves garlic minced

2½ cups of Arborio rice, found near the rice and beans in the grocery store.

1 bottle of Rose Champagne

4 cups of Vegetable / Chicken stock kept warm

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until slightly translucent
3. Add garlic and 1/2 bottle of Champagne cook for 1-2 minutes
4. Add Arborio and stir continuously for 2 minutes
5. Add Stock 1/2 - 1 cup at a time, stirring often, adding more once Arborio has soaked up the majority.
6. Add the other 1/2 bottle of champagne, minus the one glass you drank already, remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

Coffee and Sherry Reduction - cooking time approx: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of cream sherry

1 cup of brewed coffee

1 sliced strawberry

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. add sherry, coffee, strawberry, honey, and vanilla to a medium sized pot over high heat
2. cook until reduced to a semi syrupy consistency, 15 - 20 minutes.

The reduction will have a bitter sweet flavor and is meant to be drizzled over the meat to enhance the flavors.

Baby Arugula Salad

Ingredients

3 - 4 cups baby arugula

1 cup roasted almonds chopped (recipe found here: http://www.recipezaar.com/Simple-Roasted-Almonds-108311)

1 shallot chopped fine

1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)

1/2 cup lemon champagne vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl add small amounts of arugula, almonds, shallot, parmesan, and vinaigrette.
2. using your hand, mix the ingredients per plate, so that you can save what you don’t use for a later time, without having soggy arugula.
3. Fan a strawberry by slicing small lengthwise incisions along the strawberry and applying pressure to the base.

Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/3 cup of champagne

2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.combine champagne, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a bowl

2.whisk with a fork until ingredients reach a state of emulsion.

Pure and Perfect

Striking up a conversation with Emily, the daughter of a big wig with a company called the Gigunda Group, at The Tin Lizzie the other week, it wasn’t long before The Perfect Pair made its way into the conversation. Well lucky for me, Emily just got through opening a chocolate shop in Greenwich Village called Pure Dark™, and thought that featuring the chocolate here would be a great idea.

Saving the chocolate for a couple of weeks, I wanted to wait until now, Valentine’s week to tell you about this one of a kind chocolate shop.

About Pure Dark™

Now everyone knows about Hershey’s, Lindt, and Ghirardelli, and yes, while I am not going to turn down a Hershey’s Kiss or a Lindor Truffle, there is nothing like the taste of pure chocolate. That’s what Pure Dark™ is all about—”the purity of the pod”.

Now some of you probably already know that chocolate comes from cacao [kah KOW] beans, and cacao beans come from cacao pods that grow on cacao trees. Watching Alton Brown the other day I learned that cacao beans were originally ground and mixed with herbs and spices and drank by ancient cultures like the Mayan and Aztecs. As time progressed the drink was brought to Spain, gained popularity in Europe and finally in 1828, was turned into the chocolate we are used to seeing and eating today.

Started in 2008, Pure Dark™ set out to use only premium beans that contain intense flavor profiles, an homage to early chocolate makers. Instead of being massed produced in factories, Pure Dark™ handcrafts their chocolate in small batches, controlling the quality of the chocolate being produced.

Slabs

Slabs are just that, large sheets of chocolate that are cut in store. These slabs are made of dark chocolate and are served plain, with caramelized nibs and coarse sugar, or with roasted and caramelized nibs.

Barks

Barks are sheets of dark chocolate that are then combined with dried fruits, nuts, or nibs. Like peppermint bark, but darker, purer, and tastier. You can choose from Classic, topped with sour cherries, almonds, and caramelized nibs, Fusion, topped with crystallized ginger, roasted pecans, and caramelized nibs, or Island, topped with tropical mango, macadamia nuts, and caramelized nibs.

Fruits & Nuts

Fruits and Nuts combine sweet, salty, sour and bitter, by taking dried fruit, salted nuts, and chocolate covered cocoa nibs. Sounds like an explosion of flavor for your palate.

Rounds

Rounds are dark chocolate discs that are then dusted with spices. You can choose from Cardamom allspice, Chipotle cinnamon, and Raspberry Acai. Like Vogues Chocolate, these take the sweet and bitterness of dark chocolate and combine it with the exotic.

Nibs

Finally we have the nibs, which are roasted, crushed cocoa beans. With a flavor reminiscent of chocolate covered espresso beans, you can expect there to be a little grit, but a lot of flavor. They come in three varieties: Caramelized nibs, Dark chocolate covered nibs, and Roasted, caramelized and dark chocolate covered nibs.

Not going to New York any time soon? All the above listed items are available for purchase online at www.puredark.com

My samples

I received two generous samples of the Serious Dark Slab with caramelized nibs and coarse sugar and the Cardamom Allspice Rounds.

With an evocative and deep dark chocolate aroma, the Serious Slab, met my nose with a subtle smokiness and intense cocoa aroma. Crunching into bits of cocoa nib, and coarse sugar, the flavor began with dark chocolate before being over taken with the caramelized earthiness of the nibs, and the sweet pockets of raw sugar. Finishing with a bitter sweet and slightly smoky flavor, It’s hard not to take another bite right away. I would pair this with a smoky Malbec with aromas of tobacco and dark fruit. The wine would enhance the smokiness of the nibs while highlighting the sweetness of the sugar.

For a Valentine’s Day inspired meal, tonight I will be making an infusion of the Pure Dark™ chocolate round and Pork Tenderloin. I don’t want to give everything away, but paired with a bottle of 2007 Eos Estate French Connection, it will be a perfect recipe to woo your sweetheart with this Sunday. I can’t wait, its bound to be a perfect pair.

Not Your Cheese

Gourmet Nachos with 2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel: 5/5

2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel: 91/100

I don’t know about you, but I like my cheese made from cows or goats, with all the fat included. Manipulating and flavoring soy into the consistency of Velveeta does not sound very appetizing to me. But luckily with a few Whole Foods close by, Shelbey was able to find Teese cheese http://www.teesecheese.com/sauces.php, for her vegan nachos this past Thursday. Just to forewarn you, for those brave enough to purchase Teese Cheese, I highly recommend having someone else prepare it for you. Packaged similarly to sausage, the initial overwhelming soy smell, along with the excess liquid that bursts forth from the package upon puncturing, is enough to make you loose your appetites. (Maybe that’s why vegans are so skinny).

Forecasting a semi-bum of a meal from the vegan nachos, I decided to make some gourmet nachos as well, to pair with a bottle of 2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel. Zinfandel, known for it’s ability to stand up to big bold flavors, won’t have a problem with greasy cheese, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes or avocado, just be careful when it comes to the Jalapenos.

When craving nachos, many times I just grabbed a jar of salsa, some Tostidos, some pre-packaged grated cheese, and maybe some ground beef, but with all day to cook I wanted to do everything from scratch. At Pastoral, a great wine and cheese shop just down the street from me, I got some Prairie Breeze Cheddar from Iowa, with a nice sharpness, and some Asiago Fresco from Italy, perfect for melting.

Trying to keep as healthy as possible for Shelbey, I decided to make my own tortilla chips. All you have to do is preheat an oven to 400 degrees, spray some tortillas with some non-stick spray, cut them into quarters, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Of course you can dust with some salt or spices if you want, but I kid you not, that’s it. No oil, no frying, and you still get all the crunch.

Next up, guacamole. Personally, store bought guacamole tastes disgusting, I don’t know what they put in their to keep the avocado from oxidizing, but what ever it is, it makes my palate shrivel. If you’ve never made guacamole before, I recommend ordering it table side form an authentic mexican restaurant and watch how simple it is. All you have to do is core and chop 2-3 avocados, add 1/4 a cup of finely chopped white onion, 1-2 table spoons of diced cilantro, the juice from 1/2 a lime, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Simple. If you want it spicy, add some diced jalapeno, but be careful of the seeds.

Keeping things simple, salsa doesn’t have to be complicated either. Since it’s no fun trying to scoop soupy salsa up from your plate, when it comes to nachos, I recommend making things a bit chunky. Chop 2-3 large tomatoes, half of a green pepper, and half of an onion. Put everything in a bowl and mix in a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce (or tomato juice), 2 table spoons of sugar, 1-2 table spoons of cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. To add some depth I added a pinch of chipotle chili powder, which gave the salsa a slightly smokey flavor.

Finally to add some protein, I whipped up some fajita style chicken. After coating 2 chicken breasts with some salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder, I popped them into a skillet with some oil. After 5-7 minutes of cooking I added some julienned red and green pepper. After the chicken breasts were completely cooked, 15 or so minutes, you can either chop it into strips or, if you are feeding lots of people, shred it by taking a fork and scrapping, prong side down, along the muscle grain of the chicken.

When it came time to eat, the smell of peppers and chicken competed with the Teese cheese, melding into soy flavored fajitas. Drizzling florescent orange sauce over the chips, and topping with guacamole and salsa, Shelbey’s plate looked like nachos, but I was still hesitant about the outcome. As Michael and I’s cheese melted in the oven, I poured some wine and put the condiments on the table. Craving sour cream, I tried to keep the container as far away form Shelbey as possible.

Swirling my glass of fairly opaque ruby wine, I noticed some substantial legs, indicative of the Zinfandel’s 15% apv. Taking in the aromatics, I was met with a strong plum aroma that gave way to a jammy blackberry. With noticeable acidity but an overall velvety weight, the wine coated my palate, enveloping even the miniscule crevasses. Complete with a gulp, I was left with a lingering oaky and smoky aftertaste.

Completely confident in my pairing, I tried my gourmet nachos first. With smoky cumin, and chili powder the chicken was met with the sharpness of the cheddar before mellowing out to the zesty avocado and sour cream. Tingling my taste buds, the acidic salsa popped against the crunch of the tortilla chips, all with a light saltiness. Compared to store bought ingredients, everything rang with freshness.

Cutting through the fat of the cheese and avocado, the wine’s subtle tannins left the palate cleansed, while the fruit forward flavors brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes and lime. Able to stand along side with out overpowering, I now fully understand why Zinfandel is a beautiful mate for big flavors.

Mustering up the courage to try Shelbey’s nachos, I yanked a Teese Cheese covered chip off of her plate. Was it as bad as I expected? No. With a fairly recognizable “nacho” flavor, similar to that of ball park nacho cheese, when mixed with the salsa and guacamole, the underlying soy-ness took a back seat. But After Shelbey likened the consistency to that of Creme Brulee after resting away form the heat, I decided one taste was enough for me.

As the feast came to a close, I began feeling the warmth from the 15% apv starting to kick in—definitely a dangerous wine. While we all waited for Project Runway to start, conversation buzzed about our dimly lit apartment. Good friends, good food, good wine—another perfect pair.

Sweet Potato Sabotage

I had my first cooking failure. Now usually I treat cooking like abstract art—turning mistakes into masterpieces, leaving nothing unsalvageable, but this was pretty unsalvageable. Consisting of pork chops, sauteed spinach, and sweet potato latkes, all drizzled with a sherry and garlic reduction, my envisioned meal sounded delicious. Paired with a bottle of 2008 Eos Estate Private Reserve Chardonnay, my veins pumped with anticipation.

Finding a recipe out of How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman for Sauteed Pork Chops 8 ways (http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/recipe.php%3Fnid=68.html) , I wasn’t really concerned with the pork chops falling flat. This recipe is straight forward and easy to follow. (The link above, does not include the sherry and garlic sauce, but in step three, instead of adding butter, add 1 table spoon of garlic, and a 1/2 cup of not-to-dry sherry—I used cream sherry. Let the sauce reduce until it reaches a syrupy consistency and add the parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.)

Then came the Sweet Potato Latkes. Now I’ve said multiple times, that when it comes to online recipes, make sure you use the ones that have high ratings, and good reviews. Not taking my own advice, I found this shady website: http://bullets-and-beer.com/recipes/SweetPotato.html. With a simple layout, no room for comments or reviews, and a sweet potato pancake recipe, followed by a sweet potato latke recipe, I really don’t know what I was thinking. But I read over the recipe, and it sounded simple enough, so I didn’t give it a second thought.

Luckily my smoke detector is hiding, because man was I producing a lot of smoke. Browning pork chops on the stove top requires hot oil and a hot pan. Once the chops were down, the kitchen was flooded with sizzling, searing, and smoking. Keeping my cool, I tried to be patient with the chops, allowing them to brown, which keeps all of those valuable juices inside, but in the back of my mind, thoughts of fire trucks zipping to my building looped indefinitely. Living in a high rise, its hard not to feel like big brother is watching some times.

Once the chops were set to simmer, I moved on to the sweet potatoes. Preparing everything ahead of time, all I had to do was take the potato mixture out of the fridge and begin frying. Now here is where things started to go awry. After heating some vegetable oil in a skillet I started with two small latkes. Giving them some time to brown, I went ahead and tried to flip them, but guess what, they fell apart in the pan. So scrapping the first round, I thought about what to do with the rest of the mixture. I asked Michael if adding some more flour, or another egg would help keep the mixture hold together better, and after a bit of research we decided that an egg might do the trick.

While mixing the egg, I turned to the skillet, only to notice yet more smoke, billowing out of the left over bits of sweet potato in the pan. Yanking the pan off the heat, the fire trucks started screaming in my head again, but I took a deep breathe and continued on. After cleaning out the pan, I heated some more oil, and placed one latke in the skillet. Noticing some brown edges I crossed my fingers, and went to flip. Success (although short lived). With the residual oil left in the skillet flaked with darkening bits of sweet potato I was faced with a dilemma. Should I spend time starting with fresh oil for every latke, or should I try to cook the sweet potato mixture into hash browns? With the pork chops almost done, I opted for the hash, only to discover that with out frying, the amount of lemon juice made the potatoes taste like pine-sol. Fed up with the ordeal, I popped a fresh sweet potato in the microwave, and sent the hash to the trash.

With the reduction sauce coming together beautifully, and the spinach perfectly sauteed, I shook off the sabotaging sweet potatoes, and plated as I had envisioned, sans the latkes. Pouring a glass of wine, I was ready to relax and enjoy.

Swirling the greenish-gold Chardonnay, I noticed the legs coat the glass like corn syrup, indicative of the very high alcohol content. Lowering my nose to smell, I was met with light floral aromas with an underlying warmth of caramel and citrus. Coating every crevasse of my mouth, the wine lay heavy on my palate with an oaky presence, but did not lack in acidity. Taking my first swallow, I wasn’t left with a lingering bitterness, but a soft finish with a slight caramel overtone.

Diving into the chop, I stabbed a good hunk of pork coated with the reduction, and some spinach. Presenting my palate with a flavor over load, the reduction was sweet and salty, while the pork provided a base, and the spinach some bitterness. Having the added freshness from the sweet potato provided a contrasting spectrum of flavors, and helped the pork avoid monotony. While it probably would have been better with the latkes, the sweet potato served its purpose, and was healthier than the oil soaked alternative.

Completing the tasting, I took another mouthful of wine. With caramelly features, the wine was able to bring out the layers of flavor in the reduction, while standing up to the fattiness of the meat. Bringing out the lighter floral overtones, the sweet potato enhanced the Chardonnay with its contrasting flavors. Leaving me with an overall warmth and comfort, the kitchen catastrophe was soon just a memory.

I’ll probably try sweet potato laktes again in the future, but the task will not be done without trepidation. But with so many recipes out there, there is bound to be a better one. Any suggestions? All in all, the meal ended with ease, and was yet another perfect pair.

Ecstatic for Eos Estate Winery

18 pounds 0 ounces. No, not the weight of some grotesquely large baby. The weight of the box of wine I received from Eos Estate Winery. Lugging the package upstairs, I whipped through the door and sliced right in, exposing 7 bottles of Eos wine. Running on pure elation I showed Michael, displaying the wines like trophies won from some intense competition.

Having to finish reviewing Lynfred Winery, I looked over the Eos wines all week, each bottle peaking my interest for possible pairings. But before getting into the food, there are some really important things to know about EOS Estate Winery.

History

Originally built in 1985 in Paso Robles, California, Eos Estate Winery was purchased in 2007 by Jeff Hopmayer of Sapphire Brands out of Franklin, Tennessee, and is currently a part of the Saint james Company. Named after the Greek Goddess of the Dawn, Hopmayer wasted no time continuing the wineries extensive portfoilio. With new ownership also came new direction, and the winery made drastic changes very quickly.

Converting the vineyard to run 100% on solar energy, Eos now stands as the largest winery in California’s Central Coast to run solely on alternative energy. Not stopping there, Eos made a goal to plant 50,000 new trees in 2009 by donating a dollar to American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program for every bottle of wine purchased.

“At Eos, we take our responsibility to the environment seriously. We integrate environmental practices into our business every day,” said Hopmayer. “We need trees to survive. We are doing our part to help replace the trees that have been taken by nature or man.”

Wines

Most known for their Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and late harvest Moscato, Eos has received a long list of awards for many of their wines. Averaging about $19 dollars a bottle from www.eosvintage.com, Eos Estate wines aren’t the cheapest out there, but they won’t suck your bank account dry either.

2008 Eos Estate Reserve Chardonnay - $20

Produced by some of the oldest Chardonnay vines still producing in the Central Coast, this Reserve Chardonnay is greenish-gold in color, with bright floral and citrus blossom aromas, that lead to a rich and smooth palate. Consisting of an alcohol content of 14.5%, this Chardonnay is truly something special.

2008 Eos Estate Chardonnay - $13.50

A combination of Chardonnay grown from several high quality vineyards throughout the central coast region, with a touch of Pinot Blanc, this Chardonnay boasts aromas of citrus blossom and pear, with an added crispness from the Pinot Blanc.

2007 Eos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $32

With intense aromas of new leather, star anise, and crushed cassis, this Cabernet is intense on the palate, with rich blackberry and herbal flavors, and ends with a cocoa and espresso finish. I think I will be waiting for a special occasion a couple years down the road to try this wine.

2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel - $18

Boasting a nose of plum and dark berry pie, this Zinfandel floods the palate with acidic fruits of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, before leaving with a floral and oaky finish—a product of warm days and cool nights.

2006 Eos Estate Petite Sirah - $18

Opening with plum, raspberry, and blueberry with hints of licorice, smoke, and leather, this Petite Sirah is truly a star. Coating the palate in velvety dark blackberry, cassis, and blueberry, the wine finishes with silky textures of leather, smoke, and chocolate.

2007 Eos Estate French Connection - $18

Getting it’s name from the traditional red Bordelaise grape varieties, this wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Beginning with aromas of new leather and cigar the wine coats the palate with a rich texture and flavors of black currant and dried plum.

Pairings

With such a full bodied Chardonnay I’ll be pairing the 2008 Eos Estate Reserve Chardonnay with pork chops, sauteed spinach, and sweet potato latkes, drizzled with a garlic sherry reduction. The citrus aromatics and heavier body should stand up to the fattiness of the pork chops, and awaken the garlic and sweetness of the reduction.

Tomorrow Shelbey has coaxed me into making vegan nachos, but she doesn’t know I plan on making gourmet nachos as well. Paired with the 2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel, the wine will stand up to the fatty cheese, and add depth to the to the dishes simple structure.

Continuing on to next week, I will be having my first double feature with Pure Dark™ chocolate from, New York. Pairing their cardamom and allspice rounds with the 2007 Eos Estate French Connection, the result is sure to be a treat, fit for a romantic Valentine’s day.

Check back for the next Perfect Pair!