Copious Culinary Carnival—Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving feast + 2006 Davis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir: 4/5

My friend Lisa’s roommates Therese and Agnus are known for there Thanksgiving spread, cooking a turkey, ham and rolls. Each guest attending is asked to bring an appetizer or a side dish to accompany the meal, and this year, as Michael and I were invited, we were were given the task of green bean casserole.

Now I had never made green bean casserole before, but I knew the basic recipe—green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and french fried onion strings. Jumping online, I found some recipes that were simply those ingredients, but that wasn’t anything special. Then, like a stick of butter on a piece of bread, I found it.

Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole. With five stars and over 200 reviews, I knew it was going to be a hit. I scrolled down, only to see the first ingredient, butter. Even though the butter was only used to cook the onions in, which isn’t all that bad, it wouldn’t be a Paula Deen recipe without some butter.

What I liked about this recipe, as in some others, is Paula called for fresh green beans, sliced by hand. Although it took a while to slice all of those green beans, the added freshness trumped recipes that use frozen, ten fold.

Since the oven was most likely going to be in use at Lisa’s house, I ingeniously modified the recipe so it would be transportable and stay warm. When it came time to mix the beans with the mushrooms, onion, and cream of mushroom soup, I just popped it in my crock pot’s removable porcelain basin, and put that in the oven, instead of a casserole dish. After the 20 minutes in the oven at 350, I just put the basin in the heating element and topped it with cheese. When we got to Lisa’s all I had to do was put the casserole on warm, and it would be ready whenever dinner was.

The spread at Lisa’s was breathtaking. For appetizers, a cheese and bacon ball, flat bread onion pizza, bacon covered water chestnuts, stuffed mini sweet peppers, fried rice balls, stuffed mushrooms, and artichoke dip, lined the wooden buffet flanking the beautiful white linen covered table, set for 20. Through the living room, adjacent to the dining area, a wooden bar held over 20 bottles of just red wine, while a basket on the floor filled with ice held 10 more white. And let me just tell you, when Michael and I were leaving, the collection had been reduced to a number that could be counted on both hands.

When dinner was getting ready to be served I perused the bottles to see what varietals were in the collection. For white there was a bottle of Proscecco and Sauvignon Blanc already open, and I thought both would have accompanied the appetizers better than the main feast. For reds, there was a bottle of Zinfandel and two bottles of Pinot Noir.

Now for poultry, I would usually think white, but with a meal like Thanksgiving, there are obviously going to be some heavier flavors—stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, gravy. All of which call for something with a bit more body than your usual chardonnay. But for reds, you have to be careful as well, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot might over power the delicate flavors of the turkey, leaving you only tasting wine. But a Pinot Noir, usually with a younger fruitier flavor, would be an excellent pair.

Or so I thought.

One of the two Pinot Noirs available was a 2006 Davis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir, which upon researching, I found was a $40 bottle of wine. I would never buy a $40 bottle of wine to pair with Thanksgiving. For me, a $40 bottle of wine should be drank with a meal made specifically for the wine, but that is just me. Anyways, recently on www.winesoaked.com, Sara Kay tasted a range of Malbecs from $8-$24 and explained the differences between the price points. She pointed out that a $24 dollar red might be older, aged in actual oak barrels instead of with oak chips, might contain sediment, and would have stronger flavors.

Bringing the Davis Family Pinot to my nose I was over taken with the strong smell of dill. I’m talking, might as well have plucked a fresh sprig and ground it between my fingers in front of my nose, scent of dill. Never have I smelled such a strong, distinct, flavor from a wine. While most Pinot Noirs have an alcohol content of 13%-13.5%, this was very full bodied at 14.1% alcohol per volume. Tasting, there was a strong earthiness, but a clean finish. I was surprised that the tannins weren’t over powering, and the body, while feeling heavier on the palate than other Pinots I have tried, was still lighter than most merlots or cabernets. At the end of my first glass there were remnants of oak barrel, just as Sara had described.

The main spread, followed by 3 different types of pies, included peas, Puerto Rican rice, rolls, a tofurkey, brussels sprouts, ham, corn bread pudding, candied yams, stuffing, my green bean casserole, and of course and entire 20 pound turkey. While the wine was a bit too upfront to pair with the turkey, the earthy flavors were so interesting I didn’t really mind.

Michael’s favorite dish of the evening was the Puerto Rican rice, with bits of olive and mushroom, in a spicy tomato sauce, flavorful enough to stand up to the Pinot. My favorite had to have been the corn bread pudding. With a consistency of super moist corn bread with whole kernels of corn baked in, the flavor was rich and buttery. After a mouth full of the pudding a good swing of wine would cut through the butter left on my palate, leaving me ready for more.

As 9:00 rolled around, Michael and I decided to head out, leaving a warm fire place crackling behind us and laughter rolling up the stairs. I can honestly say I have never tried so many Thanksgiving dishes at one time. With good friends, family, and great food, I am thankful for another perfect pair. Happy Thanksgiving.

Catfish and Cava: a reminiscent recipe

Crispy Catfish and Black Eyed Peas, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Relish with fried Collard Greens and Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava: 5/5

For a week out of every summer, when I was younger, my parents would ship my brother and I out to my grandpa’s. We wouldn’t stay at my grandpa’s house, but instead, down by the Rock River where he parked a camper and pontoon for the summer months.

The highlight of the week would come on Saturday, when my parents would return, for one last meal before we would return to civilization. Like collected trophies, my brother and I would show off the catfish we had captured during our stay, swimming in the pontoon’s live well. Grandpa would grab his gutting knife, collect the fish, and one by one, prepare them for dinner. A large vat of oil would be brought up to temperature and the skinned, gutted, and filleted fish would be dredged in flour and spices and thrown into the grease bath. Everyone would feast like kings, except my mother and I who did not really care for the flavor of Rock River catfish.

I hadn’t had fried catfish for probably a good 10 years, always being reminded of the flavor of dirty river water when presented with the option. But that all changed last night. For the past couple of months Michael has been trying to get me to let him make fried fish. Just a reminder, Michael and I live in a one bedroom, 700 square foot apartment, with windows that only prop open a few inches. So frying fish in the house would permeate every crevasse of our small living space. But craving some southern style food, I finally caved in last night.

I found this recipe online from Emeril. Now I was shocked too. What is a big Italian guy, known for his italian cooking, doing cooking southern food? But looking over the recipe, it was everything Michael wanted: fried catfish, black eyed peas, and collard greens. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crispy-catfish-black-eyed-peas-bacon-caramelized-onion-relish-fried-collard-greens-recipe/index.html

To round out the meal we also decided to make some corn bread, but not just any corn bread, Paula Deen’s Layered Mexican Corn Bread, with jalapenos, onion, cheese, and creamed corn. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/layered-mexican-cornbread-recipe/index.html

With a little bit of Emeril and a helping of Paula, I set out for my first adventure into frying. Immediately our apartment was filled with the smoky smell of fried bacon, followed by sweet caramelizing onions, and then the catfish. Oh, the catfish, seasoned with Creole spices, and then submerged into a hot tub of oil, sending sizzles and pops of grease into the air. When the corn bread came out of the oven, another layer of sweet onion and melted cheese was added to the nostril party.

Finally came the greens, neither Michael or myself, had ever heard of deep frying collard greens. The traditional preparation is to sautee them with some pork fat and onions, but I was dead set on following the recipe, so I grabbed a handful and moved towards the oil. Have you ever put cold water into hot oil? Well it makes a very loud popping noise, the same happens with the greens. Luckily I had tested a single green earlier, to see if my oil was hot, and I was aware of what was going to happen. So when it came time to fry the greens, I grabbed my splatter screen in one hand, and my fist full of greens in the other, and in one fluid motion, dropped the greens and covered with the screen.

When it came time for plating in tasting, the smell in the kitchen was almost too delicious to bare. I grabbed my fish from the paper towels, scooped some black eyed peas, grabbed my crisp bacon from the microwave, and sprinkled the fried greens onto the plate.

According to Marnie Old, from He Said Beer She Said Wine, fried food goes well with some bubbly. Just like beer, bubbly works to keep the palate clean, and brings out the flavor in heavy and salty foods. I chose a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava, which according to the label, would have strong notes of citrus and apple. Upon pouring a glass, my nose was tickled from the effervescence, but immediately overcome with a strong green apple flavor.

As Michael came to the table with the cornbread, we studied each element of the dish, our mouths beginning to salivate. I made a toast with the bubbly, and we each took a sip. With a light body, but a lingering dryness, the Cava had a airiness that would cut through the greasiness of the fish. The fruitiness in the smell, did not carry over into the taste, but instead was replaced with a sweet tart flavor.

Sinking our forks into the fish, the crispy outside broke underneath the weight of our prongs. Tender and succulent, I chewed the fish with a reminiscence of childhood. Each bite was as fresh and new as the first, thanks to the bubbly ability of the Cava. The crispy greens were almost like potato chips, adding that extra crunch needed with such smooth and fatty flavors. The corn bread was a party in my mouth, little flavor pockets of onion and jalapenos with and exaggerated corn flavor. The black eyed peas grounded out the dish with their smoky earthiness.

In a matter of minutes I was looking down to an empty plate and an empty glass. While I chose another piece of corn bread, Michael chose another helping of everything else. Feeling the bubbles rise to my head, I poured another two glasses of Cava and sunk into culinary bliss. Another Perfect Pair.

Chili for a Chilly Night

Texas Style Chili + 2008 Alamos Mabec = 5/5

I peered outside yesterday around 3:30 with thoughts of what to do for dinner on my mind. Seeing the vacant gray skies, listening to sirens wail between drops of rain, and looking at a boyfriend, lifeless as the afternoon’s backdrop, the last thing I wanted to do was bear the elements to go to the grocery store.

After a journey to the apple orchard last weekend, Michael has had his mind set on making an apple pie. Since we are leaving the state, thank goodness, for mid 70’s and Texas sunshine on Saturday, we were left with either yesterday or today to attempt a pie. So instead of walking all the way to Dominick’s we opted for Bockwinkle’s, the smaller, higher-priced, grocery store only 5 minutes away from our front door (less time in the rain, 2-3 dollars more expensive, sounded worth it to me).

So great, we were going to have pie, but what about dinner? I know some of you are thinking pie sounds like a great dinner, but having come from a well balanced family, I could not justify just pie. After debating with Michael for a minute, we decided on chili.

When it comes to chili, spices can get expensive. Buying entire jars of spices for a dash of seasoning can start to pile up, so what I recommend is buying a chili kit. Will it taste as good as buying all the separate spices? If you doctor it up, you betcha. Michael is accustom to a little box called Carol Shelby’s Texas Chili Mix, which calls for 2 pounds of ground beef, and some tomato sauce, but you can get any chili mix and modify it to your liking. To mine, I added a can of dark kidney beans, white kidney beans, chili beans, and a can that can only be found in Texas, ranch style beans. After browning the beef and adding it to the beans, I added the spices in the mix, a can of tomato sauce, a can of water, and a can of Ro Tel for some added depth. Oh, and I almost forgot, about a 10 second squeeze of Ketchup, for a little sweetness. From there all you have to do is simmer. Easy as that.

For wine, I did a little research, according to a 2005 post from www.wineskinny.com An Argentine Malbec has the fruity flavors and subtle tannins that Chili craves. Expecting a limited wine selection at Bockwinkle’s, I was prepared to settle for a cheap merlot or cabernet. To my surprise, the small store had an ample wine selection featuring many wines in the 10 to 20 dollar range. I was able to find a 2008 Alamos Malbec for $11.99 a bottle.

For an extra bonus, I served the chili over elbow noodles, and garnished with cheddar cheese and crumbled corn bread. The effect, a tex-mex menage a trois: chili, noodles, and cheese. While the chili had a slow growing heat, the over all flavor was not burn your mouth off hot, but spicy. Elbow noodles were the perfect compliment for chili, providing extra action squeezing spicy goodness out of every tube. A mild cheddar cheese added a base to ground the flavors to, while the corn bread crumbles provided a crunch.

The wine offered strong notes of blackberry and oak, with a hint of earthiness, like black pepper or dirt. The rich reddish color and heavier body swirled around my glass coating the sides before pouring into my mouth. Weighing heavy on my palate, the wine was still flavorful, with a lingering finish.

Together the Texas chili and the Argentine Malbec were a picture perfect arranged marriage. While the chili provided a crucible of American and Mexican flavors, the Malbec provided a depth and richness. The two played double dutch, taking turns coating the tongue, before tangling upon one another. With my eyes closed I could see the vibrancy of Agentina’s vineyards melding with the a sad Texas history. Moments lost in food are some of the most scrumptious.

Although I completely over stuffed my self with dinner, I had done a rigorous work out earlier in the day, and could not say no to the warm smells of cinnamon and sweet apples wafting from the oven. Michael followed Paula Deen’s Crunch Top Apple Pie recipe, full of butter and southern hospitality http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/crunch-top-apple-pie-recipe2/index.html

Filled to the brim, slipping into yet another food induced coma, we tuned into our Thursday night ritual, Project Runway. Slipping in and out of consciousness in our warm apartment, the gloomy weather seemed like a distant memory. This was truly a perfect pair.