Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation

Real Food Writing

Finally.  Real, quality food writing arrives on the pages of Utah's major newspaper:

MIDWAY - Let's be clear: Tarahumara (tah-rah-oo-mah-rah) isn't a dive. If its obscurity classifies it as a hole-in-the-wall, then it's a pretty hole in a pretty wall. It exists in a town with few dining options; most of them aren't very good. But what makes the restaurant stand out even more is that it serves food that fills the belly and struts a lot of bold flavor, yet doesn't price itself out of the range of budget eaters and locals who bring along the whole family. On any given day, Spanish and English chatter fills the dining area. (Read the entire article here)

Now I have a hankering for ceviche.

Lafayette Learnin'

Things one learns in Lafayette, La.:

Cajuns are descendants of Acadians who left Nova Scotia, N. Brunswisk & Prince Edward Island during the 1700s..

"In the Great Expulsion of 1755, around 4000 to 5000 Acadians were deported from Acadia by the British; many later settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. Later on many Acadians returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, most specifically New Brunswick. During the British conquest of New France the French colony of Acadia was renamed Nova Scotia (meaning"

Étouffée simply refers to smothering or braising meat or veggies in its own juices.

Blackening fish is very unCajun.

A seafood gumbo with tasso (Cajun smoked pork) is perfect paired to crisp German Riesling.

While not Cajun, the smoked duck quesadillas (w/fresh jalapeno, sour cream and pepper jack cheese) at The Blue Dog Cafe in Lafayette is so good it makes on produce tears of joy.  I already have an ahnvee for this dish.

Dueling Asparagus

A bit of apocryphal history* for you: Cleopatra, of lethal-asp-clutching fame, is purported to have ended it all with a spear of asparagus rather than a venomous serpent. My reaction to asparagus isn’t quite as dramatic as the Nile Queen’s. However, few vegetables, when mismatched to wine, mete out palate punishment like the shoots of Asparagus officinalis. 

My oeno-advice to all brave souls attempting asparagus-wine harmony: Bring a duo to this duel. Allow me to explain. Asparagus commonly appears on your dinner plate in one of two roles. It may headline dinner as the main attraction – as it does with this goat cheese and asparagus pizza. More commonly, it plays the supporting role of vegetable, and leaves the spotlight to a main course, like steak. One wine won’t handle asparagus in both roles.

Margherita

Sometimes elegance and simplicity go hand in hand.  Take the Margherita pizza:

When King Umberto I of Savoy and Queen Margherita visited Naples, they went to  Raffaele Esposito’s restaurant in the heart of Naples and ordered him to make pizzas for the whole Court. Raffaele Esposito made two typical pizzas:  the Marinara, created in 1800, and the Mastunicola, the oldest Neopolitan pizza which dates back to 1660.  His wife made a special pizza for Queen Margherita with tomato, oil and mozzarella. She then added basil to recall the Italian flag. Thus pizza Margherita was born in 1889 in the Italian Queen’s honor. (hat tip to Cafe Porta Alba of Madison, WI).

This most simple of pizzas is the perfect anecdote to the fast-food transmorgification of pizza into something wholly different (cough*CPK*cough).  However, to fully experience the beauty of Margherita, one must track down a wood-oven baked pizza.  And don't forget an easy-drinking glass of vino.  Two of my favorites are Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Food Words: Confit

Confit is one of the oldest ways to preserve food, and is a speciality of south-western France. The word comes via the French verb confire, from the Latin word (conficere), meaning "to do, to produce, to make, to prepare" The French verb was first applied in medieval times to fruits cooked and preserved in sugar syrup or honey. Later it has applied to all kinds of food that has been immersed in a substance that both flavours and preserves it. Sealed and stored in a cool place it can be stored for several months, and can be reheated to extend its useful life. (wikipedia)

Meat confit is made by cooking a piece of meat in its own fat.  The meat is then preserved by the surrounding fat.

Fruit confit is made by infusing whole small fruits (e.g. cherries) or pieces of larger fruits (e.g. melon) with sugar.

Recipe: Dried cherry & shallot confit

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