jZepp

What Food with Tokay Pinot Gris?

Beu put out a request on his Basic Juice blog for food suggestions. The wine was to be a Toaky Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive. Now not being familar with the producer or the specific wine I assumed being a VT that there would be some sweetness to it. This recipe I came across the other week while reseraching for my own What Wine With Gewurztraminer article.

No idea where it comes from orignially as it is just a couple of scrumpled pages I saved from years ago. And I must also admit to not actually trying this myself, although I did produce the Spiced Duck Breasts dish for my Gewurz!

Duck Liver With Apples (serves 4)

• 4x 100g Escalopes of Duck Liver
• 600g apples
• 30g butter
• 80g Raisins
• 1 pinch Cinnamon
• 2.5dl Tokay Pinot Gris
• 1 dash Lemon Juice

Soak the raisins in the Tokay for two hours and allow them to swell. Peel and quarter the apples and cook gently in the butter. Add the drained raisins and a pinch of cinnamon. Season the duck liver escalopes and coat them in flour. Fry the liver. Reduce the Tokay Pinot Gris add the lemon juice and our over the duck liver and apple-raisins.

To be honest I do not care much for raisins, They are not so bad in fruit cake but savoury dishes - even this one with some sweetness - they are just not right.

BiB means Summer

8 pm, somewhere in Provence, the aperitif begins...

by Bertrand Celce, France

Summer is BiB time . Warm and sunny days . Long evenings with friends and family . Preferably outside . Right time for aperitif, summer's N° 1 rosé wine festivity in Provence, is, say, 7.30 pm . I mean, the start of it : From then on, 2 hours at least of talk, jokes, and enjoying the cooler air as the sun slowly goes down . These lines are dedicated to the BiBs, our summer best friends . Here, direct from the refrigerator to the table outside, a 5 liter BiB of Rosé from the Chateau de L'Escarelle,
a 120 hectare Coteaux Varois estate located in La Celle, near Brignoles . Good value at about 13 Euro at the Domaine .
With the home made tapenade and the good company, what else do you need ?...

Working Model

Central Park, New York

--Beau

The Chopstick Chronicles: A Blog is Born

by Stephen Jack

The incorruptible government official will have nothing but salt to eat with his rice.

With this Chinese proverb I begin my first blogging effort. The quote says much about the importance of food to the Chinese. Nobody understands better than they, that food is more than sustenance. Food should also excite the senses. Fortunately for me I am neither a government official nor incorruptible. In fact, living here in Taiwan, I eat extremely well, and in The Chopstick Chronicles I will share some of my eating and cooking experiences with you. Apart from that, we will just have to see where this little blog takes us.

I can say though that it won't always be a hug-fest. As much as I like Chinese food, I don't enjoy everything, and I certainly don't appreciate it when the food is badly done. When it is, I will say so.

I don't know how often I will write. Posts will appear either when I think I have something worth saying and have the time to say it; or when I have plenty of time, nothing worth saying, but say it anyway.

The Chronicles part of the blog title was lifted from Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, a book I have never actually read. I got the idea for the Chopsticks part  from ... well, a pair of chopsticks.

Anyway, I have to pack for a trip to China tomorrow. I'll be hitting Hong Kong and Guangdong in the south, and in the north-central area, Hebei and Shanxi provinces. I am not expecting a dull trip. I will write again soon. Till then.

Eating China

Two meals from one: Barbecued Chicken and Tortellini Salad

By Jacquie, N. California

I love to cook, and especially like being able to create meals from "planned" left overs.  During the summer our family likes to barbecue chicken, and just about anything that will fit on the grill.  What I don't always like to do is have to cook night after night, so instead I try to "plan" leftovers to be used for another meal in the week.

Starting with meal one:  if you are going to barbecue some boneless chicken, make sure to throw extra chicken on the grill.  The left over barbecued chicken can be used in many ways, but one of the ways I like to use it the most is in a pasta or tortellini salad (the dressing and salad also are quick to pull together, typically I can get this whole meal done in about 30 minutes, including the cooking time for the tortellini).

Dressing

Garlic (fresh and crushed,  I typically use about 2 or 3 cloves)
Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar (I tend to use more vinegar then most recipes call for, about one third or more vinegar to two thrids olive oil)
Salt (to taste, I use about a half a teaspoon)
Pepper (to taste, I use about a quarter of a teaspoon)
Basil (about two teaspoons finely chopped, give or take, fresh is best, if using dried make sure you crush the basil in your hands)
Oregano (one teaspoon finely chopped or so, again, fresh or crush in your hand before adding to dressing)
Water (a tablespoon or so)
Olive Oil

Peace. Love. Death Metal

I'm hooked on death metal.  However, I believe the brand of 'metal that the Eagles of Death Metal are playing isn't actually metal at all.  Reading the liner notes makes it impossible to figure out who the eagles are exactly.  Perhaps it's all a joke - a la Spinal Tap.  Yet the album, Peace Love Death Metal, is great.  Kinda grunge-y, kinda garage-y, and a little acid rock-y.  Check 'em out - have a listen to track one, I Only Want You.

--Beau, Utah

Pescado Frito (Crispy Fried Whole Fish)

By Melissa, Panama

The fried whole fish, simple delicious and nutritious, always has been a notorious element in the Latin American, tropical kitchen. Its golden color shines among the plates of natives and visitors. It is a tradition for the tourist and an everyday delight for the locals.

Among the ideal varieties of fish to fry are jurel, mero, pargo (red snapper), boquinete and corvina (sea bass). The only requirement is that the fish is fresh and of good size. The fried fish tastes better when the oil in which it is fried is abundant and of continuous use. The new oil does not help to obtain a beautiful golden color.

For good health, use coconut, palm or olive oil.

Next is a very simple and delicious recipe that I am sure you and your family or guest will rave about endlessly!

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Remember you can always email me if you have questions.

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Hugs,

Melissa

Pescado Frito (Crispy Fried Whole Fish)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fish (about 1 1/2 pounds) – gutted, gills removed, thoroughly rinsed
• 2 limes cut into halves
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of mashed fresh garlic cloves, or to taste
• 3/4 cup all purpose wheat flour
• 1/4 cup  cornstarch (makes it stick better)
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Cut a shallow, crisis-cross pattern on both sides of the fish. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, trim the fins, if they are very long.
2. Rub fish inside and out with salt, pepper and garlic.
3. Combine flour, cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Dredge the fish in the flour mix and let sit a minute or so, shaking off the excess. Place it in hot (360 degrees) oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes each side OR until light brown and skin is crispy on each side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Serving suggestion: serve with lime wedges. It is delicious with cole slaw, green salad, potato salad, fried green plantains, white rice and stewed red kidney beans, or beans and rice. Your choice!

Serves one really hungry person or two quasi-hungry souls. ENJOY!

Big Sky

   
    Big Sky - northern Idaho/southern Montana

By Beau, Utah

Heurigen

Mittwoch.  Brought to you by the letter H; as in Heurigen

H - Heurigen  The Austrian term for Viennese wineries with attached taverns.  Vienna is one of the only cities with vineyards right inside its limits.  If you ever find yourself in Austria, head to Vienna, find a few Heurigen, and enjoy a fabulous wine sipping experience.

--Beau, Utah

Wine Blogging Wednesday #12 Roundup -- Drink Local. Real Local.

By Lenn, New York

I love Wine Blogging Wednesday, the virtual wine tasting event that brings people from around the globe 'together' for a day of wine tasting. I love the people I meet and new friends I make each and every month. I love learning about wine regions I'll most likely never visit. And, I love bringing new wine lovers into the fold and showing them that wine need not be scary.

This month, our little tasting group swelled to an all-time high of 43 entries as we filled our glasses with the most local wines possible.

Rather than break the roundup into regions or varietals or anything of that sort, I'm going to just list them as I received them. That way, you'll get to enjoy the posts the way I did...traveling from region to region and getting a little taste of each.