Fennel Sausage, Latke, Red Cabbage, Sautéed Apple, Onion and Fennel Paired with 2010 Horton Vineyards Orange County Virginia Viognier

Who says you have to stay with one culture or country for a meal?  What fun is that?  Today’s pairing combines fennel sausage (unused from a recent Italian inspired meal), latkes from our Jewish friends, and a German inspired red cabbage and sauté of apple, onion and fennel.  Our little UN dinner was lubricated by the USA – Orange County Virginia to be precise.  The 2010 Horton Vineyards Orange County Virginia Vioginier represented the U.S. well.

I can’t really explain how I came to this combination – it was a moment of clarity from the food muse…and we happened to have all the ingredients.  My muse hit the mark – the flavors were balanced, each had their moment in the spotlight, and the textures added interest.  The fennel echoed in the sausage by the sauté, adds a nice suble bitterness to the bright and sweet flavors of the apple, and the red cabbage.  To add acidity, I deglazed the sauté with a cup of fresh apple cider then covered and steamed the sausages to blend the flavors.

I took a twist on the latkes (potato pancakes) and substituted turnips for potatoes.  I loved the result.  Although I am a big fan of latkes in their traditional form, the turnips brought sweet earthy flavors not found in potatoes.  If you take just one thing away from this post, take the turnip latkes with a dollop of sour cream – I promise you will be glad you did.

Although we have contributions from several cultures, I saw this meal as being most influenced by Germany.  With this in mind, I decided to select a Riesling.  A semi-dry or dry Riesling would nicely echo the sweetness of the sauté and sausage and bring a welcome level of acidity to balance the combination.  However, when I made it to the wine section I became distracted by a small group of Virginia wines.  Soon I had talked myself out of the Riesling and into a Virginia Viognier.

Like Riesling, Viognier features floral aromas often supported by fruit.  Also like Riesling, Viogniers often have a touch of apparent sweetness invoked by the bright fruit flavors although the style is dry.  Riesling and Viognier diverge dramatically when it comes to acidity.  Viognier is a low acid fruit while Rieslings often feature strong acidity.  In other words, when pairing, a Viognier can often be a good substitute for a Riesling if the food does not demand high acidity from the wine.  In this case, I went with the Viognier.

As you would expect, the floral and tropical fruit aromas of the 2010 Horton Vineyards Orange County Virginia Viognier are bold and enticing.  This Viognier is a medium bodied wine with a lush, viscous mouth feel.  Following the joy of the initial aroma bomb, you are greeted with vivid tropical fruit flavors with hints of peach and melon.  While not as versatile a pairing wine due to low acidity, this Viognier is an exceptional and classic rendition of the variety with a ripeness and expressiveness normally found in wines costing five times the bargain price of $16.  

Recipes

Fennel Sausage with Sautéed Onion, Apple, and Fennel

Ingredients

• 6 links fennel sausage
• 2 Granny Smith Apples diced to 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 coarsely chopped onion
• 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1 cup apple cider
• Olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Remove and set aside.
2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté onions.
3. Just as the onions begin to brown, add apple and fennel.  Sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze with 1 cup of apple cider – scrapping all the good flavor from the bottom of the skillet.
5. Add sausage back to the skillet with onions, fennel and apple.  Cover, reduce heat to medium, and keep on heat until the liquid is reduced by 1/2.
6. Season to taste.

Turnip Latkes

Ingredients

• 8 peeled turnips (think of the equivalent of 5 large russet potatoes)

• 1 medium onion

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup matzo meal

• Salt and pepper to taste
• Canola oil.

Preparation

1. Grate turnips and onion by hand or the grating blade of your food processor.
2. Place grated turnips and onion in a strainer to drain excess liquid.
3. Once drained, add to a bowl with 4 beaten eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a coating of canola oil.
5. Spoon the mixture into the hot oil forming small pancakes.
6. Cook until underside is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Flip and cook until other side is golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
8. To use all the mixture, you will likely cook several batches. You will need to add oil on occasion.
9. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Pan-Seared Cod Creamy Fennel Ragoût with Black Bean, Jícama, and Grilled Corn Salad Paired with 2008 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay

In the very early days of this blog I posted a wine pairing featuring Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay - Butternut Squash and Chorizo Empanadas with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.  The pairing was spectacular, but I did not give the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay my full endorsement when I wrote that the wine was wonderful but overpriced.  I decided to give it another chance, forked over another $40, and started the meal with an open mind.

While suffering through the heat wave that has its grip on the East Coast of the U.S., actually most of the U.S., Chef Sue and I began thinking of dinner and our desire for something light and fresh.  We quickly settled on one of our favorites as the centerpiece – cod.  Through some convoluted logic trail that I am unable to explain, fennel came to be named as a key ingredient as well.  Chef Sue quickly set about to find ideas.  Moments later she came across a recipe for pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût at Epicurious.com.  Normally, this is just the starting point, but Chef Sue was satisfied with the recipe, and there you have it.

As a composition, the pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût was subtle, buttery, creamy, flakey goodness.  The fennel was sweet and delicate and added just the slightest hint of licorice.  If you are not a licorice fan, no worries – you have to concentrate hard to pick up the flavor.  Fresh Florence fennel is quite sweet and subtle, and has little relationship to the much stronger flavor of fennel seeds.

Along with the pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût, Chef Sue prepared a black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad (this recipe also came from Epicurious.com).  This was a wonderful addition to the meal.  Unlike the internally complimentary flavors of the pan-seared cod, the salad was an exercise in well balanced contrast.  The black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad was fresh, bright, and a wonderful textural contrast to the cod.

Now we come full circle to the 2008 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay.  First, here are the tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Our 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay seduces right off the bat with brilliantly fresh, complex aromas of lemon-lime, scented pear, ripe yellow apple, honeydew melon and mineral. On the sleek, vibrant palate, rich, concentrated, ripe apple and pear flavors dominate, with refreshing citrus and mineral tones emerging in the wine’s wonderfully long, crisp, finish. Deliciously fresh and delectable now, this youthful Chardonnay will blossom and gain further richness and complexity with another 6-8 months in the bottle and will drink beautifully for 3 to 5 years.”

The only thing I would add is that I tasted subtle notes of vanilla, and was pleased with the acidity making this a wonderful wine for food pairing.  I was hoping to recant my prior assessment of this wine and suggest it was a good value.  While a wonderful wine, I still believe it is a bit pricey at $40.  Having said this, the pairing was exceptional.  The intense and bright fruit flavors are perfect compliments to the fresh flavors of the black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad.  And like the salad, the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay was a very pleasing contrast to the creamy, subtle flavors of the pan-seared cod.  This is a pairing well worth your time, effort, and $40 for the Chardonnay.

We were fortunate to share this wonderful meal with our neighbors Aaron and Lena.  We topped the night with a made from scratch banana cream pie while keeping one eye on Cadel Evans capturing the Yellow Jersey in the final time-trial of the Tour de France – leading to the first ever Tour de France win for an Australian – good on ya mate.  The banana cream pie was spectacular, but deserves our full attention in another post.  We will return to this piece of heaven soon.

Recipes

Pan-Seared Cod with Creamy Fennel Ragoût

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise; 2 pounds), stalks discarded and bulbs cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (14 fluid ounces)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 (7-ounce) pieces cod, scrod, or halibut fillet (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Garnish: fennel fronds

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to fat in skillet, then cook fennel with salt and pepper over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add broth, cream, tomatoes, and garlic to fennel and cook, partially covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender and cream is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
5. While fennel cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
6. Season fillets with salt and pepper, then sauté 4 minutes. Turn over and sauté until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
7. Stir mustard and bacon into fennel ragout and season with salt and pepper. Serve cod over fennel ragout.

Black Bean, Jícama, and Grilled Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large ears of corn, husked
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup 1/3-inch dice peeled jicama
• 1/2 cup 1/3-inch dice peeled carrots
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
2. Brush corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill corn until tender and brown in spots, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. Cut off corn kernels; place in large bowl.
4. Add black beans, jicama, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and basil.
5. Whisk lime juice, orange juice, lime peel, cumin, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in small bowl.
6. Mix dressing into bean salad. Season generously with salt and pepper.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Lamb Spinach Ricotta Ravioli in a White Wine Mushroom Cream Sauce Paired with 2009 14 Hands Washington State Chardonnay

I’m afraid the description of this pairing will not follow the normal form.  First, the pairing was supposed to be with a 2009 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay – but Chef Sue and I drank it while preparing the meal – oops.  Second, I don’t have a recipe – this meal (and pairing) started as an idea and was a “cook on the fly” type experience sticking within the broad idea for the meal.  The dish is not difficult, so an idea was sufficient.  This is a common experience for our weekends at our secret Southern Maryland waterfront lair – no rules, just ideas.

Although I will not be providing a recipe, this was not that complicated with the exception of all the home made ingredients which include ricotta, lamb sausage, and the pasta.  If you are not prepared to whip up those parts in your kitchen, make a substitution from the grocery store and butcher – it won’t hurt my feelings.  Between my description and the photographs, I am confident you can recreate this wonderful dish.

In the last year, Chef Sue has tilted over the edge and decided that we should be making our own cheese.  Being a Homer Simpson-like fan of cheese, I don’t complain.  And because this is Chef Sue’s little running science project, all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labor.  Not a bad deal.  This dish started with Chef Sue making fresh ricotta.  Yum.  There is a world of difference between home made ricotta and the stuff that comes in the plastic tub.  Added to this cheesy goodness is some garlic sautéed spinach and some freshly ground lamb combined with some fennel and ground mushrooms to form the loose lamb sausage.

Next comes the pasta for creating the ravioli – just follow the pictures – easy stuff.  Once the pasta is ready, stuff it with the spinach-ricotta-lamb sausage mixture, seal it with an egg wash, cut to shape and it is ready for the swimming pool.

Finally, Chef Sue topped the cooked ravioli in a white wine mushroom cream sauce.  We used dried mushrooms, so the soaking water was a key ingredient in the sauce.  Plate, garnish (parsley and shaved parmesan), and enjoy.

The flavors in this dish are the ones that make you smile involuntarily.  Earthy mushroom, creamy smoothness from the sauce and the fresh ricotta, a little gaminess from the lamb and a touch of bitter from the spinach and garlic.  A other-worldly mixture and balance of flavors.  Add a touch of truffle oil or truffle salt to achieve interplanetary travel.

I have to be honest and tell you that it has been over a month since we prepared this meal, and I don’t recall the specific flavors of the wine (maybe the fault of that first bottle of Cakebread).  But I am confident in saying the wine was a delight and the pairing a real treat.  Lacking a crystal clear memory, here are a few notes from the people at 14 hands:

“14 Hands Chardonnay offers bright aromas of apples and pears with a touch of caramel and spice. Elegant fruit flavors give way to hints of butter and coconut, ending with a juicy finish. Balanced and approachable, this wine can stand alone as an aperitif or partners well with buttered fish, grilled pork or pasta with cream sauce.”

Sounds about right to me – and pasta with cream sauce – YES!  The fruit and buttery finish I hazily recall as prominent and key to working well with the ravioli and cream sauce.  At $12 a bottle, this wine definitely falls into the category of excellent value.

My apologies for the less than precise rendering of this pairing, but every once in a while it is good to use your imagination.  Maybe one of these days I will post a pairing with nothing but photos and let you figure it out – now there is a challenge!

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Soy Braised Pork Belly, Broccoflower Purée, and Curried Butternut Squash Soup Paired with 2009 Travis Chardonnay

I nailed the recipe and the preparation!  The wine was outstanding.  The pairing was an utter failure.  I could have saved myself some public humiliation by not even mentioning this little slip.  I may have been better off by just letting this one slip into the mist.  However, there is still some good things to take away from this experience, and besides, I already had taken all this great photography.  I can’t let it go unappreciated.

During our visit to Northern California in January, I had braised pork belly with a jicama slaw at Celadon of Napa.  Specifically, the menu item is “crispy soy-braised pork belly with jicama slaw, Indonesian sweet soy and fresh herbs.”  It was good.  No, it was phenomenal.  It inspired me to make braised pork belly.  And at some point, I will take a stab at my interpretation of the jicama slaw.

This meal is somewhat unique in that it was accomplished without the supervision of Chef Sue, and the recipe for the soy braised pork belly is my own as is the recipe for the curried butternut squash soup.  It may not be fair to call the soup recipe my own – I have watched Chef Sue prepare similar soups dozens of times, and I can now do it in my sleep…which is pretty much what I did.  But I wrote it down, so now it is mine (but feel free to share it with your friends – all the recipes are at the end of this article).

And now, on with the gruesome details.

The Food

We started with the curried butternut squash soup.  Chef Sue gave me five stars, two thumbs up, and a kiss for my performance with this soup.  It is good.  The dominant flavors are the curry, buttery squashiness of the squash, and the coconut milk.  The butternut squash hits the umami button and blends seamlessly with the coconut milk.  This is just creamy, smooth, buttery splendifery.  The curry, is a contrasting flavor within the soup that brings a level of intensity to the squash that was just not in its genes.

We then moved on to the main dish which consisted of a layering of textures and flavors.  At the base was a purée of broccoflower supporting the soy braised pork belly which in turn was topped with crispy fried onion and fennel slices.  The bitterness of the broccoflower was a good contrast to the sweetness of the pork belly.  The crispy fried fennel added yet another layer of flavor and texture.  The crispy fried onions added more texture than flavor.

The Wine

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Ripe peach, pear, nectarine and exotic fruit aromas. Rich yet lively on the palate, with excellent natural acidity.”

The bright fruits and acidity of this wine make it a real pleasure and easy to enjoy.  This is a wine you could easily enjoy on it’s own, or with any number of seafood or poultry dishes…just not my selection of food for the evening (this is clearly my fault, and not that of the wine).

This wine is an excellent value at $16.

The Pairing

The Travis Chardonnay worked reasonably well with the curried butternut squash soup.  But the strength of the curry demanded something much sweeter such as a Pinot Grigio, Riesling or even a Muscat blend.

When we attempted the wine with the braised pork, all I could think was that “wow did I screw this one up.”  The food was great, the wine was great, but they were never intended to be married – or even date.  Chef Sue quickly ran to the wine rack and grabbed one of the milder Cabernet Sauvignon and it quickly became clear that to compliment the richness, sweetness, and soy, the darker fruits and some spice would make a good pairing.  A bold Pinot, or Shiraz would have made this a memorable meal – in a positive way.

So the real question at hand is why did I screw up?  Here was my rationale for selecting the Travis Chardonnay;  the acidity was intended to balance the sweetness of the pork belly and the bright fruit was intended to compliment the broccoflower.  In the end, the intense flavors of the pork belly overwhelmed the Travis Chardonnay…the acid could not dent the sweetness of the pork belly and the bright fruits were lost – sometimes just feeling out of place when they did emerge.

Again, I want to emphasize that the wine was great.  The food was great.  My powers of wine selection faltered.

Final Words

I will definitely revisit this recipe with a new wine selection.  I will also revisit this wine with a new food selection.  They both deserve better.

Recipes

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• Olive oil (for saute of vegetables)
• 1 onion, chopped - 2 cups mas o menos
• 2 lovely cloves of garlic minced with love
• 1 football sized butternut squash (ok, maybe a bit smaller), peeled (no fun), and cut into 1-inch cubes after raking out the tentacles.
• 3 - 5 cups chicken or veggie broth (depends on the size of the squash and your preference for viscosity)
• 1 - 2 tablespoons, awe hell, lets make it 2 tablespoons of curry powder - be bold!
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can of coconut milk - god I love this stuff.
• Plain yogurt (or sour cream in a pinch), for garnish
• Oh, and put a few green leafy things like parsley or cilantro for a touch more color when garnishing

Directions

Coat the bottom of a large pot or stockpot with olive and heat at a medium temp. Invite the onions and garlic to the party and sauté until soft but not brown. Now for the star that you just reduced in stature to mere cubes - the butternut squash is added along with play-dates broth, curry powder and salt. Bring the hot tub to a boil and watch everyone sweat. Reduce heat and simmer until the squash cubes are not sure they want to be cubes any longer (in other words, tender). They usually succumb to this form of torture after 13 minutes or so...butternut squash is no tough guy. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (the outboard motor looking thing...lots of fun) or in blender (no more than 1/2 full, and hold the top!!!) until smooth. After blending, add coconut milk and bring to serving temperature. Season to taste. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with yogurt and greens.

Soy Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients

• 1 slab of pork belly...say it with me...a SLAB!
• 2 cups of pomegranate juice, or orange juice if that is more convenient, awe hell, just pick a juice.
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (ah brown sugar, how come you taste so good)
• 1 fresh squeezed lemon
• 1 fresh squeezed lime
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic - oh yeah!
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup (one small bunch) of minced green onion bottoms (white part only...maybe a touch of the green)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
  1/2 onion sliced thin
• 1/2 fennel sliced thin (like onion rings)
• 2 cups canola (or vegetable) oil

Directions

Slide the pork slab, skin down, into a glass baking dish. Don't you just love that we are working with a "slab" of pork belly? How often do you get to play with slabs of things? Whisk together the pomegranate (or other fruit) juice, 1 cup of chicken stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and green onions. Give the pork belly a bath with this mixture...yes, all of it. Let this sit and become happy for about one hour. If you are in a rush, you can go straight to the oven. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Turn the pork belly over and roast for another 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the skin  from the pork (it sounds worse when you say pork rather than onion). Allow the pork to cool in the juice bath mixture stuff until about 30 minutes before you intend to serve. If you cover and put it in the fridge, you can even save the final prep for the following day. If you decided to let the pork belly fully cool or put it in the fridge, remove any congealed fat that rests on top of the cooking liquid. Using a sharp knife, score the fat layer of the pork in a cross hatch pattern, and poor off the liquid from the baking pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and place in the oven. Cook the pork belly until slightly caramelized on top and warmed through, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat the oil in a sauce pot or mini wok and quick fry the onion and fennel slices. The goal is to make them crisp and just turning brown.

Lamb and Cauliflower Purée Paired with 2006 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

As promised in the preview, I am back to share all the tasty details of this pairing.  First, I want to note that I deviated a bit from the original recipe out of necessity.  The full title of the recipe from the Decanting Napa Valley cookbook is “Spiced New Zealand Lamb Loin Fennel Frawns, White Pepper Foam, Cauliflower Purée.”  My decision to prepare this dish was a bit last minute based on a welcome surprise visit by Photo Buddy John (John A Downey II Photography) who also served as the guest photographer for this pairing.

Due to the last minute decision, the lead role of New Zealand Lamb Loin was adeptly played by a gorgeous Lamb Shank.  The supporting role of White Pepper Foam was omitted due to the lack of lecithin and a failed attempt to use unflavored gelatin in place of the lecithin.  Otherwise, the recipe was played according to script.

The Food

This was a wonderfully balanced dish.  The unique gamey flavors of the lamb were balanced by the fennel and in particular the lemon vinaigrette dressed fennel frawns perched atop the medium cooked lamb.  Prior to going into the oven, the lamb was coated in a spice mixture of fennel seeds, bay leaf, coriander and salt.  After a quick searing, the lamb headed for the oven and was brought to an internal temperature of 140 then left to rest for about 20 minutes as the cauliflower purée was finished.

The tasting team (Chef Sue, Golf Buddy Steve, Photographer Buddy John, and Formerly of Austin Dawn) all had high praises for the dish.  Across the board, we agreed that the most pleasing bite included a small bit of everything; lamb, fennel, fennel frawns, and cauliflower purée.  It is clearly a recipe designed to have everything play harmoniously in a single mouthwatering bite.  Chef Sue was particularly enamored with the cauliflower exclaiming “I could make a meal out of this alone.”  Formerly of Austin Dawn  was the big surprise of the night.  Dawn is not a fan of lamb although she has tried it in many forms.  In this case, she was literally dancing in her seat.  Follow this link to hear about it in her own words.

Normally when discussing the dish, I pick out the key flavors that are the headliners and those that are playing a supporting role – important when it comes time to discuss the pairing.  In this case I am at a loss – this was a symphony of glorious harmonies.  The lamb was balanced by the fennel and vinaigrette, which was complemented perfectly by the creamy sweetness of the cauliflower purée.  In addition to the harmony of flavors, the contrasting textures made each bite a true pleasure.

The Wine

The recipe was paired with a 2006 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  In a word it was spectacular!  Of course I have more words, but first lets see what the winemaker says about this wine.

“The 2006 vintage has elegant aromas of cherry, blackberry, spice and roses. The palate confirms the nose with flavors of ripe blackberry, chocolate-covered cherries and coffee.  The finish is long and lingering, with notes of toffee and cherries. This wine is both  complex and balanced.”

My only issue with this description is that it should include a bunch of expletives pronouncing the spiritual experience you will have upon the first sip.  Yes, choirs of angels, euphoria, and a sense that all is right in the world accompanies each drop.  As we were nearing the end of the bottle, each of us were taking smaller, and smaller sips in the desperate hope we could make it last just a few minutes longer.

In addition to the wonderful flavors (and choirs of angels), the wine makes an unforgettable first impression with the combination of complexity and smoothness as the winemaker promises.  In other words, all the flavors mentioned in the tasting notes are there, but they are all subtle and perfectly in balance.  This wine makes you think; the flavors do not assault you but rather tease you to find them as they play hide-and-seek.

Just a bit ago, when I wrote about “Butternut Squash and Chorizo Empanadas with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay” I expressed my opinion that while an excellent wine, the Cakebread Chardonnay was over priced at $44.  As evidence that I was not just being cheap, we all concluded that the Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon is worth every penny of the $65.

The Pairing

Like the perfectly balanced recipe and the exquisitely balanced wine, the dominant impression of the pairing was also one of perfect symmetry.  None of the flavors from the food nor wine were screaming for attention but rather melded in a wondrous sense of tranquility.  It was akin to old friends meeting in a familiar embrace after a long absence.

I would be very pleased to go on at length about how one aspect of the lamb or cauliflower complemented or contrasted with some aspect of the wine – but I can’t.  This was one of the most congruous and synchronically composed pairings I have ever experienced.  The stunned silence around the table as we began to indulge was clear evidence this is a winner (along with the ooohs, aaahs, and other moans of enchantment).

Final Words

If you have not been to church, temple, ashram, hanging out with Himalayan Monks, mosque, or otherwise have not had a significant spiritual experience in last few weeks, I highly recommend this pairing.  Here are a couple of options; 1) buy the wine and do your best to mimic the description I provided, 2) visit the good folks at Decanting Wine Country, buy the book and skip the recipe guessing (I am not supported or sponsored…just a dedicated foodie), or 3) buy a couple bottles of the wine and a loin of lamb, come to my place and I will gladly do the cooking.

Thanks again to Photo Buddy John for playing guest photographer and thus allowing me to focus on the food and wine.  I encourage you to visit and check out his remarkable photography.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig