Beginning of the World Mayan Dinner

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I missed it.  The end of the world came and went.  I didn't even notice.  When I woke up on December 21st, I looked out the window at the rising sun and realized I would have to go to work after all.  My disappointment deepened at the thought of missing the opportunity to throw an end of the world dinner party, even if the world didn't end.

So if the 20th of December was the last day of our existence, it only stands to reason that the 21st is a new beginning.  I used this logic to invite friends over for a Beginning of the World Mayan Dinner Party.  The menu included guacamole, fresh Ix'ni Pec salsa, Mayan shrimp ceviche, and Tikin Xic grilled fish.  You can find all the recipes at Yucatan Adventure Eco-Cultural Travel Guide.  I made a few substitutions out of convenience, but stayed true for the most part.  We enjoyed every bit of it.

All of the components of this meal are light, and feature healthy acidity.  There is also a bit of piquance from the habanero peppers and achiote marinade.  I decided on a 2009 Ledson Winery and Vineyards Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  The body was perfectly matched, the acidity well balanced with the food, and flavors of pear, pineapple and citrus a wonderful complement to our meal.

I decided to take an alternative approach to the typical photography I post.  Christmas came a few days early, so I decided to shoot the entire event with my new GoPro.  It was fun.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Maine Lobster Roll from Luke’s Lobster Paired with 2008 Ledson Sonoma Coast Tres Frais Chardonnay

For the last few month’s, my wine pairing work list (my favorite work list) has included pairing a lobster roll from one of the Washington DC food trucks.  However, I recently learned of Luke’s Lobster (624 E Street NW) that opened in May 2011.  So rather than have a lunchtime lobster roll from a food truck and glass of wine (still a good idea), Chef Sue and I decided to give Luke’s Lobster a chance at satisfying our lobster dependency.

We were not disappointed.  On the contrary, we were delighted well beyond our expectations.  We decided to treat ourselves at Luke’s Lobster and order “Noah’s Ark” billed as a taste of Maine for two which included two half lobster, crab and shrimp rolls, two pairs of Empress crab claws, chips, and Maine sodas.  Luke’s Lobster claims the rolls are made Maine style with the seafood served chilled on a buttered and toasted New England-style split-top bun with a light touch of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter, and a dash of “secret” spices.  If you are not craving a lobster roll at this very moment, you are either not a fan of crustaceans, or may be from an alien race inhabiting the meat bag you call a body.

These seafood rolls were spectacular.  Everything that surrounded the seafood was applied with a very light touch leaving the wonderfully prepared seafood to speak for itself.  The seafood is the star of the show, and Luke’s Lobster does a brilliant job of ensuring the other components of the sandwich do not detract from the beautiful tenderness of the seafood.

Having only lived in New England for a few years, I cannot claim to be a lobster roll aficionado.  However, Chef Sue is an authentic New Englander so I had to ask; “how does this lobster roll rate on authenticity?”  The moans of approval and a thumbs up from the hand not occupied with the lobster roll told me that Luke’s Lobster had satisfied the discriminating palate of a New England native.

With these straight forward, delicate and fresh flavors, pairing with this meal was easy stuff.  I chose the 2008 Ledson Sonoma coast Tres Frais Chardonnay.  Here are the tasting notes from Ledson Winery and Vineyards:

“A blend of our Stainless Steel Chardonnays, this Sonoma Coast Chardonnay delights with lemon, apple, lychee fruit and pineapple flavors that swirl with aromas of butterscotch and notes of vanilla on your palate. Smooth and crisp, this Chardonnay follows with a clean finish perfect with dishes like lobster, mashed potatoes, garlic linguini, or grilled scallops in lemon-butter sauce.”

According to the fine folks at Ledson, this wine was made for lobster.  I completely agree.  The fresh fruit and vanilla notes were a perfect complement to the seafood.  The body of this Chardonnay matched perfectly, and the smoothness combined with the crisp finish allowed the flavors to blend nicely leaving the wine and seafood flavors to linger equally after each bite.  The 2008 Ledson Sonoma coast Tres Frais Chardonnay is normally $28, a good value, but is now specially priced at $17 on the Ledson website.  At $17, this is an exceptional value that I highly recommend for your next lobster indulgence.  Better yet, order a bottle (or maybe a case), head over to Luke’s Lobster, and enjoy a beautiful bi-coastal marriage of flavor – a spectacular indulgence worth every penny.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Seasoned Chicken Breast over Garlic Sautéed Baby Spinach with a Spicy White Wine Strawberry Mango Reduction Paired with 2009 Ledson Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Wow, that’s a lot of words for the title of this post.  Considering the whole idea began with the humble strawberry, it seems a bit over the top.  So here is the story.  The other day I was motivated to construct a recipe and treat Chef Sue to a nice pairing.  I went to the fridge to see what was in stock and found a basket of strawberries that looked like they had another good day left before they became mulch.  Rather than waste these tasty morsels, they became the inspiring kernel for this recipe.

I have to admit a small measure of pride with this recipe because it is 100% my own.  Normally, I have an idea of what I want to achieve, search the internet for recipes that are similar to my idea, cobble together the best bits and pieces, and voila!  This recipe came directly from the small hollow space between my ears – and I like it.

Starting with the strawberries and the idea of a reduction to lather the chicken breasts (also sitting in the fridge and searching for a purpose in life), I knew the reduction would be very sweet and a wholly strawberry celebration.  With the chicken breast as a somewhat neutral element in the dish, I needed to add some balance to the strawberries.  Within the reduction I did this by adding a mango as another layer of flavor, and a tablespoon of red pepper flakes to offer some heat.  Finally, I completed the reduction with a cup of white wine to boost the acidity.

The recipe was further balanced by the garlic sautéed spinach.  This part of the recipe brought a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness in the reduction.  Gratefully, when fully composed, the dish was very well balanced.  I love it when a plan comes together (or luck is on my side)!

The 2009 Ledson Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect match for this recipe.  This wine is explosively fruity with the aroma dominated by pineapple.  The palate matches this bright fruitiness with rich fruit flavors, well balanced acidity and a pleasant mineral finish.  Each of these elements are a heavenly compliment to the recipe.  The sweetness mirrors the sweet notes of the reduction while balancing nicely with the heat.  The fruit flavors in both the reduction and the wine play nicely with each other, and the acidity forms another finely honed balancing act with the food.  This wine is a pleasure to drink alone, but it really shines in a pairing.  This pairing was dominated by complimentary flavors (vs. contrasting) and like the recipe components, was very well balanced.

The Recipe

I am presenting this recipe as three different components in the order of preparation.  The strawberry mango reduction takes about 45 minutes, the chicken 30, and the spinach about 5 minutes.  It is very easy, and very rewarding.

Spicy White Wine Strawberry Mango Reduction

Ingredients:

• 10 medium strawberries cleaned and diced
• 1 medium mango, pealed and diced
• 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine - in this case I used one cup of Barefoot Moscato, but anything would work fine sans oak
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in a pot on low heat.
2. Stir and let simmer for 5 minute.
3. Repeat step 2 until sauce begins to steam.
4. Turn heat to medium and stir.
5. Continue until the sauce reduces to a consistency you are comfortable with.  I achieved my desired consistency in roughly 45 minutes.

Seasoned Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about one pound)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink in centers (165°F), turning once.
2. Optionally, season and place on a sheet pan in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes (still looking for 165 degrees).  I used this option.
3. Set aside - timing should coincide with sautéed spinach and spicy strawberry Mango Reduction

Garlic Sautéed Baby Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Pat dry.
2. In a very large pot or Dutch oven (my preference – uncooked spinach is voluminous and unwieldy), heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, just short of being browned.
3. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes.
4. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring until all the spinach is wilted.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Both Chef Sue and I did.  This recipe makes four servings which meant we had a great lunch the following day.  After a night in the fridge, the reduction seemed even better!

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Shepherd’s Pie Paired with 2006 Ledson Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel

In celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day I decided to make Shepherd’s Pie.  And as long as I’m cooking, why not make a wine pairing?  I started with researching Shepherd’s Pie, and combined the most appealing aspects of about a half dozen recipes – along with a few touches of my own in order to truly personalize it.  The resulting satisfied faces of Chef Sue and Golf Buddy Steve confirmed my shepherd’s pie was a hit.
The Food

It comes as no great surprise that Shepherd’s Pie is not known for distinct or bold flavors.  Shepherd’s pie generally falls into that middle ground, indistinct comfort food category.  However, my preparation moved a bit off the norm and added distinct flavors that remain consistent with the profile of shepherd’s pie.  The distinct flavors that distinguish this recipe are the liberal use of garlic, the sweet and smoky bacon, cubed NY strip steak as a bolder substitute for the more typical ground beef, brussel sprouts, and sweet Vidalia onions.  With these variations on the traditional symphony, the flavors remain somewhat mild, but acted more like a jazz ensemble with a couple of nice solos.

The Wine
During my January trip to Napa and Sonoma Valleys, the genesis of this blog, Chef Sue and I visited a number of wineries that either do not distribute, or have a severely restricted distribution.  Why visit wineries that you can taste from your local wine shop?  We ended up joining four wine clubs including Ledson Winery and Vineyards.  The 2006 Ledson Russian River Valley Old Vines Zinfandel was part of our first shipment.  I love Zinfandels, and this bottle was a real pleasure. 

The 2006 Ledson Russian River Valley Old Vines Zinfandel features a rich nose of plum and cherry.  You are then rewarded with wonderfully complex flavors of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and pepper.  The finish is long and satisfying.
Although Ledson Winery and Vineyards does not distribute, you can buy directly at their website.
The Pairing
My intent with this pairing was to introduce a contrast of fruit and spice from the Ledson Zinfandel to the more moderate flavors of the Shepherd’s pie.  The risk in doing this is that the Zinfandel could have completely overpowered the mild pie.  Fortunately, the folks at Ledson have food in mind when they craft the many Zinfandels in their inventory.  While flavorful and complex, the Zinfandel did not trample over the Shepherd’s Pie.  In fact, the Ledson Zinfandel seemed to add flavors that in retrospect seemed missing in the Shepherd’s Pie. 

I think the pairing also worked well because the recipe introduces a couple bolder flavors to the traditional pie.  These flavors, embodied in the bacon, NY strip, and brussel sprouts, mingled joyfully with the Zinfandel.
Final Words
Oddly, the biggest challenge with this pairing was not selecting the wine or preparing the recipe.  It was the photography.  I love Shepherd’s Pie, but it is not terribly photogenic.  I did my best to make it look appealing, but in the end, it still looks like a pile of (tasty) stuff.  I think that preparing this recipe in single serve bowls with a portion scooped out to reveal the hidden treasures might have been more appealing from a visual perspective.

Recipe
Ingredients
Royal Potato Crown

• 10 medium-small red tomatoes (leave the skins on)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 beef broth stock
• 1/4 cup half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste

NY Strip Steak Filling

• 1 NY Strip steak (about 1 pound) cubed (about 1" cubes)
• 4 slices thick hickory smoked bacon, cut in thirds lengthwise and laterally
• 2 Vidalia onions, chunked (keep it a bit rustic)
• 1 small package of shredded carrots (or you can shred 2 large carrots)
• 12 - 15 brussel sprouts
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle light or Guinness beer
• 1/2 cup beef stock (broth is fine if you don't have stock)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Preparation
Wash the potatoes then boil until fork tender. Combine the rest of the potato ingredients with the potatoes in a large bowl and mash or place in mixer until light and fluffy. Cover and let rest while you prepare the filing.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until just browning and far from crisp. Remove the bacon, and add the onions to the rendered bacon fat - yes, everything tastes better with bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft. Add the beef and increase heat to medium-high. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown all sides of the beef. Add the brussel sprouts and the shredded carrots and cook until the brussel sprouts begin to soften; about 5 minutes.
Turn on the oven and let it preheat to 350 degrees F while you finish preparing the filling.
Open a 16 oz. can of Guinness. Offer a toast to your Irish friends and drink 4 ounces.  Poor the rest in the skillet and make the NY Strip swim happily. Open a second 16 oz. can of Guinness and keep close at hand - you are sure to get thirsty during the preparation. Ok, back to the stuff in the skillet - bring to a boil making sure you scrape the good stuff waiting on the bottom (lots of flavor here that you want to take advantage of). When boiling, add the tomato paste and flour. Stir regularly for about 2 minutes to make sure the paste and flour is incorporated. Add the bacon, beef stock, and rosemary. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens to your liking.
Scoop the filling into a lubricated casserole dish, pie dish, or other container that makes you happy. The next time I make this, I will probably bake in single serving oven safe bowls - it saves the messy plating process. Cover the filling with a royal crown of potatoes and send to the oven for 30 +/- minutes; until the potatoes begin to brown and the edges bubble. Remove from oven, heap on the cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, open another Guinness and admire your handiwork for another 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
In vino veritas, buen provecho.
Craig