Square Pegs

If it is not one thing, then it's another....

The past couple weeks have been really busy and full of surprises.  First off, Gromit had surgery yesterday to biopsy two lumps on his back and I'm glad to report he is on the road to recovery and it seems the lumps were nothing serious.  Although still groggy from the anesthesia, he's doing well.  The incisions are a lot bigger than I thought though and I'm keeping a close eye on him while he recovers since he can be something of a difficult patient...as I quickly learned from his previous 3 surgeries and countless trips to the vet.

He's already enjoying all the time up on the bed though and Madu is keeping him good company during is convalescence.  She doesn't seem interested in getting too close to him, but she stands watch while he's sleeping and makes sure to alert me to even the slightest commotion or noise outside.  She is such a good little pack member!

John was supposed to have gotten underway a couple days ago, but it seems like the there have been so many set-backs since trying to get things rolling with the ship during the past week that it has really thrown a monkey wrench into his chief's pinning ceremony, which it now looks like I'll have to miss.    I've also had to cancel my trip to Japan for various reasons and I'm just going a little crazy with all the last minute stuff popping up!  The one good thing about malfunctions with the ship is that John is still home rather than out at sea, but each morning we have to say goodbye not knowing if he's actually able to leave or not- it has been a little emotionally jarring to say the least!  Just one day at a time I guess!! LOL

September 11th Prayer

As people around the world remember the events of September 11th, here on Guam this year's Chief Selects are participating in the September 11th remembrance ceremony.  I know the events of that horrific day touched everyone differently, so I just wanted to share the prayer prepared by ITC (SEL) Toby Matlock here on Guam in remembrance ;

"Dear Heavenly Father,

We are gathered here on this difficult day to remember for all nations; those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Yet, the memories are still painful, we ask you to comfort those who mourn the lost of their love ones on that terrible day.

We pray we might become better a people and help make the world a better place. Thank you for the heroes, who are in distance lands that you will bless and watch over them as they have and are still making sacrifices for a common good for all men, women, and children around the world.

Heavenly Father, heal all those who were hurt and lives broken on that day. May they come to experience your presence and know your peace.

Amen."

More Wine Goodies

Here is some more from class!

Principles of Food and Wine Matching

            The basic concept behind food and wine matching is to create a marriage between the two that will result in a dynamic sensory experience that brings out the best in both the food and the wine.  The goal is to select complimentary flavors, smells, and textures that make the sensory experience of both the food and wine better together than either would be on its own.  According to culinary writers Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page,

“Sampling great, classic food and beverage combinations can take you instantly on an exciting journey to another country (e.g. Italy via hazelnut biscotti with Vin Santo) or even to another era (e.g., nineteenth-century France, via foie gras with very old Sauternes)(Dornenburg, A., Page, K., 2007).”

Trends in Matching

            As the global wine industry grows and chefs become more innovative with flavor combinations, food and wine pairing is not as simple as it was 40-50 years ago.  Instead of simply selecting a red or white wine from Italy, Spain, or France to pair with a dish, sommeliers and chefs are now able to explore high quality, unique blends from California; The Pacific Northwest, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa, which, according to wine expert Kevin Zraly, are some of the top new world wine producing countries in today’s contemporary wine market.  With more wines to choose from, new world wines have found a great niche as contemporary fusion cuisine becomes more popular with diners.  While this does present challenges to sommeliers and wine connoisseurs, as keeping up with the rapidly growing global wine market can be daunting, there is amazing opportunity to find new and exciting combinations.

Cooking Methods and How They Affect Wines

            Chefs have a diverse repertoire of cooking techniques at their disposal for various foods.  Roasting, toasting, smoking, caramelizing, grilling, marinating, and braising are just a small smattering of the numerous techniques chefs use to enhance and diversify the taste of both common and exotic ingredients.  Flavor qualities and textures change as temperatures and various flavor profiles are applied, so when pairings foods it is important to know how the food was prepared.  A good example is smoked salmon vs. grilled salmon.  Smoked salmon pairs nicely with new world Chardonnay or Brut Champagne; however a classic pairing for grilled salmon is Oregon Pinot Noir.

Classic Wine Pairings

Some of the classic, time tested pairings recommended by wine professionals and sommeliers around the world in What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are;

-         Roasted almonds and Sherry, esp. Fino or Manzanilla

-         Asparagus & dry Sauvignon Blanc (esp. from New Zealand)

-         Beef and/or spareribs with California Zinfandel

-         Steak with Red Burgundyor California Cabernet Sauvignon

-         Caviar with dry (Brut) Champagne (esp. blanc de blancs)

-         Assorted cheeses in general with Alsatian Gewürztraminer

-         Chocolate in general with Port (ruby, tawny or vintage; esp. with richer desserts)

-         Clams in general (raw, steamed or baked) with Muscadet

-         Crab with German Riesling

-         Cold cuts with Beaujolais

-         Foie Gras with Sauternes

-         Lamb in general with Red Bordeaux

-         Lobster with full bodied White Burgundy or California Chardonnay

-         Oysters with dry French Chablis or Muscadet

-         Salmon (grilled or pan roasted) with young Oregon Pinot Noir

-         Soup in general with dry Sherry (served in a small glass after adding a splash of sherry to the soup)

-         Tapas with dry Sherry esp. Fino or Manzanilla

-         Tuna in general with California or Oregon Pinot Noir

-         Venison with new world Shiraz/Syrah

-         Pasta with tomatoes/tomato sauces with Barbera or Chianti

Matching Regional Foods and Wines

            When it comes to food regions and their corresponding wines there is a general rule of thumb presented by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page that simply states, “If It Grows Together, It Goes Together”.  Master sommelier Alpana Singh adds,

“There is nothing better than a regional pairing with a regional dish.  It is organic.  I see serving traditional pairings- like charcuterie with Riesling, and white asparagus with Muscat- as an added value to our guests.  It is like a mini-vacation!”

Pairing dishes and wines that are native to the same region can take a lot of the guesswork out of creating a winning pairing.  In many regions around the world similar ingredients may be used, such as chicken or beef, so then the next step is to determine the flavor profile associated with that region and this will guide you toward a great pairing.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel when the wisdom of past great culinary minds and time tested historical eating patterns has paved the way!

Matching Flavors

            The drive behind food pairing and consuming food in general is based around the palate and pleasing tastes and flavors.  According to the text Culinary Artistry,

“The nature of the cooking process is change- transforming raw ingredients in a way that maximize not only flavor but enjoyment.  There are two primary ways to do this: through the application of optimal cooking techniques, and through a harmonious combination of flavors (Dornenburg, A., Page, K., 1996).”

Wines are similar in that they start out as grapes, and then go through a transformation which alters their flavor and helps develop the varietal character into the wines we recognize on store shelves.

The love of flavor marriages has been present since people started consuming food and drink, and chefs today have extensive flavor charts to refer to that have been time tested over the centuries and originated from the world’s greatest culinary minds.  As much as flavor matching has to do with hands on experimentation, it is also largely reading and memorizing proven winning flavor matches that are well respected and established.  While there are no flavor matching “rules”, acquiring basic flavor matching combinations through reading and study is essential since wine professionals and chefs simply cannot try every possible combination for themselves personally in a single lifetime.

Sources:

1.  Baldy, M., 1997, The University Wine Course: A Wine Appreciation Text & Self Tutorial, Published by The Wine Appreciation Guild

2.  Dornenburg, A., Page, K., 2007, What to Drink with What You Eat, Copyright Bulfinch Press

3.  Dornenburg, A., Page, K., 1996, Culinary Artistry, Copyright John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

4. Zraly, K., 2007, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, 2008 Edition, Copyright Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Bloggers-Block

The strangest thing has happened to me this past week.  I've been writing numerous papers for school and lots of creative juices are flowing, but unfortunately when it comes to blogging I'm a little blocked.  It's not that I haven't been typing up a storm recently, but most of it has to do with class.  I decided that instead of giving the usual family update and recently snapped photos, I'd give a little insight into how I spend my time these days.  Here is some research I did for my wine and spirits managment class that might be of general interst to wine lovers out there!

I have selected the Alsace region of France because I love dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer, which are two of the predominant grape varietals in the region, followed by Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, which I also enjoy.  Wines from this region are sometimes confused with those from

Germany because, according to Keven Zraly;

Alsace and Germany grow the same grape varieties.  But when you think of Riesling what are your associations?  You’ll probably answer Germany" and “sweetness”.  That’s a very typical response, and that’s because the German winemaker adds a small amount of naturally sweet unfermented grape juice back into the wine to create the distinctive German Riesling.  The winemaker from Alsace ferments every bit of the sugar in the grapes, which is always 99 percent of Alsace wines are totally dry (Zraly, 2007).”

Geographically, Alsace is located is located in the north-eastern region of France and borders Germany, so there is some German influence into Alsace provincial cuisine.  An example of Alsace provincial cooking is choucroute garnie, a casserole of pickled cabbage, pork, and sausage that clearly shows influence from neighboring Germany region.  The wines of this region may also appear not only on the table in a carafe, but in the actual dishes themselves, as in the aforementioned choucroute garnie and also coq a Riesling, which features chicken cooked in a dry white Riesling from the area.  Due to the cool climate, which is similar to Oregon State within the USA, the Alsace region produces mostly white wine grapes and very few reds, so food pairings should reflect the dry, white wine produced by this region.

The dining patterns of the French are quite different from those of Americans.  According to Margaret McWilliams, author of Food Around the World: A Cultural Perspective

“Breakfast (le petit dejeuner) in France gets scant attention, usually being simply café au lait and a croissant or bread, maybe with jam, eaten in time to get to work by 8 A.M. is popular.  Lunch is important in the middle of the day, requiring at least an hour and a half to do it justice.  This meal, preferable eaten at home, often is a three-course meal that starts with soup or an appetizer and continues with a main dish followed by cheese and fruit for dessert.  The afternoon work schedule occasionally is broken for a snack (le goiter), but leave a good appetite when people depart from the job either to go home or to a café for l’aperitif, a bit of spirits.  Eventually a pleasing meal, but less elaborate than midday lunch, ends the day’s dining pleasures (McWilliams, 2007).”

When pairing Alsace Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, Pinot Blancs, and Pinot Gris it is important to factor in their varietal character and not confuse them with sweeter German wines.  Wine writer Jim Clarke, in an article entitled “An Alsatian at the Table”, has the following to say about pairing Alsatian wines,

“Alsatian wines are also great companions in the dining room. They are generally full enough to accompany white meats, but not so aggressive as to be unsuitable with more delicate fish dishes. This makes them especially useful in restaurants when a bottle is being shared alongside several different entrees. Gewurztraminer often gets a bad rap among wine drinkers for its rather over-the-top nose, but its gentle character in the mouth and flowery aromatics suit a number of dishes. Its classic companion is a Gruyere or Munster cheese, and with its characteristic lychee note it also does well the Asian dishes, soothing spiciness and often bringing out the brighter tones of a chutney, for example (Clarke,2004).”

Clarke goes on to say that while Alsatian white wines may not be the ideal choice for heavier red meats, but they can pair well with certain types of gamey meats.  The Prestige Wine website describes 3

Alsace

whites from Cuve Anne Laure as having the following traits;

      Riesling:  Golden yellow with a fresh citrus nose and peach and melon flavors, offset by an elegant mineral quality on the finish.

      Pinot Blanc:  Bright yellow with light floral aromas; a refreshing, nicely structured wine, redolent of flowers and pear. 

      Gewurztraminer:  Rich yellow, powerfully perfumed, with floral and spicy aromas and a round, thick mouth feel in the long finish.

Resources

1. Clarke, J.,2004, “An Alsatian at the Table”, Copyright Star Chefs, http://www.starchefs.com/wine/features/html/alsace.shtml, Date Last Accessed September 2, 2008 (GMT +11)

2. McWilliams, M., 2007, Food Around the World: A Cultural Perspective, Second Edition, Copyright Pearson Education, Inc.

3. Prestige Wine Group, 2008, http://www.prestigewinegroup.com/brands/cuvee_anne_laure.aspx, Date Last Accessed September 2, 2008 (GMT +11)

4. Zraly, K., 2007, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, 2008 Edition