Live Longer by Eating Fish

More and more research is finding that a diet consisting of regular fish consumption is related to a longer and healthier life. Taking supplements may not give the same benefits. A recent study found that death by heart disease may be reduced as much as 35%. COMMENT: I'm waiting for the study showing that eating fish with a glass of wine has even more benefits!

Tubin in Tutus

For more information visit SilverMt.com 

Happy New Year!

Every year on New Years Day we start the year out with Black Eyed Peas.  It is supposed to bring you good luck.  The only things is that I really dislike Black Eyed Peas.  After that horrible dish your year is almost certainly going to get better.  But now, thanks to the Omni Hotel and Chef Josemar Passos, this has all changed.  Chef Passos has come up with an amazing Black Eyed Peas recipe that will get your year off to a fantastic start full of good luck.

This recipe is called Acarajé de Orixá. It is delicious and an amazing solution to the the Black Eyed Pea dilemma.  CLICK HERE to print off the recipe and get chef tips from the Omni Hotel Chef Passos.

The next question then is, now that I am going to enjoy Black Eyed Peas on New Years Day, what are we going to drink with the Acarajé de Orixá.

So I went to a brilliant group of wine writers and asked them.  Here were some of their recommendations:
(please click on each one of their names to read their other great recommendations from their websites)


Alissa Fehr Leenher Maybe a tempranillo? Enough body, but not overpowering?

Catie McIntyre Walker I would keep on with NY tradition and go bubbly, especially a Cava. And I see the recipe is using seafood. Perfect.

Lorrie S. LeBeaux I agree with Catie McIntyre Walker. Bubbles....

Catie McIntyre Walker Temp would be great paired more with a black eyed pea cassoulet-type of recipe with smoked sausage and/or ham and duck confit.

Marlene Rossman Acarajé é uma especialidade gastronômica da culinária afro-brasileira which means, "Acarajé is a gastronomic culinary specialty with African-Brazilian origins." Pair it with Torrontes, from Argentina. The saltiness and smokiness (and I have had the dish) will be smoothed out by the slight sweetness in Torrontes. And, it is ALMOST a geographic match! (Among other publications, I am the wine columnist for Chef magazine, where one of my monthly duties is to pair the "iron Chef " recipes with wine.

Meg Houston Maker I read the recipe before reading the suggestions here, and my first thought was sparkling, too. It's great with fried foods in general, almost regardless of the flavor profile. If you want to go in another direction, I think the heft of this dish, despite its being vegetarian, can also handle a robust red wine, preferably one with good acidity (for cleansing the palate), and a bit of earthy smokiness. Try Carignane, Languedoc red blends, or Côtes du Rhône. A Rioja Crianza might work, too, per Alissa's comment, or even Dolcetto or a Lange Nebbiolo.

But seriously, sparkling.

Rachel Voorhees Love the Torrontes idea and of course bubbles. I am turning in an article to my editor tonight for my black-eyed pea soup with smoked andouille in it. Tempranillo is one of my pairing choices! Also picking a Barbera, full of flavor, but very little tannic structure.

Alana Gentry I vote for a smokey red. Lions Drift Pinotage from South Africa would be awesome. Just opened a 2009 and its drinking well.

Thank you Ladies!  Salut!   Here is to Good Luck and great food / wine pairings in 2013.

A Literary Adventure in Wine Pairing

Five Books Five Wines

Inspired by Wine Oh! TV's Top 5 Wine & Book Pairings for the Holidays I decided to put together a list of 5 of my favorite books of all time and the wine that would be paired with that book (who are we kidding... I don't cook so pair this with whatever food you want. For me some nice crackers, thin slices of Dubliner and Ghouda cheese and some smoked salmon go with just about everything).

I am currently reading Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore but have not finished it yet so I cannot confirm the wine pairing although the reviewer recommended a fine French Cognac.

Let our literary adventure begin.

Salut!

Stickeen
by John Muir

This is one of the most heartwarming stories of a dog ever written - which is really saying something because you could write the story about how you named your dog and it would be heartwarming.  John Muir was one of my heroes growing up.  I have always wanted to live a life of adventure and so when I was young I would read about adventure until I could go out and make my own.  

Pair this with a nice Malbec ( a hearty wine )






No One Here Gets Out Alive
by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugarman

There are tons of great biographies so why include this one?  First of all it is really well written and will instantly transport you back to the 60's and 70's in a time when our world was rocked by Vietnam, assassinations of major political figures, the space program and at the same time Scooby Doo and Gilligans Island.  As a kid living through all of this it was a little bit confusing - but the music was great.  Secondly, this list consists of some of my favorite books of all time and their corresponding wine pairing.  I did love this book and it was so obvious what the wine pairing for this book needed to be. So of course this book had to be included in the list.

Pair this with a *Spode Ode (see recipe at the bottom)

 



Boo and Boo Hiss
By Rene Gutteridge

Life in a small town is interesting enough but if you are a renowned horror writer who is just trying to move on with your life it can be even more interesting.  The Boo series is a fun set of fast reads especially if you have ever spent any time in a small town.  (It seemed to me like I knew every character in these books in real life).  

Pair this collection with a nice chilled Riesling.

   




Les Miserables
by Victor Hugo

This is one of my favorite books. During one of the mischievous summers of High School my dad handed me this book perhaps to keep me out of trouble.  It was one of his favorite books and really has great characters and a fantastic chase scene.  If you are going to see the musical, which is now celebrating its 25th year, it would be good to read the book.  The video clip below is one of my favorite songs from the musical - besides that I am a pretty big Nick Jonas fan. (PS either get this title in a Kindle version so you can take it with you or just go ahead and buy the hardback - you're going to want this in hardback)

Pair this with a nice Bordeaux.  




Let the wine of friendship never run dry





Confederacy of Dunces 
by John Kennedy Toole

This should be read at least once in everyone's lifetime.  The book is set in New Orleans and is as tasty as a beignet from Cafe Du Monde. It is my all time favorite book of all time.  (Did I mention all time?)

Pair this book with a nice Chardonnay and a slice of *white wine cake. (See Recipe Below)




Thanks for taking this literary journey of wine pairing with me.  What are your favorite Book / Wine pairs.



RECIPES:

SPODE ODE

fill a large (New and Unused) garbage can about 1/4 full of ice

add fruit - cantelope works well

add a couple 2 liter bottles of 7up

have each guest at the party bring one bottle of wine and pour it into the Spodie Odie as they arrive (It is not your job as the hostess to tell them what wine to bring - they will know - but you may want to tell them that it is going to be mixed with other wine so they may not want to bring the wine that would pain them to mix)

Drink Slowly


White Wine Cake


You can make this in a regular cake pan or bundt pan but to be true to the story it is more fun to make them in ornate mini bundt pans - read the book and come up with your own variations!

Ingrediants

1 box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz.) box Jell-O French vanilla instant pudding mix (or substitute soft-boiled custard for a more traditional recipe)
3/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup of Chardonnay
4 eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans are very southern)

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Spray the pan with Pam
3. Mix cake ingredients well; leaving out the nuts
4. Put nuts on the bottom of the pan
5. Pour in cake batter
6. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes

Remove from oven and slowly pour 1/2 of glaze on cake.
Cool 15 minutes and turn out of pan. Spoon rest of glaze on warm cake.

Glaze:
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. Chardonnay wine
Boil butter, sugar and water for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in
wine. Cool.

You've seen the movie now make sure you've read the book

I am a huge fan of Alan Rickman in Bottle Shock.  If you are a fan of wine, Alan Rickman (Snape in Harry Potter), or just watching fun movies then you will enjoy this movie.

Bottle Shock

You may have already seen the movie.  But have you read the book?  I haven't.  So I can't fully give you a 100% recommendation other than it sounds like it is as much fun to read as the movie was to watch.  If you have already read the book we would love to hear from you with your thoughts.  If not then check it out.

Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine

How to become a wine expert in 5 easy steps

How to become a wine aficionado:

The Pat and Jo way

1. Go to the store and buy the most inexpensive wine you can find.
   
2. Open it up and pour a small glass.
   
3. Answer one question - Do you like it? YES or NO
   
4. If the answer is NO then stop drinking it and use the rest of the bottle for cooking.
   If the answer is YES then go back to the store and buy a case of that wine.
   
5. Go back to the store and buy the next wine in order of price and repeat the process.

Really, the only thing that matters when appreciating wine is whether or not you like the taste.  

Do you need to know the proper steps of smelling, swishing, tasting, swirling? No.  You just have to know what wine you like and how to avoid buying a bottle of wine that you will hate.

Everything after that is a bonus. 

Salut!

Wine Water and Song

  The Logical Vegetarian

From "Wine Water and Song" by G. K. CHESTERTON

You will find me drinking rum,
    Like a sailor in a slum,
  You will find me drinking beer like a Bavarian.
    You will find me drinking gin
    In the lowest kind of inn,
  Because I am a rigid Vegetarian.

    So I cleared the inn of wine,
    And I tried to climb the sign,
  And I tried to hail the constable as "Marion."
    But he said I couldn't speak,
    And he bowled me to the Beak
  Because I was a Happy Vegetarian.

    Oh, I knew a Doctor Gluck,
    And his nose it had a hook,
  And his attitudes were anything but Aryan;
    So I gave him all the pork
    That I had, upon a fork;
  Because I am myself a Vegetarian.

    I am silent in the Club,
    I am silent in the pub.,
  I am silent on a bally peak in Darien;
    For I stuff away for life
    Shoving peas in with a knife,
  Because I am at heart a Vegetarian.

    No more the milk of cows
    Shall pollute my private house
  Than the milk of the wild mares of the Barbarian;
    I will stick to port and sherry,
    For they are so very, very,
  So very, very, very Vegetarian.