Elizabeth and I went to The Wine Trials 2010 book release party at Seppi’s on Wednesday night.  I was one of the blind tasters for the first edition of the book. The Wine Trials 2010 is a completely rewritten new edition that “recommends 150 wines under $15 that outscored $50-$150 wines in brown-bag blind tastings of the latest vintages.”

While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, we were served some Brut Cuvée from Domaine Ste. Michelle, a $12 Washington state sparkling wine that was preferred by over two-thirds of The Wine Trials blind tasters over a $150 bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne.  As a passed appetizer, we had some Alsatian tarte flambée, which looked and tasted like some really good thin crust pizza.  I can’t think of a better pairing to showcase the values of The Wine Trials than pizza with bubbly.

After sitting down for dinner, we were served roasted red beets and frisée salad with goat cheese over apple paired with a Grüner Veltliner, Federspiel Terrassen, Domäne Wachau from Austria.  The thinly sliced beets reminded me a little of beef carpaccio in appearance, which I think disturbed our vegetarian table mate.  I still had some of the sparkling wine left over when the salad was served, and I actually preferred it over the Grüner with the salad.  Although I am usually a Grüner fan, I thought that the herbaceous subtlety of the wine couldn’t really stand up to the vinaigrette in the salad.

Next up was a lobster bisque with crab cake on sugar cake matched with a  White Rioja from Marqués de Cáceres (Spain).  I’m not sure what “sugar cake” on the menu referred to, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise of sugar cane, which formed the “stick” on crab cake “lollipop”.  I appreciated the whimsical tropical allusion in the hearty cold-weather bisque.  I have fond memories munching on sugar cane when I was a kid in Taiwan.  The white Rioja had a vegetal lightness to counterbalance the creamy hearty soup.

The main course was a duo of monkfish “osso bucco” over saffron risotto and miniature rack of lamb over sautéed spinach.  I’m not sure where the osso bucco reference came from, but the dish tasted great.  Both the monkfish and the lamb were perfectly cooked.  I didn’t really taste the saffron in the risotto, but otherwise it was wonderfully executed.  The wine pairing was Rioja Crianza from Bodegas LAN in Spain.   I’m not sure what LAN stands for in this case, but Elizabeth and I noted that it is a geek-friendly name, and could play well with 8-bit wine.  LAN party anyone?

The next course was a cheese plate with blue cheese and Gruyère paired with an Altano Douro, Symington Family Estates from Portugal.  I am a frequent vinho verde drinker, but I had never tried a red from Portugal before.  It was a real revelation.  Elizabeth and I both agreed that it was a unique wine and our favorite of the evening.  I don’t have the words to describe it, just try it, it’s less than 10 bucks a bottle.

Finally, for dessert, we had a flyer chocolate cake paired with a dessert wine from Greece, Mavrodaphne of Patras, Kourtaki, which had a caramelly taste, and a nice lighter-bodied alternative to the usual pairing of Port with chocolate.

More photos on Flickr

The Wine Trials 2010 Official Website

The Wine Trials 2010 on Amazon

I hosted the first ITP Eating Club event last night.  The theme was pintxos (a Basque genre of tapas) featuring some local ingredients and international flavors.  I was busy with the food prep and playing host for most of the event, so I didn’t take many pictures, but you can check out Cameron’s blog post and Derek’s photos.  We also live streamed the party from the webcam on my MacBookPro.  If you are super bored, you can watch the video of the party (we didn’t record audio) on my Blip.tv account.  Recipes after the jump.

Above: Liesje & Meredith sample the spread.  Below: Cameron and LS in the kitchen.  Photos by Derek Chung

Scallop Ceviche

Photo by Derek Chung

This is my take from an Eric Gower recipe, from the Breakaway Japanese Kitchen.

Chop up about a half pound (~230 grams) of dry diver scallops, 1/4 of a red bell pepper, 2 or 3 scallions/green onions, 1 avocado (ripe, but not too soft), and a handful of fresh parsley and/or cilantro.  Last night, I used a combo of parsley and chives because that was what I had around.

Mix everything together in a bowl with the juice of 2 limes, and season to taste with some grated ginger, soy sauce, olive oil, a bit of maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for a few minutes and serve.

Vegetable Frittata

Given the pintxos theme, this should have been called a tortilla, as the Spaniards call it, but it’s a bit confusing in the US, because people tend to associate the word “tortilla” with the Mexican flatbread.  Basically, it’s a glorified omelette with vegetables instead of the traditional potatoes.

In a large bowl, beat together 10 eggs and a couple tablespoons of sheepsmilk yogurt or strained Greek yogurt.  The yogurt is not in the traditional Spanish recipe, but I find that it adds some lightness.

Heat a non-stick skillet and add a few generous lashings of olive oil.  Don’t skimp on the olive oil!  Sauté some thinly sliced zucchini, red bell pepper, onions, and a clove of garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the vegetables are softened, add the egg and yogurt mixture.

Cook over medium to medium-low heat.  When the mixture is still very liquidy, stir it around to allow for more even cooking, but don’t do this when the eggs start to firm up.  Cook until you see the mixture come together and brown a bit on the sides.

If you are super ambitious, you can put an inverted plate over the skillet and flip the frittata out and then cook the other side, but I prefer to just finish it in the oven, with a few seconds under the broiler at the very end to brown the top.

Let cool, then cut into slices, put on slices of crusty bread (I got the baguettes from Le Pain Quotidien) and fasten with a toothpick.

Fromage Fort

Meaning “strong cheese” in French, this is a clever way for Frenchies to use up their leftover cheese.  I had about a pound and a half of various kinds of cheese in my freezer that I pulled out, defrosted, and brought to room temperature.  Cut off the rinds and cut up the cheese with a knife, or grate the cheese.

In a blender, put the cheese, 1 stick of softened butter (yes one whole stick of butter – this is the not-so-secret French weapon to making everything taste good), 1 small clove of garlic, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, a handful of herbs (I used parsley and some dried herbes de Provence), and enough dry white wine.  Keeping in the locavore theme, I used a Wolffer Estate Vineyards La Ferme Martin Chardonnay from Long Island.

Transfer into a lidded container and let mellow overnight or for a few hours before serving at room temperature.  Serve as a spread for bread, or schmear onto slices of crusty bread and broil until melted and bubbly.

Salmon Pâté

This is my adaptation of an old-school Joy of Cooking recipe.  It also contains a whole stick of butter

Cut a half-pound wild Pacific salmon filet into chunks.  Put in a small saucepan and cover with just enough dry white wine.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and drain, discarding the wine.  Remove any bones and skin from the salmon.

Heat about 3 tablespoons worth of the stick of butter along with 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet.  Add the salmon and flake with a spatula in the pan.  Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes; do not let it brown.  Add 2 tablespoons of Sortilège maple syrup-infused Canadian whiskey (Cognac, brandy, or regular whiskey would work here too).  Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Let the mixture cool slightly, then bash it up with a mortar and pestle along with the rest of the stick of butter, a peeled hard-boiled egg, the a bit of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and some chopped dill and chives.  Transfer to a container or bowl, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

To unmold the pâté, dip the bowl in some hot water and then use a rubber spatula to loosen and then invert onto a plate for serving.  Garnish with some more fresh herbs and fresh lemon juice.  Serve with good bread.

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini

Arrange the oven so that 2 baking trays will fit in at the same time.  Preheat to 400 degrees.

Cut the 1 large zucchini and 1 head of cauliflower into bite-sized chunks.  Mix in a large bowl with some roughly chopped garlic, the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoon or so of powdered turmeric, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a dry saucepan, roast 2 small dried chili peppers (seeded) and 1 teaspoon each of whole cumin, coriander seed, caraway seed, black pepper, and cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves and half a stick of cinnamon.  When the spices start to pop and get fragrant (be careful not the burn the spices), bash up using a mortar and pestle with a handful of fresh garlic, ginger 1 small onion (chopped), and plenty of salt to form a spice paste.

In a large bowl, mix the spice paste with 2 pounds (900 grams) of ground lamb, 6 ounces (170 grams) of sheepsmilk yogurt or strained Greek yogurt, a splash of olive oil, a bit of caramelized onions, 2 handfulls of bread crumbs or flour, a handful of chopped parsley, and 1 egg.  Mix well and form into balls with your hands.  Place meatballs onto another foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake the vegetable mixture in the meatballs for 30-40 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.  The vegetables are done when they look wilted and slighly browned.  The meatballs will look dry and browned on the outside when they are done.

To assemble, skewer a meatball to a piece of cauliflower and zucchini and attach to a baguette slice.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Duck Confit with White Bean Purée and Frisée Salad

Ok, I cheated a little for this one.  I didn’t actually make the duck confit from scratch.  I bought some Hudson Valley duck confit from FreshDirect.

Drain 2 cans of white beans with a strainer and rinse well under running water.  Transfer to a casserole and top with 4 legs of duck confit and a little bit of olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and warm in a 400-degree oven.

Remove the skin from the duck confit and set aside.  In a blender, purée the duck skins, the white beans, half a bulb worth of roasted garlic, one onion worth of caramelized onion, the juice of half a lemon, a couple shakes of dried herbes de Provence or thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.  The beans are already salted, and the confit is salty too, so go easy on the salt.  You might have to stir the mixture a bit with a spatula between rounds on the blender to get the mixture fully incorporated.  You can also add some more olive oil or some stock to loosen the mixture if it is too thick, but it should be about the consistency of hummus.

Shred the duck meat off the bones.  In a bowl, make a dressing out of the juice of half a lemon, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, black pepper, and 2 handfuls of chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and chives, but chervil would work well too).  You probably won’t need more salt, but taste anyway.  Add the duck meat and some torn up frisée.

To assemble, spread some of the white bean purée onto a baguette slice, then top with some of the duck and frisée salad.

Mashed Kabocha Squash with Sautéed Shiitake

Half a kabocha squash and scoop out the seeds.  Place in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.  Cover tightly with foil and roast in a 425 degree oven until soft (about 30-45 minutes).

In the meantime, sauté 7 ounces (200 grams) of sliced shiitake mushrooms in a mixture of butter and olive oil with some chopped garlic and 1 small chopped onion.  Season with freshly ground black pepper and red chili flakes.  Add a splash of mirin and soy sauce and continue to cook until the mushrooms are browned.

When the kabocha is done in the oven, allow to cool slightly until it can be comfortably handled.  Remove the skin from the squash and mash together with 1 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons of white miso (or enough to taste).  Add the mushroom mixture to the kabocha.  Before serving, mix in 2 handfuls of chopped parsley and chives or scallions.

Serve as a side dish or spread on slices of crusty bread.

This is a dish I came up with in Tahoe last week.  I think of it as French food done California casual style. If you want to replicate it, find an off-dry riesling, with a good acidity and not too sweet, but still nice and fruity.  You only need a little bit of the wine for cooking, the rest is for drinking with your meal!  The sauce is my bastardization of the classic French beurre blanc, but I’m not that classy, so I’m not going to claim to call it that. This recipe will generously serve 2 people, with leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of wild pacific salmon filets, washed and dried with paper towels
• 1 bottle of off-dry riesling
• LOTS of butter
• 1 bunch of red swiss chard, cut into ribbons
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced (or a handful of chives)
• 1 handful of dill, chopped
• 1 handful of flat-leafed parsley, chopped

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, pour in about 1 cup of riesling and add 1 minced shallot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and reduce until about 1/3 of the original volume.

In the meantime, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in another pan and sauteé the swiss chard ribbons with the garlic and the rest of the shallot.  Add a splash of the riesling, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Reduce heat and braise until tender.

Season the salmon filets well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  In yet another pan, melt more butter and sear the salmon on both sides until just barely pink.  Remove from heat and set aside.

The sauce and the chard should be about ready by now.  Turn off the heat on both the chard and the reduced wine sauce.  Whisk in about a half stick of butter, a pat or two at a time, into the reduced wine mixture.  Add the dill, parsley and green onion/chives, and whisk again to combine.

Plate the salmon with the chard and top with the dill sauce.  Serve with the rest of the riesling and plenty of crusty French bread and lots of soft butter (if you dare).

What to do with the leftovers:

I had some leftover salmon and sauce, so I decided to make some pasta for lunch the next day.  Flake the salmon with a fork, removing any skin and bones.  Melt the leftover sauce with another splash of the wine and some more butter if necessary, throw in some chopped tomatoes and the salmon and just heat through.  Cook up a pack of fresh spinach fettucine, drain and toss with the sauce and top with more fresh herbs (dill, parsley and chives).

There you go, two meals in one.

This dinner is a improvisation that I put together last night (Saturday, 9 August 2008). I would characterize this meal as Mediterranean-meets-Malay-in-a-Manhattan-love-affair. Full of flavor, yet light enough for a balmy late-summer weekend evening.

The locally-caught wild bluefish and the veggies are from FreshDirect, while the seasonings come from my eclectic pantry of global flavors and some extras from my last WholeFoods excursion. You will need a mortar and pestle for this project. I got mine I guess you could also use a food processor, but I prefer the meditative tactile quality of the mortar and pestle. Besides, a mortar and pestle is much easier to clean than a food processor and is a good form of stress relief and DIY aromatherapy.

Ingredients and Prep

Sauce

1. Six cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
2. A two-inch segment of ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
3. One-third cup of unsweetened dried coconut
4. Five to six anchovy fillets in oil, along with about one tablespoon of the oil
5. Two teaspoons of Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste (or substitute with fresh chili peppers if you have them, but in that case, add more sugar)
6. Half teaspoon of brown sugar
7. One teaspoon of tamarind concentrate (AKA tamarind paste
8. One and a half teaspoons of turmeric powder
9. Two-thirds cup of boiling water
10. Juice of one lime
11. Salt & pepper to taste

Vegetables and Herbs

1. One medium zucchini (courgette), cut into bite-sized half moons
2. Two handfuls of grape (or cherry) tomatoes, halved
3. Four green onions (scallions), cut diagonally into 1.5 inch (4 cm) segments
4. One handful of fresh basil
5. Four to six kaffir lime leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Two wild bluefish fillets (10-12 ounces/280-340 grams each, substitute any firm, oily fish), scaled, deboned and rinsed in cold water and dried with paper towels

Cilantro (fresh coriander) to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 Celsius).

Bash up the garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Add the coconut and bash up some more. Add sauce ingredients 4 to 8 one by one and mix thoroughly. You might need a spoon or a spatula to help you out at this point. Add the boiling water and half of the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt since the anchovies are already salty. Mix to incorporate.

Just barely coat the bottom of a 10 x 10 inch casserole or baking dish with some of the sauce mixture.  Put the bluefish fillets into the baking dish skin-side down.  In a large bowl, mix together the remaining sauce mixture and the vegetables and herbs.  Spread this mixture on top of the bluefish fillets.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with rice and some simply sauteéd greens. In the picture above, I have mixed-grain rice and bok choy and carrots sauteéd with garlic, ginger, and a little dried chili pepper.

Drink Paring

I had some Varanda do Conde, a Portuguese vinho verde with this meal. I nice tart rosé or a nice cold lager would work too.

The Wine Trials is an upcoming book that describes of a series of blind tastings that I took part in last year. The tastings were great fun. We were encouraged to come up with creative, uncensored descriptions of wines. I thought one of the wines tasted like cat pee. The book recommends 100 wines under $15 that beat $50-$150 wines in the tastings.

I’m all about the cheap wine, like the 3-buck chuck from Trader Joe’s, or the 4-dollar Spanish table wine I got from JUSCO when I lived in Japan. These days, I get my cheap wine from Fresh Direct. They have a great 7-dollar vinho verde and an 11-dollar cava that are regular fixtures of my wine stash.

This week’s issue of Newsweek has an article about the book on page 12 of the magazine, the text of the article is also online.

You can pre-order copies of The Wine Trials from Amazon.com.