Grape Thinking » Dining

GrapeThinking

Mu — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:40:26 +0000

This video is a compilation of my harvests in the agroturismos of Italy, the desert of Argentina, and the sunshine of northern California. The music is one of my favorite songs of all time, it’s called Voyageur by Enigma. I moved out to California a year ago with a bottle of GrapeThinking, a bottle of ideas I guess you could say, that started filling up 5 years ago with conversation between myself, Jacob Bohall, Ruarri Rogan, Meghan O’Malley, and many others. Over the past year, those ideas have delightfully fermented, and the time has finally come for us to have a taste…

~circuit to cell, web to water, mind to vine~

In Our Server We Trust

Meghan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:34:51 +0000

With expanding wine lists, selecting a wine can be harder than it seems. This is when we entrust our taste buds with our server who is supposed to be knowledgeable in both food and wine. Sure, we bullshit to a certain extent only because we really aren’t too sure if that $200 bottle of wine develops from white pepper to smoke with a hint of cocoa on the end. We only know as much as you do sometimes.

Is it the server’s fault they lack the tools to enrich your meal?

Yes and no.

I have worked in quite a few restaurants ranging from corporate to fine dining. Many of the restaurants will not allow their staff to sample the wine, which makes it harder to sell. I worked at a wine bar that featured 100 wines by the glass. Here the staff was encouraged to sample the wines for their own knowledge. By sampling we were able to sell better and also match the guests requests. We also were visited by wine representatives who would tell us about their wines. Here we gained information that would not be featured on the wine list, a little something more to tell the guests.

Just like when you go to wine store and ask for recommendations, your server at a restaurant should ask you a few questions in order to gage where your palate stands compared to theirs. Simple questions, such as do you prefer light, medium, or full bodied? What do you usually drink? Is there a specific region you are drawn to? I was lucky enough to be able to give samples of any of the 100 wines we sold. From here I would bring two to three different wines over that I thought my table would enjoy, but I wouldn’t tell them which was which until after they tasted it. Sometimes when people hear a name they will go with it because it sounds familiar. This is why I was a fan of the blind tasting, people would learn that they actually did like Mouvedre or that Merlot they turned their nose up at before because it simply was a Merlot.

I’ll admit I’m guilty of name association as well. When I go to the wine store, I get overwhelmed, not because I don’t know what anything is, but because I can’t make up my mind. Here is where I entrust the wine clerk to pick out the wine for me. There are some wine stores on Long Island and in Manhattan that allow samples of specific wines. These wines are hooked up to a system that when you push a button a sample will pour into your glass. Yes, these wines are usually the ones they are trying to push that month, but hey if I can try it before I buy it then I might just be inclined to buy more. It’s just smart marketing.

If you’re out at a restaurant and you want to politely ask the server about their wine knowledge you should ask them if they are allowed to sample the wines. If yes then close the menu, if no then ask them for their recommendation based on a select few you’ve chosen. In restaurants that I’ve worked where we hadn’t sampled the wines, I would base my answers on what other tables have told me about that wine. “It’s very popular” is polite waiter-speak for I haven’t personally had it but everyone orders and enjoys it so it must be good. Trust your server, they won’t steer you wrong on purpose because, hey, if you hate it then they have to listen to it. Take chances, take recommendations and as always remember to Wine Your Diet.

West Coast Green – How my life changed this week

Mu — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:42:11 +0000

Wow, what an excellent conference! A game changer. I have to thank my friends over at Village Green Energy for hooking me up with a free pass. I’ve been so passionate about this movement as long as I can remember… ever since 6th grade when I messed around with electromagenetic fields and plants. Early education for me was all about ecology and environment, and that followed with rigorous economics in college, which I didn’t quite understand about myself until now. Having not gone into banking with my degree and now seeing the state of the economy I was like shit… but David Suzuki put it so clearly… it’s (eco)nomics. I can’t believe I never recognized that. I automatically associated economics with the greedy, short-sighted mentality of Wall Street that focuses solely on the bottom line and exploiting the market for cash and egoic status. Yet you realize the bottom line is not the statement of cash flows or the balance sheet… it’s the fuckin planet. Ecology + Economics = Sustainability. This conference was absolutely buzzing! People were feeling alive and connecting and touching each other like I’ve never seen in my life. We all knew the green revolution is ready and about to change the world in a big way.

The keynotes were superb with Al Gore, Jerrry Brown, and David Suzuki really leaving a moving impact on me. Nobody was afraid to go deep. Sure there was plenty of talk about clean tech innovations or green building or policy changes.. but more so people were incredibly open about spiritual and conciousness based changes that are going to take place around the world to solve this crisis. Sarah Susanka even brought the crowd to tears with her moving presentation. It’s so much bigger than green or solar or oil… it’s about enlightening the human race that we are one and we share the same spirit with each other and with the world as a whole. I found it to be quite the religious experience to be at this conference. A few others being recently when I went into the wild of Alaska for a few weeks and when I saw the Dalai Lama speak in Bethlehem, Pa.

Aside from the heavy stuff, there were tons of innovative companies doing everything from cutting edge solar installs, to green acrhitecture consulting, to new age battery storage, smart grid stuff, efficiency software, New Resource Bank (which is exploding with business during this banking crisis… lol gotta love it!) and sooo much more. You had builders, utility reps, entrepreneurs, mad scientists, engineers, and everyone was so open and loving and connecting. I was blown away… it took me 3 full days to digest it all.

There were also brilliant seminars and panels, the best one for me being the State of Investing in Clean Tech, where partners from KPCB, Foundation, Sigma, and DFJ (all the big Menlo Park firms) talked about what companies they’re investing in and what technology is working… and yet something was different. These are VCs and of course money is there first concern, but with this clean green movement we are finally going to enter into a phase of social… or better yet eco-capitalism… where we benefit the environment and the social welfare of all while making a shitload of money and creating a shitload of jobs. This is an unprecendented opportunity in economic human history. Create a concentrically cyclical supply chain and pass the prosperity around the world. I was inspired by the VCs stories of how they’re going green in their own lives and their deep personal commitment.

A few themes from the conference to leave you with:

1) Nature to the grid baby – energy, health, architecture

2) Ecology + Economics = Sustainability (Eco-Capitalism)

3) Sky power will fuel the earth

4) The only thing special about humans is our foresight… our ability to see and shape the future. So lets use it.

5) A new connected conciousness is emerging that will limit the individual ego that has evolved and scorched our earth with fragmented, disjointed, greedy agendas. The only chance at eternal life is if we live together as one.

6) Be the change you want to see in the world!

In my humble opinion, these are unprecedented and magical times in the history of our race and our planet. There’s no better place to be then right here, and right now.

Red wine and steak

Ruarri — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:54 +0000

For the reward given – cooking steak is probably one of the best things you can do to entertain guests. It’s so easy and there’s really no better accompaniment for steak than red wine.

I like to buy a whole Angus fillet and cook it first before cutting it into fillet steaks, this way you can keep the juices and really preserve a lot of the flavour. It also presents a perfect opportunity to do what any male wine millennial, or any male for that matter – likes most… marinade. Like making hot-sauce, there is perhaps no time more satisfying to a man than when given the chances to marinade something. There’s a certain feeling of alchemy in preparing the meat that really doesn’t come with other pre-preparation chores like peeling potatoes or rolling pastry flat.

The ingredients for getting a steak ready are quite simple: rock salt, English mustard, lemons, pepper, red wine, olive oil, chopped garlic and mixed spices. Adding lemon juice helps seal the steak and within minutes the pinkish colour will disappear and the fillet will start to gain a more cooked sort of colour. At this point I roll the fillet in a bed of rock-salt before smothering it in a healthy dose of English mustard mixed with spice and crushed garlic. Once done, leave it to soak in a pool of red wine on top of a bed of diced onions allowing the blood and fermented juice to comingle.

At this point it’s time to pour yourself a glass of wine and get down to preparing a simple salad (feta, tomato, cucumber, rocket, red lettuce and sesame seeds with a balsamic glaze always goes down well) together with some baked vegetables (onions, courgettes, egg-plant and butternut are perfect.)

After about 3 hours of marinating or so – once the guests arrive; you can chat and get the barbecue going for about half an hour. The veg will take about an hour to cook and the meat will take 15 minutes (if you like it burnt and bloody); 20 minutes if you want it medium rare… so stick the veg in in a pocket of tin-foil – and half an hour later gather people around as it’s always a bit of excitement to watch the meat go on.

Generally if the steak is sealed – leaving it on one side should do fine; and at a medium temperature it should cook through. At this stage you can heat the marinade up, add a lamb stock cube and a cup of water along with some diced mushrooms and pepper and you have a great red wine and mushroom gravy.

The perfect wine for steak on a summer’s day is a Shiraz Viognier – especially if you’ve used mustard, and garlic as they really complement and bring out the spice flavour. Some people would argue cab – but I think that that would more be for an evening event if there’s a chill in the air.

For our Angus Fillet I chose the Graham Beck Joshua 2003 – which turned out to be a perfect accompaniment. It may not have been March 14th, but any chance for steak and red wine is something to smile about.

Cheerz!

Estancia de Carodilla Malbec 2005

Ruarri — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:50:21 +0000

Malbec is the Eva Peron of Argentinian wine varieties and its presence on a label has done much for the category of the premium wine production nation on the South American continent. Whilst Chile often delivers incredibly on value, Argentina packs in value with value added by diversity – especially in its ownership and complete creative license with the Malbec grape.

Insofar as Southern hemisphere sport is concerned – Argentina certainly holds its own on the Rugby field, but in the field of Malbec Argentina writes the rules.

The de Carodilla Malbec 2005 has a Medoc characteristic to it, with a rustic smokiness and distinct taste veins of strawberry and currents that course through the wine-dark juice. I’m reminded of the profile of certain Central Otago Pinot Noirs – except it delivers at a fraction of the price and much wider availability.

In an Argentinian wine-rugby club, anything with Malbec makes the side.

Wolfin’ down Wolffer

Ruarri — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:26:05 +0000

Admittedly, its largely to the work of dedicated bloggers like Lenn Thompson that I owe my continued fascination with New York State wines. New York’s white wines, from the fertile Long Island soils and the Germanic climate, have a unique and distinctive character that quite frankly, puts Californian whites to shame. This Chard shows off tropicality with mineral structure, making it a perfect aperitif or a between courses palate cleanser. Along with the rounded touch of malolactic fermentation there’s a perfectly balanced element of wood that integrates well on the palate, leaving a hint of tinned-pears on the finish.

Seeing as the United States is playing against South African on the 30th of September, in the white wine department I will have to concede a handful of points the America for this fine Estate.

Willy Willy for the Aussie World Cup

Ruarri — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:45:59 +0000

Though the name suggests a bit of dicking about, the juice in the bottle is not half bad. Honestly though, I was glad that I purchased this at a store because I’d be at loathe to order the ‘Willy Willy 2006′ at any restaurant if I were in earshot of just about anyone. This wine drinks smooth, entices the nose with vanilla pods and white pepper which translate into a little ‘hows your father’ on the mid palate and finish. I think this wine goes to show that Aussie Shiraz is so seriously good that they can give it as stupid a name as they like without having any cause for concern.

Interior Decorating (and improving status) with wine

Ruarri — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:13:42 +0000

Apartment Therapy is one of the most updated and relevant sites I’ve encountered of late, and their blog-roll alone is enough to keep you informed. Now, insofar as adding finishing touches to one’s apartment – there’s nothing better than a well stocked wine rack. If you’re having guests or inviting a date – nothing is more impressive than being able to offer a drink to your visitors.

Like books, it’s always nice to have a book that can become a talking point. If you have a book-shelf, you’re hardly going to want to have it stocked full of ‘How to win friends and influence people’ or ‘Get Cool in 24 Steps’ or ‘Stop, don’t kill yourself.’ A good bookshelf is a great supplement to having a killer view – because like a music collection it says its a good window into who you are. The same goes for wine – in that you don’t want your fridge packed with Miller Light in the same way that you don’t want empty bottles of Little Penguin lined up on your fireplace like trophies. You don’t have to have your wine rack stocked with things that have to be laid down for years – and the market is full of perfectly respectable wines going for under $18. Once you get about 30 wines and a good rack, then the initial expense is over, because from there on you can just replace what you drink. Wine gets fun when you actually go out with the specific purpose of buying it – and what’s even better is that you don’t have to go out anymore – and you can get 30 decent wines from Gary V. for under $400 delivered to your door easily.

I promise you – if you’re dating, and you have someone round and your living area has an intelligently stocked book case and you have a wine rack that doesn’t have more than 1 critter – you’re half way there already.

The Grape – getting it right. Restaurant 2.0

Ruarri — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:03:34 +0000

Jake and Greg were at The Grape this last weekend, and over the past year or so in our brainstorms The Grape has come up time and again as a place that just gets it. Take for example their wine list and wine food recommendations – which is perhaps the first time I’ve ever seen a wine list that makes sense.

We know how different Shiraz can show, that Sauvignon Blanc rarely has the same face region to region and that Pinot Grigio doesn’t always go well with food – and a restaurant/ bar does its clientÃ¨le no favors by just dividing wine into Red and White, or they divide it into countries – and the emerging trend is to divide it into varietals.

The Grape does something unheard of to date: they divide their wine into taste. More than that they then give you a taste profile match on their menu, dish by dish. I have probably sampled less than a thousand wines in my life – and I certainly don’t remember all the names because I’m no Michael Broadbent. When I’m looking at a wine, I want to know its taste flavor profile – and if I’m paying $20 a bottle, I’ll be pretty ticked if its not what I want. This kind of a menu system is helpful to anyone… I know because when I’m out to dinner with friends they always ask me to help pick the wine: but The Grape allows people to choose the wine for themselves. What I further like about The Grape is that its more than a restaurant – because their venues are usually really good places to just hang out. It’s a destination brand – allowing dining, entertainment, exploration and with their innovative wine list: education. It’s really refreshing to see a mainstream brand that has begun to take its customer’s taste seriously.

allows you to design your own tasting flight of three or more wines from our One through Eight Grape classifications and from our Nine and Ten Grape specials. Choose from all wines with a â€œGrape Bunchâ€ designation in our wine menu to create your unique tasting flight, served in our special glasses for your ultimate tasting experience. At The Grape, Your Taste is All that Counts.”

The New Summer 2007 Menu

GOURMET APPETIZERS

Southwestern Corn & Crab Chowder

A savory cream-based chowder made with lump blue crab meat, corn, andouille sausage and a touch of Cajun seasonings (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: two through four and nine grapes

Shrimp RÃ©moulade
Jumbo Gulf shrimp on a bed of Romaine with Creole rÃ©moulade, caperberries, lemon wedge and fresh baked breads
Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes

Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon with baguette toast, feta cream cheese, capers, onions and special horseradish sauce
Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes

PÃ¢tÃ©
Country pÃ¢tÃ© du jour with pickles, caperberries, olives, special sauce and baguette
Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes

Antipasto
Prosciutto, Genoa, olive oil, provolone, and fresh buffalo mozzarella with olives, caperberries and Italian bread

Wine pairing: one through five and eight grapes

Roma Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh mozzarella
Wine pairing: all grapes

Warm Feta Marinara

Feta cream served with zesty marinara sauce and herbed crostini

Wine pairing: four, five and ten grapes

Grape Porto
Roasted Portobello stuffed with crab meat, parmesan/fontina cream cheese, garlic, chives and bread crumbs
Wine pairing: one through four grapes

SPECIALTY SPREADS
Specialty spreads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads

Roma Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella
Marinated in herbed olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Wine pairing: all grapes

Spinach & Applewood Smoked Bacon
Wine pairing: two through six and ten grapes

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
House-made hummus flavored with roasted red peppers, served with Italian tomato salsa, garlic oil and paprika
Wine pairing: one, two and four grapes

Imported Olives & Olive Tapenade
Wine pairing: all grapes

Combo Spreads
Half portions of each spread at half price (minimum two per order)

GOURMET CHEESES
Cheeses are sold by the ounce and are served with a selection of fresh baked breads, imported crackers and grapes

Saint AndrÃ©
Imported French triple creamâ€”rich, elegant and delicious
Wine pairing: three, seven, eight and nine grapes

Caciotta al Tartufo (kah-CHOH-tuh ahl tar-TOO-foh)
A must-try: soft sheep’s milk cheese imported from Italy loaded with rare, shaved black truffles
Wine pairing: two through five and nine grapes

Stilton
The king from across the pondâ€”excellent with baguette and wafers
Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

Pecorino Toscano (peh-koh-REE-noh toh-SKAH-noh)
A richly flavored, complex cheese from Italy with a nutty caramel finish
Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes

McCall’s Shamrock Cheddar
Sharp and enticing aged Irish cheddar
Wine pairing: two through six, nine and ten grapes

Cheese du Jour
Ask your server about today’s specially selected cheese
Wine pairing: Ask your server for recommendations

PITA PISAS
What’s a Pisa?! A Grape original: fresh ingredients served atop a light pita crust

Mediterranean Grilled Veggie
Fresh grilled green and yellow zucchini, grilled eggplant and red onion, roasted red pepper sauce and goat cheese, finished with a balsamic reduction
Wine pairing: one, two, four and five grapes

Atlantic Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon, marinated European cucumber and red onion, arugula and feta cream spread, drizzled with a miso aÃ¯oli
Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes

Capri
Fresh Roma tomato, balsamic marinated onion, fresh mozzarella, basil and a hint of seasoned oil
Wine pairing: all grapes

Cambozola, Prosciutto & Fig
Creamy Cambozola (triple-cream blue cheese) and prosciutto with rich fig spread
Wine pairing: two through six and eight grapes

MEDITERRANEAN QUESADILLAS

Black Forest Ham & Mozzarella

Sliced ham, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula pesto, served with mixed greens

Wine pairing: two through four grapes

Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin, cheddar cheese and caramelized onion, served with a horseradish cream sauce
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Chicken
Chicken, feta, sun dried tomato pesto and provolone, served with a sun-dried tomato aÃ¯oli
Wine pairing: three through six grapes

Tuscan
Roma tomato, oregano, basil, roasted garlic, mushroom, spinach, fontina and ChÃ¨vre, served with marinara sauce
Wine pairing: all grapes

GRAPE BISTRO

Brie en CroÃ»te

Brie baked in a puff pastry crust with stone fruit chutney and a cabernet syrup, served with a petite arugula salad tossed in a fresh lemon vinaigrette

Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Summer Vegetable Quiche

Green and yellow zucchini, oven-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan cheese baked into a savory pie, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: two through four, eight and nine grapes

Chicken & Portobello Quiche
Grilled chicken, roasted Portobello mushroom, Bermuda onion and cheddar cheese baked to golden perfection, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: three through five grapes

The Grape CrÃªpe
Our delicious chive crÃªpe filled with duck confit, dried cherries, mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese, drizzled with a dried cherry reduction. Changes seasonally

Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

SALADS

Salads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads

Shrimp & Crab Louis Salad
Mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with cucumber, tomato and lemon wedge, topped with a generous serving of shrimp and crab dressed in our regal Louis dressing
Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Tenderloin Steak Salad
Sliced tenderloin served on Romaine with red onion, Roma tomato, blue cheese and our house-made Greek vinaigrette
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
Sweet chili and soy marinated chicken, julienned carrots, cucumbers, red onions and mandarin oranges served on a bed of mixed greens with a miso ginger vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Caesar Salad
Romaine, croutons and shaved Parmesan
Wine pairing: one through three and nine grapes

Greek Salad
Romaine, tomato, onion, olives, peppers, feta and croutons, served with our house-made Greek vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one through four grapes

Caesar or Greek Add grilled shrimp or grilled chicken breast

ENTREES
Sandwiches are served with our Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella salad

Roast Beef Panino
House sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, oven roasted mushrooms and balsamic marinated onions on sourdough bread with a horseradish cream sauce
Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

Grape Club
Grilled chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on a fresh baked roll
Wine pairing: three through five, nine and ten grapes

Steak Sandwich
Encrusted beef tenderloin prepared medium rare, served with caramelized onions and blue cheese sauce on a grilled roll
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Muffaletta
A New Orleans favoriteâ€”Italian meats and cheeses served on ciabatta with a Crescent City olive salad
Wine pairing: four, five, six and eight grapes

…

Grape Mini Crab Cakes
Five generous dabs of crab baked to perfection, served with Creole aÃ¯oli and baby spinach tossed in a light vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes

Grape Chops

New Zealand rack of lamb chops roasted with special seasonings, served with a mint, black cherry and port reduction and fresh rosemary (three chops). Famished? Try five Grape Chops!

Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

DELECTABLE SWEETS

Vanilla CrÃ¨me BrÃ»lÃ©e Cheesecake
The Grape’s take on crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e: Vanilla bean infused cheesecake atop a cookie crust, covered with a delectable crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e frosting and served with whipped cream and fresh berries

American Pie
Rich, buttery, almond-flavored crust layered with fresh sliced apples and drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm with vanilla bean gelato

Fresh Seasonal Berries
Fresh berries with vanilla whipped cream and wafers

The Grape Chocolate Factory

Sensual Chocolate Fondue
Savor our Sensual Chocolate fondue for two or for four

The Grape’s sensational chocolate fondue made with a delicious blend of French and Belgian chocolates, served with strawberries, bananas, pineapple and grapes and our house-made peanut butter blonde brownies, angel food cake, coconut macaroons and s’mores

Add a 2.5-ounce glass of each of our sparkling Italian dessert wines, Brachetto and Moscato

Le Chocolat
A work of art for the eyes and palate: Rich chocolate ganache fading into a light chocolate sponge cake, topped with roasted hazelnuts and a dark chocolate leaf and drizzled with raspberry sauce

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie
Our West Coast chocolate and cream cheese brownie drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato

Taste of Italia

Vanilla Bean Gelato
An all-time favorite from Italy, served with sweet wafers

Gelato du Jour
Ask your server about our seasonal gelato selection, served with sweet wafers

Wine pairings for all desserts: seven and eight grapes. Ask for your server for recommendations

BEVERAGES

The Grape Mimosa

Something fun and sexy ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice

Iced tea

French-pressed coffee (regular or decaffeinated)

Hot Tea

Citron Green
Japanese Bancha with gentle, pleasing notes of citrus and aromatic orange flowers

Chocolate Mint
A wonderful treat of chocolate-infused tea combined with lively peppermint leaves

Earl Grey Supreme
A careful blend of five teas balanced by the fragrant citrus of Bergamot, delicious with milk and sugar

Seasonal Tea
Ask your server about our tea inspired by the season

Bottled Water

Voss (still or sparkling)

San Pellegrino (flavored sparkling)
Aranciata
Limonata

THE GRAPE BRUNCH

Available Saturdays and/or Sundays at participating locations (Please call)

The Grape Mimosa
Something fun and sexy ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice

The Grape Breakfast Crepe
Brown sugar and cinnamon apples with warm brie and a champagne preserve sauce

The Grape Continental Breakfast
Imported European yogurt, seasonal fruit and a basket of fresh baked breads

North Atlantic Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon served with feta cream cheese, capers, onions, horseradish sauce and a basket of mini bagels and croissants

The Grape Breakfast Pisa
Applewood smoked bacon, sharp cheddar and farm fresh eggs garnished with tomato concassÃ©, served atop a light pita crust

Southwestern Breakfast Quiche
Andouille sausage, corn, red onions, red bell peppers, jalapeÃ±os and cheddar cheese served with our house-made pico de gallo

Filet Mignon Benedict
Succulent beef tenderloin (4 oz) with toast points and horseradish Hollandaise, served with home fries

There is no love more sincere than the love of food George Bernard Shaw

Ruarri — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:35:17 +0000

Let’s face it – we can all go a week without watching our favorite show, everyone can deal with the loss of a treasured piece of clothing, stolen cars can always be replaced and we can all deal with small amounts of distance from our friends and loved ones. Nothing however, besides obvious things like oxygen can be more important than food. So one must wonder, if eating is something we do regularly – then surely it’s something we should learn about. If you’re doing okay financially it makes little sense that you should know everything there is to know about sport, have a good fashion sense, be geographically and politically aware – and know next to nothing about food.

Few people understand how easy it is to make a really good casserole, put together a curry evening, whip up a quick stir-fry, bake good brownies or make a really wholesome stew. On top of that – with a good play list, an open bottle of wine and a friend or partner to assist the process – cooking is an enjoyable act in and of itself (just try avoid having more than a glass of wine before the guests arrive.) Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray and Nigella Lawson have all done an unbelievable job of making cooking reachable. But insofar as actually getting people to take an active part in their own culinary adventure, there’s no one more influential than a friend.

My personal journey began when a house-mate of mine, Tom, started dating a girl from Milan, Gracia at about the same time that I was collecting a lot of wine. Suddenly – our egg on toast kitchen was producing made from scratch Sicilian style pizza, Guinness and steak pies, pan seared tuna steaks in coriander and orange sauce, pin-wheal sandwiches, pasta cabonara, spinach and feta pastries (all accompanied by a killer wine)… and that was just on weak nights between the three of us. About once a month we’d invite friends and spend up to 4 hours preparing (in such cases you can have up to 3 glasses of wine before the guests come.)

Few people our age – unless married like myself, can afford to live on their own and so live with two or more people per house. And whilst many people will go to a restaurant and spend $40 a head – few of those same people would spend $80 on a week’s groceries and actually share in cooking fairly basic and highly satisfying dishes for the whole week, taking turns with a house mate. If anything cooking is the perfect occasion to have a glass of wine – as that’s where the fun with wine comes in. You’ll find me and other wine writers saying the wine smells like wild mushroom, papaya, apple, aniseed, rose petals, cinamon, spices or any other of a gallimaufry of flavors – and perhaps think to yourself ‘how do you know?’ Part of the answer (besides having done extensive wine education) is that I drink while I cook. So occasionally there are wild mushrooms at hand at the same time as I’m trying out a Pinot Noir and you happen to make the connection. Insofar as using descriptions like sweaty socks – well no one should battle to find those lying around from time to time.

Even better is taking a recipe recommended by a winery – and then drinking the wine together with it to see what they’re going on about. None of this has to be lame or pansy really, because if you put together a good meal – everyone will appreciate it. And if it burns – then you can always order pizza or Chinese, top up your wine glass, and try again next time.

By the way – to get started in looking for wine to go with your food, try the Beta version of the tasting tool on Tastevine – and to get some ideas for recipes here are a few sites I quite like, and will be reviewing in the next few weeks:

Chocolate and Zuchini

Megnut

101 Recipes