Seared Salmon with Lemon & Olive Relish and a Vermentino

I was very excited with the results of this Seared Salmon with White Beans and Spinach, topped with Olive-Lemon Relish (both from Stir) for a number of reasons. First, B. was cleared to try certain kinds of fish by his allergist recently, and finally summoned the courage to try a bite. "Mmm, this is tasty!" he said...I have a fellow fish eater in the house! (Jodi will occasionally join me but would rather not.)

Second, I found Barbara Lynch's method for cooking the salmon was a big improvement over my method of roasting it, when it's not grilling weather. She has you heat a skillet to medium-high, with grapeseed or canola oil, and cook the salmon skin side down for 3-5 minutes until the skin is crisped (I found it took closer to 5). Carefully flip the salmon and cook skin side up for another 3-5 minutes until done. This results in a fish cooked just right, tender and juiciness sealed in nicely. She call her Olive-Lemon Relish an optional topping, but I'd suggest it's obligatory! My only critique here would be to say that we went for generous servings of this relish as opposed to "top it with a little" as Barbara suggests! If cooking for 4 or more I'd suggest doubling the relish recipe.

Finally, I was pleased that my wine pairing for this one was spot-on. I often like Pinot Noir with salmon, but with the citrusy relish, I figure a vibrant white was in order to pick up the flavors. The 2008 Crabilis Vermentino Di Sardegna has a a fresh fruit taste, I detected apricot and lemon, a backdrop of minerality and a touch of effervescence. This lively, medium bodied white was a perfect accompaniment to the dish, and a good value--I believe it regularly goes for around $14.

Frugal Friday: Penne with Caramelized Onions & Other Fridge Finds

By Friday, the refrigerator and personal energy reserves are often starting to run low, waiting to be replenished over the weekend. Sometimes there's something leftover to simply re-heat, or occasional I might resort to calling for pizza. But then there are times I still have some creative energies, and I see what can be whipped up from the remains of the fridge and cupboard. These are Frugal Fridays.

The prospects seemed a bit slim at first this past Friday, and that pizza call seemed like it might be the most viable option, two onions were the primary items waiting in the vegetable drawer. But then I recalled how tasty caramelized onions can be as the basis for a pasta sauce, and set to work. The result was quite a hit, and I was pleased to have put this together rather than call for pizza! Below I share my recipe, but you could certainly build your own sauce based on the same concept of starting with caramelized onions.

1 tbsp butter

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

6 ozs low sodium chicken broth

1 tsp herbes de provence (or some fresh herbs you have on hand)

2 tbsp olive oil

handful or two of greens on hand, I use arugula

1/4 cup shredded cheese, I used mix of pecorino & cheddar

1 cup peas, thawed if using frozen

1o ozs penne

salt & pepper to taste

Begin boiling water for the penne. Put a large skillet on medium high heat, and melt 1/2 of the butter, spreading it evenly around the pan. When the butter is melted, add the onions. Cook on medium high for 5-10 minutes, stirring infrequently to let them start to brown nicely. When they have browned pretty well, lower heat to medium and add 1/2 of the chicken stock, garlic and red bell peppers. Cook another 5 minutes or so.

After the garlic & peppers have started to soften, add the peas along with the remaining chicken stock, herbes de provence and a tbsp of the olive oil. Loosely cover the pan. Add the pasta to cook according to package directions around this time. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and add to the vegetables if they appear to need more water. Stir in the greens after the peas have cooked for 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta when it is cooked the way you like it. Toss it with the vegetable mixture, remaining tbsp of olive oil and cheese. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve with extra cheese at the table.

Wine Pairing: I served this with a 2006 Emile Chandesais White Burgundy ($10). Though it was a humble version of Burgundy, it was as one would expect a more subtle form of chardonnay in terms of the oak& butter element, and worked pretty well with the meal. I'd say a pinot grigio or other medium-bodied Italian white would also be a nice choice.

Steak with Wild Mushroom Butter and a Beaujolais

I continued cooking my way through Barbara Lynch's Stir last weekend, this time making her Wild Mushroom Butter to top our New York strip steak. I also made the lightly-creamed Spinach Amandine to serve on the side.

Oh man, this wild mushroom butter alone is worth the price of the cookbook (even if I'd bought it rather than getting it as a gift!). I've found herb butters to be a handy flavor boost, but ones I've made have usually just had a bit of garlic and an herb. For the mushroom butter, you saute some finely diced wild mushrooms (I used shiitake) with a shallot and clove of garlic, then combine the mushroom mixture with some butter, parsley, thyme and lemon juice. The result was a terrific, fresh and earthy taste topping our hearty steak. It also was nice on our baked potatoes.

I'd figured any full-bodied red would do for a pairing, but that something with an earthy element to it. I knew I had at least one bottle left from the assortment of "earthy French reds" I'd asked someone at the wine shop to recommend. This included a few bottles from regions I wasn't too familiar with. In my naivete, I thought the Brouilly was going to be a Cab Franc. Stop snickering, you champions of Beaujolais.

So I opened the 2007 Chateau de la Chaize Brouilly under false pretenses. I inhaled the woodsy bouquet and tasted the well-balanced, cherry fruitiness. It was lighter than what I was anticipating, and I began to suspect that I'd been mistaken about what I'd selected. A quick check of The Oxford Companion to Wine quickly set me straight, and now I know the Brouilly is one of the principal areas for Gamay-based Beaujolais.

I enjoyed it from the first taste, but it really blossomed over the course of the meal. The wine did have the earthy quality I was looking for, though it was a bit light for steak. In fact, this bottle really made me see why I've seen a number of people suggest Beaujolais as a pairing for Thanksgiving--I think this would work beautifully on turkey day. With the balanced fruitiness and modest alcohol content (12.5%) this is eminently food-friendly.

This wine has definitely made me a lot more open to trying more Beaujolais. In the past, I might occasionally get a Beaujolais Nouveau when it comes out, but my the few "real" Beaujolais I'd tried hadn't impressed. But now I'm beginning to appreciate why Beaujolais has its ardent proponents, whose ranks I may be joining!

Though I really did enjoy the wine, I do stand-by my original instinct that full-bodied, earthy reds would be the best with this. A Chateaneuf-du-Pape, for instance, might be the perfect match for this dish...will have to give it a try!

Beacon Grille Opening

I got an invite to the pre-opening reception at Beacon Grille based on my work life--Social Capital Inc. has been in a Cummings Properties building since we started and we've enjoyed their support. But it was the foodie in me that quickly jumped on the opportunity to attend this event!

Beacon Grille is an interesting venture, being run directly by Cummings Properties to ensure that the new TradeCenter128 building in Woburn, MA, has a restaurant fitting for the location. The other interesting twist is that because of the company's unique relationship with the Cummings Foundation, profits from the new restaurant will be donated to local charitable causes through the foundation.

I'll have to get back soon to try Beacon Grille for dinner, but the quick indication in terms of food quality and service from the reception is very positive. We came in from the cold to a warm, bustling atmosphere with lots of lively voices enjoying the atmosphere. I'd describe the decor as modern and comfortable, with the layout seeming to easily accommodate a lot of different group sizes.

Throughout the evening there was a steady stream of friendly servers offering a variety of tasty hors d'oeuvres. Some were fairly common items, such as spring rolls, but they had some creative combinations too, like a turkey potsticker served with a cranberry chutney. I have not gotten into raw oysters myself, but they were also available for those interested. I found both the food and service to be well-executed, impressive for their first night opening up their doors to a big crowd.

As someone interested in wine, it was this department that was perhaps most impressive to me. At a reception like this, there typically seems to be one or at best two choices for white and red wines. Upon arriving at this event, the server ran through four options and knowledgeably indicate that the Riesling was off-dry--helping me choose the Sauvignon Blanc as I'm not a fan of sweeter wines. It got better when I wanted a glass of red. Three choices were mentioned that would have been fine, but I waited to see if there was another choice. "Oh, yes, and we have a Turley Cab..." I quickly jumped on this generous offer, pleasantly surprised that they were offering complimentary glasses from this California wine star.

From the taste of Beacon Grille we got at this reception, it looks like the restaurant will definitely be worth a visit for a meal when they are fully opened on January 26!

Taleggio-Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with a Rose Brut

I've been faring pretty well replicating Barbara Lynch's recipes from Stir, but this one came out not looking very much like the picture. In the cookbook, a pair of beautifully presented, prosciutto-wrapped chicken breasts have melted cheese gently oozing onto the plate. Well, my prosciutto was half falling off, and a good amount of cheese oozed into the pan before cooking time was done. I must have cut through the breast a bit while making the pocket. Also, Lynch calls for 2 pieces of prosciutto per breast, but to totally wrap the ones I had would have required 3.

All these issues aside, it was still a pretty tasty meal, the rich cheese combining with the salty prosciutto. There's a salad they suggest serving with it, but it depends largely on tomatoes, which didn't seem like the thing this time of year. So I made her Mixed Greens with Fresh Herbs instead, using parsley and tarragon I had on hand. For a meal that wasn't a true "success" it was pretty good.

Now on to the wine pairing. I'd thought a sparkling wine would offset the saltiness in the dish nicely, so the bottle we didn't get around to opening for the holidays seemed to be a good call. The Cremant Du Jura Rose Brut Domaine Rolet Pere & Fils was suggested at the wine shop as a good value at under $20, and I'd have to agree. Soft pink and gentle bubbles in the glass, it's light and refreshing with tasting of peaches and warmer days.

While a very enjoyable glass to sip by itself, I'd say a drier sparkler would have been better suited for the dish. I also think an Italian white could do nicely here, perhaps a Soave.

The Creman Du Jura wine hails from the Jura region of France, located east of Burgundy headed toward the Alps. Chardonnay dominates the sparklers here, but I imagine this rose must have some pinto noir blended in as well. Just guessing, couldn't find much on this one.

Crunchy Chicken with a White Burgundy

I shouldn't be surprised that The Kid's Cookbook doesn't come with wine pairing recommendations, but when Brendan and I cook up our specialty from the book, it's for the whole family. And we made Crunchy Coated Chicken Breasts last Saturday, so it seemed fitting to find a nice bottle of wine for Jodi and me.

This chicken dish is coated with a mixture of crackers, thyme and mustard. I thought a full bodied white would go well with it (a medium bodied red could probably work too). So I went with the 2007 Domaine Francois Lumpp Crausot, a Givry Premier Cru Controlee. Also picked up the orzo with red peppers and spinach side dish. It was a good match for the chicken, a touch of butter and lemon fruit, with a bit of acidity on the finish. This typically would run in the mid-$30s for the bottle but I picked it up with a nice discount.

Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage and a Portugese Red

My second adventure with Barbara Lynch's new cookbook, Stir, might be even tastier than the first. Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage and Cannellini Beans is billed as a good weeknight dish; it took me a bit over an hour of fairly active cooking. Not as easy as some weeknight dishes, but a good result for modest effort!

The dish has a nice hearty spiciness to it, and finishing the sauce with 2 tbsp of butter gives it a nice silkiness. I actually varied her original recipe a bit (will post my version if in more detail if I get a chance). I somehow ran short on onions this week, so to compensate for not having the onion called for, I added an extra clove of garlic and half a red pepper, diced. In addition, I only used 2 sausages, a bit more than 1/2 of the pound she calls for. The last time I followed a pasta recipe calling for a pound of sausage, it was just too much meat for us. My adaptation was a pretty nice balance of pasta & sausage, perhaps a bit more sausage would have worked.

But on to the wine. I'd had a Portugese red that I got recently in mind for the dish, but in my rush to whip this together thought I wasn't going to be able to find it. Just when I thought I'd need to settle for something else, I decided to take one more peek in the cellar--this time with success.

I'd tasted the 2005 Quinta de S. Francisco ($10) a few weeks ago, and noted that it had a spicy element that would be a good pair for a dish with a bit of kick. So it seemed like a natural match for the spicy sausage, and this instinct was pretty on target. This is a medium bodied red, a bit leathery, with a nice bite along with some good fruit. From the Obidos region of Portugal, made with Castelao, Aragonex and Touriga Nacional grapes (which I don't think you'd find outside Portugal!).

This made plenty for the two of us to have the leftovers again the next night. This time I opted for the 2008 Guidobono Langhe Nebbiolo ($12). This also worked pretty well, and I'd also anticipate a zin or Barbera could do the trick nicely too.

Roasted Chicken with Garlic-Thyme Butter with Pinot Noir

This Grant Achatz version of roast chicken is worth trying. This simple preparation is great comfort food, and the earthiness of the jus gives just the right touch--and also is a nice topping for mashed potatoes, which I made on the side instead of his pierogies.

They recommend pairing the dish with a syrah-based wine such as a Cote-Rotie--that specific suggestion is likely to be an expensive proposition. If memory serves, I've previously served this with a more humble Cote du Rhone, with good results. But pinot noir is a my typical match for roast chicken, and I had a few good bottles on hand, and that seemed to be a good way to go. I was also making the Chard with Orange and Bacon on the side, another consideration for the pairing. (this is a yummy side dish if you have time to make it)

The chard dish came with the suggestion of a fruity, merlot based wine, while earthy syrah was the recommendation for the earthiness of the chicken. Well, in my book a good pinot can combine both the fruit and earthiness, so long as one stays away from one that tastes like pure fruit juice. Well, my choice of the 2004 Argyle Reserve Nuthouse Pinot Noir combined both elements. It has good structure and depth, but still plenty of tasty fruit. Based on this sampling, I'd say a good Oregon pinot or a Burgundy would match this chicken dish as well as a syrah-based Rhone.

WINE CHAT 2009 Wines of the Year

I'm not a professional wine taster, and of course don't make claims that my "Wines of the Year" list as authoritative as say Wine Spectator's top 100. That said, I've had the chance to try quite a few wines this year, including many that were quite good. So wines cracking this list are worth trying, and they'd all be fitting for a special occasion.

My typical wine purchases are in the $10-$15 range, and splurges generally up to about $50. Naturally this budget constrains the list a bit, but '09 was a year of constraints, was it not? I find plenty of good tasting wine despite the constraints. On to the list! They are not in order of preference exactly, though the first 4 definitely would be my "best of the best".

2006 Bourgogne Rouge Les Pince Vin ($45) from Domaine Alain Burguet. Brick red in the glass, heady lavender bouquet. First sip is very complex, bursting with fruit and herbal flavors. After decanting a bit, it was lush and super-silky. Drinking great now, this would be even better in a few years. We enjoyed this on New Year's Eve--our last wine of 2009. So it might have the advantage of being freshest in mind, but I'd definitely put this one among my top 1 or 2 of the year. Though the standard price is around $45, I picked it up for $33 from Bin Ends Wine and they still have some!

2005 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir This was a Father's Day gift, quite a treat! This well-structured pinot really blossomed after a bit of decanting, and had enough heft to pair well with steak.

2006 Jean-Louis Tribouley Les Bacs Vin de Pay Des Cotes CatalanesThis blend of Grenache and Carignan shows a deep reddish purple in the glass. After an hour of decanting, it had a big robust taste and continued to open up very nicely over the course of a couple more hours. A wonderful taste of raspberries, a bit of of spice and a nice long finish made it a truly pleasurable bottle of wine.

2003 Albino Rocca Barbaresco from the Piedmont region was a wonderful wine recommended by the General Manager at L'Andana Grill(which would be our top local restaurant for '09). I could tell on the first taste that it had great potential, very firm and flavorful. We let it decant as we finished our first course, and it had really blossomed. It's a very well-structured, complex wine with full mouthfeel, blackberry fruit increasingly shining as it opened up, with a bit of dusky leatheriness in the backdrop. A great match for the meat we had, and easily one of the top wines I've had this year.

2007 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($18). I'd tasted a lineup of St. Superys at a tasting dinner this summer; the Sauv Blanc stood out then and was a nice start to our Thanksgiving meal It's got nice balance, good minerality and bit of tartness. Worked well with the appetizers we nibbled on prior to turning to turkey.

2004 Carmen Wine Maker's Reserve Red ($44) This was an interesting blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere (listed as Grande Vidure), 20% Petite Syrah and 10% Merlot. Deep brick red in the glass, subtle earthy bouquet. Fruit forward, taste of cherry and a bit of coffee. A well-structured wine, good for pairing with steak. From the Maipo Valley. This was sent as part of a Wines of Chile Taste Live event.

2005 Chateau de la Liquiere Vielles Vignes, a red blend from the Faugeres appellation in the the Langeudoc region of France. This combines 40% old vine Carignan, 40% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. This red had the rustic qualities I like from this region and matched the dish nicely.

2006 Four Vines Biker Zinfandel.The Biker is a big, lush, fruit forward wine. Taste of plum and blackberry, with a nice round mouthfeel. A smooth finish with a bit of pepper. This was very enjoyable just to sip by itself and could also stand up very well to a good steak. It's been a year since I tasted the '05 Biker, but from what I recall I'd say I like the '06 better. A bit more fully developed and well-rounded, I'd say.

'08 Pont de Gassac blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and clairette. The combination leads to a well-balanced, full bodied blend with lively citrus fruit taste. This was served along with palmier pastries with pesto and sun dried tomatoes by friend Ray & Lori at one of their wonderful tasting events. Yum!

2006 Vignantica Terre Dell Volturno Aglianico ($15), My first Aglianico, it made the list in part because of my enthusiasm for this new-to-me grape. Deep purple in the glass, violet bouquet, big cherry taste with a bit of leather.

That's all for now, stay tuned for my 2009 wine bargains list!