Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) Celebrated a Night Early!

We've made a pretty big deal of Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) in recent years. Last year, for instance, it turned into quite a wine and food affair. See last year's OTBN post for more on the 2010 festivities and background on this event, the brainchild of wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher.

Well, this year we actually recognized OTBN a night early, and in fairly low-key fashion. I'm just finally emerging from a fight with a nasty cold, and just starting to feel ready to enjoy wine and cooking again. So we hadn't made any big plans for tonight, but I did have my eye on a few possible bottles to open.

But then last night I did summon the energy to make some Portuguese Kale & Chorizo soup, mostly following this recipe. One noteworthy change I made to the recipe was to use only 1/2 the sausage. There were still plenty for our taste; I can't really imagine the full pound both in terms of amount of meat and the kick they give. I also used kidney beans instead of chickpeas.

Our wine supply was a little low, so there were limited options. I tweeted for suggestions, mentioning 3 or 4 options. Well, my one reply was from Lynn Sherwood of Wine, Not Whine suggested the Carmenere to pick up the spice element in the soup--and I thought that was a good call. It so happened we had a pretty special bottle of Carmenere waiting in the wings--the 2006 Reininger Carmenere($30) from the Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley. So I made the call right there--Friday, not Saturday, would be OTBN in our house that night!

What's special about the this Carmenere? Well, for starters it's made in very small amounts; in fact, Pairings is the only place that carries it in Massachusetts--and the little bit they get their hands on goes quickly! It's also pretty interesting trying a Carmenere from Walla Walla; as previously I've only had it from Chile. But it's really the complex flavor profile; black pepper spice is most notable but it also has a rich dusky fruit that makes for a long and interesting finish. All in all, a very OTBN worthy wine!

Now, one more note on the evening. Though I enjoyed the wine a great deal, I'd say in retrospect it was a workable, but not optimal pairing for the soup (but probably as good as I had on hand!). Simply put, I'd say this wine is just a bit big for soup; something with lighter body but the same spice would have been ideal. The Carmenere is probably best suited for pork or beef (with Chimichurri perhaps); or Ray from Pairings suggested blackened tuna. Some things to try!

Orzo with Provencal Pesto

I was making a braised lamb dish for the Super Bowl, and needed a side dish to accompany it. I put this together with some ingredients I had on hand and we were all quite pleased with the result. A nice side dish for lamb or chicken; it could also be a light entree along with a big salad.

1 cup tomatoes, chopped (canned OK)

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

1 roasted red pepper

salt & pepper to taste

***

8 olives, chopped

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

toasted almond slices (optional)

***

10 ozs orzo

Place the first 5 ingredients (through roasted pepper) in a food processor, and puree. Add salt & pepper to taste, puree again to incorporate. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package instructions. When the orzo is done, drain and put the orzo back in the pan. Stir in the Provencal pesto sauce, then stir in the olives, cheese and almonds, if using.

This can be served hot or at room temperature.

Chicken & Andouille Étouffée with a Pinot

This tasty dish, Chicken & Andouille Étouffée, seems like a good one to get me back into doing quick posts about cookbook & magazine recipes and wines to pair with them. The version of this Cajun classic that I made comes from Food & Wine, with a modest amount of Andouille sausage delivering some zesty flavor. "Étouffée" as I learned from the intro to the recipe, comes from the French "to smother or braise".

This was my first time trying any version of this dish. I liked the way this method provides the comforting warmth of a stew with much shorter cooking times than say beef stew. I served it with another Food & Wine recipe, Braised Greens with Tomatoes--kale being my green of choice for the dish. Another nod to Southern fare, it was a nice side dish for the Étouffée.

Now, on to the wine pairing. The recipe suggested pairing a pinot noir with the dish; and I had a bottle of 2007 Louis Latour Volnay Premier Cru en Chevret I was eager to try. This optimally might have stayed in the cellar a bit longer, but I'm a bit short on patience in such matters. It certainly proved to be a food friendly wine, with good acidity and subtle fruit. However, I found the wine a bit subdued for the boldness of the sausage that dominated the dish. So while certainly pleasant enough to drink, I think a more optimal wine pairing for the dish would be something a bit more robust, perhaps a syrah/grenache blend or something along those lines. I'll definitely be making the dish again, so will have the opportunity to try a new pairing.