A Julia-Inspired Pairing

About a year ago, I enjoyed reading Julia Child's memoir My Life in France. One striking part describes her first meal in France, which is retold here in The Times. The simple but passionately conceived preparations, along with a good bottle of Pouilly-Fume, started to set Julia on her path. Since reading this, making sole meuniere has been on my cooking to do list.

Dover sole was on sale the other day, so it seemed like good time to give it a try. I liked the sound of this Food Network version, so followed this recipe. I hadn't cooked sole before, and was struck by how delicate it is. A bit tricky to keep it from falling apart! Two of the four fillets came out looking pretty nice, the other two broke into several pieces. The fish had a subtle flavor--at first I put a bit too much sauce on mine and it overwhelmed the fish. Once I corrected that, though, it had a nice taste.

This French style dish seemed like a great excuse to open up the bottle of white Burgundy I'd picked up a few weeks ago. The 2009 Verget Terres de Pierres Bourgogne can be had for mid-$20s, which is pretty good for white Burgundy. From the Macon region, this one has a steely-crispness and smooth finish. It was a very good match for the fish--I'd encourage you to try the combination or simply get yourself a bottle of the wine and find your own pairing! I think Julia would like this combo, though to be truly inspired by here I need to make the dish a dozen more times and really get it right!

Penne with Garlicky Chicken & Broccoli

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the chicken, broccoli and ziti dish served at traditional Italian restaurants. But I've been told that the secret to the traditional version's taste is LOTS of butter; so here's how I lightened up this classic without losing flavor.

5 cloves garlic, minced

bunch broccoli, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

1 lb penne

2 boneless chicken breast fillets (12-16 ozs), cut crosswise in 1/2 inch strips

1 tbsp fresh oregano

1 tsp dried basil

6 green olives, pitted & chopped

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I mixed in some feta because I had some on hand)

salt and pepper to taste

Steam broccoli briefly, 2-3 minutes. Run under cold water and set aside. Put on a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until outside is white, starting to brown. Stir in the the garlic, red bell pepper and another tbsp olive oil. Lower heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so, then stir in the broccoli, oregano and basil. Stir in the white wine, cover and reduce heat to simmer on medium low. Stir occasionally and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the penne according to package directions, starting it around the time you add the garlic and pepper to the pan. When it is ready, drain and toss with the chicken and broccoli mixture, olives, cheese and 1 more tbsp olive oil. Serve and enjoy!

Wine pairing: You could make a case for a medium bodied white--perhaps a Soave or for instance, or maybe a lightly oaked Chardonnay. But I went with a Melini Chianti--a great value at $10, and worked pretty well with the dish. Can't go too wrong with Chianti and a pasta meal!