Judging it time to debut our combined cooking skills to the world, Ted and I had a little holiday dinner party for a few of our friends last Saturday evening. In attendance were our brave friends Allie, Leanne, Juliana, and Dan, who came bearing wine (lots of wine) and hungry tummies. Venue was my house-- notice the super cute mini-tree my roommate put up... so festive!
The Party:
(I'm behind the camera)
[PICTURE OF EVERYONE]
[PICTURE OF APPETIZERS]
On the evening's menu:
Appetizers (Ted's work):
Mini Potato Pancakes with Applesauce (not in the picture)
Endive with Candied Pecans and Blue Cheese
Procuitto-Wrapped Asparagus and Melon
Spinach Dip Bread Bowl
Rosemary-Garlic Breadsticks
Cheese-and-Garlic Crackers
Asparagus, Green Bean, and Carrot Vegetable Medley
Main Course (my work):
Butter & Herb Roasted Whole Chicken
with
Roasted Root Vegetables
Dessert:
Leanne's Homemade-Sara-Lee Pumpkin Pie
garnished with
Cool Whip
The appetizers went over exceptionally well... they were distinctively "fancy" without being over-the-top (which is what Ted is so good at!). I especially liked the endive - the sweet pecans and blue cheese went over deliciously well with the cool, crisp snap of the endive "shell" they were nestled in. And of course Ted's potato pancakes are always delicious as well, whether in regular-or-mini form!
The chicken was something I had wanted to do, especially when mom surprised me at Thanksgiving with a really nice roasting pan / rack as an early Christmas present. As for the preparation, I decided to forgive Mark Bittman for the Gnocci incident and give him another shot by following his "Twofers in the Roaster" recipe. It looked simple enough: prepare the chicken with herbed butter, prepare your choice of root vegetables... scatter the vegetables on the bottom of the pan, put the chicken in the rack... and roast. Both veggies and chicken should be done at the same time... if you do it right.
Well, the good news is that the chicken and roasted veggies came out superbly... very delicious and perfectly done by all standards.
The bad news is that it took A WHOLE HOUR LONGER to cook than Mark Bittman told me it would! Granted, I think we did have a larger chicken than he uses for his recipe, but really... the thing took TWO HOURS to cook when Mark told me it would take no longer than one hour. Tsk Tsk. I would still be mad at him if the roast didn't come out so goddamn well!!
Here are some pictures from the prep / cooking:
Ted, demonstrating how to loosen the skin on the chicken so you can put your herb butter rub between the skin and meat-- it's a really great way to lock in flavor and moisture.
[PICTURE]
Here's me, posing with the finally-cooked chicken! I forgot to take a picture of the final roasted chicken in the pan with the veggies... boo hoo.
[PICTURE]
Leanne enjoying chicken and roasted vegetables:
[PICTURE]
And finally, the wine selection (damage?) of the evening. Seven empty bottles + six attendees = good work.
[PICTURE]
And a merry, merry night it was.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Thursday, December 7, 2006
The Single Girl's Guide To Wine Tasting
Last night I had the pleasure of accompanying my friend Kate to a wine tasting at Just Grapes, a fun, upbeat wine shop in River North. The event was the shop's "Second Annual Holiday Extravaganza", and featured appetizers by Michael Taus (executive chef of super-trendy Zealous restaurant), as well as over 50 wines for tasting.
Wine is something I'm trying to learn more about, while developing a more discerning palate. When I finally taught myself to like dry white and red wine, I discovered just how much a good wine/food pairing can enhance the flavor of the food, and really the whole dining experience. [Sidenote: Zealous apparently has AMAZING five-and-seven course menus complete with wine pairings for each... something I'll have to try the next time I get a healthy raise or a rich boyfriend!] And yet, a good wine can also be tasty all on its own-- the trick is to learn which varieties of wine you like, and build out from there.
I don’t know much about wine, but what I do is derived from the following. Kate and I took a wine tasting class last spring, taught by a portly and quick-witted man named Mark Gruber. Kate took a lot better notes than I did though, so I ended up buying a book after the class was over, called Windows on The World: Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. I'm still working my way through it, but it's been VERY helpful in teaching me the basics of wine so far. Another good book Mark Gruber recommended, which I purchased, was Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book -- it gives information about the quality of the vintages for the past several years in different wine growing regions. So for instance, if I was at a store looking at a 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay, I could look in the Pocket Wine Book to see if 2003 was a good year for Chardonnay in Napa Valley. Pretty helpful if you don't keep up on the annual wine harvest news!
So, from these meager learnings, here are the basics of what I know about wine:
First, old wine does not necessarily mean better wine. Mark Gruber's rule of thumb was for whites, drink them as "young" as you can-- the closer the date is to the present, the better they'll be. As for reds, they often need the time to "mature" that whites don't. Reds have these things called "tannins" in them that give them a bitter, even sour taste that wine aficionados will call "full bodied", but that make many of us lower beings crinkle our noses. But while a red wine ages, its tannins break down, so after a few years you get a smoother, more complex taste than you would otherwise. So in short: Whites: Drink 'em Young. Reds: A Few Years Older Won't Hurt Ya.
Second, getting back to the first book (Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course) Kevin Zraly gives us a very helpful chart of the basics of light-to-dark bodied wines, via the major white and red grape varieties:
Whites (in order of lightest to heaviest in body and color)
Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Champagne / Sparkling Wine
Reds (again, in order of lightest to darkest)
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Merlot
Zinfandel
Cabernet Sauvignon
Syrah/Shiraz
Port
Of course, with these scales comes the disclaimer that there are exceptions to every rule, considering the vast differences between different geographic wine-producing regions, between vintages year-to-year, and given the fact that many wines use a blend of different grapes rather than just one alone. That said, this scale is a pretty good indicator of how light or full bodied a wine made from each grape variety will be.
All of this knowledge in mind, Kate and I strutted into Just Grapes last night poised and ready to swirl, sniff, and swig. We hit the appetizers first (rule three: never drink on an empty stomach!), and my favorite by far was the Sweet Potato, Duck & Exotic Mushroom Risotto. Of the 25+ wines I tasted, here are the ones that came out on top:
Whites:
*Henschke, Sauvingnon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia (2005)
*Ferrari-Carano, Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, California, USA (2005)
Reds:
*Catena, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (2004)
*Ottimino, Rancho Bello, Russian River Valley, California, USA (2002 Zinfandel)
*Folie a Deux, Menage a Trois, California, USA (2005)
*Guenoc, Petite Syrah, Lake County, California, USA (2003)
*Donausonne, Blaufrankisch, Hungary (2005)
*Foley, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, California, USA (2005)
*Carlo Rossi, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA (just kidding. gross.)
Hope this entry has been moderately helpful to anyone who’s just about as clueless about wine as me. Well, a little less now. Hopefully.
Wine is something I'm trying to learn more about, while developing a more discerning palate. When I finally taught myself to like dry white and red wine, I discovered just how much a good wine/food pairing can enhance the flavor of the food, and really the whole dining experience. [Sidenote: Zealous apparently has AMAZING five-and-seven course menus complete with wine pairings for each... something I'll have to try the next time I get a healthy raise or a rich boyfriend!] And yet, a good wine can also be tasty all on its own-- the trick is to learn which varieties of wine you like, and build out from there.
I don’t know much about wine, but what I do is derived from the following. Kate and I took a wine tasting class last spring, taught by a portly and quick-witted man named Mark Gruber. Kate took a lot better notes than I did though, so I ended up buying a book after the class was over, called Windows on The World: Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. I'm still working my way through it, but it's been VERY helpful in teaching me the basics of wine so far. Another good book Mark Gruber recommended, which I purchased, was Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book -- it gives information about the quality of the vintages for the past several years in different wine growing regions. So for instance, if I was at a store looking at a 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay, I could look in the Pocket Wine Book to see if 2003 was a good year for Chardonnay in Napa Valley. Pretty helpful if you don't keep up on the annual wine harvest news!
So, from these meager learnings, here are the basics of what I know about wine:
First, old wine does not necessarily mean better wine. Mark Gruber's rule of thumb was for whites, drink them as "young" as you can-- the closer the date is to the present, the better they'll be. As for reds, they often need the time to "mature" that whites don't. Reds have these things called "tannins" in them that give them a bitter, even sour taste that wine aficionados will call "full bodied", but that make many of us lower beings crinkle our noses. But while a red wine ages, its tannins break down, so after a few years you get a smoother, more complex taste than you would otherwise. So in short: Whites: Drink 'em Young. Reds: A Few Years Older Won't Hurt Ya.
Second, getting back to the first book (Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course) Kevin Zraly gives us a very helpful chart of the basics of light-to-dark bodied wines, via the major white and red grape varieties:
Whites (in order of lightest to heaviest in body and color)
Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Champagne / Sparkling Wine
Reds (again, in order of lightest to darkest)
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Merlot
Zinfandel
Cabernet Sauvignon
Syrah/Shiraz
Port
Of course, with these scales comes the disclaimer that there are exceptions to every rule, considering the vast differences between different geographic wine-producing regions, between vintages year-to-year, and given the fact that many wines use a blend of different grapes rather than just one alone. That said, this scale is a pretty good indicator of how light or full bodied a wine made from each grape variety will be.
All of this knowledge in mind, Kate and I strutted into Just Grapes last night poised and ready to swirl, sniff, and swig. We hit the appetizers first (rule three: never drink on an empty stomach!), and my favorite by far was the Sweet Potato, Duck & Exotic Mushroom Risotto. Of the 25+ wines I tasted, here are the ones that came out on top:
Whites:
*Henschke, Sauvingnon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia (2005)
*Ferrari-Carano, Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, California, USA (2005)
Reds:
*Catena, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (2004)
*Ottimino, Rancho Bello, Russian River Valley, California, USA (2002 Zinfandel)
*Folie a Deux, Menage a Trois, California, USA (2005)
*Guenoc, Petite Syrah, Lake County, California, USA (2003)
*Donausonne, Blaufrankisch, Hungary (2005)
*Foley, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, California, USA (2005)
*Carlo Rossi, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA (just kidding. gross.)
Hope this entry has been moderately helpful to anyone who’s just about as clueless about wine as me. Well, a little less now. Hopefully.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Lunch Break
Having graduated from college in June, I’m currently holding down my first “real” job as an Assistant Account Executive at Chicago’s illustrious Leo Burnett. It’s AWESOME to be a young professional in the city—to finally be able to support myself independently, to have a 9-to-5 schedule, to live in a Lincoln Park apartment, to be surrounded by little shops and restaurants and movie theaters and …. not reeeeeally have enough money yet to experience it all. BUT, there are certainly ways to try, without bouncing any checks. One strategy I recently discovered is going to nice restaurants—for lunch. You’ll probably pay at least $20… but it’s nothing to the $60 or more you’d pay for dinner. A welcome compromise.
[BISTRO 110 PICTURE]
I recently found out that a friend of mine named Jeremy moonlights as a waiter at Bistro 110… one of my FAVORITE finer-dining establishments in Chicago… and I was delighted when he said we could do lunch on his employee discount. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity, and after a rousing game of phone tag we finally made it up there for lunch this past Monday.
Bistro 110 offers “authentic French bistro fare with an American accent”. Basically, delicious French-inspired dishes that I can pronounce (or at least give it a spirited try)! Located just steps away from the famous Chicago Water Tower, it’s pretty much at the heart of Chicago—or at least the shopping district. It’s also a favorite of my family—whenever my mom is in town, we usually make a point to stop by, even if it’s just for a spot of wine and puff pastry.
On Monday, Bistro 110 was buzzing with the business lunch crowd. Luckily Jeremy was able to pull his “strings” and get us a table in the front room. Despite the sophistication of the food, the place has an unpretentious, energetic, and friendly feel that I really appreciate. Our waitress promptly brought us a basket of warm crusty French bread with Bistro 110’s signature Oven-Roasted Whole Garlic (see recipe below!), and we tucked in while we pondered the lunch menu.
For appetizers, we both got soup: Jeremy, the famous French Onion Soup, which I’ve had (AWESOME!), so instead I tried the soup du jour, Roasted Red Tomato, which had a nice texture but was not very flavorful. The restaurant also has a lengthy wine selection, and we ordered a lovely medium bodied syrah (I believe), but I don’t remember the vintner.
Our lunch entrees were definitely the highlight of the meal: at Jeremy’s prodding, I got the Ravioli de Champignons, Sauce aux Morilles – “Wild mushroom-filled ravioli in a savory sauce of morel mushrooms and port wine”. Now I am not a mushroom person… which is why I hesitated… but this dish was UNbelievable. The chewy, supple mushrooms had a potent, earthy flavor that was very nicely complemented with the ravioli and the sauce. The sauce is really what makes the dish—it’s robust, creamy, savory flavor was perfected by the touch of port wine. Generally, wines in savory sauces are something I love (need to spice up the sauce? Throw wine in it!) but this pairing was especially nice.
Jeremy got Seared Sea Scallops with Rosemary Polenta – “Jumbo sea scallops roasted in our wood burning oven served with rosemary polenta, spinach, and a green peppercorn sauce”. As far as seafood goes, scallops are one of my faves, especially when they’re pan-seared and crispy on the outside. Jeremy let me try one, and they were quite delectable—very well seasoned, and complemented nicely in flavor and texture by the polenta and spinach.
We didn’t have time for dessert (as we were both already running late), but my favorite Bistro 110 desserts are the Crème Brulee (voted #1 in the city, and with good reason) and the Profitiroles (puff pastry filled with ice creams).
All-in-all, a really great special-treat of a lunch. It definitely beat Subway!
Oven Roasted Garlic
By Dominique Tougne, Executive Chef, Bistro 110
INGREDIENTS
4 medium garlic heads
olive oil
water
DIRECTIONS
Using a sharp knife, remove the top of the garlic head to expose the inner cloves. Brush heads with olive oil and place in a shallow casserole or au gratin dish. Fill dish with 1" of water and cover. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 45-60 minutes until garlic is soft and light brown. Check garlic for softness since oven temperature may vary and your oven may cook faster or slower than Bistro's ovens. Serve with baguette slices. To eat, remove garlic from its skin with a knife and spread onto baguette rounds with butter.
YIELD: 4 Servings
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