GOUDA ALL WAYS Holiday eating usually means large meals and I love the occasional feast as much as the next wine writer. But I also appreciate meals that give me a break in the middle of banquet season and still deliver sparkle and flavour. Let’s organize an event with no main course and enjoy tasty morsels of deliciousness: hors d’oeuvres! They’re perfect for a supper party because they can be eaten over a long period of time, delight the senses and still leave room for wine and conversation! So let’s have a great evening of appetizers and cheeses paired with […]
Food & Wine Pairing
Duck Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe – Paired with Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre 2008
A swanky pizza with smoky, sweet and savoury flavours. Choose a wine with the same bold flavours such as Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2008. The wine’s bright, concentrated fruit and hint of spice works well with this recipe. Leftover smoked duck or BBQ duck would be a great substitute. Makes four 6-inch or one 12-inch pizza pizza dough, purchased or homemade (recipe below) 1 whole head garlic 5 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 ½ cup butternut squash, peeled and diced 3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 cups mixed mushrooms (cremini and shiitake), sliced 1 duck breast […]
Take It Inside – November is a Great Time for an Intimate Cheese Fondue Recipe
Cheese Fondue Fall is beautiful, colourful and very romantic. November rains are an invitation to cozy up indoors and appreciate the simple joys of life: the comforting presence of a loved one, a great meal and an intoxicating glass of wine. Forget your worries, embrace the moment and ask your better half to join you for an intimate dinner of cheese fondue and great wines. I propose this fondue of Canadian Swiss, Gouda and Cheddar cheese not only for its sensuality and warmth, but also for its wonderful flexibility and simplicity. I invite you to get creative with the dipping […]
Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad Recipe Paired with Luca Pinot Noir 2009
Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad Paired with: Luca Pinot Noir 2009 Wrapping proscuitto around salmon filets is an easy way to dress up fish while adding some intense flavour. Salmon pairs well with medium bodied, bright and fruity red wines, and Pinot Noir is a classic pairing. Try this simple and elegant recipe with Luca Pinot Noir 2009 from the Uco Valley in Argentina. The wine is layered with strawberry and raspberry flavours, while offering a velvety texture lingering finish. Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon Serves 4 4 salmon filets (6 oz. center cut, skinless) 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard […]
Korean BBQ Beef Sliders with Kimchi Recipe Paired with Parducci Sustainable Red
Korean BBQ Beef Sliders with Kimchi Paired with Parducci Sustainable Red In this recipe, Korean flavours add gentle spice without any major heat, making it a great appetizer to pair with both Syrah and Zinfandel. Parducci Sustainable Red, is a blend which includes both varietals, making it a perfect choice. The recipe for the buns is simple but you can also purchase mini slider buns or Asian dumpling buns to cut down on your prep time. The BBQ beef also makes a nice main course, thinly sliced and served with sticky rice and kimchi. (Kimchi is a condiment often used […]
Calzone Recipe with Artichokes, Ham, Ricotta, and Parmesan Paired with Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
Calzone with Artichokes, Ham, Ricotta, and Parmesan Paired with: Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon By: Karl Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker As we head into the winter months, I always start looking towards some heartier dishes and the wines to match with them, especially after the yearly exhaustion of harvest. One wine that I’m incredibly proud of and often turn to at this time of year is the Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has plump aromas of blackberry, cherry, currant and cinnamon toast, and is an incredible value as it is all estate grown from sustainable vineyards. […]
Ratatouille Recipe Paired with Bordeaux Chateau Des Moines 2008
Ratatouille by: Shari Goodman Throw the word “Ratatouille” (rat-a-too-ee) into a conversation these days and people tend to think of the 2007 Oscar winning, computer-animated movie produced by Pixar. In this movie, Remy the rat, dreams of becoming the best chef in Paris, and not to spoil the movie if you are among the few who have not seen it, the French dish, Ratatouille plays a significant role. Ratatouille is not only beautiful to behold, it is a perfect dish for this time of year when Farmer’s Markets are still offering vegetables fresh from the gardens. And the good news […]
Mushroom Risotto with Butternut Squash Recipe Paired with San Michele A Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Mushroom Risotto with Butternut Squash Paired with: SAN MICHELE A TORRI CHIANTI COLLI FIORENTINI 2009 By: Shari Goodman I’ve been tentative about risotto. Not about eating it. Who doesn’t love a plate full of starch? But about making it. Though I love it, I’d never made it before. And it turns out to be easier to make than I had thought; it just requires attention now and then. Not constant attention as some people may think. Just the occasional, prevent-from-sticking kind of stirring. Use Italian Arborio rice for the best results. This short-grain rice retains a creaminess and slight chew. […]
Harvest Soup Recipe Paired with Cave Spring Riesling
Pat’s Harvest Soup Paired with Cave Spring Estate Riesling By Pat Anderson It’s fall, and the bounty of the harvest season is upon us. We’ve got a huge selection of vegetables at this time of year! Go to your local farmer’s market, and see what’s in season. You can use almost anything, from corn on the cob to shelled peas and new potatoes. Watch your colours: I’d go either green and yellow or yellow and orange, but wouldn’t put green and orange together. White vegetables work with any colours. Harvest Soup You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t have a lot […]
Moroccan Lamb Tagine Recipe Paired with Tait The Wild Ride Shiraz 2007
Moroccan Lamb Tagine Paired with: Tait ‘The Wild Ride’ Shiraz 2007 Tagines, in Moroccan cuisine, are slow cooked stews braised at low temperatures. This recipe features lamb but beef would be another option. The key ingredient in this dish is a spice mix, Ras El Hanout, which contributes to the sweet spicy flavours. Ras El Hanout can be found at some specialty food shops but is easy to put together from your own spice cupboard. The flavours in this dish would work well paired with a ripe new world Shiraz which displays aromas of dark fruit, pepper and some savoury […]
