Doin That Ragu

Now that Football is here I announce our next series will be recipes from all the AFC cities in the NFL beginning with Buffalo this week.  Every Friday afternoon (sorry I was a little late today) I will publish a new entry representing a city from the AFC for this year.  Some will be classic dishes from that particular city.  Some will be classic twists on a popular dish for that particular city.  Some might be from a highly recognized eatery from that city.  The possibilities are endless but each recipe will have my own personalized touch to it.  And, of course, the wine pairings may have a connection to the city in addition to the food.

So get ready for the weekend and get ready to watch some games with some great food choices!

NFL AFC CITIES RECIPE #1

BUFFALO

GRILLED BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

 

This is the first entry into the series on the cities of the AFC in the NFL.  For the next 16 weeks, I will take you on a journey through great recipes that have a connection to the city of choice.  Starting here in the great city of Buffalo and there’s nothing that says Buffalo like one of the greatest pub food creations of all time – the Chicken Wing!!!

I love wings.  I really do.  Most of the time they are eaten fried or baked or a combination of both.  There are a lot of recipes out there for wings on the grill.  It’s bit more effort and time consuming but the taste is so much better than fried and a lot healthier too!  I prefer to eat my wings this way and I will show you how it’s done.

First of all, I normally prefer to make all my sauces, marinades, dry rubs, etc. from scratch but this is a notable exception.  I recommend buying a store-bought Buffalo Wing Sauce from your grocer or specialty food store.  There is a myriad of choices out there and some are superb and others not so great.  You should really try to find your favorite one and favorite temperature; mild, medium, or hot.  You can doctor the level of heat and I will make a few suggestions.  So, the basics are very simple.  Buy some raw chicken wings at the grocery store and your favorite sauce and get grilling!

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. uncooked Chicken Wings separated into drumsticks and wings (discard the extra piece of the wing if not already done)

1 TBSP Canola or Vegetable Oil

1 TBSP Salt

½ TBSP ground Black Pepper

½ TBSP Paprika

½ Bottle of your favorite Buffalo Wing Sauce

2 TBSP unsalted Butter melted

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse and pat dry Chicken Wings then rub the Oil into them in a bowl or tray
2. Mix together the Salt, Pepper, and Paprika then rub all over each Wing piece evenly
3. Let sit while you start your gas grill. Set one half of the grill on high then leave the other half turned off so you can smoke the Wings on the cool side of the grill.  You can use wood chips in the smoker box if you want but it’s not necessary for this recipe.
4. Once the hot side of the grill has gotten going and the grill is about at 300 degrees F place as many Wings as you can get on the cool side of the grill or in the upper rack(s) away from the direct heat. Do not let them near the flames while you are smoking/roasting the Wings.
5. Grill, with the lid closed, turning occasionally, for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on your grill size until they are beginning to brown and have cooked mostly through on the inside.
6. Combine the Wing Sauce and the Butter in a bowl and grab a brush to prepare to coat the Wings
7. Move some or all the Wings to the hot side of the grill and begin to apply the Sauce to the Wings as you grill them over the flames making sure there are no flare ups when the lid is closed. Keep turning and adding more Sauce every few minutes as needed to coat the Wings with the Sauce.  This should take about 10 minutes or more.
8. Remove the Wings from the grill and let them cool a few minutes before tearing into the world’s greatest appetizer!

 

Serve with either Bleu Cheese or Ranch Dressing and Carrot and/or Celery Sticks

 

Some more of Steve’s tips to control the level of heat you want your Wings to be:

 

1. The Wing Sauce you purchase really dictates this so if you want Mild or Medium just buy that kind and stick with the basic recipe
2. If you want a little warmer than Medium but are not quite ready for hot consider using Hot Paprika in the dry rub instead of plain Paprika or add 1/8 to ¼ TSP of Cayenne Pepper to the dry rub. And/or add a few drops of Hot Sauce like Tabasco or Frank’s to the Wing Sauce and Butter.
3. You can do any one of those steps to increase the heat a bit to the Hot Sauce you buy too to kick it up a bit.
4. If you really want to get dangerous consider adding some ground hot Chili Powder like Chipotle or if you really want to live dangerously Habanero Powder but be extremely careful. That is very, very hot.
5. You can also kick your Sauce up with liquid Chilis or Siracha. Again, be very careful.

 

WINE PAIRING:  Sorry wine lovers Chicken Wings call for BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, grab your favorite beer or two or more and start living the good life!!!

CLASSIC ROCK BANDS RECIPE #4

FRANK ZAPPA

VEAL SCALLOPINE WITH WHITE PORT AND LEMON JUICE (WPLJ) SAUCE

 

This was the original recipe for the series of Classic Rock recipes that I conceived several years ago.  My intention was to possibly sell the idea to Rolling Stone Magazine or to a couple of local classic rock radio stations in the area but neither seemed very interested.  Those of you from the New York Metro area like myself remember that sad time in the early eighties when WPLJ 95.5FM changed its format from what we now refer to as Classic Rock to Pop 40 as it’s now known.  You may also remember the call letters were akin to the opening track of The Mothers of Invention album Burnt Weeny Sandwich from 1969.  The song entitled, WPLJ, which does in fact stand for white port and lemon juice, was used to spell out the call letters for the station on a lot of its promos during the seventies.

This was the inspiration for me to proceed with this series.  If you’ve never tried it I encourage you to do so.  The white port and lemon juice cocktail is a delicious summertime drink.  I recommend a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to white port, add as much powdered sugar as you like to taste, and a whole lot of ice to your pitcher or glass.  If you want to jazz it up a bit you can add some mint leaves and a little grenadine if you like but it’s just as tasty without.  As a reduction sauce it makes a nice, complex compliment to meat and pasta similar to a Marsala or Madeira sauce but more flavorful.

I know some readers are opposed to eating veal or just don’t care for the taste and this is fine.  Like any scallopine style dish you can substitute chicken, turkey, or pork cutlets very easily in this recipe.  I don’t add mushrooms here as you would in a Marsala sauce as I believe the sauce is rich, sweet, and savory on its own and not complicated.  It’s a perfect metaphor for the legendary Frank Zappa who was a “take me for what I am” type of guy.  His piercing social commentary, offensive lyrics and rebellious nature made him a turn off to a lot of people but if you strip it down he was one of the most talented musicians and songwriters who ever graced the Classic Rock N Roll platform.  A technically, masterful guitarist who blended jazz and rock together that is still innovative to this day.  This twisted take on a classic Italian-American dish is for you Frank!

 

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

            1 lb. Thinly sliced Veal, Chicken, Turkey, or Pork Cutlets

½ cup All-purpose Flour

1 TSP Salt plus more to taste

½ TSP Ground Black Pepper plus more to taste

3 TBSP Olive Oil

2 TBSP Unsalted Butter

1 Shallot finely chopped

1 Garlic clove finely copped

1/3 cup White Port

½ cup Chicken or Veal Stock

2 Lemons each cut in half

1 TSP Honey

2 TBSP Fresh Tarragon leaves delicately chopped

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. On a plate, spread the flour out and add the Salt and Black Pepper and mix together
2. Rub each Cutlet in the flour mixture shaking off the excess and put on a separate plate
3. Heat the Olive Oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat
4. Fry each Cutlet until cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes per side depending on the thickness, remove the Cutlets from the pan and move to a separate plate, turn the heat off. Do not clean or wipe down the pan.
5. In the same pan, over low heat, melt the butter
6. When the butter melts add the Shallot and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute
7. Add the Garlic and fry another 30 seconds
8. Add the White Port, turn up the heat to medium-high, and deglaze the pan scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan and letting them melt into the sauce. Reduce to about half.  About 2 minutes.
9. Add the Stock and the juice of 3 Lemon halves using a sieve or cheesecloth so no pits get into the sauce
10. Allow the sauce to reduce a little then add the Honey and a little Salt and Pepper to taste
11. Reduce till the contents are a nice saucy consistency. Turn off the heat.
12. Add the Cutlets back to the pan to coat
13. Garnish with as much of the chopped Tarragon as you like

 

Serve over linguine with the extra sauce.  If the sauce is too thick add a little pasta water to thin out and/or don’t reduce the sauce quite as much if serving over pasta.

 

WINE PAIRING:  This is a little complicated to find the right match as the flavors of this dish are complex.  It is always easier to pair white wine with food than red and the sauce lends itself to that theorem.  Yet white meat still pairs better with red and the sauce is bold enough to scream red too.  I would rule out serving this recipe with any red varietal.  A compromise would certainly be in order so a Rosé would be a good choice but only a very good one from the Tavel region in Provence to match the richness of the flavors.  My recommendation would be a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace region or a blend of Gewürztraminer and a heavier grape like Chardonnay that I have seen some producers in the Americas do.  These are great food wines that pair well with complex dishes like this week’s recipe.

 

 

Enjoy everybody!  NEW SERIES COMING THIS FRIDAY!  Please check the website every day.

CLASSIC ROCK BANDS RECIPE #3

STEELY DAN

GAUCHO STYLE GRILLED STEAK

“HEY NINETEEN DIFFERENT SEASONINGS”

 

Unfortunately, I had to call an audible this week.  This wasn’t the selection I was originally going to go with.  I was gutted this past weekend when I read that the great Walter Becker, one half of the Steely Dan duo, had left us.  I never got to see them play live either as my concert going days have long ended and the band didn’t start really touring prior to that.  But that does not mean I have not been a huge fan of their music for decades.  So many great songs to listen to.  The terrific blend of rock and jazz that’s so easy to groove to and just sit back and enjoy.

Luckily for us the last great Steely Dan album Gaucho also lends its name to a really great Argentinian style of grilled food, especially steak, which we are doing here this week.  The legendary gauchos, the cowboys of the Argentinian plains, are as romanticized as are our own cowboys of the old west in the United States.  It is to them that this dish is attributed to grilled spicy meat cooked out on a lonely campfire topped with one of the most recognized foods in Argentina, Chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri sauce varies greatly but the basic recipe is parsley, garlic, olive oil and salt chopped together very finely.  It makes a wonderful sauce to top spicy, grilled meats and even seafood.  I like to put an intricate yet uncomplicated dry rub on a steak that marries well with an accompanying sauce or topping.  That’s what I’ve done in this week’s recipe for my tribute to Steely Dan and the late Walter Becker.

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

            1 Flank Steak (about 1 ¾ to 2 lbs.)

Olive Oil

FOR THE DRY RUB:

1 TSP Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

½ TSP Cracked Black Peppercorns

2 TSP Ground Cumin

1 TSP Ground Coriander

1 TBSP Ancho Chili Powder

¼ TSP Cayenne Pepper

½ TSP Garlic Powder

1 TSP Dried Oregano

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

½ cup loosely packed, roughly chopped Italian Parsley

½ cup loosely packed, roughly chopped Cilantro

2 TBSP fresh Oregano leaves

2 large Garlic cloves roughly chopped

1 small Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

1 medium Poblano Pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

½ of a medium sized White Onion, peeled and roughly chopped

½ TSP fine Sea Salt

¼ TSP freshly ground Black Pepper

1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for cooking on high heat. Oil the grates before cooking.
2. Rub the Steak with a little Olive Oil to coat the meat for the grill and the Dry Rub
3. In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the dry rub and mix together till blended thoroughly
4. Rub the Steak with the Dry Rub all over both sides of the meat and let rest while you make the Chimichurri Sauce
5. In a food processor or blender combine the Parsley, Cilantro, Oregano, Garlic, Jalapeno, Poblano Pepper, Onion, Salt, Pepper, and Vinegar. Pulse a few times to get started.
6. Now turn the food processor or blender on and while running slowly add the Olive Oil to make the sauce. If the sauce seems a bit dry add a few droplets of water to make it more consistent or to your liking.
7. Scrape out the sauce and transfer to a bowl and let rest while you grill the steak.
8. Once your grill has reached a good temperature of about 350 degrees F place the Steak directly over the flames or hot coals and cook turning once about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the Steak, for medium rare.
9. Remove the Steak from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Slice evenly against the grain.
10. Top each piece of sliced Steak with a little Chimichurri Sauce and enjoy.

 

Serve with Grilled or Roasted Potatoes and if still in season Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Lime Butter.

 

WINE PAIRING:  I won’t go into the When In Rome cliché but I am a believer that food from a specific region should usually be paired with wine from that region.  Here this is no exception and I would recommend a Malbec from Argentina.  Malbec is a very quaffable red varietal that is never complex but is an excellent food wine that pairs well with grilled meats and vegetables, cheeses, and pasta.  It handles spice very well too making this an ideal choice for our recipe.  Other options might be some great wines like Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.  There are a number of very good red wines from Chile and Argentina that would match well with this dish.

 

Match well and “Make tonight a wonderful thing!”

CLASSIC ROCK BANDS RECIPE #2

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL

ROASTED POTATOES WITH “PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY, AND THYME”

 

Ok, so this one was rather obvious but I’m trying to keep it simple in the beginning not just with the recipes but also with the references.  There were a lot of ways I could have gone with this oft repeated lyric from the song “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” and title of the album in which it appeared.  I chose to use potatoes which go so well with fresh herbs especially when roasting because of the ease of demonstrating how to cook with all four in the same dish.

I once read a quote from Paul Simon that he absolutely couldn’t listen to all the old songs he wrote back in his youth.  I’m sure I’m not alone in suggesting that was his best work not taking away some of his great solo work in the decades after the sixties when he and Art Garfunkel were the kings of soft rock ballads.  There were just so many great songs from that era by this duo that are just timeless.

Roasted potatoes are of course a side dish and they go with just about any meal.  Pair them with meat, lamb, pork, poultry, seafood, etc.  Choosing which type of potato to use is an important commodity to know.  Waxy potatoes like new or red potatoes work best due to their low starch content.  If you like your potatoes soft cook them longer in the oven at a lower temperature.  If you prefer them crispier, roast at a higher temperature for a shorter time.  If your roasting pan does not have a non-stick surface line the pan with parchment paper before cooking.  Always grease your pan before adding the potatoes.

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

            2 lbs. Red Bliss Potatoes

2 TBSP Olive Oil

½ TBSP chopped fresh Rosemary

½ TBSP chopped fresh Thyme

½ TBSP chopped fresh Sage

½ TBSP chopped Italian Parsley

1 TSP coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

½ TSP ground Black Pepper

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Line a shallow roasting pan with parchment paper or if your pan is non-stick spray a little cooking oil on the bottom and sides
3. Cut each Potato in half. Larger potatoes may need to be quartered.
4. In a large bowl combine the cut Potatoes, Olive Oil, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Parsley, Salt, and Pepper.
5. With clean hands gently mix all the items in the bowl making sure the oil and seasoning are spread evenly over all the Potatoes.
6. In a single layer place the Potatoes in the pan
7. Roast in the oven to desired level, about 25 minutes. If using parchment paper turn the potatoes over just once or not at all during cooking.  If not using parchment paper I recommend turning the potatoes a few times during cooking.

WINE PAIRING:  Since this is a side dish it will more depend on what you are serving as a main dish to find the right wine pairing.  Rosemary and thyme go very well with heavy reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Sage is more delicate and pairs better with white wine.  Parsley goes well with most wines.  So, you have a lot of options here.

 

 

 

 

Announcing our first series on dointhatragu.com Classic Rock Bands.  Every Tuesday I will publish a new recipe related to the subject which will, of course, contain an accompanying wine or other beverage pairing.

If you haven’t subscribed yet please do or if you are having trouble doing so we can send you a tutorial on how to do so.

Be on the lookout next month when I will launch a second series in addition to our Classic Rock Band theme.  Much more to come.  The fun’s just beginning!

CLASSIC ROCK BANDS RECIPE #1

THE GRATEFUL DEAD

“DOIN THAT RAGU”

 

Why not begin with our title track recipe?  The Grateful Dead have been a big part of my life for years.  I saw over thirty shows (a paltry number by DeadHead standards) in the eighties and nineties, a handful of Garcia Band and Bob Weir/Rat Dog events, and dozens of post Jerry shows by the surviving members.  Not to mention the countless DVD’s and recordings I purchased and tribute/cover bands I went to hear too.  What better way to honor the band I followed more closely than any other than to name the blog after one of their songs and use for the first entry.

A ragu derives from the French ragout meaning a reinvented stew from pre-used meats and/or vegetables.  The Italians borrowed the idea to dress pasta and through immigration it has mainly come to mean a meat sauce in the United States and that is what we will concentrate on with our ragu.  If you see below I have also included basic recipes for marinara sauce and Italian-American tomato sauce as a point of reference or that you might use with or in place of our ragu sauce.

I am going to construct a very basic ragu for you but done my way.  There are countless variations on how to do a meat sauce.  A lot of you might know it by the name of Bolognese sauce but that is just one type which can also be done several ways.  You can use ground meat or meat on the bone or a combination.  We will only use ground meat in this example.  You can vary which vegetables, herbs, and spices to use too.  You can also do any combination of meats.  Beef is most common but poultry also works well and game like wild boar, rabbit, or ostrich work great too!

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

            5 TBSP olive oil divided

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 lb. Ground Pork

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion peeled

½ cup finely chopped Carrot peeled

½ cup finely chopped Celery

1 TBSP finely chopped Garlic peeled

½ cup White Wine

2 x 35 oz. cans Italian Peeled Tomatoes

1 TSP chopped Rosemary

1 TSP chopped Thyme

½ TSP dried Marjoram or Oregano

2 Bay Leaves

½ cup Heavy Cream (optional)

Parmesan or Romano cheese for serving (optional)

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl empty the contents of both Tomato Cans and with clean hands lightly crush the Tomatoes
2. In a 4 quart Dutch Oven heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat
3. Add the Ground Beef and Ground Pork and break apart with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat breaking the meat down into small pieces (about 10 minutes).  Drain in a colander.
4. In the same pot heat the remaining 3 TBSP olive oil over medium heat
5. Add Onions, Carrots and Celery and sauté till soft (about 8 minutes)
6. Add Garlic and a little Salt and Pepper and continue cooking for another 2 minutes
7. Add Wine and let simmer and reduce by half (about 4 minutes)
8. Pour in the Tomatoes and be careful of splattering and let cook for a minute or so
9. Using the empty cans and the empty bowl if you like pour in enough water through the vessels to cover the contents in the Dutch Oven and raise the heat to high
10. Bring to a boil and then set at a low simmer
11. Add the Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, the Bay Leaves, and season well with Salt and Pepper
12. Simmer uncovered till reduced and till a nice saucy consistency is achieved (about 2 ½ hours). If sauce reduces too quickly add a little more water to allow it to cook longer.  The art of a good ragu is to let a simmer a long time on the stove.
13. If you wish to give your sauce a creamy taste add the Heavy Cream after the ragu is finished simmering and simmer a few minutes longer to complete the sauce
14. Remove the Bay Leaves before serving

Dress your favorite pasta with this sauce and top with the cheese if desired.  It will keep in the fridge for a while or you can freeze part of it.  It also works very well as a filler for any baked pasta dishes like lasagna or manicotti.

 

WINE PAIRING:  A number of Italian red wines work well with this tomato and meat based dish but my choice would be from Tuscany where Sangiovese is king and marries best with rustic dishes like this.  A Chianti or Tuscan Red blend is recommended.

 

BONUS RECIPES

 

STEVE’S MARINARA SAUCE

 

INGREDIENTS:

28 oz. can Italian Peeled Tomatoes

3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup chopped Yellow Onion peeled

4 Garlic Cloves peeled and crushed with the back of a chef’s knife

½ TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

12 Basil Leaves

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour Tomatoes into a bowl and crush by hand
2. Heat the EVOO in a 3-quart sauce pan over medium heat
3. Add the Onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft
4. Add the Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes and fry for a minute or two but don’t let burn
5. Add the Tomatoes and bring to a boil
6. Once boiling reduce to a steady simmer and add Salt and Pepper
7. Partially cover the pot and let simmer for about 18 minutes
8. Delicately tear the Basil Leaves into smaller pieces and add to the pot. Let simmer another couple of minutes then remove from the heat and let rest for about one-half hour to an hour.
9. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired
10. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse about five times to get a nice smooth consistency. I prefer my sauce this way.  If chunky is more your style then ignore this last step.

 

 

STEVE’S ITALIAN-AMERICAN TOMATO SAUCE

 

INGREDIENTS:

35 oz. can Italian Peeled Tomatoes

3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup finely chopped Yellow Onion peeled

¼ cup finely chopped Carrot peeled

¼ cup finely chopped Celery

1 TBSP finely chopped Garlic peeled

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

¼ TSP Red Pepper Flakes

½ TSP dried Oregano

8 Basil Leaves

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the contents of the Tomato can into a food processor and pulse about five times to get a smooth consistency
2. Heat the Olive Oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat
3. Add the Onion, Carrot and Celery to the pot and sauté till soft (about 5 minutes)
4. Add the Garlic and cook for another minute
5. Season with a little Salt and Pepper
6. Add the pulsed Tomatoes to the pot and let cook for a minute or two
7. Using the empty Tomato can add about 1 cup of water sloshing around the outsides to get some of the Tomato juice involved and then add it to the pot and raise the temperature to high
8. Heat to a boil then let simmer gently
9. Add the Red Pepper Flakes, the Oregano and season well with Salt and Black Pepper
10. Simmer uncovered until the sauce is nice and thick to your liking (about 45 minutes)
11. Just before finishing tear the Basil Leaves into tiny pieces and add to the sauce

 

PREPARING THE WAY

 

Thank you, readers, for checking out the blog and all your support for the project.  Now the fun begins!  This coming Tuesday and every Tuesday thereafter I shall publish the first recipe of the first series for the site.  If you haven’t subscribed yet please do.  There is no cost or obligation involved.

Be on the lookout for a second themed series beginning next month in addition to our ongoing Tuesday posts.  I won’t reveal the theme until then for the next series but our first theme beginning this week will be ……… CLASSIC ROCK BANDS!  Yes, each week I will publish a uniquely designed recipe based on some connection to a specific band.  It could be the name of a song or album title or it could have something related to a band member.  Let your imagination run wild.  That is what we are trying to do here.  Have some fun with our themes and make some great food at the same time.  And always keep you guessing as to what’s coming next!  And always a great wine or beverage recommendation to help wash it down.

But why stop there?  Occasionally, I will post some additional information to our themed recipes.  These will be some commentaries about seasonal foods, dining suggestions, maybe some travel and of course WINE!  There are no limits to what we can accomplish on this site together so if anyone ever has a question or a comment that I feel should be shared with everyone I may bring that up too.  As long as we stay on topic and promise not to do anything controversial or something that might offend anyone it is open for discussion.  The point is just to have fun with this and be creative as possible.  I am just the Magic Bus driver taking you on this culinary journey.

 

Peace,

Steve

I created DoinThatRagu because of my love for food and wine.  Each week I will publish new personalized recipes each with its own theme created by me.  My ambition is to show the public all the fun you can have with food and how to match it up with your favorite beverage.  For me that is mostly wine and not only will I publish recipes created by me with specific varietals to pair at your choosing I will also give some background on the types of foods used in the recipes but also on the wines and their regions.  And, of course, some commentary on the themes themselves.

The themes will focus on some of things I am passionate about in addition to food and wine.  Be on the lookout for recipes based on Classic Rock N Roll bands (not just The Grateful Dead), National Football League cities, country specific international cuisine, driving tours, golf, literature, etc.  There is no limit to what kind of fun you can have creating themes for your food preparation.  My aim is to show each one of my readers what you can do and get you started so you can do the same at home for your family and friends and whoever else is coming to dinner!

I must confess I knew very little about food and wine until I was well into my thirties.  I was not a very good eater as a child.  I did work at a very prestigious wine retailer during my summers off from college and learned a great deal about the business and developed a passion for wine but that did not awaken again until much later in life.  After becoming a successful trader on Wall Street I had to add a few hobbies to my portfolio.  I got exposed to some of the best restaurants not only in Manhattan but all over the country and the world thanks to working in a global environment and with the help of a few very sophisticated friends and colleagues I recognized that I too had a real taste for some of the finer things in life.

I started collecting wine from all over the world and learning more about different grapes and regions.  I became increasingly interested.  I just had to find the right combinations and pairings just the way the great sommeliers did.  I quickly realized this was where the real fun was.  But it wasn’t limited to just the right sauternes to be linked to the right dish of foie gras.  What about the perfect pairing for the perfect burger or plate of macaroni and cheese?  Well the truth is somewhere in between and we will have a lot of fun matching wines and other beverages with the meals I create and some I’ve already created and have been serving for years.

So now that I had all this wine in my basement I needed something to do with it.  I turned to my wife and asked her how are we going to match all these great bottles to the food we eat?  “Don’t ask me”, she said, “You got us into this”.  So, it was up to me to learn how to prepare great meals to pair with our great wine.  That certainly doesn’t happen overnight.  All great chefs have a lengthy trial and error period and they all say, “Never be afraid to fail”.  I tried and tried to get things right making mistake after mistake but I always found that even if things weren’t quite right the food always managed to taste pretty good.  You just should keep working at it.  Read books and articles either online or in publications.  It’s a learning process and I am here to help you and provide some entertainment along the way.

I want you to remain curious.  I want you to know the theme but always leave you guessing what’s coming next.  Even if you’re not a football fan or a Shakespeare fan or whatever theme I’m currently on it has no bearing on what the next recipe might incorporate.  My aim is to show you the fun you can have with preparing theme based meals and to help give you some advice in the kitchen, the pantry, and the wine cellar.

Stephen Montfort Melchior