It truly is a blizzard out there, but dinner was delicious & Matt picked out a beautiful Rioja to go with it.
Tonight, I made a Pork Roast in the slow cooker. I had a 4 1/2 pound pork roast with the bone in. I rubbed salt & pepper on the pork, then I added 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce and a can of Pepsi. Along with the pork, I made roasted red potatoes. On the potatoes I put olive oil, the Montreal Seasoning, Herbes de Provence, salt & pepper. Mix it all up, spread it out on a baking stone and put it in the oven at 450 for about 25 minutes. It really was the perfect dinner for our snowed-in evening.
Tonight we had paired this with a 2006 Vina Zaco Tempranillo Rioja. Rioja is a region of Spain. Tempranillo is the varietal. To start, this wine is a nice deep red color. It's got a medium body. On the nose, there's some strawberry and light vanilla and leather. I taste that same strawberry, and a little caramel? Maybe that's vanilla. Either way, mmm... mmm... it's good stuff. Nice choice, Honey :) Well, back to checking out the blizzard, and hoping for a state of emergency so I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Wish me luck!
In Vino Veritas.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Pork Chops alla Pizzaoli (sp?) & 2009 Ocone Piedirosso
Good Saturday Evening Everone! Busy day behind me (2 basketball games & a birthday party), and soooo good to have tonight to enjoy and nice dinner and wine pairing.
Tonight's recipe was pretty easy. It's one I used to do more often, and I don't remember where it originally came from, and I've made my own variation to it, anyway. Here goes... Pounded out some pork chops (since I didn't buy the thin cut ones), seasoned with freshely ground salt & pepper and put in a pan with hot EVOO. Cooked a few minutes on each side. Take them out to a plate and cover with foil. In the pan, I poured in a can of diced tomatoes (with juices), a teaspoon of herbes de provence and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer and let that thicken about 12-15 minutes (keeping an eye that it doesn't burn), then put the pork chops back in with the juices from the plate to get some of the sauce on it. Place the pork chops on a serving plate and top with the tomato sauce. I don't know why I don't make this more often. It's really easy. I just served it over egg noodles tonight.
And onto the wine. I told Matt to pick something off the rack, and make it Italian. So, he came up with the 2009 Ocone Piedirosso. This is a grape I hadn't heard of before, but it's Italian ~ how bad could it be. I'm not sure I've met an Italian wine I haven't liked, yet. We're not entirely sure where it came from, but we think this was a gift from a customer of Matt's (this is what happens when there's too much stuff on the rack, we forget where some of it came from). Piedirosso is planted primarily in the Campania region, and is considered a specialty of that region, often used for blending.
The color is a gorgeous deep red, not quite purple. On the nose, very cherry with a little smoke. At first taste, slight acidity that quickly dissipates. Again, nice cherry with a little spice. Super light tannins, which is nice, it doesn't need much time to open up. When I asked Matt if he liked it, he said absolutely, 'I'd buy it". So, I just looked it up to check prices, and what came up? Amanti Vino came up first on Bing. $16.99. Perfect. (Makes me wonder if we got it from there? Or, maybe his customer did?). Who knows.
It won't be the last time we have this, now that I know where to easily get it! That's it for tonight! There's a fire roaring, and we're getting ready to watch A Good Year with Russell Crowe.
In Vino Veritas!
Tonight's recipe was pretty easy. It's one I used to do more often, and I don't remember where it originally came from, and I've made my own variation to it, anyway. Here goes... Pounded out some pork chops (since I didn't buy the thin cut ones), seasoned with freshely ground salt & pepper and put in a pan with hot EVOO. Cooked a few minutes on each side. Take them out to a plate and cover with foil. In the pan, I poured in a can of diced tomatoes (with juices), a teaspoon of herbes de provence and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer and let that thicken about 12-15 minutes (keeping an eye that it doesn't burn), then put the pork chops back in with the juices from the plate to get some of the sauce on it. Place the pork chops on a serving plate and top with the tomato sauce. I don't know why I don't make this more often. It's really easy. I just served it over egg noodles tonight.
And onto the wine. I told Matt to pick something off the rack, and make it Italian. So, he came up with the 2009 Ocone Piedirosso. This is a grape I hadn't heard of before, but it's Italian ~ how bad could it be. I'm not sure I've met an Italian wine I haven't liked, yet. We're not entirely sure where it came from, but we think this was a gift from a customer of Matt's (this is what happens when there's too much stuff on the rack, we forget where some of it came from). Piedirosso is planted primarily in the Campania region, and is considered a specialty of that region, often used for blending.
The color is a gorgeous deep red, not quite purple. On the nose, very cherry with a little smoke. At first taste, slight acidity that quickly dissipates. Again, nice cherry with a little spice. Super light tannins, which is nice, it doesn't need much time to open up. When I asked Matt if he liked it, he said absolutely, 'I'd buy it". So, I just looked it up to check prices, and what came up? Amanti Vino came up first on Bing. $16.99. Perfect. (Makes me wonder if we got it from there? Or, maybe his customer did?). Who knows.
It won't be the last time we have this, now that I know where to easily get it! That's it for tonight! There's a fire roaring, and we're getting ready to watch A Good Year with Russell Crowe.
In Vino Veritas!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina - this pairing was fantastic!
Last night's dinner and wine pairing was one of my best ones, yet! The recipe came out of Martha Stewart Everyday magazine that I get from my mother-in-law (Thanks, Mom!!). Anyway, I was also able to find it online, so I don't have to retype the whole thing, so here it is... http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/skirt-steak-with-sweet-potato-wedges-and-parsley-salad. Super easy & delicious.
So, at first I wasn't sure where to go with the wine, and really wanted to pair it with one of my Wine of the Month wines from Amanti Vino, because I haven't done that in a while, so I perused my wine rack and came up with the 2008 Jelu Malbec.
Jelu ~ from the Huarpe Indian language meaning sun. Malbec is an Argentinian wine, and has recently become a favorite of mine, and I though it would be a delicious accompaniment to my dinner. I hit it out of the park with this one. On the nose, I'm getting some deep red fruit, a little chocolate. Beautiful inky purple color. Then you drink it, and ohhhhh, it's good stuff :) Rich plum, still that slight chocolate you got on the nose, same deep red berry. When I say chocolate, please don't think it's some sweet chocolate taste that overpowering. It's quite the opposite, it's just this subtle flavor that rounds out this wine beautifully. There's so much to enjoy in this, and paired with the skirt steak dinner, it really made for a lovely dinner.
Thanks, once again, to Amanti Vino for a fantastic choice in your Wine of the Month. A beautiful selection!
In Vino Veritas!
So, at first I wasn't sure where to go with the wine, and really wanted to pair it with one of my Wine of the Month wines from Amanti Vino, because I haven't done that in a while, so I perused my wine rack and came up with the 2008 Jelu Malbec.
Jelu ~ from the Huarpe Indian language meaning sun. Malbec is an Argentinian wine, and has recently become a favorite of mine, and I though it would be a delicious accompaniment to my dinner. I hit it out of the park with this one. On the nose, I'm getting some deep red fruit, a little chocolate. Beautiful inky purple color. Then you drink it, and ohhhhh, it's good stuff :) Rich plum, still that slight chocolate you got on the nose, same deep red berry. When I say chocolate, please don't think it's some sweet chocolate taste that overpowering. It's quite the opposite, it's just this subtle flavor that rounds out this wine beautifully. There's so much to enjoy in this, and paired with the skirt steak dinner, it really made for a lovely dinner.
Thanks, once again, to Amanti Vino for a fantastic choice in your Wine of the Month. A beautiful selection!
In Vino Veritas!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Bearboat 2007 Pinot Noir & Chicken Francese
It's been a while since I've written - not that I haven't been drinking wine or making delicous meals, but the wines I've been drinking this week, and as well for Thanksgiving, I've already written about (ahem, Jonathan Edwards, ahem). Delicious.
I do my best, in general, to plan my meals out at least a week in advance and really try to do my best to stick to it. Today, it worked! Now, not that I've never eaten chicken francese before, but I don't think I've ever made it before. So, I found this recipe online at foodtv.com. Here it is... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/david-rosengarten/chicken-francese-with-lemon-and-pecorino-recipe/index.html. I have to say, I'm very impressed with myself, it came out perfect :)
As for today's wine, I was thinking that a white wine would've gone well (I'm sure many would have), but Matt's not always a fan of the white, so I chose a lighter red. I needed a Pinot tonight (truely, needed), and it turned out to be a great choice. This is a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, and I received this wine as a gift for my birthday (Thanks, Angie!!!).
When this wine was first opened, it smelled awesome! Fantastic strawberry on the nose. My first sip gave off some acidity, not much but it was nice with the lemony chicken. As the bottle opens up, it looses some of the crispness, and gains more raspberry, cherry. It was, once again, an enjoyable pairing, though not perfect. I do think this dinner would've paired quite well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay (though I would choose a Sauv Blanc over a Chard, only because of my own personal likes). The Pinot would also go well with a nicely seasoned pork loin.
In Vino Veritas!
I do my best, in general, to plan my meals out at least a week in advance and really try to do my best to stick to it. Today, it worked! Now, not that I've never eaten chicken francese before, but I don't think I've ever made it before. So, I found this recipe online at foodtv.com. Here it is... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/david-rosengarten/chicken-francese-with-lemon-and-pecorino-recipe/index.html. I have to say, I'm very impressed with myself, it came out perfect :)
As for today's wine, I was thinking that a white wine would've gone well (I'm sure many would have), but Matt's not always a fan of the white, so I chose a lighter red. I needed a Pinot tonight (truely, needed), and it turned out to be a great choice. This is a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, and I received this wine as a gift for my birthday (Thanks, Angie!!!).
When this wine was first opened, it smelled awesome! Fantastic strawberry on the nose. My first sip gave off some acidity, not much but it was nice with the lemony chicken. As the bottle opens up, it looses some of the crispness, and gains more raspberry, cherry. It was, once again, an enjoyable pairing, though not perfect. I do think this dinner would've paired quite well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay (though I would choose a Sauv Blanc over a Chard, only because of my own personal likes). The Pinot would also go well with a nicely seasoned pork loin.
In Vino Veritas!
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