Pre-prepped meals... not so bad after all

Ok, so if I wasn't married to my husband, this is what I would eat every night. But sometimes, time just isn't on your side. And to avoid a huge restaurant bill, or disgusting fried-food binge, the grocery store can offer some other alternatives. Like tonight for example. My husband could have easily made this on his own, but I didn't think something this good could come from a package.

President's Choice chili-lime-marinated pork steaks. Simply throw it on the barbecue, sprinkle with chili powder, and garnish with fresh cilantro from the garden. Serve alongside some zucchini in olive oil, lemon, rock salt and sprinkled with jalapeno cubes. Simply put, delicious! These steaks had just the right amount of spice, and of course, my husband cooked them to perfection, tender and juicy.

We also had the perfect wine. Bergeron Estate Winery's Gewurztraminer from Prince Edward County. This sweet, intense wine is perfect for this spicy dish. But you can only get it directly from the winery. It's not available at the LCBO. Ever since I read Holly's post on Ontario wine, I've been seriously making an effort.

Wine Tasting Class #5

Last week’s wine tasting class focused mostly on our mid-term preparation. We went through some of the things we learned that would fall under the written portion of the exam, such as describing the wine tasting room, and what sort of things to avoid before going into a tasting:
- Don’t go in on a full stomach (or after eating anything with strong flavours)
- Tasting are done best first thing in the morning
- If you are tasting in the morning, brush your teeth with water only, and never use mouthwash
- Stay healthy, a cold can pretty much ruin any senses you have
- Make sure you’re well rested
- Your mood should be calm, not sad or excited
- No hairspray or perfume

In one of our classes, we also started working with an aroma wheel (do a search in google images and there are tons that come up). Dr Ann C. Noble invented the aroma wheel to standardize a vocabulary when it came to identifying aromas in the wine. It also helps a person be more specific when determining aromas.

We also talked about the Terroir. Which was originally a French term in wine used to mark the characteristics that geography puts on particular varieties. The terroir is the soil, climate, farming techniques – all the conditions under which the vine is grown. Everything the vines are subject to in the field. Type of growing conditions such as temperature – is it a cool climate or hot? Proximity to water or hillside? Flat or land? Vegetation, mountain ranges, trees? Days of sunlight? Average rainfall? Vines need certain conditions to produce optimal fruit.

We also need to know the description of malolactic fermentation, where malic acid (harsher and tastes of green apples) is converted to softer lactic acid, like in a Cab Sauvignon or Chardonnay. The process gives wine a richer, more buttery taste. The amount of malolactic fermentation is done to the discretion of the winemaker. It’s a bacteria that is added during the initial stages of the fermentation.

Tannins come from seeds, stems and skins and new oak barrels. Maceration is the act of letting the juice sit on the skins longer to get more tannins. You’re not able to do this with all grapes, only certain ones, like Shiraz and Nebbiolo. Gamay on the other hand, doesn’t have the make up to be able to produce a wine with high tannins.

Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents (anthocyanins) and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must.

American oak imparts more flavour characteristics to wine than French oak.

American oak
Vanilla (#1 flavour)
Caramel
Toast
Coconut
Toffee
Smoky
Spiciness (clove)

French oak
Pepper
Spicy
Coffee (espresso)
Smoky coffee
Smoky

Ageing
What happens to a young Chardonnay with age in a barrel?
As the wine ages (10 years +), the rim gets wider (and more watery). In white wines, the center colour gets deeper.

What happens to a young Shiraz with age?
As the wine ages (10 years +), the purple hue in the rim gets wider. But contrary to whites, the colour gets more translucent, almost a brick colour.
Aldehydes strip out the colour.
There will be sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Why do we decant wines?
- Let the wine breathe
- Helps to soften the tannins
- Allows the sediment to settle
- Helps put emphasis on the bouquet – especially in a young wine
- Some wines will not open up if not properly decanted (1-1.5 hours)
- Don’t decant an wine that is past it’s prime or it will loose the aromas and taste

This was then followed by a blind wine tasting. This time without class participation. At the end of the 6 wines, our teacher went through all his tasting notes so we could compare. Surprisingly, I got the majority of the aromas and flavours right. I did miss some, but I did way better than I thought I’d do. One thing that totally had me floored was the rose scent I picked up in the Alsatian Gewurztraminer. How on earth I picked that out is beyond me. But it was great. What a confidence boost! I didn’t do so well however, on the body of the wines, or the length of the finishes.

Before I get into the details of the tasting, I’ll just skip to the end of the class, where one of the students, who is also a winemaker for Bergeron Estate Winery in Prince Edward County, chatted to us about what it was like to start up a winery and the bumps and hurdles that go along with it. Definitely one to check out, we got to try their Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer. I held back from buying a bottle of each kind but did leave with one – the Gewurz. Bergeron also makes Gamays and Vidals.

The Tasting
I don’t have the name, nor the CSPC and price details of these wines. Only the region and grape. I also wanted to add something to these and give my own rating, based on whether or not I would buy this one outside the tasting. But I was concentrating way too hard on all the other aspects. In my mind, they were all good in their own special way. I can't really say any of the wines we've tried during any of the classes I wouldn't enjoy. Except maybe the one that was corked!

I’ve also added a code below to describe how I did during the tasting. A (+) sign means I got it right, a (-) means it wasn’t mentioned, an (x) means I got it wrong. And then I’ll also list what I was missing.

Wine #1 – New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Colour: Pale yellow – borderline watery +
Aromas: Grapefruit +, citrus +, lime +, apple -
Missing: Vegetal, earthiness, diesel
Weight: Light to medium +
Acidity: Medium +
Actual response was medium to high with emphasis on the medium
Taste: Grapefruit -, lime +, apricot -
Missing: citrus, lemon, mineral, peach
Finish: Short x
Actual response was short to medium

Wine #2 – California Sonoma Chardonnay
Colour: Pale yellow x
Actual was pale to medium yellow
Aromas: Ripe banana +, honey -, oak -, toffee +
Missing: Vanilla, toast, clove, smoky, melon, baked apple
Weight: Medium +
Acidity: Light x
Actual was light to medium
Taste: oak -, honey -, peach -, banana +
Missing: Toffee, clove
Finish: Short to medium x
Actual: Medium to long

Wine #3 – Alsatian Gewurztraminer
Colour: Medium yellow +
Aroma: Floral +, rose +, lemon +, honey +, melon -
Weight: Medium to heavy x
Actual: Medium with some residual sugar
Acidity: Light to medium x
Actual: Light
Taste: Buttery -, honey +, melon +, peach +
Missing: Mango, flowery
Finish: Medium to long +

Wine #4 – Sebastiani Pinot Noir
Colour: Medium red with purple and brick hues +
Aroma: Chocolate (missing brownies) +, caramel -, strawberry jam -, cherry +, vanilla -
Missing: Prune, sweet tobacco, raspberry, smoky
Weight: Medium to full bodied x
Actual: Light to medium bodied
Tannin: Light to medium +
Taste: Cherry +, smoky +, chocolate +, cloves -, cinnamon -
Missing: Prune, sweet tobacco, raspberry
Finish: Medium to long x
Actual: Light to medium

Wine # 5 – Clarence Hill Australian Shiraz
Colour: Dark red with brick hue +
Aroma: Tar -, anise +, cassis -, cherry -, prune -
Missing: Ripe red berries
Weight: Light x
Actual: Medium
Tannin: Medium to high +
Actual: Medium
Taste: Ripe cherry +, raspberry -, smoky -, tobacco -, pepper +
Finish: Medium +

Wine #6 – Cabernet Sauvignon Mission Hill
Colour: Dark red with purple hue +
Aroma: Caramel -, molasses -, cherry -, blackberry -
Actual: Cassis, leather, black licorice
Weight: Medium x
Actual: Medium to full bodied
Tannin: Medium to high +
Taste: Clove +, ripe cherry +, anise +
Missing: Oak, vanilla, spice
Finish: Long x
Actual: Medium

Halibut and Fiddleheads

Ah, the perfect summer meal. It was still warm enough out last night to enjoy this dinner on our deck. Things would not have been the same tonight. I love that my husband can take two very simple ingredients and turn them into culinary works of art. The garnish does so much for food, it's crazy.

This delicate piece of fish had the perfect garnish, adding both flavour and visual stimulation with fresh dill and salty dulse flakes. But that's not the only thing that made it so special. First off, squeeze some lemon juice over the top of the fish and let it sit for a while, until it gets white on top, like making ceviche. Then rub in some salt and cipâte du lac St-Jean. After, smear a layer of mayo over the top and bbq the fish, mayo side down, and don't touch it until it's almost ready to eat. Then flip and cook for a couple minutes on the other side.


Sprinkle with dulse flakes and dill and serve with fiddleheads tossed in olive oil, lemon, salt and more dill. Delicious!

Best. Day. Ever.

Yesterday was my birthday and I must say that my husband knows me really, really well. I could say 10 years will do that to a relationship, but really it takes so much more than just time to get to know someone, and my husband has put the effort in, and then some. I'm going to do my best to stick to only the food parts of my day, since this is a food blog!

Lunch, well, my favourite lunchtime spot is Benny's Bistro. Chef Scott Adams is a master in his kitchen and is fantastic at bringing out all the wonderful aspects of the ingredients he is cooking with. My husband took 3 hours out of his day to bring me here. I work quite a distance away, so that combined with him having to come and get me first (not to mention delivering me flowers at work!), get through construction in more than one place, and then the lunch, man. It was craziness, but it was worth it!

I must admit it was a bit difficult to get through the afternoon at work after that. But as soon as 5pm came around I was back on my bike heading home for more yumminess.

After a walk in the park with our beautiful 14-year-old dog, our next stop was the Whalesbone for oysters. Yay! We got the Shuker's Special and a half litre of their signature wine. Sharing oysters with my husband while sipping wine is definitely one of the finer things in life. It is magical.


Before we left for the Whalesbone, we decanted the last bottle of wine from our California trip. By the time we got home this wine was at it's prime. Exuding all the marvelous characteristics it had to offer. A beautiful dark red wine with a purple hue filled the glass. Aromas of dark ripe cherries, bitter chocolate, wet tobacco leaf and a bit of smokiness. This medium to full bodied wine was much smoother on the palate than expected, with low tannins and flavours of black fruit, dark bitter chocolate and wet tobacco. (My husband compared some of the flavours to the Colts cigars he used to smoke in high school – in a good way!) It's long finish just extended the deliciousness. I have to say, this is probably my favourite wine in the whole world. If you're ever in the Napa Valley, you must stop in at the Robledo family winery.


Aromas of Asian cuisine filled the air of the house. Korean was the theme. My husband never ceases to amaze me with his culinary talents and last night was no different. After marinating some local wild boar spare ribs all day in soy sauce, garlic, grated pear, grated onion, sugar and hot sauce, these meaty bites were ready for the bbq. My husband boiled the rest of the marinade which resulted in a thick, spicy-sweet and heavenly sauce that we then added to the ribs and smothered over rice. The chewiness of the lean boar meat on the bone transitioned into more tender meat the further away you got. The bits with no bone at all, and that were embraced in fat, melted oh so magically in our mouths, no chewing required. Having this combination of textures on my plate was like no other. Literally the best of both worlds.


The salads so carefully planned as accompaniments complemented the meat perfectly, adding freshness, tang and spiciness to the meal. Seaweed and cabbage salad, piquant kimchi, wilted sesame spinach salad and bright green and fresh shallot salad. Every bite offering a new flavour, and heightening the overall meat experience beautifully.

For dessert, my friend Teresa showed up with a lovely ice cream cake. After blowing out my “not too many” candles, we melted into our chairs faster than the ice cream, enjoying every creamy bite. Thanks T! So sweet!

And Ryan, I can't thank you enough for my day. You truly are the most amazing man alive. I loved every second of every bite and everything else in between. Thank you so much!

Wine Tasting Class #4

Last Monday's class started off with a surprise visit from a gentleman from Wayne Gretzky's No 99 Estate Winery. I have to admit, I've never been a fan of celebrity wines. I guess I just always felt that people would buy the wine just because of the name and that the wine itself would just be mediocre. I've even been at the LCBO, picked up the bottle (which has a very nice and simple label), only to put it back as soon as I saw his name. Don't get me wrong, I love hockey and I don't dislike Mr Gretzky. But I've just never associated him with wine, and therefore, could never picture it being good.

On Monday night I learned that Wayne does not intend to go out there and make a wine that's going to win awards (although some have). He simply wants to make a good, affordable, Ontario wine that's easy to drink as you sit back, relax and enjoy your evening. He's not an expert, but is learning as he goes. And the more he learns, the better his wines get – his winemakers know what they're doing and make sure the wine reflects Wayne's expectations.

We tried a light bodied Sauvignon Blanc, a Merlot and a great medium to heavy bodied Cab Merlot. We also tried Creekside's Laura Red which is a blend of 5 varieties. All were really good. Ok, I will not pass by these with my nose up again.

The rest of our class was labeled Extreme Wine Tasting. The goal was to make us really see the difference between extremes, which should help us in picking stuff out later on. I wasn't convinced after the first round. I could feel and taste the differences, but it wasn't as revolutionary as I thought it would be. I did leave feeling much smarter than I did going in though.

Round 1
No oak vs oak; light bodied vs med-heavy; pale yellow vs medium-dark yellow

Santa Margheritta Pinot Grigio CSPC 106450 $16.95 09
Sight: Pale yellow, borderline watery
Aromas: Citrus, green apple, tart fruit, light cantaloupe, pear, melon
Weight: Light to medium bodied

Acid: Light to medium acidity
Taste: Citrus, pear, minerality
Finish: Short

VS

Coppola Diamond Chardonnay CSPC 708305 $22.95 08
Sight: Light to medium yellow
Aromas: Tropical fruit, butter (malolactic fermentation), toasty, vanilla, caramel, baked apple, over ripe banana
Weight: Medium bodied (oiliness)

Acid: Light to medium (never high with malolactic fermentation)
Taste: Banana, butter, toffee, apple, tropical fruit, coconut (American oak), smokiness, charred, burnt, baked apple, stone fruit, clove, vanilla
Finish: Medium

Round 2
Light acidity vs medium to high acidity; slightly sweet vs bone dry

Riesling Munsterer Kappellenburg CSPC 721928 $18.95 08 (I went out and bought 2 bottles after our tasting. I didn't think I liked sweeter whites but this wine was delish!)
Sight: Pale yellow
Aromas: Apricot, citrus, honey, melon, diesel, burnt match, green apple, floral
Weight: Light to medium bodied. Also had a light effervescent sensation on the tongue which can mean it was planted on stone or slate.

Acid: Low with some residual sugar
Taste: Honey, apricot, melon (honeydew), minerals, floral, peach
Finish: Medium

VS

Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc CSPC 963124 $17.95 08
Sight: Pale yellow
Aromas: Asparagus, mineral, citrus, peach, honey, passion fruit, white grapefruit, gooseberry
Weight: Light to medium bodied

Acid: Medium to high acidity
Taste: Grapefruit, honey, tropical fruit, mango, papaya, citrus, lime, mineral
Finish: Short to medium (excellent after serving garlic to cleanse palate.

Round 3
Light red vs dark; light tannins vs medium to high; light bodied vs medium to heavy
Combe aux Jacques Beaujolais CSPC 365924 $15.95 08
Sight: Light to medium red with purple and very faint brick hues
Aromas: Bubble gum, caramel, strawberry jam, red shoestring licorice, candied banana puffs, dried bananas, candy floss, ripe plum, young sweet red fruit
Weight: Light bodied

Tannins: Light tannins, lots of acidity
Taste: Sour cherry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry
Finish: Short

VS

CH Pipeau St Emillion CSPC 564179 $29.00 06
Sight: Dark red with brick hue
Aromas: Tobacco, leather, tar, plum, really dark red fruit, coffee/espresso bean, smoky, bacon, smoked meat
Weight: Medium bodied

Tannins: Medium to high
Taste: Cherry, red fruit, plum, baker's chocolate, burnt coffee, leather, black licorice, dark chocolate, cigar, tobacco, charred wood, smoky, cured meat
Finish: Medium

Pure Torture

Having a food blog has got a lot of little perks. Friends go all out when they have you over for dinner, getting invitations to food events, meeting other like-minded foodies, the joys of going back and reminiscing over past meals.

But sometimes, believe it or not, it can be difficult and even torturous. Like today for example. I received an email from a friend of mine who is in New York city as we speak, eating a fantastic meal. I think he may have forgotten that it's Rachelle EATS food, I love when I'm eating. Not looking at food, not drooling over what someone else had. What brings me pleasure is eating it.

That said, I thought I'd share my torture of the day with you too. He's at Jean Georges. A restaurant at the Trump Hotel across from Central Park.

First I received this. The menu alone had me drooling.

Followed by the tuna tartare.

His wife's main.

And then his.

Oh, please, don't forget the wine!

Hazelnut torte with red wine sorbet and strawberries.

Chocolate molten cake with vanilla bean ice cream.

Yeah, thanks Jean-Marc. Thanks a lot.

Talay Thai

$+

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into Talay Thai. The last time I was in this restaurant was 10 years ago and it was called Gina's. Greasy breakfast, BLTs, and if you couldn't smoke, it hadn't been long since the law was passed. I'm not sure what was there between Gina's and Talay, but I do know that the transformation between the two is incredible. Beautiful, warm and welcoming was the feeling I got within seconds. We were lucky enough to get the table right up against the window looking out onto Bank street. Colourful orchids lined the windowsill, distracting the eye from the view of the gas station across the street. And nothing beats natural light, especially when you're shooting food with your iPhone (I didn't have my usual camera with me).

We started off with Por Pia Sod – curried tofu, mushroom, lettuce, lemongrass and basil wrapped in warm rice paper and served with a heavenly, spicy peanut sauce. I wanted to lick out the dish it was so good. I will definitely be back for this app!

Next my husband and I shared two dishes, a classic Pad Thai with al dente fried rice noodles, meaty shrimp, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts, and the Talay Ob Woonsen – steamed shrimp and squid with vermicelli noodles, chunks of fresh ginger, scallions, coriander and black pepper. Although good, I can't say the Pad Thai was the best I've ever had (without anything to compare it to I would have given 3 stars), but the other two dishes were truly delicious.

Service was warmhearted and prices reasonable. Apps range from $4.95 to $7.50 and mains from $10.95 to $14.95.

Talay Thai