I have to admit I was a little dubious about any hard cider that comes with the suggestion to "serve over ice!"

I was born and raised in Asturias, a region of northern Spain that is very similar to where I live now in western Pennsylvania. Apple orchards are a common sight in both of these landscapes. In Asturias, hard cider is one of the most popular and commonly enjoyed alcoholic beverages, but not in Pennsylvania, nor (as far as I know) anywhere in the U.S.

Hard cider is starting to develop a following in this country, but is still viewed by many as an inferior choice to beer. Maybe because of different marketing strategies, I find that many hard ciders in this country have many other ingredients other than just fermented apple juice, which is basically the main ingredient in fine European hard ciders. A good example is Crispin Hard Cider, which offers the suggestion of serving over ice–a bizarre idea bordering on sacrilege for someone raised on Asturian sidra! This beverage contains hard cider, filtered water, apple juice concentrate and natural apple essence. As a sweet apple flavored drink, well, it’s not bad. It’s probably a drink that would be enjoyed by many, but it’s not hard cider, not my kind of hard cider that you would drink as you would a beer. This Crispin cider beverage reminds me of an appletini or dessert drink–something like granny smith sorbet, not hard cider. But who knows–maybe it’s an encouraging sign to see more ciders on the market, even if they don’t necessarily match my idea of what hard cider should be.

Farnum Hill semi-dry hard cider, a great choice for our Thanksgiving feast!

Now, a good American hard cider is made in New Hampshire at Farnum Hill. Farnum Hill ciders are–in my modest opinion–great hard ciders. I have much to say about Farnum Hill, but for this entry, I will just say that Farnum Hill Semi-dry cider was my choice for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a great pairing to our harvest feast.

Buen provecho!

Sharron Peterson

Before I begin, let me say that I love Thumper as much as anyone. My memories of him frolicking with Bambi in the grass are very vivid. So let me assure you that I understand why many of you are wary of wary of the Hare. However, rabbits have been considered a viable protein source all over the world for centuries. One might even call rabbit Europe’s “other white meat.” So, today, I ask you to set your visions of the Easter Bunny and talking rabbits aside as we give credence to this wine friendly, versatile meat.

Let’s begin with some Rabbit Food History.

According to Rabbit records, our consumption of the hare dates at least as far back as the Phoenicians (3,000 B.C.), whose sailors discovered rabbits.

The Romans later used rabbit meat to feed their soldiers, and even developed enclosed wall areas called “leporaria” to keep wild rabbits ready for eating. In the Middle Ages, Monks kept “leporaria” and began breeding for weight, color and even flavor profile. By the 16th century King Henry VIII took to hunting them for sport (yes, he was a little nuts). And his daughter Queen Elizabeth kept “rabbit islands” where the little critters could run free and flourish. This is actually how Coney Island got its name: the Dutch named the island “Conyne Eylandt” which translates to “rabbit island.”

There are still rabbit islands today, but most rabbits in this country are bred for pets. Which takes us back to our original topic – rabbits as food.

One common misconception is that rabbit tastes like chicken. Well, it doesn’t–it tastes like rabbit! Rabbit is considered a “game” meat and offers a savory, softer flavor profile than chicken. It is low in fat and can be chopped, fried, diced, sliced… prepared any way your hopping heart desires. Rabbit is a white meat and well suited for spring, summer, autumn, or even winter. Because of this versatility it pairs well with many red and white wines.

For example, let’s take a look at Chef Daniel’s rabbit and pear dish.

Chef marinates his rabbit in a flavorful mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, and calvados. The seasoned pieces are sauteed and served with pear, rutabaga, and turnips. What a scrumptious combo! In order to pair wine with this dish, I look at the most dominant components: garlic, its fried preparation, salt, and pear.

In order to stand up to the garlic and the fried preparation, we must choose a wine with enough acid to “cut through” these qualities. Also, we need a wine that will neither accentuate the salt nor overpower the delicate flavors of the pear.

My Choices
Reds: Oregon/ French Pinot Noir or a nice Chateauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone Valley

Whites: Alsatian Riesling or a white Rhone such as Marsanne or Rousanne

All of these wines are known for their vibrant fruit flavors yet have enough of a backbone (acid) to stand up to the garlic and fried preparation.

So, there you have it. Prepare Chef Daniel’s Rabbit and Pear dish, choose a wine and remember that food and wine is best when shared!

Picture recipe for rabbit with pears

I always have the urge to cook rabbit for Easter. Once again I was not allowed to, and I had to wait until later on to do so. Last fall I canned pears from our pear tree, and I thought they would taste great in this dish.

This recipe is actually quite simple, and despite the many steps it’s easy to cook. You can substitute fresh pears or even store bought canned pears, since I don’t have that many more left to give you.

ingredients

• 1 rabbit
• 1/4 cup calvados or brandy
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 medium size turnips cut into cubes
• 1 rutabaga cut into thick strips
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tsp. chicken bullion
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 1 fresh oregano sprig
• 3-4 pears canned/fresh
• 6 oz. baby spinach
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Make a paste with the garlic cloves, calvados, salt and pepper–I like to use my mortar and pestle for this. Rub the paste on the rabbit pieces. The butcher can break down the rabbit for you or if you feel adventurous, you can do it yourself–a rabbit is very similar to a chicken in this sense. Let it marinate refrigerated for at least a half hour.

While the rabbit marinates, peel and cut the rutabaga and the turnips. Reserve the rutabaga in water.

Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven or pan, and lightly brown the turnips. Remove from the oil and reserve.

Flour rabbit, add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil, and brown the rabbit. Remove the rabbit and set aside. Saute shallot in the rabbit oil, then deglaze the bottom of the pan with the pear liquid and white wine. Mix in the chicken bullion at this point.

Return rabbit to the pan. Sprinkle the thyme and oregano over the rabbit.

Rinse and place the rutabaga and turnips over the rabbit. Salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the rabbit and vegetables are fork tender, around 15 to 20 minutes. Mix in the pears and cover for 5 more minutes to warm them up. If you are using fresh pears add them right after the turnips.

Wilt spinach in a separate saute pan and arrange in the center of the plate with rabbit, turnips, rutabaga and pears. Drizzle the juices from the pan over the rabbit and serve.

See the wine pairing for this recipe at best when shared: rabbit with pears.

Buen provecho!

Picture recipe for desarme, a traditional Asturian stew

Maybe because of this time of the year, or perhaps because I can eat it anytime–fish is on my mind. Salted cod to be more specific, which brings me to this recipe.

Salted Cod with Garbanzo Beans and Spinach, known in Asturias and probably all of Spain as “Desarme,” is one of the most typical salted cod recipes of the Asturian region, and a dish that brings me back with every bite. Every year in October, Asturias celebrates war triumphs of the past with this dish. Desarme itself is a culinary triumph. It’s called “desarme” because it supposedly was so good that it “disarmed” opposing forces: they laid down their guns to enjoy a bowl of this soup. This dish reminds me of how good something so simple can be, anytime of the year. Enjoy!

ingredients

• 1 pound dry garbanzo beans
• 1 pound salted cod
• 1 pound frozen spinach
• 1 onion small diced
• 1 slice of bread (preferably from a few days old baguette)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 eggs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1/2 cup of parsley
• olive oil

Soak the garbanzo beans in plenty of cold water over night. Follow the salted cod directions for soaking and preparation. Some salted cod might require an overnight process.

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. You could use canned garbanzo beans, but I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. They don’t make as good of a stock for your soup.

Cover the garbanzo beans with warm water. The garbanzo beans should be below the surface of the water by at least two fingers of water–about an inch and a half.

Pour a tablespoon of olive oil onto the water, add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cook your eggs until they are hard boiled. Cool and set aside.

In a sauté pan add two tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the bread on both sides, remove from pan and put in a food processor. Lightly toast the garlic cloves making sure they won’t burn, and add to the bread. Add the parsley.

At this point the garbanzo beans are probably boiling. Reduce to medium heat and skim off the white foam from the surface of the water.

Add a little extra oil to the same pan where you cooked the bread and garlic, and sauté the onion. Add the pimenton to the onion and mix in for a few minutes. Pour the sauteed onion mixture in the garbanzo pot.

Remove the egg yolks from the eggs and add to the food processor. Add a half of a cup of the garbanzo stock to the food processor and blend until you have a creamy paste.

Once the garbanzo beans are tender, tear the cod into small pieces with your fingers and incorporate into the soup.

Stir in the bread and egg yolk paste into the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add spinach. Allow it to cook for at least ten more minutes for all flavors to come together.

Charlie Adler's book, I Drink on the Job

First of all, I want to mention that it’s really great that Daniel is using local resources as his ingredients. It’s really sad that people are so urbanized and removed from nature that they don’t even trust the fruit that grows on their local trees! Just like Daniel used the local quinces for the Yinzer torte recipe, I have often thought about using the ginkgo “stinky” fruit that falls from the female trees that are common all over Washington, D.C. Stinky Gingko Fruit – unfortunately, it is SO stinky, that it will probably never happen!

The first point I want to make is that I am not a proponent of pairing dessert wines and dessert. The way I see it, there’s a missing synergy. In my book, I Drink on the Job (www.idrinkonthejob.com), I have a complete chapter on pairing wine and food, and the principle that comes to mind is “1+1=1/2″. It seems weird, but when you put a sweet food in your mouth and then you drink a sweet beverage (it could be any beverage – fruit juice, cola, etc.), the sweetness is significantly reduced. The pairing rule I often learned was that the wine should be at least as sweet at the dessert, but I don’t see how it makes a difference–sweet and sweet mostly cancel each other out!

Another point is that the Yinzer torte is made with highly acidic quince fruit turned into a butter emulsion. So now you have acidity – and yes, you do want to match acidity in a dish with an equally acidic wine, or the wine will taste really flat! You could easily pair this dish with a traditional dessert wine like a Sauternes or a Hungarian Tokaj, and that will do just fine. But let me throw you a few curve balls:

1. I prefer to have contrast to a sweet dessert dish. Just like many people really enjoy coffee with sweets because the tannin in coffee contrasts the sweetness of dessert on your palate, I would rather pair this with a spirit – and my spirit of choice for this dish is either a Cognac or a Calvados. Cognac is distilled from grapes and has a nice fruit component. Calvados is distilled from apples and has that fruit component as well. You could have a whisky or a Scotch, but definitely avoid a really smoky/peaty version of the latter – there are no smoke components to this dessert (unless you’re puffing on a cigar at the time!),
2. Change the dish a bit to make it go better with wine–this is called a pairing “bridge”. For example, you could put some chopped walnuts on top and maybe serve with a slice of blue cheese and now Ruby Port goes perfectly! Crunchy nuts would also add texture which makes food more interesting on the palate. Add a caramel sauce, and now a Tawny port, which is port that has been pre-aged in barrel will work with those flavors. You could even bridge this dessert by making a dessert wine reduction, and that would bring the flavors together.
3. Add fresh whipped cream with a little liqueur in it like Cointreau. OK, it won’t match better with any wine, but certainly it will make the dish all the better, and isn’t pleasure what you’re really after?

Consider yourself paired!

Picture recipe for Yinzer Torte

ingredients

• 4 oz. sugar
• 8 oz. butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 lemon – zest only
• 1/2 orange – zest only
• 1 oz. maria cookies
• 2 oz. marcona almonds
• 2 oz. hazelnuts
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup quince butter or any other jelly or jam
• powdered sugar for dusting

instructions

For this recipe you don’t need to toast the nuts. Put them in a food processor and grind them as fine as possible. Add the Maria cookies to the nuts and grind them all up. In a separate bowl cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, and as you mix pour in the vanilla. Zest the orange and lemon into the butter mix, and then add the ground nuts and cookies. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Quickly combine. When every ingredient is uniformly mixed, add the flour and baking powder. Mix to achieve a cookie-dough-like consistency. Make into a loaf. If at this point the dough is too soft, put it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into two parts, one a little larger than the other. The larger portion will be the base of the torte.

As you can see, I couldn’t find my torte pan so I used my springform pan. But of course you can use a torte pan.

Evenly distribute the larger half of your dough on top of your pan. Work quickly, or it will get too soft and difficult to work with. Then spread the fruit jelly over the dough. The final decoration of the torte is really up to you. I illustrated the most common way to go about it, but you can be creative with this step. I did use my pasta cutter, but a knife will do.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough turns light golden brown. Let it cool down and dust it with powdered sugar. Before you serve and enjoy, don’t forget to check out Charlie Adler’s wine pairing for yinzer torte!

Buen provecho!

Charlie Adler, author of "I Drink on the Job"

Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is such a great Latin comfort dish, as Daniel mentions, pretty much every Latin country has their version, even cultures from the Middle East and Asia have similar versions, only using different spices. As I do for all pairings, I always like to break down pairings into simple component parts: originating region of cuisine, cooking technique, balance of flavors and spicing, the body of the dish, and the seasonality of the dish are all major points to consider.

So here’s my breakdown of pairing for Arroz con Pollo – Rice with Chicken:

Region: Spain and Latin America – this is a comfort food dish throughout Latin countries – each spices it a bit differently, but chicken, rice and sofrito (In Latin American cuisine, it is a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs)

Cooking Technique: This is a true “Momma’s Dish” that every loving mother makes for her family by spreading the flavors of the chicken into the rice by browning and then stewing with the sofrito. This dish can be served right-away, or even refrigerated and served the next day.

Balance of Flavors and Spicing: The major flavor components of this dish are the browning of the chicken meat, the chorizo sausage, and the sofrito which is a flavorful tomato, onion, garlic and spices/herbs blend. I noticed Daniel in this version uses quite a bit of cumin, which adds body and smokiness to the dish as well as the chorizo which is a smoked sausage. This brings a rustic heartiness and depth to the dish, sort of a base note. Rice is pretty neutral, but using Arborio rice is an elegant addition which adds some cooking time as well as more texture to the dish.

The Body: Just mentioned, the browned chicken, the texture of Arborio Rice and the earthy/weighty flavors of smoked chorizo and the sofrito gives this dish a rich flavor. The secret is to let the flavors stay together long enough to create the harmony of this dish – that’s why it tastes even better the next day!

Other Factors: This is a comfort food dish and I think beverages that are served with comfort food work. Beer would work great, but everyday wines, particularly reds will work.

Wine Pairing Conclusion: This is the kind of dish where an inexpensive light to medium bodied red works perfectly, I’m thinking a nice Spanish Tempranillo or a rustic Grenache based wine. In a pinch, an Italian Sangiovese like Chianti would work great, but any light regional red works. The components I would pair are really the rich flavors coming from the tomato/onion/red pepper sofrito and the cumin which adds a rich gravy flavor that gives the chicken more weight and body. The melding of chicken fat and juice, smoked sausage, tomatoes and rich spices create a harmony of dish where the wine should be simple and just stand up to the flavors. For a little variation, you could also replace some of the chicken stock added to the rice with, say, a cup of wine to give the dish a little zing – I generally cook with light crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, but you could use a light red as well. Drink a nice simple red wine with this dish, and follow with some Tequila Anejo or Whiskey to mellow out the wonderful pleasure of heartiness and simplicity!

Conclusion: Don’t over think this pairing, just pull a bottle from your stash and enjoy!

Consider yourself paired!

Charlie Adler
Author, “I Drink on the Job: A Refreshing Perspective on Wine” (Release date: February, 2010)
www.idrinkonthejob.com
Twitter: @idrinkonthejob
idrinkonthejob@gmail.com

Picture recipe for Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) has to be one of the most popular comfort foods in Hispanic/Latin kitchens. Growing up in Spain I enjoyed various versions of this dish, as every family makes it a little different. In traveling around Europe and the Middle East I encountered plenty of variations to this dish, not always with chicken but very similar.

Later on in my career working in the States with the backbone of America’s kitchen force, Mexicans, Brazilians, Ecuadorians, Colombians and many other Central and South American cultures, I quickly discovered that “arroz con pollo” was a classic favorite.

It was always a treat when we would get to try Ernesto’s versions of this dish, or Jorge’s–this is how my mother makes it, they would always say.

I still make a more Spanish version of this dish, not as spicy, nor heavily seasoned, but the recipe I’m sharing with you today is a combination of those other versions, the “arroz con pollo” of the world as I melted them into one recipe. My South American friends are always happy to eat it, and of course it’s not as good as their mother’s recipe, but close enough!

Buen provecho!

ingredients

• 1 small chicken (3 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tsps. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsps. paprika
• 1/2 tsps. cayenne pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chorizo sausage
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

instructions

Getting a whole chicken and breaking it down is always preferred. This way you have the whole range of flavors, dark and white meat, and all the flavor from the bones. Your butcher might also do this for you, or you might just get the breasts, or the thighs. Whatever you choose, I would recommend using “bone in” chicken.

Mix the cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper with the olive oil and rub on the chicken pieces. Let those flavors mingle with the chicken for at least 20 minutes.

Cut the chorizo sausage in half, lengthwise–I prefer to remove its casing at this point–and then into slices (half moons). Dice your red pepper, the onion, and finely mince the garlic.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and brown chicken. (This is when my dog comes around hoping I will drop some chicken on the floor.)

Remove the chicken from the pot and sweat the onion, red pepper, garlic and bay leaves in the chicken fat and oil mixture. This vegetable base is called a “sofrito.”

After the sofrito has acquired a little color, add the chorizo sausage and saute lightly. Mix in the rice and stir to coat with the sofrito. Pour in your tomatoes, the water, the chicken, and the chicken base (or 3 cups of chicken stock). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Turn heat off and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Charlie Adler, author of "I Drink on the Job"

Thanks for having me as the official wine pairing pro for DinnerwithDaniel blog, looking forward to many fun matches! As a wine and food professional, I always like to break down pairings into simple component parts: originating region of cuisine, cooking technique, balance of flavors and spicing, the body of the dish, and the seasonality of the dish are all major points to consider.

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 7 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary)
• a dash of red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 cups olive oil
• salt and black pepper

instructions

Heat up the olive oil. Dice the onion and add to the oil. Bring oil to a boil and reduce heat. Stir to make sure onions aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Dice potatoes. Soak in water for a few minutes to get rid of some of the starch. Drain well, salt the potatoes and add to oil. Again bring oil to a boil and reduce heat. Stir from time to time to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and whisk lightly. In a mortar, crush garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. If you don’t have a mortar, simply chop the herbs and garlic and mix with red pepper flakes and pinch of salt. As soon as the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat! (You don’t want your potatoes to get too soft–they’ll cook some more in the sauté pan.)

Stir the herb mixture into the oil. Remove the potatoes and onions from the oil. Use a skimmer to move potatoes from oil into egg mixture. You want to drain as much oil as you can. The 10-inch sauté pan should be warming on medium-low heat, make sure it doesn’t get too hot. Stir potatoes into eggs and then pour this mixture into the sauté pan. A nonstick pan works best, you can also spray it for extra safety. Distribute the mix evenly throughout the pan. Let it cook at slow heat. You will see the edges of the mix get done first. It should be ready to flip in 15 minutes.

Put a 10-inch plate on top of the pan and flip onto it. And then quickly slide back into the sauté pan. Push down the edges of the tortilla with a fork. Let it cook at low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes. When a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, it’s done! At this point repeat the plate/flip operation. Put a clean 10-inch plate on top of the tortilla and flip onto the plate.
A little bread and wine and you’ll be enjoying one of Spain’s most traditional tapas.

Buen provecho!

See Charlie Adler’s wine pairings for this recipe!