I made breakfast this morning for the B&B guests. We had "Dutch Babies" topped with sauteed apples, then dusted with powdered sugar and bacon on the side. It is a smaller version of a Dutch Pancake or Pannekuchen. There were ten guests to cook for this morning. I even made one for Carl. He loved it and asked for the recipe! We did a little experimenting with different size and types of pans. He says I'm teaching him and I say he's teaching me "the business". After breakfast, it's time for clean-up then on to a little studying.
Think of me at 5pm while I take my ISG First Level Sommelier exam! After that I will be off the next week as they cancelled my Business course for June 28-July 2. They have rescheduled it for September. I plan on returning to Reno for most of the week and just relax and enjoy myself before school starts again on July 6.
I appreciate everyone who reads this blog and for your comments and encouragement. You all get a week off from reading as I won't be doing the blog until I return to Denver!
Happy 4th of July!!!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Today is a study day-trying to bone up for the ISG exam! I made some cookies-Chocolate Gems but added some cayenne pepper for a little "bite". The cookies went over well both at the B&B and at my study group. I also had to buy a bottle of Pinot Gris to take to the study group for a blind taste test. While I was there, I also bought a bottle of 2007 Chateauneuf de Pape and a bottle of 2007 Cote d'Rhone with the money Dr Lynch gave me back in May. He gave me a card with the money and told me to buy myself a good bottle of wine once I was done with my wine class. So I did!
A bunch of us in class went up to Chris' house in Golden to study for the ISG exam. Chris put out quite a spread! My goodness! It really does pay to hand out with chefs and/or chefs in training, lol! Crab dip, bruschetta, a veggie tray with dip, baked polenta, a torta, guacamole, salsa and chips, a cheese tray, melon and proscuito, and I know a few other things I'm missing! We did do the blind tasting with a variety of wines-we got some right, some wrong. We talked and talked, this really is a good class!
A bunch of us in class went up to Chris' house in Golden to study for the ISG exam. Chris put out quite a spread! My goodness! It really does pay to hand out with chefs and/or chefs in training, lol! Crab dip, bruschetta, a veggie tray with dip, baked polenta, a torta, guacamole, salsa and chips, a cheese tray, melon and proscuito, and I know a few other things I'm missing! We did do the blind tasting with a variety of wines-we got some right, some wrong. We talked and talked, this really is a good class!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
I almost didn't know what to do with myself today! No school until July 5! I slept in a bit, drank coffee, updated my computer, baked cookies, talked with Bailey and began a review of my ISG exam material. By late afternoon I was ready for the Friday night out that Paula and I started doing. We went to Solera Wine Bar to try some wines (gotta practice you know, lol). Then we went to the Magnolia Hotel downtown to a Sante Fe jewelry show, then on to dinner at Bistro Vendome (very French). Dinner was fantastic! So many restaurants, so little time!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Well, we had our last wine class exam today. Everyone showed up, no one elected to skip out and take a 70% if they were taking the ISG exam. It only took us about 30 minutes to take it, although there are always those who take a longer or shorter period of time.
Afterwards I felt I needed a break so went exploring Cherry Creek Mall. It is a high end shopping center and it was nice just to look and walk around. I met Alta, one of my classmates, for lunch at Kona Grill then came came bak to the B&B.
I helped with some prep work and set up for what I finally learned was a Denver Chamber mixer. I had already made bread pudding. (We added a homemade caramel sauce over the top of it right before serving.) I also took some wonton wrappers and brushed melted butter on both side, sprinkled cinnamon sugar over one side, placed them in a muffin tin sugar side up so they would make little cups, then baked them for about 10 minutes. I let them cool while I sliced strawberries into little "flowers" then piped some mascarpone cheese into them. The strawberry then sits in the cup and is eaten by hand. I got to sit for about one hour then changed Into my chef outfit and didn't sit down again until almost 10pm. The mixer was a hit, everyone loved the food! Carl served a baked Italian omelet, quiche, fresh fruit, a cheese platter, bread and a chorizo roll. Plus two kinds of quick bread: Banana Blueberry Nut loaf and Carrot Raisin loaf. For dessert there was bread pudding and the strawberries. ALL the food was gone by the end of the evening with the exception of the fresh fruit! I met a lot of people and even received an offer to cater more events! Very interesting! We'll see what happens with that!
After talking to Jordan, I fell Into bed exhausticated!
Afterwards I felt I needed a break so went exploring Cherry Creek Mall. It is a high end shopping center and it was nice just to look and walk around. I met Alta, one of my classmates, for lunch at Kona Grill then came came bak to the B&B.
I helped with some prep work and set up for what I finally learned was a Denver Chamber mixer. I had already made bread pudding. (We added a homemade caramel sauce over the top of it right before serving.) I also took some wonton wrappers and brushed melted butter on both side, sprinkled cinnamon sugar over one side, placed them in a muffin tin sugar side up so they would make little cups, then baked them for about 10 minutes. I let them cool while I sliced strawberries into little "flowers" then piped some mascarpone cheese into them. The strawberry then sits in the cup and is eaten by hand. I got to sit for about one hour then changed Into my chef outfit and didn't sit down again until almost 10pm. The mixer was a hit, everyone loved the food! Carl served a baked Italian omelet, quiche, fresh fruit, a cheese platter, bread and a chorizo roll. Plus two kinds of quick bread: Banana Blueberry Nut loaf and Carrot Raisin loaf. For dessert there was bread pudding and the strawberries. ALL the food was gone by the end of the evening with the exception of the fresh fruit! I met a lot of people and even received an offer to cater more events! Very interesting! We'll see what happens with that!
After talking to Jordan, I fell Into bed exhausticated!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I was part of the set-up crew today-our last set-up day for wine class! After set-up, we were served a breakfast of french toast made with brioche and covered in sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. We also had amaretto semi-freddo (ice cream for breakfast, lol) and the usual granola and fruit and coffee. Yum!
Chef Dale came in to give a lesson on table set-up. We learned that there are three menu styles:
1. A La Carte: all items on the menu are priced separately.
2. Table d'hote or Host Table: there is one price for a menu but you get a choice of salad, appetizer, entree.
3. Prix Fixe: One menu at a fixed price.
There are four service styles:
1. American Service: food plated in the kitchen
2. French Service: food prepared and/or served at table side
3. English Service: food served family style
4. Russian Style: banquet style
He also felt we had lost the art of good table manners and service. He went over placement of charger, silverware, glasses, etc. As always, you start on the outside and work your way in with your silverware. You can also replace all the silverware with each course if you don't have room to set up the proper numbers of knives and forks. I guess we will cover napkin folding once we get into the kitchen and start cooking!
After a short break, we moved on to Germany and Austria. Until the 20th century, there were only two great wine producing countries: France, of course, but the other may come as a surprise-Germany. While outstanding wines could occasionally be found elsewhere, no other country came close to these two for the supremacy of their wines. Today Germany still produces some of the world's most majestic wines. What is most remarkable about Germany is that ANY wine at all can be made in a country whose vineyards lie in the northen most extreme of where grapes can ripen. At northern extremes every nuance of terrior is magnified. The best wineyards are alsways plantged on south-facing slopes to catch the light and warmth of every available sunbeam. Most of the vineyards are planted in the river valleys of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers since the bodies of water act to moderate the severe climate. The most prevalent grape grown in Germany is Riesling. Although Germany does produce red wines, most of their wines are white. German wines have a singular quality known as transparency. Rarely found in wines elsewhere, transparency is not so much a thing as a sense that the wines' flavors are utterly naked. The best way to understand transparency is by tasting a top German Riesling and a California chardonnay side by side. The riesling will have real clarity of flavor, the flavors of the chardonnay by comparison, will seem more diffused. "If riesling is like sheer silk stockings, chardonnay is opaque tights."--Karen McNeil
The Germans have a interesting system of measuring sweetness in their wines. A label using Kabinett, which is first picking is the least sweet. Spatlese is a late harvest, which means it is sweeter. Auslese is select picking, which is sweet but not a dessert wine sweet. BA and I will use BA, the German word being VERY long, means berry select picking. This means the grapes are left on the vine to shrivel so they are sweeter. This is the first level of a dessert wine. TBA is the next level and means dry berry select picking. This means the grapes are
left on the vine until they are raisins and then picked. This sweet grape makes a rare dessert wine. The last category is Eiswein or Ice Wine. Eiswein must have at least a BS intensity. The grapes are left on the vine until they are frozen and then harvested and wine made. It gives the wine a unique flavor. Troken on a label means the wine is extremely dry.
Not much was said about Austria, although they do have some good wines. The major grape players in Austria are Gruner Veltliner (white) and Blauer Zweigelt (red). We did taste wine from both these countries. the German wines were not as sweet as I expected them to be and were quite enjoyable.
We were on our own for lunch today. I told some of my classmates I was going home next week for a few days. Chris (one of the guys in my class who wants to open a restaurant with me because "we think and feel the same about food" said to me' "Denver is home for you now, April". I had to laugh.
Debbie let us out early, everyone was a little roudy as we knew this was the last wine class. So I came home and made some bread pudding to use as a dessert for the reception tomorrow, then studied for my exam tomorrow. I sat out on the patio for a bit until one of the guests came and was talking on her cell phone complaining about many things to whomever was on the other line. It has been interesting learning all sides of "innkeeping".
We have an hour of class tomorrow just to take our exam so I will be finishing early again. Wish me luck and say a prayer! I still need to study so I can take my ISG exam Sunday at 5pm (this is the first level exam for the International Sommelier Guild). They will be testing us on different things that most of what we were tested on in our class. So a little more studying before I get to visit Reno!
Chef Dale came in to give a lesson on table set-up. We learned that there are three menu styles:
1. A La Carte: all items on the menu are priced separately.
2. Table d'hote or Host Table: there is one price for a menu but you get a choice of salad, appetizer, entree.
3. Prix Fixe: One menu at a fixed price.
There are four service styles:
1. American Service: food plated in the kitchen
2. French Service: food prepared and/or served at table side
3. English Service: food served family style
4. Russian Style: banquet style
He also felt we had lost the art of good table manners and service. He went over placement of charger, silverware, glasses, etc. As always, you start on the outside and work your way in with your silverware. You can also replace all the silverware with each course if you don't have room to set up the proper numbers of knives and forks. I guess we will cover napkin folding once we get into the kitchen and start cooking!
After a short break, we moved on to Germany and Austria. Until the 20th century, there were only two great wine producing countries: France, of course, but the other may come as a surprise-Germany. While outstanding wines could occasionally be found elsewhere, no other country came close to these two for the supremacy of their wines. Today Germany still produces some of the world's most majestic wines. What is most remarkable about Germany is that ANY wine at all can be made in a country whose vineyards lie in the northen most extreme of where grapes can ripen. At northern extremes every nuance of terrior is magnified. The best wineyards are alsways plantged on south-facing slopes to catch the light and warmth of every available sunbeam. Most of the vineyards are planted in the river valleys of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers since the bodies of water act to moderate the severe climate. The most prevalent grape grown in Germany is Riesling. Although Germany does produce red wines, most of their wines are white. German wines have a singular quality known as transparency. Rarely found in wines elsewhere, transparency is not so much a thing as a sense that the wines' flavors are utterly naked. The best way to understand transparency is by tasting a top German Riesling and a California chardonnay side by side. The riesling will have real clarity of flavor, the flavors of the chardonnay by comparison, will seem more diffused. "If riesling is like sheer silk stockings, chardonnay is opaque tights."--Karen McNeil
The Germans have a interesting system of measuring sweetness in their wines. A label using Kabinett, which is first picking is the least sweet. Spatlese is a late harvest, which means it is sweeter. Auslese is select picking, which is sweet but not a dessert wine sweet. BA and I will use BA, the German word being VERY long, means berry select picking. This means the grapes are left on the vine to shrivel so they are sweeter. This is the first level of a dessert wine. TBA is the next level and means dry berry select picking. This means the grapes are
left on the vine until they are raisins and then picked. This sweet grape makes a rare dessert wine. The last category is Eiswein or Ice Wine. Eiswein must have at least a BS intensity. The grapes are left on the vine until they are frozen and then harvested and wine made. It gives the wine a unique flavor. Troken on a label means the wine is extremely dry.
Not much was said about Austria, although they do have some good wines. The major grape players in Austria are Gruner Veltliner (white) and Blauer Zweigelt (red). We did taste wine from both these countries. the German wines were not as sweet as I expected them to be and were quite enjoyable.
We were on our own for lunch today. I told some of my classmates I was going home next week for a few days. Chris (one of the guys in my class who wants to open a restaurant with me because "we think and feel the same about food" said to me' "Denver is home for you now, April". I had to laugh.
Debbie let us out early, everyone was a little roudy as we knew this was the last wine class. So I came home and made some bread pudding to use as a dessert for the reception tomorrow, then studied for my exam tomorrow. I sat out on the patio for a bit until one of the guests came and was talking on her cell phone complaining about many things to whomever was on the other line. It has been interesting learning all sides of "innkeeping".
We have an hour of class tomorrow just to take our exam so I will be finishing early again. Wish me luck and say a prayer! I still need to study so I can take my ISG exam Sunday at 5pm (this is the first level exam for the International Sommelier Guild). They will be testing us on different things that most of what we were tested on in our class. So a little more studying before I get to visit Reno!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Today was distillates day! What are those, you ask? Distillation is the evaporation of an alcoholic beverage to distill alcohol. Also alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than alcohol and once distillation is done, leaves you with an alcohol level that is anywhere from 20-99%. Most distillates are clear when the distilling is done. The color comes (usually) from aging in oak barrels.
After a hardy breakfast burrito (filled with eggs, potatoes, chorizo and cheese), fruit, yogurt, granola and coffee, down we went to the Wine Cellar to learn about Cognac, Armagnac, Scotch, Whiskey, Grappa, Calvados, Tequilla and Absinthe.
Cognac is made from brandy, which is distilled from grapes. Cognac, like champagne, can only be called cognac if it comes from Cognac, France. Armagnac is also a brandy but comes from Gascony in France. It is similar in taste to cognac but is aged longer so a darker color develops. Have you ever seen VSOP on the back of any of these bottles? I have but never knew that it means "Very Special Old Pale". I would not have come up with that! We tasted both of these. To get past smelling only alcohol when drinking these, do not swirl your glass. Also, do not put the glass up to your nose, but rather open your mouth, hold the glass near your mouth and inhale with your mouth open. It gives a very distinct aroma. Both burn going down due to their high alcohol level. Next was Calvados, a spirit made from apples. It is made in Normandy where it is too cold to grow grapes. In Normandy they grow apples, raise cows and make wonderful cheeses! An Alambic still is used in the distillation of all three of these spirits. An alambic pot still is a BIG copper still used to heat the spirits so that they can separate the water from the alcohol portion of the grape. The water goes down the drain, the alcohol is collected in another container and then placed in oak barrels to age.
I had to write a paper and give a report on grappa. The Italians did not want to waste any portion of the grape skins/seeds/stems when making wine, so began using the "pomace" (grape skins, seeds and stems) to make a crude form of alcohol similar to the grain alcohol made in the Midwest decades ago. Then in the 1960's, one woman, whose company had been making grappa since 1897, decided grappa needed to be made from a single grape, rather than throwing all the leftovers into the "pot" so to speak. She did eventually gain followers and changed the history of grappa for Italy. If you haven't tried it for years, you might try it again, it has improved! We sampled a plain grappa and then a grappa mixed with camomile. Mixed with camomile it tasted great! Who'd a thought?! Debbie had a "grappa" story to tell us. She said she was on a wine tour in Napa/Sonoma when she was a wholesaler. After a particularly long day, her friend said, I need to stop by a friend's house to drop off some wine, then they were going to go out to dinner. What her friend did not tell her was that his friend was Frances Ford Coppola! She said he welcomed them and offered them some grappa he had just gotten. Of course, they sat down with him to give it a try. Soon Mr Coppola's mother came downstairs and apparently started "hitting hard" on the grappa. Mr Coppola took the bottle away from her, saying, "Please, mamma, slow down!" To which "mamma" replied, "Oh, Frankie, shut up, you've never been my favorite!" We had a good laugh over that!
Next Kim, our resident teacher talked about Scotch. Once a teacher, always a teacher--she had all of us gather in a circle and toss back and forth, a soft spikey type ball that lit up. When you caught the ball you had to read a quote she had handed out to everyone. Mine was a quote from Igor Stravinsky that read: "My God, so much I like to drink Scotch that sometimes I think my name is Igor Stra-whiskey!"
We all ended up laughing, so it was a good exercise. She must have been a very good teacher (besides being a very cool lady)! Most scotch comes from Scotland and is made using barley. Scotch is also often called whiskey or bourbon. Bourbon is made from corn and most of it is made in the United States. Corn is what gives it a sweeter taste than Scotch. Americans, Canadians and the Irish make Whiskey from almost any grain-wheat, rye and oats. They also blend grains to get particular flavors. We sampled McCallan Scotch from Scotland and a blended Scotch from Ireland. All interesting tastes but not my drink of choice!
True Tequilla comes from Mexico and is made with agave. It is also mashed, fermented and then distilled before being bottled. To be a pure Tequilla, it must be made from 100% agave and not blended. Also not my choice of beverage but I was brave and tried them all!
Last we tried Absinthe made from the bark of wormwood as well as anise and a few other things. You dilute it with water in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio. Tastes like black licorice.
After a lunch of fajitas (did they say this was a school that specialized in French and Italian cuisine?) we took a field trip to the Leopold Brothers Distillery just outside of Denver. They make FANTASTIC (I tried a little of everything they made and it was much better than I expected it to be, lol) whiskey, vodka, fruit liqours and fruited whiskey. They are a very small producer and so distill spirits the same way it was done 100 years ago, AND by the way, use an alambic pot still. I was certainly sold! Nice, nice people. Their fruit liqours (apple, orange, cherry, blackberry and cranberry) are just like drinking pure fruit, not too sweet, just fruity. Leopold Brothers has also won many awards and been written up in the Wall Street Journal as well as other publications related to their profession.
Then it was home (after a stop at Whole Foods). I baked a French Spice Cake tonight. It is a recipe that dates back to the 15th century. We'll see how people like it!
"Claret is liquor for boys, Port for men, but he who aspires to be hero must drink brandy." --Dr Johnson
After a hardy breakfast burrito (filled with eggs, potatoes, chorizo and cheese), fruit, yogurt, granola and coffee, down we went to the Wine Cellar to learn about Cognac, Armagnac, Scotch, Whiskey, Grappa, Calvados, Tequilla and Absinthe.
Cognac is made from brandy, which is distilled from grapes. Cognac, like champagne, can only be called cognac if it comes from Cognac, France. Armagnac is also a brandy but comes from Gascony in France. It is similar in taste to cognac but is aged longer so a darker color develops. Have you ever seen VSOP on the back of any of these bottles? I have but never knew that it means "Very Special Old Pale". I would not have come up with that! We tasted both of these. To get past smelling only alcohol when drinking these, do not swirl your glass. Also, do not put the glass up to your nose, but rather open your mouth, hold the glass near your mouth and inhale with your mouth open. It gives a very distinct aroma. Both burn going down due to their high alcohol level. Next was Calvados, a spirit made from apples. It is made in Normandy where it is too cold to grow grapes. In Normandy they grow apples, raise cows and make wonderful cheeses! An Alambic still is used in the distillation of all three of these spirits. An alambic pot still is a BIG copper still used to heat the spirits so that they can separate the water from the alcohol portion of the grape. The water goes down the drain, the alcohol is collected in another container and then placed in oak barrels to age.
I had to write a paper and give a report on grappa. The Italians did not want to waste any portion of the grape skins/seeds/stems when making wine, so began using the "pomace" (grape skins, seeds and stems) to make a crude form of alcohol similar to the grain alcohol made in the Midwest decades ago. Then in the 1960's, one woman, whose company had been making grappa since 1897, decided grappa needed to be made from a single grape, rather than throwing all the leftovers into the "pot" so to speak. She did eventually gain followers and changed the history of grappa for Italy. If you haven't tried it for years, you might try it again, it has improved! We sampled a plain grappa and then a grappa mixed with camomile. Mixed with camomile it tasted great! Who'd a thought?! Debbie had a "grappa" story to tell us. She said she was on a wine tour in Napa/Sonoma when she was a wholesaler. After a particularly long day, her friend said, I need to stop by a friend's house to drop off some wine, then they were going to go out to dinner. What her friend did not tell her was that his friend was Frances Ford Coppola! She said he welcomed them and offered them some grappa he had just gotten. Of course, they sat down with him to give it a try. Soon Mr Coppola's mother came downstairs and apparently started "hitting hard" on the grappa. Mr Coppola took the bottle away from her, saying, "Please, mamma, slow down!" To which "mamma" replied, "Oh, Frankie, shut up, you've never been my favorite!" We had a good laugh over that!
Next Kim, our resident teacher talked about Scotch. Once a teacher, always a teacher--she had all of us gather in a circle and toss back and forth, a soft spikey type ball that lit up. When you caught the ball you had to read a quote she had handed out to everyone. Mine was a quote from Igor Stravinsky that read: "My God, so much I like to drink Scotch that sometimes I think my name is Igor Stra-whiskey!"
We all ended up laughing, so it was a good exercise. She must have been a very good teacher (besides being a very cool lady)! Most scotch comes from Scotland and is made using barley. Scotch is also often called whiskey or bourbon. Bourbon is made from corn and most of it is made in the United States. Corn is what gives it a sweeter taste than Scotch. Americans, Canadians and the Irish make Whiskey from almost any grain-wheat, rye and oats. They also blend grains to get particular flavors. We sampled McCallan Scotch from Scotland and a blended Scotch from Ireland. All interesting tastes but not my drink of choice!
True Tequilla comes from Mexico and is made with agave. It is also mashed, fermented and then distilled before being bottled. To be a pure Tequilla, it must be made from 100% agave and not blended. Also not my choice of beverage but I was brave and tried them all!
Last we tried Absinthe made from the bark of wormwood as well as anise and a few other things. You dilute it with water in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio. Tastes like black licorice.
After a lunch of fajitas (did they say this was a school that specialized in French and Italian cuisine?) we took a field trip to the Leopold Brothers Distillery just outside of Denver. They make FANTASTIC (I tried a little of everything they made and it was much better than I expected it to be, lol) whiskey, vodka, fruit liqours and fruited whiskey. They are a very small producer and so distill spirits the same way it was done 100 years ago, AND by the way, use an alambic pot still. I was certainly sold! Nice, nice people. Their fruit liqours (apple, orange, cherry, blackberry and cranberry) are just like drinking pure fruit, not too sweet, just fruity. Leopold Brothers has also won many awards and been written up in the Wall Street Journal as well as other publications related to their profession.
Then it was home (after a stop at Whole Foods). I baked a French Spice Cake tonight. It is a recipe that dates back to the 15th century. We'll see how people like it!
"Claret is liquor for boys, Port for men, but he who aspires to be hero must drink brandy." --Dr Johnson
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
I am not sure why taking an exam is so traumatic. Just when you think you know everything you need to, the instructor asks you a question that you never even considered! We'll see what grade I get!
This is our last week of wine classes. Today we talked about beer and beer & food pairing (not exactly something I'VE thought about, lol).
The history of beer goes back to 4300 B.C where you can find reference to beer fermentation on Babylonian tablets.
Beer has four ingredients:
1. Filtered water (water gives beer it's own terrior)
2. Malted Barley (malted = sprouted,gives flavor, aroma, balance and color)
3. Hops (which gives flavor, aroma, appearance, preservative)
4. Yeast (which adds flavor, aroma, appearance and mouthfeel).
The brewing process includes:
1. Malting-this sprouts the grain
2. Kilning-this dries the barley
3. Milling-this cracks the grains, helping them absorb more water
4. Mashing-heating up the liquid to emit sugar/starch allowing the beer to be fermented
5. Brewing-heating the beer up to a boil
6. Cooling-the cooldown after the boilin
7. Fermentation-adding yeast to the ferment
8. Maturation (racking) in the conditioning tank
9. Finishing-refining/filtering/putting the brew into kegs/bottles/cans.
We discussed beer styles-ALES and LAGERS, did the beer taste testing--just like wine. Can't say I'm much of a beer person but I did taste them all!
We walked to Wynkoop Brewery and had lunch, after which they gave us a tour of their Microbrewery. Wynkoop is a local brewery and also the largest microbrewery in Colorado. We got to see the different barleys they use as well as the Hops. They showed us how they put beer into cans-all by hand!! (They just started doing it this year.) We also learned that many things can go wrong when making beer which can give the beer a funny taste.
Food and beer pairing is much the same as wine and food pairing. You can power match beer and food, pair like with like, consider cause and effect, and seasonality.
Hops, Roasted malt, Carbonation and Alcohol balances sweetness, richness and fat. Sweetness or Maltiness balances/emphasizes spiciness and acidity. Hops emphasizes spiciness so take care when pairing with spicy Thai or Mexican foods.
We got out early today so I came home and baked Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bailey says she can always tell when I bake-it smells really good! Carl is hosting a reception on Thursday. I'll be heaping out and will bake a few more things for the reception. Very cool!
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." --Dave Berry
This is our last week of wine classes. Today we talked about beer and beer & food pairing (not exactly something I'VE thought about, lol).
The history of beer goes back to 4300 B.C where you can find reference to beer fermentation on Babylonian tablets.
Beer has four ingredients:
1. Filtered water (water gives beer it's own terrior)
2. Malted Barley (malted = sprouted,gives flavor, aroma, balance and color)
3. Hops (which gives flavor, aroma, appearance, preservative)
4. Yeast (which adds flavor, aroma, appearance and mouthfeel).
The brewing process includes:
1. Malting-this sprouts the grain
2. Kilning-this dries the barley
3. Milling-this cracks the grains, helping them absorb more water
4. Mashing-heating up the liquid to emit sugar/starch allowing the beer to be fermented
5. Brewing-heating the beer up to a boil
6. Cooling-the cooldown after the boilin
7. Fermentation-adding yeast to the ferment
8. Maturation (racking) in the conditioning tank
9. Finishing-refining/filtering/putting the brew into kegs/bottles/cans.
We discussed beer styles-ALES and LAGERS, did the beer taste testing--just like wine. Can't say I'm much of a beer person but I did taste them all!
We walked to Wynkoop Brewery and had lunch, after which they gave us a tour of their Microbrewery. Wynkoop is a local brewery and also the largest microbrewery in Colorado. We got to see the different barleys they use as well as the Hops. They showed us how they put beer into cans-all by hand!! (They just started doing it this year.) We also learned that many things can go wrong when making beer which can give the beer a funny taste.
Food and beer pairing is much the same as wine and food pairing. You can power match beer and food, pair like with like, consider cause and effect, and seasonality.
Hops, Roasted malt, Carbonation and Alcohol balances sweetness, richness and fat. Sweetness or Maltiness balances/emphasizes spiciness and acidity. Hops emphasizes spiciness so take care when pairing with spicy Thai or Mexican foods.
We got out early today so I came home and baked Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bailey says she can always tell when I bake-it smells really good! Carl is hosting a reception on Thursday. I'll be heaping out and will bake a few more things for the reception. Very cool!
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." --Dave Berry
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
I spent most of today studying. This week will be the last week of the wine portion of school. Hard to believe!
Since I spent most of my time studying (except for baking carrot raisin bread), I'll pass on a few tidbits, lol.
Here are a few tips for buying spices: 1. Buy spices whole, not ground. You can purchase a cheap coffee grinder to use just for grinding spices. 2. Don't buy a lot of spice at one time-the spice will lose it's potency before you use it all. 3. Date your spices when you buy them so you know how old they are and can toss them after 12 months.
Fruit ripeness is not a single standard. There are five classes of fruit, each ripening in a different way:
1. Fruits that do not ripen after being picked: berries, cherries, grapes, citrus and watermelon.
2. Fruit that will only ripen after being picked: avocado.
3. Fruits that change color, flavor and texture but do not get any sweeter: apricots, some melons, figs, peaches, nectarines, plums, and persimmons. Store these fruits at room temperature until desiered flavor is achieved.
4. Fruits that get sweeter: apples, pears, kiwis, mangoes and papayas.
5. Fruit that will ripen on or off the tree: bananas.
I have gone over spices, herbs, fruits, grains, vegetables (there are ten classes of vegetables-bet you'd LOVE to hear all about them, lol), and mapped Italy and Spain to get the "big picture" of wine, grapes, terrior, etc, etc, etc. It's been challenging finding a way to study so I can retain/remember all this "stuff"!
I did sit out on the patio and read some of "The Sommelier's Guide to Wine". Just me and the dog (she belongs to Bailey, Carl's daughter). It was cloudy all day so it wasn't so bad staying home and studying.
Almost time for bed. Think of me tomorrow while I take my test! Ciao for now!
Since I spent most of my time studying (except for baking carrot raisin bread), I'll pass on a few tidbits, lol.
Here are a few tips for buying spices: 1. Buy spices whole, not ground. You can purchase a cheap coffee grinder to use just for grinding spices. 2. Don't buy a lot of spice at one time-the spice will lose it's potency before you use it all. 3. Date your spices when you buy them so you know how old they are and can toss them after 12 months.
Fruit ripeness is not a single standard. There are five classes of fruit, each ripening in a different way:
1. Fruits that do not ripen after being picked: berries, cherries, grapes, citrus and watermelon.
2. Fruit that will only ripen after being picked: avocado.
3. Fruits that change color, flavor and texture but do not get any sweeter: apricots, some melons, figs, peaches, nectarines, plums, and persimmons. Store these fruits at room temperature until desiered flavor is achieved.
4. Fruits that get sweeter: apples, pears, kiwis, mangoes and papayas.
5. Fruit that will ripen on or off the tree: bananas.
I have gone over spices, herbs, fruits, grains, vegetables (there are ten classes of vegetables-bet you'd LOVE to hear all about them, lol), and mapped Italy and Spain to get the "big picture" of wine, grapes, terrior, etc, etc, etc. It's been challenging finding a way to study so I can retain/remember all this "stuff"!
I did sit out on the patio and read some of "The Sommelier's Guide to Wine". Just me and the dog (she belongs to Bailey, Carl's daughter). It was cloudy all day so it wasn't so bad staying home and studying.
Almost time for bed. Think of me tomorrow while I take my test! Ciao for now!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Hello all! As I have the weekend off from cooking at the B&B, I took advantage and went to the Farmer's Market in Golden, Co with my friend Paula. It was not like going to the Farmer's Market in Reno! There were only a couple of venders with produce. One booth had just kettle corn, there were two bread booths, one booth sold Colorado honey, another sold goat cheese & chutneys made in Colorado, another sold beef. Someone was selling crepes of various kinds, while another sold smoothies, another coffee, another soaps, and another music-quite a variety of things. After exploring Golden, we drove thru a winding valley and along the (?) Platte River to Evergreen. We went back to Creekside Winery and had lunch. If you remember, this is the winery we went to for one of our field trips for school. We had just missed the town parade they had for the start of the rodeo there. (I was ok with that, lol!) Evergreen reminds me a lot of Truckee and as I was feeling a little homesick, it seemed the logical place to go. We sat out on their deck. There is a river that runs next to the Winery and the sound is so relaxing. The day was a sunny and the food was fantastic (we shared an antipasto platter and each had a cup of tomato bisque soup). We sipped our wine (a Viognier) and just enjoyed getting out of town and away from studies, even if it was only for the day!
Then it was time to return to reality.
We had a study group this evening at Alta's house. She grilled some halibut and salmon and vegetables and also served baked sweet potatoes. Yum!
There seems like so much more to study this week! But for tonight at least, it's bedtime......
Then it was time to return to reality.
We had a study group this evening at Alta's house. She grilled some halibut and salmon and vegetables and also served baked sweet potatoes. Yum!
There seems like so much more to study this week! But for tonight at least, it's bedtime......
Friday, June 18, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
We started today with another guest chef lecture. Chef Pete taught us about Herbs and Spices. Herb is latin for grass and includes the leaves and stems of leafy, soft stemmed plants.
When you can, use fresh herbs in cooking-their flavors are more complex and they give more depth of flavor. When you buy herbs in the market, they have been already washed so there is no need to wash them when you get home. When you buy them at a farmers market, and they have dirt on them, place them in cold water, swish them around, then take the herbs out of the water and either pat them dry with paper towels or put them in a spinner. Chef Pete brought over samples of many herbs, basil, chervil, chinves, cilantro, dill, mint, majoram/oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme and fresh bay leaves.
He also covered herb "mixes", such as Herbes de Provence which is a combination of savory, thyme, oregano, rosemary and a bay leaf. It can also contain lavender, mint, sage, basil and majoram. In other words, things that grow together, taste good together. Bouquet Garni contains parsley stems, thyme and a bay leaf. There is also the "Simon and Garfunkel"-you guessed it, lol, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme-a good flavoring for poultry. There is Fines Herbes (feen-herb) a French combination of parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon.
Next came spices. He had samples of many spices so we could see them and taste them. Spice, in Latin, roughly translates to "fruit of the earth". Spices can include the bark, seed, bud, stem, flower, fruit or nut of the plant. Did you know the juniper berry, popular for use in cooking game and venison, is also used to make gin? Did you also know that almost all of what we buy as cinnamon, is really Cassia, a less expensive alternative to cinnamon? Do you know the five most popular varieties of pepper (also known as "piper nigrum")? (green, black, white, pink (which is not a true pepper) and Szechwan peppercorn (also not a true pepper)? Do you know the most expensive spice on earth? (Saffron)
When buying spices, buy whole spices when possible and when you need ground spices, use a cheap coffee grinder to grind them up. Don't buy a lot of spices at a time and date your spices when you buy them.
Once Chef Pete was done, we played Jepardy again, covering Tuscany, Spain and Portugal. Boy do I need to study more!!! Then we did a blind taste test with a red and a white wine. I am NOT good at figuring out exactly what the wines are and where they come from!
After class we had a meeting to go over our European trip. We will be flying into Milan, then taking a bus to Torino where we will spend about a week there, then flying to Paris to spend about a week at Chef Michel's cooking school. We will be gone 2 1/2 weeks instead of three. We do have the option to stay on in Europe at our own expense. I think I am going to try to do this as I am already in Europe. I am trying to talk Jordan into comeing over to spend some time in either France or Italy.
After the meeting, Paula and I went to an outlet mall in Lakewood for some retail therapy. Then out to dinner at McGrath's, a seafood restaurant in Lakewood. Next week we're planning on Italian.
Then is was home to do a little laundry. I do not have to cook this weekend so think I will do a little exploring of Colorado, then study, study, study!!
Good night all!
When you can, use fresh herbs in cooking-their flavors are more complex and they give more depth of flavor. When you buy herbs in the market, they have been already washed so there is no need to wash them when you get home. When you buy them at a farmers market, and they have dirt on them, place them in cold water, swish them around, then take the herbs out of the water and either pat them dry with paper towels or put them in a spinner. Chef Pete brought over samples of many herbs, basil, chervil, chinves, cilantro, dill, mint, majoram/oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme and fresh bay leaves.
He also covered herb "mixes", such as Herbes de Provence which is a combination of savory, thyme, oregano, rosemary and a bay leaf. It can also contain lavender, mint, sage, basil and majoram. In other words, things that grow together, taste good together. Bouquet Garni contains parsley stems, thyme and a bay leaf. There is also the "Simon and Garfunkel"-you guessed it, lol, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme-a good flavoring for poultry. There is Fines Herbes (feen-herb) a French combination of parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon.
Next came spices. He had samples of many spices so we could see them and taste them. Spice, in Latin, roughly translates to "fruit of the earth". Spices can include the bark, seed, bud, stem, flower, fruit or nut of the plant. Did you know the juniper berry, popular for use in cooking game and venison, is also used to make gin? Did you also know that almost all of what we buy as cinnamon, is really Cassia, a less expensive alternative to cinnamon? Do you know the five most popular varieties of pepper (also known as "piper nigrum")? (green, black, white, pink (which is not a true pepper) and Szechwan peppercorn (also not a true pepper)? Do you know the most expensive spice on earth? (Saffron)
When buying spices, buy whole spices when possible and when you need ground spices, use a cheap coffee grinder to grind them up. Don't buy a lot of spices at a time and date your spices when you buy them.
Once Chef Pete was done, we played Jepardy again, covering Tuscany, Spain and Portugal. Boy do I need to study more!!! Then we did a blind taste test with a red and a white wine. I am NOT good at figuring out exactly what the wines are and where they come from!
After class we had a meeting to go over our European trip. We will be flying into Milan, then taking a bus to Torino where we will spend about a week there, then flying to Paris to spend about a week at Chef Michel's cooking school. We will be gone 2 1/2 weeks instead of three. We do have the option to stay on in Europe at our own expense. I think I am going to try to do this as I am already in Europe. I am trying to talk Jordan into comeing over to spend some time in either France or Italy.
After the meeting, Paula and I went to an outlet mall in Lakewood for some retail therapy. Then out to dinner at McGrath's, a seafood restaurant in Lakewood. Next week we're planning on Italian.
Then is was home to do a little laundry. I do not have to cook this weekend so think I will do a little exploring of Colorado, then study, study, study!!
Good night all!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
When I went up to the kitchen this morning to get my coffee, Carl's friend Will Poole was there waiting for his breakfast (he had to leave early today). We had a great time talking as he ate breakfast and tried my Cherry Coffee Cake. Will is a trained chef and a chocolatier who used to own Wynn Chocolates in Denver. Overall he liked it, made a few suggestions for improving it in the future but liked it enough to put it in "his little notebook" he carries around with him to write down ideas for food and chocolate. I was very pleased to be an addition to his book! Too bad he lives in New Orleans now :-(. We were so busy talking, I was late catching the bus and therefore late for set up! Carl teased me about talking so much, lol.
Our chef lecture by Chef Dale this morning was on Olive Oils, Balsalmic Vinegar and Salts. There are four types of olive oil: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO), Virgin Olive Oil, Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil (who'd have thought). EVOO is the top grade of olive oil and it is oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by the first mechanical pressing. There can be no chemical or thermal treatment applied to extract the oil. EVOO offers the widest range of flavors, colors and aromas. It also has a maximum acidity of 1% oleic acid. EVOO is also known as "Tuscan Gravy". The challenges these days is not in finding superior Extra-Virgin Olive Oils, but in choosing among them. You'll see 3-liter tins for $15 at supermarkets and small, fancy bottles for $30 and up in gourmet shops. Oils at the higher end may be made with handpicked olives from a single estate and artesan pressing methods; oils at the lower end may be perfectly decent commercial blends. Start tasting them and you will discover that every oil is unique!
Virgin Olive Oil is the next grade in oils. The oil is extracted from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of EVOO. Virgin olive oil is produced in the same way, no heat or chemicals applied, but the oil has a higher acidity and is judged to have a good taste.
For Olive Oil, some of the Virgin olive oil extreated thru the methods described above is not considered suitable for human consumption due to an off taste or an acidity level higher than 3.3%. When this is the case, this oil must be refined to eliminate all color, flavor and odor. This refined oil is then blended with Virgin Olive Oil to produce Olive Oil. The amount of Virgin Olive Oil blended in varies according to each manufacturer, however, typical percentages of Virgin oil are between 5-25%.
Olive Pomace Oil is the portion of the olive that is left after the first pressing. Additional oil can be extracted from the olive pomace with the use of heat and chemicals. This oil is then refined and must be blended with Virgin Olive oil to produce an oil that is acceptable to consumers. Pomace Olive Oil is produced at a much lower cost then Olive Oil because the starting material is much cheaper than the olives that are used for the first pressing.
Next Chef Dale covered Balsalmic Vinegar. Balsalmic vinegar is made from the Trebbiano grapes grown around the hills of Modena. This extemely sweet grape forms the foundation of the taste of the "Tradizionale" (The traditional Italian method of making balsalmic vinegar). The grapes, which are harvested as late as possible, are crushed. The resulting must is then filtered immediately into a boiling vat where it is reduced from 30-70% in order to increase the sugar level. Then the liquid is cooled, filtered again and poured into wooden casks. During the other months of the year, the vinegar is left alone except for the occasional inspection of the vinegar maker. The climate of Modena, the fluctuating hot summers and cold winters, is said to be very important to the taste of the final product.
Last, but not least, Chef Dale talked about salt. They use three types of salt at Cook Street: Kosher salt (it is gourmet because it does not contain iodine), Isle de Rei sea salt and finely ground Isle de Rei sea salt (they grind it a mortar). Apparently we will learn the importance of salting food when we get in the kitchen!
After a short break, Debbie started telling us about fortified wines. Sherry is made from grapes grown in the Andalucia region and Jerez district of Spain. Sherrys can vary in taste from dry to sweet fortified wines with a high alcohol or have high alcohol and high residual sugar. Only white grapes are used to make Sherry. Those grapes are Palamino grapes and Pedro Ximenez grapes. Making Sherry is very complicated, blending and aging using the Solera System-continually topping off the barrels of old wine with new wine.
Madeira is made from grapes grown on the island of Madeira in Portugal. Madiera can be dry to sweet fortified wines that are oxidized and have an alcohol content of 18-20%. All Madeiras go thru normal fermentation before undergoing a heat treatment or "Estafugem". Wines are put in heated rooms or tanks (estufas) for at least 90 days and up to several months. 18 months after cooling, the Sherry goes into a solera system where it can age indefinitely (100s of years!!).
For lunch we had Tuscan steak with grilled asparagus, onions and mushrooms, potatoes, salad and bread. Chef Pete told us after coming back to Cook Street he has gained 20 pounds! I thought Kim, one of my classmates, was going to have a heart attack! She doesn't want to gain any weight, lol!
After lunch, we moved on to Port. Port is 50% fortified wine and 50% still wine. The grapes (at least 10) for Port are grown in the Duomo Valley, harvested, and shipped down to Opporto to be made into wine. Port derives its name from Opporto. All Ports are sweet; fermentation is stopped by adding grape or grain spirits. Ports are aged anywhere from 2 to 40 years. There are tawny ports, called tawny because they stary in barrels longer and oxidize and then there are ruby ports that look more like red wine. Either one of these Ports are better the longer they age.
Tomorrow is a review day and after next week I will be done with wine. It doesn't seem like three weeks have passed! My business course was moved to the week of June 28-everyone not taking the business course will have the week off. We start in the kitchen Tuesday, July 6. I am excited about starting to cook!
"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
-Harriet Van Horne
Our chef lecture by Chef Dale this morning was on Olive Oils, Balsalmic Vinegar and Salts. There are four types of olive oil: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO), Virgin Olive Oil, Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil (who'd have thought). EVOO is the top grade of olive oil and it is oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by the first mechanical pressing. There can be no chemical or thermal treatment applied to extract the oil. EVOO offers the widest range of flavors, colors and aromas. It also has a maximum acidity of 1% oleic acid. EVOO is also known as "Tuscan Gravy". The challenges these days is not in finding superior Extra-Virgin Olive Oils, but in choosing among them. You'll see 3-liter tins for $15 at supermarkets and small, fancy bottles for $30 and up in gourmet shops. Oils at the higher end may be made with handpicked olives from a single estate and artesan pressing methods; oils at the lower end may be perfectly decent commercial blends. Start tasting them and you will discover that every oil is unique!
Virgin Olive Oil is the next grade in oils. The oil is extracted from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of EVOO. Virgin olive oil is produced in the same way, no heat or chemicals applied, but the oil has a higher acidity and is judged to have a good taste.
For Olive Oil, some of the Virgin olive oil extreated thru the methods described above is not considered suitable for human consumption due to an off taste or an acidity level higher than 3.3%. When this is the case, this oil must be refined to eliminate all color, flavor and odor. This refined oil is then blended with Virgin Olive Oil to produce Olive Oil. The amount of Virgin Olive Oil blended in varies according to each manufacturer, however, typical percentages of Virgin oil are between 5-25%.
Olive Pomace Oil is the portion of the olive that is left after the first pressing. Additional oil can be extracted from the olive pomace with the use of heat and chemicals. This oil is then refined and must be blended with Virgin Olive oil to produce an oil that is acceptable to consumers. Pomace Olive Oil is produced at a much lower cost then Olive Oil because the starting material is much cheaper than the olives that are used for the first pressing.
Next Chef Dale covered Balsalmic Vinegar. Balsalmic vinegar is made from the Trebbiano grapes grown around the hills of Modena. This extemely sweet grape forms the foundation of the taste of the "Tradizionale" (The traditional Italian method of making balsalmic vinegar). The grapes, which are harvested as late as possible, are crushed. The resulting must is then filtered immediately into a boiling vat where it is reduced from 30-70% in order to increase the sugar level. Then the liquid is cooled, filtered again and poured into wooden casks. During the other months of the year, the vinegar is left alone except for the occasional inspection of the vinegar maker. The climate of Modena, the fluctuating hot summers and cold winters, is said to be very important to the taste of the final product.
Last, but not least, Chef Dale talked about salt. They use three types of salt at Cook Street: Kosher salt (it is gourmet because it does not contain iodine), Isle de Rei sea salt and finely ground Isle de Rei sea salt (they grind it a mortar). Apparently we will learn the importance of salting food when we get in the kitchen!
After a short break, Debbie started telling us about fortified wines. Sherry is made from grapes grown in the Andalucia region and Jerez district of Spain. Sherrys can vary in taste from dry to sweet fortified wines with a high alcohol or have high alcohol and high residual sugar. Only white grapes are used to make Sherry. Those grapes are Palamino grapes and Pedro Ximenez grapes. Making Sherry is very complicated, blending and aging using the Solera System-continually topping off the barrels of old wine with new wine.
Madeira is made from grapes grown on the island of Madeira in Portugal. Madiera can be dry to sweet fortified wines that are oxidized and have an alcohol content of 18-20%. All Madeiras go thru normal fermentation before undergoing a heat treatment or "Estafugem". Wines are put in heated rooms or tanks (estufas) for at least 90 days and up to several months. 18 months after cooling, the Sherry goes into a solera system where it can age indefinitely (100s of years!!).
For lunch we had Tuscan steak with grilled asparagus, onions and mushrooms, potatoes, salad and bread. Chef Pete told us after coming back to Cook Street he has gained 20 pounds! I thought Kim, one of my classmates, was going to have a heart attack! She doesn't want to gain any weight, lol!
After lunch, we moved on to Port. Port is 50% fortified wine and 50% still wine. The grapes (at least 10) for Port are grown in the Duomo Valley, harvested, and shipped down to Opporto to be made into wine. Port derives its name from Opporto. All Ports are sweet; fermentation is stopped by adding grape or grain spirits. Ports are aged anywhere from 2 to 40 years. There are tawny ports, called tawny because they stary in barrels longer and oxidize and then there are ruby ports that look more like red wine. Either one of these Ports are better the longer they age.
Tomorrow is a review day and after next week I will be done with wine. It doesn't seem like three weeks have passed! My business course was moved to the week of June 28-everyone not taking the business course will have the week off. We start in the kitchen Tuesday, July 6. I am excited about starting to cook!
"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
-Harriet Van Horne
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
We had a chef lecture first thing this morning from Executive Chef Instructor, Pete Ryan: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains and Legumes. Interesting, the care and cooking of fruits and veggies is serious stuff! They are living, breathing things and as such need to be stored properly. I did learn today that strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are triple washed before they go to the market and so do not need to be washed when you get them home. These fruits also do not need the added water washing them again would give them. Also-use beautiful fruit for eating and putting on top of whatever it is you are topping, use the not so good looking fruit for inside (baking, pureeing, etc). And DON'T WASH THE MUSHROOMS!!!!!!!!!!! Chef Pete brought over (remember we are in the wine cellar two doors down from the actual cooking school) little cups filled with various rice, grains (quinoa, amaranth, etc), oats-three kinds! And also 10 different legumes. On our test next Monday, we will be shown a number (they were not specific) of different grains/legumes and must correctly identify them. (And don't forget all the wines of Italy and Spain, fortified wines and two more guest chef lectures-one on oils/salt/vinegar and one lecture on herbs and spices).
After a short break, we lauched into a review of Italy from the last two days, then started learning about Spain. We will not be covering Portugal due to time contraints, but the important thing to remember about Portugal is that they make "MARVELOUS" ports!
Most of Spain is hilly and mountainous and there are many "ancient" vines. The pictures we saw of different areas of Spain, were for the most part, beautiful. Spain is the third largest producer in the world of wines, but apparently soon surpassing Italy in this regard. Spain also has a quality classification system similar to France and Italy only for their pyramid they use DOCa or DO instead of DOC or AOC. They have the same Country Wine and Table wine at the bottom of the pyramid that Italy has.
There are 13 wine regions in Spain. Only two of them are DOCa's: Rioja, the very first DOCa in the country and Priorat, added relatively recently to the DOCa list. Spain is mostly a red wine country but they do make white wines and a sparkling wine called Cava. Cava differs from Champagne in that it is made using only white grapes (Champagne is made from one white and two red grapes), comes from a cooler climate which changes the flavor of each grape and yeast is used in their fermentation process.
Spain also is the world's main source for Sherry. Sherry comes from the Jerez region in southwestern Spain.
The main grapes in Spain are Albarino, Torrontes, Macabeo,Verdejo, Garnacha (Grenache), Carinena and Tempranillo. The Spanish are famous for LONG aging in oak, sometimes for 20 years. This is changing as they are trying to have a more "international" appeal. Lesser aging results in a more fruity wine.
Lunch at school today was a Spanish-style meal: roasted pork, garbanzo beans with spinach, marinated eggplant and snow peas (don't think snow peas are Spanish, but you never know, lol). We tried two of the Spanish wines with lunch, both good pairings. I think I will add a list of the wines we've tried over the last several weeks in case anyone is interested and would like to try some new wines.
After getting out of school, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought "Wine for Dummies" to see if I could make a little more sense of Italy and Spain. I'll let you know, lol.
Tonight I made a Cherry Coffeecake. We'll see how guests like it. Apparently Carl has been telling his guests about his new "pastry chef", April. He calls them "April's Culinary Creations". There is also a Chocolatier/Chef staying at the B&B, who is a friend of Carl's. I have enjoyed talking to and learning from Will. A B&B really can be a great place to meet people of all kinds!
"When they think a wine is extraordinary, Spaniards say: "Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios"-tasting this wine is like talking with God."
-from "The Wine Bible" by Karen MacNeil
After a short break, we lauched into a review of Italy from the last two days, then started learning about Spain. We will not be covering Portugal due to time contraints, but the important thing to remember about Portugal is that they make "MARVELOUS" ports!
Most of Spain is hilly and mountainous and there are many "ancient" vines. The pictures we saw of different areas of Spain, were for the most part, beautiful. Spain is the third largest producer in the world of wines, but apparently soon surpassing Italy in this regard. Spain also has a quality classification system similar to France and Italy only for their pyramid they use DOCa or DO instead of DOC or AOC. They have the same Country Wine and Table wine at the bottom of the pyramid that Italy has.
There are 13 wine regions in Spain. Only two of them are DOCa's: Rioja, the very first DOCa in the country and Priorat, added relatively recently to the DOCa list. Spain is mostly a red wine country but they do make white wines and a sparkling wine called Cava. Cava differs from Champagne in that it is made using only white grapes (Champagne is made from one white and two red grapes), comes from a cooler climate which changes the flavor of each grape and yeast is used in their fermentation process.
Spain also is the world's main source for Sherry. Sherry comes from the Jerez region in southwestern Spain.
The main grapes in Spain are Albarino, Torrontes, Macabeo,Verdejo, Garnacha (Grenache), Carinena and Tempranillo. The Spanish are famous for LONG aging in oak, sometimes for 20 years. This is changing as they are trying to have a more "international" appeal. Lesser aging results in a more fruity wine.
Lunch at school today was a Spanish-style meal: roasted pork, garbanzo beans with spinach, marinated eggplant and snow peas (don't think snow peas are Spanish, but you never know, lol). We tried two of the Spanish wines with lunch, both good pairings. I think I will add a list of the wines we've tried over the last several weeks in case anyone is interested and would like to try some new wines.
After getting out of school, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought "Wine for Dummies" to see if I could make a little more sense of Italy and Spain. I'll let you know, lol.
Tonight I made a Cherry Coffeecake. We'll see how guests like it. Apparently Carl has been telling his guests about his new "pastry chef", April. He calls them "April's Culinary Creations". There is also a Chocolatier/Chef staying at the B&B, who is a friend of Carl's. I have enjoyed talking to and learning from Will. A B&B really can be a great place to meet people of all kinds!
"When they think a wine is extraordinary, Spaniards say: "Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios"-tasting this wine is like talking with God."
-from "The Wine Bible" by Karen MacNeil
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Up early today. This week I am one of five people responsible for setting up the "tasting room". We have to polish all the wine glasses used, water glasses, put white linens on the table, set up each place setting (paper place mat, 6 wine glasses, one water glass, and a "spit glass"), set out water pitchers and one box of crackers per table. As Cassie (the girl who sits next to me in wine class) says, they have absolutely no taste but start to look good when you are hungry. The crackers have no taste because they are used, along with water to cleanse your palate between glasses of wine. Then we go back upstairs to the main school building for breakfast. Today they made waffles with sides of strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. There was also the usual homemade granola and yogurt, dry cereal and coffee.
Today the Food Network was shooting a segment on one of our chefs, John Parks. We had to stay away from the front patio of the school as they were shooting outside (it has finally turned sunny!). Can't wait to see it on TV. Apparently Food Network shot a segment earlier on ice cream. I plan on looking that up. Yeah Cook Street!
Debbie did a recap today on yesterday's class. Thank goodness! Piedmont, in northern Italy makes both red and white wines. The red grapes are Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. Piedmont's white grapes are Moscato, Cortese and Arneis. The two most famous DOC's are Barolo and Barbaresco. Piedmont has a continental climate and is mountainous.
Veneto, also in northern Italy, has two main DOCs. Soave makes white wines with the Garganega, (sounds like a syfy movie-Gargantua vs Godzilla, lol) Trebbiano and Chardonnay. Soave also makes Prosecco-a tasty sparkling wine. The other DOC is Valpolicella which makes red wines. The grapes used for these wines are Corvina, Molinara and Rendinella.
After this, we started in on central Italy. Central Italy has four regions: Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Umbria. Tuscany is where Chianti and Chianti Classico are made. All Chiantis are made with the Sangiovese grape. They also make white wines made with the Vernaccia and Trebbiano grapes. There are even "Super Tuscan" wines-wines that do not fit into the typical chianti mold. It amazes me that
there are so many grapes out there!! Emiglia-Romagna is primarily a food region, although the do make Lambrusco Reunite. Some of you may already be familiar with Reunite (ree-u-neat-ee).
Because of the Food Network shoot we were on our own for lunch. Four of us ladies went to Venice (not the city but the restaurant across from Union Station). We thought that if we were studying Italian wines, we should be eating Italian food! Venice has a happy hour that goes from 11am to 7pm! Glasses of wine we were $6.00 (say, these are the same wines we were drinking this morning!!) and small plates of food for $4.50. They offered gnocchi in a creamy pesto sauce, squash filled ravioli, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms and so much more. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time!
Back in class we covered southern Italy. Each student was given a different area to present-everyone did a great job! Southern Italian regions include: Lazio (this is the region Rome and the Vatican are in), Abruzzi, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and
Sardinia. Lots of history in these regions! I won't go into all the grapes grown in these regions, even I can only take so much, lol!
Tomorrow we move on to Spain. A whirlwind tour of Europe! I am going to add the list of wines we have sampled in class, which at this
point is well over 100. Even Debbie was shocked at the number of wines we have tried!
"Even Cabernet Sauvignon, when it is grown in Tuscany, is a Tuscan Cabernet. It has it's own style.". -Marchesi Piero Antinori
P.S. I took a loaf of my bread to school and everyone loved it. I had given it to Chris because he wanted to try it, but he shared it with everyone. I told him if I had know that and I was any kind of a friend, I would have brought some olive oil with it! (The Mediterranean holy trinity: bread, olive oil and wine).
Today the Food Network was shooting a segment on one of our chefs, John Parks. We had to stay away from the front patio of the school as they were shooting outside (it has finally turned sunny!). Can't wait to see it on TV. Apparently Food Network shot a segment earlier on ice cream. I plan on looking that up. Yeah Cook Street!
Debbie did a recap today on yesterday's class. Thank goodness! Piedmont, in northern Italy makes both red and white wines. The red grapes are Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. Piedmont's white grapes are Moscato, Cortese and Arneis. The two most famous DOC's are Barolo and Barbaresco. Piedmont has a continental climate and is mountainous.
Veneto, also in northern Italy, has two main DOCs. Soave makes white wines with the Garganega, (sounds like a syfy movie-Gargantua vs Godzilla, lol) Trebbiano and Chardonnay. Soave also makes Prosecco-a tasty sparkling wine. The other DOC is Valpolicella which makes red wines. The grapes used for these wines are Corvina, Molinara and Rendinella.
After this, we started in on central Italy. Central Italy has four regions: Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Umbria. Tuscany is where Chianti and Chianti Classico are made. All Chiantis are made with the Sangiovese grape. They also make white wines made with the Vernaccia and Trebbiano grapes. There are even "Super Tuscan" wines-wines that do not fit into the typical chianti mold. It amazes me that
there are so many grapes out there!! Emiglia-Romagna is primarily a food region, although the do make Lambrusco Reunite. Some of you may already be familiar with Reunite (ree-u-neat-ee).
Because of the Food Network shoot we were on our own for lunch. Four of us ladies went to Venice (not the city but the restaurant across from Union Station). We thought that if we were studying Italian wines, we should be eating Italian food! Venice has a happy hour that goes from 11am to 7pm! Glasses of wine we were $6.00 (say, these are the same wines we were drinking this morning!!) and small plates of food for $4.50. They offered gnocchi in a creamy pesto sauce, squash filled ravioli, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms and so much more. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time!
Back in class we covered southern Italy. Each student was given a different area to present-everyone did a great job! Southern Italian regions include: Lazio (this is the region Rome and the Vatican are in), Abruzzi, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and
Sardinia. Lots of history in these regions! I won't go into all the grapes grown in these regions, even I can only take so much, lol!
Tomorrow we move on to Spain. A whirlwind tour of Europe! I am going to add the list of wines we have sampled in class, which at this
point is well over 100. Even Debbie was shocked at the number of wines we have tried!
"Even Cabernet Sauvignon, when it is grown in Tuscany, is a Tuscan Cabernet. It has it's own style.". -Marchesi Piero Antinori
P.S. I took a loaf of my bread to school and everyone loved it. I had given it to Chris because he wanted to try it, but he shared it with everyone. I told him if I had know that and I was any kind of a friend, I would have brought some olive oil with it! (The Mediterranean holy trinity: bread, olive oil and wine).
Monday, June 14, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
We had another test today. I felt more ready for it that I did last week, and I think I passed but I was still didn't have all the answers! We'll find out later this week how I did! I brought some of my chocolate chip cookies with me to school-chocolate makes everything better!
After the test, we started learning about Italy. SO many new varietals to learn. Plus Italy seems to have ever changing rules and regulations. Italy is the second largest wine producer in the world. As far as geography goes(Jordan is SO happy things always come down to geography), Italy is parallel in the north to Portland, Oregon and in the south, to Monterey, CA. It is bordered on one side by the Adriatic Sea and on the other by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Italy has 16 wine regions spread out from the north (Piedmont, Veneto among others) and central (Tuscany among others) and Southern Italy (Campania, Sicily and Sardinia, again among others). The regions we will study are Peidmont, Veneto, Tuscany and Campania.
The Italians have a quality classification system similar to the French. Originally Italy had three levels of classification, then four but instead of using AOCs (appellations), they use DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata y Garantita). In English, Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin which is the highest level a vineyard could reach. The next level down is a DOC, then IGT (Indication of Typical Geopgraphy). The IGT level is the level that was added after 1963 to try to appease wineries that felt the system was partial and not based on quality. The lowest level is VdT or Vino da Tavola (Table Wine).
Next was covering the Piedmont region. It is mountainous with steep slopes, terraces and a continental climate. The soil there is glacial moraine, marl, clay, sand and gravel. The red grapes in Piedmont are the Nebbiolo (the most important red grape), Barbera and Dolcetto. The white grapes in Piedmont are Moscato, Cortese, and Arneis. Piedmont has quite a few DOCGs. Asti Spumonte is also made here (that was for Janell-she likes Asti!). They make several dessert type wines as well as full bodied red wines.
Class went til 4pm although all of us were dragging by the end of the day!
I was recently reading "Lunch in Paris" and besides it being a good love story (with recipes), she has a very good explanation of why French women are thin. Here goes-- While sitting on a French beach on vacation, she noticed almost every woman, from 16-60 was wearing a bikini. Obviously not all the women had the body of a model, but she noted very few jelly rolls and VERY few thunder thighs. The women were not perfect but the people she saw did not hate their bodies-they had no reason to. "We've heard it all before: the French eat cheese and drink wine and somehow live longer and look better than Americans. What if the "X" factor was the vacation itself? If every year, EVERY year, you know you are going to spend at least two weeks in a bikini, maybe you pay attention. The five pounds of winter flab disintegrates with a few weeks of well-chosen meals, and by August you can bear to look at yourself in the mirrow again. Think about how many 5-pound winters there are between the average American and a two week beach vacation." French women drink an extraordinary amount of water. They do not drink soda. They do not carry around snacks nor do they eat between meals. French women often drink wine at lunch or have dessert or a square of dark chocolate with their coffee. When the French cook, there is just enough food for everyone (for example: 2-3 oz of fish per person), no leftovers, no seconds. Eating smaller portions keeps them from gaining weight, even though they eat what they want. There is a "slow fullness" that comes from a light meal, lingered over for several hours. For dessert they may eat a small piece of cake over a "normal" piece. In France, eating is a social activity and it is socially unacceptable to be heavy. They do not deny themselves dessert but they do not want to overdo it or be greedy. It is one small choice among so many others, that it keeps things from getting out of hand. "That's the real reason why French women don't get fat: every day they make "petites" decisions that keep the larger weight loss struggle from ever having to begin." --Elizabeth Bard
After the test, we started learning about Italy. SO many new varietals to learn. Plus Italy seems to have ever changing rules and regulations. Italy is the second largest wine producer in the world. As far as geography goes(Jordan is SO happy things always come down to geography), Italy is parallel in the north to Portland, Oregon and in the south, to Monterey, CA. It is bordered on one side by the Adriatic Sea and on the other by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Italy has 16 wine regions spread out from the north (Piedmont, Veneto among others) and central (Tuscany among others) and Southern Italy (Campania, Sicily and Sardinia, again among others). The regions we will study are Peidmont, Veneto, Tuscany and Campania.
The Italians have a quality classification system similar to the French. Originally Italy had three levels of classification, then four but instead of using AOCs (appellations), they use DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata y Garantita). In English, Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin which is the highest level a vineyard could reach. The next level down is a DOC, then IGT (Indication of Typical Geopgraphy). The IGT level is the level that was added after 1963 to try to appease wineries that felt the system was partial and not based on quality. The lowest level is VdT or Vino da Tavola (Table Wine).
Next was covering the Piedmont region. It is mountainous with steep slopes, terraces and a continental climate. The soil there is glacial moraine, marl, clay, sand and gravel. The red grapes in Piedmont are the Nebbiolo (the most important red grape), Barbera and Dolcetto. The white grapes in Piedmont are Moscato, Cortese, and Arneis. Piedmont has quite a few DOCGs. Asti Spumonte is also made here (that was for Janell-she likes Asti!). They make several dessert type wines as well as full bodied red wines.
Class went til 4pm although all of us were dragging by the end of the day!
I was recently reading "Lunch in Paris" and besides it being a good love story (with recipes), she has a very good explanation of why French women are thin. Here goes-- While sitting on a French beach on vacation, she noticed almost every woman, from 16-60 was wearing a bikini. Obviously not all the women had the body of a model, but she noted very few jelly rolls and VERY few thunder thighs. The women were not perfect but the people she saw did not hate their bodies-they had no reason to. "We've heard it all before: the French eat cheese and drink wine and somehow live longer and look better than Americans. What if the "X" factor was the vacation itself? If every year, EVERY year, you know you are going to spend at least two weeks in a bikini, maybe you pay attention. The five pounds of winter flab disintegrates with a few weeks of well-chosen meals, and by August you can bear to look at yourself in the mirrow again. Think about how many 5-pound winters there are between the average American and a two week beach vacation." French women drink an extraordinary amount of water. They do not drink soda. They do not carry around snacks nor do they eat between meals. French women often drink wine at lunch or have dessert or a square of dark chocolate with their coffee. When the French cook, there is just enough food for everyone (for example: 2-3 oz of fish per person), no leftovers, no seconds. Eating smaller portions keeps them from gaining weight, even though they eat what they want. There is a "slow fullness" that comes from a light meal, lingered over for several hours. For dessert they may eat a small piece of cake over a "normal" piece. In France, eating is a social activity and it is socially unacceptable to be heavy. They do not deny themselves dessert but they do not want to overdo it or be greedy. It is one small choice among so many others, that it keeps things from getting out of hand. "That's the real reason why French women don't get fat: every day they make "petites" decisions that keep the larger weight loss struggle from ever having to begin." --Elizabeth Bard
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Up at 5am to make breakfast. Carl was already up and had made coffee, cut up the fruit and put out the baked goods he bought yesterday. Carl calls them souffles-I call them stratas, but either way, I cubed rosemary bread (from Whole Foods) and tossed the cubes with minced fresh rosemary and diced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, then drizzled some of the oil from the jar of tomatoes over the bread and tossed the cubes again. Then I divided them up between all my ramekins (Carl says it makes a nicer presentation and gives each guest a "fresh" egg dish when you do them in individual ramekins). Then I added a small dollop of fresh goat cheese that had been mixed with a little pesto on top of the bread cubes. After that I whipped eggs (I used 18 for 15 people), milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl and poured some of this mixture into each ramekin. Then I waited to bake them until people started coming down for breakfast. Before serving guests, I sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese and herbs fines over the stratas and then plated them with bacon and a croissant and bought them out to guests as they came out of the oven (425 degrees for 15 minutes). They were a big hit!
I think I am getting a little better at serving. We were really busy between 8:30-9:30am so I helped Bailey bus the tables and wash dishes. Did I mention Carl uses Polish Pottery to serve guests? He has several patterns he mixes and matches and they are beautiful!
Once I had the ramekins ready, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and we put some of those out on the buffet for breakfast-they DID get eaten, lol.
I also made up a batch of oatmeal muffins with white chocolate chips. Those were great, if I do say so myself. Next I mixed up some "Cowboy Cookie" dough to bake tomorrow. That dough seems to have almost everything in it! Should be good! I also mixed up some bread dough to bake tomorrow. I plan on taking it to school, see what my class thinks. Carl was amazed at how much I was mixing up, lol. I like to bake, says I......
I am having dinner tonight with Kim and Eric, the couple I stayed with when I came to Denver in March. It will be nice to catch up with them!
I think I am getting a little better at serving. We were really busy between 8:30-9:30am so I helped Bailey bus the tables and wash dishes. Did I mention Carl uses Polish Pottery to serve guests? He has several patterns he mixes and matches and they are beautiful!
Once I had the ramekins ready, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and we put some of those out on the buffet for breakfast-they DID get eaten, lol.
I also made up a batch of oatmeal muffins with white chocolate chips. Those were great, if I do say so myself. Next I mixed up some "Cowboy Cookie" dough to bake tomorrow. That dough seems to have almost everything in it! Should be good! I also mixed up some bread dough to bake tomorrow. I plan on taking it to school, see what my class thinks. Carl was amazed at how much I was mixing up, lol. I like to bake, says I......
I am having dinner tonight with Kim and Eric, the couple I stayed with when I came to Denver in March. It will be nice to catch up with them!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
This was a lazy day, it rained most of the day. I did help Carl a bit but tomorrow is my turn to make breakfast for the mini-masses.
In the evening I went over to Alta's house (one of the women from school) to study with four other women. What a gorgeous home! I think we had a great time bonding. Kim, the former school teacher helped us "older" students figure out a better way to study. She is very much into visual props, which really made things make more sense. Our exam is Monday. She said, "Remember girls, memorize the basics of what you need to know-go for the 80%. If you want to learn more after that-great". Makes sense to me! Becklain made us dinner (Thai Beef and Broccoli with noodles)-delish! Kim made a lemon/lime curd tart with a pine nut crust. Very good! There is an advantage to going to school with cooks, lol!
In the evening I went over to Alta's house (one of the women from school) to study with four other women. What a gorgeous home! I think we had a great time bonding. Kim, the former school teacher helped us "older" students figure out a better way to study. She is very much into visual props, which really made things make more sense. Our exam is Monday. She said, "Remember girls, memorize the basics of what you need to know-go for the 80%. If you want to learn more after that-great". Makes sense to me! Becklain made us dinner (Thai Beef and Broccoli with noodles)-delish! Kim made a lemon/lime curd tart with a pine nut crust. Very good! There is an advantage to going to school with cooks, lol!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
It was indeed a review day today. We reviewed Alsace, Champagne, Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, Bordeaux and Languedoc. And of course, cheese. One of the sales people from The Truffle Cheese Shop (did someone say look for a good cheese monger, lol?). She brought in 7 different French cheeses for us to sample: Chevot and Abbaye de Bellec which were served with a white wine from Graves; Scharfer Max served with a Godello; Pierre Robert served with Champagne; Camembert served with a Merlot wine; Epoisse (a stinky cheese but tasted good once you got past the smell!) and Bleude Lagueille served with a dessert wine, Sauternes. I could see how cheese could become an expensive habit! Someone from Truffles goes to the airport every Friday and picks up cheese from France. Amazing!
Lunch was a salad with a variety of vegetables to add on top. Yum!
We finished about 2:30pm so Paula, one of the women from my class who came to Denver from Indianapolis, and I went to the Denver Public Library book sale. I got five books for $6.50! One B&B cookbook I got for Carl, a book called Chocolate Indulgence (can't go wrong with chocolate!), a Christmas cookbook, another book called $50 Dinner Parties and a book on container gardening. They had quite a few children's books as well as others, all in a large tent.
Then we did some retail therapy, Paula needed some new clothes. We trolled the 16h Mall for a bit, then headed to Le Central (remember? "The Affordable French Restaurant"). We had a "real" French waiter, he had such a lovely accent. I had mussels with pomme frites and a bit of mousse de chocolat for dessert, Paula had a salad and trout for dinner. Then it was home in the pouring rain! No more studying tonight, it' time to relax.
By the way, Carl loved my bread! He didn't cut it as he wanted me to be the first one to do so. How sweet is that. He had a friend over who also likes to bake and he also pronounced it good! I hope to do more baking tomorrow.
Good night all!
Lunch was a salad with a variety of vegetables to add on top. Yum!
We finished about 2:30pm so Paula, one of the women from my class who came to Denver from Indianapolis, and I went to the Denver Public Library book sale. I got five books for $6.50! One B&B cookbook I got for Carl, a book called Chocolate Indulgence (can't go wrong with chocolate!), a Christmas cookbook, another book called $50 Dinner Parties and a book on container gardening. They had quite a few children's books as well as others, all in a large tent.
Then we did some retail therapy, Paula needed some new clothes. We trolled the 16h Mall for a bit, then headed to Le Central (remember? "The Affordable French Restaurant"). We had a "real" French waiter, he had such a lovely accent. I had mussels with pomme frites and a bit of mousse de chocolat for dessert, Paula had a salad and trout for dinner. Then it was home in the pouring rain! No more studying tonight, it' time to relax.
By the way, Carl loved my bread! He didn't cut it as he wanted me to be the first one to do so. How sweet is that. He had a friend over who also likes to bake and he also pronounced it good! I hope to do more baking tomorrow.
Good night all!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Today we covered The Loire (lou-r) Valley and Bordeaux (boar-doe).
"In winemaking terms, the Loire is best imagined as a long ribbon with crisp white wines at either end and fuller wines of all types in the middle."
-Tom Stevenson, Sotheby's
That pretty much sums it up. The Loire Valley is the furthest northwest vineyards in France and is definted by the Loire River. It has three important districts: Western, Central and Upper (East) Loire. It is the largest (by area) French wine-producing area. It produces quality wine in all major categories: sparkling, white, rose, red and dessert. The grape used in the Western Loire is Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon Blanc in the Upper/Eastern Loire. Look for wine called Muscadet Sevre er Maine (not to be confused with Muscat), Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.
The Central Loire has the king and queen of Loire grapes: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, respectively. Look for Vouvray, Chinon, Bourqueill (the second two wines are both Cabernet Franc as a single varietal, they are blended elsewhere in France), Anjou and Saumur.
Bordeaux is THE world's largest producer of fine wines. Bordeaux is characterized by it's blends of up to five grape varietals. It is located in Southwestern France near the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided by the Gironde Estuary and Garonne & Dordogne Rivers. No other region in France has been as advertized and is as well known as Bordeaux. They produce what are called "food wines"-wines that "cry out" to be paired with food of any kind! Bordeaux also has it's own categories of classifications which seem very hard to explain (seeing as we spent an inordinate amount of time with Debbie trying to help us understand these classifications). Almost all producers (Chateaux) were classified. Bordeaux is made up of the Left Bank, the Right Bank and the Entre-deux-Mers. The Bordeaux classifications predate (1855) the AOCs. The Left Bank uses Cabernet Sauvingon (the informing grape-which is the grape that has the most impact on the character of the wine), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot for blending their wines. The Right Bank uses Merlot (their informing grape), Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. However, the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux is Merlot. 25% of Bordeaux wines are white (either dry and crisp or a sweet dessert) wines. The grapes used in making a White Bordeaux are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Look for wines called Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers and Sauternes. Sauternes (not to be confused with Sauterne no "s") is one of the most famous dessert wines. The grapes used to make Sauternes are Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The noble rot (Botrytis Cinerea) is responsible for the sweetness and intensity of these wines! (Noble Rot comes about when grapes are left to mold right on their vines. It gives the grapes an added sweetness.)
For lunch we went to a restaurant called "Snooze"-(another field trip but we walked to this one, lol). A Cook Street grad is the chef there. Snooze is only open for breakfast and lunch and from what I hear, even at 7am in the morning, there is a line waiting to be seated! We sampled quite a bit of the menu-corned beef hash, sausage gravy w/scrambled eggs in a puff pastry, several varieties of eggs benedict, egg salad sandwiches, curried chicken salad wrap and for "dessert" pancakes with caramelized pineapple, syrup and cinnamon butter. Then we waddled back to the school to finish Bordeaux.......most of us wanted a nap!
Tomorrow is a review day. We are going to play "Jepardy"! We'll see how THAT goes. There is SO much to remember. I keep asking myself if I really want to take the ISG exam in two weeks..... Anyway, I'll be studying to night and doing LOTS of reading!
"I drank a bottle of wine for company. It was a Chateau Margoux. It was pleasant to be drinking slowly and to be tasting the wine and to be drinking alone. A bottle of wine was good company." -Ernest Hemmingway, "The Sun Also Rises"
"In winemaking terms, the Loire is best imagined as a long ribbon with crisp white wines at either end and fuller wines of all types in the middle."
-Tom Stevenson, Sotheby's
That pretty much sums it up. The Loire Valley is the furthest northwest vineyards in France and is definted by the Loire River. It has three important districts: Western, Central and Upper (East) Loire. It is the largest (by area) French wine-producing area. It produces quality wine in all major categories: sparkling, white, rose, red and dessert. The grape used in the Western Loire is Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon Blanc in the Upper/Eastern Loire. Look for wine called Muscadet Sevre er Maine (not to be confused with Muscat), Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.
The Central Loire has the king and queen of Loire grapes: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, respectively. Look for Vouvray, Chinon, Bourqueill (the second two wines are both Cabernet Franc as a single varietal, they are blended elsewhere in France), Anjou and Saumur.
Bordeaux is THE world's largest producer of fine wines. Bordeaux is characterized by it's blends of up to five grape varietals. It is located in Southwestern France near the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided by the Gironde Estuary and Garonne & Dordogne Rivers. No other region in France has been as advertized and is as well known as Bordeaux. They produce what are called "food wines"-wines that "cry out" to be paired with food of any kind! Bordeaux also has it's own categories of classifications which seem very hard to explain (seeing as we spent an inordinate amount of time with Debbie trying to help us understand these classifications). Almost all producers (Chateaux) were classified. Bordeaux is made up of the Left Bank, the Right Bank and the Entre-deux-Mers. The Bordeaux classifications predate (1855) the AOCs. The Left Bank uses Cabernet Sauvingon (the informing grape-which is the grape that has the most impact on the character of the wine), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot for blending their wines. The Right Bank uses Merlot (their informing grape), Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. However, the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux is Merlot. 25% of Bordeaux wines are white (either dry and crisp or a sweet dessert) wines. The grapes used in making a White Bordeaux are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Look for wines called Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers and Sauternes. Sauternes (not to be confused with Sauterne no "s") is one of the most famous dessert wines. The grapes used to make Sauternes are Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The noble rot (Botrytis Cinerea) is responsible for the sweetness and intensity of these wines! (Noble Rot comes about when grapes are left to mold right on their vines. It gives the grapes an added sweetness.)
For lunch we went to a restaurant called "Snooze"-(another field trip but we walked to this one, lol). A Cook Street grad is the chef there. Snooze is only open for breakfast and lunch and from what I hear, even at 7am in the morning, there is a line waiting to be seated! We sampled quite a bit of the menu-corned beef hash, sausage gravy w/scrambled eggs in a puff pastry, several varieties of eggs benedict, egg salad sandwiches, curried chicken salad wrap and for "dessert" pancakes with caramelized pineapple, syrup and cinnamon butter. Then we waddled back to the school to finish Bordeaux.......most of us wanted a nap!
Tomorrow is a review day. We are going to play "Jepardy"! We'll see how THAT goes. There is SO much to remember. I keep asking myself if I really want to take the ISG exam in two weeks..... Anyway, I'll be studying to night and doing LOTS of reading!
"I drank a bottle of wine for company. It was a Chateau Margoux. It was pleasant to be drinking slowly and to be tasting the wine and to be drinking alone. A bottle of wine was good company." -Ernest Hemmingway, "The Sun Also Rises"
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Today we learned about cheeses. Another yum! Or as Chef Lexey says "when good milk goes bad..."
There are six cheese classifications:
1. Fresh or Lactic/Fromage Frais: This is uncooked, unripened curd. It is moist with a mildly tart flavor, usually unsalted and does not undergo affinage (aging) (I guess we are all going to learn French together, lol) or fermentation. Some examples include Fromage blanc, Mascarpone and fresh goat cheese.
2. Bloomy Rind/Fromage a Croute Fleurie: A mold is added to the curd which induces a white mold on the surface of the cheese in the presence of oxygen and humidity. Some examples include Brie, Camembert, Caource, Brillat Savarin and St Marcellin.
3. Washed Rind/Fromage a Croute Lavee: After the cheese forms its typical crust, the cheese curer inhibits the growth by washing the cheese daily with a alcohol and salt solution. Choices of alcohol include beer, marc, and champagne. This daily washing promotes the growth of salt resistant bacteria known as Brevibacterium; the same bacteria that grows on human skin in humid salty conditions (sweaty socks). This bacterium has a beneficial effect on the internal taste of the cheese, even though the aroma can be quite sulphurous and unappetizing. Many people discard the crust prior to eating. Some examples include Livarot, Munster, Maroilles, Taleggio and Epoisses.
4. Natural Rind/Fromage Frais Affine: No molds are added to the curd and the cheese forms a crust naturally in the presence of oxygen. Some examples include Charollais, Valencay and Crottin de Chavigol.
5, Blue Veined/Pate Persillee: A blue mold, penicillium roqueforti, is added to the curd before it is formed and once the cheese forms an initial crust it is perforated to allow air and moisture to activate the blue mold. The blue mold begins to vein throughout the cheese from the inside out. Some examples include Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert, Gorgonzola, Cabrales and Stilton.
6. Brushed Rind/Pate Cuite et Pressee: The pate (the cheese itself) is firm. It essentially has a hard crust that comes extensive aging and drying. Curds from cheeses in this category can either be "cooked and pressed" (Parmagiano and Gruyere) or "uncooked and pressed" (Cantal and Salers). The objective is to drive out moisture and increase the cheese shelf-life and flavor. These cheeses will often form calcium lactate crystals which give the cheese its granular mouth feel. Some examples includes Gruyere, Emmenthal, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino and Beaudort.
Interestingly enough, the cheses that have the most fat in them are the Brushed Rind cheeses (they take all the moisture out of them which condenses the cheese).
We also went over instructions for making cheese (interesting thought!). The length of time it takes depends on what type of cheese you are making. There are quite a few books out there apparently that will teach you how to make cheese and tell you where to get your supplies to do so. Chef Lexey covered storing (store in a cool, dry place) and buying cheeses (don't buy more cheese than you will eat in 2-3 days). Be willing to pay for good cheese. The younger the cheese, the less flavor it has. Do NOT wrap your cheese in plastic-usse parchment paper. And lastly: find a good cheesemonger (this is a woman who LOVES cheese). She talked about cheese plates and cheese courses. Serving size is about 3 oz or less per person, serve the cheese at room temperature and cut and serve only as much cheese as you are going to eat. Accompaniments should be thoughtful, don't overpower your cheese. Cheese is usually a dessert course or served last in a meal. Any kind of cheese and port are a good combination.
We spent just an hour on two regions in the South of France: Lanquedoc-Roussillon and Provence. Debbie also talked about Gascony, which is famous for it's Armagnac and Cognac. 60% of the wine Provence makes is rose. The grapes of this region are much the same as the Rhone Valley.
For lunch, we went to Creekside Winery in Evergreen, Colorado (field trip!). We ate in the room they keep their wine tanks in (stainless steel to start). We were served an antipasti platter with a Gewurztraminer. Next came two different salads, then a variety of wonderful pannini-type sandwiches, then a dessert of blackberry cobbler. There was a different wine for each course and each of those wines was very good. There was a Viognier (right out the barrel, it has not been bottled yet!)and a Cabernet Franc (excellent). If Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Blanc had a baby, it would be Cabernet Franc. We also received a tour of their facility and then were able to buy bottles of wine if we wanted, and just a few of us did so!
As I sit here reading and writing, I am baking my bread. when I came home, I turned my bread dough out onto a floured countertop and gently shaped it, then set it on a floured towel to rise for an hour. Then I put a large dutch oven or casserole into the oven and preheated it to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the bread had risen an hour, I removed the casserole dish from the oven, took off the lid and rolled the bread dough into the casserole dish. I baked it with the lid on for 30 minutes and have now removed the lid, leaving the bread and the casserole dish in the oven for another 20-30 minutes (it depends on how dark you like your crust). You then let it cool- do NOT be tempted to cut into it before it cools, it's worth the wait, my friends! we'll see what Carl thinks!
There are six cheese classifications:
1. Fresh or Lactic/Fromage Frais: This is uncooked, unripened curd. It is moist with a mildly tart flavor, usually unsalted and does not undergo affinage (aging) (I guess we are all going to learn French together, lol) or fermentation. Some examples include Fromage blanc, Mascarpone and fresh goat cheese.
2. Bloomy Rind/Fromage a Croute Fleurie: A mold is added to the curd which induces a white mold on the surface of the cheese in the presence of oxygen and humidity. Some examples include Brie, Camembert, Caource, Brillat Savarin and St Marcellin.
3. Washed Rind/Fromage a Croute Lavee: After the cheese forms its typical crust, the cheese curer inhibits the growth by washing the cheese daily with a alcohol and salt solution. Choices of alcohol include beer, marc, and champagne. This daily washing promotes the growth of salt resistant bacteria known as Brevibacterium; the same bacteria that grows on human skin in humid salty conditions (sweaty socks). This bacterium has a beneficial effect on the internal taste of the cheese, even though the aroma can be quite sulphurous and unappetizing. Many people discard the crust prior to eating. Some examples include Livarot, Munster, Maroilles, Taleggio and Epoisses.
4. Natural Rind/Fromage Frais Affine: No molds are added to the curd and the cheese forms a crust naturally in the presence of oxygen. Some examples include Charollais, Valencay and Crottin de Chavigol.
5, Blue Veined/Pate Persillee: A blue mold, penicillium roqueforti, is added to the curd before it is formed and once the cheese forms an initial crust it is perforated to allow air and moisture to activate the blue mold. The blue mold begins to vein throughout the cheese from the inside out. Some examples include Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert, Gorgonzola, Cabrales and Stilton.
6. Brushed Rind/Pate Cuite et Pressee: The pate (the cheese itself) is firm. It essentially has a hard crust that comes extensive aging and drying. Curds from cheeses in this category can either be "cooked and pressed" (Parmagiano and Gruyere) or "uncooked and pressed" (Cantal and Salers). The objective is to drive out moisture and increase the cheese shelf-life and flavor. These cheeses will often form calcium lactate crystals which give the cheese its granular mouth feel. Some examples includes Gruyere, Emmenthal, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino and Beaudort.
Interestingly enough, the cheses that have the most fat in them are the Brushed Rind cheeses (they take all the moisture out of them which condenses the cheese).
We also went over instructions for making cheese (interesting thought!). The length of time it takes depends on what type of cheese you are making. There are quite a few books out there apparently that will teach you how to make cheese and tell you where to get your supplies to do so. Chef Lexey covered storing (store in a cool, dry place) and buying cheeses (don't buy more cheese than you will eat in 2-3 days). Be willing to pay for good cheese. The younger the cheese, the less flavor it has. Do NOT wrap your cheese in plastic-usse parchment paper. And lastly: find a good cheesemonger (this is a woman who LOVES cheese). She talked about cheese plates and cheese courses. Serving size is about 3 oz or less per person, serve the cheese at room temperature and cut and serve only as much cheese as you are going to eat. Accompaniments should be thoughtful, don't overpower your cheese. Cheese is usually a dessert course or served last in a meal. Any kind of cheese and port are a good combination.
We spent just an hour on two regions in the South of France: Lanquedoc-Roussillon and Provence. Debbie also talked about Gascony, which is famous for it's Armagnac and Cognac. 60% of the wine Provence makes is rose. The grapes of this region are much the same as the Rhone Valley.
For lunch, we went to Creekside Winery in Evergreen, Colorado (field trip!). We ate in the room they keep their wine tanks in (stainless steel to start). We were served an antipasti platter with a Gewurztraminer. Next came two different salads, then a variety of wonderful pannini-type sandwiches, then a dessert of blackberry cobbler. There was a different wine for each course and each of those wines was very good. There was a Viognier (right out the barrel, it has not been bottled yet!)and a Cabernet Franc (excellent). If Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Blanc had a baby, it would be Cabernet Franc. We also received a tour of their facility and then were able to buy bottles of wine if we wanted, and just a few of us did so!
As I sit here reading and writing, I am baking my bread. when I came home, I turned my bread dough out onto a floured countertop and gently shaped it, then set it on a floured towel to rise for an hour. Then I put a large dutch oven or casserole into the oven and preheated it to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the bread had risen an hour, I removed the casserole dish from the oven, took off the lid and rolled the bread dough into the casserole dish. I baked it with the lid on for 30 minutes and have now removed the lid, leaving the bread and the casserole dish in the oven for another 20-30 minutes (it depends on how dark you like your crust). You then let it cool- do NOT be tempted to cut into it before it cools, it's worth the wait, my friends! we'll see what Carl thinks!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
New World Countries (remember those?) are all about the science of wine making. They can take a wine and "tweak" it to make it better. It is all about the grape varietal. To the French, wine making is all about the land and geographic region the grapes are grown in. They do not "tweak" their wines, they depend on the land to "make" the grape. They are very strict about who can grow what grape and where.
After a recap of yesterday's class, we continued our exploration of France. Next was Burgundy which is in eastern France (southeast of Paris). There are five districts in Burgundy: Chablis, Cote d'Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais, and Beaujolais. Imagine my surprise after going thru this class and learning that Beaujolais is NOT a grape, but the name of a specific REGION which grows numerous varietals. Burgundy is one of the world's most famous fine wine producing regions. Burgundy grows two types of grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Of course, there is one exception: Beaujolais which has its own grape, Gamay, and it is often blended. Burgundy has a slightly different "pyramid" of quality. Starting at the bottom is regional wine, which is straight AoC Burgundy, no appellation. Next is District. then group of villages (found in Maconnais and Beaujolais). Often a village or group of villages can quality for special consideration. Next is a single village or commune, then Premier Cru and at the top Grand Cru. I never thought I'd have to learn to read French just to read a wine label!
After a scrumptious lunch of Coq Au Vin served with a spinach salad with vinegrette and walnuts and slice of baguette on the side. We took some of the wine we tried in the morning to lunch with us to see how it tasted with our food. For dessert (yum), crepes filled with Creme Anglaise and strawberry covered with caramel sauce. (They offered us chocolate tart along with quiche for breakfast-I like the way they think, lol).
In the afternoon we learned about the Rhone Valley. The Rhone Valley is second only to Bordeaux in quantity of AoC wine produced annually. The Rhone Valley is in southeaster France (south of Burgundy)and has a continental climate. It has two distinct districts: Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. 95% of all Rhone wines are red! Northern Rhone has black granite soil which is good because the black rock absorbs the heat of the sun and warms the land and grapes at night. The Northern Rhone uses single varietals, no blending. The main grape of Northern Rhone is Syrah (a red wine). They also grow Viognier (white).
The Southern Rhone has a mediteranean climate with wide areas of rolling hills and rocky soils. Here they blend their wine. 95% of Southern Rhone wines are red made from Grenache (nearly always at least 50% of a blend is Grenache), Syrah, and Mourvedre. Their white grapes are Genache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussane.
Wouldn't it be great to explore all the wine regions of France? We tasted some awesome wines today that I would recommend to anyone!
I am trying my bread recipe out on Carl. I mixed it up after I got home from school and will let it sit and ferment for at least 18 hours. Mix 3 cups of bread flour, 1/4 tsp dry yeast, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 and 1/3 cups of water in a glass bowl. The dough should be slightly wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it on the counter. I'll clue you in tomorrow about how it finishes!
"Burgundy is for kings, champagne for duchesses, claret for gentlemen." -French Proverb
After a recap of yesterday's class, we continued our exploration of France. Next was Burgundy which is in eastern France (southeast of Paris). There are five districts in Burgundy: Chablis, Cote d'Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais, and Beaujolais. Imagine my surprise after going thru this class and learning that Beaujolais is NOT a grape, but the name of a specific REGION which grows numerous varietals. Burgundy is one of the world's most famous fine wine producing regions. Burgundy grows two types of grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Of course, there is one exception: Beaujolais which has its own grape, Gamay, and it is often blended. Burgundy has a slightly different "pyramid" of quality. Starting at the bottom is regional wine, which is straight AoC Burgundy, no appellation. Next is District. then group of villages (found in Maconnais and Beaujolais). Often a village or group of villages can quality for special consideration. Next is a single village or commune, then Premier Cru and at the top Grand Cru. I never thought I'd have to learn to read French just to read a wine label!
After a scrumptious lunch of Coq Au Vin served with a spinach salad with vinegrette and walnuts and slice of baguette on the side. We took some of the wine we tried in the morning to lunch with us to see how it tasted with our food. For dessert (yum), crepes filled with Creme Anglaise and strawberry covered with caramel sauce. (They offered us chocolate tart along with quiche for breakfast-I like the way they think, lol).
In the afternoon we learned about the Rhone Valley. The Rhone Valley is second only to Bordeaux in quantity of AoC wine produced annually. The Rhone Valley is in southeaster France (south of Burgundy)and has a continental climate. It has two distinct districts: Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. 95% of all Rhone wines are red! Northern Rhone has black granite soil which is good because the black rock absorbs the heat of the sun and warms the land and grapes at night. The Northern Rhone uses single varietals, no blending. The main grape of Northern Rhone is Syrah (a red wine). They also grow Viognier (white).
The Southern Rhone has a mediteranean climate with wide areas of rolling hills and rocky soils. Here they blend their wine. 95% of Southern Rhone wines are red made from Grenache (nearly always at least 50% of a blend is Grenache), Syrah, and Mourvedre. Their white grapes are Genache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussane.
Wouldn't it be great to explore all the wine regions of France? We tasted some awesome wines today that I would recommend to anyone!
I am trying my bread recipe out on Carl. I mixed it up after I got home from school and will let it sit and ferment for at least 18 hours. Mix 3 cups of bread flour, 1/4 tsp dry yeast, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 and 1/3 cups of water in a glass bowl. The dough should be slightly wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it on the counter. I'll clue you in tomorrow about how it finishes!
"Burgundy is for kings, champagne for duchesses, claret for gentlemen." -French Proverb
Monday, June 7, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Back to class today. It's already the second week! We started the day with a quiz-37 questions, all written, no fill in the blank, no multiple choice. Hope I passed!
After the quiz, Debbie covered pest and vine diseases. There is Phylloxera Vastratix-the Devastator. This is what devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century. Next is Downy Mildew (aka Peronospera). When this is a problem, at least the harvest and vines can be saved. Next is Powdery Mildew (aka Oidium). This can be a problem in both dry and humid climates and does affect fruit set and yields. Next-Black Rot (aka Guignardia Bidwelli). This is a fungus that spreads in mild, wet weather. It cases crop losses up to 80%. Last but not least-Pierce's Disease (aka Xylella Fastidiosa). Besides grapes it also attacks fruit and nut trees. It is a bacterial disease spread by the "glassy-winged sharpshooter". This apparently could be a problem in California in the near future.
Then on to France! France is the largest wine producer in the world and first in total consumption of wine. France has 14 wine regions, although we will not be covering them all. The biggest difference between French and American wine labels(besides the fact that one is in English and one is in French, lol) is that France labels their wine by the region it comes from-Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhone. American labels use the varietal or grape in their labels-chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon. The French are all about quality and terrior. They have four levels of classifications. Think of a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is table wine or Vin de Table (VdT). The next level up is Country Wine or Vin de Pays (VdP). Next up the pyramid is Delimited Wine of Superior Quality (VDQS). A the very top is AoC or Appelation d'Origine Controllee, the stricted classification you can have. We studied French wine labels-NOT the same as American wine labels although they do have the producer, place name, quality statement, bottling statement and vintage.
The first wine region we covered was Alsace (pronounced all - sauce)(I love phonetics, lol). Over the centuries they have been part of Germany and part of France. Alsace is one of France's smallest wine-producing regions and is in the northeast corner of France. They are the only region that does not blend their grapes. There are two beliefs in Alsace-(1) wine is an expression of the grape itself and (2) wine is an expression of the ground they are grown in. 95% of Alsace wines are white! All the grapes save one (Muscat) are only grown in Alsace-Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Sylvaner. We tasted four of the Alsace wines. All of them were tastey and wines you could drink all day-very refreshing!
Next we learned about Champagne. Yeah! Only sparking wine from the Champagne region of France is allowed to be called Champagne. In Germany, sparkling wines are called Sekt; in Italy-Prosecco and in Spain-Cava. California, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also make sparkling wines. Champagne is made from three grapes: 1 white (Chardonnay) and 2 reds (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). There are four sparkling wine methods: the traditional Methode Champenoise; the Transfer Method, Charmat Bulk Process and Carbonation (Andre fits into this last category-make wine, add carbination just like soda and viola!) The steps taken are amazingly time consuming! The levels of sweetness in champagne range from Doux (over 5% sugar) all the way to Brut, the most dry (less than 1.5% sugar). Of course we finished the day off by drinking champagne! Very nice!!
"Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it." -Napoleon Bonaparte
I was feeling stressed at the end of this day so came back to the B&B and baked! Blueberry Banana Muffins and French Yogurt Cake. Both were a hit!
After the quiz, Debbie covered pest and vine diseases. There is Phylloxera Vastratix-the Devastator. This is what devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century. Next is Downy Mildew (aka Peronospera). When this is a problem, at least the harvest and vines can be saved. Next is Powdery Mildew (aka Oidium). This can be a problem in both dry and humid climates and does affect fruit set and yields. Next-Black Rot (aka Guignardia Bidwelli). This is a fungus that spreads in mild, wet weather. It cases crop losses up to 80%. Last but not least-Pierce's Disease (aka Xylella Fastidiosa). Besides grapes it also attacks fruit and nut trees. It is a bacterial disease spread by the "glassy-winged sharpshooter". This apparently could be a problem in California in the near future.
Then on to France! France is the largest wine producer in the world and first in total consumption of wine. France has 14 wine regions, although we will not be covering them all. The biggest difference between French and American wine labels(besides the fact that one is in English and one is in French, lol) is that France labels their wine by the region it comes from-Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhone. American labels use the varietal or grape in their labels-chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon. The French are all about quality and terrior. They have four levels of classifications. Think of a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is table wine or Vin de Table (VdT). The next level up is Country Wine or Vin de Pays (VdP). Next up the pyramid is Delimited Wine of Superior Quality (VDQS). A the very top is AoC or Appelation d'Origine Controllee, the stricted classification you can have. We studied French wine labels-NOT the same as American wine labels although they do have the producer, place name, quality statement, bottling statement and vintage.
The first wine region we covered was Alsace (pronounced all - sauce)(I love phonetics, lol). Over the centuries they have been part of Germany and part of France. Alsace is one of France's smallest wine-producing regions and is in the northeast corner of France. They are the only region that does not blend their grapes. There are two beliefs in Alsace-(1) wine is an expression of the grape itself and (2) wine is an expression of the ground they are grown in. 95% of Alsace wines are white! All the grapes save one (Muscat) are only grown in Alsace-Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Sylvaner. We tasted four of the Alsace wines. All of them were tastey and wines you could drink all day-very refreshing!
Next we learned about Champagne. Yeah! Only sparking wine from the Champagne region of France is allowed to be called Champagne. In Germany, sparkling wines are called Sekt; in Italy-Prosecco and in Spain-Cava. California, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also make sparkling wines. Champagne is made from three grapes: 1 white (Chardonnay) and 2 reds (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). There are four sparkling wine methods: the traditional Methode Champenoise; the Transfer Method, Charmat Bulk Process and Carbonation (Andre fits into this last category-make wine, add carbination just like soda and viola!) The steps taken are amazingly time consuming! The levels of sweetness in champagne range from Doux (over 5% sugar) all the way to Brut, the most dry (less than 1.5% sugar). Of course we finished the day off by drinking champagne! Very nice!!
"Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it." -Napoleon Bonaparte
I was feeling stressed at the end of this day so came back to the B&B and baked! Blueberry Banana Muffins and French Yogurt Cake. Both were a hit!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, June 6,2010
After staying up last night to make banana bread for guests this morning, I slept in until 8am this morning. When I went upstairs for coffee, the kitchen was jumping busy! Carl made egg soufflé with chiles, then topped it with guacamole and salsa after it was baked. He made me one- it was very yummy. My banana bread was also a hit! That is encouraging. After clean-up, I went back downstairs to study. I had not been down there long before Bailey called down to say I had a lady visitor. My first thought was, I don't know anyone in Denver, who could it be? It turned out to be Frances, Jan's sister-in-law, calling to see if I wanted to go out for coffee or breakfast or brunch. Of course I said yes! Always up for a new adventure, lol. It was a beautiful, if hot day. Frances took me on a mini-tour of the Highlands after we had a lovely lunch at the Squeaky Bean in the LoHi district (all these little nicknames!). Then we sent to South Pearl Street where it was the first day of their Sunday Farmer's Market. By the time we got their it was almost over but there was quite a variety of things to buy. I will definitely go again another day. Then it was back to Capitol Hill (I DO have a quiz in the morning!).
Thanks to all of you who are reading this and giving me feedback!
Thanks to all of you who are reading this and giving me feedback!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
I was up at 5am today! Haven't gotten up that early since leaving SCOR! This morning was my "big" culinary debut. Carl let me cook today. I made Eggs Florentine or Baked Eggs with Spinach- take your pick, lol. It was a huge success! Yeah!
Carl had me go out to each guest and introduce myself, although he introduced me to the first people down for breakfast. He told them I was the featured chef, lol. I said I was the chef d'jour. Everything needs to planned out, timed correctly. Then you also need to check on each guest, make sure everything is ok, ask if they need anything, clean up after them. Believe it or not, actually serving the plates to everyone was the hardest (remember not to dump it into their lap or on the table). Everyone save one person was very happy- turns out she is not a big fan of spinach! Oh, well, she ate the egg off the top, so that's good!
I realize why Carl waits to shower after breakfast--it gets REALLY hot in the kitchen when you are cooking in stages!
Afterwards, Paula, one of the women from my cooking class came over and we went to Capitol Hill People's Fair. They have food vendors, crafts and music. Everyone goes! Poor Paula is still getting used to the altitude so we only stayed a couple of hours. We came back to the B&B and sat on the patio drinking water and had a nice visit. I really do have great people in my cooking class.
I DO need to study this weekend. There is a quiz on Monday!! Read, read, read!
Carl had me go out to each guest and introduce myself, although he introduced me to the first people down for breakfast. He told them I was the featured chef, lol. I said I was the chef d'jour. Everything needs to planned out, timed correctly. Then you also need to check on each guest, make sure everything is ok, ask if they need anything, clean up after them. Believe it or not, actually serving the plates to everyone was the hardest (remember not to dump it into their lap or on the table). Everyone save one person was very happy- turns out she is not a big fan of spinach! Oh, well, she ate the egg off the top, so that's good!
I realize why Carl waits to shower after breakfast--it gets REALLY hot in the kitchen when you are cooking in stages!
Afterwards, Paula, one of the women from my cooking class came over and we went to Capitol Hill People's Fair. They have food vendors, crafts and music. Everyone goes! Poor Paula is still getting used to the altitude so we only stayed a couple of hours. We came back to the B&B and sat on the patio drinking water and had a nice visit. I really do have great people in my cooking class.
I DO need to study this weekend. There is a quiz on Monday!! Read, read, read!
Friday, June 4,2010
Back in the classroom again. Today we had a whirlwind "tour" of the New World wines. I was surprised to hear that the wine industry is more heavily regulated that the pharmaceutical industry (some how I don't find that reassuring being a nurse).
In 1983, the American Viticultural Area (AVA) system was implemented. What this does is break each state into viticultural areas, the information which is then put on wine labels so consumers know where it is their wine comes from. There are more than 150 AVA's in the US. When this information is placed on a wine label, 85 percent of the grapes in that wine must be grown in that AVA. We then learned how to read wine labels. Each label must contain a health warning, the varietal, the AVA, whether or not it comes from a single vineyard, whether it is estate bottled and the vintage date.
At this point we had the "sulfite talk". Sulfites are naturally occurring in all fruits with seeds, therefore all wine contains sulfites (including European wine). There are more sulfites in a glass of orange juice than in a glass of wine. The reason most people don't get a headache when drinking wine in Europe is because the alcohol levels of their wines are lower than US wines.
California produces 90 percent of US wine although all 50 states have at least one bonded winery. California's "signature" grape is Zinfandel, although the Napa Valley is most famous for it's Cabernet Sauvignon. Oregon's signature grape is Pinot Noir. Washington state has two signature grapes/wine, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Next Debbie covered South African and South American wines. It is interesting to hear the history of wine in all these areas and to hear whether or not they were affected by the grape blight from the 1860s. Apparently in the 18th century, Americans sent grapevines back to France as they were not growing well in American soil. The vines were sent back to Europe (France), and soon French vineyards began drying out, then Italian vineyards as this blight (called Phylloxera-an aphid like infestation) spread across Europe. Apparently a mite the American vines were immune from, caused the European vines to die out. And this is the reason the French still hate us (long memories!).
Growing grapes seem to be all about terrior noir-altitude, climate, sun, and on and on......no wonder people study this for years!!
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with few tensions and more tolerance.". -Benjamin Franklin
In 1983, the American Viticultural Area (AVA) system was implemented. What this does is break each state into viticultural areas, the information which is then put on wine labels so consumers know where it is their wine comes from. There are more than 150 AVA's in the US. When this information is placed on a wine label, 85 percent of the grapes in that wine must be grown in that AVA. We then learned how to read wine labels. Each label must contain a health warning, the varietal, the AVA, whether or not it comes from a single vineyard, whether it is estate bottled and the vintage date.
At this point we had the "sulfite talk". Sulfites are naturally occurring in all fruits with seeds, therefore all wine contains sulfites (including European wine). There are more sulfites in a glass of orange juice than in a glass of wine. The reason most people don't get a headache when drinking wine in Europe is because the alcohol levels of their wines are lower than US wines.
California produces 90 percent of US wine although all 50 states have at least one bonded winery. California's "signature" grape is Zinfandel, although the Napa Valley is most famous for it's Cabernet Sauvignon. Oregon's signature grape is Pinot Noir. Washington state has two signature grapes/wine, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Next Debbie covered South African and South American wines. It is interesting to hear the history of wine in all these areas and to hear whether or not they were affected by the grape blight from the 1860s. Apparently in the 18th century, Americans sent grapevines back to France as they were not growing well in American soil. The vines were sent back to Europe (France), and soon French vineyards began drying out, then Italian vineyards as this blight (called Phylloxera-an aphid like infestation) spread across Europe. Apparently a mite the American vines were immune from, caused the European vines to die out. And this is the reason the French still hate us (long memories!).
Growing grapes seem to be all about terrior noir-altitude, climate, sun, and on and on......no wonder people study this for years!!
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with few tensions and more tolerance.". -Benjamin Franklin
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day three! Our class had a visit from Cindy with the ISG (International Sommelier Guild). She reviewed the classes and exams/certifications the ISG offers. At the end of this class we can take the first level exam for sommeliers. They offer a second level exam as well as an 8 month diploma program. This would not make us Master Sommeliers (which is somewhat akin to getting your PhD). I'm thinking about it.....
Then Chef Carl came into the class room to cover tasting. We use all our senses for cooking and eating: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. And we have five taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory). I didn't know that MSG (the epitome of umami) was developed by accident in Japan in 1908. It enhances food but apparently people started using so much of it in dishes that it started causing headaches, etc; so MSG is no longer used in many foods. It is a naturally occurring chemical in nature and I was surprised to find out it tastes pretty good on it's own! Learn something new every day! Then we spent about 30 minutes tasting everything from granulated sugar to pomegranate molasses to sea salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, MSG and Miso-about 30 in all. Very enlightening exercise.
Our second lecture of the day was on wine and food pairing. You can do use several guidelines when pairing wine with food:
*Regional Pairs (say you want to make a meal with recipes from the south of Italy. You could pair this with a wine from the south of Italy.)
*Wine in Food, Wine in Glass (Serving the same wine to drink that you used in your recipe).
*Food & Wine Chemistry (using foods that change the flavor of wine. Food tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami) will intensify or decrease wine tastes (sweet, sour, bitter).
*Power matching (the intensity (or lack of it) of the wine should match the intensity of the food).
After the lecture, we sat down and tried six different wines with a "cold plate" which contained grapes, apple slices, lemon slices, raw asparagus, green olives, kalamata olives, walnuts, sea salt, blue cheese, parmesan cheese, peppered brie and semi-sweet chocolate. It's amazing how food effects how wine tastes! After that, we had a plate of steamed halibut with buerre blanc sauce, roast pork with a mustard sauce, pan-seared flank steak with black peppercorn mushroom sauce, and grilled chicken with a tomato sauce. These were paired, with and without the sauces with the same six wines.
Everyone was able to walk out of the room after these tastings but I am very glad none of us was driving!! We'll be back at it tomorrow........
I did learn one other item of interest. You know how you were always told you should drink a red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat? Well...the French came up with that idea after World War II when they found they had a surplus of red wine. They thought-"Oh, we can sell it to the Americans, they eat a lot of cow..." And because the French were the recognized "wine experts", the Americans believed them and so these "wine rules" were passed along.
"The pleasures of eating and drinking operate on so many levels that hard and fast rules simply make no sense." -Oz Clarke
Then Chef Carl came into the class room to cover tasting. We use all our senses for cooking and eating: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. And we have five taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory). I didn't know that MSG (the epitome of umami) was developed by accident in Japan in 1908. It enhances food but apparently people started using so much of it in dishes that it started causing headaches, etc; so MSG is no longer used in many foods. It is a naturally occurring chemical in nature and I was surprised to find out it tastes pretty good on it's own! Learn something new every day! Then we spent about 30 minutes tasting everything from granulated sugar to pomegranate molasses to sea salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, MSG and Miso-about 30 in all. Very enlightening exercise.
Our second lecture of the day was on wine and food pairing. You can do use several guidelines when pairing wine with food:
*Regional Pairs (say you want to make a meal with recipes from the south of Italy. You could pair this with a wine from the south of Italy.)
*Wine in Food, Wine in Glass (Serving the same wine to drink that you used in your recipe).
*Food & Wine Chemistry (using foods that change the flavor of wine. Food tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami) will intensify or decrease wine tastes (sweet, sour, bitter).
*Power matching (the intensity (or lack of it) of the wine should match the intensity of the food).
After the lecture, we sat down and tried six different wines with a "cold plate" which contained grapes, apple slices, lemon slices, raw asparagus, green olives, kalamata olives, walnuts, sea salt, blue cheese, parmesan cheese, peppered brie and semi-sweet chocolate. It's amazing how food effects how wine tastes! After that, we had a plate of steamed halibut with buerre blanc sauce, roast pork with a mustard sauce, pan-seared flank steak with black peppercorn mushroom sauce, and grilled chicken with a tomato sauce. These were paired, with and without the sauces with the same six wines.
Everyone was able to walk out of the room after these tastings but I am very glad none of us was driving!! We'll be back at it tomorrow........
I did learn one other item of interest. You know how you were always told you should drink a red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat? Well...the French came up with that idea after World War II when they found they had a surplus of red wine. They thought-"Oh, we can sell it to the Americans, they eat a lot of cow..." And because the French were the recognized "wine experts", the Americans believed them and so these "wine rules" were passed along.
"The pleasures of eating and drinking operate on so many levels that hard and fast rules simply make no sense." -Oz Clarke
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The second day of school! Carl makes coffee in the morning and school provides breakfast (continental breakfast this morning). I could get used to this, lol!
I can’t tell you how nice it is to be with people who have the same passion for cooking that I do. There are 15 of us, ranging in age from 19 to 60. Although age does not seem to have any bearing on how well everyone gets along. Truly amazing!!
There is so much to learn about wine! Although by the end of the day most of us were able (in a blind taste test) to pick out an Old World Wine (European) vs. a New World Wine (every place else on earth, lol).
During the wine section of our education, lectures start at 9am, wine tasting starts at 10am. Even though we do not drink an entire glass of wine, usually just sipping or spitting , you can feel the effects of sipping wine all day. It causes what Debbie calls “wine”heimers. How true, lol!!
We started out with Into to Wine:
What is wine? It is fermented grape (or fruit) juice.
Wine history: Fermentation started as far back as 4000BC although ancient Greece is credited with beginning the fermentation process.
Wine Regions: Grapes are grown well within the 30-50 degree latitudes. This is as far north as Germany and as far south as New Zealand.
Wine Categories: * Still wines-reds, whites, roses
*Sparkling wines
* Fortified wines (port or sherry)/Dessert wines
* Aromatic wines-infused with herbs, flavors or spices- wine coolers and vermouth (!?)
Wine Styles (Body of the wine):
*Light-bodied (think of skim or 1-2% milk)
*Medium-bodied (think 2% or whole milk)
*Full-bodied (think whole milk to heavy cream)
This last analogy really helped understand what the wines do in your mouth. Amazing!
We also learned how they make both red and white wines (red wines have 1-2 more steps to them than white wine). We will be going on a field trip next Friday to a local Colorado winery to see this process for ourselves (and eat lunch, lol).
Bon Appetit!
“A person with increasing knowledge and sensory education may derive infinite enjoyment from wine.” -Ernest Hemingway
I can’t tell you how nice it is to be with people who have the same passion for cooking that I do. There are 15 of us, ranging in age from 19 to 60. Although age does not seem to have any bearing on how well everyone gets along. Truly amazing!!
There is so much to learn about wine! Although by the end of the day most of us were able (in a blind taste test) to pick out an Old World Wine (European) vs. a New World Wine (every place else on earth, lol).
During the wine section of our education, lectures start at 9am, wine tasting starts at 10am. Even though we do not drink an entire glass of wine, usually just sipping or spitting , you can feel the effects of sipping wine all day. It causes what Debbie calls “wine”heimers. How true, lol!!
We started out with Into to Wine:
What is wine? It is fermented grape (or fruit) juice.
Wine history: Fermentation started as far back as 4000BC although ancient Greece is credited with beginning the fermentation process.
Wine Regions: Grapes are grown well within the 30-50 degree latitudes. This is as far north as Germany and as far south as New Zealand.
Wine Categories: * Still wines-reds, whites, roses
*Sparkling wines
* Fortified wines (port or sherry)/Dessert wines
* Aromatic wines-infused with herbs, flavors or spices- wine coolers and vermouth (!?)
Wine Styles (Body of the wine):
*Light-bodied (think of skim or 1-2% milk)
*Medium-bodied (think 2% or whole milk)
*Full-bodied (think whole milk to heavy cream)
This last analogy really helped understand what the wines do in your mouth. Amazing!
We also learned how they make both red and white wines (red wines have 1-2 more steps to them than white wine). We will be going on a field trip next Friday to a local Colorado winery to see this process for ourselves (and eat lunch, lol).
Bon Appetit!
“A person with increasing knowledge and sensory education may derive infinite enjoyment from wine.” -Ernest Hemingway
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Today was the first day of school!!! Yeah!! Jordan rode the bus with me today on his way to the airport and took pictures of me next to the house and by the bus stop (which is right outside my door!) Just like kindergarden, lol. After arriving at school, my class (there are 15 of us) was served a continental breakfast and then started class at 9am (how civilized). After a short orientation, our instructor, Debbie, got right down to it. She said we would start wine tasting by 10am so we should make sure we ate our breakfast every day! She also told us to go home and practice our wine drinking(who wouldn't want THAT homework?!). Hmmmmmm.......let me think......
We learned about wine bottle types (Bordeaux, Burgundy, German), bottle sizes for champagne and Bordeaux, corks and closures, glassware, serving temperatures (Americans usually serve their white wine too cold and their red wine too warm) and wine etiquette: serving order (3 simple rules: Dry before sweet, Young before old and Light, Medium, Full-bodied). We also learned about the basic tools: openers, serviettes, tasting glass or Tastevin. We all received a Cook Street corkscrew otherwise known as the "waiter's friend". We also learned the Cook Street way and the Sommelier way to open a bottle of wine and how to open a bottle of champagne. Debbie covered decanting (only really two reasons to decant wine: 1. To aerate young, tannic red wines OR 2. To separate sediment from mature reds or ports.) then she finished with the Top 10 Wine Taboos.
At 12 Noon, it was time for lunch. We were served pappardelle pasta (a wide flat pasta) with a bolognese sauce (meat sauce), roasted asparagus and a green salad with vinaigrette dressing. Yummy! I've told all my friends, I may be poor going back to school, but I will never starve!
After lunch we "challenged" our palates with the "three tastes of wine"-sweet, sour, bitter. We poured into four cups: sugar syrup, acetic acid, bitter tea and grain alcohol (vodka), then mixed and matched these liquids to see where on our tongue we tasted each one. A little crazy on the palate but very interesting. Next we did a blind trial of smelling extracts and trying to guess what they were. I had only two correct guesses out of 13, but I think I was not the only one (thank goodness). All this to get us thinking about different flavors in our mouths. We got out early today but will have to make it up over the next two days as this is a short week.
I did learn that at the end of this course, we can all take our first level sommelier exam with the ISG. Not sure how many levels and classes there are to take before you become a master Sommelier but it is a consideration. All this will help us learn about how wine is made, how complex it can be and how to pair it with food so that both the wine and the food compliment each other. I hope I can remember all this!!!
Two things show little wit,
the full or empty cup;
If full, then empty it;
If empty, fill it up!
-Kenneth Hare
We learned about wine bottle types (Bordeaux, Burgundy, German), bottle sizes for champagne and Bordeaux, corks and closures, glassware, serving temperatures (Americans usually serve their white wine too cold and their red wine too warm) and wine etiquette: serving order (3 simple rules: Dry before sweet, Young before old and Light, Medium, Full-bodied). We also learned about the basic tools: openers, serviettes, tasting glass or Tastevin. We all received a Cook Street corkscrew otherwise known as the "waiter's friend". We also learned the Cook Street way and the Sommelier way to open a bottle of wine and how to open a bottle of champagne. Debbie covered decanting (only really two reasons to decant wine: 1. To aerate young, tannic red wines OR 2. To separate sediment from mature reds or ports.) then she finished with the Top 10 Wine Taboos.
At 12 Noon, it was time for lunch. We were served pappardelle pasta (a wide flat pasta) with a bolognese sauce (meat sauce), roasted asparagus and a green salad with vinaigrette dressing. Yummy! I've told all my friends, I may be poor going back to school, but I will never starve!
After lunch we "challenged" our palates with the "three tastes of wine"-sweet, sour, bitter. We poured into four cups: sugar syrup, acetic acid, bitter tea and grain alcohol (vodka), then mixed and matched these liquids to see where on our tongue we tasted each one. A little crazy on the palate but very interesting. Next we did a blind trial of smelling extracts and trying to guess what they were. I had only two correct guesses out of 13, but I think I was not the only one (thank goodness). All this to get us thinking about different flavors in our mouths. We got out early today but will have to make it up over the next two days as this is a short week.
I did learn that at the end of this course, we can all take our first level sommelier exam with the ISG. Not sure how many levels and classes there are to take before you become a master Sommelier but it is a consideration. All this will help us learn about how wine is made, how complex it can be and how to pair it with food so that both the wine and the food compliment each other. I hope I can remember all this!!!
Two things show little wit,
the full or empty cup;
If full, then empty it;
If empty, fill it up!
-Kenneth Hare
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