Pan con l’Uva (Bread with Grapes)

I came across this while browsing around on some of my favorite foodie blogs for Thanksgiving recipes/ideas. Just the pictures alone had me very nearly drooling...all oozing with rich grapiness atop a tender, lightly sweet & yeasty baked dough. (sigh)

Bread and grapes...I have a marked weakness for both. They are comfort foods, whispering of autumn and warmth. While my own grapes will not be ready to harvest for a couple of years, I believe Wegman's had some beautiful wine grapes in about this time last year - you can bet I will be checking. This could be a delicious alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.

I think this will be superb with a New World-style red blend from Tuscany, such as the Perazetta Erio Rosso.

Thanksgiving Pick # 2 & Pairing

You Are So Fine Vouvray 2007

21.99 / 18.69 solid case

A real standout. This unfiltered, organic and naturally-made 100% Chenin
Blanc from Vouvray is a richer version of the style due low yields and aging in 5 year old barrels.

Vouvray is the French region of the Loire Valley located in the Tourraine district just east of the city of Tours in the commune of Vouvray. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) is dedicated almost exclusively to Chenin Blanc.

It is a bone dry, fuller-bodied wine with notes of tropical fruits, honeycomb and a little nuttiness. Fermented in a style with a little fizz left in to keep it lively.

Unusual and so fantastic, this may be the most memorable wine of the day.

Pair it with this Cheesy Potato Spoonbread recipe.

2010 Thanksgiving Picks

It's just about time for some turkey and we have five recommendations for a perfect Thanksgiving Day. Your favorite locally-owned retailer has once more scoured the globe for the best wines we can find, here's the list:

Oveja Negra Sauvignon Blanc/Carmenere 9.99 / 8.49 solid case
This neat Chilean white is a blend of of a white wine grape (Sauvignon Blanc) and red wine grape (Carmenére). It stays a white wine by using only the pulp of the Carmenére which gives the otherwise tart Sauvignon Blanc a softer finish. The result is a zippy white with flavors of lime and ripe fruits.

Bugey Cerdon NV 18.99 / 16.14 solid case
This delicious sparkler is a crowd pleasing wine with loads of wild berry, tart apple flavors and a hint of spice . Made from 95% Gamay and 5% Poulsard in a refreshing, rosé style. Use it to pair with cheese plates and hor d'eauvres or as an after dinner quaffer for your Turkey Day celebration.

Donkey and Goat Syrah ‘El Dorado‘ 2008 25.99 / 22.09 solid case
If you are looking for a rich red wine that will still pair well with the meal this little gem is sure to fit the bill. Featured in the New York Times as one of the few winemakers in the US to produce natural, organic wines and with very minimal added sulfites. This Syrah is a concentrated red with notes of dark berry liqueur, black raspberry and a pronounced spiciness. Worth the splurge!

You Are So Fine Vouvray 2007 21.99 / 18.69 solid case
A real standout. This unfiltered, organic and naturally-made 100% Chenin Blanc from Vouvray (France) is a richer version of the style due low yields and aging in 5 year old barrels. It is a bone dry, fuller-bodied wine with notes of tropical fruits, honeycomb and a little nuttiness. Fermented in a style with a little fizz left in to keep it lively. Unusual and so fantastic, this may be the most memorable wine of the day.

Bielsa Garnacha 2009 10.99 / 9.34 solid case
Old vine and unfiltered, this juicy Spanish red is sourced from 50 year-old Grenache vines that are dry farmed and then fermented in stainless steel at a cooler temperature. Fresh and fruity, with notes of black fruit, spice and dry earth.
The Bielsa is one of the best values at kybecca now.

retail pricing shown, view all our picks online at kybecca.com

Soaking Beans

Here's a good article about how you don't need to soak dried beans before cooking them. I've always had the same problem as the author - I can't be bothered to plan a day ahead for a dish involving beans. I think the overnight soaking thing came about because people are used to having their beans completely mushy. I have found that if you just simmer the beans for long enough they are perfectly edible but may have a little give, not unlike al dente pasta. Frankly I prefer the al dente style over the mushy style anyway. And if it's less work, so much the better.

How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Dish and then Save it with Beer

Yesterday I made some Bison chili at home. I love Chili when the weather turns cold and it's fun to cook too. There are a few things I do differently with my chili than most people. One, I don't use any tomato sauce or whole tomatoes. Instead I sautee some tomato paste with my onions at the beginning until it caramelizes a bit. This gives just enough tomato flavor without turning the chili into a tomato sauce. Second, I use a combination of beef stock and water instead of just water. I think this adds flavor. Third, instead of just using spices to give it a chili flavor, I make a puree from re-hydrated chili peppers combined with canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. It is this third step where I went wrong this time. I foolishly put the whole can in the puree; too much for the amount of chili I was making. The result was a way-too-spicy chili with too much chipotle smoky flavor. It still tasted good, but was out of balance.

I had opened a red wine that I was planning on having with the chili, but because of the intense spice I just couldn't drink it. Instead I opened up a Belgian Christmas ale we just got in, the Delirium Noel. The beer is quite sweet and lower in alcohol than wine, so it goes well with spicy food. The sweetness of the beer toned down the spice in the chili and improved the flavor quite a bit. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Good wine or beer can improve a mediocre dish. Plus I love Christmas beer.

Thanksgiving Pick #1

Every year we start looking for great Thanksgiving wines about mid-summer. By then we are sick of the heat and dreaming about fall, Turkey and cozy dinners in. For Matt and I Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday of the year, truly a great American Holiday. No buying gifts or frenetic shopping, just one beautiful day to spend with friends and family to cook, eat and enjoy each other. I love it.
Needless to say the planning starts early with menus, ordering the Turkey (this year we reserved a Heritage turkey at Olde Towne Butcher) wine pairings, what cocktail to make and of course making sure the whole family will be together. Can you tell how much I love it?
Even at the shop I enjoy thinking about what other people's Thanksgivings will include and figuring just the right wine. My criteria is a wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods, is a great value and is something different than the usual.
Enter the Donkey and Goat Syrah 'El Dorado' 2008.
If you are looking for a rich, red wine that will still pair well with the meal this little gem is sure to fit the bill. Featured in the New York Times as one of the few winemakers in the US to produce natural, organic wines and with very minimal added sulfites. This Syrah is a concentrated red with notes of dark berry liqueur, black raspberry and a pronounced spiciness.
Worth the splurge at $25.99 (retail)!

If lovin' Ewe is wrong...

...I don't wanna be right. Yes, I suppose that sounds a bit cheesy. And indeed, it is! I am of course, speaking of the Brebirousse d'Argental - a lovely ewe's milk cheese from the Burgundy region of France. It first charms the eye with its beautiful orange, bloomy rind and pure white paste. On the tongue it is pure heaven, rich and velvety like thick cream, tasting of fresh milk, newly mowed hay, butter and a light tang. Absolutely heavenly.

I shamelessly devoured nearly a quarter of a pound of this over two nights with a little white Bordeaux. It was a pretty perfect pairing but this cheese is soooooo special I think I might have to go for a bottle of Claude Riffault Sancerre for the next time. And perhaps a Chenin blanc after that...

Something Special in the Enomatics

The sad bankruptcy of importer the Grateful Palate means no more Bitch Grenache, Evil Chardonnay and many more brands our customers probably recognize. While many small importers are secretly cheering (the word I got was that these brands were not well regarded by many family producers who viewed them as a bit of a sellout), I think this is a real loss for small Australian producers. While the big brands were probably the most profitable for the company they also imported wonderful and really unique small-production wines. A few that come to mind are the dry-farmed Grenaches from Burge, the ridiculously delicious Samuel's Gorge Tempranillo and the Hazy Blur Shiraz. All these wines are made by hand on small estates by winemakers using very sophisticated techniques. In other words, the opposite of the vast majority of Australian wine. We have two bottles left of the 2003 Hazy Blur Shiraz and one is currently in the Enomatics. Here is what Robert Parker thought of it.

"From 40-year-old vines, the extraordinary, super-intense 2003 Shiraz Barossa Valley possesses an opaque purple color as well as a big, full-bodied bouquet of creme de cassis, blueberry, creosote, smoke, and background oak, and a heady alcohol content. This limited production cuvee boasts purity and intensity in addition to a multidimensional personality. It should drink well for 7-10 years, possibly longer." 94 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate #161

Lobster Rolls & Champagne

This is how it's done!

For Matt's 33rd birthday he requested I make lobster rolls from Thomas Keller's (of Bouchon & French Laundry fame) lobster rolls from the Ad Hoc cookbook. I was a little leery at first because while I admire Keller's precision and formidable skills his recipes seem a bit unnecessarily complicated. Turns out it was no big deal. The work is all in the prep (hello picking 5 lobsters) and then assembly. Plus you end up with tons of shells to make stock for a winter fish stew.

Matt brought a gorgeous Champagne that has a great balance between dry and citrusy and bready, toasty notes. Larmandier-Bernier 'Terre de Vertus' NV is a naturally made, grower Champagne that retails for $78.99. It is a Brut Nature Blanc de Blanc which means no sugar was added during fermentation (also called dosage this is a common practice for many Champagnes, some more than others) and it was made from all Chardonnay grapes. The result is a superb wine that reminded me why Champagne is so special.

Quite simply, it all rocked.

New Canadian Beers

We got in a few new beers from Quebec, the Canadian province that probably has the most vibrant craft beer scene in Canada. Both beers are from breweries we already carry but both are new. First is from Trou du Diable and is called La Buteuse. It is a Belgian-style triple ale, so if you are a fan of Belgian ales you should give it a shot. A bit less spicy than the Belgian versions but very good.

The second beer is from Le Saint Bock and it's called Sacrilege. This one is not for the faint of heart. It is one big, big beer. Technically it's a barrel-aged Imperial Stout, but that description does not do it justice. For starters, it has virtually no carbonation. When you pour it no head forms. You can taste a bit of carbonation but that's it. Normally that wouldn't work for me but it seems to work with this beer. It's sweeter than Imperial stouts usually are, and it has a massive body and is very complex with flavors of dried fruits, toast, smoke, candy, coffee, chocolate, brandy, and that's just for starters. Truly original.

Nobody else in this area carries these beers and quantities are limited.