A Year of Wine : Wine and Food Blog

December 30 - New Year's Champagne Glasses - Podcast

Ayow123009

December 30 - New Year's Champagne Glasses

Champagne Glasses

This year is rapidly drawing to a close. So let's turn the talk to the New Year's Eve beverage of choice, Champagne. Today I'll focus on drinking vessels. Many prefer the flute, those tall, narrow glasses. There is good reason for this. They preserve the effervescence of the Champagne longer than any other glass style. In the past, many romantic men have preferred the pump method. That strange tradition of sipping Champagne from women's shoes. It all started in Paris at Maxim's restaurant in the 17th Century and amazingly lasted right up until the 1920's. Still others like to sip their bubbly from the short but wide brimmed coupe style glasses. The legend is that the shape of these glasses was based on the shape of Marie Antoinette's breasts. While its true that they are more decorative than the flute, the wide surface area allows the bubbles to quickly escape, causing the wine to go flat faster.

December 29 - New Year's - Champagne Widows - Podcast

Ayow082509

December 29 - New Year's - Champagne Widows

Madame Lily Bollinger

The names of the great champagne houses read like a who's who of the wine world. Veuve-Cliquot, Bollinger, Roederer aren't just the names of three amazing wines, but they are also the names of three of the Champagne widows who ran the family business and made it to the top of a male dominated industry. Madame Cliquot is probably the most famous and the name of her champagne says it all, the veuve of Veuve Cliquot means widow. Madame Bollinger took control of her winery in 1941, right in the heat of World War Two and she doubled the winery's production. She is credited with one of the most famous wine quotes of all time. "I drink Champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty." For more information please visit http://www.vinicode.com.

December 28 - Cooking with Wine - Podcast

Ayow122809

December 28 - Cooking with Wine

Cooking with Wine

The first, and most important rule of cooking with wine is only cook with a wine that you would drink. This doesn't necessarily mean the best Bordeaux. But if the wine is suitable for drinking, it will certainly be suitable for cooking. Avoid those bottles marked as cooking wine. Typically they are of very low quality and loaded with salt. Next, think about the wine that you are serving with the meal. Choose a less expensive brand of the same wine to cook with so the flavors will be compatible. The alcohol in wines evaporates at 178 degrees fahrenheit. If you use wine to deglaze a pan, the alcohol will dissipate before the water. As the alcohol leaves, the flavor concentrates. This means a fruity wine will add that fruity flavor to the final dish. Wines are also great marinades. The alcohol and acidity in the wine serve to tenderize meats. And used in reductions, they will add richness and flavor to your sauces or gravies.

December 27 - Lugana and Baked Alaska - Podcast

Ayow122709

December 27 - Baked Alaska - Recipe

Baked Alaska

For Filling:
3 (1-pint) containers super-premium ice cream, softened
Finely chopped nuts, optional
Chocolate Chips, optional

For Brownie base:
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
3/4 cup sugar
3 whole large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For Meringue:
1 cup egg whites* (about 8 large egg whites)
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar

Make the ice cream center: Line a 2 1/2-quart bowl that is 9-inches across in diameter with plastic wrap so that the wrap comes over the sides of the bowl. Soften the ice cream (either in a microwave or by letting it sit at room temperature until soft). Using a rubber spatula, spread the ice cream into the bottom of the bowl evenly. It should fill the bowl about 3/4 full. Smooth the top. Sprinkle ice cream with nuts or chocolate chips if using. You can make a multi-flavored Alaska by using different flavors of ice cream, freezing each layer before adding a new one. Cover the ice cream and bowl with plastic wrap and place into the freezer until hardened, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Make the brownie base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil so that the excess foil comes up and over the sides of the pan. Lightly grease the inside of the foil in the pan.
Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture (it will seem a little bit grainy). Whisk in eggs and salt, then sift cocoa over, and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool brownie in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then carefully lift foil and cake out of the pan together by lifting the excess foil on the sides of the pan. Cool to room temperature.

To assemble: Remove the bowl with the ice cream from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap covering the top. Open the plastic wrap covering the ice cream so that the ice cream is exposed. Carefully invert the brownie on the foil and place it directly on top of the ice cream. Press down slightly so it adheres. Peel off the foil and wrap the plastic wrap over the brownie. Tightly cover the bowl with another piece of plastic wrap and return to the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and set the rack in the middle of the oven.
After ice cream and cake have been freezing 20 minutes, beat egg whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until foamy, then add lemon juice, and continue to beat until whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, beating, and continue beating until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.

Fill a large bowl halfway with hot water. Remove ice-cream base from freezer and briefly dip it into the bowl with hot water to loosen it, being careful not to get any water into the bowl. Invert the ice-cream base/bowl onto an oven-safe, decorative platter (or sheet tray). Lift the bowl off of the ice-cream mound and remove the plastic wrap. With an offset spatula, mound meringue over it, spreading to cover brownie layer completely. Form decorative peaks in the meringue by making short vertical strokes with the spatula. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cooks' notes: The base can be assembled 1 week ahead and frozen, tightly wrapped. Make meringue and, after topping base, bake Alaska 10 minutes.