Wasabi, It's Not Just For Sushi!!

What can I say about Wasabi other than "I Love It". Also known as Japanese Horseradish, Wasabi has many uses other than being a well known Sushi Condiment and if you can get your hands on fresh Wasabi lgreens you will be very surprised, what a treat. Commercially we usually see Wasabi in a paste or powder, Buyer Beware! There are several producers of the famed green powder or paste but only a very select few produce real Wasabi so read the label, many are not Wasabi at all but rather mustard and horseradish and will cost about half of real Wasabi. Fresh Wasabi is by far the best but can be difficult to find. I am fortunate and can find it at Ranch 99, Marina Market and several places in Japan Town if I want to make the trek to the city. The only markets I have found the fresh Wasabi Greens is in Japan Town in the city but well worth the ride once in a while. When working with Wasabi it is important to know it losses its flavor and spiciness after about 15 mins if left uncovered. Lets talk about the heat or spiciness of Wasabi, unlike chili's which linger on your tongue and burn Wasabi tends to hit the nasal passages hard and then almost disappear leaving the enhanced flavor of what it is being served with. Over the next couple of posts I will offer up a couple of recipes that are simple and full of that wonderful Wasabi flavor.
I shall return, until then "Think Good Thoughts and Smile".

Pairing, The Finale!!

The last post I stated that in this post I would build a basic pairing menu which really isn't a menu but rather a breakdown of the guild lines I use and have used for several years now to offer a pairing experience that goes beyond good food with good wine,

1. Buy and taste the wines you wish to build a pairing with.

2. One to Two wine pairings meaning One White and  One Red

3. Attain knowledge about acidity and the pH of both wine and food using the basic tools offered in the       previous posts on pairing.

4. Keep it clean, meaning do not complicate tastes with an overwhelming experience in flavors.

5. Have as much fun as possible and Enjoy!!

There really is much more to it than this, some of which is common seance and just taking your time when planning out and sticking to the menu when you go to the market. I can not count the times I have seen something or tasted something at the market and thought to myself  "WOW" , that would go great with some wine that was enjoyed in the past or when I was doing the shop for a tasting I was preparing at the time. As I said there is much more, If one should want more information than what I have offered feel free to ask.
I shall return with some recipies that sing for summer, until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile."

Recipe for Pairing , (part 2) a simple lesson in tasting....

One great thing to remember is that Pairing and Tasting are two different encounters. I was sure that I had posted an exercise in tasting but I can't locate it so I shall offer it in brief. If you are a student of the culinary arts you will most certainly do this exercise sometime during your schooling. I was reminded of this some 3 years ago while helping a friend with her culinary studies and it is an excellent way to understand a bit about tasting and creating a menu for pairing or in general.  Gather up a bottle of Chardonnay and a bottle of Cab, really you will only need two glasses but what the hell why not have some fun, you will need a glass of water and some bread as well as lemon, apple, cheese ( neutral in flavor ) and some walnuts. In this tasting experiment , taste each of the items with each of the wines separately clearing your pallet with a bit of bread and some water in between each items tasting, write down what you experience happening across your pallet and the flavors you experience. They should be drastic, notice what happens when you introduce citrus with the Cab and how the lemons acidity changes the structure of the Chardonnay, this is the most basic and easiest ways to begin understanding of how food and wine come together and remember for this experiment you don't need to break the bank in the wine you choose. When I do a Tasting vs a Pairing the spread is simple; nuts, cheese, dried dates, olives, bread and Charcuterie,  you are not creating a meal but rather offering an array of edibles that will enhance the wines and allow your pallet to receive all that the wine offers. In catering it is important to explain the difference to a could be client , some think pairing is a tasting and it is not, tasting comes first. Next up we will build a basic pairing menu so stay tuned, until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile".

Recipe for a Perfect Wine Pairing, part 1...

When it comes to pairing food and wine it begins way before a trip to the market. Having at very least some basic knowledge of pH and acidity in both food and wine is vital. one can not live in harmony with out the other. Titratable acidity or total acidity in most wines is 2.5 to 4%, the previous post I showed a chart for food acidity and pH, there are charts made just for pairing food and wine. When choosing a wine, acidity is an important component to both the wines quality and taste. Remember that higher sugar levels produce low acidity which doesn't mean the wine will be sweet. In the world of wine tasting acidity refers to the Fresh, Tart and Sour attributes that balance out the Sweet and Sour of its body such as Tannins. As for the grape in which the wine is produced the longer it is on the vine the more sugar it will hold making for more acidity to be introduced during the fermentation process. In the wine world today's vintages are being released much earlier than wine's from the past years due to accelerated fermentation processes, you will know this when a label reads something such as " The perfect wine to enjoy now or cellared for future years of enjoyment". Now this doesn't mean it is a bad wine, there are many 2011 Cabs, Pinots, Syrahs and Zins out there that are very tasty. A great question is "What about the wines we cook with?" I know many chefs that will argue it makes no difference and buy bulk Red & White wine, usually in 5 gallon boxes and will say no one will know the difference, I beg to differ. If I am serving something with a Cabernet Demi Sauce with no Cabernet Savignon in it I am sorry someone is going to know, I would know so most certainly someone who really knew about wine would know for example, last weekend I witnesses a Master Sommelier tell me what wine I used in not one but two different marinades, so always know that someone will know. So where does one begin in producing a pairing, I choose the wine first then build my menu around its structure. It can be done to the opposite meaning menu first but most chefs including myself are not Master Sommeliers and just because I became a Sommilier in 1998 doesn't mean I am one, that my friends is back in the post "Tale of the Tastevin" many postings ago. I took the coarse and became a "Sommilier" just for understanding and an edge of knowledge many chefs do not have. I must say that my certificate does look Grand on my freshly painted kitchen wall here at home, just to brag a little. So back to pairing, there is an exercise that I may have posted about tasting wines with certain foods, so before I repeat myself I will look back and return with more about pairing soon. Until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile".

Recipe for a proper Food and Wine pairing, almost...

                                              
Attaining the proper acidic balance in cooking is so important especially when something is to be enjoyed with a fine wine. Some posts ago I spoke of citrus and how they interact or counteract the wines we are enjoying with a meal, same hold true with cooking with wine, vinegar or spirits. The pH level of most vinegars is somewhere between 5 and 6% , Rice wine vinegar on the other hand has a 3.5 to 4 % levels and is much smoother, sweeter and softer on the palette. It is all about chemistry and balance. Asian cooking rice wine vinegar is used in so many of the recipes as is Shaoxing wine which is made from rice. Fun fact, Shaoxing wine will sometime replace rice at the beginning of a meal and is drank from a rice bowl in some parts of Asia, hmmm, it makes sense to me as far as digestion goes. Back to acidity, just a couple of posts ago I posted Basque Marinade, there is nothing non acidic about it, just look at the ingredients, however it goes a long way meaning you only need a little bit. Acidity will cook what ever it is marinading if too high as will a long soak. I remember back before I got out of High School and knew little about cooking I marinaded pork in wine and pineapple juice over night, after it was grilled it turned chalky because the meat  was being broken down and cooked as it soaked in the concoctional marinade that was way acidic. The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral.  Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic. Acidic it what you want in cooking but in balance, many foods are high in alkaline so knowing what levels or where they live on the 0-14 range is key. There is much more that is relevant and important about pH levels and cooking, if you want to know and understand more about it then pack the books up and take a chemistry of cooking class because I am just talking basics here. Here is a chart that shows where some foods live on the 0-14ph level (3-10 range on this one).
I could get into the whole baking soda and what it does to pH values but maybe some other time,  it is interesting and better left for a pastry chef. Where are you going with this Chef?(might you ask). Over the next few posts I am going to be sharing some recipes and explain how and why to pair them with the proper wine. Pairing has become extremely popular, knowing some basics about pH is a key component in properly pairing a meal with a wine. Just as farm to the table and knowing what soil something is grown in, the ground to the grape is vital as well if you really want to go all the way with it but there are ways around it.
I will return with a bit of pairing and understanding so until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile".

Recipe Chimichurri, versatile and delicious!!

I could have sworn there was a post about Chimichurri in the past, but as it would be I am Once again mistaken and being it goes so well with grilled meats that have soaked in the Basque marinade, why not, so here it is one of the easiest condiments one could possibly make that not only goes well with grilled meats  chicken, fish and all game birds or just on a crostini with a little fresh Mozzarella  Fact being one of my favorites is to drizzle a bit of this greenish gold over a perfectly seared scallop set in a pool of Meyer lemon broth infused Chimichuri(I know I posted that one).

 Chimichuri, the reason I like this so much is thru the layers and depth of Chimichurri one can still experience the flavors of which it is accompanying or enhance them with intensity. Chimichurri has several variations and can be red or green, both in my opinion. In just about every Carneceria or grill in Argentina, Uruguay and beyond  you will find  a version of this at the table, so with out anything further I offer Chimichuri in which my fellow Chef and friend from Argentina, Chef Gabriella Gascon gives her approval as authentic in it's flavors and texture

1 bunch Italian or Flat leaf Parsley
1 bunch Cilantro (small bunch)
1 Jalapeno or Serrano Chili (less if you like)
2 Baby Red Peppers
1 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 the rind of a Meyer Lemon
25 cloves of fresh Garlic (more if you like)
1 tsp Cumin

Place in blender or food processor, blend until smooth and well incorporated, taste, ad S&P. Transfer to storage container and enjoy.
There is so much to be grateful for in this life,  as I have said hold those cherishable memories close to heart and never forget those of whom you created them with even if they are no longer in your life.
I'll be back until then "Think Good Thoughts and Smile"!