Pork and vegetable noodle soup with Pinot Noir

This combination is the perfect pairing

for a stormy, autumn night in.

Ingredients:

·         Pork shank and neck

·         Large carrots, turnip, gobo root, dried shiitake mushroom

·         Candied dates

·         Salt to taste

·         Yan chun style noodles

·         Pairing: 

22   2007 ‘View’ Pinot Noir, Maleta Estate Winery, VQA Niagara Peninsula

o   Vibrant medium ruby in colour

o   Nose of moss, bark, dried fallen leaves, hint of red berry fruit (raspberry)

o   Dry, with medium acidity, very soft tannins, and light to medium-body; tangy raspberry, limestone minerality, earthen nuances

1.       Blanche and rinse meat

2.       Add vegetables, gobo, mushrooms and dates

3.       Slowcooker on low for 8hrs

4.       Add noodles in the hot soup to cook for 5-10 min

The key with all pairings is to match the weight of the food to the weight of the wine.  The dish has no creams, added salts or sugars, making a light broth to pair with this lighter bodied wine.  Next, the ingredients in the dish are mirrored in the wine.  This pinot noir has an earthen nose of moss, bark, dried fallen leaves which match the root vegetables, and especially the mushrooms.  The vibrant acidity and delicately soft tannins both cleanse the palate and suit the mild protein of the pork.  The touch of sweetness imparted by the dates pairs nicely with the tangy raspberry flavour of the wine.  Finally the pinot’s subtle minerality complements the pork bone that constitutes the broth.

Ciao Winebar and Côtes du Rhône-Villages, Rasteau Chapoutier 2007

"Ciao!" It is a versatile Italian salutation, meaning either "hi" or "bye", depending on the context.  But there is no confusion of meaning when you are referring to Yorkville's latest nightlife restaurant addition.  At Ciao Winebar (133 Yorkville Ave, Toronto) the language is unmistakably speaking of wine and great food.  This gem from Liberty Entertainment Group has friendly, unpretentious service and a chic 'new world meets old world' decor (with large amphorae vessels hanging from the ceiling).

The menu is affordable, rustic Italian, and delicious.  The large portions entice you to share with your friends, family, or date.  Try the grilled whole calamari ($13), perfectly cooked, tender in your mouth and never rubbery, was served with a generous portion of salad greens and spritz of lemon to help cleanse the palate.  The cappellini 'Puttanesca' (with tomato, capers, anchiovies, and olives; $12) was as wholesome as the pizza 'Diavola' (with spicy Calabrese salami, mozzarella and roasted red peppers; $14).  The ingredients were very fresh, the crust was thin, slightly crisp, and tasted like the wood-fired Neopolitan pizzas back in Italy. 

The wine list can be a bit daunting for someone that is new to ordering bottles in restaurants.  There are over 200 bottles to choose, with representatives from the big three (Spain, Italy, and France, and grouped by region) as well as Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.  About half of them have a 'premium' level of exclusivity, with their prices commanding in excess of $100.  However, there still are relative bargains to be had. 

The Côtes du Rhône-Villages from M. Chaptoutier ('Rasteau') 2007 ($45) is a great southern French wine with Grenache leading the blend.  Deep ruby in colour, this wine has a distinct, soft white pepper on the nose and palate with fine tannins that tingle the lips.  The pasta and pizza help to bring out the dark fruit character.  Even though the wine is a heavyweight in the alcohol department, (14% by vol), one really does not taste the burning 'heat' because the wine is beautifully balanced. 

The dessert menu beckons you to cap off a great meal (only this time, you may not even want to share!).  With delights ($6-8) like the giant bacio bombe (a scaled-up sized version of the Italian-inspired hazelnut filled chocolates with the romantic messages enclosed in the wrapping) and mini-sized Sicilian cannoli (with mascarpone cheese and candied orange filling) it is hard to say no. 

There are so many options to choose from on the food and wine menus, you can add variety to your gastronomic experience.  Feel free to ask the opinions of your server, as a nicely paried wine is a must for these meals, both to digest...and for pure pleasure, of course.

The bacio bombe (above, was exploding with chocolatey richness)

Risotto - the very versatile rice dish

Risotto can be served as a first course, a side dish, and even as a full entree.  The quantity and nature of the ingredients you add makes each creation unique.  Although the stirring technique to make a great creamy risotto requires patience and endurance, the effort will definitely pay off.

You will need,

• A wooden spoon (wooden spoons are used because they are gentle on the rice grains)
• Pots for cooking the rice and other saucepans for cooking veggies, meats and other ingredients
• Patience and strong arms because you'll be working the rice for at least 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Arborio rice (Italian)
• Broth (any kind to suit your taste, be it vegetable, beef, fish, chicken etc.) either purchased as bullion cubes or ready-made, or made from the drippings and liquids of the ingredients you use.  For example, seafood like shellfish contain plenty of liquid.  You should make/collect about one litre of broth for two cups of rice.
• Finely diced garlic (amount depends on your taste) and a half a white onion
• Unsalted butter (a quarter pound or more as needed)
• White wine (optional)
• Cheeses (finely grated, hard to semi-hard; I like parmigiano reggiano)
• Any of the following ingredients you can use to make your own creation.  Be they mushrooms, sundried tomato, seafood, bacon, etc.

Directions (labour intensive, but improvise as you go)
For two cups of rice to serve four people as a main course.

1. Fully melt a quarter to one-third of a cup of butter in the pot on low heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions.  Stir the onions until they become translucent.
3. Add the rice slowly as you coat it in the melted butter.  The rice must be completely permeated with butter to begin the next step, so add more if you require.
4. Add half cup of wine if you prefer and stir gently until the wine absorbs and evaporates.
5. Add broth, one half cupful at a time.  Keep stirring on a medium heat until the broth is absorbed, then add then next portion of broth.
6. As you cook the rest of your ingredients, add the liquid runoffs in small portions and keep stirring.

The entire step of adding broth takes time, about 30 minutes or more, so be patient, keep stirring and prevent the rice from burning. 

    7.   Add your other ingredients in the final steps of cooking the risotto.
    8.   Finish off by adding the grated cheeses to suit your taste.  This will also help to thicken the risotto.
    9.   Add garnishes.  Rosemary sprigs, basil leaves, shells, etc.  This is your decoration.  Make it unique!

Wine to serve and enjoy with risotto
A good guideline, as always, is to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine.  In addition, try to match the nuances in the food, with those in your wine of choice.  For example,

If you have chosen ingredients that have earthy characteristics such as mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and beef, a medium bodied red like Pinot Noir, (from Burgundy, California, Washington, or even Niagara) will be very satisfying because Pinot Noir has a lot of the same 'earthen' nose and flavours.  For an Italian wine, try Chianti as it is medium bodied and earthy in nature. 

Our risotto dinner at the Fattoria il Lago (Dicomano, Italy, in the Chianti region). 

This risotto was made with a seafood medeley in tomato sauce and garnished with shaved parmesan and mussel shells.

It was served with the winemakers flashship full bodied Chianti, Pian de' Guardi made exclusively with Sangiovese grapes.  The wine is intense, medium to fuller bodied due to the prolonged oak aging.  Acidity, tannin and alcohol are in balance with a variety of earthen and dark fruit flavours.

Keep in mind that acidity cuts through the perceived creaminess and fat of many foods, like risotto.  Acidic wines are meant to be palate cleansing.  Risotto that is made in a plain style will still have a very buttery taste which can be accompanied by the qualities of a barrel fermented Chardonnay.  Another style of Chardonnay that I find really pairs well with the minerality of seafood is Chablis, a wine made in the Burgundy region of France.  The limestone-laden soils of this region impart a crisp, flinty, minerality to the grapes.

Have fun trying different combinations of ingredients for your risotto creations and pairing them with multiple red and white wines.  Notice how wine can often change its presentation on your palate after a bite of food.  Conversely, take note of how wine can change the complexity of the taste of your dish.