food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
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Exercise 4.2 89<br />
8. Onion Rings. Based on your analysis of each <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> the Onion Rings, select the <strong>wine</strong> that you believe will be<br />
the best match with this dish. Why did you select this <strong>wine</strong>? Taste that <strong>wine</strong> with the onion rings. Did the<br />
match meet your expectations? Next, taste each of the other <strong>wine</strong>s with the Onion Rings. Rank the <strong>wine</strong>s by<br />
level of match with the <strong>food</strong>, from least match to best match. Record any other observations.<br />
Least match 1. 2. 3. 4. Best match<br />
Observations:<br />
9. Roasted Garlic. Select the <strong>wine</strong> that you believe will be the best match with the Roasted Garlic. Why? Did you<br />
perceive similar components, body, or flavors? Taste that <strong>wine</strong> with the dish. Did the match meet your<br />
expectations? Now taste each of the other <strong>wine</strong>s with the garlic. Rank the <strong>wine</strong>s by level of match, from least<br />
match to best match. Record any other observations.<br />
Least match 1. 2. 3. 4. Best match<br />
Observations:<br />
10. Onion Soup. Select the <strong>wine</strong> that you believe will be the best match with the soup. Why did you select that<br />
<strong>wine</strong>? Did you perceive similar components, body, or flavors? Now taste that <strong>wine</strong> with the soup. Did the<br />
match meet your expectations? Next, taste each of the other <strong>wine</strong>s with the soup. Rank the <strong>wine</strong>s by level of<br />
match with the soup, from least match to best match. Record any other observations.<br />
Least match 1. 2. 3. 4. Best match<br />
Observations:<br />
11. Discuss <strong>and</strong> analyze the results. Did any one <strong>wine</strong> match all or the majority of the dishes relatively well? Did a<br />
particular <strong>wine</strong> do a poor job of matching overall? What do you believe was the primary determining factor of<br />
a match between the <strong>wine</strong>s <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong>? If you did the optional tasting <strong>and</strong> tasted both reds <strong>and</strong> whites, which<br />
do a better job? Was a particular varietal more <strong>food</strong>-friendly? Why or why not?<br />
EXERCISE 4.2<br />
TERROIR, TAKE 2: THE EARTHY GOODNESS OF MUSHROOMS, TRUFFLES, AND WINE<br />
This exercise is intended to show the<br />
<strong>wine</strong>-friendly character of some classic<br />
earthy <strong>food</strong>s. It is also designed to reinforce<br />
the underst<strong>and</strong>ing of differences<br />
between Old World <strong>and</strong> New World<br />
<strong>wine</strong>s by tasting them side by side with<br />
some earthy <strong>food</strong> dishes.<br />
Mushrooms <strong>and</strong> truffles are two<br />
<strong>food</strong>s with a clearly identifiable earthy<br />
character to them. The recipes that follow<br />
feature mushroom duxelles, black truffles<br />
<strong>and</strong> potatoes (two earthy ingredients),<br />
white truffles <strong>and</strong> risotto, <strong>and</strong> portobellos.<br />
There are many examples of<br />
earthy <strong>food</strong>s, including beets, frogs’ legs,<br />
brown rice, lentils, rainbow trout, <strong>and</strong><br />
crawfish, to name a few. The duxelles<br />
recipe is included because it is a staple of<br />
the French kitchen (I fondly recall making<br />
frequent batches of duxelles as a young<br />
chef to top fish, stuff poultry, as an hors<br />
d’oeuvre topping, a key ingredient in Beef<br />
Wellington, <strong>and</strong> so on). It is easy to prepare<br />
<strong>and</strong> provides a relatively light dish<br />
filled with earthy goodness.<br />
The black truffle <strong>and</strong> mashed potato<br />
recipe combines the earthy taste <strong>and</strong><br />
scent of black truffles with the earthy texture<br />
of potato. When visiting the south of<br />
France with a group of students, I had the<br />
good fortune to visit a marché aux truffes<br />
(a traditional truffle market) <strong>and</strong> visiting<br />
the largest black truffle house in the region,<br />
located in Cahors. While there I had<br />
one of my most memorable meals: black<br />
truffle omelets, good bread, <strong>and</strong> local red<br />
<strong>wine</strong> in a thirteenth-century building. We<br />
ate them off paper plates, st<strong>and</strong>ing up in<br />
a not-yet-completed catering kitchen,<br />
with our <strong>wine</strong> in plastic cups. It was marvelous!<br />
The white truffle <strong>and</strong> risotto recipe<br />
features two items that are definitely<br />
Old World <strong>and</strong> earthy. The white truffle<br />
comes from the Piedmont region in<br />
northwest Italy, near the town of Alba.<br />
Whereas black truffles are generally<br />
served as part of a cooked dish, white<br />
truffles have a distinct aroma, texture,<br />
<strong>and</strong> flavor <strong>and</strong> should not be served in<br />
cooked. White truffles are served sliced