Ribera Y Rueda | Sí What's Next

I love Spanish wine. When the crew behind the #SíWhatsNext campaign promoting the wines of Ribera del Duero and Rueda regions of Spain reached out to partner together, I happily agreed. Sí What’s Next asks people to say “yes!” or “sí!” to new experiences, new adventures and of course, new wines. I will always say yes to all of the above!

I was first introduced to their wines at this years annual Taste of Cambridge. The Ribera Y Rueda Truck was pouring six locally available and affordable wines. 

With hot days and cool nights, the Rueda climate is ideal for the Verdejo grapes to flourish. Rueda Verdejos are bright, crisp and creative. Riberas hot summers and rocky, rigid terrain make it a paradise for the Tempranillo grapes. The Ribera del Duero Tempranillos are bold, rugged and ripe.
The second tasting occurred on the comfort of my back porch. I was sent four bottles of wine - two Ruedas and two Riberas along with an Amex gift card to purchase foods for pairing. We invited friends over and threw a little wine tasting and tapas party. Let's dive right into the wines tasting notes, shall we?!

Valdecuevas, DiWine Frizzante Verdejo 2011 (Rueda) - pale yellow color. slightly sparkling with smooth and intense floral notes and sweet tropical background flavors.
Shaya, Arindo Verdejo 2011 (Rueda) - juicy and ripe with flavors of citrus, yellow apple, pineapple and pear.
Raiz De Guzman, Roble Tempranillo 2013 (Ribera) - intense cherry color. clean and balanced. aromas of raspberry balsamic. great minerality with a hint of smoke.
Lopez Cristobal, Bagus Tempranillo 2011 (Ribera) - complex, full bodied and powerful. Aromas of ripe red and black fruits. Flavors of cherry, blackberry, spice and chocolate.

Inspired by the cheese pairing notes from their Master Sommelier Alex LePratt, and my trip to Spain in 2011 (specifically San Sebastian) I created a spread to include:
A board featuring taleggio and manchego cheeses, jamon and chorizo.

Anchovy wrapped olives and goat cheese stuffed peppadews.

A Pintxos plate - baguette slices layered with jamon, pimento pepper, hard boiled egg and anchovy. 

A Summer Corn and Cotija Cheese Dip served in a cast iron skillet with tortilla chips. This dip is made by sautéing olive oil, shallots and garlic with fresh corn and combining it with a mixture of cotija cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. Despite its unphotogenic qualities, it was terrific and got a lot of compliments! 

For the main course we feasted on smokey, spicy, sriracha grilled ribs with an avocado, tomato and black bean salad (Provided by our guests - my sister, Leah and her boyfriend, Alex) and grilled garlic shrimp over zesty Spanish rice.
Favorite pairings

The Roble Tempranillo with Taleggio cheese Taleggio is an aged cows milk cheese from Lombardy, Italy. The cheese is rich, soft, buttery and a little funky. It works well spread over a fresh baguette and sipped alongside the lush Roble Tempranillo with complementing flavors of dill, vanilla, smoke and dark fruits. The Robles lively mouthfeel washes down the aged cheese while cleansing your palette for the next bite. 

The Arindo Verjedo with Cotija  Cheese

Cotija is a young cows milk cheese from Mexico which is mild, salty and crumbly. As it ages it acquires a nutty, tangier flavor and a drier, coarser texture - making it ideal for topping salads, tacos and corn. It is also delightful when paired with the refreshing Arindo Verjedo - this wines contrasting lemony-citrus flavors with a hint of salinity and a crisp texture lends itself nicely to this rich, creamy, ultra cheesy dip!

The DiWine Frizzante Verdejo with the Pintxos. 
Pinxtos and sparkling wine (although typically Txtakoli wine as both originate in Basque Country, Spain) go together like bread and butter. Something about the petite, eye catching bite with a mash up of tasty components washed down by a crisp, frizzante wine is so simple and perfect.

The Bagus Tempranillo with barbeque ribs. 
This was one of those wines that had everyone doing a double take (double sip?) and exclaiming "wow, that is different!!" Same went for those ribs that had a spicier than expected, but really awesome heat from the sriracha marinade. The Bagus Tempranillo with its bold, powerful flavors, balanced minerality and a touch of smoke can really stand up to that spicy, smokey barbecue. They make a fantastic pair. 

   Special shout-out to the Arindo for best label. :)

It is pretty obvious if you know me or read this blog regularly, it has been the spring and summer of Rosé. I was drinking Rosé nearly every day - happy hour after work paired with oysters, sunset on the beach, my girls trip.... so, It was really exciting to gain exposure to something NEW! And to share it with friends in two equally fun atmospheres. Ribera and Rueda regions and their gorgeous grapes produce vibrant, unique and creative wines. Sí-ing What's Next is what it's all about! 

*The VIP Tickets to Taste of Cambridge, the bottles of wine which retail between $9-$30 each and a $200 Amex gift card were provided to me by the Si What's next Campaign. All opinions are my own!*

last meal

Goodbye North End kitchen. I'll miss your dishwasher the most. I've moved to an apartment with an eat in kitchen, it is a bright and airy room all its own with big windows and a doorway. (Oh the little things you appreciate after your kitchen was literally a hallway.) The last meal we cooked in our old apartment (that I documented anyways) was Cuban Roast Pork. It was a hell of an effort, trimming the fat from that massive pork shoulder. Juicing the oranges and limes for the marinade and the Mojo Dipping Sauce. But the pork came out wonderfully crisp and juicy, I served it with a side of English Cucumber tossed in a spicy serrano chili and citrus dressing. This recipe came courtesy of my Bobby Flay Throwdown Cookbook. 

Scallops O'Brien

I first learned to make the classic Irish dish of Potatoes O'Brien at a knife skills class, which was a birthday present from a friend of mine, we took the class together back in March! Kitchen Wares at 129 Newbury Street offers an informative hands on session of practicing how to properly cube a potato, dice an onion, slice a pepper and chop herbs. After class, I knew this simple vegetarian dish seasoned with fresh parsley, salt and pepper would make an appearance in my kitchen; Adam thought it needed a little something more. A topping of sautéed scallops later and our own twist on the original was created. We paired it with a balanced food friendly wine, Riff Pinot Grigio (Riff means reef in German), although the wine comes from Trentino Alto-Adige region of Italy, both German and Italian are spoken there. A minerality and bright acidity lent from the ancient soil teeming with the inherent fresh fruitiness of an Italian Pinot Grigio was a perfect accompaniment to the buttery scallops, soft potatoes and flavorful peppers and onions. 

Happy Friday, friends! Enjoy the weekend. 

Baked Polenta w| Tarragon Bechamel

There's something about stirring a huge pot of Polenta, as I recently learned when cooking it for the first time, that is both relaxing and intense. A singular motion is as simple as it gets, but lumps form quickly and you have to stir firmly and often. It is pretty straightforward then, to form the cooked polenta into a baking pan and layer it with a mixture of garlic sautéed mushrooms, onions and spinach that have been seasoned with lemon zest and hot pepper flakes. A creamy tarragon bechamel gets poured over top before the outer layer of polenta can be squished firmly into place. A fresh grated cheese blend of assiago and sharp cheddar tops off the dish, melting until gooey and crisping until golden brown for 30 minutes in the oven. I adapted this recipe from Herbivoracious: you can buy the cookbook here or find other awesome polenta recipes on author Michael Natkin's blog here.

*if you purchase anything through my links I earn a small commission as part of amazon affiliates - thanks for your support!*

stir it up

My latest inspiration in the kitchen comes from Stir: Mixing It Up In The Italian Tradition.The cookbook is written by chef Barbara Lynch, who has perhaps one of the most respected and inspirational coming of age success stories in Boston. Her tales of growing up in the Southie projects are told all over town, touching on her involvement with petty crime or reminiscing about the time she stole an MBTA Bus at age 13 (for fun), to the home ec class in high school where her passion for cooking ignited. With six highly acclaimed and well loved Boston restaurants (No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello, Drink and Menton) not to mention a catering business (No. 9 at Home), and a demonstration kitchen offering classes to the public (also named Stir), the time line from dropping out of high school to present day is nothing short of remarkable. Reading her cookbook gives a true insight into her powerful story, bold natured spirit and of course, her signature dishes. I find most of the recipes to be elegant and distinctive while remaining approachable and practical. They are extremely well written and the food turned out as a result, is exceptional. Two Sunday's ago I made her Lemony Panko Crusted Chicken and Ginger Glazed Carrots and served them alongside a garlic and herb couscous. (Chicken, carrots and couscous - apparently, I was going for a "C" themed dinner.)I adapted the carrot recipe only slightly, where chef calls for mustard seeds, I took the liberty of using real mustard. The glaze took on more of a honey mustard quality as a result, but the inherent depth from the ginger remained in tact. The carrots themselves are bright, buttery and perfectly tender.

Ginger Glazed Carrots
6 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon spicy yellow mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper

Prepare to blanch the carrots by boiling a medium saucepan of water and setting aside a bowl full of ice water. Cook the carrots in the boiling water until just tender, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the carrots to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Heat the mustard in a skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan to allow it to disperse, about two minutes. Add the butter and honey. When the butter is melted, add the ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the carrots and toss them well. Continue to stir everything until the carrots, butter and flavorings are well combined, about 5 - 7 minutes.

I did not adapt the Lemony Breaded Chicken Cutlets but I did find the recipe online if you want to make them. Scroll midway down the article linked just above and you will find it within the text. If the fact that the recipe calls for homemade tarragon, parsley and chive herb butter doesn't entice you, nothing will. This is easily my new favorite way to make carrots and undeniably the juiciest and most flavorful chicken to ever come out of my kitchen. I can't wait to share more of what I make from Stir.

Other Indulge Inspire Imbibe posts
featuring a piece of Barbara Lynch's empire:

Sportello + Drink
Ladies @ Drink
B&G Oysters

New Years Eve Feast

Happy 2012, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful December 31st. For the first time (since I was about 15) I made plans to stay in. After countless years of dressing up in glitter, spending way too much on a cover charge or a prix fix meal and participating in general holiday debauchery, I decided to change it up. I jumped on the "I'm excited to stay at home on NYE and cook" bandwagon (I turn 28 this year, after all) and had one of the best yet. Adam enticed me with his grand plans of a lobster dinner and from there we put together a menu.

Boiled Lobster - market fresh

(from The North End Mercato del Mare)
1 1/2 lb lobster with melted butter
Mussels Fra Diavolo - mussels steamed in white wine
bathing in a spicy red sauce with fresh parsley and toasted bread
Baby Red Russet Potatoes - olive oil & balsamic roasted
Roasted Asparagus - in olive oil, salt & pepper

On new years eve afternoon we purchased our seafood at Mercato del Mare, our vegetables at Haymarket, stocked up on necessary amounts of beer, wine and prosecco and settled in for a leisurely night of cooking, drinking, eating and watching the ball drop on TV.drinks round 1 | Lindeman's Framboise Lambicdrinks round 2 | Lindeman's Pomme Lambic drinks round 3 | Sauvignon Blanc drinks round 4 | Adami Prosecco
We had ourselves a serious feast! We don't cook together that often to be quite honest, so I was pretty proud of how well this one came together. Somehow we timed everything perfectly and all of it was really really delicious. Not just another day, but a poignant mark in the passage of time, I believe New Years deserves all the celebration we can give, whether that means partying like its 1999 or staying in and cooking the night away. How did you ring in the new year?