Lambrusco Is A Refreshing Summer Wine

A guilty pleasure of mine is having a glass of red wine with a cheese-and-cracker platter on many summer Sunday nights for dinner. I could eat cheese until it comes out of my ears ... but don’t. Portion control in the interest of a healthy weight!

When I mentioned to a friend I had never tasted Lambrusco, my friend bought me a bottle of it: Caprari Cuvée Bollino Rosso Lambrusco Reggiano! Thank providence for friends; they stretch you out of your comfort zone.

Lambrusco is a lightly sparkling (frizzante) red wine primarily from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions, made from a family of ancient grape varieties. The bottle my friend gave me is dark red, balanced, fruity, and slightly sweet (yet dry, not a sweet wine).

Tonight I’m drinking a glass of Italian Lambrusco with New York Extra Sharp Cheedar Cheese and Swiss cheese with American whole grain crackers. Some fruit too. Delish!

What a perfect summer Sunday night dinner!🍷

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Authentic vs. Inauthetic Coq Au Vin

Photo and authentic recipe from Delish

Coq au Vin, the classic French dish, translates into rooster with wine. It was traditionally made with an old rooster tenderized by braising in red wine. Nowadays it’s made with chicken thighs and drumsticks.

I never make Coq Au Vin the true authentic French way. A friend of mine does, spending hours in her kitchen cooking it. 

Coq Au Vin is the fancy way of making chicken stew. I take several liberties: Below in black font are the authentic ingredients and in blue font are my tweaks. One thing that remains the same is using a 6-quart Dutch oven to cook then transfer the chicken stew into your oven to bake: 

Authentic vs. Inauthentic Coq Au Vin

Ingredients/Ingredients:

6 strips bacon, cut into 1” pieces - Usually I dice smoked deli ham but if I have bacon, I’ll use it.

3 lb. bone-in, combination of skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks - I’m guilty of a travesty by substituting 2 to 4

Lodge

(depending on size) chicken breasts, leaving the skin on.

8-oz. pearl onions, peeled - I keep it simple by dicing a large onion, any variety.

Kosher salt - In my home, it’s usually pink Himalayan salt.

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped - I toss in 1 carrot per person.

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced - If I only have white snow cap mushrooms I don’t sweat over the difference. Into the pot they go!

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. tomato paste -  Tomato sauce if it's all I have.
2 cups white wine - Oh, yeah, this one stays, and I always have it.
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth - Never, always bouillon cubes with 1 cup of water.

1 Tbsp. brandy - Nope, substitute Kentucky bourbon or rum.

Brandy? Sheesh! What am I, a liquor store?
Small bunch thyme - Dried thyme will do.

3 Tbsp. butter - Leave out, with chicken drippings, it won’t be missed.
Freshly chopped parsley for serving - Dried parsley works fine!

Directions:

1) Grill your bacon or smoked ham in your dutch oven. A pad of butter if your pan is too dry, otherwise nothing. Remove for later.

2) Next brown your chicken skin side down in the Dutch oven.  If I don’t have enough skin on my chicken breast pieces I’ll dip them in a little bit of flour before putting them into the pan. Salt and pepper as they cook. Remove for later.

3) Brown the vegetables: onions, carrots, mushrooms and garlic until they start to turn brown. Toss in some flour and stir to coat the vegetables.

4) Add the tomato paste, wine, water, bouillon cube, bourbon, dried spices and return the grilled bacon or ham bits and chicken pieces into the Dutch oven. Save a little of the bacon/ham bits for garnish.

5) Bring to a boil then transfer it to a preheated 350 degree F oven to bake for 30 minutes. It should cook until the chicken is well done and the sauce reduces and thickens.

Plate and top the chicken with the saved bacon or ham bits and dried parsley. A side dish of mashed potatoes and broccoli or green beans completes the meal.

Also use the recipe as a base, then improvise as I did when I had diced chicken breast in my freezer and tossed in additional vegetables for a one pot meal.

I know, I know, chefs swear chicken thighs are the tastiest rich in flavor chicken part, but we’re a white meat family ... Coq Au Vin, our way. Chère France, Désolé d'avoir changé la recette.🍷🇫🇷

I’ll end the week with 3 State Fair blue ribbon desserts. 

Thursday’s post.

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When You Don’t Want To Waste Wine - Single Glass Solutions

When You Don't Want To Waste Wine - Single Glass Solutions

This morning I watched a segment on the Today Show about an entrepreneur who shares a dilemma I often have. Occasionally I make a dinner that requires a glass of wine, and I don't want to open and waste a whole bottle of wine to drink a glass of wine so I go without. This entrepreneur produces single-serving wine -- 5 fluid ounces bottled, and all the morning news correspondents acted like she just reinvented the wheel. I thought nobody is saying what this brand's single glass of wine costs. I decided not to mention the brand because a Google search revealed that sure enough, at $6.99 - $8.99 a glass, consumers are paying the same price for a glass of wine as they would for a bottle of good Spanish, South American, or California wine so in reality what problem is being solved? Like bottled water, it's also creating more packaging waste for the environment, no?

Photo: iStock

THE SAVVY SHOPPER came up with a simple more cost-effective solution a few years back: 1) Open the bottle, 2) enjoy your single glass with dinner (or two if you're cooking for two), 3) re-cork the wine, and 4) sometime later on, turn the remainder of the bottle of wine into sangria. Use my recipe or yours! If the wine has gone flat the sangria will still taste delicious.

Even if you didn't finish the wine as sangria, you could use the leftover wine to make gravy for beef/chicken dinners.

Pass on buying one glass of wine at a time unless your company is paying for a mini bar in a hotel or the cost is less and not the same as an entire bottle of wine.

For frequent wine drinkers, there is an innovative gadget on the market, the Coravin, that (1) pierces the cork of a wine bottle, adding argon gas, (2) lets you pour a glass, (3) you remove the Caravin to reseal the cork, and (4) the rest of the wine stays good to drink months later as no air can get into the bottle to flatten the flavor of the wine. The Coravin is an expensive device and therefore an investment that only pays off if you drink enough wine. Unfortunately, the solution for drinking in moderation and not wasting wine doesn't come cheap. This leaves the door open for another clever entrepreneur to start cracking on a truer cost-efficient and eco-friendly solution! We'll wait ...

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Summer Eats

Fresh summer tomatoes are the best! Photo: HuffPost 

I post more recipes in summer on THE SAVVY SHOPPER than at other times of the year. Why? I have more time to cook and play. In summer, real food -- not junk food -- that doesn't take hours to prepare or cook also catches my eye. I slap it up here if I wish to share or find it again myself.

Fresh food I don't have to cook is one of the many things I love about summer. Last night I cut up an avocado, tomato, and onion, tossed them into a bowl, and seasoned them with cider vinegar (a friend gave me cider vinegar with a "mother" in it), salt, pepper, garlic and parsley. Mmm!

If you mash the ingredients, you'll have guacamole, more traditionally made with lime, but I prefer good vinegar.

In summer I love a late-night dinner of red wine and extra-sharp cheddar cheese on grainy rye bread. It's umami tasty! I could eat it as a supper 7 days a week, but I don't let myself! Only one day a week is my rule. I add cruditès of raw vegetables and fruit to balance out the meal. Another summer love is it stays daylight until 9 PM!

When you don't cook a meal what is your favorite at-home summer dinner? If reading this blog, you're looking at mine.

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#Shorts: A Red Wine Boldness Chart

Although red wine is my alcoholic beverage of choice, I only drink a glass occasionally if I host a dinner or join friends at a restaurant. The exception is during the summer, I will sometimes have a glass of wine with a cheese and fruit platter as Sunday dinner. Unfortunately, as we grow older we have to watch our calories, and I'd rather eat than drink.

But when I do have a glass of wine, I enjoy it. I tend to drink Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Melbac and I try to avoid wines too rich in tannins - organic substances in grape skins and seeds that can make wine taste bitter or acidic, perhaps also described as sharp or bold. The tannins in wine give it health benefits, but if you don't enjoy the wine, what's the point of consuming it?

Another consideration, a bolder wine tastes delicious paired with heavy food such as a big thick steak, while lighter wines, sometimes called drinking wines, are perfect with appetizers.🧀

The above Wine Boldness Chart by Wine Folly is a handy-dandy guide when selecting wine. In my decades of life, I've tasted at least 9 on the chart ... plus whatever mystery wines I've sampled at wine tastings and can't remember.

I hope you find the chart useful!🍷

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A Better Aperol Spritz, The Drink Of The Summer

Photo: New York Times

Everywhere there is outside dining in Manhattan I see this sunset-colored orange drink. Yesterday as I passed the Mark Hotel's fancy outside linen tables I pulled the waiter aside to ask, "What's everybody drinking?" His answer: Aperol Spritz!" 

He asked if I'd like to have one. "Thanks," said I, "I never sit and drink alone, not even at home. I'll return with a friend." The gracious man understood. 

Meanwhile out of intellectual curiosity (isn't it why you're interested too?😋), I had to google the cocktail. According to the New York Times, it's become the drink of the summer, as well as, an instagram hit after Campari, the maker of Aperol, launched a successful marketing campaign. Yet according to the publication, Aperol is too sweet, not a bitter enough aperitif (a before dinner beverage to stimulate appetite) and therefore, not the ingredient to use for the best version of this popular Italian spritzer. Instead use any of the following superior bitters ...

Photo: New York Times - click to go there or enlarge

Another necessity is to use good champagne or sparkling wine. Never mix cocktails with inferior ingredients that taste less than great if you were to consume them straight. Advise I hear often even in cooking!

For this in favor Italian Spritz you can use a delicious Prosecco. I've never tried the NYT's high brow quality sparkling wine suggestion - pétillant naturel. But hey, if you have it at home or wish to hop to the wine store, opt for it!

This is an ultra easy cocktail to make at home. For the most delicious spritz I've consulted several sources to learn you always use a 3:2:1 ratio of: 3 parts dry, tasty Champagne or sparkling wine: 2 parts aperitif (bitters): and 1 part carbonated (soda) water. 

So let's turn this ratio into a refreshing recipe, shall we? - per serving: 

Best Italian Aperol Spitz

Ingredients:

3 ounces brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine

2 ounces aperitif (go with bitter, not sweet)

1 ounce club soda or plain sparkling water

Directions: 

1) Start with ice cold ingredients and have ice on the side. Heck, ice the glass before you start too!

2) Pour the ingredients in the order and ounces into a glass (or pitcher). Give it a stir and pour over ice in a glass.

You can garnish with an orange slice (or olive) if you wish.

So readers, here's your chance to sip a better Aperol Spitz, the drink of the summer, by following this simple recipe, as well as, saving the $30 bucks charged by the Mark Hotel. You're welcome! I love you too!!😍

Thank you, New York Times for the nitty-gritty tips (article linked)!

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My Impromptu Red Wine Sangria

Photo: A Kozy Kitchen

I've been trying to solve a problem for two days. In the scheme of life, it's not much of a problem. L.A's Second Glass Wine Riot gave me three full bottles of opened Spanish red wine after an event they hosted here in Manhattan on Saturday, in which I participated. Very thoughtful ... bless 'em! The problem ... even with the help of other people, I can't drink 3 bottles of already opened wine before they go bad ... and get much of anything else done.

So to impede the time of expiration, I turned them into a quick, delicious sangria. I'm making one batch at a time, and each batch should last a few days. Drinking sangria was not in the plan, but damn ... is it good, and so simple to make. I used nooo sugar. Here is my recipe:

My Impromptu Red Wine Sangria

Indredients:
one bottle good, red wine
1 lemon
4 ounces premium orange juice
Part of a 20-ounce can of pineapple chunks, with pinapple juice
Dash of organic Stevia extract

Directions:
1. Pour the bottle of red wine into a glass pitcher
2. Roll the lemon on a cutting board, cut, squeeze the juice into the jug, then cut the lemon into sections and throw it into the jug.
3. Add the premium orange juice. If you have an orange, cut it into sections and throw it into the pitcher too. I didn't have one. (What? Am I a supermarket?)
4. Pour the pineapple juice from the can into the pitcher, and throw in several chunks of pineapple.
5. Sprinkle a tiny bit of Stevia into the mixture to sweeten.

Feel free to use whatever you have on hand. If you have a peach, strawberries or an apple, cut them up and add. If you don't have Stevia, use a little bit of sugar, or agave sweetner, or what you like. Making sangria isn't rocket science ... but, it is refreshing and a treat!

Chill with ice. Here are the jugs I am using to store what remains in the refrigerator.

Serve a glass of sangria with dinner, or crackers, cheeses and avocado dip. Cheers!

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871 Seventh Avenue (between west 55th & west 56th Streets)

Recently I was invited to a wine tasting held at a lovely Greek restaurant called Molyvos in Manhattan. Not only did I discover three excellent wines, I plan on returning to the restaurant for dinner. This Aegean bar/cafe offers a relaxing, warm atmosphere with toothsome dishes. Those of us at the event were served generous portions of salmon, shrimp and spicy meatballs in red sauce to go with the wine we sampled. The meatballs were tender and juicy, and the tomato sauce, garden-fresh. Tasty!

Regarding the wine, I can't give ratings like those in Wine Spectator (i.e. "93 points unblind") because I'm a wine ignoramus ... and c'mon, that would sound highfalutin ridiculous. But ... I know what I like. So suffice it to say, all three Greek wines are delicious! Even the red wine tastes smooth, not unpleasantly dry or bitter.

People who think they dislike red wine are probably tasting tannins -- organic substances which naturally exist in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes.* There is a higher concentration of tannins in red wine than white wine, because red wine is fermented with its grape skins and seeds. However, red wine has health benefits that white wine lacks, and you can find red wine, which doesn't taste bitter (or high in acidity) like the Wishes Eratines label here. 

The wine is produced by Eklektikon, from the Pieria Eratini vineyards, a region located at the foothills of Mount Olympus. The Greek winery was founded in 2006 by oenologists Pavlos Argyropoulos and Andreas Pontas. The wines to try are:

Wishes Eratines White Dry Wine - Rich with good body.

Wishes Eratines Red Dry Wine - Smooth and fruity, not bitter.

Blink Brut Sparkling Wine - Refreshing, crisp and perfect for summer.

Their website says, "No poem was ever written by a drinker of water." How cute!

Wine connoisseur and author, Jay McInerny, once told me, there is no wrong way to drink wine. Chill the red if you like it that way.  (And I do.)

Trust your palate.

The wines are a great find. Tastings are fun! By the end of the evening, I found myself sitting around with the company's reps, speculating about what "ambrosia" and the "nectar of the Gods" are. Eh??? I've wondered for years. Could they be wine and honey? I don't really know. What do you think they are?

*source: Wine For Dummies

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Buying Wine To Enjoy

When it comes to wine, you can talk about appearance, sensations and finish. Dwell on aroma, complexity and character, if you wish. But lets get real. You either like it, or you don't. It all boils down to flavor. How does it taste on your palate? Is the wine easy to drink without overwhelming your taste with bitterness or acidity? Or, is it smooth and well-balanced? While individual preferences come into play, and certain wines taste better with particular foods … you know a great tasting wine when you drink one. I'm no expert so I asked Bill, a knowledgeable wine consumer, for his pick.

Bill lead me to the first great find:

Vrac Cotes du Rhone 2007 – Here's how it got its name: For everyday drinking many French locals headed to the town winery to buy their wine in bulk (“en vrac”). Deep red in color and modest in intensity, this wine goes well with grilled chicken, tacos and just about everything. Bill says, “This is no bulk wine, it's a very good blend.” Costs $8 - $10.

For a Chardonnay try:

Bodegas Catena Zapata Alamos Torrontes 2007 – A white wine from Argentina, it's medium bodied, vibrant and fruity with a dry finish. The taste is clean -- a perfect blend to sip alone, or pair with BBQ chicken and potato salad. Cost: $9 - $11.

Selecting a Rosé, try:

Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé 2008 – This French wine is delicious chilled. It has a racy body and is refreshing to sip solo, or to serve with meat and potatoes. Cost: $9 - $10.

Finally for a splurge I asked Mitch, a wine magazine editor, what he likes, and the answer is from his twitter post:

Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Montesodi 2001 – "Elegant, refined, with great silky texture and strong finish. 93 points non-blind." It's a sangovese blend. Later he wrote to tell me, "This is a great Italian wine that will still age for several years." Cost: $50 and up.

Thanks Bill and Mitch for your input. Uncork a bottle and raise your glass!