INDIAN-STYLE SHRIMP PIZZA WITH MOZZARELLA Someone famously said that girls just want to have fun. Given our hectic modern-day lives, this ’80’s anthem holds true now more than ever. It is important to put some time aside for your girlfriends and indulge in conversation, laughter and a bit of silliness. I propose that you call your friends and invite them over for no other reason than to have fun. To make your life easy and get the evening going in style, I suggest a simple and flavourful Indian-style pizza, followed up with a nice platter of comforting cheese paired with […]
Pizza & Wine
Pizza Pleasures in the Park Paired with a Crisp Sparkling Wine or Rose
August 15 is a big day of celebration in Italy. On Ferragosto, Assumption Day, Italians leave the big cities and head for the beaches and mountains to indulge in great food and family fun. Let’s join the celebrations and organize a picnic of tasty Italian fare right here in Canada. We’re going to prepare a delicious and easy Italian pizza, surround it with a platter of Canadian cheeses, and pair them with Italian wines. The beauty of pizza is that it’s great at room temperature. Make life easy on yourself and prepare the pizza the day before the picnic. […]
Food & Wine 25
Some wines are definitely a better fit with certain foods, but I admit I lived many years without realizing just good a food and wine pairing could acutally be. On my one and only visit to Lumiere – during the Rob Feenie years – I ordered a ten-course tasting menu and the matched flight of wines for each course. I was humbled. The food was good. Each course was either a single bite of something quite special or a few bites of something sumptuous. There was Israeli couscous and paper thin smoked duck breast and goat cheese cheesecake and lots […]
Food & Wine 24
It used to be so simple: Red wine went with red meat, white wine went with white meat, and that, essentially, was that when it came to pairing food and wine. These days, it’s a bit more complex. For one thing, wines are being made in more styles and more regions than ever before. For another, our diets now include flavours from all over the world as well as casual fare that once we would never have dreamed of enjoying with wine. The old rules don’t always apply. But what has replaced them? Are there any rules at all? Well, […]
Food & Wine 20
Can wine work on quick-service menus? More restaurants are finding that, in fact, it can. There is a scene in “Sideways,” the 2004 film about an oenophile and his friend road tripping through California’s wine country, where the protagonist, Miles, visits a fast-food restaurant. Having recently suffered humiliations including the rejection of his novel and advances toward the woman he loves, Miles, played by Paul Giamatti, unceremoniously drinks his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc from a plastic foam cup over a burger and onion rings. Had he chosen the establishment more carefully, Miles could have saved his precious bottle for […]
Food & Wine 13
Students can enjoy wine at mealtimes without having to shell out big bucks, said Natalie MacLean, an accredited sommelier and author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. “Wine is an ideal way to dress up all sorts of dishes that are fairly straightforward,” she said. “It’s like putting rhinestones on jeans.” MacLean said students should look for wines that are undervalued and underpriced, such as wines from Chile, Argentina and South Africa. She suggested trying popcorn with Chilean chardonnay, nachos with California Zinfandel, potato chips with French Champagne, pizza with Italian Chianti […]
Fast Food & Wine
A bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken suits Natalie MacLean just fine, thank you. It creates a challenge to do what she does best — pairing wines with food. This internationally renowned wine aficionado and expert admits without abashment that she can’t cook. “But I’ve learned how to compensate for my lack of cooking skills by matching wines with every kind of meal, including fast food,” says MacLean. She and her family indulge in all sorts of ready prepared foods from dining out, takeout, TV dinners and deli stuff to canned beans and “even our son’s mac and cheese, which by […]
Food & Wine 6
Oh man, are the Traveling Mamas big fans of wine writer Natalie MacLean. She’s a funny and informative writer, a four-time winner of the James Beard Journalism Awards, and she also was named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards (that’s just about the best name for an award). Natalie MacLean writes hilariously and self-effacingly in her book, Red, White, and Drunk All Over. This is a kind-of travel, kind-of drinking memoir, and I love it. Even better, she kindly answered some of our questions, and – my favorite – has put serious consideration into wine […]
Fresh ideas for long, hot summer days and nights
Whether you’re on the deck, by the lake, in the mountains or beside the pool with friends and family… all you need is the right cheese and the perfect wine pairing for fresh and easy summertime deliciousness. This time of year is ripe for fresh ingredients like tomatoes, leafy lettuce, herbs and local vegetables. And what better way to add a little nutritious twist and a lot of taste to great summer meals, than by adding Canadian cheese? Cheese expert Anne-Marie Shubin recommends adding aged Canadian Cheddar to green salads, as well as toasted pumpkin seeds and thinly sliced apples. […]
Food & Wine Pairing Rules Aren’t What They to Be
It used to be so simple: Red wine went with red meat, white wine went with white meat, and that, essentially, was that when it came to pairing food and wine. These days, it’s a bit more complex. For one thing, wines are being made in more styles and more regions than ever before. For another, our diets now include flavours from all over the world as well as casual fare that once we would never have dreamed of enjoying with wine. By Joanne Sasvari The old rules don’t always apply. But what has replaced them? Are there any rules […]
