WGBH - Wine RSS

Perfectly Paired for the Artisan Food & Wine Festival

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 01:50 AM +0000

Together: fine wine and 20 of Boston’s top chefs, together under one roof—or tent—for food and fun. Join us for the the gala and wine auction.

Sept. 13 & 14 at WGBH

What Would Julia Drink?

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:22 AM +0000

This conversation aired on Boston Public Radio on 8/14/2012.

Julia Child on the set of The French Chef (WGBH).

"I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food I'm cooking." — Julia Child

Listen to Callie Crossley's interview on Boston Public Radio

" class="wysiwyg-break drupal-content" data-cke-saved-src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/wysiwyg/plugins/break/images/spacer.gif" src="http://wgbhnews.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/wysiwyg/plugins/break/images/spacer.gif" title="<--break-->" />
Julia Child is famous for bringing French cooking into everyday households. She's a cultural force who's known for her signature voice and no-nonsense way about the kitchen. Callie Crossley talks with Jonathan Alsop, of the Boston Wine School, about how Child introduced wine into American living when martinis and gin and tonics were all the rage.

Great Wines for Holy Holiday Meals

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:00 PM +0000

April 3. 2012

(Photo: Jonathon Alsop)

BOSTON — The sacred holidays, Passover and Easter, are upon us. Jonathon Alsop, founder & executive director of the Boston Wine School and author of The Wine Lover's Devotional: 365 Days of Knowledge, Advice & Lore for the Ardent Aficionado, gives us some guidance on Kosher wines for the Passover seder and some of the crisp whites to pair with your Easter ham.

We Heart Wine AND Chocolate!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:32 PM +0000

Feb. 14, 2012

Friends and Members of WGBH gathered at One Guest St. to celebrate Valentine's Day. They sampled wines paired with Chocolee Chocolates, located in Boston's South End. (Photos by Volunteer Phil DiPrima)

Yes, you CAN try this at home! Below is the list of wine and chocolate pairings our guests sampled. Give them a try:

Wine: Pacific Rim Organic Riesling **voted favorite pairing of the evening
Chocolate: Valrhona Ivorie “Feves” (35% cacao)
Chocolate: Valrhona Guanaja “Feves” (70% cacao)
Why: Lean and off-dry, this Riesling is refreshing and crisp and is often paired with spicy Asian dishes. Start the night with an experiment from one end of the chocolate spectrum to the other, and see which you find to be the better match!

Wine: 2009 Oveja Negra Sauvignon Blanc / Carménère blend
Chocolate: Hazelnut Bark with White Chocolate (70% cacao)
Chocolate: Valrhona Jivara “Feves” (40% cacao)
Why: This very unique wine blend – 85% white grape, 15% red grape! – offers citrus and minerality on the nose, followed by spice and earthiness on the palate. Try it with the Dark on Dark Truffle for a pleasurable match that’s just as unexpected! Then try it with our one milk chocolate of the night for – maybe? – a more middle-of-the-road experience…

Wine: Chilensis Carménère
Chocolate: Valrhona Manjari “Feves” (64% cacao)
Chocolate: Valrhona Guanaja “Feves” (70% cacao)
Why: The previous wine’s 15% Carménère is the perfect segway to the 100% Carménère of this Chilensis wine. The Chilensis, a deep ruby wine from Chile, offers lots of fruit (strawberry, plum, red cherry) to go along with more subtle notes of chocolate and spice. Try both Valrhona dark chocolates of the night – one with slightly more cacao than the other – and see which one captures the chocolate note of the wine.

Wine: 2010 Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon
Chocolate: Valrhona Jivara “Feves” (40% cacao)
Chocolate: Valrhona Guanaja “Feves” (70% cacao)
Why: This wine gives you bright cherry, dark, plum, and toasted oak. But it also serves as a perfect platform to repeat the same tasting of chocolates as the previous pairing, except this time with Cabernet Sauvignon instead of Carménère. Which of the two dark chocolates works better with Cab? And is it the same or different than with the Carménère?

Wine: H&G Cabernet Sauvignon Chalk Hill
Chocolate: Valrhona Guanaja “Feves” (70% cacao)
Chocolate: Valrhona Jivara “Feves” (40% cacao)
Why: The ripe, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma offers black fruit and hints of mocha on the nose. Let the mocha of the wine go head-to-head with the espresso of the chocolate, then ease back into the Valrhona milk chocolate for a more subtle experience.

Wine: Calville Blend 2010 from Eden Vermont Ice Cider Company
Chocolate: Milk Chocolate Bark with Assorted Nuts, Dried Fruits and Wasabi Peas (70% cacao)
Chocolate: Carmelia Valrhona
Why: This sophisticated dessert wine has a complex, balanced flavor and a long finish. It is made from 100% Vermont apples, concentrated before fermentation using natural winter cold weather. In addition to traditional New England favorites Macintosh and Empire, Russet apples provided full bodied sweetness, Calville Blanc apples provided acidity and citrus notes for balance, and Ashmead's Kernel apples provided natural tannins for structure. Pair the cider first with the heat of the Spiced Poblano Truffle, then contrast it with the smooth milkiness of the Carmelia Valrhona.

Wine: Noval Black Port
Chocolate: Dark Chocolate Almond Bark (70% cacao)
Chocolate: Carmelia Valrhona
Why: The Port offers juicy red fruits and sweet spice, a more-than-able partner to the unusual chocolate toasted almond bark. Then shift gears for a more traditional, end-of-evening pairing of Port with caramel.

You can find these romantic goods at Gordon’s Fine Wine & Liquors in Waltham, Whole Foods Markets in Cambridge and Dedhm, and Chocolee Chocolates in Boston.

Enjoy WGBH events? Give our music a try! GET TICKETS: Jazz in Performance: Arni Cheatham

Thanks for attending! Thanks as always to our volunteers! Visit Cryptogram to make your own heart. Use #WGBHFoodie on Twitter to keep in touch!

Taste of WGBH: Grazie!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:12 PM +0000

Jan. 26, 2012

BOSTON—Over 200 WGBH members and friends joined us at our Guest Street studios last Friday night for the Taste of WGBH: Wines of Italy event and sampled an array of incredible wines. Nine winemakers joined us: Albea, Amastuola, Cantina Offida, Castello di San Sano, Le Sincette, Podere Sapaio, Poggio Bonelli, Sada and Torrevento. They hail from the Italian wine regions of Tuscany, Puglia, Marche and Lombardy and educated guests on the characteristics that makes each wine distinctive.

Classical New England's own host, Laura Carlo greeted our visitors and Cathy Huyghe, from Red White Boston, led a lively discussion. Davide Sada, of Sada Wines got the tasting momentum going.

We hope you enjoyed the night's festivities, and we offer up a big Thank You to our wonderful WGBH volunteers, without whom we could never enjoy such a terrific event.

If you enjoyed this event, or hope to come to one in the future, be sure to stay in touch with WGBH and keep an eye on our Food & Wine page. Don't wait to get your tickets to our Valentine's Day event, Wine Loves Chocolate, Chocolate Loves Wine.

Vine Talk Ranks The Rieslings

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:56 PM +0000

Join host Stanley Tucci, the Vine Talk team of wine experts, and our celebrity guests Nora Ephron, John Lithgow, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Chef Jonathan Waxman, as they enjoy big, bold, beautiful Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley's Oakville region.

Vine Talk
Sun, April 17 at 3pm | WGBH 44

Creamy Parsnip and Potato Chowder With Parsnip Croutons By Annie Copps

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:58 PM +0000

I fully understand that it is potentially blasphemous for me, as a proud New Englander, to suggest chowder be made without seafood. But this really lovely recipe for a parsnip chowder—it does have potatoes—does that count?

Okay even though no clams or other seafood ar ein this recipe, but I really love this chowder—it is too thick and rich to be a soup. That richness comes from potatoes and parsnips and just a bit of cream, so all this deliciousness doesn't come with a health advisory!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 small Russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup light cream or whole milk, as needed
Fresh lemon juice Pinch sugar

Directions
Set aside 1 large or 2 small parsnips for the "croutons." Coarsely chop the remaining parsnips.

Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a soup pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sautê until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsnips, potato, thyme, coriander, and salt and pepper to taste. Sautê, stirring a few times, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the wine or vermouth, bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Add the stock, cover partway, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the parsnips and potatoes are tender enough to mash easily against the side of the pot with a large spoon, about 40 minutes.

Let the soup cool, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes (this makes it a little safer to blend). Filling a blender no more than two-thirds full, puree the soup in batches. Rinse out the soup pot and return the pureed soup to it. The soup may be made ahead up to this point and kept refrigerated (well-covered) for up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, make the parsnip “croutons:" cut the reserved parsnip(s) into 1/4-inch dice. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the diced parsnips. Season with salt and pepper and a large pinch of sugar. Sautê, stirring and shaking the pan often, until the parsnips are nicely browned. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Set aside until ready to serve. The croutons may also be made ahead and refrigerated in a single layer for up to 1 day.

To serve, gently reheat the soup, adding the cream or milk until you achieve the consistency you're after. Taste for salt and pepper. Just before serving, add a squeeze or fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon), to taste. Ladle into soup bowl, garnish with parsnip "croutons" and remaining fresh thyme.

(Courtesy: Yankee Magazine)

___________________________________________________________
Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

Braised Fennel and Leeks By Annie Copps

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:50 PM +0000

Typically it's a big, tough piece of meat that gets transformed by braising, but I found that when slowly cooked in a bit of wine and chicken stock, my two favorite root vegetables, fennel and leeks, turn luscious and silky. The fennel hangs on to a bit of its licorice-y-ness, while most of the onion taste of the leek converts into a vaguely sweet flavor.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and get started with about 8 leeks. Like all vegetables, leeks come from the earth, but leeks don't like to let go of their dirty beds—be sure to wash them well, because one small grain of dirt will feel like a boulder in your mouth.

Arrange the leeks and thinly sliced fennel in a casserole dish and scatter butter over the top, then pour chicken stock and some wine into the pan. Cover with foil and cook about 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and scatter parmesan cheese and bread crumbs over the top and cook until the top is well browned. So good—the leeks and fennel are rich and creamy and the topping crunchy, a delicious and satisfying contrast of textures and flavors.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
8 medium leeks, trimmed and rinsed well (discard roots and all but 2-inches of the green part—leeks should be 6 to 8 inches trimmed)
3 medium fennel bulbs, root removed and thinly sliced
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup panko bread crumbs

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium casserole arrange leeks in one layer with sliced fennel on top.

Pour in stock and wine.

Scatter pats of butter over the top and season with salt and pepper.

Seal with foil and place in oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine parmesan and bread crumbs. Scatter over the top of the leeks and bake 5 to 8 minutes, or until well-browned.

(Courtesy: Yankee Magazine)

___________________________________________________________
Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

Molly's French Onion Soup By Annie Copps

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:04 PM +0000

Ooh la la have I got a winter warmer that will beckon you in from the cold: French Onion Soup! A classic bowl of oniony goodness that will fill you up, warm you up, and delight you.

Forewarned is fore-armed... you are going to have to slice 3 pounds of onions. If just the thought makes you want to cry, you can use a food processor to get through the pile you'll be using. That being said, it may seem that you have far too many onions, but don't worry they'll cook down to about one-quarter of their original volume.

So, in a wide soup pot, melt butter and slowly cook down Mount Onion until they become soft and start to turn deep blonde in color&151;it's important that they not brown.

Stir in some flour and cook that for a bit, then add some wine, then beef (or chicken) stock, a sprig each of thyme and parsley and a bay leaf and simmer away for about a half hour.

Now, let's get serious. Ladle into bowls, lay toasted bread slices on top then grate some Gruyere cheese and until the cheese gets all melty, gooey, and glorious.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 3 1/2 pounds of yellow onions (about 6 large; larger onions means less peeling), thinly sliced
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups homemade beef or chicken stock or low-sodium store bought
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf tied together in a bundle
1 baguette, cut into ½[[[.5]]-inch rounds 1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces)
Shredded Gruyere cheese

Directions
In a large, wide soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions gently, stirring frequently, until they are very soft and have begun to turn a deep blonde, about 40 minutes (it is important they do not brown or cook too long).

Stir in flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour in wine and increase heat to medium-high, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any caramelized juices.

Cook until liquid is almost completely reduced. Add broth.

Tie herbs together with string or inside a piece of cheesecloth. Add herb bundle and bring to a simmer.

Season lightly with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, the onions should be soft but not falling apart.

The soup may be made ahead up until this point and held for several hours or even a few days before serving.

To serve
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put baguette slices on an oven rack, and toast lightly, 7 to10 minutes. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Set six ovenproof soup crocks on a heavy baking sheet, and ladle hot soup into crocks. Float the toasts on the soup and top each with a handful (about 1/4 cup) of Gruyere.

Bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly and just barely golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve immediately when the cheese is gooey and the crock is very hot.

(Courtesy: Yankee Magazine)

___________________________________________________________

Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak By Annie Copps

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:39 PM +0000

If you are a coupon clipper or circular reader, flank steak goes on sale quite often. It's a little tougher than some cuts, but we love the flavor and its forgiving nature when it comes to rare or well-done.

We keep our grill going all year, but you can use your broiler indoors to whip up this fast and flavorful steak dish.

Into a large zip-top bag, place a 2-pound flank steak, some red wine, a chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and a bit of sugar. Mix well to coat the steak and pop in the fridge for a few hours—you can do this before you head out to work in the morning or up to 3 days. Sometimes I buy this on sale, mix it in the bag, label and freeze for a few weeks. But if you are ready to cook it now, fire up the grill or broiler and cook the steak 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let it rest, then you are ready to slice into a flavorful steak.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 2-pound flank or skirt steak, trimmed
1/2 cup dry white or red wine
1/2 red or yellow onion, sliced
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients through sugar in a large zip-top plastic bag. Toss to coat well. Refrigerate two hours or up to 3 days if you prefer.

Prepare grill or broiler to medium-high. Remove steak from marinade and shake off excess. Place on grill or under broiler about 4 minutes per side (for medium rare). Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Rice & Lentils by Lidia Bastianich

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:42 PM +0000

Riso e Lenticchie

Serves 8 or more as a first course or soup

Ingredients
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut in pieces
1 cup onion cut in 1-inch chunks
1 cup carrot cut in 1-inch chunks
1 cup celery cut in 1-inch chunks
6 fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
8 to 10 cups hot water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 ½ cups Italian short-grain rice, such as Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano
1 cup chopped scallions
½ cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing

Directions
Drop the pancetta or bacon pieces into the food-processor bowl, and pulse several times, to chop the meat into small bits. Scrape all the chopped pancetta right into the heavy saucepan. Put the onion, carrot, and celery chunks and the sage leaves into the empty food-processor bowl, and mince together into a fine-textured pestata.

Put the butter and olive oil into the saucepan with the minced pancetta, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, as the butter melts and the fat starts to render. When the pancetta is sizzling, scrape in the vegetable pestata, and stir it around the pan until it has dried and begins to stick, 4 minutes or so. Clear a space on the pan bottom, and drop in the tomato paste, toast it in the hot spot for a minute, then stir together with the pestata.

Raise the heat, pour in the white wine, and cook, stirring, until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Pour in 8 cups of hot water and the tablespoon salt, stir well, and heat to the boil. (Add all 10 cups of hot water if you want to serve the rice and lentils as a thick soup rather than a denser riso.)

Cover the pan, and reduce the heat slightly, to keep the water at a moderate boil, and let it bubble for 20 minutes or so, to develop the flavors.

Stir in the lentils, return to a gentle boil, and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils just start to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the rice, return to a bubbling simmer, and cook, cover ajar, until the rice is al dente, 13 minutes or so. If the dish is thickening more than you like, lower the heat and cover the pan completely. If it seems too thin and wet, remove the cover and cook at a faster boil. When the rice and lentils are fully cooked, turn off the heat. Stir in the scallions and grated cheese.

Serve in warm bowls, passing more cheese at the table.

Chicken Fusilli with Edamames and Shiitakes
By Ming Tsai

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:09 PM +0000

This dish combines the wonderful and healthy flavors of edamames and shiitakes with chicken and fusilli pasta to make a delicious good-for-you dinner.

Ingredients
8 naturally raised chicken thighs, skin-on
v 2 onions, sliced
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 cups sliced shiitakes
4 stalks celery, 1/4-inch dice
2 cups peeled edamames
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
1/2 pound cooked fusilli pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil to cook

Directions
Have a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Season the thighs and sear in hot pan until both sides are nicely colored. Remove chicken thighs to a plate. Pour off 50% of the chicken fat and add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Saute onions and garlic for 1 minute.

Add shiitakes, then celery and edamames. Deglaze with wine, reduce by 25%, add stock and naturally brewed soy sauce, check for flavor.

Add back chicken thighs and cook through, another 15-20 minutes.

Add pasta to heat through and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Serve in pasta bowls.

__________________________________________________________
Ming Tsai is the host and executive producer of public television series Simply Ming and chef/owner of Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Mass.

Sake-Black Pepper Mussels With Granny Smith Apples
By Ming Tsai

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:25 PM +0000

Apples may seem like a funny match for mussels, but believe-you-me the tartness and sweetness of apples play beautifully against the natural brininess of the mussels and a little bit of sake adds yet another element that makes this dish delicious.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 large shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 pounds PEI mussels, scrubbed, bearded
1 cup sake
1/4 cup ponzu
1 large green apple, peeled, julienned
2 tablespoons butter
Togarashi for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil for cooking

Directions
In a wok over high heat coated lightly with oil, stir-fry garlic, shallots, and black pepper; add mussels and season. Deglaze with sake and cover to open mussels.

When mussels are starting to open, add ponzu, green apple and butter.

Cover for about 30 seconds to allow flavors to meld.

Serve in a large bowl and garnish with togarashi.

Braised Leeks
By Annie Copps

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:35 PM +0000

Braising is an easy way to soften up and draw a lot of flavor out of an ingredient. Usually we think of tough cuts of meat such as shoulders or shanks for braising, but how about some vegetables?

I am drawn to leeks, their mellow onion flavor is seductive and slow cooking them through braising coaxes out all the sweet beauty. This recipe goes well with roasted meats or a pasta dish.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
12 medium leeks, trimmed and rinsed well
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumb

Directions
Clean the leeks well, like all vegetables, they grow in soil, but leeks just don’t like to let go of their dirty beds. And one small grain of dirt will feel like a boulder in your mouth if you don’t get rid of it. Discard roots and all but 2 inches of the green part; then arrange the leeks in a single layer. Dot with some butter, add some chicken stock and cover tightly with foil. Add some parmesan and bread crumbs at the end.

Heat oven to 400°.

In a medium-size casserole, arrange leeks in one layer. Pour stock and wine over top. Scatter pats of butter over the leeks and season with salt and pepper.

Seal with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Return to oven for 10 minutes longer.

In a small bowl, combine parmesan and breadcrumbs. Scatter over top of leeks and bake 5 to 8 minutes, or until well-browned.

Cranberry Red Roast Braised Pork Shoulder
By Ming Tsai

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:48 AM +0000

Ingredients
2 cups naturally brewed soy sauce
2 cups red wine
2 cups water, plus more if necessary
1 small ginger root, sliced into 5 thick slices
2 bunch scallions, 1 inch pieces
3 star anise
1 packed cup of brown sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries, plus 1/2 cup for garnish, halved
1 bone-out pork shoulder, fat cap on, scored diagonally
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chinese steamed bread (you can buy these frozen in Chinatown)

Directions
In a stock pot over high heat, combine all liquids, ginger, scallions, star anise, sugar and cranberries and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and add pork. Cook 4 hours until pork is fork tender, skimming periodically. When ready, using a spider, remove pork and transfer to large oval platter. Remove star anise and ginger and discard.

Reduce sauce by 25% and check for seasoning. Add remaining cranberries and heat for 5 minutes with steamer on top of stockpot to heat the white Chinese steam bread. Ladle sauce on pork, serve with steamed bread. To eat, slice pork and stuff inside steamed bread with a spoonful of the red roast sauce.

___________________________________________________________

Ming Tsai is the host and executive producer of public television series Simply Ming. Each week, Simply Ming brings mouthwatering recipes inspired by the combination of East and West into homes across the country.

Sauteed Fiddlehead Ferns
By Annie Copps

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:19 PM +0000

This time of year is a transitional one for local ingredients, so we turned to Josh Ziskin, chef and owner of the Italian-inspired La Morra restaurant in Brookline. The end of winter through spring can be a challenging time to write a menu, so he sticks closely to what is locally available — and right now, that means fiddlehead ferns.

Total time: 30 minutes
Active time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound fiddlehead ferns, well rinsed and trimmed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or the fresh herb of your choice: rosemary, basil, or oregano)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher or sea salt

Directions
Bring a large sauce pot of generously salted water to boil. Blanch fiddleheads for 4 minutes; remove to ice water for 1 minute. Strain from water and dry well.

In a large saute pan over medium-high add oil and cook shallots and garlic until shallots are translucent. Add fiddleheads and saute for 2 minutes. Add wine (if using) and reduce until about 1 tablespoon of liquid remains. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and generously season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and butter and stir well.

Recipe courtesy of Josh Ziskin of La Morra.
__________________________________________________________
Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

Soy-Braised Short Ribs
By Ming Tsai

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:13 PM +0000

Who doesn't loooove ribs? Today east meets west — and goes south — with my Soy-Braised Short Ribs, a hearty main dish that is a great one-pot meal you can make either in your slow cooker or on your stovetop. I guarantee these ribs will be fall-off-the-bone delicious and will wow your barbecue guests with the flavor of kechap manis.

Serves 4

Ingredients
6 2×3 short ribs (about 4x3x2)
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
Coarse ground sea salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large carrots, peeled, roll cut
4 stalks celery, roll cut
2 yellow onions, 1 inch dice
5 slices of ginger
2 cups red wine
1 cup kechap manis
Water to cover
Rehydrated rice stick noodles, to serve
Canola oil to cook
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Place a stovetop-safe slow cooker insert over medium-high heat, coated lightly with oil. In a pie plate, combine pepper and flour. Season ribs well and coat with flour. Place short ribs in oil and sear until browned on both sides, about 12-15 minutes. Remove short ribs to a plate and wipe out pan. Add just enough oil to lightly coat and add carrots, celery, onions, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and sweat until just softened. Deglaze with wine and allow to reduce by 25%. Add kechap manis and short ribs and pour in just enough water to almost cover. Check for flavor and season if necessary. Cook on high setting in slow cooker for 4-5 hours. Serve hot with rice stick noodles.

Ming’s wine suggestion
2004 Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia

Flavor: Spicy, dark berry with nuances of dark plum
Aroma: Deeply aromatic, with notes of mulberry followed by black and red berry fruits
Finish: Soft tannins

—Aged in French and American oak
—Made up of grapes from 3 separate locations, each yielding slightly different aromas and flavor profiles, resulting in a complex, multifaceted wine. This is a great match with the Soy-Braised Short Ribs.

________________________________________________________________

Chef Ming Tsai is the host and executive producer of public television series Simply Ming. Each week, Simply Ming brings mouthwatering recipes inspired by the combination of East and West into homes across the nation.

Chicken Scarpariello
By Lidia Bastianich

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:07 PM +0000

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
2 small broiler chickens (about 2 ½ pounds each and preferably free-range)
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
½ pound sweet Italian sausage (preferably without fennel seeds) cut into 1-inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
4 pickled cherry peppers, cut in half and stemmed
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt

Directions
Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. Wash and pat the chicken pieces dry, then season them generously with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 475F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add as many pieces of chicken, skin side down and starting with the leg, thigh and wing pieces, to the skillet as fit without touching. Cook the chicken, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces as they brown and drain them briefly on paper towels. Place the drained chicken pieces in a roasting pan large enough to hold all of them in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan as necessary and adjusting the heat to prevent the bits that stick to the pan from overbrowning. As room becomes available in the skillet after all the chicken has been added, tuck in pieces of sausage and cook, turning until browned on all sides.

Remove all chicken and sausage from the pan, add the garlic and cook until golden, being careful not to burn it. Scatter the cherry peppers into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and stir for a minute. Pour in the vinegar and bring to boil, scraping the browned bits that stick to the skillet into the liquid and cook until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add the white wine, bring to a boil and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the roasting pan and stir to coat. Place the chicken in the oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and sticky, like molasses, about 10 minutes. If the sauce is still too thin, place the roasting pan directly over medium-high heat on the stovetop and cook, stirring, until it is reduced, about a minute or two. Once the sauce is thickened, toss in parsley and serve.
___________________________________________________________
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich was born in Pola, Istria, on the northeastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. She is a cookbook author, restaurateur, and TV chef extraordinaire. Watch Lidia’s Italy Saturdays at 1:30pm on WGBH 2 or Sundays at 4pm on WGBH 44.

Thai Curried Clams and Chorizo
By Ming Tsai

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:40 PM +0000

Not only do I look to the East and the West for sources of inspiration, I also look to the past for great ingredients about which we may have forgotten…like buttermilk, which used to be a staple in American kitchens. It’s not only a lighter alternative to cream, but also to Asian coconut milk, as I’ll show you today with my Thai Curried Clams and Chorizo. It’s a great one-pot-meal that features a clams and sausage combo that’s well-loved in both the East and West.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups 1/4-inch-dice chorizo or 1/4 pound ground sausage
2 large leeks, white part julienned
2 pounds cockles or small littleneck clams, purged overnight in water/cornmeal/pinch of salt solution
3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup buttermilk
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups cooked orzo
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil

Directions
In a stock pot coated lightly with oil over medium-high heat, add chorizo, leeks, cockles (discard any open cockles), and curry paste, and sauté about 2 minutes, then season. Deglaze with wine and cover; cook for 6-8 minutes. Add buttermilk, lime juice, and orzo, stir to combine and check for seasoning. Serve, discarding any unopened cockles.

Drink recommendation
Chateau Villa Bel-Air Blanc, Bordeaux, France

Taste: Rich and complex with white fruit and caramel flavors.
Aroma: Honey mixed with smoky notes
60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon

__________________________________________________________
Chef Ming Tsai is the host and executive producer of public television series Simply Ming. Each week, Simply Ming brings mouthwatering recipes inspired by the combination of East and West into homes across the nation.