Episode 31: Wine Blogging Wednesday #21
Play now! – [audio:http://m.podshow.com/media/164/episodes/5373/wine-5373-05-21-2006.mp3]
This month’s Wine Podcast – Wine Blogging Wednesday #21
It’s that time of the month again for another installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday. For installment #21 of WBW, we are joining forces with Is My Blog Burning #26 and are having both a meal and a great bottle of wine!
Here were the rules for this installment:
1. Pick a favorite bottle of wine from your cellar and create/cook a dish that goes with it.
2. Pick a favorite dish in your culinary repertoire and seek out a wine that will pair will it.
The Girl (and my lovely wife Pam) has cooked a delicious meal, and I chose the 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay as detailed below. Our daughter, who also joins us on this show, has the 2006 Leche de Safeway, which also comes highly recommended.
WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
The 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay is a youthful yellow in color, with aromas of white flowers, lime custard, citrus and baked pear. The Burgundian winemaking techniques including alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel with lees stirring and extended aging contribute a complex bouquet of honey and vanilla and amplify an already intensely viscous wine. This is a substantial wine with a silky texture on the palate with layers of complexity and richness making it well-suited to roasted chicken or pork.
- The Guy
The Girl:
For dinner I prepared Cornish game hens, I usually cook these little midget chickens whole, but to save on time I butterflied them so that they would cook faster. To split them you cut them along their backbone, flip them over breast side up and using the heal of your palm press down to flatten. These guys are so easy to make and what I find is that they are great basted in butter, with some dried herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven till the liquid runs clear when pricked in the leg.
Some of you might be curious where these miniature chickens came from, well in 1965 chicken mogul Donald John Tyson created these little hens by cross-breeding White Rock hens and Cornish hens. His intent was to create a specialty item at a higher price to appeal to foodies. They look like miniature chickens, and you guessed it…they taste just like chicken.
I also prepared some Uncle Ben’s whole grain rice and added a few things to the rice. I love Uncle Ben’s brown rice because it cooks faster then regular brown rice and tastes the same. I soaked a few porcini mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in hot water until they were soft, reserved the liquid and chopped up the mushrooms and tomato and set them aside. I followed the directions on the box for 1 cup of rice but instead of adding 2 cups of water I used chicken broth for flavor and I held back the ¼ cup of water and added the liquid from the mushrooms and tomatoes. Boil the liquid and throw in the rice, mushrooms, and tomatoes then reduce the heat and simmer. For the veggies, I just boiled some fresh green beans in salted water until tender yet crisp.
Music this episode:
Artist: Lee Coulter
Song: Booty VooDoo
What did you think of this episode? Leave us some feedback! Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply disagree completely with everything we said. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com.
Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl
Now that spring has sprung, fire up the grill cook up some good food and grab some wine!