A La Carte
"A Smorgasbord for You"
Correction: last issue we should have said that Bob’s Steak and Chop House closed permanently on July 7th.
Eric Hastings is the new wine director and general manager of Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar (1985 Welch at McDuffie). He comes to Houston from Colorado where he was sommelier at the Denver Country Club. He continues to study wine as he works toward his Master Sommelier diploma, and is dedicated to discovering new wines from lesser-known regions that provide a great value to the restaurant’s wine-loving guests.
We hear that Tony Vallone is opening a new restaurant and a wine bar at Weingarten’s River Oaks Center.
The 4th Annual Texas Sommelier Conference and Texas’ Best Sommelier Competition returns to Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel on August 17 and 18. The sessions on Sunday, August 17, are open to the public. Sessions on Monday, August 18, are open to the media and trade. On Monday night, The Grand Tasting and Award Ceremony is open to everyone. The conference and competition are co-presented by the Texas Sommelier Association and The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas. For ticket and full schedule information visit www.texsom.com
This summer, kids and parents are invited to join Sweetie the Tomato, Sweet Tomatoes’ mascot, on an eight-week taste bud tour, “2008 Passport to Flavor.” The passport is a fun and delicious way to taste food from different countries without going on a vacation, and to help raise money for local schools.
- Every two weeks, from August 1 through September 30, Sweet Tomatoes will debut an internationally-inspired menu for one, affordable, all-you-care-to-eat price, offering guests the chance to sample dishes inspired by four new and exciting flavor destinations, including Italy, Mexico, Greece and Asia.
- To participate in the Passport to Flavor Tour, kids ages 12 and under can dine at Sweet Tomatoes at least once during each international destination’s featured time period during the eight-week promotion to receive one passport sticker (per visit) to put in their official Passport booklet, provided at the restaurant. Then, from October 1–15, kids can turn in the sticker-filled last page of the Passport booklet to earn free stuff.
- Each child who collects stickers from all four destinations will receive one free school supplies pack including a pencil, eraser, pencil pouch, ruler, stickers and much more. Submitting a Passport with one to four stickers will enter a child’s school into the School “Fun-Raiser” Contest. For the local school, up to grade 8, with the most Passports returned, Sweet Tomatoes will match the donation amount on every fundraiser the school holds at their local restaurant for an entire year.
- There are four Sweet Tomatoes restaurants in the Greater Houston area at 8775 Katy Freeway, 713-365-9594; 17240 Tomball Pkwy., 281-890-1133; 12540 Sugardale Dr. in Stafford, 281-240-1400; and 1717 Lake Woodlands Dr. in The Woodlands, 281-292-0556. For more information on Passport to Flavor, visit www.sweettomatoes.com or call (888) 374-8358.
Culinary Calendar
"Dates, Dates, Dates"
The Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, a collection of 22 wineries dotted throughout the central region of the state, is hosting several events honoring one of Texas’ most revered agricultural industries: winemaking. Wine and barrel tastings, grape stomps, food pairings, live music and more will perfectly please the novice or true oenophile. The wine trail publishes its own map detailing locations of each winery, available at the Fredericksburg Visitor Information Center at 302 East Austin Street. Trail event participation does require a ticket and early registration is recommended.
- Harvest Wine Trail, August 1-3 and August 8-10. From vine to wine, visitors can learn more about the grape as it makes its ultimate way to bottle. During the harvest celebration, visitors can smell the aroma of freshly picked vineyards, participate in grape stomps, tastings and more. Register online for $30 per person and enjoy a taste or tasting at each winery.
- For more information about these events, the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail or to receive a new Texas Hill Country Wine Trail map, consumers can call the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau at 888-997-3600 or visit www.fredericksburg-texas.com or www.texaswinetrail.com. Register online.
The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas has two classes coming up in August. The much loved TEAM CUISINE series with Chef Kevin Quinn is back focusing on the food and wine of Argentina. They are also taking the Texas’ top sommelier wine class series on the road as they bring the “Old World vs. New World” Wine Class to San Antonio.
- TEAM CUISINE - Tastes of Argentina
Tuesday, August 26, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
The Texas Culinary Academy – Austin, TX
Members: $75
Non-Members: $85 - Old World vs. New World Wines…A Sommelier’s Secret Revealed
Wednesday, August 27, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Zinc Champagne and Wine Bar – San Antonio, TX
Members: $50
Non-Members: $60 - To reserve your spot visit the Foundation’s website at www.winefoodfoundation.org, or call 512-327-7555.
Bistro Calais’ owner/partner Jane Knapp emailed to let us know about their upcoming entertainment offerings. Here’s the schedule for August:
Wednesday, August 6
Sharon Montgomery and Jerry Atwood
Friday, August 8
Terry Pierce and Jerry Atwood
Wednesday, August 13
Sharon Montgomery and Charlene Wright
Wednesday, August 20
Sharon Montgomery and Jerry Atwood
Wednesday, August 27
Sharon Montgomery and Charlene Wright
My Recipe
"Grillades and Grits"
GRILLADES
2 lb. Veal cutlets, trimmed
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. White sugar
1 tsp. Black pepper, coarse ground
(Blend above 3 together)
¼ cup Vegetable oil
Method: Cut veal into medallions about 3 inches by 3 inches and pound with a mallet to flatten. Heat oil in a medium size sauté pan. Season the cutlets with salt, white sugar and black pepper mixture and brown on both sides for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
SAUCE
½ cup Bacon grease or vegetable oil
½ cup Flour
1 qt. Veal stock or water
1/8 tsp. White pepper, ground
1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper, ground
1/8 tsp. Black pepper, ground
1 tsp. Salt
3 tbsp. Butter
1 cup White onion, julienne
½ cup Green bell pepper, julienne
¼ cup Celery, julienne
1 tbsp. Garlic, minced
¾ cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ cup Tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced
Method: Heat bacon grease (or vegetable oil) in a 4 quart heavy pot, stir in flour and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to make a dark roux. Add veal stock, white pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20-30 minutes. In a separate medium size sauté pan, heat butter on moderate flame. Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and cook about 2 minutes. Then add veal cutlets and vegetable mixture to sauce and cook covered on low heat about 30 minutes until veal is tender.
GRITS
4 cups Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 cup Quick golden grits
4 tbsp. Butter
Method: Bring water to a boil.
Add salt and slowly stir in grits.
Reduce heat, add butter and cook
about 5 to 7 minutes.
To Serve: Spoon about 1/2 cup of grits onto plate, off center, then spoon grillades half of the way on top of grits and onto plate. Garnish with sliced green onions.
Serves 6 to 8 people.
Something Sweet
"Sweet *17"
The new dessert menu at 17 Restaurant by visiting pastry chef Courtney Goff will lift you from the summer doldrums. The Blenheim apricot clafouti with wildflower honey gelee and chamomile sorbet, or the madagascar vanilla been pavlova with passion fruit bavarois will have you floating in the clouds, way way above the Houston heat. Care for chocolate? Check out the chocolate bonbon which is a chocolate peppermint mousse with a “magic” chocolate shell.
- Don’t pass up the perfectly paired dessert wines, ports, or cognacs poured by talented and passionate sommelier Evan Turner. If not in the mood for sweets, he will suggest the ideal wine for that sumptuous artisanal cheese plate. Even better: the six-course nightly tasting menu with dessert and wine pairings by new executive chef Wes Morton. Alden Houston Hotel, 1117 Prairie, 832-200-8888.
From the Wine List
"Fermentation and Much More"
You will remember that wine is made by the fermentation of grape juice by yeast. The products of this fermentation process are mainly water, ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, which usually (except in the case of sparkling wines) vents off into the atmosphere. Produced also are several complex organic compounds such as tannins, higher (larger) alcohols than ethanol, color compounds called anthocyanins, glycerol, esters, aldehydes and ketones that give us flavors and aromas, trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, and a host of other components in minute quantities, all of which combine to result in the wonderful flavors and aromas of wine.
Spirits, such as whiskey (or whisky if you’re talking about Scotch), rum, gin, vodka, and tequila, are produced primarily from grains such as barley, wheat, and corn, or in the case of tequila, the blue agave plant. (Sake, of course, is a wine produced from rice, also a starch.)
Before the spirits can be made, however, the starch in these grains must be transformed into sugars so that fermentation can proceed and alcohol can be produced. The process of transforming starch into sugars is usually accomplished by a good soaking in water, sometimes under the influence of heat (i.e. steam). Once the starch to sugar transformation is complete and the sugars are dried out, fermentation with yeast can proceed.
One of the things that distinguish some Scotch whisky from other whiskeys such as bourbon is a smoky smell and taste. Sometimes there is also a faint hint of sea water. These flavor characteristics often come from the use of peat as a fuel to dry the transformed starch, giving a smoky characteristic to the taste of the produced alcohol. Use of water from sources near the sea in Scotland may also transfer a salty characteristic to the final product.
After fermentation wine usually goes through some processes to clarify the wine (filtration and fining) and to remove tartrates that may crystallize out if the wine is chilled. These processes help to make the wine clear and more saleable.
Spirits, however, after the fermentation to produce alcohol is complete, are put through several iterations of distillation to remove various impurities that may affect the color, taste and longevity of the product. Some spirits are distilled once, some twice, some three times, each time in an effort to make the remaining alcohol more pure. Once the final purity is achieved (as determined by the distiller), pure water is added to bring the final spirit beverage to the desired alcohol content. This is usually about 80 proof, or 40% alcohol by volume. Sometimes caramel coloring also is added to provide a tawny color, such as in “gold” tequila.
So although completely different beverages, wines and spirits are kissin’ cousins since they both rely on the fermentation process to produce the alcohol that is in the final beverage.
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Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
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