Sid Goldstein - The Wine Lovers Cookbook: Great Meals for the Perfect Glass of Wine

Text copyright 1999 by Sid Goldstein.

Photographs copyright 1999 by Paul Moore.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Goldstein, Sid.

The wine lovers cookbook: great meals for the perfect glass of wine/by Sid Goldstein; foreword by John Ash; photographs by Paul Moore.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8118-2071-4 (pb)

ISBN 978-1-4521-4109-1 (epub, mobi)

1. Cookery. 2. Wine and wine making. 3. Menus. I. Title.

TX714.G64926 1999

Prop and food styling by George Dolese.

Photography assistance by Jill Sorenson.

Design and typesetting by Anne Galperin.

The photographer wishes to thank his stylist, George Dolese, for his creative talents and commitment to excellence; his assistant, Jill Sorenson, for her ability to do everything and keep her humor; and his wife, Deborah, for making his life so rich. Cheers!

Chronicle Books

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

As with all labors, particularly creative ones, a number of people helped this one come to fruition, either through the unselfish sharing of their palates and stomachs, through diligent testing of recipes, or through their contributions to the writing or editing process.

To all my pals whove enjoyed my food and wine (you know who you are), thanks for being there with open mouths to help devour the results.

To John Ash, for inspiration and vision.

To my enthusiastic testers, Sandy Rogers, Rami Rubin, Dorothy Woll, my sister, Ellen, and especially my mom, Lois Jamart, thanks for great support and critical feedback.

To Bill LeBlond, for believing in this project from Day One; to my copy editor, Laura Reiley, for her sensitive, constructive edit and for making me go the extra lengths to get it right; to Sarah Putman, the glue who keeps it all together at Chronicle Books; and to my photographer/stylist team, Paul Moore and George Dolese, whove brought to life what was not always beautifully conceived food, thanks for making this book what it is.

And, most of all, to my wife, Suzanne, for her endless faith, love, and support and for spectacularly delicious dessert recipes; to Zack, living proof that teenagers can be not only wonderful human beings, but articulate food critics as well; and to Ruby, my golden retriever (angel in dogs clothes)a truly terrible food critic but a passionate and skilled cleaner-upper.

In America, the interest in pairing wine and food is a relatively recent phenomenon. Its really only been in the last couple of decades that most of us have thought much about how we merge the two together. I was reminded of this when I was asked to contribute to the recent revision of Joy of Cooking.

It was last revised in 1974, and between then and 1997, the world of food had changed dramatically. Ingredients, cooking techniques, and flavor combinations that we didnt even know existed in 1974 had become commonplace in 1997.

The world of wine has gone through a similar transformation. Not only have we discovered a whole new world of wine varietals, such as Viognier, Syrah, Sangiovese, and others, but wine-makers, like cooks, have discovered new techniques and approaches for making wine that have opened up a whole new pantry of flavors. As a result, the traditional rules for pairing food and wine (e.g., red wine with red meat; white wine with fish and white meats) really dont work very well anymore. The flavor palette of both food and wine have become so much more interesting and complex. Its an exciting time!

The downside (if there is one) to this explosion of options is that its also become confusing for many of us: If the old rules dont work, what rules or guidelines can we use now? Both Sid and I have spent a good deal of our time in recent years trying to demystify the whole food and wine pairing issue. From my perspective, wine is food. Its best enjoyed in context with other food. At its simplest, its just another element or flavor on the plate. With the exception of a tiny number of the worlds greatest wines, wine should not be put on a pedestal. Its meant to be enjoyed daily as part of a healthy lifestyle. Above all, pairing food and wine aint rocket science.

The traditional method of marrying food and wine is to start with the food and then find a wine that goes with it. In this book, Sid has taken a unique approach by starting with the wine first. If you are a wino like me (in the Northern California wine country where I live, we use this term in a positive sense to identify those who are passionate about wine), then youre really going to enjoy this approach, especially if you have specific wines that you like to drink often.

As this book so clearly indicates, picking a grape varietal is only the first step. Skillful wine-makers, who might as easily be called wine chefs, can take a grape like Chardonnay and make it in a wide variety of styles from crisp, clean, and citrusy to rich and buttery with lots of vanilla notes. The foods that complement these different styles will vary tremendously.

This book does a masterful job of demystifying the marriage of wine and food, but it also unveils some really intriguing new flavor combinations along the way. Im having a lot of fun with The Wine Lovers Cookbook, and I know you will, too.

JOHN ASH, MENDOCINO COUNTY, 1998

To begin with, a promise and a caveat are in order: This is a very different type of cookbook from what youve probably encountered before, and I hope it will make you think about what you cook in a new way. The Bible mentions wine 650 times, starting with Genesis, but there are precious few food recommendations.

This book views wine as a source of divine culinary inspiration and as a guidepost for showcasing food in the very best possible light. It attempts to document my continuous journey to discover what Ill call great wine foodfood that enhances the promise of the wine, wine that resonates with and amplifies the food.

As a dedicated wine lover and passionate cook, I find myself inspired in the kitchen by many things. Sometimes, its the sweet scent of vine-ripened tomatoes in my garden at the height of summer. Or it might be memories of past winters that trigger the desire for a slowly braised veal stew to warm the cockles and kindle the spirit. But more often than not, I decide what to cook based on the type of wine that I want to serve with my meal. Its a peculiar but benign obsession. I call it wine-first cooking.

Throughout my years in the wine business with Fetzer Vineyards, Ive had the pleasure of experiencing many sublime food and wine combinations. Ive been fortunate to learn from some of the greatest chefs in the country through our culinary programs, both at the winery and throughout the United States. My personal mentor, John Ash, with whom Ive collaborated on two cookbooks, probably has the best intuitive grasp of how food and wine interact of anyone I know. Johns savvy in marrying foods with wine has been an invaluable source of learning for me, and hes had a profound impact on the way I think about food and on how I cook.