Frank McClelland - Wine Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings and Seasonal Menus

The Harvard Common Press
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Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

Copyright 2008 by Frank McClelland and Christie Matheson
Photographs copyright 2008 by White/Packert, except as
noted below

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
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Printed in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McClelland, Frank.
Wine Mondays : simple wine pairings with seasonal menus / Frank
McClelland and Christie Matheson.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-55832-377-3 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Cookery. 2. Wine and wine making. 3. Menus. I. Matheson, Christie. II.
Title.
TX714.M379255 2008
641.5dc22 2008003497

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Book design by Matthew Bouloutian and Vivian Ghazarian

Jacket and interior photographs by White/Packert
Food styling by Frank McClelland and James Hackney
Prop styling by Katrine Kelly
except for front jacket, far left (Pomegranate and Goat Cheese Salad)
Photograph 2008 by Eskite Photography
Food styling by Andrea Lucich; prop styling by Carol Hacker

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

TO MY CHILDREN, WHO GIVE ME A REASON TO COOK EVERY DAY
F. K. M.

It is quite a daunting task to thank all of the people who have influenced this seemingly simple approach of menus built around food and wine.

I want to thank Christie Matheson for her help in making this book a reality. She is a true inspiration to me, always positive, always pushing me to do my best.

Thank you to Erik Johnson, my wine buyer and teacher, for being the personality behind Wine Mondays at L'Espalier. Erik is the inspiration for the food and wine combinations, and I have enjoyed all of the bottles of wine that we've drunk together in search of that perfect match.

A thank-you to the team at The Harvard Common PressValerie Cimino, Virginia Downes, and Jane Dornbusch, who made sure we got it right by asking all the right questions. And thanks to our agent, Stacey Glick, for help throughout this process.

Thanks to the colleagues of mine who give me inspiration every day in the way of food, wine, service, and love of the people who come through the doors of L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre. The close-knit family that represents our restaurant group brings me joy and support through its dedication to and pursuit of my philosophy that "only the best is good enough." In particular, thank you to Chef Geoff Gardner, Chef James Hackney, Louis Risoli, Chef Daniel Bojorquez, Chef Louis DiBiccari, Chef B.J. Salazar, Fernando da Silva, and all my other colleagues through the years who have contributed to this work. Special thanks to Nick Tranquillo, my quirky, genius sidekick.

For Kris Rodammer's friendship and vision through graphics, colors, and art, thank you.

Thanks to all the farmers in New England who have inspired my 30-year career and give reason to what I do every day.

Thanks must go out to my grandparents, Foster and Virginia McClelland, who inspired me with their Garden of Eden and all that was good in life.

Thanks to my four children, Keppler, Annie, James, and Olivia. They are the joys of my life. And thanks to my yellow Lab, Lance Seawater McClelland, who goes everywhere with me.

Enormous thanks to my wife, Heather, who teaches me every day that nothing is too difficult. She brings peace to my heart with everything she does.

F.K.M.

Most of all, thanks to Frank McClellandbrilliant, talented, creative, generous, a little bit crazy, always funnyfor giving me the opportunity to work on such a fantastic project. L'Espalier is a magical place, and I am thrilled to have helped with the creation of this book. Thanks to Erik Johnson, L'Espalier's extraordinary wine director, for sharing his encyclopedic knowledge (along with quite a few tastes) of wine and for consistently cracking me up. Thanks to our agent, Stacey Glick, who loved this idea from the very beginning. Thanks to Valerie Cimino for being a wonderful editor and a super-savvy foodie. Thanks to everyone at The Harvard Common Press for taking such excellent care of Wine Mondays. Thanks to Lorin Seidman, my fabulous food-loving friend, for getting this book started. Thanks to the entire team at L'Espalier for being unfailingly gracious, fun, and never, ever pretentious. They are a rare group in the world of exquisite restaurants. And, of course, thanks forever and always to my two very favorite people to have dinner with: my brother, Seth Matheson, and my love, my husband (!), Will Adams.

C.M.

L'Espalier is an elegant restaurant located in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, and I have owned it since 1988. Our food is inspired by the classic techniques of French cooking and the produce, meats, and artisanal cheeses of New England. We work with ingredients that are the freshest, in season, and abundant. We seek out the best-quality ingredients we can find, and when possible we purchase foods that are locally available and organic.

My philosophy about fresh ingredients dates back to my early childhood. I grew up with my grandparents on their farm in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We all helped harvest vegetables, collect eggs, and prepare meals with the bounty from our farm and nearby farms. I learned from my grandmother that fresh, local, seasonal ingredients are the bestand I have insisted upon using them as much as possible throughout my professional cooking career. I always advise home cooks to work with ingredients that are readily availableso please do not feel bound by every last ingredient in the recipes in this book. If a particular item isn't in season, of sufficient quality, or available in your local market, substitute something else. And as you cook, remember that the meal would not exist without the producer of the ingredients. Get to know, and support, your local farmers by visiting local vegetable stands and farmers' markets regularly. I guarantee that you will be glad you did, and your cooking will be better for it.

Though L'Espalier is known as a special-occasion restaurantmore marriage proposals take place in our dining room than in any other restaurant in Bostonwe aim to be relaxed and friendly while providing exquisite service that makes our guests feel special. And we love to let our hair down and have fun. That's one of the reasons why in 2002 L'Espalier's wine director, Erik Johnson, and I started our Wine Mondays program, which is the inspiration for this book.

We host Wine Mondays every Monday night (unless it's a major holiday or the restaurant is closed for some reason), and it's a fun and relaxed way to start the week. Guests come in and enjoy open seating (so they can meet new people and perhaps make new friends) and a four-course meal with wines at each course, all centered around a theme (such as Burgundy, Italy, sparkling wine, and even occasions like Halloween). Erik Johnson is the most entertaining wine director in town, and he leads the educational component of the evening, talking briefly about each wine and how and why it pairs well with certain foods. So our guests learn something, and usually laugh quite a bit in the process. The food on Wine Mondays isn't quite as complicated as the food we serve on our regular menu (which changes nightly according to what's fresh)and our guests always rave about it.