The theme was "Family Traditions" and the food and wines were memory makers. We learned a little more about each other while talking about the favorite dishes we enjoyed growing up. Our host served the appetizer and it was very impressive, presented on her grandmother's serving dishes. There was even a little mystery around how Pam's grandmother actually acquired those attractive hotel dishes :o)
The first coarse was an antipasto spread better than you see in most fancy restaurants. There was an array of food bites, including asparagus, pickled baby squash, olives, balsamic marinated artichokes, salami, cheeses, roasted eggplant, all centered around a lovely Caesar Salad complete with anchovies and homemade dressing and Italian bread.
The wine that was selected to go with the antipasto was a perfect pairing matching well with each food bites. We all agreed you can never go wrong with a good sparkling wine, in this case a Cantine Maschio Prosecco Brut from Italy. This wine was lively and fruit forward making you think it was a little sweeter than it actually was, probably the reason it paired so well with antipasto. Very nice job!
Donna brought a traditional Polish dish,
32 oz. fresh sauerkraut
1- 16 oz. package noodles, Donna use macaroni
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 sticks butter
4 to 5 Polish sausages
Prepare Polish sausage as directed on package. While sausage is boiling, sauté chopped onions in butter until they just start to turn brown. Add sauerkraut to onion mixture and sauté 20 minutes, stirring occasionally over low heat. While sauerkraut is cooking, prepare noodles according to directions on package. Combine cooked noodles with sauerkraut. Add cut up Polish sausage. Serve hot.
Hold on to your socks! The wine pairing was a Trimbach Gewurztraminer from the Alsace region of France. These wines are typically more dry with cinnamon and nutmeg aromas and a spicy finish making them a fantastic choice for pairing with spicy food and even including sauerkraut.
The next food and wine pairing took us back to Italy with stuffed pasta shells and a Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino. Montalcino is a hill town in the Tuscany region of Italy.
All Brunello wine is 100% Sangiovese with a very unique style. The natural acidity from the grapes makes a wine that compliments the pasta sauce and cheese.
The baked pasta dish was layered with meat, cheese, pasta and tomatoes. But as we noticed in Tuscany Italy, the dish was made with a few diced tomatoes, keeping it very light and flavorful.
I chose Pot Roast with potatoes, carrots and onions as my one of my family favorites. It is also the first meal I served Dennis and he said it reminded him of his mom's kitchen. You know the saying a way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
A friend from Australia gave Dennis and I the wine we brought to pair with the pot roast. The 2003 Hill of Content, from Clare Australia is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. Wines made from this blend typically have aromas of stewed plums, black cherries, blueberries, black olives and even a hint of spiced dark chocolate. When we poured the wine it was amazing to hear the sounds going around the table when smelling the wine. It had the most incredible aroma. The tannins were soft and the flavor was fabulous. This was one of the best wines I've had this year. We all enjoyed it and it paired very well with the beef and interestingly with the sweet stewed carrots.
And to finish the evening Pam graciously opened a wonderful Port to serve with the chocolate cherry trifle. It was a wonderful pairing and an incredible port.
