News / Articles

Matching Wine with Indian Cuisine

Wednesday, 14 December 2011 10:09

karen-by-farzana650

From my experience over the last twenty years or so, wines pair favorably with Indian dishes as long as you pair a single wine with a single dish. Of course there are some drastic clashes. Excessive chilli doesn’t pair with anything except water or maybe a very cold light beer. However, pepper is a fabulous flavor with a full bodied Shiraz. Any sour notes, in any cuisine for that matter, whether it is lemon, lime, tamarind or vinegar, should not be in a wine pairing menu. Ditto with deep fried foods. Herbs and spices, as opposed to chilli are absolutely fine.

Umbrian Gastronomy

Thursday, 09 December 2010 10:23

Small Umbria is a casket that collects characteristic gastronomic jewels all along its territory. It is possible to trace the guiding principle of this region's gastronomic traditions in extra-virgin olive oil civilization and in lard's culture.

Extra-virgin olive oil
One of the prominent features of the green hills of Umbria are the groves of olive trees. The very long-lived but slow-growing olive well represents this region’s capacity to lovingly preserve centuries-old traditions, handed down from one generation to the next, and the flavourful extra virgin olive oil from Umbria represents the best of regional cuisine, consisting of simple, down-to-earth dishes made with wholesome, tasty foods. The extra virgin olive oil produced in five communes of Umbria can make use of the “Umbria – Colli Martani Protected Designation of Origin,” which is for one of the five sub-zones into which the region has been divided. The main cultivar in the Colli Martani area is San Felice, a local variety that is sweeter and thus allows the Colli Martani extra virgin olive oil to compensate for the typical pungency of Umbrian olive oil coming from the “Moraiolo” olives grown almost exclusively in the rest of the region.

Foie Gras and Gavage - Is the practice cruel?

Thursday, 18 February 2010 00:56

The foie gras industry started to develop around 1820 and has been one of the farmer’s main profit sources ever since. The gosling sand ducklings are bred in the open air and are fed with lucerne to develop their digestive systems but are then moved to a small enclosure and well fed with flour and corn three times a day for 3–4 weeks, thus ensuring that the weight of the bird’s liver is 770–900 g for geese and 400–500 g for ducks. The notion prevails that the birds do not suffer.

Gastronomy in Tuscany

Thursday, 02 April 2009 12:31

Tuscany is a region of excellence in the area of food and wine. Its lands produce highly appreciated wines, such as the Chianti Classico and the Brunello di Montalcino, that are known worldwide. The region produces many lesser-known wines such as the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Morellino di Scansano and Rosso di Montepulciano. Just as important is the region's production of Tuscan olive oil and local cheeses (Pecorino di Pienza) and cold cuts (such as salumi di cinta senese). Tuscan cuisine distinguishes itself for its tasty dishes made with genuine, natural ingredients which make even the simplest dishes true delicacies to savor and enjoy (bistecca Fiorentina, cinghiale, pappa al pomodoro, ribollita).

Sherry Under The Microscope

Thursday, 02 April 2009 10:41

In a world first, culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal has put sherry under the microscope to fin it contains flavor-enhancing properties - and has unveiled a brand new, scientific, but unconventional way of food and wine pairing, with some surprising results.