Fast & Fabulous: Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry!

In the constant quest for healthy, weeknight meals that require a minimal amount of time and effort, here's another Fast & Fabulous recipe I'd like to share with you! 

This Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry was inspired by some of my favorite Asian flavors including spicy red curry; rich, creamy coconut milk; and freshly grated ginger. The shiitake mushrooms, chopped peanuts and dark meat chicken also add delicious texture to the dish that really keeps you coming back for more (Steve will happily vouch for that).

If you're in the mood for wine (c'mon, you know you are), a white wine with a hint of sweetness like Pinot Gris or Riesling will work nicely to complement the flavors as well as keep the heat in check. If you're in the mood for red, however, give a light, fruity Beaujolais a try. 

I hope you enjoy this dish and for other recipes in the Fast & Fabulous series, please go to the top, left-hand side of this page and enter "Fast and Fabulous" in the search box. Then simply select from the delicious results and enjoy!

Cheers,

Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 2-4

3 Tbs. peanut oil

1 carrot peeled and thinly sliced

8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces

2 Tbs. plus 1/4 cup chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs. peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 Fresno chiles, sliced

2 Tbs. prepared red curry paste

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup coconut milk

8-10 shiitake mushrooms sliced

2 scallions sliced, green and white parts separated

1 Tbsp. fish sauce
Salt and pepper

1/4 cup cilantro, for garnish

1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish 

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbsp. peanut oil in skillet over high heat. When oil starts to smoke, add green beans and carrots and stir fry for 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp. chicken stock to facilitate cooking and stir fry for another minute. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Wipe out the pan and return to heat. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. peanut oil and heat over med-hi heat. Add the garlic, ginger and half the chiles and stir fry for about a minute. Add the red curry paste and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir fry until chicken is browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, shiitake mushrooms, light parts of the scallion, and fish sauce and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 1-2 minutes more. Add the green beans and carrots back to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the chopped cilantro, green parts of the scallion, remaining chiles and chopped peanuts. Serve over white or brown rice.

From Bordeaux to Christie's: an Interview with Wine Industry Pro Robin Kelley O'Connor - Part 3!

What attracted you to the Auction World and the position at Christie’s?

I was in London in that first summer before my Eurorail pass ran out and I went to a Christie’s Auction at King Street, beautiful amazing Christie’s Auction House on King Street in Saint James. I sat there all through a morning and afternoon auction and I was mesmerized! Michael Broadbent, one of the great figures of the wine world, Master of Wine, Head of Christie’s, Chairman of Christie’s wine department is up doing the auctioneering and a gentleman says “You’re a patient young man, you’ve been sitting here all day but I haven’t seen that you’ve bid,” and I said, “Well, I don’t have any money, I’m a student,” and he said, “What do you want to do?” and I said I wanted to learn about wine. Then he said, “You see that man up there? That’s who you have to meet. If you can wait around until the end of the auction I’ll introduce you to Michael Broadbent.”

After the auction he took me up and introduced me to Michael Broadbent…and he said, “Young man, be at my office at 11am on Tuesday.” So I went to visit him and he said “Well, what do you want to do?” and I said, “I want to learn about wine.” Then he said, “Well you have to take all the courses of the WSET, but you’re too late for the summer courses. What I suggest is work a harvest, stay in Europe, come back to London in January and begin the courses.” But the greatest thing he said, he said, “Son, what are you going to do?” and I said I got a Eurail pass and he said “Get the hell out of my office, get on the first train and get in those vineyards in France and go to Burgundy and Bordeaux and Loire and Rhone and Spain and Italy and go to Germany. Go to all the vineyards you can possibly go. This is the greatest opportunity of your life and I’m not going to waste another minute of your time. When you get back in January call me and we’ll have lunch.”

When I went back to London in January of the following year, I stayed for two years and I was at Christie’s every single week for wine tastings and of course saw Michael all the time. So I fast forward to 2011 and I was offered the job at Christie’s…to take over as Head of Wine of the Americas and of course the first person to call me was Michael Broadbent and he was like “Good job, Lad! It’s about time you joined Christie’s!” How great was that?

What was a typical day at Christie’s like?

It’s easier if I do it by calendar year. Christie’s America holds eight sales a year in New York. Generally…March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December. The process of putting a sale together takes months and months of preparation…the process includes getting the consignments, inspecting the wines manuscripting the wines and developing the catalogue. All the wine is appraised, inspected and picked up by the specialists and sent to Christie’s temperature controlled  New York warehouse. Every bottle accepted for sale, once inspected receives a Christie’s seal that is placed on the back of the bottle, even if the wine is in wood case that’s never been opened. The wood case is carefully opened and all bottles are inspected, no matter the wine or the rarity. Everything is noted about the condition of the wine: if there is a nick on the capsule, a tear or stain on the label, the level of the fill, will be written down in the manuscripting process and thus go into the catalogue. There is a lot of work involved. There’s this amazing laborious process that goes into every single sale.

You’ve accomplished so much during your career, is there anything else that you would like to do?

That’s a great question, I’m always toying with the fact that I was in the Master Sommelier program and…I think I very much would still like to do that. I don’t know if it’s in the realm of possibility because I’m so incredibly busy and it takes just a tremendous amount of study. I have to say that it has just been so great, it’s been so rewarding, so gratifying that probably the answer is, I just want to continue doing more of what I’ve been doing, I think I’ve been lucky enough. I’d like to write more and there’s certainly a book in the making or two that I’ve written outlines [for]. I’ve gotten some fundamentally good ideas particularly I think first I’d tackle Bordeaux but in a totally different light then other books that have been written on the subject. But you know my passion continues always to teach and lecture. I love getting up in front of students and interested consumers and people who share the same passion.

What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

I love Asian food, I’m an Asian food fanatic, and I really am! I love Japanese, love Chinese so I personally I think we’re so lucky here in New York…for this plethora of great Chinese restaurants particularly down in Chinatown, that’s where I go. I always take wine every restaurant I go to, and of course Japanese as well, I think Japanese cuisine is so exquisite. Where do you begin? I love red, I love white but I am certainly a Riesling fanatic so I drink a lot of Riesling from Germany, Alsace, and Austria. To be fair we’re making very good Rieslings in Washington State and certainly the Rieslings in Clare Valley [Australia] are well undiscovered. I drink a lot of Riesling at a lot of different sweetness levels and age categories. I think with Asian food Pinot Noir is a natural, I think it just goes so well; however, I never stop there because I was in the Bordeaux business so what do you think I own a lot of? I own a lot of Bordeaux! So I’m constantly bringing Bordeaux to prove that there is no such thing as red wine with meat, and white wine with fish. Interestingly enough Bordeaux sells very little white wine in Japan…the majority of everything the Japanese import from Bordeaux is red and of course I’ve been to Japan a lot and what do you think the Japanese do? They drink a lot of red wine with fish, which just proves that there are no rules. 

What’s your favorite everyday wine?

Riesling Grapes

This is going to sound redundant but I always have Riesling in the refrigerator! I do like easy, unoaked white wines from Alsace, Loire Valley Northeast Italy, Campania in Southern Italy, Gruner Veltliner of Austria, then I’ll progress on and drink white Burgundy or occasionally a California Chardonnay or … when I'm home I want light, I want low in alcohol or at the very least something medium-/moderate-alcohol in nature. I want to sit back, feel that acidity brace my inner soul, brace my mouth, feel the tingle and the tangle and get my day unraveled and help me to relax – it’s really important! If it’s red I immediately want the red equivalents of the whites a tingle and a tangle I want Dolcetto or Barbera I don’t want anything over oaked. I want something really simple and you know even a lighter style Pinot Noir that has a kiss of oak but not too much.

Tell me about your wine collection.

I’m not a collector, I’m a gatherer. I guess it comes from my Irish Scots heritage that I can’t throw anything out. I’ve gathered a lot of wine and I truly need to get drinking or I’ll just have to share a lot of wine with friends and family. Right now I probably have somewhere between five and six thousand bottles somewhere in the universe.  Most of it is here in New York City. I’ve got a little farm house in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley where I keep a thousand bottles or so. In my humble little piso in the West Village in NYC I normally keep about two or three hundred bottles of ready to drink wines. In France I still have two or three hundred bottles mostly in Bordeaux that I bought and never moved. As well I have a caché of wines in a storage facility in the Presidio in San Francisco.

What’s your favorite beer?

Well, my favorite beer growing up was a local beer called National Bohemian which is beer from Baltimore. I love National Bohemian for the nostalgia point, brewed on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. I can’t get National Bohemian in New York so I’m partial to Sierra Nevada. It’s a beer that is friendly and most delicious. I try other beers of course. I’ve been a partner in several pubs in New York City that are all strongly micro brewery oriented. The only pub I’m still involved in we have twenty beers on tap and one beer is more exciting than the next but Sierra Nevada always hits that sweet spot. 

A big thank you to Robin Kelley O'Connor for sharing his fascinating story and helpful advice for those pursuing a career in the wine industry. To read the previous installments, please check out Part 1 and Part 2 here on The Glamorous Gourmet.

Cheers,

An Evening with The Sommelier All-Stars!

Boulud & the Sommelier All-Stars!

Last Wednesday night the stars aligned at New York's iconic eatery, DANIEL...the Sommelier All-Stars, that is.  

Chef Daniel Boulud assembled the best and brightest of his Sommeliers, led by Dinex Wine Director Daniel Johnnes, for an evening where the wine reigned supreme. Each of the seven Sommeliers selected two wines they found inspiring, and each duo was paired with a dish created to suit the wines. Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud Sommelier, Michael Madrigale commented, "It was nice to have the roles reversed. Normally we pick the wine to go with the food but tonight it's the other way around!"

Guests were greeted with exquisite bubbly hand selected by DB Bistro Moderne Sommelier, Alexander LaPratt. A pair of 2004 Blanc de Blancs included an A. Margaine Willers-Marmery "Special Club" and a Pierre Moncuit Les Mesnil-sur-Oger which were served alongside passed hors d'oeuvres including Mille-Feuille of Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese, Snail Cromesquis with Sweet Garlic and Wild Mushroom Pomponette with Fontina. Moncuit's offering stood up best to the array of delicacies and it was also interesting to learn that even this house's NV bottlings are from a single vintage, with no reserve wines added.

The first course of the evening was helmed by DANIEL resident Sommelier, Raj Vaidya whose favorites manifested as a pair of '09 German Rieslings, the J.J. Prum "Wehlener Sonnenuhr" Spatlese and the Leitz "Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck" Spatlese served "aus magnum." Daniel Johnnes commented he'd hired Vaidya to develop the Burgundy section of DANIEL's wine list,  while Vaidya declared it was his mission to turn Johnnes into a Riesling lover. While I can't speak for Johnnes, I was definitely compelled by Vaidya's choices and both Rieslings paired deliciously with the Duck Terrine with Marcona Almond and Honeycrisp Apple Confit.

Next up, Daniel Johnnes stayed true to form with a duo of White Burgundies that included one of my favorites of the evening, the '09 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint Aubin 1er Cru "En Remilly." This delightful white featured perfectly balanced notes of stone, mineral and fruit that had me savoring every drop. Its counterpart was a '08 Jobard Meursault "Genevrieres" which was lush and lovely, and while both paired very nicely with the Crispy Scottish Langoustines with Minted Cucumber, I did prefer the Saint Aubin.

We entered the realm of reds in the capable hands of Blue Pilkington, Sommelier at Café Boulud New York, whose selection of Burgundies elicited a collective grin from oenophiles in attendance. The '06 Sylvain Cathiard Chambolle-Musigny "Les Clos de L'Orme" was refined and elegant while the '07 Domaine Dujac Chambertin Grand Cru was comparatively rich and decadent and remarkably approachable for such a young Grand Cru. Both wines harmonized beautifully with the Duo of Veal featuring Caramelized Sweetbreads and Tenderloin with Black Trumpet Mushrooms.

Next came the inspired Rhone selections of Michael Madrigale, Sommelier of Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud. Known for his predilection for large formats, Madrigale did not disappoint with a '07 Domaine Guillaume Gilles Cornas "en magnum" and a '06 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape "Mon Aieul" "en jeroboam." The Cornas' initial whiff of black olive tapenade evolved into delightful savory, gamy notes while the young Chateauneuf had big flavors of blackberry, plum, licorice and appreciable tannins. This savor-worthy duo was paired with an earthy dish of Grouse with Huckleberries, Brussel Sprouts and Parsnips that deliciously enhanced nuances of both wines, making this my favorite overall pairing of the evening.

Daniel Boulud, moi & Jay McInerney

Prior to the dessert course, Chef Boulud emerged with a light-hearted challenge for Sommeliers and diners alike. Each table was presented with two wines, one white and one red, and charged with the task of blind tasting and identifying each. Considering the present company, this challenge was simultaneously titillating and terrifying. Thankfully, the Sommeliers' answers were presented first and, while close, there were no spot on matches. Chef Boulud's selections were somewhat obscure: a 2005 Sogno Due Falanghina from Campania and a Northern Rhone selection, the '04 Domaine Florentin St. Joseph. There was much laughter and good-natured ribbing as the Somms chided Boulud for his "cheap" selections. Boulud then proceeded to blind taste a red wine and came remarkably close to identifying it; he guessed a '09 Cru Beaujolais to be a Chirobles or a Fleurie. 

With the next course, Sommelier Kerri O'Brien of DBGB Kitchen and Bar introduced two unique "orange" wines. The '06 La Stoppa "Ageno" from Emilia-Romagna had a heady, perfumey aroma that was very similar to Tiffany eau de parfum, so much so I was tempted to dab some behind my ears. To drink, I preferred the '02 Berthet-Bondet Vin de Paille Cotes du Jura that paired remarkably well with the the cheese course of Tete de Moine, Vieux Comte, Langres and Bayley Hazen Blue.

The final say was had by Sommelier Mariya Kovacheva of Café Boulud Palm Beach, and her selection of Italian wines paired with dessert were also among my favorites of the evening. The '07 La Roncaia Picolit was lightly honeyed with a lovely acidity while the '08 Corte Sant' Alda Recioto della Valpolicella featured muted notes of plum, vanilla and spice. Both selections were delightfully elegant and well-balanced, so much so, I kept forgetting about the chocolates and petit fours in front of me, and that doesn't happen very often! I did manage to sneak a few of Boulud's signature madeleines though.

All in all it was a very special and memorable evening. While chatting with Chef Boulud after dinner, he asked us if we had lunch plans the following day and proceeded to make us reservations at his newest restaurant, Boulud Sud. Who were we to say no? That review to follow!

Cheers,

Wine Pairing Principles for Thanksgiving and Beyond!

Holidays like Thanksgiving can sometimes cause an acute case of WPP otherwise known as wine pairing paralysis. With the cacophony of flavors and textures involved in a meal whose primary goal is to stuff oneself until bursting, what wine could possibly (1) complement the meal (2) appeal to a variety of palates and (3) not break the bank? Don’t fret, my fellow wine lovers, here are a few tips to help make the process a little easier for Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal.

When presented with dishes such as roasted turkey, caramelized onion and cornbread stuffing, cranberry compote, sweet potato casserole and Brussels sprouts at the same meal, the best wines to select (and guests too I might add) are those that “play nicely with others.” Choose wines that are fruit-forward with a food-friendly acidity that will not only stimulate your taste buds but “do no harm” to your already flavor filled meal. Hold off on tannic Cabernet Sauvignons or heavily oaked Chardonnays and opt instead for lighter style Rieslings, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

The same principles apply when trying to satisfy a variety of palates at your holiday gathering. Avoiding wines with harsh tannins and heavy oak influence is usually a good game plan. Select a fruity, approachable Cru Beaujolais or crisp, bubbly Spanish Cava to appease your guests. While universally appealing, these wines will also complement the flavors in your meal beautifully.

Thirdly, we all know holidays like Thanksgiving can involve feeding a small army of family and friends; however, finding an appropriate wine to serve doesn’t have to break the bank. Choose wines from regions known for producing great values at reasonable prices including Spain’s La Rioja, Chile’s Central Valley and France’s Beaujolais AOC to name a few. Save your Classified Growth Bordeaux and California cult collectibles for another occasion! Stock up on your favorite value wines and have them on hand when guests drop by for some “holiday cheer.”

Use the above principles to eliminate your wine pairing paralysis and get you through any holiday meal in style. Here are a few recommendations to get you started – Cheers and have a fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday!


1. J Vineyards “Cuvée 20” Brut Sparkling Wine NV $20
2. Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Riesling QbA Mosel 2009 $12
3. Castillo de Molina Chardonnay Reserva, Casablanca Valley 2009 $15
4. Bodegas Faustino VII Rioja 2007 $12
5. Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques 2009 $18
6. Viña San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah 2007 $25

Bon Appétit,
 

Perfect Prelude to a Meal: Baby Greens with Pears

After a long weekend visiting family in North Carolina, I am running a little behind on my cooking. That and the fact I had a dinner party on Saturday for which I have to admit I, um, made a recipe that wasn’t from "Savor the Moment." Gasp! In my defense, it was a recipe I had wanted to try for awhile - actually an adaptation of a recipe. I can’t go into detail because I am serving it next week at Bookclub. I’m hosting the meeting at my house and the book, you may ask, is Julia Child’s “My Life in France.” My plan is to make one of Julia’s recipes and one from "Savor the Moment" – and yes, in case your were wondering, there will be wine involved as well. Should be a fun night!
But I digress, back to Saturday’s dinner party. Even though the main course wasn’t from "Savor the Moment," the first course was. I chose the Baby Greens with Pears as a prelude to my experimental meal. We invited our good friends Chad & Jean who were very willing accomplices and taste-testers. They also brought some fabulous wine as well! I chose the salad because it includes some of my favorite things: pears and Gorgonzola cheese. I was also intrigued by the vinaigrette which called for walnut oil, cinnamon and balsamic vinegar. I had never used walnut oil before so I did purchase that but I already had everything else in my pantry. After assembling the vinaigrette the salad is really a cinch to prepare. Be sure to purchase your pears a day or so ahead so they are nice and ripe. I used the prepackaged Baby Romaine mix at Publix which was sooo convenient. As a pairing for the salad, we had a Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris, a white wine from Alsace, France. This dish needed something with a little sweetness to it to complement the tangy deliciousness of the cheese. A Riesling would also be a wonderful choice.

The Dish:
Baby Greens with Pears (pg. 121)

The Wine:
2004 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve, Alsace, France

I am happy to report the top secret, experimental dish turned out to be a big success and will definitely be making an appearance next week at Bookclub. The flavors of the salad also melded together beautifully: the sweetness of the pears together with the salty, tanginess of the cheese = fabulous! I loved the flavor of the walnut oil in the dressing too – it added a rich smoky, nutty flavor to the salad. The wine was also a nice pairing with subtle flavors of honey and starfruit with nutty overtones and nice acidity. In light of the yumminess of the salad I just might have to make it next Wednesday night too – we shall see. It really is a perfect prelude to a delicious dinner with friends.