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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 2015)
Page 4C EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE East Oregonian Saturday, November 28, 2015 'LQLQJZLWKORFDOVRQDYLVLWWR-DSDQ By DONNA BRYSON Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Some of my most treasured travel memories involve food. Like the time my husband and I went to what was billed as New Delhi’s best rumali roti stall, where we turned the hood of a car into a table so that the extrava- gantly thin and succulent ÀDWEUHDG FRXOG EH ZROIHG down before it cooled. Or the time I introduced my in-laws to a Johannesburg street vendor’s vetkoeks, slightly sweet, slightly sour dollops of fried dough. So when we were plan- ning a trip to Japan and my husband heard about EatWith.com, we knew we had to try it. EatWith links travelers to chefs and talented home cooks around the world to share a meal. It’s one of several sites, including EatFeastly, VizEat and PlateCulture, offering opportunities to dine infor- mally with locals. The price is set by the chef, typically comparable to a mid-range restaurant meal. We used EatWith to book a date with Shino Fukuyama, a marketing manager who loves to share her country’s cuisine and culture. I, my husband, our tween daughter, my father-in-law and his wife experienced what felt like a homestay for an evening. Fukuyama’s father was a foreign correspondent and their family lived in Mexico and South Korea. In 2002, her husband’s job took them to New York. They devoted much of their spare time to exploring restaurants with a Zagat guide. But it was a Thanksgiving dinner in the suburbs with the family of her husband’s co-worker that gave her a taste for sharing worlds over a meal in someone’s home. She studied how to teach sushi-making in 2010, and opened her home to visitors after Japan’s tourism industry began to revive following the 2011 tsunami. We scheduled our visit with Fukuyama toward the end of our stay in Japan’s capital. That gave us a few days to get to know our way around the city a bit before venturing by subway from the sleek Roppongi embas- AP Photo/Matthew Mead This Oct. 19 photo, shows four wines for under $15, from left to right, “Kungfu Girl,” a Columbia Valley Riesling from Washington state, “Zoe” Red Pelopon- nese, from Greece, Colome, from Argentina, and Colo- nia, also from Argentina. AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama In this Oct. 31 photo, Shino Fukuyama, standing, teaches U.S. and Swiss tourists how to roll sushi as she hosts a dinner at her home in Tokyo. Tourists can learn about sushi, kimonos and enjoy dining with locals thanks to EatWith.com, which links travelers to chefs and talented home cooks around the world. she wore a chic dress cut from an old kimono that she had ordered off the Internet. Once we got to Fukuyama’s house, we learned how to roll sushi XVLQJ ¿VK VKH KDG ERXJKW ahead of time. We also learned to set a Japanese table, with pottery handed down in Fukuyama’s family. Chopsticks are placed horizontally in front of diners, with the narrow ends that touch the food pointing left. AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama Dinner stretched from In this Oct. 31 photo, tourists are taught to make Ni- our sushi, mine inexpertly giri sushi with sushi rice, top left, and slices of fish, as rolled, to fruit cut into the they prepare dinner at the home of Shino Fukuyama rabbit shapes that doting in Tokyo. Japanese moms put in The supermarket was their kids’ bento boxes. sy-and-nightclub district where our hotel was located D ¿YHPLQXWH VWUROO WR We had plum pickled by home, a Yamauchi’s mother-in-law. to her more down-to-earth Fukuyama’s husband Meguro neighborhood in modern concrete box that Fukuyama’s ZDV D ¿WWLQJ VHWWLQJ IRU was out socializing with central Tokyo. Fukuyama and her her traditional touches — workmates, but he left us friend Akiko Yamauchi, an tatami mats, paper sliding a vegetable dish he had auction company art buyer, screens, minimal decor. prepared the night before. met us as we emerged from Along the way, Fukuyama The whale bacon, more a the subway station. They pointed out local land- textural experience than ¿UVWXVKHUHGXVWRDQHDUE\ marks. The Shinto shrine. anything else, didn’t clash supermarket, where they The liquor shop that’s with Fukuyama’s carefully answered questions about been in the same family curated menu. (I’ve never meats, vegetables and fruits for three generations. eaten a rubber ducky, but we had until then only The kimono consignment I imagine it tastes like the seen on restaurant menus. shop where we bought a whale bacon did.) After Fukuyama agreed to add delicately woven, lightly dinner, Fukuyama dressed whale bacon, spotted in used kimono. The textures, my 11-year-old daughter the prepared meat case by patterns and stories of fabric in a kimono, delighting her my husband, to our menu. make it, like food, one of grandfather. Fukuyama said such We would come to see how our family obsessions. It gracious that was when we turned out Fukuyama is a moments when she can realized just how meticu- kimono connoisseur. She surprise and charm her lously she had planned the and Yamauchi met in a guests, along with those evening. Fukuyama told kimono club, where people when she learns something me later she usually spends who like to look at and about another culture are two days preparing for her talk about the traditional among “the joys of my clothing gather. That night, life.” guests. Entertaining this holiday season? You need our cheese puffs By ALISON LADMAN Associated Press It’s holiday entertaining season, so we say bring on the fat and carbs! $IWHUDOOQDYLJDWLQJWKHPLQH¿HOG RIRI¿FHSDUWLHVDQGLQODZVDQGGLQQHU parties and cookie swaps (when you’d UDWKHUEHRQWKHFRXFKZLWK1HWÀL[ and a pint of ice cream) requires a bit of comfort food (not to mention a stiff drink, but that’s another recipe for another time). Still, if you’re entertaining, you can’t totally slack off. You just need to marry your need for fatty comforting carbs with something dressy enough to serve in polite company. So we give you blue cheese and mushroom cheese gougeres. Or just call them cheese puffs; they’re delicious no matter what you call them. They’re basically dough balls studded with chopped mushrooms and crumbled blue cheese. They are deli- cious right from the oven or at room temperature. And as an entertaining bonus, they can be prepped ahead and frozen on the baking sheet. Just add a few minutes baking time when you’re ready to cook them off. Blue cheese and mushrooms not AP Photo/Matthew Mead Blue cheese and mushroom gougeres. your style? Substitute pretty much any cheese you like, ditch the mushrooms, add fresh herbs or scallions. Whatever. It all works. And while your mother-in-law or boss may judge you, we promise to look the other way if you feel the need to power eat these like popcorn BLUE CHEESE & MUSHROOM GOUGERES 6WDUWWR¿QLVK 50 minutes 0DNHV 25 to 30 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided RXQFHVPL[HGPXVKURRPV¿QHO\FKRSSHG VKDOORWV¿QHO\FKRSSHG Kosher salt 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk Ground black pepper FXSDOOSXUSRVHÀRXU 4 eggs 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese Heat the oven to 400 F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium-high, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the mushrooms, shallots and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium, combine the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, the water, milk and a hefty pinch of each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, during the party. Our gougeres are a judgment-free zone. ——— Alison Ladman is a chef, food writer and recipe developer for The Associated Press. She also owns The Crust and Crumb Baking Company in Concord, New Hampshire. WKHQDGGWKHÀRXUDOODWRQFH6WLUULQJZLWKDZRRGHQ spoon, mix well and continue to cook until the mixture becomes a ball that separates from the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the dough ball into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between additions. Stir in the reserved mushroom mixture and the blue cheese. Scooping by the tablespoonful, place walnut-sized dollops on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 inches of space between each. Alternatively, transfer the dough into a large zip-close plastic bag. Snip off one of the lower corners and pipe (squeeze) the mixture into place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Nutrition information per serving: 70 calories; 45 calories from fat (64 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 70 PJVRGLXPJFDUERK\GUDWHJ¿EHUJVXJDUJ protein. Festive and frugal: Vine values under $15 By MICHELLE LOCKE Associated Press All we really want for Christmas? Help mastering the sweet spot of gifting wine during the holidays. We don’t want to spend too much. We don’t want to spend too little. We don’t want something so obscure that we leave our recipients befuddled. We don’t want something so common it is sold on grocery store endcaps. We want bottles with character and terroir. We want bottles that please the palate as much as the wallet. And that is the gifted wine sweet spot. And this is your answer: Our team of experts has come up with 15 knockout bottles that sell for around $15 to help you create a wine shopping list that’s easy to buy, easy to drink. Suggested picks span the world of winemaking regions, from New Mexico to the Old World. And if there is one theme to the recommendations it’s this: Drink global. “Look for wines from lesser-known wine regions such as those in Bulgaria, Turkey or Croatia,” says Mike DeSimone, who with Jeff Jenssen is author of the recently released book, “Wines of California.” “They’ve been making wines for centuries, and besides using European grape varieties they also make single varietals and blends from indigenous varieties. It’s a great way to learn about new grapes.” Alder Yarrow, founder and editor of the popular wine site Vinography.com also recommends looking afar. “Once upon a time, California abounded with sub-$15 wines, but these days it more resembles a desert populated by sparse and prickly wines that I don’t really feel like drinking. Contrast that with the incredible number of reasonably priced imports coming from Greece, France, Chile, Argentina and more, and you have to feel sorry for most American winemakers,” he says. One domestic wine did make it on to Yarrow’s list — the 2014 Charles Smith “Kung Fu Girl” Columbia Valley Riesling from Wash- ington state, an emerging wine region that offers quite a few undiscovered values. He also recommends the 2014 Skouras “Zoe” Red Peloponnese, from Greece and the 2014 Bodegas Colome Torrontes Valle Calchaqui Salta from Argen- tina. Two French wines made the list, with one being the 2014 Chateau de Fontenille Bordeaux Blanc recommended by Ray Isle, executive wine editor of Food & Wine magazine. His other two suggestions, both from Italy, were the 2014 Capezzana Barco Reale and one sparkler, the NV (non vintage) Rotari Brut. 2QH WLS IRU ¿QGLQJ UHGV that won’t land you in the red is to experiment with new grape varieties, advises Jonathan Alsop, founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School. ³6RPHWLPHV \RX ¿QG JUHDW values in wine grapes no one has ever heard of before, like gaglioppo.” He recommends the 2013 Enotria “Ciro” Gaglioppo from Campania in southern Italy. Light red in color, it’s “very juicy and easy to drink.” Complete list of the wines: • Charles Smith “Kung Fu Girl” Columbia Valley Riesling 2014 • Skouras “Zoe” Red Peloponnese, Greece 2014 • Bodegas Colome Tor- rontes Valle Calchaquí Salta, Argentina 2014 • Chateau de Fontenille Bordeaux Blanc 2014 • Capezzana Barco Reale 2014 • NV Rotari Brut • Enotria “Ciro” Ga- glioppo 2013 • Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda 2013 • NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs Brut • Owen Roe “Lenore” Syrah, Washington • Pala “I Fiori” Vermen- tino, Italy, 2013 • Domaine Deupre Mor- gon Vignes de 1935, France, 2012 • Chateau Burgozone Viognier, Bulgaria • Enjingi Grasevina, Croatia • Vinkara Doruk Na- rince, Turkey Rounding out his picks were the 2013 Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda from Argentina. Bonarda, a red grape, is “the next red wine from Argentina you’re going to be drinking after you grow weary of Malbec,” Alsop predicts. And from the United States he recommends NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs Brut from New Mexico. “Gruet is the best value sparkling wine in the USA from the unlikely hills above Albuquerque.” If \RX FDQ¶W ¿QG WKH %ODQF GH Noirs at the $15 price point, the lower-priced Gruet Brut also is a good choice. One more U.S. wine made the cut, the Owen Roe “Lenore” Syrah from Columbia Valley, Wash- ington, recommended by David Kravitz, beverage manager of The Smith restaurants in New York City. Loaded with “wild blackberries, pepper, African violets and a hint of bacon,” the Syrah is a perfect burger wine, he says. His other choices are the 2013 Pala “I Fiori” Vermentino from Sardinia, Italy, and the 2012 Domaine Deupre Morgon Vignes de 1935, a French red from the Beaujolais region. For the intrepid, Jenssen and DeSimone have some picks that may take a little hunting down. Chateau Burgozone Viognier from Bulgaria — “aromas of orange zest and pineapple, ZLWK ÀDYRUV RI FLWUXV DQG stone fruits. It’s great as an aperitif before dinner or at a stand up cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres,” says Jenssen. The two like Enjingi Grasevina from Kutjevo in Croatia’s north. A white wine made from 100 percent Grasevina grapes, it’s light and fruity and pairs perfectly with lighter holiday recipes, says DeSimone. Another option, he says, is Vinkara Doruk Narince, a “crisp clean white wine from Turkey made from 100 percent Narince grapes.” So make that wine list, check it twice — and don’t forget to slip a bottle or two in your own Christmas stocking. After all, notes Kravitz, “there is no greater joy, when it comes to wine, WKDQ ¿QGLQJ D ERWWOH WKDW has depth, shows a sense of place and that you can afford on any given night.”
