Book Reviews: Taking Mystery Out of Pairing Food, Wine
Post-Tribune
Sep 18, 2008
"Williams-Sonoma Wine & Food: A New Look at Flavor," by Joshua Wesson ( Free Press, 2008, $29.95)
Matching food with wine can be a baffling, if not intimidating, experience. Just as toothpaste residue will sour the morning orange juice, the wrong wine can undermine an otherwise great entree.
Joshua Wesson, who founded a chain of wine stores organized by style, organizes his book the same way -- to the benefit of anyone looking to demystify wine pairing.
He explains not only why chardonnay is a rich white, but why it works alongside a fresh corn soup with shiitake mushrooms.
To complement his Nicoise Salad With Seared Tuna, with its fresh and salty elements, he smartly recommends pouring a French rose with herbal aromas and fruit flavors.
Though the book includes only 50 recipes, it's worth the money for a chart at the beginning that can guide someone cooking say, shrimp, through possible wine matches and then, depending on the recipe, to a bottle that's a near-sure thing.
"Wine Country Cooking," by Joanne Weir (Ten Speed Press, 2008, $22.50)
If Joshua Wesson's book tilts more toward wine tutorial, Joanne Weir's has the foodie's interests at heart.
She leaps into more than 200 pages of recipes, dishes inspired by California's lush wine country.
Though Weir thoughtfully recommends drinking a chablis with her lemon-and-shrimp risotto, or a Cotes du Rhone with the veal chops, the plate itself is clearly what thrills her.
She's interested in seasonal cooking and incorporating into recipes the tomatoes, lemons, nuts and herbs thriving near vineyards.
Her Feta-and-Olive Crostini lent an earthy, fresh start to a light, summer dinner. She suggests sipping a prosecco alongside, a refreshing choice.
"Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave With Wines to Match," by Cathy and Tony Mantuano (Clarkson Potter, 2008, $27.50)
Cathy and Tony Mantuano want to take readers on a tipsy bar hop through Europe, stopping for snacks in Milan, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Athens, Greece; and Lisbon, Portugal. The concept of pairing is an afterthought here. The authors just want readers to taste wine bar menus from city to city.
With this book, readers could arrange an Italian, Spanish or Greek cocktail party, but they probably would walk away unsure if they should serve Rioja with the Mantuanos' Catalonian Pizza.
That said, I successfully rolled the dice and drank prosecco with Whipped Feta and Roasted Red-Pepper Spread.
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