Southwestern Fare Spices Up Wine-pairing Dinner

Subtle spice and layered flavors accented the Southwestern Wine-pairing Dinner at Ingredients Cafe on Tuesday, May 30. While a themed dinner may seem confining for some cooks, Chefs Ben and Tony used the Southwestern umbrella as a means to concentrate their talents. The result was a memorable dinner brimming with local color and fun twists to traditional cuisine. Paustis Wine Representative Angela Weekly searched near and far to find wines to complement the dinner’s varied flavors. Her choices paired perfectly with each of the five courses.
The meal started with something light, but fiery. The Jicama, Strawberry and Baby Spinach Salad was dressed with a powerful Lemon Garlic Dressing and a pat of St. Peter’s Blue Cheese Custard. The crunch of the jicama enlivened the tart medley of berries and tender spinach. The tangy dressing’s garlic component gave the sauce a hot undercurrent. It was tamed by the Hop Kiln 1,000 Flowers wine from Sonoma. Angela explained it was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling wines, giving it the scent of a fine perfume and a dignified flavor. Like an ordinary looking geode that needs to be cracked open to see its luster, the second course’s Cumin Dusted Ahi Tuna was the color of a jewel at the center. The cumin released a dusky flavor that acted as a go-between for the mild tuna and the rich Roasted Garlic Sweet Potato Puree and herby Green Goddess Dressing.
The third plate was the highlight of the evening: a Mexican Platter with a Chicken Taco, Refried Beans, Green Chili and Avocado Relish. It was a decadent dish, rich with smoky flavors and vibrant colors. The bright green chili sauce was swirled around a satisfyingly crispy tortilla mounded with shredded chicken, crunchy Iceberg Lettuce and crumbled White Cheese. If the entire dinner had consisted of only this plate, I think a lot of us would still have gone home happy. Angela poured a special wine for this course: a Mont Gras Carmenere Reserva from Chile. She said that it was believed the Carmenere Bordeaux grape varietal was lost when it succumbed to blight in France.	Mexican Platter with a Chicken Taco, Refried Beans, Green Chili and Avocado Relish
Unbeknownst to the Mont Gras vineyard, when they imported their plants, a few Carmenere vines were in the shipment. Its life in the rocky soil of South America has brought about a sharp wine that awakened the flavors of the tuna and sweet potato. To counter this robust dish, Angela poured a Faustino V Reserva Rioja from Spain. It is a sweet smelling wine with a cherry red color. On the tongue, it just burst with berries, which enhanced the cumin in the refried beans.
Perched atop a block of creamy No Husk Tamale, the Pan Roasted Beef Sirloin was literally dripping when it was brought to the table for the fourth course. The robust yet somehow fruity Horseradish Steak Sauce played an interesting counterpoint to the “Simply Mango” strips laid across the top of the steak. The blend of spices, textures and heat made this a fascinating dish. Patrons were served a wine that broke through the expectation that a rich meat requires a heavy wine to stand up to it. Instead, Angela poured a Chateau de Pierreux Brouilly from France. It, too, was full of berries and seemed to draw out a chocolate undercurrent from the steak sauce. The theme of sweet, tart, spice and warmth carried on into the finale. Chef Ben served us a comforting Mexican Coffee Cake with a lime-laced Avocado Ice Cream drizzled with Vanilla Bean Gastrique and Butterscotch. The gastrique was a clear, sweet syrup containing a suspension of microscopic vanilla seeds.	Pan Roasted Beef Sirloin with No Husk Tamale, Horseradish Steak Sauce and "Simply Mango."
The cake had a light coating of sugar crumbles across the top, and it was the perfect consistency to soak up the decadent butterscotch. The Hogue Late Harvest Riesling from Washington smelled of bergamot oil and accented the vanilla flavors. It finished with a refreshing zing, that was not unpleasantly sour at all. It was a wonderful way to end the evening. Next month our Wine-pairing Dinner will be an “Evening of Summer Seafood,” 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 27. Make your reservations early.	Mexican Coffee Cake, Avocado Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Gastrique and Butterscotch