A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY - IN PRAISE OF BACCHUS

WHITE WINE AND TONKA POACHED PEARS WITH SABLÉS BRETONS & BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE - POIRES POCHÉES AU VIN BLANC ET A LA FÈVE TONKA, SABLÉS BRETONS ET SAUCE ANGLAISE AU CARAMEL

Christmas doesn't come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more...
- Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

For the majority of people winter is synonymous of bitter cold nightmare, endless suffering and depression. Most of them wish it would never exist and fear it like the pest as during this contemplative period reality tends to look even grimmer and lack of activity forces them reflect on their existence. Artificiality and shameless consumption is what gets them through this difficult period (a form of escapism), hence if it were not for the overly unspiritual end-of-year craze disguised as religious and social celebration which takes place in December, many of them would blow a gasket.

Me on the other hand, I love absolutely everything about the white season, however I don't place importance on such hollow festivities. I know that my straight-forward affirmations might sound a little harsh and nuts to you, but I'd rather stay away from the whole modern time Xmas commercial shebang and be warmly packed in a few layers of clothes than glorifying consumption and sweating like a pig in a blanket! Heat and meaningless jubilations kill me whereas honest meditation and low temperatures fill my soul with light as well as envigorate and stimulate me.

And it's not because I reject what our contemporary society outrageously worships and have heathen-style beliefs (however, I don't belong to any movement) that I can be hastily categorized as an individual who is hopeless, lost, frustrated, cynical or bitter. I mean, why should I accept rapacious greed, bleak materialism, repugnating fakeness and hideous vacuity when these are all negative "values" which dangerously threaten our civilization and are the reason for the human race's deplorable downfall? I could never forgive myself for following the masses and tolerating a way of life that is contrary to (my true) nature and totally disharmonious.

Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't feel. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't understand.
- IAMX, The Unfied Field

Don't misunderstand me, though. Like each of you, I take immense pleasure in covering my loved ones and friends with gifts, spending hours in the kitchen baking cookies as well as cooking up a storm and feasting on good food. I'd be a hypocrite to declare the contrary. It's just that I am less superficial and have a different and more reflective approach to Yuletide than highly conforming folks (read this post and this one to learn more about what it represents to me).

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ring Out, Wild Bells

For me Yule, which coincides with the winter solstice (midwinter), is primeraly a day during which we begin a mystical journey into our inner self and are reminded of the Universe's greatness and of our humble place in it. This is a moment when we should all refocus on our true essence and remember that we are not at the center of everything and that the world doesn't revolve around us. Mankind is not almighty; we are an integral part of the cosmos and occupy a tiny, tiny part in the Grand Design of things. Hence, we cannot "play God" and live like careless inhabitants on this planet or else the cosmic balance will be broken and sooner or later we'll have to face the consequences of our actions...

In my house, nothing exhuberant happens, but joy is at the rendez-vous, Jack Frost is glorified, the return of light is blessed and relaxed birthday carousing takes place. P. and I light candles, rejoice over our traditional English Christmas meal (bacon-basted turkey, Brussel sprouts, sage and onion bread stuffing, creamy mashed spuds and real gravy) and exchange a few presents. A peaceful, intimate and casual fete that reflects my personality.

So, being a person who enjoys simplicity and doesn't need luxury or pompousness to feel fulfilled and overjoyed, the holiday dessert I am presenting here today is in my image too; a graceful combination of sophistication and sobriety. This refined and ambrosial, yet modest as well as fuss-free sweet treat is just perfect for ending a feast on a fresh, light, fruity, gleeful and magical note.

The wish is old, the wish is true:  A merry Christmas to you my friends!

White Wine & Tonka Poached Pears With Sablés Bretons And Butterscotch Sauce
Recipe for the "White Wine Poached Pears" as well as the "Butterscotch Sauce" by Rosa Mayland, November/December 2012 and recipe for the "Sablés Bretons" adapted from "La Cuisine De Mercotte".

Serves 6.

Ingredients For The "Poached Pears":
6 Pears,  peeled & cored (from the base)
1200ml Water
250ml White wine (sweet or dry)
1 3/4 Cups Castor sugar
1/3 Tsp Ground tonka
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, splitted)
Ingredients For The "Sablés Bretons":
75g Powder sugar
2 Egg yolks
75g Unsalted butter, at room temperature and softened
100g Flour, sieved
5g Baking powder
A pinch of fine sea salt
Ingredients For The "Butterscotch Sauce":
1 Quantity Butterscotch sauce (recipe here)

Method For The "Poached Pears":
1. In a big pan, combine the water, wine, sugar, tonka and vanilla.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring.
3. Place the pears in the poaching liquid and cover with a circle of baking paper (with a hole in the center - to let the steam escape) that fits snugly over the fruits.
4. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the pears are tender.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and let the pears cool in their liquid.

Method For The "Sablés Bretons":
6. Using a hand whisk, beat the sugar together with the yolks, until the mixture is foamy, pale yellow and falls from the beater in a ribbon.
7. Add the softened butter and whisk in order to obtain a smooth mixture.
8. With the help of a spatula, incorporate the flour and baking powder and salt (the mixture should be homogenous and ressemble a paste).
9. In plastic wrap, roughly flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/2 cm (0.2 inches) and refrigerate for several hours (at least 2 hours).
10. Cut out 8 rounds of pastry using 7cm (2.8 inches) non-buttered/greased stainless steel rings.
11. Place each pastry round on a baking tray covered with baking paper or a silpat and bake with the rings (!!!) at 170° C (338° F) for about 20 minutes.
12. Cool on a rack and then carefully unmold. 
Method For "Assembling The Dessert":
13. Put one shortbread on each plate, then place a drained pear on top of it and drizzle with lukewarm butterscotch sauce.
14. Serve.

Remarks:
I used "Belle Hélène" pears, but you can also use "Bosc" or "Anjou" pears.
White wines such as "Gewurzraminer", "Riesling", "Sauvignon Blanc", "Champagne", "Clairette De Die" or "Sauterne" are perfect for paoching the pears.
The "Sablés Bretons" MUST be made by hand - no electric mixer should be employed.
The characteristic look of "Sablés Bretons" is obtained by not buttering/greasing the molds.
There is an excess of two "Sablés Bretons". Those might come in handy if one shortbread happens to get broken or looks not very presentable.
Serve the finished dessert immediately, otherwise the "Sablés Bretons" will get soggy.

Serving suggestions:

Serve at the end of your meal with dessert wine (Sauternes, Muscat, Tokaji, etc...) or spakling wine (Champagne, Clairette de Die, Moscato d'Asti, etc...). 

Poires Pochées Au Vin Blanc Et A La Fève Tonka, Sablés Bretons Et Sauce Anglaise Au Caramel

Recette pour les "Poires Pochées Au Vin Blanc Et A la Fève Tonka" ainsi que pour la "Butterscotch Sauce" par Rosa Mayland, novembre/décember 2102 et la recette pour les "Sablés Bretons" adaptée de "La Cuisine De Mercotte".

Pour 6 personnes. 
 
Ingrédients Pour Les "Poires Pochées":
6 Poires,  pelées et évidées (depuis la base)
1200ml d'Eau
250ml de Vin blanc (doux ou sec)
210g de Sucre cristallisé
1/3 CC de Fève de tonka moulue
2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure (ou une gousse de vanille ouverte)
Ingrédients Pour Les "SabLés Bretons":
75g de Sucre en poudre
2 Jaunes d'oeufs
75g de Beurre non-salé, à température ambiante et en pommade
100g de Farine, tamisée
5g de Poudre à lever/pâte
Une pincée de sel de mer fin
Ingredients Pour La "Butterscotch Sauce":
1 Quantité de Butterscotch sauce (recette ici)

Méthode Pour Les "Poires Pochées":
1. Dans une grande casserole, mélanger ensemble l'eau, le vin, le sucre, la vanille et la poudre de fève tonka.
2. Amener à ébullition tout en remuant.
3. Placer les poires dans le liquide de pochage et recouvrir les fruits avec un disque de papier sulfurisé (avec un trou en son centre afin de laisser la vapeur s'échapper).
4. Faire mijoter à feu doux et laisser cuire pendant 20 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce que les poires soient tendres.
5. Retirer la casserole du feu et laisser refroidir les poires dans leur liquide. 

Méthode Pour Les "SabLés Bretons":
7. Au fouet et à la main (très important!), blanchir les jaunes d'oeufs avec le sucre en poudre jusqu'à obtention d'un appareil blanc et onctueux.
8. Incorporer le beurre pommade et lisser le mélange.
9. Tamiser dessus la farine et la levure chimique, puis ajouter une pincée de sel et travailler à la spatule pour obtenir une pâte homogène. 
10. Aplatir la pâte grossièrement sur une épaisseur d’1/2 cm dans du papier film ou du papier guitare et laisser reposer au réfrigérateur pendant quelques heures (au moins 2 heures).
11. Détailler 8 disques de 7 cm de diamètre à l’aide de cercles à pâtisserie non beurrés et cuire ces sablés avec les cercles pendant environ 20 minutes à 170° C.
12. Laisser tiédir sur grille puis les démouler délicatement .
Méthode Pour "L'assemblage Du Dessert"":
13. Poser un sablé sur chaque assiette, puis déposer une poire égouttés sur celui-ci et arroser de butterscotch sauce tiède.
14. Servir.

Remarques:
Pour la confection de ce dessert j'ai utilisé des poires "Belle Hélène", mais vous pouvez aussi utiliser des poires "Bosc" ou "Anjou".
Des vins blancs tels que le "Gewurzraminer", "Riesling", "Sauvignon Blanc", "Champagne", la "Clairette De Die" ou le "Sauternes" sont parfaits pour pocher vos poires.
Les "Sablés Bretons" DOIVENT être préparés à la main - pas de batteur électrique doit être employé. 
Le fait de ne pas beurrer les moules va donner ce look si caractéristique des sablés bretons. 
Vous obtiendrez deux "Sablés Bretons" excédentaires. Ce n'est pas grave car ils pourraient vous être utiles si l'un de vos shortbreads venait à se casser ou à n'être pas très présentable.
Une fois le dessert assemblé, servir immédiatement car il y a un risque que les "Sablés Bretons" se ramollissent sous l'effet de l'humidité de la poire.

Suggestions d'accompagnement:
Servir à la fin de votre repas avec un vin de dessert (Sauternes, Muscat, Tokaji, etc ..) ou du vin mousseux (Champagne, Clairette de Die, Moscato d'Asti, etc ..).

DARDAGNY, A PLACE WHERE WINE & BEAUTY MEET

In my photography post last week I talked about a little village called Russin which is situated in the largest wine-growing area in the Canton Geneva. Well once we had walked around it's streets, admired the pretty country houses and eaten our cold mini pizzas, we decided to hike (3kms one way - plan here) through the vineyards in the direction of another quaint yet slightly bigger place called Dardagny...

So, we strolled along a sinewy hill that led us down into a valley where the river Allondon flows peacefully towards the Rhône, went up a hill covered with steep fiery-red vineyards and headed for the idyllic Dardagny (pictures 4,5 & 6).

Dardagny is not only a village, but also a commune which is situated on a tiny hill at 495m above sea level and has about 1316 inhabitants. There, the vineyards are spread on harsh slopes, many different types of cereals grow on the plateaus and vast hardwoods spread till the foot of the Jura mountains.

One thing that is striking upon arriving in Dardagny is the amount of private wine cellars where you have the opportunity to buy and sample the local pruducts. Everywhere you turn your head there's either one cavern on your left or right! The wine tradition is so big in the region and many very good wines are produced there (Reds: Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamaret, Zinfandel & Garanoir, all oaked or unoaked/Whites: Chasselas, Aligoté, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc & Viognier). After all Geneva is a canton that has about hundred wineries producing a range of high-quality wines (8-12 million litres of wine annually)...

Visit Robert's blog ("Lamiacucina", in German). He reviews some wine from Dardagny.

ITALIAN WINE BISCUITS - BISCUITS AU VIN

Not long ago, I bought a couple of cheeses (Red Leicester & Welsh Mature Cheddar) from "Jim's British Market", a British supermarket situated in neighboring France (Saint Genis-Pouilly). As it is not a delicacy we can eat on a weekly basis, we wanted to enjoy those yummy cheeses with a good glass of wine and the appropriate accompaniment...

I also had two wonderful jellies - Green Jalapeño Jelly From Texas, USA & Vin Santo Jelly from Italy - that I wanted to serve together with some good semi-hard gourmet cheese, it was the perfect opportunity to bake savory lush crackers. So, knowing that my "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Companion" contains many great cracker/biscuit ideas, it was without surprise that I found what I was looking for. As expected, the baked goods I made were very successful and turned out right; KAF's recipes are always a safe bet,

Considering the fact that pepper and Porto go very well with Cheddar-style cheeses, it was self-evident that KAF's sophisticated "Italian Wine Biscuits" ("Biscotti Di Vino" in Italian) would be the perfect pairing. Needless to say that we were delighted by their wonderful taste and pleasant texture.

Those dense and bready "Italian Wine Biscuits" are a bit like a cross between crackers (not as hard and flat, though) and scones (not as soft and fluffy either). They are crisp, semisweet biscuits which have a addictive, yet non overpowering peppery fragrance, subtle flavors of red wine and a delicate touch of salt. Terrific!

~ Italian Wine Biscuits ~
Recipe by The King Arthur Flour.

Yields about 32 biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups (10 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Coarsely ground black pepper
4 to 6 Tbs (1 3/4 to 2 1/2 ounces) Sugar, to taste
1 Tsp Sea salt
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Cup + 2 Tbs (5 ounces) Good dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon (non-alcoholic is fine)
1/4 Cup (1 3/4 ounces) Vegetable oil

Method:
1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, pepper, sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wine and vegetable oil.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well till the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute (see remarks).
4. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
5. Break off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut (about 3/4 oun ce), and roll it into a ball. Poke a hole in the middle of the ball to make a small "bagel-shaped" biscuit.
6. Place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Bake the biscuits in a preheated 180° C (350° F) oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until they're golden brown (they'll actually look kind of purple; that's OK).
8. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Remarks:
The greater amount of sugar will make a biscuit which is just about as sweet as a cookie; the lesser amount will yield a more "savory-type" biscuit.
I added a little more wine to the mixture which turned out to be a bit too dry.
You can also just roll the pastry (1.3cm/0.5 inch) and cut out rounds or squares.
Store those biscuits (at room temperature) in airtight containers for 3-4 days.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with cheese (perfect with Cheddar, Fontina or Pecorino), jalapeño jelly and with wine, grape juice spritzer, lemon-scented club soda or sangria.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Biscuits Italiens Au Vin Rouge ~
Recette par The King Arthur Flour.

Pour 32 biscuits.

Ingrédients:
320g Farine blanche
2 CC Poivre noir, moulu grossièrement
4 à 6 Tbs (60 à 90g) de Sucre, selon goût
1 CC de Sel de mer
2 CC de Poudre à lever
150g/ml Vin rouge sec de qualité (Cabernet Sauvignon/sans alcool convient aussi)
53g d'Huile végétale

Méthode:
1. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble la farine, le poivre, le sucre, le sel et la poudre à lever.
2. Dans un autre bol, battre ensemble le vin avec l'huile.
3. Ajouter le mélange liquide au mélange sec et mélanger vigoureusement pendant 1 minute afin d'obtenir une pâte souple (voir remarques).
4. Emballer la pâte dans un film plastique et mettre au frigo pendant 1 heure ou toute une nuit.
5. Abaisser la pâte (1.3cm épaisseur) et découper des ronds (7cm) avec un emporte-pièce. Vous pouvez aussi découper des biscuits en forme de "bagel".
6. Mettre les biscuits sur la plaque de cuisson recouverte de papier sulfurisé.
7. Cuire les biscuits à 180° C (350° F) dans un four préchauffé pendant 35 to 40 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce que les biscuits soient joliment "dorés".
8. Retirer du four et faire refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Si vous utilisez 90g de sucre, alors vos biscuits seront aussi sucrés que des cookies. Si vous ajoutez très peu de sucre vos biscuits seront plus salés (tels des crackers). a vous de choisir la quantité de sucre désirée.
J'ai dû rajouter un peu de vin car la pâte était un peu sèche.
Ces biscuits se conservent très bien 3 à 4 jours dans une boîte hermétiquement fermée.

Idées de présentation:
Ces biscuits sont délicieux avec du fromage (parfaits avec du Cheddar, de la Fontina ou du Pecorino) et de la gelée de piment jalapeño ou servis à l'apéritif avec du vin, de la sangria ou des cocktails.

"SELECTION ALEXANDER VON ESSEN" WINES

Today, I am not going to talk about food, but about wine. Often referred to as the "Juice of the Gods" (for obvious reasons), it is the perfect accompaniment to any delicous dish and the icing on the cake when having a wonderful meal...

Some time ago we have discovered "Selection Alexander Von Essen" (see link in German/contains more info) wines and have not been disappointed by any of the bottles we have bought and which were tagged with that "brand" as they are all phenomenal vintages!

The German-based importer Baron Alexander Von Essen has transformed his passion into a rewarding career as a wine dealer. In the 80´s, he had the great idea to to offer wine lovers a special selection of excellent wines fom Europe (Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Spain) and the New World (South America & South Africa). So, he decided to incite the greatest winemakers to vinify the grapes from the best plots of land separately and to create top-grade cuvees for him.

Baron Alexander Von Essen likes to discover new regional wines and believes that the most expensive wines aren't always the best and that more affordable ones can also be as interesting. For him the culture of wine shows a fascination for nature and he shows as much interest for traditional winemakers as for newcomers...

The design of his bottles is also very important, because, on the outside, the packaging is the only thing that sets a bottle apart from the others. In his opinion, the bottle, the label and the appearance should correspond to the quality of the wine. That is why the packaging of all "Selection Alexander Von Essen" wines has been designed by himself.

Tasted and highly recommended wines:

• Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Mariposa / Los Vascos, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Chili)
• Chardonnay Cuvée Orchidée / Château L’ Hospitalet, Gérard Bertand (France)
• Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée Orchidée / Château L’ Hospitalet , Gérard Bertand (France)
• Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOC "Vigneto Caplot" / Azienda Canova (Italy)
• Ripasso Rivolo / Masi (Italy)
• Südtiroler Lagrein 'Abtei' DOC / Muri-Gries (Italy)
• Pinotage / Bouwland (South Africa)
• Eternity Chardonnay / Buitenverwachting (South Africa)
• Sauvignon Blanc Coastal / Buitenverwachting (South Africa)