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You can never be sure what to expect when you open an older bottle of wine–especially white wine.  So many modern wines just aren’t meant to age in the first place, and so many things can happen to the bottle to kill a wine that might have survived otherwise, temperature fluctuation being at the top of the list.  So when I open a bottle of older white wine and find something charming, I’m especially pleased.

Throwing Gruner Veltliner into this equation improves the odds–it’s a very age-able white grape, and naturally quite delightful.  I had a funny bottle around, and so decided to open it to go with my chicken pot pie for dinner (winter comfort food is dominating the menu right now, and with another foot of accumulation forecast for tomorrow, I may keep that up).  The 2005 Wimmer Czerny Weelfel Gruner Veltliner Alte Gruben turned out to be sweeter than I expected, but still delicious: candied melon, with honey and lemon hints, with enough acidity to balance the sugar.  Immensely enjoyable!

Gruner is my favorite grape to pair with vegetarian food, and goes very well with a lot of seafood and chicken as well.  And I have a special fondness for grapes that are hard to pronounce.  Cheers!

The Bitter Truth Bitters are now available in our fair city, which is a very exciting prospect.  Bitters are a wonderful component not only of cocktails, but of cooking, and the flavors in this new brand are intense and wonderful.  The most unusual flavor in this new batch is Celery Bitters.  I’ve used them more for cooking so far–savory cocktails are not my specialty–but did want to do a tasting with Martinis.

I love a good Martini–I prefer mine with two parts gin to one part Dolin Dry Vermouth.  Hendrick’s is a favorite of mine, though I know many gin purists who seriously disagree with that opinion.  While recommending options for using celery bitters in a Martini to customers, I was surprised by how many recommended using Hendrick’s.  Infused with cucumber and rose, I prefer to play up the floral elements, or contrast it with citrus.  I was more inclined to use a more classically styled gin, like Bombay or Plymouth.

As I had both Plymouth and Hendrick’s on my bar, I decided to give them both a try.  I made two Martinis, identical but for the gin: two parts gin, one part dry vermouth, and 2-3 dashes celery bitters.  While the one using Hendrick’s was still good, the flavors of the celery bitters overwhelmed the milder gin, and many of its subtle flavors were lost.  The strength of the Plymouth was perfectly matched by the bitters, and was kicked up when I added a garnish of sliced baby dill gherkins.

Sadly, the Boeuf Bourgignon turned out to be a total loss, burning to a crisp.  I’ll have to try that again.  It certainly killed my cooking buzz, so I’m happy there’s leftover Sweet Potato and Pork Shepherd’s Pie from last night.

Based on a recipe from an Andrew Schloss cookbook, this sounded like a fun variation on a dish I love.  I find sweet potatoes a bit much on their own, so I mixed them half and half with rutabaga when I made the mash for the topping, smoothed by a mix of butter and plain yogurt, which gives it a nice tang.  I cut the pork loin into bite sized pieces and sauteed them in olive oil with sage, thyme, cumin, and a bit of salt and pepper.  When they were nicely browned I transferred them to the casserole dish, then added a diced onion to the saute pan.  When it was almost translucent I added about a cup of sherry, more thyme and sage, and lots of dashes of The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters.  When it reduced a bit, I stirred in about 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, and immediately poured it over the pork.  I spooned the mash on top, sprinkled parmesan over the mash, then baked it at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until the parmesan had browned.  Delicious!

So while my original dinner plans ended in devastation, I will be comforted by leftover Shepherd’s Pie, and by opening a great bottle of wine to go with it: Jerome Chezeaux Bourgogne Rouge 2005.

I love cooking while I’m snowed in.  There’s close to two feet on the ground outside, and it’s still falling.  I have absolutely no interest in being out in that (Washington is betraying me this winter!), and love the extra free time to try new recipes.  Luckily my refrigerator is fully stocked with what I need for my first attempt at a classic: Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourgignon.

I love Julia Child.  My first attempt at a roast leg of lamb was made with the help of one of her more recent cookbooks, The Way to Cook, that I checked out of the library.  Mastering the Art of French Cooking would be my choice if I had to choose only one cookbook to use.  I admire her for not only her talent as a chef, but for discovering it later in life, and for being a loud American who the French loved.

While braising is one of my favorite techniques for working with meat, I have never attempted this classic.  It’s currently simmering away in my oven, and I can’t wait for dinner.  I’m also mildly injured from the experience, with multiple burns from spitting fat while the bacon, and then the beef, were sauteing.  More to follow after dinner, once I’ve tasted it.