Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Are you a mustard lover? Are you intrigued about the history of mustard and its myriad of styles and flavors? Would you like to learn much more about mustard?

Ken Zuckerman, the "Mustard Maestro," will be teaching a one-night course through Needham Community Education on Wednesday, October 16, from 7-9pm. Ken is the Head of Marketing for a local artisanal food distributor and a passionate devotee of all things vinegary & fermented. He's also on the board of the National Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, which sports a collection of over 6800 mustards, and which for the past 30+ years has conducted the Worldwide Mustard Competition featuring 500 entries facing off in 19 different categories.

The description of the class: "Mustard comes in so many colors and consistencies, not to mention flavors, that there is literally a mustard to please every taste and palette. Spend a fun, interesting and tasty evening sampling a wide variety of mustards, paired with complementary accompaniments, including cheeses and cured meats. Taste the difference between Pommery and Dijon, deli style vs. spicy brown, Bavarian vs. British, and coarse-grained vs. whole seed. You will also learn about the condiment’s history, how it is grown and processed, its nutritional attributes, its legacy in medicine as heralded by Hippocrates, and even mustard’s distinguished place in advertising and pop culture."

There is literally a mustard to please every taste and palette, even if you think mustard is not for you.

The cost of the class is $45 per person, and to register for the class, go HERE.

2) As I recently mentioned,  Chateau Musar, located in Lebanon, is a superb winery and I've long been a fan of their delicious and exciting wines. Local wine lovers now have another rare opportunity to experience an interesting range of their wines.  

On Monday, October 21, starting at 6:30pm, Abe & Louie’s will welcome Marc Hochar, third generation winemaker of Lebanon’s Chateau Musar, to the Back Bay. Chateau Musar, a winery located in Ghazir, was the first producer in Lebanon to achieve organic certification for its own vineyards in 2006. The Hochar family’s 220 hectares of Musar vineyards, hand-harvested by local Bedouins between August and October, hold a philosophy of respect for the environment managed with minimal interference.

Hochar will team up with Abe & Louie’s executive chef, Mark Mariano, in presenting a Mediterranean-inspired menu. During the reception, the 2022 Musar Jeune Rosé will be complemented by the chef’s selection of passed hors d’oeuvres. The first course is lamb carpaccio with harissa aioli, pickled beets and mint paired with a 2000 Chateau Musar Rouge. Moving to the entrée, oenophiles will sip two standouts from the collection – the 1997 Chateau Musar Rouge and a 2017 Chateau Musar Blanc – while indulging in “land and sea,” a petite filet and baked-stuffed lobster tail with creamed spinach and root vegetable pave. For dessert, there’s a chocolate olive oil cake with blackberry compote and house whipped mascarpone served alongside L’Arack de Musar, the vineyard’s aniseed-flavored spirit.

The cost for this wine dinner is $195 per person (which does not include tax or gratuity). Reservations required in advance via Tock. This event is reserved for ages 21+ with proper ID.

3) The Blue Ox, in Lynn, will be holding a French wine dinner on Wednesday, October 16, starting at 6pm. You will enjoy a multi-course meal by Chef Abel Lemus featuring featuring wines from the Jack Edwards Collection of Burgundy & Bordeaux. The Menu is as follows:

Reception
2022 Deux Roches Mâcon Villages Tradition
1st Course
2022 Jean-Yves Bretaudeau Muscadet L'Envol
Trio de Fruits de Mer, salmon tartare, oysters with citrus granita, chilled poached shrimp
2nd Course
2020 Combe Latour Cote du Rhone Rouge
Soupe à l’Oignon, caramelized onions, beef stock, cognac, peppercorns, gougères au gruyère
3rd Course
2021 Francois Villard Syrah L’appel de Sereines
Salade de Betteraves Rôties, roasted beets, baby arugula, goat cheese pearls, white asparagus, jambon de Bayonne, candied walnuts, red wine vinaigrette
Trou Normand
Calvados soaked raspberry sorbet
4th Course
2021 Julien Masquin Chateauneuf du Pape Memora
Pan Seared Filet of Sole, cognac and truffle creamed corn, citrus poached endive
Dessert
Crème Brûlée, berries, crème fraiche

Tickets are $135 per person (includes tax and gratuity), and can be Reserved HERE.