Thanksgiving Recipes & Wine Pairings

In a few more weeks, it will be the Thanksgiving holiday and I am sure many people are already starting to make plans on how to celebrate. You might be trying to select a restaurant, deciding not to cook this year. You might be dining at home and trying to plan a menu of food and drinks for all your guests. You might be dining at the home of family or friends, and have been asked to bring a dish or a bottle of wine. So many decisions so I am here to offer some helpful suggestions that might ease your tension and worries.

Let me begin with some general advice, a sentiment which you should embrace. Stop worrying that everything needs to be perfect because it will never be perfect and it doesn't have to be perfect. This is a holiday where family and friends gather, to share everything they are thankful for and not to complain and nitpick about silly and irrelevant issues. It is a time for fun and enjoyment, to relax and chat, to eat and drink, to savor the day together. As long as people enjoy themselves, as long as the food and wine is good, no one will complain or even care about whether it was "perfect" or not, whatever that term might mean. Just everyone being together is perfect enough.

Now, I'll provide some more specific advice:

Sometimes you just want to avoid all the time and effort of cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner, as well as cleaning up the mess afterwards. You might decide to dine out instead and you will find plenty of others opt for that same decision. Plenty of restaurants are offering Thanksgiving specials and you can check out my short list of over 7 Restaurants in the Boston area, including Post 390, Aura, Avila, BOKX 109, Pantry at the Verve, Towne Stove & Spirits, and the various Legal Seafood restaurants. Keep an eye on my upcoming Thursday Sips & Nibbles columns as I may have more restaurant suggestions as well.

If you are cooking at home, or need to bring a dish to someone else's home, then let me suggest some relatively easy, but quite delicious, recipes. I have compiled for you a list of five such Easy Thanksgiving Recipes, including Buffalo Chicken Dip, Sangria, Double Corn Pudding, Special Potato Casserole and Swedish Apple Pie. Just about anyone can make these easy recipes, and your family and friends should really enjoy the results. Plus, these recipes aren't just appropriate for Thanksgiving and you can enjoy them at any time. Buffalo Chicken Dip while tailgating? Sangria for your next wine party? Swedish apple pie for Sunday dessert?

Choosing wines for Thanksgiving can seem intimidating but it really is not. Please don't worry about what wines to choose. Start by reading some general advice I previously wrote, Thanksgiving: I Want Wines To Make People Smile. I hope that will help decrease your worry over wine selections. There are so many good choices for Thanksgiving wines. If you do though want some more specific wine recommendations, and are willing to think outside the box, then why not consider Sherry or Sake, both which are very food friendly and would pair well with your Thanksgiving feast.

Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, enjoy yourself and appreciate all that you have, rather than worry about what you do not.

Rant: Wine Prices Matter Plenty

Forget the type of grape or blend. Forget the name of the wine region. Forget the pretty labels. Probably the most important factor in buying wine is price. It may seem obvious yet it often is unsaid or ignored and is worthy of more prominence.

This past weekend, I hung out with my friend Adam of Wine-Zag, and the issue of wine prices arose on two different occasions. The first time was more indirectly, at a poker game where we drank four different wines, including the 2009 Damien Lorieux Tuffeaux Bourgueil. This was a superb wine and what made it even more compelling was that it only costs $15 per bottle! Such a great value wine in that $10-$15 sweet spot.

It is these types of wines, inexpensive but that over deliver, which really excite wine lovers. It is easy to find and enjoy high-end wines, but there is a special thrill in finding those special, low priced wines that present a great value. Very few people can afford to buy expensive wines all the time. If you drink wine regularly, maybe 4-7 times a week, you have to stock up on inexpensive wines, especially those $15 and under. Very good wines can be found at this price point and I recently gave people advice on buying wines under $10. Everyone wants to know about these types of wines.

We have certain expectations for a wine dependent on its price point. For example, what we expect from a $10 wine is different than what we expect from a $25 wine. In essence, we expect that a more expensive wine should be higher quality than a cheaper wine. It is seen as a generalization and we understand there are exceptions at all price points. When we talk about "value" wines, we generally mean that a wine exceeds our expectations at its price point, that its quality reflects what you would expect for a more expensive wine. A $10 wine might taste like what we expect from a $20 wine. It is those type of value wines which are great discoveries.

The second time the issue of wine prices arose was more directly, while Adam and I were walking toward Pizzeria Posto to have cocktails. Adam asked me about the questions I ask customers at the wine store when I help them select wines. I mentioned that inquiring about a customer's price point is a standard and vital question. To most customers, price point is usually the most important aspect of their purchasing decision.

Adam mentioned that wine writer Eric Asimov, in a recent article on sommeliers, also spoke of the important of price. Eric wrote that wine prices are "...the single most important point in narrowing down a wine selection,.." at a restaurant. Though his article dealt with restaurants, it seems reasonable that Eric would expand that importance to consumers at wine stores as well. It is good to see the issue of price getting such prominence in a major newspaper wine column.

I have found that many consumers are open to trying different wines, whether it be from an unfamiliar region or made from less common grapes. Though they might prefer a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon, they can be persuaded sometimes to try something like a Portuguese red blend or a Spanish Mencia. But, if they mention a price point, they usually are locked into that decision. The price point is extremely important to them, far more than the type or region of the wine. They want value for their money and get excited when you recommend an especially good value wine.

Wine writers would do well to pen articles about great value wines, those under $15, as such would potentially interest the greatest audience, from people new to wine as well as long time wine lovers. For example, each year I write a compilation post, my Top Ten Wines Under $15, collecting reviews of my favorite inexpensive, values wines of the past year. It remains a very popular post because price matters to people.

What value wine, under $15, has captivated your attention recently?

The Drops of God: New World

The epic and fascinating vinous battle between Shizuku Kanzaki and Issei Tomine continues. At stake is a vast wine collection valued at more than $20 million dollars. Who shall emerge victorious in this great contest? How will this competition change the two contestants?

I previously raved about the prior volumes of The Drops of God and have strongly encouraged all wine lovers to check out this compelling series. The fifth volume has recently been released. The Drops of God: New World ($14.95) is a trade paperback, about the size of a usual paperback manga, of 366 pages. Like a traditional manga, the book is read from back to front, which is a minor adjustment if you are not a regular manga reader and used to this format. This volume contains 18 issues of the original manga.

The series centers on an intriguing wine contest where the two competitors must identify 12 "Apostle" wines and one final wine, "The Drops of God." In Japan, the Drops of God manga is hugely popular and the series continues to be published. So far, 8 Apostles have been identified though in the first four English translations, only the first two have been made known. This fifth volume jumps ahead in the timeline, depicting the efforts to identify the seventh Apostle wine.

This disruption to the chronology of story line can be a bit jarring. The rationale behind it though was to publish a volume that would be more appealing to American readers by showcasing a contest which involved New World wines, including many California ones. By setting some of the story in California, it was hoped the book would find a greater American audience. Let us hope that turns out to be the case.

One of the new characters presented in this volume is Issei's mother, who also is a wine expert and seems to be even more knowledgeable than Issei. She is present when the description of the Seventh Apostle is read, and it is thought that her presence might actually be a distraction to Issei. Over the course of 11 pages, the Seventh Apostle is described, in words and pictures, including a lion and Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's unfinished church in Barcelona). The competitors have only three weeks to identify the wine and as in the other volumes, there are always various obstacles on the path to the conclusion of the primary contest.

New World wines take center stage in this contest and there is some initial discussion as to a definition of that term. In the end, they tend to feel that New World refers to those regions that lack a wine making tradition, though it might be more accurate to state they have a much shorter wine making tradition than other countries like France and Italy. More differences are presented throughout the book, such as stating that New World wines are "enjoyable even before they peak." There is no need to wait until their mature before they can be savored. Maybe the greatest, and potentially most controversial, difference presented is that New World wines are more the products of man rather than terroir.

It is pointed out that New World wines rely more on "Man over the blessing of Heaven or Earth" and emphasize "the miracle of human effort, of manpower and the homage to life embodied therein."  To Issei, he feels that for many regions in the New World, the terroir is not yet distinct so the nature of the wines change dependent on who produces it. He later states that, "Napa's wines require a lot of hands-on skill that obscures characteristics of the terroir..." And while he searches for a wine that is a "masterpiece of manpower," he is told that "excellent Napa wines are all 'works' birthed in such a way."

What are your thoughts on that issue? Are California wines more a product of the wine maker than terroir? Does that wine making obscure terroir?

The two contestants take different paths on their journeys to select the Seventh Apostle. Issei, taking his mother with him, decides to start his search in Napa Valley upon the Napa Valley Wine Train. On the train, they taste a number of famous California wines such as the 2007 Clos Pegase Mitsuko's Vineyard Chardonnay, 2000 Etude Pinot Noir, 2004 Stag's Leap Cask 23, 2004 Opus One, and 2000 Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. To Issei, he feels that the Oakville AVA is probably the most ideal winemaking region in California. His exploration of California vineyards eventually takes an involuntary detour, when he is threatened by criminals who want Issei to help them perpetuate a fraud during a wine auction.

Later, as has apparently become his trademark, Issei takes an unorthodox route to discerning the Apostle, this time watching a film, about the wines of Napa Valley, for ten days straight. In the end, he selects a California wine as his guess for the identity of the Seventh Apostle.

On the other hand, Shizuku begins his search by tasting a variety of New World wines, from regions such as New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina. Based on his thoughts about the tastings, he decides to travel to Australia to seek the Apostle. Once there, he runs into his own distraction, a man who hates the Japanese because he feels they are destroying Australia's forests. There is a diversion, a discussion on how much of the lumber, from the limited forest land of Australia, is sent to Japan for paper products. Once past this obstacle, Shizuku learns that his father had visited Australia and he learn a bit more about him. In the end, he selects an Australian wine as his choice for the identity of the Seventh Apostle.

Once again, this volume continues to review wines in more unique ways, describing the feelings, images and memories the wines invoke. Anyone who writes wine reviews, like wine bloggers, should pay special attention to how this is done, how they use evocative imagery and language to go beyond a mere recitation of flavors and smell. A 1983 Leoville-Las Cases is described as "chivalrous, elegant, almost like a falcon wheeling through the open skies."  In comparison, the 1994 Dominus is also described as a falcon, except this time it is "a realist painting" and "a work of art." The 2000 Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is compared to Vermeer's "The Milkmaid," being "Dignified, yet layered with the familiarity of workaday life." The 1999 Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is described as a "stately buffalo." A 2001 Napier Red Medallion, from South Africa, is described as "an elegant, all-female choir signing a cappella."

In addition, the manga presents some thought provoking quotes, comments to ponder over, such as:
--"We all enjoy wine in unique ways."
--"I feel like I'm finally remembering that wine is meant to be shared and discussed like this."
--"An excellent wine can cross vast distances or turn back time and show you visions."
--"To this vintner, grapes are like paints to a painter or clay to a potter."

This fifth volume is a worthy successor to the previous four, presenting a story that is compelling, educational, thought provoking and fun. Wine lovers of all knowledge levels will enjoy this series. It might help you think of wine in new and different ways. Unfortunately, the publisher may not issue any further volumes in English because it has not sold well enough. Plenty of people purchased the first volume, but far less people bought subsequent volumes. So if we hope to read the entire series in English, we need to encourage more people to buy and read the entire series. Keep Drops of God alive!

Thursday Sips & Nibbles: Thanksgiving Edition

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. This week, I am offering a number of Thanksgiving suggestions.
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1) At Post 390, you have two Thanksgiving options, to dine at the restaurant or get your meal "to go." You can get a 3 Course meal for $48 per person, or $65 with Wine Pairings.

Menu

First Course:
Lobster and Buttercup Squash Bisque (Cranberry Beans, House Tasso Ham, Sage Pistou)
Godello, Rafael Palacios, Sabrego, Spain, 2010
or
Salad of Locally Grown Lettuce, Poached Pear, Duck Prosciutto, Ewe's Bleu, Smoked Almonds, Fall Raspberry Vinaigrette
Gramona, Gessami, Penedes, Spain, 2011
Entreé:
Roasted "All Natural" Amish Raised Turkey
Choice of Traditional Herbed or Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing, Cape Cranberry Relish, Winter Squash Purée, Autumn Vegetables with Anise Honey, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Giblet Gravy
Tempranillo, Montebuena, Rioja, Spain, 2009
Dessert:
Selection of House Made Seasonal Pies (Apple, Banana Cream, Cherry, Pecan or Pumpkin) Moscato d'Asti, Alasia, Italy, 2011

This special dinner is an addition to the usual Post 390 dinner menu. This special dinner is available on Thursday, November 22, from 12pm-8pm.

You can also order "Thanksgiving To Go" by November 16 and pick up on Wednesday, November 21 or Thursday, November 22. Please call Post 390 at 617-399-0015 for more information.

2) Aura Restaurant at the Seaport Hotel will celebrate Thanksgiving with an elaborate buffet brunch designed by Chef Robert Tobin.  Selections from the spread will include: traditional eggs Benedict; French toast; scrambled eggs; pancakes; bacon; cheese blintzes; pork sausage; chicken apple sausage; quiche Lorraine; truffle leek quiche; smoked salmon; shrimp cocktail; roasted beet salad; green salad; clam chowder; pumpkin chestnut soup; brined turkey breast with cranberry chutney; maple cured ham; roasted Atlantic salmon; Lyonnais potatoes; cranberry “cassoulet” with turkey leg & thigh; corn bread pudding; traditional stuffing; macaroni & cheese; roasted Brussels sprouts; whipped sweet potatoes; buttermilk mashed potatoes; roasted spaghetti squash; and, haricot vert. For dessert, Pastry Chef Karen Hodsdon will dish out mini desserts alongside a chocolate foundation.

The brunch will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 11am-3pm.  The cost is $69 per adult, $24 per child ages 7-14 and complimentary for children 6-and-under. Please call 617-385-4300 for reservations.

3)  Avila Modern Mediterranean’s Thanksgiving special includes: oven-roasted Vermont free-range organic turkey; Yukon gold mashed potatoes; creamy cippolini onions; fresh peas; roasted butternut squash; glazed carrots; Challah bread herb stuffing; homemade gravy; cranberry apple chutney; and, sautéed green beans. To top it off, a seasonal dessert menu is available which includes traditional favorites such as: pumpkin pie with crème fraîche; warm cinnamon apple pie with homemade ice cream; and, praline chocolate mousse with hazelnut anglaise. The cost is $47 per adult; $15 per child 12-and-under and $10 per dessert.

Avila is also serving up Tomorrow’s Turkey Sandwich – “To Go,” an on-the-go rendition of a favorite post-Thanksgiving treat: oven-roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry apple chutney and gravy. It costs $13.

Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 12pm-8pm. Please call 617-267-4810 to make reservations.

4) BOKX 109 American Prime at Hotel Indigo will be serving up a customizable three-course prix-fixe menu for Thanksgiving created by Chef Stephen Coe. For starters, choose between a roasted butternut soup, pear & mascarpone sacchetti or local heirloom beet salad. For entrees, guests will choose between butter poached 109 prime rib, seared diver scallops, local mushroom cavatelli or roasted organic turkey ballontine. Family-style sides include fingerling potatoes, chipotle & sweet potato gratin, roasted Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach and green beans. To finish off the feast, indulge in local cranberry & apple crisp, white chocolate & pumpkin cheesecake or flourless BOKX brownie sundae.

Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 12pm-6pm.The cost is $55 per adult and $15 per child under 12. Please call 617-454-3399 to make reservations.

5)  Legal Harborside will host a customizable prix fixe Thanksgiving meal on their second level overlooking Boston Harbor. For the first course, guests will have their choice of curried squash soup, Belgian endive & heirloom apple salad or steamed mussels. For entrees, the options are pan roasted wild salmon (with Romanesco cauliflower, lobster, Limoncello foam), roasted sirloin of beef (pureed potatoes, cippolini onions, acorn squash, rosemary jus) or herb roasted turkey (sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, cranberry, sausage stuffing). For desserts, choices include profiteroles with pumpkin ice cream, warm chocolate sticky toffee pudding with cinnamon ice cream or orange cardamom crème caramel with dried fruit compote.

Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 12pm-8pm.The cost is $55 per adult, $80 with wine pairings. Please call 617-477-2900 to make reservations.

The various locations of Legal Sea Foods, LTK & Legal C Bar will also serve Thanksgiving specials. It is said that the first Thanksgiving featured shellfish and fish, so Legal invites everyone to share in the time-honored celebration this holiday. In addition to offering their classic menu filled with seafood fare, Legal Sea Foods will also prepare a traditional feast with all the fixings: slow roasted turkey breast served with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and cranberry sauce. Hours for Thanksgiving will vary by location. The turkey dinner costs $21.95 per adult and $7.95 per child.

6) The Pantry at The VERVE–Crown Plaza Hotel will celebrate Thanksgiving with a Thanksgiving brunch buffet created by Executive chef Joseph Lallave. For starters, options include: turkey white bean soup; pumpkin bisque; crudite of chicken; Old Bay shrimp cocktail; maple butternut squash frisée; baby spinach salad; and, market garden greens. Chef Lallave’s “main events” include: honey brined Heritage turkey; apple sausage stuffing; porcini-thyme dusted strip loin; Nantucket roasted cod en croute; and, turkey pot pie. For accompaniments, there is: mashed sweets; celeriac potato-onion mash; maple glazed roasted butternut squash; and, root vegetable succotash. For “grand finale” sweet selections, options include: double chocolate raspberry tartlet; sweet potato pie; whiskey pecan tarts; and, pumpkin cheesecake. Chef Lallave also will prepare items just for kids: mac ‘n cheese; chicken fingers; roasted turkey; and, tater tots.

Thanksgiving brunch will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 11pm-4pm. The cost is $40 per adult and $15 per child ages 4-12. Please call 508-416-1352 to make reservations.

7) This Thanksgiving, Culinary Director Lydia Shire and Executive Chef Mario Capone will whip up a decadent Thanksgiving feast all day at Towne Stove and Spirits in the Back Bay. In addition to serving up some classics from their regular menu, Shire and Capone have created an exclusive three-course menu that will allow you to gobble your way through this superbly traditional holiday:

FIRST COURSE
Pumpkin Bisque (white truffle foam)
-or-
Baby Arugula Salad (shaved pear, fig preserve, Great Hill blue cheese)
SECOND COURSE
Heritage Turkey (slow-roasted and basted with fresh herbs, sausage, sage & apple stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, yams, roasted root vegetables)
DESSERT
-choice of-
Apple Pie or Pecan Pie (homemade Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream)

Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Thursday, November 22, from 12pm-8pm. The cost is $49 per adult and $17 for children under 12 years old. Please call 617-247-0400 to make reservations.

Tres Gatos: Sherry Tuesdays

"There are only two kinds of sherry, the good and the better."
--Jerez saying

I am a huge fan of Spanish Sherry, have previously visited the Jerez region and written over a couple dozen posts about Sherry. It is an under-appreciated wine, and not enough people in the U.S. drink dry sherry. Sweet sherry is much more popular, but even that still occupies a tiny niche. In Spain though, dry sherry is dominant.

As an example of the Spanish love for dry Manzanilla, let us look at the Sevilla Feria, the famed Spring Festival of Seville, the capital of Andalucia. At this event, attendees drink approximately 600,000 bottles of Manzanilla over the course of only six days!

I was pleased to hear that Tres Gatos Tapas Bar, a restaurant, book and music store, is introducing Tuesday Night Sherry Tastings. Wine Director Keith Harmon and Executive Chef Marcos Sanchez have teamed up to introduce Sherry flights every Tuesday. For only $15, guests can enjoy a selection of three 1oz. pours of Sherry paired with 3 various pinchos. The flights will change from week to week, but examples of a possible pairing could include something such as:

Grant "La Garrocha" Fino / Boquerones & Olives
El Maestro Sierra Amontillado / Lomo Serrano
El Maestro Sierra "Amaroso" / Shropshire Blue Cheese

Tuesday Sherry Tastings will begin October 30, and be held from 5:30pm-10pm. For more information or to make a reservation, please call Tres Gatos at 617-477-4851.

I have yet to dine at Tres Gatos though have heard many good things about the restaurant. I will have to make it there now, especially to check out Sherry Tuesdays. Kudos to Tres Gatos for helping to promote this wondrous Spanish wine.