Rappie Pie

This weekend we had a large family BBQ, with family on both sides. Though it was a very hot and humid day, we still had lots of fun, and ate much great food. The star of the day was the Rappie Pie, an old tradition in my in-laws family.

Rappie Pie is a traditional Acadian dish. Though its origins are murky, it may have made its appearance in Nova Scotia around 1755 when the Acadians were deported. There are a few legends that it may actually extend back to the 1500s. It has remained popular, especially by the Acadians of Southwest Nova Scotia.

Rappie pie is a made from grated potatoes or in French, "patates râpées." The French word râper means "to grate." Thus, that became transformed into "rappie" pie. Once the potatoes are grated, most of the water is removed. This used to be done by squeezing the potatoes in a cheese cloth, a laborious process. Then, broth is added along with meat, onions and pork fat to make a casserole type dish. There are a number of variations on this basic recipe, some people using different types of meats or even seafood like clams.

People generally put butter or molasses on their Rappie Pie. There is an old adage that the English use butter and the French molasses. Some people may put other items atop their Rappie Pie, even ketchup, but that is much less common.

It used to take all day to make Rappie Pie, especially trying to squeeze the water out of the potatoes. Nowadays, you can buy frozen packets of potatoes where the water has already been removed. This makes it much quicker to make.

My in-laws make Rappie Pie a few times each year, usually making it into a large family gathering, helping to promote closeness in the extended family. Nearly everyone loves Rappie Pie and the next generation is learning how to make it. It is definitely not a tradition that will die out.

I love Rappie Pie, slathered in butter. Sometimes people don't like its color, the grayness of the interior, but once they taste it, they change their mind. And besides its deliciousness, the sense of family behind the gatherings is also great. Such a nice tradition. We will have another big gathering in the winter and I am looking forward to it.

Wine In Israel

Wine is made in many countries and some of them receive very little press in the U.S. It can be very difficult to find wines from certain countries in local wine stores. Yesterday, I mentioned a news article about the wine industry in China. Today, I found a new article, at Wine Review Online and written by Ed McCarthy, concerning the wine industry in Israel.

Wine making in Israel extends back about 5,000 years. But the Moslem conquest devastated the wine industry in Israel, destroying all of their indigenous grapes. So today, Istael relies on international varietals, especially French ones.

The article discusses some of the current and best wineries in Israel. The most common varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Mr. McCarthy then provides tasting notes for ten wines from three different wineries in Israel. And all of these wines are available in the U.S.

Check out the article, and see if you can find some new Israeli wines.

Wine in China

Curiously enough, I read a forum post over on Catavino giving a review of a wine from China and then came upon a lengthy article, in Wine Business.com, discussing the current state of the wine industry in China. This is a very interesting article.

An International Conference on the Wine Market in China was held August 8-11, in Beijing. There are now 500 wineries in China, though only 17% of their wine is exported. There is even a map showing the five largest wine producing areas in China. The Chinese government is wine friendly and has encouraged people to drink more wine for its reputed health benefits. Wine sales in China have grown by more than 68% from 2001 to 2006.

There is a significant problem though as there is a lack of regulations regarding wine production. For example, wine producers may not place the correct vintage on their bottles. They might instead place a vintage date considered lucky, especially using the number 8 which is considered very lucky. As another example, they might sometimes use grapes from other countries in their wines. Though the bottle won't mention that fact. China also does not yet have an appellation system.

China does have many native grape varietals, though not all have been translated into English.

The article also gives tasting notes of seven Chinese wines which were considered especially good. So, check out the full article.

Bangkok Spice

I stopped in a small, hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant for lunch called Bangkok Spice. Located on Haven Street in Reading, I have heard some very good things about it so I figured to give it a try.

The restaurant has only about 7-8 tables. While I read over the lunch menu, I was brought a small bowl of soup. I guess the soup comes with all of the lunch dishes. The soup had some thin noodles, a couple tiny pieces of chicken, and a few scallions. The clear broth was very tasty, with a bit of sweetness. The noodles and chicken were good too. I don't know what name of the soup but it was delicious.

The lunch menu includes a few appetizers, noodle/rice dishes, curry dishes and combination plates. Plates range from $5.95-$7.95, so prices are reasonable. With the curry and combo plates, you get to choose between chicken, duck, beef, pork, shrimp, scallops, squid and tofu vegetarian.

I chose the Massaman Curry dish with chicken ($7.25). This is usually the first dish I order at a new Thai restaurant, as it gives me a good standard upon which to judge the restaurant. This Massaman dish was a bit different as it came with additional veggies, including green peppers and zucchini. But my server told me it would be no problem to omit those veggies that I did not like. This indicates that dishes are made to order which is a good thing.

When the Curry arrived, it was a good-sized plate with plenty of chicken, some big chunks of potato, a mound of rice, and some veggies. There was even a small Thai roll on the side of the plate. A nice addition. The Curry sauce was mild with a good coconut taste. I was pleased with the food. I did notice that the other lunches that people were eating were fairly large plates too. At the price, this is a good value lunch stop.

The dinner menu has more options and the prices remain reasonable. The dinner Massaman Curry with Chicken is only $8.95.

I will return again to try more of the menu. For now, I do think it makes for a good lunch.

NV Castellar Cava Rose

I previously reviewed the NV Castellar Cava Rose ($9.99), when I was also able to meet the winemaker, Emili Esteve Punti. I very much enjoyed this wine so opened a bottle last night with my wine buddies. They all enjoyed it, surprised at the wine. Some are not that keen on Sparkling Wines or Roses. But this was a big hit. For the price, this is an excellent bargain and an alternative to the same, old Champagnes.