Smelling Grasse

We had a wonderful afternoon in Grasse. They were celebrating their annual Rose Festival and while the streets were lively they were surprisingly pleasant and uncrowded.

The Musee International de la Parfumerie or Perfume Museum was fascinating, not only because of the history of fragrance but also because of the displays on olfactory science. So how does that fit into a blog about food and wine?? I truly have no interest in drinking or eating perfume products, but I will wholeheartedly promote the importance of smell in the culinary world. As anyone with head cold congestion can tell you, our sense of taste is almost completely dependent on the olfactory system. When it comes to the things we consume, olfactory is so important to humans that companies like ScentSational Technologies, are popping up to use artificial means to manipulate the sense of smell in the marketing of food and drinks.


Of course, anyone in the wine industry can vouch for the importance of smell. The human tongue can only detect four taste sensations but when we swirl that glass we're awakening thousands of nerve cells or chemoreceptors in the upper part of the nasal septum. I love the process and ceremony of discovering a wine's bouquet; speculating, deciphering and discussing the smells. Enologists have taken that process to new levels and have isolated certain compounds that are responsible for a particular odor in the wine. For example, its not really fruit, apple peel or strawberry that you smell in your glass but chemicals called ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate. But don't let the science detract from the romance and camaraderie of parsing out a wine with friends - breathing in a great bouquet will always be a coveted experience no matter how chemicals are identified.The final photo (below on the right) we took to keep as a reminder. Trust me, there are some American pop songs which should never be sung in French. :)

Pizza in Grasse

Another meal worth mentioning was a wonderful lunch we had while visiting Grasse. Restaurant de fragonard is a simple and small place that might be easily overlooked on boulevard jeu de Ballon. The girls had a fantastic cheese pizza and I had pasta tossed with some delectable small scallops. Certainly those two dishes don't require any advanced culinary skill - they stood out because they were well prepared with fresh, quality ingredients. Skill is certainly important, but when you begin with something good, you are more apt to end with something good.


When making pizza and wanting a cheesy meat topping with a taste dominated by bread, go with a thick crust. But when you have quality ingredients and you really want them to shine, a thin crust will compliment them without overpowering.

Pizza Making gives good instructions on making a thin crust from scratch as does the Cookography blog based on a method featured in Cooks Illustrated. Try it with this recipe.

Brie & Cheese Pizza with Pine Nuts & Fried Sage

About 6 oz. provolone, gruyere, mozzarella or other relatively mild cheese.
5 oz. (or thereabouts) log of Brie
3 tbls. pine nuts
3 tbls. fried sage leaves (see note below)

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a 12 inch thin crust and to an ungreased baking sheet, and prick several times with a fork. Shred and sprinkle on cheese, distributing evenly. Cut 5 the brie into 1/2-inch rounds (including rind). Arrange on dough. Top with pine nuts and crumbled sage. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into wedges, and serve hot.

For fried sage leaves - heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil in a small skillet. Make sure the oil is hot enough for frying. Add leaves to hot oil for 30 sec and remove to harden in paper towel.

Terres de Truffes

An entire menu and an entire restaurant devoted to truffles? You bet. Dubbed Terres de Truffles, there are three of these restaurants in the world and one of them is in Nice on the rue St François de Paule near the Opera and just a few blocks from the Mediterranean. Owned by Clement Bruno, undoubtedly the truffle king of France, he also commands Chez Bruno in Province. I am a die-hard truffles fan, so when we stumbled upon this little place in Nice around dinner time, I had to at least look at their menu. It was surprisingly affordable for truffle-laced fare, so we settled in to an outside table for a fabulous meal served by an exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.
I chose the prix fixe menu and was far from disappointed. The cream of truffle soup topped with a poached quail's egg was incredibly rich, so thanks to the culinary gods it was served in a small cup. Caroline had a fabulous salad of mixed greens topped with shaved parmesan and shaved truffles. Cameron had Terres de Truffles version of an open-faced grilled cheese and my entree was an incredible puff pastry confection.

As you read you may be wondering why a blog devoted to local food is posting about dining in Europe. Its because I am a firm believer that knowledge of food, wine, viticulture and gardening are gained through direct experience. You will never know what a good Cab or a great vegetable tatin is like until you taste it. Traveling to other countries simply expands your range of knowledge and allows you to bring some of that knowledge home.

Check out the Terres de Truffles website for recipes.

Black Beans with Mango Sauce

This recipe is adapted from an original by Mollie Katzen and it's definitely spicy divine. I plan to take it to a pot-luck tomorrow.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced red onions
1-2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (3 inch) jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups cooked black beans (3 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained)
6 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 large ripe mangoes, , minced
black pepper
minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions: Saute bacon in dutch oven until crisp-tender, remove and drain on paper towels reserving drippings. Add 1 ¾ cups of the onion, and the garlic, chili, ginger, cumin and salt. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes adding olive oil if needed. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the black beans and about half the lime juice. Sauté for about 5 more minutes, or until everything has mingled nicely, and the beans are heated through. Mash the beans slightly with the back of a spoon, and transfer to a bowl. Stir the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Add the black pepper and crumbled bacon, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop.

Missouri Wines

I spent the four great days this month at the annual Midwest Grape and Wine Conference; an experience that's never disappointing. One of the people instrumental in putting together this event is Danene Beedle, marketing director extraordinaire at the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and also known as the Missouri Wine Girl (be sure to ck out her blog). The conference pulls viticulture and enology experts from both coasts, as well as from around the globe. While that feature is impressive and educational, the conference's biggest attraction is the chance to get together with the wonderful people in the industry - and what a esprit de corp. How fortunate for a newcomer like me to be able to discuss wine characteristics with the winemakers at Mount Pleasant; the local terroir with the great people at Les Bourgeois; new varietals with Jon Held at Stone Hill and all the other people who so generously share their knowledge, encouragement and friendship.

One highlight of the weekend was talking to Brian Duncan, co-owner and the wine director (a title he prefers to sommelier) of the BIN 36 restauarant group in Chicago. Brian was named as wine director of the year by Gourmet Magazine, was most recently in the November issue of Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and has graced the pages of GQ and Food and Wine, among others. It wasn't hard to figure out that Brian success is inextricably linked with his attitude - he's a straight forward, nice guy who is knowledgable but simply can't be bothered with being snooty about wine. I had the opportunity to set with him at lunch where his private label wines were served. Brian partners with Hahn Estates’ winemaker Adam La Zarre to make (among others) a beautifully unfeigned and affordable Chard. It's unmistakably a food wine but that by no means is its only attribute.

Check out this video of Brian on Wine Taste TV as he explains pairing wine with food.

Welcome

This blog is set up for the devotees and customers of Bella Verde Farm. Set in the rolling hills of Boone County, north of Rocheport, MO, Bella Verde is family owned and operated. We are dedicated to providing nutrient-dense, health giving foods for you and your family. In our market garden our focus is on fresh, naturally grown and chemically free produce rich in phytochemicals. Our blog will feature gourmet recipes, links to articles on nutrition, information on phytochemicals and anecdotes from the farm. Thank you for joining us. Bon Vivant!