Food and Wine Weekend Review 13 December 2008

Without a doubt, the meal I hated the most growing up was beef stew.  I’d be the last one sitting at our dining room table as my Mother cleared the plates, napkin ready.  The moment she turned her back…well, you know.  Food in napkin.  Maybe it was the lima beans.  Or, maybe it was a precursor to my vegan days.  Either way, it was “gross” and “can’t we just have pizza?”

So, imagine my surprise when I planned to make cholent this weekend – of my own free will!  Of course, the fact that this version required red wine, caraway seeds and tarragon, probably influenced my decision.  And, since we are facing high temperatures of 18F/-8C this weekend, I’m so glad it did.

While sage is my favorite all-around herb, tarragon is my “secret weapon” in the kitchen.  Since I did The Herb Farm dried vs. fresh tarragon challenge, I’ve never attempted cooking with dried tarragon (so, perhaps I wouldn’t rave about it so much if I did).

I wish I could remember the first time I tried caraway-laced Irish soda bread scones.  I haven’t loved a seed in that way since.  Not that I could find a single jar in any of the 3 markets I recently visited.  [grumble, grumble]  So, today  I used anise seed instead.

The recipe also called for TVP, which I consider to be 2nd in vegan diet weirdness to Nutritional Yeast.  While I will use nutritional yeast on occasion, I draw the line at TVP.  I would rather have processed meat-x, thank you very much.  Today I used Lightlife steak style strips.

cholent in process

My final, triumphant substitution is peas for lima beans (what is it with stews and lima beans?!?).  To quote Vegonomicon authors (Moskowitz and Romero), “green peas are fine [in this recipe] of you hate lima beans, hater”.

Alrighty,then.  As it simmers away, I’m sipping the Wine of the Weekend (WOW) that was used to de-glaze the pot.  Today’s under $15 red was yet another random liquor store pick…Biurko Gorri Arbanta Rioja.

Arbanta Rioja

This one is all about The Memories.  Long before I was little more than a closet vegetarian.  Back in the days before there was a limit to the cost of a meal or bottle of wine.  There was The Harvest Vine.  When we first started standing in line with our glasses of Rioja for up to an hour to get a seat at the bar where we could watch the chefs in action, there were only four tables plus 8 bar seats in this tiny garage.  Now they have a “cellar” and a second restaurant!  Next to the trip to Charlie Trotter’s, our regular meals at The Harvest Vine are  some of my most cherished food memories.

Ok, I’m really digressing here.  Anyway, to the wine and my four-part taste test (which, admit it, is really what you’re here for)…

Does it taste like communion wine (aka, grape juice)? We’re several steps from the pulpit today, but I’m looking for a “stuck in the choir loft” sort of wine.

Is it dry? Nice.  Not tongue smacking dry, but good.

Could I drink it instead of dinner? I might after a rough day, but don’t really feel compelled to do so today.

Does it pass the dark chocolate test? Oh, yes!  Nummy, num, num!

All-in-all, I’d give this a 2.5 rating without all the lovely memories it conjured up.  Include those, and this WOW is easily bumped to 3 stars.

Now the cooking is almost done and, while it smells nothing like the bad stew memories of old, I’m having second thoughts.  I don’t feel very excited about eating it.  Just to be safe, I think I’ll share some with my neighbors.  This isn’t a dish I want lingering for multiple leftover meals.

****

So laziness prevented me from getting some of the stew to my guinea pigs neighbors.  And, it’s a good thing, too!  The stew was delish!  Like a rich chili, only more nutrient packed.

Another successful Veganomicon night.