Fine Dining at Home

Wine review: Bründlmayer Riesling Steinmassel

1 03 2013

Austrian white wine Bründlmayer Riesling Steinmassel comes from Weingut Bründlmayer which is situated in Langenlois, about 70 km north-west of Vienna, upstream along the Danube in the Lower Austrian Kamp Valley.

Tasted wine consists of RIESLING (100 %); surprise, names can tell sometimes you something 🙂

Usually rieslings from Austria are luscious, enough dry and full-bodied. Favourites of ours in addition to Germans.

THE LOOK

Color of the wine was pale yellow with tint of light green. Actual look was a little bit greener than in photo below.

THE NOSE

First it was difficult to find scent of riesling. Wine was stored in fridge and therefore too cold. After a while could find it and also some fruity with hint of green apple. But scent of riesling was not so strong as in many Austrian riesling wines.

THE TASTE

First impression was lackluster but after few sips it improved; again too cold wine. Less acidity, petrol and minerals than in typical Austrian rieslings, but of course could be indentified.

Facts and figures:

Alcohol:	12,5% by volume
Extract:	18 g/l
Sugar:	7 g/l
Acidity:	6,2 g/l
Energy:	80 kcal/100 ml (320 kJ/100 ml)


Closure:	metal screw cap

This riesling suites well with whitefish, which is mild and non-greasy (see recipe via link below), which we had for dinner. If food is more spicy you might want to buy a wine with a little bit more intense flavour. Also prefer better balanced wines for aperitif.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 3,5/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK ++/+++

Fried whitefish and parsnip puree

http://www.bruendlmayer.at/en

Fried whitefish and parsnip puree

24 02 2013

FRIED WHITEFISH WITH PARSNIP – GOAT CHEESE PUREE AND SPINACH

Really quick and easy portion to prepare. You do not even need too many foodstuffs. Suggest to prepare puree first because fish needs to be just fried.

Recipe for whitefish (4):

600 g whitefish (lavaret), scaled and fish bones plucked

salt, pepper

oil and butter for frying

Instruction: Make few knife cuts on fish skin. Fry fish skin side down in oil and butter mix for about 4-6 minutes

Recipe for puree (4):

500 g parsnip

80 – 100 g soft goat cheese

salt, pepper, butter, milk

Instruction: Boil peeled parsnips in salt water. Puree parsnips and add goat cheese, butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Instruction for spinach: Defrost frozen spinach in microvawe oven (shortcut)

Would say most difficult part is frying the fish. Whitefish skin is quite thin and it comes off too easily. You could also add some potato to puree if you do not like the taste of parsnip; makes it softer.

White wine enjoyed with whitefish paired well, review coming in the near future……

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Tags: parsnip, puree, recipe, spinach, white wine, Whitefish
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, recipe, Recipes, Wine

Wine review: Pago del Vicario 50/50

10 02 2013

Pago del Vicario 50/50 is Spanish wine. It comes from one of the La Mancha bodegas, Pago del Vicario, which is located at a distance of nine kilometres from Ciudad Real. Bodega sells its wines under the appellation of Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. There are also a hotel and restaurant carrying same name.

Grapes and share of them used are, as you might guess from the name, TEMPRANILLO (50 %), CABERNET SAUVIGNON (50 %).
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied but soft red wines in its native Spain. Cabernet Savignon brings the body to this wine.

THE LOOK

Vintage 2008 is deep red with brown tinge. Maybe wine had already got some depth. When wine flows along the surface of glass after spinnng it, wine does it slowly bringing out vintage and wine posture.

THE NOSE

Strong aroma partly because fo tannins. Almost can scent alcohol which is unusual observation.

THE TASTE

Fills mouth with quite strong taste. Tannins can be found clearly but not disruptively. Some bramble; taste is balanced.

Facts and figures:

Alcohol:	14,5% by volume
Extract:	31 g/l
Acidity:	5,9 g/l
Energy:	90 kcal/100 ml (390 kJ/100 ml)


Closure:	natural cork

The design of the bottle is cool. Black glass bottle and black label make a solemn effect. On the other hand shape of the bottle which thickens toward the neck of the bottle gives the impression of luxury wine. Wine tasting is ensemble of different phases and observations; this wine gives opportunity to use all senses, even artistic ones.

As taste is quite strong and wine includes tannis recommend to enjoy Pago del Vicario 50/50 with red meats and spiced foods. Actually suited really well with the pasta we prepared same day, picture and preparing instructions on the page “Dining at home”.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE: 4-/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK ++ / +++

Website has been under construction at least for two days http://www.pagodelvicario.com/

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Tags: cabernet savignon, La Mancha, Pago del Vicario 50/50, red wine, Spanish red wine, tempranillo
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Food, Travel, Wine, Wine review

Taste of Italy

22 01 2013

As being fans of Italian food like to prepare basic Antipastis on monthly basis. This time these included Prosciutto Crudo, Salami Picante, Mozzarella di Buffala, Rucola and grilled Zucchini.

Antipastis were complemented with Chianti Baroncini in an old fashioned bottle which is available at Alko’s.

Had noticed earlier in our favourite supermarket Piadina flatbreads and decided to prepare them. Piadinas stuffed with mozzarella, prosciutto crudo and rucola are excellent snacks. Unfortunately flatbreads were glutein free and therefore did not work so well because they crumbled and were too thick. However, after warming very tasty reminder of holidays spent in Italy.

Grapes of Chianti were SANGIOVESE (85 %), CANAIOLO (10 %), MALVASIA (5 %). Suitable red wine for antipastis and piadina and even for pastas. Would not recommend for red or game meats.

Buon Appetito!

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Tags: antipasti, Chianti, Italy, mozzarella, Parma ham, piadina, rucola, salami picante
Categories : Fine Dining at Home, Wine

Taste of Mexico

14 01 2013

Nachos and Fajitas, basic Mexican dishes, taste always delicious (if you like strong spices).

Basic elemens for perfect Nachos are Salsa sauce, Jalopenos, Creme Fraiche and Grated Cheese. More heavy you get if you add minced meat, chicken or peas. Mozzarella, although it is far from Mexican, suits perfectly for Nachos. 5 minutes in oven and you are ready to eat everything what is on baking tray. Therefore it is important not to make too big portion!

Of course you must sip Mexican beer like Corona or Sol with slice of lime.

Best Fajitas you make by using Chicken breast, red Onion, sweet Pepper, fresh Avocado, Salsa sauce, Creme Fraiche, Jalopenos and Tortillas. Have found really tasty Fajitas powder which quarantees our Fajitas are better than in restaurants. Guacamole is best to make yourself, it does not need anything else than avocado and some lemon juice in order to avoid darkening.

In Helsinki there are not actually really good Mexican restaurants. You can try Cantina West, so far best Fajitas eaten or Santa Fe, popular summer terrace now owned by S-Group as well as Amarillo’s. Hard Rock Cafe serves pretty good Nacho’s but without being too arrogant, think our home made Mexican Nacho’s and Fajita’s beat the ones in nearby restaurants.

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Tags: Corona, fajitas, Nachos, Sol, tex-mex
Categories : Fine Dining at Home

Two most Christmassy places on the planet…

17 12 2012

….are in Finland!

CNN picked out TOP 10 places to celebrate Christmas (link below).

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/11/travel/celebrates-top-10-christmas-destinations/index.html

Two first rankings for destinations in Finland!

1) Rovaniemi and Santa Park

This is the original place Santa Claus starts his journey to deliver gifts with reindeers.

http://www.santapark.com/en/santapark

2) Ranua and Ranua Zoo

Zoo with polar bears and other wild forest animals, but also reindeers.

http://www.ranuazoo.com/English/Winter/Front_page.iw3

See also this video, everything is from real life…..That is why CNN chose so wisely.

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Tags: Christmas, CNN, Finland, Ranua, Reindeer, Rovaniemi, Santa Claus
Categories : Cafe, Fine Dining at Home, Restaurant, Wine

Traditional Christmas home food in Finland

16 12 2012

Finnish traditional Christmas food differs a lot from ordinary dinners. Most of the dishes are prepared specially for Christmas and some of them available only at super markets for that special occasion.

First you enjoy class of mulled wine in order to find Christmas spirit.

Dinner itself usually starts with fishes like spiced salmon and whitefish (if you do not have enjoyed rice pudding before that). Roes are also typical delicacies, most common are salmon, whitefish and vendace roes. To ensure extreme gusto, add sour cream, red onion and black pepper. Sometimes you might want eat roe with toast and/or Lappish potatoes, which cook really fast, because they are softer than ordinary potatoes. Some people still like to eat lutefish which is prepared from dried whitefish or cod; not my favourite.

After fish it is common to eat Christmas ham which is prepared in oven for several hours. Add some mustard, yammy! Nowadays it is also quite popular to enjoy turkey or have both. With ham one usually eats casseroles like carrot, sweetened potato and rutabaga (all dishes in picture below). Also green peas, plums and ordinary potatoes are common side dishes. Rosolli, mixed combination of beetroot, carrot, pickles, apple, potato and onion can also only be found during Christmas time. Usually eaten with beetroot coloured whipped cream.

Dessert can be cheeses or of course mince pies with coffee. You can find mince pies in every cafe before Christmas, made of puff paste and plum jam. The difference with home made pies and those you can buy at super markets is egg which is sed to lubricate the the surface of the puff paste.

After dinner it is nice to listen some Christmas music by great Finnish singers e.g Johanna Kurkela and Jarkko Ahola.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8rxIuHSCX8

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: Beetroot, carrot casserole, Christmas, christmas ham, mince pie, Mulled wine, peas, pickles, potato casserole, rutabaga casserole, salmon roe, whitefish roe
Categories : Fine Dining at Home

Oktoberfest

20 10 2012

Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival celebrating beer held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world’s largest fair, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year.^[1] To the locals, it is not called Oktoberfest, but “die Wiesn” – after the colloquial name of the fairgrounds themselves. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event (Wikipedia)

http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/

Beer is definately important part of Oktoberfest. Unfortunately German beer has lost shelf space in supermarkets. One of the biggest supermarket chains offers about 50 beer brands but only 4 of them come from Germany. Has German beers lost beer battle?

A Pretzel (known as Breze(l) in German) is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe. The pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwine brought together and then twisted back onto itself in a certain way (“a pretzel loop”). (Wikipedia).

Salty appetizer is really tasty and suitable to eat not only during Oktoberfest.

And of course, sausages like Bratwurst are the best part of Oktoberfest. This time added some Spanish flavour with Chorizo. Sauerkraut, that little bit bitter but perfect match for bratwurst is also a must. Mix some mustard with lingonperry jam and you got tasty sauce. Sliced potatoes with cream and mustard are also perfect side dish for sausages.

Oktoberfest is easy to arrange at home. From internet radio you can also listen cheerful music from Tirol.

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Tags: beer, bratwurst, Oktoberfest, pretzel, sauerkraut
Categories : Fine Dining at Home

Beetroot and chevre in two ways

6 10 2012

Sometimes it does good to try new foodstuff. Beetroot is quite common vegetable in Finland but usually potato and carrot win when preparing lunch or dinner. Decided to use beetroot and this time chevre in starter and main course. Accidentally onion suited well also for main course so could say dinner was made from beetroot, chevre and onion.

Starter was “Chevre beetroot toast” Chevre, beetroot, caramelized onion, balsamico and oak lead lettuce. Tasty but next time will fry beetroot and chevre on pan with butter. Onion was cooked with red wine, balsamic vinegar, honey, sugar and salt. Like the face imitation?

Main course was “Chicken breast with roasted beetroot” Chicken breast, oven roasted beetroot, chevre, caramelized red onion, oven baked onion and pepper sauce. This was delicious although I say it myself. No need for potato or other side dishes. Maybe chicken could have been in the oven 1 minute less after pre frying.

No points for home made food! Chevre is goat cheese, this time President.

PS. Riesling matched well for both dishes.

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Tags: Beetroot, Chevre, Chicken breast, goat cheese, onion, riesling
Categories : Fine Dining at Home