Archives for Category "Health & Food"
November 9, 2007
Muffins
This multigrain chocolate muffin recipe looks scrumptious (except for the dates, but TheGuy would like them...). I found the link to it over at Jenipurr's. I might try to make these this weekend -- I haven't baked anything in ages.<=> | Comments: 1 | in: Health & Food
August 19, 2007
"Chilled" Red Wine? Old News, Mr. Wine Columnist.
I've seen a few links to this piece at slate which talks about "chilled" red wine as some sort of revelation.In fact, though, a chilled red offers all the thirst-quenching qualities of a good rosé and a lot more substance. It will also pair better with a cheeseburger, which is no minor consideration this time of year.I don't know - maybe the French only do that in the summer. But I've encountered it right here in these United States and everything I've ever heard or read about red wine says that the best temperature to serve it at is around 55-60. (That's cooler than room temperature, but warmer than your fridge.) Now, I don't know too many people who keep their house that cool, so, logically, if you want to serve red at a good temp, it should chill a little bit.
Like many Americans, I first encountered this seemingly heretical practice in France. As soon as the temperatures in Paris turn balmy, the bistros, brasseries, and cafes start putting a little chill into the carafes of vin rouge, at which point the wines assume a dual purpose: They complement your food and they refresh you.
I don't follow this logic myself frequently enough, but red wines that I just pull of the shelf in the house do have that "flabby" taste that the guy mentions in the article. And yes, he does go on and talk about the ideal serving temperature.
Chilling wines does not mean freezing them. The ideal serving temperature is somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit—which, as it happens, is the ideal storage temperature for wines (both reds and whites). Fifteen minutes in an ice bucket, or 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge, is usually all it takes to get a red wine to the optimal temperature and to put a strangely attractive sheen of condensation on the bottle. Anything longer is going to mute the fruit and accentuate the structure.Here's another source for optimal serving temperatures - nothing higher than 60. There's a reason people store wine in cellars after all. I don't think the guy really needed to go to France to learn this. Talking to his local sommelier would probably have sufficed.
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