Pumbaa: “Hey, kid,
what's eatin' ya?”
Timon: “Nothin'. He's
on top of the food chain!”
-The Lion King
Astute
observers of the Vine know that I love me some meat. Well, I love most food in
general, but I'm not sure that I could ever be a vegetarian. I tried removing
animals from the ol' diet during a brief, dark once-upon-a-time down Florida
way, but it didn't take. I've got too much of the "how do you know you
don't like it if you've never even tried it" hardwired into my palate, I
guess.
I try my
best to include potential food pairings with my reviews – pairings which often involve
some suggestion of a meat dish. I do realize not everyone shares my particular
omnivorous eating pattern. There are lots of folks, like my friends opening Kitchen 452 in Cincinnati, who
choose to be more kind to our web-footed friends (and their hoofed, finned,
& clawed compatriots), sparing these critters a quick trip to Dinnersville.
One of
the better dinner parties we've thrown here at Vine HQ involved an entirely
meatless menu, so I've seen firsthand not only how much wine my vegetarian
friends can throw down, but also how well vegetarian dishes go with well-paired
wine.
In the
interests of egalitarian dining, or if you’re considering doing some more
meatless meals for health purposes or new year’s resolutions, here are some general
wine recommendations to go with whatever meat substitute you’re planning to
plate up for the evening.
All these
recommendations should be viewed through the prism of one of the Vine’s universal
truths: "People make wine to go with what they're eating.” For example, if
you’re making an Italian-based recipe, Italian wine is your best bet. Tapas will
work with Spanish wine. Also, if you’re making spicy curries or other Asian
flavors, the classic pairings of Riesling and Gewurztraminer will likely be
winners.
Tofu:
The Swiss Army knife of vegetarian cooking, tofu is made by taking soy milk and
adding a coagulant of some sort to curdle the milk. The resulting curds are
then pressed into the blocks you see in the grocery store. The type of
coagulant used determines the texture of the tofu, so combinations are often
used. Acid-coagulated tofu creates softer, “silken” tofu while salts
and/or enzymes create a firmer texture.
As for
what wine to pair with your tofu dish? There’s not an answer to that question.
Tofu in and of itself barely has any flavor, as you probably know. It does,
however, absorb the flavor of whatever else is in the pot, wok, skillet, or
other cooking implement. Your wine pairing reflect the dominant flavor of the
sauce. For Asian preparations, a dry Riesling or a very light red like a
Beaujolais would be fine. For grilled tofu, especially if marinated, a fruity
wine like a merlot would go well. For flavored tofu preparations like “soyrizo”
or “tofurkey” use the corresponding pairing for the meat. I’d go with Rioja and
either a pinot noir or a chardonnay, respectively, in those cases.
The same
sort of pairing suggestions guide also works with tofu’s first cousin Tempeh, which is made from soybeans
fermented and pressed into blocks. This has a much firmer texture and can be
used for kabobs, broken up for a ground meat substitute in something like
vegetarian chili, etc. It has a slightly nutty flavor, but is generally pretty
neutral.
Roasted Vegetables: When you roast almost anything, the heat causes the sugars
in whatever you have in the oven to caramelize, bringing out the sweetness and
deepening the flavors as the cooking process proceeds. Sweet potatoes,
zucchini, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes – you name it. Toss them in
olive oil and sliding them into a 425˚ oven for an appropriate amount of time
yields a scrumptious base for any number of dishes. Smoky, bright, and slightly
sweet works well next to a chardonnay that’s got body and a little oakiness.
California chardonnays make an excellent choice with almost any roasted
vegetarian preparation, as do most white Burgundies other than Chablis. Chablis’ delicacy gets run over a bit by
roasted flavors. In my kitchen, there are two major exceptions to the
chardonnay rule, which are…
Eggplant and Mushrooms: Two of my favorite foods of all time. I use eggplant in
any number of dishes – my favorites being eggplant parmesan where I grill the
eggplant slices and a roasted eggplant and tomato dish served over couscous.
Eggplant gets a very smoky, savory flavor when roasted or grilled. The chemical
composition that can give eggplant a bitter flavor is actually countered nicely
by tannic wine, so think big. For the Parmesan, I’ll break out a Barbera, or
Super Tuscan Italian wine. For the roasted dish, I look to the Rhone region. If
you’re feeling like splurging, roasted eggplant and Chateauneuf-de-Pape is a
gorgeous side-by-side, but Cotes du Rhone works well, too. Young California
cabernet is also a good match with almost any eggplant dish.
As for
the tasty, tasty fungus – mushrooms add, unsurprisingly, an earthy flavor to
any dish. On their own, whether grilled or sautéed, they’ll have a flavor that
you want to keep far from almost any white wine. You want something with an
earthy backbone, yet not too heavy. Either of the French “B’s” – Bordeaux or
Burgundy – work well. I personally think grilled Portabella mushroom caps and
an Oregon pinot is a little slice of heaven.
Quinoa – America is finally catching on to this wonderful, nutty-flavored
South American grain, which is one of the best meat substitutes our there as
far as nutritional content goes. Quinoa (pronounced KEE-nwah) has a complete
spread of amino acids, lots of iron, and cooks faster than rice in most
preparations. Often used as a side, much like brown rice would be, I find it’s
also an excellent base for a Latin-flavored salad, tossed with bell peppers,
black beans, lime juice, cilantro and such. The “regional” pairing works nicely
here, so look for a red from South America. You can’t go wrong with either
Malbec or Carmenere. And speaking of beans:
Beans, Chickpeas, and other Legumes – Ah, the musical fruit. Beans and their
various cousins are also very high in protein, fiber, B-vitamins, and all sorts
of other goodnesses. The basic pairing rule is “the darker the berry, the
darker the juice.” White beans like cannellini and cranberry beans, as well as
chickpeas, like to go next to lighter whites. Sauvignon blanc and Chablis are
good choices. For lentils, peas and the like – go with dry rosé or lighter reds
like Chianti and Beaujolais. With kidney beans, black beans, and other dark
ones, go bold! Zinfandel and earthy French reds like Cotes du Rhone and Bandol
will pair nicely.
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