from Jude's kitchen

I must admit I found Shari Darling’s last book, Harmony on the Palate, most interesting and instructive, so it’s not surprising that her latest, Orgasmic Appetizers, tiny bites with the Moan Factor, is a luscious read as well.

She explains the name of her latest book: “Moaning is an involuntary release, an expulsion of air and sound. When a wine and food partnership tastes sublime, our senses, sight, sound, touch, smell and taste are heightened...it’s spiritual. It’s spine-tingling. It’s ecstatic. I call it a ‘culinary orgasm.’”

In this book, along with hundreds of appetizer recipes, she provides lessons on how to pair them with wines, and groups them by the wine types she recommends you pair with each.

It’s a great idea, particularly for those of us who live in wine country, and are expected to be able to pair wine with food!

There’s lots of information, along with spectacular recipes, in this guidebook to achieving a ‘culinary orgasm.’

The beauty of this book as a gift, is you could hope to receive gifts in return, each time the recipient tries one of these recipes and you’re in the vicinity...

Another top pick if you enjoy wine with your food is the annual “had a glass, top 100 wines for 2009 under $20” by Kenji Hodgson and James Nevison.

The first year they put out this compact compendium to drinking wine at a reasonable price, I was critical of the fact they included absolutely no B.C. wines, but they’ve obviously “broadened” their horizons to include local wines now, so you’ll find a mix.

These two take the elevated art of wine snobbery down a few notches, explaining in pretty plain and simple lingo what to look for in a wine, matching wines with food and then recommending 100 wines in categories such as red and white, with clear descriptions, not complex wine talk.

It’s a great little stocking stuffer for anyone interested in wine.

Brie & Walnut Quesadillas with Cranberry Onion Relish

Just tried a bottle of Calona Vineyards Artist Series 2006 Pinot Noir which has been in our wine rack for a little while. This would be great with the rich, velevety smoothness of that incredibly luscious wine.

Cranberry Onion Relish:

2 tbsp. (30 ml) corn oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp. (10 ml) minced fresh thyme

sea salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

1/2 c. (125 ml) dried cranberries

2 tbsp. (30 ml) dry white wine

1 tbsp. (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

Quesadillas:

4 multigrain tortillas (9-inch)

8 oz. (250 g) brie, thinly sliced

3/4 c. (175 ml) chopped walnuts

oil, for frying

To make the relish, heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onion, thyme, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes, until the onion is almost caramelized.

Add the cranberries, wine and vinegar. Simmer until no liquid remains.

Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let it cool.

To make the quesadillas, cover two tortillas with slices of brie and sprinkle with walnuts. (Toast in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing them frequently, for about three minutes).

Cover with another tortilla.

Add oil to a large pan and heat it over medium heat.

Fry the quesadillas until they’re golden, about one to two minutes a side. Keep them warm.

When you’re ready to serve them, cut each into six slices.

Serve warm with a dipping bowl of cranberry onion relish, or place a dollop of the relish on each slice.

Serves 4 to 6 with 12 slices.

Chinese Sesame-coated Pork Skewers

The sweet and spicy flavours of this appetizer went very well with the fruity, citrussy Peller Estates private reserve 2007 riesling, but I bet it would also be good with a gewurztraminer. I didn’t make the whole recipe. It makes a lot. Don’t cook them over the flame or the skewers, even soaked all day, will go up in it.

1/2 c. (125 ml) hoisin sauce

1 tbsp. (15 ml) light soy sauce

2 tbsp. (30 ml) rice vinegar

1 tsp. (5 ml) fresh ginger, minced

1 1/2 lb. (750 g) pork, cubed

1 pineapple

6 mangoes

sesame seeds, as needed

24 bamboo skewers, soaked overnight

Cut 48 one-inch cubes of the pork, pineapple and mango.

Prepare the marinade and coat the pork cubes with it, leaving overnight in the refrigerator. Store the fruit in the fridge too, in a separate bowl.

Impale cubes of pineapple, pork and mango alternately on skewers. I used short skewers and did just the three on each, but Shari suggests skewering six on six-inch long skewers.

Pour sesame seeds onto a plate and roll each skewer in the seeds so they coat all sides.

Set the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until they’re needed, no more than four hours.

Barbecue them on the grill for eight to 10 minutes, turning them once, until the pork is white.

Do not let the pork burn.

Arrange on a platter and serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6 on 24 skewers of six pieces each.

books for winers