September 9, 2010 at 11:45 am
· Filed under Pasta-Pizza, Wine
Red Rhone wines are great with pizza.
Photo by Kelly Cline | IST.
We typically enjoy a beer with pizza. But we recently attended a “pizza challenge” that pitted top Manhattan pizza makers against those from Brooklyn.
First, our top pick pizzas (use these ingredients at home):
Kudos to Chef Mathieu Palombino from Motorino Pizzeria Napoletana in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for his outstanding Brussels Sprout Pizza. On a very crisp crust, the chef layered fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella), pancetta affumicatta (Italian smoked bacon), fresh garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano. Crisped brussels sprout leaves were sprinkled on the pie after it came out of the oven. It may sound unusual, but the taste is divine.
A plain Margarita pizza from Chef Mark Iacono of Lucali Pizzeria in in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, followed. While we were ecstatically eating the Brussels Sprout Pizza, we commented that it was unfortunate that something so plain was following such a dynamite recipe. Not to worry: Chef Iacono’s combination of mozzarella perked up with some Asiago cheese and fresh basil atop excellent tomato sauce was a revelation.
Stuffed though we were, we ate two pieces of this creamy, flavorful combination. We highly recommend adding some Italian grating cheese atop the mozzarella.
Made in a wood-burning oven that heats to 925°F, all of the pizzas we tried were molto excellente, with that slightly-charred crust one can only get from cooking over wood. But the award goes to Team Brooklyn.
Rhone Wines
The Rhone wines are so much more elegant than Chianti as a pairing with fine pizza.
Northern Rhone wines are syrah-based. The Syrah grape offers blackberry and currant fruit flavors plus firm tannins. The more complex wines have wonderful aroma and flavor nuances of black pepper, smoke and tar. Look for Crozes-Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie appellations.
Southern Rhone wines are Grenache-based (the same grape used to make Beaujolais). Grenache producers fruitier wines—cherry, currant and/or raisin flavors, with softer tannins than Northern wines. The better-made wines have aromas of black pepper, licorice and menthol. Look for wines from the appellations of Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Vacqueyras and Gigondas AOC.
To train yourself in aromas and flavors, get the original Wine Aroma Wheel, developed by a professor at the University of California at Davis, America’s leading school of wine education. There are other products called “wine wheel” but they’re not anywhere as helpful.
Some people avoid beans because of the gas they can create.
Yet beans are not just tasty; they’re an important and inexpensive source of protein that has been cultivated by man for more than 7,000 years.
Oxygen magazine’s new book, Pick It Kick It, offers this tip:
Soak beans for several hours or overnight in cold water.
Change the water before cooking.
See our Bean Glossary to discover many beautiful beans. There are more than 4,000 cultivars of beans in the United States (and many more worldwide). We don’t feature nearly that many, but you’re certain to make new discoveries.
If you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can pasteurize them yourself—and still eat the cookie dough. Photo by Karen Andrews| SXC.
aw eggs are ingredients in sauces such as mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad dressing; in beverages such as egg nog and Orange Julius; in desserts such as custard-style ice cream, mousse, cold soufflés and chiffons; in steak tartare and pasta alla carbonara; and numerous other dishes.
Should you give up these foods because of the recent salmonella outbreak?
Nope! As noted in the post below, you can buy pasteurized eggs. You can also pasteurize eggs at home.
Salmonella bacteria die in a medium-to-large egg in about 3-1/2 minutes when heated to 140°F; 5 minutes for extra-large and jumbo eggs.
Home pasteurization doesn’t provide the 100% guarantee that commercially pasteurized eggs do, but it will significantly reduce the risk.
2. PLACE fresh, room-temperature eggs in the pot; be sure the water completely covers the eggs. Lower the heat and maintain the 145°F temperature. Do not let the temperature reach 160°F or you’ll start to cook the eggs.
3. REMOVE the eggs after 3-1/2 minutes, or 5 minutes for extra-large and jumbo sizes. Allow to cool to the touch; then use or refrigerate.
With the recent salmonella outbreak, many people are avoiding eggs. Those who were fearless and enjoyed eating soft boiled eggs, raw cookie dough, brownie batter, Caesar salad and steak tartare are making different choices.
Salmonella enteritidis is a dangerous bacterium that causes a number of digestive system illnesses. It can be contracted through the ingestion of raw or undercooked eggs, including by inadvertent cross-contamination in the kitchen.
But there are safe raw eggs you can rely on. They’re called pasteurized eggs. Davidson’s, a company in Lansing, Illinois, specializes in pasteurized eggs-in-the-shell, branded as Safest Choice™. Each pasteurized egg is stamped with a red “P.”
Just as milk is pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria, the eggs go through a quick heating process that does not cook the egg, but leaves it looking and tasting like any raw egg, with the nutritional value intact. All bacteria and viruses are eliminated. You can prepare the eggs any way you like without fear of egg-related cross contamination in your kitchen.
Enjoy eggs, raw or cooked, without fear. Photo courtesy SafeEggs.com.
Another plus of pasteurized eggs is the shelf life. With the bacteria removed, the eggs remain good for six to eight weeks after the sell-by date.
Pasteurized eggs are more expensive, which is why they aren’t yet available in most grocery stores: Retailers feel that especially in these tough economic times, people won’t pay more for them (they’re about $5.00 a dozen). But the unfortunate salmonella outbreak has engendered more interest on the part of stores.
Learn more about pasteurized eggs at SafeEggs.com.
See the different types of eggs in our Egg Glossary.
Learn more about eggs in our Egg Section. Popular articles include Egg Nutrition & Tips, Egg Glossary (the different types of eggs), The History Of Egg Salad and How To Make the Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg.
