A few peak food and drink pairings

[Andrew Dornenburg]

Since we're winding down this week's Open Forum, we wanted to leave ChefTalk.com readers with a few phenomenal food and drink pairings -- which we hope will lead you to your own peak flavor experiences!

"I like guacamole and chips with a margarita -- or with a crisp white like Sancerre, Torrontes, or Gruner Veltliner."
--Jill Gubesch, sommelier, Frontera Grill (Chicago)

"Tannin goes with barbecue, whether in the form of iced tea or red wine...Wine is essentially barbecue sauce with alcohol in it."

--Danny Meyer, restaurateur, New York City

"Instead of pouring a glass of Pinot Noir with grilled salmon, pour a glass of Saison Dupont. People will see fireworks! If the salmon has a crack of black pepper on it, it will be an even better match because it will pick up on the pepper of the beer."
--Garrett Oliver, brewmaster, Brooklyn Brewery (NY)

"With biryani, I'd want Pinot Noir -- particularly a fruity one with more oak to it, like a Russian River style."
--Alpana Singh, master sommelier (Chicago)

"In the top 1 or 2 percent of perfect pairings for me would be a classic like Bresse chicken with mushroom sauce and truffles, paired with Burgundy. One taste of that, and you immediately think, This wine was made for this dish!"
--Bernie Sun, beverage director, Jean Georges (NYC)

"With tomato sauce, I like reds with equal parts acidity and tannin, like Chianti and Sangiovese."
--Madeline Triffon, master sommelier (Detroit)

"A pepperoni pizza pairs perfectly with Barbera d'Alba, which is fruity, fat, juicy, and delicately spicy with great acidity."
--Scott Tyree, sommelier, Tru (Chicago)

Cheers,
Andrew & Karen

P.S. More info on the book:

WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT:

The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea — Even Water — Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers

by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
Photography by Michael Sofronski

(Hachette Book Group / Little, Brown / Bulfinch Press; Oct. '06)

Winner of the 2006 Georges Duboeuf
Wine Book of the Year Award

Winner of the 2006 Gourmand World Cookbook Award - U.S.
for Best Book on Matching Food and Wine

"The most exciting and comprehensive guide to wine pairing
that I have ever seen."
—Eric Ripert, chef-owner, Le Bernardin

"Astonishing...Brilliant."
—Ellen Rose, owner, Cook's Library

"The world's greatest book on the subject."
—Robert Whitley, wine columnist, Copley News Service

At a great meal, what you drink is just as important as what you eat. This groundbreaking food and beverage pairing reference allows food lovers to learn to think like a sommelier, and to transform every meal — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — from ordinary to extraordinary.

Exceptional in its depth and scope — with over 1500 entries — WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America's best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern's, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril's, The French Laundry, Frontera Grill, The Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa's, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru and Valentino.

You'll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters. You'll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches. Follow the authors' three simple "Rules to Remember" when making a match — or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6.

This "incisive, hip writing team" (Publishers Weekly) distills history, geography, science, expert technique, and original insight to create a remarkably user-friendly and engaging reference sure to become an instant classic essential to every connoisseur's bookshelf.
70 four-color photographs by Michael Sofronski

WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT

has appeared on many year-end round-ups of the best food and/or wine books of 2006 recommended for holiday giving by numerous media outlets, including:

- Akron Beacon Journal
- Arizona Republic
- Austin Chronicle
- CFUN Radio
- The Chicago Tribune
- Erie Times-News (PA)
- FabulousFoods.com (as the #1 book of its Top 10)
- Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
- Hamptons magazine
- Kansas City Star
- KCRW Radio / NPR
- LeitesCulinaria.com
- Louisville Courier-Journal
- Memphis Commercial Appeal
- Miami Herald
- The (Myrtle Beach, SC) Sun News
- New Orleans Times-Picayune
- Oakland Tribune
- Panache magazine
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Sunday Paper

[m brown]

I picked up the book today. What a great tool, great conversation piece and great fun!

I love the fact that you paired Popeyes fried chicken with
Sherry.
That Tracy Des Jardins would choose not to serve food with a Vintage Champagne on her desert island list.
And the beverage par stock lists, just to get the ball rolling!

I have been suffering with a tummy ailment all week, but the pages of "What to Drink" lifted me out of the darkness and into the possiblility of a great meal!

(btw, with hot farina, a good irish black tea with milk is devine! )

Now, could you make a pocket size guide?

Thanks!