WHAT to DRINK with WHAT you EAT, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
WHAT to DRINK with WHAT you EAT, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
I can safely say i'm a Dornenburg & Page groupie, having enjoyed the stories behind Becoming a Chef, If You Can Stand The Heat, Culinary Artistry, Chefs Night Out and Dining Out. They're all of the places I can't go now with 2 small children, but I can live vicariously through their descriptions.
I can’t wait to meet Andrew and Karen, they seem like such bohemians. They’re going to be local, transforming the typical book signing into something more appropriate, a tasting! They’re leading a seminar and tasting at Draeger's in San Mateo on Monday, October 30th, featuring “some of the "Holy Grail" food and beverage pairings that any self-respecting food lover should sample at least once in a lifetime.” There are details on Draeger's Web site, and I'll be there, on my own dime. Why, when I go to awesome wine tasting events like the Wine & Spirits Top 100 this week, as a blogger, would I shell out to see Andrew and Karen? Because as much as I've tasted, they've got more to share with me, a passion for sensible pairing that I haven't seen since Andrea Immer's writings.
Andrew and Karen's exposure to awesome food and wine is really intimidating, but you shouldn't be put off that you haven't tasted the delicious vittles of the top restaurants in NYC -- they're really most passionate about breaking down what is really tasty about a particular beverage paired with a particular food. On the way, they try to satisfy diners of different personalities, those adventurous types, and those wanting something warm and cuddly, comfort food. That's what I loved about the book, you get a sense of the personalities of the sommeliers through their advice, and you take the advice of those you'd get along with. It's like a TV show "Friends" approach to wine tasting, finding personalities you fit with and following in their footsteps.
Through the book you get such a wide exposure to the opinions of so many sommeliers it's head spinning, but ambrosia to a foodie like me who loves to know just how that sommelier came up with their wine list progress of a meal and how that story's told. On my first read of the book, I thought it strange that it was such an amalgam of other's opinions, then I realized it's in the synthesis of these other's opinions that Andrew and Karen's gleanings stood out. Their opinions were better stated through other's learnings, and they knew well enough to show off their understanding by arranging the opinions of sommeliers more learned than them. It's not unlike how I arrive at a medical diagnosis, since I lean on the wisdom gleaned from a patient's primary care physician's writings, to help someone seeking urgent care from me.
If you're looking for a quick read, superficially covering particular varietals or beverages, don't look here. That's not to say that someone completely new to wine won't find gems here- not at all- they'd find many lists invaluable e.g. a starter case of wine. It's more that the depth to which they pursue their passion for great pairings leads you to want to spend a lot of time trying out the suggestions they have, e.g. wine & cheese, or similar suggestions to Immer: popcorn and champagne. OOh, I wish I'd have had some popcorn to go with the delicious Rombauer & Krug I tasted last night at W&S top 100. The Taylor oysters were a delicious pairing nonetheless. What I'd had no idea was that you could pair Popeye's fried chicken with sherry, who'd knew?
The organization of the book was really interesting with 2 large sections, one listing foods, another listing beverages. Alongside these headings of foods or beverages were the corresponding good pairings for that item. I wished it was digital, so I could pull out my treo while browsing a menu, and pull up these great recommendations. The book is a bit weighty to bring along while dining, so I figure it'll factor into my pre-dining planning, albeit infrequently. I suspect I'll use it the most when planning meals at home, or for wine tastings which i host from time to time, to find new delicious treats to offer friends.
The sense you come away from this book is that Andrew and Karen have a great gang of buddies that love food and want to share with you how to pick libations that go well with them. It's a great reference, and a tome of stories from their friends. It'll take me a lifetime to build a similar repertoire of pairings, but I'll have a nice guide along my journey. Thanks Andrew and Karen for sharing your passion, yet again.
