Monthly Archives: September 2010
A Time for a Change
| September 24, 2010 | Posted by jason under Potenza, THE FOOD |
It’s that time of year when the fresh produce of the summer begins to fade away and we start looking to fall and what it will bring this season. At Potenza we’re gearing up for our seasonal change of ingredients and new menu items. Next week we will be changing almost half of our menu and if you have been to Potenza, you know we have a lot of choices. Now that I have been working at Potenza for a year and have had several menu changes down, I feel like this will be our best menu yet.
There’s a genuine buzz throughout any kitchen when it’s time to change the menu. This season is no different, but it does feel even more exciting than the last menu change. Maybe it’s the dishes that we’re putting together like the Charred Tuna Loin with Roasted Porcini’s and Cippollini’s braised in a Tarragon Sherry Broth with Cauliflower Chickpea Puree. We then sprinkle the dish with white beans that have been roasted with brown butter Maldon salt and bread crumbs. They are such crispy, salty fun that we should put them out at the bar as a snack!
We are also preserving the summer vegetables for this menu. Throughout the restaurant you will see jars of preserved tomatoes from Virginia. They have been simmered with balsamic vinegar, fennel seed and fresh basil to really lock in the late summer flavor of the tomato. We preserved some lemons that we are going to toss with those local tomatoes to create our next bruschetta dish that will have Ricotta Salata shaved over the top. See below:
Daily specials will be offered on the menu. An old favorite will be brought back, the Lobster Risotto, although, we will be changing it up a little as anyone would do. This version will have a half lobster that has been steamed and butter poached before being tossed in a rich, creamy mascarpone risotto. Another fun idea we’re playing with is bringing in a whole pig from our local Virginia farmers. We are going to marinate it with apples then slow roast it in our pizza oven till the skin is super crispy and the meat is falling off the bone. I think a nice creamy polenta with braised greens will compliment the flavor and textures of the pig.
On the dessert side of things were working on a Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake. Yes, I said Triple Chocolate. The 3 layers consist of a bitter chocolate layer on the bottom the second layer will be a Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse, and topped with a White Chocolate Mousse were bringing this all together with a sweet red wine reduction. We really haven’t had that big chocolate dessert at Potenza yet, but I think will be one our best desserts on the menu. See below:
The dessert menu will be changing on Monday the 27th and the dinner menu will be changing on Friday October 1st.
To Oak, or Not to Oak? Two New Zealand Whites help answer the question
| September 23, 2010 | Posted by Jeremy under Potenza Wine Store, THE WINE |
Does oak aging improve white wines? I used to think I knew the answer and was against any oak ever touching my whites. Purity and acid! That was my war cry.
Tastes change, however, and I’ve gained a better understanding of how oak flavors and barrel ageing change wine. Understanding has led to an appreciation of the results when the process is carefully managed.
Ageing wine in oak imparts some of the character of the wood while introducing small amounts of oxygen. Various aromas and flavors can be introduced from the wood to the wine: vanilla, clove/nutmeg spiciness, caramel and cream. These flavors can be subtle or pronounced, depending on the wine, barrels, types of oak used and the length of time the wine stays in the barrels.
The minute amount of oxygen that barrels allow in also affects wine, dulling its bite while developing richness and even nutty tones to whites.
For those who prefer wine crafted for balance, the oak can be problematic. A grape needs to have powerful natural aromas and flavors to integrate any oak characteristics it is exposed to or oak just overwhelms all the nuances. Without high-quality grapes, oaky flavors dominate or just taste disjointed from the natural character of the wine.
The overuse of oak barrels has marred a lot of otherwise decent wines and left me suspicious of oak. Some whites benefit from judicious barrel aging and oak can give balance to wine.
Recently, I tasted wines from the Nueford Winery in Nelson, New Zealand. Unlike many of his Kiwi colleagues, John Kavanagh, the winemaker at Neudorf, has made his reputation with Chardonnay rather than Sauvignon Blanc.
The Chardonnays crafted by Kavanagh have a rich hazelnut frame from the oak they are aged in. The oak doesn’t suffocate the fruit, rather the intense fruit and minerality of his Chardonnay is given better definition through judicious barreling. The natural intensity of the Chardonnay has been tempered just enough to add complexity to the wine. The zip on the finish makes this wine food-friendly as well, a delight with cream sauces.
Perhaps even more surprising is the Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand makes incredibly intense Sauvignon Blancs that can have over-the-top grapefruit and grassiness. Kavanagh uses a limited amount of neutral barrel-aged wine to give texture and weight to his Sauvignon, the result being a surprisingly satisfying weight for a Sauvignon Blanc. But the time in barrel also transforms the sharpest edges of the grape’s flavor into a more unique and nuanced experience – grapefruit and grass morphs into ginger and honeydew. Delicious.
To oak or not to oak – the problem is not the answer but the question. Oak aging can be beneficial for those grapes that need weight and taming. The natural flavors of a wine can also be smothered when barrel aging and oak flavors are handled poorly. The question should be when and how oak improves a wine, and any honest winemaker will tell you the answer is as nuanced as great wine.
More good reads on this topic
Dave McIntyre from the Washington Post on Chardonnay and oak
(add hyperlink http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/15/AR2009021501339.html
Knife Skills
| September 14, 2010 | Posted by robbie under YOUR TABLE |
Zola Wine & Kitchen’s Sous Chef Robbie goes over basic knife skills. Watch the video and learn how to cut an onion without tearing up.
1) Don’t be afraid to place your hand close to the blade of the knife this gives you more control and a firmer grip
2) Cut onion in half to stop the vegetable from rolling around
3) Identify which is the top and which is the root…. Look at inside of onion, see which end is pointing up
4) Position board at end of counter and position onion at end of the board, this prevents your hand from bumping into the counter, allowing nice smooth slices
5) Take athletic stance..one leg in front of the other..get level with the vegetable to allow nice, flat, level cuts
6) Start cutting a half inch up from the base, and cut into ¾ into the onion
7) Go up another ¼ inch and cut 3/4 into the onion
8) Continue up the onion a ¼ inch at a time cutting horizontal slices until you reach the top of the onion
9) Rotate the onion so the top of the onion is facing you
10) Pinch the sides of the onions as you slice through the onion so it stays together, starting three quarters of the way back
11) Now enjoy you’re beautifully cut onion!
Montepulciano the Grape (no, not the village) is a Lovable Big Guy
| September 2, 2010 | Posted by Jeremy under Potenza, THE FOOD |
This title needs explaining. Montepulciano is one of those incredibly confusing names in Italian wine that can be applied to a grape, village, and style of wine made by the eponymous village. The village (in southern Tuscany) and style are Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, respectively. This blog is not about those, even though they delicious in their own right.
No, this blog is about the grape Montepulciano, which I have become a big fan of over the years. Perhaps it is because I imagine this grape to be the perpetual underdog, full of potential but struggling against the better-hyped heavyweights to make itself a name. In my mind Montepulciano is the Rocky Balboa of Italian wine.
Hear me out on this one. Montepulciano, like Rocky, is no lightweight; it has the plumy richness of a cab and a meaty/spicy animal side like syrah, all balanced out by a bit of the edgy zip that makes Sangiovese such a good food wine (also like Sangiovese, and perhaps Rocky, Montepulciano has an affinity for tomato-based sauces). What set it apart are the naturally soft and sweet tannins of the grape – its charming nice guy side.
Wine writers often use words like soft, juicy and generous to describe their reactions to the wines made with Montepulciano. They are referring to the lack of bite or drying roughness in Montepulciano and the full, easily likable flavors (think spiced blackberries or cherry compote). Montepulciano’s supple sweet tannins can be made bolder in higher end bottlings with time in oak barrels and careful grape selection, but in general this grape is carries little of the bite you get from other full-bodied reds.
Better yet, Montepulciano in general is also generally very affordable, as its regional variations do not have the name cache of others like Chianti (main grape: Sangiovese) or Barolo (Nebbiolo). Montepulcian The vast majority of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo is consumed in Italy as the table wine of choice. There’s good reason for the Montepulciano’s more often than not the name is an indicator you are getting a good buy on decent wine. Higher-end Montepulcianos are also made in Abruzzo and can often be well-priced for the quality of wine they represent.
Montepulciano also features in some serious blends from Le Marche, a region which extends northward from Abruzzo along the Adriatic coast (Le Marche could be imagined as the hamstring of the Italian boot). This region has been something of a favorite of mine recently, and part of the reason is the fabulous wines hailing from the Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero areas (both DOCs). Both generally contain Montepulciano and the better ones can age well and take on greater complexity.
Why isn’t Montepulciano a superstar grape? Is it because the name is shared with a wine-producing Tuscan village? Who knows? The grape has all the potential of a star performer but has yet to break it big. Perhaps it will some day. In the meantime, ignore its second card status and seek this grape out on your next trip to the wine shop.
Don’t just take my word for it – click the links below for some newer and older discussions of Montepulciano and Abruzzo:
Mike Ricceti – Houston Examiner
A snippet about the region and its wines from Delicious Italy
