The other night it actually got cold. The temp dipped down into the 40’s before 10pm and put me in a cozy kind of mood. See, here in North Carolina fall teases us. October can offer an 80 degree day while the next is in the 50’s. It’s a wacky area of the country, climate wise that is, so when we actually get some real autumn weather I head for the stove, get a pot out and make soup.

I looked in my produce bowl and saw I had one sweet potato and one small winter squash and wondered if this would make enough for two. I scrounged around the produce drawer in the fridge and  spotted a little clementine. “Orange soup it is!” I thought, and as it turned out, it was the perfect compliment to a bottle of Spanish Tempranillo wine we had just purchased from our friend Craig at Wine Authorities.

Warming, luscious and topped with a bit of buttered & candied hazelnuts and crispy sage leaves, it completely said ‘Fall’ to me.

It’s a beta carotene Party!

Saute all the veggies in a bit of olive oil until slightly browned.

Add veggie broth.

Fall spices I love…

After you add the spics to the pot add some water so that all the veggies are covered. Simmer on low heat until softened, about 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering I melted a few dabs of butter and heated some hazelnuts in a sauce pan.

Then I added a bit of brown sugar to coat the nuts.

I added a touch of balsamic vinegar as well.

I also crisp fried a few sprigs of sage from the garden. I have to say, one thing I LOVE is crispy sage leaves.

Back at the soup pot, I added the juice of one clementine.

Then I pureed the soup until smooth. I also LOVE my stick mixer.

I then added a bit of half and half. You could use soy creamer as well. I seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and plated it up with the wine.

Although the days are getting shorter and winter is close to follow; soups like this make an evening’s dinner cozy and warm.

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On June 26th of 2008  I was lucky enough to get a seat at the table for one of Durhams Wine Authorities Food & Wine Pairing classes. It was held at the Wine Authorities store, a locally owned shop that specializes in small vineyards that produce small quantities of very good wine at very good prices. Hosted by owners Craig Heffly and Seth Gross the event was catered by the wonderful and talented chef, Tom Ferguson, of Durham Catering Co.

I had not been to a food and wine pairing class before, or at least an official one. I guess I can’t count the evenings at certain friends houses who would bust out a bottle of red from their wine rack and say something like, “Hey, this would be awesome with that cheese!” Our Wine Authorities friends explained WHY a wine works or doesn’t work with various foods.

First, each table accommodated 4 students with 4 place settings. Six wine glasses sat upon a piece of paper at each students setting. The paper had 6 circles in which was written six different types of wine that was to be poured. Also, there was a sheet of paper with “The Challengers” written at the top and the list of what wines were going to be tested against the six courses of food. It was really exciting!

We began with Seth breaking down the five senses of taste; sweet, sour, salty, bitter & spicy. (That is Craig pictured above) Then he explained the power of taste cancellation or manifestation when wine and food are paired. An example of this might be sipping a sweet Riesling while eating a something spicy, like Jambalaya. What occurred in my mouth was that the sweetness of that wine cooled the spice from the dish. Then I tried the same dish with a Cabernet Sauvignon which tasted tart against the spice. It was a great experience and forced me to really taste, and savor, and think about what was going on with my taste buds.

The food was served on small plates in six courses and beautifully plated in miniature. There were poached oysters in tarragon, apricot brie mini tartlets, spicy jambalaya, lamb (one of my least favorite things to even look at, unfortunately), salmon in butter and chocolate souffle’.

We made notes after each tasting and discussed what was going on in our mouths.  It was fun to hear how everyone was perceiving each wine and how varied every ones tastes were. And as Craig and Seth pointed out, there are no WRONG choices when it comes to each persons tastes. If you liked the Muscadet with that sweet brie then so be it! It’s your mouth and your taste. Who can argue with that?

After the class we bought a few bottles and talked with the other guests. It was a great event and I would highly recommend attending their next class if you can.

Craig and Seth are masters, truly, at their art. They are passionate teachers and really love what they are doing. To have the knowledge that both of them posses takes years of tasting and traveling and we, here in Durham, reap the rewards of all their hard work. If you have not visited them you should make an all out effort to go. You will find two friends who are more than willing to guide you through the wines in a completely non-stuffy atmosphere, and hey, where else in Durham can you try wines in various amounts from a machine called the “Enomatic”! If nothing else, visit them just to check out that sleek, sexy European wine dispenser.

I would again like to say “Thanks guys for having me” and here’s to you,  Salut!

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