Gourmet Shopping Made Simple

If you're at the supermarket with dizzying products filling the shelves, wouldn't you want easy-to-read information on why you should choose a certain bottle of olive oil over another, other than the scribbles found on back labels? Wouldn't insider tips on how to buy meat from chefs come in handy while cruising the store aisles?

Gourmet Depot, found inside all Wine Depot outlets, went ahead and did the research so customers can get the fast, friendly facts with shipping tags on all products.

Like...

Jindi Cheese: "Won in the World Championship Cheese Contest – the ultimate award in the cheese-making industry."

Yellingbo Olive Oil: "Martha Stewart finds this "Absolutely Delicious!"

The Chilli Factory: "Hot, fat free sauces especially good with barbecue or tuna"

For meat products, you can even take home various trivia and preparation instructions... like this chart on meat "doneness" depending on the thickness. I like personal touches like that.

AUSTRALIAN GARFISH IS THE NEWEST CATCH IN TOWN

*As featured in the Inquirer Column "The 101 on Wine and Food"


Seafood lovers in the Philippines will soon have no trouble finding premium quality fish in the country. Imported catches from Australia is making its way to the kitchens of chefs, homemakers and gourmets with specialty stores such as Wine Depot having a wide selection of the highest quality Australian seafood.

Apart from Coffin Bay oysters, Australia is world famous for seafood catch such as the Barramundi, King George Whiting and Garfish.


King George Whiting, readily found on the coasts of South Australia is one of the more popular and sought after fish from the land down under. It is what Aussies otherwise call the “butterfish,” because it melts in your mouth with its delicate flavor and texture. This makes it ideal for cooking a number of ways. Whether barbequed, pan-fried or baked with herbs and spices, one of the Whiting’s best qualities is that its fresh, buttery taste comes through even after being frozen.

Get the Whiting at its best quality at Wine Depot - it's vacuum sealed and individually packed so there's no human contact!

Another seafood favorite indigenous to Australian shores is the Barramundi. Derived from the aboriginal word meaning large-scaled river fish, it is usually found in the rivers of Western Australia. They prefer more tropical regions where they can go through their very unique lifecycle (it spends its early years as a male then changes gender when it reaches the age of 5).

This vegetarian fish can usually grow up to 62 cm long when fished from open waters but farmed baby barramundi will usually extend to about half this size. You may cook this whole but fillet bigger ones when needed. With its flavor compared to the most premium white fish such as sea bass, dover sole and red snapper, you never need more than just a little lemon or lime, some spinach or arugula or a splash of white wine to make this fish a sumptuous dish.

Sail to the Eastern waters and you’ll find the finfish with many names. The Australian Garfish may have one too many common names (136 to be exact) for a fish of relatively smaller size but it just goes to show that its taste has made it quite the popular pick. Whether prepared in an attractive boned-out, butterfly fillet that is ideal for more refined dishes, or deep-fried whole, its soft, succulent and sweet qualities make it a good pairing for more intense, fruity and lively wines.

We’ve asked a true blue Aussie Chef, Harry Callinan, Executive Chef of The Marriot Hotel Manila, how to prepare this Australian fish.

Here, he shares an easy-to-do recipe that anyone can enjoy at home.

Spiced flour dusted Australian garfish fillets, mango salsa and peppery leaves

Ingredients:

2 Garfish fillets
100 gm Flour
10 gm Chili powder
1 pc. Ripe Cebu mango
1 pc. Red capsicum
1 pc. Red onion
10 gm Parsley
1 pc. Fresh red chili
100 ml Olive oil
50 gm Fresh Arugula


Method:


• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and chili powder
• Take garfish fillets and toss in spiced flour to coat
• Deep fry in hot oil (180C) until golden
• Remove and drain on paper
• Make a lemon vinaigrette by combining lemon juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
• Toss washed Arugula leaves in lemon vinaigrette and place on center of plate. Add freshly ground pepper on top.
• Make a mango salsa by dicing the mango, red capsicum and red onion and combine in a bowl. Add chopped parsley and chopped fresh chili. Mix all ingredients and add lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange fish fillets on top of leaves
• Spoon mango salsa over and around

Serve it with a good white wine like Villa Maria Estate’s Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc.

2009 Vintage: Gold Trophy from International Wine and Spirits Competition 2009
2008 Vintage: Gold Medal from New World Wine Awards 2009 and Silver Medal from International Wine Challenge 2009

Get it at CRU, Mariott Hotel Manila and at Wine Depot Stores.

Yummy Homemade Lamb Ravioli Recipe

The best part about my job is that I get access to all these new recipes from international food exporters and suppliers. Recently, Meat and Livestock Australia,  released their exclusive Autumn edition of  - Chef's Special - and I just wanted to spread the gourmet love and share a yummy recipe I found there. 

Braised Lamb Ravioli with Caramelized Onions

- makes servings for a whole party. I'm talking maybe 40 plates...

So the next time your hosting a dinner and you don't wanna make the usual kinds of pasta, make lamb ravioli just because it's impressive. Not anyone would dare tackle lamb because of the reputation it gets from not being cooked right. But if you get your meat from a good supplier and you know how to prepare it, you'll really appreciate its subtler, tastier flavors.

Caramelized Onions

1/4 cup olive oil

3 medium onions

7 sprigs thyme tied in a bundle

Ravioli Dough

2 cups semolina

2 eggs

pinch of salt

few teaspoons water to bind

semolina for dusting

Lamb Filling

1 kg lamb neck roast, bone in

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 shallots, peeled and chopped finely

2 whole cloves of garlic

1 cup port

(it's a kind of sweet red wine originally from "Port"-ugal but is now produced around the world)

1 cup red wine

(try a powerful, full bodied red like Benchmark Shiraz. It's only P360 in Wine Depot.)

4 cups beef or veal stock

4 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup diced tomatoes

FOR THE LAMB FILLING:

- Preheat oven to 350F

- Trim excess fat from Lamb neck and season with salt and pepper

- Heat oil in a deep pan on medium high

- Sear neck until brown on all sides then set aside.

- Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat from pan then lower heat to medium

- Add shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 mins.

- Add port wine, stirring to deglaze, then add stock thyme, bay leaves and lamb.

- Bring to a boil

- Cover sauce pan with foil then pierce 6 times to make holes

- Place in the oven and bake for 3-4 hours. Turn meat occasionally

- Remove from oven and allow to cool

TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONIONS
- Heat oil in large saucepan on medium

- Saute onions and thyme until onions are soft and transparent

- Increase heat to medium-high and cook constantly stirring

- When onions are dark brown, remove from heat and discard thyme

- Season with salt and pepper, cool and then place in airtight container and refrigerate until needed

- Reduce the jus by 1/3

- Chop up shredded lamb then combine with 3/4 of the caramelized onions, 5 tbsp jus, then season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

To make sauce, puree the tomatos and combine with remaining jus. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

TO MAKE RAVIOLI

- Combine semolina with 2 eggs and a pinch of salt until it gets a little course

- Add water a teaspoon at a time until dough stays together and can be kneaded

- Knead dough until elastic and a bit soft

- Divide into 2 portions, roll out each into a sheet with a roller, or  run through a pasta machine if you have one 

- Measure out tablespoons of the lamb filling out enough to press the top portion of the dough down between each piece

- Be sure to brush egg wash all around each mound of filling so the dough will adhere to itself to form a ravioli

- Using a knife, separate the ravioli, then press and fold edges until they're secured.

- Cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. 

- Use caramelized onions as edible garnish

Serve this with your bottle of Shiraz and you'll be fending off hungry guests soon enough!

  

Guess who came for lunch?

I was thrilled to have my first taste of the notoriously quirky d’Arenberg wines yesterday. This Aussie brand may have stuck in my head for its cool names but I'm now a firm believer that its infamy comes from honest-to-goodness bottles... the kinds that landed it a Winery of the Year Award and a cult following for Dead Arm Shiraz (beating the $550 Penfolds Grange bottle).

Arriving at Purple Feet, I saw the table set for 10 and was curious to see who the surprise guests were that Stephan invited for lunch.

While waiting, I began dipping my hand at the ice-filled wine buckets to see what’s in store for the afternoon. (Ok, partly because it just looked enticing in the heat of the day) We were going to start with a very cold glass of the Money Spider Roussanne. (Roussanne being a white wine grape originally French grown, and known for its russet or reddish brown color called “roux”.)

I took my seat at the end of the table and lo and behold, joining us was Colin Mackay, the man behind the city’s chic trinity of dining spots - Sala, Sala Bistro and People’s Palace; Oliver Kreuzer, EAM F&B of Mandarin Oriental Manila and Eddie Sarton, the new F&B director of New World Hotel.

Suddenly, I got excited to see what they had to say about the pairings, and which wines and courses in particular they would come back for.

An apple melon mesclune salad topped with alfalfa and drizzled with jasmine green trea dressing for starters. Juicy, grainy fruits with some chopped pistachios set off the taste of the Roussanne. Paired with this was the Money Spider, which was Oliver's wine pick of the day. 

Eddy, Oliver, and myself

Across, Brett, Colin and Stephan take in the aromas.

The unanimous choice was the second course! All of our guests chose this Iberian Pork loin as their favorite dish.  Its an exclusive offering at Gourmet Depot, where you get the highest quality meat from the Spanish Iberian pig which feeds only on acorns. Its meat is ridiculously tasty and an absolute must try.

I would dare say its even tastier than rib eye with the fat content and the buttery texture. The trick is, you try to get everything in your fork for a complete flavor experience -the savory porkloin that melts in your palate, the rhubarb cherry plum sauce falling off the sides, then the crispy, feathery thin arugula leaves. Then you dig in for another bite. 

This was served with d'Arry's Original Shiraz Grenache and The Stump Jump.

Though a bit Intimidating to look at, the third course had all the makings of a hearty three-way turf dish. Though an off cut, the piece of grain-fed oyster blade beef proved that its the cooking that matters in making the meat tender and succulent. The lamb chop had a subtle taste to it while the Wagyu medallion was very tender. Giving the meats a richer taste was the tobacco leaves it was smoked in and a decadent topping of chocolate, wild mushroom and truffle sauce.

To accompany the dish, an equally robust red wine like the Coppermine Cabernet Sauvignon that's Eddy's choice and the Dead Arm Shiraz which got Colin's thumbs up.

For Dessert, a buttered peach, green apple and orange rind crepe topped with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch. Probably my favorite part. Especially because we drank it with the Sticky Chardonnay that's so sweet it feels like syrup you can pour on top of fruits or ice cream. Coincidentally, I researched serving suggestions of this wine and found that it is meant to be dribbled over dessert. Yumm!

Why does the sticky Chardonnay have such a high sugar content? Apparently its grapes are affected by a fungus that sucks the moisture out and leaves behind a concentration of all the sugar, nutrients and minerals in the shriveled up fruit... Kind of like why raisins are saccharine.

I'm definitely looking forward to the d'Arenberg Garden Party next week featuring more food and more of these wines.

Throwing a Garden Party for New Zealand's Best Winery

New Zealand's picturesque terrain isn't only good for providing Lord of the Rings with a breathtaking backdrop. Its the home of one of the most awarded wineries of the region - Villa Maria Estate. This internationally acclaimed winery stretches lazily over 1600km from Auckland to Marlborough through such a diverse collection of vineyards.

The more temperate clay soils in the north to the snow-capped mountains in the South Island imparts distinct and individual characteristics to its harvested grapes.


Last Friday, we celebrated its 11th win in 12 years as the Number 1 Winery of the Year in the 2009 Annual Wine Awards of Winestate Magazine.

This NZ Winery beat 10,000 others for the title. No small feat for a family owned company.

We sampled Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot Cabernet, as well as the Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot Cabernet.

Purple Feet's backyard is a fitting setting for the party.

The five course menu is appetizingly delicious for P950

A yin and yang of Cream of Carrot Rose Water Lime and Shrimp Soup

This was served with the 2008 Riesling.

Carpaccio of Atlantic Salmon served with candied lime zest and fried capers topped with shaved Manchego cheese. The 09 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc was a classic pairing with its fresh citrusy lime and herb aromas that provide the right balance to a tasty fish like salmon.

One of two main events: A tower of barramundi, melon, passion fruit, cilantro and tomato, livened up by a lemon grape fruit sauce. The Cellar Selection Sauvignion Blanc's aromas of passionfruit and sweet melon sets off this dish nicely.

A thick and juicy Wagyu Medallion smoked in tobacco leaves drizzled with cherry grape berry chutney. The hints of cherry and tobacco in the Private Bin Merlot Cabernet 2008 don't shy away from the very powerful flavors here.

Plum and raisin stuffed brue served with grape panna cotta. Any version of the chef's panna cotta is definitely a must try at Purple Feet.

Some snapshots of the night:

Happy couple Peter and Anne Bichelmer is greeted by Hazel Tolhurst at the garden.

Mr. Jacob Grannell and friends were fans of the carrot and shrimp soup. 

Cristina Ferreros and Eloisa San Juan preferred the indoor setting.

Brian and Rebecca Forrester sits al fresco with Brett and Hazel Tolhurst.

A view from the outside: We also caught Mr. and Mrs. Don Kelly enjoying the Villa Maria wines with their friend Tracey Barnes from Australia. 

Another party for Villa Maria is surely underway for next year. I'm crossing my fingers for this winery to win lucky number 12.

The Wine for People Who Don't Take Wine Too Seriously

What if we took off wine from its pedestal and just took it for what it really is? Because underneath all the stuffy names for grapes and the snobbish reputation, wine was meant for drinking, not overthinking.

And if there is one person who enjoys his wine, has a passion for making it and has the most fun naming it, it must be Aussie winemaker Francis "d'Arry" d'Arenberg Osborn. 

Taking it easy here with son Chester, a fourth generation chief winemaker

D'Arry, who led d'Arenberg to being Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine, is quite notorious for giving his bottled creations weird and decidedly quirky labels. He's named his wines Hermit Crab, Stump Jump and even "Cenosilicaphobic Cat" (after finding his son's less-than-sober cat named "booze" drinking spilled red wine. Cenosilicaphobic means fear of empty glasses.)

But for all his humor, he has some serious accolades under his belt and has earned the respect of those in the industry... all while he's dressed down to his most comfortable Hawaiian shirt.  Because, as Anthony Madigan of Australia’s Wine Business Magazine says “When your wines are as good as d’Arenberg’s and you’ve won just about every prize worth winning including over a thousand medals, the chief winemaker can wear whatever he likes.”

One of his world-renowned wines, which was awarded 96 points and won over the Penfolds Grange in the Penguin Good Wine Guide 2010, is the Dead Arm Shiraz. Like all his good wines, this bottle's name has a good story behind it. It is joked that it's called dead arm because the bottle is so heavy that your arm hardly worked after drinking it. But more interestingly, Dead Arm is actually a vine disease which causes half of a vine or its "arm" to die, while the other half, probably because it gets double the nutrients, produces the most amazing grapes.  

Another award winning bottle (which won gold medals in the Royal Adelaide Show '06 and the Sydney International Wine Challenge in '08) is the Laughing Magpie.  The vineyards in which they harvest its grapes are home to the unique native Australian bird, the Kookaburra that makes a laughing call. The Osborn family then named their two wild pet Kookaburras the “Laughing Magpies,” which is another type of bird that looks nothing like the Kookaburra save for its black and white color. But since the name has stuck, and the Magpie is black with a stripe of white feathers, they thought why not name McLaren Vale's first ever Shiraz Viognier blend combining the (black) Shiraz and (white) Viognier after it?

On to another bottle, the Feral Fox, which tells of the animal found roaming in Adelaide Hills. Though normally carnivorous, they seemed to have developed an appetite for the grapes in these parts. Although they are often found munching on the fruits hanging on the lower parts of the vines, the winemakers don’t mind as they make good crop thinners, enhancing the quality of grapes left above. After feeding on the grapes, they also fertilize the soil because the grapes have a laxative effect on these foxes.

"Up until bottling, our winemaking is deadly serious. From then on, it's all about having fun," says d'Arry.  Understanding the characteristics of each individual vineyard, and each parcel of fruit, are all part of their intimate knowledge of their wine and their home.  The philosophy behind the famous red stripe found on every bottle - to be different -  does not only apply to their distinct choices for catchy names, but to their approach in winemaking. "You've got to have a feel for your raw materials before you're able to express your artistic vision," says Chester. 

D'Arenberg's wine names are somehow a testament to the winemaker's personal relationship with his vines and his vineyard. From the role of surrounding wildlife in each harvest season, to the many tools used in the trade, to age-old family traditions - all these short stories or "vignettes"  are captured in the wonderful names that go into every bottle. That's what goes into each critically acclaimed bottle of d'Arenberg's wine collection.

If you want more fun facts (with humorous illustrations) behind the names of d'Arenberg's wines, I highly recommend that you go to http://www.darenberg.com.au/ and look up Money Spider, Broken Fishplate and The Galvo Garage!

For those who want a taste of this legendary Australian brand, join Wine Depot's upcoming dinner event, "A Date with d'Arendberg," where a four course dinner will be paired with selected wines, happening March 26, 2010. Visit http://www.winedepot.com.ph/.