Food and Wine Festival 2011: Round Three

This past weekend was *so* much nicer, weather-wise, than the one before it. It was nearly perfect. (If it had been about five to seven degrees cooler, it would have been absolutely perfect!) It was warm, slightly cloudy, breezy, and the crowds were only moderate, which is always a pleasant surprise on a Food and Wine Fest weekend! T came with me for this round and we started off in...

CHINA

Xinjiang Barbecue Chicken Stick.

This was really tasty. The chicken was very moist. The flavors were more honey and soy, with a hint of "something vaguely warm," as opposed to what one might typically expect with "barbecue," but this was by no means a bad thing! And really, how can you go wrong with food on a stick? Right? We finally departed our quiet shady bench in China for...

POLAND

Golabki. Kilebasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream.



We took our plates and found a quiet bench in Italy (talk about defying the laws of international travel!) where we could eat. These are not "new and exciting taste adventures." These are tried an true old favorites that must be savored and enjoyed! The golabki (stuffed cabbage, for those of you who, like my bother, declare that if you can't say or spell it, you aren't eating it) was good, but a little greasy (not inedible, just noticeable, and may have just been this batch, as I don't recall this being an issue in the past). We were comparing and contrasting with the stuffed cabbage recipe we do at home in the CrockPot. This one has a bit more bacon taste to it. The kielbasa and pierogie were pretty much what you would expect, if you've had them before. the caramelized onions always surprise me with their sweetness! And with that, it was time to try something new in...

FRANCE

Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni. Merlot, Chateau de Beauregard-Ducourt, Bordeaux.

All that is a really fancy way of saying "red wine braised chicken with mushrooms and onions, and macaroni gratin." It wasn't much to look at (especially with so pretentious a name!) but it had really nice flavors. The red wine sauce was not overpowering and the serving size was generous. I am not typically a red wine person, but this one wasn't bad. It started out a bit dry and earthy, but at the end there was just a hint of a "plummy, jammy" taste left lingering. I won't even pretend to know what wine the meat was braised in, but the dish and the wine I picked worked well together. After that, I was kind of full, so we wandered over to the other side, and rode Living With the Land and Test Track. When I had a little more room, we made our way to...

IRELAND

Fisherman's Pie.


This is some kind of yummy. It's sort of like a Shepherd's Pie, only instead of ground beef and gravy, there were bay scallops and bits of lobster in lobster bisque, in with the vegetables. And it was all topped off by a layer of mashed potatoes and some melted Irish Cheddar. I am not usually a huge fan of lobster--it's a little rich for me and the texture isn't my favorite--but it was so good in this dish! We ended up sharing it, because the portion is a little large if you have eaten in multiple countries and still want to have some dessert in...

GERMANY

Apple Strudel with Karamel and Vanilla Sauce. Selbach JH Riesling QbA.

This is another returning favorite, but how can you pass up apples and caramel and vanilla? Ok, maybe *you* can, but *I* cannot. This strudel is so light and the flavors are so made to be enjoyed together. And since I went with the Spatlese back on Round One, I *had* to get a Riesling this time. It was super light and a little crisp, with just enough sweetness to go with dessert, but not so much that it became sickeningly sweet. I kept trying to decide what flavors I was detecting in it--peach? green apple? melon?--but either my tatse buds were on slap-happy overload or it was some combination of the three. I never could determine which it was.

We headed for the car, tummies full and content. And if the extended forecast holds, it will be in the SEVENTIES for Round Four. I cannot *wait*!!