Drinks Are On Me

Sushi & sake? Too much rice! But sushi & Champagne? Now that is nice!

The sheer amount of culinary myths that surround food & wine is mind blowing. For instance, Champagne was not invented by Dom Perignon & sake really is not the ideal pairing for sushi. Ask Japanese people what they would pair with sushi traditionally & relatively few would name sake. Since it is made with rice, the pair usually tips the scales to one side rather than achieve balance.

Though many would mention Japanese beer as their ideal pairing with sushi, my favorite is Champagne. In fact, Champagne & sashimi is my favorite food & wine combination in the world. When I eat them together, I feel rich & luxurious. I can hardly imagine a more decadent pairing, no matter the price. This is where my Champagne wishes & caviar dreams unite in one spectacular combination in mouth. If you have not experienced the freshest treasures from the sea paired with something like this Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut from California, then I believe you are truly missing one of life’s great pleasures.

This 60% Chardonnay/40% Pinot Noir blend is the first California sparkling wine produced by Champagne Louis Roederer. Unlike some other houses, Roederer uses only grapes they own rather than sourcing from other producers, thereby assuring quality. The fresh green apple & pear flavors combined with yeasty & almondy bubbles provide the acid to cut through even the fattiest fish, like the salmon at my nearby purveyor.

Know your sushi:

• Sushi: An all-encompassing term referring to Nigiri, Sashimi, Maki, Chirashi & other preparations consisting of fermented rice & fish. Vegetables & other condiments are sometimes used as well.
• Nigiri: An oblong mound of rice topped by fish. It often uses a small dollop of wasabi to securely bind the fish to the rice & is often bound by a thin strip of seaweed.
• Sashimi: Sliced raw fish by itself. Often served with rice on the side. The preferred method when you want the cleanest fish flavors or want to control your carbohydrate intake. My personal favorite.
• Maki: A long roll containing fish & often vegetables & other condiments, bound by seaweed with rice typically on the outside.
• Chirashi: A bowl of rice with toppings, usually fish.

So the next time you enjoy sushi, don’t make the “mythtake” of pounding sake. Instead, consider a foamy combination like beer or Champagne to wash it all down.

Photo by eirikso.com.

How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova
A Champagne supernova in the sky
Wake up the dawn & ask her why
A dreamer dreams, she never dies
Wipe that tear away now from your eye
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova
A Champagne supernova
‘Cuz we don’t believe
That they’re gonna get away from the summer
But you & I will never die
The world’s still spinning around we don’t know why
Why-why-why-why-i-i
How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a Champagne supernova
A Champagne supernova
‘Cuz we don’t believe
That they’re gonna get away from the summer
But you & I will never die
The world’s still spinning around we don’t know why
Why-why-why-why-i-i
How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
We were getting high

You don’t always have to pair sparkling wine with fancy food.

Take, for example, the 2007 Familia Zuccardi Vida Organica Sparkling Chardonnay I recently paired with Long John Silver’s takeout one night & a tuna sandwich the next.

This Argentinian bubbler made from organic grapes can pair with battered fish, french fries, & hush puppies one night & rock it out the night after with a curried tuna sandwich with apples, golden raisins, & carrots from Boston’s amazing gem Flour Bakery.

The wine’s sharp acid cut through batter & salty fries just as easy as its fizzy apple flavors paired with the tuna & fruit sandwich. Nothing fancy - just simple wine smarts. And at only $14, that’s wallet smarts too!

It’s the simple things that often give us the most pleasure & dressing up comfort food with a surprisingly delicious & affordable wine makes my heart - & palate - happy.