A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

“May all your joys be pure joy, and all your pain champagne.”

Over the last few years I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating on a number of wine articles with one of the country’s most gifted wine experts, Master of Wine, Bob Paulinski. Following are some of our tips on cooking with white wine, and a great recipe for a wine braised pork dish.

• White wine’s fresh, bright acidity is essential to many great recipes like fettuccine Alfredo, chicken picatta and cheese fondue.

• Since heating will change the character of any wine, it would be waste to use a rare or expensive bottle for cooking. However, the classic rule is “never cook with a wine you wouldn’t want in your glass”.

• Avoid using anything labeled cooking wine, which is just inferior wine to which salt has been added.

• Recipes that call for fortified wines like Sherry, Port, Madeira or Marsala cannot adequately be replaced with other wines.

Storing/Saving Opened Wine
White wine should be consumed within a day or two of being opened. Refrigeration will help preserve it, but once it has been uncorked contact with oxygen immediately begins to degrade the wine.

Organic Wine
Wine produced from organic grapes is becoming more and more common. Bonterra is a great American producer. Tormenta from Chile and Greener Planet from France are also doing a good job, and as of 2008 there are many, many more organic choices. Keep an eye out for an in depth article on organic wine later this week.

White Wine for Cooking
These wines are ideal for cooking because of their ample acidity and flavorful profile.

Tormenta Viognier: made with no oak, cool temperature fermentation, bright, fresh, clean in character with a slight tropical fruit note.

Blue River Riesling: pale in color, very fruit forward, bright, vibrant with a slight touch of sweetness, the crisp acidity balances it well and lends a refreshing aftertaste.

Rail Trail: Classic Aussie Riesling, vivid, zesty lemon/lime notes, very dry but with a bright fresh fruit note, balanced with a slightly tart acidity on the finish.

Dry vermouth is also a classic brightener in a myriad of recipes (an especial favorite in the French kitchen).

Braised Pork with Figs and Sweet Onions

Picture courtesy of the awesome Manny Rodriguez.

Even though spring is definitely on the verge, I’ll be making this simple, lush dish for another few weeks. It’s still pretty crisp here in Seattle.

Serve a dry Riesling with this.

• Six, 1-inch thick organic, humanely raised pork loin chops, like those from Heritage Acres Farm
• All purpose flour, for dusting
• Salt and pepper
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 T minced garlic1 med. sweet onion, sliced in 1/2-inch rings
• 1 c off dry Riesling
• 1 c. homemade chicken stock
• 1 T. dried thyme
• 1/4 c. fresh orange juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 c. chopped, dried Calimyrna figs, (about 6 oz)
• 6 oz. small, peeled carrots

1. Pre heat oven to 350
2. Season pork with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large Dutch oven or ovenproof 12-inch skillet, heat the butter and the oil over medium high heat. Brown the pork well on both sides, turning once, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer pork to a plate, drain out all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the wine and stock, increase heat to high and boil to reduce by half, about 12 minutes.
5. Add the thyme, orange juice, bay leaf, figs, and carrots and stir to mix. Return the pork to the pan and braise uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the meat is tender (145°).

“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”

— Thomas Merton