Numerous conversations with friends and coworkers show that a significant number of USAians' Thanksgiving Day plans can be summed up largely as "doing whatever the hell we want."
Some will be eating boxed stuffing while wearing pajamas. Others are cooking the full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, even if it's just for three people.
And folks who don't like turkey are not having turkey! They're eating what they want. Along those lines, I'll offer a recipe I made for myself for a virtual supper club last weekend. (The food was real, the gathering was courtesy of Zoom.) Apple and Rosemary Pork Roulade. While my roulade-ing skills need a lot of work, the results were delicious. And if you don't feel like fooling around with pounding and rolling, then use it to stuff pork chops. Don't eat pork? Try chicken breast or a boneless turkey breast. It's not a ton of work, but looks and feels a little fancy. And don't skip the sauce, it's scrumptious.
I was fairly pleased with my wine choice: William Heritage 2019 Viognier (pictured here with a friend).
Viognier (pronounced vee-OWN-yay) originated in the south of France, but also is grown in the Barossa Valley in Australia, California, Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, and even in South Africa and South America. Viognier is best known for its floral aromas. This one gave me some honeysuckle on the nose, and maybe some not overly ripe peach.
It wouldn't be my first choice with Thanksgiving dinner. I like a less rambunctious nose that doesn't clash with gravy and potatoes and all of that. But to my pleasant surprise, the perfumey viognier flowed well with the apple and rosemary based filling in my meal. It's got plenty of acidity, so great for cleansing your palate between bites.
So while you're trying things other than turkey next week, try some viognier too! I'll be publishing next week on Wednesday the 25th. If you have any questions about food and wine pairing, please do hit me up!
(On a personal note, Saturday, Nov. 21 is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Mom's long-dreamed-of plans for a big party have had to be pared way down of course, but we're still going ahead with a smaller socially distanced gathering. Please keep them in your thoughts! Thanks!)
Comments