It鈥檚 been a long week. You鈥檝e got a million social engagements, full workload, your status needs updating, you can鈥檛 wait for the weekend to get a ton of things done鈥� and it鈥檚 only Tuesday. Takeout to the rescue.
We are lucky to have great takeaway within a two-kilometre radius here in Squamish 鈥� and many options. You can provide an elegant meal for you and yours thanks to the wonderful providers of epicurious delights and can class it up. What makes brown-bagging upscale? Why, the perfect wine pairing, of course!
Here are my picks for Squamish takeout with their accompanying perfect wine pairings.
Let鈥檚 start out simply. Pizza. Any way you slice it, pizza is fast, fresh and with some veggies thrown on, not that bad for you. Any red wine with high acidity is a good choice here. When in Rome? Exactly! A great place to start when pairing wine with food is with its country of origin. Especially in Europe, where the food and wine developed over hundreds of years symbiotically, this is a great clue as to what may work best. For pizza, look to the Chianti region where the varietal is the lovely, fruity Sangiovese. For a great value option, Nero d鈥橝vola from Sicily in also quite nice.
Next, if you鈥檙e in the mood for something greasy and wrapped in paper, what about fish and chips? Fried chicken? Your best friend here is bubbly. Champagne, cava, prosecco, local sparkling 鈥� whatever tickles your fancy (and pocket book). The bubbles and the acidity in the wine cleanse the palate between bites of oily and ever-so-delicious cod, halibut, chicken and fried taters. This is a perfect beach-blanket supper鈥� not that we are condoning public imbibing.
How about Indian? Essence of India is hands down one of the best Indian food restaurants where I have ever had the pleasure of dining. It consistently exceeds my expectations and those of my guests I bring in for visits. Here is one of the best tips in food and wine pairing: When it comes to spice, serve with a slightly off-dry, aromatic white. These characteristics contrast and balance the flavours of the food and sing a duet when properly chosen. My pick for Indian food is often gewurztraminer. 小蓝视频 is loaded with wonderful examples, readily available chilled at our local private liquor stores. That said, viognier, pinot gris and riesling are quite nice as well. Speaking of riesling, if you鈥檙e taking Thai home, riesling is a winner! Look to 小蓝视频 for some great riesling choices 鈥� or kabinett, spatlese or auslese out of Germany.
Lastly, you can鈥檛 go wrong with Mexican. So many flavours, so much complexity, and options for meat lovers and vegetarians. Of course you could opt for cervezas, sangria and a milliard of other wine pairings, but honestly, nothing works with Mexican food like a well made margarita.
Here鈥檚 a treat for you, dear reader: I used to run one of the busiest Mexican bars in Vancouver. Our margaritas were famous. They are difficult to perfect, but once you do, you鈥檒l know. Keen balance of salt, acid, sweet and of course, tequila! (Cue song...)
Here is my margarita recipe. Share widely and enjoy with friends:
Kelly鈥檚 Margarita Recipe
Rim a rocks glass with salt.
Fill with ice (don鈥檛 be chintzy 鈥� use lots).
In a cocktail shaker add 2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (only freshly squeezed)
1.5 oz. tequila (my go-to here is El Jimador silver)
0.5 oz. Cointreau (can substitute Grand Marnier, dry curacao, triple sec)
0.5-0.75 oz. simple syrup
Shake it like a Polaroid picture. Strain into the rocks glass. Enjoy.
Until next time, mi amigos!
