by Chef at Large

First, what does Mimosa mean? Isn’t it intriguingly similar to our own samosa? But right there the similarity ends. Mimosa is a cocktail, while samosa is a, well, do I need to say anything further.  Second, from where does this name come from? Well, it comes from the mimosa plant which sports bright yellow flowers, something that the cocktail looks like.

What is called Mimosa in the United States is called Buck’s fizz in other countries, particularly in the United Kingdom. But the proportions vary. While Mimosa is one part Champagne (or sparkling wine), Buck’s fizz is two parts orange and one part champagne. Ice maybe added to the tulip glass in which it is recommend to be served, but most people warn against it. For me, ice is a big no-no, unless of course the ingredients aren’t cold enough.

How to make it? Pretty simple!

In a champagne flute glass add one part thoroughly chilled orange juice.

Then add chilled sparkling wine, stirring gently.

Serve with an orange twist.

This is the standard recipe that the International Bartenders Association recommends. There are many variations also out there which people swear by. My take on variations has always been the same. If it suits you, please go ahead by all means.

So, next time you are planning to cook brunch at home or planning to call friends for a lazy Sunday brunch, serve Mimosa to your partner or friends while you cook. Best place to enjoy this classic cocktail is outdoors.

Cooking with wine may be a familiar norm in many wine making western countries, but the real challenge, I think, lies in its ability to cook with dishes of countries new to the wine culture, say like India.

A lot has been written and said about the Indian food and wine pairing, its limitations and possibilities discussed at many forums etc. (I too have written several articles on the subject at my blog and elsewhere). But frankly, there has not been much experimentation in cooking Indian dishes with wine. So, since I have tried my hand a few times in this relatively unknown area (if anyone else has dabbled in the field, you are free to educate me), I thought it was about time I talked about it.

But first some basics: One, choose wine that is fresh. Two, know your wine well before thinking of using. Three, don’t cook the wine at too high a temperature unless you want to get rid of the alcohol (note that alcohol vaporizes at seventy degrees). Four, be careful of the astringency of the wine, as too much may seem like you have gone overboard with adding vinegar to the dish. Before we start, you must also know that wine can be used at any stage of cooking. It can be used to add flavors, intensify existing flavor(s), add a spicy dimension to a dish or just add volume to the sauce. Used as a marinade, added while cooking, or used for de-glazing, wine can add a lot to the depth and substance (a punch, really) to your dish.

I won’t be talking about the famous dishes of the west here. You won’t find ingredients in India, plus it won’t be doing any service to the Indian food. I have tried wine to create a unique chicken masala dish, used it in a sauce with stir fried prawns in Kadhai and spiced up a simple vegetable salad. Today let me share one of the recipes for you to follow in a very simple format.

Masala chicken in white wine

• Wash about 400 gms of chicken.
• Coat with flour (maida) and set aside.
• In a non-stick pan or a shallow bottom kadhai pour 3-4 table spoons of olive oil (any other cooking oil except mustard will do).
• Add some freshly chopped garlic.
• Place the chicken pieces in oil and cook both sides for about 7-8 minutes adding salt, pepper and a pinch of garam masala.  When almost done remove and set aside.
• Now we deglaze the pan using white wine. I use Viognier. It is highly aromatic and lends a fantastic flavor to the dish. Pour about small cup (75 ml)
• Once bubbles begin to form place the chicken pieces gently. Cook both sides for 4-5 minutes more.
• Serve with butter nan or dinner rolls.

Zinfandel: Piyo Bindaas with Indian Food

It’s a rather well known secret, but one I would like to  talk about over and over again. The last time I wrote about the appropriateness of Zinfandel with Indian food was in the summer of 2007 (read here), and here I am at it again.

Made from red grapes, it comes in dry white to blush, or red. Here is the high point: Versatile in it’s compatibility with a wide range of cuisines from all over the world, I find it particularly well suited for Indian and Thai food. Sula Vineyards were nice enough to send over two bottles of Zinfandel Rose and Red for Chef at Large. So this last weekend, we got together at my home and sampled it, our mouths munching, and senses drooling. Frankly, the experience was awesome.

We started with the Blush variety, pairing it with chicken nuggets, potato chips and cheese. Nice and crisp, I could almost hear it successfully convince the soft poultry and cheese to allow for a smooth cutting through. It tasted fruity in the glass, the fruity flavors exploding in the mouth, reminiscent of peaches and strawberries. For the red wine, which felt fuller in taste, we graduated to a simple paneer-vegetable salad and sandwiches cooked by my wife, before mopping up the buttery chicken chunks from a nice and tangy gravy with soft, thin roomali rotis. The red wine with its robust tannins spiked the mild masalas lending a zesty cinnamon and peppery taste.

What we ate

• Chicken nuggets
• Potato chips with cheese dip
• Paneer and vegetable salad
• Vegetable and cheese grilled Sandwiches
• Butter chicken
• Roomali roti

Some ideas for Zinfandel wine food pairings:

Soup and Cheeses

• Chicken clear soup
• Vegetable or corn soup
• Amul Gouda Cheese

Seafood & Fish

• Butter grilled seer fish or Pomfret.
• Sautéed prawns, seasoned lightly

Meats, poultry and bread

Zinfandel goes well with most meats, tandoori, barbequed or tawa fried; Skewered lamb, chicken tikka or Mutton boti (marinated chunks). Butter chicken or lightly spiced kadhai chicken sing merrily too with nans or roomali rotis. Biryani or aromatic rice with meat or vegetables spiced lightly is also a good combination.