Once Christmas is over, the atmosphere of the year-end hits you all at once, and your mind is already heading straight for the New Year (lol). On New Year's Eve, I always go to my parents' houseRestaurant MineI'm going back to Makinohara to help with Mr. 's New Year's Eve soba, so I need to use up as much of the ingredients in our refrigerator as possible. For dinner that night, it was once again a cooking dinner for just the two of us. And on this day too, as usual,WINE BOUTIQUE PANIER Hamakita StoreThis corner, where I introduce affordable everyday wines purchased from [store name] that pair well with home-cooked meals, is already on its eighth installment, including home parties and Christmas parties. What makes me happiest is that Yukiko Ono, the sommelier who always selects the wines for me, says she looks forward to this corner (laughs).
"Viña Falernia Sauvignon Blanc 2012" Chilean White Wine 750 ml ¥1,260
On this day, we'll be pairing it with a refreshing Chilean white wine. The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed. The entire 95% is aged in stainless steel tanks, while the remainder is aged in French oak barrels for four months, and then aged on its lees for another six months before release. It boasts rich aromas of tropical fruits and lemon, and a refreshing yet full-bodied fruitiness. It's said to pair well as an aperitif with nuts and cheese, as well as with various appetizers, salads, seafood, and oil-based pasta dishes. It's a very easy-drinking wine that goes down smoothly and deliciously, almost like water!
"Warm salad with baby potatoes and broccoli in anchovy cream sauce"
Let's make a delicious warm salad with whatever vegetables we have on hand. Boil small potatoes in salted water and cut them in half. Separate the broccoli florets and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cut a tomato into quarters and a yellow bell pepper into triangles of a suitable size. Sauté the boiled potatoes, broccoli, tomato, and yellow bell pepper with garlic, season lightly with herb salt, and arrange on a plate. In a small bowl, crush one anchovy from a can of anchovies (we used Ocean Foods Sardines in Oil), add a little anchovy paste and heavy cream, mix well, pour over the warm salad, and sprinkle with sprouts. The rich umami of the anchovies and the creamy richness of the heavy cream sauce make this a delicious salad that you'll want to eat a lot of. By the way, this anchovy cream sauce also goes well with chicken and potato combinations, so give it a try!
"Japanese-style oil pasta with shimeji mushrooms and squid, dressed with yuzu"
My husband was in charge of the pasta. He sliced the squid into 5mm pieces, finely chopped the garlic sprouts and sautéed them with garlic, then added shimeji mushrooms and white wine and let them steam for a while to open up. He squeezed the juice of one yuzu and combined it with vegetable broth, then mixed it with the cooked pasta, adjusting the taste with soy sauce, and served it in a bowl, garnished with mitsuba and finely chopped yuzu peel. This Japanese-style oil pasta, with its refreshing yuzu aroma, is not heavy and is deliciously easy to eat!
"Kyodo Gakusha Milk Mountain Cream Cheese and Kiwi Fruit Confiture with Crackers" 120g ¥672
I recently featured this cream cheese from Panier, a shop known for its high customer repeat purchase rate, in my Christmas dinner post. I heard it pairs well with jam and honey, so I immediately tried it with homemade kiwi confiture. It was a perfect match for the tart fruits, and the smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture and creamy consistency made for an exquisite dessert! This is definitely an item that would be great for home parties. It's great to be creative and find ways to enjoy meals without having to go shopping!
Today's wines are available for purchase at the following locations: ↓↓↓
WINE BOUTIQUE PANIER Hamakita Store
1200 Kibune, Hamakita-ku, Hamamatsu City, Preha Walk Hamakita 1F TEL: 053-489-6145
Opening hours: 9:30 AM - 9:30 PM Closed: None
http://www.wb-panier.com/
