My very special lady was kind enough to pick up this very special Cognac for me to enjoy on this fine holiday.  How early is too early, to start putting some work in on this bottle?

World’s most expensive Cognac; the Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne that comes packed in a bejewelled crystal bottle bathed in 24K yellow gold and sterling platinum festooned with 6, 500 certified brilliant cut diamonds. It is retailed at $1,946,617.

The world’s most expensive tequila, the La Ley del Diamante (the Diamond Sterling) available in a hand-blown glass covered with four kilograms of pure platinum and sterling silver. Between 925 and 6,000 brilliant-cut diamond and is priced at $1,547,880. It carries around 42% alcohol.

Following the queue is the DIVA Premium Vodka, retailed at $1,060,000. Produced using natural spring water and triple-distilled, each bottle holds a glass centre packed with precious or semi-precious jewels, counting diamonds.

The world’s most expensive whiskies, we have Nun’s Island, Galway Distillery, 20-Year-Old Pure Pot Still Whisky, each one retailed nearly $194,661.

I must confess that, along with Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner is my favorite meal to plan, cook and serve! Why? Because there are very few occasions during the year when I can take time off to cook such a feast for family and friends. I relish every moment of it.

And every year my challenge is to come up with a dessert that is nothing short of stunning! This year I set my sights on creating a chocolate layer cake. A courageous act for sure, since layer cakes and icings are not only totally foreign to me, but very intimidating to boot.

So I decided to start testing recipes early on in the fall. My first attempt was so disastrous that I put the monstrosity I’d created in my spare refrigerator and forgot about it for 5 days… My second attempt was definitely an improvement, but the white-chocolate icing was way too sweet for my taste and the cake itself a bit too heavy… still.

I wasn’t about to give up, though. I wanted not just any chocolate layer cake. I wanted to make the lightest, moistest, most intensely-chocolaty-cake-ever… I wanted a showstopper!

Two more attempts finally delivered the cake I had envisioned. I turned to my French background yet again. A dark chocolate génoise (sponge cake) brushed with a little coffee and Cognac makes the four layers. A milk chocolate mousse hugs the layers together and a white-chocolate mousse gently envelops the whole cake. A last tease: bittersweet chocolate curls dot the cake and add yet another layer of chocolaty flavor.

A holiday feast demands a dazzling dessert – one that tastes as delicious as it looks.

Viviane’s tip: Like all good things, this cake will take some time to bake and assemble. Fortunately, the chocolate génoise can be made one day ahead and the cake assembled 4 to 6 hours before serving. A little bit of planning will be necessary, but it’s well worth the effort… and if I can make this cake, then I would say anybody can, too!

Note: I chose Callebaut chocolates for this cake. They are outstanding baking chocolates with smooth texture and beautiful flavors. Callebaut chocolates are available in bulk at Whole Foods and gourmet food stores.

Chocolate Layer-Mousse Cake with Cognac and Bittersweet Chocolate Curls

makes 1 large cake – serves 12

For the cakes
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa – sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pinch sea salt
8 large eggs – at room temperature
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened butter – melted and slightly cooled

1 cup strong coffee – cooled to room temperature
1/3 cup Cognac

2 – 9” round non-stick cake molds – lightly buttered and floured

For the milk chocolate mousse
9 oz milk chocolate – coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the white chocolate frosting
12 oz milk chocolate – coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, as garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 1: Place the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well blended.
Step 2: Place the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk at high speed until very pale, thick and ribbony (about 2 minutes). Slowly add the sugar and continue whisking at high speed until soft peaks form, another minute.
Step 3: Add half the flour/cocoa mixture to the whipped eggs. Fold in carefully. Add the melted butter and fold in carefully. Fold in the remaining flour/cocoa mixture, taking care not to overmix.
Step 4: Divide the batter equally into the prepared molds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before un-molding.
Cook’s note: The cakes can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead. Cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before assembling the cake.
Step 5: To make the milk chocolate mousse: Place the chocolate pieces in a double boiler. Melt the chocolate over simmering water, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until just warm to the touch.
Step 6: Place the heavy cream, chocolate liqueur and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip at medium speed until thick, taking care not to overbeat or it will turn to butter. Pour the melted milk chocolate into the whipped cream and fold until well blended. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Step 7: To make the white chocolate frosting: Place the white chocolate pieces in a double boiler. Melt the chocolate over simmering water, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until just warm to the touch.
Step 8: Place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip at medium speed until thick, taking care not to overbeat or it will turn to butter. Pour the melted white chocolate into the whipped cream and fold until well blended. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Step 9: To assemble the cake: Un-mold the chocolate cakes and cut in 4 even layers, about 1″ thick (I use a cake leveler, it makes the job infinitely easier!). Place one layer of cake in the center of a serving platter. Line the rim of the platter with plastic wrap (this will keep the rim clean as you apply the frosting). Using a pastry brush, soak the cake with one quarter of the coffee and Cognac. Top with a third of the milk chocolate mousse and spread it evenly over the whole surface of the cake. Top with another layer of the chocolate cake. Repeat soaking with the coffee and Cognac, and spreading the milk chocolate mousse 2 more times until you have 3 layers. Top with the last layer of chocolate cake and soak with the remaining coffee and Cognac. Finish by applying the white chocolate frosting, first on the top, then on the sides. Save a little frosting for piping if desired: pipe a rim around the top edge. Remove the plastic wrap lining the platter and pipe the remaining frosting around the base of the cake. Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Step 10: When ready to serve, shave the bittersweet chocolate using a vegetable hand peeler over the cake and around the rim of the platter.

© 2009 viviane bauquet farre  – food & style NY LLC

Hello and Bonjour! My name is Sophie Vallejo and I am a Frenchwoman living in London. Born in Normandy, I moved to the UK in the mid 80’s.

My food and wine adventures in London began in 1988 when I joined a company promoting French food and wine in the UK.  20 years working in food and wine public relations have followed (including freelancing as A La Carte Communications), with some great highlights along the way:

- looking after food, wine and spirit clients from around the world - wines producers from Australia, Chile and France, a leading Champagne brand, Cognac,  fresh produce from Israel, frozen cakes from Germany, an Italian caterer, French cheeses and Label Rouge free-range poultry among others.

  - gaining a WSET wine qualification and translating Wines of South-West France by British author Paul Strang into French: Vins du Sud-Ouest, Edition du Rouergue.

- organising more wine tastings, press lunches, and Champagne evenings than I had hot dinners (well, almost).

With Sophie’s Taste, I just wanted to begin a new chapter and share my food and wine adventures – from top tips and tipples to favourite ingredients and recipes. 

More than anything else, this blog is a celebration of the little food and wine pleasures of life. 

Welcome to Sophie’s Taste!

You can contact me at:  alacartecoms@o2.co.uk

Here are the menus for Week 4 of the James Beard Project. (Of course, we will be closed Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving — Gobble Gobble!):

Monday, Nov. 23 — Basil Lasagna (Beard on Pasta, p. 157)

Tuesday, Nov. 24 — Halibut with Crab (James Beard’s Fish Cookery, p. 107)

Wednesday, Nov. 25 — Sole with Shrimp Sauce (James Beard’s Fish Cookery, p. 192)

Friday, Nov. 27 — Chicken Sauté with Figs and Cognac (James Beard’s Theory and Practice of Good Cooking, p. 166)

Saturday, Nov. 28 — Steak Au Poivre (James Beard’s Theory and Practice of Good Cooking, p. 159)

Renaud Lavillenie à l'entrainement

Désigné athlète de l’année en début de mois (voir ci-dessous), Renaud Lavillenie va-t-il rejoindre le Clermont athlétisme Auvergne ? En tout c’est ce qui se murmure dans les travées du Stade Jean-Pellez.

Car même si l’athlète de 23 ans est, depuis plus d’un an, sous les ordres du coach clermontois Damien Inocencio, le tout dans les infrastructures du Clermont Athlétisme Auvergne, Lavillenie s’entraînait sous le giron du pôle France de saut à la perche de Clermont-Ferrand. Le perchiste, originaire de Charente, était toujours licencié dans son club de Cognac.

Pourtant, après des échanges assez vifs, Renaud Lavillenie aurait rompu les négociations avec son club de toujours, le Cognac Athlétique Club. Le récent médaillé de bronze des Championnats du monde d’athlé de Berlin (Allemagne) estime que le club cognaçais ne montre pas de réelle motivation pour le conserver.

En clair, Cognac n’est pas prêt à mettre la main au portefeuille pour que le perchiste reste licencié chez eux. Ce qu’expliquent d’ailleurs les responsables du club, qui se disent « pas en mesure de trouver les 8 000 euros d’aides demandés par Lavillenie », ne lui proposant “que“ 15 000 euros par an.

De ce côté là, il semblerait que le club clermontois soit plus accueillant. Ainsi, avec les aides du Conseil régional, du Conseil général et de Clermont-Communauté, le jeune homme toucherait au Clermont Athlétisme Auvergne, pas loin de 20 000 euros par an. Comme quoi les Auvergnats ne sont pas si radins que ça…

J-B

Nice cowboy hat and belt buckle.  What’s up Marlboro Man?  You get that hat from the farm?  No.  Oh, I see, it was a gift from your niece who picked it up from the swag table at the Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus concert last week.  And that belt with the oversized, almost novelty, belt buckle – did you win it at the rodeo or from the turkey shoot at the county fair?  It was an impulse buy from near the register at Abercrombie & Fitch.  At 36, aren’t you a little old to be shopping there?  But we digress.

That’s great that you order table service and the most expensive bottle in the place, but didn’t you look around and realize this is a dive bar?  That 22 oz. Budweiser Select big beer was a good choice for someone with such discerning taste and a refined palate.  Oh, this is a fine dining establishment and martini bar.  You look like a tool ordering the $350 drink made with Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, Dom Pérignon champagne, a dash of orange liquor, and garnished with a sapphire in the bottom of the glass to impress the already drunk bar fly cougar he has been hitting on all night.  ‘Nuff said.

Yep, he’s an all around classy dude.  Needless to say, keep on trying.

Apple & Onion Bone-In Pork Chops with Couscous

Something I’ve found strange about living in New York is how warm it feels outside since we’ve been here, even as we hit the middle of November.  This past Sunday alone found me hanging out with an old friend outside and wearing a sleeveless top.  By the time I had hoofed it home lugging a bag of groceries from Whole Foods I was a disgusting, sweaty mess and immediately needed a shower, which seems utterly ridiculous, don’t you think?

We’ve had a few moments of colder, more fall-like days here, however, and when I came across this post from Saucy Little Dish, I knew it would be right up our alley, so we stocked up on most of the ingredients during our weekly trip to Fairway in order to be prepared when the mood struck–including taking advantage of Fairway’s amazing meat selection, specifically being spoiled for choice in the pork chop department.  Bone-in pork chops have been a recent-ish discovery in our kitchen, and a delicious one at that, as the bones impart even more flavor and always seem to yield a more tender chop than a boneless one.  The latter are, of course, great to have on hand, but it’s worth switching things up every once in a while if the option is available to you.

The post’s author suggested using either white wine or a combination of chicken stock and bourbon, but considering that the only bottle of bourbon in our house is a very expensive bottle of Booker’s (a congratulations gift from L on Michael’s successful thesis defense), he used some cognac we still have on hand from our sangria-making escapades over the summer instead.  My general aversion to mashed/smashed potatoes (yes, you read that correctly) meant I requested couscous to be served alongside the dish, and to be honest, it serves well as a blank canvas to soak up all of the sauce while the apples and onions provide a nice texture, and it morphs into a pretty tasty lunch the next day if you have leftovers.

Overall, it was another successful instance of food-blog-inspiration, and we tip our hats to the ladies at Saucy Little Dish.  Cin cin!

C’est cette sérieuse question que je me suis posée lors d’un dîner organisé par le Salon Spirit.

Le but de l’opération était pourtant simple : trouver pour les plats proposés un ou plusieurs accords avec ces divers alcools : whisky, cognac, armagnac, vodka, alcools de fruits et j’en passe. L’exercice était bien difficile mais, surtout, est-il vraiment possible pour un vrai plaisir gustatif ?

En regardant mes voisins à table, le constat fût sans appel. D’un coté, les verres d’eau minérale toujours vides, et de l’autre, les verres des divers alcools, même excellents (pour ne pas dire exceptionnels), presque intacts… No comment.

Les sommeliers présents à cette soirée essayaient de défendre desespèrement leur cause en décrivant chaque accord avec des mots quelque peu trop imagés à mon sens. Ils ont ainsi imaginé des compromis, presque parfaits selon eux, entre les divers alcools et du foie gras, de la dorade royale, une pièce de boeuf Saint George ou bien encore avec du roquefort. Mais ce fût peu convaincant malgré tous leurs efforts.

Quoi qu’il en soit, avec ce type de repas, on reste plutôt dans l’imaginaire que dans le réel. Et un seul accord s’avéra être vraiment satisfaisant : ce fût ce petit canapé Bagnat au caviar en guise d’apéritif avec un verre de vodka blanche bien glacé, les fameux « zakuski » qu’on n’imagine pas autrement. De même en fin de repas, un mille feuille aux poires avec un petit verre de poire williams. Pourquoi pas.

Ainsi, la conclusion est très simple, on peux toujours imaginer des accords plus insolites les uns que les autres, mais est-ce que tout cela a un véritable sens gustatif ? Chaque alcool, vins ou simple boisson non alcoolisée a un rôle à jouer dans le parcours gustatif de chacun. Et rassurez vous, tout n’est pas figé, mais il y a des règles à respecter. Elles sont quelques fois très classiques, mais ça marche !

Cognac, armagnac, vieux rhum ou eaux de vie… Ce sont des alcools de contemplation et de réflexion, qui se dégustent et re-dégustent confortablement tout en douceur, le plus souvent pour eux même, en toute simplicité ou, encore mieux, en les associant à un tout nouveau vitol trouvé dans une fabrique à la Havane.

Pas de panique le calme est revenu.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Cosmopolitan

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Crime of Passion Martini

On this point I totally agree with Carrie Bradshaw.   Cosmoplitans are delicious.  This one was no exception:  vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, lime juice.   Today was a University holiday (Veteran’s Day) and also my husband’s birthday.   The kids, on the other hand, both had to go to school.  Ha ha ha ha!  Nonetheless, I spent most of the day working from home, answering emails and coordinating various things.    A work ethnic does sometime get in the way, doesn’t it?

We did manage to get out for lunch together and had a lovely time.   I had a very nice glass of rosé, I am partial to rosés these days.   White wine has little taste for me lately, unless they are properly chilled and the weather is warm.    And red wine tends to give me a headache the next morning.  I find that a glass of rose strikes a nice balance.   We stared with warm olives and a lovely spinach-pear salad with almonds and a light vinaigrette.   We skipped dessert because I made a birthday cake for later.

I introduced my husband to the BevMo in Walnut Creek and he totally agreed that this store was much better than the one in Oakland.  We also had to hit Petco on the way home because my little five and a half month year old Russian Blue kitten has been quite naughty lately and we needed to get another litter box.   Boy, those can get expensive.   Little poop (literally) also got a new sparkly red collar suitable for all those holiday parties to which she will no doubt be invited.

There was a split vote on the Crime of Passion Martini.  It was made with vodka, Alizé, and cranberry juice with an orange twist.   I had no experience with Alizé, so was a bit surprised to see that there are about five different kinds and the recipe did not specify:  Bleu, Wild Passion, Gold Passion, Rose & Red Passion.   Each either cognac or vodka blended with fruits and sometimes spices (like ginger).   It is bottled by Remy Martin.  Given this was to be blended with vodka, I chose Alizé Rose, bottle description is

Beautifully bold, decidedly exotic  and amazingly sophisticated, Alizé Rose is a rare combination of exotic flavors from around the world including roses, strawberries, litchis and passion fruit juice blended with highly refined 100% vodka.

They all have passion fruit in them, hence the name of the drink:  Crime of Passion.  Hah!  My name derivation fixation has been partially appeased.   Life is good.   So this drink would definitely change depending upon which variety you choose. The Red Passion one might have been better with this drink since it had cranberries, but I am not sure that one was available.  BevMo did not have all five, they had space for four and one was sold out (I think it was the Bleu one).

It was a lovely pink color when mixed.  I thought it was a bit too sweet, but it did go down easily.  This would be a good drink for a fun, cocktail party, maybe with a 70’s or Tiki theme, at least that was my impression.   My husband liked it more than I did, which is quite unusual.   He usually does not care for sweet or mixed drinks.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sue

Donnons tort à Alfred de Musset qui écrivait : « Qu’importe le flacon pourvu qu’on ait l’ivresse ». Je clame haut et fort qu’en ce 21^e siècle, le flacon importe autant que l’ivresse afin de se démarquer sur un marché toujours plus concurrentiel.

©Martell/Dragon Rouge

Jean Martell l’a d’ailleurs bien compris et a confié à l’agence de communication design Dragon Rouge le soin de réaliser le nouveau packaging de leur cognac XO « L’Or ».
Accordons-nous quelques instants de luxe, calme et volupté pour admirer le travail d’orfèvre réalisé en partenariat avec la Cristallerie de Sèvres. Les designers ont imaginé, à partir de l’idée du nombre d’or, un flacon (car c’est bien de cela qu’il s’agit et non point d’une bouteille) qui contiendrait l’essence même du nectar concocté par Jean Martell.
Le flacon est soutenu par une arche décorée d’arabesques en or, que vient parachever le bouchon en forme de demi-cercle. Ce cognac doit se positionner comme le plus qualitatif de la marque, ainsi que le plus abouti.

Il répond également à un triple enjeu :

• être cohérent avec les valeurs de Martell et les produits de la gamme,

• répondre aux codes des cognacs ultra-premium,

• s’adresser aux consommateurs ultra exigeants « en quête de statut et d’ostentation » mais aux cultures diverses (notamment sur les marchés Russe, Américain et Chinois).

Dragon Rouge a remporté un Pentawards de platine pour la réalisation de ce packaging haut de gamme.

J’en profite pour faire le lien entre Dragon Rouge et mes précédents articles sur le Salon du Chocolat puisque l’agence était présente avec Jean-Paul Hévin pour donner leur vision de la vitrine idéale « Lèche’vitrines » : une vitrine composée uniquement des fameux escarpins du chocolatier.

Les escarpins de Jean-Paul Hévin mis en valeur par Dragon Rouge au Salon du Chocolat 2009

L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé. A consommer avec modération.

Cognac Cocktails, a Salvaged Banksy and the No Emissions Peugeot Prototype
Qype does London, November 5th 2009

Starting off with cocktails and canapés in Mayfair and ending with … um … cocktails and canapés near Covent Garden (with a little bit of beer and re-appropriated graffiti viewing in Soho along the way), last night was one of those nights when during a brief pause I took a step outside myself to pat myself on the back for settling down in such a dynamic city.

READ THE COMPLETE POST:
Cognac Cocktails, a Salvaged Banksy and the No Emissions Peugeot Prototype

21: Vet du hvorfor nordlendingene ikke kaller barna sine for Odd Even og Hans Hugo?   For når de roper på dem blir det: Å dæven han sug ho.

22: Hva er likheten mellom et kondom og et kvinnfolk? Er dem ikke rundt kuken så er de i pengeboka.

23: Typiske navn på filippinske damer: Tamey Bacfra. Japanske damer: Suga Stang. Og det klassiske russiske jentenavnet: Smettanin Hartzomfan.

24: Prat mellom to husmødre: ”Hvordan er sexlivet ditt for tiden”? ”Sexlivet? Jo det er akkurat som å ha trygd”. ”Trygd sa du”?  ”Ja, en gang i måneden, og altfor lite”.

25: Vet du hva som er verdens minste kirke? Det er fitta, bare en ståplass og klokkene må henge utenfor.

26: Nissen satt med julegrøt, ønsket fitte varm og bløt. Engler dalte ned i skjul, ville ha et knull før jul. Nissen rei så kuken slang til englekor og bjelleklang.

27: Damen på bar: Drakk en femdobbel Cognac rett ned, stupte i gulvet og ble pult av fire mann. Neste dag bestilte hun whisky og sa: ”Blir så sår i fitta av cognac”.

28: Fire magiske ting kvinner kan: – Blir våt uten å dusje – Blør uten å ha kommet til skade – Gir melk uten å ha spist gress – Få benløst kjøtt knallhardt.

29: Tre skremmende fakta om kvinner: 1: De produserer melk uten å ete gress. 2: De kan blø i en uke uten å dø. 3: De får en mann til å komme uten å rope på han!

30: Hva står på skiltet ved utgangen til sædbanken? ”Takk for at du kom!”

Alguém aí tem um bar em casa??Aqui tem e demoramos mais ou menos uns 6 meses para completar com ingredientes básicos: Vodka,cognac,cachaça,gin,sambuca, etc. Mas a idéia só veio mesmo depois de comprarmos o livro “1001 coktails”(como se 1000 já não fossem suficiente). Daí sempre que temos visita ou mesmo quando somente estamos com vontade de experimentar algo novo, tentamos algumas das receitas, assim aleatoriamente. O livro possui 375 páginas com os mais diversos tipos de  Coktails.Os copos da apresentação dos coktails são chiquéééééééééérrimos.Tudo pra lá de VIP . Desculpem as fotos super mal tiradas, mas scanner é uma viagem para o meu entendimento.

Juro, não sou alcoólica

Préparation

1 heure

Cuisson

15 minutes

Ingrédients

Pour 6 personne(s)

• 1 kg de noix de Saint-Jacques ou pétoncles,
• 200 g de saumon fumé,
• 1 cuillère à soupe d’aneth hachée,
• 5 cl de Cognac,
• 4 c à soupe de crème fraîche,
• 1 c à soupe d’échalotes hachées,
• 30 g de beurre, sel, poivre.

Préparation

Dans une sauteuse, faire chauffer le beurre, y faire revenir les noix de Saint-Jacques et les échalotes. Dès qu’elles sont bien dorées arroser avec le Cognac. Chauffer, retirer du feu et flamber. Saler et poivrer. Ajouter la crème fraîche, et laisser cuire sur feu doux quelques instants.

Couper le saumon fumé en petits morceaux et les incorporer à la préparation. Laisser chauffer 1 minutes. Servir bien chaud avec des pâtes fraîches saupoudrées d’aneth.

Faîtes vous plaisir avec un bon vin blanc de Bourgogne : Meursault.

Retrouvez nos autres recettes en cliquant sur cette image

A careless Russian forklift driver was backing up his vehicle, and he must not have been paying attention, because next thing that happened was boxes of wine and vodka crashing down on him. He actually had destroyed almost all the warehouse’s contents in one go! Over $189, 000 worth of vodka and cognac crashed to the floor as the forklift hit the shelves. Despite this major accident, no one was seriously hurt. Here’s the footage of the accident…

Youtube Link

via Pig Jockey

Today’s James Beard Project dish is inspired by the cuisine of the Alsace region of France, in the east along the Rhine River at the German border. The cooking of this area has, of course, been heavily influenced by German cuisine, and that influence shows here. Coq au Riesling is a variation on the traditional French coq au vin dish that, instead of using the usual red Burgundy wine, uses a sweet Alsatian white Riesling instead.

The chicken is browned in butter to which oil and flour are added. Salt pork then goes in to flavor the dish further. Its fat is rendered, and sliced mushrooms, shallots, onions and carrots are added. The chicken is flambéed with cognac and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic before the Riesling is added and the dish is simmered. Following the simmering, the sauce is thickened with a beurre manié — a dough of equal parts soft butter and flour.

James Beard’s recipe calls for the completed Coq au Riesling to be served over pasta noodles, which figure largely in Alsatian cuisine. However, we’re substituting a traditional German form of noodle, the small dumplings known (and again, well known to many ethnic Clevelanders) as spätzle. We think they do an excellent job of soaking up the rich, delicious sauce. Of course, there’s one way for you to find out, and we highly recommend that you stop by tonight to conduct your own taste test…perhaps with a nice glass of Riesling alongside.