We needed a diversion since spring has sprung but I'm not quite ready. The deck is under a pile of old fall leaves and the BBQ is under cover not yet ready to be fired up.
I convinced my daughters to sit back, relax and play along with me Friday night. It was fun and it brought back memories of their childhood when I gave them PB&J sandwiches for supper, of course without the champagne.
Also listed are a couple of other all-time favorite fast foods with a pairing you might enjoy.
Mac 'n Cheese and Sparkling Wine
My all time favorite comfort food is Mac 'n Cheese. You will need something that will stand up to the creaminess of the cheese in this yummy dish. The fizziness and effervescence helps to cleanse the palate from the richness of the creamy cheese. This is a bit of a bold pairing. Choose a sparkler that is a bit more rich and complex. A Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine is made from red grapes which gives the wine a richer and more complexity that will be worth trying.
Pepperoni Pizza and Chianti
The favorite and ultimate fast food, Pizza. For this fast food meal the obvious choice is a young, fruity Chianti which has enough acidity to cut through the pepperoni and cheese. Save the aged, reserve Chianti for another meal.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches and Champagne . . . ???!!!
For those crazy days or weekends when there is just no time to think about food and all you can pull together is PB&J why not open a bottle of bubbly. On those occasional hectic days, way back then, when the extra-curricular activities ran into overtime, I made PB&J sandwiches with sides of healthy snack foods and chocolate milk chasers.
For our grown up version this Friday night we added caramel popcorn as a side to our PB&J. This pairing calls for something refreshing and a bit sweet. Try a demi-sec Champagne, or for a more economical choice, a sparkling wine. The bubbles make it easier for the sticky peanut butter to melt away from the roof of your mouth. The lightly sweet wine works with the jelly and caramel popcorn.
Sometimes it's fun to bend the rules and, with food and wine, there are only two things that can happen.
1. You will have fun and enjoy the wine. OR
2. You will not. But you will not know unless you try.
Just have fun and Taste Wine and Enjoy!
Salute!
Winelady Cooks
I love the combo of pizza and wine - there's not much better than that! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Simply Life for your comment. It's our favorite Friday night ritual.
ReplyDeleteI read your recent post Pesto Bruschetta and Smoked Salmon and I'm going to have to try it with a sparkling wine. Thanks for sharing.
Have a great weekend.
I grew up drinking wine and pizza, of course it was watered down with mineral water, my Dad was from Naples, Italy and he would make homemade pizza almost every weekend and I have continued this tradition!
ReplyDeleteI just recently read that champagne goes well with popcorn! I so want to try that one. This article said that buttery popcorn just begs for some bubbles and I agree. Now if I only I can figure out a way to get it into the movie theater!
i'm totally cracking a bottle of bubbly the next time i eat pb&j for dinner, and i don't care how askance anyone looks at me.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann & Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comments. I always have fun with my wine and food pairings at home. My family has fun with me about my selections but sometimes they are quite surprised and like my parings.
Ann, yes popcorn and champagne can be a nice pairing. It's fun on a family movie night, give the kids the popcorn with soft drinks and adults can enjoy the champagne. Be sure to make a double batch of the popcorn and enjoy the movie!