Title:

Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match
(Clarkson Potter, 2008) ISBN 978-0307352798 0-30735279-X

Theme:

Wine Bar Food describes finger foods of the Mediterranean, from tapas in Seville to cichetti in Venice. Cathy and Tony Mantuano offer 100 recipes and wine pairings to recreate the relaxing, social wine tasting experience of Mediterranean wine bars.

Sample Recipes:

Trevisio marmalade and goat cheese crostini. Amaretto polenta pound cake. Prosciutto with grana, shaved artichokes and hearts of palm. Italian almond cake. Tuscan braised venison with creamy polenta. Pomegranate glazed salmon with mejadra. Duck pinchos with harissa and sumac on Israeli couscous. Mascarpone filled dates with chocolate. Lavender ice cream sandwiches on brioche. Bacalhau fritters with aioli. Gilled squid piri piri. Taramasalata with salmon caviar. Flaming ouzo shrimp.

Notable Elements:

Three sections on no-cook foods to serve with wine make it easy to arrange a food and wine pairing. The Artisanal Cured Meats section explains the differences between pancetta, speck, prosciutto (Americano, di Parma and di San Daniele), jamon Serrano, guanciale, Spanish chorizo, salame di Parma, Italian dry salami, Gallego-style chorizo and fuet. The Cheese Plate section includes blu del Moncenisio, caciocavallo, garrotxa, bamalou, sbronzo, ciabot, la rossa, barilotto, valencay and other cheeses from Europe. The Pantry section describes canned and bottled products like lampascioni (grilled and marinated wild hyacinth bulbs), Sardinian carta di musica (thin crackers) and colatura (Italian anchovy essence).

A resource guide provides website and contact information for U.S. stores that sell gourmet foods like balsamic vinegar, hormone-free pork, sumac and Portuguese cheeses.

Tone / Style:

Wine Bar Food is a great gift for wine lovers. It made us want to invite friends over for a wine tasting with these delightful appetizers.

Cathy and Tony Mantuano organized this 198-page recipe book for small dishes by European city - Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Seville, Barcelona, Nice, Lisbon and Athens. Recipes complement the wines unique to each region.

Each chapter begins with a two-page photo, a brief introduction and a list of recipes. Introductions to the appetizer recipes describe Mediterranean locations where they are served. In addition to information on ingredients and preparations, the recipe specifies serving size as a tasting portion, appetizer, main course or side dish.

Wine information for each region describes red wine, white wine and fortified wines, grape types and wine estates. For example, the Wines of Portugal section explains that the alvarinho white grape is used to make vinho verde (green wine). It advises readers to look for quintas, private estates that produce and bottle their own wine, such as Quinta de Saes, Quinta de Pancas and Quinto do Carmo.

Visuals:

Photographs by Jeff Kauck illustrate wines, dishes and cooking techniques.

Contents:

• Introduction


• Venice: cichetti barhopping
• Milan: cine bar alla moda
• Handcrafted artisanal cured meats
• Florence: enoteca Toscana
• Rome: crudo bar
• Naples: trattoria e pizzeria
• Seville: tapas and sherry
• There's a party in the pantry
• Barcelona: modern Spanish wine bar
• The cheese plate
• Nice: party on the Riviera
• Lisbon: old-world charm
• Athens: the first wine bar


• Resource guide
• Index

Authors:

Cathy and Tony Mantuano

Claim to fame:

Tony Mantuano is a chef and partner at Spiaggia in Chicago. Cathy Mantuano is a wine and food pairing expert. Tony and Cathy Mantuano opened Enoteca Spiaggia Wine Bar in South Beach, Miami in 2008.

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