Back with the first 2018 edition of Winedown!! Yes it has been almost four MONTHS since our last one - the holidays really did us in but we're back and in action. If you're new to Winedown you can read about it here!
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The winner last winedown was John and he chose the theme of PIE for this Winedown (fitting, considering it was just a couple weeks after pi day!). As you can guess this could've been a heavier than usual Winedown, but the crew was a bit smaller than usual. It was sad to miss some friends but we enjoyed the more intimate crowd! Here's the lineup - can you guess who won before skipping to the end?!
I started things off with a twist on pie - literally! I wanted to do something different so I picked this recipe that used pie crust (puff pastry in this case) and lots of other delicious ingredients - cheddar cheese, cayenne, brown sugar, rosemary and of course, bacon! Umami, sweet and savory all together. I paired it with a prosecco since bubbles are supposed to complement the savory + sweet combination and fats of the cheese. Both were SO good!! I'll definitely make this again for a treat.
Mckinsey came next with a delicious hand pie appetizer - raspberry and brie wrapped in pretzel dough!! I loved this take on a different kind of dough. She paired it with a slightly sparking red wine - a frizzante Lambrusco!
Up next was Pedro with a veggie inspired pie - vegan tomato, asparagus + kale pesto quiche. The secret ingredient to make it quiche like was chia!! I was totally skeptical of this but it turned out really well. Paired with a chardonnay - I liked this combination but I might have gone with a Gruner Veltliner or less okay-y white.
Ray led the charge with our main dishes with a curry chicken pot pie. YUM!! I loved this - a tad sweet from coconut milk, savory and a bit spicy from the curry. Paired with a German Riesling. Plus, a double crust!
Our desserts were up next - Lauren started with a strawberry pie with a chocolate shortbread crust. Little whipped cream dollops on top! Paired with sparkling white. I loved the crust and ate lots of it. A good shortbread goes a long way 😉
Rachel wrapped things up with apple hand pies - note the flaky crust. I loved the crust, as always!! Paired with a sweet white.
And the winner was...ME!!! I think everyone really enjoyed the sweet + savory + spicy mix of allt he ingredients in my dish (and so did I!). So excited to choose the next Winedown theme and not cook!! It's going to be great 🙂 Stay tuned for the next iteration!
