mélange
In 3100b.c. when the Pharaohs rose to power in Egypt they began
making a wine like substance from red grapes and since it resembled
blood they began using it in their ceremonies.
When the Egyptians came into contact with the Phoenicians they
would continue to cultivate wine and spread it across the world by
trading across the Mediterranean between 1200b.c. and 539b.c.
Sometime around 800b.c. the Phoenicians exposed the Greeks to
wine and it became a symbol for trade, religion and health. The
Greeks even created a wine God, Dionysus.
When the Romans conquered Greece they created their own God,
Bacchus and wine became a central part of their culture. As their
empire grew the Romans planted grape vines in what is now France,
Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. They also began to accept
Catholicism and wine became a part of the sacrament.
The importance of wine to their sacraments prompted the monks in
Italy and France to begin work as vintners. Wine traveled to the New
World somewhere between 1492 and 1600 brought to Mexico and
Brazil by the conquistadors and from there spread across South
America.
In 1554 Spanish missionaries traveled across the Americas and
established the first winery in Chile. From there to Argentina where
they settled in Mendoza and planted the first grapevines. In the mid to
late 1700’s Spanish Missionary Junipero Serra traveled to California
and brought grapevines. As the Spanish missions spread throughout
California so did the art of winemaking. The first winery was
established in Sonoma around 1800.
During the California gold rush the desire for riches also brought a
desire for good wine. Those traveling from the east coast seeking to
strike it rich brought with them the zinfandel variety for which California
is known, though the variety actually originated in Croatia.
A bottle of wine contains more philosophy
than all the books in the world.
—Louis Pasteur
Alchemy
“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old
wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.”
― Francis Bacon
April 19th is Garlic Day……
There are over 300 varieties of
garlic; it contains 17 amino acids.
In Medieval times it was used as
a cure for drunkenness and
overeating. According to
Christian mythology when Satan
left the Garden of Eden garlic
grew in his footprint……The
word garlic comes from old
English Garleac “spear leek”.
The more garlic is crushed and
pressed the more bitter it
becomes, if left whole or sliced it
remains milder to the taste.
“Wine makes every meal an
occasion, every table more
elegant, every day more
civilized.”
― Andre Simon
“Wine is the most healthful
and most hygienic of
beverages.”
― Louis Pasteur
April 24th is Sauvignon Blanc day……
Sauvignon Blanc is the 8th most planted in the world. Its
herbaceous nature with flavors of dried herbs and capsicum pair
well with artichoke, asparagus and anchovy carbonara; or try it
with sautéed salmon or garlic shrimp……….Sauvignon blanc and
cabernet franc are the parents of cabernet sauvignon……
April 23rd is Zucchini
Bread Day…….
Zucchini…..Zucca Italian
for squash……
Zucchini has more
potassium than a banana,
it also has vitamin c and
manganese……
“Vegetables are a must on
a diet. I suggest carrot
cake, zucchini bread, and
pumpkin pie.”
Jim Davis, 'Garfield'
April is Pecan Month……
Linguine with Pecans and Zucchini
Chop about ½ cup pecans and toast lightly. Cook 1 pound
linguine, drain. Melt 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil and sauté
¾ of a pound of shredded zucchini, add 2 minced garlic cloves
and cook until zucchini is tender. Toss with linguine and add about
1 cup of Asiago cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
