Home-Cookin’ Chez Strecker
We love cooking together at home. For us it’s relaxing to come home at the end of the day, pour a glass of wine, sauté some onions, and make something yummy for dinner. Doesn’t need to be fancy. Our motto is simple, fresh & good!
Here’s what we are serving up. And here’s what we’re pairing with it:
LEFTOVER GRILLED SALMON NOODLES
So…. whenever we have salmon, Jens buys a large piece, often a side of salmon, and we grill it with several meals in mind. The first night we enjoy the fish straight off grill. On night #2, we usually serve the leftover, slightly under-grilled fish (so that it’s still moist when re-heated) with pasta and whatever veggies we have in the fridge. I usually sautée onions, add in good quality anchovies and garlic for flavor, and then the vegetables. This time we enjoyed it with red & orange peppers, kale & Moroccan dry-cured olives. It was killer. Not gonna lie. —Julie
PAIRINGS:
When in doubt, look to wine lands where fish is core to the local diet. That will for sure lead you to wines good for fish dinner. Think northwest Spain (Albariño), Portugal (Alvarinho, Vinho Verde), around Barcelona, the French Mediterranean (Provence rosé, Southern Rhône white blends, Languedoc-Roussillon), and up and down Italy’s long coastline — Puglia, Sicily & more!
GRILLED SOCKEYE SALMON
It is one of the greatest pleasures of living in the PNW…. enjoying the quality of our amazing local salmon. And after 25 years of practice, Jens is a master-griller of this delicious fish. The side is roasted broccoli & brussels sprouts served over Dijon rice, a simple sauce of Dijon mustard, soy sauce & a squirt of Sriracha, made to taste and stirred into the rice for a little flair.
PAIRINGS:
We enjoyed this meal with the Villa Tonino, a simple, little, table Nero d’Avola (Sicily). Tasted great. Pinot Noir is always a classic salmon pairing, and the silky-smooth Joseph Cattin (Alsace) hits the spot. Whites with a little body are also a sure bet. We love the Anselmi San Vincenzo, a Garganega/Chardonnay blend from Veneto. Full of flavor and interesting! Last, keep rosé in your back pocket… pink with pink. The Muga is a rosé from Rioja (Spain) and is luscious & tasty with great acidity. Delicious with salmon.
GRILLED HANGER STEAK
It's spring, but some days are still cold! This quick, easy meal hit the spot. Jens got hanger steak from our friends at Beast & Cleaver. It was sort of chewy in a really pleasant, make-you-think-about-it way and full of flavor. Not overly lean. Really nice. We enjoyed it with mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and roasted kale.
PAIRINGS:
A nice everyday Bordeaux (Haut-Médoc has more Cab and is a little drier) would be great as would a Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, a Portuguese red blend & more. The key is that this cut of meat is rich and so the wine needs to have some tannins/acidity for balance. Makes the wine taste smooth and the meat not so fatty.
ROASTED TOMATOES & FETA
In honor of our last farmers market of the season, we roasted tomatoes with shallots, elephant garlic, a jalapeño, fresh feta & olive oil. Served it with brats off the grill and kale chips. Delicious! Goodbye, summer…
PAIRINGS:
Lots of great options for wines that would be tasty with this dish. Main tips to keep in mind: 1) the body of the wine should match the weight of the dish, so not too heavy, and 2) tomatoes are acidic and need acidic wines for balance.
That said: Bubbles would be great! The Garganega (white grape) above has a medium-body with great offsetting acidity. Other good choices would be Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux blends, minerally Pinot Grigio, and with fall in mind… a Riesling with a nice acidic finish would also be delicious. Reds? Medium- to lighter bodied Italian reds with pronounced acidity would be our choice: the Corvina above would be a nice off-the-beaten-path selection as would a young, fresh Nebbiolo as a more traditional choice. Cheers!
DENVER STEAK
Let us sing the praises of our local Ballard butcher Kevin Smith, and his team at Beast & Cleaver. The quality of the meat is stellar, and it’s fun to get advice on new (often more affordable) cuts to try. Our latest favorite is the Denver steak. It’s 6-8 inches long and sort of a square (1x1.5 inches) in girth. We grill it 4 minutes on each side, and then we cut it down the middle to split it for dinner. This time we served the steak (with a dollop of sage butter) on a bed of red peppers, cherry tomatoes, shallots & elephant garlic from Garden Treasures Farm, our favorite vendor at the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market. We added a little bit of the liquor from homemade white beans with garlic & rosemary for flavor. Served it for Jens’ 59th birthday celebration, and not gonna lie… it kicked ass!!
PAIRINGS:
Red wine is the classic pairing for dishes with this kind of red meat — marbly, a little chewy (in a good way), full of flavor. You’re looking for a wine with good tannins & good acidity to balance the richness of the beef, but not too heavy in body as the meal itself is just meat and vegetables. We were celebrating, so we enjoyed a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A Tuscan Rosso di Montalcino would be perfect — really good acidity to balance the vegetables, too. Tempranillo is another good choice, dry with flavors of plums, cherries & earth.
Prefer a white? Go with a 1) fuller-bodied wine that can hold up to the weight of the meat and 2) make sure it has good acidity to cut the richness of the steak. A lush Grüner Veltliner would work as would a white Burgundy.
Celebrating? A delicious bottle of grower Champagne would not be a mistake. Cheers!
MARCELLA HAZAN’S FAMOUS TOMATO SAUCE
Tomatoes (canned or fresh), an onion, and half a stick of butter = the simple, world-famous, 3-ingredient recipe from the amazing Marcella Hazan, who taught so many of us Gen X-ers the basics of (central) Italian cooking.
PAIRINGS:
Although she was from Emilia-Romagna and her recipes were from central Italy, the dish pairs beautifully with medium- to lighter-bodied Italian reds with good acidity across the board -- Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Vernatsch, Sangiovese, Nerello Mascalese & many more. Made for tomato pasta!
Pasta photo includes fresh, handmade, Lagana pasta, available at Sunset Hill Green Market in Ballard.
Vineyard photos: (first) Azienda Agricola Uccelliera Sangiovese Grosso harvest 2021 (Montalcino, Tuscany) & (second) Tenuta delle Terre Nerre, Nerello Mascalese vineyards near Mount Etna (Sicily)
QUINOA BURGERS
Great end-of-summer lunch or light dinner. We make a big batch and freeze it. Comes in handy.
PAIRINGS:
Both of the white wines above (Graves Reserve & the Pinot Grigio) would be great. They've got comparable body, good acidity and flavors that enhance. Rosé from light and minerally to fuller-bodied and fruity would also be good.
Prefer a red? Go light. Fruity notes (L'Esprit des Pères de L'Eglise 2021 Vin de France Rouge would be perfect, and you can taste this wine Saturday if you are interested) and/or soft earthy notes (see: Wine of the Month) would be delicious. Main thing with a red wine is you don't want to overpower the dish.
MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRATION
With socca bread (below) or rice (above), olives, pepperoncini, hummus and grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini), and/or add a little lamb (with garlic!) and you’ve got a fast, easy, delicious and not too heavy dinner.
PAIRINGS:
Lots of choices: a little fuller-bodied white with good acidity (think minerally Pinot Grigio, Washington State Sauvignon Blanc, Entre-Deux-Mers white blend from Bordeaux, and Italian varietals such as Arneis and Falanghina). Red wine would also be lovely. Medium-bodied with some good earthiness is our suggestion: Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Mount Etna, Grenache, Chianti Classico with a good bite would also be nice. Bubbly and rosé are your back pocket wines. They taste great with everything. Cheers!
SOCCA BREAD
Mediterranean pure! This is a flatbread made from chickpea flour. (If you think you don't like the flavor of chickpea flour, try it in socca bread. It's delicious!) We make this all the time chez Strecker... as an afternoon snack, as pizza crust or with dishes where you'd build on a tortilla.
I know the recipe by heart: 1C chickpea flour, 1 1/4 cups water, 2T olive oil, 1/2t salt. Whisk together and pour into a hot cast iron skillet with 1T of hot olive oil in it. Bake on 450 for 17 min. Enjoy. I will often sautée onions and/or garlic in the pan prior to pouring in the batter. Even tastier.
PAIRINGS:
Socca bread is so flexible! Choose anything you'd drink on the French or Italian coasts: rosé, Southern Rhône white blend, Picpoul, Verdicchio, Grillo (for whites) or light reds: Chianti, Barbera, a light, fresh, fruity Nebbiolo or a Grenache/Syrah blend. Cheers!
SEAFOOD PAELLA
Jens is the paella chef chez Strecker. He lived in Barcelona for 2 years (after finishing his mandatory military service and while waiting for a spot to study in Germany), so this dish brings back memories, plus he loves seafood! He sometimes adds meats as well, this time bacon and smoked paprika sausage.
PAIRINGS:
We usually have a red that is light to medium in body with a little smoky note. A young Rioja fits that bill perfectly. Other lighter reds include: Garnacha from around Barcelona (pictured above), Barbera (Italy), Zweigelt (Austria) & Cinsault (from Chile or France).
Prefer a white? Classic fish wines would be great: Albariño from Rias Baixas in northwest Spain (or Alvarinho, same grape from Portugal). Verdejo, an aromatic grape from Rueda (northcentral Spain) would also be lovely.
SWEET POTATO HASH
This dish is a stand-by chez Strecker, especially in winter when we come home late and don't want a big project for dinner. Sweet potato is the base (tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted on the bottom shelf under the broiler; takes about 15 minutes) adding in whatever other veggies sound good (in this case: zucchini, red bell pepper & onion). If you'd like, add meat (cooked on the stove and then spooned on the roasted veggies). We often use chorizo because it's spicy and flavorful. Top with Greek yogurt with a squeeze of harissa mixed in. It's tangy and spicy and yum.
PAIRINGS:
This dish has some heat, so you need a red with low tannins: Grenache, Dolcetto, Primitivo, Negroamaro & Gamay would all taste great. Rosé & whites with good acid would be tasty as would an off-dry white like a Riesling.
EGGPLANT
We've been on an eggplant kick this fall chez Strecker, and it's been delicious. In honor of my grandmother who was among other things: from South Louisiana (4-syllables please!), a democrat, highly-opinionated, and a good southern cook, we made several rounds of Creole Eggplant Dressing (pictured above) in her honor. Super delicious, I have to say. Her recipe calls for the "Holy Trinity" (onions, celery, green bell peppers) and to that we added poblanos, jalapenos & more) plus we used ground lamb instead of hamburger. The eggplant cooks down to add a creamy, earthiness. All in all, it's some easy, spicy, yummy, home cooking!
PAIRINGS:
Wines to go with? Fruity & not too tannic: Côtes du Rhône (GSM) blends from the Southern Rhône (see our Wine of the Month!) or from South Africa would be great, as would other fall reds listed above: Barbera, Pinot Noir and/or Gamay.
Whites? Fuller-bodied with some spice would be perfect to manage this dish: a Bordeaux blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon) with some Muscadelle blended in would be perfect as would Pinot Blanc from Oregon. Another great option would be Verdicchio from Umbria!
AVO-TOAST À LA NEW ZEALAND
It's spring! And yesterday our eldest turned down grilled salmon (you heard it!) for her New Zealand favorite: avo-toast. I have to admit (and I'm sometimes skeptical this time of year) that the avocado was perfect! She smashed it up NZ-style, drizzled some garlic oil, squeezed some fresh lemon, sprinkled it with Aleppo peppers and chia seeds, and tah-dah. Dinner. Paired with a Stiegl Radler. Maybe the most amazing part of the meal was the bread -- Körnerbrot -- fresh from the Kaffeeklatsch Bakery in Lake City... our family favorite!
PAIRINGS:
A wide variety of whites would go great, from a creamy Chardonnay, to a friendly, easy-drinking, minerally Pinot Grigio (Franz Haas vineyards pictured above) to a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Rosé would be delicious, round and fruity. A Nebbiolo rosé would be a special treat. And Ramato (orange wine); don’t forget Ramato! Sparkling would also go well, cutting the richness of the avocado… maybe a soft Prosecco or a dusty, dry Cava. Reds? Probably not the best idea. If yes, go with Zinfandel. It’s velvety and on the sweeter-side of dry. Could work.
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
It’s one of our house specialties — real deal Carbonara! Fry up bacon. Boil pasta. Scramble 1 egg in a bowl. Add enough grated parmesan to form a thick paste. Pull cooked pasta straight from the pot (don’t drain) and put into the bacon pan. Add 1T butter & toss. Add egg/parm paste and use tongs to toss the pasta. It will melt, coating the spaghetti in this creamy goodness. We add roasted vegetables to the top. Don’t want bacon? Sub leeks, the bacon of the vegetable world. Makes everything taste better!
PAIRINGS:
This dish is food flexible. White is my favorite! Go with a medium-bodied flavorful grape such as Fiano or Arneis. Both have good acidity to cut the richness of the dish. Other good options: Southern Rhône white blend, German Riesling or Mâcon-Villages (everyday Chardonnay from Burgundy).
Prefer a red? Go with a medium-bodied, juicy grape so you don’t overpower the meal. Barbera or Negroamaro would be delicious as would Cannonau (Grenache from Sardinia). Or Garnatxa (Grenache from Catalunya). Or Southern Rhône red blend including (of course…) Grenache, just a touch more earth & spice.
We’re heading into rosé season, and rosé across the board would be great as would sparkling, especially pink bubbly!
HOMEMADE PIZZA WITH CAULIFLOWER CRUST
As much as I like to cook, I HATE making dough. Full stop. I don’t know why. Just do. So, the idea of a cauliflower crust had some appeal. I made a couple that were complete disasters (I think the lack of parchment paper sealed the deal), but this recipe popped up a few days ago and aside from being simple (3 ingredients!!), it was delicious. Toppings are your choice. I used what we had on hand: mushrooms, capsicum, garlic, bacon & manchego. Voila! Killer dinner for the family.
PAIRINGS:
We enjoyed this meal with 5 Oros Crianza, one of our new wines from Spain, but it couple be paired quite deliciously with a good chunk of the wines in our shop!! Other reds: Barbera, fresh Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Primitivo, Nero d’Avola if you want to stay true to Italy. But this has a cauliflower crust, so let’s go rogue: Côtes-du-Rhône, red blends from Languedoc, more medium-bodied Washington reds, Oregon Pinot, Chile… Carmenière would be great, South Africa… their GSM blends with their special smokiness — delicious, and so on. Whites & rosé across the board would be great a well: Vermentino, Gavi, Chablis, Bordeaux Blanc… really, you can’t go wrong. With this dinner an oaky Chardonnay would even taste great.
Cheers to surviving COVID in as good a shape as possible! So here’s to good food & good wine!
Stay tuned for more pairing ideas…
Julie, co-owner
Portalis Wines & J. Strecker Selections