What was great about Rick’s recipes is that they can be found in over 5 books, in libraries (even in Australia!) and online!. And, even greater was the fact that our dinner fell on my birthday. . .what better way to celebrate my birthday with friends who are gourmet cooks who prepared delicious entrés, accompanied by wonderful wines out of Bill’s cellar. WHAT no beers? WINES, with Mexican food? YES!! Bill and Jeffrey did a masterful job of pairing wines with wines.
We started with Jeffrey’s Ceviche Mariscos. He decided to use swordfish as his seafood in this starter dish that uses lime juice to marinate the fish in. He fried and lightly salted corn tortilla chips for us to scoop up the ceviche with. After one eats homemade tortilla chips, the store bought ones will just not do! Bill selected a 2004 Argentinian sparkline wine, Pascual Toso Extra Brut Pinot Noir Reserve to go with this dish. He was disappointed and thought the wine would have more acid to balance the lime in the ceviche. Jeffrey brought a another wine, Cave de Pomerols 2010 Picpoul De Piney Coteaux Du Languedoc from Roussillon France, to go with his dish and it turned out to be a better choice. We are so fortunate to have two wine connoisseurs in our group. Bill also brought some handouts with information about each of the wines this evening so we all widened our wine knowledge.
Next we were served Frijoles Borracho (“Drunken” Pintos w/ Cilantro & Bacon, Authentic Mexican Cookbook) that I prepared. I must confess, I altered the recipe a bit because when I made it before, I thought it needed something. I tripled the amount of pork shoulder (the original recipe only used ½ cup), doubled the tequila to two tablespoons and used Tequila Añejo. I really liked this dish and throughout the evening found more appreciation for pork fat, LARD. The soup used bacon and bacon drippings and it definitely added flavor and a richness to the dish. I pureéd about a fourth of the beans but I think the next time I won’t and leave the broth clear. It’s a pretty rich soup so just having the soup with a nice salad would make a meal. Bill chose a 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Arcadia Vineyard that paired very nicely with the bean soup, even with the tequila flavors. 
Marianne made the next course, Camarones y Verduras Crujientes (Shrimp w/ Lime dressing & Crunchy Vegetables). Because this turned out to be a pretty heavy meal, she increased the amount of maché to her dish that she picked fresh, right out of her garden. Those micro-greens were the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp marinated in lime juice. They were served in lovely fan shaped dishes and made the presentation a framed portrait. This picture was completed by Bill’s selection of a 2009 Dr. Loosen’s Riesling Kabinett, Blue Slate from Mosel, Germany. Who would have guessed a German wine would be pair so well with a Mexican dish? It stood up to the lime dressing and really set off the sweet shrimp. The photos of the bean soup and the shrimp salad came out a bit blurry and Willie apologizes for this. I wanted to include them anyway because it does give you an idea of what the dishes looked like.
We now moved into the heavier dishes of the evening. Beginning with Sharon’s Mole Rojo Clasico de Guajolote (Classic Red Mole, Mexico One Plate at a Time). She said the mole took 4 hours to make and, YES, it was worth every minute. She roasted a turkey breast since that’s what Rick suggested and I thought it was a wonderful dish. The mole was smoky and had a roasted pepper with a touch of chocolate aroma and flavors. I think the Mexican chocolate adds a richness to the sauce; it is not a sweet chocolate but just pure chocolate. It appears that finding the right ingredients, including the pork lard (NOT Armour’s homogenized, pasteurized, block of lard but the real stuff!), various dried peppers, and spices is difficult, even in California. Bill found a 2007 David Coffaro Peloursin wine from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma. Peloursin is a relative of Petite Syrah and Syrah and was wonderful with the Mole sauce. The wine by itself would not be a favorite for me but with the mole it really shone! It had enough tannins and fruit to stand up to the mole. Bravo, Bill.Tina was ill and couldn’t make it but she was planning to bring Pork with Smoky Tomato Sauce, Potatoes and Avocado (Authentic Mexican Cookbook). It sounded so yummy that I am sorry we didn’t get the chance to taste her recipe choice. But I hope she is feeling better and enjoying new motherhood!
Sandi prepared the next dish that was a Mexican sandwich, Torta de Arrachera (Grilled Skirt Steak with Black Beans, Chipotle Sauce & Avocado Cilantro Mayonnaise. Mexico, One Plate at a Time). It was a sublime sandwich! You remember those sandwiches that were so rich and full that they oozed out the bottom? Well, this one was the ultimate in delicious, oozy, crispy, and warm ecstacy! She selected a Boulanger baguette for the bread that was the result of trying different breads to get the crispy but edible crust with a nice soft interior. The avocado cilantro mayonnaise was the crème de la crème! She warned us to use the extra paper napkin because this is a messy sandwich to eat, and she was absolutely correct. Don’t you just love to lick your fingers when it’s as tasty as her dish? Again, Bill found a great wine, this time a 2008 Chilean wine, Lapostolle, Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Alexandre, Apalta Vineyard. Since the steak is the main feature of this dish, the cabernet was the right choice.We now moved on to our desserts of the evening. I have to say that the group has gotten the portion control down to a science. We were not full and had room for dessert by this point of the evening. How many times can you say that in a seven-course meal?
Janis made Barras de Chocolaté Pecan Pie (Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars), a recipe she found on the internet since she was in Australia before our dinner. She used Mexican chocolate for this dessert. The cookie bar part was interestingly made out of crushed pretzels. It was a gooey kind of dessert that is so rich that it’s hard to eat more than a small square of it, even though it was so-o-o good that I wanted more. It was accompanied by Willie’s Chile Chocolaté Negro Helado (Dark Chocolate-Chili Ice Cream. Fiesta At Rick's: Fabulous Food for Great Times with Friends), again, using Mexican chocolate. This ice cream is rich and has a wonderful mouth feel to it. There was just a touch of the smoky chili to it that added a wonderful dimension to the ice cream. Some people loved it so much that they got a second scoop. . .along with a second piece of Janis’ cookie bar! This dessert was served with a French 2000 dessert wine that has a light port-like quality to it that went well with the chocolate flavors: Domaine Piétri-Géraud Banyuls Cuvée Joseph Geraud Languedoc-Roussillo France.
Everyone talked about how Rick’s recipes are not so much the kind of every day cooking that one finds in Mexican homes but a gourmet interpretation of grand Mexican cooking. He also puts an American twist on the dishes, using ingredients that can be found (albeit with some hunting) in the USA. It was also good to find out that one doesn’t have to drink beer with Mexican cuisine but can find wines that will stand up to the smoky dried peppers sauces. No one prepared a really HOT, fiery dish so the wine pairings were able to work.Our next adventure will be at the Sent Sovi restaurant in Saratoga on June 12 when the Executive chef/owner, Joshia Stone will do a cooking demo and then follow it with a dinner for everyone, including spouses/guests. We are all looking forward to this marvelous meal with Josiah!
And, our next cookbook is Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepín. Date TBA so watch your emails for a "Doodle" call!
