Book Review: 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes and 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates

You feel sooo good. You've tasted more wines then you thought possible and have...finally...found one you like. In fact, you really like this one. You are not a failure...you can sip wine like all those wine wizards and metropolitan types. You are, in fact, quite giddy with the fact...as if you have overcome a rite of adulthood passage. You have reached the next plateau...

Now what?

Well, that depends on you, of course. Are you content with that glass of Chardonnay, Merlot or Sauvignon, or...is your stomach growling?

Deciding the cuisine and then the accompanying libation is quite normal and some would declare it the correct process. However, after discovering a new favorite wine, perhaps the opposite approach is more appropriate. Choose foods that complement your newly discovered favorite adult beverage.

Counter intuitive? Perhaps.

Effective? Absolutely.

  

Enter stage right...Jill Silverman Hough, author of 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates (2010) and the newly released 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes. Hough is a culinary instructor, food writer and recipe developer out of Napa, California. Besides the first two installments in the (hopefully) continuing series, Hough also developed recipes for NY Times best seller, "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)" and regularly contributes to Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking and Napa Sonoma magazines, to name a few.

Written in a conversational tone, the cookbooks take you into the world of 12 commonly found wines, six white and six red. Hough gives tips on the varietals, culture and nuances while sharing personal notes including how she arrived at the place in her life to write these cookbooks. Each section announces the varietal, a brief history and its characteristics. Then she launches into numerous recipes and the reason each will pair well with that particular wine.

Like Pinot Noir? Try warm duck and raspberry salad. Are you in the mood for a lush German Gewurztraminer? Pair it with sticky Asian barbecued baby back ribs. Whichever of these 12 wines you enjoy, Hough has paired it well by flavor, characteristics and spices, using more commonly found ingredients.

As much as I would like to have seen Amarone, Chianti and Chablis listed, I am reasonable enough to realize that not every wine could be covered...yet.

Bottom Line: "100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates" and "100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes," take the mystery and the snob factor out of wine and fine cuisine pairing and places the joy squarely, without ceremony, into the hands of wine and food lovers with or without professional training.

Find more information on Hough at:
www.jillhough.com, Twitter-@JillSHough, FaceBook-Jill S Hough FB

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer, music, restaurant and theater critic. Catch her as Indy’s Arts & Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC and follow her on Twitter @ejmusgrave1 and Facebook.

Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, West Side Community News, New Palestine Reporter, West Indianapolis Community News, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.

Food Review: Jockamo

When asked, I tell people I am a restaurant critic, not a food critic. The difference? My review covers more than food, by rating on the traditional 1-5 stars in six separate categories: Appearance, Menu, Service, Product, Style and Website.

Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza is well known in historic Irvington. Opening a second location was inevitable. Rather than following the well-worn path to Broad Ripple or Mass Ave, owners Mick McGrath, Nancy Duncan, and Bob and Laura Stark headed to 401 Market Place, Greenwood.

Upon entering Jockamo's, I was welcomed with a sweeping view of the warm, inviting decor. Hostesses handled well the wait list; a good sign. Once seated, the official inspection of the menu began — I admit to being a menu junkie.

Hummus

Appetizers include standard breadsticks with dips, as well as the interesting choice of hummus, a pureed chickpea dip. It’s accompanied by pita and toppings of onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil and Kalamata olives.

Sammies are represented by six choices, including the California roll with lump crab meat and the Healthwich. A variety of salads are offered, including Greek, spinach and house.

Caliente and S-Five

The bar area is set off by a half-wall from the spacious dining area, which has tables set far from each other, eliminating the jostling which occurs at so many eateries.

The beer and wine menu is nicely suited for the fare, while the entree menu is extensive, giving apt descriptions. Opting to halve two pies in order to taste four flavors seemed prudent. The recommended Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon stood up well to the pizza.

The ‘zas arrived piping hot with a not-too-thick crust and a balance of cheese and toppings. The Caliente was exactly that, hot, and covered with peppers. The Slaughterhouse Five is a generously portioned all-meat variety, while the Cheese Louise is a five-cheese treat.

The Philly Jack is a good version of the famous sandwich. Noteworthy is the quantity of choices available of traditional, original gourmet and custom styles. Sauces marry well with toppings and the crust is worth eating by itself.

The Philly and Cheese Louise

The service projects a small-town, favorite hangout feeling with greetings between guests and staff, who likely know each other from local activities. Friendliness, however, should never replace efficiency. These two key ingredients blend well at this tucked-away gem.

The website, found at jockamopizza.com, is easy to maneuver, but doesn’t encourage interaction from visitors. Also, when clicking on page four for the wine list, the kid's menu and soft drink list pops up instead. Listing local products used earns points as this topic becomes less of a trend and more of a decision-maker for diners.

Bottom Line: Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza knows what it wants to be and achieves it with quiet confidence. Nothing showy… just true to itself.

                                  Stars earned out of 5 
                                          ~ 4 ~

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer, music, restaurant and theater critic. Catch her as Indy’s Arts & Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC and follow her on Twitter @ejmusgrave1 and Facebook.


Photos: EJMusgrave, Jocakamo

Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, West Side Community News, New Palestine Reporter, West Indianapolis Community News, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.