November 2004

Endless slopes of vines, 14th century castles and picture-perfect storybook villages

Culinary Journey: Touring the Alsatian Route du Vin

This October, Executive Chef Hernan Murno explored food and wine on a trip to France.  In addition to visiting Paris, Burgundy, and Champagne, Hernan spent several days in Alsace, located on France’s eastern boarder with Germany.  Starting in Strasbourg, the “Capitol of Europe”, Hernan ventured his way down the Route du Vin, passing medieval castles, world-class wineries, and quaint, storybook villages such as Obernai, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé.

Culinary Crossroads

Between 1879 and 1945, Alsace and neighboring Lorraine were jointly exchanged between France and Germany four times, leading to the common hypenization of the two regions as “Alsace-Lorraine”.  However, each region boasts its own distinct spirit.  Pastoral Lorraine, once ruled by French and Burgundian lords, has historically looked towards Paris for its architecture, art and cuisine.  On the other hand, Alsace, with its half-timbered houses, storks’ nests and flower-lined cobblestone streets, genially evokes Old World Germany.  In fact, the Alsatian dialect, still spoken by many locals, is derived from German.

Choucrout garni, spaetzle, tarte flambee, and Munster cheese: regional staples sold at a local charcouterie

Nowhere are Alsace’s twin roots more obvious than in its cuisine.  The hearty German staple sauerkraut takes on a French twist in choucroute garni, where it is simmered in white wine with goose fat and smoked bacon, and copiously dressed with sausages and pork.  Other Alsatian specialties include spaetzl (curly noodles), bäeckeoffe (a stew with pork, lamb, beef cooked in pinot blanc), tarte flambée (similar to a fire oven pizza with a white sauce), and kougelhopf (a round bundt-style cake with almonds and raisins traditionally marinated in kirsch).  The region has long been home to a considerable Jewish population, which has contributed to the Alsatian menu dishes such as as carpe à la juive and various recipes using foie gras.

The Pride of Alsace

Alsatian wines have been documented as being among the finest in Europe as early as the 6th century.  Spreading over 50 square miles across the temperate foothills of the Vosges mountains, the region yields a whopping seven varieties of grapes: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Muscat d’Alsace, Tokay Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and the Alsatian darling, Gewurztraminer.  An Alsatian bottle of wine can be immediately recognized by its narrow, fluted shape, which is required by law for bottling all Alsatian wines.

This daunting variety of wines adds to the richness of Alsatian cuisine, and one can spend many dinners experimenting with different pairings.  After five days of five-course meals, and tasting over sixty wines, Hernan has already narrowed down his preferences.  “I recommend coupling a Coq à l’Alsacienne or Choucoute Garni with a crisp, dry Riesling.  And with foie gras, a Tokay Pinot Gris ‘Grand Cru’ shines.”

A "Country French" Wedding

Late harvest Riesling near Ribeauvillé

Earlier in October at Woodlawn Plantation, BasiKneads catered a wedding with a menu inspired from Hernan’s 2002 trip to France.  The menu featured rustic ‘comfort foods’ from southwestern France, including Broiled Goat Cheese and Wild Green Salad ‘Languedoc’ Style, Chestnut Fennel Soup, and Cassoulet de Toulouse.  Hernan adds, "I look forward to sharing the flavors of Alsace with our clients”.

Now is the perfect time for an Alsatian Choucrout Garni!  Contact BasiKneads Catering at info@basikneads.com.