Join the inimitable Anna Schafer, àMaurice Cellars winemaker, as she shares all of her current releases, including Confucius Says, a red Bordeaux style blend from Washington that she created especially for Wild Ginger and The Triple Door. Of course, the wines and good conversation will be accompanied by selection of Wild Ginger delicacies, specially prepared by our chefs with the wines, and your dining pleasure in mind.
All of the guests who attend will receive a complimentary bottle of Confucius says, signed by Anna to take home with them. Confucius says is only offered at Wild Ginger and The Triple Door, but we will offer a limited amount for retail sale for guests who attend this dinner. This will be the only opportunity to purchase this special wine for consumption outside of our restaurants.
The dinner takes place at Wild Ginger at The Bravern, in Bellevue, at 6:30 pm, on Thursday, July 14th. The cost is $69 per person, not including tax and gratuity ($90 inclusive). For reservations, please call the restaurant at (425) 495 8889.
You have to love snap peas; they are emerald green, sweet, crunchy, and as close as vegetables get to tasting like candy. When you have product this fresh, the lightest cooking method possible should be employed. Here’s a simple recipe we love, and put on the menu often, that highlights all that is good about snap peas:
1 lb fresh snap peas
1.5 qt boiling water
ice water for shocking
2 Tbl oil
1 garlic clove - finely minced
1/2 Tbl finely shredded ginger
salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
Top snap peas and remove the thread that runs on both sides. This is best accomplished by snapping off the top and pulling gently down to remove the string, repeat on the other side. Meanwhile, bring water to full boil. Blanch snap peas for about 20 - 30 seconds. Then remove peas and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the peas, and pat dry after they have cooled.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat oil until hot. Add ginger and garlic, stirring until they are evenly brown, add snap peas and toss until just heated through. Add salt to taste. Turn out onto a plate, and enjoy the taste of spring!
Other seasonal vegetables we expect to feature at Wild Ginger in the coming weeks include:
Stewed whole garlic cloves in a rich soy sauce
Ong choy prepared Indonesian style: with chilies and shrimp paste
Garlic chives with beef
Watercress salad with sweet crabmeat
At Wild Ginger & The Triple Door, we’re sure that there’s a place for nearly every kind of wine with our food, but if we were forced to pick just one, we’d pick Riesling. The vibrant citrus and stonefruit flavors, the bracing acidity, and the occasional hint of sweetness make our food, and our hearts, sing.
But why, you ask, do we need a “Summer of Riesling”? The story began in 2008 at Paul Grieco’s East Village winebar Terroir. He decided to pour no white wine by the glass all summer except for Riesling . . . and rather than bankrupt his bar, as saner people suspected would happen, it turned into a really fun summer during which he turned a lot of people on to a wine he was passionate about – Riesling. He did it again in 2009, expanded his offerings, and received a visit from the German Wine Queen (really!). In 2010, Paul invited like-minded New York restaurateurs to join him, and in 2011 he got beyond his east coast bias and invited us (we knew he’d come to his senses).
We’ve lined up a ton of Riesling related fun for you this summer, and hope that you will join in and let us convince you that Riesling isn’t just for ladies who lunch and wine snobs - though we’d love for more ladies to drink Riesling at lunch, and wine snobs are welcome!
Throughout the summer (June 21st – September 22nd) we will be offering a giant selection of earth-shatteringly good Riesling by the glass – something old (at least 12 years), something new, something unusual (like a ultra-brut sparkling Riesling), something blue (Dr. Loosen’s Graacher Himmelreich Stablay Kabinett made especially for Wild Ginger comes from only blue slate soil) and a whole lot of other great wines. There will be special informative (and interactive) Riesling lists, as well as special Riesling menus consisting of Wild Ginger delicacies paired perfectly with amazing Rieslings. And as if all that weren’t enough, Wild Ginger will be hosting an ever-expanding selection of events centering around Riesling, so keep checking back as we update the calendar. Summer of Riesling features and events will take place at Wild Ginger Seattle, Wild Ginger at The Bravern, and The Triple Door.
