01/19/06 Food and wines - Chicken stew

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is Food & Wine pairing day. When the holidays festivities have come to an end it is so nice to relax into the winter and all of the great soups and stews that seem perfect for relaxing and snuggling in. Today I'd like to share one of my favorite stews and of course the wines that go with them. Hmmm & Thursday night after work I think that I am going to put a bunch of my favorite things in the good ole Crockpot tonight and plug it in the morning. When I come home on Friday night the house will smell like I have been cooking all day and we can relax and look forward to the weekend. One of my favorite stews is from an Italian dinner that I put on a few years ago. Basically you take you favorites pieces of chicken. I use thighs. Remove the skin and soak in water and vinegar for about 20 minutes. Now pat it dry and dust it with flour combined with salt and pepper. While you brown the chicken, clean and hydrate dried mushrooms. The recipe goes on to add vegetables and seasonings to the mix - it ends up in the crockpot and the magic begins. Meanwhile, on your way home pick up stop by and ask your wine merchant for a soft Sangiovese Riserva or a Barbaresco or maybe even a Rosso from Apulia. Don't forget a loaf of Ciabatta bread or Ciabatta rolls. They are the perfect texture for this stew. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at Vine to Wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.