BooksChatter: ☀☄♨ PAIRED - Champagne & Sparkling Wines

Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for PAIRED - Champagne & Sparkling Wines, a non-fiction Food & Drinks book by David Stevens-Castro & Fran Flynn (26 September 2015, Paired Media, 150 pages).

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and the Kindle Cloud Reader Preview below. As well as Paired's First Principals of Food & Wine Pairing video, and their recipe for Watermelon With Mint Herb Cream Cheese!

Whet you appetite with An Italian Love Affair by David Steven-Castro & Fran Flynn.

Comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts (☀), interviews (ℚ), reviews (✍) and guest blog posts (✉).

|| Synopsis || The First Principle Of Food & Wine Pairing || Excerpt: Recipe || About the Authors || Tour Stops ||

Synopsis

Food and wine pairing can be easy! All you need are taste buds and a sense of adventure.

This beautifully presented, full colour recipe book will encourage and support you to experience the pleasure of food and wine pairing for yourself. The first volume showcases sparkling wines of all styles, and challenges usual perceptions by offering sparkling wines with tantalising home-cooked recipes for all courses of a meal, not just with finger food. The delicious recipes, presented by husband-and-wife team wine expert David Stevens-Castro and food photographer Fran Flynn create a foundation to apply your new pairing skills with confidence. Leave your comfort zone behind, try the unexpected, and bask in discoveries that your taste buds will be forever grateful for.

Renowned award-winning wine expert Tyson Stezler contributes a foreword and discusses the current trends in champagne and sparkling wine consumption. Aimed at anyone with an interest in food and wine, this book uses a light-hearted and accessible style of language, plus full-colour illustrations to guide you on the right path to understanding food and wine pairings for yourself, with the added benefit of demystifying terminology and explaining wine labelling.

Seven chapters each showcase a style of sparkling wine, present a visual synopsis of the country of origin, supply complimentary cheese ideas, and several recipes that will pair with the topical variety. Every recipe illustrated with full colour photographs is introduced by Fran, while David narrates some pairing suggestions.

Common misconceptions about wine are dispelled, a broad range of dishes suitable for sharing and entertaining are presented, and suggestions on how you can introduce your friends to the wonderful world of food and wine are also provided.

Note: All measurements appear in both imperial and metric format throughout the book.

Teasers: Recipe

Watermelon with mint herb cream cheese

Queso fresco, simply meaning ‘fresh cheese’, is a favourite in Spain and many countries in Latin America. It is a light, moist, fresh, mild, creamy cheese that can complement everything from salad to savoury dishes. A light creamy fetta can be used as a substitute. Soaking the fetta in water for a short while will reduce the saltiness if you find it too much.

This pairing suggestion, which unites sparkling rosé with water-melon and mint, should excite your taste buds with the unfamiliar combination of sensations. Watermelon is usually a tricky fruit to wine pair, but the versatility of sparkling rosé is more than a match. The combination of creamy, spicy cheese with the refreshing watermelon and mint, united with the fruity flavour of the sparkling rosé, is sensational.

Ingredients
500g (1lb 2oz) queso fresco or smooth feta
1 garlic clove, roasted until soft
1 small fresh chilli, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh mint, destemmed and finely chopped
½ watermelon

Method
Use a blending stick or blender to mix the cheese, garlic, chilli, lemon juice, olive oil and mint
(reserve some additional mint for serving). Process until smooth.

Serving
Serve with dipping sticks of chilled fresh watermelon sprinkled with finely chopped mint. Use a small spoon to smear the watermelon with the dip.

PAIRED - Champagne & Sparkling Wines
Available NOW!

About the Author

David Stevens-Castro is a highly regarded wine expert originally from Chile. He has a degree in Agricultural Science, specialising in fruit and wine production, and extensive experience as a sommelier.

Fran Flynn is an award-winning commercial photographer and graphic designer originally from Ireland.

Living together on the Gold Coast, in Australia, they have pooled their skills as a husband-and-wife team to publish a series of books and share their expertise in the things they love.

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