Mendoza Kitchen “French Cuisine”

Sunday night we had friends over for dinner, Sandra and Gustavo, they are amazing and I wanted to make something different, a French twist, and decided to make a Beef Bourguignon.

we started with bread and cheese, with for sure great wine that our friends bring us, 2 great sparkling wine plus one Malbec 2011 and one Merlot 2007, we also tried a bottle of Cabernet/Merlot that I had on hand.

To Start Cheese and Bread

My husband Marc having a sniff of the Merlot 2007

3 Great bottles of red wine

We are so fortunate, sharing great bottles with amazing friends, Maria Duce, Maria Extra Brut, Malbec Miguel Escorihuela Gascon 2011,  Uxmal Cabernet/Merlot 2012 blend and  Merlot Rutini 2007.

 It was another tasting adventure, it’s so great to have a friend that know so much about wine, Gustavo is a real connoisseur, and it is a real pleasure to explore all the features of the wine with him.

Gustavo is a real wine connoisseur

To go with the cheese we drank a bottle of Maria Extra Brut, part of the Codorniu family and produce at Septima Bodega here in Mendoza, it was a perfect combination!

During that time the 2007 Merlot was breathing in a decanter, I had the chance to try it first with a piece of rye and walnut bread and goat cheese, “what a delight” feel so privileged!

I served the Bourguignon over mashed potatoes/carrots, pairing with the Merlot Rutini 2007, Malbec Miguel Escorihuela Gascon 2011, and the Uxmal Cabernet/Merlot 2012 blend.

Photo from our friend Gustavo, as you can see the gravy is thicker, I added bread crumbs, do the job without changing the tasting or adding fat.

For dessert I had bought an amandine tart at the best French pastry place in Mendoza Brillat Savarin, to pair with this  fabulous pastry we drank and other Codorniu sparking wine, this time a Maria Dulce, it was fantastic.

After dinner we chatted for a while and our friends told us about their project of opening a small hotel in Uspallata in the Andes, it will be a relaxing place surrounded by arts, a place to enjoy life, as we say here "un lugar para disfrutar" I will keep you updated, and will have more info after a visit to the site.

One piece of art is this silk carpet that Gustavo acquired in Turkey, beautiful, 

It was also the election night, and Macri won, another great reason to celebrate!

The recipe for the Beef Bourguignon;

Ingredients, 

 You can add to the list, if you have veggies, or beef broth, I also used fine herbs and black pepper for  seasoning.

The steps;

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Diane Kitchen Mendoza Argentina, Halloween Party Diner “Beef Stew”

Beef Stew for Halloween!!!

• 1 tablespoon of  butter
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 kilo of round, cut into 5cm pieces
• 200g of bacon or pancetta
• 2 tablespoon of dry rosemary, oregano and paprika
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 peppers, one green and  one red diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and halved
•  I small can of diced tomato
• 500 g small potatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée I used sundried
• ½ bottle red wine
• 285 ml of warm beef or vegetable stock I used Knorr Provincial
•  seasoning black pepper and Provincial
• 1 handful rosemary, leaves picked
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Put your butter into an appropriately sized pot or pan, I used my electric pan. Add your bacon and onion and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Then add the meat to the pan fry for about 5 min. till brown seasoned with the Provincial mix, fresh grounded pepper and add garlic cloves, gently stir all ingredient add the wine reduce for about 2 min at low heat. 

Fry bacon and oinion

Brown meat and add garlic and seasoning

Add wine, drink the rest of the bottle!!!

Transfer all to a large stovetop add the stock, tomato paste, potatoes, carrots, rosemary, oregano and paprika,  gently stir together bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. 

Add stock and tomato paste

Add potatoes and carrots

Add rosemary, oregano and paprika

Add the green and red pepper the can of tomato including the liquid, and simmer for another 2 to 3 hours, till the meat is tender. I don’t use cornstarch, instead I take the lid off for the last hour.

Add peppers

Add tomatoes

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