Cranberry Mold- Delicato Family Cookbook
THE FOOLPROOF METHOD FOR MATCHING FOOD AND WINE
Consider two things when “marrying” wine to food. First, match your food with a wine that complements it so there will be no struggle between the two. The old adage, “opposites attract,” does not apply here. You don’t want a robust Petite Sirah saying to the delicately flavored pork roast, “I'll arm wrestle you for that slice of fruitcake!” Instead, the pork roast should join with a milder red, such as a fruity Zinfandel, so they can sing together: “We are family.” Second, match the wine with the food so that neither loses its unique flavor. Cabernet Sauvignon, a full-bodied red wine, is smooth, with no discernable acidity when served alone or with tart foods. But pair the Cabernet to a ham glazed with candied fruit sauce and the same wine will taste unpleasantly acidic because of the contrast. Like a good marriage, the pairing is most successful when both members retain their own characteristics, yet contribute to the total combination.
FLAVOR FORMULA:
FOOD FLAVOR INTENSITY + WINE FLAVOR INTENSITY = BALANCE.
(See Flavor Intensity Chart for popular wine styles on Northern Italian Stuffed Turkey )
Choosing the right wine for the right meal is more than following the simple rule, “Red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat, and rosé wines with either.”
The secret of successful matchmaking is to pair these three flavor intensities:
Delicate, Moderate, Abundant
---Dorothy IndelicatoDelicato Family Cookbook Recipe:
Cranberry Mold:
This colorful gelatin mold is a traditional turkey accompaniment at the Indelicato family Thanksgiving gatherings.
Prepare gelatin as directed on package. When mixture begins to thicken, fold in cranberry sauce, apples, celery, and nuts. Refrigerate until set. Serve on lettuce leaves.
The family usually gathers at our house for Thanksgiving. We all sit around a large table that takes up almost the entie room. This is the same table where eleven people used to eat their daily meals: Gaspare and Caterina Indelicato, their four children and the Sam Luppino family of five who lived with them.
Gaspare bought the big table so that everyone could be together for meals. Later, when he and Caterina built a new brick home near the winery, they left the oversized piece of furniture in the old house. Years later, Tony and I rescued the big table, refinished it, and brought it into the center of our home.
—Mary Indelicato
