I have a little something on the side, you know. A job. If you can call it that.I do wine tastings. I like to say that I mix business with pleasure.Nine years ago, I went to France and enrolled in the Wine & Spirits Program at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After a year of studying and traveling to wine regions, I completed the courses and went back to Boston. There, I attended a wine event for the trade and met a woman who owned a promotional company. I've been working in the wonderful world of wine ever since. Did I mention that I love wine?I love opening it and serving it. I love drinking it and talking to people about it.I love discovering new wines and discussing it with my wine colleagues. And most of all, I love sharing great wine and delicious food with my family & friends, sitting around the table, laughing & talking. To me, this is what life is all about.When I need some inspiration for food and wine pairing, I spend some time with a wonderful book which was a gift from a friend. It's called Wine, Food, and Friends by Karen MacNeil.In her introduction, MacNeil refers to wine as liquid flavor. Putting wine in that perspective really helps when pairing it with food. If you like to cook, or just like to eat, you instinctively know what tastes good and what seems to go with what. Wine is just another flavor, a liquid flavor.The book is divided into four sections - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. With beautiful photographs of seasonal dishes, suggested wine pairings, and Cooking Light magazine's recipes, MacNeil makes it easy for us to set the stage for creating memorable moments with friends.Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers, a dish based on MacNeil's fond memories of a night in an Italian farmhouse, is easy and delicious. Her suggested pairing is Teruzzi & Puthod "Terre di Tufi" - a vernaccia with chardonnay and vermentino.MacNeil notes that dishes which feature tomatoes taste best when paired with lively, acidic, dry wines such as vernaccia, pinot grigio, tocai friulano, Gavi, ameis, or vermentino. Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers3 cups uncooked tube-shaped pasta3 TB extra-virgin olive oil1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper3 garlic cloves, finely chopped3 cups chopped plum tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds)1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives1 TB capers, drained1/2 tsp. salt3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese1/2 cup chopped fresh basilCook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and garlic, sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, and salt. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat, cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Serves four.Enjoy!
