Food & Wine April 2017

RECIPE KEY • FAST Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. • VEGETARIAN Contains no meat, poultry or seafood. • STAFF FAVORITE Recipe we especially love. Starters & Salads Beet-and-Vodka-Cured Gravlax P. 102 [STAFF FAVORITE] Brock Eggs P. 96 [FAST][VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Buttermilk-Dressed Spring Greens P. 98 [VEGETARIAN] Chilled Watercress Soup with Crème Fraîche and Za'atar P. 54 [FAST][VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Fail-Proof Cheese Fondue P. 68 Master this technique, then try our three riffs. [FAST] Poached Oysters with Pickled Cucumber and Caviar P. 96 [FAST] Smoked-Trout Crackers with Broken Tapenade P. 88 [VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Spring Asparagus Salad with Feta P. 102 [VEGETARIAN] Tobacco Onions P. 101 Vegetables & Pasta [FAST][VEGETARIAN] Lemony Seared Endives P. 98 [FAST][VEGETARIAN] Quick-Pickled Fennel P. 69 [VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Roasted Onion and Shallot Tarts P. 101 [FAST][STAFF FAVORITE] Smoked Gouda Carbonara P. 56 [FAST][VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Spinach Shakshuka P. 54 [VEGETARIAN][STAFF FAVORITE] Vermouth-Braised Shallots P. 98 Meat & Poultry [STAFF FAVORITE] Crispy…

A JET-BLACK GERMAN SHEPHERD bounded up to our rental car, tongue wagging, paws kicking up a cloud of golden dust. He sprinted alongside as we pulled up the gravel drive to a yellow clapboard farmhouse. A flock of chickens scurried out of sight. It was early spring 2013, and we'd arrived at the Napa wine estate of Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson, owners of Matthiasson Wines, whom Food & Wine had recently named Winemakers of the Year. Estate seemed too grandiose a term for this rustic spot—a five-acre patch of sun-dappled farmland on the outskirts of the town of Napa, all of it faithfully guarded by Koda, the vineyard dog, whose main defense against intruders seemed to be exuberant face-licking. Steve had made his name as a much-in-demand viticultural consultant for top…

WILL PLAY FOR PASTA The world is a treasure chest of tasty giblets. While we were on tour in Italy, I tried this pappardelle with wild-boar Bolognese in Capalbio, a walled medieval town in Tuscany. The way they cooked the meat, the concentration of the flavors, tons of grated cheese–I'll never forget it. SOUTHERN COMFORTS I'm from Atlanta, and there's a ton of great barbecue in the area. Some of the best I've ever had was at this weird little gas station in Union Point, Georgia—just a little shack. That guy knew what he was doing with brisket. It was smoky and sweet and fall-apart tender. BITTEN BY THE WINE BUG The first time I really experienced amazing wine pairings was at my friend Emeril Lagasse's steakhouse in Las Vegas. I started to realize just…

Truetap Waiter's Corkscrew This workhorse opener (pictured) is our favorite: It has a nifty double hinge that makes easy work of pulling corks. And, at this price, you can buy a few to keep in your kitchen, office and, heck, overnight bag. $7; truefabrications.com. Stainless Steel Wine Sealer Someone is always game to help finish a bottle in F&W's Tasting Room. But at home, we rely on these stoppers to extend the life of sparkling or still wines by creating an airtight vacuum. $7; rabbitwine.com. Vertical Rabbit Corkscrew If there's a party in your future and you need to open lots of bottles in a flash, this lever-style opener is your new best friend. It pulls and ejects corks in three seconds flat. $50; rabbitwine.com. Coravin Model Two There's no need to wait for a special occasion…

SPECIAL WINE ISSUE "Margaritas hijack people's brains," says chef Alex Stupak, who has unveiled an ambitious 70-bottle wine list at his newest Empellón outpost in Manhattan. Check out the other restaurants across the country that are tackling tricky food-and-wine pairings. At the brand-new Empellón in midtown Manhattan, beefy tacos call for fruity Rioja. You can't go wrong with lemony Sauvignon Blanc and creamy guacamole. Greek rosé is the go-to for plancha-grilled octopus tacos. MEXICAN Restaurant Empellón, New York City Approach "Our reds have silkier tannins to avoid amplifying heat," says beverage director Noah Small. "And citrusy whites pair well with seafood." Go-To Bottle For fish tacos, try 2014 Six Sigma Sauvignon Blanc ($18). INDIAN Restaurant Indian Paradox, San Francisco Approach "Yogurt cloaks the palate, but Beaujolais cuts through the fat beautifully," says sommelier Kavitha Raghavan. Go-To Bottle With tangy snacks like dahi…

I'll Drink to That Levi Dalton's snappy podcast offers a rogue's gallery of wine-world characters, featuring interviews with vintners, critics and more. If you fall in love with a wine you hear about on the show, you can buy it at a discount through NYC's Crush Wine and Spirits. illdrinktothatpod.com. Verve Wine When two industry titans join forces to "kick wine off its pedestal," you pay attention. Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson left Eleven Madison Park to found Verve with veteran merchant Derrick Mize. Their site sorts wine selections by region and grape, and also by occasion (brunch) and cuisine (tacos). Speedy delivery via UPS. vervewine.com. KNOW YOUR LINGO Curious about the words on the tip of every wine pro's tongue? Read on for our cheat sheet. "En Rama" Sherry: Raw, minimally filtered and superrich, it's…