Chef Mike's award winning recipes...

House of Sandeman Contest

In 1995, while attending the California Culinary Academy, I entered and won a wine and food pairing contest sponsored by The House of Sandeman.  The House of Sandeman has been making and shipping wines from Spain and Portugal for over two hundred years.  Sandeman specializes in two great wines, Port and Sherry.

In 1980, Sandeman became part of Seagram - a world leader in the beverage and entertainment sectors - and has continued to prosper, developing its business around the world. 

Today, the seventh generation of the family and Chairman of the old firm, George Sandeman continues the Sandeman commitment to the quality of Sandeman Ports and Sherries, and to the future.

My wife, Hillary and I were treated to an all expense tour of The House of Sandeman's operations in Portugal.  We stayed in Oporto and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of George Sandeman and his staff as they showed us the Sandeman Lodge near Oporto as well as their vineyard estate on the Duoro River about 90 miles inland.  You can get a glimpse of the House of Sandeman at their website.  www.sandeman.com

My winning menu consisted of four courses, each to be either paired or prepared with a Sandeman Port or Sherry.

Appetizer
served with Sandeman's Don Fino Sherry: 
Smoked Quail on Tapenade Crouton

First Course
prepared with Sandeman's Character Sherry:
Sherry Braised Chestnut-filled Ravioli with Leeks & Cranberries

Entree
Prepared with Sandeman's Ruby Port:
Port Patty Melt with Potato Duchesse "Bun"

Dessert
With Sandeman Founder's Reserve Port:
Port Poached Pears Dipped in Chocolate

 

Annual Quady Wine and Dessert Pairing Contest

At the 12th annual Quady Wine and Dessert Pairing Competition, held Monday August 2, 1999 at San Francisco's Hotel Monaco. Entering under Walker's Restaurant and Pie Shop, my place of employment at the time, I took Second Place honors among the 24 restaurants participating.  My Pineapple-Rhubarb Sorbet with a Coconut Meringue Shell was truly unique amongst the group, in that it was the only dessert to feature pineapple as its main ingredient.

This years contest featured Quady's Elysium dessert wine made with Black Muscat grapes.  Open to restaurant chefs who then tasted the wine and determined which ingredients or combination of ingredients would best pair with this wine for a dessert course.  I knew that I wanted something with nice acidity.  Originally, I thought of tart, green apples.  But, I wasn't confident of getting the kind of apple that would best suit me, this time of the year.  Then I ran across some rhubarb juice I had frozen since we made rhubarb pies at Christmas. That was it, I knew I where I had to go!

KGO radio host, Gene Burns, a judge at the event, raved about the dessert:  "Nothing we tasted of the 24 desserts ...  in my view, married the Elysium better than the combination of pineapple and rhubarb."  His comments were heard on his weekly "Dining Around" show on Saturday August 7.  "It absolutely sang a symphony on my palate"

The competition was stiff.  Restaurants from all over northern California entered the prestigious contest, including the Awanee Hotel in Yosemite and Auberge Du Soliel in the Napa Valley.  Top Bay Area restaurants were represented by Rubicon, the Cypress Club, the Clift Hotel, Lalime's and Pastis to name a few.  The First Place prize went to the Park Hyatt Hotel.