LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
APRIL/MAY 2017 69
TRAVEL
Take to the Waters
this Summer
Will you row your own boat or lean back and enjoy the river ride?
sometime between 1934 and 1948 by Giuseppe
Cipriani, the owner of Harry's Bar in Venice. He
named it the Bellini because its pinkish colour
reminded him of the toga of a saint in a 15th-century
painting by Giovanni Bellini. is drink, apparently,
was a favourite of Ernest Hemingway.
If I won the lottery I would open a bottle of non-
vintage champagne purely for cooking purposes.
Usually, it's a glass surreptitiously sneaked from a
bottle of champagne for poaching the fish before the
guests arrive. But there are occasions aer a party
when a third of a bottle may be le over and the wine
has gone flat. Don't throw it out, because it's ideal for
the kitchen. When you heat champagne it loses its
bubbles anyway. What you want is that concentration
of flavours and acidity from the wine itself.
Champagne is ideal in virtually all sauces and
dishes that require slow cooking. Even if you don't
want to go to the trouble of preparing a whole meat
dish, you can transform reheated beef with a simple
champagne sauce.
e base is a half-pint of brown sauce to which you
add a teaspoon of meat extract, a pinch of sugar and a
shake of red pepper. Reduce the liquid by half, strain
it and add a half pint of champagne. Warm the sauce
and pour over the leovers.
Champagne can be used in the preparation of all
dishes from soup to dessert, both sweet and savoury.
A cup of champagne does wonders for onion soup or
for poaching any kind of fish. Try oysters marinated
in champagne, a very easy dinner party dish. Using
shucked oysters (4-6 per serving), poach them in
their own juice until the edges curl; then drain and
add to the oyster liquor 2 tablespoons of lemon juice,
3 tablespoons of chopped onion, chives and parsley.
Add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and a few
drops of Tabasco. Chill the oysters and marinade and
combine just prior to serving.
Perhaps the most famous recipe of the Bresse
region of eastern France is poularde au champagne. In
a deep skillet, gently sauté a cut-up roasting chicken
in butter, turning pieces to avoid browning. Pour
over a measure of brandy and ignite to burn off the
alcohol. Add half a bottle of champagne and salt and
pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add half a
pound of sliced fresh mushroom, already parboiled in
salted water. Remove chicken pieces and thicken the
sauce with 3 oz. of soened butter. Combine three
egg yolks and half a pint of cream and pour over the
chicken when plated. (Serves 4.)
Finally, if the whole idea of using champagne for
cooking offends your sense of propriety, here's a tip
passed on to me by a chef: drink the champagne and
use Gewurztraminer instead.
IF THE FIRST THOUGHT of cruising leaves you cold, there could still be a
reason to ditch your desk for a waterway. e giant cruise ships you remember
aren't the only way to explore the water. is summer, choose one of these two
very different options for a trip to remember.
>
e Vibe: Rugged and Adventurous
>
e Trip: Row Adventures, Salmon River
For most of your trip down the Salmon River in Idaho (pictured above), the
scenery alongside your inflatable ra will take most of your attention. White
sand beaches, golden sunshine and rocky cliffs are part of the reason it is
oen referred to as the Riviera of the West. But there are challenges, too:
Whitewater Rapids will require you to paddle hard alongside your fellow
travellers. e reward? Evenings in camps that have been set up for you and
meals that will banish the idea that camp dining means weiners and beans.
ere is no access to a Wi-Fi signal for most of the trip, meaning a real vaca-
tion is possible and you'll have plenty of time for stargazing and campfires.
Row Adventures' trips aren't limited to the Salmon River, either; consider
trips to the Galapagos, Baja or the Amazon as well. www.rowadventures.com
>
e Vibe: Relaxed and Cultural
>
e Trip: AMA Waterways, Melodies of the Danube
You'll travel through four European countries on this river cruise between
Budapest in Hungary and Vilshofen an der Donau in Germany. Along the
way you'll learn about the impressive histories of composers like Beethoven,
Mozart and Strauss. e river route allows for unique vantage points of ma-
jor cities like Vienna and stunning villages like Melk, in Austria. ere are
about 120 passengers only on board each ship, and the variety of tour paces
(including the option for bicycles at some ports of call) means you can have a
guided tour without feeling you're rushing or waiting for others. Chaîne des
Rôtisseurs chefs guarantee that meals on board are exquisite. AMA Water-
ways also offers sailings along the Rhine and Mekong rivers, and Christmas
market sailings add in time for shopping, too. www.amawaterways.com
| DETOURS |
Heather Greenwood Davis is a lawyer and a contributing
editor to National Geographic Traveler magazine.
Tony Aspler is the author of 17 books on wine,
including his latest, Canadian Wineries.
PHOTOGRAPHY
COURTESY
OF
ROW
ADVENTURES;
CHAD
CASE
