Dinner date, and I'm cooking! Steak+?+Chianti?

Skoal Cat

OP revamp!

I'm cooking for a woman I've been seeing, and this is the first time I've done so for her so I'd like to make it nice. I'm going to do a steak sous vide (mmmm) but I have no idea what kind of sides to do. I'm also not too much of a vinophile, but I know I prefer a dry less sweet wine and that I might be after a Chianti. Can anyone recommend a bottle, maybe less than $15?

Tastyfish

I was going to suggest Thai, bit unusual but quite easy to do. Starters are easy as you can usually get filo or coconut prawns from most supermarkets and it's a case of just chucking them in the oven for 10 mins or so.

As for the curry, it's a stir fry (chicken breast/fish, few prawns, then whatever veg you like from the more exotic to peppers and mushrooms. Sweet potato also goes quite well if things are tasting too salty or spicy) with coconut milk and curry paste (I'd reckonmend Red, as Green can be more variable if you're just picking it up). Popadom or Prawn crackers on the side, and if you want to show off mix in some raisins, cucumber and maybe goji berries into the rice and mix before serving.

Looks great, requires little attention or accurate timing (so you get more time to chat, or can talk whilst cooking - is the chicken cooked? then add paste and mushrooms, then add coconut milk once mushrooms are almost done then just let it come to the boil and add veg +5/10 mins) but has a few unusual ingredients that make it look like you really can cook, plus is unusual and involves sharing if you go the poppadom or prawn crackers route.

Works well with red or white wine as well (white would be the preference though), or lager.

Esh

http://spaceghetto.org/images/1305837538.jpg

If she likes it. Marry her.

Skoal Cat

:0&

Esh

Skoal Cat wrote:

:0&

I don't know what that is. But I assume it's an emoticon expressing pure joy and delight.

Skoal Cat

Its supposed to be a green and sick emoticon chosen in the new handy dandy drop down menu, but for some reason its not working. Argh.
:-(

edit: oh sure, that one works
:-S

ceres

That looks so disgusting it has to be awesome.

Esh

ceres wrote:

That looks so disgusting it has to be awesome.

I haven't gotten around to trying to make it yet, but it's definitely happening.

schuss

wine wise - go to a good wine store in the area and tell them what you're making, they should have a good reco. If they don't, move on and find another wine place. Mine has never steered me wrong.

Darkewolfe

I recommend a Virginian Cab Franc if you can get one, amazing with steaks for their "tobacco" flavors, or an Argentinian Malbec (not to be confused with anything French, as the French don't use the Malbec for much other than complimenting Bordeaux blends). Both stand up quite well with strong meats like steak, and neither are particularly sweet.

Usagi

Seconding the Malbec, or if you can find a Chilean Carmenere that

Darkewolfe

Argentinian Malbecs are also one of the "up and coming" wines if you want to seem hip to that sort of thing.

shutz

The classic match to a good steak is Cabernet Sauvignon, or one of the drier Bordeaux (which are usually mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with the possibility of additional Merlot and/or Cabernet Franc.

Chianti is also a good idea, or anything made from Sangiovese (the main grape used for Chianti).

It shouldn't be very hard to find a good Cabernet Sauvignon, as practically all the main wine-producing countries grow it (though in Europe, it's rarer outside of France) from Australia and New Zealand, to Chile, to California. It's one of the hardier grape varieties, so it's easier to grow than many other grape varieties.

Since I don't have a particular wine to recommend, I'd just say go to a good, well-stocked wine store, look at all the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines you find, and pick one in the middle of the price range for a particular region. That way, you avoid the cheaper ones (which are unlikely to be dry enough, or else they won't be aged enough) and you avoid the costlier ones (which may or may not be better -- and if you're not a connoisseur, you might not notice the difference in the higher end of the spectrum, anyway.

Now, if you're wondering about what kind of side dish to serve with the steak, you can go simple with steamed vegetables and perhaps a salad (the classic would be a Caesar's salad, otherwise, you could try just a simple salad with balsamic vinaigrette). If you really need some kind of starchy side-dish, you can go for the classic mashed potatoes, which I would serve with some kind of peppercorn gravy (just get an instant gravy packet from the grocery store -- and to give it an authentic flavor, you can always mix in some of the juices from the meat after it's cooked.) Otherwise, rice, couscous, or quinoa would probably be nice.

Sir Carcass

I like the Da Vinci chianti. I find it at my local wine store.