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The Drink Pairing


One of my favorite cookbooks from my earlier home-chef days was one called What To Drink With What You Eat. In typical drink-eat pairings, I try to stay true to the whole "white with fish" and "red with meat" kind of thing, but rarely do I ever actually conduct a true match. The other night, while dining at Cooper's Hawk, I saw that the menu lists a wine bin number option next to each food item in hopes that the diner will select the best paired selection for the meal. Honestly, although when I've had the perfect marriage of wine and food it's incredible, I usually find myself ordering to drink what I like best. And it's always something red.

Tonight as I make my way to the kitchen, and eyeing the clock, I realize that I have about an hour to prep dinner and get ready for my favorite Thursday night show, Scandal. With this show, I always make sure I have a glass of red wine handy. I'm 100% sure this is due to watching the main character, and professional bad-ass Olivia Pope, have a tall glass of red while unwinding on her couch after slaying in Washington DC all day on the show, so in turn I do the same. Although this is a planned, and maybe semi-subconscious ritual, I recall doing the same drink-TV pairing when I watch other shows. Red wine for True Blood or The Vampire Diaries. Coffee while watching Gilmore Girls (pretending I'm at Luke's diner!). Vodka martini while watching an award show. Beer when watching football.

I don't know about you, but perhaps the next cookbook I'd add to my shelf would be What You Drink With What You Watch On TV.

What favorite pairings do you have?

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