at the table
Paula Kornell aims to redefine the notion that bubbles are just for celebrations – to her, sparkling wine is meant to be enjoyed for all occasions and non-occasions. New Year’s Eve? Sure. Rainy Tuesday? Even better. But beyond the fact that sparkling wine provides reason to smile no matter the day, the acidity and relatively low alcohol found in most sparklers also mean that these wines pair most delightfully with nearly all foods. Whether you’re enjoying fried chicken, caviar or a bowl of buttery popcorn, sparkling wine is your most trusted friend.
bubbles go with everything
Father’s Secret Summer Punch
I have great memories of this summer punch my father would make. He always had this great mischievous grin when serving.
2 bottles Paula Kornell Brut
1 bottle dry white or rose (something with nice acidity)
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup brandy or cognac
Frozen strawberries (which works as ice cubes)
2 oranges cut up
As the day goes on, just keep refreshing with more bubbles, more wine and more strawberries.
Chef Dave Cruz’s Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken
A longtime fixture of the Napa Valley food and wine scene, and friend of Paula Kornell, Cruz opened Milestone Provisions in the Oxbow Public Market in Napa in 2021, in partnership with
restaurateur Eric Lilavois and Five Dot Ranch. Cruz is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and James Beard award-winning cookbook author who in 2006 was tapped by Chef Thomas Keller to be the
opening chef at Ad Hoc, where he helped make fried chicken the star.
POLANCO CAVIAR
Polanco Caviar is the only caviar spawned in the Southern Hemisphere. Its origins are a United Nations-certified sustainable sturgeon farm in Rio Negro, Uruguay. A premium high-quality caviar, Polanco is served in more than 30 countries in hotels, restaurants, and cruises, and by celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs.
here are three foods that blend beautifully with sparkling wine. any one of these, incidentally, is a smashing accompaniment when sparkling wine is served as a before dinner aperitif. ingredients listed will fill a dozen egg halves.
EGGS STUFFED WITH CRAB
force the yolks of 6 hard boiled eggs through a fine sieve. combine them with 1⁄2 cup mashed cooked crab meat, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of prepared mustard and minced onions, a dash of worcestershire sauce. salt and pepper to taste, fill the egg whites and garnish with pimiento strips.
EGGS STUFFED WITH CHICKEN LIVERS
sauté 1/3 lb. chicken livers in 2 teaspoons butter until tender. add 1⁄2 teaspoon grated onions to the pan and cook 2 minutes. mash the onions and livers or put through a blender and combine with 6 hard boiled egg yolks. blend in 3 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. fill egg whites and garnish each with tiny cocktail onion.
CURRIED ALMONDS
this is an interesting side dish for nibbling. heat 1⁄4 cup olive oil in a chafing dish or skillet over direct heat. add 2 cups dried blanched almonds and 1 tablespoon curry powder. cook the nuts, stirring constantly until golden. sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot or cold.