Wine Food Pairing - An Unplanned Backyard Picnic!

I always a say that Wine Food Pairing is andWhat, you ask, could happen with a few eggs and
adventure and a challenge....well this article is anmushrooms? BREAD in the MICROWAVE, that's
excellent example!what! Apparently, Gernot was not familiar with a
Last weekend we had a friend from Salzburgmicrowave oven.....we don't really use our
staying with us in Vienna. A delightful, eccentricmicrowave much and we have located it in the
man that my husband has known for severalpantry behind a closed door so I didn't even see
years. We spent the day at a health fair andhim go in there. Well, as the story goes, Gernot
were tired and hungry by the time we got home.said that he just wanted to warm up the crusty
I had purchased some wonderful Chantrellebread a bit so he set the microwave on high for
mushrooms at a market that had been gathered5 minutes.....YIKES.....you can imagine, 3 pieces of
fresh from the local area that morning. I knewbread being "nuked" like that. I smelled the smoke
about a traditional Austrian dish prepared withfirst, then looked around and saw the smoke
these delightful fungi and eggs, but I wasn't quiterolling out from under the pantry door. HOLY
sure about all the ingredients.COW! I yanked open the microwave door and
Our friend, Gernot, assured us that he wouldextinguished the blackened bread and all the while
prepare the evening meal as this was his favoritemy husband is opening all the windows to let the
dish and a specialty of his....what could be better? Iclouds of smoke roll out....what a mess!!!!! Everyone
love it when someone cooks for me!was coughing and tears were running from our
I opened a French red wine that my husbandeyes!
purchased the day before....a terrific tasting wineNeedless to say, we couldn't sit in the house to
that would pair perfectly with the "meaty"eat....in fact the smoke smell is still in the house 4
mushrooms. I got the ingredients out of thedays later! I gathered up the plates, glasses and
pantry for Gernot and I started putting togetherof course the wine which was REALLY needed
the mixed green salad....working in different partsnow and went out to the backyard table. I lighted
of the kitchen I wasn't really watching him, but Ia candle, Gernot brought the pan of eggs and
felt sure that if he needed assistance he wouldmushrooms and my husband brought the
just ask. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!remaining cold bread and a second bottle of wine!