Nancy Ponzi has had a remarkable career in wine, but it may be her zeal for cooking that determines her legacy. As the subheading of the Preface of this book proclaims, "It takes a lot of food to make great wine." Nancy should know, for forty years ago she and her husband, Dick, left successful careers in California to start a new life in wine in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. They were part of the hippie generation, idealists determined to return to the land for their sustenance. Interestingly enough, it was a trip to visit Dick's brother in Iceland, of all places, where they experienced homemade celery wine, that would plant the seed of enthusiasm for crafting their own wine. In 1970, the Ponzis become one of the pioneering wine families in Oregon, planting a Pinot Noir vineyard just outside of Portland in a farming community known as Beaverton and launching Ponzi Vineyards.
What Nancy was quick to discover is that a large crew had to be fed with each harvest. As the winery grew in notoriety, wine and food professionals descended on the winery frequently and had to be entertained. Consumers too, were infatuated with the wine grape culture, and clamored to attend dinners at the winery. Nancy realized that her main contribution to the winery would be food so she set out to become an accomplished cook. She cultivated an organic garden, made cheese, read cooking books voraciously, attended and eventually taught cooking classes, and even owned and operated two successful restaurants.
This book is a personal collection of over 80 recipes that exemplify the winery kitchen. The cookbook evolved primarily from the Ponzi Amici Cellar Club in which Nancy's recipes were paired with selected Ponzi wines as a unique feature that consumers enjoyed. Each recipe is intertwined with the history of Oregon wine and Ponzi Vineyards, the many trips abroad that form the basis for a number of the recipes, and the contributions of friends and family. The recipes travel the globe ranging from Italian classics like spaghetti and meatballs to French staples like Coquilles St. Jacques. Many recipes are grounded in the Northwest such as Northwest Choucroute and Chanterelle Soup. Whatever the origins, the emphasis is on fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and basic home cooking tools and techniques. Each recipe is accompanied by the stunning photography of Michael Shay, teasing the appetite of the reader to enter the kitchen.
The "Do" and "Don't" general tips for entertaining in the Introduction are invaluable. The ideas are very straightforward, but often overlooked by the host or hostess amid the anxiety over hosting a meal. Perhaps the best bit of advice is the last one. "Never apologize. Your apology will only diminish you culinary standing, your guests' comfort zone (then they have to fib that it is really so, so delicious), and open the door to any previously politely silent `expert.' Anyway, your next dish will probably be fine......it's just food."
Practical, endearing, and highly personal, this is a cookbook to treasure. If you are a Pinot lover like myself, you will be particularly charmed, since many of the recipes pair beautifully with this grape. Anyone for wild mushroom risotto and Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noir?Get more detail about The Ponzi Vineyards Cookbook.
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