It’s amazing how much sugar we eat, even while we think that we are not. Many prepared foods contain sweeteners (look for ingredients ending in “-ose”) and contemporary cooking is replete with sweetness (tropical fruit salsas; balsamic reductions; meats stewed with dried fruits). Sweetness in food requires the same level of sweetness in wine. That’s always made sense with desserts — for instance, pairing an apple tart with a medium-sweet muscat — but it also holds for any course of a meal. This soup, because of its cream, will be doubly well served by bubbles in a non-dry wine.
THE WINES
2013 14 Hands Winery Moscato, Columbia Valley, Washington: Very low in alcohol, moderately sweet, but with fine cleansing acidity, this medium-sweet white bursts with aromas and flavors of both citrus and tropical fruits. $10
2013 Broadbent Vinho Verde Rose, Portugal: Not all vinho verde is white, as this brightly hot-pink, just off-dry, ever-so-slightly spritzy pink shows well; a blend of four red grape varieties with a juicy texture. $10
2013 Castello Banfi Brachetto d’Acqui Vigne Regali Spumante Rosa Regale, Piedmont, Italy: A very versatile wine in its native land, this slightly sweet red sparkler (more fizzy than bubbly) cleans up after most any kind of bite. $19-$20
THE FOOD: Chilled banana soup with rum and coconut
Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean. Place the seeds in a blender along with 4 peeled bananas, 2 scoops vanilla ice cream, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 1/2 ounces creamed coconut and 1/4 cup dark rum; blitz until smooth. Chill until cold. Serve garnished with toasted coconut.
Provenance: Adapted from recipe by Nicholas Oldroyd, executive chef, Queen Mary 2
