Conference turris::cooks

    I want to make linguini and clam sauce and my usual recipe calls
    for adding white wine to the sauce.  I am trying to use up some
    leftover champagne in cooking and was wondering if I could substitute
    champagne for wine in this recipe.  Has anyone ever tried this?
    How did it taste?

Champagne substitues very well (though somewhat expensively) for plain 
white wine.  In fact, some of the absolute worst Champagne (like Cordon 
Negro) becomes a shining star in cooking.
						>>>==>PStJTT

    What size glasses? If you are serving 4oz servings, just multiply the
    number of oz's and divide into the number of oz's in the bottle of
    champagne. 

    What size glasses?  I thought the subject was about champagne and there
    is only one way of serving chanpagne, in a champagne glass... which is
    normally two ounces at most, so a party should include more than two
    drinks per person (otherwise it would be too skimpy) champagne goes
    rather quickly, especially if it is of good quality...and accompanied
    by nice cold oefs d'ouvre...

  
    
    
      Standard for wine is half a bottle per person...
    
      If it's just for a toast, then you could probably get 4-6  persons
      per bottle.
    
      Champagne is properly served in fluted glasses, but it's easier
      to find the wider, flatter glasses (forget what their called...
      perhaps even champagne glasses) that are cheaper...I've even seen
      plastic ones.  
    
    dmh

    
    Six glasses per bottle is about right. This number varies somewhat
    if all of the bottles are not the same maker/vintage ...
    
    Don't be alarmed if the first few bottles disappear quickly. Champagne
    slows down drinkers fairly well, particularly if it is fairly richly
    flavoured.
    
    
    Pete
    

When we planned our wedding, we wanted the champagne toast to be in flutes, 
and not cups.  The average cup is about 2-3oz., and the flutes we rented were 
much larger (about 6-8oz.).  We compromised by having the flutes about 1/2-2/3
full.  

						     
							- JP

    Thanks to all of you who responded.  I should have said this was
    for a toast.....my daughter will be 21 and I'm having a Roaring
    20's costume party.....with gangster and a murder.  The rest of
    the evening I'm serving "bathtub gin" and "bootleg whiskey".
    
    Thanks again,
    
    Anne

    What a great idea!  You can almost hear the ragtime piano in the
    background!  An aunt of mine was telling me about her flapper days,
    and how the girls used to roll their stockings down to right past
    their knees and rouge their knees!  She says pantyhose are no fun
    at all!
    
    Have fun!
    

>
>    I am having a party and need to know how many bottles of champagne
>    I need for 30 people so that each can have about 2 drinks.
>    
>    Thanks if you can help.
>    
>    Anne

Depends on the size of the glasses, but assuming flutes or normal-size
'Marie-Antoinette's' then you should reckon to get 6 glasses from a bottle
(75cl). By my reckoning...

30 people x 2 glasses = 60 glasses / 6 = 10 bottles

If I were you I'd buy a case (12 bottles) because you should be able to
get a case discount (from any half decent wine seller). I'd expect at least
a 10% discount and you may get as much as 20%. In either case you'll get
some 'free' bubbly if you get the case - save it for the following morning!

Cheers,

Andy 

      I want to cook a champagne-based dinner. Did anyone experienced such
    a dinner ? 
    
      Champagne might be ok for dessert, but what about the first plate,
    and the main one. What shall I use ? Fish with a light sauce ?...
    
      Any experience, and remarks would be welcome... I am considering the
    possiblity to use champagne "Brut" for the dinner itself, and champagne
    "Ros�" for the dessert.
    
      Any news about a Sauterne-based dinner would be appreciated, too.
    
      Francois.
    

	Rep .0


  How many courses are you planning???


	I would think you would want a fish course of some kind with
	either a champagne based sauce or a beurre blanc sauce. Maybe
	lotte poached in champagne with julinne of leeks and carrots.
	Then reduce the cooking liquid to make the sauce. 

	Then for a main course maybe escalope du veau with a poivre
	vert sauce. With saffron rice and steamed green veggie. A brut
	rose champagne would go nicely with the veal.

	I never liked champagne and fromage so you are on you own 
	with that course. Dessert is easy and I would suggest a sweet
	champagne with it. 

	Bon Chance,


	-mike

  Mike's suggestions sound pretty good. Here are some purely personal
  opinions which you may or may not like (they don't stick strictly to
  champagne, but allow anything with bubbles):

  For an aperitif course (amuses-gueules), you could serve Carlton
  Pecher (or similar) -- it's fruity and has a strong peach taste. Goes
  pretty well for that course. It's a little too dry for most desserts.

  I certainly agree with Mike's suggestion about a sweet champagne with
  dessert. We had a delicious asti with dessert once in Italy. I never
  thought it would go as well as it did. You could even consider a sweet
  champagne as the base for a zabaglione.

  We've had moderate success with roast beef and brut champagne. Also
  with duck. Not too good with roast lamb (the usual garlic-thyme
  recipe). Duck with a fruit sauce sounds like a possible match for brut
  rose.

  Champagne isn't a complete disaster with cheese. We've had brut with
  strong cheeses, such as old chevre and roquefort, but it doesn't seem
  to go with camembert, pont l'eveque, vieux pane, reblochon, etc., nor
  with very mild cheeses.

  -----------------

  Now, for sauternes: this could be a problem. I can't think of many
  dishes which go well with sauternes. You know the standard stuff: foie
  gras, dessert. It might also work well with some pork dishes (the same
  sorts of dishes where you might serve a gewurtztraminer). And it could
  also work with some cheeses (port and stilton are a great combination,
  so maybe sauternes and some creamy blue, like gorgonzola, mascarpone
  or pipo creme). 

  I don't know about an entire dinner, though. It could be just too
  much. And especially if the idea is to taste an assortment of
  sauternes, I think your taste buds would be very tired by the middle
  of the meal, and by the time you got to the course where you need them
  the most (dessert), your best sauternes would be wasted. It doesn't
  sound like an entire dinner menu with sauternes is a very good idea.
  Maybe brunch or a short lunch.

    Many thanks....
    
      I am surprised by the idea of using poivre vert sauce, and saffron
    rice. But the lotte will be a very good first course. I am planning 
    a two courses dinner. And no cheese.
    
      About Sauterne, I might be planning, as a main ourse, Duck cutlets
    grilled with honey... With, as first course, Foie gras. And cheese,
    mainly Roquefort.
    
      Thanks a lot.  Francois. 

	Rep .3

>>> I am surprised by the idea of using poivre vert sauce, and saffron rice.

	Why??? It makes a very interesting combination and I have used it
	with great success in past meals. The color is very striking and
	makes an interesting contrast to the poivre vert sauce and the
	veggies. The taste also plays well against the spicy sauce and
	the steamed veggies. I would suggest you try it sometime before
	your dinner party. I usually try new recipes before a dinner 
	party trying to make sure there isn't any disasters when you are
	trying to put your best cooking forward.


	-mike

    re.-1
      Poivre vert and saffron are definitly good together, but I was
    surprised to see tham with champagne...
    
    Francois.