The power of pairs At Pairings in Winterport, multifaceted character of wines — and cooks — revealed

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On a drizzly morning last week, three students came out of the rain and into the gleaming new teaching kitchen at Pairings, a food-and-wine education center in Winterport. They had come to learn about vegetarian cooking, though none followed a strictly vegetarian diet.

Dave Walter brought his own apron. And his own knife. Clearly, he was going to be the gifted student in this class. Jane McGovern had high hopes that she’d find a meatless dish that she and her steak-and-potatoes husband could agree on. I was the third student. I brought a notebook and a strong desire to avoid cutting off a finger or burning anyone in the process of making a gratin.

Kathy Winberg, who holds a Cordon Bleu diploma in culinary arts, was our Emeril. Rather than running around shouting, “Bam!” she gently guided us, turned off the burners when we forgot and helped us locate the spoons, graters and spatulas we needed. More important, she instilled in us the confidence we needed to succeed.

“We wanted not only to educate people about wine and food together, but also to give them the opportunity to learn,” Winberg said of Pairings, which is affiliated with and located beside Winterport Winery.

Though that day’s theme was vegetarian, there is truly an offering for everyone – from “Healthy in a Hurry” to “Mad about Meatloaf.” Winberg creates a menu that challenges and inspires students. The dishes are difficult enough to keep experienced cooks from getting bored but easy enough to prepare at home.

Here’s what they don’t tell you about cooking classes: Everyone can learn from them. If you can boil water, you’re good to go. Clueless cooks can learn a valuable set of basic skills at a place like Pairings. And seasoned gourmets, such as our dynamo Dave, can pick up a few tricks, too, such as how to thicken a too-thin bechamel without adding more roux. Or how to macerate garlic with salt. Or, in my case, how to butter a pan more efficiently. (Am I the only one who doesn’t use the butter wrapper?)

“Part of it is just showing up,” Winberg said.

After the three of us showed up, we followed Winberg on a brief tour of Pairings, from the high-ceilinged dining area to the state-of-the-art kitchen with its hulking Wolff teaching stove and All-Clad pans. She showed us the contents of the cabinets, then we immediately forgot where everything was.

Our assignment: to prepare White Bean and Asparagus Salad and Polenta Gratin with Spinach and Wild Mushrooms. Together. Without hurting each other. Though I’ve never been good at sharing a kitchen, the one at Pairings is so large that it wasn’t a problem. Within minutes, we fell into a rhythm of chopping and measuring, sauteing and stirring.

Cooking is only half the fun; the other half is camaraderie.

“Behind you!” and “Knife!” punctuated our conversation as we danced around each other. While we worked, we shared our cooking experiences. Dave makes a mean Steak au Poivre, and Jane learned the hard way that her husband can’t stand the aroma of Middle Eastern spices. As Jane got a workout stirring her pot of corn meal, the three of us compared notes on our favorite restaurants. Dave expertly minced a shallot and we watched in awe – and, truth be told, with a bit of knife envy.

The earthy, buttery scent of sauteing mushrooms filled the air as I whisked my bechamel. Kathy noticed it wasn’t thickening, so she turned up the heat and let it bubble and boil. Rather than breaking the sauce, as I anticipated, the heat made the bechamel creamy and rich.

Jane continued to labor over the polenta, switching off arms as she stirred, while Dave and I started working on the salad. He trimmed asparagus spears, juiced lemons and minced garlic. I shaved Parmesan with a vegetable peeler. We skipped a step and used canned white beans, but it didn’t hurt the flavor any – especially after we poured the warm dressing over the salad.

“I encourage you to taste,” Kathy reminded us. “Recipes are just a guideline. The brand and source of things can make a difference, so I encourage you to taste.”

As the different elements of our meal came together, we didn’t need much encouragement. The sharp scent of the lemon and garlic in the dressing mingled with the round, mellow aroma of the Gruyere atop the gratin, now bubbling under the broiler, causing a rumble in our stomachs.

Kathy poured a trio of Winterport Winery wines for us to pair with our salad as we waited for the gratin to cool, and the four of us gathered around the table to sample our first course.

She chose the wines to complement and compete with the dishes, to show us how different foods bring out different characteristics in a wine, and vice versa. With the salad, the Orchard Blush and Dry Pear played off the acidity of the dressing, while the Apple wine made the whole thing too acidic. Once the gratin hit the table, the Apple took a starring role as it highlighted the rich flavors of mushroom, spinach and cheese.

“Oh my goodness,” Jane exclaimed. “The wine was awful before. Now it’s great. I’ve never experienced that before.”

A new experience. That’s perhaps the most important lesson pairing – and Pairings – has to offer.

Class dismissed.

For information or a complete schedule of classes, visit www.pairingsinmaine.com, or call 223-0990. Classes cost $60 per session. Class size ranges from one to 12 students.

White Bean and Asparagus Salad

Makes 4 servings

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cans white beans (15-19 ounces each), rinsed and drained

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shavings

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

8 French bread slices

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut asparagus on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-long slices. Steam the asparagus until just tender. Drain and cool in cold water. Drain and reserve.

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring oil, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper to a simmer.

Stir in beans and asparagus. Mix thoroughly and remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan and add garlic. Remove from heat. Preheat sheet pan. Brush bread slices with garlic butter; place on pan and return to oven. Bake until golden brown.

Add Parmesan shavings and chopped parsley to bean mixture. Toss gently.

Serve with garlic toasts.

Cook’s Note: To make Parmesan shavings, thinly shave cheese with a vegetable peeler. Recipe adapted from Gourmet, April 2006.