Wine and food: I cook, therefore I am.

It's been on my wish list for a while: going all out in the kitchen. In my cellar, I still had a Barolo from '10, a Riesling from '09, and a Marsala from '88. Wines you don't just throw away. These wines deserve to be the center of attention.

So I devised a dinner around these wines. Where I normally take the easy route when it comes to recipes and cooking, I now went for expert mode. I have to admit, I'd planned this a month in advance and constantly told myself, "Be patient, be patient." My biggest stumbling block is that I often cook as if I have to catch a train. Like a frantic Roland, I'm peeling, frying, and mixing—with the result that it's one big battlefield, and everything basically goes wrong.

No, that's not how I'm going to approach it this time. I'm reading through the recipes, thinking about what I can make ahead of time, making one dish at a time, and only starting when the mise en place is ready. Yes, that's how it can be done. Mind blown.

You can find more information about the recipes and difficulty level via the links.

Champagne tasting

We'll kick off with a Champagne tasting. Bubbles are the perfect way to activate your taste buds. We'll sample a Champagne brut from Bernard Rémy, a Blanc des Blancs from Zimmerlin-Flamant, and a Cava. Let's see if we can identify the Cava. A recurring question during Le Club evenings is which grapes are used in Champagne. Although I've mentioned this several times, it remains a difficult concept for the attendees.

I serve it with gnudi , which is Italian for " naked ravioli ." These are balls of ricotta and a bit of Parmesan rolled several times in semolina, which is first boiled and then fried in sage butter. The creaminess of the ricotta combined with the saltiness of the Parmesan is a perfect accompaniment to Champagne. The recipe is by Jamie Oliver and you can find it here .

The champagne stays on the table for the next dish: catfish ceviche with coconut milk and razor clams with parsley and spinach cream . Top chef Hanneke got the recipes from njam.tv (see this link and this one ). It looked fantastic too:

Hugel Riesling 2009 & Kaefferkopf Gewurztraminer 2014

We continue our journey from Champagne to Alsace, where we indulge in a top-notch Riesling from the Hugel estate and a Gewürztraminer from Kaefferkoph. We pair these with a slow-cooked piece of pork belly with a scallop and sweet-and-sour mango . All of this is wrapped in an Asian twist, because that's what pairs so well with Riesling. This was so delicious.

Take your time with this. The pork belly needs to marinate overnight, then come to room temperature, bake for 2.5 minutes in the oven, and then cool again before frying until crispy. It's a bit of effort, but it was more than worth it. Check out the full recipe here .

Opinions were divided on the wines. I have a fondness for both grapes, so for me it was an impossible choice anyway. The Gewurz had a considerable residual sweetness, but also filled the glass with flowers, which paired beautifully with the dish. The acidity of the Riesling complemented the fattiness of the pork belly and paired well with the sweet and sour mango.

I bought both wines on holiday in Alsace.

Barolo '10 vs The Chocolate Block

After a moment's rest, we tackled the evening's highlight: Tournedos Rossini . Stress was starting to creep in. It was a bit tricky to cook 10 tournedos at once, but we managed. If I can do it, anyone can. Remember: timing is of the essence . Don't panic.

We'll have a glass of Barolo from the maestro vintage 2010 with it. It might be a bit much to also open a bottle of The Chocolate Block, but I did it anyway. The Chocolate Block has been an absolute favorite among the club members for years. I also thought it would be fun to taste these wines together. There's a huge difference: old vs. new, classic vs. modern. Which paired best? Check out more information about the wines and the recipe here .

I bought Barolo on holiday in Piedmont. The Chocolate Block is available at Wijnig.nl.

Von Buhl Riesling Beerenauslese 2012

This is where I'm starting to lose my patience. It all started with the cake. It was supposed to be a baked lemon tart, but that was a complete failure. A quick glance in my fridge revealed I could whip up a lemon cheesecake , so I did. Pinterest had me captivated by the art of plating, and the dishwashers at the time—Niels and Marco—came up with the idea of ​​plating the plates like Picassos. It worked brilliantly (your kitchen is covered in it, but #yolo).

I decorated the plates with cheesecake pieces, blueberries, and raspberries. I actually wanted to add swirls of white chocolate mousse , but it didn't come out of the nozzle as I'd hoped. Don't let that stop you from making the mousse, though. It was truly finger-licking good . The recipe will be online soon.

We're drinking a dessert wine, a Von Buhl Riesling Auslese 2012. My favorite. Sweet, but not too sweet, with plenty of ripe fruit, pineapple, and apricot: delicious with the fresh lemon tart.

What was it again about Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese? Read my blog post about German wines .

Arini Marsala 1988

Of course, we can't finish without a cheese board. We'll have a 1988 Marsala with it. Just because we can. The cheese board includes a piece of extra-mature cheese from Cheesemaker De Zuivelhoeve (Aagtekerke), clove cheese (hard), and fontina (soft) from Marqt. I also had a piece of blue Stilton, but with blueberries, bought at Marqt. Not recommended.

The best thing with this Marsala is the candied orange wrapped in chocolate . Yummy. Olala Chocolate in Rotterdam-Noord is the place to be. I bought the Marsala (€26.95) at Wijnhandel Peeters on Vasteland.