Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 6-1

Section6 Yes, beef usually calls for red wine. But some ingredients here suggest a red low in alcohol and tannin; and fresh and fruity, even zesty. Alcohol is asolvent, so a blockbuster red will only spread out and intensify the fiery oil in chili pepper flakes. Ample lime juice and salty fish sauce of many Thai dishes would appreciate a wine with a tangy edge. Low-acid reds will come off flat, even taste tinny.

St. John, Special to Tribune Newspapers HOW TO PAIR WINES This week: Thai flavors THE FOOD: Thai beef lettuce wraps Brown 1 pound lean ground beef in a skillet. Toward end of browning, add 1 small onion finely chopped; cook, 5 minutes. Add 1 clove garlic minced; cook, 2 minutes. Remove mixture from skillet; drain off fat.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Add 6 green onions sliced on a diagonal; 1 2 cup chopped basil; 1 2 cup chopped mint; 1 can (8 ounces) drained water chestnuts chopped; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; and juice of 1 lime Stir to blend. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts To eat, spoon mixture onto Boston lettuce leaves wrapping burrito-style. Makes 6 servings THE WINES NV Anna de Codorniu Brut Spain: Replace Thai typical drinking buddy beer with this bubbly dry pinkie, tasting of strawberry and cherry with a cleansing, spry finish. $15 2009 Potel-Aviron Cote de Brouilly Beaujolais, France: Put a slight chill on this fruity, buoyant red, full of fresh red fruit aromas and flavors and zippy to the end.

$18 2009 MacPhail Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast: Super-delicious for all its juicy, bright, cherry and red raspberry tastes and scents; crisp, low tannin, lengthy finish, with haunting aftertastes that last a long time. $40 RECIPE BY JUDY HEVRDEJS, TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS Apples are back. Did they go somewhere? Well, kind of. For decades, iconic fruit faded into a bland grocery store culture that rewards uniformity, color and good looks over flavor, texture, variety and nuance. But with more consumers heading to farmers markets, apples in all their varietal glory are making a comeback.

At one time, thousands of varieties of apples grew in the U.S. Many were not particularly great tasting, but an apple that could grow in a harsh climate and survive a cold winter in aroot cellar had great value. Commercially, there are now exponentially fewer types of apples available, but many old varieties are still around in smaller orchards, and new varieties are constantly being developed by intrepid farmers and scientists. New varieties come about primarily in two ways: Cross-pollination or mutation. Cross pollination allows scientists to develop varieties that do well in specific climates or ripen at various times before the local frost.

They also are more resistant to local diseases and pests, which lowers the need for pesticides. The hugely successful Hon- eycrispis such an apple. Mutation happens naturally when a tree produces a limb that has unique characteristics. It can be used to encourage superior traits. Anew variety of McIntosh, called Ruby- Mac, is an example of a mutation that improved the texture, color and growing problem of a favorite old variety.

According to Wanda Heuser Gale, vice president of Summit Tree Salesin Lawrence, RubyMac was a natural limb mutation found on an older Mac variety in Comstock Park, Mich. mutated limb stuck out like a sore thumb because it was so redcompared to the rest of the tree, which was (still) says Gale. makes it superior is the almost 100 percent red coloration and the slightly longer stem, which means it will not grow too big and push itself off the tree just as it gets Consumers will appreciate its alluring tart-sweet flavor, like other McIntosh varieties, but this one remains hard, unlike older varieties that get mushy. The apple is distributed mostly throughout the Midwest and on the East Coast, where McIntosh apples are especially popular. Finding many new or underappreciated varieties can be difficult for apple lovers.

Many simply show up at farmers markets, produce markets and grocery stores with little fanfare farmers rarely have money for marketing campaigns. Some varieties are available for only a few weeks and then are gone, to be replaced by a later-ripening variety. But some grocery stores actively pursue unusual apples to distinguishtheir produce sections. Paul buyer for a Wisconsin-based grocery chain, is an apple aficionado who goes out of his way to bring in the unusual, typically 30 varieties during the season. sparks interest in customers and keeps them coming says Marinaro.

The harvest There are simply too many wonderful apple varieties to list. But here are some that are new or underappreciated, listed in order of their harvesting. Zestar: Complex flavor, crisp; ripens in mid- to late-August. Look for it mostly at farmers markets in the Midwest. SweeTango: The progeny of two superior apples, Zestar and Honeycrisp, SweeTango is complex, spicy, crisp and juicy.

Available in early September, this new variety should be available in small quantities throughout the country. Jonagold: Superior eating apple with complex sweet-tart balance, juicy and aromatic. Ripens in mid-September; will deteriorate quickly if not handled properly. Honeycrisp: Amazingly crisp and juicy, with a great sweet-tart balance. Available mid- to late-September.

Can be stored in a refrigerator six months or more. RubyMac: This very red and hard Mac has a slightly green flesh and all the flavor of other Mac varieties. Available in limited quantities in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Ripens in late September. Cameo: Sweet-tart crunchy apple; harvested in early October and has excellent storage capacity.

Widely available throughout the country. Nittany: This cross between a Golden Delicious and a York Imperial has a red-orange color and tart, spicy flavor. Ripens in mid- to late-October. Autumn Glory: A cross between a Fuji and a Golden Delicious, this new variety is very sweet, juicy and has a hint of cinnamon. Picked in mid- to late October, there is only enough supply for the West Coast, but it should be available across the country in two to three years.

Jazz: A tart-sweet cross of Gala and Braeburn; dense and crisp, with beautiful coloration of red, orange and yellow. Ripens very late and benefits from softening slightly in storage. Pinata: The progeny of stellar heirlooms, including Orange Cox Pipen and Duchess of Oldenburg. Crisp, juicy, with a tart-sweet tropical flavor. Available in mid-October, it improves in storage.

Lady Alice: A late-ripening, hard-sweet apple, reminiscent of the original Red Delicious, Lady Alice gets better in storage. Grown on the West Coast, it is only recently available in the Midwest. Look for it in winter when it comes out of storage. BILL NEWSPAPERS PHOTOS OF ZESTAR APPLES, ABOVE AND BELOW THE AGE OF THE APPLE RubyMac, Zestar and other flavorful varieties cropping up By Susan Taylor Special to Tribune Newspapers Not just salad dressing judge Tom Colicchio on how to use vinaigrettes in other dishes. On the Centerspread Shirred pleasure How to make baked eggs, a versatile brunch dish.

Prep school, On the Centerspread A love for crush Tips on touring wine country during the harvest. Uncorked, Page 3 GOOD EATING Product: CTBroadsheet PubDate: 09-14-2011 Zone: Edition: WED Page: FOODCOV-1 User: kclaxton Time: Color:.