Thermal or Convection?

Unlike radiant/thermal ovens, convection ovens have a fan that continuously circulates air through the oven cavity. This allows the food to cook more quickly and evenly.

A thermal oven takes longer to preheat than a convection oven as it must heat the cold air in the oven. As it heats the cold air that surrounds the food, the food dries out.

The convection fan will move the cold air out of the oven and allow the heated air to get to the food quickly. The rush of heat getting to the food speeds up the chemical reactions that occur as food cooks. For example meats sear quickly, keeping the juices in. Food cooked in a convection oven cooks about 25% quicker.

Baking in a radiant/thermal oven often has uneven results. Cookies are often darker on one side of the pan. If you use more than one rack, you often have to swap pans around to get even baking and browning.

A convection oven bakes at a cooler temperature, often 25 degrees lower. The fan keeps the oven temperature even throughout so you can bake on all three racks and get a nice even colour throughout.

There are many more features of a convection oven and our staff would be happy to answer any or all of your questions.

If you are thinking of purchasing a convection oven but the price was holding you back (convection oven are more expensive than thermal ovens), we have a limited promotion on right now . Be sure to check it out on our Promo Page.

Pairing Food and Wine

 

The following information was found on Food and Wine Paring - Simple rules to get started pairing food and wine.

 

Don't forget to see us for the best options in storing your wines.

Drink what you like.What you like to drink always takes precedence over any recommendation that I might make.

Start by thinking about the dish or meal as a whole. What are its dominant characteristics?

Is it mild or flavorful?
Is it fatty or lean?
Is it rich or acidic?

With these characteristics in mind, select a wine that will:

Keep flavors in balance.

Match mild foods with mild wines. Match big, flavorful foods with big, flavorful wines.
(For example, pair a bold-flavored Pepper Steak with a spicy, bold red Zinfandel.)

Similarly you generally want to match the richness of the food and the richness of the wine.
(For example, pair a rich Chicken in Cream Sauce with a rich Chardonnay.)

You can refer to our Wine Board to see what different wines taste like.

Cleanse the palate with tanins or acids.

If you're eating a relatively rich, 'fatty' dish and thinking about drinking a red wine
(when you eat a beef steak, for example)
you probably want a wine with some good tannins^* in it to help cleanse the palate.

If you're eating a very rich, 'fatty' dish and thinking about drinking a white wine
(when you eat fried chicken, for example)
you probably want to contrast the meal with a refreshingly crisp acidic wine
such as a Sauvignon Blanc. You can ignore this rule for dishes that are just
relatively fatty - such as Chicken in Cream Sauce - which will probably
do better with a rich Chardonnay that can match their rich flavors.

Match Acids with Acids

If you're eating a dish with a strong acidic content
(such as Shrimp with Lemon or Pasta with Tomato Sauce)
pair it with an acidic wine that can keep up with the acids in the food.

Acidic Wines and Cream Don't Mix

Rich cream sauces will usually clash with an acidic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc.
Think about it this way...If you squeezed lemon juice into a cup of milk, would it taste good?

Wine and Strong Spices

Strong spices, such as hot chili peppers in some Chinese or Indian food,
can clash and destroy the flavors in a wine. In most cases, wine is not the ideal thing to drink.
However, if wine is what you must have, consider something spicy and sweet itself
such as an off-dry Gewurtztraminer or Riesling.

When In Doubt...

Remember that foods generally go best with the wines they grew up with.
So if you're eating Italian food, think about having an Italian wine.
This isn't a requirement, but often helps simplify the decision.

* More About Tannins

Tannins can come from many places, including the skins of the grapes used in winemaking
as well as the wood barrels a wine may have been aged in.

Tannin tastes similar to the flavor you would get if you sucked on a tea bag.
This astringent flavor is what helps strip the fats from your tongue and
thereby cleanse the palate of the rich fats from a meal and provide a refined, refreshing drink.

Some studies have also indicated that tanin might help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Specifically, tannin might suppress the creation of a peptide that causes arteries to harden.

What's in your cellar this season?

 

Red or white?

Do you know proper wine storage and serving techniques? At Midland, we are the experts.

IDEAL STORAGE TEMPERATURES
Keep red table wine temperature at a temperature of 62° F, but not above 70° F.  This cool room temperature range is what most people prefer. Red wines that are young, fruity and crisp, such as beaujolais, may be enjoyed more if stored and served a little cooler.

White table wines, rose wines, champagnes, and sparkling wines should be stored at 42 to 48° F, a temperature range that brings out the refreshing, fruity notes in the wine.

SERVING
A day before the wine is to be served, stand the bottle upright, allowing the sediment to settle to the bottom. Uncork and pour the wine gently into a clean decanter until you see the sediment begin to flow from the bottom of the bottle. Or decant the wine yourself by transferring the wine slowly to another container. Stop pouring the wine the moment the sediment begins to appear in the flow.

Uncork medium-bodied red table wine and allow the bottle to stand at least an hour before serving. This allows the wine to absorb oxygen from the air, an important oxidation process that activates development of the bouquet and aroma. Giving wine the time to breathe gives depth and smoothness to the wine.

For rich and full-bodied red wines, we suggest pouring the wine into a decanter.

White table and rose wines only need to be uncorked just prior to serving.  Exposing these types of wine to air for too long affects freshness and their delicate fruity fragrance.

ENVIRONMENT
Just like any living thing, environmental conditions play a critical role in wine’s development and maturation process. True wine cellars, not coolers, are designed to ensure optimal conditions for your special vintages.

 

HUMIDITY
Wine matures most gracefully between 50% and 80% relative humidity. Marvel wine cellars create a stable humidity level to provide wine, corks and labels optimum conditions.

LIGHT
Light can affect the tannins in the wine, degrading the color and nose of your wine. A dual-pane, tinted, UV-resistant glass door, such as that on a Marvel wine cellar, protects wine from light while allowing you to display your bottles with pride.

MOVEMENT
Wine does not like to be disturbed, as movement disrupts the sediment and unnaturally accelerates the aging process. Marvel wine cellars have a triple-layer Vibration Neutralization System (VNS) to protect your wines.