One of the nerdiest holidays of the year occurs this Sunday, 3/14, known as Pi Day. It's also the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth, which is kind of a big deal in and around Princeton.
And while I'm all about promoting better mathematics education and supporting nerdery, who are we kidding. I'm here for pie on Pi Day, and food puns any day of the year.
I've been working on saving my pennies due to house ridiculousness, and tryyyyying to be good. But then local restaurant Eno Terra dropped this in my inbox:
This week's Box To Table celebrates Pi Week. Albert Einstein was born on March 14th – 3.14 – the numeric equivalent of Pi! Every year Princeton recognizes his genius so we've decided to make a box in honor of the foods he preferred and the theme. Precooked and ready to reheat. Serves 4-5 people
First- Charred broccoli salad
Second- Lentil and kale soup
Third- Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank Shepard’s [sic] pie
Fourth- NJ Apple Lillipies
Right? How is a good foodie nerd supposed to resist this? Even my coronavirus consumption has not expanded (nor have I) to eat all of this at one sitting, but I plan to freeze a bunch of it and enjoy over the next weeks and months.
Now, to the crucial question. What to drink with this bounty? The shepherd's pie is made with Barolo, and I actually do have one in my cellar, 2009 Cantina Terra Del Barolo. Lamb is pretty rich and makes an outstanding braise, so I definitely want to try with this.
What else could work? I'd want something not fruity and berry-noted, so save the zinfandel for another day. Too much tannin will be overpowering, so no thanks to Napa cab. Pinot noir would be too light. Sangiovese would be ideal. It's got great acidity and not too much tannin, perfect for cutting through a rich dish like this.
But I'll have plenty of food to give it a try. Keep an eye out on my Instagram, and I'll let you know how it goes!
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