A Sample Game Plan to Get You Started

Matching food and wine is an art, not an exact science. We’ve listed specific wines but you might not be able to find all of them. If that’s the case, think of these wines as representative of types. Prices are approximate.

* For the Teruzzi & Puthod, substitute any Vernaccia, Trebbiano, Pinot Grigio or other light Italian white.

* For the Alban, substitute any Vio-gnier.

* For the Araujo, substitute any full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc.

* For the Merry Edwards, substitute any light Pinot Noir.

* For the Brolio, substitute any non- riserva Chianti Classico.

* For the Martinetti, substitute any Barbera.

* For the Passomaggio, substitute any oak-aged Zinfandel.

* For the Rosemount, substitute any Shiraz, Syrah or wine from the Northern Rhone.

Tuna Carpaccio With Caper Dressing(Carpaccio di Tonno ai Capperi)

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Arugula wilts easily. Estimate the right amount; don’t crush the leaves in a measuring cup. One way to slice the tuna very thin is to freeze it for about 30 minutes, then slice it. The slices should be so thin that you almost see through them.

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4 teaspoons capers

2 tablespoons white wine

2 bunches (1/2 pound) arugula or 2 (5-ounce) bags

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 pound ahi tuna, sliced as thinly as possible

1 (2.2-ounce) package radish sprouts

1 large shallot, chopped

1 plum tomato, sliced very thinly

Rinse the capers with cold water and place them in a bowl with the wine. If you like, you can cover this tightly and refrigerate overnight for a more developed flavor.

Tear the arugula into large pieces. Drain and finely chop the capers, and in a small bowl, combine them with the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Combine the remaining olive oil with the vinegar and toss with the arugula. Place a portion of the arugula in the middle of each of 4 plates. Arrange the tuna over the greens and garnish with radish sprouts, chopped shallot and the tomato. Spoon on the caper dressing and serve.

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4 servings. Each serving: 352 calories; 111 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 1.15 grams fiber.

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This is a tough dish to match, because lemon, vinegar--things that are a little perky--have to be handled carefully with wine. On the other hand, you have tuna, which is very meaty, very fat, and needs some support.

1999 Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano, $12: Though this wine is fresh and beautiful as an aperitif or with simple foods, it is a little weak for this dish.

1998 Alban Vineyards Viognier, $28: This is a big wine, an important wine. It’s flowery, almost like getting tuna carpaccio with a shaving of apples on top.

1999 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc “Eisele Vineyard,” $45: This match works because the philosophy of Burt Araujo is that Sauvignon Blanc has to be freshened up by Semillion, which gives it a sweetness and a weight that it doesn’t have on its own. I don’t think a pure Sauvignon Blanc would go as well.

1997 Merry Edwards Wines Pinot Noir “Russian River Vineyard,” $30: This is an aggressive match, one you wouldn’t expect. It’s poetry because you are now tasting the chewiness, the fattiness of a perfect slab of tuna with the fruit, aromatics and complexity of what is in this very elegant glass of wine. Would I drink red wine with fish? Of course. Would I drink red wine with everything? Not necessarily, but I do love red wine.

Fusilli With Bitter Greens and Pancetta(Fusilli con Verdure Forte e Pancetta)

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Always finish pasta in the pan. It’s a restaurant habit and also an important tradition. The last 30 seconds is the amalgamation--the still-moist pasta meets the sauce, the flavors; the sauce doesn’t sit on top of the pasta. Besides, this way, you’re only pulling up what sauce you need. Anything else is left in the bottom of the pan. You can always serve your dish in a beautiful bowl when you’re done. Pancetta is Italian bacon, available at most gourmet delis. Buy it in one piece, not sliced.

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Salt

1 pound dried fusilli

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 pound pancetta, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 large head Belgian endive, roughly chopped

About 5 cups loosely packed arugula, roughly chopped

1 small head radicchio, roughly chopped

Freshly ground pepper

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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the fusilli just until al dente, about 11 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the onion and pancetta in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the pancetta starts to get crisp and the onion has softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick or burn.

Add the endive, arugula and radicchio and cook until the onion is slightly browned and the greens have wilted, 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and toss in the pan with the greens, enough cooking water to moisten, and pepper to taste.

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4 servings. Each serving: 389 calories; 428 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 3.31 grams fiber.

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This is not a rich pasta, this is a pleasantly bitter pasta. It is a simple dish, the simple sensation of the greatest food in the world--pasta. It doesn’t need a great wine.

1998 Alban Vineyards Viognier: This now tastes bitter and too alcoholic.

1999 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc “Eisele Vineyard”: This emphasizes the bitterness in the wine. It’s an interesting wine, but only out of curiosity, not out of support.

1997 Merry Edwards Wines Pinot Noir “Russian River Vineyard”: This is good, but it’s a little too rich for this dish. It was so sexy with the tuna, but it’s too much for this dish. The tannins are a little too far forward.

1998 Brolio Chianti Classico, $15: This is perfect. It has everything you need: sweetness, roundness. You eat and you drink and you eat and you drink and it’s a dance.

Lamb With Almonds, Walnuts and Pine Nuts(Costolette d’Agnello al Trittico di Noci)

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Basically, we have interpreted a breaded lamb cutlet with a twist, using nuts instead of bread crumbs. The texture of the nuts is so completely different, and the lovely crunchiness of the outside contrasts with the juiciness of the medium-rare inside.

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12 lamb loin rib chops, trimmed

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup unblanched almonds, sliced

1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup bread crumbs, finely ground

Salt, pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

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Scrape the bone of each lamb chop clean of meat and sinew down to the loin. Set the chops aside.

To clarify the butter, melt it over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan. Let cool, then skim the foam from the surface and pour the clarified butter into a cup, discarding the solids at the bottom of the pan.

In a food processor, pulse to combine the almonds, walnuts, pine nuts and bread crumbs. Transfer to a shallow bowl.

Pat the lamb chops dry, season them with salt and pepper and dredge lightly in the flour. Dip the chops in the beaten eggs, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat them completely with the nut mixture and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of the clarified butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Cook the lamb chops (4 to 6 at a time) to the desired degree of doneness, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove them from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and arrange 3 chops on each plate.

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4 servings. Each serving: 775 calories; 528 mg sodium; 271 mg cholesterol; 62 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 2.08 grams fiber.

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This is the most complex dish, but you can match it with any number of wines because it can go in so many directions.

1997 Merry Edwards Winery Pinot Noir “Russian River Vineyard”: It worked so well for the tuna because it’s a lighter Pinot Noir. But for that same reason, it doesn’t support this dish as well.

1998 Franco Martinetti Barbera d’Asti “Bric dei Banditi,” $18: This is wonderful with this dish, sweet and round, but just tart enough to balance the fat in the meat.

1998 Abbazia S. Anastasia “Passomaggio,” $15: This is an exotic wine from Sicily to go with the exotic flavors of this dish. It’s made from 100% Nero d’Avola grape. It is opulent, yet fresh on the palate. This match works because the flavor of the wine and its acidity and the alcohol balance the fat in the meat. It cleans the palate.

1998 Rosemount Shiraz, $13: This is a little different flavor, a little more aggressive, but it works well too. This is challenging wine with this dish.