Pairings: Riesling engages with holiday dishes

Our Wine of the Week, Kung Fu Girl 2016 Columbia Valley Riesling ($12), is a crowd pleaser. Your thrifty uncle will love the price and even the most annoying wine snob should be impressed with the broad expanse of foods that can be enjoyed with this wine.

On first sip, the wine is cool, bright and pure, with engaging mineral qualities: Think wet river rocks. As the wine warms in your mouth, other flavors emerge quickly in a bouquet of orange flowers, lemon blossoms, ripe white peaches, kaffir lime leaves, and apricot. It is a beauty.

The foundation of this wine is its balance. No single quality dominates and, with alcohol at just 12 percent, there’s no heat or suggestion of sweetness.

The wine is outstanding with Asian cuisines, especially Thai and Vietnamese. It can take a bit of spicy heat without turning bitter and its refreshing acidity engages beautifully with the lively flavors of, say, a Thai green curry or Vietnamese bün. It can take you all the way through dessert, as it is a great companion to that Thai classic, sticky rice and mango.

But we have a holiday coming up and this wine can be a life saver if you’ve been concerned about selecting something that is compatible with everything you want to serve. This lovely quaffer is an ideal choice, as it engages with everything from the crisp, salty skin of roasted turkey and sweet or savory dressing to sweet potato casserole and voluptuous winter squash purée. And if there’s any left, yes, you can enjoy it with pumpkin pie.

Today’s recipe is for a simple quick bread, delicious during the holidays and any time you have ripe Hachiya persimmons.

Persimmon Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 tablespoon + 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 ripe persimmons

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

- Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

- Whipped butter, whipped creme fraiche, Meyer lemon marmalade, or other condiment of choice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Coat the inside of an 8-inch-by-11-inch baking pan with the tablespoon of butter and set it aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl and stir with a fork. Set aside.

Cut the persimmons in half, discard the pits, and press the flesh through a sieve or pass it through a food mill fitted with its smallest blade. Add the ginger and lemon zest, stir, and set aside.

Put the remaining butter into a medium bowl, add the sugar and beat with a mixer or sturdy whisk until light and fluffy. Fold in the eggs and persimmon pulp and mix well.

Quickly fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the nuts and tip the batter into the buttered pan. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for ?45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Remove the bread from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with whatever condiment you prefer.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “California Home Cooking.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com