One night, not so long ago, I decided to make a curry dish. It would be piquant, it would be made with cream and fresh chili peppers, and it would include tofu, which I planned to sear in a pan until it was well browned. I’d garnish it with basil, basil grown on my balcony in West Los Angeles. When I cook, I always think about the wine (or wines) I would like to drink with the dishes. Pairings is a word one sees often in culinary milieus, and it’s used with alacrity for good reason.