Ryan Farr Dinner

ZAP write up to come, hopefully Monday.

After ZAP, I napped, with the plan of having enough energy for the Ryan Farr dinner at Flora Grubb Gardens. Fittingly, to finish a day of zin, this was a meal of meat and more meat. The portions were enormous and service was lovely and much more organized than many events I have attended. Some great pictures are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiacybelle/
I've copied the menu below but want to mention a few highlights.
As always, I had more of the chicarrones than one should consume. As my friends said, "They are crack."
The Terrine en Croute was a nice start, though the woman sitting next to me was very intimidated by the blood sausage.
The handmade sausage was wonderful-flavorful, and lovely with the pinot.
The beef was beautifully roasted on a spit outdoors and served with a perfect nettle puree. One of my table mates was delighted by the gigantic rib he requested. Although I was very full by that point, I thought the accompanying roast vegetables were a highlight.
The persimmon was not a tart, but persimmons with creme fraiche ice cream and a truly wonderful and adorable lard shortbread cookie shaped like a pig.

I also have to say that the atmosphere was really great. I had not been to Flora Grubb before, but will be back. The creative decor with plants on the ceiling, walls and every space through out the room made me wish I had better luck with indoor plants. I may have to go back for advice.

Cured Meats on a Fence 16-month Dry Aged Ossabaw Ham, Chicarrones, Smoked Bologna, Curry Lardo -Hanger One Dirty Martini-
Head-to-Tail Terrine en Croute Smoked Lengua, Head Cheese, Blood Sausage and Mangalitsa Pork baked in brioche served with Watercress and Crispy Pigs Ears -Magnolia Brewery Prescription Pale Ale -
Handmade Sausage with Pecorino, Fennel and Mustard Violete Chicories, Sourdough Crouton, Onion Confit Vinaigrette -Scribe Winery 2008 Pinot Noir
Spit Roasted Magruder Ranch Beef Winter Vegetables, Bordelaise -Scribe Winery 2004 Cabernet-
Persimmon Tart Anise and Black Pepper Crust, Vanilla Ice Cream -Ritual Roasters Espresso or Macchiato-

ZAP Good Eats

As most of you know, this is ZAP weekend in San Francisco. Starting Thursday night and lasting through Saturday, there are multiple events around the city celebrating Zinfandel. More details can be found at : http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=14&n2=487

This year, for the first time in many years I am attending two ZAP events. Last night was the Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing events, described by the ZAP folks as:
If you are a devoted foodie with a passion for Zinfandel, make plans to indulge your “inner epicurean” and spend the evening at Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing! Noteworthy restaurants and award-winning wineries turn the art of food and wine pairing into an entertaining and approachable affair. Talented chefs present the ultimate combination of distinctive tastes, while winery proprietors offer delectable Zinfandels to match.

Since I am attending the Grand Tasting Saturday, (10 am sharp for press and trade), I decided to enjoy rather than take extensive notes. I did want to point out a few highlights that those attending on Saturday might want to keep their eyes out for.
My wine favorites, in no particular order were:
Ridge Lytton Springs, which was no surprise as I had enjoyed it during the TTL last month
Ravenswood Dickerson was a lot of fun as they were pouring both the 97 and the 07. I don't drink a lot of older zin and it was great fun to see how the wine develops over time. I admit to coming back for a few tastes.
Manzanita Creek featured three 07s, Three Vines, Carreras ranch and Alfonso Reserve all of which are worth a stop.
Edmeades deserves a special shout out for their pairing with a "Zinfandel & Pomegranate-Braised Brisket with Berbere Spice, Saffron and Toasted Basmati Rice" one of my favorite tastes of the night.
Other food and pairing highlights were the Pork Tostaditas from Mustards at Outpost and the Pork Belly Sliders at Murphy-Goode.

Although I'm only highlighting a few here, I want to stress that the food at this event is far superior across the board to regular tasting events. This event is also less crowded and chaotic than some and would be a great opportunity to introduce friends to the world of wine tasting.

Now on to Saturday!

Pork Belly and Pinot

One of my items from pork prom was a three pound piece of pork belly. I considered "makin' bacon" as I had learned in the class, but decided that I really wanted to slow roast it. I spent a bit of time searching for a recipe before settling on one from the River Cottage Meat book. That, of course, called for company. Last night K and I were joined by four adults and two children for a night of pork belly and pinot (plus). Well, Shirley Temples with homemade grenadine for the kids.

First for the food. I had out bread, cheese, pickled carrots and green beans and nuts for people to nibble on. I apparently am incapable of having guests over and not serving a triple creme cheese, even if rich meat is to follow. Lisa brought a frisee salad with avocado and goat cheese. Fresh and perfectly dressed, it was a nice contrast to the roasted dishes to follow. I had rubbed the pork belly with salt, pepper and thyme and roasted in the oven for several hours, until the skin was crisp and meat tender, taking it out of the oven several times to remove excess fat. I pulled a jar of our apricot chutney off the canning shelves to accompany it which turned out to be perfect. The apricot was sweet and a bit tangy, but did not overpower the meat. I also roasted cauliflower, romanesco and green garlic, with a bit of olive oil, lemon and hot pepper. I love the way roasting brings out the sweetness in cauliflower. For the kids and kids at heart, I made mashed potatoes and pasta served simply with butter. Dessert were Haiti fundraiser cupcakes and several flavors of ice cream.

Now for wine. While some opted to start with sparkling I went straight for pinot. I started with a 2006 Cellar Rat from the Anderson Valley. Next up was a Craggy Range 2006 from New Zealand. Both were lovely and complimented the food perfectly, but also showed the differences in style that make pinots so intriguing to me. My favorite of the night was the 2007 Cobb Rice-Spivak. This is another Sonoma Coast wine and like the other Cobb pinots I have had suited my palate perfectly. We also opened a 2006 Tablas Creek Grenache and their 2006 Syrah. I'm a big fan of both of these wines but they did taste quite big after the more subtle pinots. Happily, I have more of both and can enjoy them at another time.

Now of course it is time for the worst part of entertaining: the dishes. The one flaw in this apartment is that lack of a dishwasher. However, the fun last night of the food and company more than makes up for that. Now if I can only figure out what to do with the pork jowl.

And he reads Robert B Parker

Friday night at my house is pizza and pinot--Navarro 2007 and a friend over for my daughter to hang out with while they watch the new Disney movie on dvd. Yes, it is not yet out. Yes, we have a copy.

Anyway, I could write a lot about Navarro. I've been a member of their wine club for a while now as I find it hard to find their wines at stores. I also can not recommend highly enough their non- alcoholic grape juices, both for kids and for those who abstain. They were a favorite during my pregnancy.

Anyway, this post is really about Terry Theise. As I have mentioned on twitter, we are publishing his book in the fall. I'm hoping that some of you are familiar with Terry and his work. Terry is a wine importer, one of those jobs that seems like a fantasy to many. Terry's list is mainly Austrian and German. On Thursday, his local distributors hosted a tasting for him at Fort Mason. As I admitted to Terry, I don't drink as much German and Austrian wine as I did when I first started drinking wine. Part of that is regional, the store that I shopped at in MD had a great selection and knowledgeable staff. The other part is that these wines can be hard without guidance. The names and regions are confusing. Will a wine be dry or sweet? It can be bewildering.

I'm not proud of my confusion and actually, it is a pity. As I tasted the wines last week, I realized once again how food friendly and honestly lovely they are. And, with more knowledge I probably enjoy them more than I did at 19. Terry said to me that one of the joys of many of his wines is that they are enjoyable both at the beginning and end of a wine drinker's lifetime. They are accessible, yet full of complexity for those who seek it. I will admit though to cheating, I tasted a few I knew I would like and then had Terry pick for me.

Terry's manifesto is simple and clear:

• Beauty is more important than impact.
• Harmony is more important than intensity.
• The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of its parts.
• Distinctiveness is more important than conventional prettiness.
• Soul is more important than anything, and soul is expressed as a trinity of family, soil, and artisanality.

Tyler Colman's post last week: http://www.drvino.com/2010/01/22/terry-theise-riesling-grower-champagne-2009/ provides an interview with Terry. Read it.

I just ordered an assortment of Terry's wine from Debbie Zachareas at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant so I look forward to having time to learn more at home.

Cobb Pinot and A-Z Update

I realize that I mainly write about wines I have not has before. In truth, I may drink more wines than I have had before than my favorites. The appeal of the new is strong. Looking back on my entries I have rarely mention pinots. Which, given my love of the grape is surprising. On the other hand, most good Burgundies are far out of my price point as are many good Oregon or California options.

Luckily, I have some Cobb Pinots on my wine rack. Cobb wines are made by Ross Cobb, formerly wine maker at Flowers on the Sonoma Coast. They currently make 3 pinots: Coastlands, Rice-Spivak and Joy Road http://cobbwines.com/store/currentreleases.html

According to their website: Coastlands Vineyard is the original planting of Cobb Wines, and contains some of the oldest (20-year-old) pinot noir vines on the Sonoma Coast. This 15-acre vineyard has elevations ranging from 900 to 1,200 feet, and sits on a ridge that overlooks the Pacific Ocean four miles to the west. The varieties of pinot noir at Coastlands include Pommard, Martini, Wadenswil and Mt. Eden. The extreme, marine-influenced weather of Coastlands produces outstanding pinot noir fruit. Periods of spring rain or heavy fog can cause the vineyard’s yields to be very low, and in some years virtually nonexistent. 240 cases made.

Last night, I tried the 2007 Coastlands. It had a very elegant nose, even in a smaller glass. Ruby red, it featured raspberries, white pepper, minerals and cherry with a very long finish. It was lovely at first sip and only improved as it had some time in the glass. I'm very happy to have a second bottle to taste again after some time passes. I'm looking forward to tasting all 3 of their current releases at the end of the month.

For local Bay Area folks, there will be a Cobb Wines tasting at Jardinere in San Francisco on January 31. Please email me for details.

I also wanted to give an update on the A-Z Challenge. First of all, we have clarified: tastings do not count, only glasses. The spreadsheet can be found here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tR8Ns33Ynq4gdnNJ17gc9mA&output=html
It looks like for producers I have:B C F P R V
and for grapes: A C F G P Z
I have much work to do!

Some canning pics

First pic: assorted tomatoes and cranberry mustard
second: pickles and cranberry and pomegranate items
pic three: apricot and quince on bottom, strawberries and cherries on top
final tqo pics: whole bookcase conveniently located next to cookbooks

I'm having camera issues, but here are some shots of my "canned bookcase" as a whole and the shelves two by two.

Frances in SF

I've been trying to go to Frances since they first opened. I had followed the pre-opening reports from sites like Eatersf and Tablehopper and was eager to get there right away. Between my flu and holiday plans, I did not make it until last night.

One of the reasons I was so excited about Frances, besides the chef and menu, was that it is walking distance from my house. Well, if you consider 3.25 miles round trip and an intimidating hill walking distance. I do. So I hiked down to meet my friend Lo for our 8:45 reservation. I was both early and thirsty. Amazingly for a Friday night at a popular spot, within minutes, I was seated with a glass of their house white in front of me. Acknowledged as soon as I walked in? Seated early? I can't remember the last time that happened.

One of the interesting options at Frances is the house wine, white or red, at $1 an ounce. The wine is brought to the table in a large beaker and at the end of the night the waiter simply calculates how much you drink and charges accordingly. Due to the A-Z challenge, I queried the waiter as to the blends and found that the white is 80% grenache blanc and the red is a blend heavy on the gamay. Both were very food friendly and easy to drink, as our $30 wine tab later proved.

Lo was late so I entertained myself by reading both the food and wine menus. After chatting with the waiter a bit I ordered the chickpea fritters to tide ourselves over. They and Lo arrived at just about the same time. Looking vaguely like fried mozzarella sticks, they were served with meyer lemon aioli. The fritters were smooth and not greasy at all. I'm a big chickpea fan and thought these were wonderful.

We had consulted with our waiter over our food orders. To my delight, he had strong opinions. When asked to choose between crab salad and gnocchi, he did not hesitate on gnocchi. Served with duck confit and cavolo nero, it was made with semolina. This dish was excellent, but small. Although the gnocchi and duck were both good, the highlight of the dish for me was the very flavorful cavolo.

Our waiter also had strong feelings on entrees. His preferred item was, sadly for me, the chicken. Given the Soul Food CSA membership, I've been eating a lot of chicken and was eager for anything else. He steered me towards the steak and Lo happily ordered the chicken. The steak was served sliced, rare, with a green garlic chimichurri , arugula and carmelized onions. I was very pleased and the house red paired nicely. Lo's chicken was Zuni-ish with a savory bread pudding with sultana raisin and apple relish. I can't say I felt I should have ordered it, but do highly recommend it for anyone not suffering from chicken overload.

When it came time for desert, Lo opted for the Valrhona Ganache Tart with McEvoy olive oil ice cream. I debated the hot buttered Madeira and the lumberjack cake. Again, with no hesitation the waiter suggested the cake. I have never had lumberjack cake before though it is apparently a traditional cake. Moist and flavorful it featured both dates and pears and was perfectly complemented by the Humphrey Slocombe maple walnut ice cream. I'm planning some internet research for a recipe to make this at home.

I'll be back to Frances soon. The food is both simple and highly flavorful. The service is lovely and the space inviting, if slightly cramped. It is the neighborhood restaurant we all wish was walkable.

http://frances-sf.com/