Wine Samples

I sometimes get wine samples. Often these are specifically sent for some sort of online event, like the twitter tastings, but occasionally they simply arrive for tasting at my leisure. I do my best to taste them promptly, but, like others ,I sometimes fall behind, and, perhaps not like others, start to lose far too much of my dining room floor space to bottles. If I had better storage this would not be as much of an issue, but in an urban apartment, space is at a premium. 

The samples though, do need to be tasted. So rather than tasting them alone, I asked a few friends over to taste with me. I told them ahead of time that we would be tasting random samples and that they could be wonderful or awful or most likely, something in between. The food: burgers, inspired by a bottle of Cheeseburger Red. 

To drink: 4 bottles of red and a sparkling rosé to start. We all tasted each bottle and wrote a short note. Everyone could then have more of their favorite or, if we didn't like any of them, we could open something else. The group that joined me is both understanding (read: willing to humor me on this) and wine drinkers, but not experts.

I'll post the tasting notes here because the contrast in opinions is kind of fun to see. Not all of the comments are positive and I thought about not posting some of the more negative ones, but instead, they appear, as transcribed from the wine-stained, hand-written note pages. The comments are in the same order for each wine, person #1 is comment #1 for each wine, etc.

Gloria Ferrrer 07 Brut rosé:
"Delicious."
"Crisp. Easy to deal with (inoffensive) bubbles. Very drinkable, would have more than 1 glass."
"Salmon colored. Full and rich with many small bubbles."
"My favorite."
"Dry, light: banana citrus as it warms, peppery melon."

Cheeseburger Red: Blend: 28% Petite Sirah, 44% Barbera, 28% Syrah.
"Not bad"
"Label unappetizing. Good with potato chips."
"Sweet, smooth, not edgy. Paired well with the burger. Better than I expected."
"Flintstones vitamins."
"Sharp, peppery, hot chocolate."

Ridgeline 05 Cabernet Sauvignon (Magnum)
"Fave thus far for the reds."

"Super tanniny, very dry. Good with olives."

"Tanniny. Just dull."

"D."

"Berries. Dry finish. Fruity apple."

Folie a Deux 09 Amador Zinfandel
"Like. Tastes good with the burger"
"Sweeter than I normally like but easy to drink."
"Not for me. Bad aftertaste."
"Eww."
"Roasted red pepper, pesto, cranberry."

Chateau Moulinet-Lasserre 03 Pomerol
"Barnyard."
"Oaky, generic."
"Very light."
"My favorite of the reds."
"Strawberries, leather, brown sugar on finish."

Haven

This post is really for my mother, who always asks for details on what I eat when I go out. 

I keep a running list of restaurants I'd like to try. Friday night I got to cross off one near the top of my list: Haven. Haven is the third restaurant from the Daniel Patterson Group, joining Coi and Plum. At Haven, the chef is Kim Alter, formerly of Plate Shop in Sausalito.

After wandering Jack London Square for a little bit in search of the address, we were shown to counter seats with a perfect view of the kitchen, always my favorite place to sit. Sparkling water in hand and a glass of Leitz ‘Rudeshweimer Klosterlay’ Kabinett on the way, it was time to make some food choices. Although they offer an ala carte menu, the menu header suggests you let them feed you: you can specify either 4 or 5 courses and they will adjust for any food allergies or aversions. Although I had come in with a few recommendations from twitter, the chef's choice seemed the way to go. It turns out that we ended up eating a rather high percentage of the menu. So much so that I will paste the complete menu below with dishes eaten and comments in purple.  

Both the food and service were excellent. Dishes were well executed and presented on an amazing array of different plates. So many different plates, that it became almost a game to guess which dish would be served in the plates we saw on display. Service was attentive, but not obtrusive and the recommendation for the Marchesi di Gresy nebbiolo off their by the glass list, was a good one. 

My one real complaint is a first world problem: they really sent out far too much food, especially given how filling some of the dishes were. I think a lot of that had to do with the restaurant being new and eager to please, as the chef stopped by to ask if we wanted more at one point. But it is also the reality of the seasonal ingredients available. Almost every single produce item was something I had gotten in my veggie box in the last month or so and even with our enviable growing season, the reality of January is heavier than the tomatoes of summer.

Food Menu

"We invite you to enjoy the chef’s menu served family style for tables of two or more.
We will carefully prepare four or five courses to your taste and preferences. Experience our intriguing menu and its delightful surprises prepared specially for you."

Watermelon radish, avocado amuse: A perfect fresh bite.

Parker house rolls: I admit it, I love rolls. These are served by request only and worth asking for.

TO START

FENNEL SOUP, lemon preserves, anise, pearl onions – 10: One of the highlights of the night and I'm not even that keen on fennel. Comfort food made special with the addition of the lemon  and fennel. Beautifully presented with the accompaniments in a bowl and soup poured at the table.
 

CHICORY SALAD, shiso, apple, persimmon, pomegranate  – 12

LITTLE GEM, gorgonzola, celery, crisp chicken skin – 12: -Love the idea of the chicken skin in place of the more common bacon. I felt though that it could have used an additional piece or two of skin and that the skin could have been a bit crispier.

HEIRLOOM SQUASH, barley, celery root, sage – 13

CLAMS, turnip, garlic toast, bacon and bourbon broth – 14: A dish I would not have ordered as I'm not a big clam fan. But, the broth and other elements were so good that I enjoyed it anyway. Plus, I do love garlic toast.
 

SMOKED PASTA, egg, bacon, pepper, chive – 13: This has gotten lots of comments online, but I had mixed feelings about it. It was creative as the pasta was prepared with smoked flour, something I'm curious about. Do they place bowls of flour in a smoker? But in the end, despite being very glad to try it, it reminded me a bit too much of kissing a smoker.

BONE MARROW, yuzu, radish, leek, toast, parsley – 15

ENTREES

VEGETABLES FROM THE MARKET – 18

DAY BOAT SCALLOP, beets, black trumpet mushrooms, blood orange – 27

QUAIL, quinoa, trumpet mushrooms, pickled mustard, almond – 23

CHICKEN, wheat berry, root vegetables, foie, banyuls – 24-: Another highlight that I probably would not have ordered on my own.Chicken served 3 ways: sous vide, confit and fried with some of the best root vegetables I have ever eaten. The wheat berries beneath enhanced by small cubes of foie.

SHEPARD’S PIE, pig, potato, winter spice – 25: We were very full so we only got a mini version, but a real standout. Will go back for this alone. Amazing light. Ground pork, foam and roasted potatoes.

BAVETTE, sunchoke, artichoke, béarnaise – 28 

BRAISED LAMB, carrots, allium, firelit liquor – 26

SIDES

Non menu cauliflower baked in cream sauce with raw pieces added for texture: Like the best cauliflower cheese you could imagine.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, mint, lime, garlic – 7: I do love fried Brussels sprouts, but have never had them before with soy and fish sauce. At my first bite thought it was too sweet, but found them rather addictive.

FRIED FINGERLINGS, seaweed, shiro soy, miso – 7: I could not really taste the shiso, but perfectly fried. Much like the Brussels sprouts above, they'd be perfect with a cocktail. I'd order these again as well, but they may want to rethink serving them immediately following the pasta.

SWEET POTATO, maple marshmallow, crisp shallot – 7

DESSERT FOR 2

Non menu scoop of quince ice cream with pickled persimmon: Oh how I love quince. This was perfect, unlike some dishes that mask the floral notes of quince with too many spices.

BAKED CALIFORNIA, citrus, avocado, fennel meringue – 12

 LIME TART, sesame, milk jam – 12

CHOCOLATE CAKE, coffee, rice ice cream – 12--Nice, rich =, dark chocolate cake that pleased me by tasting more like chocolate than coffee. The ice cream was unsweetened, which surprised me. The crispy rice alongside was a great for contrast.

2012: Time for Pressue Canning

Willow and Oolong hoping the box will be emptied and available soon.

Pressure canning is one of those things that I have meant to try for a few years now. I had all sorts of excuses: I was still mastering water bath canning, I didn't have a pressure canner, Even if I had a pressure canner I had no storage space for it, etc. 

An early birthday gift, courtesy of friend Amy, suggests that I may have run out of excuses.  

So the question now is what to start with? I'll read guidebooks and research on my own, but I'm guessing that like with water bath canning, there are a few tips that I might like to know ahead of time. I'd love some suggestions of favorite recipes. Stock, pumpkin, beans?  Oolong and Willow, by the way, are hoping for home canned fish and meat.

When asked to look at the camera, they prove once again that cats do not obey orders.

K's Gingerbread Houses

Due to poor planning on my part, we missed out on the Bi-Rite/18 Reasons Gingerbread House decorating session this year. Instead, for the first time, we made our own at home. Are they as beautiful as the ones the workshop would have provided us with? Definitely not and there are certainly more toothpicks involved. Would it be nice to have a perfect looking house? Sure. But that is a very different sort of project. When baking with K, it is the project that matters and not the outcome. Our baking adventures almost always taste good, but their appearances can be messy. For K, making the house together is what mattered. And the crookedness and drippy frosting and mess are what she is excited about because, "I made it myself!" Plus, R2D2!

Note that even the template is crooked.

Rolling the dough.

Crooked, flour "stained" pieces.

K is all Star Wars, all the time these days.

Initial construction, left to dry overnight with support.

Are they ready yet? Sure. Rather crooked though.

I believe the phrase of the day was: Never too much frosting.

R2D2 on the house.

House #2.

Yes, that is more leftover Halloween candy.

Cooking from the Books with K: Heidi

"I feel like Heidi eating bread and cheese."

Ah, Heidi. I still remember wishing I could live on a mountain, instead of in suburban Connecticut. How wonderful does this sound?

“She started joyfully for the mountain. During the night the wind had blown away all the clouds; the dark blue sky was spreading overhead, and in its midst was the bright sun shining down on the green slopes of the mountain, where the flowers opened their little blue and yellow cups, and looked up to him smiling. Heidi went running hither and thither and shouting with delight, for here were whole patches of delicate red primroses, and there the blue gleam of the lovely gentian, while above them all laughed and nodded the tender-leaved golden cistus. Enchanted with all this waving field of brightly-colored flowers, Heidi forgot even Peter and the goats. She ran on in front and then off to the side, tempted first one way and then the other, as she caught sight of some bright spot of glowing red or yellow. And all the while she was plucking whole handfuls of the flowers which she put into her little apron, for she wanted to take them all home and stick them in the hay, so that she might make her bedroom look just like the meadows outside. Peter had therefore to be on the alert, and his round eyes, which did not move very quickly, had more work than they could well manage, for the goats were as lively as Heidi; they ran in all directions, and Peter had to follow whistling and calling and swinging his stick to get all the runaways together again.”

K says that Heidi "is about a girl who goes to live with her grandfather on the mountain. Everyone thinks her grandfather is mean and should not be allowed to take care of her. But, he's nice to Heidi. There are friends, a boy and his family and a girl. The girl is in a wheelchair and the boy is really poor. She meets the boy while he is herding goats. She meets the girl when she has to go to the city for some reason. The girl is really nice. Someone gives Heidi kittens. The kittens get into trouble. Heidi comes back and later the girl comes to visit and the boy, Peter, pushes her wheelchair off a hill and the girl, Klara, learns to walk. That is most of the story.

I thought the story was awesome. Because it is a good book and the characters seem like real people. I read this when I was 7 or 8 and I liked that it was a chapter book. It kind of reminded me of the Little House books. "

So how could we not do a Cooking from the Books: Heidi? The obvious dish: fondue. I put this off a bit because not only do I not own a fondue pot, but I had no idea if my cheese-averse child would enjoy it. Unlike most kids, K is rather anti-cheese, except on pizza. But after she learned to eat grilled cheese, albeit with the blandest cheddar possible, I figured it was worth a shot.

First off, I sent a plea out on Facebook for a loaner fondue pot and got two offers. It seems that most people who own fondue pots simply don't use them. As for having never made fondue, well, sometimes opportunity knocks. From our place in the Della Fattoria bread line at the Ferry Plaza Farmers market this past Saturday, we spotted a tub of fondue mix at Andante Cheese. To me, it was a clear sign that this was our weekend for Heidi. Sure enough, Sean Timberlake, of Punk Domestics fame, had a fondue pot we could borrow, mere blocks away. Social media: the modern way to meet your almost neighbors and thus, borrow their cookware. So after a trip to the hardware store for sterno, we were set.

How could I resist an Andante fondue mix?

Our recipe is as simple as it comes and was adapted from the Joy of Cooking. Not wanting to push my luck with K, I skipped the kirsch, though for less picky eaters I highly recommend it.

1 tub Andante Fondue Mix (about 8 oz. grated cheese)

1 cup white wine (from the Savoie in this case)

As much nutmeg as K felt like grating

1 teaspoon corn starch

Heat wine over a medium-high heat until it begins to foam but does not boil. Add cheese gradually, stirring all the while. Grate in nutmeg and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Add cornstarch and stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat your dipping items. Pour into a fondue pot and place over sterno to keep warm.

We dipped Della Fattoria semolina bread, apples slices, salami and mystery box purple cauliflower.

Purple cauliflower, apple slices, Boccalone salami and bread for dipping.

To my delight, it was a hit. K reports that "the fondue was awesome. It made me kind of feel like Heidi because I was eating bread and cheese. It was fun to dip the bread and the apples. I want to try chocolate fondue next!"

"The apples are good!"

Holidy Cookies: A Creative Use of Leftover Halloween Candy

Using the recipe I posted here, this year K and I decided to use leftover Halloween candy to help decorate our first batch of holiday cookies. I made a batch of dough Thursday. We baked the cookies Friday night and this morning was decorating time. Pictures below.

Preparing the frosting: Royal icing and gel food color, mixed with a take-out Chinese unused chopstick.

Frosting, now mixed and colored, assorted sugars and leftover candy.

At work. Chopstick now serving as a "paintbursh."

Squeeze bottle is another frosting option.

Hard at work.

Trees, stars, hearts and a K. K likes the tree with the grape "berries" best.

The "men." My favorite is the guy with the candy corn tie.

Cookie Time Again

This year, I have promised K we can make a gingerbread house. To say that I am nervous about it would be an understatement. So in the meantime, I'm making up a batch of my favorite shortbread dough, which we use for cut out holiday cookies, to keep on hand in case our house has construction issues.

The recipe we use is from the Cookie Swap book, which I have mentioned here before. I've included some photos of earlier projects below. Like always, we modified the original recipe, in this case substituting almond extract for the ground almonds in the recipe as K had insisted that nuts would "make the recipe gross." I expect that I could add them back in at this point, but I am more likely to have the extract in the house than almonds anyway. I also flavor the royal icing we use with either almond or vanilla extract to add a but more flavor.
The original recipe can be found on the Kitchen Musings blog.

Last year

Slightly less traditional colors

Same dough, set up for a cookie decorating party.

Shortbread

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inch cookie). We often make 2 batches.

2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add the flour mixture, blending just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll without sticking.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line two or more cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of your choice. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom and firm to the touch. Immediately transfer to wire racks with offset spatula to prevent breakage. Cool completely before frosting.