BV Napa Cabernet and Apple Cider, plus Stir Fry

BV Napa Cabernet 2005 $17:

- Real nice dark color, pretty in the glass. Solid dark cherries on the nose, followed through in the mouth. It's got a little bit of extra on there, maybe a hint of oakiness or chocolate. It's enjoyable all around. A solid bottle of wine. It goes for around $17. If it were $14 I would recommend it all the time, but getting so close to the other $20 bottles (Simi, Clos Reserve, Franciscan, Martini Napa) I think you can upgrade to more complexity for those extra few bucks.

Douche' de Loungeville (Hard) Cider $7:

- Made from apples from Normandy, France. Real pretty golden color. 4% alcohol, so no zinger here. Finishes quite dry with a decent finish. A nice change of pace. Try it with anything that goes with apples (like the pork chops I prepared below!).

Douche' de Loungeville (non-hard) Cider $7:

- Once again, real pretty golden color on this. Noticeably more sweet than the hard cider, but not cloying sweet. Definitely more enjoyable than Martinelli's Cider, which I find to be overly sweet. It's a nice change of pace, indeed.

In other wine/food adventure related news: I got another cast iron pan! This one is a 10", flat, round skillet, as opposed to our current square 10" with grill marks. I'm quick becoming a fan of cast iron pans. Their great heat distribution, stove top to oven portability and natural non-stick qualities make the Iron Chef in me giddy. Broke it in tonight by working up some homemade pork stir fry. Excellent... Recipe follows (thanks to Albert, the China Chef at Safeway for the tips along the way!):

Pork Stir Fry, ala Albert:

2 tablespoons Cornstarch, divided
Sliced pork, thin - from pork chop or loin
8 oz. frozen stir fry veggies
cup of white wine (I use dry vermouth) or chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon black bean paste
1/2 tablespoon sugar
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
3-5 minced cloves garlic


Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, toss pork with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and season with salt and pepper. When oil reaches temperature, toss pork in and brown. Don't worry about cooking all the way through, just brown it well on both sides. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside.

Throw veggie mix into the hot pan. Meanwhile, mix white wine or chicken broth, soy sauce sugar and remaining tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix well. After about 2 minutes, add the garlic, ginger and black bean paste to the side of the pan and let sizzle to bring out flavors. After 2 minutes more, when veggies are cooked through and crisp, add the liquid and mix well. Keep over heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. 1-2 minutes later, you've should have a nice sauce consistency. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Top Tip:

When I was picking Albert's brain about stir fry he gave me the following advice. The worst thing you can do is overcook the vegetables. It makes a big difference and those frozen veggies cook up surprisingly fast in a well heated skillet.