Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Birthday wine
My birthday, as previously mentioned, is coming up. In addition to looking for a cool restaurant to dine at I'm looking at picking up a special bottle of something. I tried some nice Spanish wines at a tasting last Monday, perhaps one of those. Priorat? Rioja? Or keep it in the US? Or maybe Italy? A nice barbaresco or brunello? Thoughts or ideas? I'd love to hear 'em! I'll follow up and post about whatever does come of it all!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Upcoming post: seasonal beers
As the local news just noted, there are less than 12 hours left in summer. The upside is that the new spread of seasonal beers is on it's way. Soon in the NW we'll be sipping Full Sail Wassail (released this last week), Deschutes Jubelale (available Monday or Wednesday...and my favorite beer EVER!) and New Belgium 2-below. Full write up to follow when I can pick up a 6-pack of each.
9.21.08 - Brunch at Beast
I took a personal day from work with the expressed intent of going to brunch at Beast with some friends. I get two personal days a year and one went to Beast today. Was it worth it? You bet. Here's a short write up, menu from memory.
It's a four course affair, replete with your choice of coffee (french pressed Stumptown) or juice (fresh squeezed OJ, no less). I opted for the coffee. I'm usually an espresso purist but this cup o' joe fit the bill perfectly. No need for sugar or cream. You can also get a mimosa ($5) or wine pairings (!) for $20.
We indulged in:
- Brown butter crepe with whipped cream, marionberries and bacon with maple-bourbon sauce
- short rib hash with duck fat potatoes, poached egg and mustard grain hollandaise
- three cheeses with greens topped with sherry/balsamic vinaigrette
- stumptown coffee ice cream on hazelnut pastry
Highlights:
- The crepe dish was quite tasty, but could've been a bit warmer when it hit our table. A bite of crepe, berry, bacon and whipped cream all together was delish.
- Short rib hash was quite tasty, too. As my dining partner Margaux remarked "the mustard hollandaise isn't too overpowering and compliments everything really well". Well put my dear.
- The three cheese course (a hard english, a camembert and another soft cheese) was fun. the greens were good and accompanied by a few venus (?) grapes and a candied apricot. The apricot was bomb. My favorite cheese was the hard english cheese. Lots of crunchy bits inside, the mark of a good cheese
- Normally I'm not a dessert guy. Give me something fried and salty instead. This was Awesome. Capital *A* well deserved. The coffee ice cream had a nice, rich coffee taste, which for some reason I often find lacking in said dish. The hazelnut pastry was a layered square containing chocolate. It was just really, really good.
- Service was solid, too. We got a fresh change of silverware with each dish. The knives were Langiuole and the stemware (for wine pairings or your juice) was Riedel. Kudos.
-It's a comfy feel inside. I liked the communal seating (there's just two tables inside. one = 10, the other much more). the all lady kitchen crew plated and washed dishes in view of the diners.
It was a fun brunch and now I just gotta make it out there for dinner! Worth checking out
$28/person
It's a four course affair, replete with your choice of coffee (french pressed Stumptown) or juice (fresh squeezed OJ, no less). I opted for the coffee. I'm usually an espresso purist but this cup o' joe fit the bill perfectly. No need for sugar or cream. You can also get a mimosa ($5) or wine pairings (!) for $20.
We indulged in:
- Brown butter crepe with whipped cream, marionberries and bacon with maple-bourbon sauce
- short rib hash with duck fat potatoes, poached egg and mustard grain hollandaise
- three cheeses with greens topped with sherry/balsamic vinaigrette
- stumptown coffee ice cream on hazelnut pastry
Highlights:
- The crepe dish was quite tasty, but could've been a bit warmer when it hit our table. A bite of crepe, berry, bacon and whipped cream all together was delish.
- Short rib hash was quite tasty, too. As my dining partner Margaux remarked "the mustard hollandaise isn't too overpowering and compliments everything really well". Well put my dear.
- The three cheese course (a hard english, a camembert and another soft cheese) was fun. the greens were good and accompanied by a few venus (?) grapes and a candied apricot. The apricot was bomb. My favorite cheese was the hard english cheese. Lots of crunchy bits inside, the mark of a good cheese
- Normally I'm not a dessert guy. Give me something fried and salty instead. This was Awesome. Capital *A* well deserved. The coffee ice cream had a nice, rich coffee taste, which for some reason I often find lacking in said dish. The hazelnut pastry was a layered square containing chocolate. It was just really, really good.
- Service was solid, too. We got a fresh change of silverware with each dish. The knives were Langiuole and the stemware (for wine pairings or your juice) was Riedel. Kudos.
-It's a comfy feel inside. I liked the communal seating (there's just two tables inside. one = 10, the other much more). the all lady kitchen crew plated and washed dishes in view of the diners.
It was a fun brunch and now I just gotta make it out there for dinner! Worth checking out
$28/person
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
In case anyone is reading in Portland...
My birthday is coming up. I usually don't do much of anything for my birthday. Always been content with just hanging with a friend or two, watching a movie, whatever. But my 25th is coming up. As you all know I live in Portland, OR. I'm also a bit of a foodie. So I'm thinking, real nice dinner at some cool restaurant. Here is the short list I've worked up so far. If anyone is out there I'm more than open to suggestions!
In no particular order:
- El Gaucho
I've always wanted to go to a fancy steakhouse and Gaucho fits the bill for me. A couple of friends of mine have been there and I've only heard awesome things. I just want to eat a fat steak, get super awesome service and have some nice wine (which hopefully won't break the bank too much).
- La Pigeon
This restaurant has gotten raves in all the local publications, some national included. Chef Gabriel Rucker has rocketed into the Portland foodies conscious (hey, how many chefs can you name in Portland. Point made). I just wanna eat there. I feel like it should is a Portland food rite of passage.
- Beast
Started by chef Naomi Pomeroy, who was one of the chefs that seemed to spearhead the Portland/food destination before the NY Times was writing about us. There's a good amount of drama involved with her backstory (most of which seems to involve her old partner) but I don't care to do the research to get the facts straight and report here. Here's what I do know. Beast is her new restaurant. It has a rotating menu, depending on what is available and fresh. Fixed price menu of either 3 or 5 courses. Can add wine pairings if you desire for the extra money. No substitutions. Lots of meat. Foie gras, too. Gotta try foie gras, dammit!
In no particular order:
- El Gaucho
I've always wanted to go to a fancy steakhouse and Gaucho fits the bill for me. A couple of friends of mine have been there and I've only heard awesome things. I just want to eat a fat steak, get super awesome service and have some nice wine (which hopefully won't break the bank too much).
- La Pigeon
This restaurant has gotten raves in all the local publications, some national included. Chef Gabriel Rucker has rocketed into the Portland foodies conscious (hey, how many chefs can you name in Portland. Point made). I just wanna eat there. I feel like it should is a Portland food rite of passage.
- Beast
Started by chef Naomi Pomeroy, who was one of the chefs that seemed to spearhead the Portland/food destination before the NY Times was writing about us. There's a good amount of drama involved with her backstory (most of which seems to involve her old partner) but I don't care to do the research to get the facts straight and report here. Here's what I do know. Beast is her new restaurant. It has a rotating menu, depending on what is available and fresh. Fixed price menu of either 3 or 5 courses. Can add wine pairings if you desire for the extra money. No substitutions. Lots of meat. Foie gras, too. Gotta try foie gras, dammit!
Airlie Pinot Noir 2005
Picked this up on discount, $10/btl. It usually goes for around $18. It's pretty solid, especially since I picked it up for a 10-spot. Low in alcohol: 12.8%, which you don't see too often, even in pinots these days.
Some nice cherry aromas, surrounded by enough hints of clove/spice. I like it and I'm not crazy about pinots. It paired nicely with my mashed potatoes and skillet chicken with bacon. The finish is a little lacking, but I think for the price the nice nose makes up for it in my book. If you can find it for around $15-16 on sale I would give it a run. It's a good Tuesday night pinot. Won't break the bank like so many of them can and will play well with whatever meal you've got going on in the kitchen.
Some nice cherry aromas, surrounded by enough hints of clove/spice. I like it and I'm not crazy about pinots. It paired nicely with my mashed potatoes and skillet chicken with bacon. The finish is a little lacking, but I think for the price the nice nose makes up for it in my book. If you can find it for around $15-16 on sale I would give it a run. It's a good Tuesday night pinot. Won't break the bank like so many of them can and will play well with whatever meal you've got going on in the kitchen.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
What's the oldest wine you've ever tried?
Mine was 30 years old. Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 1978. It is really a treat to try a wine with such age. It's something that I love about wine because it is a living thing. It takes such a craft to create a wine that will last for 30 yrs! Especially when 9/10 wines out there today are meant to be drunk on the short term. Tasting notes:
Light in color, but amazingly still alive thanks to lively acidity. Has something on the nose that to me seems a bit like something you smell on a nice port. Some cherries and raisins in the mix. Just fun to drink! ~$240/btl
91 pts Wine Spectator
Light in color, but amazingly still alive thanks to lively acidity. Has something on the nose that to me seems a bit like something you smell on a nice port. Some cherries and raisins in the mix. Just fun to drink! ~$240/btl
91 pts Wine Spectator
Monday, September 8, 2008
Maisons Marques & Domaines Tasting: 9-8-08
Maisons Marques & Domaines have some big names under their belt. Louis Roederer, Roederer Estate, Napanook, Dominus, Ramos-Pinto, Pio Cesare and Querciabella to name a few. Here are some highlights and tasting notes, along with any awards, professional scores and cellartracker scores, when applicable, to compare to mine. Let's have a look!
Bubbles:
Roderer Estate Brut NV - A lovely sparkler from the California outpost from the French Champagne producer. I've always liked this one. It's always a good value and in my opinion cane take the place of French champagne for at least $15 dollars less. Solid apples and toasty notes. Good depth, solid value. 90 pts.
88-90 Wine Spectator, 89 avg. cellartracker.com
Roederer Cristal 2002 - So I finally got a chance to taste the famed Cristal. Perhaps best known to many as one of the most expensive champagnes around and lauded by rappers in their ego driven songs. It was elegant and on the lighter side. The finish didn't go on and on like I expected. I just wasn't blown away, regardless of what the cost would have been. Fun to say you've tried it, though! 87 points.
91 avg points Cellartracker.com (3 reviews)
Reds:
Dominus Estate Red 05 - I first heard of this wine by the cake decorator at work. She had a bottle of '02 for her anniversary and raved about it. I found it had a strong core of dark fruits (cassis) with shadings of oak and spice. The finish is real strong and graceful, with good mineral notes. Would love to throw this up against some nice leg of lamb or fat ribeye. 91 pts
95 pt avg cellartracker (2 reviews),
Pio Cesare Barbaresco "Il Bricco" 04 - Poured this along with the 04 barolo, and while the barolo was certainly good (nice long finish, solid blackberries and hints of spice I'd give 92 pts), "Il Bricco" brought the thunder! Let's look at my tasting notes: "Boom! Dark fruits with smokey, tar nose. Nice wine, has many years ahead of it with it's strong tannins." A truly yummy, high-end Italian wine that competes with anything else I've tried. A favorite of the day.
93 pts
94 pts Wine Spectator
Ramos-Pinto 20 Tawny Quinta Bom-Retiro - An absolutely lovely tawny port. Real full caramel, nuts. The finish goes on for minutes, leaving your mouth lingering with creme brulee and caramel. Well played, well played.
92 pts
93 pts Wine Spectator (2003), 89 Cellartracker.com
Bubbles:
Roderer Estate Brut NV - A lovely sparkler from the California outpost from the French Champagne producer. I've always liked this one. It's always a good value and in my opinion cane take the place of French champagne for at least $15 dollars less. Solid apples and toasty notes. Good depth, solid value. 90 pts.
88-90 Wine Spectator, 89 avg. cellartracker.com
Roederer Cristal 2002 - So I finally got a chance to taste the famed Cristal. Perhaps best known to many as one of the most expensive champagnes around and lauded by rappers in their ego driven songs. It was elegant and on the lighter side. The finish didn't go on and on like I expected. I just wasn't blown away, regardless of what the cost would have been. Fun to say you've tried it, though! 87 points.
91 avg points Cellartracker.com (3 reviews)
Reds:
Dominus Estate Red 05 - I first heard of this wine by the cake decorator at work. She had a bottle of '02 for her anniversary and raved about it. I found it had a strong core of dark fruits (cassis) with shadings of oak and spice. The finish is real strong and graceful, with good mineral notes. Would love to throw this up against some nice leg of lamb or fat ribeye. 91 pts
95 pt avg cellartracker (2 reviews),
Pio Cesare Barbaresco "Il Bricco" 04 - Poured this along with the 04 barolo, and while the barolo was certainly good (nice long finish, solid blackberries and hints of spice I'd give 92 pts), "Il Bricco" brought the thunder! Let's look at my tasting notes: "Boom! Dark fruits with smokey, tar nose. Nice wine, has many years ahead of it with it's strong tannins." A truly yummy, high-end Italian wine that competes with anything else I've tried. A favorite of the day.
93 pts
94 pts Wine Spectator
Ramos-Pinto 20 Tawny Quinta Bom-Retiro - An absolutely lovely tawny port. Real full caramel, nuts. The finish goes on for minutes, leaving your mouth lingering with creme brulee and caramel. Well played, well played.
92 pts
93 pts Wine Spectator (2003), 89 Cellartracker.com
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Omnivore's 100
One of the frequently visited websites, seriouseats.com, had a post about something called "The Ominvore's 100". It's a list of 100 food items, put together by the lovely folks at verygoodtaste.co.uk. Basically you go through it and bold all the items that you have already tried and cross out any items you would not try. Helpful wikipedia links included for the more obscure items! How do you rank?
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (in NYC and Eugene...miss that guy)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (been eyeing it at safeway...)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (in Boston, nonetheless)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Why I love food (and cooking)
Many people have many hobbies, but I'd like to make the case for my hobbies as king(s) of the mountain. My major hobbies are obviously food (with a focus on cooking) and wine (with a focus on drinking?). First, let's tackle food.
As I sit here waiting for my calzones to finish cooking (Matt's original recipe to follow below) I started getting excited about them. There is something so satisfying in making something from scratch in this ready-made world we live in. We get to experience food and cooking with all of our senses. While a lovely painting may please our eyes I would argue a well plated dish can do just the same thing, just more. When you're cooking you smell the aromas, taste the flavors and feel the texture in your mouth. No other form of art or expressing yourself can give you such corporeal pleasure, while giving the same pleasure to the people you are performing for (in this case cooking for). That short blurb out of the system and my calzones out of the oven, let's move onto the recipe.
Matt's Calzone Recipe
You will need:
- pizza dough (12")
- a couple cups of spinach
- a few slices of onion
- 1/2 pound or so of italian sausage
- 3/4 pound crimini mushrooms
- sprig of rosemary, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 oz. ricotta cheese
- shredded parmesan or other italian hard cheese
- basil, sliced
- marinade, for dipping (optional)
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper
Cook the italian sausage until broken apart and caramelized. Remove to plate lined with paper towel. Then throw in onion slice into pan, cook until sweet and have some color. When finished cooking the onions, remove to same plate as sausage. Now toss the halved mushrooms into the pan with a bit of olive oil. Cook for a few minutes, tossing occasionally. After a few minutes, throw in a tablespoon of butter and the minced garlic and rosemary. Cook until the garlic and herbs become very aromatic, just a minute or two. Salt as needed here (eat a few mushrooms! they're delicious!). Once the 'shrooms are done you can toss them onto the plate with the other fillings.
Cut the pizza dough in two and work out until 1/8" thick or so, oval shaped. Spoon some ricotta cheese on the close side of the dough. Add prepared toppings as desired, including fresh basil, parmesan cheese and chopped spinach. Once properly filled pull the far end of the dough over the filling and pinch the dough together to avoid leakage. I like to rub a bit of olive oil on the calzone to help get it a nice golden color. Toss in a preheated oven (450-500 degrees) on a pizza stone for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with marinara on the side.
As I sit here waiting for my calzones to finish cooking (Matt's original recipe to follow below) I started getting excited about them. There is something so satisfying in making something from scratch in this ready-made world we live in. We get to experience food and cooking with all of our senses. While a lovely painting may please our eyes I would argue a well plated dish can do just the same thing, just more. When you're cooking you smell the aromas, taste the flavors and feel the texture in your mouth. No other form of art or expressing yourself can give you such corporeal pleasure, while giving the same pleasure to the people you are performing for (in this case cooking for). That short blurb out of the system and my calzones out of the oven, let's move onto the recipe.
Matt's Calzone Recipe
You will need:
- pizza dough (12")
- a couple cups of spinach
- a few slices of onion
- 1/2 pound or so of italian sausage
- 3/4 pound crimini mushrooms
- sprig of rosemary, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 oz. ricotta cheese
- shredded parmesan or other italian hard cheese
- basil, sliced
- marinade, for dipping (optional)
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper
Cook the italian sausage until broken apart and caramelized. Remove to plate lined with paper towel. Then throw in onion slice into pan, cook until sweet and have some color. When finished cooking the onions, remove to same plate as sausage. Now toss the halved mushrooms into the pan with a bit of olive oil. Cook for a few minutes, tossing occasionally. After a few minutes, throw in a tablespoon of butter and the minced garlic and rosemary. Cook until the garlic and herbs become very aromatic, just a minute or two. Salt as needed here (eat a few mushrooms! they're delicious!). Once the 'shrooms are done you can toss them onto the plate with the other fillings.
Cut the pizza dough in two and work out until 1/8" thick or so, oval shaped. Spoon some ricotta cheese on the close side of the dough. Add prepared toppings as desired, including fresh basil, parmesan cheese and chopped spinach. Once properly filled pull the far end of the dough over the filling and pinch the dough together to avoid leakage. I like to rub a bit of olive oil on the calzone to help get it a nice golden color. Toss in a preheated oven (450-500 degrees) on a pizza stone for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with marinara on the side.
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