Okay, that might be a bit of an ambitious title. But knowing that Carolynn was going to be gone tonight, I invited my buddy Steve Williams up for some Bryan Flannery meat (filet tails and hangers). We got a little geeked up and made a “constructed caprese” which turned out pretty darned good. Small diced … [Read more…]
Even before I was into wine, it seems that “wine and cheese” have gone together in the public mind as if they are a perfect match. In reality, it is hard to find wines and cheese that truly elevate each other. At least for my palate. My wife and I enjoy “cheese dinners” where we’ll … [Read more…]
If you like foie gras, there’s something incredibly decadent about searing your own at home. In part, you are not limited to the invariably tiny pieces that you get for eighteen bucks at a restaurant. We got a whole lobe, wacked off about a third of it, cut slices about about 3/8-inch, and then seared … [Read more…]
I wanted to make ravioli with a machine (I made it by hand a week ago and it was so thick that it was almost inedible). I had little idea that to whip up a little mushroom ravioli with cream sauce would take 2 hours. And I almost sliced off my finger in the process. … [Read more…]
TASTING MENU NITRO-POACHED GREEN TEA AND LIME MOUSSE (2001) ORANGE AND BEETROOT JELLY OYSTER, PASSION FRUIT JELLY, LAVENDER POMMERY GRAIN MUSTARD ICE CREAM, RED CABBAGE GAZPACHO JELLY OF QUAIL, LANGOUSTINE CREAM, PARFAIT OF FOIE GRAS OAK MOSS AND TRUFFLE TOAST (Homage to Alain Chapel) SNAIL PORRIDGE Jabugo Ham, Shaved Fennel ROAST FOIE GRAS “BENZALDEHYDE” Almond … [Read more…]
We had a fairly simple meal tonight–pan fried salmon; spinach, garlic, and pine nuts sauteed in olive oil; and potato/celeraic mash. Opened the ’05 Sine Qua Non Over & Out (their last Pinot Noir) due to the salmon. What a great combination. The salmon was good by itself, and the SQN was good by itself, … [Read more…]
Made rack of lamb tonight, and opened a ’95 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was amazingly young tasting, with loads of black currant left, and it paired quite well with the lamb. There’s something about lamb and Cab that just works, no matter how many times I have it or how much of … [Read more…]