February 23, 2010
I had no idea until last Sunday how good fried oysters and Manhattans were together.
Holly and I stopped by a Napa Valley restaurant you probably haven’t been to: The Olive Tree. Not the Olive Garden: the Olive Tree. It’s been around for 35 years and is at the southern end of the Silverado Trail in Napa. Sexy it is not. I guess someone goes there. Full bar and old-time menu. Smampi style prawns, Chicken Cordon Bleu, that sorta thing. We stopped in mostly out of curiosity, and after a Sunday of cleaning rain gutters and shopping, a cocktail was a good idea.
2 Makers Mark Manhattans. We got cozy and decided to try the fried oysters. They were nicely done! Fresh, medium sized oysters, breaded and lightly fried served with an OK tartar sauce and a good horseradishy cocktail sauce. Briny oysters, fried breading and the sauce (esp the cocktail sauce we decided with the Bourbon was outstanding.)
Now, we don’t sell Makers Mark here as it’s all over the place. Our Bourbon of choice for Manhattans is BLACK MAPLE HILL Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon, $35.
With Amarena cherries! Don't sell these at the moment, though. Hard to get!
We have them at home.

February 6, 2010
Had a hankering for good, hard-shell tacos last week. Destination last Wednesday night was Las Palmas Restaurant, just 5 blocks from Downtown Napa. I recommend it for many reasons, but the hard tacos weren’t anything special. Really have to make these at home for best results.
Best discovery for me & Holly at Las Palmas was the food & wine match:
Ceviche Tostadas and BRIDESMAID White, Napa Valley 2008 ($20). Bridesmaid white is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a scooch of Semillon, about 5%, in it. (It’s called, simply, “white” because some vintages have more Semillon in it…Bridesmaid makes a good red wine, too, BTW). Las Palmas’ ceviche, with calamari and whitefish, is tangy, fresh and a little spicy. It’s hard to beat at the price. $3 per tostada I think. Bridesmaid white is full of tangerine and lemon flavors with orange, green apple, grapefruit, melon and pineapple coming up behind. Add a little lemongrass and thyme and you have a tasty white wine that’s almost as good by itself and as it with ceviche or such light and bright foods.
Las Palmas Restaurant, 1730 Yajome St, Napa. (707) 257-1514.
Buy Bridesmaid White Wine Here.

January 17, 2010
Holly and I had the pleasure of a cooking day with Prima Ristorante Owner & Executive Chef Peter Chastain yesterday.  Peter prepared (with a little assistance from us and our hosts, Charla & Dave of Alamo, CA) a bevy of seemingly simple (when prepared by an outstanding chef, that is) and delicious dishes originating in and around Campania, Abruzzo and Marche in Southern Italy. Holly took copious notes until the wine took over, and I tried to memorize the best I could while enjoying the moment. Beyond useful tips (for example, we now know how to make “wing dings”), we took an appreciation for the region, the food, wine and great cooking.
The dish I guess that most firmly burned into my memory, and the one I most want to make, is BRAISED RABBIT. Simply seasoned, seared with onion & garlic, a little tomato paste, stock and white wine, in four hours it turned into a rich, glorious dish. Serve perhaps with a crust of good bread and a simple salad of peppery greens, it’s a dreamy dish. We drank an Aglianico from the wine region Taurasi, in Campania, on the Atlantic side (at just about the shin). A good match indeed.
Of course, it got me to thinking what at Back Room Wines would be the best match, and I’ve got it. LA VALENTINA Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006 ($15). For this wine we’re on the Adriatic Coast, almost directly across the country from Rome, with this wine region. Mid-calf, if you will. Here, the Montepulciano grape makes good, strong wine, and though it’s well-recognized for good wine, it’s under-appreciation makes for very good values. This is good: dark berries, pepper spice, good acidity & tannins, soil. Tasty on its own, but one drink and the gustatory wheels start turning. Grilled & braised dishes are perfect. Back to the rabbit: rich but not heavy, a touch gamey, spices, herbs, comforting. The wine boasts the same qualities with the acidity to keep the palate alive and the body welcoming more. Comfort food at its Southern-Italian finest. Can’t wait to do it all again, this time at our home.

January 9, 2010
Delicious F&W combo the other night at home. A customer, who happens to be the Chef for Acacia Winery, dropped off a Tupperware of homemade Kimchee. I’ve always wanted to make Kimchee, it’s not hard, just takes time. But I digress.
A New York Strip Steak, simply grilled, with steamed rice & kimchee is a delicious dinner. Going with what the freezer gave me, I thawed a bag of Trader Joe’s Korean style spare ribs. Then on the grill for ten minutes, served with Jasmine rice, and PRESTO we’re eating well.
Wine match? How about beer? Yes, beer is good with it. But Holly & I wanted wine. A PRESTO meal deserves a delicious PRESTO wine, so out of the wine fridge appeared the MAIPE Malbec, Mendoza, Argetina 2008. Very happy drinking from bold nose to impressively long, fine finish. And at $11/bottle, an exceptional value! Blue & black fruits, a little fresh violet, Asian peppercorns, just enough acidity, good tannins, showing it’s “stuff.” And a fine match with the soy & spice in the ribs. Kimchee match worked. Spice, vinegar, and the meatiness of cabbage (do with me on this one). And don’t forget the fragrant, musky scent of hot steamed rice!
Sadly, the Maipe Malbec ’08 is almost gone (in intrigued, hurry and order before it's too late). Take this Food & Wine Blog/recommendation as an Argentina Malbec recommendation as much as anything else. Salute!

December 29, 2009
Holly and I are so crazy about Thai food that we hosted a dozen friends, including my parents, for a Thai Christmas dinner. Thai food & wine: where do you go with this? The old stand-by is Alsace and German varietals: Gewurz, Riesling, Pinot Gris. Fine indeed, but I’m a little bored by the knee-jerk reaction of Asian Food and Germanic wines. I want more!
Next time you have really good Asian food, be it Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese or another Asian country that uses a lot of spicy peppers, herbs, fish and vegetables, try Sparkling Wine throughout the whole meal. And if you want me to be more specific, go Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine. Kiss of red Pinot fruit, more fruit-forward than Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs, more “fun” than a still wine. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? No specific wine recommendation here. We have perfect Brut Rose suggestions for you, but I’d rather leave you with the big picture.  

December 28, 2009
I’m a sucker for REALLY good, rich California Chardonnay. I got spoiled early in my wine career with Marcassin, Kistler, Kongsgaard & the like. A cross to bear, you think?
Went traditional this Christmas Eve. After our Christmas Eve Social in the afternoon, went home for cold, fresh cracked Dungeness crab. Enjoyed with, amongst other things, my caramelized garlic/lemon mayonnaise. (I’m not shy to share my technique when asked). The style, for me, is a no-brainer: rich, buttery, well made Chardonnay. Now, I know many prefer to go the other way and drink very crisp, like Sancerre or Muscadet, but I prefer to match RICH with RICH. The wine will be my flavor of the month, if you will: L’ANGEVIN Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2007, $40.
Warm buttered biscuits, poached spicy pears, hazelnuts, apple crisp. And yes indeed, for all this gooey deliciousness, a fresh breath of acidity keeps it all in balance. With rich, fresh crab meat dipped in garlicy mayonnaise is my kinda gustatory party. The match was spot-on. I respect a crisp, clean, mouth-freshening white instead, but I like to go FAT in this case.

November 27, 2009
I bring you one food & wine pairing revelation. Seems obvious, you might know it,  it’s new to me. Craberry sauce & Pinot Noir. Good Oregon Pinot Noir in particular. We had SOTER Pinot Noir “Beacon Hill” Yamhill-Carlton 2006 ($48). Holly makes cranberry sauce on the barely-sweetened side. It’s particularly tangy and a very good spread on turkey (and turkey sandwiches). Bright, tangy cranberries and the high tones of Soter Pinot Noir match. Orange zest in the sauce and citrus zest notes in the Pinot work together. The sauce isn’t spicy, so the Pinot’s allspice flavor makes it almost seem like it does. I’m a fan, and might eat more cranberry sauce now that I’ve discovered this.

November 17, 2009
Hope it’s no surprise to you that grilled quail is not a normal meal for us at home. Looking through the garage freezer Sunday morning, I found a pack of six quails near the bottom, in a deep freeze and almost forgotten. Just almost-they were destined to be dinner that night!
The wine in mind just arrived to Back Room Wines:
AUGUST WEST Pinot Noir “Rosella’s Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands 2007, $40/bottle. Owned and made by the talented Ed Kurtzman (especially when it comes to Pinot Noir-he makes ROAR and Freeman Pinots as well), the August West is rich,soft, spicy and eager to please-even those who don’t favor Pinot Noir usually.
How should I flavor up the quail? I got it, Chinese Five Spice! I made a paste with Five Spice Powder (the spices are Szechuan peppercorn, clove, cinnamon, fennel and star anise. Get a good five spice please, not the “value” kind at the grocery story. Don’t know how long it’s been around!) and sesame oil. When the consistency of wet sand, I rubbed the dickens out of those chickens (I know quail aren’t chickens, but I like the rap) and put them in the fridge for a few hours (the longer the better). Then hot grill, direct heat, all sides, before I covered and finished over indirect heat. Total cooking time was about 25 minutes. Depends how hot your grill gets, really. To accompany, we sautéed Brussels Sprouts leaves with shallots, garlic, chorizo, pinenuts and a squirt of fresh lemon. VERY TASTY!
Santa Lucia Highlands Pinots are famous for their spice, and the August West is spicy indeed! Five spice comes to mind (thus my inspiration), along with mocha and soy sauce. And lots & lots of sweet berry fruit, of course. The five spice, grilled flavors and gamey quail were perfect with the August West. If quail is not in your future, chicken works well, especially dark meat. I’m thinking of trying the five spice rub with rack of lamb.
Buy AUGUST WEST Pinot Noir “Rosella’s Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands 2007, $40/bottle

November 4, 2009
Must admit, it’s hard to keep track of the best Napa Valley winery “experiences.” So much to choose from, you know. It takes a little get-up-and-go to appreciate who’s doing a really good job.
Holly & I went to Darioush Winery on Silverado Trail last Sunday, and it was wonderful. I highly recommend a drop-by tasting, and for something really special, their wine & cheese pairing I’m sure is the bomb. I’ve seen the wine & cheese tasting, but haven’t done it (yet). It’s $50 and a great value considering the wine, food & knowledge you get.
We did enjoy “The Quintessential Wine Experience,” a tour of the winery and then a tasting in owner Darioush Khaledi’s wine cellar (underneath the winery). Four special wines, with gourmet “nibbles” prepared by La Toque Restaurant,  made for a great Sunday afternoon.
I want to share with you two of the food & wine pairings. First, Russian Osetra caviar with Krug Champagne “Grand Cuvée.” You know, the pairing may sound cliché to you, but it’s darn good. Just about the best caviar on the planet and arguably the best Champagne in the world. Both strong flavored and simultaneously smooth and debonair (like that?). Descriptions really don’t do the pairing justice. When in such a situation, I DO suggest skipping the blinis and go pure caviar…perhaps a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkle of chive. We currently have the KRUG Champagne 1995 in stock, $245/bottle.

All three reds we had were mighty fine. 1994 Mouton Rothschild was soil, tobacco, dry herbs and dried berries/cherries. As interesting as it was delicious. The “Darius Two,” a special reserve blend only available to Darioush club members, was coy at first, then budded into a fine marriage of brilliant berry fruits, jasmine, white rocks, spice and subtle oak. Pairing #2 in my story, culled from the rest because I have the wine for sale, is the sliced rare duck breast with dried fig and the DARIOUSH Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006 ($85/bottle). The wine starts high on the oak meter (all new French oak aged), then the super-concentrated fruit emerges to balance the wine nicely with a half hour of air, I find. The Darioush Cabernet is one of the most concentrated, rich AND silky Cabernets you will find on the Napa Valley wine route. Not cheap at $85, yet well worth it in context of the other highly acclaimed Napa Cabs available. The pairing: the duck meat softened the already supple tannins, the faintest gaminess of the duck married nicely with the earthy, meaty underpinnings of the Cab, the dried fig and the rich fruits go hand in hand. The deliciousness of the Darioush Cab got a great big exclamation point with the duck/fig accompaniment.

October 26, 2009
In last Friday’s “Wine Advocate 92+ Tasting,” the winner among winner’s (considering value) was the ARTADI Rioja “Vinas de Gain” 2006 ($25/bottle). 100% Tempranillo, 40 to 60 year old vines, a year in  French oak, about 40% new. Serious wine for a relative bargain. Taster agreed!
As delicious as it is sans-food, this is a particularly good wine to cook for. But what? I was inspired by a post-tasting bite at ZuZu, the Spanish Tapas restaurant a block & a half down Main Street. LAMB BURGERS!
Holly & I shared a glass of the suggested Priorat with it and it was nice. The ZuZu dish was two lamb patties with a quinoa salad and a tasty dressing (I forget what was in this dressing). For home cooking, I’m going traditional: bun, dressing, etc.).
I went online and found a recipe for Lamb Burgers by Ted Allen (Queer Eye For The Straight Guy). I followed it pretty closely (which I don’t always do). Grilled outside on a cool autumn evening.
Very tasty with the Artadi Rioja “Vinas de Gain” 2006. I recommend you try this.

For four or five burgers, depending how big you like them.
Mix together with your hands:
-1 ½  pound ground lamb (purchase ground, or buy leg of lamb and grind yourself…be sure to have a 75-25 proportion to meat and fat)
-1 tablespoon chopped capers
-1 teaspoon lemon zest (Finely chopped. I used the Microplane)
-1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
-2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
-1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Form into four or five patties (don’t overwork the meat-handle just enough so they stay stuck together).
Grill to desired doneness. 5 minutes per side on a hot grill or skillet, more or less.
Served on high-quality toasted buns or firm bread that won't fall apart as you enjoy. Good with grilled red onions and either a cucumber/mint raita, or traditional burger condiments.
Lettuce is good…I like to put chopped raw green cabbage on it.
Pour everyone a glass of Artadi Rioja and have fun.

October 20, 2009
Karen Cakebread, Owner & Winemaker of Ziata Winery, asked me for dish I like to make to match with her delicious Sauvignon Blanc. I don't make Calzones often, and honestly the store bought pizza dough is the only way I succeed. Three cheers for Trader Joe's! Just stay away from the Charles Shaw. This is really good and I really think a non-cook can make it with some success. The Calzone flavors (shrimp, goat cheese, olives, red peppers, thyme, spinach) are naturals with the zingy and fuller-bodied Ziata Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($24/bottle).

Shrimp, Goat Cheese &

Tasty Vegetable Calzones

A variation of a recipe I've used from Gourmet Magazine.
 
1 pound medium sized shrimp, tails removed, peeled & deveined
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
3 large red bell peppers
1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 large onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
1/4-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
5 ounces baby spinach (8 packed cups)
12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed
1/2 pound fresh goat cheese

1. Marinate shrimp in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and half your chopped garlic, chili flakes, and salt & pepper to taste.

2. Grilled whole red peppers on your grill or gas stove top (or, in a 500 degree oven) until at least 75% of the skin has turned black. Put in paper bag to steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Take out of bag, cut open, remove insides, peel and roughly chop. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in lowest position. Sprinkle cornmeal on a large baking sheet.

4. Cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp, red peppers, olives, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat (it's OK if the shrimp aren't cooked yet-they'll cook enough in the calzone).

5. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round, then cut into quarters. Roll out 1 quarter into an 8-inch square (keep remaining pieces covered) and arrange with a corner nearest you. Put one fourth of filling on lower half, leaving a 1-inch border, and top with small chunks of the goat cheese (in proportion to the number of calzones you'll be making). Fold dough over to enclose filling. Seal edges. Beginning in 1 corner, stretch sealed edge outward, pinching and rolling dough up over edge to resemble a rope, working your way around. Transfer to baking sheet. Make 3 more calzones in same manner. Cut 3 steam vents in top of each and brush with remaining tablespoon oil.

6. Bake until golden-brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

October 5, 2009

Uva Trattoria Italiana is a popular Italian restaurant with the locals. In Downtown Napa, two blocks from Back Room Wines. Full bar, music on the weekends, can accomodate larger parties. The food is spotty-if you know what to order then  you'll be happy. For example, they've always made a good Arancini with on marinara sauce. We went to Uva last night, after our Friday Night Tasting (Southern Rhone was the theme), for a quick bite.
Calamari Fritti: bland, disappointing. Almost as if they worked at it to eliminate the flavor.
Spaghetti Frutti de Mare. Very good. Bold, slightly spicy tomato/wine sauce, thin spaghetti cooked well, lots of good seafood. I'd order this again.
Had a bottle of Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2008. At $30, not a bad price for it on the wine list. We drank it up no problem. Place had a good buzz going on at 10 P.M. Full of folks, decent band, a little bit of dancing, bachelorette party going on...recommended. Just stay away from the calamari.

 

August 6, 2009
The Green & Red Zinfandel Chiles Canyon ‘07, with the roast chicken, was as good as expected. This wine hits the spot! Dark rich cherries, fine Zin-spice, kiss of sweet oak, full bodied, balanced, just right. With seasoned chicken skin it’s the bomb. Couldn’t help but drink almost the entire bottle between the two of us. I recommend it highly.
With Zin in glass, I also played with a couple of sweet, summer, heirloom tomatoes. How to make this more unlikely match a pairing to remember? To find the answer, I went for taste comparisons rather than contrasts.
The sweetness of the tomato and the wine are easy, and it worked. The Zin’s “sweetness” came out more. As for the spice, three things: extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper and chopped fresh basil. Pepper in the oil and black pepper matched that in the Zin nicely. The minty-ish spice of the basil matched with the mint/licorice note in the wine. Oh, one more thing: Balsamic Vinegar. Getting back to match sweet with sweet again. And it did! Great match that you can do at home. But be sure to get good, vine-ripened tomatoes. Won’t work too well with hot house tomatoes.
Buy Green & Red Zinfandel 2007 here.

 

August 5, 2009
Seems the #1 favorite meal of great chefs, most notably Thomas Keller, is roast chicken. The simplicity and comfort of a well-roasted chicken not only tastes great-it feels good & safe too. Thoughts of Mom feel nice, but right now, a good, quick meal after a  hard-working day is the motivation.
Tonight, after a stop at Silo's Jazz Club, we'll get down with a Rotisario roast chicken (from the Oxbow Public Market) along with sauteed chard from our neighbor's garden.
The wine: keeping it local tonight with Green & Red Zinfandel, Chiles Canyon 2007, $23. I've been a fan of Green & Red wines since I moved to Napa in 1992, and this '07 is the most memorably tasty wine from them since '94. Rich fruit, perfect complement of sweet, peppery spice, silky, intense and still perfectly balanced. It's a perfect dinner table wine as it can marry with most appetizers, pretty much all main dishes and move nicely into cheese at the end (which we might have to do). Check out the blog Thursday morning (Pacific Time) for a report...the meal will be great, but I guess the anticipation is even more exciting.

 

July 31, 2009
Three doors down from the shop is a very average Chinese restaurant called China Light. There doing something right as they've been there for longer than I've lived in Napa (1992). Must say that I'm hooked on the Pork Chow Mein. Good noodles, vegetables and pork. All is fresh and hot, and the sauce is pretty good: strong, balanced, not too heavy.
The wine? Not that I'm sipping on a glass at 1 P.M., when I'm chowing the chow-wouldn't make it to the end of the day. I did, and do, sample, however, for the sake of information, and my recommendation is BLOCKHEADIA RINGNOSII Sauvignon Blanc "All Tank" Napa Valley 2007 $18/bottle. I'm wanting the aggressive flavors and acidity of Sauv Blanc with this dish. Want it to hold up to the food and refresh the palate at the same time. This no-oak, bright acid, green apple/lime/grapefruit flavored white from former Napa Restaurateur Michael Ouellette fits the bill. Honestly, I can't think of a better type of wine with Chow Mein than a very crisp, assiertive, no-oak Sauvignon Blanc (could be from Cal, New Zealand, Chile, France...) Buy Blockheadia Ringnosii Sauvignon Blanc here.

July 28, 2009
Are Napa Cabs and fresh, Farmers Market produce like oil & water? With a plethora of produce out there (much from friends with greener thumbs than ours), you'd assume it's all Sauvignon Blanc, Rose wines and crisper Chardonnays these days. While it's my preference, you can go vegi and drink big Cabs very nicely, thank you.
I'm thinking about our latest new "Big Cab," SODA CANYON CELLARS Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2007 $50/bottle. This is Beau Vigne's third label, and it's as good as most winery's #1. No kidding! Click over to my description for more info. I'm going to play and report back. Key elements: caramelized onion & garlic. Soy sauce, black bean sauce, peppery olive oil (think I'll make a marinade out of these things), heavy roasting (it being summer, our new Weber gas grill will play a role. How will it be. At least good, maybe great!
Buy Soda Canyon Cellars Cabernet 2007 here.

July 6, 2009
I made Carnitas last week. It's ridiculously easy to do. I got up early on Sunday morning and got started so they'd be done
before noon and I could relax a while before company came over. The recipe comes from customer Dan from Millbrae and it's just below this Blog entry. Tender yet crackly/crispy as good Carnitas should be with stronger sweet-spice element to it than most. Served with Guacamole, radishes, grilled onions, lime wedges, salsa and Cojita cheese. The match you're thinking of is probably Margaritas and Dos Equis (that's what comes to my mind first), but this is a Food & Wine Blog, so I had to pick a dy-no-mite wine for me, Holly and our guests. I think pink.MAS AMIEL Rosé "Le Plaisir" Côtes du Roussillon 2008, $18/bottle, was a big hit. From Southwest France, where Grenache reigns supreme in fine winedom. Wild cherry, blood orange, white & black pepper spice, good bite of acidity, juicy and very food friendly. It matched the spice, the meat, the salt and the herbs in our made-to-order Carnitas tacos. Pork shoulder is good & cheap...it's good value fine eating!
Buy MAS AMIEL Rosé "Le Plaisir" Côtes du Roussillon 2008 here

Dan from Millbrae's Carnitas
Serves Eight
4-5-pounds boneless pork should, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or neutral vegetable oil
water
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1. Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1- to 3-days. (You can skip this step if you want. Just be sure to salt the pork before searing the meat in the next step.)

2. Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.

3. Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

4. Heat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.

5. Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd's submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

6. Braise in the oven uncovered for 3½ hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.

7. Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inches (7 cm), discarding any obvious big chunks of fat if you wish.

8. Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how crackly you want them.

June 25 2008
The town of Sonoma has a fantastic Portuguese restaurant called La Salette. The food is flavor-packed, hearty and thoughtful. A wood fired oven roasts away behind the sous chefs. We've only dined here twice, yet it's on our top ten restaurants in Wine Country. Visit two, on a rainy Sunday early-evening (pre-movie at Sonoma's Sebastiani Theatre), was perfect. I spotted the BALDASSARI Syrah, North Coast 2005, $27 at Back Room Wines, and ordered it to match
our entire meal. Fire roasted fresh sardines with a warm onion compote, seared sea scallops on sweet potato puree, then lamb...a grilled chop + braised leg in a special sauce. All were outstanding dishes on cold winter evening. You're on your own to get the dishes, but I have the Baldassari Syrah for you. It's a blend of "Unti Vineyard" in Dry Creek Valley and Coombsville (Napa Valley) fruit. Thus the North Coast designation on the label. Here's a great example of balanced, fruity, spicy, luscious California Syrah. Nose has black pepper, juicy blueberries and blackberries, black olive, licorice and mocha. Loads of berries & plums, medium body, silky texture, deft touch of oak. (1/3 new American, 2/3 once-used French). 142 cases made. BUY Baldassari Syrah here

June 16, 2009
Growing up, I was always a little different than other kids when it came to food. Even though I grew up in a household of pre-made hard taco shells and Irish-Italian Spaghetti Sauce (got you wondering on that one?), I remember declaring in my Junior High School Newspaper (Falco's Crier, if anyone's interested) that my favorite food was Coquilles Saint Jacque. Even though my pairing at the time was 7-Up, a wine match, someday, was inevitable.I'm off of Coquilles Saint Jacques now, although I wouldn't decline a serving. Sea Scallops prepared more simply is my thing. A little lighter, although not light, is my preference. Butter is good. I admit the following dish is in my future and not my past. That said, I have no doubt of its success. I tasted last week and brought into Back Room Wines one of this world's classics: Domaine des Baumard Savennières 2005 ($29/bottle). It's Loire Valley 100% Chenin Blanc, as Savennières must be. Always very good, sometimes great, the 2005 is the latter. Rich, luscious, nutty, creamy...its texture and flavor profile reminds me of a rich, minerally Chardonnay. This is not the most common comparison, but the hazelnut/toffee flavor and creamy texture makes the comparison fair. And tasty!

This is what I intend to do:
1. Get a half dozen beautiful and bountiful fresh sea scallops from my fishmonger. Will serve 2.
2. Clarify a half pound of sweet butter. This recipe won't need a half pound, but I'm out and could use for another day.
3. Pan sear the scallops to a rich, dark brown crust, while still being almost-raw on the inside. The scallops will be very lightly salt-and-peppered before.
4. Cover the sea scallops and keep warm. Don't cover them all the way as you want the crusty top & bottom to stay that way!
5. In the same pan, add 1/4 cup citrus juice. You could use many types of juice, but I'll use freshly squeesed Meyer Lemon juice because the sweet/tart of Meyer Lemons will be a fine match with Savennières.
6. Scrape all the tasty, crusty stuff from the pan and reduce the juice by 2/3.
7. Add 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme and 2-3 Tablespoons roast, chopped hazelnuts. Cook for a minute or two.
8. With the heat on low, add cold, whole butter one Tablespoon at a time. Do this until you have a back-of-spoon coating sauce. Maybe 4 Tablespoons? I'm not certain...can let you know soon. Rich scallops (and spuds) - rich wine. Creamy dish - creamy wine. Buttery/toasty dish - butter-textured/toffee flavors in wine. Meyer Lemon - lemon/pear flavors in wine. Hazelnuts - hazelnuts. Thyme - earthy/chalky wine.
9. Finally, make your gustatory tower: a. Starch of choice. I choose creamed Yukon Gold potatoes. THEY NEED TO BE HOT! Make a small pile in the center of the plate. b. Three scallops on the potatoes (starch). c. Top generously with the sauce. Use it all, even if it looks like it'll be too much. You'll eat it. d. Serve two glasses of Domaine des Baumard Savennières 2005, chilled.The marriage: Holy cow, I can't wait to make this now!
Buy Domaine des Baumard Savennières here.

March 25, 2009
I rarely cook meals at home that best match with Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Honestly, I rarely drink Cabernet at home as I taste so much of it at work. I had reason to last night, however. A Cabernet from a well-struck 3 iron away from our home: Ackerman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003, $75 at Back Room Wines.
Ackerman Cabernet appreciates a well-prepared meal. Rarely a customer for steak, I decided to take advantage of a burgeoning spring day and start up the Weber grill. Just the two of us, Holly and me, so one Ribeye steak was perfect. Soaked in dark soy sauce for one minute, dusted with fresh cracked pepper and grilled to medium rare.
To accompany: quick-sauteed Brussels Sprouts leaves and pantry-cleaning Rice pilaf (various nuts, dried fruits and fresh herbs in long grain white rice). I like compound butters, so I pulled some wild mushroom and garlic butter from our freezer to top the steaming beefsteak. Ackerman Cabernet almost-famously leads with the earth. You smell the soil, typical of Coombsville Cab, where it's from. Soy sauce, porcini mushroom and meat on the nose (see where I'm coming from with the dinner?). With time, as in 40 minutes, the Napa fruit emerges. Dark cherry, blackberry, currant: classic. Softening tannins, with the structure that remains melting into the expensive aged Ribeye. This was umami heaven at home.
BUY Ackerman Cabernet 2003 here

New Years 2009
The dish: Crab, Shrimp and Scallop Cakes with Roasted Poblano Hollandaise (found in "Without Reservations" cookbook by Joey Altman). The chef: my wife Holly. The place: friend's house in Napa. The wine: Chardonnay "Gamble Ranch" Napa Valley 2006, $39 at Back Room Wines. How's the match? EXCELLENT. The Sbragia Chardonnay is VERY rich. Stick of butter, pineapple cake, hazelnuts, oily and lush. The richness of the fish cakes, especially with the hollandaise (egg yolks & lots of butter!) calls for an opulent white. The roast poblanos and the wine's toasty oak was a great match.
The trend around here has been toward non-buttery, leaner Chardonnays. I prefer the luscious, buttery ones like this Sbragia in most cases. We'll include the recipe with purchase of the Sbragia Chardonnay "Gamble Ranch." It's an easy recipe-Holly was intimidated by the hollandaise, but it turned out to be a breeze to make.
BUY Sbragia Chardonnay here
 
Christmas 2008
The dish: Spicy shrimp lettuce wraps with Nam Pla Dipping Sauce. The place: SolBar Restaurant at Solage Resort & Spa in Calistoga. The wine: ZMOR Dry Gewurztaminer, Russian River Valley 2007, $25 at Back Room Wines. How's the match? VERY GOOD. The Zmor Gewurz is cruelly underrated. Delicious on its own, and a stunning food-wine.
Flowers, honeycomb, spicy peach, pineapple, lychee, grapefruit... groovy sensations from nose to finish. The fleshy shrimp match it on size. The lime, chiles and garlic in the sauce was a fun match of strong flavors. This is an easy, healthy dish to make. Find nam pla sauce online, and pick up celophane noodles & fish sauce at most Asian markets.
BUY ZMor Gewurztraminer here