Le Menu

Christmas dinner with Lisa, mom&dad, Susan&James, and joined by the Berzanskys for dessert

Starters: Olive tapenade, crackers, gruyere & a triple creme blue cheese
Wine: 2009 Gianni Gagliardo Fallegro

The olive tapenade was inspired by Evan (who else) and made by blending together olives, olive oil, capers, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and miso paste. Very good but very salty. The Gagliardo is an aromatic Italian white from the Piedmonte region with ever so light frizzante.

Salad: arugula with pomegranate and sauteed mushroom, seasoned with raspberry vinaigrette
Wine: continuation of the Gagliardo

Soup: winter quash with chilis and mint.
Wine: N.V. Collard-Picard Champagne Cuvée Dom Picard Blanc de Blancs

The soup recipe is adapted from 'The Greens Cookbook' by Deborah Madison. The champagne is from K&L. Love that stuff.

Entree: Imam bayildi (braised eggplant)
Main Course: Barbecue marinated salmon with potato-leek puree
Wine: 2005 Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Nebbiolo Il Favot

The imam bayildi was made by mom and delicious. The salmon marinated overnight in a hodge podge of a sauce (wine,soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, olive oil, garlic). I had a tough time getting the charcoal going - clear that i dont really know how to barbecue. The wine was the real wildcard not having had it before, picking it up on a PRIMA recommendation -and it was flat out delicious.

Cheese Plate - an assortment of soft cheeses
Wine: 2007 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The Hall Cabernet is overoaked in my opinion.

Dessert - Lemon bars, Ginger cake, assorted cookies
Wine: Homemade Sparkling Mead (2010)
Wine: 2006 Navarro Vineyards Gewürztraminer Cluster Select Late Harvest

Mmm, good stuff!

Mother's Day & Sparklers

Can you think of a better way to spend mother's day than with a bunch of sparkling wine (and yes some mothers)? I took a ton of pictures (of chicken lovers and thankfully no chicken livers) some of which are on:


http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2687813015/a=3549108_3549108/


But for the blog the pictures of the food and wine are key - certainly can't releate them to a secondary site.

Wine details with my tasting notes can be found here:

http://www.cellartracker.com//event.asp?iEvent=10832

Marc started us off with a salad

Next i grilled up some lime-ginger prawns



served on a bed of cucumber and lettuce



Next Marc served up home grown poached eggs with asparagus and topped with fried prosciutto.

Gotta love those domestic chickens. Or as Arman said, 'daddy these chickens are wuvwee'.



And an heirloom tomatoe slice to boot. Whoa mother!


Chased by some fine Belgian chocolates.


I am taking pictures of food in the same way that my dad used to. Back then I'd roll my eyes.

The Gosset 1998 comes with a small booklet on a string. Who do they think they are they fooling?

And collecting the refuse to reuse for when we bottle our sparkling mead. If all goes well that is. It has been 12 hours since we pitched the yeast into the must, and there is absolutely no sign of action.

Patience is a virtue. For now at least.