The class called Wines of Italy – Level 1 was held at a really cool venue called Nos Caves Vin. This is a private wine club that has large wine storage unit for the proper storage of wine. One section of the building is cooled to perfection and operates like your personal cellar. It also has nice lounging areas for members to come get a bottle from their storage unit and enjoy at the premise. The facility has a large conference room used for classroom settings.

The class was taught by James King, an English guy who has a long list of wine credentials and has good wit about him, but sometimes mumbles during his presentation. As far as the presentation of the information, I found it to be somewhat dry and unentertaining. It was mostly text on a PowerPoint presentation with a map or so thrown on a slide. I personally think wine and learning about wine should be fun.

The class was 2 hours and featured all areas of Italy which was probably a little too much to cover in that length of time. We were given a one sheet of take-away notes that listed the areas and a little info on the history, grapes grown in the area and climate.

The most fun was the wine tasting itself and James really had some good ones for us to try. So, here is what we tasted and some of my tasting notes and possible pairings:

2009 Ruffino Orvieto Classico, Umbria – $10
Notes: very clean on the palate, citrus with hints of green apple.
Pair this with: Seafood like oysters or a light white fish, meats like chicken, ham, veal or light pastas.

2009 Allegrini Soave Classico, Veneto – $10
Notes: Dry on the palate, but light and crisp with hints of lemon, and somewhat tropical. This wine will last 4-5 years.
Pair this with: seafood dishes like crab, raw oysters, shrimp and smoked seafood. White meats like chicken and pork. Sauces that are citrus or vinaigrettes.

2007 Les Cretes Chardonnay Cuvee Frissoniere, Val D Aosta – $40
Notes: Very well balanced, light to medium chardonnay, no oak, has hints of baked apple, caramel, and hints of floral.
Pair this with: seafood dishes like lobster, sea bass or shrimp. White meats like chicken, turkey or pork and vegetables like avacado, spinach and squash. Sauces like basil, butter, cream, garlic or saffron.

2005 Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany – $34
Notes: Has more acidity of the Sangovese, aged in French Oak with a medium to medium plus red. It had a beautiful ruby color with a long soft, light finish and hints of blackberry, tea leaves and red cherry.
Pair this with: Dishes that are acidic like pasta in tomato sauce, lasanga, meatballs or simple dishes like roast beef. The Riserva is also good with grilled beef meats too.

2004 Villa Sandi Marca Trevigiana “Corpore” (Cabernet Franc/Merlot) Veneto – $40
Notes: Aged in French oak, dusty with very strong tannins, herbaceous with hints of blackberry and dark cherry. This wine has a very dry – long finish.
Pair this with: beef, duck, squab; sauces like meat, mushroom or red wine; veggies like mushrooms or wild rice and soft cheeses like cow or goat cheese.

2003 Poderi Colla Barolo Bussina, Piedmont – $ 71
Notes: Garnet color on the rim of the pour, cherry and earthy hints. Very fruit forward and very balanced. Lighter than expected. This was yummy and danced on the tongue, but I love Barolos! These can age 10-15 years.
Pair this with: Full lamb, beef dishes and stews; Sauces that are rich or earthy mushrooms

2003 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcinco, Tuscany – $101
Notes: Fuller bodied wine with more tannins, hints of darker fruits, truffles (which I adore) and has a slight pepper taste. Long finish.
Pair this with: This one is in search of big flavors, game, red meat, flavorful hard cheeses and mushrooms. (If you have a meal with similar flavors, try a Rossa di Montalcinco, which is much less expensive, but is made from the Sangiovese grapes, but not aged as long.)

1999 Cosimo Taurino “Patriglione” (Negroamaro) Salento IGT Rosso, Puglia – $65
Notes: This 12-year-old wine had hints of dried fruit, honey, and was jammy but elegant on the mouth. It was much like a port type of wine.
Pair this with: Desserts like cheesecake, strawberry shortcake etc.

And the mustard greens weren’t cooked my traditional Southern way with bacon drippings. I just chopped some fresh garlic, sautéed it in olive oil and then added the greens by the fist full, until wilted. Then added about a cup of homemade chicken broth to soften the greens.

Here’s the recipe for the fish:

Orange Roughy in Scallion-Ginger Sauce
242 Calories – 3g carbs
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/4 cup of dry sherry or vermouth
3T low-sodium soy sauce
2t sesame oil
1/4 cup diagonal sliced green onion
1t freshly grated ginger
1t fresh finely chopped garlic
2 orange roughy fillets
zest of orange

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sherry or vermouth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, ginger, orange zest and garlic in small bowl

Place the fish in ovenproof casserole dish. Drizzle the marinate over the fish and bake about 12 minutes or until flakes.
Cod, sole or flounder may be substituted.

Orange Roughy in Scallion-Ginger Sauce with sautéed mustard greens

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

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In 2010, there were 23 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 28 posts. There were 109 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 170mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was January 22nd with 55 views. The most popular post that day was Gary Danko Restaurant – San Francisco – OMG it was impeccable!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, linkedin.com, mail.yahoo.com, ohamerica.us, and mail.live.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for gary danko food, gary danko, cinc sentits, retreat hill wine, and steelhead trout plank.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Gary Danko Restaurant – San Francisco – OMG it was impeccable! January 2010

Texas Wines & Bluebonnets April 2010

About September 2009
1 comment

Preparing a 6-course dinner with wine pairing August 2010
2 comments

Learning about wines – How to taste wine February 2010
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Cinc Sentits was started by Canadian-born Catalans Amelia and Jordi Artal, the chef, are a dynamic brother and sister team. Cinc Sentits in Catalan translates to the 5 senses, and having now dined there, it lives up to the name. A smoke free environment and intimate, but modern space make for a pleasant and food focused experience. Combined with an attentive staff and good acoustics, I was ready to begin my 8-course tasting.

To start, brought out a variety of small bites, or tapas like ‘spiced’ almonds, which appeared to be only spiced with salt, and the highlight being house marinated “gorbal” olive stuffed with pimientos. Big thumb sized olives with a sweet lemony flavor. There were also some small garlic and tomato “bastons” as well.

When the next tapas were presented, I took an immediate double-take. Maple syrup, chilled cream, cava sabayon and rock salt was served in a shooter with explicit instructions to let the salt at the bottom slowly slide into your mouth before swallowing. Knowing that I was from the South with my accent, the waiter said “you will probably recognize this ingredient.” I was surprised to find the maple syrup so refreshing, but that is exactly what it was. The sweet flavors swept off my tongue, while the salt crystals lingered joyfully in my mouth.

1st Course
Moving onto the first course was “Pa Amb Tomaquet,” which was a fresh tomato sorbet, with garlic “bubbles” and toasted peasant bread. The look was beautiful and the tomato sorbet had a slight sweetness to it but the garlic “bubbles” gave you a “cool” combination in your taste.

2nd Course
The second course was one of my favorites because I love anything that has Foie Gras in it! Called ‘FOIE GRAS “COCA”, it’s a rectangular slice of perfectly soft foie gras sandwiched between pastry on the bottom and caramelized sugar on top with a chive “arrope”. This dish will go down on my life list of culinary treasures. This sounds rich and overly decadent, but it wasn’t like some typical foie gras dishes. When you tasted it, it coated your tongue briefly and was then swept away by the chive syrup, and the slightly crisp pastry crust gave it texture to keep it from sitting heavy in your mouth. This dish was paired perfectly with a white wine – Caligo Vi De Boira, Massis Del Garraf.

3rd Course
The third course was the “Mar I Montanya” and was paired with Lagar Do Merens 2008, D.O. Rias Baixas. This was a crisp pork belly that sat on saffron “allioli” with a pan-seared calamari on top. This pork belly was scrumptious and the flavor of the allioli and contrast of he calamari gave it a unique taste.

4th Course
To follow, I was presented with a Wild Mediterranean Sole that came out in a bowl with a lid and when lifted had the wonderful smell of smoked salt. The fish was cooked perfectly with a smoked salt sprinkled on top. It had a sweet potato puree on the side. This was paired with Albithia 2007, D.O.C. Vermentino Di Sardegna.

5th Course
The course was an Iberian Suckling Pig with apples in two textures, poached and pureed.. It was paired with Manyetes 2005 D.O.Q. Priorat. I was really excited about this course because cooking a Suckling Pig is on my list of things to do. The meat was delicious and the apples sublime, but I felt as if the pork was just a little dry. Thankfully apples added additional moisture to the taste.

6th Course
The sixth course was a variety of artisanal cheeses. Very nice cheeses from the area designed to cleanse your palette before the next courses. The contrasts that went along with the cheeses were very interesting.

7th Course
Finally, it’s on to the desserts. Citrus “snow” made up of lemon ice cream with lime rocks and yuzu foam. The ice cream and foam were lightly citrusy, leaning to lemon, infused, delicate and cleansing, while at the same time cloaked a bed of “lime rocks” of the “pop rock” variety below them. Tiny stones popped in your mouth quickly, and it gave the dish a unique tasting experience. I found out that in Spain the name for them is Peta Zetas, The bowl that it was served was absolutely beautiful.

8th Course
I love chocolate and I loved this dish! Grand Cru Chocolate 67% was paired with Garbatxa Masia Pairal Can Carreras, D.O. Emporda.

The dish featured macadamias on the bottom with a ganache chocolate for the base and had olive oil ice cream with shattered bread on top. It was outstanding!

At this point, the coffee was ordered, and I didn’t think I could eat another thing. A perfect cup of espresso was accompanied by a plate of “treats”, one that needs a mention. Delivered in a small shot glass, and innocently looking like a bit of sweet cream or vanilla custard, the shot was layered on top with an infused violet syrup that made my head spin. It also had a “spoon” of their version of egg. It was cream with passion fruit in the center.

I absolutely adored this chef tasting and the wine parings were perfectly matched. It gave me an opportunity to taste and learn about the wines of Spain. What a wonderful experience!

Beginning tapas

Maple syrup shot

Tomato sorbet

Foie Gras

Pork Belly

Wild Sole

Suckling Pig

Cheeses

Citus "Snow"

Chocolate!

Cream with violet infusion

Chef Jordi

Inside Sagrada Familia

Spontaneously, I decided to take a trip to Barcelona over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Some thought I was crazy for making this trip for such a short period of time. But, I didn’t have a lot of time to take off from work right now, and Barcelona is on my bucket list of things to do. So Carpe Diem!

And it was one of the best vacations I’ve taken by myself. The weather was perfect the entire time I was there and it’s like the sky was polished just for me! But the most fun, was all the different people I met along the way!

Day 1
I arrived to a beautiful day in Barcelona on Thursday, Nov. 25 – Thanksgiving Day for Americans.I checked into the Hotel Barcelona Catedral, which is in a great location in the Barri Gotic area. This is one of the oldest, historic areas of Barcelona. However, the hotel is very modern in style and the rooms are very sizable for European standards.

In the afternoon, I took a bus tour of the city to see the sites and get a sense of the city. This is a great deal and is ideal if you don’t have a lot time to sightsee. It’s a double-decker bus and covers all the major attractions, complete with headphones for an audio history lesson. You can get a 2-day pass for $29 euros and get on and off as much as you like. The great thing was that I could catch the one of these buses just around the corner from my hotel at the plaza of the old Cathedral.

In the first few hours in Barcelona, I marveled at the Gaudi architecture and the brilliance of his work. I also met some wonderful people right off, but then again that’s not unusual. On the bus tour, I met some cool guys on the bus from Canada and interesting enough Tom had just moved to Houston for work.

After taking a tour of the Southern part of the city, I stopped in a tapas bar, mainly for wine, but ended up eating some tasty tapas. Juan became my new best friend serving me my first Spanish wines on my visit.

Juan serving up Spanish reds

Juan serving up Spanish reds!
Then some Americans began to come into the Tapas bar and were drawn to me like moths to a flame. I think it was my Southern accent and they just wanted to hear me talk. By the end of the evening there were about eight of us at the bar celebrating our Thanksgiving Day Spanish style! When I started to leave, Juan said to me, “you come back any time. You are good for business.” (But just imagine it in a strong Spanish accent.)

Day 2
After breakfast, I set out to explore the La Boqueria market. I love to go to these markets to see all of the fresh food that the locals buy. And it is very fresh too! There were stalls of beautiful produce, fresh fish and seafood, meats, olives, and on and on. One favorite was the selection of different eggs, and such a variety.

I had lunch there because I knew it would be definitely be farm to table. It was a simple lunch of grilled octopus that sat on top of potatoes along with tomato spread bread. (That’s a catalon tradition to spread the bread with tomato and garlic..yummy)

Octopus-potato tapas

I caught the double-decker bus again to see some more of Gaudi works around the city. I stopped off at the Sagrada Familia, but did not go inside because the lines were so long. Next, I hopped on the bus and went to Park Guell, a fabulous place that Gaudi designed. It was such a beautiful place. Gaudi really loved nature and has incorporated nature into all of his works.

Guëll Park is one of the world’s most intriguing parks. The pavilions and main staircase designed by Antoni Gaudí look like they belong in some fairy tale. However, it was a failed project.

This popular park started out as a development project. Eusebi Guëll, a well known Catalan industrialist, acquired a 17ha / 42acre large hilly plot in the Gràcia district, north of Barcelona. He wanted to turn the area into a residential garden village based on English models. 60 Housing units as well as several public buildings were planned.

Gaudi's lizard

In 1900, Guëll commissioned his friend and protégé Antoni Gaudí with the development of the project. With the support from other architects including Josep M. Jujol and his disciple Francesc Berenguer, Gaudí worked on the garden village until 1914 when it was clear the project was a commercial failure: Guëll failed to sell a single house. In 1918 the city acquired the property and in 1922 it was opened to the public as a park.

Two houses were completed as well as pavilions for visitors and park keepers. The pavilions, designed by Gaudí, seem to be taken out of Hansel and Gretel, with curved roofs covered with brightly colored tiles and ornamented spires. The staircase at the entrance of the park is also designed by Gaudí. The dragon-like lizard at the center of the with trencadis-ceramics decorated staircase is the best known symbol of the park.

Serpentine Bench

A connecting flight of stairs leads to another famous feature of the park: the Gran Placa Circular. Originally intended as a market place for the residents, this plaza is bordered by what is known as the largest bench in the world. The colorful ceramic serpentine bench, designed by Jujol, twists snakelike around the plaza. The view from the plaza is spectacular, you can see as far as the Mediterranean Sea. The whole platform is supported by 86 huge columns, creating a hall beneath the plaza, known as the Sala Hipòstila.

Gaudi Museum

Between 1906 and 1926, Gaudí lived in one of the two houses that were completed. The house, known as the Casa Museu Gaudí, was designed by Francesc Berenguer. It serves as a museum and displays some of Gaudí’s furniture (including some from the Casa Batlló) and drawings. The park also includes the Casa Trias (not open for visitors) and winding roads with paths supported by tree-like columns.

Then, I had a dinner planned at a local place called Cal Pep. It was suggested to me and was warned that it would be totally packed, but it was well worth the wait. (see the other post about the dinner tasting) You really want to sit at the bar and see the cooking going on behind. They made sure I always had a glass of wine in my hand while I waited. Then Chef Pep motioned me to a seat at the bar. I sat beside a gentleman from Germany and a lovely couple from Portugal. We had great conversation throughout the meal, and yes, once again my accent was a hit!

Day 3
I had purchased a 2-day bus pass and used it to go back to the Sangrada Familia early to beat the crowds to go inside this enormous work of art.

The Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, is one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions. Construction on this church will continue for at least several more decades, but it has already become Barcelona’s most important landmark.

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

The modernist architect Antoni Gaudí took over as lead architect at the age of 31. From that moment on, Gaudí devoted most of his life to the construction of the church. Instead of sticking to the original plans, Gaudí changed the design drastically. The neo gothic style made way for Gaudí’s trademark modernist style, which was based on forms found in nature. When he died in 1926 only one facade (the nativity facade), one tower, the apse and the crypt were finished. Because Gaudí was constantly improvising and changing the design while construction was going on, he left few designs and models. And most of these were destroyed during the civil war in 1936.

Still, architects now have a clear idea of what Gaudí had in mind. The last version of his design called for a church 95m/312ft long and 60m/197ft wide. The church will be able to accommodate 13,000 people. When finished, the Sagrada Familia will have a total of 18 towers.

After spending several hours there, I took a cab to my over-the-top foodie experience at Cinc Sentits for an 8-course chef tasting with wine pairing. I spent four hours having some of the most extraordinary tasting sensations. (See additional blog about the chef tasting)

After winding down at the hotel for awhile, I went out exploring around the Barri Gotic. Since it’s the oldest part of the city, the streets in the Barri Gotic are narrow and are like a maze of shops, restaurants and tapas bars. And even late at night, it’s vibrant and lively with people everywhere walking through the narrow passages.

I ended up at another tapas bar. Imagine that! But I was thirsty for a glass of wine or two, so I made my way to the bar. I met a couple of gals from Washington D.C. who came in and sat beside me. We had great conversation and enjoyed some Spanish reds. We had a lot in common and said we would stay in touch. Most of the tapas bars have local wines as their house wine and some of the best.

Day 4
My last day in Barcelona was filled with art. First, I went to the National Museum of Cataluyna Art. It’s a beautiful stately building that sits on top of a hill.

The Catalonian National Art Museum is housed in the former “Palau Nacional” at the foot of Montjuïc and is regarded as the best Art Museum in Barcelona. It houses an enormous collection of Medieval Art stemming from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. Many of the frescos were collected from the Roman churches of the surrounding villages. Fortunately, this was before the churches came under large scale attack by a population incensed by the church’s political alignment with Madrid. Frescos and paintings are complemented with sculptures, wood carvings and other pieces collected from the churches at the time.

The museum also recently added a section dedicated to Picasso and is constantly expanding its permanent collection. A visit to the building is worth it alone, given its impressive architecture and spectacular location overlooking the city.
After going through the museum and seeing some spectacular sights overlooking the city, I headed to the Picasso Museum.

The Picasso Museum is a key reference for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the more than 3,800 works that make up the permanent collection.

The Museu Picasso, opened in 1963, also reveals his love of Barcelona an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death. 

The history of the Picasso Museum in Barcelona is the chronicle of the artist’s firm wish to leave the imprint of his art in the city. Thanks to the wishes of Picasso and his friend and personal secretary, Jaume Sabartés, Barcelona now has the youthful work of one of the twentieth century’s most significant artists.

The Museum had a very unique special exhibit that with works by Picasso and Degas. Picasso really tried to emulate Degas work and it was so interesting to see both artists’ works side by side.

To cap my last evening of my trip, I had dinner at a restaurant on the Fisherman’s Harbor called La Gavina. I read a review in the New York Times that they had great paella. And it was some of the best in Barcelona.

I had the time of my life in Barcelona! If you’re in the mood to surrender to a city’s charms, let it be in Barcelona!

Originally nothing more than a Frankfurt (the local word for sausage stall) on the corner of a quiet square near Santa Maria del Mar, Cal Pep has evolved into a fascinating restaurant. But don’t come expecting refinement—this place is relaxed, as in paper place mats and culinary commotion in the open kitchen behind the bar.

Depending on the season and markets, you’ll feast on clams with parsley, pinkie-sized fried sardines, squid with onion and tomato, potently flavored crimson shrimp from Palamós, baby octopus, or deep-fried Andalusian-style (breaded and fried) cuttlefish. Service is unfailingly good-natured despite the crowds of foodies, locals, and tourists.

I waited in line for nearly an hour to get a seat at the bar. The place was packed and the line went outside the door. Thankfully, I was able to stand in the line inside and they kept the wine flowing for me.

Chef Pep motioned me to my seat where I sat between a very nice gentleman from Germany and a couple from Portugal. What a great dining experience with complete strangers! And I had some of the best seafood that I’ve ever tasted. I asked the chef to send out his choice of dishes to try and he did not disappoint.

I heard about Chef Pep and how he still cooks at the bar and entertains with his cigarette-smoke voice as if he’s known them for years.

So I sat at the bar elbow-to-elbow with everyone else–there is a dining room in the back but the action happens at the counter. The next three hours was pretty much in heaven. Everything was made with passion and you could watch the chefs toss, sauté, grill and fry different ingredients with gusto.

The almejas, or clams, quickly fried in olive oil and parsley were so fresh, you really didn’t need much with them. The purple taint inside was so nice to look at, too. The chipirones, or small squid, were the size of my thumb and cooked with garbanzos.

I sat next to a gentleman from Germany who ordered deep-fried pimiento peppers. He noticed that I was anxious to try anything and so he picked up two from his plate and put them on mine.

After the German and Portugal couple, and I finished our meal, the German wanted to share a glass of cognac with him. We said cheers and made room for the others standing in line.

It was a great dining experience and I enjoyed meeting and talking with Chef Pep.

Ingredients

Soup
¼ watermelon, ripe
3 tomatoes, peeled
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
½ red onion
1-2 cloves garlic
½ cucumber, seeded
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup EVOO
Fresh dill
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Garnish
Watermelon, cubed
Cucumber, diced
Dill, chopped
Feta cheese, crumbled

Procedure

In a blender, purée tomatoes, jalapeño, and watermelon until creamy. Add EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and vinegar and pulse, Add onions, garlic, cucumber and dill and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and blend. Put in refrigerator until well chilled.

Serve in chilled bowls and sprinkle with garnishes, serve chilled.

Salad of arugula, spinach, with roasted beets, goat cheese with white wine vinaigrette.

Purchase organic arugula, spinach pre-washed mixture
Bundle of red and golden beets, peeled and roasted on a baking sheet for 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Wine Wine Vinaigrette – 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar, 3/4 cup of good EVOO, 1T honey – Mix together thoroughly,

Arrange greens on plates, place cut goat cheese on top, then place sliced beets on top and drizzle with vinaigrette

Grilled Halibut with fennel-red onion-orange topping

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the fish and season with salt and pepper. Grill 4 minutes on each side until fish is firm but not tough and cooked through.

Topping can be made prior to grilling fish

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.

While fish cooks, peel the orange as you would a melon: cut off ends, stand it upright and cut off skin and pith in thin strips from top to bottom. Cut orange across into thin slices.

To preheated skillet add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, the fennel and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook 3 to 5 minutes until seared and beginning to soften. Add vinegar to the pan and give it a shake. Remove from heat and toss in the oranges, the parsley and oregano. Adjust seasoning and top fish.

Pork Belly Bosc with Pear Puree

(serves 4)

3 lb pork belly
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
chili flakes
1 onion
2 large carrots
handful garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 cup white wine
Preheat oven to 450F. Chop carrots and onion into big pieces. Place in a roasting pan with garlic. Chop up a about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves and combine with chili flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl. Any remaining thyme sprigs can be tossed in with the vegetables.

Place the pork belly on a cutting board skin side up. With a sharp knife make parallel lengthwise cuts about 1 cm away from each other through the skin and deep into the fat but not enough to penetrate the meat. Rub the spice mixture all over the meat, getting in between the cuts of fat and on the bottom. Place pork belly fat side up on the vegetables.

Put in the oven for 30 minutes then turn the temperature down to 325F. Cook for another 30 minutes at 325F. Remove from the oven and pour off any excess fat. Add wine and return to the oven for another hour.

Baste the pork with the juices. Then remove the vegetables and wine into a container. Put the pork back in the oven for another hour or until crispy on the top and fork tender.

Pear Puree

6 Bosc pears

1/4 cup of sugar (1/2 cup if pears are not ripen)

Pear pears and cut in slices, removing the core

In pan with pears, sugar and water and bring to boil until pears are tender

Drain and put in a food processor and puree

On a plate put some puree and place slice on pork belly on top. The sweetness of pear will compliment the saltiness of the pork belly.

Beef Filet Medallions with caramelized shallots over gruyere cheese mashed potatoes and haricot verts

4 filet mignons

6 shallots

6 Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 cup Gruyere cheese grated

haricot verts

Beef – cut into medallions and marinade in Alegro marinade. Grill over medium high heat for about 4 minutes until medium rare. Meanwhile, cut shallots and place in skillet with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir shallot until caramelized.

Potatoes – peel potatoes and boil in water until soften.  Drain water from potatoes and place back in boiler. Add 1/2 cup of cream, 1/4 stick of butter, and cheese. With a hand mixer, whip potatoes until creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Haircot Verts – In boiling water with a little salt, place beans in for three minutes, drain and transfer to  a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and crisp beans. Drain beans.

To plate, put mashed potatoes on plate and top with medallions and shallots, place a serving of beans on the plate.

Creme Brulee

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Preparing a meal like this was a “bucket list” thing for me to do. I’ve had the opportunity to experience several extraordinary chef tastings that had courses paired with wines and found it to be tantalizing. I wanted to create that same experience for my friends at my home. Plus, it offered a culinary challenge for me as well as a chance to learn more about wine pairings.

I had some help with the wine pairing from my close friend, Joslyn, who shares my same passions for food and wine. She helped me with research and gave me some suggestions of wines she had tasted. Some of the wines were ones I had not tried before, and I love that she always expands my palate.

With her suggestion of the grapes and a few wines for each course, I went with menu in hand to Specs on Hwy. 290 in Houston to purchase my wines. I had an excellent wine consultant, Juan Valencia, who spent about an hour with me to help me select the proper wine that would go with the flavors of the courses. As we made the wine selections, Juan gave me the history of the wines we selected. He also had experience in the restaurant business and with pairings. I had so much fun wine shopping with him!

I cooked all day to prepare the dinner that night. Yes, I did all myself! I had no sous chef. But for me, I love doing that because cooking is a creative release for me. Everything turned out beautifully and the meal was awesome. I had one disappointment with the Pork Belly course. When I went shopping at Central Market for all the ingredients I asked the butcher for pork belly, but  he gave me pork shoulder by mistake. I didn’t realize it until I was in the midst of cooking and didn’t have time to return to the store. It still tasted great, but I really wanted the pork belly. Oh well, another time.

Table is set!

Watermelon Gazpacho

Salad of baby arugula, spinach, roasted beets, goat cheese with White Wine Vinagrette

Grilled halibut with fennel-red onion-orange topping

Lemon Sorbet to cleanse palate before meat dishes

Pork Belly Bosc with Pear Puree (Pork Shoulder)

Beef filet medallions with caramelized shallots over gruyere cheese mash potatoes and haricots verts

Creme Brulee

If you would like to try these recipes, check out the posting in my recipe section.

Before we were seated for an evening of tasting, we started out with a bottle of Villa Jolanda Processco, a great Italian sparkling.

Below is the menu with the wine pairings. I planned two different wines per course so we could taste each one with the course to decide the best pairing. It was interesting to hear each of my guests describe their tasting notes and then we came to a consensus on the wine.

1. Watermelon Gazpacho

Paired with Sparkling Rose’

Elyssia Pinot Noir – Spain  – Labet Cremant – France

(our favorite was Spanish wine with the meal and preferred the French one without food)

2.  Salad of baby arugula, roasted beets, goat cheese with white wine vinaigrette

Paired with Torrontes and Gruner Veltliner

Crios Torrontes, Argentina – Hirsch Gruner Veltliner, Austria

(the Argentina wine was preferred with this course. It had a great nose and a little buttery hint to it.)

3.  Grilled halibut with fennel-red onion-orange topping

Paired with Albarino, Pinot Gris, Riesling

Santiago Ruiz Albarino, Portugal – Trimbach Riesling, France

(we all preferred the Portugal wine with this course. Interesting note about the Portugal wine  that Juan told me is that it was made by a woman winemaker. He said many wines from Portugal are women winemakers. But we  really liked the Trimbach as well. It was a little dryer wine. I drank a bottle of the Trimbach prior to the dinner party and loved it with or without food.)

4.  Pork Belly Bosc with Pear Puree

Paired with Beaujolais

Beaujolais Villages Old Vine –Gamay, Moulin’A’Vent, – France

(the majority of us preferred the Old Vine, with one preferring the Gamay. Both were excellent)

5.  Beef filet medallions with caramelized shallots over gruyere cheese mashed potatoes and haricots verts

Paired with Italian Barbera

Castelvero, Piedmont –Araldica , Asti

(We all loved the Asti wine with this paring. It was a little less tanic with more mellow finish)

6.  Crème Brulee

Paired with  Nanerone Aleatico Di Toscana

(we did not taste this wine because we had consumed so much wine with the meal and decided to have the Piedmont to finish out the bottles)

1st Course Wine

2nd Course Wine3rd Course Wine

4th Course Wine

5th Course Wine

6th Course Wine

Not long ago, I went to a wine tasting that featured Italian wines from the regions of Asti, Alba, and one from Piedmont. It was held at the Block 7 Wine Company in Houston. Best of all, it was free!

This event interested me for a couple of reasons: 1) I LOVE Italian reds and wanted to expand my wine pallet with some wines I had never tasted. 2) I thought it would be really fun to taste and compare wines from different regions. It’s amazing how different areas and the slight differences in climate can differentiate wines.

I saw the tasting listed in the Juice, a weekly wine event email I receive. It was at the last minute, so my wine buddies couldn’t join me. However, I am never shy about doing things by myself, and especially if it has to do with wine!

The tasting was held in the wine store area at Block 7 by Jason Cottle of Domaines Estates distribution. He gave a lovely presentation and had a lot of knowledge about the wines.

The three neighboring Provinces of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria incorporate the Langhe and Monferrato hill region in the centre of Piedmont, limestone and sandstone deposits laid down by the retreating Adriatic some 5 million years ago, and are home to some of Italy’s finest red wines, plus some famous whites. Asti city is in the centre of this area and is the major city of this notable wine district.

So here are the wines I tasted:

2008 Castelvero – Piedmont (about $15 bottle) – This was a Barbera aged in stainless steal. The region is just southeast of Asti. It doesn’t get the notoriety as Asti because it’s just outside that region. But the vineyard produces a great wine every year and it’s meant to be enjoyed upon its release. Nice fruity flavor with lots of berry tones. It’s got a crisp and clean finish, but smooth.

2007 Araldica – Asti (about $16 bottle) – This is another Barbera wine. Albera is the ancient name for the Barbera when the grape was grown in the late 1200s. There is a complexity with the wine and it is aged in 20% new oak barrels with a mixture of older barrels and larger tanks. So you kind of get that mouth feel from the wood with older oak barrels, and then hints of vanilla flavor and complexity comes from the new oak barrels. The one thing about this wine is that not from a single site. They harvest grapes from various areas around Asti. The producer wants to create a classic Barbera, so they make sure to get the grapes that reflect this. This wine was very fruit forward, and had that very smooth European rich feel finish on the tongue.

2008 Damilano – Asti (about $24 bottle) – This wine producer got their reputation from Barolo, like a lot of producers from the Piedmont region. It’s located north of Asti where a lot of the Barolos are grown. This is an amazing wine and this is the first 2008 Barbera to get a DOCG certification. It’s aged in a little of the new French oak barrels and then larger tanks. With this wine, you can taste the oak and it has a slight peppery finish to it.

2007 Pio Cesare – Alba (about $29 bottle) – This producer is known for their Barbaresca and Borolo. This producer always gets great press every year and they have some the best highly rated Italian wines. Because of their history, they were founded in 1881 and have a long history of wine making. It’s an amazing wine from just southeast of Alba. They own and control all of their vineyards and sites. This wine was made with the history and tradition of an amazing Italian wine. It has a great nose with hints of blackberry and plum with a very smooth finish. THIS WAS MY FAVORITE ONE!!

2006 Coppo, Camp du Rouss – Asti (about $35 bottle) – This wine also has a long history of wine making, now with 5th generation of family wine makers. Their last name is Coppo. This producer doesn’t make wines that are for the current moment, but they produce wines that are true to the region. The vineyard is located really closer to the town of Alba than Asti. It has a great softness when you first taste it, and has a slight acidity that is quickly dissipates on the finish. This is one of those wines that really change as you sit there and sip it.

A Life That Matters

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes ambitions, plans, and to-do list will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived. At the end, whether you were beautiful or brilliant, male or female, even your skin color won’t matter.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you know, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

I choose to live a life that matters.