Eat or Die

Pâté de Campagne (Country Pâté)

2011-09-21T18:21:00.001-07:00

Pâté de Campagne

The wine group I belong to had an event this past Sunday. Almost every month this group get together and does a "theme" tasting. These are social events, but they are also educational as well (if you pay attention). This month we contrasted four Washington Syrah's against four Syrah based wines from the Northern Rhone.

I love what Washington is doing with wine, but in this tasting they were like bringing a knife to a gun fight. The Northern Rhone defines that grape and it came thorough (for me) like the champ that it is.
We typically have a pot luck meal after our events and what better to take than a Country Pâté? I spotted this recipe in Bon Appetit and I need to give Molly Wizenberg credit for this recipe. The only deviations were that I used a smoked hog jowl bacon mixed with the pork and I used a French Ham for the center layer..........oh, yeah, I also substituted nutmeg for the allspice. The sign above says Pork, Pork, Pork. I forgot to add another item....Pork (Jowl bacon)
Bon Appetit!

Pozole

2011-08-29T22:31:00.001-07:00

Red Pozole

I have been cooking for over 40 years and I still come across classic dishes that I have never tasted or cooked. A few weeks ago my friends Heather (Voodoo & Sauce blog), Scott and their adorable son Zephyr had us over for dinner. Heather served a red chicken Pozole and it was fantastic. This was only the second time I had ever eaten Pozole. The first was at the Cochon 555. At that event the Posole dish that Jason Barwikowski served was the best thing I ate in 2010.

This dish has roots back to the Aztecs and was used in rituals for special occasions. The conjunction of corn (usually whole hominy kernels) and meat in a single dish is of particular interest to scholars because the ancient Mexicans believed the gods made humans out of cornmeal dough. There is also mention of human sacrifice and something about pork tasting a lot like human flesh (Hmmm, I will take their word on that one) on the wikipedia link.

Our dish was simply Pasilla chiles, hominy, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chicken and chicken stock. This is a no-brainer to make ahead several days ahead of time. I warmed it back up tonight and garnished with fresh cabbage, cilantro, scallions, radishes and some lime juice.
The soup/stew is very complex, and has a depth of flavor that belies the few ingredients actually used. The chiles used are what I am guessing gives this dish religious significance and the spice mix warms your body and your soul.

Pozole is going into permanent rotation at our home.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Father & Son

Before my son left for an exchange in France (Bordeaux) we had a final meal together. Since it was Father's Day it only seemed fitting that some kind of protein get grilled. I have been playing with some of the lesser cuts of meat of late. You know, they are the ones you see on a restaurant list. Basically things like Pork Shoulder, Flap Steak (Bavette Steak), Hanger Steak, Flat Iron Steak, etc. These cuts are fairly inexpensive and with some care you can elevate them to great heights.
I started with half a Pork Shoulder and just de-boned, butterflied and then stuffed with garlic and rosemary then rolled into a roast. The roast was about 6-7 lbs and all I did was sear on a medium hot grill then move the roast completely off the flame. I banked the coals to one side and tried to keep the temperature around 250 degrees. The first time you try this make sure you get this going early as it can take 6-8 hours to cook. This roast you should pull at 185 degrees and let rest for 30 minutes. At that temperature you can still slice the roast. If you cook another 10 degrees you are going to wind up with pulled pork (delicious, but not what we are going for).
This roast goes well with a vegetable that you can add some acid to. Brussel Sprouts sauteed with bacon and some lemon juice are killer. Grilled Asparagus with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon are a gimme too.

Smoke Roasted Pork Shoulder
w/Sauteed Brussel Sprouts & Grilled Asparagus

Harmon Killebrew

2011-05-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

Harmon Killebrew dies at 74; Hall of Famer was one of baseball's premier home-run hitters

The above headline made me sit up and think about getting older. I grew up the same small Idaho town (Payette) as Harmon did and heard stories about his exploits as soon as I was able to put on a baseball glove. I will tell you this, that small town absolutely adored Harmon. The one time I met him in person was when he spoke at my little league football banquet in 1970. As I recall they invited 3 or 4 teams in the area to a dinner held at Maudie Owen's cafe and he spoke of his own football days, signed autographs and hung out with a bunch of star-struck 11 and 12 year olds (adults too). This seemed like a big deal then. As time has passed it seems like an even bigger event. In 1969 Harmon was the AL MVP. Imagine getting A-Rod to show up in Payette, Idaho to speak to a bunch of 11 and 12 year old pee-wee football players.

When I heard Harmon was sick a few weeks ago I sent him a personal note and I thanked him for speaking at my football banquet over 40 years ago. His passing makes me realize that life is short and we should all count our blessings. Harmon was a kind gentle man who lead by example and who made a very small town in Idaho very proud. I will miss him.

Harmon Killebrew, known for his towering drives, hit 573 homers in 22 seasons that included an American League pennant with the Minnesota Twins in 1965 and a most valuable player award in 1969. One manager said he could hit the ball out of any park, 'including Yellowstone.'

Harmon Killebrew, a Hall of Fame slugger who became one of baseball's premier home-run hitters with the Minnesota Twins, has died. He was 74.

Killebrew died Tuesday of cancer at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Twins announced. He said in December that he was undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer and last week said he had entered hospice care.

He hit 573 home runs during 22 seasons with the Washington Senators, Twins and Kansas City Royals, including eight seasons in which he hit at least 40 home runs. Killebrew helped the Twins reach the World Series in 1965, where they lost to the Dodgers, and he was named the American League's most valuable player in 1969.

A 13-time All-Star, Killebrew was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

"This is a sad day for all of baseball and even harder for those of us who were fortunate enough to be a friend of Harmon's," Hall of Famer and former Killebrew teammate Rod Carew said in a statement. "He was a consummate professional who treated everyone from the brashest of rookies to the groundskeepers to the ushers in the stadium with the utmost of respect. I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for Harmon Killebrew."

At 5 feet 11 and about 210 pounds, Killebrew was a stocky first and third baseman, outfielder and designated hitter who was particularly known for his ability to hit memorably long home runs.

"He hit a ball in Minnesota that went over 500 feet and broke two chairs," former Twins Manager Cal Ermer told the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press in 2002.

Paul Richards, then manager of the Baltimore Orioles, said during Killebrew's breakout season in 1959: "Killebrew can knock the ball out of any park — including Yellowstone."

Killebrew hit 42 home runs that season for the Washington Senators, who moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Twins.

Killebrew credited his power to growing up in Idaho. "When I was 14, and for the next four years, I was lifting and hauling 10-gallon milk cans full of milk," he told the Washington Post in 1984. "That will put muscles on you even if you're not trying."

Harmon Clayton Killebrew was born June 29, 1936, in Payette, Idaho. A star athlete at Payette High School, Killebrew already had fans in high places. Idaho Sen. Herman Welker touted Killebrew enough to Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith that Griffith sent the team's farm director to Idaho for a scouting trip.

It was raining when Ossie Bluege arrived to see Killebrew play. They talked and Killebrew made it clear he was planning to play football and baseball at the University of Oregon.

But then the weather changed and the game was on.

"I happened to hit a ball over the left-field fence, and I'd been going to that ballpark since I was a small boy and never had seen anyone hit a ball over that left-field fence," Killebrew said during his 1984 Hall of Fame induction speech.

"Mr. Bluege … called Mr. Griffith and he said it was 435 feet or so [into] a beet field, not a potato patch, and he thought that was a pretty good hit for a 17-year-old boy from Idaho."

Killebrew signed with the Senators in 1954 for $30,000. "It really wasn't a $30,000 bonus," he told the Washington Post in 1984. "They gave me the minimum salary of $6,000 a year for three years and on top of that a yearly bonus of $4,000 for three years."

Because of baseball rules at the time concerning players who received bonuses when they signed with a team, Killebrew had to spend two seasons in Washington before he could be sent to the minors. He played sparingly with the Senators until 1959, when he started a remarkable string of powerful seasons.

The right-handed hitter had more than 40 home runs in a season eight times between 1959 and 1970. He hit 25 home runs in 1965 when the Twins won the American League pennant.

A soft-spoken man who was nicknamed "Killer," Killebrew had enjoyed playing in Washington and was apprehensive about the team's move to Minnesota. But "I quickly learned that Minnesota was my kind of place and the fans there were my kind of people and are my kind of people," he said in his Hall of Fame speech.

In the 1968 All-Star game, Killebrew ruptured a hamstring stretching for a throw at first base. He played only 100 games that season, hitting 17 home runs.

"A lot of people thought I was through," he told The Times in 1985. "But that injury was kind of a blessing in disguise for me. I worked harder in the winter than I ever did before, and I was in better shape the next season than I ever was in my life."

Killebrew bounced back to become the league's most valuable player in 1969, hitting 49 home runs and driving in 140 runs. He hit 41 home runs in 1970. The Twins won the American League Western Division title both seasons.

Killebrew retired after playing with Kansas City in 1975 and spent several seasons as a broadcaster, most of them with the Twins.

"He's one of the great hitters of all time," Al Kaline, a Hall of Fame outfielder with the Detroit Tigers, told the Detroit Free Press in March. "He wasn't just a power hitter. Harmon was strong, but he had great hands and wrists and a great strike zone."

Killebrew's survivors include his wife, Nita, and nine children from two marriages, according to the Twins' website. His first marriage ended in divorce. A complete list of survivors was not available.
(Article pulled from the L.A. Times)

David Abreu

2011-04-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Abreu winemaker-Brad Grimes

The first "big time" winery we hit in Napa was Abreu. My buddy Sam is on their mailing list.

David Abreu is perhaps one of the hottest vineyard manager in the Napa Valley. He has a great reputation and he has a long list of clients who are willing to spend as much as it takes the produce high end wine.
David Abreu also makes wine under his own name as well. His Madronna Ranch Cabernet wines are highly sought after and are as expensive($500-600/bottle) as they are rare.
Abreu has a small, discrete winery located in a cave. The facility is small, very tidy and the place has the feel of a monestary.

Cave tour

We had a chance to meet and spend a couple of hours with Abreu winemaker Brad Grimes. Keep in mind that Abreu doesn't have a tasting room and they rarely see visitors. For us to get the opportunity to spend a morning with Brad was akin to being a fan of U2 and getting to spend a couple of hours with Bono.
Brad Grimes may be one of the best (and least known) winemakers anywhere. While we heard over and over this weekend that "wine is made in the vineyard", I couldn't help but take away from this winery visit that the winemaker's personality does show through. Brad comes across as someone who "thinks and feels" in his wine making.
I didn't get the sense that this guy spends much time getting caught up in wine science. He came across as a serious artist who "guides" vs. "makes" wine

What an awesome morning and the beginning of an amazing group of winery tours.

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder

2011-03-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder

I think it may have been the weather that made do this. Early this month the weather in Portland, Oregon had been creeping into BBQ territory. Even though I probably grill 100+ days a year outside there are times when I don't feel like getting soaked while trying to coax some wet hardwood charcoal (yeah, I am a total Luddite) to light.

So, the weather is cold and wet and I was surfing some cooking sites when something nudged me to do a google search on "Milk Braised Pork". This is a technique that an Italian Grandmother developed and I wish I could say that it was an old family recipe, alas it isn't. I tell you this though, if you cook this, your family will remember it and they will tell the story of their Mother or Father who cooked this succulent pork dish.

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder

Ingredients:

4-5lb Pork Shoulder (boned and tied)

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

2 Onions (chopped)

4 Shallots (chopped)

1 qt. Whole Milk

Fresh Thyme-2-3 big sprigs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Season the Pork Shoulder with salt and pepper and add to a enamel lined cast iron pot with some olive oil. Brown all sides and remove. To the pot add the onions and shallot and cook until soft, add the milk and the pork and bring to a simmer then add the thyme. Add the pot to the oven and cook the pork for two hours (keep the lid to the pot slightly open). After two hours transfer the pork to a warm dish to rest for 20 minutes. Place the pot with the milk mixture on a medium burner and reduce this mixture for 15 minutes. The mixture will look a bit gnarly.....the milk will curdle, but if you hang in there and reduce and then puree with an immersion blender you will have the silkiest, most savory gravy you have ever tasted.

Season the gravy to taste, slice the pork and plate with a side vegetable. This gravy would be awesome on mashed potatoes as well.

Heads up, the remaining gravy and a couple of handfuls of left over pork (chopped) make a pasta dish that is worth going to the trouble to make by itself. Buon Appetito!

David Arthur

2011-03-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

..........................David Arthur Vineyards.................................................................. Barrel Room .......................

....................Sam Sundeleaf & Tyson Ducker.............................................. Conception Oak Tree .......................
I was in the Napa Valley last week for 5 days. Myself and 5 other serious food/wine friends flew down and we rented a house together. Keep in mind this isn't just a casual group of wine drinkers who would be happy hop scotching up and down Hwy 29. This group is either in the wine trade, has a wine collection or both. We are all on some exclusive mailing lists and we called in every favor we could.
The first "big" stop of the week was at David Arthur. This was my first real foray east of the Silverado Trail into an area known as Pritchard Hill. The valley floor in Napa is somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 feet in elevation. David Arthur is at about 1200 feet. The winery produces about 3000 cases of wine which makes this basically a "cult" winery (re: expensive and hard to get). The winery is open to visitors with an appointment and if you are on the mailing list (like my buddy Sam) you can get a grand VIP tour (like we did). We had a chance to taste through the entire lineup of wines that David Arthur produces which for the 2008 vintage includes:

Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Meritaggio (California take on a Super Tuscan)
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon (actually a Bordeaux blend)
Elevation 1147 (100% Cabernet)

View from above the winery looking West

David Arthur Vineyard

Thinking that things couldn't get any better (trust me, they did)

We had a fantastic afternoon tasting the wines and talking about vineyard practice, barrel management and philosophy of making wine from these hillside vineyards.
This was to be the 1st of a series of great winery visits we had on our trip. Great day, great friends, great wine-cheers to David Arthur Vineyards!

The French Laundry

2011-03-01T21:53:00.001-08:00

Champagne at the French Laundry

I just got back into town on Sunday after a five day trip to the Napa Valley. Six of us were there to celebrate my buddy Tom's 40th birthday. If you know anything about wine, then my telling you we spent time at Abreu, Continum, David Arthur, Dunn, Karl Lawrence & Rudd (I will do a post of this later) might strike a chord. If you are more in tune with food then I could say that the above wineries are to wine what The French Laundry is to food. Speaking of The French Laundry, the group of us decided over a month ago to bite the bullet and see if we could get a reservation. Long story short, we did and we went (blog post to come later.......c'mon, with 15 courses this may take a while).

Biblical

2011-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

My birthday was a week ago and I got the one gift I really wanted

Thanks Mom & Dad

I am not a religious person, so in my world this is about as "Biblical" as I want to get.
The Silver Spoon is considered to be the Italian equivalent of "The Joy of Cooking".
I might second that sentiment if "The Joy of Cooking" had been written by Thomas Keller. I am looking forward to Italian meals that provide a religious experience.

Meat, Cheese, Vegetable

2011-01-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

Friday a wine group I belong to celebrated the event we call "The Feast of St. Vincent".
If you are really interested you can click the link and get a quick run down of who St. Vincent was and also some info on our group (Confrerie de Vignerons des St. Vincent de Macon).
We hosted our dinner at the Oregon Culinary Institute and what a great dinner it was. OCI is a teaching restaurant and with a group of our size we can have their restaurant space reserved as a private event. A four course seasonal dinner is $18.00 + gratuity (a phenomenal bargain).
In the past OCI had done appetizers for our group, but due to a change of policy we weren't able to make that happen this year.
So what do you do when life gives you a lemon? You make lemonade. I decided as the outgoing Chanclier (President) of the group to take our budget and see what I could pull together. I knew that with our budget we couldn't realistically pull in another caterer and the thought of a Champagne reception with a Fred Meyer veggie/lunch meat tray gave me the motivation to step up and prepare appetizer platters for 40 people.

Charcuterie Platter

Cheese Platter

Vegetable Platter

Cold Smoked Salmon Crostini

The three platters turned out wonderful and was really pleased with the presentation.
I even got cocky and did some individual Salmon appetizers as well.
Prep for these four platters + some nuts, olives and condiments took about 3 hours. This little exercise gave me a huge appreciation for what a caterer does. A big shout out goes to Chop of Portland for their pate, smoked duck and house made charcuterie.
I got nice compliments all night about the appetizers, but the biggest pat on the back came from the chefs at the restaurant when I was pulling these out of my car and setting up. When they asked "who did your appetizers, those are awesome"! and I could look them in the eye and say: " I did them".

Iron Foodie 2010

2010-11-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

Foodie Blog Roll is sponsoring a Iron Foodie competition. The contestants will chosen by who has the best answers to the following questions-wish me luck!

Drum roll, and the questions are:

Why do you want to compete in this challenge? I grew up playing sports and am very competitive. This foodie challenge appeals to my love of food and competition.
Limitations of time/space notwithstanding, whose kitchen would you like to spend the day in & why? Julia Child, Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, James Beard, Marie-Antoine Careme, or The Swedish Chef? All of the food celebrities above would be great to spend the day with, but if I had to choose one it would be Julia Child. Her late life introduction to cooking and French culture have inspired me to realize how much you can create in the second half of your life.
What morsel are you most likely to swipe from family & friends’ plates when they aren’t looking? Artisan bread
Sum your childhood up in one meal. Meatloaf with Tomato Ketchup, Green Beans (canned) with Bacon and Mashed Potatoes (lumpy).
The one mainstream food you can’t stand? If it were up to people like me to support McDonald's they would have a single store and a sign that said: "Thousands Served"- I hate fast food burgers.

Shakshuka

2010-10-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

This week the local alternative newspaper (Willamette Week) in Portland, Oregon came out with their 2010 restaurant guide where they named their restaurant of the year. The winner is a place called Tasty n Sons. What is remarkable isn't that the food is great. What makes this a wildcard choice is that this place is only open for Brunch.
In homage to the winner and their amazing chef John Gorham, I had to make their specialty egg dish called Shakshuka. This dish has its roots in Morocco and it is a spicy/savory /tomato/pepper/onion melange that gets a couple of eggs poached (soft & runny) just before service. This is quick, easy and it kicks serious flavor ass. The only thing that made this better was some toast and some fresh ground Stumptown Coffee.

Yum!

Bacon & Egg Bruschetta with Spring Greens

2010-10-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever since I have posted. I have been grilling a ton lately and Now that Fall is here I am starting to dust off my LeCruset Casserole pots for some braising action.
Anyway, tonight I was craving something "fun", but just a bit lighter. I had some nice Spring Greens (from Fresh Express via Foodbuzz) and some Sourdough bread that needed attention so I thought I would do a quickie warm bacon dressing . I keep a homemade Balsamic vinaigrette around at all times so I tossed in a couple of spoonfuls of that into a sauce pan that I had crisped a single slice of minced bacon. An assortment of greens, some toasted bread (please note, I make the best garlic bread on the planet...really, just ask my son. Recipe: toasted bread, rubbed with a piece of raw garlic, butter a dash of olive oil plus some kosher salt...I think I am more than ready for a Bobby Flay Garlic Bread Throwdown!) and a couple of 3 minute poached eggs. This came together in the time it took to get the two eggs poached.
Not too shabby for a Wednesday, eh?

Bon Appetit

Wine is not Kryptonite

2010-08-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Wine Guy" to the rescue!

I wrote this wine blurb over a year ago and since it seems like I am being asked the same basic questions about wine by friends and acquaintances alike, I decided to re-post it.

When I go out to a restaurant I often see people treating the Wine List like it has been infected with the Ebola virus. I am sure many uncomfortable diners would love to be able to have a wine super hero "Wine Guy" fly in and make a wine selection . While there are more and more restaurants who have a Sommelier or a knowledgeable Wine Steward who can assist in making a selection, I get the feeling that many of you have a fear of asking for directions when choosing a wine (kind of like not asking for directions to the Freeway and spending an extra hour driving in the wrong direction).
Well, I am here to say that the wine list is not made out of Kryptonite and if you want to think of me as a wine Super Hero (but without the cape and the tights) that is up to you.
The next time you are figuring out what to serve with dinner or are going to dinner and you are looking at the "Wine List", just keep in mind a couple of things when trying to pair your wine with your meal.

1. If it grows together, it goes together. Italian food goes well with Italian wines. Oregon Pinot Noir goes well with Salmon, mushrooms, truffles and game. When eating well prepared fresh local cuisine look for the wines of that region as well.

2. Forget the Red Wine w/Red Meat -White Wine w/Fish or Poultry Rule. While a Bordeaux or a California Cabernet go well with a steak you are absolutely allowed to drink whatever your palate says you should drink. If you want to drink a Sauvignon Blanc with a steak ..... do it! Personally anything that hits my grill is getting paired with a red wine that has the backbone to standup to some smoke and spice.

3. Don't be afraid of asking for directions. If the restaurant has a Sommelier use his/her expertise. These people have spent years training their palate (like a runner training for a marathon) and they can be a wonderful resource. Also, don't be anxious about ordering something less expensive on the list. The restaurant doesn't care if you order the most expensive bottle or the least expensive bottle, they want you to have a great dining experience and they want you to come back.

4. Take your own wine- My group of friends are very wine savvy and we all take wine to restaurants. Keep in mind that the restaurant will charge you to open the bottle. The standard term is called a "Corkage Fee". These fees will range between $10-25/bottle. The reason to bring wine is not to save money, it is to enjoy wines that are not on the restaurants wine list. Older wines, limited production wines, wines from mailing lists, etc.

5. Upgrade your stemware- As geeky as it sounds, different wines taste and smell better in different style glassware. If you want to maximize your drinking pleasure use a proper glass. While you can have an almost infinite variety of stemware if you are just starting out, purchase Cabernet/Bordeaux style glasses. These glasses are the most versatile for both red and white wines and by the time you get around to really enjoying Burgundy or new world Pinot Noir you will already have notched up your glass collection a stem or two just by osmosis.

6. EEE-Experiment, Expand your palate, Enjoy!-The more wine you taste, the better your palate will become and the more you will enjoy what you drink. Not to go all Forrest Gump on you, but the wine world is like a 1000 piece box of chocolates-try them all!

Wine can and should be first and foremost a fun experience.

7. Watch a couple of episodes of Wine Library TV- Trust me, Gary Vaynerchuk is doing more to take the "snob" out of wine than anyone I know. Follow the Three-E's and remember as Gary says: "You, and a tiny bit of me, is changing the wine world".

Hobby or Obsession?

2010-07-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

I can remember vividly when the "light" went off in my head (the wine light that is). Or maybe since I still have "Exhibit A" I can refer to the date on the spine of the Wine Spectator magazine that shoved me into the deep end of the wine pool (March 31, 2003).
I had been a wine drinker for more than 20 years and though I love the taste of wine I never really thought about what I was tasting. Looking back it surprises me just a bit. I am a very accomplished chef and I was good at matching food to wine, but after reading that issue of Spectator I had a revelation. That revelation was simple: "I need to buy 2000 Bordeaux......now!".
For the next several weeks I poured over as many sources of information as I could get my hands on. Wine Spectator, Wally's of L.A. newsletter, Wine Advocate, Zachy's online and countless online sources I can't even remember. The result was that I ordered about 15 cases of Bordeaux. Most of this was Petite Chateau and Bordeaux Superior, but I did also snag some Cru Classe wines. My goal with my selections was to get as much high quality wine as I could for what I had to spend. This also meant that I needed to get a place to store the incoming wine since suddenly my 5 case under counter cooler was now woefully undersized.
I discovered a new wine storage facility on the Eastside of Portland called Portland Wine Storage. I rented a 18 case locker and the rest is history. Today my locker has turned into a 30+ case room and the owners Tom Harvey and Joe Padulo have become good friends of mine. Tom, his wife Andria and my buddy Sam Sundeleaf and I are on the verge of making wine commercially. The funny thing about wine is that once you start amping up your collection you would be surprised how often I can walk into that 30 case cellar and still not feel like I have anything to drink.

Here is the list of the wines I purchased (listed alphabetically).

Chateau D' Agassac
Chateau Batailley
Chateau Beaumont
Chateau Bellefont Belcier
Chateau Cambon La Pelouse
Chateau Cantemerle
Chateau Cantenac
Chateau Clos L'Eglise
Chateau Fombrage
Chateau Gigault Cuvee Viva
Chateau Haut Batailley
Chateau Lynch Bages
Chateau Lynch Moussas
Chateau Martinens
Chateau Petit-Village
Chateau Pibran
Chateau Reignac
Chateau Rollan De By
Chateau Rouillac
Chateau Sociando Mallet
Chateau Les Trois Croix

I have sampled all of these wines with the exception of the Sociando Mallet and the Lynch Bages. The find of the bunch I think is the Reignac. Wally's wine shop was out of one of the wines I was ordering and they recommended this wine in it place (Parker gave this 92 pts. and I think I paid $19.99/btl.). The nice thing about purchasing wine that you intend to drink versus collect, is that any of them can be broken out for a party whether it be formal or just a couple of friends. Wine is meant to be shared and I hope I can share some of these with those of you who are my friends reading this.
The top bottles I purchased were the Lynch Bages and I tell my 15 year old son that someday we will open those when he gets married. This makes me wish my Dad had set down some 1961 Lynch Bages for my wedding.

Crunchy Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

2010-07-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Crunchy Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

Since the weather actually got nice here in Portland I have been doing a lot of entertaining and also have been getting invited to cookouts. Lately I have been focusing more on side dishes and salads. While growing up I have to admit that I wasn't a big potato salad or cole slaw guy. As of late I realized that both of these dishes have a broad flavor and taste profile.
I now understand what I didn't like about cole slaw was the mayonnaise/sugar based dressing.
Once I found you could dress cabbage with an oil and vinegar dressing I have broken out of the box and been playing with all of the tastes humans can discern: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and that late addition to the taste game, umami .

For this dish I use thin sliced Red and Green Cabbage along with some Napa Cabbage for fun. A thin sliced red onion with scallions to taste. The dressing is a 3:1 mix of canola oil and sherry wine vinegar, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of dijon mustard, a few minced garlic cloves. Dress the salad then add a scant cup of crumbled gorgonzola and toss again and refrigerate until ready to serve (this is best cold). This dish looks great and is a simple to make, looks tremendous and it is a great foil for anything you can grill-Enjoy

Grilled Potato Salad with Red Pepper-Smoked Paprika Aioli

2010-07-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Roasted potato dressed with Red Pepper/Smoked Paprika Aioli

Summer is finally here in Portland, Oregon. We had the worst Spring this year since I moved here in 1993 ( 3 clear days.........yeah, it sucked to be us), but the Summer we have been having is almost on the verge of making up for it.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I am a huge fan of Bobby Flay. The above is my adaptation of his recipe for: Grilled Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Red Pepper-Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise

I have been going to a ton of barbecue's and this has been a crowd pleaser. My recipe bumps up the amount of smoked paprika (maybe even double it) and I like to use a mix of potatoes (red, russets, fingerlings, etc.). I also substitute jarred Piquillo Peppers and lemon juice for the acid instead of the vinegar. If you don't want to break out the grill go ahead and just cut and toss the potatoes with olive oil and roast in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes once and roast for another 2o minutes then remove from the oven and toss with the Aioli while they are still warm. The word Aioli sound way sexier than Mayonnaise, don't you think?

Cochon 555

2010-05-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Good, good, good, good, good, REAL GOOD!

Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW! What a way to spend a Sunday evening. I have been to a ton of foodie events in Portland and around the United States, but the Cochon 555 event held at the Governor Hotel far exceeded my expectations......and with tickets at $125-175 a pop the bar was set pretty damn high. The food quality at these kind of events can be spotty, but in this case this group of decorated chefs (and crews) upped the ante. felt like the set of Iron Chef, too bad I don't look like Alton Brown. The crowd was also packed with industry people and nobody wanted to not put their best food forward. In a single word: "Outstanding"!

The venue was the Historic Governor Hotel and the celebrity chef list included:

GABRIEL RUCKER – Le Pigeon
NAOMI POMEROY – Beast
JASON BARWIKOWSKI – Olympic Provisions
ANDY RICKER – Pok Pok
CATHY WHIMS – Nostrana
Butcher: RYAN FARR - 4505 Meats

Special Guest Chefs:
ADAM SAPPINGTON - The Country Cat
ETHAN POWELL / TOBIAS HOGAN - EaT
GREG DENTON - Metrovino
DAVID ANDERSON - Genoa Restaurant

Hog Butchering Demonstration.............Check!

Great wine........Check!

Ass Kicking Food........Check!

The food as one might imagine pretty much too advantage of the theme ingredient (Pig) from snout to tail. Charcuterie, blood sausage, pate as well as a host of Asian and Mexican influenced stews.

Olympic Provisions "Meat" sign

To be honest as much as I love bbq and whole hog roasts, the single item that stood out for me was the Posole, Cilantro Puree & Cabbage Cotija. It may have been the reason that when the final tally was done by the judges and the eating public the winning chef was Jason Barwikowski. When his name was announced his sous chef's rushed the stage and hoisted him like he was Tom Brady and had just tossed the winning Super Bowl pass! It is great to see that Portland has so much talent and passion when it comes to pushing the locavore movement..........plus you gotta love kitchen geeks getting star treatment!

I had a friend who just got back from three weeks in Italy and she spent time in and around Rome. Her thoughts were that Portland has a much stronger food scene than what she encountered in Rome.

The highlights for me were the offerings form Jason Barwikowski at Olympic Provisions and Andy Ricker of Pok-Pok (and their respective and sizable crews)..

In the wine category, when you have both Domaine Drouhin and Domaine Serene show up for a tasting event like this the competition usually feels like they brought a knife to a gunfight. Actually, while DDO and DS were great, I was impressed by the offerings from Elk Cove (the dry Reisling was fantastic). Soter was right in there and made an impression with their Mineral Springs Ranch (MSR) Pinot………..but, for my money

Ben & Mimi Casteel-Cute enough to be the King and Queen of this Pig Prom

Bethel Heights Winery brought some serious thunder and having the second generaton winemaker & vinticulturist (Cousins Ben & Mimi Casteel) sharing the love with four single vineyard Pinot Noir offerings was a special treat. This is a 30 + year old winery in the Central Willamette Valley. I love these family owned and operated wineries (note to self, get on the mailing list).

Nostrana Menu

Yum!

What is not to love about Naomi Pomeroy's Beast Restaurant?

The Posole, Cilantro Puree & Cabbage Cotija was the best dish I have eaten all year (scouts honor)

Whole Hog.......are you freakin kidding me?

Okay, the event is over, the wine has flowed and we have all had pig from snout to tail and what do they then wheel in on a rolling table? Answer: A whole roasted hog that Adam Sappington of Country Cat carved and served BBQ style. I got some pulled pork and some potato chip crisp skin.....I told the server "I love you".......and I meant it.

1 1/2 Men BBQ

2010-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

The only guy at my house that enjoys real BBQ more than I do is my son Connor.

I am going to venture a guess and say he has been exposed to more grilled protein than just about any other budding carnivore in Portland. My son has a very adventurous palate and with the exception of a vegetable aversion he will eat almost any you can grill (including liver) I have been traveling a bit lately (actually I had spent 1 day in my own bed in the last 10 days) and this past weekend I offered to recreate some of the authentic Texas BBQ I had the opportunity to sample in Central Texas. With that offer, lets just say I got no argument from my son.

Connor (future Master Sommelier?) - helping me bottle my 2007 Pinot Noir
*Note: These ribs would beat Pinot Noir like a rented mule....think Zinfandel (Turley if you can get it)

While I wish I could say that I sourced the ribs from heritage bred hogs or acorn finished swine, the reality was that I went to Cash & Carry and picked up a commercial sized pack of back ribs.

I have the Steve Raichlen BBQ Bible Cookbook and I did a variation on his basic dry rub......Chile powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes and some celery seed. I added the rub and let the ribs sit overnight. The next day I smoked the ribs in a a Weber grill that I added a full chimney of mesquite coals and a log of apple wood. I piled the coals on one side of the grill, added a pan of water (moisture) under the meat and set the ribs to one side. I also nearly close the vents (top and bottom) and then tried to leave everything alone for about 5 hours.

Ribs, Slaw & Beans

While I didn't get a chance to sample the ribs at Louis Mueller BBQ (they ran out), I will say that these ribs at least matched the product at 2 Bros. BBQ Market-nice bark,decent smoke ring, good tenderness, but not mushy. The cole slaw and beans were both a step up on either venue. Next time we go after the Holy Grail of Texas BBQ and try smoking a whole brisket.

Two Bros. BBQ Market

2010-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

This past week I was in San Antonio for a conference. I was fortunate enough to be staying downtown near the Alamo and the Riverwalk, so there was plenty of activity.
I made a point of contacting my blog friend Daniel at Full Custom Gospel BBQ to ask his advice about BBQ in the area. My intention was to rent a car and head out to either Luling to City Market or up to Lockhart to Kruez Market. Unfortunately due to timing both of those options were out of the picture. Plan "B" ended up being a local BBQ joint called Two Bros. BBQ Market. Two Brothers is about 12 miles from downtown and with the help of my handy Blackberry we were able to navigate from the hotel to this out of the way BBQ joint without a hitch (thank god for technology).

Pork Ribs, Beef Brisket, Sausage & Fixins

Okay, so how often do I get to have "real" Texas BBQ? Not that often (actually until this last month, never!). I made a point of skipping lunch because I knew that moderation in ordering multiple smoked meat options was not on my dinner horizon.
I ordered up a 1/2 lb. of the brisket, a couple of ribs and a sausage.........oh yeah, and Shiner Bock too (don't you love that a whole bunch of Germans decided to settle in Texas). The brisket had a tremendous smoke ring and the bark was great. With just a dab of the House BBQ sauce this was really good. I would make a point of ordering the moist brisket next time (personal preference). The ribs were very good as well with great smoke flavor and good tenderness. I think that many people misunderstand what a great rib is.
A perfect rib is tender enough that if you take a two rib section, you should be able to pull the two rib sections apart without pulling the meat off the bone (really fine line).
The sausage reminded me of the Portuguese Linguisa I cook at home. This was smokey and succulent. All in all this was a great night out and the guys who operate this place were awesome hosts! If you are in San Antonio in the future make the trek out to see Two Bros.

Louis Mueller BBQ

2010-04-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

Louis Mueller BBQ

Last week I was in Central Texas on business. Before I left town I did some research as I knew this area was a "hot bed" for Texas BBQ. I came across a great BBQ blog called Full Custom Gospel BBQ. I wrote the site owner and he was kind enough to recommend a handful of great places to hit. On Tuesday last week I was 30 minutes from a Texas Landmark and I convinced my travel companions to head to Taylor, Texas and Louis Mueller BBQ. This place has been doing BBQ since 1949 (the year my Dad graduated from High School). Taylor is small (pop. 14,000) and without doing some research I would have never suspected what I was going to find.

To be honest I had never been to an authentic Texas BBQ joint and had no idea what to expect (other than what I had read). Walking in the front door you are greeted by this amazing smoke smell. Remember when you were a kid and you got to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on a stick and hang out telling ghost stories by the campfire. Remember how your clothes smelled the next morning.......that is what Louis Mueller's smelled like (amazing!).

Yeah, that's a James Beard Citation Award

Menu......gotta love it.

Check out the business cards on this wall. The brown cards are that way because of the smoke they have seen. The smell makes me want to build a smokehouse, but I am not sure my condo board would approve of that.

Wayne Mueller (3rd generation owner) & Me

While I didn't get to the restaurant that late (5:00pm), they were out of all but the Pork Loin, Chopped Beef and Brisket. I was going to go with a mixed plate, but thought better after I saw the Brisket. I ordered 1 lb. of Moist Brisket (the end with the fat) and Wayne told me if I was in the area again to call ahead and they would either hold food or cook a bit more.

Moist Brisket

The Brisket was served with a couple of slices of white bread, a dipping sauce, some raw onion slices and dill pickle chips. I got a side of beans and a Shiner Bock (these guys have been making German style beer in Texas since 1914), served in a Mason Jar...........Yum!

This is just messed up.........

2010-03-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

Pâté de Canard en Croûte

2010-02-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

Pâté de Canard en Croûte

Last week a group of my friends and I were out for dinner. As is ofter the case, our table talk turned to wine. The discussion ended up with us deciding to taste a vertical of Le Cigare Volant, a wine my friend Andria had a 7 bottle vertical of.
What to have for dinner? Since we had recently seen the movie Julie/Julia my buddy Sam said lets have " Pâté de Canard en Croûte".
I thought about it for a second and decided what the heck. All in this recipe took 3-4 solid hours of focused prep time and that doesn't include cooking or shopping.
Was this the most amazing thing I have ever eaten (nah), was it one of the most spectacular things I have presented on a set table (hell, yes!).

Monseiur Duck

Boned.........45 minutes!

Stuffed and TrussedBrowned

Wrapped with Pastry Dough and Oven Ready

Would I make this again.......Hmmm, maybe. This is a big fat show-off of a dinner entree and you really need a group of wine and foodie geeks (my friends in Spades) to appreciate it. Trust me, if you make this for dinner, even just once, no one who was at the table will ever forget that night. Bon Appetit!

Boeuf Bourguignon

2010-02-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I received a copy of Julia Child's "My Life In France". Seeing the movie "Julie & Julia had made me want to find out more about Julia Child. Yeah, I had known who she was forever, but I had never really watched her cooking shows on PBS and the only cookbook of hers that I had was "The Way To Cook" (which is fabulous).
Anyway, after reading "My Life In France" I decided I had to have a copy of Julia's seminal work "Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This first cookbook took Julia and her co-authors a little over 10 years to write and get published. The love of France and attention to cooking detail is all over this book. Julia loved good food, but she really loved to share meals with her husband Paul and her many friends. Cooking became an outlet for her feelings for her family and friends. I have to admit that I had no idea how much time and effort this book had been. I also knew by Julia's description of the work she had done that this book is truly a classic and that anything in it is going to turn out well.
What was my first recipe cooked out of the book? Why, of course it was Boeuf Bourguignon. This was the recipe that Julia's editor (Judith Jones) used as a test. This is hands down the best wine based beef stew you will ever have.

Boeuf Bourguignon

My friend Joan told me a story of seeing TV food celebrity Alton Brown at a lecture. Someone asked him: "If you could have anyone in the world cook for you who would you choose"? Apparently he answered immediately with: "My wife". Alton said that no one cooks for you like someone who loves you. I don't know about you, but I love that story. Valentine's Day is around the corner and you could do worse than to make this meal for someone special.

Limoncello

2010-02-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

Normally any drink concoction with that contained both a fifth of vodka and a fifth of straight grain alcohol (190 proof.......yike) would have a quaint name like: Rocket Fuel, Jungle Juice or Spode (my fraternity neighbors used to make this).
Well, a couple of bottles of spirits plus the rind of 15-20 lemons (I used Meyer Lemons) and you have the makings of Limoncello. Limoncello is is an Italian lemon liqueur most often produced in Southern Italy, mainly in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi and islands of Procida, Ischia and Capri, but also in Sicily, Sardinia, Menton in France and the Maltese island of Gozo.

Limoncello

To the lemon peels you add the spirits and let this mixture sit in a cool, dark spot for 45 days. After that you take 4 cups of sugar added to 5 cups of boiling water to make a simple syrup. Add the syrup to the lemon/spirit mixture and let is sit for another 45 days. Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer to remove the peels and then strain the remaining mixture through a coffee filer two times. Now it is ready to bottle.
Serve ice cold (go ahead and keep the bottle in the freezer........since this is about 150 proof you don't have to worry about it freezing) in small glass (take care, this stuff is strong)

Blackwood Canyon

2009-12-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Old School?

What can top a day of fabulous wine tasting in the Red Mountain Appellation? Almost nothing, but if you are a wine geek, not just a casual wine drinker but a true geek I can recommend a wine tour that you will never forget.

Two words: “Blackwood Canyon”. Up for an adventure? Go ahead and tell the tasting room manager at what ever winery you are visiting, that you are headed to Blackwood Canyon for a "reserve" tasting. That should start the conversation rolling. Yeah, maybe you have been to Opus (very cool) or seen the barrel ageing room at Mondavi (remarkable) in Oakville. Maybe you have visited the hallowed ground of Haut Brion (Un-freaking believable) in Bordeaux or seen the Francis Ford Coppala Museum (kinda weird, but fun) at Rubicon. All of these are great, but for a sheer in-your-face, did-we-just-experience-that? event, you have to go visit Mike Moore and his near mythical Blackwood Canyon winery.

On the gray November day that five of us headed to Walla Walla the chatter in the car was all about Red Mountain and a trip to Blackwood Canyon. Three of the five travelers had actually visited before and soon stories about a veritable barrel grave yard, a broken down sign, a winery that looked like it was the movie set for Sanford and Son meets Road Warrior. I was thinking to myself –c’mon, it can’t possibly be that bad.

At 3:00pm we took our photos out at the road next to the sign to the winery. The sign was probably put up about 20 years ago by the looks of the fading paint. I imagine that the bullet holes have been added over the years. The hand written invitation exclaiming “Old World Tasting” (looking like it had been written in white shoe polish) should have given us pause, but no, we were in for the long haul.

Back in the car and headed down the lane towards the winery. About a half mile down the road and with no winery in sight you see a hand written sign that says: “Keep going”. The next marker about another 1/8 of a mile says: “A little further”. As we pulled up through what looked like a kind of funky farm/barnyard (only surrounded by vineyards) we were met by the site of some cellar workers making wine and filling barrels.

Wine in barrel being aged outdoors-Blackwood Canyon

There were literally 100’s of oak barrels on the sloping hillside, all full of wine and apparently ageing until they reached their peak.

Barrel Aging Area-Blackwood Canyon

The description of the facility that my friends had given of this place was actually understated……..way understated. wow, wow, wow, WOW! What happens when reality far surpasses your wildest dreams (in a surreal way)? The grounds and the facility reminded me of Grandma Prizby’s bottle house or maybe Simon Rodia’s Watts Tower. Just like I said, "Sanford & Son" meets "Road Warrior IV" (just add a couple hundred wine barrels)......Holy smokes!

Michael Moore

We made our way down the path into the winery tasting room and met the owner and legendary winemaker, Michael Moore. To say the tasting room is a bit eclectic is an understatement. When you walk into the door of the winery it appears that the contents of 1000 junk drawers have been ransacked and their contents taken for decor. Mike’s persona can be described as some kind of cosmic link to Bill Murray’s (Carl Spackler) character in Caddy Shack (at least they share the same decorator). Actually, if you are going for a visit, just think of Michael Moore as Carl Spackler.....gopher killer/wine maker............I think..... and this will give you a bit of a mental edge when your imagination meets reality. It might even be fun to hum a few bar of the "Green Beret" song on your way in the door.

Lab/Office/Back Room-Blackwood Canyon & The laptop with which we viewed the Wine Library Review
Carl Spackler's digs in Caddyshack

Michael Moore's digs at-Blackwood Canyon

As I indicated this is unlike any winery you have ever visited. Michael has a degree from UC Davis and while you might find his approach to making wine a little odd, I prefer the think of him as a modern day Don Quixote. We were one of the last groups of the day and we ended up spending three + hours discussing fermentation, aging of wine, tasting profiles, oak, oxidation, lees aging (for 20 years) and a host of other topics. We also tasted through 10-12 different and unique wines. Even with our lengthy visit we never even made it to the red wines in his portfolio. The wine that stuck out in my mind was the Chardonnay that he had barrel aged (on the lees) for 20 years. This wine was reminiscent of old White Burgundy and had an acidity and flavor concentration that made it stand out. The rest of the bottles we tasted through had a similar aged (oxidized? component). Are the wines for everyone? No. Are these cocktail wines? Definitely not. Are these interesting wines? Hell Yes! The discussion turned to the wine style and what he is trying to do with these wines. Mr. Moore claims to be replicating the wine styles that existed in France in the mid 1800's. Who are we to argue.

Bon Appetit

Okay, so we spent a long afternoon with a man who has probably forgotten more about wine making that most of us will ever know. He is a contemporary of Heidi Barrett (Cult Napa Winemaker) and while I absolutely think this guy is one part genius, I also think he is two parts mad man. Just before we made our escape and just before I thought our day could not get any weirder, Michael mentioned that he had just sent some wines to Gary Vaynerchuk. If you aren't familiar with Gary, he is the owner of Wine Library and he produces a video blog to review wine. At well over 50,000 viewers per day, he is becoming a Gen X Robert Parker, (speaking of Parker, here is what he said about this winery) I couldn't imagine him tasting these wines. Well, long story short, he did. We watched the video on the laptop in the "office" area (shown above) and instead of me spoiling the experience for you , just go ahead and click on the link I provided to view this video. I will say this, Gary V. loved both wines and gave major kudos to Michael Moore for his unique approach.

All I can say is if you are headed to Blackwood Canyon do yourself a favor and think of this as theater, maybe even a play (Think "Tony and Tina's Wedding") that you are a part of. The wine (really interesting), food (c'mon be a sport and play along), conversation (did I just hear what I think I did?) and sheer anti-establishment tenor of this place will blow your mind. This is a winery visit that will stick with me the rest of my life. Life is short, have fun-

Wild Rice and Chanterelle Salad with Dried Fruit, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

2009-11-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. Food, Friends, Family along with conversation and some great wine always make this a fun day. This year I had the chance to go to two T-day events (woo-hoo!). This rice dish that I borrowed from Portland Icon, Chef Cory Shreiber formerly of Wildwood Restaurant has become a favorite and was a dish I took to both events.

The below recipe is his with the exception of my addition of crimini mushrooms in lieu of Chantrelle's (hey, if you have access to Chantrelle's, knock yourself out and use them.......heck, go whole hog and use two pounds!).
Enjoy

Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 cups wild rice
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 bay leaf
12 sprigs thyme
4 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 pounds chanterelle or portobello mushrooms or crimini, wiped clean and chopped

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and cracked
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and cracked
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mixed dried fruits, such as cherries, cranberries, raisins, chopped figs, or chopped apricots
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 pound stemmed arugula or watercress
8 ounces fresh white goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Directions:
To prepare the rice: Wash the rice under cold water for 2 minutes. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add the salt, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the washed rice to the boiling water and simmer for 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain the rice and remove the bay leaf and thyme; let cool. (This can be done 1 day ahead of time and refrigerated.) You should have 7 cups cooked rice.

In a large skillet, heat the grapeseed or canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat, drain well, and set aside.

To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, fennel, cumin, thyme, and pepper and season with salt. Add the dried fruits.

In a salad bowl, combine the cooled wild rice, cooked mushrooms, and walnuts. Toss with the vinaigrette and fruits.

To serve, portion the greens on a plate, top with the rice mixture and sprinkle with the goat cheese.

My Hero

2009-10-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Writer Jim Harrison

Here is the man whose book; "The Raw and the Cooked", gave me the title for my blog. His reputation for enjoying good food and wine is legendary. Besides, when you can name drop about having Mario Batali make you a 19 course dinner for your birthday or casually mention the evening you powered down a huge prime rib and a couple of bottles of St. Emilion with Jack Nicholson, you, in my book, are: "The Man"

Legends of the Fall author, poet, screenwriter and wine lover discusses a lifetime of special bottles
Owen Dugan/Wine Spectator
Posted: September 15, 2009

Jim Harrison is an American writer who has worked as a screenwriter and published poetry, fiction (including Legends of the Fall, upon which the 1994 screenplay of the same name was based), and non-fiction on a range of subjects, including wine and food. Many of his stories are set in the wild, and are concerned with humanity and man's moral center. Wine Spectator caught up with Harrison on the telephone from his Montana house.

Wine Spectator: Do you collect wine?
Jim Harrison: There was a lawyer in Southern Michigan who had a nice petite cellar of about 70 cases. He developed cirrhosis but didn't want to sell his beloved collection to a restaurant, so I bought it. I had about 40 cases of premiers crus in there. My daughter even had a '49 Latour and a '61 Lafite for her night before the wedding dinner.

It's basically all dissipated now. But I still get to have some good bottles when I travel, because some people feel ashamed of their wealth and pour nice things for poets. Just a couple of years ago I was hunting at this big ranch in New Mexico and a man there, a friend, tried to give me an '82 Pétrus. I said, "I can't take that." I get home and there it is, stuffed in my duffel bag. It was almost the best ever.
NS: When my college buddy Brad Stone mailed me a 1989 Lynch Bages (loosely packed in a shoebox), I was just as jazzed.

WS: I'll bite: what was the best wine you ever had?
JH: I was in Malibu, cooking dinner for a bunch of fashion models who were drinking cola. [Record producer Lou Adler] offered me two '53 Romanée-Contis which I was able to drink, if you can imagine that.

WS: What was the beginning of your love of wine?
JH: My big break was when I was in the [Florida] Keys, fishing. I was about 28. I was with [author] Tom McGuane, and we met [author] Guy de la Valdène. And I start palling around with him, and fishing. He couldn't conceive of a day going by without a decent bottle of wine. I spent time at [his family's] place in France. His mother had a nice cellar. She packed two '23 Margauxs in our picnic lunch.

WS: Do you still spend time in France?
JH: I found a vineyard that fascinates me in Collioure, down near Perpignan, called [Domaine] La Tour Vieille. It's really fascinating because the terrain—talk about terroir—is sort of straight up and down, overlooking the sea. I got an award last November in Lyon, and I'm just ecstatic for these old bistros [there]. That kind of food really turns me on, whether it's beef, snout, lard or mayonnaise.

WS: What about food-and-wine pairing, do you give it much thought?
JH: Oh, it all goes together: what you eat, how you live, food and wine. In San Francisco, there's a deli called Lucca. The other day I had a Gigondas with an Italian sandwich, which had the best provolone I'd ever had in my life, including in Italy. You know when it goes right up your nose? And sizzles in your ears. What intense pleasure. And here's a wine-and-food pairing: [Jack] Nicholson's not a big drinker, but he really likes nice wine. We went to Gibsons, which is my favorite steak place in Chicago, had an enormous prime rib steak and drank two bottles of St.-Emilion. What more do you want?

WS: You've written about marathon eating sessions. Have you been involved in any lately?
JH: Well Mario Batali and April Bloomfield and Adam Perry Lang came down to Patagonia, Arizona for my birthday last year. They cooked me a little dinner. We had 19 courses. We even finished with a 1937 Chateau d'Yquem and a nice '34 Armagnac.
NS: That doesn't suck

Cafe Du Monde

2009-10-09T17:45:00.001-07:00

Cafe Au Lait & Beignet's at Cafe Du Monde-New Orleans

This seems like a fitting post since I haven't written in so long. I just got back for a week in New Orleans and I just want to go on record and say that a steady diet of Oyster PoBoy's, Beignet's, Bread Pudding, Abita Ambers and Hurricane's, while all very tasty, may not be optimal for long term health.
If you haven't been to New Orleans I am throwing down the gauntlet and saying that if you are a foodie then this place has to be on your "bucket list"
The photo of the above is from Cafe du Monde. Beignets are just square French donuts, and at Cafe du Monde they are served with about a cup of powdered sugar on top. They are served warm and after a long night out I think these are second only to Ibuprofen as a cure for what ails you. While the original spot off of Jackson Square seems like a tourist trap (it is), the dirty little secret is that the locals also love this place as well. They have been around since 1862 and with the business they do they will be around as long as New Orleans is still above water. As they say in New Orleans-Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez.

Polish S'mores

2009-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Polish S'more

I spotted this today in the Willamette Week (Portland Alternative Weekly).....insert Homer Simpson drooling sound............-dooh! why didn't I think of these?

Former: Why “Polish s’more?” Because its creator is Polish, and this baby is the ultimate rebuttal to all Polish jokes. Former WW art director Maggie Gardner writes in with an Independence Day discovery: a bacon s’more.

[We] had a stroke of genius while, watching the camp fire cook breakfast on one side, and a morning s’more on the other: why not marry the two? And hence, the bacon s’more was born. I tell you, it’s the best fucking thing in the whole world. Like a white-trash version of a bacon-wrapped date.

Grandma Mildred's Baked Bean

2009-07-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

"Golden Spike Ceremony" -First Transcontinental Railroad-1869

I was just lamenting the other day that I hadn't grown up in an ethnic household. Sure, my family is German and I do know that my Great-great grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1856. He was Sixteen years old and when he landed here he had exactly 40 cents in his pocket. He worked as a farm hand, basically for room and board and from what I gather the "board" portion of his pay was pretty slim. I have read accounts of him eating more than a fair amount of squirrel. Long story short John Schoen enlists in the Union Army and served as a guard for U.S. Grant. After the war he was granted citizenship and he started a construction company that did the grading for theUnion Pacific Railroad. This was part of the construction for the Inter-continental Railroad and he was actually in Utah when the golden spike was driven. He made enough money to move to Kansas, purchase a 137 acre farm, get married and eventually have 9 sons.
Okay, enough of the family history-
Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to have been invited to a Pig Roast my blog friend Heather put together this event for her husband Scott's birthday. My contribution to the event was a batch of Baked Beans. The recipe I used was from my fraternal grandmother and it is one of the few culinary memories from my childhood that I want to see carried forward. The recipe is simple (kinda white trash actually), but these beans are awesome!

Chicken Kabobs with Aleppo Pepper & Yogurt Marinade and my Grandmother's Baked Beans

Grandma Mildred's Baked Beans
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Pinto beans (soak overnight)
4 oz. Bacon
1 Onion
6 Cloves Garlic
1 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Ballpark Mustard
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
1/2 cup strong black Coffee
Preparation:
Cook (simmer) the beans in ample water for an hour then let rest for 30 minutes. Brown the bacon, add the onion and garlic. Add the beans and the wet ingredients. The mixture should have enough moisture that the beans are swimming in liquid (add more of any of the wet ingredients as you adjust to taste). A Dutch oven is perfect for cooking these at 325 degrees. The beans will be done in 3-4 hours-cook covered (check hourly and stir).
What makes my grandmother's recipe a little more unique is that she used to cook the beans until they were almost dry (see the photo). My recipe for Heather kept this a little more traditional and a bit more "saucey".
At home I cook the beans until the liquid is just barely gone. These beans are absolute flavor bombs-let me know what you think.

Why?.............Because Bacon Tastes Good

2009-05-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I guess that you might get sick from the H1N1 Virus, but c'mon and get real about eating Pork. The swine flu isn't caused by eating Pork (especially Bacon). Bacon is savory deliciousness and while a VERY bacon heavy lifestyle might not be in your best interest. As part of a balanced diet that includes the fruit, vegetables, and that green side dish often called a "salad" you should be able to look forward to 6-7 decades of bacon consumption............"More Bacon please"!

Jerked Chicken

2009-05-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have been busy with a new job since January and even though I have been cooking at home my blog posting has suffered. Last week I was on the road all week and this weekend I really wanted to do some "Home Cooking". With the weather in Portland, Oregon finally looking Spring-like I decided to fire up the grill and try a new favorite of mine. If you have followed my blog you will note that last year May I made a Jamaican Jerked Rib Eye Steak, this weekend I did one of those and then followed up with a Jerked Chicken. While the spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves, Nutmeg) used sound like you are doing some Christmas baking the taste is anything but the Fruit Cake you got from your Mother. With these aromatic spices go ahead and toss in 3-4 Habanero peppers and you have some serious heat. If you haven't had one of these peppers raw just know that the heat quotient is roughly this: If heat equals strength and this is the World's Strongest Man Contest, the habanero chile can lift an 18-wheeler (300,000 scoville units). The serrano can lift a VW van. The jalapeño (5,000 scoville units) can lift a Vespa. If you want to simulate the heat just light a match, let it burn for 3 seconds, blow it out and then stick the match on your tongue.....nuff said.
This chicken is best if marinated overnight and it was awesome with some grilled asparagus, roasted cherry peppers (suprisingly hot) and a mixed vegetable salad. Try using hardwood charcoal with some fruit wood to produce some smoke (I used apple wood). About 30 minutes per side gets this done. Pair with a Red Stripe or a crisp and fruity Spanish Rose.

Penne All'Arrabbiata

2009-03-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

The weather in Portland, Oregon still trying to decide if it is going to allow Spring to rear its head. I am aching for some sunshine and tonight's dinner really needed to be kicked up a notch to get me out of my funk. A lot of foods are familiar or provide comfort, but tonight's meal I wanted something that would give me an endorphin hit. What better to provide that than a Roman pasta sauce that takes Olive Oil, Garlic, Pepper flakes, Plum Tomatoes and little Parsley to a new level. A big fat splash of Olive Oil into a hot pan along with a handful of Red Pepper Flakes (1+ teaspoon ). Cook the peppers in the oil for a minute then add 4-5 cloves of Garlic, a large can of imported Italian Plum Tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes.

In case your aren't fluent in Italian, the name of this dish basically means "angry or enraged".....so it is going to be more than a little spicy-hey, at least I warned you.

These peasant sauces are so simple and so spectacular. If I owned a restaurant this dish would be on my permanent rotation.

Pair this with any wine that is red, rustic and Italian-Mangia!

Paella Valencia

2009-03-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Man, I sometimes forget how awesome this single pan meal can be. Last weekend I had some time to play around in the kitchen so I dug out my Paella pan and went to work.
The biggest hurdle for this dish is the prep it takes to throw it together just before you are ready to serve. That said, this is a dish that you can prep for in stages and the final presentation is spectacular.
The variations of meats and seafood you can throw into this are almost endless. I did a bastardized version of Paella Valencia.
Start with a soffritto of peppers, cilantro, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Brown your sausage and chicken and set aside. I took the soffritto, and four cups of rice and heated the mix in the Paella pan until it was starting to toast. Add six cups of broth and then layer in the chicken and sausage. Place this in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes then add the mussels, clams and shrimp and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Pull the Paella pan and place on a gas burner and crank the heat up high for a couple of minutes. This will produce the the dish with a toasty brown carmelized rice on the bottom of the pan that the Spanish call socarrot. Toss the pan with some chopped green olives and some parsley just before you pour a Rioja and sit down for dinner.

Lewis & Clark

2009-03-12T22:16:00.001-07:00

Cedar Plank Roasted Wild Salmon

Some things are just meant to go together....like: Basil & Tomatoes, Peanut butter & Jelly, Hotdogs & Mustard, French Fries & Ketchup. In the Pacific Northwest the combination that goes together like Lewis & Clark is that of Roasted Salmon & Pinot Noir.

If you want to be even more specific you can add that the Salmon needs to be roasted on a Cedar or Alder Plank over an open fire (Weber is fine). The fresh Salmon is best when just seasoned with Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper and cooked for 12-15 minutes. The wood plank adds fantastic aromatic spice note to the dish. The Sineann Pinot Noir with its primal earthy nose and tart huckleberry/blueberry palate was a perfect foil for this succulent dish.

While I am pretty sure the Corp of Discovery wasn't having this for dinner while looking for the Northwest Passage, I am certain that they would have been happy to trade boiled venison and camas roots for what I had for dinner.

What Lewis & Clark wished they had for dinner

Sineann 2005 Resonance Vineyard Pinot Noir

Muffuletta

2009-02-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

Muffuletta-Portland Style

It seems that since about Thanksgiving I have been eating like a bear getting ready for hibernation. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, My 50th B-day, and finally this past weekend the Super Bowl. Yikes, any more marathon caloric intake events and I am going to challenge Joey Chestnut at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest in 2009.

My group of friends are huge foodies and big time wine people as well. Our Super Bowl parties end up being more like a holiday cocktail party versus becoming a college like.... pretzel, chip, Bud Lite event that seems to be more the norm for this most hallowed American tradition.

Since I was hosting I wanted to do something a little over the top as far as food went. In the past I have made Chili, Cioppino and even a fantastic Paella. This year I wanted to make something fun, festive and basically something that I could do ahead of time (hey, I wanted to watch the game).

When I contemplate the words "fun", "festive" and "over the top" the first thing that comes to mind is New Orleans. Damn, that city has a complete grip on my foodie cerebral cortex. What isn't to like about a city that has great food, awesome cocktails, lax laws about public nudity and a place that virtually encourages public intoxication (no open container laws......and drinks to go are the norm)?
I am not sure, but it may be a law that you have to have at least a 16 oz. alcoholic beverage in your hand to even be allowed to walk up and down Bourbon Street. To be safe when I last visited I didn't want to offend any locals or break any laws so I made sure I had a beverage in my hand at all times.

Anyway, back to the Superbowl........ and what to make for a main course. In New Orleans there is a funky Italian deli called the Cental Grocery Co. that serves up my favorite sandwich on the planet...The Muffuletta. The locals call it a Muff-a-lotta, but however you pronounce it this sandwich it is an awesome collection of olive salad, genoa salami, ham, mortadella, provolone cheese and a great sicilian style round bread loaf.

The cold cuts and cheese are no sweat to come by. The bread and the olive salad took some work and I was lucky to have a good bakery nearby that actually sells a Sicilian round loaf that is very close to a muffuletta loaf.

As far as the Olive Salad is concerned I am sure there are as many recipes as there are recreations of this sandwich. All I know is that if you let this mixture sit for a few days before you use it you will be rewarded handsomely.

Olive Salad....I am so proud

Olive Salad

1 cup Green Olives w/Pimentos-chopped

1/2 cup Kalamata Olives-chopped

2 Tbsp. Capers

1 Carrot-fine dice

1 Celery Stick-fine dice

1 Jar Giardiniera (pickled cauliflower,celery, carrots, peppers, onion, etc.)-chopped

1/2 cup green onions- fine dice

1/2 cup Red Onion-fine dice

3-4 or 8 Garlic cloves-fine dice

Olive Oil-to cover

I sliced the round bread loaf in half and pulled out about 1/2 of the bread then started with a layer of Olive Salad and went with the provolone, ham, mortadella, salami, more provolone ( use your judgement...3-4 oz. of each makes a BIG sammy), some more Olive salad and topped with the bread. Wrap this bad boy in plastic wrap as tight as you can get it and let this sit for a couple of hours. For serving cut the sandwich into fourths, crack a cold beverage and enjoy the game.

Say Ahhhh!

Blood Orange Marmalade

2009-01-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

Blood Orange Marmalade

Oh my! It has been almost a month since my last post. Trust me, I have still been cooking, I just haven't been blogging. Time to ring in 2009 with a recipe that adds a bit of summer to a cold winter day.
I am lucky enough living in Portland, Oregon to have a great local market (New Seasons) that has great produce. Recently that had a veritable cornucopia of citrus fruit. 4-5 kinds of tangerines, sweet limes, Meyer lemons and one of my favorite members of the citrus family, the Blood orange.
I was lucky enough to go to attend a semester of classes in Rome (Italy, not Idaho) while I was in Architecture school. One of my most vivid memories is of going to Campo di Fiori and seeing Blood oranges for the first time. I knew vaguely what they were, but having grown up in rural Idaho it goes without saying that I didn't grow up with this fruit on the table.
I had just planned to consume these oranges, but a happy accident occurred when I stumbled across a recipe for marmalade and I decided to notch it up by adding the Blood oranges to the mix.
I started with a couple of Blood oranges that I thinly sliced and added to a small sauce pan that had a cup of sugar and a cup of water. The oranges simmered for 30 minutes and then I drained the syrup, finely diced the oranges and then place back in the sauce pan with another cup of sugar and half a cup of water along with two tablespoons of lemon juice. I simmered that mixture for another 30 minutes, then cooled the mixture and place it in a jar and refrigerated it. This marmalade has such a great freshness that shames store bought imitators. Think about it, this is so easy to make that you can throw it together and still catch your favorite reality television series. At the worst, it will give you something to help get rid of the sour taste of "Superstars of Dance".

Friends, Food, Fizz

2009-01-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Christmas I got together with about 12 of my friends for Champagne tasting. We have made this event a holiday tradition and the only rule is you have to bring at least one bottle of Champagne (the real deal). Beyond that initial bottle you can drop in anything you want. I love throwing in a ringer to see if we know what we are doing. To make this a bit more interesting we go ahead and either bag or in this case we put foil around the outside of the bottles so we can blind taste the wines.
Normally getting together in Portland, Oregon for the holidays is no biggie, you just put on a rain coat and head out the door. The weekend of December 20th there happened to be 12" of fresh snow on the ground and Portland was in the midst of what news channels were calling: Arctic Deathwatch, or was it Artic Thunder or maybe even Artic Shock and Awe? Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but the weather was really crappy and a foot of snow in a 12 hour period anywhere will put a crimp in your day. I was glad I lived only about 6 blocks from our hosts Tom Harvey and Andria Shirk.
The house was gorgeous (complete with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree) and the food was amazing.

A Hickory smoked turkey, Portuguese pork roast, smoked salmon, sushi rolls that my friend Heather (from Gild the Voodoolily), spiced pecans, cheese puffs stuffed with olives, assorted cheeses, a charcuterie tray and a cheesecake and chocolates at the end of the night.

We tasted through 11 wines and you if you are interested you can take a look at my notes (above). In general this group of wines showed the more acidic and citrus side Champagne and sparking wine. The wine of the night was the Tattenger-earthy, yeasty and great balance. The suprise of the night was a bottle of NV Domaine Meriweather that I brought. This Oregon wine showed a lemony citrus edge with a bit of earthy character and at $15/bottle this wine rocks. Oregon is producing some great sparkling wines and if you are looking for a good domestic wine that is a little exotic check out Domaine Meriweather or Argyle.

The ringer of the night was a 1996 Dom Perignon. My friend Gretchen threw this into the mix. This wine divided the group right down the middle. Some thought it to be "a bit off" and others said it had classic earthy/yeasty components and it needed a little time to breath....too bad we finished this off in about 20 minutes.

Frito Pie

2008-12-30T08:39:00.001-08:00

This holiday season I have been eating like I was part of the court of Henry the 8th. A Champagne party with about a dozen sparkling wines, including a 1996 vintage Dom Perignon. I brined and Hickory smoked a turkery for that party and the accompaning food was killer....Sushi, Smoked Turkey, Portugese Pork Roast, House Cured Olives, Spiced Pecans, a killer Charcuterie tray...Oh, but I digress.

So, what am I cooking in lieu of an 18 lb. Prime Rib (I should have taken photos)?

I am taking the high brow/low brow approach and pulling out that white trash favorite know as "Frito Pie". I grew up with the "Frito Banditio" (wasn't advertising so much simpler in those days?) and these chips used to be part of my school boy sack lunches.

I have to confess though, as rural and middle class as I grew up in Southern Idaho, even my Mom didn't put this mess on the table.

At the base level this recipe is merely Frito chips with Chili with beans (from a can of course) and a little cheese sprinkled on top (served in the bag is even better).

My version is a little sexier. I seasoned ground beef with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper and kosher salt then added the beef to some molten hot refried beans. I layered that unsightly mixture with the chips and then added a garnish of sour cream (yeah, like this dish needs more fat ), cilantro, sharp Tillamook cheddar, jalapeno, red onion and cherry tomatoes (from who knows where this time of year). Anyone who knows me knows that I hate processed food and as horrific as this mish-mash sounds, it tastes great. I don't know what they put into these chips but I had a second serving and was craving a third before I had to pull a Roberto Duran and say- "No mas" .

Frito Pie

Ned Ludd

2008-12-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

The other night I had a chance to visit a brand spanking new restaurant called "Ned Ludd".
My friend Tom Harvey knew the new owner and a group of us decided to give it a try on Saturday.
The space used to be a Wood oven pizza/BBQ restaurant (pizza was great, but the BBQ was pathetic). The new owners did a quickie remodel to spiff things up, but they are using the wood oven to its full advantage. Everything on the menu is cooked in the wood burning oven. This is more than just "old school" this is a philosophy of cooking seasonally with minimal prep to showcase the ingredients. If you are into highly sauced fussy cooking this is not the restaurant for you.

The five of us had just about everything on the menu. The Trout w/Lardo was very nice and Braised Beef went well with a bottle of 2005 Pax-Lauterbach Hill Syrah that I had yanked out of the cellar. We sampled the Charcuterie plate and the Creamed Kale we ordered was so tasty we ordered a second one. This restaurant reminds me of a leaner and meaner Wildwood. Head over some cold winter night, the restaurant is warm, the service nice and the food will send you home fat and happy.

Located at:
925 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, Portland OR.
Phone: (503) 288-6900
Hours: Thursday - Monday, 5pm till close

2008-12-08T19:05:00.001-08:00

Lamb Shanks Braised w/ Oranges & Green Olives

Menu

-Appetizers-
Assorted Cheese Plate
Crostini with goat cheese, fig preserve & proscuitto

-Entrée-
Lamb Shank Braised with Oranges and Green Olives
served with
Chipolte Sweet Potato Puree
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
&
Shaved Brussel Sprouts w/Bacon & Pinenuts

-Dessert-
Damn near the entire dessert case from Pix Patisserie

Shaved Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon & Pinenuts

Baked Penne w/Ricotta

2008-12-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

Baked Penne w/Ricotta

After all the turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy and stuffing that I have been trying to get out of my refrigerator I thought it would be nice to have some "Italian" comfort food for dinner. I was craving pasta with a meat sauce and contemplated making lasagna but I thought that was a bit fussy for a week night. I thought of spaghetti, but I really wanted something a bit sexier. I had made a Ragu that had a pound of Italian sausage and I decided to toss it with a pound of penne then dot with some fresh ricotta and then top with some grated mozzarella.

Bon Appetit

Patricia Green Cellars

2008-11-25T08:25:00.001-08:00

If you heard the following: “Anden, Balcombe, Bonshaw, Etzel, Windlea” would you be:

1. Saying: “Roger…Wilco, over and out” and preparing for the carpet bombing of an enemy target?
2. Calling for a linebacker blitz audible out of a 3-4 package and man-to-man coverage on the wide-outs?
3. At a new age baby shower helping to pick out names for a boy/girl?

Actually if you were around when I did repeat the above you would be grabbing bottles of single vineyard Pinot Noir wines produced by Patricia Green Cellars.

Patricia Green & Me +some signed Magnums

Patricia Green is a self taught winemaker who through pluck, tenacity and extreme passion has risen to the top echelon of premier Pinot Noir producers in the Willamette Valley. I had come across a great article about Patty and wanted to share it.

The following is an excerpt of an article written by: Christina Kelly, Avalon Editor/Writer
Everything about Patty Green defies appearance.
The 53-year-old winemaker didn't follow the usual path to wine country. In fact, her arrival followed a long history of working in non-traditional professions, including tree planting, sailboat crewing, work in construction and geophysical surveying. (Norm's note: I even heard tales of her having been a mocassin maker, a silver jewelry artisan and even having boasted of living in a cave in the SW at one time. None of this is verifiable and it may have been my overactive imagination and or too much of her wine that planted this in my memory).
At 5-feet tall, she doesn't look like a winemaker, although up close, her small frame contradicts a physical and inner strength often overshadowed by a beaming smile.
With nearly 17 years of winemaking experience, Green finally opened her own winery, Patricia Green Cellars, in the fall of 2000. This also didn't happen the way most transactions occur in the purchase of a winery. In fact, Oregon's wine industry almost lost Patty Green that year.
How it Began
In 1986, Green began working at Hillcrest Vineyards in Southern Oregon at the request of a friend. With an innate sense of how things work and a mechanical aptitude, Green performed a number of jobs at the winery. When the 1987 harvest came in, she made wine and in 1988, became the official winemaker.
She left Hillcrest in 1989 and took work in the construction industry. However, she continued to keep one foot in the wine industry, working the harvest for Adelsheim in 1990-91. For the following two years, Green made wine for La Garza Winery in Southern Oregon.
Torii Mor hired Green in 1993, where she worked for the next seven years. It was during this time that Green developed a loyal staff that stayed with her after she left Torii Mor. The parting was not easy.
Green was uncertain what she would do next. She didn't think it would be in the wine industry.
"I was ready to change my life," Green recalled. "I was burned out, fed up and tired with the wine business. I don't think people understand how hard this work can be."
Making wine for other people was sometimes frustrating, especially if winery owners and the winemaker didn't always see eye to eye.
Although Green was ready to leave the wine industry, it was not ready to let her go. She left Torii Mor in 2000 without knowing where the future would lead her. It was deja vue with Green - following instincts when the path before her was as clear as a desert sand storm.
In the past, Green always landed on her feet, happy to pursue another adventure in her life. This time, however, grape growers and winemakers urge her to stay in the industry and produce wine.
Vineyard owners told Green they wanted to sell their fruit to her. She explained she had nothing - no winery, no equipment, no staff. But Green promised to consider their offers if something fell into her lap.
"A short time later, I walked into Panther Creek Cellars and there were a number of (Willamette Valley) winemakers doing a tasting," Green recalled. "As I walked over to their table, they all applauded me.
"It was the spurring on from people in the wine industry that kept me here," she added. "I am very thankful to those people in the Oregon wine industry."
Winemaker Ken Wright said he doesn't believe Green would have left the industry.
"Her internal compass would have brought her back," Wright said. "She so obviously loves what she is doing and she wears that enjoyment. She loves it right down to her soul."
On March 1, 2000, about two weeks after she left the wine industry, Jim Anderson, who worked at Torii Mor with Green, and left at the same time, received a call from Tom and Wendy Kreutner, owners of Autumn Wind Vineyards. The couple offered to sell their winery. Green and Anderson had a friend who wanted to be a silent partner in an Oregon winery so all parties began discussions.
"By July 21, we closed the deal and looked forward to harvest," Green said. "It was pretty fateful alright."
The estate has 26 acres, although Green and Anderson farm 60 acres of property for grapes. Green lives at the estate with four cats - they take care of the house and farm just fine when their owner is on the road.
Were it not for the loyalty of her friends and employees - Anderson (her business partner and cellarmaster), Jose Garcia (her vineyard manager who worked with her at Torii Mor) several vineyard workers who have been with her for years and others who helped out when it was needed, Green said the winery would only be a dream, not a reality.
"I think when you go to a winery, there is a feeling about it, an ambience," Green said. "We are a cohesive bunch. We are a loyal group and I think it shows.
"I don't do all of this by myself - it's physically impossible to do it all. If you take care of the people around you, you will get rewarded."

Oregon (The Willamette Valley) has definitely been discovered in regard to the Pinot Noir we produce here. The industry has just barely transitioned into the second generation of most family wineries and vineyard owners and managers are still trying to figure out what grows where. The distinct soil types and different Pinot Noir clone varieties will keep this area playing hop scotch with their vineyards for more than my life time. Pinot Noir is a grape that reflects not only where it is grown but also the personality of the winemaker.

I tasted the 2007 lineup at Patricia Green Cellars on the pre-Thanksgiving release weekend. Patty poured 12 + wines and all had a distinct personality

Patty Green's wines have her personality. The wines are approachable young, but they have the ability to age and develop complexity over time. Earth, fruit, a bit of funk and a whole lot of fun is how I would describe these wines.

I swung over to Penner-Ash after a 2 hours stop at PGC. Lynn Penner-Ash is a classically trained winemaker and she and has a gorgeous winery within eye sight of PGC. Lynn makes roughly the same amount of wine as Patty (8,000 cases), but the styles are dramatically different. Lynn has a strong science background and an incredible palate. She has a much more cerebral approach to her wines vs. the intuitive approach that Patty projects. I urge anyone who thinks that all Pinot Noir tastes the same to do a side by side of these two great producers. Maybe I will even see some of you next year (the weekend before Thanksgiving).

Black Bean Chili with Avacado Relish

2008-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

The weather is starting to turn a bit here in Portland, Oregon. For all the press we get about how much it rains here, this year has been unseasonably dry and temperate (global warming?).
It seems like as the weather turns cold I start to crave soups, braised dishes and chili.
As good as authentic Texas Chili is (meat only), I do like to play with this dish. Since I grew up in Idaho I came to know chili from what came in a can (with beans). My father was a manager for a family owned cannery and the company (American Fine Foods) canned chili, beef stew,pork & beans, corn, and a slew of beans (red, kidney, garbanzo, pinto,etc.). Growing up I even worked on the cannery floor one summer. The cannery had been in operation since the early 1900's and much of the equipment was antique. I remember pushing rolling carts filled with neat stacks of canned product into pressure cookers that were tall enough to stand in. The work environment was loud, hot, humid and physically demanding. While images of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" might come to mind, the people we worked with were a pretty happy bunch. Many of the line workers and foremen had worked for decades doing the same job. This is the kind of place where they would refer to someone as "the new guy" (this "guy" had actually been at the plant for 8 years).
The thing I remember though is on the days that we made chili we had USDA inspectors on the line to oversee the meat we were using and to watch the process. Imagine scaling up a chili recipe for a batch of 500 gallons. Forget teaspoons and ounces, we were adding jalapenos by the gallon and chili powder by the 50 lb. sack. As much chili as we made you would think that the last thing I would want to eat when I got home was chili, but I can vividly remember actually craving chili at the end of the day.
My chili recipe is a bit more exotic than the one I grew up on, but the taste still takes me back to my home and the summer I worked on the canning line.

Black Bean Chili
Ingredients:
8 Chicken thighs -boned and skinned
Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Cumin
2 Onions-chopped
8 Garlic Cloves-finely minced
2 Chipolte Peppers
1 Jalapeno-minced
1 Canned Tomatoes-28oz.
1 Cup Corn
3 Cans Black Beans
2 Cups Chicken Broth
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1" pieces and then add to a Dutch Oven and sear until slightly browned, add the ingredients in the above order-add the seasoning to the meat before you add the garlic and onions. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for at least an hour.

Avacado Relish
Ingredients:
1 Avacado-finely chopped
1 Handful cherry tomatoes-chopped
1/4 Red Onion-finely chopped
1 Handful Cilantro-finely chopped
1/2 Jalapeno-finely chopped
1 Lime-Juiced

Directions:
Toss all the ingredients together in a small bowl. I like this to be a bit looser than my guacamole so I use less ripe avacados and then fold rather then mash the ingredients together.

Serve up the chili in a warmed bowl, top with the avacado relish and some grated cheddar cheese. With all the spice in this dish a wine would be overwhelmed. I served this with a Oatis Oatmeal Stout from Ninkasi Brewing. The Stout was rich with a hint of bitterness from the hops and at 7.5% alcohol it more than held its own with my Black Bean Chili.

Chianti Classico

2008-11-12T22:25:00.001-08:00

I was invited to a wine tasting on Monday night and the wines we tasted that evening were 2004 and 2005 Chianti Classico wines. Chianti is a classic food wine and my only lament for the evening was that the wines were tasted in one sitting against each other and without food. These wines age well and you can see that the price for wine you can cellar for 10+ years is very affordable.
Click on the photo to see my detailed notes of the evening-Cheers!

Tasting Notes

Sausage, Beans & Escarole

2008-11-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

It has been forever since my last post. It isn’t that I haven’t been eating and drinking (trust me), it is just that I haven’t been writing about it.
Tonight I am dusting off one of my standby recipes that has been in my permanent rotation for the past 20+ years. The dish I simply call “Sausage, Beans & Escarole” is Italian in origin. I used to have a faded clipping from Playboy Magazine (where this recipe came from….I read Playboy for the recipes, yeah thats it). The clipping is no more but the recipe has taken on a life of its own and even my son who despises any vegetable that is not Broccoli will actually ask for seconds.

Sausage, Beans & Escarole
Ingredients:
2/3 lb. Italian Sausage (without casing)
5 Garlic Cloves-fine dice
1 Jalapeno Pepper-minced
1 Head of Escarole-very coarsely chopped
2 Cans Cannelli Beans
1/2 cup White Wine
3 cups Chicken Broth

Directions:
In a Dutch oven sear the Italian sausage under it browns a bit and then add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and heat to a boil then add the roughly chopped Escarole, Beans, and Chicken Broth. Simmer the mixture with the lid of the Dutch Oven just barely cracked.

This is a great dish to make when you go skiing or have just spent a day outside in the cold. It is warm with a touch of spice and some garlic bread and a rustic red wine go well with this-Buon appetito

Italian Sausage, Cannelli Beans & Escarole

Vintner

2008-10-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sineann, Domaine Drouhin, Boedecker, Ken Wright....Oh My!

Chien Fache (Mad Dog)

This Saturday I was fortunate enough to be a guest at a Foodbuzz 24,24,24 event. My friend Heather came up with the idea to do a locavore event called: Hunter, Gather, Vintner. My contribution to the event was the idea of providing local wines as well as some homemade (soon to be commercial) wines I helped to make.
I have been making wine with a handful of friends since 2004 and my passion for wine has never been stronger than it is today. The wine I want to make is so much more than a commodity and what my co-winemakers and I believe is to make great wine you need to start with great grapes. The term "Wine is made in the vineyard" is probably overused, but none the less very true.
The menu that Heather developed for the dinner included Elk, Salmon and Chantrelle mushrooms. These are flavors that to me almost scream to be paired with Pinot Noir and since we happen to live adjacent to a "World Class" wine region the access to high quality, small production wine was more than just a wish.
For the event I brought out five wines that I helped to produce and also four commercial wines as well.
The line-up with tasting notes included:

2004 Chien Fache Yamhill County Pinot Noir-Light colored, almost a rosé in color and very Burgundian in the nose. This is a wine that early on we would chill and serve as a Rosé. With time this wine has become more complex and the bright acidity remains and this wine has a nice balance of perfume on the nose and a good interplay of fruit and acid on the palate.
2005 Chien Fache Dundee Hills-Holstein Vineyard- Pinot Noir-This wine was made from grapes sourced from the vineyard of Allen Holstein. Allen is a long time vineyard manager and has managed properties for Stoeller, Argyle, Domaine Drouhin & Knudsen. His home vineyard is on a great Southeast facing slope in the Dundee Hills. This appellation is know for its red Jory Clay soil.
This wine has big, concentrated black fruit driven nose. The palate shows dark fruit and maybe even a bit of dried fruit (fig and dried currant). Good acidity and a long finish. Unfortunately this was a wine we only made a tiny amount of so today I have about 2 bottles left.
2005/2006 Chien Fache Dundee Hills-Holstein Vineyard- Pinot Noir-2006 was a leaner year than 2005 and this "Cuvee" balances the richness of the 2005 with the bright cherry fruit of the 2006. Great perfume on the nose and a brighter fruit focus that leans towards red cherry and sour cherry. Again a very small production and I might have two bottles of this hanging around as well.

Oregon's next "Cult" Pinot Noir

2006 Chien Fache Dundee Hills-Holstein Vineyard- Pinot Noir- This is a very "Manly" Pinot Noir. Concentrated black/purple fruit on the nose and a fruit driven style of wine that brings blackberry, marionberry and blueberry on the palate. I am sipping this tonight and I am getting a taste of berries and some black licorice. Great balance and mouth coating tannins that are very polished considering this has only been in the bottle for two months. Great with Salmon or venison and this wine has enough stuffing to go well with a rare Ribeye as well.
2006 Chien Fache Walla Walla-Ash Hollow Vineyard-Cabernet Sauvignon- A Cabernet that shows what the fuss is about Walla Walla. Good upfront dark cherry fruit on the nose that shows a bit of spice and vanilla as well. A balance fruit driven style that has good tannin and a Cabernet we were very pleased with (this was our first effort with that grape). This wine went especially well with the Elk served with dinner.
2003 Domaine Drouhin-Laurene-Pinot Noir-This was a great bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. The "Laurene" is the reserve wine of DDO and all of their wine is "estate wine" which means they own their own vineyard (100+ acres of top notch Dundee Hills property). The wine had very good balance and a perfumed nose. Red fruits with a hint of French Oak. You could do worse than to have this be your introduction to Oregon-Willamette Valley- Pinot Noir.
2003 Ken Wright-Elton Vineyard-Pinot Noir-Ken Wright is one of the 2nd generation of winemakers that came to the Willamette Valley. Ken has been making Pinot Noir for over 20 years and today he has achieved "cult" status for his line-up of single vineyard wines. The Elton vineyard bottle was a concentrated wine that showed earth and dried rose petal on the palate. Bright acidity and a fun mushroom component that paired well with the bounty of Chantrelle's we harvested.
2004 Boedecker-Stoeller Vineyard-Pinot Noir-This wine is made by Athena and Stewart Boedecker. Their part time wine venture is on the verge of becoming their vocation. The Stoeller vineyard is also in the Dundee Hills Appellation and the Boedecker's got enough grapes to make 50 cases of wine (2 barrels). This wine showed good restraint and a balanced nose of red cherry/raspberry fruit. Good acidity and a nice finish.

2004 Sineann-Resonance Vineyard

2004 Sineann-Resonance Vineyard-Pinot Noir-Last but not least was my favorite wine of the night. This wine made by Peter Rosback of Sineann was stellar. Peter is a self taught winemaker who today has enough reknown to also make wine for Thomas Keller and his restaurant "The French Laundry". I have been buying Peter's wines for years, but when I heard he was making wine for Thomas Keller my respect for him grew even more and I remember uttering that if he is making wine for Thomas then he "Is the Sh**".
Great nose of red and purple fruit, a well balanced wine that showed enough acidity for the Salmon and enough tannin for the Elk. Blueberries with heavy cream on the palate and a very long finish.

Okay, I know these notes were a bit wordy and probably give you more than you want to know about wine but most of the information is there to glean. All in all I was very pleased with how the wine I helped to produce held up in this esteemed company.
All of the commercial wine is in the $40-65/bottle category and wines like the Boedecker Stoeller vineyard are nearly impossible to obtain. The food was fantastic and this was truly a special day of great food and great company. I am glad to have been a part of it.

Roasted Yam Salad w/ Warm Chutney Vinaigrette

2008-10-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yuck or Yum?

With Halloween and Thanksgiving around the corner I wanted to share a salad/side dish that I think is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Roasted yams, cranberries, scallions, pumpkin seeds and some red pepper, awesome (no?). It seems that pumpkins, squash, yams and sweet potato dishes abound in the fall and this is a great alternative to Grandma Mildred's Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows. This dish is an adaptation of a sweet potato recipe from Sarah Mouton and a fall menu she put together with one of my favorite chefs-Cory Schrieber (founder of Wildwood Restaurant in Portland, Oregon).

The above photo was taken at a company Halloween party and this is merely a serving suggestion ; )......(If you are having the Addams Family over for dinner).

Roasted Yams w/Warm Chutney Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

5-6 medium-sized yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
olive oil
1 tablespoon+ finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped scallions (green and white)
1 cup julienned roasted red pepper

Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup mango chutney
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Make the Salad: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a roasting pan, combine the potatoes, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, cumin and ginger. Stir to combine and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring, until toasted. Transfer the seeds to a plate and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, scallions, and red pepper and set aside.

Make the Dressing: Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients (except for the olive oil) in a small saucepan and heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the olive oil.

Assemble salad by gently tossing the roasted potatoes with the red pepper mixture. Add enough of the dressing to coat and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

The above photo is just a serving suggestion and the kids might actually love it. If you are headed to a dinner party you might sex this up and not take the Jack-o-lantern serving dish.

Pasta Amatriciana

2008-10-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

Pasta Amatriciana

It seems like I have been making this pasta sauce forever but truth be told, I came across this pasta sauce in the early 1990's when I was working on a project in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since then it has become a family favorite and a staple when my cupboard is near bare.

Pasta Amatriciana
Ingredients:
4 oz. pancetta or bacon
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 sweet onion
1 can of plum tomatoes
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Saute the pancetta until nearly crisp and then add the red pepper flakes and the onion. I like to saute the onion until it nearly disolves.

After twenty or thirty minutes I add the tomatoes and then let the mixture cook while covered with a lid partially off the pot (to allow some evaporation). I let this cook for another half hour and then toss with a tubed shaped pasta. Bucatini is the traditional shape to use, but I like to also use Penne and I haven't gotten many complaints from my dinner guests.

Buon Appetito!

Soyccotash

2008-10-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Soyccotash

I have been having these primal urges to eat more vegetables this past year. Maybe I am a latent vegetarian?.......(yeah, that's it, that's the ticket). Nah, I think it is just the fact that I have been seeing (and buying) better and better vegetables.
To paraphrase Julia Child-"You only eat the rabbit food while waiting for your steak to cook".
The mixed grilled salads I have been doing this summer all have one thing in common, they taste good! I love the idea of being a locavore, but as you can see I am putting together salads that have frozen ingredients (edamame) or out of season ingredients (asparagus...good grief, where are these babies in season....Peru?). Well I never claimed to be a purist and dammit when I see some big, fat, succulent asparagus that pleads to be oiled and grilled, who am I to deny that request (heh, I'm a giver)?

Dinner tonight was simple-Chicken, roasted potatoes, asparagus and soyccotash

Soyccotash
Ingredients:
1 cup Edamame
1 cup Corn
1 heirloom tomato
1/2 Red Onion-chopped
2 Scallions-chopped
Parsley-minced
3 Patty pan squash-chopped
1 pat of butter
Salt & Pepper

Cook the edamame for 3 minutes and shock in cold water, the corn can be cut from the cob or just pan sauteed if frozen. Grill the squash and toss in the raw onions and parsley. Add or subtract vegetables to your hearts desire.

Bon Appetit!

Succotash vs.Macque Choux

2008-10-03T06:06:00.001-07:00

Succotash or Macque Choux

Summer is winding down and Fall is definitely in the air. I had been over to some friends house for dinner and since they were leaving for a short vacation they gave me a bag full of produce from their garden. This Summer I think I grilled more than Bobby Flay on "Boy meets Grill" and with the added cornucopia of produce was trying to figure out how to "sex" up a weekday meal.
I love grilling vegetables and had been playing with mixed raw and grilled vegetable salads all Summer long. I had adapted a Ratatouille for a grill prep and tonight I decided I wanted to make a Succotash. Corn, lima beans, tomatoes, celery, scallions, red onion, fennel bulb, serrano peppers and a little parsley for color. I grilled the corn inside the husk and even grilled the scallions and the celery for a couple of minutes. Was this an "authentic" recipe? Hell, I don't know, it is probably more authentic than the frozen Succotash I ate growing up. This salad can be tweaked a hundred different ways and

Grilled Tri-tip w/Chimmichurri, Bacon wrapped jalapenos, Asparagus & Succotash....er Macque Choux?

It wasn't until I was done with dinner and starting to sit down and write this post that I realized my Succotash might also be considered a Macque Choux (pronounced "mock shoe"). My guess is that Macque Choux had its roots in Succotash and the Cajun/French/Spanish/African influences of Louisiana transformed that dish into a regional specialty. Succotash comes from the Native American Narraganset Indians and it appears to be almost any vegetable medley that uses corn and lima beans. I added a vinaigrette to mine, but in the future I would probably go with a pat of butter and just salt and pepper

2006 Altano

This "bad boy" of a wine has been a favorite Summer pick from Trader Joe's. This sells for around $7.99/bottle and it fights well above its weight.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic pairing with beef, but to be honest the "good" Cabernets have an entry price point of $15-20 dollars and the lower end wines tend to have so much oak that all I taste is the vanilla. Don't get me wrong, if someone is opening a bottle of Joseph Phelps Insignia I am all over it. On the other hand, if I am buying wine for a Monday night dinner, I am stocking up on this wine by the case.
Do yourself a favor the next time you are at TJ's, skip the purchase of the $2 Buck Chuck. Spend a couple more dollars and get a wine that has a lot more heart and soul and at this price point this is almost as good as finding a $10 dollar bill in the parking lot.

70% Tinta Roriz and 30% Touriga Franca. Spicy aromas and a hint of coffee and chocolate on the nose. This opens up to a much more meaty complex wine and it shows off a core of dark purple/black fruits. This wine has no apparent oak (yeah!) . Tannins are rounded but clearly present and make this a great wine for a grilled piece of beef. Just enough acidity to provide some freshness and liveliness on the palate as well.
Cheers!

Blind Tasting

2008-09-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Professionals at work

This weekend my "formal" wine group Confrerie des Vignerons de St. Vincent Macon held a "blind" tasting of 10 Oregon Pinot Noir wines. By blind I don't mean that you needed a seeing eye dog to attend. Tasting blind means that you conceal the identity of the wines you are tasting and you judge on taste alone. The quality of the wine has to stand on its own and just because the producer is reknowned or that the label happens to be a cute animal is not going to carry the day in one of these events.

Like the "Unknown Comic", except for wine

The great thing about these events is that you really get a chance to smell and taste and throw out random comments about how stuff tastes. The downside is when you have the winemakers in attendance (we had three) you just hope that none of the wines they brought is going to be an embarrassment (none were).

The only REALLY funky wine of the night was a 2001 Panther Creek-Bednarik Vineyard that tasted like a slightly older Bordeaux (kind of a "barnyard meets saddle leather" not exactly what I am looking for in a Pinot Noir).

Tasting or drinking?

My winemaking friends Tom Harvey and Andria Shirk were able to attend the event. What made that special is we had spent the morning bottling our own 2006 Holstein Vineyard-Dundee Hills Pinot Noir and we were throwing it into the event as well. Just for good measure we also tossed in our 2005 vintage of that same wine. If you click on the below photo you can see my notes of the tasting. We ended up being really happy with how our wines showed. The 2006 needs some time in a dark, cool place. I want to see how this shows after a year in the bottle.

Notes

Bad Menus

2008-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

BAD MENUS
Damn, they must have used the "Red-neck" English/French translation dictionary

How much for the large?
Maybe Dan Quayle works here

MMM, Fried Porn & Rice (my favorite)

I was surfing the internet today and came across a great flickr site called Bad Menus. What is not to like about that?

2003 Quilceda Creek Red Wine

2008-09-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

2003 Quilceda Creek Red Wine

I am heading to a barbeque tonight and my hosts are huge California Cabernet fans. While the above wine is actually a Washington wine I think that it will hold its own tonight when it squares off with the likes of Silver Oak, Ridge and Staglin. This wine happens to be the "2nd" wine of Quilceda Creek. Its Daddy was scored a perfect 100pts. by no less than Robert Parker. Below is Parker's notes. When I get back from the party I will post my own notes.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 92 points "The finest Red Wine the Golitzens have fashioned to date, the 2003 (1,300 cases) is an assemblage of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Merlot. It bursts from the glass with black currants, violets, blackberries, and notes of dark cherries. Dense, medium-bodied, silky-textured, and intense, this black fruit-packed wine bears Quilceda Creek’s trademark marriage of power with elegance and sweet tannin. Projected maturity: now-2020. Congratulations Alex and Paul, welcome to the big leagues."

Norm's notes: Very, very ripe (maybe overripe) dark purple fruit. Some spice on the nose but a hint of decay (like when you leave blackberries on the counter and they begin to mold). Big bodied wine that verged on being flabby. A decent finish but I wanted more balance and structure from this wine. I was expecting Kathleen Turner in her prime and I wound up with Anna Nicole Smith before she went on her diet.
If I am scoring this, I'll give it 84pts. At $35/bottle you can do much better for your $.

Thursday Dinner

2008-09-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Protein

+

Vegetable

+

Starch

=

Dinner

"Official" Beer of Portland

2008-09-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

"PBR"

I admit it, I am a total beverage snob and I was on the bandwagon early in regard to the whole micro-brew movement. I know a Belgian ale from a Barleywine, the difference between and ale and a lager and what an IBU is (in fairness, I used to homebrew). When I moved to Portland, Oregon (Munich on the Willamette), I knew I had found my home. There is an almost unlimited amount of craft beer being brewed out here. It seem like every small pub has its own beer/ale/lager. The days of having two beers on tap at your local watering hole are over.
So, what is this can of Pabst doing on my counter? Well, I have come full circle in my beer selection. I still love a microbrew and I am a total hophead (can you say Imperial IPA please?), but I hate paying $8.00 for a six-pack. So to solve my dilemma and to provide some serviceable "lawn mower" beer (I don't really have a lawn-urban condo dweller) I have turned to an old school standby. This is the kind of beer we (40-65 year old demographic) used to slug down playing quarters at a frat party or shot-gunning at a tailgater before heading back for the second half of a football game. Pabst Blue Ribbon sells for about $14/case and when all you want is something cold, fizzy and a beer that is not 7% alcohol this fits the bill....plus this actually gives my refrigerator some street cred as it is the Macro beer of choice among young Portlanders.
Cheers!

Chateau Ducru Beaucallou

2008-09-09T22:28:00.001-07:00

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou

What I appreciate about having a small wine cellar is having the ability to buy and store wine for a long period of time. I love buying wine that I know I won't touch for a decade or more. Hey, don't get me wrong, I like instant gratification as much as the next guy, but when it comes to food and drink I like to spend an inordinate amount of time and money chasing that pursuit.
This wine comes from the St. Julian appellation of Bordeaux. In the 1855 Classification it is considered a 2nd Growth (officially Seconds Crus, sometimes written as Deuxièmes Crus).

The full list of the 2nd Growth wines

Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux
Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux
Château Léoville-Las Cases, St.-Julien
Château Léoville-Poyferré, St.-Julien
Château Léoville Barton, St.-Julien
Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux
Château Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien
Château Lascombes, Margaux
Château Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac (commonly known as Pichon Baron)
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac (commonly known as Pichon Lalande or Pichon Comtesse)
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St.-Julien
Château Cos d'Estournel, St.-Estèphe
Château Montrose, St.-Estèphe

To me this bottle and lable scream "old school". With all of the animal labels of Australia and the pseudo labels of distributors in the United States it is nice to actually have a bottle of wine that not only contains great wine, but that also carries itself with an understated amount of class and dignity. This bottle is going to a neighbor and a friend of mine who just got married on Monday. My friend is in the wine business so he knows what the pedigree of this wine. With proper storage this wine could easily be opened to celebrate his 20th Anniversary. I hope they enjoy drinking this wine as much as I did giving them their little bit of delayed gratification.

Bowpicker Fish & Chips

2008-09-09T01:47:00.000-07:00

Trust me, less is more

Every once in a while I happen across some fast food that I have to rave about. I am not a big fan of any of the chains (except for McDonald's french fries) but I do enjoy coming across a family run business that has its sh*t together.
This weekend my son and I made a quick run up to Astoria to meet up with my aunt and uncle. They were visiting some friends out at Ft. Stevens and a recommendation was made for a lunch.
Lucky for all of us the place recommended was the "Bowpicker".
The Bowpicker is a little fish stand (across from the Maritime Museum-highly recommended also). This to be honest is a place I wouldn't have stopped at had it not been recommended so highly. Theme restaurants and roadside stands can be a dicey proposition and too often are a disappointment. In this case we were in for a treat.

"Keep it simple stupid"

A former fishing boat, turned Fish Shack that serves two things......Deep fried, beer batter Albacore Tuna and French Fries. Damn, these guys have gotten the zen thing down. The mantra of "keep is simple stupid" or "less is more" completely applies here.

When a place has more condiments than menu items (and a 20 minute waiting line) you have to think they are doing something right. I wish more places would figure out what they do well and whittle down what doesn't work on their menu.

Fresh, lightly beer breaded Albacore tuna and just right french fries are a hard combination to beat. If you are in Astoria, you really should treat yourself to lunch at the Bowpicker.

The Bowpicker
17th St. & Duane St.
Astoria, OR 97103

Fair and Balanced

2008-09-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but post this clip of Jon Stewart. I love when reality becomes so bizarre that you couldn't even make this stuff up. Thank goodness we have Fox News to keep us informed and tell it like it is. See if you don't agree that Karl Rove has a face made for radio.
The clip is on the right side of the blog...
Enjoy-

Grilled Pizza

2008-09-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

Grilled Pizza

Summer is winding down and I was trying to think of something I hadn't already grilled this Summer. I threw an idea at my son and he was more than happy to take a shot at grilling some pizza. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Our local store of choice is called "New Seasons" and it is a small, local chain in Portland, Oregon that has a big focus on local products. Produce, meat, dairy, beer, etc. They also happen to make a really kick-ass pizza dough. We grabbed a bag and headed home.
I knew I was going to have to pre-cook the dough enough to firm it up for the grill so I rolled out three small pieces of dough instead of the two we usually do. I baked the dough for about 5 minutes and then set aside so we could top our pizza and take on the grill.

The first pizza was a take on a traditional pepperoni pizza, except this one used was a hot calabrese salame. A light brush of Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan and the Salame. Hot Calabrese Salame
The other pizza was bushed with olive oil and I added Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Gorgonzola. Caramelized Onion, Bacon & Gorgonzola

The third pizza was a mirror of the first.

My expectations were fairly high, but I have to admit that I liked the crust on these actually better than the oven cooked pizzas I have been making. The crust takes on an almost wood fired oven char and the taste was nearly identical to a Brick Oven pizza. Keep the toppings light as the thin crust is probably optimal for about 3 ingredients.

Grilled Pizza Crust-This was great!

Where there's smoke there's fire

2008-09-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who reads my blog even semi-regularly knows how I love to cook with wood and charcoal. I came across a great post on another site and I wanted to share it.
Below is an outline of different woods used to cook and smoke meat.
Take a look and try one of these at your next cookout.

ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking–the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor–the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

Heirloom Tomato Blog

2008-09-02T20:28:00.001-07:00

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Maybe if heirloom tomatoes weren't seasonal then I could do a year round Tomato blog. You know, kind of a take off on the the blog "The Bacon Show". You gotta love a blog whose motto is: "One bacon recipe per day, every day, forever".
Well, for better or worse these tasty gems are seasonal so I am feverishly trying to make as many dishes that utilize there tasty deliciousness before I am back to using canned Italian tomatoes.
Dinner used the recipe I had posted earlier this summer. This is an easy end of Summer supper dish and even I like to take a break from the kitchen now and then.

Bon Appetit!

Heirloom Tomatoes

2008-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Stacked Tomato Salad w/ Basil Vinaigrette

One of the great things about living in Portland, Oregon is the amazing amount locally produced food we have access to. Berries, produce, wine, Salmon, game, mushrooms and did I mention wine? My Labor Day weekend was just as I wanted it to be. Great food, wine, good company and even a little college football.
Tonight my dinner is going to include the following:

Menu

Appetizers
Bruschetta w/Tuscan White Bean Puree

Salad
Stacked Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Heirloom tomatoes layered with fresh Mozzarella, Olivita & Basil

Entree'
Jamaican Jerk Rub Rib Eye w/ Chadon Beni Sauce

served with

Grilled Potato Salad with Arugula, Green Onions, & Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Dessert

Drunken Grilled Pineapple

Wood Fire Grilled Pineapple with a Rum & Raw Sugar Glaze
serverd with
1985 Chateau Gilette Sauterne (F*** yeah)
1998 Ridge Montebello

My buddy Sam Sundeleaf brought over three fantastic bottles for dinner tonight. First, a 1998 Ridge Montebello. This is one of California's original cult wines and this wine was spectacular.

1998 Ridge Montebello: Garnet color with a just the first hint of starting to develop some brickishness. An earthy nose (maybe just a hint of horseshit on a new pair of cowboy boots) reminiscent of some fine Bordeaux wines. Good, concentrated fruit, licorice and a great balance on the palate. Subtle tannins, though this wine does have a long finish. Drinking well now and I would say if you have this in your cellar go ahead and start breaking it out.

The next wine was an 2003 Alexander Valley Silver Oak. This too is a high quality Cabernet Sauvignon wine producer.

2003 Alexander Valley-Silver Oak: Deep, dark garnet color. Big fruit and big vanilla on the nose. Good balance, well made wine. I wish this producer would notch down the oak a touch as I think the fruit is more than good enough to carry this wine on its own. A great "date wine" and this would probably be a favorite with wine drinkers just starting to explore California wines.

The final wine of the night was one we paired with the Grilled Pineapple.

1985 Chateau Gilette: This Sauterne producer ages their wines for 20 years in concrete vats before they bottle and sell their wine. This bottle was a bright, clover honey yellow with great spice and perfume on the nose. A big, thick and full bodied wine that showed honey, caramel and spice on the palate as well. The wine has a long finish and could age in the bottle another 25 years with no problem.This is truly a transcendental wine. This wine made me glad that the food and menu for the night were on the same plane as the wine. This was a very special bottle and a big "Thank you" to my friend Sam for bringing it to dinner.

Spicy Roasted Pecans

2008-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

This bowl was made by Carol Lebreton , she used the pelvic bone of a chicken to imprint the clay

I came across a version of this recipe a few years ago in Bon Appetit. I ended up adding and deleting some ingredients so I feel comfortable calling this my own. This is a very simple ways to add some sophistication to a cocktail party. These pecans are way sexier than potato chips and even more addictive. A friend of mine once asked if there wasn't some "crack" in these as she couldn't stop eating them.

Spicy Roasted Pecans
Ingredients:
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1¼ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
3 cups pecan halves

Heat a non-stick saute pan and add the butter and honey. When the mixture starts to foam add the pecans and toss them to get the honey/butter mixture to coat all the pecans. Dust the pecans with 1/3 of the spice mixture , toss to incorporate and repeat until all the spice mix is gone. Place the pecan mixture in a 250 degree oven for 40 minutes. When the pecans have cooled break them apart and serve. These will hold for a week or so, but trust me, you won't have them in your house that long.

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

2008-08-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Tonight I invited some friends over for dinner. I was craving blue cheese and so I decided to make a warm potato salad that incorporates blue cheese along with a savory bacon vinaigrette.
You par-boil the potatoes and then slice, toss with olive oil and grill until they are a toasty brown. The vinaigrette is simple. Basically you cook 4 slices of chopped bacon, add 1/2 red onion after the bacon has cooked (crisp). Add 1 Tbsp of sugar plus 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive oil to the bacon and onion mixture and then toss with the potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of Gorgonzola blue cheese and since I have some potted chives on my deck they were thrown into the mix as well.
This is a great salad with anything grilled.
Bon Appetit!

Good Things Come in Small Packages

2008-08-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

1998 Chateau Reignac

I was able to purchase some "half" bottles (375 ml.) of a Bordeaux wine that I discovered about 8 years ago. I had found the 1998 Chateau Riegnac online at $9.oo/bottle. FYI, that is a screaming deal!!!
In Bordeaux as it is in the rest of the wine world, the quality of the fruit has the largest single impact on the quality of the wine. Typically soil and micro-climate or as the French call it: "Terroir".
The problem in Bordeaux is that in 1855 just before they hosted the World's Fair the Chamber of Commerce for the City decided to actually put together a list of the quality producers of wine. At that time price was generally perceived as the measure of quality. I don't think that anyone would have an issue with the wines that were selected as part of the 1st Growth:

Chateau Latour
Chateau Lafitte Rothschild
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Haut Brion
Chateau Mouton Rothschild (re-classified from a 2nd growth in 1973)

The real issue is that since that original Classification in 1855 there have been exactly two chateau's who have either been added or bumped up the list. The first wine added was Chateau Cantemerle. That winery was added in 1856. The next revision was for Chateau Mouton Rothschild which after decades of lobbying and a tremendous amount of money spent by the powerful and influential Phillpe de Rothschild they were granted 1st Growth status in 1973.

Today the quality of winemaking has improved in Bordeaux just as it has in the rest of the world. Much more is understood about weather, grape clones, vinification and what constitutes true "ripeness" in grapes.
There are only 61 wineries that have what is called a Cru Classes designation. By all accounts there are probably an equal number who make quality at or above that of the Cru Classe wines. At stake is the sales price of the wines on the list. There are 5 growth classifications and the prices drop steadily from the 1st Growth downward. The quality level from Ch. Latour (1st Growth) to Lynch Bages (5th Growth...but widely considered to be 2nd Growth quality) is very small, but the price differential is almost 10 fold. The 2005 Ch. Latour is retailing at around $1900.00/per bottle. The 2005 Lynch Bages goes for just over $100.00/btl. Keep in mind that the 2005 vintage was spectacular and coupled with the 2000 vintage (the vintage of our lifetime and the best since 1961) we are experiencing a "tipping point" with these wines. Due to the world demand and also to their limited production, the prices on the creme de la creme wines are going to continue to go up.

Chateau Reignac is one of the wines that has no classification and really no pedigree. The winery Reignac is the poster child for a modern-styled, "better than its pedigree" Bordeaux Superieur. The wines high quality is a testament to the exceptional commitment demonstrated by proprietor Yves Vatelot. This large (125 acres) hillside vineyard, planted in gravelly/clay soils, is composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged on its Lees and it ages in new French Oak ($1000 per barrel) for 22 months. Yields are often lower than many classified growths (1.8 tons per acre). It is typical for quality wine producers to thin or "green harvest" the number of clusters they allow per vine. The magic number is somewhere around 2 tons per acre. Grapes left to grow untended will easily produce 3 to 4 times that amount of fruit. For table wines, yields that high may be acceptable, but for the highest quality producers the decision to reduce yield and concentrate fruit and flavors is to the benefit of the drinker. Wines like Chateau Latour see this yield reduction rewarded with release prices in the $600-1000/bottle range. Chateau Reignac who puts all the care of a Cru Classe wine into its production sees their wines selling in the low $20's /bottle.
The winery has also employed as a consultant the internationally acclaimed Michel Rolland, what does that mean? It means that unless you are Bill Gates or Warren Buffett (Bill drinks Pepsi) you should be spending your hard earned dollars on stocking up on wine like Chateau Reignac. Personally, I don't know how they can spend this much money in the vineyard and in the winery and sell wine in the American market for $20-30/bottle. Take advantage of the prices and the quality of this wine.

1998 Chateau Reignac
Deep garnet with just a hint of brickish color. Complex nose of black cherries, cedar, tobacco and baking spices Medium to full bodied with ripe black cherries and dark chocolate with the slightest hint of vanillian(oak) Lush and concentrated with quite a long finish. Can cellar for 10+ years.

The Fruits of our Labor

2008-08-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bottling 2006-Ash Hollow Vineyard-Walla Walla-Cabernet Sauvignon

In early 2004 it was my fortune to meet Tom Harvey. I had ordered some 2000 Bordeaux futures a couple of years earlier and the wine was getting ready to be delivered. Tom is the co-owner of Portland Wine Storage along with his wife Andria Shirk and his business partner Joe Padulo. The facility they own is a self storage temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar. A person can rent a small locker or in some cases a large room to house a fine wine collection.
When I met Tom, he and Andria we just dating. Another person I met about the same time was Sam Sundeleaf. I met Sam at a wine tasting event in Portland and we discovered that we both stored wine stored at PWS. Soon, Sam, Tom, Andria and I were holding informal wine events and as fall approached in 2004 we discussed actually making wine together. Andria had made wine at home and had a small hobby vineyard in her parents backyard. I had made wine the two previous years as well. My first batch was from a wine kit and my second was from fruit a friend had given me from Seven Hills Vineyard in the Columbia Valley.
In October we went out to a small vineyard site just outside of Beaverton, Oregon and picked about 1200 lbs of fruit. The four of us thought that picking 1/2 a ton would be a snap and we would be out of the vineyard by noon. By 2:00 we still needed about 200 lbs. more and we all agreed at the days end that picking grapes was some of the most strenuous work any of us had done. I had picked apples as a teen, moved sprinkler pipe, bucked hay and I will testify that I have never been so sore and tired.
Our 2004 Pinot Noir ended up being a light colored (quails eye), high acid wine that had a Burgundian edge to it.
In 2005 we found a much better fruit source for our Pinot Noir and we were able to buy grapes from Allen Holstein. Allen owns a vineyard in the Dundee Hills and he also happens to be a vineyard manager who has worked with the likes of Argyle, Stoeller, Domaine Drouhin.

Making wine is easy, making great wine is difficult. The better the fruit is, the higher your odds are of making a truly exceptional wine. If you start with bad fruit it doesn't matter how phenomenal of a winemaker you are, the end result will still be average at best.
One thing that we have understood from the beginning is that wine is made in the vineyard and the less you manipulate it, the better your results will be. Since our equipment is makeshift, we essentially are making wine as the French did 50 years ago. Hand harvesting, hand sorting, and hand crushing. We use older French barrels for our wine so the fruit isn't overpowered by the wood of the barrel and we allow the wine to barrel age a bit longer than a commercial winery would. Our results have been beyond our wildest dreams

2005-Dundee Hills-Holstein Vineyard Pinot Noir

It started out of a curious interest, but since 2004 we have made a Pinot Noir in every vintage. Our 2005 Pinot was an exceptional wine and the 2006 Holstein Vineyard Pinot Noir promises to be even better.
In 2006 we were able to source Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from Ash Hollow Winery in Walla Walla. The resulting wine was bottled in July of 2008 and the wine shows the characteristic chocolate and cherry flavors that are prevalent in wines from that appelation. This wine was a top ten finisher in the 2008 Oregon State Fair competition.
Tom and Andria have both taken Oenology course work and Andria has worked crush for Joe Dobbs and Shea Vineyards. This year Dick Shea has even offered us a small amount of his vineyards fruit. Shea Vineyard is widely accepted to be a Grand Cru (highest classification in Burgundy) vineyard site and our little group is very excited. An interest that turned to a passion that someday may become even a small business venture. We are making the kind of wines we want to drink and since we don't have stockholders or a board to please we are free to make wine with integrity.

Andria and our hand crafted bottling line

Our hope is that we can share wine with all of our friends and that someday we can share our wine with people whose palate matches our own.

Cheers!

Confrerie des Vignerons de St. Vincent de Macon

2008-08-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

During January, St. Vincent of Saragossa, the patron saint of winegrowers, is honored throughout Europe with celebrations, prayers, weather-omen ceremonials, and, of course, wine tasting.

St. Vincent of Saragossa died in the year 304, martyred during the last great persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperors Maximian and Diocletian. By early medieval times, St. Vincent had been adopted as a patron saint by vineyard workers and winemakers in Europe – perhaps they identified their struggles against drought, mildew, frost, insects and all of the other tribulations of wine growing with the legendary tortures suffered by St. Vincent.
A story is told that during the Middle Ages the Catholic Church had brought some relics of St. Vincent to Burgundy. The region had experienced multiple poor vintages, but after the Church blessed vineyards with the relics of St. Vincent there were a long string of exceptional vintages that followed.
As devotion to St. Vincent spread, new legends sprang up to seal the identity of the saint with the particular locality.

Today there are statues of St. Vincent in nearly all villages in Burgundy and they are all treated as relics and every years since the 1930's an annual festival called the Saint Vincent Tournante.

As devotion to St. Vincent spread, new legends sprang up to seal the identity of the saint with the particular locality.

The Confrerie des Vignerons de St. Vincent de Macon was founded in 1950, the Brotherhood has thus far held more than 700 chapters and preserved over time the determination of its creators: to discover Burgundy and more particularly the vineyards of Mâconnais.
The Oregon Chapter was started in the 70's by some of the early Pinot pioneers and today is active in promoting wine and wine education.

Initiation Ceremony

The above photo shows the ritual of initiation which explains the life of St. Vincent and also the significance of the Tastevin, the colors of the ribbon and the lapel pins. The yellow of the ribbon represents the sunshine, the green represents the grapevine and the red represents the earth itself. In our case the red was very appropriate as we were at the top of Prince Hill Vineyard, located in the Dundee Hills Appellation in the Willamette Valley. The soil here is a red Jory clay and locals describe this area as "The Red Hills of Dundee".

Chancelier-Norm Schoen

In this day and age of casual dress and little pomp and circumstance in our daily lives, the donning of ritual robes and having a ceremony to welcome new people to our group does make you feel like a part of history. In our case we are fortunate enough to live in a world class wine region (Willamette Valley) and the initiation was held at the home of Dick Erath. Dick was one of the true pioneers of Pinot Noir and his vision and foresight has laid the foundation for the second generation of winemakers.

Norm & Dick Erath

It still amazes me that the Pinot Noir industry is so new that I am able to meet and spend time with some of these visionary winemakers. Dick was one of the founding members of the Portland Confrerie Chapter and he was a wonderful host. I will not forget that day at the top of Prince Hill Vineyard and my afternoon with Dick Erath.

Calimocho

2008-08-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

+ =

I was on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Boise, Idaho on Friday. My seat mates were a young couple who were friendly but completely absorbed in their own little world. When the beverage service came around I ordered a Heiniken (I figure if they are going to jab you for $4.00 bucks, why drink domestic). The guy orders a Jack and Ginger Ale and the woman orders a red wine and a Pepsi. At first I thought she wanted two drinks, but when she was served she proceeded to mix the two drinks together over ice.
I made a comment about never having seen anyone do that and she suddenly became very animated and explained that this is called a Calimocho and it's a drink that is common in Spain and also in the Basque country. She insisted that had I taste this drink; after a quick sip I had to admit that I actually liked it (much to my wine snob chagrin).
The spice notes in the cola when mixed with the red wine exhibit an almost baking spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg) component. The sweetness of the cola also help balance the tannins, but the red wine does show some backbone and this for all intents and purposes just a less sweet version of Sangria (maybe kind of a white trash Sangria).
Anyway, when it comes to beverages it pays to keep an open mind and in this case I am going to serve this at the next Spanish theme meal I do as a starter cocktail.

Calimocho
Ingredients:
1 Part Red Wine
1 Part Cola
Ice

Give this a shot and send a note telling me if you liked this or if I am full of it.

Cheers

Game Hens

2008-08-22T06:42:00.001-07:00

I saw some Cornish Game Hens at the store the other night and grabbed a couple.
I love how you can spatchcock these birds and get your grilling done in less than 30 minutes. I threw together a grilled vegetable salad, roasted some asparagus and grilled some bread. From start to finish I had dinner together in 45 minutes

Game Hen

Toss in a 2003 Turley-Howell Mountain-Rattlesnake Ridge Vineyard Petite Syrah and you have some "Good Eats"

Guilty Pleasure

2008-08-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Duck

I called my son on the way home from work and asked him what he wanted for dinner. He was a bit non-committal, so I took the opportunity to strongly "suggest" that we have tacos for dinner.

Garnish

Even though I grew up in Idaho I used to work in East L. A. and I know what good straight forward Mexican food looks like. That said, the tacos I was thinking would not fall into that category.
Growing up in rural SW Idaho I remember exactly (one) local Mexican joint. I used to love the hard shell tacos my Mom used to make and dammit that is exactly what I wanted tonight.

Since I was going a little "Low Brow" I decided to go all the way. Fatty ground beef that was seasoned with just salt and pepper, "Mission" brand crisp taco shells, Spanish rice (Rice-a-roni...this actually rocks...especially if you need more salf in your diet) and a cold Macro-brew. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is cheap beer, but hey, sometimes I just want something cold and fizzy (alcohol helps too) and a beer that doesn't cost $8.00 bucks a six-pack.PBR

Red-neck Taco's?...Nah, just good eatin!

This dish hit almost all of the flavor spots....sweet, sour, salty,bitter. It also hits on the fat and crunch theme that plays a big part in the American diet as well. This is good........even if it isn't good for you.

This is leftovers?

2008-08-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Mixed Greens with Smoked Lamb & Spiced Pecans

Well dinner tonight I think can only be described with a quote that Bill Murray used in the movie Caddyshack.

“I have to laugh, because I have out finessed

myself

"I have to laugh, because I have out finessed myself"
Carl Spackler, Assistant Greenskeeper, Bushwood Country Club

Left with nothing but a seemingly empty refrigerator I was able to turn a handful of mixed greens into a pretty, sexy, Summer salad. Okay, okay, before I hurt my arm patting myself on the back I guess I need to acknowledge that it wasn't like I was dividing bread up for the masses or turning water into wine (Though I did have a glass of 1998 Chateau Reignac).
Beside the greens I had some roasted/smoked leg of lamb that I julienned, a few oven dried tomatoes, some (quickles) and to add some extra crunch I tossed in the spiced pecans I used for appetizers yesterday. A little balsamic dressing and toasted baguette smeared with a triple cream brie (it almost looked like butter) and I would be happy to serve this to company-Bon Appetit

Sunday Dinner

2008-08-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Nibbles

Last night I had a small dinner party. Among my guests were Heather Arndt Anderson (Gild the Voodoolily) and her husband Scott. This was the first time I had a chance to cook for them so I really wanted things to be special.

Heather took this shot of dinner

All in all I was happy with how dinner turned out. The lamb picked up a subtle smokiness due the the applewood I used. The lentil salad that Heather brought was terrific (what is not to like about a smidge of truffle oil?).

2000 Ch Haut Batailley, 2000 Ch Batailley, 2004 Ch Monbosquet, 2000 Clos l' Eglise, 2000 Ch Reignac

Toss in a some good Bordeaux and you just about have yourself a party. When I bought these wines in future back in 2000 this is exactly what I had in mind. Food and wine are meant to be shared with friends and family. I am glad I have such great friends to share them with.

Here is what was on the menu.

Menu

-Appetizers-
House Cured Olives
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Spiced Pecans
Antipasti

-Salads-
French Lentils
with Grilled Baby Pattypan & Parsley Vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus

-Entrée-
Applewood Grilled Leg of Lamb
Lamb studded with garlic and rubbed with sea salt,
tellicherry black pepper

& rosemary-roasted on an applewood fire
with
Oven Dried Tomatoes
&
Cannelli Beans

-Dessert-
Oregon Wild Blackberry Ice Cream

Oregon Wild Blackberry Ice Cream

Art y Pico Award

2008-08-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have my friend Foodycat to thank for giving me the Art y Pico Award. Apparently sometime in the past six months I have shown at least a hint of creativity and provided some material to the blogosphere that a least one of my readers felt deserved recognition. Thank Foodycat!

Okay so now I get to nominate 5 people whose blogs I can't go without. First off, I would nominate my friend Heather at Gild The Voodoolily but she already received the award and I don't want her getting a big head and all.

Here are my fav five (in no particular order)

Bruce Bauer over at Eat. Dring. Think. Bruce happens to live in Portland so his perspective hits home even harder as we seem to frequent some of the same places. He also a friend and the owner of one of the coolest wine shops in the U.S.A (says Imbibe Magazine). Bruce's shop Vino His motto is: "Making the world a better place, one bottle at a time-Wine, not brain surgery".

Brittany at The Pie Lady is my next must read. She is a professional pastry chef in Seattle and what she cooks at home is awe inspiring. She has personally been responsible for me dusting off my ice cream maker this Summer.

Gina at Doña Lupe ’s Kitchen is a favorite as well. She cooks a huge variety of Mexican influenced food. Her writing is very touching and the story of her grandmother (Doña Lupe) is one of the best pieces I have come across on the internet.

Foodbuzz introduced me to Zen over at Chefs Gone Wild. He is a fabulous chef and his writing is very funny and I love his outsider perspective (he is French) on American culture (or lack there of).

My final blog for mention is Alejandra Ramos at Always Order Dessert . Her blog was one of the first really "serious" food blogs I happened across. I remember thinking that "There are other people out there who really take their food seriously".

Congrats to all-

Lavash Crackers

2008-08-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Lavash Crackers

Saturday morning and I am making coffee (Since it's Portland I am drinking Stumptown...Italian Roast, hmmm...maybe I will write about this amazing shop and it's owner Duane Sorenson, but that is another story).
Anyway, I am having a dinner party tomorrow and I want to have some special nibbles for my guest. I have a sh*tload of stuff going on today so I didn't have a ton of time, but I did have 20 minutes to spare.
I had some Lavash (traditional Jewish flatbread) in the refrigerator and so pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees and got down to business.
This is a recipe that you can easily make your own by what you toss on the flatbread before you bake it. Here is my take on Lavash Crackers.

Lavash Crackers
Ingredients
2 Sheets Lavash
Olive Oil
Seasame Seeds (black and white)
Caraway Seeds
Poppy Seeds
Kosher Salt

Directions:

Lightly brush the Lavash with Olive Oil (really lightly),

Toss any of the above seeds or those you want to add to the mix on top of the oiled Lavash.

Cut the Lavash to the desired size and pop into a 350 degree oven for 9-10 minutes.

Can you say crispy, savory, & delightful?

Charcuterie

2008-08-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

Dinner?

Sometimes I actually don't feel like cooking, but the last thing I want is to go out for fast food.
Tonight I was in a funk and decided see what was in my refrigerator. Hmmm, some leftover Flat Iron Steak, some Hard Italian Salami, Rustic Pate, Goat Gouda, an Aged Gouda a bit of Brie and some of my favorite Cornichon pickles. Damn, put this on a nice plate and you would feel good about someone only charging you $16 dollars (not including service).

"House Olives"

Throw in some of my "House Olives" and you would think you were eating out. I love to buy a variety of brined olives and then toss them together with olive oil, bay leaves, corriander, peppercorns (green, black, white), fennel and red pepper flakes. I keep a jar of these around at all times since they go with virtually anything I am cooking for dinner.

Buon Appetito!

Oven Dried Tomatoes

2008-08-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is Wednesday and I am starting preparation for a dinner party I am hosting on Sunday. My fellow food blog friend Heather Arndt Anderson and her husband Scott (and Scott's Mom Linda) are coming to my house for dinner. Probably one of the coolest things that has happened since I started writing this blog is the correspondence I have received about the food I like to cook. The actual "coolest" thing is having met Heather and Scott through my blog. These two are a fun young couple and together we have been to a gnarly beer event, a dinner at their house and the coup de grâce, the pig roast that Heather threw for Scott's birthday.
This weekend I am having them over and I get to cook for them. I am planning to cook a leg of lamb and one of the vegetables I like to do this time of year is a tomato dish.
that I call:

Oven Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
20 Ripe Plum Tomatoes-halved and seeded
2 Garlic Cloves-minced
1 Tsp Fresh Thyme
2 Shallots-minced
Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

-Before-

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the plum tomatoes with the olive oil, shallots, garlic and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the tomatoes cut side up and roast them for about 3½ hours, or until they are somewhat dry but still plump.

Yields: 40 halves

This only sounds like alot of Tomatoes. Once you make these you will want to boost the recipe the next time you dig this recipe out. If I lived in Tuscany instead of Portland, Oregon I would be partially drying these in the sun. Since I am in Oregon and I want to get these tomatoes dried before Halloween I am going to tossing them in a very low oven. I will post the menu for my dinner on Friday-Ciao!

Rose

2008-08-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

From time to time I write a little about wine. Wine I drink, wine I collect, what mailing lists I am on, blah....blah....blah...blah! After all, this blog did start out with a wine focus and since the world of wine geeks is an inch wide and a mile deep this blog gives me a small platform to share my humble opinion.
I am sure many of you are looking at the above photo and thinking (WTF?). A pink wine and a screw top? Let me tell you this, there has been a huge paradigm shift with alternative wine closures such as screw tops (actually Stelvin Caps) making huge inroads into with wine industry. Where these closures were once the indication of a "cheap" bottle, today if you know anything about wine you will know that a large number of $20-40 wines are using these Stelvin Caps.
The above wine is a Rose made from Merlot grapes grown at the Celilo Vineyard in Washington State.

As a quick primer, I want to explain in rudimentary terms that Rose wines can be made three different ways.

1. Red wine and white wine are fermented separately and then blended together to create a Rose.

2. The winemaker may decide that in the course of making a red wine that they want to concentrate the juice to skin ration (less juice to more skins) to boost the flavor profile. What the winemaker will do is actually do what the French refer to as a Saignée. This process involves the draining off of a small percent of the grape juice. Since the unfermented juice has had little skin contact the color will be may range from a light pink to a deep Salmon or even Copper color.

3. Rose may be made intentionally by crushing the red grapes and treating the wine as though it were a white wine. White wines are lightly crushed as they are brought in from harvest and see little skin contact. Red wine on the other hand will have extended skin contact (two weeks or so). The Rose wine is then fermented in either stainless steel tanks or neutral oak barrels.

Personally I love Rose and some of the finest Champagnes in the world are technically Rose wines. If you grew up drinking White Zinfandel then these wines will be a suprise to you. Most of them are bone dry, with a hint of red fruit (think Strawberry, Raspberry, Cherry, Cranberry) and a big dose of crisp acidity. They are perfect chilled as an alternative to a cocktail and they go well with almost all poultry.

2007-Phelps Creek- Ceililo Vineyard Rose

2007 Phelps Creek-Celilo Vineyard Rose-Dark for a Rose, almost a Copper color (the skins had 4 days contact on the juice). The wine is made from Merlot grapes and shows bright ripe strawberries on the nose. Good fruit on the palate that is balanced with a crisp acidity and a clean finish. While the wine is fermented almost completely dry, the fruit is big enough to give the slightest hint of sweetness. This is about as far away from a White Zinfandel as you can get. I love this wine!

Panzanella

2008-08-11T21:06:00.001-07:00

Panzanella

With Summer really in full swing and the produce overflowing my house I knew I wanted a great salad with dinner tonight. I had a phase of my life in the 90's where I was convinced I was part Italian (maybe I had been kidnapped by Gypsy's). I cooked peasant Italian, regional Italian, American-Italian, et al. It took me about five minutes of navel gazing for the light bulb to finally come on, but when it lit it really shown brightly.
Panzanella is a rustic Tuscan (peasant....I am guessing) salad. The ingredients are probably in your kitchen right now. Stale bread, fresh tomatoes, capers, olive, red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, etc. The variations are wide and I have seen recipes with the addition of tuna, hard boiled eggs and the like. Here is my version of this Italian classic.

Panzanella
Ingredients:
1 loaf of Italian bread (stale, and cut into 1" cubes)
1 lb. Tomatoes (plum, cherry, pear or what ever is fresh) course chop
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Red Onion, sliced razor thin
1 handful Fresh Basil, chiffonade
2 Tbsp. Capers
1/4 cup Olives (assorted)
1/2 handful of Italian Parsley, course chopped

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Combine all the above in a large bowl and toss. I personally like my bread a little firm, but I like when the bread acts like a small sponge and absorbs the oil and vinegar. This salad is best if you can toss it and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Buon Appetito-

The Jerk

2008-08-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Jerk

When I hear a mention of "The Jerk" I get visions of Steve Martin and his character Navin R. Johnson.

Waiter: Would monsieur care for another bottle of the Chateau Latour?

Steve: Ah yes - but no more 1966. Let's splurge! Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you've got - this year! No more of this old stuff.

Waiter: Oui monsieur.

The other night I was watching the Food Network and Bobby Flay's "Throwdown" program. Truth be told I watch that program like most people watch "South Park" or the "Simpson's".
If you haven't seen it, the premise of "Throwndown" is that Bobby is given a Mission Impossible-like assignment at the beginning of the show. Every episode gives an outline of a specific food , cuisine or regional favorite. These items showcase a single person who is recognized as the "expert" in that category. From that, Bobby's challenge is to come up with a recipe to challenge the showcased favorite and at the end of the program the recipes are blind tasted by impartial judges to determine a favorite.
Bobby has taken on a couple of little old ladies who bake awesome pies, he has BBQ'd against a woman, had an ice cream challenge and this last week I saw him go up against a Jamaican born, CIA trained chef who was supposed to have the best Jerk seasoned Ribeye anywhere.
The bitch of these shows is that though they produce Bobby's recipes they don't include the recipes of the people he challenges. I could tell that the rub/marinade that Nigel Spence was noted for was a recipe I had to have.
Thank god for the "Internets". It took me about a minute to track down the recipe for both the Jerk and the sauce Nigel topped the steak with.

A big fat full credit goes to Nigel and his restaurant called "Ripe" for the recipe below.

Jerk Marinated Ribeye w/Chadon Beni Sauce, Grilled Ratatoullie & Garlic Toast

RECIPE FOR RIPE RESTAURANT'S "BIG ASS" JERK RUBBED RIBEYE STEAK

At the restaurant, we use the "Choice" Grade Cut.
Feel free to use "Select" or "Prime" for this recipe,
or any other cut from beef, pork or chicken. This Jerk Rub is very versatile.

1 16oz cut of boneless or bone-in Rib-Eye Steak.

Ingredients for Jerk Rub:

1tsp Nutmeg
2tsp White Pepper
¼ C Black Pepper
½ C Kosher salt
¾ C freshly ground Allspice
¾ C Brown Sugar
¾ C Orange Juice
1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper
1 bunch Jamaican Thyme(about 10 stalks, picked from hard stems)
8 whole Garlic cloves
¾ C chopped Scallions (green onions)
2 cups whole Ajicito pepper (flavorful but not hot)

METHOD:

Put ajicito peppers, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic cloves, thyme and scallions in food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Then add the remaining ingredients except for the orange juice and blend. Slowly stream OJ into the processor until all is incorporated. You may adjust the amount of Orange Juice used depending on how dry or wet you prefer the rub to be. We like it be the consisency of a chutney.

Smear paste over one side of steak and season the other side with salt and pepper. Marinate for 1 hour or up to 48 hours. Place steak on a hot grill and cook to just before desired doneness.

Allow steak to rest (off the heat) for 10 minutes after cooking to redistribute juices and the carry-over cooking will bring it to your desired doneness. Then bite into that baby and lose your marbles!

This Jerk Rub Recipe should make enough for at least 10 large Rib-Eye Steaks.

The Rub can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refridgerator for up to 2 weeks.

NOTE:

Ajicito peppers can be found in most Latin markets. It is also called "seasoning peppers" in Caribbean circles. It looks and smells just like a Scotch Bonnet pepper, but without the heat. It is used in the recipe to increase that scotch bonnet flavor, but can be substituted by adding a bit more green onions and scotch bonnet (if you can handle the additional heat). After letting this rub sit for a couple of days, the heat mellows out significantly anyway, so make a large batch by doubling or tripling the recipe. You won't be disappointed, and it lasts for weeks in the fridge.

Jamaican thyme is a little more "earthy" than the regular stuff found in grocery stores, but can readily be substituted with any thyme available.

Kitchen Secret: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of the Rub at the last minute, to any curry dish you are preparing, to send your "foodie" friends into a "Question & Answer" session at your table!

Chadon Beni Sauce
(As Seen on "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay)

Chadon Beni (also called Shadow Benny in Trinidad & Culantro in Latin markets)

has a broad, flat green leaf. Its a cousin of Cilantro

which can be used as a substitute in the recipe.

1 cup densely packed Chandon Beni leaves.

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat italian parsley leaves

1 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed if available)

1/2 fresh scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

6 whole peeled garlic cloves

1 tablespoon salt

Put all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth-add a little extra lime juice if puree is too thick

Culantro is VERY similar to cilantro in flavor, just a bit more powerful. Cilantro is a great substitute.

The Jerk rub/marinade was EXTREMELY flavorful and even with only an hour of marinade time the flavors were jumping in my mouth. I used this rub a couple of days later and the heat had cooled enough that I thought you could almost double the Scotch Bonnet peppers (I like heat though and these peppers are like putting a lit match into your mouth). So, use your judgement, but do give this a whirl.
The Chadon Beni Sauce is well worth the effort too. It is a Chimichurri, but with a serious Island attitude.

Bridgeport Brewery Hop Czar-If you don't like hoppy beer, then leave this to us who do.

Typically I have wine with dinner but I knew that it was going to take something massive to battle the spice and heat of this meal. Since I live in Portland, Oregon (also know as "Munich on the Willamette") I decided to go with a local ale for my adult beverage match. Portland has more breweries per capita and possibly just by sheer number than any city in the USA. Tonights selection of a Bridgeport Brewer's Hop Czar Imperial India Pale Ale was just about right. The ale has big alcohol of around 8% and also about 100 IBU's (international bitterness units.....this mean HOPPY!!!) Hop Czar is a strong blend of Nugget, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops." If you are an avowed "Hophead" this is for you. Unfortunately this is pretty much a local phenomenen, so if you don't live in the Northwest ( it sucks to be you), then your chances of getting and drinking this ale is pretty slim.