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Yalumba 2006 Bush Vine Grenache Sometimes a nice surprise comes along when trying to choose a wine that pairs well with a hamburger. Of course, the hamburger itself has to be made of top quality meat and not something just thrown into a bag from a ?drive-thru.? That means, the wine chosen is a mixture of a light to medium-bodied flavor and the price of it a good value. Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2006 fills the bill for both taste and value for the money. The winery begin in eighteen forty-nine when Samuel Smith a migrant fro
Get Creative at Dinelli Gourmet The Inauguration and Press Launch of Dinelli Gourmet happened last Tuesday evening, 18th of November 2008. Dinelli Gourmet is the latest addition in Manila?s gourmet and specialty foods market. The newly opened gourmet shop is your new stop for the freshest and unique selection of gourmet foods. More than the exclusive imported items and fresh cold cuts and wide array of cheese selection, the store also has a section for kitchen equipment from Australia, Europe and USA. The husba
Alcohol Free Zone Alcohol Free Zone A Rectangle weave tray with East Shore specialty pretzels, Brent and Sam's cookies, Bremner wafers, Dill Havarti cheese, Butterfields Peach Buds hard candies, Ghiradelli chocolate macadamia bar, Crunchie Munchie snack mix, Lindt chocolate truffles and a bottle each of Non Alcoholic Ariel Cabernet and Chardonnay. Pricing and More Info
[ART] Downtown Charleston ArtWalk 28, 20085:00 pmto8:00 pm Leave the dirty dishes and the leftovers behind, and check out an evening of art, wine, and fun on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the Downtown Charleston ArtWalk. It?s a great event to brinig your holiday out-of-town guests and family to show off Charleston. It?s also a chance to recover from the madness of Black Friday shopping (or a chance to find unique art works for holiday gifts!) ArtWalk venues for November are: Art Emporium Callen McJunkin Galler
Grapevine Wine Chest Grapevine Wine Chest A grape design inlay accents this beautiful wood and bamboo chest, accommodating a bottle of selected wine. It truly exudes the rustic spirit of the vineyard, and the sophistication of the fine wine inside. Choose the perfect bottle from our Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Port, Dessert Wine, or Moet & Chandon Champagne options. Gift is approximately 14'' x 5'' x 4''.Now Offering the Grapevine Wine Chest Duo. To order, simply select one of the 2-bottle choices below.
Forget The Eggs ? Get An Easter Basket Instead is the first thing you think of when Easter rolls around? That?s an easy question to answer ? chocolate! But why go for the traditional Easter eggs all the time when you could buy something that is more unusual, more enjoyable and can bring the whole family together as well? An Easter gift basket is one [...]
Gourmet Elegance Gourmet Elegance An elegant rectangle weave tray is filled with everything needed to enjoy any special occasion. 2 Chandon Brut Cuvee ''Champagne'' splitsLindt chocolate Truffle Balls2 chocolate hearts2 gourmet CappuccinosBremner WafersBaby Gouda CheeseEast Shore Specialty PretzelsChoice of Vermont Honey Mustard Pretzel DipBrent and Sam's Gourmet CookiesGhiradelli Chocolate Macadamia Bar Pricing and More Info
Thanksgiving Prequel: Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli with Roasted Root Vegetables Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli Turkey and cranberries sounded so good I just couldn?t wait until Thanksgiving. This Italian twist on the classic comes from Giada de Laurentiis via the Food Network. It was good, a very stick-to-your-ribs meal, but I wish I?d used more cranberries. The cranberry flavor wasn?t that noticeable. The gravy makes this a very creamy dish. The parsley stood out as a fresh note and I would say using fresh parsley is important or you could risk an overly creamy,
Easy Orzo Risotto let the name intimidate you! This is a quick and easy side dish that is ready in 30 minutes, unlike a traditional risotto that takes time and labor. The key is to toast the orzo, as you would rice in the real thing, add infuse it with flavors. Best of all, it only uses ingredients normally [...]
Malbec madness or how I learned to relax and love an old grape (part 2) Ahhhh, those wines? I will admit it has been a challenge to write about all of the wonderful Malbecs that we tasted. Why? It could be a combination of my utter lack of note taking, and the fact that we drank nine bottles between ten people. That?s not to say that we were so inebriated that the night is some sort of spinning blur. In actuality I have clear memories of the entire night, and awoke the next morning sans hangover. So I will call it what it is. My journalistic neglect has mad
Cheese. Wine. Pie. week, we got lost in Smith alum blogs about food. There are so many, so we offer you a simple paring of some especially delicious and decadent posts. Kate ?00 , of Chocolate, Cheese, and Chianti , recently detailed her trip to London. Among the stops on her touristy agenda? Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and, of course, Neal?s Yard Dairy. While the first two might be famous for the historical roles they?ve played, Neal?s is renowned for the delicious ro
Gold Wine Basket Gold Wine Basket A round Cocoa Midrib bowl filled with either Estancia Chardonnay, Glass Mountain Cabernet, Port, Dessert Wine, or Moet & Chandon Champagne alongside delicious East Shore Pretzels, Brent and Sam's cookies, Bremner Wafers, Dill Havarti Cheese, and Butterfields Peach Buds hard candies. A gift worthy of gold and sure to be well received. Now Offering the Gold Wine Basket Duo. To order, simply select one of the 2-bottle choices below. Pricing and More Info
Cheese and Wine Cheese and Wine A ""thank you"" for a gracious host. A treat for a special couple you know. The only thing missing from this basket is a friend and a good conversation.Willow Market BasketForest Glen Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Port, Dessert Wine, or Moet & Chandon ChampagneFrench BrieHavarti with DillBremner WafersApplesCheese BoardCheese Hatchet Pricing and More Info
Bridal Shower Invitation Themes Bridal shower invitations can have certain themes. These themes can match the gifts given and the bridal shower invitations too. The themes should match the bride?s tastes, interests, and character qualities. Your bridal invitation themes can have the same flair as the party will have. There are different sub-specialties of themes throughout a bridal shower. For example, the master plan, specialty theme, combination theme, entertainment theme, gift theme, food theme, movie theme, game theme,
Fall Wine and Cheese Tour with Ed Burks 22, 2008 This exclusive tour with Ed Burks, wine and cheese connoisseur extraordinaire, will be a wonderful adventure in wine, cheese and food. As winter approaches let?s take one more day for a beautiful drive along the shores of Hood Canal to the Walter Dacon Winery in Shelton. ?The Walter Dacon Winery is dedicated to [...]
Cheese and Crackers Plus Cheese and Crackers Plus Displayed in a classic round cocoa midrib bowl basket with Flavored Bottled Tea, Baby Gouda Cheese, Carr's Table Crackers, East Shore Pretzels, Brent & Sam's Gourmet Cookies. Pricing and More Info
Champagne Celebration Champagne Celebration Exquisite two-toned wash basket with handles accents the 2 Chandon Brut Cuvee ''Champagne'' splits, Lindt Chocolate Truffles, Carr's Table Water Crackers, Cream Havarti cheese, Clearbrook Farms Old Fashioned Preserves, Esther's White Chocolate with Lemon candy, Crown Jewell Gourmet popcorn, Nikki's Gourmet Cookies, Pacific Gold Pistachios, 2 Chocolate Hearts, Crunchie Munchie Snack Mix, 2 Gourmet Cappuccinos and Butterfields Lemon Buds hard candy. A great combination, f
Old Is Good: Vintage Gibson Guitar Generally, as things get older they lose their value. This is because time has a tendency to take its toll on objects that are used on a daily basis. For example, once a new car is taken off of the showroom floor it loses its value because it is being used. Another example would be modern day technology. This loss of value is due to the fact that the technological world is constantly being updated and what is popular and cutting edge today may turn out to be yesterday?s technology. On th
Melting Pot Fun Saturday night, my husband and I went to the Melting Pot to celebrate our second wedding anniversary (which is tomorrow). We had a blast, and I?m so glad we went. I?d been with girlfriends in college, but he?d never been before. Since his love for cheese pretty much rivals my love for chocolate, I figured it was guaranteed to be a surefire success. And oh, it was! I planned (are you surprised?!) somewhat for the day by getting in a great cardio workout in the morning. I felt so good, I lit
Tagliatelle with Peas and Tomatoes with Peas and Tomatoes 16 November, 2008 Ingredients: tagliatelle, salt, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, thyme, 100 ml red wine, 6 tomatoes, 200 grams frozen peas, 100 ml vegetable stock, grated cheese, Boil the tagliatelle in boiling water with a little salt. Fruit in hot oil 1 finely chopped onion with 1 finely chopped garlic clove and thyme to taste until the onion is golden brown. Add 100 ml red wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add 6 diced tomatoes. Stir fry short and then a
Friday night we had some company coming. Dominique made a fabulous cheese plate complete with two camemberts - Old Chatham Sheepherding Company and Real Amazing Food Company, and a Sprout Creek Eden, a semi-hard cheese which is wonderful. There were assorted rustic breads - walnut, raisin loaf and traditional sourdough. We decided on Cascade Mountain Winery Coueur De Lion
Cascade Mountain was founded in the spring of 1972 by the Wetmore family who pioneered the production of premium table wines on the eastern side of the Hudson River. Bill, along with his wife Margaret and their three children Charles, Michael and Joan, planted the vineyard in 1972, built the winery in 1977, and opened the restaurant in 1985.
Today, Cascade Mountain is a thriving business which features a full line of award-winning table wines and a highly rated restaurant. Customers come from all over the world to enjoy a few pleasant hours on top of the Berkshire foothills accompanied by some of the best food and wine to be found in the Hudson River Valley.
George Cafiero is the manager now at the winery. He's one of the hardest working guys in the Hudson Valley. He's a ubiqitous presence at farm markets an festivals from the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes.
This wine is a light-bodied, beautifully colored red. It's made in the Beaujolais style with soft, rounded berry flavors accented by peppery Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a velvet smooth finish. Great quality for the price. It's $14 per bottle. Great for Thanksgiving.
I started with the idea of Ratatouille, but not enough tomatoes and some left over meat ragú lead to this improvised meal. . .
How?
First the ragú. Fry a handful of chopped pancetta in oil with a pinch of cinnamon, then when the pancetta is golden add one finely chopped onion, two finely diced carrots and two cloves of crushed garlic. Stir and fry for a few minutes, before adding a large handful of mixed fresh herbs (I like sage, marjoram and parsley). Stir and then add your meat (500g of minced beef and 300g of minced pork belly) along with two tins of diced tomatoes and a few bay leaves. Stir and once the meat is starting to colour add two generous glasses of leftover red wine. Cover and cook with gentle heat for 90 minutes, before uncovering and turning up the heat, to reduce the liquid if needed.
Now the eggplant. Dice (into 1 inch cubes) two medium eggplants and salt generously (to remove the bitter brown liquid). After an hour rinse and dry before frying the eggplant (in olive oil) in batches. When just golden, remove and place in a large baking dish. Then fry three cloves of garlic and 4 large diced tomatoes in the same pan (removing the stuck on bits of eggplant at the same time) and when soft, remove and add to the eggplant. To this add four generous ladles of the ragú (approx 1 litre of sauce) and stud the mixture with fragments of bocconcini or goats cheese (optional) and then coat with fresh breadcrumbs and a handful of grated Parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven (200 degrees Celsius) for 30-40 minutes.
Wine? This is very robust and calls for something red, firm and affordable. I had several glasses of shiraz.
I'm looking into making a wine and cheese gift basket for my dad this Christmas. Can anyone recommend a solid, delicious merlot or cabernet sauvignon? Also, a rosé and anything else that accents cheese. I understand that different wines do different things for flavors, but my Dad isn't a particularly discerning wine drinker. He enjoys nice things, but is more of a beer man, haha. All the same, I'd like to hint at luxury in his gift, you know? Please keep in mind I'm a broke, broke college student :)
Also, I've always wanted to learn more about wines, I'm pretty ignorant on them as you may guess. Plus, I'm only 22.. and in the US, barely legal drinking age. SO, any good books out there? Or any suggestions?
Prior to my arrival on the Peninsula, my experience with wild mushrooms were both infrequent and rather tame. Having lived in Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado and Minnesota, my knowledge of mushrooms solely consisted of cute little button white mushrooms bought in the grocery store that had a slightly sweet flavor eaten raw, and when cooked, seemed to absorb any of the stronger flavors surrounding it. However, truth be told, both Illinois and Minnesota are renowned for their wild mushrooms. Every November, festivals are celebrated across the Midwest, with avid mushroom lovers coming in droves to hunt Sheepheads, Stumpers (or Honey Mushrooms), Goldentops, and Morel mushrooms, among many others. And although I have very fond memories of picking forest berries, my family was never keen on scavenging for fungi. Granted, my four year stint in Japanese restaurants exposed me to a wider range of exotic mushrooms including: Shitake, Maitake, Bunashimeji, Nametaki, Hiratake, and a long stringy snow white mushroom with a wee little head, Enoki, but nothing as compared to the variety you can scrounge up here in Catalunya, Spain.
Come fall, as humidity sits upon our valley like a thick wet blanket, fruit stands come alive with various plastic containers filled with exotic mushrooms. Many of these mushrooms are so incredible ugly that your wondering if your local vender isn’t trying to pull over your eyes, selling you something more fitting for your compost heap than your evening meal. Tófona Negra, or the Black Trumpet, is one of the most frightening looking buggers you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Black as charcoal, with polygonal warts, grooved longitudinally, the Black Trumpet’s inside, or gleba (word of the day), is born snow white in color, and through its maturation turns a dark reddish hue and eventually, jet black. However, this is rich and aromatic mushroom needs only a small piece to infuse any dish with its flavor.
Another common mushroom used in Catalan cuisines at this time of the year is the Rovelló. This funky dusty reddish-orange mushroom can be identified by its small forest green stains in concentric rings that alternate from light to dark in hue. The cap is also rather unusual, as its wide and concave, as if it never fully finished its development. These are meaty and delicious mushrooms that pair well, according to my Catalan fruit vender, with the Llenega mushrooms, a fat white stemmed mushroom with a small stocky black cap. ?Having put both of them into a cherry tomato, spinach and red pepper risotto sprinkled with cured manchego cheese, I’d have to agree with him. It was absolutely mouth watering, but I warn you, the Llenega mushrooms were covered 4 cm thick in white mold the following day. Why? I have zero idea, but my neighbors felt I overreacted when I threw them away saying, “Gabriella, just wash it off with a little water and put them in the refrigerator to stay fresh.” With the exception of placing mushrooms in the refrigerator, Ryan agreed with their consensus, but after seeing such a dramatic change in one evening, I feared for my for my poor stomach, which is anything but ironclad.
Speaking of potentially live altering mushrooms, let’s chat about mushrooms you should not eat no matter how funky and exotic they may appear to you. Although I’ve never noticed these toxic balls of fungi in the wild, I did receive a nice little lecture a few weeks ago at the “Bolets de Catalunya” festival. By chance, while walking down the Rambla Catalunya to the Boqueria Market, I passed twelve 6ft long tables in an enormous rectangle filled with mushrooms. Each mushroom sat infront of a small white sign sharing its various names in Latin, Catalan, etc; history; taxonomy; and I kid you not, level of toxicity. One skull and bones sign is enough for me to stay away for any mushroom, but 3 back to back has be running for the hills.
That said, you know the classic mushroom we all drew as a kid with its big cherry red cap with small white spores on it? Yeah, don’t eat that one, because depending on the quantities, you’ll either be hallucinating for a long while, or you’ll be on your way to the hospital. Called the Amanita muscaria, or “fly agaric”, this is not one you want to bring home and cook up for your sweetie. Nor would I attempt to eat the Ou del Diable, or Devil’s egg. From a 10-20 cm long thick white stem shoots out a medium sized teardrop head of white or gray color. Trust me, you can’t miss this mushroom, as its phallic structure and rather unappealing color doesn’t make you want to uproot it for a spontaneous picnic in the forest.
So what should you take away from this? If you can plan a visit to Spain during the mushroom, I highly suggest it. There are festivals all over Catalunya from the end of September to the beginning of November, where restaurants will even dedicate an entire meal, dessert and all, to wild mushrooms. Additionally, wines from Catalunya are a wonderful pairing with mushrooms. Whether you choose a crisp, lively Cava to a rich buttery Chardonnay, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re interested in learning more mushrooms, while picking up a few Catalan words, head over our local mushroom site. I’ll go over some of the terms listed in the header, so that you may peruse pictures at your leisure to know what is, and is not, toxic to eat in Catalunya.
Tots els Bolets = All Mushrooms Bolets + Apreciats = Bolets Toxícs = Toxic Mushrooms Fires de Bolets = Mushroom Festivals Rutes Boletaires = Mushroom Routes Receptes = Recipes (I’ll check these out in the near future and report back!) Guias = Mushroom Guides El Bolet = The Mushroom (Great page providing you the vocabulary to describe a mushroom…in Catalan
PS: Ryan here. I had a chance to play with some mushrooms recently when Gabriella and I decided to make a mushroom tart of sorts. Here’s the general recipe off the top of my head:
Take a half an onion and saute it in some olive oil, the more the better! When it starts to get soft, toss in enough mushrooms (assorted wild ones) to make your tart. As they are cooking, roll out a few of squares of filo dough and make two round circles that fit in a pie tin, or cazuela. Pre-bake the bottom filo crust for a few minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200C or until brown. Remove the pan and allow it to cool. As the mushrooms are starting to wilt in the pan, toss in a 1/4 cup of Tawny Port, some black pepper and salt to taste. When the moisture is almost gone, empty the mushroom mix onto the bottom crust and cover it with the second piece of filo. In the oven, after sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the tart, cook until nice and brown. That’s it! The results:
Designed as an aperitif the Farina Val de Reyes Vino Semi-Dulce is recommended with foie gras, pates and soft cheeses. Back in May of 2007 a bottle (of the previous vintage, 2004) was matched with delicious results with a Melon, Pecorino and Culatello Anti-Pasti.
A requirement for a wine to accompany Little Windfall Apple Tarts resulted in this being opened as a proper dessert wine.
Review0.3 Wine Tasting Note: Fariña Val de Reyes, 2005, Castilla y Leon, Spain [More: Adegga / Snooth]
The Botrytis effected Moscatel is really evident on the aroma with hints of orange, honey, pear and a heady honeysuckle edge. Is it the botrytis that gives that nice weight to the palate in addition to the sweetness? A good long spicy finish is clean and fresh from the citric acidity. Behind that spice is there a dimension not too dissimilar to that of autumn - well-kept apples, damp leaves, wild mushrooms and all? Alcohol 13%.
It is not a rich, sickly dessert wine being more fresh and lively than many. With the Little Windfall Apple Tarts it was rather scrummy with a lemon dimension matching the tarts lemon curd. With desserts you need the wine to be sweeter than the food; this match worked perfectly.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
Do you do anything with port other than drink it or serve it with stilton?
I'm not a great fan, by the way, of port with cheese, especially stilton. Two strong totally strong flavours that clash. Just because it is 'tradition' doesn't make it right! I'm out on my own I think. A quick twitter poll resulted in an almost universal condemnation for my heretical views.
"Nope, I've tried it, and in my humble opinion, the complexity of the port combats the cheese, I like a desert Riesling or Sauternes instead"
Chocolate is the way to go when matching food with port; especially the Late Bottled Vintage version. I've just enjoyed a rather scrummy Chocolate Bavarois (made 'em myself, he says with a triumphant gloat) with a generous glass of Cockburns LBV - pure bliss. You have to be generous with the drink serving, none of your namby-pamby little glasses, splash a generous measure into a wine glass.
Review0.3 Wine Tasting Note: Cockburn's Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port , 2003, Portugal Stockist: Asda and Morrisons 10.69 [More on UKWOL] Price: £9.99 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Distinct chocolate notes in the wine are mingled with a deep richness and mellow complex fruits. Mulberry is often noted but to me is more sweet raisins with a little plum and sweet strawberry thrown in. A nice sweetness tempered by the tannins and a creamy mouthfeel.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
A full recipe and instructions for Chocolate Bavarois is available on SpittoonExtra.
And oh how we wish we were hiking right at this very minute. To be up in the mountains hearing the crackle of the leaves underfoot, the gentle brush of the cold wind across your cheeks, and the awe inspiring vision of the valleys sweeping down below you, while perched on a small outcropping. Sigh, I wish I could teleport us there, feeling my head on the soft, slightly wet ground staring up at the wispy clouds. But alas, we are here, in Terrassa, imagining a beautiful, relaxing day in the mountains, pondering what we would bring.
At first, we considered a light red to pair with our traditional hiking cuisine, consisting of cured Manchego cheese and a freshly baked baguette. But then we thought, “what about a big bold Spanish red that is so tightly wound, it would take hours for that bad boy to open and relax?”.
After much contemplation, we both agreed that this would be a great way to go. Pack in some fuet, a sharp Manchego and a baguette, hike for 3 to 4 hours after double decanting your bottle, and voila, you’ve got a fabulous little lunch. The only problem being, you’ve got to get back down the mountain. And as many of you know, these big ass Spanish reds pack in a fair amount of alcohol. So unless you’ve spend the entire afternoon tossing around a Frisbee, while downing a few bottles a water, you might as well curl up and take a long luxurious nap, because we highly doubt you’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.
Hmmm, anyone for a hike?!
That said, we cracked open both the 2001 Bodegas Bilbainas La Vicalanda Gran Reserva from La Rioja, made with Tempranillo, along with the 2005 Casa de la Ermita Petit Verdot. And alas, the Petit Verdot was as mild and harmless as spring doe, with gorgeous dark fruit and spice aromas. Light, elegant and delicate, we fear that this one just wouldn’t make it for a full on arduous hike. It would however, make a killer pairing for a picnic in the park, but full on backpacking adventures are just not in this wine’s future. The Bilbainas however, is a fabulous choice for a long afternoon hike. Big, bold traditional Rioja wine, it could easily age for another 5 years before we see it in its full glory. However, the caveat being that the weight of the bottle is ridiculously heavy, and would be better used as a door stop than a wine to go backpacking with.
Thanks again to winehiker for a great theme and to Lenn for surviving 50 Wine Blog Wednesdays. Hopefully, we’ll celebrate with a hike in the mountains surrounding Terrassa soon! For now though enjoy a video of our last wine hike!
labor day is next weekend and many of us will be grilling up hot dogs, bratwurst, and other traditional picnic fare that is difficult to pair with wine. In a recent article, Washington Post columnists, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg offer suggestions on what to serve with "dinner in a long bun." Among their suggestions are an Alsatian Riesling with bratwurst, a Rioja with a chili dog, and Chianti with Italian Sausage.
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labor day is next weekend and many of us will be grilling up hot dogs, bratwurst, and other traditional picnic fare that is difficult to pair with wine. In a recent article, Washington Post columnists, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg offer suggestions on what to serve with "dinner in a long bun." Among their suggestions are an Alsatian Riesling with bratwurst, a Rioja with a chili dog, and Chianti with Italian Sausage.
Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com.
We found a semi precious gem in the middle of Budapest. Onyx Restaurant not only served us a meal on a par with any we have ever had, they managed to do it at a cost that was surprising affordable, amidst a city that is surprisingly not.
Located just a few steps away from the tourist trap district of the Vaci strolling mall, the Onyx is a blend of old and new both in decor and cuisine. Contrasting the staid furnishings a group of LCD monitors displayed vibrant and ever changing abstract images, sort of like a soft focus fractal. I found the effect soothing and a perfect counterpoint to the near stuffy ambiance.
The service was white gloved and attentive, and the staff was knowledgeable and more than eager to share their passion for their craft. I was especially delighted by the wide variety of remarkable local wines available by the glass. As always wine details are saved for readers of the newsletter .
You on the other hand get a look at the seven courses we delighted in.
Leg of Veal Carpaccio with Foie Gras on a Roast Red Bell dressing A savory treat for foie gras. The flavors were great, although the carpaccio was a bit tough. It was thankfully chopped into strips making it easier to enjoy.
Hungarian Grey Cow Goulash Consomme A delightful twist on the ubiquitous Goulash Soup of Budapest. Fragrant and perfectly spiced.
Salmon Steak with Jelly, Sweet Potato Cakes with Puy Lentils, and a Cannoli stuffed with Sugar Peas and Radish Curry with Bean chips
Visually stunning, so much so that I am adding a rare photograph. Each of these tastes are completely different from the other, but moving from one to the next was an exploration in flavors.
Elderberry Sorbet Sweet, but not too. The ideal refreshment.
Roast Suckling Pig, with Chitterling Ravioli and Beets with Parsley Root Froth and Mini Black Pudding on Leek Bed Like most Americans Black Pudding (also known as blood sausage) is not a taste I am used to. None the less it was rich and flavorful and went well with the tenderloin and cheek of roast pork. The ravioli and beets gave a respite from the rest of the rich flavors.
Goat Cheese with a Pistachio crust and Dried Sour Cherry Jam This local goat cheese was as smooth and creamy as any I ever had. It was quite remarkable and perfect after the rich pork dish.
Tainori Chocolate Cake with a taste of 1995 Royal Tokaji Aszu Essencia Royal Tokaji Essencia is the wine made just from the dried botrysized grapes and is one of the most rare and understandably expensive wines in the world. It is no wonder then that they literally give you a single spoonful of this luscious quaff to accompany the sinfully delicious chocolate cake.
In a city where a continental breakfast start at $20 and goes way up, this 7 course delight, complete with wines that I chose to match ran us only $150 a person. There are few restaurants or experiences I have ever more heartfelty recommended than the Onyx in Budapest.
The wines of Bulgaria have mostly been impressing me with their value but not their complexity, to say the least. This has become so universally true that I have coined the phrase "Bulgarian Soft" to refer to them in my notes. It was time to venture forth to one of the better restaurants in the country to see what throwing money at it would bring.
What follows is a detailed review of the restaurant, but only a generic review of of the wines. As always I save the wine specifics for the readers of my newsletter. It is free and it is emailed so there is no trees to kill, and it comes with a password to unlock the full data base of all of my wine tasting notes. You may sign up for it here.
The restaurant that received our patronage this evening was the Uno Enoteca in Sofia, Bulgaria. This was the first white linen restaurant we have had a chance to visit in Bulgaria, and we had a great time. The staff was attentive and friendly, and everyone did their best to ensure that we enjoyed ourselves.
The food was simple. A little too simple for my taste. We tried ordering more Continental style fare, but even early on a Friday night, the kitchen had run out of our favorites. We opted then to try the more traditional Bulgarian style of dining, which they refer to as BBQ and I put under the heading of: kill it and grill it.
The Muscat from the Thracian region we opened the dinner with was delightful. Aromatic but crisp and dry. I have really been enjoying the many Muscats I have tried in Bulgaria. They all tend towards the drier side, and have been more successful than the other aromatic style whites I have tried.
I started with rabbit stuffed in a nest of potatoes, which I had high hopes for. It was alas, rather bland. There was no sauce at all, just a tiny piece of rabbit in the center of half dollar sized fried shredded potatoes. This was served with warm slices of cucumbers and carrots. There was no hint of herb, spice or apparently even salt in the dish.
My wife settled for a carpaccio of beef when we learned the carpaccio of duck was sold out. It was served in the traditional manner, with shavings of parmesan cheese and arugula, with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. This is mostly notable because olive oil is not common in Bulgaria, and it was good to see. The carpaccio was fresh, thin, and pretty much like every other time we have had it. Nothing to rave about, but perfectly nice.
Next up in the wine department we had a relatively pricey Merlot / Cab blend. At 140 Bulgarian Leva (around $115) it was the most expensive wine we have tried, even given the usual restaurant markup. It lived up the the "Bulgarian Soft" moniker, but with delightful fruit and more complexity we had seen in other Bulgarian wines.
I am a fan of the soft style in wines, Zinfandels and Pinot Noir usually being more to my taste than tannic Cabs. If your tastes are similar than you will enjoy a foray into Bulgarian wines. If you expect well defined tannins in your Cabs and Merlots, you are likely to be disappointed. I have only tried a dozen or so examples to date, but this seems to be the pattern I am noticing.
For our main course we had grilled meats. Lamb and a veal steak, ordered by weight. They came unadorned with limp grilled vegetables their only accompaniment. They were cooked perfectly, but they were, to us, rather boring. No complaints, it is just a matter of taste, and the Bulgarian love of grilled meats is not one that we really share.
The house kindly surprised us with a taste of an Austrian dessert wine, but I never got a good look at the bottle, and it happened too quickly to get details. Suffice it to say it was rich and flavorful and one of the highlights of the evening.
We finished with a small chocolate soufflé that was perfectly nice. I prefer to see them served with a bit of creme anglais, but once a saucier.... Not everyone share my penchant for sauce on everything. In this case it was more like sauce on nothing.
The ambiance of Uno Enoteca was delightful. With outdoor seating under an awning making the most of the warm summer night. The fresh air also helped disperse the ever present cigar and cigarette smoke that is a fact of life pretty much everywhere outside of the US.
The service was very good, in fact the only Western European service we have experienced in Eastern Europe to date. Usually the wait staff do their best not to be at all obtrusive, which looks a lot like being ignored to our standards. At Uno they were attentive, knew how to pour wine without over pouring, and did a fine job of making sure that everything was as perfect as it could be.
I definitely recommend Uno Enoteca to anyone dining in Sofia, and if your tastes run close to mine I can only hope that their full menu is available when you visit.
I helped out at a trade event in London devoted to Sauternes and Barsac the other week. Entitled ?Sweeties with Savouries? it set out to show how both Sauternes and Barsac can be drunk not only with the usual foie gras and desserts but also with all the courses of a complete meal. With courses ranging from roquefort crème brulee with figs (see picture) through roast Moroccan quail with sweet potato mash to blue cheese cheesecake, the food was absolutely wonderful. Attendees were then asked to vote for which wine made the best match with which course. There was quite a lot of agreement about which of the 16 wines went with which of the 5 courses but there were also many individual opinions. As with wine tasting there is no definitive answer in the area of food and wine matching.
Tasting through the 16 wines was an education in itself. Considering they were all the recently bottled 2005 vintage, there was a range of aromas from honey, peach, minerals and smoke to flavours on the palate of marmalade, peach, citrus and honey. There were also subtle but significant differences in the weight and texture on the palate. The differences can be understood when looking at the percentages of grapes with everything from 90% semillon and 10% sauvignon of the premier cru classe Chateau Clos Haut-Peyragu
Tecnorati
Attendees were then asked to vote for which wine made the best match with which course. There was quite a lot of agreement about which of the 16 wines went with which of the 5 courses but there were also many individual opinions. As with wine tasting there is no definitive answer in the area of food and wine matching.