Tech issues and a weekend of great racing

Well you will have all been aware that in the past 3-4 days my server has gone down and I lost internet connection for 24 hours, so not the best time for me. So, I’ve had the joy of talking to India and trying to resolve BT issues by practically rebuilding my own hardware – not fun.

I have however tried to chill out (or I would have gone in to melt down with the stress), by going Christmas shopping with a close friend yesterday. It was the just the tonic I’m glad to say. Beautiful Bath with it’s Christmas market and twinkly lights, eating hot chestnuts and drinking mulled wine as we walked about the floodlit Cathedral – gorgeous!

I got home to a lovely bubble bath and Sky+ to watch Saturday’s racing whilst wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa – perfect.

So now I’m refreshed and can start to re-launch the new blog. Unfortunately my themes are restricted because of having to use WordPress templates for greater security but I hope it will deliver the information required and the winning selections you have been used to receiving.

Unfortunately WordPress won’t allow me to post selection on a side bar – so, as with the temporary blog, they will not be posted int he form of Blog content – headed “selections”. I will post at 11:45 and 12:30, but ONLY if there are any value short priced selections.

In addition, I know not all of you are able to check my blog evry day, so I have included a sign up service that will deliver the selections to an e-mail address as they are posted on the blog, so sign up if you wish to make use of this new service.

Finally, any feedback you have would be gratefully received -as I’m re-designing I can try to build in any useful contributions, so please let me know.

[Via http://kayleedaily.wordpress.com]

lost in wonderland

If you can’t find me…

It’s because I’m here…tagging my bottles, finally.

Will lovingly store bottles for a small fee

Il faut que je me méfie, ce vin se boit comme du petit-lait

[Via http://ljhewson.wordpress.com]

Red Wine Cheese Ball

What is the holiday season without cheese balls? It’s the perfect time of year to indulge, and while cheese balls will never be referred to as health food, you can make your own lower-fat cheese ball in just a few minutes.

We started with two, eight ounce packages of low-fat cream cheese (at room temperature), two, seven ounce pouches of finely shredded Kraft Sharp Cheddar cheese made with 2% milk, and a package of Wine Barrel Gourmet Creamy Parisian Herb Salad Dressing mix.

Red Wine Salad Dressing Mix

Beat the cream cheese and salad dressing mix together until light and fluffy. (Add 1 Tbsp red wine if you want a more pronounced wine flavor).

Creamy Parisian Herb Dressing and Cream Cheese

Add the sharp Cheddar cheese and stir until well mixed.

Adding the Cheddar cheese.

Cover a piece of parchment or waxed paper with about 2 cups of chopped pecans (parsley or paprika could be used instead of nuts). Lightly flour your hands and gather the cheese mixture into a ball. Roll the ball in the nuts to cover. This step is quite messy so be prepared! It works best if the pecans are finely chopped.

Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The long chill time does two things; it allows the herbs  to fully flavor the cheese and it helps the ball stay together!

Red Wine Cheese Ball

We are still eating cheese ball leftovers three days later and it tastes better every day!

Tips: Serve on crackers or flat bread or pita chips. Adding red or white wine to the mix will enhance the wine flavor. The red wine solids included in the Creamy Parisian Salad Dressing mix do add a non-alcohol red wine flavor.  Creamy Parisian Salad Dressing mix is full of several herbs and garlic, but any of our Red Wine Salad Dressings would be equally delicious in this cheese ball. Try the Italian Rosemary Salad Dressing mix and use 3 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese instead of Cheddar, or the Sunny Greek Salad Dressing mix using crumbled feta instead of Cheddar.  Perfect for the holiday appetizer table.

 

[Via http://winebarrelgourmet.wordpress.com]

Holiday Fête

L a  B o u c h e r i e  V a s h o n

Holiday Fête

Saturday, December 19

5pm & 8pm

We excitedly welcome Chevon Holmes back to La Boucherie for our Holiday Party.  Chevon and Leah are a delicious pair.  The Meat Maven and the Puff Pastry Princess. Chevon has been asking to roast a leg of beef (what she affectionately calls a ‘Steamship’) for over a year, and finally, we get to comply.  Six hand-crafted courses which include our vin nouveau for $75 per person.

We will post the 6-course menu for this unique event as we near the 19th.

Know that it will include: Chevon’s Leg of Boeuf.

This will certainly be a night to remember.

~

Call 206.567.4628 to reserve your space for this event.

~

If you would like to stay on the island that evening, please let us know so we may assist you in securing a room in one of the unique bed and breakfasts on the island.

[Via http://seabreezefarm.wordpress.com]

Pappardelle with Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes, Crushed Garlic, Fresh Basil and the Very Rare Neal Family Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley (Howell Mountain Estate) Cabernet Sauvignon

Today, the day before Thanksgiving, we both had short days at the office, and when we got home, we were mortified that all the San Marzano Tomatoes were gone from the cupboards. Thinking that Vons would have more, we were saddened to find empty shelves. So we drove all the way to Gelson’s Market in Old Town Pasadena. We were saddened (again) to find that they were not on sale. (They are not cheap!) Down the same aisle, we found Pappardelle, which of course took us down memory lane.

Pappardelle Egg Pasta

(On one of our first date, John prepared Papperdelle for us, showing off his culinary skills.) So hand in hand we walked out and were excited to make dinner together for the first time in four days.

Once we started cooking up the garlic, John’s Mom (who is visiting from Modesto) was curious to know what we were making. Nick was nervous, since she is a food critic. John’s daughter cut off a few sprigs of fresh basil from the garden. While John cleaned them, Nick whipped up the sauce.

Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes, Fresh Garlic & Basil from the Garden

With the water boiling, John made garlic bread. This meal is one of our favorites, and we make it at least once each week. Still, we were nervous as we plated up the meal for John’s mother.

Papperdelle with Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes, Garlic & Basil

We were relieved when she gave it the “thumbs up.”

Now let’s talk wine. John has been purchasing wine direct from Neal for years, and this particular bottle, he purchased a few years ago. It had been sitting in the cellar since purchase, and as John put it, it was “a special bottle.” Neal is a family-owned winery on Howell Mountain, in Napa, that produces stellar Cabernets. Though we typically open one of the “regular” Napa Valley Cabernets every few months, tonight, Nick wanted to try a bottle from the “Singe Vineyard Designate” series.

Neal Family Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley (Howell Mountain Estate) Cabernet Sauvignon

“Oops” is what John said when it was poured. “Looks like brick red,” he said (which in his estimation is an indication that the wine may have turned). Still, the wine was a bit young to have turned, unless it was corked. We both sniffed and agreed that the nose was lacking any fruit, and the general impression we had was that it was “off.” The first taste confirmed it – empty, flat and boring. None of the typical gobs of stone fruit, berries, licorice and spice so typical of a Neal Cabernet.

The Disappointing Neal Family Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley (Howell Mountain Estate) Cabernet Sauvignon

We think the bottle was either corked, or the winery just produced a dud. We didn’t even finish it. << sniff >>  This wine rates a 79 on the Two Guys’ Scale.

But the pasta was phenomenal, and it disappeared.

Until next time . . .

　

[Via http://twoguyswithanappetite.com]

Anti-Depressants

I started taking Prozac again.  Yep, I did that.

I used to be on Prozac in High School, back when it was cool.  Now I’m on it in real life and it sucks, I’ll tell you why.  When you’re young your body can handle pretty much anything.   Hangovers?  Yah, I had a few more than most back in my early 20’s, not that I remember them all that well, I usually just woke up from a night of drinking, ate a cheeseburger and carried on with my day — this was after consuming at least 5 shots of Bacardi 151.  Today, give me 2 glasses of wine before bed and I’m up in the middle of the night guzzling orange juice out of the carton to hydrate myself and wiping sweat off my brow (mainly just because I drank the oj too fast).  Anyway, back when I was a young punk I took Prozac like it was candy, and it was, pure, sweet, serotonin boosting, endorphin releasing, candy.  It didn’t bother me, I was fine, I was tired some of the time, but with my days filled with keeping myself out of detention, who wouldn’t be?  Fast forward in time 10 years and I feel like I’m about to die and not just because I want to, any more.

It isn’t just that three hours after I took my first dose I was feeling a full 95% better than the day before when I was at the bottom of a dark, brick well surrounded by spiders, moss and bad smells (mentally);  And that 3 days later, I felt like I was back in that same well, only this time there was a shoddy looking rope ladder that I could use to get out depending on how desperate I was feeling (although, by the looks of it, in my brain, it didn’t seem like a very safe option).  It’s the way I feel physically.  I mean, I took a pregnancy test because I thought I was having morning sickness!  Morning sickness that turned into all day sickness combined with dizziness, weakness and, my personal favorite, insomnia.  Seriously, insomnia?  This stuff is supposed to help that!

I went out with Lindsay last night.  Lindsay who is currently going to school to become a Nurse Practitioner and knows all about everything there is to know about medicine, Lindsay.  She asked me what’s new and I responded, “I’m back on the ‘Zac.”  She made an audible gasp and said, “You must be feeling like shit!”  Thank you, Lindsay!  Yes, I am feeling like shit, and until you said that, without any prompts or complaints from this end, I thought it was all in my head.  Then she said, casually, as if it were no big deal, “Well, you should start feeling better in about 8 weeks.”

EIGHT WEEKS?!  What am I, some upper-middle-class white person who tends to her garden for a living!?  No!  I have a job!  How the hell am I supposed to feel this way for EIGHT WEEKS and still be able to afford to pay my rent?!  Also, how is making someone who has crippling depression take a medicine that will not only continue to make them feel depressed, but sick, tired and unable to sleep, a good idea?  Can’t my doctor just write me a prescription for some pain killers so I can develop a chemical dependency on something that actually makes me feel good?  Oh, wait, I/she/we already did that.

I know Prozac works.  It worked so well the first time that I thought I could stop because I wasn’t actually depressed, just paying my $10 monthly co-pay to Eli-Lilly.  Wrong.  Sixteen months off and I’m worse than I ever was.  This stuff is so tricky, man.  I mean, the first time around it gives me no side effects, makes me feel great and later seduces me into thinking I am a strong enough person to live without its tasty nectar coursing through my veins.  The second time around, after finally convincing myself that being on drugs for the rest of my life is something I am just going to have to accept,  it gives me the cold shoulder, not to mention weakness, nausea or insomnia, and makes me wait.

“Look, Prozac, I’m sorry I doubted you, but you’re the one who made me feel like I wasn’t depressed anymore.  What did you want me to do, continue our love under false pretenses?  I had to find out, for myself, how truly miserable I was without you!  Take me back!  Take me back and I’ll do whatever you want!”

I have been having that conversation with my pill bottle on a nightly basis for the past 4 nights.*

Only 7 weeks and three days to go!

*Prozac also forces me to sound as if I’m in an abusive relationship when I’m talking to myself

[Via http://squidlady.wordpress.com]

Day 6: A trip to the Hunter Valley with Boutique Wine Tours

Even on a cloudy day, wine country is totally gorgeous

I’d say one of the true highlights of Beege’s visit was the day trip we took up to wine country in the Hunter Valley. Having always been the designated driver when I lived in Berkeley and took visitors to nearby Sonoma and Napa, I was keen on taking a group tour where I wouldn’t have to worry about driving. Plus I’m yet to drive on a highway here, so there was that. The thing was, I’d heard abstractly about these group tours, but didn’t have any specifics. To be honest, group tours usually drive me nuts. Tourguides fancy themselves stand-up comics (angling for tips) and you only visit well-trod sites that are anything but authentic. I sound like such a travel snob, but it’s true! I was determined to avoid one of those massive tour buses that only a mega-winery could accommodate.

My first search stop was winecountry.com.au, the official site of Hunter Valley Tourism. They have an extensive list of reputable tour companies, and I narrowed it further by only searching for small group tours, and then those places that had decent websites. Since few companies here seem to be Internet-competent, just two places stuck out to me. I wrote to both, inquiring as to whether they’d visit specific wineries that I was interested in seeing, and both wrote back within a day to say they’d be happy to. This was definitely a good sign, but now I needed something to break the tie.

Another expat blogger, Laura at sf 2 Oz, wrote a post about touring with one of those companies, and it sounded a bit too didactic for my taste. For one, I took Cornell’s famous “Introduction to Wines” course in college (according to legend it’s the school’s most-failed class, but luckily I passed), so I have a decent foundation of wine knowledge (surely the most useful course I took in college). Secondly, who wants to tour around wine country all tipsy but then worry about taking a quiz? I’m all for tasting wines and discussing their complex bouquets, but I don’t want to think too much about the soil or terroir or whatever. Not that that’s necessarily what it was about, it just didn’t seem like my cup of tea (or glass of wine, as the case may be). For those with very little wine knowledge who are eager to learn more, though, I bet it’s quite interesting.

This left the other company, Boutique Wine Tours, which also happened to be cheaper. Furthermore, I noticed that it received universally glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, on which it’s ranked the #3 attraction in all of Sydney. Not that I would ever take TripAdvisor as gospel, but it definitely bolstered their cred slightly. Plus I liked the idea of visiting vineyards that are so small they don’t even sell their wines outside the Hunter Valley (hence the name Boutique Wine Tours). So Beege and I trekked up to the Holiday Inn at KX for an ungodly 7:20am pickup, where we met our extremely friendly guide, Jason, as he was preparing our van for departure. I’m pretty much useless before 10am, but he managed to engage both of us in conversation in a way that felt neither canned nor stand-up comicesque. On the two hour drive up to the Hunter (which is quite picturesque in its own right), Jason filled us in on all sorts of random Australia trivia, and promised a prize to the first person who spotted a car window with a South Sydney Rabbitohs sticker. Beege won the prize; Go America!

After drinking wine around 10am at Iron Gate Estate

Lucky for us, there were only three other people on our tour, making it quite laid-back, as if we were just touring with a small group of friends. The weather certainly could have been better, but at least it never really rained. We hit up four wineries: Iron Gate Estate, Ernest Hill, McWilliams Mount Pleasant, and Tallavera Grove. Each had selections of both Shiraz and Semillon – the Hunter’s two most prominent grapes – yet each “cellar door” was refreshingly distinct from the others. Iron Gate is very new with state of the art equipment– it reminded me a lot visually of  Silverado Vineyards in Napa. Ernest Hill is teeny tiny – just a couple vineyards and the father and son winemakers live in modest houses adjacent to the tasting room – but their shareholders’ Shiraz was just as light and juicy as Jason said it would be, and Beege and I were both quite taken with their late-harvest semillon dessert wine.

The modest tasting room at charming little Ernest Hill

McWilliams is actually one of the bigger producers in the Hunter Valley; Jason took us here at my behest (I was intrigued after reading this article at Qantas’s website). I liked a lot of their Semillons, and found their Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz had a lot more depth and complexity than any other Shiraz that I’d tasted. I’m also a big fortified wine fan, and quite liked their Port (I am my father’s daughter).

Some of the oldest vines in the Hunter Valley, with mountain in the background

Tallavera Grove is located at the edge of the valley, on a ridiculously scenic hilltop with views that were gorgeous even in gloomy weather. I can’t imagine how lovely it must be on a beautiful day. Furthermore, we were able to do our tasting at a long table on a patio overlooking the idyllic scenery:

The ideal place to sip wine & cap off the day

It’s so peaceful – the only noise came from the chirping of nearby birds – and the winery manager had an extremely soothing voice, which he used to great effect as he poured and described each wine. I commented on this as we all piled into the van to head back to Sydney, and everyone in the group agreed, with Beege adding, “I bet he’d be great at telling bedtime stories.” I believe she said this in earnest, but Jason hilariously gave her a lot of cheek, chiding “Oh I’ll be sure to let Damian know that you’d like to have him tell you bedtime stories, Bridget!” It was pretty hilarious.

All in all, it was a lovely day, although we all passed out on the long car ride back to Sydney (getting up at 6am and drinking from 10am-4pm is exhausting!). And I have nothing but great things to say about our tourguide Jason, who was quite genial and obviously loves both Sydney and wine very much. He had lots of interesting info to share with the group, but never got too serious or bogged down in the science of it all. I never felt like he was angling for a big tip, or trying to sell us wines because he was in cahoots with a vineyard. He also took a detour over some bumpy country roads where we were able to spot a mob of kangaroos and take all the requisite photos. Beege and I both give him a big thumbs up, and I’d recommend Boutique Wine Tours to any of you wine lovers out there.

Beege with our ace tourguide, Jason, at Tallavera Grove (note Rabbitohs hat)

[Via http://katemate.wordpress.com]

Wine Under the Oaks...dance, dine, and bid

‘Tis the season for holiday galas, and Wine Under the Oaks is a casual yet elegant affair that pulls out all the stops this December 6, 2009. Boone Hall Plantation will host the fundraiser benefitting the Heroes for Fire Victims Campaign, which assists Lowcountry residents who have lost everything in home fires.

Wine under the Oaks will offer samples of fine wines made at Boone Hall Plantation as well as catering from local gourmet chefs. Live music and a silent auction of packages, wines, and various art will be available to bid on and perhaps even kick start your Christmas shopping!

The American Red Cross is still seeking donations from artists for the silent auction. Art, jewelry, gift certificates, clothing, hair accessories, and sculptures will all be well received and are tax deductable. This is a wonderful opportunity to help the American Red Cross and show off your skills for a noble cause.

For more information about donations, contact Tina Christophillis at magpiestudio@gmail.com.

Tickets are $20 advance, $25 at the door. Visit the Boone Hall Plantation’s website to purchase tickets.

 

[Via http://charlestonartmag.wordpress.com]

Barking Beagle: Take One

I’ve been thinking about our wine brand, Barking Beagle, lately. Like my beagle, Reggie, it should have some personality. I want it to serious, but  also unpretentious and fun.

So I started to play around in Illustrator this morning and here’s what happened…

Type
For those of you who have beagles, you know that if food is involved, they’re there; right under your nose to beg, borrow (ha, yeah right), or STEAL whatever you’ve got in your hands. If you happen to drop the food and it gets a little dirt on it, who cares? It’s food and they’ll get into whatever, whenever to get it. A little dirt on the bone? Pashaw! That’s nuthin’.

So I looked for a font that would represent that mentality. I looked for something that was:

• Rugged
• Serious about the target (or wine, in this case)
• Unpretentious
• Playful

I chose the font: Cracked. Here’s what it looks like:

Logo
After the type, I started to think about the logo and what it should look like. If the name is Barking Beagle, it should have a barking beagle represent, don’tcha think? Okay, maybe you don’t think that, but I do. So I started to play around with images. I brought in a photo and traced it in Illustrator. I then added some weight to the outside lines and made the inside lines thinner to show the detail. Here’s what it looks like:

Altogether Now
After I was happy with the quick image, I put the type and the logo together. I’ll probably make some refinements, but I’m happy with the outcome. What do you think?

Too Much Fun
And now I’m just having too much fun!

[Via http://owningkristina.wordpress.com]

Tanins brand sells Hérault wine to China

Perhaps “Tanins” is not the kind of name that springs naturally to mind when coming up with a name for a new range of wines. Even non wine experts like me know that tannins (the English spelling) can be both good and bad in wine.

But the new Tanins brand of wine from the Languedoc Roussillon was recently launched at the Carrefour Wine Fair in Shanghai (“une gamme de vins spécialement conçue pour la Chine”).

A team from Hérault Tourism has also had the bright idea of educating the Chinese into general wine culture by making parallels with tea.

And why not, seeing as tea is “a sacred drink for the Chinese just as wine is an expression of terroir and the fruit of experience over generations,” as Jean-François Pouget from the tourist board explained to Midi Libre earlier this week.

They even distributed a booklet called “Dialogue entre le vin et le thé” (“Dialogue between wine and tea”) to the trade at the Shanghai fair.

“It was to create an educational tool, bilingual in French and Chinese, to tell the history of Languedoc wine and China tea. Culture, manufacturing, ceremonies… everything is made in parallel…”

The group of wine producers behind the Tanins brand, called Wineo, hope to sell 30,000 bottles in the first year, according to Tanin.fr.

These producers are mostly based in the Hérault and include:

• Château Grézan in Lauren
• Les Caves de Quarante – the third largest organic winery in France
• Cave Les Coteaux de Montpellier – Saint-Geniès-des-Mourgues
• Caveau de la Clairette d’Adissan
• Domaine du Mas Bécha, near Perpignan in Roussillon

Tanins will also be promoted at the “Bonjour French Fair” in Bangkok next month, which has Languedoc Roussillon as its main theme.

Tannins are a natural preservative in wine. Un-aged wines with high tannin content can be less palatable than wines with a lower level of tannins. Tannins can be described as leaving a dry and puckered feeling with a “furriness” in the mouth that can be compared to a stewed tea, which is also very tannic. This effect is particularly profound when drinking tannic wines without the benefit of food.

Many oenophiles see natural tannins (found particularly in varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and often accentuated by heavy oak barrel aging) as a sign of potential longevity and ageability.

- Wikipedia on tannins

Midi Libre reports that Languedoc Roussillon accounts for the most French wines sold in China, after them pesky rivals in the Bordeaux region.

Related posts:

• 2009 Languedoc vintage could be special
• Funny wine names #1: Vin de Merde
• Languedoc wine now comes in ‘tetrapaks’
• Winemakers make wine – and blogs too

[Via http://irishherault.wordpress.com]

Picholine (NYC)

Several years ago, while on a short stop in New York City, I treated a few friends to dinner at Picholine. Little did I know that the experience of that evening would begin a love affair with one of the best restaurants in America.

Picholine is on West 64th Street just a few steps from Central Park. It takes its name from the small green olive harvested in the Mediterranean. Since opening in 1993, it has consistently been hailed as one of the best restaurants in Manhattan.

The chef/owner Terrance Brennan operates several other restaurants, but Picholine is my favorite thus far. At Picholine, he showcases his commitment to quality and invention. My favorite touch is the cheese cart which displays well over 50 of the finest artisanal cheeses selected, cut and plated for you by the master fromaggier (aka cheese dude).

Two years ago, the restaurant was re-designed to include a no-reservations wine and cheese bar where the waiting area (for the dining room) used to be. And this is the reason why Nick and I stopped in last week while we were in Manhattan – we were dying to see if the wine and cheese bar could pull off what the dining room at Picholine did, i.e. fresh and innovative cuisine, but in a relaxed setting. The dining room enforces a jackets for men, no jeans, otherwise business attire policy; whereas, the wine and cheese bar couldn’t care less what you are wearing. So jeans we wore!

When we arrived, there was no one seated in the wine and cheese bar. The famous cheese cart was a few steps from the bar, and we quickly grabbed a small table at the end closest to the dining room. “What’s that smell?” Nick said. “The cheese,” I noticed. Yum.

We learned that we could order “tasting plates” or “tasting flights” (or both), as well as cheese from the cheese cart, desserts from the regular dessert menu, and any drink we wanted. In fact, we learned that if we really begged, the captain would let us order from the regular menu. (We learned this when an hour into the experience, a couple next to us did just that.)

First up, we decided that we would try the mushroom risotto.

Mushroom Risotto

I’ve long believed that Le Cirque (150 E 58th St) has held the title to “best mushroom risotto,” so truth be told, I wasn’t expecting much from this. Oh, to be sure, I know it would be good. But I didn’t know how good.

And good it was. Creamy pearls of al dente risotto with woodsy mushrooms cooked just under tender, just to the point where they burst in the mouth when pressure is applied, and the right amount of garlic and broth to bring it all together. Frankly, at this point, I could have ordered two more bowls of this jewel and been down for the count. (The captain brought out a nice white to pair with this dish, but my notes are fuzzy, and I cannot recall its name or origin.)

Next up was the Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnocchi.

Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnocchi

This was one of two disappointing dishes of the evening. I’ve had some amazing gnocchi in the past, and the defining characteristic of awesome gnocchi has got to be the airiness of it. Great gnocchi is not heavy or mushy – rather, it’s light and airy. I mean, really, who wants to eat a bowl of gnocchi and end up half an hour later with a belly full of gunk?

Sadly, this gnocchi, while in a wonderful Autumn vegetable broth, was gooey and thick. Nick and I both agreed that it was a misfire. No wine with this dish.

Next we decided to splurge and spend $35 for a plate of the extremely rare Jamon Iberico de Bellota.

Jamon Iberico de Bellota

Jamon Iberico (also called Pata Negra) is a type of cured ham produced only in Spain. Legally, it must be at least 75% black Iberian pig. These pigs are special. Immediately after weaning, they are fattened on barley and maize, then allowed to roam to feed naturally on grass, herbs, acorns, and roots. Eventually, a few months before slaughter time, they are permitted to eat only acorns. (Lesser quality Jamon Iberico are fed acorns as well as commercial feed. The world’s best Jamon Iberico are fed only acorns immediately before slaughter).

After slaughter, the hams are salted and dried for two weeks, then rinsed and dried for another four to six weeks. Curing can take 12-36 months. The longer the cure, the more expensive the ham.

So tonight, we decided to taste the ham that we’d only read about. It was . . . amazing. It was also . . . a bit much. See, whomever plated this for us carved a bit too much of the ham. A few strips would have been sufficient. After a few bites, we felt like we had been served a side of pig! Understand that this ham is no ordinary ham – it’s extremely rich and flavorful, deep, with nuances galore, and very, very fatty. Seriously, we could not eat all they gave us, and we felt a bit weird having to pass on finishing the dish. Yes, yes, it was very, very good. It was the richest, most flavorful ham we’d ever had, better than any Italian prosciutto we’d ever tried. But it was like being presented with the richest, sweetest, most chocolately cocoa ever imagined – and then being told to drink five cups of it.

When we asked for cheese to accompany the ham, the captain called over the master fromaggier (the cheese dude) to ask which cheese would be best. “Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “A Gruyere.”

Gruyere with the Jamon Iberico

True, he knew his cheese. The Gruyere was nutty and fatty, just like the ham.

With the ham and cheese, the captain brought out two glasses of the Emilio Moro 2005 Ribero del Duero Tempranillo. Its rich tannins cut right through the fatty ham, while its nutty nose and fruity and spicy body were the perfect match. The captain knew how to pair wines, for sure.

Next up were the “tasting flights.” (To be clear, we did the meal in reverse, so to speak. Apparently, the typical tasters come in for cheese, then a flight, then a plate. We did it in reverse. The captain seemed to care less, as he was much more focused on ensuring we experienced a flawless evening.)

The tasting flights were $20 for any three off the menu. Nick chose Paella Spring Roll, Smoked Paprika Shrimp, and Dry Aged Beef a la Basquaise.

Nick's Tasting Flight: Dry Aged Beef, Spring Rolls, Paprike Shrimp

The beef was sublime. Just sublime. It melted in our mouth. The spring roll was light and airy. I have no idea how the chef managed to get a spring roll to be so light. The only misfire of this trio was the shrimp. The flavor was excellent, smoky and deep paprika, but the shrimp was cold. Oh, not to be misunderstood, I’m fairly certain that the shrimp was intended to be cold. But the cold shrimp with the clammy sauce and popcorn (???) was just . . . yuck.

The other flight was nearly identical but instead of the spring rolls, we had mushroom tempura.

John's Tasting Flight: Mushroom Tempura, Paprika Shrimp, Dry Aged Beef

Nick hated them. John loved them. These were not your typical State Fair variety of fried mushroom. They were light and airy and had no soggy dough surrounding a tiny bit of fungus. No, these were plump morsels of mushrooms gently fried in a tempura.

We then asked for a flight of bleu cheeses. Four to be exact: (1) Bleu de Laqueuille, (2) Stilton, (3) Valdeon, and (4) Rouge River Blue.

Various Bleu Cheeses

All were amazing, and frankly, my notes are so fuzzy, I can’t tell you which was the best. My memory is that all were creamy and nutty, with deep notes of salt and bleu flavor.

The captain paired all with the impeccable 2003 Cru D’Arche-Pugneau Sauternes. It was, in a word – perfect. What else can we say?

Next up was the worst misstep of the evening. And to be fair, it wasn’t really Picholine’s fault. We asked the captain if they had any “stinky” cheese. He said that they didn’t carry Limburger or anything like that but that they had something close. “I must warn you not to get any on your hands,” he said. 

It looked innocent enough.

The Horribly Nasty Krummenswiler Forsterkase

The taste? In a word – Awful. No, let’s try two words – Horribly Awful. Actually, let’s try three words. Ok, you get the point. It was bad. Really bad. It smelled like a wet dog. And it tasted like dog poop. Really, that’s the only fair way to describe it. And to be sure, I’ve never actually tasted dog poop. But I imagine that this is the way it must taste. This was horrible.  The culprit is the nasty Krummenswiler Forsterkase.  It is a cow milk cheese from Switzerland.  The description from the producder indicates, “soft with a spicy mustard flavor.”  The taster must have been high.

We spent the next 15 minutes trying to get the taste (and smell) from our mouths.  I’m not kidding.  Nick thought he was going to throw up.

Nick Doesn't Like This Cheese

Thankfully, dessert was next. We had three courses. First was the sweet roll. Think deconstructed apple pie.

Dessert I - Deconstructed Apple Pie

Next was the sorbet on a thin waffle cone. Again, the deconstruction theme continued.

Dessert II - Three Kinds of Sorbet on a Waffle Cone

Next were about ten different chocolate minardes. They were all flawless.

Dessert III - Chocolate Minardes

Finally, hot cocoa was brought out. Oh, I know what you are thinking – hot chocolate? Right? Wrong.

World's Best Hot Cocoa

This was the most decadent, rich, flavorful and sinful hot cocoa that we’d ever had. No need for sugar or anything else to add to it. It was perfect on its own. And we finished every last drop.

By this point, about four hours had elapsed, and we were ready to be rolled into a cab, thrown to our hotel bedroom, and left to ponder our next great meal in New York City, the culinary capital of America.

[Via http://twoguyswithanappetite.wordpress.com]

Wine Country - Napa & Sonoma

Napa and Sonoma counties in California are known as Wine Country in the U.S. Having been recognized as world-class producers of high quality wines, the area is also known for great food, beautiful views, care for the environment and pastoral settings. Its Spanish roots and architecture can still be seen everywhere one travels.

See the video at: http://www.vimeo.com/7730214

~ Produced in collaboration with Teraluma Pictures ~ Felipe Rojas ~

This video-montage includes:

~ Photographs by: F Rojas & L Bar
~ Video by: Teraluma Pictures :: teraluma.com
~ Art by: Ronald Pratt :: ronaldpratt.com , Karen Winters, Paul Ranson (1864 – 1909)
~ Aerial images by: http://Flickr.com/photos/Lyng833’s
~ Music: “Song from a secret garden” by Secret Garden

We worked hard and (we believe) smart to craft this piece over a period of 3-4 weeks. From the inception we knew we had some challenges, such as, to appear like a commercial for a winery, or worse yet, to look like a travelogue clip. Great effort was invested to make a high-quality representation with the flavors, pace and pastoral mood of the Napa and Sonoma regions. We were told by early reviewers that we had achieved this feeling, and we’re glad for that.

Enjoy,

Pix In Motion
Leo Bar
Creative Imagining

[Via http://pixinmotion.wordpress.com]

Girls Weekend Day 1

So one of my best girl friends came down to visit from Montreal for the weekend. She arrived yesterday evening (and made really good time!) and we spent most of the evening catching up and chatting in the family room by the fire, eating pizza, sipping a nice shiraz, browsing through the latest VS catalogs and watching the latest episode of Grey’s.

Is it just me or is Grey’s returning to their original awesomeness? We both agreed that Christina is much more interesting now that she’s back in cardio and secretly hope that Burke returns. We also both like the new character Teddy (she played Jack Bauer’s wife on 24 and also played Nico in Lipstick Jungle). We also both suspect that Sloane’s daughter is lying. Something fishy going on there. Katherine Heigl (Izzy) must be off making movies or something while her character Izzy has flown the coop. She’ll probably come back in January. I miss the early Meredith and Derek with all the sexual tension and drama. It’s nice that they’re together now, don’t get me wrong, but I really enjoyed the drama from those early days. It seems like they’re bringing that back in other ways though, and I’m really glad.

Anyhoo – Our mission tomorrow is breakfast, then heading downtown to the Eaton Centre to do some mega-shopping, then going to see New Moon at night. Another awesome day ahead! My husband is really excited about going on a date with two girls. He’s been talking about it all week. He likes the Twilight story and is looking forward to seeing the werewolves. So I guess we can say he’s on Team Jacob. LOL I am on Team Edward although Jacob would be allowed, on occasion, to fill in should Edward be otherwise unavailable.

More to come!

Bender + Bird Food...Eating!

Hugs and thank yous to everyone who commented on my last post. Your comments mean so much to me and I am so happy I am able to share these pieces of my life with you. For those of you who took my cookie conundrum to heart and linked or emailed me better recipes — THANKS! I have a lot to choose from now and am keeping my fingers crossed that the next batch of cookies I bake will be a success.

***

What happens when Eating Bender and Eating Bird Food collide?

…any guesses?

…anyone?

…Bueller?

You get Bender + Bird Food…Eating, of course I can hear crickets chirping…

Corny humor aside, some eating definitely did take place tonight when Miss Brittany made an appearance in Chicago! Brittany and I have been emailing back and forth for over a year now — it’s true, Google archives don’t lie — and she is absolutely as kind and genuine as she is on her blog.

When I found out she was going to be in town for a few hours after I got off of work, I jumped at the chance to meet up for dinner. After searching for restaurants near where she was, I suggested Bin 36. I had heard good things — particularly about the wine — and it seemed like the right place for foodies.

I was a little late getting out of work, but Brittany was patient enough to wait for me and when I got there, I was greeted by a very comfortable atmosphere, including a tree of wine corks!

We sat down to a menu that had a slogan embodying everything I so dearly uphold

Drink wine. Live well. Have fun.

I could never get tired of repeating that.

Brittany and I decided we were in the mood to share. We started by ordering the Bin 36 flight of wines, which came with chardonnay, cabernet, merlot and shiraz.

The best part was that we each got to enjoy our favorites. I took the chardonnay and the merlot, while Brittany stuck with the cabernet and shiraz. Perfect!

The chardonnay was described as one that “wears its’ oak like a peek-a-boo negligee; clean & fresh with generous ripe fruit – with nothing to hide.” I don’t know about all of that, but I do know that it was plenty sweet and I enjoyed it The merlot was not just any merlot. It was “merlot with an attitude!” I enjoyed this pour as well, described as “built with firm structure and a core of mocha scented dark fruit and minerals.”

For our dinner, Brittany and I decided to share the Garlic and Tomato Hummus. We also each got a Bin 36 Market Salad. While we were waiting, I snacked on one of the breadsticks on the table.

Our food came out promptly, and Brittany and I both commented on the fact that the Garlic and Tomato Hummus could easily have filled an entire container of Sabra.

But who am I to complain? Especially when it’s served with a generous helping of warm pita bread.

As much as I wanted to like it, however, I have to admit that the garlic was a bit too intense for my taste buds. I feel as though I’m exuding garlic from every pore right now!

Hoping that the Bin 36 Market Salad would help make up for it, I quickly dug in. The little breaded portion on the side is actually warm goat cheese.

At first, I wasn’t too impressed by this, either. The description on the menu says it contains “organic mixed greens, warm hazelnut crusted goat cheese, fresh grapes, and verjus vinaigrette.” I was expecting the goat cheese and the grapes to be more heavily integrated, but it was mostly organic mixed greens. When you’re paying $9 for a salad — thanks, Chicago – you do not want to pay for a mixed green salad you could make yourself at home for roughly 50 cents.

I will say, however, that the salad did grow on me. I started to add a small portion of goat cheese to each bite, which really did help it take on a new flavor.

Brittany and I easily gabbed for well over an hour about anything and everything. When we had finished with our dishes, we succumbed to the call for the dessert menu.

As you can see, there were a lot of interesting desserts to choose from. Sweet potato donuts? Milk chocolate ice cream sandwich? Everything sounded so complex it was tough to choose. Eventually, our devotion to all things pumpkin(g) won out and we went with the Crispy Brioche. The description says, “ pumpkin zabaglione, pumpkin seed nougatine, pear sorbet.” If your curious like I was, you can read the description about what zabaglione is by clicking here.

This was definitely a dessert — very, very sweet. The sugar overwhelmed the pumpkin flavor and overall, I wasn’t too impressed with this one either. (Side note: I’m sorry I suggested a bummer restaurant, Brittany!) I did think that the pear sorbet was good — wish it wasn’t in one tiny corner of the square — and the zabaglione in the middle was also quite flavorful. It reminded me a bit of creme brulee with a hard tart crust. I normally like creme brulee, but not so much in this case. Que sera sera!

Although the food wasn’t as good as I was hoping, the company was fantastic and I can’t wait for Brittany’s next visit to Chicago. I hope it’s sooner rather than later!

Weekend agenda:

• Clean, clean, clean!
• Write, write, write!
• Pick up much needed groceries/supplies
• Watch the Northwestern v. Wisconsin game — Go Cats!!
• See New Moon — YES!!
• Visit my new cousin Cameron (yes, he has an adorable name now!)

What are your plans for the weekend?

Abrazos,

Bordeaux Matchmaking

via bordeauxmatchmaking.com

Here is an interesting event coming to Boston this Friday night, November 20. A couple of French ladies matching your interests with suitable and affordable french Bordeaux and like minded new friends. A multi city tour with soirees Boredelaise style in Boston, Chicago, NY, and Miami. Certainly an unusual one-of-a-kind format. Check out their site and dates for the event closest to you. Definitely a far cry from the Commanderie, but full of fun potential!

 

The Vines of Mendoza Wins FIABCI Award for Innovation

image courtesy of vines of mendoza

For those of you who don’t know, The Vines of Mendoza is an impressive one-stop shop for lovers of Argentinian wine. On top of its Acequia Wine Clubs and Mendoza Tasting Room, the company offers Private Vineyard Estates, enabling owners to independently manage their very own winery in the heart of Mendoza’s gorgeous wine country.

At the Salon del Mercado Inmobilario 2009, a well-respected real estate fair in Buenos Aires, The Vines of Mendoza was recently given a prestigious award. FIABCI, an international real estate federation, gave The Vines of Mendoza’s Private Vineyard Estates the title of winner for Innovation in the field of Vinviticultura, or Vineyard development and management.

Congratulations to Vines of Mendoza!

A recent post from The Vines of Mendoza’s blog reads:

We were honored to receive such a prestigious award and feel that this is just the beginning for innovation not only in vineyard development in Argentina, but for the wine industry in the Valle de Uco. We look forward to continuing our efforts!

A Modern Day Pilgrimage - Camino de Santiago

Santiago de Compostela

In Spain we have a very famous saying “ Con pan y vino se anda el camino,” -  “With bread and wine, you can walk your path.” – which means that all you need to keep moving forward is bread and wine. This saying makes reference to the Camino de Santiago, “Way of St. James”, which is a very famous pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (northwestern Spain), where apostle Saint James is believed to be buried.

During medieval times, the Way of St. James was considered one of the three most important Christian pilgrimages. Still today, thousands of Christian pilgrims and travelers from all over the world, make their way down this route either on foot, bicycle, and even on horseback.

On the way to Santiago

According to tradition, it is said that completing the pilgrimage is the beginning of the next journey, which leads to eternal life. But many people view the Camino as a way to get in shape, enjoy the outdoors, and travel without spending more than 14 Euros a day – including lodging! No matter what your reason for completing this long and challenging route, you can find meaning in the experience and enjoy the community and solidarity that you can only find along the Camino.

If you have a few weeks to become a modern day pilgrim, I highly recommend it. And when you arrive in Galicia, don’t forget to celebrate with a nice, refreshing glass of Montecillo “Verdemar” Albariño from Rias Baixas!

Buen Camino, happy journey!

- Rocio.

Stress Free Thanksgiving

Stress Free Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving. It is MY holiday, the time that I have the largest number of family members in one place for the longest time. My husband and I have a plan that works for us and even though we number 25ish, it is not so daunting. Over the years, we have had various friends, in-laws, and co-workers that may have needed a place to go. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? I am grateful for the fact that I have a full table of loved ones each year and therefore am happy to share dinner with extended family and friends.
Commonly referred to as the biggest meal of the year, now is the time to start checking your Thanksgiving lists to make dinner planning and preparation a breeze. There have been many Thanksgiving articles in newspapers and food magazines in the past years but the one thing that I vividly remember is an article saying that only those who enjoy cooking should take on Thanksgiving dinner. My son refers to Thanksgiving as the nicest holiday of the season because there is no problem with gift giving and we are not yet exhausted from all the shopping, wrapping and other associated Holiday chaos. I must agree with him (he’s brilliant, you know). Your preparations can begin with the checklists provided here. Many of us have the same guest list every year but if your Thanksgiving seems to change each year, now is the time to confirm guests or commit to where you are going to have dinner so that you or your host(ess) can plan accordingly.
So let’s talk turkey. The Turkey is the Thanksgiving Center piece and it’s actually the easiest part of the meal. My readers and students frequently ask how to get everything to come out at the same time. The simplest answer to that question is to cook the turkey with plenty of time before serving so that the turkey can rest for 30 – 60 minutes. This gives you the time you need to reheat other food in your oven and put the final touches on things. A turkey will be moister and more flavorful if is allowed to rest, meaning that the juices will be absorbed back into the meat rather than being released when you start slicing too soon after removing from the oven. So give yourself a little extra time to get everything out at the same time by building a generous resting period into your time plan before it’s time to serve dinner.
The Perfectly Cooked Turkey is rather simple. According to the ShadyBrookFarms.com website, here’s all you have to do to have a perfectly prepared bird. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from bag. Remove giblet package from neck skin area. With legs facing away, press one leg down near leg clamp to release. Release other leg. Do not remove clamp from turkey. Remove neck from body cavity. Rinse inside and outside of turkey with cold water. Drain well and pat dry. If stuffing turkey, allow 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. Bake any extra in casserole dish. Stuff just before roasting, not ahead, as this is unsafe. Re-tuck legs in clamp. Roast immediately. Place turkey in roaster or in shallow pan with rack. Brush turkey with vegetable oil. Roast at 325°F according to chart. It is not necessary to baste your Shady Brook Farms™ turkey, and opening the oven door will slow cooking time. Using a meat thermometer is recommended. Insert into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone. Thermometer should read 170°F when turkey is done. Start checking pop-up timer and meat thermometer 1 hour before turkey is due to be done according to chart. When turkey is golden brown, cover with a loose tent of aluminum foil to prevent over browning. Alternative checks for doneness: leg joint moves freely when the drumstick is rotated; or, when a fork is inserted into the deepest part of the leg joint, the juices are clear. Remove turkey from pan to serving platter, reserving dripping in pan for gravy, if desired. Let turkey stand at least 10 to 15 minutes before carving, to allow juices near the surface of the skin to be redistributed for juicier meat and easier carving. A turkey can rest up to 1 hour and still be hot. Make gravy during standing time and garnish turkey with fresh herb sprigs, if desired. Side dishes can be done ahead and frozen so that all you have to do is take them out of your freezer on Wednesday and reheat on Thursday while the Turkey is resting.
Thanksgiving Check List
• Clean out pantry, fridge, and freezer so that you can make room for holiday groceries.
• Do you have all your recipes selected so that you can make your shopping list? Place them in a folder so that they are at your fingertips when you need them.
• Do the mixer, blender, food processor all work correctly – do you have the necessary attachments?
• Are your kitchen knives sharp?
• Inventory glassware, dishes, flatware, serving pieces.
• Do you have enough seating? Count heads, you will be surprised how large the number can be!
• How about Linens? Do you want to purchase a new tablecloth?
• Place cards? They alleviate the last minute confusion at the table allowing the food to cool down.
• Candles-which candlesticks, do you have enough?
• Which wine will you serve? Think not only about the turkey but the other dishes that have more deliberate flavors. There is a lot going on with both sweet and savory. Beaujolais or Pinot Noir are good choices. I am also considering a Rose this year.
• Will there be overnight guests? Do you have enough bedding, towels, etc.
• What will your guests be bringing, pin them down to a specific category such as dessert or appetizer. Don’t let the notoriously late bring appetizers.
Plan the Menu:
• First Course or Hors D’oeuvres?
• Turkey – Decide what kind of turkey you will have, fresh, frozen, will it be given to you? If necessary, order your Turkey.
• Mashed or Sweet Potatoes or both
• Vegetables – fresh or frozen. Using some frozen can help lighten the workload.
• Dressing or Stuffing, Bread, Rolls
• Cranberry Sauce – will it be canned or do you make it yourself?
• Gravy
• Desserts—Suggestion: have guest bring desserts.
• Wine, Sparkling Water, non-alcoholic beverages
Shopping List – begin purchasing staple items-pick up a few each time you go to the store for something else.
• Turkey or Turkey Breast
• Chicken, Vegetable, Mushroom or Turkey Broth
• Potatoes – white or sweet, can these be made ahead and frozen (recipe follows)
• Onions, Garlic, Fresh Herbs
• Vegetables
• Fruit & Nuts (make a great centerpiece and serves as a light dessert)
• Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Fine Sea Salt
• Peppercorns for the peppermill
• Extra Paper Towels, Toilet Tissue, Guest Towels
• Dishwashing soaps
• Pot Scrubbies
• Plastic Wraps
• Aluminum Foil
• Foil pans to make clean up easier and to fill with leftovers for guests to take home.
• Freezer baggies in all sizes
• Parchment paper
• Turkey dog & cat food
Turkeys:
• Estimate the number of guests and allow 1-1 1 / 2 pounds per person. Plan on cooking your turkey approximately 15 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to take the guesswork out of cooking times. The thermometer should read 170° in the leg and thigh joint. Do not depend on the pop up timer, it pops up at a higher temperature. It generally gets there before you guesstimate that it is, so avoid overcooking with a $10 instant read meat thermometer. Give the turkey the food equivalent of your aerobic cool down and let it rest 20-60 minutes for easier slicing and juicier slices. This also gives you time to put finishing touches on side dishes and frees up oven for other items as well.
• Cooking two smaller turkeys, rather than one large one, might be more appropriate according to your oven size and other demands on the oven. Make sure the turkey you plan on purchasing will fit in your oven and refrigerator. If you have a large crowd and need to cook two, cook one a day ahead, carve, cover and reheat gently on the day of the gathering. The second turkey can be the bird everyone oohs and aahs over.
• Remember to allow adequate defrosting time for frozen turkeys. You should figure 24 hours of defrosting in the refrigerator for every 5 pounds of turkey. This can take 3-5 days, not counting the day of cooking. If you are planning a fresh turkey, decide where you will purchase it and order it now.
• You can also call the following turkey hotlines with turkey questions: The USDA at 888-674-6854, Butterball at 800-288-8372, or Reynolds Turkey Hotline at 800-745-4000.
• Also, remember to store leftovers within 2 hours to avoid any food safety risks.
A Few Extra Tips:
• Select music ahead of time. Set up the CD player early in the day or a day ahead.
• Use lots of candles for atmosphere. Group multiple candle holders as centerpieces.
• Get all serving pieces, ice buckets, trays, etc. out ahead of time and place sticky notes on them as to what menu item they will hold to avoid last minute rummaging through cabinets. This will be beneficial to those helping you at the last minute.
• Prepare garnishes for drinks and plates a day before, i.e. slice lemons, wash herbs.
• Use recipes that can be made ahead.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes freeze well. Freeze them in an ovenproof baking dish and defrost before reheating. Bring the dish to room temperature before placing in a hot oven.

Serves 8

12 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4-6 cups chicken, vegetable or beef stock
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Equipment:
Saucepan
Colander placed in large bowl
Electric mixer

Place potatoes, garlic and salt in heavy saucepan; add stock and additional water to cover.

Boil until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain liquid from potatoes into a bowl and reserve to add back to potatoes.

Place potatoes in mixer bowl. Mix until smooth and add the hot cooking liquid until potatoes are desired consistency.

Healthy Note: You have saved all the vitamins and minerals by using the cooking liquid! Also, by using the cooking water you will retain the potato starch, which will add richness to the dish.

Cook’s Tip: Leftover cooking liquid can be used in gravy, sauces, or soups. These potatoes can be frozen in an ovenproof casserole dish, defrosted and reheated in a 350 degree oven until piping hot, approximately 45 minutes.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Traditional Bread Stuffing with Apple, Celery & Onion

Yield: enough to accompany a 16-18 pound bird

16 ounce bag bread cubes for stuffing
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium apple, chopped with skin
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO plus some unsalted butter
2-4 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning (such as Bell’s Brand)

Equipment:
Large sauté or saucepan

Thinly film the bottom of the pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add 1-2 Tablespoons butter, if desired.

Sauté onion, celery, and apple. Add Poultry Seasoning. Sauté until fragrant.

Add bread cubes and 2 cups stock. Toss well. If moister stuffing is desired, add additional stock.

Place in shallow casserole dish and heat approximately 30 minutes until steaming.

Optional Add-ins:
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped dried cranberries

Note: If stuffing a bird, cool the stuffing before placing inside bird.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Spaghetti Squash with Parmigiano Reggiano

1 spaghetti squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fine Sea Salt
Pepper Mill
Parmigiano Reggiano – 1/2 cup divided, 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup

Wash spaghetti squash, pierce with a fork in several places and place in microwave on high until skin if soft, approximately 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

Cut squash in half and make “spaghetti.” Using a fork, pull out individual strands of “spaghetti.” Toss spaghetti squash with some olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Place in pie plate for serving dish. Top with additional Reggiano.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Dried Fruit & Brandy Compote

Serve this holiday helpers as a condiment with cheese, a side dish for the meal, or with ice cream.

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups dried fruit of your choice
1 tablespoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup brandy

Bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Add the fruit and spices and simmer until thickened. Stir in brandy.

Can be made several days ahead.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Harvest Muffins With Mascarpone & Smoked Turkey

These muffins are a lovely addition to any meal and they are also a terrific Breakfast to Go. Try filling them with some mascarpone cheese and smoked turkey for an hors d’oeuvre.

Muffins:
1¼ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup white flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups finely chopped unpeeled apples, about 2 large
½ finely chopped unpeeled carrots, about 2 medium
½ cup raisins
1 cup nonfat yogurt
¾ cup skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 whole eggs or 4 whites

Filling:
½ pound smoked turkey, sliced very thin
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Equipment:

Large mixing bowls
Muffin tins
Food processor with shredding disk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a 4 quart bowl.

Shred apples and carrots in a food processor with a shredding disk.

Add apples, carrots, and raisins to dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients and add to dry.

Prepare pan by either spraying with a no-stick flour spray or spreading with butter and then sprinkling with flour. Discard any excess flour. Fill pans ¾ full.

Bake as follows:

Mini – 20 minutes, yield 36
Regular – 25-30 minutes, yield 18
Large – 35-45 minutes, yield 9
Cook’s Tips:

This recipe keeps well but must be refrigerated or frozen after 1 day due to the use of the yogurt.

These muffins are very moist so you don’t need to line the muffin tins with bake cups. If you choose to line the muffin tins, aluminum, rather than paper bake cups are suggested.

Serving Suggestion: For Breakfast to Go, freeze muffins in individual baggies.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Turkey Breast Stuffed with Wild Rice, Fruit and Herbs

This dish is wonderful for a small group. Prepare wild rice a day ahead or several hours in advance for quick preparation on the day you serve this special dish.

Serves 4 – 6

Wild Rice Stuffing:

1 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 bay leaf
1 / 4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups chicken stock
1 / 2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, Italian parsley, chives, rosemary, sage
1 cup chopped dried fruit such as apricots and cherries
1 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans
Freshly ground pepper

Turkey:

1 1 / 2 pounds boneless turkey breast with skin
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Equipment:

4 quart saucepan with lid for stuffing
Roasting pan with rack for turkey
Meat pounder
Twine

To prepare Wild Rice Stuffing:

Rinse rice under running water and pick out any grains that do not look good to you. Place rice, shallots, bay leaf, salt and stock in a 4 quart pan and cook until rice is tender, approx. 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add herbs, dried fruit and nuts. Set aside to cool before stuffing turkey breast.

Assembling turkey breast and stuffing:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place turkey breast on cutting board and butterfly. Pound to even thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Place stuffing over turkey breast and roll turkey breast to enclose. Tie at 3 inch intervals.

Place on roasting rack and roast for approximately 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 155-160 degrees. Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Cook’s Tips:

To butterfly turkey breast: lay the breast on a cutting board, slice through the thickest past of the breast so that you end up with a split breast that is still connected in the middle. The surface area of the butterflied breast will be double the size and thinner than the original breast.

Stuffing can be used with chicken, turkey or pork and can be made a day ahead.

Barbara Seelig Brown

Happy Thanksgiving!

barbara@stressfreecooking.com           www.stressfreecooking.com

Watch my cooking show – visit my website TV Show page for info.

Things to Do in St. Louis: Wineries!

I was thinking this morning about when I went to my friend Carlos’ wedding in Switzerland. The day before the wedding (or maybe two days before), we were casting about for something to do to get ourselves out from underneath all the people planning the logistics of the wedding. Carlos and the whole lot of young non-Swiss guests ended up taking a day trip out to Gruyere. It was fun. I was thinking what would be a similar trip for people hanging around St. Louis before our wedding, who might want to dash out for a day trip, and I thought of the wineries.

Most people don’t think of Missouri and wine together, but the state actually has a long, proud history of winemaking. Most of that history stopped at Prohibition, and it is only just starting up again, but surrounding St. Louis on all sides are some really nice wineries, and Stephanie and I have happily visited several of them. My family has also made a sort of tradition of going out to Hermann (one of the major wine towns), because it is so close to my grandmother’s house.

Hermann – Hermann is a town on the Missouri River, about an hour and a half west of St. Louis. It is a seasonal town, with a lot of stores that open only in the summer, for the traffic that the wineries bring. The wineries themselves, though, are open year-round. There are three good ones, which I have visited. Stone Hill is the most prestigious, and they have their building on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards. They have an old cellar, a restaurant, and a big tasting room and store. They give regular tours, which are really cool (and quite cheap). Closer in to town is Hermannhof Vineyards, which seems a bit more homely. I have never taken their tour, and their tasting room is much smaller. They also feature sausages and cheese, which they sell. Their port, though, is excellent, and near and dear to my heart. Further out from town, in the countryside, is the Adam Puchta Winery, which may have the best wines, and definitely had the best tasting experience when I went there. Very personable and creative.

Ste-Genevieve – Down the Mississippi River, an hour’s drive south on I-55, is the town of Ste-Genevieve, which has some of the oldest buildings in the Midwest, and tries to maintain some of the old French frontier feel. I was not as impressed by the wineries in town as I was by Hermann (which may be German chauvinism on my part, I know), but outside of town is the Charleville Winery & Microbrewery, which is great. The beer is good, the wine is OK, but the atmosphere is fantastic. They have tables set out on the hillside facing their vineyards, and you can buy wine and beer from their shop, bring your own picnic, and sit out and enjoy the view. In May, 2007, just before moving out to New York City, Stephanie and I went out with some friends (most all of whom are in the wedding party) and had a lovely picnic here. In January, this may not be the best thing (and in inclement weather, I think that the dirt road out to the winery may be impassable anyway), but if we get one of those odd Missouri winter days when the sun is out and you could be tempted to wear short sleeves, it might be cool to go there.

I don’t know much about the Southern Illinois wineries, or the Augusta wineries, but I know they are out there. I think in all likelihood, everyone will stay in St. Louis, and enjoy the sights and company of the city, but I figured I’d throw this out there as a Thing to Do.

She's the Wow.

I can think of nothing better than stocking tops, or more horrific than a uterus. Between: the lense blinks. They mistake innocent whale-bruises for a diamond’s mirror tilt, and a fist’s caress. Lips tense, pulled into grins by bliss, to kiss their drooping eyelids.
Our love affaire continues between walls, a concrete tank of rain and smoke. I am given sour commands: Sprint north, or east, or here. Save her, ravish him, leave me.
My flesh crawls with cells. These unnatural X’s pair and germinate to form this hide, and my skin is sick.
The walls shake and creak, they will give at any moment to crack us all from glass to sand. Shoulder blades to sheets, unable to panic my ribcage rolls in heavy waves. Four sloping walls, past occupants bound by space alone pollute the room, they must dissolve. This whole house sways like a drunkard,  I toast with it.

The wine tastes like poison, and it is.
And I like it that way.

Last Weekend

The homie Kristen came up and we gallivanted around while our significant others were: A.  Sick  and B.  Working.  The whole weekend was filled with lots of good food, good wine and good times!  We went wine tasting in Nevada City and Grass Valley at several different wineries; Nevada City Winery, the new Italian one on Main Street (forget the name) and Sierra Starr.  Cooked up a gourmet meal of mac and cheese and partook in our fair share of martinis (New discovery = cocktail onions).  Wish more weekends were as relaxing!

M is for Martini

Kristen showing Chewy the wine dog of Sierra Starr some love

Cheers!

2007 BOGLE Cabernet Sauvignon

Last night we opened the 2007 BOGLE Cabernet Sauvignon.

The main reason for picking this wine was because it was our only bottle that did not have sentimental value and a big price tag from Paso Robles.    I like that you can find this wine almost anywhere (at least in california)  It has a price point around $10.

I thought this was a very solid wine.  It seemed spicy, fruity and full of flavor. There were heavy cherry and fruit undertones.  The wine has a well rounded finish and it kept me wanting more. I wish I would have had a second bottle to keep it going. ( I will keep that in mind next time). I think this wine would have a very broad appeal and I recommend trying this out,  it would be great to serve at a party.

3.5 stars

Ordering drinks in French

With the two-leg World Cup play-offs against France coming up, here’s a quick bluffer’s guide to ordering wine and other drinks in a French restaurant, bar or café.

Whatever you order, never forget the difference between the words for fish (poisson) and drink (boisson). Our “Boys in Green” did not conquer Europe in Italia ‘90 etc etc by downing copious pints of fish.

For starters…

“Waiter!” = Monsieur or Madame

Never ever ever summon a waiter by shouting “Garçon!” across a crowded restaurant.  You might have heard this in an episode of ‘Allo ‘Allo, but a real French waiter would find it insulting to be called a boy. And never ever ever snap your fingers.

“I’d like…” = Je voudrais…

To ask for something, use Je voudrais… (I would like), rather than Je veux… (I want). This is the standard polite phrase. Use it at all times, rather than Est’ce que c’est possible… or any other literal translations of Hiberno-English phrases (“Any chance of a…”).

And don’t forget to append S’il vous plait to the end of your request.

“Ta!” = Merci beaucoup!

The gargle

Monsieur is never ever called un garçon

If you are in Paris it’s one thing, but  Languedoc-Roussillon is, of course, le pays du vin, wine country. In a strong Langeudoc accent, “vin” becomes something more like “ving”.

Other than that, ordering your vin is straightforward enough: start with the Je voudrais bit and ask for un bouteille (a bottle) or “un verre” (a glass).

“I’d like a bottle of red wine” = Je voudrais un bouteille de vin rouge
“Another glass of red wine” = Encore un verre de vin rouge

Drinks lingo

• Le vin = wine
• La carte des vins = the wine list
• Vin rouge = red wine
• Vin blanc = white wine
• Une pression = a draught beer
• Un café = a coffee

Bear in mind that – apart from Carcassonne Airport – un café is the French equivalent of a strong expresso. Un café au lait is the equivalent of an ordinary coffee in Ireland with milk, or ask for un café noir for an ordinary black coffee.

In bistros and bars, wine is also ordered by le pichet or la carafe. These come in quarter and half litre sizes, and work out far cheaper than ordering by the bottle.

So you’d ask for un quart (pronouned “un kar”) or un demi respectively. If you really want to get into the swing of things, simply ask for un quart de rouge (a quarter litre of red wine, equivalent to a third of a bottle) or un demi de blanc (a half litre of white, two thirds of a bottle).

Another essential phrase after all this is: “Où sont les toilettes?” = where are the loos?

The bill

The bill = l’addition

If you’re in a busy small bar at, say, a railway station where they might suspect the Irish could “do a runner”, the waiter might bring you the bill automatically. He will then put a tear in it when you’ve paid.

But in a restaurant they’ll wait until you ask for the bill. Say something like Excusez-moi, l’addition s’il vous plait.

If the place is crowded, ask for l’addition by using a form of international sign language: raise your eyebrows and strike an invisible match on the palm of your hand.

Finally, if you’re part of the Green Army on its current European World Tour, no doubt you will also want to leave a tip or un pourboire - a charming word meaning, literally, “a for-to-drink”.

Related posts:

• Un apéro for openers

Wine 'fresh' after 300 years

Topic: Wine from 1682

A corked bottle of wine dating from 1682 was found last year in a cellar in Spitalfields, London, by the Museum of London Archaeology Service. Scientific tests preceded a formal wine tasting.

X-rays showed that the cork had preserved a perfect seal, and chemical analysis of the liquid showed it contained 6.25 per cent alcohol and tartaric acid, consistent with a grape wine. Sugar level was low suggesting a dry wine, and volatile acidity was also low suggesting the wine had not spoiled. The wine was eventually tasted by David Molyneux-Berry and Michael Broadbent, Masters of Wine for Sotheby’s and Christie’s respectively. Their verdict was that it was ‘fresh, clean, lively and well-balanced’ and was probably a dry madeira.

British Archaeology

February/2000

Install Internet Exporer 8 di Linux

Jakarta, dotexe.wordpress.com

Internet Explorer adalah web browser yang menjadi salah satu pilihan bagi sebagian besar pengguna dan vendor. Pengguna PC,utamanya yang menggunakan sistem operasi Windows pasti secara default menggunakan browser ini. Tak salah juga jika para vendor aplikasi berbasis web seperti e-banking dan e-commerce membatasi support mereka pada browser ini.

Bagi pengguna distribusi linux, tentunya merasa ‘teraniaya’ jika sebuah layanan web harus menggunakan IE. Mau tak mau mereka harus beralih sebentar ke PC Windows. Tapi bukan pengguna linux kalau tak kreatif, kita masih bisa menjalankan Internet Explorer dilingkungan Linux.

Yang kita butuhkan cuma installer Internet Explorer 8 dan Wine. Wine atau Wine Is Not Emulator adalah software linux/mac yang menyediakan layer API Windows dilingkungan *nix, sehingga software yang hanya dapat berjalan di Windows dapat dijalankan di Linux dengan baik.

# Untuk mengikuti tutorial ini silakan gunakan distribusi linux apapun selama mudah mendapatkan dan mengkonfigurasikan Wine di sistem anda. Kami sarankan menggunakan Debian atau turunannya (Ubuntu)

1. Instalasi Wine
Untuk Ubuntu, instalasi wine dapat dilakukan dengan mudah via apt-get:

apt-get install wine

2. Konfigurasi lanjut Wine
Jalankan terminal/xterm/konsole dan ketik winecfg untuk menjalankan window konfigurasi Wine.

Tuju ke tab menu Libraries dan tambahkan konfigurasi sebagai berikut dengan tombol Add:

” browseui=”native, builtin”
“crypt32″=”native, builtin”
“gdiplus”=”native”
“hhctrl.ocx”=”native, builtin”
“hlink”=”native, builtin”
“iernonce”=”native, builtin”
“iexplore.exe”=”native, builtin”
“itircl”=”native, builtin”
“itss”=”native, builtin”
“jscript”=”native, builtin”
“mlang”=”native, builtin”
“mshtml”=”native, builtin”
“msimtf”=”native,builtin”
“msxml3″=”native,builtin”
“riched20″=”native,builtin”
“riched32″=”native,builtin”
“secur32″=”native, builtin”
“shdoclc”=”native, builtin”
“shdocvw”=”native, builtin”
“shlwapi”=”native, builtin”
“url”=”native, builtin”
“urlmon”=”native, builtin”
“usp10″=”native, builtin”
“uxtheme”=”native,builtin”
“wininet”=”builtin”
“wintrust”=”native, builtin”
“xmllite”=”native, builtin”

3. Salin library tambahan dari Windows
Untuk trik ini kita harus menggunakan library/pustaka asli dari Windows yaitu:
- msctf.dll
- msimtf.dll
- uxtheme.dll

taruh ketiga pustaka tersebut di /home/user/.wine/dosdevice/windows/system32 (direktori system32 Wine anda)

4. Unduh dan jalankan Winetricks
Kita perlu melakukan konfigurasi advance terhadap Wine, untuk itu kita gunakan script Winetricks dari Kegel.com. unduh dari:
http://www.kegel.com/wine/winetricks

ubah script winetricks menjadi executable dengan:

sudo su chmod +x winetricks

kemudian jalankan winetricks:

./winetricks

5. Unduh dan Install Internet Explorer 8
Unduh terlebih dulu Internet Explorer 8 dari Microsoft.com (via Intipadi.com):
http://dl.intipadi.com/1age

setelah selesai didownload, lewat terminal jalankan instalasi IE8 dengan:

wine IE8-WindowsXP-x86-ENU.exe

*) abaikan permintaan installer untuk melakukan update.

Lihat screenshoot berikut

6. Kesimpulan dan Saran
Walaupun IE8 sudah dapat berjalan dengan baik dilingkungan Linux, tapi dibaliknya masih terdapat ribuan bug dan celah keamanan.Bug terbesar berada pada pustaka comctl32.dll dan comdlg32.dll, Penggunaan IE8 sendiri dilingkungan Linux lebih bersifat experimental dan darurat, jangan memaksa menggunakan IE8 sebagai browser default distribusi linux anda menggantikan browser lain.

Untuk solusi yang lebih professional dan mempunyai support yang baik, silakan beli CrossOver Office atau Bordeaux sehingga anda dapat menjalankan Office 2007, Photoshop CS dan lainnya dengan lancar.

NB. Tutorial ini telah mengalami proses penyuntingan dan praktik real dengan spesifikasi hardware, software tertentu, dan terbukti berhasil. Segala risiko kerusakan hardware, software maupun data akibat tutorial ini bukan tanggungjawab penulis.

Wine Rocks Seattle, Nov. 12 @ Palace Ballroom, 7-10pm

This Thursday, Wine Rocks Seattle makes it sophomore debut at the Palace Ballroom.  The evening features entertainer Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the United States of America, libations from over 20 wineries and distilleries, and nibbles from Seattle’s very own king of cuisine – Tom Douglas. Proceeds benefit Programs for Early Parents Support (PEPS).

Wine Rocks Seattle says:
Our second annual event featuring noted Washington wine personalities as the evening’s ROCK STARS! Not only do they make excellent wine that you can taste throughout the show, they sing, play guitar, sax, drums and more! Taking place at the very chic, urban Palace Ballroom, where every wannabe rock star wants to be. Sample fabulous food prepared by Tom Douglas Catering and delicious cheese provided by Beecher’s. WINE ROCK FOOD FUN!

Tickets: $50 each, must be 21+ to attend, ID checked at door

Time: 7 – 10pm

Russian River Pinot Gris

Maybe the days are just too warm and the nights not cool enough, maybe it’s the winemaker, but over the past 8 months or so, the Pinot Gris wines coming out of the RRV leave much to be desired. Aromatically, these wines are not challenged. In fact, they have this beautiful minerality without all that super ripe apricot and peach fruit coming through (just ripe enough but not over the top and in your face). The nose can really draw you in, yet on the palate, there’s no middle or end. Just simple fruit on the front and (to be blunt) a watery middle with absolutely no finish. Here’s a question to you: what have you experienced with RRV PG wines and how would you rate them? Shoot me a note and always, cheers!

Living with no money

Well I have emerged from my sick bed after two weeks, a little worse for wear but none the less alive, only to pull a muscle in my back and be unable to stand upright. Joy of joys. Just when one thinks they have ditched the panadol habit and will only return to bed and bedtime, I’m forced to start taking painkillers, lie down frequently and sit at precarious angles all over the house. Life couldn’t be better……

It’s not so much the flu and pulled muscles that really get to me, it’s also the lack of money. I am broke beyond anything which I ever thought possible before. Broker than the brokest person living in the brokest town who just found out he was extra broke (if we want to get all Monty Python about it). The thing about being broke isn’t for me so much that I can’t buy anything, but the boredom, much of which is self-induced and indulgent. I can sit for ages in the front room, with nothing to do and think about all the things I would do if I had any money. I would go to the cinema, have a walk around the shops, go for a pint, etc etc, even though I am fully aware that even if I did have money I would be rather unlikely to do these things anyway and would probably just be spending my time thinking about something else. Therefore it would seem to me that financial deprivation leads to depression more through state of mind than actual brokeness. As I will undeniably be penniless for a good while longer I may as well try and work on my mental skills for dealing with this situation rather than dwell on all of the things that I would do if I actually had any money (I’d love to be going to the cinema today…….STOP IT STOP IT).

What pittance I do have to spend during the week has to be planned out very carefully. Once food, heating and bills are covered what little I can currently call ‘fun money’ tends to be spent on alcohol. If one is going to be bored and broke my feeling is that I may as well be a little bit sozzled too. Beer is good, but I find I tire of it quite quickly, and it turns out some cheap wines are okay (as long as one lines the stomach beforehand). Saturday night tv, watched in the full knowledge that all of your friends are out having a good time spending their money, is much better once one has consumed half a bottle of Tesco’s five euro Soave wine. Even now, at midday, I’m thinking about whether or not I can scrape together enough change to have a little drinkie. This will have to stop soon though as not only is it very likely to lead to alcoholism, but it is also not very friendly to the waistline.

Perhaps I should try and lose myself in some work instead……………………………….

Or maybe not…………

I have been meaning to start working on an article for quite some time now and still haven’t mustered the courage to do so. I really must do it this month, for fear that it runs into the New Year and I will still be unemployed and will also be without a published article, hence diminishing my chances for getting a research grant.

I have decided that I will start this week. Or at the very least start researching the possibility of perhaps starting to work. Ah, the procrastination skills of a recently finished PhD student are second to none. I bet you I can procrastinate all the way into the New Year……

Ciao for Now,

UA (The Unemployed Academic)

In the vineyard with Anthony Austin

Part 3 of a series

Just days before harvest, I visited one of our Extreme Sonoma Coast vineyards with Sonoma Coast Vineyards’ winemaker, Anthony Austin, to walk with him as he showed us what he looks for in the fruit. In this first of several videos in the vineyard, Anthony talks about the color of the fruit, how the leaves on the vines are pruned to allow air circulation around the grape clusters and other factors that affect the quality of the grapes.

Anthony mentions some terms in this video which may need clarification:

Botrytis – scientifically known as Botrytis cinerea or commonly referred to as the noble rot, is a sometimes desirable fungus which removes water from the grapes, leaving behind a higher concentration of sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This often results in more intense aromas and flavors in the wine. While it can add complexity to the wine, as Anthony states in the video, it can also add complexity to the winemaking process since Botrytis can sometimes stop the fermentation before enough alcohol is created.

Baseline – setting initial values of key measurements of the fruit such as sugar levels, acidity and pH from which to gauge the progress of the grape. While this may be useful to know when grapes are ready for harvest, it doesn’t measure such things as flavor and aroma, which can only be tasted by a person such as the winemaker.

#5 – (s)Collegamenti

Turning clouds into crackers: $45 a password
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Hey Ubuntu, Stop Making Linux Look Bad
It’s the same old story. A new Ubuntu release, a new series of pain and frustration.
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Does Wine Make Linux Too Loose?
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Review: 3 free Linux alternatives for your netbook
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Il 32 per cento dei netbook è in mano a Linux
Linux conquisterà il 32 percento dei netbook venduti nel 2009. Lo afferma una ricerca recentemente realizzata dalla società di analisi ABI Research, da cui si deduce anche che il trend di Linux sui netbook è tutt’altro che in ribasso.
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Patching Wine from Source

Not many people seem to know this, however, it is relatively easy once you get the hang of it. Imagine you have just downloaded a patch (.diff/.patch) for Wine and don’t have a clue where to start with patching Wine yourself. This tutorial will teach you how to do exactly that.

I will using this wine tutorial with some additional little tips and tricks to deliver a complete and thorough tutorial.

Now if you are doing this for the first time you will need to follow this initial step. Punch this into terminal and run it:

sudo apt-get build-dep wine //gets the dependencies required to compile wine sudo apt-get install make //gets the (not default installed) make "program" which compiles the actual source code

Note: Once these two lines have been run once they will never need to be run again.

We now continue with downloading the wine source code: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wine/files/Source/. On the page this link relocates to you will see a list of files and folders. To choose the correct one simply choose the version you want and download the .tar.bz2 and NOT the .tar.bz2.sign. If you download the .sign file you will not get the actual source code.

Now after you have downloaded the .tar.bz2 extract it to, say, your home folder so the path will look something like: “/home/someone/wine-1.1.32″. After the extraction is complete download and save the patch into the Wine source code directory (i.e. “/home/somoneone/wine-1.1.32/SetPixelShader.patch”).

Note: if you open up the patch in, say, a web browser from Wine HQ or a similar site then simply do right click->save page as and the page will save correctly.

After you have the patch saved within the Wine source code directory simply cd in terminal there:

cd /home/someone/wine-1.1.32

After you have changed the directory simply run in terminal:

patch -p1 < SetPixelShader.patch

This will display a progress of “hunks” installing. After this is completed you may proceed to configure, compile and install the new Wine. In order to do that you must run the next three commands (within the same terminal window, if you close that terminal window open a new one and cd to the Wine source code directory):

./configure make depend && make make install

These commands may take sometime depending on how big the patch you applied was and how many patches that were applied since last compile. Once make install is completed your Wine is ready to be used. Enjoy .

Tippling through the ages

Long Live Bacchus!
Story:
Among the few cultural traditions shared by human populations across time and geography is the abiding urge to make and consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol was also one of the first medicines as well as a component of many early religious practices. But modern humans’ choices are limited to a few alcoholic staples — beer, wine, and “hard” liquor. Many of the beverages enjoyed by cultures past have been lost to the historical record.

Patrick McGovern, a University of Pennsylvania researcher who describes himself as a biomolecular archeologist, and Sam Calagione, founder and president of Delaware-based Dogfish Head Brewery, aim to rescue some of these forgotten brews using a mixture of science and craftsmanship
The story of their collaboration began, McGovern said at a recent lecture at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, with the discovery of a burial mound — called a tumulus — marking the eternal resting place of one of history’s most famous kings. “Right upstairs, the debris from the Midas tumulus was waiting for me in small paper bags,” he said. Fifty years ago University of Pennsylvania archaeologists had excavated the tumulus, located in eastern Turkey, and stored debris from vessels upstairs at the Philadelphia museum.

“[I was interested in analyzing] the intense yellowish residue in a sort of reverse engineering to try and resurrect old ingredients,” McGovern explained. Using mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography, he determined that the ancient residue was a mixture of barley, honey and grapes. Since the subject of ancient beverages is dear to his heart and his palate, he explained, the next step was obvious — “Why not try to recreate some of these ancient beverages?” For help, he turned to Calagione, who used equal proportions of the ingredients with saffron as the bittering agent to brew Midas Touch, which approximates the drink that likely flowed at celebrations or funerals during the time of the ancient king. McGovern suggested the use of saffron because hops would not have been used in Midas’ time, and he thought the spice might account for the intense yellow in the residue. Midas Touch is an ale beautiful to behold and with a complex set of flavors; King Midas would have found it more than acceptable.

This first success merely whetted McGovern’s thirst for reconstructing ancient fermented beverages. “The story of early mankind is humans figuring out how to chew all kinds of carbohydrates: stems, grains, roots, fruit, [looking for] what’s fermentable, and that’s led to a whole slew of beverages around the world,” he noted. Specifically, it led McGovern to chicha — a corn beer that’s been consumed in South America for centuries — which Calagione has also recreated at Dogfish Head. Chicha is brewed with corn that’s first been chewed, human saliva acting as a fermenting agent in the brewing process. (The brewing process destroys harmful bacteria.)

McGovern and Calagione have also recreated a 3,200-year-old cacao-based ale called Theobroma, the recipe for which McGovern unearthed in Honduras. It does not taste chocolatey; rather it has an earthy flavor, a good fall brew that would pair nicely with stews or soups.

http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/56124/

A pragmatic wine post

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve packed up your picnic, driven for two hours, finally arrived at the park, and suddenly realize you’ve left the corkscrew for that incredible bottle of malbec at home. Two hours away. In the kitchen drawer. Underneath the garlic press.

Or even better, you’ve finally escaped for a special weekend getaway. The weather is balmy, the view of the sea is amazing, candles light the space, and you and your honey are ready to settle in to relax and and enjoy a glass of something enchanting to match the evening. Only trouble is, the cabin you’ve rented doesn’t have a corkscrew, and you didn’t think to pack one.

In the old days, when I just drank beer, it wasn’t that big of a deal, since probably 4 out of 5 people I know can pop off a bottlecap with a Bic lighter. A wine bottle (the non-screwcap kind, anyway) is a different story. But fret not a moment longer! I present to you…a solution to the “Gee I’d really like to drink this wine but I seem to be fresh out of corkscrews” problem! Enjoy!
Note: These are virtually the same method, just a slightly different setup and different levels of previous inebriation.

via Food2