4 Wines & A Plate – Pinot Gris
We’ve only done one white wine night before, and it was one of the most polarized evenings we’ve had – albeit one of the more enlightening ones. This one proved to be educational as well, with a varied set of syles, and a varied set of opinions on the wines. Laughed a lot. Enjoyed the heck out of the dinner. … Read More
Dinner Party Menu
A breakdown of the menu for some new friends that came by for dinner last night. Excluding the first course – a salad from the garden…forgot the photo. The first three courses were paired with an alsatian riesling, the following 3 with a right-bank bordeaux. Overall, a lovely night: berkshire tenderloin on white bean purée, crispy sage pickled whitefish, dill … Read More
Friday Wine Night Returns?
I’m resolved that my ‘Friday Night Wine Night‘ concept needs a comeback. So last night myself and a friend tackled an 04 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone – widely available in an inexpensive pricepoint. A guest had graciously brought it earlier in the week, and it needed to meet its fate rather than be cellared. It’s an 81 pointer that’s … Read More
Saucisson Sec V1.0 Floppage?
Okay people who know better, please weigh in. Verdict on Saucisson Sec V1.0 = crap. The inside looks as if it was hollowed a bit, and has a browny-not-so-nice color to it. I currently believe it was a humidity problem. We’ve had a really dry spring, and my estimate of 60%+ humidity quickly turned into 20%-30%. [the good news being … Read More
My Ham is Better Than Your Ham
I basically avoid ham. One reason: despite the fact that ham you buy at a supergrocer is already cooked, people seem compelled to toss it in the oven or slow cooker a ridiculously long period of time. Longer than it would take to actually cook a ham, nevermind reheat it. To the point where you can peel strands of meat-dryness, … Read More
Saucisson Sec – Day 14
A quick update at the two-week mark. On day one, it looked like, well…like fresh sausage. Surprise, surprise. But today it’s already looking the the part! This is day 14 of roughly 18-20 days of dry cure process. We had a cold spell in there, which dropped the humidity far below the 60-70% I was hoping for into the 40%s. … Read More
Bacon & Eggs: 2 Ways
It was bacon smoking day. What to eat while smoking bacon? Bacon, of course. What to pair with bacon? Well I had some ridiculously nice eggs, and last time I checked, bacon and eggs were buds. Dandelion salad w/ bacon-cider vinaigrette, minced bacon, poached egg, toast, and steamed asparagus. I’ll be honest: dandelion have not been in my repertoire prior. … Read More
Saucisson Sec – Day 1
I’ve been watching temp and RH stats for months, carefully spreadsheeting and graphing them. Getting a sense of when a natural window of 15C or less with 60+% humidity existed in my cellar. Well it has arrived. I never guessed that my optimal dry curing season would be summer, but indeed it is. Some ham is being salted. Two batches … Read More
Nittaya Thai Red Curry – meet pork loin
More spoils from friends’ globetrotting – this time a fresh arrival from Thailand. I was gifted an assortment of Nittaya brand curry pastes, and good lord are they good. I also love their address: 9/10 Moo 4 Ladlumkeao-Banglane, Rahang, Ladlumkeao, Pathumtani 12140 Thailand. Guaranteed to get lost trying to find that.I suppose I’m no authority on red curry – but … Read More