Saturday Food

Food:

1. Tom's Tacos

Wine:

1. 2001 Marilyn Remark Grenache
   Even better than we remembered. The nose is really pretty at a lower temperature.


2. Meyer-Lemon "Uparitas"

Friday Food

Food:

1. Fractal veggies & dip


2. Chicken in a Pot w/ Artichokes & Olives
   Didn't add the olives & artichoke hearts until the pot came out of the oven. Reduced slightly & then strained the "sauce" to serve. Cooked the chicken (legs & thighs) for about 40 mins & they came out perfect. Don't get too carried away with the artichoke hearts, they try to take over.

Wine:

1. 2003 Villa Creek High Road
   Yum.

Tuesday Food

Food (Mini Four-Course Meal):

1. Cheese course: Basque Sheep Cheese! Tom's favorite, Abbaye de Belloc, and Ossau-Iraty, both raw sheep cheeses from the French Basque region. If you like sheep cheese, you'll probably love the Abbaye, it's just amazing. The Ossau-Iraty is a little more pungent and a little more rustic, but also very good. Both very nice paired with the Clio--the muskiness of the cheese & earthiness of the Mouvedre work well together & the acid and fruit balance the richness of the cheese nicely. From Oakville Grocery at Stanford.
   
2. Salad course: Lima Bean & Roast Fennel Salad (with baby arugula & dandelion greens). Was a little skeptical, but this was yummy--mild, but the fresh flavors come through. Very light dressing with lemon rind. From the Oakville Grocery Deli.
   
3. Soup course: Sauteed mustard & cumin seeds, garlic, chicken broth, white wine, crystal sauce, water, and fresh green beans. Finished with chopped tomato & served over chopped cilantro. Very nice brothy, "fresh" soup. Chef's Note: Don't try to use the rind from the basque cheese like you would parmigiana rind in soup. (This was take-two....)
   
4. Meat course: Prime NY Strip Steak. Seasoned with salt, pepper, & pimenton, seared, & finished in a 425 oven for 3 minutes. Sliced & garnished with chopped cilantro & black pepper. Eaten as finger-food. Yum. Also a very good pairing for the Clio.
   

Lots of little bits, basically tapas style.

Wine:

1. 2002 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio

A Mouvedre/Cab blend from a non-stellar vintage in Spain, but it's a very well-architected wine. Big fruit--more of a "new world" style. No flaws--which is almost a surprise with Spanish wines (they must get tortured in transit).

Monday Food

Food:

1. Roast Chicken


2. Roast Tomatoes


3. Brussel Sprouts

Wine:

1. 2003 Tablas Creek Viogner
   Seemed more closed-up than I remembered. Still quite nice--not overly flowery or flabby, more towards pear and mineral.



2. 2003 Villa Creek Avenger

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Chicken with Green Chile, Tomato, and Onion
   
   
   
   1. Season boneless chicken breast with salt, pepper, and pimenton. Brown in saute pan, and then transfer to a rack & bake at 425 for about 10 mins.
   
   
   2. Pour off some of the chicken fat, saute onion, and add diced numex chiles & coarsely chopped cilantro.
   
   
   3. Add some chicken broth to deglaze & reduce.
   
   
   4. Season with salt & pepper.
   
   
   5. Finish with sour cream & chopped tomatoes
   
   
   6. Slice chicken & serve over a bed of sauce.
   
   
   
   


2. Brussel Sprouts Tossed in Garlic Butter
   Don't cut the sprouts until you're ready to cook them. Drop them into a pot of boiling water, cover, and turn off the heat. Steep for 3 minutes, drain, & then toss with the melted butter & garlic.

Wine:

1. 2003 Rabbit Ridge Petite Sirah Chalkrock
   Remnants from last night, but still yummy. Definitely more "french style" & some more time in the bottle should soften the tannins nicely. (Quite drinkable now, though.)


2. 2003 Le Cuvier The Mighty Murcielago
   Aka "Red Bat Cuvee". Unfortunately a little "corky" -- or is it the wild yeast, or maybe TCA? Whatever, it's a little off. Too bad, because the multi-varietal blend really works & there's some great fruit here.
   

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Chicken & Peppers
   Instead of chicken in a pot, this is a pressure-cooked version with chicken breast, "Corno di Toro" Italian sweet peppers, and "mini" (Tom called them stunted) poblanos from our garden. The chicken was browned in olive oil & Tom added half the sliced peppers and onion, some garlic, and white wine & water. Once the pot was up to temperature, they were pressure-cooked for 17 minutes. Once the lid was off, it was brought back to a boil & the remaining peppers & onions were added. We served it while it was still brothy.

Wine:

1. 2003 Tobin James Chateau le Cacheflo
   Leftover from last night, but still awesome. This stuff is just the best bang for the buck.


2. 2003 Emmanuel Darnaud Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois
   Bacon! Should be great with the food. This is a quintissential french syrah--meaty, smoky, oh yeah, and there's some fruit, too. I love the rich, fruity syrahs from Paso Robles, but they're just a different animal--almost hard to believe it's the same grape. It's interesting to see how differently syrah-based wines have evolved in different parts of the world--some of it's a styleistic thing, but some of it is clearly "terroir".

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Green Chile Chicken
   Based on "rajas poblanas", but substituting (frozen) roasted NM green chiles for the poblanos. This chicken is browned in a pressure cooker, cooked for ~20 minutes with cilantro, jalapeno, onion, & garlic , and a few dashes of tabasco, and then broken into chunks, rather than totally shredded. (It's best if you submerge the chunked chicken in some of the cooking liquid.) For the sauce, Tom tends to dice the chiles instead of cutting them into strips. Take some of the cooking liquid and add sliced onion, the green chiles, and cilantro. Finish with sour cream, and some diced onion & cilantro. We like to serve the sauce over the chicken, rather than folding the chicken into the sauce.

Wine:

1. 2000 Turley Pesenti

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Sauteed chicken breast with creamy mushrooms.
   The kitchen-ninja almost foiled the chef on this one...I was thinking skinned & pounded, he was thinking crispy skin, no hammer. Fortunately, he caught me before the birds were totally naked. He browned them on the stove & finished them in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms were sauteed, finished with butter and cream, and served as a sauce with the chicken. Yum.
   


2. Broccoli tossed w/Garlic.
   Our standby-vegetable. I was looking for brussel sprouts on the stalk, but Cosentino's didn't have any left today. If you think you hate brussel sprouts, you've probably never had them fresh. The trick is to avoid cutting them until you're ready to throw them in the pan--they aren't bitter unless they've been sitting too long. Sauteed in olive oil & tossed with butter and garlic, they're hard to beat. Really! I love broccoli, asparagus, and just about everything else green, but always passed on the brussel sprouts until we started getting them on the stalk. (Bought it for the novelty, and discovered they really were good eats!)

Wine:

1. 1997 Domain de Trevallon Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone
   Corked beyond belief. Very disappointing @ $50+ a bottle. Even had a high-quality cork--it was apparently just bad. Second wine this week that was a total goner. Remind me again why screwcaps are a bad idea?


2. 2002 Rabbit Ridge Napa Valley Merlot Stagecoach Vineyard
   Ah, that's better...at half the price! Some interesting things going on in the nose--junipery, minty overtones with the plum fruit. I must admit, merlot is growing on me--good merlot, at least. :-) This isn't perfectly balanced, but it's got something to say and doesn't vanish on the palate. And it doesn't have the weedy (dill-y) characteristics that seem to stand out in so many Napa cabs. No green pepper, either--it's plenty ripe.
   

Monday Food

Tapas night...really this time. :-)

Food:

1. White beans & chorizo


2. Bay shrimp salad

Wine:

1. NV Bodegas Alicia Rojas Solarce

Sunday Food

Scored some amazing fresh sardines from Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, so it's tapas night...

Er, well, I thought it was. Chef Tom had other ideas...

1. Fried sardines with green beans and parsnip.
   
   The sardines were butterflied, seasoned with salt, & dusted with cornstarch before frying.
   
   The beans were blanched, cold-shocked, & cut into 1-2" pieces and tossed with soy sauce, sesame oil & sesame seeds.
   
   The parsnips were cut into 2x.5x.5" strips & blanched in salted water and cold shocked.
   
   They were served centered on a plate, with a small stack of beans & parsnips on opposite sides of the fish. The fish was topped with a lemon-peanut oil-chile pepper marinade and topped with some thinly-sliced onion. Ideally, would be served with the fish room temperature, but we couldn't wait. ;-)

Wine:

1. Rabbit Ridge Blanc de Noir

Sardines?!?

"Sardines, those don't sound very interesting, " my dad said when I asked the guy behind the counter if he had any. (They didn't have any on display, but they were on the menu, so I figured it was worth a shot.) Although I have fond memories of eating canned sardines & saltines with my grandpa, I could see where my dad was coming from. If you've never had *fresh* sardines, you really haven't had sardines. (Don't get me wrong, you can get some pretty tasty canned sardines--we're partial to the Albo Sardinillas (baby sardines)--but they still pale in comparison to the real deal.)

Although Monterey and sardines were once synonymous, it can be difficult to get them fresh even in the bay area. They show up occasionally on Japanese & Spanish-influenced restaurant menus, but just aren't popular with home chefs. I've never seen ones as good as at Phil's. They are a little tedious to deal with, but they really don't require a lot of prep. Be sure to scale them well when you clean them, though--the skin is good, but not if you get a mouthful of scales. Tom debones them when he butterflies them, but they can be grilled whole and the bones come out easily when they're cooked. If you split them open, you can strip out most of the bones with your fingers, but don't worry about the ones left behind. When fried, they just add some extra crunch.

Wednesday Food

Tapas:

1. Santosian Succotash: Edamame, summer squash, onion, green chile. Herbed with a small amount of thyme & finished with sour cream & butter.


2. Albondigas: Meatballs made of lamb, pork, & chuck with green chile & onion, served with sherry sauce.

Wine:

Three Thieves Sampler: 2004 Circkle K Ranch Pinot Noir, 2003 California Syrah, 2003 California Cabernet. We Love Jugs!

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Heirloom Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, & Basil


2. Mahi Mahi with cilantro green chile cream sauce
   
   
   
   1. Saute Mahi filet in olive oil & offload
   
   
   2. Add diced green chiles to pan, deglaze with white wine, and add garlic
   
   
   3. Add cream, cilantro
   
   
   4. Serve sauce on plate & fish on top
   
   
   
   



3. Scallops

Wine:

1. 2001 Nadeau Barbera

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite-grilled rib-eye


2. Grilled poblanos with cheese & garlic

Friday Food

Food;

• Chicken in a Pot with Artichoke hearts, Olives, Onion, Peppers, and Tomato
  
  
  
  1. Season chicken legs & breast with salt, pepper, and pimenton.
  
  
  2. Brown chicken in clay pot over medium heat.
  
  
  3. Add onion, garlic, olives, 1/2 of the chopped sweet peppers, and 1/2 bottle of white wine.
  
  
  4. Add dried basil & season with salt.
  
  
  5. Add 1/2 of the marinated artichoke hearts & 1/2 of the chopped fresh tomato.
  
  
  6. Add ~6 oz of tomato sauce & add water to cover.
  
  
  7. Add a shot of crystal sauce.
  
  
  8. Cover and bring to a boil.
  
  
  9. Cook in 425 degree oven for ~45 minutes.
  
  
  10. Remove to stove & uncover to reduce.
  
  
  11. Add remaining vegatables.
  
  
  12. Adjust seasoning, adding salt, crystal sauce, and/or red pepper flake as needed. (The finished sauce should be piquant.)
  
  
  13. Reduce sauce to the desired consistency and serve.
  
  
  
  We use a combo of large pimiento-stuffed green olives and nicoise olives or other ripe olives.The olives could almost be removed before serving--they really give their all to the sauce.
  

Wine:

1. 2004 Zed Sauvignon Blanc
   This is what we use as cooking wine. Originally bought it for the price & because it has a screwcap, but it's actually pretty good.


2. 2004 La Mision Pinot Noir
   This is an inexpensive Chilean pinot. A big, fruity style--pretty good for the price, but nothing to write home about.


3. 2002 Domaine Clape Cornas
   Yummy Rhone wine from a not-so-great vintage.

Friday Food

Food:

1. Dijon Chicken with Mushroom Brie


2. Asparagus


3. Tom's tapenade: piquillo peppers, green chile, onion, chorizo, tomato, green olives

Wine:

1. 2003 domain des Entrefaux (Tardy) Crozes-Hermitage


2. Bouchet Rosato di Nebbiolo

Really nice french wine--definitely french, but with good fruit concentration. The rose is a trip--very dark, a bit tannic, very yummy.

Sunday Food

Food:

1. White Beans with Chorizo, Roasted Peppers, and Garlic


2. Scallops with Chimayo Chile Sauce

Wine:

1. Rocky Gully 2004 Frankland River Shiraz Viognier

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Burgundy Beef


2. Asparagus

Wine:

1. Trevor Jones 2002 Boots Grenache


2. Neyers 2000 Cuvee d'Honeur

Friday Food

Food:

1. Pollo Pimenton


2. Young garbanzo bean "pesto" (with garlic & cilantro)


3. Broccoli Rabe

Wine:

1. Drew Pinot Noir


2. Remulluri Tempranillo

Monday Food

Food:

1. Zucchini with onions & garlic


2. Chicken Parmigiana

Wine:

1. Runquist 2002 Pioneer Hill Vineyard Sangiovese

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Chicken & Artichokes
   
   
   
   1. Defrost Frozen Artichoke Hearts & Simmer in Chicken Broth, White Wine, Garlic, season with a Bay leaf, diced green chile
   
   
   2. Season Chicken Breasts with Salt & Pepper and saute chicken until browned
   
   
   3. Finish chicken in 425 oven--about 6 minutes
   
   
   4. Cube Chicken--1+ inch cubes
   
   
   5. Cube fresh tomato
   
   
   6. Wilt Arugula
   
   
   7. Finish Artichoke "sauce" with cubed tomato, and butter
   
   
   8. Serve chicken over wilted arugula and dress with sauce
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. Bonny Doon 2000 Macho Nacho Syrah
   Nose from hell--very powerful, not especially pleasant! Overripe vegetables & fruit? Still tannic. Down the drain...


2. Turley 2001 Old Vines
   Ahh. A real wine. A non-complex fruit bomb, but very enjoyable.

Friday Food

Food: Fridge & Pantry Extravaganza

1. Broccoli w/Garlic & Butter


2. Cantimpalitos with Sweet Peppers, Tomato, White Beans (Pocha), Artichoke Hearts (canned), Long Beans (chopped), hard boiled egg. "White bean Paella" cooked with saffron infused chicken broth.
   

Wine:

1. Runquist 2003 Primitivo
   Amador County. A slightly lighter-style zin than the big fruit bombs, but still lots of
   bright fruit (raspberry, black currant). Fairly acidic, but not overly so--drank as apertif,
   but would pair well with food.


2. Peachy Canyon 2002 Westside Zinfandel
   Characteristic westside Paso zin--darker fruit, not as acidic, higher alcohol. Good, but pales in comparison to the best Westside zins--Zin Alley, Turley, etc.
   

Friday Food

Food:

1. Grilled Jalapeno Marinated Chicken


2. Pico de Gallo and Aguacate Mole

Wine:

1. Bokisch 2002 Graciano

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Grilled Chimayo-seasoned Skirt Steak



2. Cabbage and Daikon Slaw

Used the new "Pannini Press" electric grill to grill the steak. Cool--fast.

Wine:

1. Rose


2. Tobin James 2002 Silver Reserve Zinfandel

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Rajas Poblanas
   
   
   
   1. Roast 2 Poblano Chiles (whole) under Broiler (on top rack). Turn when skin blisters & turns black, rotating until entire chile is roasted. Remove to a plate & cover with plastic wrap, or put in a paper bag to cool.
   
   
   2. Season 2 half chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and chimayo chile.
   
   
   3. Cut 1/2 white onion into eighths.
   
   
   4. Seed 1 jalapeno pepper and cut into eighths. (Add more jalapeno to taste.)
   
   
   5. Smash 2 large cloves of garlic.
   
   
   6. Brown chicken in olive oil in (open) pressure cooker (or heavy pot).
   
   
   7. Add onion, garlic, and 6 sprigs of cilantro.
   
   
   8. Add water to cover--4-6 cups.
   
   
   9. Add 2 dashes of Crystal Sauce or to taste.
   
   
   10. Season with oregano and salt.
   
   
   11. Bring to a boil and put the lid on the pressure cooker.
   
   
   12. When the pressure cooker reaches temperature, cook for 25 minutes. (If you're not using a pressure cooker, simmer covered until chicken is tender & falls off the bone.)
   
   
   13. Peel, seed, and slice roasted poblanos into strips.
   
   
   14. Slice 1/2 white onion.
   
   
   15. Remove chicken, cool slightly & break into slightly bigger than bite-sized chunks. (Don't totally shred the chicken--it will break apart more when you add it to the sauce.)
   
   
   16. Strain cooking liquid & return about 4 cups to pot or saucier.
   
   
   17. Bring to a boil and reduce.
   
   
   18. Add sliced onions and poblanos to sauce.
   
   
   19. Coarsely chop a handful of cilanto leaves & add to sauce.
   
   
   20. Season with salt, pepper, and Crystal sauce to taste.
   
   
   21. Finish sauce with sour cream.
   
   
   22. Stir shredded chicken into sauce and serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Monday Food

Food:

1. Egguritos with Ranchero Sauce and Green Chile Hollandaise
   Reprise of last week's "kitchen challenge" dinner. No regular onion this time, but
   did have garlic & some green onion. To steam the tortillas & cheese, stretched plastic
   wrap very tight over plates, but not sealed all the way around. Microwaved for about 25 seconds, stopping half-way through for a few seconds to keep wrap from sealing & sucking down as it cools.
   

Wine:

1. Tablas Creek Vineyard 2003 Vermentino
   Pretty good...a little simple, but no flaws.


2. Sofia Blanc de Blanc
   Champagne in a can is a cute concept, but please put real wine in the can next time.


3. Martin Ray 2001 Mariage
   Mouth bandage--needed something to rinse with after the Sofia.

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Grilled Pork Chops with Blackberry-Grapefruit Sauce
   Season chops with salt, pepper, chimayo, and olive oil. Juice & strain blackberries (2 bunches), add to sauce pan & cook with chicken stock, grapefruit juice, brandy, bay leaf, true cinnamon, cayena, season to taste with salt.


2. Salad of Baby Greens with Hazelnuts

Wine:

1. Domaine des Coteaux des Travers 2003 Raseau Cotes Du Rhone Villages

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Rib-eye steaks with Dijon-demiglase sauce
   Defrost chicken stock, add demi-glase goo & bay leaf. Bring to a boil in microwave. Brown steaks in pan & remove to roasting pan. Roast @425 for 3 mins. Deglaze pan with stock.


2. Roasted tomatoes


3. Broccoli with Garlic

Wine:

1. Tablas Creek Vineyard 1999 reserve Cuvee
   Last one before they started calling it Esprit de Beucastel. Still tannic, but good. Tom loves the nose, my nose must be broken today. (Antihistamines?).


2. Tanbark Hill 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
   Philip Togni's "second" label. Subtle, pretty mellow tannins for an '02.
   

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Chili! Used just one can of chiltomate this time, instead of adding a plain tomato sauce, too (8 oz cans).

Wine:

1. Fire Block 2002 Old Vine Grenache
   A little unbalanced--a little acidic & hot for the fruit, but there is lots of fruit & it's pretty yummy. This is an Aussie Clare Valley wine--starting to see how they vinify everything like Shiraz. (Last night's zin was even more obvious. We actually liked the zin a little better than this grenache--but it was very different from California zins.)

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Dinner at PF Changs in San Jose. Very high quality ingredients, a bit carb-ey, even without rice, but yummy.

Wine:

1. J Pinot Gris by the glass.


2. Santa Barbara White Rhone Blend by the glass


3. Schulz 2001 Johanne Zinfandel
   A Barossa Valley Zinfandel--could easily mistake for a Shiraz by the nose. Very different from a California zin, but this is seriously yummy wine. Gotta love screw caps, too.

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Pollo al Ajillo
   Don't forget to saute the chicken skin first! (I mistakenly threw it away this time. :-()
   Roughly cube & season chicken breast with salt, pepper, olive oil. Saute & add chopped garlic, cayena chile peppers (seeded), pimenton, a little cayenne. Deglaze with brandy, add white wine, sherry wine vinegar. Add stock & cover, simmer. Finish with a little more garlic & garnish with chopped parsley
   


2. Sauteed Baby Swiss Chard with cumin, mustard seed, tumeric, and chopped garlic

Wine:

1. Vizcarra 2002 Senda del Oro
   Not bad--a little CRW/funky on the nose, fairly acidic, but there's some
   good red fruit. A decent tapa-wine, but not the best example. 100% Tempranillo.

Monday Food

Food:

1. Scrambled Egg Burritos "Poquitos" with Green Chile Hollandaise and Ranchero Sauce
   This was a cupboard-food challenge--what to do with the ingredients on hand. The kitchen was fairly well-stocked--except for garlic! Fortunately, Tom prevailed and made scrambled egg "burritos poquitos" with green chile hollandaise and ranchero sauce. The eggs were scrambled with canadian bacon, onion, green chile, and peas. Steamed low-carb tortillas with grated colby jack cheese on top, served the eggs over the cheese, and dressed the eggs with the two sauces, keeping the sauces separate. Finally, they were garnished with fresh cilantro. The ranchero sauce was made with chimayo chile powder, granulated garlic, a "wee tad" of oregano, salt, pepper, and crystal sauce with chicken broth and a little water. Pretty cool for a "simple" dinner composed of what we could scrounge up in the cupboard and fridge. :-)

Wine:

1. Vinedos de Nieva 2003 Blanco Nieva

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Paella!
   The usual...clams, mussels, shrimp, chicken legs, peas with bomba rice.
   Whole Foods seafood was really good--gotta love those Georgia White Shrimp. The organic chicken legs were super-fresh, too--noticeably better than the usual chicken.

Wine:

1. Abadia Retuerta 1996 Cuvee El Palomar

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Crab!


2. Mascarpone Cream with Black & Red Raspberries

Wine:

1. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige


2. Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

The Roederer is definitely the better of the two--the u isn't bad, but it's
not as refined as the Roederer. Even without the glass jewelry, the Roederer is a better deal.

Friday Food

Food:

1. Creamed chicken & peas over cheese
   Okay, sounds wierd, but it's good. Saute garlic & jalapeno, add a little chicken broth, shredded chicken

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Raw Cauliflower & ranch dip


2. Hot Legs!
   Tom's version of buffalo wings, but with chicken legs. Deep fry legs in oil (canola/peanut combo works great). Toss in sauce made with Crystal Sauce, Soy (tiny bit), Worcestshire (little bit), honey, garlic powder, (low carb) ketchup, butter/margerine.
   

Wine:

1. Spencer Roloson 1999 Palaterra
   Past it's prime, but still tasty. At $14, might be worth a repeat as a tapa wine. Good, but not great.


2. Lucca 2001 Central Coast Red Wine
   Another Martin Ray "negociant" wine. A little CRW on the nose, nice fruit, a little tannic--but for $7 dollars a bottle, not bad at all.

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Reprise on the shirataki noodles--this time with chicken, re-hydrated dried shitake, bamboo shoots, snow peas, green onion & cabbage, with lime juice and chile sauce.

Wine:

1. Pezzi King 2001 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel
   This could sit up to another year or so, but has lots of dense fruit & is a great example of Dry Creek zinfandel. A little "hot".

Monday Food

Food:

1. Shirataki "noodles" stir-fried with shrimp, water chestnuts, button mushrooms, and cabbage
   These tofu noodles are a great low-carb noodle fix. Tossed with a bit of hoisin & soy sauce.
   

Wine:

1. Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut


2. Pat Greene 2002 Oregon Pinot Noir

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Chicken in a Pot with Chantrelles
   Typical "bad bird in a pot" with chorizo & piquillos, but with fresh chantrelle mushrooms. Generally use four leg & thigh pieces, but this time used a quartered "fryer" chicken.
   

Wine:

1. Linne Calodo 2003 Problem Child
   Very, very yummy. Concentrated "zingy" fruit, a little spicy--nutmeg, cedar? Hard to describe,
   but as usual incredibly good.

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Asian Soup
   
   
   
   1. 1 quart chicken broth
   
   
   2. Bamboo shoot chunks
   
   
   3. Baby corn
   
   
   4. 1/2 can whole water chestnuts
   
   
   5. Small fresh chantrelles
   
   
   6. Snow peas
   
   
   7. Sliced green onion
   
   
   8. Minced ginger & garlic
   
   
   
   Bring broth to a simmer, add ginger & garlic, bamboo shoots, corn, water chestnuts, & salt. Just before serving, add snow peas and green onion. Finish with a drizzle of peanut oil & serve.
   


2. Shitake Beef
   
   
   
   1. Re-hydrate Dried Shitake
   
   
   2. Marinate beef in sambal, mushroom soy, ginger, garlic, sesame oil
   
   
   3. Grill trimmed green onions
   
   
   4. Trim stems from shitake
   
   
   5. Halve/quarter shitake & toss with soy, peanut oil, sesame oil, green onion, sesame seeds.
   
   
   6. Grill steak, rest, & slice
   
   
   7. Border plates with 2 green onions
   
   
   8. Plate shitake between onions on one side of plate
   
   
   9. Plate steak on remaining portion of plate
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. 
   


2. 
   

Friday Food

Tapas:

1. Mushrooms a ajillo


2. Radish & apple salad


3. White beans & chorizo

First attempt on the salad. Blanch a handful of fresh peas. Slice fuji apple, white and red radishes & stack slices. Slice additional apple & radish into matchsticks. Make vinagrette with olive oile, cider vinegar, cilantro. Toss matchsticks in vinagrette. Mix wasabi powder with lemon-flavored oil and apple cider vinegar, season with salt. Plate matchsticks alongside stacks. Garnish stacks with peas. Drizzle wasabi sauce over slices & serve. (The lemon oil is cool, but a little bit goes a *long* way--it actually overpowered the wasabi.)

Wine:

1. Domain Jean Deydier et Fils 2000 Chateaneuf du Pape

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Kale & Bratwurst

Wine:

1. Steven Bannus 2002 Central Coast Pino Noir
   Actually not bad for $8 (BevMo), but not nearly as good as the Martin Ray or even the McGourty Ranch Pinot we've been getting for only slightly more. Too acidic, not enough fruit to back it up.


2. Turley 2002 Alexander Valley Zinfandel Vineyard 101
   Passed on the mediocre Pinot & decided to open something good. Also a pretty acidic wine, but has the fruit to balance it out. Not sure about it's longevity, though--probably a good time to drink it. :-)

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Dover sole with Bay Shrimp sauce

Wine:

1. Txomin Etxaniz 2004 Gaetariako Txakolina White Wine
   This is a Spanish white that's a blend of "unfamiliar" grapes, but is very reminiscent of a Chenin Blanc. Very zingy on the palate--almost feels slightly effervescent & sort of explodes with flavor. Very different & quite good.


2. Domaine de Durban 2001 Beaumes de Venise Cotes du Rhone Villages

Tuesday Food

Bistro Elan

Smoked Salmon stacked with fried wonton crisps, mustard/mayo/dill sauce
Shrimp, crawfish, cucumber, salad
Lamb loin chops with lamb & broccoli patty, rhubarb star anise sauce
Rib-eye, sauteed snap peas, pomme frittes with bearnaise sauce
Cheese plate
Lime-mango souffle with mango in the middle
Killer blueberries with serrano chile (mango with aji amarillo would be really cool, too)

Wine:
Roderer Estate Brut
St. Emillion
Sauterne

Monday Food

Chicken Parmigiana
(dusted w/mustard & cornstarch, then flour)
Bake covered 5 mins (until cheese is melted)
Dust with granulated garlic
Bake uncovered 5 mins or until browned

Asparagus
boil for 4 mins in heavily salted water, strain

Tobin James 2002 Primo Sangiovese
Tobin James 2002 Lagrein Silver Reserve

Saturday Food

Chile

Sunday Food

Hickory-smoked salmon
Broccoli
Strawberries & Cream

Friday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite-grilled Rib-eye steaks with chimayo chile


2. Grilled Poblanos with pepperjack, garlic, and cilantro

Wine:

1. Tobin James 2000 Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel
   Too yummy, definitely ready to drink. Uber fruit.


2. Staglin 2000 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
   Ready to drink, rich, round cab. Very nice.
   


3. Kathryn Kennedy 2001 Lateral
   Possibly better than the Staglin, but different. Yummy.

Wednesday Food

Food:

Paella.

Okay, this is *not* low carb, but it's really, really yummy...if you're going to eat carbs, they should be worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bomba rice


• 8 mussels


• 8 clams


• 8 shrimp


• 1 chicken stock frozen (concentrated)


• 3/4 cup fresh shelled peas


• 1/2 onion, diced


• 1 piquillo pepper, sliced


• 1 clove garlic


• 2 chicken legs


• 4 oz tomato sauce


• Saffron


• Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)


• Parsley


• 1/2 cup White Wine

1. Defrost stock & add water to make 2 cups, heat with saffron, pimenton


2. Saute chicken legs in olive oil & offload.


3. Saute rice in chicken fat/olive & offload.


4. Saute onion & garlic.


5. Add tomato sauce


6. Add white wine


7. Add stock & a bay leaf


8. Add mussels


9. Add clams


10. Cover until the shellfish opens


11. Offload shellfish


12. Remove bay leaf


13. Add rice


14. Add peas


15. Add shrimp


16. Add chicken legs


17. Reintroduce shellfish once the rice has cooked a bit


18. Remove from heat & cover with newspaper and let sit for 20 minutes

Wine:

1. d'Arenberg 2003 The Stump Jump (White)
   This is a riesling sauvignon blanc, marsanne blend that is a bit trippy, but *big* for a white--lots of fruit, a bit flowery, and overall, really yummy. Neat $9 bottle of wine (Cost Plus).


2. Cune 2001 Rioja Clarete
   This is a blend with mostly tempranillo and some garnacha, mazuela, and graciano. A lighter-style wine--light fruit, not too tannic, a bit acidic. Very pleasant and nice with food.
   

Monday Food

Food:

1. Rock cod with indian-spiced tomato sauce
   
   
   
   • Fish Dust: 2 tbsp curry powder, 1.5 tbsp flour, cumin, cardomom, salt, pepper, cayenne
     
   
   
2. Fava beans

Wine:

1. Bonny Doon Vin Gris, Screw capped. Screwed.


2. Tobin James Radiance Chardonnay, 2003. Oaky, very ripe.

Sunday Food

Mom's Day Brunch:

1. Spring greens salad with blue cheese, candied pecans, and apple


2. White asparagus tortilla with green chile hollandaise

1. Roderer Champagne


2. Krug Non-Vintage Brut

Dinner:

Stir-fried Beef, Asparagus and Black Mushroom

Tablas Creek 2003 Viogner


Note: Radish and Apple salad with wasabi vinagrette

Thursday Food

Cinco de Mayo Food:

1. Rajas Poblanas (see March 14)

Figured out the best way to prep the Poblanos--broil on top rack 'til black, turn when you smell smoke. :-) Make sure to cover chicken with water & pressure cook for 35 minutes to completely obliterate.

Non-Wine:

1. "Up" Margueritas with Meyer lemon juice and Cazadores Tequila

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Stir-fried Beef and Bamboo Shoots
   

Used london broil for the beef this time & it worked out well. Marinated sliced beef in chile sauce, black beans, diced jalapenos, soy sauce, and sifted in a bit of cornstarch. Added peanut oil just before cooking.

Wine:

1. Agrapart & Fils Brut Reserve blanc de Blanc

Sunday Food

Dinner at the Wilson's

Food:

1. Grilled Thick-cut New York Steak


2. Broccoli & Garlic

Wine:

1. Low-carb Margueritas


2. Roderer Estate

Friday Food

Food:

1. Tom's kick-ass chile

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Leftover White Asparagus Tortilla


2. Scrambled Egg Sandwiches with Canadian bacon, pepperjack cheese, green chiles, and garlic on "low carb" toast

Wine:

1. Roderer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

Monday Food

Food:

1. Sardines, Asparagus, and Piquillo Peppers with Mayonnaise Vinagrette


2. Grilled Chimayo-seasoned Lamb Chops


3. White Asparagus Tortilla


4. Macerated Strawberries with Unbaked Marscapone Cheesecake

We used canned (Alba) sardines for the tapa this time & it was still very good. For dessert, I blended 2 containers of mascarpone, 1 "tube" natural cream cheese, cream, fresh lemon juice, splenda, rum, and vanilla extract and then used prep bowls lined with plastic wrap as forms for individual servings. The refrigerated mixture popped right out & we served Tom's strawberries macerated with cognac, lemon juice, and splenda over the top. Yum. (Made 6 servings using 2 baskets of strawberries.)]

Wine:

1. Roderer Estate Anderson Valley Brut


2. Linne Calodo 2002 Paso Robles Syrah
3. 
   
4. Tobin James 2002 Dusi Ranch Zinfandel


5. Albiker 2003 Bodegas Ruberri Rioja

Friday Food

Food:

1. Chicken Parmigiana


2. Broccoli

Wine:

1. Le Cuvier 2001 Sangiovese McGourty Vineyard

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Lentil & Chorizo Stew


2. Shrimp sauteed in Garam Masala & Tumeric infused oil with Fava Beans, served over Spicy Tomato, Onion & Cilantro Sauce
   A very successful new Tom recipe. Somewhat inspired by Amber's Karavelli Prawns.

Wine:

1. Domain Des Coteaux Des Travers 2003 Rasteau

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite-grilled NY Steaks with Chimayo


2. Green Salad

Wine:

1. Zenato 2003 Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio


2. Le Cuview 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Jambalaya (without rice)
   
   
   
   1. Dice 1 onion, red bell pepper, 2 stalks celery
   
   
   2. Mince several cloves garlic, cilantro.
   
   
   3. Shell 1 lbs of shrimp, reserve shells & boil in chicken stock, white wine, & water to make quick "shrimp" stock.
   
   
   4. Saute veggies in pressure cooker & offload.
   
   
   5. Cube 1 lb ham, 1 lb andouille sausage, and shrimp.
   
   
   6. Saute ham and sausage in pressure cooker.
   
   
   7. Deglaze w/ 1 cup red wine, add 1/4 tsp ground cloves, allspice, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne. Season with Crystal Sauce.
   
   
   8. Add veggies back to pot.
   
   
   9. Add ~3 tbsp of flour mixed with stock.
   
   
   10. Add 1 16 oz can tomatoes (chopped) and 1 8 oz can chiltomate
   
   
   11. Add stock
   
   
   12. Pressure cook for ~20 minutes.
   
   
   13. Reduce.
       
   14. Finish with chopped parsley.
   
   
   15. 
       
   
   

Wine:

1. Lucia 2003 Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay
   Quite good.

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite Grilled NY Steak with Peppers & Onions

Sauteed Fresno chiles, jalapenos, and onions with a little meyer lemon juice were the perfect accompaniment to chimayo-seasoned steaks. Yum.

Wine:

1. Solo Rosa 2004 California Rose
   Fresh strawberries and cherries on the nose, with enough acidity to make this a "real" wine. Not flabby like so many roses--perfect for a sunny afternoon, but has the structure to stand up to food.


2. Tobin James 2002 French Camp Vineyard Zinfandel
   Ridiculously good, bursting with yummy fruit. I didn't remember French Camp being so awesome, but this was a winner. Complemented the grilled steak very nicely.

Friday Food

Food:

1. Halibut "Salad"
   
   
   
   1. Poach halibut filet in water with some champagne vinegar and thyme.
   
   
   2. Remove and chill over ice.
   
   
   3. Mix diced red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and shredded lettuce in a bowl, season with salt & pepper.
   
   
   4. Make a dressing of mayo, sour cream, a little mustard, salt, and pepper.
   
   
   5. Dress salad and fold in halibut.
   
   
   6. Serve chilled.
   
   
   
   


2. Lamb & Lentil "Stew"
   
   
   
   1. Cube meat from a "lamb block" and season with salt, pepper, chimayo, olive oil, and a little crystal sauce.
   
   
   2. Saute leftover bone/sinew chunks in a medium cazuela (in lieu of salt pork) and remove.
   
   
   3. Brown lamb chunks in cazuela.
   
   
   4. Add minced onion, garlic, bell pepper, and diced parsnips.
   
   
   5. Deglaze with red wine (Martin Ray Mariage Pinot)and add undiluted veal stock.
   
   
   6. Add green lentils and cover with foil and bake in a 425 oven for 15+ minutes.
   
   
   7. Remove to stove, add minced garlic, & reduce as needed.
   
   
   8. Top with shredded cotswold cheese and broil.
   9. 
      
   
   

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Sardine & Asparagus Tapa
   

   
   

   
   
   1. "Filet" small sardines, season with salt & pepper, and spray with olive oil.
   
   
   2. Quickly cook fresh asparagus spears in boiling water, cold shock, and slice in half lengthwise.
   
   
   3. Broil sardines for ~2 minutes, until just done.
   
   
   4. Serve sardines with asparagus and piquillo slices, drizzle a light mayo/lemon oil vinagrette, and serve.
   
   
   
   Got some insanely fresh sardines from Whole Foods in Cupertino & Tom invented this awesome spring tapa.
   

Halibut "Piccata"

1. Season halibut filets with salt & pepper.


2. Saute in clarified butter, offload to serving plates & cover


3. Deglaze pan with lemon juice & white wine, add capers,reduce.
4. 
   
5. Season with salt & pepper and finish with butter.


6. Serve over halibut on plate with sauteed spinach.

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

Wine:

1. Piper Heidsieck Brut


2. Marsanne/Viogner

Friday Food

Food:

1. Burgundy Beef
   
   
   
   1. Dice 1 onion, 2 small carrots, and 1 clove garlic.
   
   
   2. Cube 2.4 lb Tri Tip
   
   
   3. Marinate vegetables, beef, and fresh thyme in 1 bottle burgundy/pinot noir. (The longer the better, anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.)
   
   
   4. Halve ~1 lb button mushrooms
   
   
   5. Dice 1 strip thick-cut bacon
   
   
   6. Remove beef from marinade, pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown in batches (in pressure cooker) & offload
   
   
   7. Brown bacon, add mushrooms, adding olive oil as needed.
   
   
   8. Mix ~1 tbsp of flour with some of the reserved marinade & add to pot.
   
   
   9. Add beef, reserved marinade, dijon mustard, bay leaf.
   
   
   10. Pressure cook for ~25 minutes
   
   
   11. Reduce to desired consistency, season to taste with salt & pepper.
   
   
   12. 
       
       
       
   
   

This essentially applies Tom's chili technique to classic Burgundy beef.
Tip: Freeze bacon in single strips (vacuum packed) so you always have it on hand.

Wine:

1. Martin Ray 2000 Mariage Sonoma County Pinot Noir (for the marinade)



2. Martin Ray 2000 Mariage Sonoma County Pinot Noir (to drink)

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Bad Bird in a Pot: Chicken legs & thighs, chorizo, piquillos, onion cooked in a clay pot

Wine:

1. Tablas Creek 2003 Cote de Tablas
   Very nice rhone-style wine. Zero funkiness, nice fruit, slightly tannic--very drinkable. In between typical Paso and true French wines--with the good characteristics of both.
   

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite & Hickory Smoked Salmon
   
   
   
   1. Soak hickory chips in water.
   
   
   2. Start mesquite-charcoal in a chimney starter.
   
   
   3. Season Salmon with salt, pepper, and chimayo chile.
   
   
   4. Arrange hot coals in Weber kettle for cooking over indirect heat & top with wood chips.
   
   
   5. Cook salmon over indirect heat (covered) for approximately 17 minutes. ]
      Times vary depending on the size of the fish, how hot the fire is, the weather, etc.
      
   
   
   6. Serve with Tom's Tartar Sauce.
   
   
   
   


2. Tom's Tartar Sauce
   
   
   
   1. Dice pickled jalapenos.
   
   
   2. Add jalapenos to Mayo and Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche
   
   
   3. Season with salt, pepper, crystal sauce, and dill (preferably fresh).
   
   
   
   

Wine:

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Stir fried beef with asparagus


2. Stir fried chicken with broccolli

Using up what's in the fridge. The chicken was prepared with a mild sauce & finished with butter.

Wine:

1. Sancerre


2. Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Monday Food

Food:

1. Raw Cauliflower & ranch dip


2. Grun Kohl with Smoked Bratwurst

Wine:

1. Le Cuvier 1999 Zinfandel


2. Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Cheesy Gulf Shrimp "Etouffe"
   
   
   
   1. Peel shrimp & make "quick" stock with water, shells, and Old Bay seasoning
   
   
   2. Blanch snow peas in the stock & remove
   
   
   3. Saute onion, jalapeno, celery in *lots* of butter
   
   
   4. Thicken stock with cornstarch and add to vegetables, along with grated pepper jack cheese
   
   
   5. Season to taste--crystal sauce, salt, pepper.
   
   
   6. Add shrimp
   
   
   7. Spoon onto plate, garnish with snow peas & parsley, and serve
   
   
   
   Fresh (not frozen) gulf shrimp (prawns) from Whole Foods looked to good to pass up, so
   Tom created an appetizer worthy of them.


2. Day Boat Dover Sole "Piccata" with Haricots Verts
   
   
   
   1. Season both sides of the sole filets with salt & pepper and dust with flour.
      (Yeah, flour--sift flour over both sides of the filets--you'll shake most of it off
      before you add it to the pan, the few extra carbs are worth the result. Don't flour until
      you're ready to cook.)
   
   
   2. Shake filets well & saute in butter. Plate and cover loosely when done.
      The "Scanpan" can in this case--it's semi-nonstick, 12" broad bottom is great for this sort
      of thing. (Sort of like a lighter-weight cast-iron skillet.)
   
   
   3. Deglaze with fresh lemon juice, add white wine & chicken stock and season to taste.
   
   
   
   4. Blanch haricot verts, cold shock, & set aside.
   
   Gotta love Whole Foods' "day boat" local fish. Their seafood is generally high-quality, but this stuff
   is amazing. Until it's local salmon season, this sole is definitely the fish of choice.
   
   
   


3. Strawberries & Cream
   
   
   
   1. Slice strawberries & macerate in cognac, lemon juice, ceylon cinammon & splenda
   
   
   2. Serve with splenda-sweetened whipped cream
   
   
   
   Strawberry shortcake without the cake...who needs cake? First strawberries of the season. Yum.
   

Wine:

1. Chateau la Roque 2003 White Coteaux du Languedoc


2. Four Emus 2004 Sauvignon Blanc Semillion

Friday Food

Food:

1. Spicy Beef, Mushrooms, and Bamboo Shoots


2. Chicken, Baby Corn Stir Fry

Wine:

1. Bollinger Special Cuvee
   
2. Sula 2003 Chenin Blanc
   
3. 
   

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Tom's Kick-Ass Chili
   
   
   
   1. Seed ~12 dried Guajillo/New Mexico chiles and add to pot of water.
      Bring to a low boil & cook for about 15 minutes to soften.
      Strain & peel flesh from tough skins.
   
   
   2. Cube 2.5-3lb Tri-tip roast and season with salt & pepper.
   
   
   3. Brown beef in batches (in pressure cooker) and offload.
   
   
   4. Blend chile flesh with diluted chicken stock (frozen)
   
   
   5. Mince salt pork & saute (in pressure cooker).
   
   
   6. Add 1/2 diced white onion, minced garlic, and 3 minced jalapenos.
   
   
   7. Add cumin, cayenne, oregano, bay leaf, a small amount of flour, and crystal sauce to taste.
   
   
   8. Add 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce and 1 8 oz can of "chiltomate" (El Pato Brand Mexican Hot Style Tomato Sauce).
   
   
   9. Add 1 beer, browned beef, chile puree, and cilantro.
   
   
   10. Pressure cook for ~25 minutes.
   
   
   11. Reduce to desired consistency, season to taste (salt, pepper, crystal sauce), and add kidney beans.
   
   
   12. Serve with minced onion and grated cheddar, garnish with chopped cilantro.
   
   
   
   Back to the tri-tip instead of chuck--it's just so darn good. Execution is really important here--browning the beef first makes a huge difference in the end product. Adding acid is key when you're pressure cooking--in this case, the crystal sauce fills the bill nicely. The dried chiles add a lot of flavor, but not a lot of heat. The fresh jalapenos boost both the flavor and the heat--but seeding them lets you add a flavor punch without making it incendiary. You can control the heat by adjusting how much cayenne and crystal sauce you use.

Wine:

1. Torbreck 2003 Cuvee Juveniles (apertif)


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Monday Food

Food:

1. Corned Beef & Cabbage Two Ways
   
   
   
   1. Pressure-cook corned-beef until tender--an hour and a half?
   
   
   2. Shred cabbage for "slaw", dress with mayo-based horseradish dressing (mayo, mustard seed, vinegar, crystal sauce, prepared horseradish)
   
   
   3. Cook fresh cabbage in liquid from corned-beef
   
   
   4. To serve, place sliced corned beef on top of cooked cabbage and top with slaw.
   
   
   
   
   This was a repeat of our St. Pat's day dinner. Yum.
   
   

Wine:

1. Joel Gott 2003 California Zinfandel


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Faux Rabbit Stew
   
   
   
   1. Season quartered chicken with salt, pepper, spanish paprika, and brown in heavy iron (le Creuset) pot.
   
   
   2. Offload chicken & add stock, white wine, dijon mustard, olives, caperberries, chopped piquillo peppers, savory, bay leaf, and a little flour to make sauce.
   
   
   3. Add chicken back, add chicken broth to almost cover.
   
   
   4. Cover & bring to a boil, then bake at 425 for 1 hour.
   
   
   5. Remove to stove & reduce until sauce is right consistency. Finish with Parsley.
   
   
   
   This dish started out as a rabbit stew for Easter dinner, but we decided that we really like chicken better.
   

Wine:

1. Palacio de Menade 2003 Cuevas de Castilla Cuvee R.S.

Friday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite Grilled Prime Rib Steaks with Chimayo Chile Rub


2. Grilled Poblano Chiles with Pepper Jack, Garlic, and Cilantro

Wine:

1. Martin Ray 2000 Diamond Mountain Cabernet

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Bad Bird in a Pot
   
   
   
   1. Season chicken legs & thighs with salt, pepper, pimenton
   
   
   2. Brown chicken in clay pot, remove.
   
   
   3. Add chorizo, onion, & garlic to pot.
   
   
   4. Add Savory, Bay Leaves, season with salt & pepper.
   
   
   5. Deglaze with red wine.
   
   
   6. Add chicken back to pot, almost cover with water.
   
   
   7. Bring to a boil, cover & transfer to 425 degree oven & bake for 45-50 minutes.
   
   
   
   Variations: Add celery, green garlic. Substitute green chile for piquillos.
   

Wine:

1. Campion 2001 Edna Valley Pinot Noir Firepeak Vineyard
   Typical California Pinot. Very good, but not really that much better than the
   Martin Ray we got for 1/3 the price.


2. Domaine Andre Brunel 2003 Cotes du Rhone
   Grenache & Syrah blend--nice fruit, almost honey-like finish. "Staff favorite" from Vin Vino Wine in Palo Alto & at `$14 a bottle, I can definitely see why.

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Spicy Beef & Bamboo Shoots


2. Snow Peas in White Wine Garlic Sauce

Wine:

1. Nora 2003 Albarino

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Tom's Tapas Del Dia
   
   
   
   1. Chorizo & White Beans with sliced baby corn for a little extra texture.
   
   
   2. Lemon Piccata Filet of Solecov Season & dust in flour, saute in butter, set aside & cover.
      Add minced garlic to pan & deglaze w/white wine, lemon juice & chicken broth. Add capers.
      Reduce & finish with butter. Serve over fish.
   
   
   3. Spring Asparagus
      Slice into 2-3 inch pieces & blanch. Drain & saute with green garlic, green chile, and chorizo.
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. Laurona 2001 Monstant
   A Priorat blend of Garnacha, Carinena, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Typical Spanish wine,
   a little funky (farty?) on the nose to start with, but nice fruit, fairly balanced.
   

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Dungeness Crab thrown into a Pot of Boiling Water

Wine:

1. Hippolyte Reverdy 2003 Sancerre

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Pollo Parmigiana with Green Chile Sauce
   A variation on chicken parmigiana that replaces the tomato
   sauce with a green chile and onion sauce. To make sauce:
   
   
   
   1. Dice 1/2 onion
   
   
   2. Mince 1 jalapeno
   
   
   3. Chop 4 fire-roasted green chiles
   
   
   4. Saute onion & jalapeno in olive oil
   
   
   5. Add green chile, white wine, chicken broth, bay leaf, minced cilantro
   
   
   6. Season with salt & ground pepper and simmer
   
   
   
   Prepare chicken breasts as for chicken parmigiana--pound chicken breast, season with
   salt & pepper, dust with flour, and brown in saute pan. Put chicken breasts in individual
   baking dishes. Cover with sauce, sprinkle with grated parmigiana, cover with grated
   mozzarella, finish with cilantro. Bake covered for 5 minutes at 425, remove covers & bake
   until browned.
   

Wine:

1. Three Thieves 2003 Zinfandel


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Friday Food

Food:

1. Tom's Kick-Ass Chile

Wine:

1. Tobin James 2002 James Gang Reserve Zinfandel (Apertif)


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Corned Beef & Cabbage two ways
   
   
   
   1. Pressure-cook corned-beef until tender--an hour and a half?
   
   
   2. Shred cabbage for "slaw", dress with mayo-based horseradish dressing (mayo, mustard seed, vinegar, crystal sauce, prepared horseradish)
   
   
   3. Cook fresh cabbage in liquid from corned-beef
   
   
   4. To serve, place sliced corned beef on top of cooked cabbage and top with slaw.
   
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. Roderer Estate Sparkling Wine (apertif)


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Tapas Night, Revisited




• Pocha Beans and Chorizo


• Chicken & Mushrooms with Broccolli
  
  
  
  1. Saute mushrooms & offload (keep warm)
  
  
  2. Season Chicken with salt, pepper, ground chile & brown
  
  
  3. Offload & bake Chicken at 425 for 8 minutes
  
  
  4. Cook broccoli (add to boiling water, cover, & let sit for 3-4 minutes. Drain.
  
  
  5. Deglaze pan with chicken broth & add garlic, minced cornichons, wine
  
  
  6. Whisk in Dijon Mustard, add minced parsley
  
  
  7. To serve, slice chicken & plate with broccoli, mushrooms, and sauce
  
  
  8. 
     
     
  
  

Wine:

1. Lo Piot 2000 Priorat Garnacha

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Tapas Night
   
   
   
   • Raw Cauliflower & Dip
   
   
   • Queso
   
   
   • Chicken & Mushrooms
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. M. Cosentino 2003 California Zinfandel, The Zin


2. Syrah de Fayel 2003 Vin de Pays
   

Monday Food

Food:

1. Rajas Poblanas
   
   
   
   1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, & chimayo, brown, and pressure cook with onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, a little crystal sauce, & cumin. (30 minutes).
   
   
   2. Roast, peel, and slice poblano chiles.
   
   
   3. Strain and shred chicken, reserving liquid. Add shredded chicken back to broth.
   
   
   4. Make sauce:
      
      
      
      1. Simmer poblanos in butter
      
      
      2. Add ~2 cups of reserved broth
      
      
      3. Reduce
      
      
      4. Season to taste with Crystal Sauce
      
      
      5. Remove from heat & stir in Sour Cream
      
      
      
      
   
   
   5. Fold shredded chicken into sauce
   
   
   6. Serve & finish with minced cilantro
   
   
   
   

Wine:

1. Fuedo Arancio 2002 Syrah Sicilia (Apertif)


2. DAB Low Carb Beer

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Bay shrimp salad with onion, bell pepper, jalapeno in sherry wine vinagrette


2. Grün Kohl with Polish Sausages
   A slight variation on our usual kale dish, which traditionally has smoked bratwurst. We decided we like it better with brats.

Wine:

1. Clos Du Prieur 2000 Coteaux du Languedoc


2. Segura Viudas Brut Reserva

Friday Food

Dinner at the Wilson's

Food:

1. Grilled chili-rubbed filet mignon


2. Sauteed asparagus, onions, & peppers

Wine:

1. Chateau Bellevue 1999 St. Emillion

This was a really nice bottle of wine. Very food-friendly and ready to drink.

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Raw Cauliflower


2. Mesquite-grilled Rib-eye


3. Broccoli tossed with garlic & butter

Wine:

1. Roderer Estate Brut


2. Martin Rey 2000 Diamond Mountain Cabernet

Roger picked up the Martin Rey on sale for about $25. It was a really nice bottle of wine--not overly oaked or overly tannic, lots of fruit. Not one to hold on to--definitely ready now. (Which is probably why it was so heavily discounted.) 88 Points, Wine Spectator.

Wednesday Food

Dinner @ Zibibbo in Palo Alto, CA

Food:

1. Antipasti Selection with:
   
   
   
   • Marinated mushrooms with garlic, parsley, and sherry vinegar
   
   
   • Fresh Pulled Bocconcini with chiles and basil
   
   
   • Halibut Escabeche with orange and piquillo peppers
   
   
   
   


2. Asparagus Soup with lemon (oil?)


3. Iron Skillet Roasted Mussels


4. Cumin and Orange Pork Osso Buco

Wine:

1. D'Arendberg "The Custodian"

Tuesday Food

Food:

1. Mesquite-grilled Chimayo Rib-eye


2. BBQ Poblanos stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese

Wine:

1. Alvaro Palacios 1999 Les Terrasses

   This is good stuff from Priorat. Will be great for Paella for the price.

Monday Food

Food:

1. Chef Toe's Chicken

Stir-fried chicken with snow peas and baby corn in a spicy chili sauce. Served stir-fried chicken over sauce.

Wine:

1. 2003 Sula Chenin Blanc (Nashik)

This is a great slightly off-dry chenin blanc from India.

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Raw Cauliflower


2. Devil Shrimp

Tom's fusion: Southwest Meet the East

A new spin on one of my favorite dishes, Camerones a la Diabla. A few Tom tricks going on here: steeping the shrimp shells in chicken stock to make a rich shrimp stock; boiling and then peeling the chiles to get rid of the tough skin, and homemade garlic/cilantro aioli. Here's what we did:

1. Tom's mayo: 2 egg yolks, 1 white, whisked over low heat. Cool & whisk in canola oil, then add champagne vinegar and salt & pepper to taste.


2. Tom's chile base: peeled guajillo or New Mexico chiles, "shrimp" stock, chiltomate, blended & simmered. Seasoned to taste with cumin, salt, pepper, cilantro, crystal sauce.


3. Cilantro Oil: blend oil & cilantro in cuisinart until smooth.
   
4. Shrimp sauteed in olive oil with garlic.

To plate:

1. Dice avocado & lay around edge of plate.


2. Pour a pool of chile sauce in center of plate.


3. Sprinkle chopped onion over sauce.


4. Toss shrimp in aioli & place on top of sauce


5. Garnish with chopped cilantro and cilantro oil.

Wine:

1. Yves Boyer-Martenot 2002 Bourgogne Blanc Cuvee Unique

Wednesday Food

Food:

1. Raw Cauliflower with dip


2. Camarones a la Diabla

Wine:

1. Boyer-Martenot 2002 Bourgogne Blanc

Sunday Food

Food:

1. Chicken Parmigiana

Wine:

Le Cuvier 2001 Sangiovese

Saturday Food

Food:

1. Grün Kohl (Kale w/Smoked Bratwurst)

Wine:

1. Castillo de Monseran 2002 Vino Tinto Garnacha
   

   Lighter-style grenache, reminiscent of a light zinfandel. Slightly floral on the nose, light red fruit on the palate, no CRW Really nice wine for the price. $6.95 @ Vin Vino Wine in Palo Alto, CA.

   
   

Friday Food

Food:

1. Fried Chorizo Slices with Anchovy Stuffed Olives and Basque Sheep's Cheese
   

   This would be great as hors d'ouvres served on a toothpick. Was also cool just scattered on a white plate as finger food.
   The cheese was "Abbaye De Belloc", a raw sheep's milk cheese purchased from Oakville Grocery @ Stanford Mall in Palo Alto, CA. A great cheese--medium-firm with a smooth texture, slightly tangy, with a rich, full flavor.

   
   


2. Bacalao a la Viscaina

Wine:

1. Torremoron 2003 Tempranillo


2. Tres Ojos 2003 Old Vines Garnacha
   

   This was the better of the two wines. Zingy, ripe fruit--almost like a Paso Robles wine.

   
   

Thursday Food

Food:

1. Broccoli in Butter and Garlic


2. Bacalao a la Viscaina

Wines:

1. Chateau La Roque 2003 Coteaux du Langedoc


2. Tablas Creek 2003 Rose

Wednesday Food

Simple Tapas:

1. Raw Cauliflower with Dip


2. Cazuela of Catalonia Sausage, White Beans, and Egg

Wine:

1. Linne Calodo 2002 Problem Child

The Problem Child was an amazing dose of Hedonism. Yummmm.

Tuesday Food

We ate at Arcadia (Mina's restaurant in San Jose).

• Lobster Corndogs


• Scallop Mushroom Fritters


• Cippolini Fritters with Caviar


• Onion Soup


• Custom-defined Salads including hard boiled quail eggs and crisp pancetta


• Kobe Beef Chicken Fried Steak


• Filet Mignon with Foie Gras


• Sea Bass steamed in a Banana Leaf


• Sorbets

Monday Food

Tapas:

1. Raw Cauliflower with Veggie Dip


2. Dungeness Crab Salad


3. White Beans with Chorizo

Wine:

1. Linne Calodo 2003 Outsider


2. Three Thieves 2003 California Zinfandel

We did the crab in the same way we typically do the shrimp (celery, onion, red bell pepper, wicked olive oil, sherry vinegar). This was a little too heavy for the crab. Milder oil and vinegar (and less of each) is better with crab. The terrines I did for the white burgundy tasting were done spot-on. Those used canola oil and champagne vinegar with a tiny bit of thyme.

The white beans were Pocha Beans from Spain. These are the ultimate low carb bean. They have a great flavor to them. They're very fibrous so they have few digestible carbs.

The Linne Calodo was awesome, as usual. This one was a bit youthful but had such concentrated fruit, we were happy. The Three Thieves seemed like really cheap wine after the Linne Calodo but... it is! It's lots cheaper. Cheap is its whole purpose in life. It has charm.

Sunday Food

For brunch Eggs Benedict with Green Chile Hollandaise was a success, as usual.

Dinner Tapas:

1. Grilled Mini Lamb Chops ala Chimayo


2. Tortilla Espanola with White Asparagus, Raw Milk Roncal, and Green Chile (asparagus instead of potato)

Wines:

1. Alfred Gratien a Eperay Brut


2. Tobin James 2001 Chateau Le Cacheflo

White Burgundy Tasting

This is a record of the menu we had with our White Burgundy tasting on February 12th, 2005.

1. Asparagus, blood oranges, olive tapenade crostinis


2. Crab Terrines with Piquillo Peppers, Avocado, and Onion


3. Mussels in a Green Garlic Tarragon cream sauce


4. Filet of Sole in Lemon Caper Butter sauce


5. Quail Saltimbocca (mequite grilled with asparagus, bacon, and Aioli)

The wines we paired in the following order:

1. Michel Colin-Deléger & Fils 2002 Saint Aubain 1er cru - Les Combes


2. Michel Colin-Deléger & Fils 2002 Rully 1er Cru Rabourcé


3. Michel Colin-Deléger & Fils 2002 Meursault Les Corbins


4. Michel Colin-Deléger & Fils 1996 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière


5. Domaine François Raveneau À Chablis 2000 Monts Mains