Cirque du Soleil

If you have not seen Cirque du Soleil you should. It is a cross between a Broadway musical and the most spectacular circus you have ever imagined. A few years ago I talked Lisa and Alexa into going, and they are hooked for life. You can see Cirque on DVD and they have done a number of television specials, but to get the full effect you need to see it live. Cirque currently has nine touring shows, as well as permanent shows in places as diverse as Las Vegas and Disney World. The newest traveling show is called Corteo, and will be visiting San Jose, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington DC in the coming months.

Pot Roast, Italian-Style

This recipe is one that evolved over time into our standard main course at Christmas dinner. It is very easy and always turns out great.

Olive Oil
3-4 Pound Rib Roast
Salt
Black Pepper
4-5 large shallots (sliced thickly)
2 large carrots cut into quarter inch thick slices
2 celery ribs cut into quarter inch thick slices (include the leaves)
6 cloves of crushed garlic
1 cup of dry red wine (it needs to be drinkable, two buck Chuck is okay, but not 50 cent Fred)
1 pound of peeled, seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat.

Salt and pepper the beef on all sides.

Brown the beef on all sides (including the ends) in the Dutch oven. It should take about eight minutes. When done remove the beef and set aside.

Add 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven then add the carrots, celery, garlic and shallots. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring about every half minute.

Add the wine and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the beef and push it down into the liquid.

Cover and put it in the oven for about two hours or until the meat is fork tender.

When it comes out of the oven, remove the meat, tent it with foil, and let it rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.

For the next part be careful, this year is the first time I have not burned myself. Ladle about one and a half cups of the solids from the pot into your blender. Blend until smooth adding liquid from the pot as required. When you start this, it looks all wrong, that’s okay. When you are done, you will get a rich, orange looking tomato sauce that is to die for.

Serve with your favorite pasta or potatoes for some of the best comfort food around.

Caymus, 1997 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

Special Selection is a totally hand crafted wine. Each grape is hand selected, crushed in small batches, and only the best of those batches are used. 1997 was a banner year for Napa Valley Cabernets and this wine is one of the best for that year. This wine is not delicate or subtle, it has been described as “muscular”, and to paraphrase an old colleague, “It’s a real mans wine”. It is powerful, smooth, rich and complicated. The flavor is big, currants, black cherry and various berries. The finish is long and luxurious. If you see this one on the wine list, take a deep breath and go for it, it will hurt your wallet a bit, but you won’t find a California cabernet that is any better.

Caymus, 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon

Caymus bottles two Cabernets the standard label (this one) and the “Special Selection”. The standard label is usually about half the cost and is leaner on the flavor. Generally speaking it is a medium to full bodied wine (meaning fairly high alcohol content), has a fairly complex set of flavors, blackberry, blueberry, coffee, with a slight vanilla finish. Very dry, and very tannic on release, but time has soften it into a very good wine. I really like this wine (I bought two cases on its initial release), but would not recommend you order it from the library section on the wine list.

Fine Arts In San Francisco

One of the few things that San Francisco has been lacking since I moved here nearly twenty years ago is a great fine arts museum. We did have the deYoung museum, but it was old and in disrepair. No one in their right mind would loan valuable pieces of art to the museum, given its lack of earthquake readiness, and the numerous roof leaks. All that has changed, back in 2000 the museum was closed, then torn down. Five years and millions of dollars later the new deYoung Museum is now open to the public. So if you like art and happen to be in or around Golden Gate park stop in, you won’t be disappointed. It might also be the easiest place in San Francisco to find a parking space (they now have an underground parking structure).

Todd’s Bread Stuffing

I originally got this recipe from Bon Appetite magazine about twelve years ago (I think). I don’t make it every year because it is a lot of work. I am calling the recipe mine now because I have changed more than a little bit. Also don’t be temped to make this the night before, this is one of those things that needs to come out of the oven just before dinner.

1 1/4 pounds sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
3/4 pound bacon (about 12 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
3 cups chopped celery
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried sage leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread bread cubes on 2 baking sheets.

Bake until bread cubes are dry and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Transfer bread to large bowl.

Sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Add chopped leeks and celery to skillet and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Pour mushroom mixture over bread cubes. Add bacon and toss to blend. Mix in 2 cups broth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Beat
eggs and baking powder in small bowl to blend. Mix eggs into stuffing; moisten stuffing with more broth if stuffing is dry. Transfer
to prepared baking dish. Bake stuffing until cooked through and
golden brown on top, about 1 hour.

Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole

This is really easy and everyone always loves it, when you read through the list of ingredients you will understand why.

4 cups of mashed canned sweet potatoes
1/3 cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Poor into buttered 9x13 by baking disk, and spread evenly.

Next take,

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar

Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly on top of the mashed sweet potatoes.

You can also sprinkle whole pecans on top if you like.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Silver Oak, 1995 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

1995 will long be remembered as one of the worst years for wine in recent memory. However a few growers did manage to produce some world class grapes in spite of the two "100-year" floods that hit the Napa valley. Justin Meyer managed to pull another rabbit out of his hat with this wine. It has a very dark ruby color, a nose of cassis, blackberry, plum, and coffee. This wine has an incredible mouth coating texture and a very long finish, with a very complex set of flavor transitions. On release it was somewhat tannic on the finish, but those tannins have mellowed to reveal a very delightful wine.

White Crane, 2004 Pinot Noir Reserve (Santa Lucia Highlands)

When I pulled into White Crane’s tasting room, I didn’t expect much. It is basically an old tool shed that needs a roof and some doors. Looks can be deceiving, what I found inside is a wine produced from grapes from one of the world’s best growing regions for Pinot Noir the Santa Lucia Highlands. This is in Monterey County, a spot with warm summer days, and cool evenings allowing the grapes develop a mature and complex set of flavors. This wine exhibits black cherry, oak, berry with a delicate but distinctly spicy finish. Alexa thinks the bouquet is wonderful and I agree. This wine is ready for drinking now but should age well for a couple years. Sadly only 125 cases were made, and it’s only available at the Livermore tasting room.

Fog City News

I don’t get up to San Francisco during the week much, but when I do I always find time to stop in at Fog City News (455 Market Street). Fog City is the coolest news stand on the planet (as far as I am concerned). They have over 700 magazine titles, most in multiple languages and over 150 kinds of chocolate in stock, and nothing with the name “Hersheys” on it. The folks there are friendly, knowledgeable and nuts about chocolate. So if you want a read about the latest break through in “String Theory” while eating a piece of raspberry, orange, almond chocolate, this is the place for you. The only problem is they are only open Monday thru Friday.

Todd’s Chocolate Pudding Souffle’

this recipe got invented when Lisa was pregnant with Alexa. It was supposed to be a traditional Chocolate Souffle’ but it didn’t quite come out that way. It is a bit of work but perfect for this time of year.

8 tbs unsalted butter
4 tbs sugar
6 egg yolks
5 oz bittersweet chocolate (melted)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbs flour
2 tbs potato starch
4 egg whites (whisked to soft peaks)

Whisk the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and then add melted chocolate. Add vanilla, flour and potato starch and combine well.

Fold the whisked egg whites into the chocolate.

Butter a 4-cup pudding mold and pour the pudding into the prepared mold. Place in a water bath and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before un-molding.

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce (if you really have a chocolate jone’s going).

Serves 8 (sometimes)

Sarah’s Vineyard, 2002 Estate Reserve Chardonnay (Junk)

Lisa and I had this wine at dinner a few nights ago. We wanted to try something different, so we asked the wait person to recommend something. We told him about the wines we like (this is usually the best way to get a good recommendation), he insisted that this was a great wine. The price seemed to indicate it was a great wine (not cheap). It was not a great wine! It is light yellow in color, with an overpowering citrus nose. The winery notes say that it was aged in French Oak barrels, they must have aged it about thirty seconds or the barrels may have been thirty years old, no detectable oak. The underlying flavors are apple and vanilla, but the acid is so intense that they are barely detectable and not enjoyable. Only 325 cases produced, so it is rare and mostly unknown, and should be kept that way.

Silver Oak, 1996 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The other night after a long day at work, I needed a treat, so I dug back in the cellar and came up with this one. This wine has aged into a dark ruby-red color with a deep nose of cassis and chocolate. It has an almost light body with a long, complex, smooth as glass finish. The winery note says it should age well until 2018, but I think it is time to drink it. My last six go this year.

Paul Hobbs, 2003 Chardonnay Russian River Valley

A light yellow/gold color, this wine offers a nose of pear and lemon zest. It has a full-bodied feel in your mouth, with elegant layers of apple, pear, and melon flavors. This finish has a gentle but crisp acidity. Enough was made to make it out of the SF Bay Area, so if you find it buy it. (2855 Cases Made).

How about cheese for desert?

Many years ago on a trip to France I had my first real taste of cheese, I was instantly hooked. When I got home, I tried to find some, I was crushed. What I discovered is that it is very hard to find good cheese in this country (not so true if you live in Berkley near the “Cheese Board”, San Francisco near “Cheese Plus”, or near a Whole Foods, or Bread and Circus). By the way, if you happen to be passing through San Francisco on your way to any picnic, stop in at Cheese Plus and pickup your goodies, they have great selection of cheeses, meats and other goodies. Located at the corner of Polk & Pacific just a block off of Van Ness, it is an easy stop if you are passing through. Say hi to Ray, and tell him Lisa and I sent you.

Once I managed to find a good cheese shop, the next thing I discovered it that there are about a million types of cheese. Here are three of my favorites;

St. André is a soft-ripened, triple-cream cheese. Made with equal parts of thick, sour cream and whipped sweet cream. St. André is also fairly rare (you won’t find it at Safeway). It is 75% butterfat and is my favorite Brie/Camembert.

Point Reyes Blue, made from raw milk from a special herd of Holstein cows that graze on the hills overlooking Tomales Bay in northern California. Rrom a classic blue cheese recipe that has evolved over the years, to produce a creamier style, full-flavored blue cheese.

Saint Agur, from the blue-cheese making Auvergne region of central France, offers the perfect balance of a rich blue taste and a smooth, creamy texture. Doing research about this cheese I discovered that it is produced by the French dairy giant Bongrain. I had thought that this was one of those small produced in someones basement kind of cheese, but it is mass produced and is fairly easy to find.

Duckhorn Vineyards, 2003 Migration, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (Junk)

Duckhorn is a great winery, the Cabernets and Merlots are fabulous and as good as any you will find. However I think they have a bit to learn about making Pinot Noir. The winery tasting note says, “This wine is smooth and well-balanced with bright acidity and soft fruit tannins”. I would say the acidity is overpowering, whatever fruit flavor is in there is behind a wall of acid. It is possible that this wine could soften up in a few years, but I seriously doubt it. Another proof that expensive wine is not always good wine.

Walter Hansel, 2003 Estate Pinot Noir

If you pull the cork and start drinking right away you will truly think I am an idiot. If you let it breathe a while (about an hour) you will think I am a genius. A decanter is what you really need. The color is beautiful, dark, deep and dense. Alexa gives the ‘nose’ a thumbs up, I say it has a rich deep cherry nose. The flavor is a big blast of black cherry, plums, and figs. A long smooth finish, with lots of flavor transitions. This is a great Pinot at an average Pinot price.

Walter Hansel, 2003 Estate Chardonnay

This is the best wine I have tasted all year, and it was total surprise. I bought a single bottle to take home and try. We ended up drinking it for dinner at a local restaurant, and were stunned at how good it was. The next afternoon, I went back to the store I got it from, and bought all they had. The taste is slightly citrus (orange & lemon) at the start that transitions into mineral finish. It has a dense oily feel on your tongue. It is perfectly balanced and leaves you wanting more. This wine is young and should age nicely over the next couple of years. Great now, better next year.

I have a saying about trips down memory lane, “they usually end up in the ditch on fire”. This was one of those trips. When I first moved to the Bay Area, I knew very little about the night life. I don’t remember exactly how I found out about “Three Babes and a Bus” (http://www.threebabes.com/) or exactly who I went with on it, but I do remember having a great time. To sum up what this experience was; three women stock brokers got feed up with hustling stocks, and decided to do what they love. What they loved was partying at the hottest nightclubs in San Francisco. How does one make a living doing that you ask? You buy a twenty person luxury mini bus, and charge $35 dollars a head to take folks around to the hottest clubs. Sound like fun, you bet it was. Fast forward about twenty years to roughly now. What I didn’t know was that the three babes have been wildly successful, and the 20 person luxury bus, has grown into four not luxury greyhound busses. The tour now mostly attracts the bachelorette party crowd, so if you are a single guy looking to score, this is the ticket (I was the only guy on the bus before we bailed). If you are trying to hit some dance clubs on your 16th anniversary skip the babes and go directly to: Ruby Skye or the Glas Kat. The evening was not lost, we managed to make it to the Bubble Lounge where the music is loud and the champagne is cold.

Todd’s Cheesecake

I love cheesecake, and this is my favorite recipe for it. It goes well with last months balsamic berries.

1 1/2 cups ground crumbs from chocolate hazelnut biscotti. This is not the kind that has chocolate melted on top of it.
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream.
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs

Tightly wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.

Mix biscotti crumbs and butter in a bowl.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan.
Chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream and sugar in large bowl until smooth.

Add eggs 1 at a time; beat just until blended.

Spread cheese mixture evenly over crust in pan.

Place spring form pan in large roasting pan.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of spring form pan.

Bake until cheesecake is golden and center of cake moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Transfer cake to a cooling rack; cool 1 hour.

Chill overnight. (Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.)

Rombauer Vineyards, 2004 Carneros Chardonnay

Last year I had written this winery off, they had radically changed the style of the wine, not that change is bad, but it certainly was not to my liking. Rombauer built its niche by producing, what I like to call “Butter Bombs”; the wine has been described by more than one friend as being like, “drinking liquid butter”. This year’s vintage is a return to that style, it has strong peach and pear flavors that transition nicely into a long buttery finish. It goes quick so grab it while you can.

Kistler Vineyards, 2002 Kistler Vineyard Pinot Noir

This was a first taste of a Kistler Pinot. My brother Jeff and I split a bottle last Saturday. What I can say is all wine should be like this. Once again, Alexa gives it thumbs up on the nose (I feel sorry for the first guy that takes her out on a dinner date that includes wine). Lots of fruit flavor, a little forward, but not at all over powering. The flavor is blackberry and black cherry, with a syrupy feel in your mouth. Finishes long, slightly tannic, but will soften later. Delicious now, perfect in a year.

A Day On The River

I had not planned on writing about this, but the experience was such an adrenaline rush for everyone in our boat, I had too. A few months ago Lisa suggested that we go white water rafting. Our daughter Alexa is only eight and I was not too excited about the idea. Very soon after that discussion our friend Teresa had setup a day trip over 4th of July weekend. To make a long story short, we ended up with Teresa, her son Cody, Lisa, Alexa and me in a raft with our guide. At the beginning of a rapid called “Satan’s Cesspool” our guide told us, “This is the only place today that you don’t want to fall out of the raft”. A few seconds later everyone except Cody was in the water (including the guide) and we all got to swim a class III+ rapid. According to our guide, Alexa is now the youngest person to ever do that. All in all it was a great day, which we all will remember for a long time. If you are interested in going on one of these adventures contact ARTA (http://www.arta.org/) they are a non-profit group dedicated to preserving the wilderness for future generations and providing a safe, exciting white water rafting experience.

Balsamic Strawberries

My sister in law, Laurie gets the credit for this one. She worked very hard to reverse engineer the key ingredients and technique to one of my favorite deserts. It is served at one of our favorite places “Piatti” in Danville. On the menu it is known as “Balsamico Gelato”. It’s a scoop of coffee ice cream topped with Balsamic Strawberries. At first this sounds wrong, but it is a great summer time desert.

The key here is taking your time, and starting out light on the vinegar and adjusting it over time.

3 1/2 cups sliced hulled strawberries (about 16 ounces) 1/4 cup sugar1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients in glass bowl. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, about an hour then refrigerate. During the hour you may need to adjust the amount of vinegar so that the berries are just tart.

A few minutes before serving add a few twists of the pepper mill and stir. Serve over Hagan Das Coffee Ice Cream.

Flowers, 2003 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

This wine is very dark and has an intense aroma. Sadly the taste doesn’t match this intensity, you do get plenty of flavor, cherry and currant dominate. I was expecting, actually hoping for something like the 2002, which had a very explosive flavor. This wine is also very soft at this point in its life. The winery suggests that you can cellar it for up to 3 years, but I would drink it now.

Flowers, 2003 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

I really liked the 2002, so I bought this wine blind. Good guess on my part. It has a very strong citrus aroma. The flavor is intense and complex, vanilla, honey, and green apple. The texture reminds me of the Rombauer (http://www.rombauer.com/) butter bombs of years past. The winery notes say “lively acidity” but I don’t get that at all. This is a perfectly balanced wine, that has been heavily oak’d. It is great now, and should improve over the next year.

Flowers, 2002 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

The experience starts with the color, pale gold. It clings to the side of the glass as you pour it. I know legs are no indicator of good wine, but it is pretty to watch. Has a very intense vanilla bean aroma. In your mouth an array of flavors present very light citrus, vanilla, butter, with a moderately long mineral finish. The texture is slightly oily and heavy in your mouth. We have had several bottles of this wine over the last year, and it keeps getting better. The winery recommends drinking before summer 2006, no problem. Serve "very lightly" chilled, if this wine is too cold you will get a bitter taste.

A day of Food, Wine and Fun

Hello everyone and happy “Fathers Day”. I am a little early this month because Lisa and Alexa are taking me to Disneyland for “Fathers Day”. Anyway, this month the format is a little different, it’s about my favorite wine event of the year, “Silver Oak Release Day”. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, Exotic Food, Art and Jazz this day is for you.

To enjoy the day you need a few things;

Comfortable Shoes
Shorts
Hat
Sun Screen
Picnic Basket
Blanket
Sand Chairs

Silver Oak Cellars
Alexander Valley Release Day 2005
www.silveroak.com

In past years we usually start here, this year we are going to end the day of wine tasting here. You’ll figure out why as you read on. Many wineries have release parties, but this is the one all others aspire too. The day starts at 9:00 AM and finishes up at 3:30 PM. The price for tasting is $20 this year. Now calling this a tasting is not exactly accurate, what you get is a bottomless glass of great wine. There are a number of people who show up at the beginning and stay till the end. If you plan on that level of participation, please don’t drive. Thomas Arvid (www.thomasarvid.com) will be there painting. For those who don’t know his work, his style is photo realism, and his themes are almost always wine. Hors d'oeuvres are served throughout the day, we have tasted everything from organically grown fruit and vegetables, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Foie Gras, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, too Buffalo Chili.

Oakville Grocery
www.oakvillegrocery.com/

When the party ends at Silver Oak, we will be stopping here to pick up a picnic dinner. The grocery is located at the corner of route 29 and Oakville Crossroad (2 minutes from Silver Oak). They have one of the best selections of artisan cheeses, breads, olives, fruits, vegetables, and deli meats that you will ever see.

Dave Koz at the Robert Mondavi Winery
www.davekoz.com
www.robertmondaviwinery.com

From the grocery, we will be going down the road another two minutes and turning left into the Robert Mondavi Winery for an evening of jazz with Dave Koz.

With any luck, we will see you there.

Silver Oak, 2001 Alexander Valley Cabernet

Silver Oak releases wine twice a year, the summer release is from grapes grown exclusively in Alexander Valley and is 100% cabernet. Normally this wine is very soft by its release date, this has been by design and due to the fact that the wine is aged a year longer than most wines before release. The current release is rich and dark, with an overwhelming nose (Alexa gives it thumbs up). As for the flavor it is very similar to the 1995 AV (yes I have tasting notes that go back that far) lots of cassis and black cherry. The tasting note from the winery also says dark chocolate, soy sauce, ginger and sandalwood; I don’t get that at all. The finish is moderately long and complex, with a number of flavor transitions. It is not as soft as one normally expects from Silver Oak but that will come in time. If you are going to buy it, plan on putting it down for a year or two. The winemaker says it will improve until 2023, fat chance it will make it that long around my house. This is the first vintage that Daniel Baron has been fully in charge from harvest to release, great job Daniel.

The San Francisco Ferry Building

The San Francisco Ferry Building, the last time I was at the Ferry building, I wanted out as quickly as possible. That was about 15 years ago and the San Francisco Waterfront was basicly a failing down slum.

Over the last several years the San Francisco Waterfront has been reborn into a great collection of restruants, clubs, and theaters. Included in the rebirth is the San Francisco Ferry Building.

The place is now a food lover’s paradise, under one roof you have; Bread, Cheese, Coffee, Tea, Farm Fresh Produce, Meat, Poultry, Fish, Spices, Wine and Spirits. These are not just any shops, they all have very unique products that in most cases are hard to find (e.g. Organic Heirloom Tomatoes in winter).

The Ferry Building also has several restruants. My favorite is “Taylor’s Refresher”, this is their second location, the first one is in Saint Helena. Taylors is basicly the highest of the high end burger joints. The wine list (yes that’s right) has great wines from Opus One, Joseph Phelps, Dunn, Cakebread, and Grgich Hills to name a few.

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

It is a great place to have lunch and shop for dinner.

Todd’s Lazy Mans Ribs

This is my favorite way to do ribs, and the easiest. I like to use boneless ribs, which seems like an oxymoron. But they are easier to eat and taste great.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Rinse ribs under cold water. Pat dry.

Prepare barbecue (high heat) if you have a gas grill, perfect. Grill ribs until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Put the ribs in disposable foil pan, and smother with your favorite barbecue sauce (my choice is Tony Roma’s Carolina Honey).

Cover tightly with foil and bake for two and a half hours. You are now ready to serve. You can keep them warm by reducing the heat to the oven’s minimum (usually about 180) and they will keep for about another hour.

Todd’s Marinated Antipasto

This tastes best if you make it the night before. It has big flavor, freshness, and different than anything you'll find in a jar or deli case. Make a trip to your Italian delicatessen for sliced cold cuts and crusty bread. It all adds up to an impressive no-hassle starter.

1/2 cup olive oil (Use very good olive oil, Ravida is my favorite)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (Use very good vinegar, Cask 23 is my favorite)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 cup small button mushrooms, trimmed, quartered
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives,
3/4 cup pitted Green olives,
2 cups of mini buffalo mozzarella balls; these are the small ones, about the size of a quarter.
¼ pound of honey baked ham. Cut into small bite sized pieces.
¼ pound of salami. Cut into small bite sized pieces.

Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add vegetables, olives and meat. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Should be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Toss in cheese and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Transfer mixture to bowl and serve.

Marcassin, 1998 Chardonnay "Lorenzo Vineyard" (Junk)

This is a Helen Turley wine, she is known as the “Goddess of Chardonnay”. I am having a hard time believing that this wine makes the junk list, but its price is way out of whack with its quality. The wine has a light golden color. Nice flavor, but not as complex as I was hoping for. I think the best way to describe this wine is “crisp”. One review described this wine as rich and buttery, I don’t get that at all. The balance is slightly acidic. The finish is moderately long. Overall, an excellent wine, but sadly, it doesn’t live up to the hype. I bought this wine at an auction since this is the last vintage of the “Lorenzo Vineyard” made by Marcassin, they are replanting, and I think I know why. Most certainly not Helen’s best effort.

Grgich Hills, 2002 Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Grgich Hills is the first high end Chardonnay that I ever tasted. Mike Grgich is always consistently great. If you need to buy a good bottle of chardonnay and don’t know what to pick you are safe with this one, any year is good, and the wine holds up well over time. For Lisa’s birthday party in 2000 we had 1992 Grgich Chardonnay and it was great. The taste is apples, earthy and mineral, nicely balanced with a moderately long finish.

Cakebread Cellars, 2003 Chardonnay Napa Valley

Cakebread is a long time standard wine around our house. Some years are good and some not so good. This wine has a fairly unique style and is not to everyone’s taste. The flavor is apples and pears and very forward, nothing subtle here. This wine is what a friend of mine would call “chewy”; it doesn’t have that light California chardonnay feel. The wine is heavily oak’d and slightly acidic, it may balance out after a little more time in the bottle. The tasting note from the vineyards says it will age well over the next two years, I agree. If you are going to buy it plan on putting it down for a year or two, you will be rewarded.

Arger-Martucci 2003 Chardonnay Napa Valley

This is the family owned vineyard I wrote about last month. The wine is golden colored, has a buttery taste at the start and finishes with kiwi and slight citrus. The nose is bright and clean. If you want a high end Chardonnay at a modest price this is a wine for you. It will be hard to find outside of the bay area since the winery is just getting started, but it is worth the quest.

Kistler Vineyards 2002 Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay

I bought six bottles of this wine blind (had not tasted this vintage). Lisa and I tried the first bottle the week we got it, we were very disappointed. It seemed overly acidic and out of balance, not what you expect from Steve Kistler. A couple of months have passed and we had the second bottle last weekend. What a change a couple of months can make. Lots of fruit (not citrus) slightly oily texture, and a long mineral finish. The vineyard tasting note says “Delicious now”, but I think it will be much better in a year. I am hanging on to my remaining bottles for at least six months.

Kistler Vineyards 1998 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay

This is my all time favorite chardonnay. This wine has an earthly aroma and a slightly oily feel in your mouth. It is perfectly balanced; very complex layers of flavor; and long, lingering finish. I bought two cases on release and am down to five bottles, it will be a sad day when it is gone.

Golden Gate Recreation Area

http://www.nps.gov/goga/

This park is one of my favorites, for some reason we don’t get up there very often, we drive by it frequently, but don’t seem to venture in much. The park contains huge number of historical sites, including a Nike Missile Site, Fort Mason, Fort Point and a number of other historic sites going back over two hundred years.

The Nike missile site has been restored to “Operational Condition” (I assume no fuel or warheads) and is open for tours the first Sunday of every month (from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM), as well as during the week. For more info go to: http://www.nikemissile.net/

Flowerless Chocolate Torte

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for dusting.
Powdered Sugar for dusting
15 ounces Valrhona Dark Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
18 tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
7 Egg Yolks
9 tbs Sugar
1 ½ tbs Dark Rum
1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Salt
5 Egg Whites (room temperature)
3 Cups Raspberries or Strawberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Butter a 10-12 inch spring form pan and dust with cocoa powder.

Melt the chocolate and butter together. Remember important thing number two.

Beat egg yolks, 6 tbs sugar, rum, vanilla and salt in an electric mixer with a wire whisk on medium speed until pale and thick (3-5 minutes).

Slowly add chocolate to the mixture, reducing the speed of the mixer. Do this until will mixed, about 2 minutes.

In a deep clean bowl beat egg whites on medium for about a minute (until foamy). Slowly add 3 tbs of sugar over a period of a few minutes until you can form small peaks. Scoop half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold in gently (don’t stir, fold, bottom to top, not round and round). Fold in the remaining gently until only white streaks remain.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes. It will get quite tall, it is done when a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out moist but not liquid. Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes.

Remove the sides of the pan. Let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours it is better overnight.

If you like you can top with berries and the gooey sauce, or dust it with powdered sugar. Either way you are going over dose on chocolate.

Todd’s Gooey Chocolate Sauce

7 ounces Valrhona Dark Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup light corn syrup


Okay, important thing number two. Don’t try to melt the chocolate quickly; you will destroy both the pan and the chocolate. Most people use the top of double boiler over barely simmering water. I use a heat spreader and a small “All Clad” sauce pan for this.

Once it is completely melted add the hot water and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth, dark and gooey. Important thing three, don’t panic, this is going to look all wrong and not what you expect it to look like. The first time I tried this, I was sure I made a huge mistake. Just relax and keep stirring, in a few minutes it will turn dark and rich. You are done when the color and texture are uniform, usually 4 or 5 minutes after you add the water.

Remove from heat, cool slightly.

This can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Before serving, re-warm in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly.

Gary Farrell 2002 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (Junk)

The winery tasting note says, “This is a deep, rich and intense wine, with a wonderful array of fruit flavors centered on a complex core of dark cherry, wild berry and plum”. This wine is not complex or intense. It does have flavor, but it is muted. The finish is clean but unimpressive. The main reason it makes the junk list is cost, roughly same price as Flowers, but on the same quality level as Wente. You can find better for less.

2582 cases produced

Arger-Martucci Vineyards 2001 Pinot Noir

We were told about this small family owned and operated winery by Miguel at Hall vineyards. He wrote us a note and sent us over. The tasting room doubles as the guest house kitchen, which is next to the pool. Katarena invited us in for wine, cheese and fruit. This just doesn’t happen anymore in Napa, Sonoma maybe, not Napa. This Pinot is very subtle; it doesn’t have the explosive flavor of the Flowers wine. The nose is distinctly cherries; the flavor grows and changes in your mouth, cherry, various berries, and maybe plum. I think this wine will pair with anything that is not too spicy or buttery.

I forgot to ask how much they made, but I am sure it is not a lot. I am also very sure it is hard to find, wine searcher doesn’t know about it. The price is the same as Wente, but the wine much better.

Wente Vineyards 2002 Pinot Noir Reliz Creek Reserve

This winery is about a mile from our house and has a great restaurant. The wines are not all that impressive, but drinkable. The same is true for this Pinot Noir. Like the flowers it is very flavor forward, lots of berry and cherry flavors. However the finish is way to tannic for my taste, and seems out of balance with the flavor. This wine might soften up in a year or two, but given its release date, I don’t think so. What makes this one attractive is the price, one fourth the cost of the Flowers. Not as good, but very drinkable. If you have never tried Pinot and want a good starter wine, this would be my vote.

Flowers Vineyard 2002 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

This was my first taste of Pinot in many years, what a way to start. This wine explodes in your mouth, the flavor is almost overpowering. It has lots of berry flavors, and a reasonably lingering finish. The finish is one of the main differences I see between Pinot and Cabernet, Cabernet can have a very long finish, and the Pinots I have tasted don’t. I have no idea how to pair this with food, unless you want the food to take the back seat. I think it makes a very impressive cocktail wine. The winery tasting note says “Crisp Acid and Tight Tannins”, I don’t get that, it may have been true a year ago, but today it has the right degree of softness.

3713 cases produced, and getting hard to find.

EOS Estate Winery, Cupa Grandis, 2002 Chardonnay Grand Barrel Reserve

I read the following tasking note from the winery. (That was my first mistake)

Barrel-fermented in the traditional Burgundian method, we stirred the lees weekly for nine months to develop the tropical bouquet and creamy texture, then bottled and aged the wine for five months to allow the myriad of fruit and oak flavors to marry and soften into this overall complex and well-balanced wine. Intense tropical aromas of pineapple and papaya are enhanced by notes of peach and green apple. Robust with flavors of citrus, pear and butterscotch, it is mouth-coating and satisfying, finishing with honey and cream.

There is an old saying, if it sounds to good to be true, is most likely is. Bingo. The note does have a bit of truth to it. This wine does have a robust citrus flavor, kind of like orange soda that has sat open on the kitchen counter over night. As Chardonnays go this one is expensive and not very good. You can do a lot better for a lot less, pass it by.

Hendry, 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon "Block 8"

The wine is a big fruit bomb, very syrupy and rich. Soft and silky tannins on the finish. This is a five grape blend, with some Petite Verdot which pumps up the flavor. Aged 20 months in new French oak, over oak’d another plus. Drink it now or let it rest for a year or two. 1800 Cases made. Once people figure this one out it will go fast. Big thanks to Dewayne and Sabine for turning me on to this one.

Patz & Hall, 2003 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay

I bought this bottle at the “Wine Club” near the San Jose airport, this place is kind of like Costco for wines. You will find everything from $2 Chardonnay to $1000 Bordeaux. The Hyde Vineyard area is known for producing some of the finest chardonnay grapes California has to offer. You usually only see the “Hyde Vineyard” label on higher priced wines. This wine was aged in “small” French Oak barrels, which is another way of saying it was “Over Oak’d”. The wine was also bottled unfiltered, this bottle didn’t have any sediment, but if you buy it, pour gently. Bright yellow/greenish color; citrus and vanilla flavors, long creamy oak finish.

ROASTED HALIBUT AND TOMATOES WITH SAFFRON PESTO

I have been doing variations on this for years and have settled on this grouping of ingredients. The original idea came from a cooking magazine, but it has evolved a good deal over the years. The saffron brings a nice heat to the dish, and makes it a good match for both white and red wines. I also like it because it is very easy to do for a dinner party.

3 pounds plum tomatoes cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
8 8-ounce halibut fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 green onions, chopped (white part only)
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro plus cilantro sprigs for garnish
2 tbs chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp saffron threads

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place all tomatoes in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to combine.
Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; place atop tomatoes.
Whisk oil, vinegar, green onions, chopped cilantro, basil, and saffron in small bowl to blend.
Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour dressing evenly over fish. Let stand 10 minutes.

Bake until fish is opaque in center, about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Place 1 fillet on each of 8 plates.
Season tomato mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
Top fish with tomato mixture, dividing equally.
Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

The Greatest View In California

Rocky Point Restaurant is located 10 miles south of Carmel (the web site says 15 minutes, no way more like 30) on Highway 1 between Carmel and Big Sur. The food is so-so at best, the wine list sucks, but who care’s, this is one of the most spectacular vistas California has to offer. Lisa and I have been visiting this place for nearly ten years now, and we never get tired of the view. Get there about 30 minutes before sunset, grab a table on the patio, order some fried calamari and margarita’s and kick back. If you are there at the right time of year you will see some whales too.

http://www.rocky-point.com/

Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Since we have gotten our first taste of spring here in California, I thought this salad would be a good choice. The credit for this goes to my in-laws Larry and Marilyn. When they first told me about it last year, it just sounded wrong, then I made it, and it just looked wrong, (the dressing anyway), then you eat it, it’s not wrong.

½ Cup Olive Oil
1 tsp White Vinegar
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs sesame seeds
¼ tsp paprika
1 tbs poppy seeds
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 qt fresh strawberries
10 to 16 oz fresh spinach, chopped, cleaned and dry.
1 tbs chopped shallot

Wisk Olive Oil, Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, paprika, sugar and onion. Chill in refrigerator.

Combine spinach, strawberries and almonds in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

2000 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

I tasted this wine at the Silver Oak winery in Napa. Lisa, Alexa and I had decided to drive up to Napa for lunch, so I took a detour down my favorite road in the world, Oakville Crossroad, home of arguably three of the finest California Cabernets, Opus One, Silver Oak, and Groth. Silver Oak has been a long time favorite of mine, especially the Napa Valley release. I fully intended to bag the limit of six bottles and hide them away in my wine locker to enjoy for years to come. This wine has an earth shattering nose, clean and intense. But that is were the wheels fall off. It is not bad, just disappointing. The wine has no structure or complexity; it is more like a cheap Merlot. In some ways I am not surprised, Justin Meyer the co-founder and chief winemaker since 1972 left about the time these grapes were picked. Brother Justin’s (He was a monk before entering the wine business) shoes will be hard to fill. A whopping 25,000 cases made. At a hundred dollars a bottle, pass it buy, you can do much, much better.

1998 Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa Valley

It does get the prize for the coolest label. The wine is very drinkable but not great, I expected great. This vineyard has been on the “To Taste” list for a long time. The wine is rough and simple, with not much flavor; the finish is short and out of balance on the acidic side. Not the stellar Burgan wine it's being sold as. 750 cases made. For the money you can do a lot better.

Todd’s Infamous Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee

For Custard:

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brule

6 teaspoons sugar

To make the custard:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking pan 1/3 full of water. Place the 6 ramekins in the water. Adjust the water level so that it is half way up the ramekins. Place the pan (without the ramekins) in the oven and let it come up to temperature. This is very important or the custard won’t bake evenly.

Mix cream and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors.

Strain into large measuring cup. You need to do this quickly, so get things setup ahead. Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Carefully transfer the ramekins to the pan in the oven.

Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes.

Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To Make Crème Brulee:

Sprinkle 1-teaspoon sugar evenly over each custard. Working with one custard at a time, hold blowtorch so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct the flame so that the sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften.

Serves 5-6

Todd’s Garlic Lobster Risotto

This is Lisa's favorite. The recipe has been evolved over the years, and is usually a little different each time I make it. The keys to success here are three things:

• Keep the broth simmering.
• Stir the rice frequently.
• Slightly under cook the lobster, it will start cooking again when you add it to the rice.
  

Stuff You Need;

Olive Oil
6-8 Cloves of Garlic
14 oz Can Petite Diced Plum Tomatoes
Grated Lemon Zest about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons of Fresh Oregano leaves
1 lb cooked lobster meat, chopped
1 cup diced high quality slab bacon
3-4 shallots, finely diced
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 1/2 teaspoon
2 cups Arborio rice, Don’t use anything else.
1 cup dry white wine
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Black pepper

How To Cook It;

Boil the un-cooked lobster tails for about 10 minutes. Dice the meat and set aside.

Heat 10 cups of water and bouillon cubes to a simmer. Stir to break up the cubes. Keep at a simmer.

Place a large straight-sided saucepan over medium heat and when it is hot, add olive oil to coat bottom of pan.

Add bacon and sauté until it begins to render fat, then add the shallots. Cook until shallots are tender, 5-10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until it looks like tomato sauce.

Add rice and stir until it is well coated.

Add wine and 1 cup of broth. Cook and stir until liquid is absorbed, add additional broth for about 18-20 minutes or until done. The best way to tell is taste the rice, you'll know.

Add Lobster Meat, Oregano, pepper to taste, and a pinch or two of lemon zest. Stir everything together and cover for 5 minutes or so. Just long enough to let the lobster come up to temperature.

Serves 4 or 5

2001 James Henry "Woolsey Road" Russian River Chardonnay

James Henry Chardonnay is collaboration between winemaking guru Helen Turley and winery owner Jim Canepa. This wine is absolutely stunning. It is medium bodied, perfectly balanced wine, offering an intense array of flavors (honey, apple, and caramel to name a few). The wine was barrel-fermented and aged in oak. It is a distinctly Burgan style of Chardonnay and should age well for a number of years. 500 cases made.

2000 Viader “V”

Delia Viader has developed a reputation for making truly elegant wines. This one is no exception; it’s like a lover’s kiss, warm, soft and sensuous; rich with berry flavors and a tremendous finish. Over the last few years this type of wine and this one in particular has become my favorite. Delia’s vineyard is located, I should say hidden on Howell Mountain in northeast Napa. The wine is a blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Only 353 cases made and a bit of a challenge to find, but truly worth the effort.

Happy Valentines Day

This is one of my favorite holidays (is it a holiday?) A number of years ago Lisa and I stopped going out for a “Romantic” dinner on Valentines Day; we hated the crowds, the elevated prices for dinner, and just the generally poor quality of the experience. This also happened around the time I learned to cook. Since then valentines day has grown into a tradition around our house, some years it is just us, some years it’s dinner for twelve. Whether it is two or twelve, three things are always true at “Casa Kemmerling”, the table is beautiful (thanks Lisa), the food is the best I can do, and the wine is to die for. Since it is Valentines Day, I thought the wines this month would be from my favorite women wine makers; Delia Viader and Helen Turley. In addition to the wines, I included a couple of my favorite Valentines Day recipes.

2001 Rochioli Vineyards River Block Chardonnay

Rochioli is a new vineyard to Lisa and I. We wondered into it by accident on a day trip to Sonoma. The wine has a very soft touch of oak that makes it near perfect to me. It is rich on flavor, long on finish, smooth till the end. Only bad thing is 220 cases made, and it is all gone now.

2001 Hanzell Vineyards Sonoma Valley Chardonnay

If Rochioli is a new favorite, then Hanzell is our new least favorite. Several well known wine critics have said that Hanzell is the third best chardonnay maker in California (Marcassin being one, Kistler being two); they must have uncorked the Hanzell after a gallon of Jack Daniels. It is nearly bitter, and has very a singular flavor. I have had much better wine for 1/5 the cost. Only bad thing is 2,422 cases made (should have been 0).