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.