The Official Wine Thread

[gomestar]

yes, I noticed that in the directions. The other stocks are pretty similar to the ones you discuss in teh culinary school blog.

Which Burg are you having?

BTW, that Pommard that you cracked when I was around was really excellent. My luck with Pommard has been quite good, but this was among the best. I've looked around for the babe on the label, no luck yet.

 

[Manton]

I went back for more and it was gone.

I am having some Bourgogne 2004, I can't remember the producer and the bottle is downstairs. I have moved on to tea.

 

[gomestar]

There was that Bourgogne I had 2 nights ago that was a superb value. $17 and it totally surprised me. Seek out, I'd be interested in another opinion (or even another bottle for myself).

 

[Mark from Plano]

Have my boys this weekend, so doing lots of cooking. Tonight I did a chicken breast that I pan seared, then finished in the oven with a crust made from a paste of sundried tomatos, olives, garlic and olive oil (had some left over from making it with salmon a couple of nights ago), with some oven roasted vegetables and whole wheat linguine. Wine pairing...total mismatch. Left over Rombauer zinfandel and Alsace riesling. Who cares, right? For dessert I did a banana's foster thing where I did bananas in butter, raw sugar, cinnamon and fresh lemon juice. Finished with a rum and Armagnac flambe and served over vanilla bean gelato. The riesling was nice with that.

Originally Posted by gomestar

And to the Fontantafredo Barolo people, I'm going to crack one open tomorrow. Somebody else try this too!! And poast notes and impressions, I'll do the same.

Originally Posted by gomestar

And care to pop open one of them $20 Barolos this weekend?
I'm up. What should we make to go with it? EDIT: Also, should we decant? How long?

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Who cares, right?
exactly

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

I'm up. What should we make to go with it?
I'm having teh GF to do a mushroom risotto. Last time she made one was sensational, far better than nearly every restaurant I've been to in NYC (the better ones had truffles). And we'll probably add a touch of the wine to the mix on the stove. As powerful as Barolo can be, I find it to be surprisingly versatile. Be sure to give a good decant. Try some quality meats or a well composed pasta/ravioli dish. We might pillage the Babbo cookbook for more recipes. Edit: I'll probably try for 2-3 hours of decanting. If this was a Corino I'd give it 7+ but this is not. I'm expecting a good/very good Barolo, not brilliant effort.

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Have my boys this weekend

And let me know if you need college application guidance. I used to work for my university's admissions office (it was an Ivy)

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

For dessert I did a banana's foster thing where I did bananas in butter, raw sugar, cinnamon and fresh lemon juice. Finished with a rum and Armagnac flambe and served over vanilla bean gelato.

Delicious. Oddly enough, I've always replaced the lemon juice with frozen orange juice concentrate.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Ok. I have little leftover mushroom risotto. Thinking about picking up a veal scalopini. Need a good recipe or I might just do a picatta type thing.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Ok. I have little leftover mushroom risotto. Thinking about picking up a veal scalopini. Need a good recipe or I might just do a picatta type thing.
You should make arancini out of them as an appetizer. Skip the tomatoes, just use mozzarella.

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Ok. I have little leftover mushroom risotto. Thinking about picking up a veal scalopini. Need a good recipe or I might just do a picatta type thing.

I can provide 3 veal recipes if need be (all have have worked out very well, one is an actual scaloppine)

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by iammatt

You should make arancini out of them as an appetizer. Skip the tomatoes, just use mozzarella.
+100. Teh GF has her own recipe, I couldn't share one for this (it's not actually written down ... same for cauliflower pastetas)

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by gomestar

I can provide 3 veal recipes if need be (all have have worked out very well, one is an actual scaloppine)

Send them on. I can use all the help I can get.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

No. That isn't for awhile. I just needed some help moving some ****.

Originally Posted by foodguy

our little kwilk, all growed up! congratulations.
i'm in the blini camp when it comes to caviar service. jeremiah tower had a great line about them needing to be so rich the butter ran down your arm (with jeremiah, probably into a frilled silk sleeve). but i'd be willing to try the compressed cucumber, too.
There are still blinis with it. You've been to Cyrus, right? Have you ever had the bottomless grit cakes or crumpets w/ the torchon? It's basically that. You get one composed plate w/ the cucumer lemon and CF powder, then you get blinis on the side, and you can get as many refills on blinis as you want.

Originally Posted by iammatt

With some things there is not much room for improvement. Caviar with blinis is one of those things.
Then when you come, you can ask them to not bring you a composed plate. Or, if I know you're coming, I will tell your wife not to let you make me feel unimportant and have her make you eat the plate anyway.

Originally Posted by iammatt

Since winkie won't be there, I suggest ordering the caviar without all the fixins. You'll like it, if you go.
Actually, my roommate will be running the station in my absence. He is the one who owned the station from its creation, so he is probably better at it than I am.

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm disappointed kwilk won't be there if we manage to go. We've never been there and it would be fun to see him.
- B
I know, if I had known you were going to come for sure, I would not have made plans. But getting a whole week off isn't an opportunity that rises often in restaurants.

Originally Posted by Pezzaturra

Where do you work? Sorry I am not up-n-up on all SF news.

Little restaurant in wine country called Cyrus.

Originally Posted by Manton

3 hours? I was taught 30-45 minutes, and Keller and the CIA book say the same.

If you do 3 hours, cut large pieces and don't sweat in butter first.

Are you really that much of a self-hater? You add fat into your stock just so you get the naughty pleasure of skimming it off later?



Anyway, here is the caviar plate:

Circulated egg yolk at 11 o clock and 3 o clock. Maldon sea salt on both, and snipped chives on the top one. Then, 2 compressed cucumber flesh squares, 1 compressed cucumber skin square (w/ meyer lemon cells on top), a compressed paysanne, a stick paysanne, micro-brunoise of cucumber and chopped chives down the middle of the plate, and powdered creme fraiche on the bottom.
I love this station b/c I spend 30 minutes every day playing w/ liquid nitro.

 

[itsstillmatt]

^^^ While I am still skeptical about some of that stuff, the big line of cocaine at the bottom is right up my alley.

 

[Piobaire]

Dinner last night was a great time. The Ritz has really done this property up nicely. The views are fantastic, the lounge and seating areas (both inside and out) are comfortable and nicely done. We started off with the vintner's inaugural SB. Nice citrus, solid oaking, minor cat pee. The appies were being circulated and were plentiful. IMO, the short rib fritter was done the best.

We bumped into a couple people we know, one of them the som at the best cellar in town (one of WS's 18 "Grand Award Winner"), and the vintner ended up in our group for 30 minutes. He retired from Indy car racing in 1991 to open his winery. Great guy.

So the "gift from the kitchen" and the seafood course were paired with two chards. One was an oak bomb. Take some oak chips, soak overnight...you got it. His reserve was not bad. The oak was at a reasonable level, just a touch of butter, some minerality. A balanced wine.

Meat course was paired with their Syrah and Cab. Syrah was was too young to be serving. It had just been bottled. The Cab was a few years old and drinkable. The filet good. The crispy veal cheeks were great. 20 hour suis vide (did I spell that right?)

From the start, glasses were constantly refilled. I must have had six or seven glasses of the SB alone. Chef is great. He stopped by our table several times. We got to chatting and I'm driving by to drop off some pork belly confit today (we got to talking about Ruhlman and cooking). He's going to do a foie dish just for me at next week's vintner's dinner!

 

[Wallcloud]

I know I am a few pages late. How long would it take to braise this?