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Archive for January, 2011

2011 Southern California Pinot Days – A Pinot-phile’s Dream

18 Jan

If I were a recovering Pinot-phile (which I most certainly am not), walking into the Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar last Saturday for the 2011 Southern California Pinot Days would have certainly caused me to fall off the proverbial wagon.  Over 90 Pinot Noir producers from throughout the U.S. were there, some of them pouring as many as seven different options.  It was a veritable den of Pinot pleasure.

But Laurel, you’re probably asking, isn’t it all just Pinot Noir?  What’s the fun in having the opportunity to taste nearly 300 examples of the same grape?  Well, my dear readers, plenty.  Pinot Noir is, of course, not only an extremely fickle grape from a viticultural standpoint but also one of the grapes most susceptible to variations in terroir (basically the taste of the place in which the grapes are grown) and viniculture (winemaking philosophy and practices).  As such, two examples of Pinot Noir grown in neighboring vineyards will likely taste entirely different because, for example, the soil composition of each vineyard is slightly different, and the winemaker of Estate A uses her winemaking skills to guide her wines toward a desired outcome, whereas the winemaker at Estate B takes a hands-off approach to winemaking, allowing the wine to dictate its own end result.  Neither is wrong, and neither necessarily produces better wine.  They are just different, and it is these types of differences (as well as others both large and small) that make attending an event like Pinot Days not only enjoyable but endlessly fascinating.

Having only two hours to get in as much tasting as possible (I was there for the trade tasting portion of the event), I knew there was no way I would make it through the offerings of all 90+ producers.  So, being the planner that I am, I developed a rough strategy for tackling the event.  I began by taking a quick stroll around the room and noting some of the tables at which I knew I wanted to stop (either because I have had and enjoyed their wines before or because I’d heard good things and wanted to give them a try).  I focused primarily on wineries that are either located in or source grapes from regions about which I’ll be writing for the CorkPopper LocaPour Project.*  Happily, I managed to do pretty well, tasting a few dozen wines from the following producers, each of which I hope to write about further after having a chance to visit their estates/facilities/tasting rooms as the CorkPopper LocaPour Project progresses:

It may not look like much to taste in two hours, but believe you me, it most certainly was.  Clouds Rest, for example, was doing a vertical tasting from 2008 all the way back to 2004, and, as you can see, the Loring Wine Company was pouring six wines, all with scores of at least 92 points from Wine Spectator.

Not that I’m complaining, of course….

Cheers, and I’ll see you at next year’s Pinot Days!

* I visited one non-California winery – Big Table Farm from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  I wrote about them after last year’s Pinot Days and wanted to see what they were offering this year – let’s just say I’m glad I did, and I look forward to making a trip up to the Willamette Valley one of these days.

 
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Posted in Festivals, Pinot Noir

 

The Two Things You Never Want to See Made?

17 Jan

Laws and sausage, right?  Well, I started this here blog as a creative outlet to write about things other than laws (I’m a lawyer by day), so I’m certainly not going to start writing about the law now.  As for sausage, J and I hosted a little Golden Globes party last night, mostly because we were looking for an excuse to use my new sausage making attachment for the beautiful Kitchenaid stand mixer J got me for Christmas….

I’m seriously such a lucky girl… and am now obsessed with making my own sausage….

Never content with run-of-the-mill flavors, J and I went crazy and made three very different kinds of links….

From left to right: (1) Pork Sausage with Garlic, Rosemary and Thyme, which we browned and sprinkled on homemade pizza with wild mushrooms and fresh mozzarella; (2) Chicken Curry Sausage, which we wrapped, pigs-in-a-blanket style, in homemade naan dough; and (3) Shrimp and Scallop Sausage with Cilantro, Serrano Chile and Shallot, which we grilled up and served with a spicy plum sauce.

I think we did pretty well for a couple of sausage-making novices, don’t you?

Cheers!

 
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Posted in Food Porn, Sausage

 

CorkPopper LocaPour Project: What to Eat with the 2009 Frostwatch “Kismet” Sauvignon Blanc

17 Jan

J and I recently ate our way through four days on the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun.  Perfectly melted queso fundido with crispy chorizo, ceviche so perfectly fresh it’s like manna from heaven, whole grilled fish straight from the charcoal grill to our plates, skin still crackling, and massive amounts of habanero salsa so spicy I had tears running down my cheeks.  Amazing.  But LOTS of Mexican….

So, when we returned to LA after our all-too-short vacation, J and I were both more than ready to trade in our margaritas and queso fundido for a crisp glass of white wine and some different ethnic flavors… Our solution?  A 2009 Frostwatch “Kismet” Sauvignon Blanc ($18.99 from K&L Wine Merchants) from Bennett Valley paired with Fresh Linguine with Spicy Coconut Crab Sauce.  The Kismet Sauv Blanc is crisp, with fantastic notes of citrus and a pleasant minerality that just screams for shellfish.  Done and done.

Fresh Linguine with Spicy Coconut Crab Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 red jalapeno chile (or other red chile), minced, with seeds
2 scallions, chopped
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
6 ounces fresh Dungeness crab meat
Juice from two limes
8 ounces fresh linguine (I made my own, but you can find fresh pasta at all major grocery stores these days)
1 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Lime wedges for garnish

Preparation:
In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes.  Add the chile and half of the scallions.  Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium.  Allow the coconut milk to reduce by half, stirring occasionally.  Add the crab meat and lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the sauce is reducing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until just al dente.  Drain (don’t rinse!) the pasta and return it to the non-stick skillet.  Add some of the sauce to the pasta and toss to coat.  Divide the pasta between two large pasta bowls and top with additional sauce and a generous handful of cilantro leaves.  Serve with lime wedges.

Cheers and buon appetito!!

 
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Posted in 4 Corked Forks, 4 Corks Popped, 4 Forks, Bennett Valley, California, CorkPopper LocaPour Project, Food Porn, Frostwatch, fresh pasta, recipes, sauvignon blanc

 

The CorkPopper LocaPour Project: What to Eat with the 2007 Westerhold Family Syrah

17 Jan

There are few things in life more comforting and perfectly delicious on a rainy day than fresh pasta topped with a hearty sauce that has been simmering away for hours on the stove.  So, when it came time to develop a recipe around the 2007 Westerhold Family Syrah, I knew fresh pasta was in the cards.  The 2007 Westerhold Syrah ($42 suggested retail), with its spicy blackberry and boysenberry notes and herbal undertones that just beg for a dish as rich as it is.  Enter my Garlic and Herb Tagliatelle with Pork and Beef Ragu.

Serves 4

Ragu Ingredients:
3/4 pound pork butt, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes
3/4 pound beef shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
All-purpose flour
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 bottle dry red wine (Syrah would be best)
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese for serving

Pasta Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (these should be at room temperature)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup minced herbs such as thyme and rosemary

Preparation for the Ragu:
Season the meat with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour.  Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot.  Add the meat and sear on all sides.  Remove to a bowl once seared.  Add the pancetta to the pot and cook until the fat has rendered but the pancetta is not yet crispy.  Remove the pancetta and set aside.  Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs to the pot and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are soft.  Add the meat and pancetta back to the pot, followed by the tomatoes and wine.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Start pulling the meat apart with a fork after about an hour.  Sprinkle with parsley and cheese before serving.

Preparation for the pasta:
Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, mash the garlic cloves together with a pinch of salt to create a paste.

Sift the flour onto a clean work surface (countertop or large cutting board) in a mound.  Make a hollow in the middle of the mound.  Add the eggs and egg yolk, the olive oil, the garlic paste, the herbs and the salt in the hollow.  Using a fork, mix the ingredients in the hollow together and then gradually start to mix in the flour from the inner edge of the hollow.  Once the mixture in the hollow becomes viscous rather than runny, use your hands to work the remaining flour into the mixture.  If all of the flour doesn’t get absorbed, add a small amount of water.  Continue to work the dough with the heels of your hands, kneading until the dough is firm but slightly elastic and all of the ingredients have been fully incorporated.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest about an hour.

Take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and wrap the remaining dough in the plastic wrap so that it doesn’t dry out.  Using a pasta roller (or Kitchenaid pasta attachment or rolling pin), roll out the piece of dough to your desired thickness.  Then, with a knife, cut the dough into wide ribbon noodles about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide.  Repeat until you’ve used all of the pasta dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta until it just floats to the surface, about 2 minutes.

Toss the cooked pasta together with some of the sauce in order to coat the noodles.  Place equal amounts of the noodles in large pasta bowls and top with more sauce.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and cheese.

Cheers and buon appetito!!

 
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Posted in 4.5 Corked Forks, 4.5 Corks Popped, 4.5 Forks, Bennett Valley, California, CorkPopper LocaPour Project, Food Porn, Syrah, Westerhold Family Vineyard, fresh pasta

 

Let the 2011 Wine Festivals Begin!

10 Jan

Hey there, CorkPopper fans!  If you love wine (and I know you do, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this here blog), there are two events this Saturday, January 15, about which you should be aware….

First, is Pinot Days at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport.  I attended this event last year (and will be attending this year as a member of the “trade”…. woo hoo!) and loved it.  This year, over 90 Pinot Noir producers from all over the country will be showcasing over 300 wines from the best domestic Pinot Noir-producing regions.  So, if you’re a Pinot-phile like me, head on over to the Pinot Days website to check out the details and purchase your tickets ($60 for the Grand Tasting event).  The Grand Tasting is from 2-6pm.

Second, if you’re not as excited as I am about the prospect of tasting nothing but Pinot Noir on a Saturday afternoon (or if you want to drink MORE wine after attending Pinot Days), you’ll find more varietals over at the International Wine Festival, which is from 5-8pm over at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood.  I know less about this particular event, as I haven’t attended it in the past.  That said, I have attended the Beer Festival organized by the same company and have had a fantastic time, so this event is certainly worth checking out.  You can find information and tickets here.

Cheers, and I hope to see you at one or both of these events this Saturday!

 
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Posted in Festivals, Pinot Noir, wine tasting

 

Did ya miss me??

08 Jan

Phew!!  The last few weeks for me have been a whirlwind – year-end craziness at work followed by holiday madness that started in Los Angeles, moved to Berkeley, and then on to San Francisco followed by an all too short vacation in Mexico and topped off with this, the most hellish week I’ve had at work in quite some time.  Happy New Year to me!

But even a hurricane couldn’t stop me from eating, of course, and eat is just what I’ve done.

From a Pork Crown Roast on Christmas Eve…..

Followed by Mascarpone Cheesecake with Balsamic Strawberries…..

And then waking up to make Egg Nog Waffles with Candied Walnuts and Fresh Berries on Christmas morning…..

Before flying up to the Bay Area to make Tandoori-Spiced Rack of Lamb with Cilantro-Mint Pesto and Cous Cous on Christmas night…..

And then lightening things up a bit with some Crab Cocktail at Waterbar on San Francisco’s Embarcardero….

Before heading south of the Border to Isla Mujeres, an island just off the coast of Cancun, where J and I enjoyed our share of El Jimador Margaritas by the beach…..

And ate our way through Isla Mujeres for the next four days, devouring massive amounts of fresh seafood, like this Pescado Fritto (Whole Fried Fish)…..

And the world’s best Mixed Ceviche (Scallop, Shrimp and Grouper) at our favorite Isla Mujeres restaurant, Ballyhoo, where you can literally watch the catch of the day come off the boats…..

And, of course, celebrated New Year’s Eve at Ballyhoo with an amazing platter of fresh lobster, fish and shrimp….

Before coming home to some Baked Eggs in Tomatoes with Spinach, Parmiggiano Reggiano and Bacon…..

And my New Year’s resolution?  Get back on the blogging wagon, of course!

Cheers and Happy New Year!!

 
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Posted in Food Porn, Isla Mujeres, Mexico