Travel,Wine and Cuisine by Christopher J Davies

Cooking Beef Short Ribs in Wine

2012-01-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

Beef Short Ribs seasoned and marinating

Once a month we conduct a panel tasting of wines for Vinotasting.com
There are lots of partially opened wine bottles opened that we keep giving away to neighbors and friends. I decided to explore recipes and techniques for using this left over wine.

If you are like most folks, you probably don't have a lot over unfinished wine bottles. So if you choose to make this dish, you will need to sacrifice a few bottles (3) of decent red to make the recipe.

The following recipe is inspired by recipes that are published one of my favorite chefs Daniel Boulud. I added the overnight marinating of the meat before braising. After several attempts and tweaks I served this dish to our family on Christmas. Everyone is still raving about the meal!

BEEF SHORT RIBS IN RED WINE
Feeds 4-6 guests

Step 1- Marinating the meat in wine

4lbs of Beef Short Ribs
5 cups of red wine
5 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbs salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbs of Herbs de Provence

Salt & Pepper ribs on both sides, add garlic & herbs, layer in a glass baking dish. Add red wine to cover/submerge all of the meat.

Cover with plastic wrap. Marinate overnight for 12-18 hours in refrigerator

Step 2- Making Red Wine Reduction

Pour 5 cups of red wine in a sauce pan at medium heat. Heat to a boil, but be careful not to burn the wine. You will cook for 35 minutes until the wine reduces to about 1 1/2 cup.

Step 3 Braising & Cooking

12 shallots peeled and cut in half
4 carrots peeled and cut in to 3 inch pieces
10 cloves of garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Remove ribs from marination.
Discard wine and herb mixture.

Pat meat dry with a paper towel. Cut ribs in 1/3rds between bones on an angle.

Heat a cast iron braising pot on stove at medium flame for 5 minutes. Run kitchen fan and DO NOT ad any oil to pan.

Place ribs in pan, spaced nicely apart. Cook for 4 minutes on each side to brown. Do browning in bunches and set aside browned meat on a plate.

Set your oven to 350 degrees.

When all meat is completely braised you will then add shallots, carrots and garlic to the pan. They will brown in the oils left over from the short ribs. After browning for 5-7 minutes, add the ribs and your Red Wine Reduction to the pot. Stir everything on stove top for 4 minutes, then cover. Turn off stove top and remove pot from stove top and place in oven for 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven and carefully place ribs and carrots onto a serving dish.

Drain the wine sauce from the pot using a screened funnel or cheesecloth.

Salt meat & sauce to taste.

Suggested wine pairing:

Dry Rose, Cabernet Franc or Merlot

Charlie Palmer's Wazee Wood Fire Pizza Does It Big!

2011-12-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

District Meats chef Jeff Russell with Charlie Palmer

Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer has been in the news lately.

Less than a month ago he opened his delicious new concept District Meats in Denver's Lodo District. That restaurant is getting rave reviews from Denver foodies. It recently opened up lunch service and Chef Palmer seems poised to be testing the waters for opening other District Meats locations in the future, after plugging the new restaurant and menu on NBC's Today show last week!

Today Show Video link:
http://www.charliepalmer.com/News/?ArticleId=512

Just today, Chef Palmer officially opened Wazee Wood Fire Pizza adjacent District Meats dining room in Denver. He's offering New York style pizza in traditional as well as original gourmet style creations. I was proud to pick up one of his first large pies today after a business lunch at DM.

I ordered a Large "Mulberry Street" Pizza $22, which was the largest, large pizza, I have ever encountered at 20 inches in diameter!

Large Mulberry Street Measured 20"

The Mulberry Street is the ultimate meat lovers pizza, with Sopressata, Prosciutto, Pancetta and Parmesan. This combination is destined to be a Denver favorite. The pizza crust was done just like my favorite pizzeria in New York does it! This pie is also offered in small (which is the size of a typical Large) for $18.

Other Wazee Creations that appealed to my eye as well as stomach:

•The Aristocrat
Duck Confit, Arugula, Local Goat Cheese, Lemon Zest $16/$20

•The Western New Yorker
Grilled Chicken, Blue Cheese & Hot Sauce $14/$18

•Margherita
Buffalo Mozzarella, San Marzano Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, EVOO $13/$17

Wazee also offers Traditional Pies and White Pies with Artisnal Cheeses, by the pie or by the slice. There's a wide range of toppings to choose from. The space is café size with limited seating. When I picked up my pie, I noticed quite a few business people picking up slices to take back to the office.

Other items on the menu include Salads $6/$9, A Veal & Ricotta Grinder $9, Assorted Salumi Plate $10 and Trio of Artisnal Cheeses $10.

Hours: 11:00am to close, Monday thru Saturday.

District Meats & Wazee Wood Fire Pizza
1625 Wazee Street
Denver, CO 80202

Lunch
Monday - Friday 11:30am to 2:30pm

Dinner
Monday - Thursday 4:00pm to 12:00am
Friday - Saturday 4:00pm to 1:00am
Sunday - closed

Tel: 303.623.1630
Fax: 303.825.0560
Website: http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DistrictMeats/

Check out my story about District Meats in Examiner.Com:

http://www.examiner.com/wine-country-travel-in-national/charlie-palmer-s-district-meats-opens-denver-s-lodo-district

Spam & Champagne!

2011-07-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Spam and Champagne!
Not your typical pairing but it works!

A funny thing happened during our recent road trip to Minnesota...we discovered the Spam Museum!

Yes, just like there's a website for just about everything, there's a museum for Spam!

Hormel Industries, the makers of Spam have a wonderful museum in Austin, Minnesota just off Interstate 90. Admission is free.

New Spam Flavors

You get to watch a great movie that covers the history of this world-famous mystery meat in a can. The museum is well worth the stop. Plus you can get to purchase new Spam logo items and new Spam flavors (including Hot & Spicy and Pepper) that are not yet available in the stores.

We brought samples of The Hot & Spicy Spam, which is seasoned with Tabasco sauce. I am not a fan of Spam, but this was delicious in a grilled cheese sandwich.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH WITH HOT & SPICY SPAM

-Open Can, remove Spam with fork
-Slice into 6 even portions
-Brown in skillet at medium heat with pat of butter, then remove
-Place pat of butter in pan. Grill piece of bread with American Cheese slices & spam. Add 2 piece of bread on top, flip over when first side is browned.
-After 2nd side browned, remove and plate and slice in half

Ideal Wine Pairing:
Champagne or Sparkling Wine, or Riesling

Visit the Spam Museum. They are open 10-5 Monday Thru Saturdays, 12 to 5pm on Sundays.

Spam Museum
1937 Spam Blvd
Austin, MN 55912
Tel. 507 437-5100
Spam.com

Top Grilling Tips From The Deen Brothers

2011-05-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

New Book: Get Fired Up

Paula Deen's Sons Jamie and Bobby are a grilling dynamic duo. They just released a wonderful new cookbook, "Get Fired Up,” that features 125 mouthwatering, easy-to-follow recipes for creating tasty dishes that the home cook can master without hours of preparation. Southern favorites include Glazed Barbecue Shrimp, Grilled Crab Cake Sammies, and Fire-Roasted Clams and Mussels. The photography in this book is mouthwatering. 224 pages, hardcover $25. www.randomhouse.com/book/38582/the-deen-bros-get-fired-up-by-jamie-deen-bobby-deen-and-melissa-clark#blurb_tabs

The Deen's Top BBQ Tips Worth Following:

Jamie Deen

Q: What are the three rules of grilling?

1. Flip once.
2. Less seasoning is more.
3. Pay attention to the heat.

Q: What are three common grilling mistakes?

1. Pressing the meat.
2. Cutting too soon once it comes off the grill.
3. Over cooking.

Bobby Deen

Q: What are the three rules of grilling?

1. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before grilling. Throwing an ice cold piece of meat on the grill is never a good idea.
2. Don't poke or cut it while you're cooking it. That releases the juices that give the meat all its flavor.

3. Most importantly: Don't burn it.

Q: What are three common grilling mistakes?

B: I think the answers to the previous question speak to the most common mistakes, but there are still more. First; don't over-season the meat. A good cut has plenty of flavor on its own. A little salt and pepper is all you need. Also, always allow the meat to rest for a few minutes after removing it from the grill. That allows the juices to get flowing through it again. Juices=flavor.

The Deen Brothers Website: www.thedeenbros.com/

Check out my full candid interview with The Deen Brothers on Examiner.com: www.examiner.com/wine-country-travel-in-national/great-meat-meets-great-vino-beringer-vineyards-great-steak-challenge-hosted-b

Denver Magazine Did A Lot Of Good For Denver

2011-04-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Cover of First Issue: Denver Magazine

Denver Magazine (2008 to 2011)

Magazine's are like restaurants. To start one you must have a great idea, a lot of passion and capital. I know this first hand, having worked for deep pocketed Petersen Publishing in Manhattan (Motor Trend, Guns & Ammo, Photographic, to name a few) as well as co-founding and publishing my own magazine Wine Country International®.

Just like restaurants, only 2 out of 8 magazines survive beyond 2 years.

I was deeply saddened to learn that Denver Magazine had shuttered it's publication yesterday. I know it's founder & Publisher, Michael Ledwitz pretty well. He is a bright guy with tons of passion and energy. During the past year, he managed to fine tune the publication into a high quality magazine that I looked forward to reading every month. Circulation was reported to be at 50,000 copies per month which is pretty formidable in today's publishing world.

It was announced yesterday, that Long established Denver publication 5280, had wisely purchased Denver Magazine's assets. They have already directed the URL denvermagazine.com to their website. This will help them capture national advertising when agency interns search magazines that are named after major US cities. People outside of Colorado do not understand what 5280 means.

In closing, I feel that while Denver Magazine did not succeed as a business, it did a lot for the city and culture of the Mile High City. From it's stylish photo shoots to it's intimate celebrity interviews, Denver Magazine raised the bar on magazine editorial in Colorado, proving that Denver is not just a city of Cowboy's and Cowgirls!

I have not spoken with Michael Ledwitz since learning about his magazine's closure. I am confident that after the initial numbness wears off, that he and his staff will move on to greener pastures.

CJD

Capital Grille Vintage Wine & Food Experience

2011-04-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Capital Grille, Denver

For those who read my blog, it is no secret that I am a big fan of the Capital Grille restaurants. I first experienced Capital Grille's Tyson Corner restaurant, when I was a national sales manager with a generous expense account. It was love at first bite!

Lately, I have been impressed with Capital Grille's over the top wine programs. The latest edition to their cellar is a second annual release of their Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2007 created by Thomas Peffer, a world-class winemaker from Atalon Vineyards in Napa Valley. Mr. Peffer created the wine with guidance from The Capital Grille’s George Miliotes, one of only 170 Master Sommeliers in the world. The grapes used were from specially selected vineyards in Napa Valley whose high elevation and unique microclimate result in the perfect conditions for creamy, boldly textured flavors. Blended solely for The Capital Grille, fewer than 1,000 cases of this unique wine will be produced. The company will donate $25 from the sale of each limited bottle to Share Our Strength® and its mission to end childhood hunger in America. Cost: $75, which based on the quality is an exceptional price.

For more info on this project see my article in Examiner.Com: www.examiner.com/wine-country-travel-in-national/capital-grille-s-releases-artist-series-wine-to-help-end-childhood-hunger

2007 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Review:
Capital Grille Artist Series
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $75, ****
Dark Ruby Color, rich scents of black currant, red berries, black raspberries & pipe tobacco. Elegant taste, soft tannins and long finish. Pair with beef, lamb or chocolate.

Dish on Our Dinner:
Capital Grille, Denver
Located in the touristy Larimer Square region of LODO (Lower Downtown), This Capital Grille is a popular Denver hotspot. The chefs are true artisans and the service staff operates like a Swiss Clock! Manager Charlie Stauter oversees the room like an orchestra conductor breezing through the aisles with a watchful eye. When he managed to stop by our table, I told him I was dreaming about celebrating my birthday at the restaurant. He personally made our reservation!

Our server Vanessa was super personable and showed a great knowledge of the menu and wine cellar. She immediately cracked open a bottle of the Artisan Series Cabernet and decanted it so it could open up for later. We started off with cocktails and fresh raw oysters on the half shell. This was later complimented by Kim Crawford Sauvignon, a signature Sauv from Marlborough that has got more citrus than a lemon grove. This paired well with our rich Lobster Bisque.

Our old friend and Capital Grille wine professional, Jamil Tealer gave us a little history on the Artisan Cab, commenting that this vintage is far superior in his opinion to the first edition.

Darcy and I decided to split entrees. She ordered the Bone-In Kona Coffee Rubbed Dry Aged Sirloin with Scallion Butter $43. A flavor enhanced meat that was delicious with the Artisan Series Cabernet. Chef James Storm visited us at the table to explain the ingredients of the rub; Cocoa Powder, Decaf Coffee, Mustard Seed, Parmesan and Caramelized Scallions. Darcy likes her steak "black n'blue" and chef supplied exactly what she ordered.

I ordered a 3lb lobster stuffed with crab meat. The crab meat was fried in Panko butter. The lobster was mouthwatering and really seat. I almost did not need to dip it in butter.

Side Offerings are not to be missed! We ordered our favorite's; Fresh Creamed Spinach and Au Gratin Potatoes.

We were so full, that we had to pass on a traditional dessert, ordering glasses of 30 year-old tawny port, an elegant dessert in a glass.

The best thing about leaving a Capital Grille, is the way they package your leftovers! Everything is packaged perfectly and placed into a nice shopping bag with a signed thank you card from the chef. The devil is in the details and Capital Grille has the details down perfectly.

I highly recommend that you visit your local Capital Grille soon. The Limited Edition Artist Series Wine is going to sell out soon! Plus, the food and service are unmatched! www.thecapitalgrille.com

///

SALUTING GUSTAV ESCOFFIER. THE BROADMOOR WAY!

2011-03-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Chef Justin Miller explains cooking & sourcing Sweet Bread

SALUTING GUSTAV ESCOFFIER. THE BROADMOOR WAY!
By Christopher J. Davies

I have a secret. You know how everyone says they are going on a diet after New Years Eve? We'll mine gets official delayed until after the Broadmoor's Salute To Escoffier Event in late January, or early February.

This event has been classified by some as a food orgy. It is really a homage to the master of French Cuisine and French Wine. Their 9th Annual event was held February 4 to 6, 2011. It was a sold-out event full of foodies, wine and food writers and trade folk.

John Blazon MS with Chef Bertrand Bouquin

Lobster Carpaccio

The event was different than past years, the Friday night welcome reception was somewhat trimmed down, not surprising as most guests do not arrive until Saturday. But the Wine Luncheon at The Mobil 5 Star Penrose Room, featuring luxury boutique wines from Stonestreet Wines, a Kendal-Jackson brand, set the bar for detectible wine pairings and what the evening had in store for the guests. Master Sommelier John Blazon, a former Disney Food & Beverage Director guided us through the Stonestreet wines with grace and humor!

Menu

Amuse Bouche
Stonestreet Estate Grown, Sauvignon Blanc, Alexander Valley
***
Main Lobster Carpaccio With Horseradish Caviar Cream
Stonestreet Red Point Vineyard, Chardonnay, Alexander Valley 2006
***
Veal Tenderloin And Sweet Bread With Tangerine
Stonestreet, Christopher's Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2006
Stonestreet, Fifth Ridge, Estate Red Blend, Alexander Valley 2006
***
Wild Flower Honey Panacotta

Journalist friends with Lindsey Bradish, The Broadmoor's F&B Marketing & PR Manager

During the weekend, we also had the pleasure of dining at Summit, the Broadmoor's spectacular American Brasserie, that was designed by internationally-renowned restaurant architect Adam D. Tihany. When you enter Summit you see their expansive bar and custom designed wine turret. Summit features the creative cuisine of French Born Chef Bertrand Bouquin. We fell in love with many of dishes, including the Mac and Cheese Appetizers, which rivals Thomas Keller's (includes Lobster), but the standout was Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Coconut Crust $19, Dried Apricot and Fennel Chutney, Oloroso Reduction. A wonderfully sweet and meaty dish with velvet texture!

We also tried Wine Director Tim Baldwin's suggested pairing: Sherry
Gonzalez Byass, Matusalem, Oloroso Dulce Viejo, VORS (30 years old) Jerez, Spain 13.00. This was a spot on pairing, and to be frank, the first RED Sherry that I have ever tried. I will be resuming my Sherry studies soon! Delicious! Check out Summit: http://www.broadmoor.com/colorado-restaurant-summit.php

Saturday's line-up included a cooking demonstration and " Art of The Cocktail" mixology seminar. But the big event was the evening "A Salute To Escoffier" Grand Buffet which for the first time was held in The Broadmoor's International Center. When guests arrived we were treated to a cocktail reception in the lobby which included a full-blown Sushi Station by A-1 Sushi, a multi-store, Japanese run company. When the doors to the ballroom opened it was surprising to enter an elegantly decorated, massive hall with mood lighting and wall to wall cold and hot buffet stations.

The featured wines were sponsored by Republic National Distributors and their Trinity Fine Wines and Grand Vin divisions. While most of the wines were French, I did find some Italian, Chilean and American wines.

The evening concluded with a silent and live auction, that contained large format wine bottles, verticals, a custom chef dinner at your home for eight guests and several trips and excursions. All proceeds were split by the Education Foundation for The Colorado Restaurant Association and The Broadmoor's Culinary Apprenticeship and Scholarship Fund.

This event is a favorite for us and sets the clock for our new year diet!
Check out the 2012 10th Annual Salute To Escoffier Weekend which should be scheduled for the first weekend in February 2012. http://www.broadmoor.com/

Veal and Sweat Bread Duo

RECIPE

Veal and Sweetbread Duo
Curry Spaetzle and Green Asparagus
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 each        Veal Tenderloin
1 pound       Veal Sweetbread
4 each        Tangerine
1 bunch       Green asparagus

Blanched the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 8 minutes or until tender, set aside.

Juice the tangerines and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Season the veal loin and the sweetbread with salt and pepper. Cook the veal loin for about 8 minutes on each side or until desired temperature. Remove the veal loin and set aside. In the same pan, cook the sweetbread for the same amount of time. Add the tangerine juice to the pan and reduce it so it glazes the sweetbread. Set aside.
*****

Curry Spaetzle
2 cup                All purpose flour
4 each               Whole eggs
2 tablespoons        Whole milk
1 teaspoon           Curry powder
To taste             Salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs and milk in to the flour with a whisk making sure there are no lumps. Add the curry powder, salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large pot, bring some salted water to a boil and push the curry dough threw a perforated pan. When the spaetzle comes back to the surface of the water they are cooked. Cool them in ice water, strain and set aside.

In a large sautéed pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil with a tablespoon of butter. Add the spaetzle and sauté until they start to caramelize, season with salt and pepper.

Wine Country International: Wonderful wine books for the holidays!

2010-12-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Wine Country International Magazine's

Wonderful wine books for the holidays
By Christopher J. Davies

Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Guide to Wines of the World, Completely Revised 3rd Edition

Authors: Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, Michael A. Weiss
Rating: Must read!
Format: Hardcover, 792 pages
Price: $65.00
Webpage: www.wiley.com
ISBN: 978-0-470-77063-3

CIA's latest, completely revised edition is the ultimate textbook for wine education. Just shy of 800 pages, this book is an amazing resource for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike. You will need to eat your wheaties before attempting to pick up this book. But after reviewing its interesting chapters and scanning it's breathtaking photography, you will not want to put this book down.

Chapter one starts out logically covering growing grapes and the fundamentals of wine making. Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted to Wines of The New World and Old World. Every established and upcoming wine growing country and region is included, providing an excellent overview of each countries popular grape varietals, wine laws and grape regions. New information about wine and regions in India and China is also included in this edition.

This book demystifies many aspects of the world of wine. But best of all it provides some of the best information on pairing foods with wine. This is a wonderful addition to anyone's library.
====================

The Art and Design of Contemporary Wine Labels

Author: Tanya Scholes, Foreword by Michael Mondavi
Rating: Excellent!
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Price: $45.00
Webpage: www.santamonicapress.com
ISBN: 978-1-59580-046-6

Wine label design is a very important ingredient of wine sales and marketing. It has been proven that a great design can have a major impact on sales. Graphics, color schemes, font styles and font sizes are combined to create an attractive label.

This book discovers the "art of the label" showcasing approximately 250 different labels from around. The author provides intriguing background stories and the reasoning behind each label's design.

This is a fantastic collection of many creative design styles. If you are a lover of good design, this book is for you. If you are a wine producer planning to hire a label designer, this book is a must!

====================

The Great Family Wine Estates Of France
Authors: Photographs by Solvi dos Santos; Text by Florence Brutton
Rating: Excellent!
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Price: $50.00
Webpage: www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
ISBN: 978-0-500-51531-0

Wine is everywhere you look in France. This book and it's beautiful color photographs give a rare insiders view of the aristocratic and elegant lifestyle of France's wine barons. The collection of photos is divided by wine regions. The photographer has captured many old and opulent aspects, architectural features and cobwebs. The book is also filed with photos of lush vineyards, cool & dark wine cellars and many wine bottles and glasses.

This is a perfect coffee table book for Francophiles and wine lovers. It also contains maps, resources and useful charts on each major wine producing region in France.

==================

Story by Christopher J. Davies, (C)2010, all rights reserved.

www.vinotasting.com

Denver International Airport Has Bold Development Plans For The Future

2010-11-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Proposed train terminal

Denver International Airport Has Bold Development Plans For The Future
By Christopher J. Davies

The Denver International Airport, or DIA as locals call it, is just 15 years young. It's a super-sized airport comprising of 34,000 acres or 53 square, which makes it larger than Disney World in Orlando (25,000 acres).

Getting to DIA from downtown Denver takes a little time as its terminal is actually 24 miles away from Larimer Square. Once you enter DIA, the drive to the terminal is similar to entering Disney World in Orlando, sans the monorail. As you get closer to the terminal you see its enchanted white roof which depicts snow-capped mountains.

Having all of the space is a good thing. As in 15 short years, DIA has grown to be the world's tenth busiest airport and the fifth busiest airport in the United States. In 2009, 50 million passengers were transported through DIA making it one of the busiest hubs in the aviation world.

As a frequent world traveler, I made the decision to move to Denver eight years ago primarily based on DIA's convenient parking, modern terminal and excellent flight routes. DIA is centrally located in the middle of the country allowing me to get to New York in three hours or San Francisco in two. For European flights I love Lufthansa's daily direct flights from Denver to Frankfurt, which make for quick connections to most European cities.

Signature rail bridge on Pena Blvd

Recently airport management and the city of Denver unveiled bold new expansion plans for adding a South Terminal complex which will included a 500 room terminal hotel and rail way station with connection to Downtown Denver. DIA has contracted world-famous, visionary engineer and Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava, a modern-day Frank Lloyd Wright of transportation design, to create a world-class addition to the existing terminal.

While airport management has been under recent criticism for their artistic tastefulness after placing a blue mustang sculpture on the road leading to the airport terminal, the decision to hire Mr.Calatrava will make an enormous artistic impact on DIA's reputation worldwide.

During the unveiling, Airport Director Kim Day explained, "Today is an historic moment for Denver International Airport. Mr. Santiago Calatrava is one of the world's premier designers of rail stations and airports. His recent work includes the Olympic Sports Complex in Athens."

While the unveiling was pitched as conceptual designs with an emphasis on conservative fiscal, Ms. Day assured the attendees that the estimated Phase One expansion cost of $650 million for the new terminal, rail station, 500 room terminal hotel with convention center, offices and signature rail bridge will be paid for by the airport's cash flows.

Mayor John Hickenlooper also spoke, "We have a world-class airport. 6,500 plus jobs will be created by RTD and this construction. No tax money or general fund money will be used".

Hickenlooper introduced Mr.Calatrava who shared his vision by sitting down at a drawing table and painting "live" for everyone to see while his drawing was projected on a large screen causing jaws to drop as this modern-day Picasso painted long strokes across canvas illustrating how the new architecture fit into the backdrop of the current airport terminal and the mountains to the west of DIA. At the end, all of his paintings were gathered by his assistant, so that they could preserved perhaps in a museum or exhibit some day.

A futuristic animated movie was also shown which gave viewers a front side ride into the airport, passing under the new signature rail bridge as an RTD train transported passengers overhead from Downtown Denver. The modern rail station resembles a classic open air European Rail Station and the plaza and terminal hotel will rival modern airport terminals such as the new terminal in Munich, Germany.

Mr.Calatrava is as big as they get in Architecture as well as the art world. In 2006 he had a major exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art called "Sculpture Into Architecture". Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum, stated: "It is a rare delight to present the work of such an accomplished architect and artist. This exhibition takes an intimate look at Santiago Calatrava's inventive practices, and uncovers the connections between the private artist and the public architect as he meditates over forms, themes, and construction."
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Calatrava/architecture_more.asp

Before leaving the presentation, Mr. Calatrava commented, "I am inspired by the city, the people, the landscape and the existing airport. I have tried to do an addition that complements and connects with the existing architecture".

The construction won't begin until December 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by 2013. The hotel architecture was designed by Gensler, a global design firm with an office in Denver. M.A Moretenson Construction, who recently completed construction of 1800 Larimer St, in Denver—the First LEED-CS Platinum Pre-Certified High Rise West of the Mississippi--will
be the construction manager/general contractor.

On August 26, 2010, RTD broke ground on the $1 billion East Corridor commuter rail line, the largest single rail project in the voter-approved FasTracks program. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Denver International Airport (DIA) on the south lawn of the Jeppesen Terminal, the future site of the DIA rail station.

The rail station will be completed in 2016.

The future of Denver International Airport is bright and destined to open increased routes to Asia and Europe. I commend airport management, Mayor John Hickenlooper and RTD for having the vision to take DIA to such a outstanding level.

///
Note: All images supplied by The Denver International Airport

RESOURCES

Denver International Airport
http://flydenver.com/

View the animated movie and learn about construction progress:
http://business.flydenver.com/community/southTerminal/index.asp

RTD
http://www3.rtd-denver.com/elbert/news/index.cfm?id=1071

Taste of Elegance 2010 dishes by The Fort

2010-11-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Geoffrey Groditski

Geoffrey Groditski, Executive Chef, The Fort
Shares his Dishes From the Taste of Elegance!
Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies

The 2010 Denver International Wine Festival Taste of Elegance Chefs Food and Wine Competition took place ion Thursday November 4, 2010. The event celebrates the gold medal wines from the Denver International Wine Competition.

Twelve Master Colorado Chefs were assigned two gold medal wine each and had just 7 days to create custom paired dishes for 450 guests.

The dishes were tasted by a prestigious panel of judges:

* Hosea Rosenberg, Top Chef Season 5 Winner
* Kelly Liken, Chef/Owner Restaurant Kelly Liken-Vail, CO
* Claire Walter, Food Critic & Author of "Culinary Colorado"
* Wes Marshall, Wine Writer and Author of "What's a Wine lover To Do?"
* Tom Spilman District President, KeyBank

This year I was excited that one of my favorite restaurants, The Fort had agreed to let their chef participate! Better yet, Chef Geoffrey Groditski received an honorable mention from the judges. Top Chef Season 5 Winner Hosea Rosenberg, was surprised by the dishes and claimed that this was his first time ever tasting Buffalo Tongue! A delicious dished that paired well with Borghese Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc- North Fork Long Island!

Darcy and I visited Chef Geoffrey recently at The Fort and took photos of him and his wonderful dishes.

He was kind enough to share his recipe's from the Taste of Elegance!

PORT BRAISED BEEF CHEEK
Paired with Zerba Cellars 2007 GSM Blend Mourverde- Columbia Valley, WA

Beef cheek #2
Cleaned of excess fat and connective tissue
Carrots 2 ea (Peeled and roughly chopped)
Shallots 6 ea (Peeled and chopped)
Garlic cloves 20ea (Crushed)
Ruby Port 2 Bottles
Rich veal stock 1 qt
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except salt and 1 bottle of port in roasting pan and cover. Place in 400 F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hrs.
Remove from oven. Strain liquid from cheeks and vegetables and reserve. Dice all meat and vegetables and place in pot on stove. Add cooking liquid and remaining bottle of port and cook over low heat for 2 -3 hrs until liquid has reduced by at least half and the consistency is that of a ragout. Salt to taste.

Goat cheese grits

Stone Ground Grits #2
2-3 oz olive oil
1.5 cup yellow onion medium diced
4 T minced garlic
2 cups chardonnay
1.5 qt chicken stock
.5 qt heavy whipping cream
#2 goat cheese chevre

In rondo, sweat onions and garlic till translucent. Add wine and reduce by half. Add chicken stock, cream and grits. Stirring frequently, cook for 30 to 45 min over med heat till liquids are absorbed and grits and tender. Turn off heat and stir in cheese until fully incorporated.

BUFFALO TONGUE
Paired with Borghese Vineyard 2009 Sauvignon Blanc-North Fork, Long Island

3-4 pounds buffalo tongue
1 bay leaf
1 T peppercorns
1 yellow onion coarsely chopped
1 carrot coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk coarsely chopped
Water to cover

In large pot bring water and all ingredients except tongue to a boil. Add tongue and simmer 2 ½ to 3 hours. Remove from water and let cool for 10-15 min. Peel skin off of tongue and than place tongue in cooler to chill. When completely cooled slice tongue in ½ inch pieces across grain. Heat pieces in non stick skillet or under broiler for 1 min until hot. Place on crostini and garnish with aoli and chile infused honey.

Crostini
1 baguette sliced in ½ inch pieces
Olive oil ½ cup
Assorted herbs and garlic ¼ cup

Put oil in pot on low heat and add herbs and garlic. Simmer 5-10 min. Remove from heat and strain. Brush pieces of baguette with oil and bake at 400 F for 3-5 min until golden brown.

Horseradish Vanilla Aoli

1 egg yolk
Juice from 1 lemon
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t vanilla extract
1 T prepared horseradish
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine 1st 5 ingredients in food processor or blender and blend thoroughly. Slowly add oil to emulsify. Add s&p to taste.

Chile Honey

1 Cup clover honey
1 T ancho chile powder
2 oz chicken broth

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Resources:

Restaurant:

The Fort
19192 Hwy 8
Morrison, CO 80465
Tel. 303-697-1963
www.thefort.com

Wine producers:

Castello di Borghese
Vineyard & Winery
17150 County Rte 48
(Mailing: P.O. Box 957)
Cutchogue, New York 11935
Tel. (631) 734-5111
Toll Free: (800)-734-5158
http://www.castellodiborghese.com

Zerba Cellars
810 Highway 99W
Dundee, OR 97115
Tel.(503) 537-WINE

Tasting Room
85530 Highway 11
Milton-Freewater, Oregon 97862
http://www.zerbacellars.com

Story and photos © 2010 by Christopher J.Davies, all rights reserved.

Christopher Davies Photography www.daviesphotos.com

Denver International Wine Festival www.denverwinefest.com

Denver International Wine Competition www.denverwinecomp.com

Chef Hosea Rosenberg website: http://www.chefhosea.com/

Chef Kelly Liken website: http://www.kellyliken.com/

Claire Walter blog: http://culinary-colorado.com/

Wes Marshall Blog: http://wesonwine.blogspot.com/

The Capital Grille blends food and wine deliciously!

2010-08-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Tony Glorioso (Caymus), Chefs and Charlie Stauter, Managing Partner

The Capital Grille blends food and wine deliciously!
Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies

Impeccable service, warm décor and ambience, delicious dry aged steaks and ultra fresh seafood (flown in daily) makes for the best culinary experience that you can get! The Capital Grille delivers this precisely like a fine Swiss clock!

The Capital Grille has one of the finest wine lists of any multi-store (40) national restaurant chain. Each restaurant boasts an impressive 5,000 plus bottle cellar. With this many wines, it is no surprise that they carry the annual Wine Spectator Award of Excellence!

Our local Capital Grille is located in Downtown Denver in historic Larimer Square. It's an amazing location with a bustling bar crowd. A favorite place for business lunches as well celebratory dinners.

Caymus Wine Pairing Dinner
The Capital Grille's wine programs are always educational and value added!
Recently we attended a Caymus Wine Dinner which was held in a private dinning room. The dinner was hosted by Tony Glorioso, Caymus' Western Sales Manager and a 20 year wine industry veteran.

My wife and I attend a lot of wine dinners, but I have to say that this was one of the best run, most delectable, that we have had in a long time. Best of all it was offered for $95 per person, which represented an excellent value considering the fact that we enjoyed 6 premium wines from Caymus paired with highly creative culinary fare by New York born and raised Chef/Partner Lawrence Bergstein. Just 30 lucky wine and food lovers got to enjoy!

Tomato Gazpacho with Chilled Shrimp

Menu
-2008 Caymus Conundrum
Wild Mushroom & Boursin Crostini
Mellon Balls with Fleuer De Sel & Lime

Caymus Conundrum is their signature white blend ($22.99 wine store price)

-2007 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay
Tomato Gazpacho with Chilled Shrimp

-2008 Bella Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir
Wild Salmon With Olathe Corn Risotto,
Lobster Mushrooms & Maple Sage Butter

Wild Salmon

What a surprise hit for us and our table guests! This was an exceptional dish paired with what became my favorite Caymus wine of the evening. The Salmon was outstanding, cooked just right to a perfect firmness. 2008 Bella Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir sells in wine stores for around $45.
-2008 Caymus Cabernet
Garlic & Rosemary Filet with Truffled Fingerling Potatoes & Rosemary Garlic

Rosemary Filet

The filet was cooked perfectly and paired very well with the Cabernet. This was exactly what we expected...a classic pairing. ($70 wine store price)

-2007 Caymus Special Select
Duck Confit With Black Mission Figs, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Fava Beans & Madeira.

Duck Confit

Very lean, premium duck without a trace of fat and a delicious crispy skin, complimented by the figs and smoky bacon. This paired well with the Caymus Select Wine. ($70 wine store price)

-Mer Soleil Late Harvest White
Assorted Desserts

This excellent grand finale of cookies and elegant dessert wine!
Tony Glorioso was an amazing host guiding us through the Caymus wines and inserting history about the California wine industry. The food was outstanding and the service was impeccable. Best of all the wine pourings were generous. Rating: Outstanding!

-----------------
Don't Miss! The Capital Grille's Master Wine Tasting Event
Taste 11 wines for just $25

Master Sommelier George Miliotes (one of 170 in the world) has selected an outstanding selection of wines from California, Europe and Australia. Head on down to any Capital Grille to receive your personalized tasting. The cost is just $25 per person and this is an ideal prelude to dinner. Order some appetizers and savor a flight of 11 wines from around the world. Hurry! The Master Wine Tasting Event runs through September 5, 2010.

The Capital Grille, Denver is located at 1450 Larimer Street Reservations can be made by calling 303.539.2500 or by visiting TheCapitalGrille.com. In addition to its main dining room, The Capital Grille features private dining rooms for up to 42 guests, as well as the Chef’s Table, with a front line view of the open kitchen, accommodating up to 10 guests.

For more details about Caymus visit www.caymus.com

Christopher Davies on:

Daviesphotos.com http://www.daviesphotos.com/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/cjdavies1
Twitter http://twitter.com/chrisjdavies59
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjdavies/sets/
Blogspot http://travelwinecuisine.blogspot.com

Wine Country International Best Food & Wine Books-Summer 2010

2010-07-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Wine Country International's Best Books for Summer 2010
By Christopher J. Davies
The three new books below classify as the ultimate "bible's" for their subject matter. If you are a foodie or aspiring wine lover, you should purchase these books and use them for reference.

Planet Barbecue!

Author: Steven Raichlen
Rating: Excellent- Must Buy!
Format: Paperback, 638 pages
Price: $22.95
Webpage: www.workman.com
ISBN 978-0-7611-4801-2
Steven Raichlen is the king of BBQ education. He has built a virtual BBQ empire with more than 27 books on the subject, several television shows, the annual Barbecue University hands on seminar series, a line of barbecue products, plus more. If you have watched his shows or read any of his books, you'd love his straight forward approach to grilling.

In Planet Barbeque, Raichlen demystifies BBQ techniques and provides 309 recipes from 60 countries. This magnificent book breaks down recipes by salad, breads, meats, fish and desert. The recipes are a result of Raichlen's extensive research and travel around the globe.

After reading Planet Barbecue you will want to moth ball your kitchen and cook every meal on the BBQ! This book is the ultimate barbecue lovers bible. Grill on!

=====

Listen to a podcast of Chris Davies radio interview of Steven Raichlen at this webpage:
http://www.vinotasting.com/Podcast.html

The New Book Of Soups
(second edition)

Author: The Culinary Institute of America
Rating: Excellent
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Price: $36.00
Webpage: www.lfbooks.com

ISBN-10: 0867308605
ISBN-13: 9780867308600

The Culinary Institute of America needs no introduction. They turn out some of the world's best chefs. The world's best chefs keep returning to CIA to get more education.

The new book of soups has 160 new and improved recipes with step0by-step instructions and spectacular mouth watering photography. You will find the chapter on Soup Basic's particularly useful for honing your soup skills in the kitchen. So whether it a hearty soup, creamed soup, chowder or bisque,hot or cold, this book is the ultimate soup maker's bible!

What's a Wine Lover to Do?
Author: Wes Marshal
Rating: Excellent/ Must Buy!
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Price: $17.95
Webpage:www.workman.com
ISBN: 9781579653705 (1579653707)

OK. The title says it all, drink wine fool!

Wes Marshall's new book is cram packed with straight forward, useful information that will help you expand your wine horizon's. While they say you can't judge a book by it's cover, this book's cover has so many teasers and tips just on the cover that will make you open the pages and not want to put it down.

Reading it will teach you everything from how to find wine values, decoding wine labels, pairing wine with food, how to taste and how to exploring wine regions with confidence.

This book will go down as one of the top ten books on wine. It's plainspoken explanations are bound to appeal to every palate!

For more about wine and food visit Vinotasting.com

Follow Christopher Davies on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/chrisjdavies59

Traveling overseas this summer? Don't forget travel insurance

2010-06-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Traveling overseas this summer? Don't forget travel insurance
Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies

We travel a lot for business and on journalistic assignments. While most of these trips are "fam trips" or familiarity trips, that are funded by tourism associations and governments, we always take out travel insurance for personal protection. Most people are not aware that their domestic health insurance is not accepted by international doctors and hospitals.

Our good friend, radio broadcaster Pierre Wolfe always takes out travel insurance before going on an international trip. Several years ago he and his wife Jean were strolling through Paris and Pierre suddenly tripped and fell on Jean, breaking her ankle. "You never know when something like this can happen". Fortunate for Jean, she was able to receive medical attention at the hospital and resume her trim, albeit on crutches. She returned home to Denver and recovered fully.

Some of the travel we take has slightly increased risks, like cycling in the Loire Valley, hot air ballooning in South Australia or extreme travel through the fjords of Patagonia. So for a peace of mind, we always take out travel insurance, just in case. The cost is reasonable, because most people never file a claim. Our cost for a typical ten day trip is under $300.

Travel insurance packages usually include other benefits like coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss and more. This came in very hand this April when my wife and I visited Italy to cover the VinItaly trade show, Italy's colossal wine convention.

Our trip to Italy was ambitious, we were planning to start in Verona to cover the Vinitaly show, then travel south for the purposes of researching stories about Italian food, cuisine and luxury travel. We visited the lovely lakeside town of Peschiera del Garda, tourist crammed, historic Florence, Lucca, which is famous for its intact Renaissance-era city walls and for producing the best olive oil in Tuscany, Montalcino the Tuscan hill town most famous for Brunello di Montalcino wine, Perugia the notable artistic center of Umbria and Rome the capital of Italy, the city of lost empires and the gateway to god.

My memories of this trip have all of the experiences and joy of being one of our trips of a lifetime until the last 48 hours before we were supposed to board our flight back to the US. It was Thursday April 15th. We had just arrived at our final hotel of the trip, The Hotel dei Consoli, located in a quiet neighborhood only 4 blocks from the walls of the Vatican. http://www.hoteldeiconsoli.com/

When we arrived at our hotel by cab, the desk manager came out and assisted us with our luggage. When we entered the lobby, I noticed that it was dark. The manager told us that there was a power outage in the neighborhood. And since our room was located on the third floor and the elevator did not work, we left our bags at the desk and decided to find a restaurant for lunch.

When we returned 90 minutes later the hotel lobby was bright and illuminated. The desk manager greeted us with a grin on his face. "Your luggage is in your room. Did you hear about the Volcano eruption?"

Over the next two days we watched the story of the Icelandic Volcano unfold on TV into one of the world's biggest airline catastrophe's of all time. First all the flights in and over the UK were cancelled. Then Germany and France. It did not take long for the whole of Europe to be grounded.

We were stranded in Italy! Our friends still laugh about our predicament. They all say that they wish they were "stranded" in Italy.

Our trip was extended an additional 7 days longer than the original planned 13 days. Total trip length in Italy was 20 days. The cost of the extra days was $2,900. Fortunately for us we had travel insurance. Our policy's trip interruption feature covered us for a maximum of $300 per day (hotel and meals). It also covered us for the theft of our brand new Garmin GPS unit, which mysteriously found it's way out of my wife's luggage.

So while no policy offers 100% coverage, we were elated to receive a refund check from Travel Guard insurance reimbursing us for two thirds of our additional expenses incurred in Italy. To say that we are now big believers in travel insurance would be an understatement. Who could have imagined that a natural disaster like a volcano erupting in Iceland could affect so many people in Europe, so quickly?

The fantastic memories of this trip will be forever with me. But I can't erase my memories of the tens of thousands of stranded people that we saw at the Rome train station and at the Frankfurt Airport.

Protect yourself!

CD

Resources:

Travel Guard
http://www.travelguard.com

Insure My Trip
http://www.insuremytrip.com/

CSA Travel Insurance
http://www.csatravelprotection.com/

Anatomy of a Beer Competition

2010-06-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

Anatomy of a Beer Competition
Story and Photos by Christopher J. Davies

We have been running professional wine competitions since 2004. Our annual Denver International Wine Competition has grown to become one of the nation's well respected double-blind wine competitions with a rapidly growing amount of entries received every year. www.denverwinecomp.com

Over the past several years Darcy and I have become friends with Keith Villa, the Brewmaster at Blue Moon Brewing a division of Miller/Coors. Keith is an interesting guy who also likes to make his own wine every year!

I was excited to learn that gourmet food and beer pairings are just starting to become popular in the US. I am talking about the typical beer and a hotdog at Yankee Stadium. I mean premium craft beers and gourmet food.

It should not be hard to do you think? After all, the Germans have been pairing brews with their cuisine for centuries. Want an nice beer and food pair? Visit the Hofbräuhaus in Munich and try Two original Munich veal sausages with a Münchner Weisse. Yummy! www.hofbraeuhaus.de

August 6-8, 2010
14th Berlin Beer Festival
The International Berlin Beer Festival attracts around a million visitors to the Karl Marx Allee. Every year at the first weekend in August more than 240 breweries from 80 countries present 1,800 different brands of beer. www.bierfestival-berlin.de

Denver International Beer Competition
Our goal this year was to recreate our popular chef contest "The Taste Of Elegance" replacing award winning wines with award winning craft beers! After consulting with fellow journalist and beer expert Dan Rabin, I was surprised to learn that there were as many as 70 different styles of beer nowadays. After careful review Dan was able to provide us with a food friendly list of 24 beer styles.

We launched the Denver International Beer Competition in March. The double-blind competition was held on May 1, 2010 at the Omni Interlocken Resort. Eighteen certified beer judges and 7 beer stewards participated. www.denverbeercomp.com

I learned a lot during this judging. Beer competitions are more precise and by the book than wine competitions, primarily because beer can contain a lot more ingredients than fermented grape juice. In contrast wine is subjective and 6 different judges may have different opinions about what they are tasting.

The beer judges awarded 33 medals that day including three best of show.

2010 DENVER INTERNATIONAL BEER COMPETITION WINNERS

Best of Show
Gold Samuel Adams Imperial Stout, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Full Sail IPA, Full Sail Brewing
Bronze Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red, Boston Beer Co.

Category 1: Lagers
Gold Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, Oskar Blues Brewery
Silver Saranac Adirondack Lager, F.X. Matt Brewing Co.
Bronze Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston Beer Co.

Category 2: Amber Ales/Hybrids
Gold Samuel Adams Irish Red, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Red Mountain Ale, Silverton Brewing Co.
Bronze Samuel Adams Boston Ale, Boston Beer Co.

Category 3: Dark Ales
Gold Strom Bomb Stout, Wind River Brewing Co.
Silver Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery
Bronze Bear Ass Brown, Silverton Brewing Co.

Category 4: Pale Ales
Gold Fuller’s London Pride, Fuller Smith & Turner P.L.C.
Silver 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co.
Bronze DPA, Great Divide Brewing Co.

Category 5: IPAs/Double IPAs
Gold Full Sail IPA, Full Sail Brewing
Silver Odell IPA, Odell Brewing Co.
Bronze Gordon, Oskar Blues Brewery

Category 6: Strong Ales/Lagers
Gold Russian Imperial Stout, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Old Chub, Oskar Blues Brewery
Bronze Samuel Adams Doppelbock, Boston Beer Co.

Category 7: Wheat Beers
Gold Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Don De Dieu, Unibroue
Bronze Blanche De Chambly, Unibroue

Category 8: Belgian-style Ales
Gold Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Trois Pistoles, Unibroue
Bronze Samuel Adams New World Tripel, Boston Beer Co.

Category 9: Fruit Beers
Gold Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Boston Beer Co.
Bronze Ephemere, Unibroue

Category 10: Spiced and Specialty Beers
Gold Samuel Adams Utopias ’09, Boston Beer Co.
Silver Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, Boston Beer Co.
Bronze Samuel Adams Honey Porter, Boston Beer Co.

Many of these winners including Samuel Adams Utopias(54% Alcohol/$150 per bottle) will be showcased in the Taste of Elegance Chefs Competition on June 9, 2010 at the Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield. Tickets and details are available at www.denverbeercomp.com

Inglorious Volcano!

2010-04-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Inglorious Volcano!
By Christopher J Davies

Imagine if Quentin Tarantino could solve everyone's flight problem with an alternate ending, just like he did when Hitler is killed in "Inglorious Bastards". He could have Lt. Aldo Rained fly a bomber directly into the volcano and cap it off with a major payload of TNT.

No that is not happening quite yet. Although the major European carriers are wishing for such a miracle as they are bleeding through billions of Euros.

St.Peters Square at sunset

My wife and I have been stranded in Rome since Saturday April 17th, playing the waiting game. Our carrier, our favorite airline, Lufthansa is overwhelmed with passenger requests and unable to give a clear picture of when we can expect to leave. They have no crystal ball.

Darcy on our terrace at The Hotel Hassler

When we first arrived in Rome, we stayed at the trend setting Hotel Haussler which is located near the Spanish Steps.We were there as members of the press to write a review which will be the way quite favorable. A room at the Hassler can cost more than 1,500 Euro per night.

For the second night we moved to the Hotel Dei Consoli, which was located just three blocks from St. Peters Basilica. The rooms were compact as a river boat but well appointed and modern. The staff were amazingly courteous and helpful. When we arrived it was a little surrealistic at first as the power had just went out in the Borgo area of Rome. The desk manager asked us if we heard about the volcanic explosion and that airports would be closed in Europe indefinitely? We decided to go to lunch in hopes that the electricity would be restored. When we returned, we were elated that the hotels juice was back. But the desk manager dropped more strange news on us about a "fireball" in Iowa. He played a video showing a meteor crashing into an Iowa. With all of these natural disasters, I am wondering we are headed towards a real 2012?

So after 4 wonderful days in Rome, we decided to "make lemonade out of lemons" and move down south to Naples. Hotels are lower priced and Naples is on the sea. We have never been there before. And since it is also the birthplace of pizza, we decided to see if we can taste the difference.

When we arrived at Rome's Termini (train station) it was filled with lines of thousands of Europeans trying to get a train to somewhere close to home.

We are now in Napoli discovering a much different and authentic Italy. Prices are more reasonable, streets are narrower and historic sites are abundant. We are staying at an amazing, recently restored hotel named Decumani-Hotel de Charme, which was a Bishops home. The owner is in his mid thirties and committed to creating a epicenter for arts and culture. Our deluxe room is spacious with 15 foot ceilings and a beautifully tiled modern bathroom with Jacuzzi tub.

Naples

The news on TV today shows that Lufthansa has just started to return 15,000 stranded Germans from the US back to Germany. The customer service lines in Italy and America are busy. The website has little info. It say's do not go to the airport. It instructs us to call the customer service lines.

In the meantime, we have just returned from a wonderful lunch at Naples #1 Pizzeria, Sorbillo. It was orgasmic. It was the first Pizzeria that I visited that had a wait list! www.sorbillo.it

Follow me on Twitter!

www.twitter.com/chrisjdavies59

"Stuck" in Rome, waiting is hard to do!

2010-04-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Rome, Italy!

My wife Darcy and I are stranded in Rome, hoping to get back to Denver ASAP!

We have been traveling throughout Italy since April 7th. We are the publishers of Wine Country International magazine and also produce the Denver International Wine Festival. This year, we decided to attend the VinItaly show in Verona, which is the second largest wine show in the world, with 154,000 attendees this year. We also visited several other cities to produce stories and radio podcasts about travel, wine & cuisine. On this trip we visited Florence, Lucca, Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Perugia and Rome. We have been in Rome since Wednesday, having the time of our lives.

Darcy on the terrace of room 501 at the Hotel Hassler

For our first night we stayed at the Hassler which is found in the book "1000 things to do before you die!". Mr. Wirth the owner treated us like royalty. Our room #501, was one of the best locations in the hotel with an amazing birdseye view of the Cathedral and The Spanish Steps.

Ancient Rome

We were booked to fly back to Denver today on Lufthansa Airlines (Saturday) but like everyone in Europe, we are in limbo as no flights are taking off due to the volcanic ash activity.

It has been a little difficult getting information, but fortunately Lufthansa Airlines is providing the most up to date information via Facebook (a lot more info than Lufthansa.com). As a journalist who writes about travel, wine and cuisine, I have learned that optional travelers insurance is a great value. I am very happy that we purchased travel insurance from Travel Guard. We are covered for up to 5 days for flight interruption/delays.

I am attaching a few photos from our trip to Rome. For now, we plan to make the best of our extended trip here in Rome. Today we visited the Antiqua Attica section of Rome and visited the Catacombs of Domitilla. The catacombs are located about 25 minutes outside Rome, but are easily accessed by a bus. Our handy "Frommers Rome Guide" and "Lonely Planet's Rome City Guide" have provided fantastic inside information.

I will blogging from Rome until I get on a plane for home. It may be several days or weeks before flights resume. The volcano is still spewing ash.

Christopher J Davies

Tags: Europe, Rome, Italy, Flight delays, Volcanic Ash, European flights, travel blog

Great books on wine & cooking

2009-12-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Winery
Author: Thomas Pellechia
Rating: Excellent
Format: Paperback,368 pages
Price: $18.95
Webpage: http://us.penguingroup.com
ISBN 9781592578184

Experience and knowledge is power. Thomas Pellechia has been on all sides of the wine business. His new idiot's guide is a perfect instruction manual for anyone who has dreamt about owning their own wine business. This book covers almost all of the possible legal and financial issues that will be faced by any vintner.

Valuable chapters include vineyard design and layout, grape yields (gallons per ton) and how to make a profitable business. They say it isn't so! Custom crush versus owning your own winery. Pellechia shows you how to crunch those numbers too! My favorite pet peeve, wine label design is also logically explained. You will learn the do's and don'ts for designing a wine label that's draws attention, entering your best wines into a professional wine competition, plus a lot more. This is the best education a vintner may ever get for less than twenty bucks!

On the Line
Authors: Eric Ripert and Christine Muhlke
Rating: Excellent
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Price: $35.00
ISBN: 9781579653699 (1579653693)
Webpage: http://www.workman.com/products/9781579653699/

As a resident of New York I tried unsuccessfully to secure a lunch reservation at Le Bernardin for several years. My only complaint after reading this book is that I am fearful that its readers will flock to Le Bernardin in even more frequency keeping this wonderful restaurant sold-out! With three Michelin Stars it should be expected.

Chef Eric Ripert has allowed the reader to examine the inner soul of Le Bernardin in a manner similar to a culinary MRI. This book is like the official owners manual and operational guide for running a world-class seafood restaurant. Ripert's signature recipes are included.

Spectacular photography, intriguing illustrations and timelines makes this book Le Bernardin un-coded!

Under Pressure
Cooking Sous Vide
Author: Thomas Keller; Introduction by Harold McGee
Rating: Excellent
Format: Hardcover, 295 pages
Price: $75
ISBN: 9781579653514 (1579653510)
Webpage: http://www.workman.com/products/9781579653514/

America's most respected chef has discovered the Sous Vide method of cooking. It involves packing food, seasonings and sauces in airtight plastic bags and cooking at low heat. This Chef Keller confirms provides superior flavors and precision.

Several years ago Chef Keller along with culinary greats(Daniel Boulud, Charlie Trotter and Mark Miller, to name a few), teamed-up with Cuisine Solutions to offer a line of their signature dishes that could survive shipping via mail order. I attended a media luncheon where all of the press attendees ate foods that had been prepared via the Sous Vide method. It was delicious!

In Under Pressure, Chef Keller discusses the many virtues and obstacles he experienced using Sous Vide. The photographs used to illustrate this book is first class. While some of the commercial equipment shown in this book is only practical for a professional kitchen, I believe that some of the techniques in this book could be adapted for use in a Food Saver home sealing system.

Just like Thomas Keller's other books, Under Pressure is packed with a great assortment of recipes that will keep even the most enthusiastic foodie busy for the next year. The sources directory at the back of this book is an invaluable resource for finding rare ingredients from Keller approved purveyors. Buy this book and keep it on your table for inspiration. It will help you discover your inner foodie.

Reviews (C) 2009 by Christopher J. Davies, Wine Country International ® magazine. All rights reserved.

Taste of Elegance Denver Chefs Get Serious!

2009-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

2009 Taste of Elegance Denver:
Chefs Get Serious!
Story and photos by Christopher J Davies

Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg , Claire Walter Food Critic/Author,
Amanda Faison, 5280 magazine, Teresa Farney, The Gazette, Colorado Springs

The 2009 Denver International Wine Festival Taste of Elegance Chef's Competition took place on Thursday November 12, 2009 at The Mile High Station, Denver.

This year's event was our biggest and best ever, with 15 Colorado Master Chef's participating. Top Chef Season 5 Winner Hosea Rosenberg, our previous three time champion joined on as our celebrity Judge and Master of Ceremonies. Hosea has had a whirlwind year due to his TV stardom. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments.

This year's TOE drew an impressive bevy of serious chefs from as far away as Telluride. Our only female contestant was Eliza H. S. Gavin, Chef/Owner, 221 South Oak Bistro, Telluride. Eliza is a cook book author and seriously talented chef. Visit her restaurant the next time you happen to be in Telluride: http://www.221southoak.com/

Photo Left: Chef Corey & Hosea
The winner of the "Most Creative Chef" category was Rob Corey of Sandoval's Kitchen, which is part of Master Chef Richard Sandoval's restaurant group (Tamayo,Zengo La Sandia, Pampano, to name a few!). http://www.modernmexican.com/

Chef Corey has extensive culinary credentials himself. Even recently having spent a 3 month "stag" with America's Superstar Chef, Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Napa Valley.

We assigned him 2 different Spanish Gold Medal winning wines from the Denver International Wine Competition. View list of winners: http://www.denverwinecomp.com/2009results.html

When I asked Chef Corey to provide recipe's for his winning dishes. I was shocked to receive such extensive procedures as well as professional quality tasting notes for the wines. This man is a serious contender folks! Try these recipe's at home if you dare. Be prepared to spend a lot of prep time for it took Chef Corey three days to create these masterpieces.

Taste of Elegance – Wine Tasting & Recipes
By Chef Rob Corey
Thursday, November 12, 2009
6 to 9 pm
The Mile High Station
2027 West Lower Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80204

Wine 1 – Castillo de Maetierra Libalis 2008 - Melodic white wine blend from Northern Spain's Valles de Sadacia region. The majority of the grapes are Muscat with a small percentage of lesser-known white varietals, Viura and Malvasia. Incredibly aromatic, slightly sweet, and very floral. Smooth, silky, with a flavor that's almost tropical. Valles de Sadacia is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of La Rioja . Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder. Only white wines are included in Valles de Sadacia. Three types are considered: dry (seco), semi-dry (semiseco or semidulce) and sweet (dulce).

Tasting notes: Apricots, peach flesh, vanilla-oak, honeysuckle.

Libalis 2008 & Small Plate:
Braised Bacon - Pain Perdue - Foie Gras - Chutney - Chocolate

(A “Mosaic” of Cherry & Maple-Glazed Braised Bacon with Brioche Pain Perdue, Cardamom Creme Anglaise and Foie Gras Butter with a Green Apple, Dried Apricot & Raisin Chutney, aside Chocolate Truffle Texture)

Wine 2 – Matsu 2006 - Tinta de toro is a local varietal found in the western half of Spain, near the town of Zamora. It’s thought that the varietal is an adaptation of traditional Spanish tempranillo. The province of Zamora, where the D.O. Toro is located is in the extreme western part of the region of Castillo Y Leon in western Spain, near the border with Portugal. The D.O.Toro vineyards are in the southeastern part of the province. Toro is best known for its tinta de toro but they also grow malvasia, garnacha and the white varietal, verdejo. The Tinta de Toro red wines are known for being lusher and richer versions of tempranillo due to the vineyards more southerly situation.

Tasting notes: Leather, cigar smoke, small raisins, plums, cherries, barnyard must, fig
Matsu 2006 & Small Plate:

Croquette “Egg” – Chile Morita – Pistachio - Fig

(Toasted Almond, Grilled Chicken, Caramelized Onion & Mornay Fried Croquette “Egg” atop Chile Morita Sauce, Frisee Salad with Jerez Sherry Vinaigrette, Toasted Pistachio Crumbs & a Fig Jam Glaze)

Recipes:
Braised Bacon - Pain Perdue - Foie Gras - Chutney – Chocolate

For the Braised Bacon in Cherry-Infused Maple Syrup:
Notes on Sous Vide: Slab Bacon is used in order to braise the bacon in its own fat, essentially “confit”. Cut the bacon into manageable sizes (9”X6”) to fit the vacuum bags that you have. A house-version Seal-A-Meal works fine for this application. A professional vacuum chamber is preferable (Koch). Make sure the bacon is totally chilled when it is put under pressure in the bag. Work clean and sanitary. Chill the vacuum bag with the pork (33 degrees) before immersing in the water bath with the immersion circulator. Once cooked (12 hours @ 68.8 degrees C.) place the bag with the pork in it into an ice bath to shock it back to temperature (33 degrees). Refrigerate until you are ready to use the bacon.
1. Sous Vide Slab Bacon 1-2# ea.

2. Cook in water bath @ 68.8 degrees C. for 12 hours.

3. Shock in ice bath.

4. Press for 24 hours with 5-6 pounds of weight.

5. Cut into large lardons and fry until crisp.

6. Glaze in hot Cherry-Infused Maple Syrup (add frozen Sour Cherries with juices to the pure Maple Syrup and reduce back to a syrup, using the cherries as garnish), 5 minutes.

For the Pain Perdue:
1 C. Milk
3 ea. Eggs
1 t. Salt
2 T. Honey
Dry Brioche Bread, cut into Pont-Neuf (2” X ½”)
1. Dry bread slices for 8 hours, or overnight, on a wire rack.
2. Soak dry bread slices in batter for 30 seconds on each side.
3. Drain on rack and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Brown on all sides in clarified butter.
5. Bake on sheet pan for 5-10 minutes @ 375 degrees.

For the Crème Anglaise:

2 C. Light Cream or ½ & ½ (12-18% Butterfat)
1 bean Vanilla, split lengthwise, or 2 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
12 pods Cardamom, crushed, black seeds only
1/3 C. Granulated White Sugar
5 large Egg Yolks

1. Crush Cardamom and split Vanilla Beans. Add to cream.

2. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar and whip until light lemon color and creamy.

3. Bring cream to just under a boil.

4. Temper the cream (adding a little of the cream to the eggs at a time) into the eggs, stirring the two mixtures together with a wooden spoon in order not to make any bubbles.

5. When all the cream is added to the eggs, put the mixture in a bowl and cook over a double boiler until 185 degrees F., or the mixture holds its shape when you draw your finger across the spoon.

6. Put the bowl of Crème Anglaise over a bowl of ice and continue to stir while the custard cools.

7. Store in squirt bottles and refrigerate.

For the Foie Gras Butter:
1 ¼# Foie Gras
Milk, to cover the foie gras
2 t. Kosher Salt
¼ t. Fresh ground white pepper
¼ t. Sugar
½ t. Curing Salt (6%)
2 qts. Chicken stock
1# Sweet, unsalted butter

1. Rinse the foie gras under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in an airtight container and cover with milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours to degourge.
2. Remove the foie gras from the milk, rinse and pat dry. Cover it with a damp towel and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes (it will be easier to work with).
3. Pull apart the two lobes. Keep one covered with the towel while you work with the other. Remove any membranes. Starting with the large lobe, locate the start of the primary vein. Slice through the lobe to the vein, pulling the foie gras apart to see the vein clearly. Butterfly at a 45 degree angle. Expose the interior of the liver and remove the primary vein.
4. Keeping the outside of the liver intact, locate and remove as many of the smaller veins as possible. No matter how much you scrape and cut inside the lobes, you’ll be able to reform the lobes.
5. Cut away and discard any bruised areas. Once the foie gras is cleaned, fold over the sides and return it to an approximation of its original shape.
6. Repeat with the small lobe.
7. Mix the kosher salt, white pepper, sugar, and pink salt together. Press the foie gras into a container in an even layer ¾ to 1-inch thick. Sprinkle and press half the marinating mixture over and into the liver. Flip the foie gras and repeat on the other side. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the foie gras and enclose the container completely in more plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
8. Remove the liver from the container, place it on a piece of parchment paper, and break it up as necessary to form a loaf about 6 inches long and 3 ½ inches wide. Using the parchment, roll the foie gras into a log, twisting and squeezing the ends of the parchment paper to help compact the foie gras.
9. Unwrap the foie gras, discard the paper, transfer the log to a piece of cheesecloth, 1 foot wide by 2 feet long, and place it along one of the short ends of the cheesecloth. Rolling it away from you, roll it into a tight log.
10. Loop an end of twine around your index finger. With the same hand, hold one end of the cheesecloth tightly and wind the string around the end of the foie gras. Repeat on the other end, wrapping and tying both ends tight enough so that some of the foie gras comes through the cheesecloth. Tie three strips of twine around the torchon, spaced equally.
11. Poach the torchon for 90 seconds in simmering stock. Refresh in an ice-water bath, to cool.
12. Pass the foie gras through a tamis and reform the foie gras into a torchon.
13. Compress the torchon in a thin dish towel to reform. Twist and tie the ends of the towel to return the torchon to its former shape. Tie the ends of the towel with string and hang in the refrigerator overnight.
14. Remove the torchon from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature. Do the same with an equal amount of unsalted sweet cream butter.
15. When both are soft whip together in a mixer with the paddle attachment. When the butter is smooth, load into squirt bottles or refrigerate in a crock, covered for up a week.

For the Chutney:

2 T. Butter
4 T. Shallots, brunoise (1/8-inch dice)
½ C. Red Bell Peppers, brunoise
½ C. Green Bell Peppers, brunoise
½ C. Yellow Bell Peppers, brunoise
½ C. Orange Bell Peppers, brunoise
1 T. Honey
2 T. Light Brown Sugar
2 sticks Cinnamon
5 pods Star Anise
1 C. Apricots, dried and diced
1 C. Black Raisins, diced
1 C. Golden Raisins, diced
2 t. Chile Ancho powder
S&P t.t.
½ C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 apple Sliced thin and halved OR oven-dried OR Dehydrated in a dehydrator

1. Melt butter over medium heat and add shallots. When the shallots are just translucent, add all the peppers and cook 2 minutes, making sure that the peppers are still firm.

2. Add all the other ingredients and cook until almost all the liquid is reduced.

3. Taste and adjust as necessary.

4. Put the chutney into a bowl and let it cool at room temperature. Let the chutney sit in the refrigerator, covered, overnight.

For the Truffle Texture:

2¾# Bittersweet Chocolate
2 C. Heavy Cream
4 oz. Kahlua
1 T. Ancho Powder
½ t. Chipotle Powder
1 ea. Chopped Serrano Pepper
1 C. Coffee Beans
1 t. Vanilla
6 oz. Very-Softened Unsalted Butter (room temperature, 65 degrees F., or higher), cut into ½” pieces
1. Chop the chocolate into very, very small pieces, making sure they are all the same size (1/8” or less). Put the chocolate into a bowl twice the size of the chocolate mound.

2. Heat the cream, Kahlua, Ancho Powder, Chipotle Powder, Serrano Pepper, Coffee Beans and Vanilla slowly over medium-high heat. When almost to the boil, pour the mixture through a sieve over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 30 seconds and then, with a wooden spoon, begin in the middle of the mixture and stir the cream into the chocolate.

3. Add the soft butter and continue to stir it into the ganache.

4. When the ganache is silky smooth put it into the bowl of a mixer and beat it on medium-high to high with the whip attachment until it is cool/room temperature. Be careful not to overbeat.

5. Put the truffle texture into a plastic container and store, covered, at room temperature.

To Assemble:
1. In a shallow white bowl, put a dollop of chutney off center. Put the halved apple slice through the middle of the chutney.

2. Put two Pont-Neuf Brioche Pain Perdue, one on top of the other, in the center of the bowl.

3. With a small palette knife, put a small round of the truffle texture on the right side of the Pain Perdue and drag the palette knife through the texture, very quickly, to make a “comma”.

4. Place the fried and glazed braised bacon (3 pieces) around the Pain Perdue.

5. Drizzle the Pain Perdue with the Cardamom Crème Anglaise.

6. Add a small squirt, in front of the Pain Perdue, with the Foie Gras Butter.

Croquette “Egg” - Chile Morita – Frisee - Pistachio - Fig
For the Croquette “Egg”:
1# Skinless Chicken Breast, on the bone
½ # Onions, julienne.
2 T. Butter
3 bulbs Garlic, cooked in 1 gallon of chicken stock (infused with onions and caramelized jalapenos). Reserve the chicken stock.
1/4# Toasted Hazelnuts (skins removed and chopped).
1C. Thick Mornay
S & P
Standard Breading: Flour, Eggs (whipped) and Panko Crumbs
Truffle Oil and Truffle Salt

1. Grill the chicken breasts almost through, then rub them with garlic, spritz with lemon, and coat with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cool. Remove the breasts from the bone. Let marinate overnight, covered, with the garlic and lemon.

2. Caramelize the onions in butter.

3. Stew the chicken breasts (with the garlic) and the caramelized onions, covered, in chicken stock until the breasts shred. Add stock as necessary. When chicken and onion mixture is cooled, hache (chop) very fine.

4. Toast the hazelnuts @ 350 degrees F. Cool. Chop in food processor until quite fine. Add to the chopped chicken. Cool the mixture.

5. Prepare the thick Mornay. A 50:50 ratio of flour and butter, cooked to a pale roux, add hot milk (1 quart:4 oz. roux). Cook 30 minutes over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and add grated cheese (Manchego, Oaxaca, Mennonita), salt and pepper. Chill the sauce.

6. With gloved hands, mix the chilled Mornay into the chilled Chicken mixture.

7. Prepare the standard breading procedure.

8. Using a spoon, make a quenelle and roll it in the flour, then the eggs and finally the panko crumbs.

9. Fry the quenelles @ 350 degrees F. When crisp, remove from the oil and dust with truffled salt and a touch of white truffle oil.

For the Frisee “Nest” and Jerez Sherry Chive Vinaigrette
1 T. Frisee Lettuce, snipped with scissors into tree/branches.
1 t. 3:1 Vinaigrette (3 parts chive oil, recipe below, to 1 part Jerez Sherry, seasoned with kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper).
For the Chive Oil:
1 packed C. Chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 C. Canola Oil
1. Place the chives in a strainer and run hot water over them for about 2 minutes to soften and remove the chlorophyll taste.

2. Shock the blanched herbs in an ice bath to chill.
3. Drain the cold herbs and squeeze as dry as possible. Use scissors to cut them into small pieces.
4. Put the chives in a blender with enough of the specified oil, just to cover.
5. Blend on medium speed and allow the herbs to blend for one minute. If the herbs aren’t turning freely, add slightly more oil.
6. Turn speed to high and blend for 2 more minutes. Remove the stopper to allow some air in. Check the oil occasionally, as it will begin to warm up. It should not get too hot or there will be a loss of color. If the machine or the puree becomes hot, refrigerate the puree.
7. Add half the remaining herbs to the machine and blend for 2 more minutes.
8. Add the remaining herbs and blend for another 2 minutes.
9. Put the puree in a clean container and refrigerate for at least a day to intensify the color. The puree can be stored for up to a week. It can be frozen for up to 2 weeks, with little lose of color.
10. Place a piece of cheesecloth over a container and secure with a rubber band or string. Place the puree on a cheesecloth and let the oil filter through for about an hour.
11. Discard the cheesecloth and the remaining puree. DO NOT WRING OUT THE CHEESECLOTH. That will cloud the oil. You may need to do this in batches. Store oil in the refrigerator, or freeze it. Once strained, the oil will discolor in 2 days.
12. Store the oil in clean plastic squeeze bottles.

For the Chile Morita Sauce:
5# Tomatillos, roasted on one side until black.
¾ oz. Garlic
¾ oz. Chile Morita, lightly toasted in fryer (10 seconds or less) @ 350 degrees F.
½ oz. Cilantro, chopped
1 oz. Sea Salt
1. Under a salamander, or on the grill, blacken the tomatillos on one side only. Remove from heat.

2. Fry the Morita peppers very carefully, making sure not to burn them.

3. Add remaining ingredients and puree with a burr-mixer (hand wand).

4. Cool, label and store in the refrigerator.

For the Pistachio “Crumble”:
Pistachios, raw, unsalted, shelled
Panko Crumbs
1. Hache (chop) the pistachios almost to a powder.

2. Add ¼ panko crumbs to the volume of pistachios.

3. Toast the pistachio/panko mixture (at 350 degrees F,) until golden brown. Cool.

4. Store the crumbs in a covered plastic container.

For the Fig Jam Glaze:
6 qt. Boiling water
6 qt. Fresh figs
Sugar
1 qt. Water
8 slices Lemon

1. Pour boiling water over figs and let stand 15 minutes.

2. Drain and thoroughly rinse in cold water.

3. Pat dry. Remove stems and crush.

4. Measure figs (by weight) and place in a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole.

5. Add ½ C. sugar for each cup of crushed figs.

6. Add 1 quart water.

7. Bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours (or until thickened), stirring occasionally.

8. Ladle jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼ -inch head space.

9. Add a slice of lemon to each jar.

10. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands.

11. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes or until jars “pop”.

12. Yields 8 ½ pints.

13. Strain the seeds through a tamis and load a squirt bottle with the Jam Glaze.

To assemble:
1. Place a dollop of the Morita Sauce just left of middle of a long plate and draw a spoon through it.

2. Add a bit of vinaigrette to the frisee lettuce and place the nest in the middle of the Morita swatch. Top it with the fried, truffled, salted and truffle-oiled croquette.

3. Cross the Morita with fine threads of Fig Jam and then the Pistachio crumble.

Story and photos © 2009 by Christopher J Davies, all rights reserved

Recipe & Pairing From The Denver International Wine Festival

2009-11-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Recipe from The Best Chef of The 2008 Denver International Wine Festival

My absolutely most enjoyable event of the year is The Denver International Wine Festival's Taste of Elegance Chef's Competition.

We provide only Gold Medal winning wines from the Denver International Wine Competition to 14 of Colorado's Master Chef's. Each Chef is assigned two different Gold Medal wines just one week before the event. Their assignment is to create a custom paired dish to go with each wine. At the Taste of Elegance, they create 400 appetizer portions to serve some of Colorado's most devoted food and wine lovers.

Our 2008 "Best Chef" was Jean-Luc Voegele, the Executive Chef of The Westin Tabor Center Hotel in Downtown Denver. Jean-Luc is a French native and may have been fed wine with his Cheerios as a youngster. His pairing at the event was one of the most unusual combinations, yet it worked quite deliciously!

Roasted Beets Salad with whipped Goat Cheese served with a
Tomato-Ginger Vinaigrette

Paired with R&B Cellars, Zwingville Zin 2006

By Executive Chef Jean-Luc Voegele, Westin Hotels

Serves 12

Roasted Beets Salad Ingredients:
3 Lbs. Red Beets
1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Banyuls Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Chopped Chives
1 Tbsp. Chopped Italian Parsley
2 Tbsp. Chopped Shallots
1 Tbsp. Dried Cherries (Blanched and Chopped)
1 Tbsp. Macadamia Nuts (small pieces)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger Minced
1 cup Tomato cubes peeled & seeded
2 T. Kosher Salt
1 T. White ground pepper

Goat Cheese Mixture Ingredients:
1/2 c. half & half
1 Lbs. Goat Cheese (Logs)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. White ground pepper

Tomato Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1 cup Tomato cubes peeled & seeded
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Banyuls Vinegar
1 Tbsp Chopped Italian Parsley
1 Tbsp. Chopped Shallots
1 Tbsp. Chopped Chives
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger Minced
2 T. Kosher Salt
1 T. White ground pepper

Garnishing Ingredients:

12 ea. Italian parsley springs
12 ea. Cherry tomatoes cut in half

Preparation:

To prepare the beets salad:
Wash the beets in running water and scrap off all the dirt. Drain them and wrap the beets in aluminum foil and bake in 350(F) oven until soft, approximately2- 3 hours.
After they cool down, peel of the skin. Then shred them.
In a large bowl mix with a whip the oil and vinegar with the salt & pepper like a vinaigrette, then add chives, parsley, shallots, dried cherries, ginger, tomato, Mac nuts. Check the seasoning.
To prepare the goat cheese:
Mix the cheese with the half & half in a kitchen aid mixer and add the seasoning. Let it get smooth. Then reserve it in a piping bag with a star tip.
To prepare the vinaigrette:
In a bowl mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper with a Wisk to emulsify the vinaigrette. Then add all the other ingredients and check the seasoning.

Assembly of the salad:
Use a 3 inch round circle and start filling it up ¾ with the beet salad, then add the goat cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette around the plate and decorate with cherry tomatoes and a spring of parsley.
-------------------------------------

Note: Chef Jean-Luc Voegele returns to the Denver International Wine Festival, Taste of Elegance on Thursday November 12, 2009 at The Mile High Station. I can't wait to taste his new pairings! For tickets visit: http://www.denverwinefest.com/order.html

Additional Information & Resources:

The Denver International Wine Festival
Official Website:www.denverwinefest.com

The Denver International Wine Competition
Official Website:www.denverwinecomp.com

R&B Cellars Wine Information:

http://www.rbcellars.com/index.php?page=our_wines&sub_page=2006_zin

R&B Cellars homepage:
http://www.rbcellars.com

The Westin Tabor Center, Denver Colorado
http://www.westintaborcenterdenver.com

Story and photos (C) 2009 by Christopher J. Davies, All rights reserved.

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2946004

2009-10-08T16:18:00.001-07:00

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2946004

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Harvest America 2009- Part One

2009-09-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Harvest America 2009
By Christopher J Davies

Harvest is a vintner's celebration of the culmination of a year's hard
work. It marks the transition period in the winemaking cycle from
vineyard to cellar. In physical terms, it is the process of picking
ripe grapes from the vine.

This past week, Darcy and I had the pleasure of visiting the Napa Valley where Harvest is already in full swing. We were honored to attend the 43rd Blessing of The Grapes at The Robert Mondavi Winery. Margrit Mondavi and Director of Wine Making, Genevieve Janssens hosted the event for friends, employees and a handful of press. Monsignor John Brenkle of The St. Helena Catholic Church presided. Afterward we all enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the vines!

Margrit Mondavi with grapes

We stayed at the lovely Wine Country Inn, located in St.Helena. This place is awesome! We stayed in a private cottage overlooking a lush vineyard. Every afternoon they host a delicious wine tasting with tons of snacks. The staff was ultra-friendly and made sure that we were happy. They are centrally located.

The Wine Country Inn & Gardens 1152 Lodi Lane St. Helena, CA 94574
Toll Free: 888-465-4608
Phone: (707) 963-7077
www.winecountryinn.com

Just down the street, Duckhorn Wine Company. One of the Napa Valley's most revered producers. Their tasting room and headquarters is a large modern house with a wrap around porch. They offer several levels of tastings some with food pairings included. Since they are off the beaten path, Duckhorn is not that crowded. They offer an intimate setting with some of the best wines in the region.

Duckhorn Wine Company
1000 Lodi Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
Tel. 707 967-2008
www.duckhorn.com

Check back soon for more posts about this trip!

Coming September 27, 2009
Harvest Fest Long Island

Long Island Wine Country. com cordially invites you to take part in
this once-a-year activity by joining our 8th annual Harvest Fest 2009"
Day in the Vineyard".This full day event will take place at Laurel
Lake Vineyards, in the quaint hamlet of Laurel, on the North Fork of
Long Island. Laurel Lake Vineyards is a modern vineyard & winery
focusing on producing premium quality estate wines. The winery
building features a massive elevated wrap around deck that offers a
picture perfect view of the vineyard below.

Darcy and I will host up to 150 guests. For details visit:
http://www.longislandwinecountry.com/harvest.html

Pastel De Choclo Chiliean Corn & Meat Pie

2009-08-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Pastel De Choclo

Chilean Corn & Meat Pie

Here's a healthy traditional Chilean dish that is favorite of many locals. It is light and ideal for the summer. Vegans can leave out the chicken. Meat lovers may add more ground beef instead of chicken. Fish lovers may substitute salmon.

Recipe
Serves 12.

6 large ears of corn, grate the kernels
8 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter
1/2-1 cup milk
4 large onions, chopped
3 tbsps. oil
1 lb. (1/2 kg) finely ground lean beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup black olives
1 cup raisins
12 pieces of chicken, browned in hot oil, seasoned with salt,
pepper and cumin
2 tbsps. confectioners' sugar

All photos (C) 2009 by Christopher J Davies. All rights reserved.

Heat the grated corn, chopped basil, salt and butter in a large pot. Add
the milk little by little, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Leave to one side while you prepare the
meat filling. Fry the onions in oil until transparent, add the ground meat
and stir to brown. Season with salt, pepper and ground cumin. To prepare
the pie use an oven-proof dish that you can take to the table. Spread over
the bottom of the dish the onion-ground meat mixture. Arrange over this
the hard boiled egg slices, olives and raisins. Put the chicken pieces on
top, bone the chicken if you like. Cover the filling with the corn
mixture. Sprinkle the confectioners' sugar over the top. Bake in a hot
oven 400 Deg. F (205 Deg. C) for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden
brown. Serve at once. In Chile more sugar is served to sprinkle over the
"pastel" as it is eaten.

Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies.

Food102: Real Photos

2009-07-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Food102: Real Photos

Caveat Emptor: "Let The Frequent Flyer Beware"

2009-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Caveat Emptor: "Let The Frequent Flyer Beware"
Story and photo by Christopher J Davies

We all know that caveat emptor is Latin for, "Let the buyer beware". This phrase should definitely be used when comparing frequent flyer programs and airline policies for redeeming a "free" ticket.

As a member of several frequent flyer programs, I am outraged over the hassle and cost that some airlines put me through. I feel like a number of my most-frequented, so-called "classic" carriers have totally turned their backs on me, the customer.

Last month, I needed to fly from Denver to New York on two back-to-back weekends. Rather than be penalized with hiked up rates for purchasing tickets at the last minute, I decide to cash in some "free" tickets. The two experiences I had illustrate the drastic difference between a larger carrier and one of the “low-cost” carriers.

Flight on May 1, 2009 via United Airlines #558
For my first trip, I decided to use 25,000 United Mileage Plus points to redeem a roundtrip ticket from Denver International Airport to New York LaGuardia Airport. When reviewing my flight options against jetBlue schedules, I found that United had many more direct-flight options.

I selected my “Award Travel” option on United.com and clicked “book travel”. Immediately a window popped up asking me if I wanted to enjoy 6 inches of more legroom for $39 each way. I declined. Then another window popped up to inform me that I would be charged $100 because I was booking award travel that would occur in less than 21 days. Why does this matter to United? If I am booking my award travel online, no human labor is incurred on their side right? Infuriated, I accepted the fee only because it was cheaper than purchasing a ticket without using my free points.

When I clicked “accept,” another window popped up informing me that it would cost me an additional $5 for taxes, fees and surcharges!

When I tried to select my seats, the website's cockpit seating map showed that all seats were reserved and it would not permit me to pre-select my seat. That meant I would need to get to the gate earlier so that I could use all my powers and sweet charm to negotiate an aisle seat.

One day before my departure, I received an automated email from United Airlines. It confirmed my itinerary and asked me to check in. I was able to select my seat, an aisle in the very last row. The check-in procedure also permitted me to check my bag. I was surprised to see a window pop up to inform me that one bag would cost me $15 to check. “What a rip off,” I thought, but proceeded to type in my credit card number. What else could I do?

The following morning my check-in at DIA was uneventful. When I got to the gate, I learned that even though I was seated in Row 34A, the last row, my seating group was 4th, the last allowed to board the plane.

Since many other customers did not wish to pay $15 to check their bags, the overheads were over-packed with carry-on luggage. I found it difficult to place my laptop bag in the bin above my seat because someone from another row's luggage was in my spot. Worst yet, by having a seat in the last row of the plane I was privileged to be sitting in front of the bathrooms and adjacent to the flight attendants seated in the rear. I was shocked to overhear a flight attendant radio her superior with news that the water in the bathroom sink was not operational. "This equipment is defective. We should change planes," she explained, yet her superior disagreed and our flight took off for New York. The lack of water was particularly inconvenient as we were in the midst of a swine flu epidemic and folks had been told by President Obama to wash their hands regularly.

During the flight we were treated to soft drinks, water and coffee. “Smartpack” and
“Minimeal” snack collections were offered for a cost of $6 to $12. Wines, beers and cocktails were offered at $6 each. United now accepts credit cards only; no cash.

FLIGHT ON MAY 7, 2009 VIA jetBlue AIRWAYS #558
My experience with jetBlue was much different. The website was easy to navigate and after selecting my desired flights, I was able to select my seats.

I logged onto their website and clicked on “True Blue Program”, which is their frequent flyer reward program. I had accrued enough flight segments to earn a free round trip ticket. After clicking “submit”, the pop up window informed me that I would be charged $5 for taxes, fees and surcharges. Yet, unlike United, there was no penalty for ordering the "free" ticket only nine days in advance.

On the day of departure, I brought my pre-printed boarding pass that I generated online. Its barcode was all that my front desk agent needed along with my identification. I was happy to learn that my first checked bag was free!

When I boarded my flight, there was a noticeable difference in legroom from the United flight which was probably equal to the space that United charges an extra $39 per segment for. Also, jetBlue's equipment was brand-spanking new. Prior to takeoff, the pilot made an announcement informing the passengers that while our plane was one of the newest in jetBlue's fleet, that the onboard Direct TV system, with screens build into the back of every seat in front of each passenger, was not working correctly. After take-off, however, the flight attendants re-booted the system and we all got to enjoy 36 channels of free TV, plus the choice of 4 pay-per-view movies for $5.

About an hour into the flight, we were offered a beverage service, followed by a choice of 6 different complimentary snacks. The snacks were not as elaborate as the ones offered on United, but they were free. The options were: Terra Blues®Chips, Doritos® Munchies Mix, Chocobillys chocolate chunk cookies, All Nuts roasted cashews, Stella D’oro® Breakfast Treats or Stauffers® Animal Crackers. Wines and beers were offered for $5.

The overall attitude of the jetBlue flight crew was much friendlier drinks were served with a smile and the occasional joke.

Summary: United(UA)-vs-jetBlue(JB)

Cost to redeem free ticket UA $105 , JB $5
Cost to check first bag luggage UA $15, JB $0
Cost to check additional luggage UA $15ea, JB $30 or more
Additional legroom UA $39, JB$0
Public movie UA Yes, JB No
36 channels of TV at no cost UA No, JB Yes
Complimentary nonalcoholic drinks UA Yes, JB Yes
Cost for wine/beer UA$6, JB $5
Complimentary snacks UA No, JB Yes

I used to be one of United's most frequent fliers. My Mileage Plus Statement indicates that I have flown over 375,000 miles, yet since the terrible events of September 11th and United's subsequent bankruptcy, this airline has not fully recovered. Unfortunately, the cost is being paid by the once-valued customer. If GM is able to be reinvented as the new GM, I believe that United Airlines should take some notes. -CJD

Crab Cakes for Appetizers or Brunch!

2009-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Crab Cakes for Appetizers or Brunch!
Story and photos (C) 2009 by Christopher J Davies

I noticed that Costco is now selling Chicken of The Sea, Super Lump Crab in their deli section. The cost for a 1 LB container is only $14.99, which is enough to make 12 decent size crab cakes. Having lived on the East Coast for most of my life, I have encountered too many crab cakes that contain excessive filers such as onions, celery and peppers. It is my opinion that these fillers overpower the the wonderful natural taste of the crab.

In the store, I discovered the manufacturers recipe was not full of filer type ingredients. So I decided to test out their suggested recipe. Both Darcy and I have added this to our list of favorites!

Delicious Crab Cakes

1- 16 oz (1 LB) cup of Crab Meat
1 beaten Egg
2 tbs. Mayonnaise
1 tbs. mustard prepared( we used Grey Poupon)
1 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs. dry mustard (we used Oriental Hot Mustard)
1 tbs., seafood season (we substitute with Louisiana Cajun Seasoning)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Hot Sauce ( 2 shakes of Tobacco)
3/4 cup bread crumbs (we used Progresso Italian)

Combine all ingredients except crab and breadcrumbs. Add crab to mixture. Fold breadcrumbs in gently. Form into crab cakes by hand.

To keep consistent size we used an ice cream scoop to measure. Result was 12 identical sized cakes.

Pan fry in canola oil for 4 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce Finish

If you are looking for a great sauce to finish the crab cakes, make a basic Hollandaise Sauce.

Note: While this an easy to make sauce, but it will require your full attention at the stove. You need low heat and constant stirring by hand.

6 egg yolks
2 tbs. lemon juice
1-cup of butter( 2-sticks)

Stir egg yolks vigorously in a 3 quart saucepan over very low heat. Stir with wire whisk until butter is melted. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Brunch Menu Idea:
After creating the above, poach two eggs per person to serve crabs benedict.
Add salt and 2 tbs of vinegar to water. Once the water boils add two eggs, cook for 2 minutes. Use a strainer spoon to remove. Place on plate on top off toasted English Muffin slices. Garnish with Hollandaise sauce, paprika and parsley.

Storage of cooked crab cakes:
Crab cakes are rich. So we do not always finish them. You can store for 24 hours in the refrigerator. To reheat, do not microwave. Instead warm on a sheet bake pan in the oven at 300 F at 20 minutes.

Capital Grille's Exceptional Tuscan Wine and Food Feast

2009-04-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Capital Grille's Exceptional Tuscan Wine and Food Feast
By Christopher J. Davies
Photos (C) The Capital Grille

Darcy and I just had the pleasure of visiting the Capital Grille Restaurant in Denver's historic and trendy LoDo neighborhood. The restaurant is located in the heart of Larimer Square.

While the Capital Grille has been on my short list for amazing steaks, seafood and service, this meal was a very special occasion as we were set to try the Capital Grille's five course, Italian-fare dinner, a promotion that goes on at all of the 35 Capital Grille's restaurants across the US, until April 5, 2009. The five-course dinner is offered at the recession buster price of $49 per person, which is definitely well-worth the cost!

George Miliotes

Best of all, the dinner offers an exclusive opportunity for diners at The Capital Grille to preview the premier vintage of Banfi Vintners 2005 BelnerO Sangiovese di Montalcino, a delicious Sangiovese made from unfiltered cuvée of specific clones that have been selected after 30 years of research. The Capital Grille's Corporate Wine Sommelier, George Miliotes scored a home run by securing an exclusive on this Tuscan wine release. The wine is deep ruby in color with rich fruit flavors. It is aged for 2 years in classic barriques. Bottle's are offered at $69.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed by the host and personally escorted to a table in the middle of the restaurant. The décor was rich deep mahogany with massive paintings and pleasant subdued lighting. The place reminds me of a stately country club in the country side, with patrons deep in conversation. The place was bustling with activity and a little loud. But the tone of the room was celebratory.

Within in a minute of being seated, servers had swarmed our table offering the menu, water selection and advice on cocktails. When I received the special printed Italian Fare menu, I was impressed with the generous amount of food that would be served. But the biggest surprise was that the wine pairing would all be done with just one wine for all five courses...the 2005 BelnerO Sangiovese di Montalcino!

I must admit, that in all my years of attending wine pairings I have never seen this done before. This would be a very interesting meal indeed!

Our waiter explained the restaurant's extensive wine list, which was loaded with more than 5000 bottles. And while you can find exceptional values in the $40 to $75 range, the listed is weighted with Rock Star friendly bottles that will reach the peaks of even Mick Jagger's wallet with cult wine lover's Harlan Estate, Napa Valley Cabernet offered at $1,900 per bottle.

Since the pairings with the food would be all with the red wine, I asked the waiter to suggest a glass of Champagne to wet our taste buds. Our waiter suggested that he also open a bottle of Banfi Vintners 2005 BelnerO to allow it to breath.

After 25 minutes of savoring the Champagne we got to have our first sip of the rich and powerful BelnerO. Magnifico!

Swordfish Roasted inside Parchment Paper

Tenderloin

Black Truffle Mac ‘N’ Cheese

TASTING MENU

·ZUPPA DI FUNCHI PORCINI
Creamy Porcini Mushroom Soup Garnished with Chive Oil

•INSALATA VERDE DEL CAMPO CON FINOCCHIO E CAPRINO
Field greens, shaved fennel, goat cheese, 12-year balsamic; Tuscan extra virgin olive oil

Choice of

·FILLETTO DI MANZO CON POMODORI E PEPERINI ARROSTITI, CIPOLLINE CARAMELLATE
Herb-Marinated, Dry-Aged Tenderloin with Garlic, Roasted Tomatoes, Red Peppers and Cipollini Onions

Or

·PESCE SPADA IN CARTOCCIO
Swordfish Roasted inside Parchment Paper with White Wine, Roasted Tomatoes, Oil-Cured Olives and Capers

·MACCHERONI AL FORNO IN CREMA DI MASCARPONE CON TARTUFO
Black Truffle Mac ‘N’ Cheese

* GELATO FATTO IN CASA, CON SALSA CIOCCOLATO E BISCOTTI
House made Carmel gelato with chocolate sauce and home baked biscotti

SUMMARY & OBSERVATIONS

The wine paired amazingly well with the dishes. Darcy ordered the steak and I ordered the fish, so we experience the full menu selection.

The creamy porcini soup was rich and creamy with an earthy finish. The pairing with the wine was fantastic and we tasted an increased earthiness with the mushrooms.

The salad was huge and tasty. The balsamic classed a little with the wine but when tasted together with the goat cheese it was heavenly.

The filet was cooked perfectly "black and blue" as Darcy ordered it. The pairing with the wine was a good match.

My Swordfish was delivered in a sealed parchment paper. Our waiter sliced the parchment slowly to allow the steam to escape. The fish was smothered in a rich tomato sauce. The pairing was surprisingly spot on with the wine.

I am a big fan fan of Mac and Cheese, the Black Truffle Mac ‘N’ Cheese hit home just like Grandma's comfort food! The truffle oil gave it a nice sophisticated touch. And the wine paired very well.

The dessert was impressive as when I think of a chain restaurant, I do not associate homemade desserts. The House made Carmel gelato with chocolate sauce and home baked biscotti were delicious. Darcy and I enjoyed our final sip of wine with the dessert.

If you can, make a reservation at your local Capital Grille to enjoy their exceptional five course, Italian-Fare Dinner before Sunday April 5, 2009. This is dinner is bound to tantalize your taste buds!

The Capital Grille states" our partnership with Castello Banfi exemplifies the restaurant’s commitment to offering our guests an exceptional dining experience. The unique, five-course Italian-fare dinner was inspired by an exclusive opportunity for The Capital Grille to debut in the U.S. Banfi’s 2005 BelnerO Sangiovese di Montalcino. The Capital Grille will continue to explore distinctive partnerships."

For more information on the latest on The Capital Grille’s current and upcoming offers visit www.thecapitalgrille.com

Recipe's from Boulder's Top Chef

2009-02-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

Top Chef Season 5 concludes tonight. Who will it be?
Carla, Stefan or Hosea?

I am rooting for Hosea because I know from past experience that he has what it takes to win tonight.

Before he made it to Top Chef Season 5 fame, Chef Hosea Rosenberg of Jax Fishouse in Boulder, was a two time "Best Chef" at the Denver International Wine Festival. In 2007, Chef Rosenberg won the Taste of Elegance Chef's Food and Wine Competition.

Here are the recipe's for his winning dishes:

Thai Marinated Scallops with Trout Roe and Pineapple Syrup
(serves 4)
4, large, fresh scallops (about 2oz each)
2 oz lime juice
2 oz orange juice
1 large knob ginger
1 stalk lemongrass
4 oz coconut milk
2 oz rice wine
2 C fresh pineapple juice
½ jalapeno, seeded
1 T corn starch
1 oz trout roe
Salt
1 large English cucumber, sliced into think disks

Slice scallops into thin disks. Chop ginger into very small pieces and then squeeze with kitchen towel to extract juices. Combine ginger juice, lime juice, orange juice, lemongrass, coconut milk, rice wine and a little salt. Pour marinade over sliced scallops and set in refrigerator for 3 hours. While scallops are marinating, put pineapple juice in blender with jalapeno and puree. Add juice to a small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce by ¾. Whisk in cornstarch and strain. To serve, lay cucumber slices on plate. Lay scallops on cucumber and top with caviar. Drizzle a little pineapple syrup over top and serve cold.

Wine Pairing: Brassfield Estate Winery, Serenity 2006, High Valley, CA

Venison Tenderloin with Celery Root, King Oyster Mushrooms, Foie Gras and Huckleberry Demi
(serves 4)

4, 6oz medallions of venison tenderloin
1 large celery root, peeled and chopped
1 large Yukon, peeled and chopped
2 cloves roasted garlic
4 oz butter
4 oz cream
½ # king oyster mushrooms
1 T chopped garlic
1 T chopped shallots
1 T chopped fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano)
4 oz foie gras, cut into 4 equal portions
8 oz demi glace
4 T fresh huckleberries
Salt and pepper

Season venison with salt and pepper and grill to desired temperature. Boil potatoes and celery root together until soft. Mill mixture and add roast garlic, cream and half the butter. Season with salt. Slice the mushrooms and place in very hot pan with remaining butter, shallots, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Season foie gras with salt and pepper and sear in very hot pan until just browned on each side. Puree half of the huckleberries and add to demi. To serve, place a mound of celery root puree in center of plate. Slice venison and fan over half of the puree. Place pile of mushrooms next to venison. Pour demi around plate and garnish with remaining huckleberries.

Wine Pairing: Galante Vineyards, Red Rose Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Carmel Valley, CA

Recipes by Hosea Rosenberg
Story and photos by Christopher J Davies (C) 2009

The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs- A Foodies Enchanted Delight

2009-02-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
Every Foodies Enchanted Dream!

Story and Photos by Christopher J Davies, except where noted.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of taking our annual foodie pilgrimage to the fabulous Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. The resort is set on 3000 beautiful acres, with four award-wining championship golf courses (that will play host to the 2011 U.S Women's Open) , 593 guest rooms, 107 suites, gargantuan 185,000 square feet of meeting space, 6 tennis courts, a full service spa, 18 restaurants, café's and lounges.

Photo (C) The Broadmoor

Guest rooms are lavishly appointed and opulent. Ours was located in the original main building with a birds eye view of Cheyenne Mountain and the resort’s own Cheyenne Lake. Our bathroom was totally renovated with marble tile, modern glass enclosed shower and a large five-fixture bath.

Three of the Broadmoor restaurants are Mobil Star rated, In 2007, Penrose Room became the first Colorado restaurant to receive the AAA Five-Diamond Award. Both Charles Court and Summit are AAA Four-Diamond Winners. The Broadmoor's reputation for "raising the culinary bar" spans way beyond the Rocky Mountains. This allows them to attract culinary students from around the globe for their apprentice programs.

The Broadmoor's 7Th Annual "A Salute to Escoffier" honored legendary French Chef of Paris' Savoy and Ritz Hotels, Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier's most noted career achievements are revolutionizing and modernizing the menu, the art of cooking and the organization of the professional kitchen. He also developed a system that simplified the menu as it had been, writing the dishes down in the order in which they would be served (Service à la Russe).(Take note all you Top Chef wanabee's!) He also developed the first à la Carte menu. Many of these achievements are taken for granted today.

Photo (C) The Ritz, Paris

As a food writer, I have immense respect for Escoffier, as he was the author of numerous cooking books and articles over the years. His most famous book "Le Guide Culinaire: A Guide to Modern Cookery" by Auguste Escoffier is considered the "chef's bible" and original copies have auctioned on Ebay for thousands.

Over the years Escoffier received many awards and honors. The most famous was granted by Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II when he told Escoffier, “I am the Emperor of Germany, but you are the emperor of chefs.”

DISHES INVENTED BY AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER
•Peach Melba
•Melba Toast
•Cuisses de Nymphe Aurore:
a dish of frogs legs created for the Prince of Wales
•Tournedos Rossini:
Named after the great Italian composer, Gioacchino Rossini

In his later years, Escoffier became a consultant to many resorts and cruise lines. One of his most infamous menus was a 10-course dinner created for the First Class Passengers on the RMS Titanic. The menu was served on it's ill fated final night. (At least they ate well!)

For Escoffier's Titanic Menu & Recipe's click here:
http://cookingmonster.com/2008/04/09/the-last-meal-on-the-rms-titanic/

Today, there are several organizations dedicated to the memory and traditions of Escoffier, in a similar fashion as The James Beard Foundation honors it's namesake chef. The most famous, Les Dames d'Escoffier International, is an organization for women with careers in the food industry, made up of chapters in cities across North America. In 1977, the organization named Julia Child as their first recipient of their Grande Dame award. www.ldei.org

When asked about this event, the Broadmoor's Director of Food & Beverage, Craig Reed, remarked "A Salute to Escoffier was so honored to Georges Auguste Escoffier as we thought would be unique as he was considered the "king of chefs and chef of kings"---we also knew that we were uniquely able to host such a grand event because of the rich culinary talent we have at the Broadmoor. Be it our garde manager, sauce & roast department, butcher shop, pastry & bakery department, the culinary diversity of our many restaurants and their chef's. All of our chef's are lead by Executive Chef "Sigi" Eisenberger, only the 4th Executive Chef of the Broadmoor over it's 90 year history.

We also wanted the event to raise money for something we thought special, The Broadmoor Culinary Apprenticeship and The Colorado Restaurant Associations ProStart Program."

The Broadmoor's 7Th Annual "A Salute to Escoffier" took place over a unusually warm January weekend. On Friday evening, guests enjoyed a welcome reception that showcased International wines paired with culinary creations from The Broadmoor's celebrated restaurants. Wines were generously poured by representatives of Republic National Distributors,event sponsor and Colorado's largest distributor of wine.

Chef Bouquin, Photo (C) The Broadmoor

After enjoying this feast, we moseyed over to the Broadmoor's newest restaurant Summit, which was designed by haute restaurant architect Adam Tihany. When you walk through Summit's doors it easy to be awestruck by the glass-enclosed 14-foot,rotating wine turret. French born Executive Chef Bertrand Bouquin greeted us before we were seated. I believe that his American Brasserie/French Bistro styled creations are on level with Thomas Keller's Bouchon, sans the touristy price tag. Chef Bouquin's version of Keller's "Mac and Cheese" was heaven! It's a rich but subtle combination of perfectly cooked noodles assembled with Lobster, Chanterelle, Bacon and Goat Cheese. We also loved the Colorado Lamb Chops with creamy polenta. Our neighboring guests ordered Summit's signature "Angry Trout" with Braised Swiss Chard, Lardons, Pine Nuts and Grenobloise sauce. Why is it called angry? The trout’s tail is inserted through its mouth just before it is fried. The final dish looks as if the trout is gritting it's teeth!

Place setting at Charles Court

Trio of Seafood at Charles Court Luncheon

Cheese Course

On Saturday we enjoyed a cooking demonstration by Chef Bouquin as well as a fun wine paired Luncheon at Charles Court, showcasing wines from Sonoma Cutrer and Bonterra organic wines. Guests enjoyed a rare tasting of three Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay's, pairings were "spot on" with the Chef's Trio of Seafood Appetizers; Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Shrimp Fritters and Diver Scallops with Pear Risotto. Our second course was Colorado Buffalo Tenderloin in Blue Cheese Crust and Wagyu Shortribs, paired with Bonterra Syrah. For dessert, everyone loved the Colorado Artisan Cheeses(5) paired with Sonoma Cutrer Pinot Noir. This Luncheon was a steal at $45 per person.

In the afternoon, mixologist's from Summit demonstrated the "Art of the Cocktail”. Bartenders treated guests to samplings of Summit's signature cocktails "Sparkling Summit", "Woodford Smash" and Latin inspired "Cosmolito".

COSMOLITO
1.5 ounces Herradura Reposado
1 ounce Grand Marnier
1 ounce lime
1 ounce cranberry

Pour all ingredients into mixing glass and shake for about 15-20 seconds pour over rocks or into a martini glass.

Saturday evening's big event was the "Salute to Escoffier Grand Buffet" a six hour, free-flowing dining and entertainment extravaganza with a live auction benefiting The Broadmoor Culinary Apprenticeship Fund. The Grand Buffet would make Escoffier proud.

On Sunday, seasoned, well-rested Foodie's went medieval over The Broadmoor’s "Traditional" (I say colossal!) Sunday Brunch with a selection of more than 70 items. Thank god we managed to fit in time for the Broadmoor's spa and fitness center during our stay!

Mark your calendar...the dates for The Broadmoor's 8Th Annual " A Salute to Escoffier are February 5 to 7, 2010. Two night packages begin at approx $449 per person, based on double occupancy. (Limited to 250 guests).Call(800) 634-7711, ext 5775.

You do not have to wait until next year to "Salute Escoffier" and enjoy The Broadmoor's rich culinary offerings. For special celebrations, enhancing the Penrose Room’s romantic charm is a glass-enclosed 24-seat private dining room, affording guests a breathtaking mountain view.

Colorado's only 5 Star restaurant also offers special tasting menus.

Tasting Menus:
Three course $62
Four course $72
Chef’s tasting menu $95, with wine parings $150

For additional information visit www.broadmoor.com or call (866)381-8432 or (719)577-5733

BONUS RECIPE FROM COOKING DEMO

Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Oyster and Caviar
Serves 6

Ingredients:
Panna Cotta:
14 oz Cauliflower
2/3 oz Butter
1 4/5 Cream
2 ea. Gelatin sheet
To taste Salt and white pepper
12 each Oyster
Caviar – for garnish

Method:
Dice cauliflower and put into a small pot. Add butter and water to barely cover the cauliflower. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered, until tender and most of the water has evaporated. Add cream and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Blend to a fine purée, stir in pre-soaked gelatin and pass the cream to a fine-mesh sieve. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the Panna Cotta into small dishes and allow to cool.

Presentation:
Open the oyster and remove them from shell.

Place the oyster on top of the Panna Cotta and decorate with caviar and dill.

Hungary’s Epochal Food & Wine Culture

2009-02-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

Statues at Heroes Square, Budapest

Dio Restaurant

Mysterious fountain of wine!

Budapest (pronounced/ Buda-Pesht), capital of Hungary, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. During the cold war it had a reputation for being “the Paris” of Eastern Europe. The city is actually a combination of two cities Buda and Pest that are separated by the Duna (Hungarian) or Danube River.

When I first visited Budapest in 1992, the inhabitants were still trying to grasp with their newly obtained freedom. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved. While this was mainly positive, some locals resented the jump in expenses that they incurred with freedom.

When I dined in traditional popular restaurants, I experienced old world cuisine that was comprised of a great amount of heavily fried foods such as chicken and goose, doused in paprika & cream. The wine list’s consisted of 90 percent sweet local white varietals and classic Tokay and Aszu, sweet wines made in a similar style as Sauternes. Many were great pairs for cutting through fatty, fried, spicy foods.

During my first visit, I found the Budapest’s hotel accommodations minimalistic. With the exception of The Hotel Gellart, with Turkish baths and spa, most other hotels featured Soviet influenced, prefab architecture.

Today, the city is home to more than 70 hotels, including the luxury masterpiece Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest. This Art Nouveau landmark has been painstakingly restored/ transformed (at a cost of $500 million) with ultra-modern comforts, luxury and impeccable service with water views of the Danube and Buda Castle District. Its restaurant is well worth a visit.

The Four Seasons Restaurant Gresham Kávéház
Modeled after a café long frequented by Budapest's intelligentsia from the nearby Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Gresham Kávéház. The restaurant overlooks the Danube and the Chain Bridge.

Exceptional Appetizer! Trio of Foie Gras

•Foie Gras Au Torchon with Strawberry Jam
•Foie Gras Scallop with Cinnamon Roasted Peach, Tokay Reduction
•Foie Gras Mille-Feuille with Red Currant

Notable Entrees

•Slowly Cooked Pike Perch with Spring Vegetables, Saffron Sauce
•Roast Sea Bream Fillet with Green Asparagus and Romaine Lettuce, Tomato and Green Olive Tartar
•Grain Mustard Crusted Salmon with Fennel and Beetroot Carpaccio, Pink Pepper Corn Dressing
•Tagliatelle with Scallop, Squid, Mussels and Shrimps, Spicy Fresh Tomato Sauce
•Roast Baby Chicken with Leek and Potato Cake, Preserved Lemon Jus

Roosevelt Tér 5-6.
1051 Budapest
Hungary
Tel. 36 (1) 268-6000
http://www.fourseasons.com/budapest/

Hilton Budapest hotel
The Hilton Budapest hotel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in the heart of The Buda Castle District, next to the Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. The hotel offers great Danube and city views.

Enjoy the best of Hungarian and International cuisine in the Hilton Budapest hotel's Dominican restaurant or view the ruins of a medieval monastery from the Lobby Bar. What makes this hotel really unique is that it is constructed around medieval ruins. You pass through the ruins walking from the lobby to guest rooms.

The Hilton Budapest hotel has 24 meeting rooms for 4-660, exclusive open-air venues in historical settings, a 24-hour business center and wireless Internet access all around the hotel. Step up to a Guest Room Plus for a Danube view or choose an Executive Room with Executive Lounge access.

Hilton Budapest Hotel
Hess A. ter 1-3, Budapest, Hungary H-1014
Tel: 36-1-889-6600 Fax: 36-1-889-6644
Website: http://www.hilton.com

Nearby you may choose to visit the Labyrinth of Buda Castle.
This maze of tunnels (which literally goes on for miles) is located beneath Castle Hill. The tunnels were first intended as wine cellars, then as bomb shelters. But cave drawings have also been found, indicating a more ancient history, which will also be part of your experience. Tours are self-guided and spooky. You might wish to bring a flashlight or matches. One highlight is the mysterious fountain of wine. If you visit after 6pm, the main lights are turned off and you must tour with lanterns. Cost 1500 HUF/1200 with Budapest Discount Card.

Labyrinth of Buda Castle
Castle District
Budapest 1014 Hungary
+36 1 212 0207
Email: info@labirintus.com
Open Hours Daily 9:30am-7: 30pm
Website: http://www.labirintus.com/

The House of Hungarian Wines
Another must stop for wine lovers is The Hungarian House of Wines, which is located across the street from The Hilton Budapest Hotel. They are run by the Hungarian Academy of wine and feature an array of wines from Hungary’s 13 major wine regions, giving you a one-stop location for tasting a kaleidoscope of delicious wines from Hungary’s top regions. Approximately 50 bottles are open for tasting. Cost is 3500 HUF/ $15 USD for one hour tasting.

The House of Hungarian Wines
1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér 6.
Tel 36-1-212-1030

DIÓ Restaurant & Bar
H-1051, Budapest Sas u. 4.
Tel. 36 1 328 0360
http://www.diorestaurant.com/

DIÓ offers a modern day interpretation of Hungarian cuisine with International ingredients. The restaurant is boldly decorated in its own sleek style that combines 21st century form, with natural weaves fused in spectacular color and dramatically illuminated.

Worthy bites include Deer Sausages, Goose Liver Praline in stuffed Maize, Vegetable Fritters and Pigs Cracklings Pate. New twists include traditional Goulash Soup made from Grey Cattle. Fish lovers will enjoy the Roasted Pike Perch with Bacon and Mustard Sauce!

The wine list is dominated with boutique Hungarian wines and a spot of Italian reds. This is Budapest's newest dining hotspot. It is well worth the visit.

Fausto's Osteria Restaurant
Szekely Mihaly utca 2., Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 1 331 87 11
http://www.osteria.hu/

After several days in Hungary, you may get the urge to take a break from the local cuisine. I found Fausto's Osteria by searching Italian restaurant Budapest. My cab dropped us off at the street, but it took 15 minutes to find the restaurant, because they had no sign! It was well worth the work.

Fausto's produces authentic down home Italian cuisine at reasonable prices. My wife and I enjoyed a bottle of Collavini Cabernet 2004 for (5.000 HUF)$21.65 USD. Their menu contains a great selection of Meat, Fish and Home-made Pasta dishes.

Monarchia Wine Shop, Budapest
Address: 1092 Budapest, Kinizsi Street 30-36.
Phone: +36 1 456 9898
Opening hours: Mo-Fr: 10-18; Sat.: 10-18
http://www.monarchiawinery.com/where.html

The Monarchia company is a consortium of Hungary's best wineries. The Monarchia wine shop offers a broad selection of Monarchia wines as well as International selections, books and wine accessories. The store is near the Hungarian Museum of Art.

HUNGARY’S EPOCHAL FOOD & WINE CULTURE
Story and photos © 2009 by Christopher J Davies

Great books worth reading

2009-01-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

Wine Country International ® magazine’s Book Reviews by Christopher J Davies Ratings: good, very good, excellent, must read

Wine Works: Wine books worth reading

The Billionaire’s Vinegar
Author: Benjamin Wallace
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Price: $24.95
Web Page: http://www.benjaminwallace.net
ISBN-10: 0307338770
ISBN-13: 978-0307338778
This is one of those books that you really cannot put down. It covers a very historical & expensive bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux—unearthed in a Paris cellar and supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—it went for $156,000 to a member of the Forbes family.

This book is full of suspense and mystery. After reading it you will wonder about how many wines purchased at auctions may also be flawed… quietly sitting in their new owners cellar. This was one exciting and intriguing book that I hoped would be turned into a movie…it seems like my wish will come true! Escape Artists and Overbrook Entertainment have optioned screen rights to "The Billionaire's Vinegar," Variety reported. The film will be produced by Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Will Smith.
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The Really Useful Guide to White Wine
Author: Susy Atkins
Rating: Excellent
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing
Format: Soft cover, 160 pages
Price: $10.95
Web Page: http://www.quadrille.co.uk/
ISBN-10: 1 84400 431 7
ISBN-13: 978 1 84400431 7

REVIEWED WITH:

The Really Useful Guide to Red Wine
Author: Susy Atkins
Rating: Excellent
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing
Format: Soft cover, 160 pages
Price: $10.95
Web Page: http://www.quadrille.co.uk/
ISBN-10: 1 84400 430 9
ISBN-13: 978 1 84400430 0

Here are two great books by seasoned UK wine Author & Broadcaster Susy Atkins. Her approach simplifies wine by organizing wine by countries & varietals. Her flavor categories and suggested food pairings offer even the accidental with a logical solution for increasing enjoyment of food and wine. These two books are the perfect combination for starting off your home wine collection. Atkins offers great advice for wine storage and tasting tips. The books are small, but beautifully illustrated with great mouth-watering photography.

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The House of Mondavi
Author: Julia Flynn Siler
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Gotham Books
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Price: $28.00 Hardcover, $15.00 Paperback
Web Page: http://www.juliaflynnsiler.com/
ISBN 9781592402595

Wall Street Journal Writer Julia Flynn Siler has painstakingly researched the facts about the Mondavi family dating back to when family patriarch’s Cesare and Rosa travel to the United States from native Italy. This is a story about a family that realizes all of their dreams in America’s wine industry. And while the main setting is bucolic Napa Valley, feuds amongst the family, matched temper levels of Sonny Corleone's in “The Godfather”.

In these pages, Siller reveals the personality, dedication and hard work that Robert Mondavi undertakes in developing one of America’s most recognized wine brands. As his two sons, Michael & Tim, with Daughter Marcia help to continue the family wine legacy, the company’s growth & public status eventually blows a cork, leading to new beginnings for the Mondavi siblings. Read this book and you will gain a deep appreciation for how wine gets into the bottle!

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Cooking The Books: Cuisine & Cookbooks

Dishing up Maine
Author: Brooke Dojny
Rating: Very Good
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Format: Soft Cover, 288 pages
Price: $19.95
Web Page: http://www.storey.com
ISBN 10: 1-58017-841-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-58017-841-9

Author Brooke Dojny moved to Maine for the food. Her Dishing up Maine cookbook showcases 165 tasty recipes that connect the dots of Maine’s Foodways. The focus is ultra fresh seafood, artisan cheese and local produce. Recipes are categorized in seven delicious chapters from Starters, Snacks, Sandwiches and So on, to Delectable Desserts. Maine has been on the radar screens of foodies and national food magazines for the past decade. A number of the recipes in this book are on loan for haute restaurants as well as summer-only-shacks.

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A Twist of The Wrist
Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes

Author: Nancy Silverton
Rating: Excellent
Publisher: Knoph
Format: Hardcover, 262 pages
Price: $29.95
Web Page: http://www.randomhouse.com/
ISBN: 978-1-4000-4407-8

Los Angeles Baker & Chef Nancy Silverton is best known for co-founding the Artisan La Brea Bakery. Her new book offers a quick way to turn quality canned & packaged foods into quick meals. Her recipes are mostly simple, but designed to exude interesting flavors. Each recipe has an estimated start to finish time.

This book is superbly designed with excellent photography. It makes the perfect gift for novice home cook who wants to head down the foodie highway.

Recipe Excerpt
Garlic Mayonnaise

In life, I believe everyone, especially those of us who are serious about food, is entitled to one food vice—something they love even though they have a hard time admitting it, whether it's Oreo cookies, Fritos corn chips, or Lipton onion dip made with onion soup mix. Mine, if I had to choose just one, is Best Foods mayonnaise (called Hellmann's on the East Coast). As many others as I tried and as much as I wanted to choose an organic brand for this book, I kept returning to my old favorite. The other mayos just didn't have that familiar, well-balanced flavor that says "mayonnaise" to me.

This recipe uses Best Foods mayonnaise as a base to make a quick aoli (garlic mayonnaise). It takes minutes to make and is a delicious way to finish so many dishes. 1-cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon plus 1-teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste 4 large garlic cloves, grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon), or more to taste 1/4-teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste Stir the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt together in a small bowl and season with more lemon juice, garlic, or salt to taste.

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The Sonoma Diet Cookbook
Author: Dr. Connie Guttersen, R.D, Ph.D
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Meredith Books
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Price: $24.95
Web Page: http://www.sonomadiet.com/
ISBN 0-696-23185-9

Move over Atkins & South Beach, finally a diet & cookbook for wine lovers! If you have visited Sonoma, you know Sonoma is all about fresh produce & wine. Dr. Guttersen has devised a diet plan that does not kill you, hunger wise or FLAVOR wise. It is all about keeping meals flavorful & healthy. Her recipes are quick and easy to make.

Her list of 20 Flavor Boosters will ensure that your meals are never boring. Best of all this entire cookbook and diet is wine friendly.

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Travel Logs: Travel Books That Help You Explore!

Basilica
The Splendor and The Scandal: Building St. Peter’s

Author: R.A Scotti
Rating: Must Read
Publisher: Plume
Format: Soft Cover, 315 pages
Price: $15.00
Web Page: http://us.penguingroup.com
ISBN: 978-0-452-28860-7

R.A Scotti captures the rich history behind Rome’s most recognizable and beloved landmark. It’s a story of temperamental Pope’s and masterful artists who succeed in creating a masterpiece.

This is a must read for anyone planning to visit Rome and all its riches! For those who are open to healthy walks, you will enjoy the books section on Walks in Papal Rome, with four different walking routes, illustrations and a list of must see historical sites.
Godere di! (Good health!)

Touring & Tasting Tips

2009-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Touring & Tasting Tips

1.PLAN BEFORE YOU GO.

Many of the world's famed wine regions contain dozens of wineries, from vast multi-national conglomerates to virtual garage operations. Most are clustered as tightly as old vine Zinfandel grapes along the main artery, though several sprout on scenic, corkscrewing country roads. Traffic, especially during harvest (autumn, or spring in the Southern Hemisphere) and summer, can be heavy. To maximize your time, avoid mid- and late-afternoon visits, especially on weekends. Winery staffers are usually more attentive weekdays, and you might even luck into meeting the winemaker at smaller operations.

Allot at least one hour for a full-scale tour and tasting and factor in travel time between wineries. Complex ordinances require some establishments to open by appointment only (a few, such as Bordeaux châteaux, lower the drawbridge only after you've planned a rendezvous like fugitive lovers and whistle-blowers). Always call ahead to double-check hours and reservations, even at the largest facilities.

Many establishments charge for tastings (the fee may be refunded with a purchase), extra for reserve and older library wines or special tours. Speaking of tours, trust us: once you've seen one crusher, pump, fermentation tank, and cellar, you get the idea, so after you've mastered the basics, seek out wineries offering something unique, whether historic or technological.

2. PACE YOURSELF.

Don't drink all the wine. Sip & spit. Many wineries boast lovely grounds and encourage you to bring along your own picnic. If you do decide to eat and imbibe, stay in the shade during hot months. Drink plenty of water.

3. HOLD YOUR GLASS BY THE STEM.

Fondling the bowl of the glass like a melon at the supermarket brings out Simon Cowell snippiness in snobs. Why? Because it warms the wine, altering its character. Wines are rarely excessively chilled in tasting rooms, but if they are, yes, palm them as if rubbing your hands by the fire before inhaling and sipping.

Hold the wine up to the light or against a white background. This enables you to determine the robe (color), legs (glycerine viscosity) and clarity (cloudiness can be a first hint of spoilage). Sampling library wines? Browning at the edges is expected in a mature red, as is a certain darkening of older whites. As the great Bordeaux oenologist Emile Peynaud wrote, "Color resembles a wine's face: from it you can tell age and something of its character."

4. SNIFF, SWIRL, SNIFF AGAIN.

Wine DNA contains five strands: aroma, body, flavor, acidity, finish. Sometimes, oak and tannin may be thrown into the gene pool.

Smelling the wine is crucial: our appreciation of wine in the glass stems primarily from our olfactory sense. You'll discover that not all wines have "pretty" scents and flavors. Vegetal, mineral, smoke, tar, petrol, damp leaves, leather and cigar box, for example, can be complimentary characteristics, depending on the varietal. An educated wine drinker appreciates these qualities (though you're allowed to play favorites!).

The first whiff identifies the core aromatics. Now swirl the glass. This releases its "bouquet" or "nose." You'll discover an even more complex set of notes emerging. It's like playing a great symphony first with piano solo, then with full orchestra.

5. SIP, SWISH, SPIT.

Take your first sip, just enough to slosh around your mouth, then spit. Seems undignified, doesn't it? But treating the wine like mouthwash (pre-gargling) is vital. We have several sets of taste buds that recognize different characteristics: sweetness (the tip of the tongue, and first to register), sourness, saltiness and bitterness. You'll also better appreciate the body, or texture: is it voluptuous as Pamela Anderson, thin, or flabby? Remember, there's no such thing as bodybuilding or liposuction for wine. You can then gauge the acidity. If your mouth puckers like a hormonal adolescent at the prom, the wine may be imbalanced. Finally, do the flavors linger like a first kiss or do they, um, peter out? Well-made wines usually have a finish, from subtle to explosive.

6. TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

Do you love Chardonnay? Absolutely, sample it. But the winery may produce several styles, from stainless steel to barrel-fermented (oaked), in varying combinations and blends. Then try something new. Ask for similar varietals (Pinot Blanc, for example, is often---unjustly---called the poor man's Chard). Then expand your horizons: Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürtztraminer, Pinot Gris/Grigio, etc. Do the same with reds. You adore Merlot (and vice versa)? Next sample a Bordeaux-style blend, before sequeing into the heavier Cabernets.

7. START WITH WHITES.

The winery folks will encourage you to try whites, then reds. And they'll pour the lighter wines first. This makes it easier to recognize the subtle differences---and prevents "palate shock," when a big brawny red assaults your taste buds.

8. TAKE IT SLOWLY.

Taste every wine in small quantities and, if possible, spit and/or pour most of it out. Even experts suffer palate fatigue after 15 wines (the alcohol seeps into your taste buds even if you don't swallow, eventually numbing them). Drink plenty of water, and sip some between each wine. Nibble non-salty crackers: it's like a cleansing sorbet between courses. Some wineries will even put out cheese cubes, since so many wines are enhanced by food (and vice versa).

9. PURCHASE WINE FOR HOME CONSUMPTION.

Find something you enjoy? There's no better way to savor wine than relaxing at home with a meal. Wineries offer discounts for quantity purchases. Note that many wines---from playful experimental blends to serious single-estate wines---are available only at the winery's gift shop (often along with an astonishing array of logo merchandise, cookbooks, stemware, accessories and gourmet food items). Always check if the state has reciprocity with your state for alcohol shipping; if not, settle for portable potables. If you love a winery, consider joining its (usually free) wine club: you'll receive newsletters, discounts, special event invitations, even releases unavailable to regular consumers.

10. BE FEARLESS.

The worst that can happen is you really want to spit that wine out। Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions. Enjoy!!!!

What to do in Munich for an afternoon

2009-01-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

What to do in Munich for an afternoon
Story and photos(C) 2009 by Christopher J Davies

Darcy and I had the good fortune of staying a day in Munich on our return from a cruise of Eastern Europe. Since our connecting flight to Denver was early morning, we decided to stay close to the airport. To our delight we found the 5-Star, Kempinski Hotel Airport München on line. Cost was $200 USD on Priceline.com. The hotel is located in the middle of both terminals, making it extremely convenient. After picking up our luggage, we had a short 5-minute walk from the terminal through an outdoor courtyard to the hotel.

The Kempinski Hotel Airport features unique and modern architecture from Helmut Jahn. Its stunningly soaring glass roof and grand atrium lobby provides a friendly welcome for the dreary traveler. The staff is friendly and expedient. The rooms are well appointed with modern bathrooms, comfortable bedding and desk areas. The pool and spa were exceptional and included with the room rate.

The Hotel has two restaurants, Charles Lindberg, which showcases buffet service. Our favorite was Restaurant Safran, a gourmet Thai/Mediterranean restaurant with an emphasis on Seafood.

Website: http://www.kempinski-airport.de/en/home/index.htm

Munich’s Town Center is located only 35 minutes away by train from the Airport. It is an enchanted, bustling city with many retail shops and outdoor markets.

Hofbräuhaus- a must stop for lunch!
If you are looking to experience authentic German food and beer, the Hofbräuhaus is a must visit. An institution for more than 100 years, it’s building was not spared from the wrath’s of WWII. This historic beer hall was quickly rebuilt back to the way it was erected in 1897.

HB is massive, with a capacity for up to 1,300 guests. And when we arrived for lunch the halls were jammed packed with locals many of which were retired gentlemen gathering with longtime friends. Many old timers keep their mugs in the coveted status symbolic HBH lockers. And when the uniformed, Heidi like waitresses brings their next beer a simple hash mark is drawn on their coaster. In the distance a 5-piece band plays traditional Ompah pah pah music, setting a load & up beet ambiance for the entire beer hall.

When in Rome they say do as the Roman’s do. But when in Munich, you better drink the beer! HB offers Dark Beer, Original, Münchner Weisse, Radler - light beer with lemonade, Dark Radler - dark beer with lemonade and Ruß'n - white beer with lemonade. Prices range from 3.65 to 7.30E for a 1 L mug. My favorite was the Radler with Lemon!

Wines by the glass ranged from 3.10 to 4.10 E. Wines by the bottle range from 14.90 to 20.00 E. Germany stables such as Silvaner & Riesling are offered in addition to surprising International selections from Italy and France.

For lunch we tried several HB specialties.

•Beef Bouillon with a Large Homemade Liver Dumpling € 3,80.
I am a liver lover, but this was colossal in size and could sink a U Boat! The soup and liver combo was awesome. But I think this would be much more practical if you can share it amongst several people.

•Bread Basket (2 pretzels, 1 roll, 1 slice of bread)
The Pretzels are big and soft, served steaming fresh from the oven. € 2,20

•Original HB sausage platter with Viennese & pork sausages
and grilled sausage with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes € 7,60.
Germany is a sausage lover’s paradise. And this combo platter provides a great representation of Germany’s popular sausage types.

Escalope "Vienna" style from pork loin with home-made potato salad € 8,10
A traditional German dish done to perfection.

After eating this typical heavy German lunch we were stuffed. While we did not try the desserts, but we did take notice!

•Ice Cream Cup - 3 scoops of ice cream with fruit sauce and whipped cream € 3,50
•Apple Strudel from the HB bakery
with vanilla sauce and whipped cream € 3,90
•Munich “Dampfnudel“ (sweet yeast dumpling)
home-made with vanilla sauce € 3,50
•Bavarian Cream
with marinated wild berries € 3,90

Hofbräuhaus am Platzl Platzl 9, München Tel. 49 89 221676 Website: www.hofbraeuhaus.de

After enjoying the beers and food, it was time to work off our meal and explore the city by foot. The blocks within Munich’s City Center are jam packed with retail shops and outdoor markets. We found several stores with Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks ranging in price from 150-1500 €.

There were a great amount of butchers and meat stores, each with their front windows jutting with hanging meats. Cooking accessory stores and appliance stores also populated just about every block. Let’s me believe that Germany is almost as passionate about food as France!

At the outdoor markets we discovered typical Farmers Market settings with local farmers displaying their seasonal fresh produce. Happily there were no special signs identifying Organic produce. My guess is that everything was organic anyway.

We found a unique spice vendor selling pre-packed supplies of popular and rare, hard to find spices. Several well-stocked cheese vendors displayed more than one hundred different cheeses cut to order. We were also elated to see vendors merchandising valued-priced (5 Euro) French wines in wooden bins carefully positioned in the customer’s line of site. Wine as an impulse item…what a concept! .

And since we were visiting in November, we could not miss checking out Germany’s famous Christmas Markets. Germany draws quite a bit of international shoppers during the pre-Christmas season. Munich’s Christmas vendors have a lot to offer. Handmade tree ornaments and decorations from Germany can provide an everlasting memory of your visit!

There are many Museums and attractions to explore in Munich. The city hosts many festivals during the year. The biggest is Munich Oktoberfest, September 19 to October 4, 2009.

For more visit the official website of the Munich Tourist Office.
http://www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/tourist_office/57799/index.html

Recipe: Smoked Duck Confit in Puff Pastry

2008-12-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Smoked Duck Confit, Raspberry Habanero Glaze in Puff Pastry

Source: Christopher J Davies
Prep Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6-10

If you are looking for a different, but relatively easy appetizer to serve at your next gathering, try your skills and patience creating this savory appetizer. Duck legs are now being sold at Costco. All other ingredients are available in your grocery store.

Ingredients

Maple Leaf Farms Premium Duck Leg Quarters
(12 oz)
4 T Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic
1 T Paprika
1 T Salt
1/2 T White Pepper
1 Jar of Primo Foods Raspberry Habanero Preserve
1 Package of Pepperidge Farms Frozen Puff Pastry Dough
1-Egg for Egg Wash

DIRECTIONS
1) Marinate duck legs in olive oil with crushed garlic cloves, paprika, salt & white pepper for 1 hour in refrigerator.
2) Prepare 1 cup of smoking wood chips( Hickory or Mesquite) in water
3) Start your barbeque and heat to 400 degrees
4) Place wet wood chips in barbeque onto hot coals
5) Place rack with drip pan into grill. To minimize cleanup, add aluminum foil onto drip pan.
6) When wood chips begin a steady smoke place your duck legs onto the grill rack.
7) Cook on each side for 10 minutes.
8) Remove cooked duck legs from grill and let cool for 10 minutes.
9) Remove all eatable meat and crisp skin from the duck legs and mince into small bite size pieces
10) Place Duck Confit in mixing bowl
11) Add 3 Tablespoons of Raspberry Habanero preserve and stir meat for 3 minutes evenly blending glaze over meat.
12) Turn on your oven in the bake mode at 400 degrees.
13) Defrost frozen Puff Pastry Dough for 15 minutes.
14) Create egg wash with 1 scrambled egg and 1 T of water
15) Brush the puff pastry squares with Egg Wash and place 1/2 T of Duck Confit on each pastry square
16) Fold and seal each puff pastry
17) Place on cooking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees

Serve warm

SUGGESTED WINE PAIRING

Serve with a Late Harvest Chardonnay or comparable dessert wine to counteract the fat of the duck and spicy kick of the Habanero.

I paired my dish with 2006 Wolffer Estate (Hamptons) Late Harvest Chardonnay 375 ml, $37

http://www.wolffer.com

Ireland's Excellent Wine Themed Lodge

2008-12-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Wineport Lodge
GLASSON CO. WESTMEATH
Athlone, Ireland NA

The Irish Tourism Bureau has courted Darcy and me for several years. They have been telling us that we would be impressed with Ireland’s cuisine, wines, whiskeys and luxury accommodations. While they do not make any significant amount of wine in Ireland, the culinary scene has experienced a revolutionary transformation that sets Ireland light years apart from England’s meat and potatoes offerings.

We visited Ireland in September 2007 on a self-guided press trip. The Irish Tourism Board carefully planned our entire itinerary. But when we arrived at Shannon Airport we were basically on our own self-guided, seven-day journey of the emerald Isle.

We have so many stories and experiences to share from this visit. But I thought that it would be best to tell you about Ireland’s premier wine themed hotel and gourmet restaurant.

Wineport Lodge
Located almost dead in the center of Ireland, The Wineport Lodge is located on a peaceful inland waterway in Glasson County on the inner lakes of Lough Ree, which is fed by the Shannon.

The lodge was founded in February 1993 by husband & wife team Ray Byrne and Jane English. Their success with Wineport has enabled them to expand their holdings to 4 other distinct properties.

When we arrived, we were elated with the lodge’s location overlooking the lake. It was a sunny day and locals told us how lucky we were to be experience sunny and dry 80 F degree weather. Apparently they had three weeks of torrential downpours that ended just days before our arrival.

The concept of this place is every wine lovers dream. Each hotel room is named after a legendary wine brand. Ours was the Taylor Fonseca room. When we arrived at our room their was a decanter waiting with Taylor Fonseca Port! After opening the blinds we were elated with the gorgeous view of Lough Ree with classic wooden hulled yachts moored on the pier. Our room was spacious and well appointed with walnut furniture by leading designer Robert English. Our bathroom was large and spa like.

Guests arrive by road or water, and the bar & restaurant is popular with gourmet diners, tourists, corporate clients, the local community, families, golfers and sailors. We noticed several anniversary parties with middle-aged children toasting their fox haired parents 50th anniversaries.

The kitchen, under Chef Feargal O'Donnell's helm, offers a wide variety of International cuisine’s and approaches. He focuses on using local organic ingredients for most of his menu. Of course the wine list is extensive. It includes a great stable of French and Italian classics. But to cater to the Irish market, a great selection of popular priced Aussie wines are offered.

Before dinner we were offered a seat on the outdoor deck overlooking the sunset falling across the Lough Ree. The Bar Manager knew we were journalists and asked if we would like to try some Irish whiskey. I asked him to pick something special. He shortly appeared with two bottles of 16-year-old Bushmills. As a scotch drinker I was impressed with this whiskey’s smoothness.

Dinner
We were treated to a chefs sampling of Wineport’s signature dishes.
One of our favorites was the Steamed Fresh Mussels with Coconut Coriander and Sweet Chili Cream. It offered a satisfying variety of sweetness, texture and spice.
(See recipe below.)

Other notable dishes include;

Starters

Wineport soup & crusty breads.

Steamed Lissadel Bay mussels, white wine & gremolata cream sauce.

Tempura of confit pork belly, sweet soy & fried shallot.

Main Courses
Served with daily changing potatoes & vegetables

Roast breast of chicken,
black pudding & port raisins, pancetta & glazed turnips.

Bouride of smoked seafood, Parmesan potato crust.

Braised beef olives, honey roast root vegetables,
sage & pearl onion bordelaise.

Dessert Menu €10

Wineport banoffi, pineapple & mint salsa.

Risotto of pear, vanilla bean, Muscat & saffron.

Chocolate raspberry tart, Tia Maria mascarpone.

White chocolate orange soufflé, Baileys ice cream.

Classic crème brûlée with rhubarb & anise compote, sesame tuille.

Banana & buttermilk pudding, caramelized Bramley apple,
black treacle sauce, honey & cinnamon ice cream.

Wineport ice creams, seasonal fruits.

Seasonal fresh fruit with natural yogurt or fromage frais
available as a healthy alternative to dessert.

Ideally accompanied by a glass of Rosé
Enate Rosado, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spain €6.50

Dessert Wines

Noble One – Botrytis Semillon 2000, De Bortoli, New South Wales, Australia
Glass €19 1⁄2 btl €55

Orange Muscat & Flora 2002, Brown Brothers, Victoria, Australia
Glass €7.50 1⁄2 btl €22.50

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2001,
Glass €6.50 1⁄2 btl €20

Sauternes, Château Guiraud 1er Cru 1996
Glass €22.50 1⁄2 btl €69

RECIPE
By Chef Feargal O'Donnell
Steamed Fresh Mussels with Coconut Coriander and Sweet Chili Cream

Serves 4

Ingredients

2lb fresh clean mussels
1/2 can coconut milk
Small bunch fresh coriander (chopped)
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Method

Bring a thick-bottomed pot to heat.

Add mussels & half a glass of white wine.

Cover & cook for 2 1/2 minutes on medium heat.

Add coconut milk, coriander & sweet chili, bring to the boil & cook for another 1 1/2 minutes.

Divide into four bowls & serve with some crusty bread on risotto rice.

***************************************************************

If you are planning as trip to Ireland, I highly recommend a visit to this lodge. The friendly staff really enjoy their jobs. You will love their service a premium level accommodations and cuisine.

Wineport Lodge Glasson Athlone Co Westmeath Ireland

Tel Ireland 090 643 9010
International (00353) 906 439 010
Email: lodge@wineport.ie
Website: www.wineport.ie

HOW TO FIND GREAT WINE VALUES!

2008-12-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

THE WORLD OF WINE PRICING AND HOW TO FIND GREAT VALUES! My wife and I recently visited the sleepy Languedoc region of Southern France with our two Son's. This region is on the Mediterranean Sea between Marseille and the Spanish boarder.

Vin de Pays is the major appellation, but our favorite region visited was Côtes de Thongue, which produces wines from grapes grown to the west of Pézenas. The winemakers and proprietors were genuinely friendly and quite happy to offer tastes of their wines without charge!

Most people don't know that the Languedoc-Roussillon region is dominated by 740,300 acres of vineyards, which is three times the combined area of the vineyards in Bordeaux! As one might imagine, the wines are designed to match the region's seafood. Dry Rosé that is fruity but bone dry, is gaining popularity. Cabernet, Merlot, Carignan Noir, Syrah (red and rosé), Pinot noir, Grenache, and Sauvignon are also produced.

We were quite surprised to find that the average price for a Côtes de Thongue wine was Euro 3.99, which at today's currency rate cost only $5.75 US! As the world's largest producer of wine, France's overproduction has greatly benefited wine consumers. The French are even redesigning their labels to help make them more consumer friendly! The market and extreme competition has set the price. Even after an importer adds his profit margin and delivery costs, wines from Côtes de Thongue should cost American consumers less than $15 per bottle. That my friends represents an extraordinary price to quality value!

People that visit Long Island Wine Country are sometimes put off by the prices. Many of the smaller boutique producers only make 500 cases or less of their wines. They price their wines based on the artisan standards and techniques used to create their wines. And with the dramatically increased flow of tourists to the region, demand is so great that it seems like consumers will tolerate premium prices if they feel that they are getting premium quality.

Does this mean that all Long Island Wines are overpriced? Not at all. But one must search out some of Long Island's hidden gems to find exceptional values. Here's a few of my recent favorites:

LAUREL LAKE VINEYARDS,LAUREL, NEW YORK 2006 Chardonnay $14.99 Unwooded Chardonnay. It's a light crisp and generous fruit-driven wine, abounding in ripe pineapple, fresh lemon and mineral flavors. The palate displays pineapple and mineral characters with soft creamy finish. This chardonnay is ideal for salads and appetizers.

MACARI VINEYARDS & WINERY, MATTITUCK

Just released! 2008 Early Wine $16.99

A young, fresh wine made from Chardonnay picked in September 2008. This wine is fresh and clean with just a touch of satisfying sweetness on the finish. A crisp apple flavor makes this wine a great holiday treat.

Collina 48 Merlot $9.99 An enticing nose filled with spice, black olives and a touch of bittersweet chocolate, leads to a palate rich with the flavors of sweet plums, dark cherries and a very round velvety mouthfeel. This wine exhibits a satisfying rich, lingering finish.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc $21.99 This Sauvignon Blanc exhibits a tangy and fragrant bouquet of grapefruit, lime, grass, and lemon blossoms. It has a crisp, vibrant citrus and graphite mineral quality leading to an intense finish.

BEDELL CELLARS,CUTCHOGUE
MAIN ROAD RED $16 Light, fresh and fruity. Cherry, blackberry and raspberry. Racy blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

PINDAR VINEYARDS,PECONIC

PYTHAGORAS $12.99 A non vintage, rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Dry, complex, a subtle fruity bouquet dominates the palate. Called Pindar's "Mini-Mythology" after their top of the line Meritage blend.

2007 Johannesburg Riesling A semi-dry white wine, with peach and pear on the nose. Apricot and melon on the palate. Gold Medal Winner at The 2008 Denver International Wine Competition.

OSPREY'S DOMINION, PECONIC
Regina Maris Chardonnay $10.00
This wine exhibits fresh tropical flavors of apple, melon and a hint of pineapple framed by light butter and toasty oak. A delicious crisp chardonnay

WÖLFFER ESTATE, SAGAPONACK
2004 La Ferme Martin Merlot $15.00 Dark Red Brick in color. The aroma has wonderful red fruit and cloves with hints of vanilla and spice and a fine touch of oak. The mouth-feel is medium bodied with wonderful coffee, dark chocolate and mark characters.89% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Pinot Noir.

PECONIC BAY VINEYARDS, CUTCHOGUE
Local Flavor Merlot 1.5 Liter (Magnum) $16.00
This Merlot possesses delicate hints of plum and blackberry in the nose. This softness carries through to the finish where you’ll notice just enough tannin to end on a firm note and maintain the wine’s structure. Magnum size equals two standard bottles!

PELLEGRINI VINEYARDS, CUTCHOGUE
2003 East End Select Merlot $14.99
Vibrant berries and upfront fruit. Represents Long Island terroir with an excellent finish.

LIEB CELLARS, MATTITUCK
BRIDGE LANE CABERNET FRANC NV $15.00
On the nose, aromas of cherry, blueberry, and cinnamon are accented by hints of sweet peppers. A soft mid-palate leads to a smooth finish with subtle notes of spiced vanilla. This is a great red wine match for spicy foods.

2006 RESERVE PINOT BLANC $20.00
Soft straw in color this Pinot Blanc exhibits great varietal character. Initial scents of nectarine, pear, and citrus fruits give way to hints of honey and chalk. On the palate this medium-bodied, bold Pinot Blanc is refreshingly crisp with a clean, lingering finish.

JAMESPORT VINEYARDS, JAMESPORT
East End Sauvignon Blanc $15.95
This predominantly stainless steel fermented white has a small portion fermented in oak puncheons. The nose is intensely aromatic with pineapple, mango and key lime.

Wine 102-Proper Serving Temperatures

2008-11-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

OK. If you passed Wine 101 and know the basics of wine tasting, holding your glass by the stem, swishing, swirling and spitting occasionally...it's now time to get the best taste out of every glass of wine. You simply need to serve your wine at the proper temperature.

If you serve Chardonnay straight out of the frig, it is way to cold. If you live in Phoenix and serve your Cabernet Sauvignon at room temperature your wine is too warm. If you have a basement, that may be the coolest place to store your wines.

If your budget permits, you should look into purchasing a wine refrigerator. We purchased a Haier 42 Bottle unit at Lowes for $249. It has really done wonders for our wines. The unit has two basic temperature settings Red or White. I suggest that you set yours to Red. You can still obtain great control for your white wines if you store them on the bottom shelves.(Remember heat rises!)

If a wine refrigerator is not in your current budget, you may consider purchasing a wine thermometer. They are available at fine wine stores or online at www.wineenthusiast.com

HERE'S MY SUGGESTED SERVING TEMPERATURES:

Champagne, Sparkling or Dessert Wines 42-45*
(Should be as cold as beer!)

Most Whites 42-45*

Rose and Beaujolais 48-52*

Light Reds (Pinot Noir) 54*

Most Reds 59-64*

If you can obtain these serving temperatures, you will notice a mouthful of delicious fruit and flavor!

Cheers!

Diary of a Grand Vintners Fundraiser Dinner

2008-11-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Once a year, we produce the Grand Vintners Fundraiser Dinner, which is undoubtedly the highest profile event at the annual Denver International Wine Festival.

100% of the net proceeds all revenue generated from this evening will benefit the John S Davies Scholarship Endowment Fund. The scholarship is dedicated to the memory of my Father who was a talented Chef and Hospitality Manager. Dad died tragically at the age of 26 as the result of a car accident.

In it's second year, the John S Davies Scholarship Endowment will directly benefit students of the University of Denver's HRTM School. In 2007, Cristina N.Mariani-May, family proprietor of
Banfi Vintners, generously supported our first Grand Vintners Fundraiser

This year's wine sponsor was Silver Oak Cellars. David Duncan, the President of Silver Oak, is a graduate of DU. So he graciously agreed to provide his wine and himself for this year's dinner. With such a prestigious Napa Cult Cab maker on the roster, I thought it would appropriate to try to elevate the culinary offerings.

Chef Paul Schutt is the HRTM school's Executive Chef. His resume is filed with top haute Denver Restaurants such as Jax Fish House and The Capital Grille. I wondered if he would be open to permitting another chef to collaborate with him on this dinner? It was a touchy subject as I did not want to insult him. When I approached the school and him with this idea, I was surprised at their openness to the concept. Chef Paul, said it would not hurt his ego, in fact he thought that it might be fun!

My first choice was one of my favorite French chefs in the state, Bertrand Bouquin, Executive Chef of the Broadmoor Colorado Springs. As Chef at The Broadmoor's Mobile 5 Star Summitt Restaurant, Bertrand has a very busy schedule. It was a long shot to ask him, but if he accepted, this could create a good buzz for the dinner. He replied that he liked the idea but needed approval from management.

After about a week of waiting Bertrand's boss, Craig Reed, The F&B Director at The Broadmoor gave his nod of approval! With 60 days to go, all we needed was to taste the wines and create the menu.

Chef Paul and Chef Bertrand met with me at The HRTM School in late August. At 12noon, we were tasting the four wines that Silver Oak Cellars sent us. Sniffing, swirling and tasting these delicious wines spurned a lot of menu ideas. How about Duck with this Merlot, I asked.

Bertrand replied yes...let's make a smoked duck with baby turnips and spinach. This was cool, after having attending attending several hundred Vintner's Dinners, I finally had a chance to put in my two cents on the menu creation!

It took us about an hour to taste the wines and create the preliminary menu. 5 delicious courses with 4 wines!

The Denver International Wine Festival
Grand Vintners Fundraiser, Wednesday October 29, 2008

John S Davies Scholarship Menu

Assortment of Passed Canapés
Covides Gran Gesta Cava Brut Reserve, Penedes Spain

Poached and Smoked Salmon Rillette with Spicy Pear Remoulade
Twomey, Pinot Noir, 2006 Russian River

Spiced Honey Glazed Roasted Duck breast,
Baby turnips and Spinach
Twomey, Merlot, 2005 Napa Valley

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine, Baby Carrot,
Parsley Mashed Potato
Silver Oak , Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Alexander Valley

Assortment of domestic and Imported Cheese
Dry fruit Chutney and Mâche Salad
Silver Oak , Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Alexander Valley

Guanaja Chocolate Tartlets with Cabernet Sauvignon Sorbet
Blueberry Coulis
Silver Oak , Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Napa Valley

Now that we had killer wines and a foodie lovers menu, we had all the ingredients for a successful Grand Vintner's Fundraiser Dinner, right? I believed so, but we had to make sales. Our capacity for the dinner was 150, so that meant 75 couples or fifteen tables of 10 guests each. With less then 60 days, we had some selling to do!

Check my blog soon for an entry about the actual dinner.

Long Island Wine Country Tour

2008-11-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

I was so pleased to host a tour of 37 wine lovers on Saturday. We departed from The Soho Grand Hotel at 8:30AM and picked up guests at Grand Central Station and Long Island. The morning was misty, but as we approached the North Fork things dried out.

Our first stop was Macari Vineyards in Mattituck. This is one of my favorite wineries on Long Island. The Macari's are a great family that produce wonderful wines. Their wines have a great quality to price value. So unlike other LI wineries, I feel these wines compete competently amongst similar priced wines from domestic and international wineries.

According to Joseph Macari SR, the proprietor, the 2008 Harvest was OK and not as fruitful as last year.

We tasted Macari's new Early Chardonnay($16.99), which was made from grapes just picked this September 14th! The wine was crisp and had a powerful scent of ripe apples.

Our second taste was a Cabernet Franc, which is in my opinion one of Long Island's best growing varietals. It has an earthiness that makes it versatile enough to pair with spicy Thai or Mexican dishes.

We were treated to two of Macari's premium wines, the powerhouse Meritage style red, Bergen Road and Block E, a delicious dessert wine that is made under the supervision of Austrian Winemaker Helmut Gangl.

After guests purchased wine for home, we trekked east to Greenport Harbor for lunch at Claudio's restaurant. Bill Claudio met our motor coach in the parking lot. We were lucky to be seated and have placed our lunch orders before a second coach arrived. Claudio's Stuffed Shrimp was delicious. I ordered a glass of Marlborough NZ Sauv Blanc, which tasted like an orgy of citrus.

Our second vineyard was a private estate owned by Theresa Boyle. I am leaving the wine brand out of this blog so that my competitors do not attempt to bring tours to this vineyard. This way I can continue to provide a really exclusive experience for my tour attendees.
Everyone enjoyed Terri's down home and humorous personality. Her wines were also well received.

Number three was Laurel Lake Vineyards. They are Chilean owned and put their soul into making wines with personality. Proprietor Juan Sepulveda has a lot of knowledge. He offered guests a personal tour and tasting.