The beautiful weather on Saturday made for the perfect day to visit the Crescent City Farmers Market. As we were walking in I ran into our friend Bob who had a gigantic bag of greens in his hands and told me that the collards were amazing and that I needed to get some. I do love me some big leafy greens so we made a beeline to the back of the market and bought our own gigantic bag. If you are a vitamin K junkie like me, this is a great time to be shopping at the market. Loads of varieties of lettuce, kale, mustard and collard greens as well as broccoli and broccoli rape can be found from your local farmers.
We decided to have them that night, accompanied by a big, juicy, Justin Pitts burger. And since they were collards, the quintessential southern sauteed vegetable, I decided they needed a southern twist instead of my usual method. Well they were absolutely divine, so much so that the two of us ate ALL of them in one sitting! I'm not sure on the amount that we bought, but I'm guessing that 1-1/2 lbs. isn't far off...
ingredients
1 gigantic bunch of fresh collard greens from your local farmer
3 slices of smoked bacon, cut into 1" pieces
salt
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 small shallot, sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste
directions Put a big pot of water (about 1/3 full) with a teaspoon or so of salt, on the stove to boil. Meanwhile, trim the greens by cutting out most of the big stem and then slice across in 1-2" wide cuts. Prep your bacon, garlic and shallots while waiting on the water to boil.
Add the cut greens to the boiling water at cook for 10 minutes. Strain into a colander, rinse with cold water and then press out as much of the water as you can.
Put a large skillet on the stove at med-high heat and brown the bacon. You don't want it crispy, just brown on the edges with moist fat in the middle. Remove the bacon unto a paper towel and add a few tablespoons of olive oil, turning down the heat just a bit to medium. Throw in the garlic and shallots and quickly stir them around with a spatula so they don't burn. They will cook very quickly. Add the greens a little at a time and stir into the onion/shallots until coated with oil.
Once you've added all of the greens, throw in the bacon and mix in evenly. Season with salt and pepper, but remember the bacon is salty, so taste before you do so. Enjoy!
...offering tidbits of information on interesting discoveries in the food and wine scene of New Orleans.
Farm Fresh Duck Eggs - We are fortunate to have access to farm fresh eggs brought into the Saturday Crescent City Farmers market by Mr. Justin Pitts. He has both heritage duck and chicken eggs right now and having never had them, we decided to give the ducks a try this weekend.
Besides the usual benefits of freshly picked eggs like the deep orange yokes and the more complex flavor, the duck eggs were delicious! With a slightly rubbery shell, not the quick crack you get from a chicken egg, big rich yokes that really "sit up" in the pan and a bit thicker egg white, there isn't much difference in taste. But definitely an overall richer texture. Give them a try!
Silent Auction for the Remaining Works of Rudy Rowell
I apologize for the photo quality, but it will give you an idea of what is available at the auction. If you see something that really interests you, I recommend you come to the shop to view it and bid in person. The three Mardi Gras Indian wood cutouts were slightly damaged in the accident, and as all other pieces, are sold "as is". The size and actual colors may seem different than in the photos and all sales will be final. Thanks!
Next Up...James T. Martin, Opening April 2, 6 to 8sih
...offering tidbits of information on interesting discoveries in the food and wine scene of New Orleans.
Remember This Label - How could you not? Exciting, tiny production, Napa Valley wine with attitude; vending machine wines, coming soon to a wine shop near you...be ready.
Chef Dan's Delectable Dough - Besides trying Chef Daniel Esses' infamous pastas dishes every Friday night at Swirl, you can purchase his freshly made fettuccine, ravioli, gnocchi and tagliatelle as well as his homemade sauces at the Tuesday and Thursday Crescent City Farmers Market. Want to learn how to make it yourself? Join Dan on Tuesday, March 23 for his pasta demonstration class at Swirl where he gives you hands on lessons making 3 different pastas and sauces while we pair them with our favorite wines. Call us.
It is Sunday night, I've had a great day cycling, taking Sangi to the park, playing frisbee with Kerry, working on the blog, and of course, making pasta! I had a little bit of the pork ragu left from last night's lasagna as well as another pound of dough in the frig, so I made some quick fettuccine, Kerry did a beautiful salad and we were in for a delicious meal. But, what to drink? Kerry was in the mood for beer, which I seldom am, especially not when pasta is involved, so I decided to do something very unlike me and drink a Napa Valley Cabernet with my Italian dinner! But it wasn't just any Napa Cab...knowing I would be drinking it myself, I chose one of the 375ml bottles of White Rock Cabernet that we have on the menu at the bar.
Opening it up and putting my nose to the glass, I instantly remembered why I like the White Rock wines so much. They have a very distinct old world quality to them with their crisp acidity, spicy fruit, leathery notes and lower alcohol content and the 2003 Cabernet was absolutely gorgeous with the food. At retail, this is a $50 cabernet that you can enjoy at the bar for $14 a glass. While that may seem a bit steep, it is basically just a smidge above the retail price when you break it down and it is so worth the $14 and it gets even better if you buy the half bottle. But it is only available at the bar and quantities are extremely limited.
It was scrumptious and great to the last sediment filled drop. Gotta luv it!
Winemaker's Notes: “ The 2003 White Rock Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich and ripe vintage. It has a complexity of cassis, plum and dark fruit with undertones of oak and leather. It is textured and multilayered and its mouthfilling character remains throughout to a long full finish. Present tannins promise excellent ageability.”
Jamie Oliver was one of the first chefs I watched on a semi regular basis on television. I loved seeing him go out and shop in the local markets, buying up deliciously fresh produce and meats and then come home and prepare really incredible, creative dishes. I have a few of his cookbooks, my favorite, of course, being "Jamie's Italy" that he published a few years ago. It is my favorite because he really gets to the heart of what Italian cooking is all about, regional family traditions. He spent months traveling through the Italian countryside, learning, working, eating and with local farmers, village bakers, cheese makers, grape pickers, and pasta making mamas.
The Italians are more passionate about food than any other people on the planet, period. What we have found when traveling and taking cooking lessons is that they don't use a lot of hard to find ingredients (they only use what is fresh) or complicated preparations but their cooking can be very complex in the little touches, the age old techniques and intricacies, passed down from generations that help you achieve a certain flavor or texture. That is what makes their food so special and so varied from region to region and even village to village. And Jamie gets it. It is evident in his book that he experienced this first hand and his book is a testament to the fresh, country food of the local villages, but with his signature creative touches.
As with Lidia Bastianich's cookbooks, I find Jamie's recipes spot on in terms of measurements and preparations. Just follow his directions and you will achieve something special, I promise! I've cooked quite a few of the recipes from his soups, pastas, risotto, fish and meat dishes and have never been disappointed. (click here for this week's recipes, Porchetta and Lasagne alla Cacciatora, adapted from Jamie's book)
One of the other aspects of the book that really makes me miss Italy is the photos by David Loftus and Chris Terry. Not just the photos of the food which are gorgeous, but of the people he met on his journey. They really capture the soul of the Italian people, their pride and passion, and take me right back to the places we've visited over the years.
So if you are looking for a book from an outsiders view, someone who didn't experience these traditions from birth like Lidia, but who really threw themselves wholeheartedly into the experiencing what Italian country food is all about, this book is for you. I really like Jamie's quote on the back cover because it is absolutely how I feel about Italy:
"You know what? I should have been Italian. The truth is, when I'm in Italy, I feel Italian."
If you are interested in checking it out, click here Jamie's Italy.
This Porchetta is the first step in my Lasagne alla Cacciatore or you can make it as a stand alone meal with a light gravy. Jamie Oliver used a loin of pork on the bone for this, but I substituted a pork shoulder roast to use it in the lasagna, and I left out some of the vegetables he used. Here is a link to his recipe: Porchetta
Porchetta Ingredients • 1 3.5 Ib. pork shoulder roast, on the bone • 1 tablespoons fennel seeds • 1 small dried chilies, crumbled • 1 tablespoons rock salt, crushed • 2 bay leaves, torn • 1/2 lemon, zested • olive oil • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/2 onion, quartered • 6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled • 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary • 1 wineglass of white wine •* for gravy: 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (not needed for lasagna recipe) Directions Score your pork and place it on a cutting board. Preheat your oven to its highest setting. Using a pestle and mortar, a coffee grinder, or a metal bowl with a rolling pin, smash up the fennel seeds with the chilies and rock salt until you have a fine powder, then add the torn bay leaves and smash those up too. Mix in the lemon zest. Rub the mixture evenly all over the pork meat, covering it completely.
Place the pork in a snug-fitting appropriately sized roasting pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the skin and season with salt, rubbing it into the scores. Place in the preheated oven, close the door, and immediately turn the oven down to 350°F. This way you will start the crackling off really hot and fast and the skin will puff up. The reduced temperature will then cook the meat through nice and evenly, keeping it moist at the same time. It will need to roast for about an hour and a half, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165°F - feel free to leave it for a bit longer if you like. It just means the pork will be a bit drier but it will still be tasty.
When the meat has been cooking for half an hour, add the onion to the-pan with the garlic, the whole rosemary sprigs, and the wine. Give the pan a shake to get some fat onto the veg. When the pork is cooked, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
*Stop at this point for the lasagna dish or continue if you just want to eat roast pork!
You'll have some nice roasted root veg and sticky goodness left in the bottom of the pan from which you can make your gravy. Pour off the fat and add a little of your stock, then give the gravy a stir, making sure you get all the lovely sticky brown bits off the bottom of the pan - you may not need to use all the stock. The Italians tend to keep their gravy light and more natural if using any, so this is the consistency you're after. Carve into thin slices with a sharp knife to serve.
I've been eyeing this recipe from Jamie's Italy for quite sometime, but wasn't sure when I would have the time or the occasion to attempt in. A dinner this weekend at our friend Rachel's house with a group of friends gave me the opportunity to give it a shot and the result was pretty darn fabulous!
While traveling through Italy doing research for his book, Jamie stayed on the Petrolo estate in Tuscany during harvest and cooked lunch for the grape pickers. His Lasagne alla Cacciatora is not a complicated recipe, but as I talked about in my post on Italian cooking and this book, one with many steps that allows you to achieve something really special in a simple dish like lasagna.
This is not something quick that you could throw together with short notice. It takes time and planning and by making it this weekend, I learned a few tips I can share with you that Jamie did not talk about. I've also adapted quite a few things so the recipe is not word for word like his. One thing that is great about it is that it is really three recipes in one, roasted pork, ragu and a white sauce could all be prepared on their own or combined as they are in the complete recipe.
Called Hunter's Stew because it contains a lot of wild game, I chose to use roasted pork instead for the meat. The first recipe is for the pork which can stand alone as a great recipe as well. Roast your pork the day before you are going to make the lasagna.
1. Step One - Day before, roast the pork. Click here to go to the Porchetta Recipe. Once the pork has cooled it needs to be shredded and kept refrigerated until you need it the next day.
2. Step Two - The morning of, make your pasta dough and let rest until you need it later in the afternoon. I used fresh pasta for this as Jamie did in his recipe, but you could use dried noodles as well. Click here to go to the Fresh Pasta recipe.
3. Step Three - While pasta is resting, make the tomato sauce. This can be started anytime during the day. If you are going to wait do it all together you will probably need a good 3 hours in the kitchen before you serve the lasagna. If you make the sauce ahead of time, it will help you with timing later when you are trying to put everything together. Tomato Sauce Ingredients -olive oil -3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced -a sprig of fresh rosemary -3 bay leaves -3 14-oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes -1lb. 6 oz. roasted shredded Porchetta
Directions Heat a pan with a splash of oil. Slowly fry the garlic until lightly colored, then add the rosemary, bay leaves and tomatoes. Cook gently for 45 minutes with a lid on. Add your shredded meat to the tomato sauce with a little hot water if it is too dry, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 more minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove the rosemary and bay leaves. Turn off heat and cover until you are read to start preparing the lasagna.
4. Step 4 - Two hours before dinner, make the white sauce. Again this is a beautiful Bechamel style sauce that can be used for other dishes as well, including serving it over pasta.
White Sauce Ingredients -1-3/4 pints of milk -a sprig of fresh parsley -a pinch of nutmeg -1/2 onion, peeled and sliced -6 black peppercorns -6 tablespoons of butter, plus extra for greasing -1/2 cup all purpose flour -5-1/2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese -sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions Put the milk, parsley, nutmeg, onion and peppercorns into a pot. Heat to just below the boiling point.
While milk is heating take a deep pan and melt the butter. Begin to slowly add in the flour and stir until it is totally mixed in. By this time your milk should be ready. Take it off of the stove and strain out herbs and onions. Begin adding the strained milk to the butter and flour a ladle full at a time mixing it in completely before you add another. You should have a very smooth white sauce. Bring to a low boil, simmer a few minutes and then take off the heat. Mix in the Parmesan and season.
5. Step 5 - Preheat you oven to 350 degrees F and butter a large baking dish. Put a big pot of salted water with a good glug of oil on the stove for the pasta.
6. Step 6 - Reheat your pork ragu and put your white sauce back on the stove at a very low heat, just to warm it and make it easier to work with.
7. Step 7 - Roll out your pasta dough and prepare lasagna.
Remaining Ingredients -1 lb fresh egg pasta dough -Parmesan cheese for grating -2-5 oz. balls of mozzarella -a handful of fresh sage leaves -olive oil
Pasta Directions My recipe makes 2 lbs of dough so you can either cut the ingredients in half or use the rest for some fettuccine or other type of pasta. You want to roll out strips of pasta that are about 3 x 10 inches. Blanch 2 or 3 strips at a time in the boiling water and cover the bottom of the baking dish with pasta strips, letting them hang over the edges. Put down a layer of meat sauce, then some white sauce and a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan and repeat the layers until you run out of meat. But keep back enough white sauce for a final layer on top.
Fold the over the pasta ends from the edges and top with the white remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan, tear the mozzarella over the top, scatter your sage leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the preheated over for 45 minutes or so until golden.
Prepare to "wow" your friends and family...
We served this with our last bottle of the 2001 Poliziano Asinone Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. A fabulous pairing, we're sad to see it go, but have many fond memories of it over the past few years.
The tragic death of artist Rudy Rowell in December marked the loss of a wonderful man who fiercely loved New Orleans and the south. His colorful works were a passionate display of that love and touched so many people. Many have expressed interest in purchasing his remaining works and we will make them available through a silent auction. There are 16 pieces at Swirl hat will be included in our silent auction to benefit Rudy's mother. The bidding on the items will take place over the next 2 weeks with the final night of the auction being Tuesday March 30th, Rudy's birthday.
Here are the details of the auction:
the 16 pieces are all numbered and minimum bids are stated on the piece as well as the bid sheet
bids must be increased in $25 increments
you can bid anytime we are open in the next 2 weeks
bidding will end on Tuesday, March 30 promptly at 8pm
credit cards will be accepted, although cash and/or checks are preferred
you do not have to be present to win
if you have won and are not present, you will have 24 hours to respond to our phone call and/or email before we accept the next highest bid
Please feel free to call or email me with any other questions, beth@swirlinthecity.com, 504.304.0635
Yesterday we crammed in sooooo many things that today we just decided to focus on a few important items:
#1 Find really good coffee. Mission accomplished! Coffee snobs that we are we have a very difficult time drinking coffee other than our home roasted, freshly brewed espresso blends. But, through a little research on yelp!, Kerry found the "Italian Coffee Bar" in the 680 Lakeshore Drive building where we had absolutely delicious cappuccino and Sicilian pistachio cookies. So good that we will go out of our way again tomorrow to have it again.
#2 Find a hip neighborhood to poke around it. Again a success! We hopped on the blue line to Wicker Park where we wondered into 2 small, eclectic wine shops (Cellar Rat, Red & White) where we saw lots of familiar labels and others we'd love to try.
Then a fabulous lunch at the Birchwood Cafe packed with people and a great menu focused on local ingredients and products.
#3 Do something touristy. We went to the top of the John Hancock building and took in the 360 degree view of the city from the 94th floor, then up 2 more floors with our new friend Irina for a drink and great conversation.
#4 Find a place that could "wow" us for dinner. Slow Food Chicago recommended "Coco Pazzo" and we were not disappointed. By far the best venison I've had since Anne Kearny left Peristyle, the food was phenomenal from appetizers to handmade pastas, entree and then probably the best dessert either of us has ever had!
Tomorrow we will run around a bit in the morning and then head to the tasting with Marco de Grazia at the Ritz. Since this is a work thing, I'll take lots of photos and notes and share them on the blog.
We're running around Chicago this weekend, in town to meet and taste with Marco de Grazie, one of our favorite Etna wine producers and importers. The event is on Monday so we have two days to pack in all of the food and wine stuff we want to do! We took a 6am flight out of New Orleans and hit the streets here around 11am. Our first stop? No trip to Chicago would be complete without eating a big deep dish, stuffed pizza! Getting up as early as we did we knew alcohol would put us under the table so we just dug in to fuel up for the rest of our adventure.
Needing another type of fuel, we stopped at the Lavazza Cafe for a double espresso, trying to pretend we were standing at a bar in Italy. As you can see by Kerry's expression, it didn't work...
We spent the rest of the day doing "research" and checking out different bars and shops:
From Binny's wine warehouse.....the "little Italy" section...
...to Pastoral Wine and Cheese...more of our kind of place. The wines were organized by what type of cheese they would pair with. Great charcuterie, lots of local as well as international cheeses, olive bar, laid back, lots of atmosphere, no case stacks!
looked like a great place for lunch, but the pizza did us in, for quite a while....
Finally ready for a little beverage, we stopped at Pop's for Champagne. With over 100 champagnes on the menu, we were in heaven. But we needed something to take the chill off so we settled on a French 75 for me and a Glemet 1992 XO Grande Champagne cognac for Kerry.
Both delicious and warmed us up for the next stop. Kerry's pick this time....
The Clark Street Ale House which has tons of hand crafted American micro brews and over 40 types of whisky on the menu. We did 2 flites of 3 beers each, trying things that aren't available to us at home. What a shame they were pretty amazing...
Back to the hotel now for a quick nap and off to find some good ethnic food for dinner. I'll keep you "posted"!
...offering tidbits of information on interesting discoveries in the food and wine scene of New Orleans.
a Mano - I was wowed again for the second time by Chef Adolfo Garcia's (a finalist this year for a James Beard award) southern Italian restaurant in the Warehouse District. A packed house on Saturday night, we sat at the bar and enjoyed creative cocktails, a great wine list with a southern focus and some incredible food by Chef-partner Joshua Smith including one of their handmade pasta dishes. And yet to come, we will be holding our annual Tre Bicchieri Italian Wine Dinner here in May! We'll keep you posted...
Sante Fe - New ownership has taken over and many changes are happening! Besides the new exterior renovations adding a terracotta roofed patio with tons of atmosphere, amazing things are happening in the kitchen. While currently the menu is still the old Sante Fe standards, a major increase in quality has be brought to the food due to the standards of the new owners and their CIA (Culinary Institute of America) trained chef in the kitchen. But listen to me when I tell you to order from the daily special menu! They will soon release a completely new menu, but the specials are where you get an idea of what is really happening here. I'll do an interview with the owners and chef soon, but seriously check them out!
Herbsaint - a big thanks to these guys for hosting an outing for the DC 8 (Matt and Lucie just had a baby so they missed the big night). They designed a fabulous 4 course special menu for us including a cool, refreshing cocktail and amuse, and put up with our loud and somewhat ridiculous behavior. Next up for the DC? Comfort food!
With his winery located in the Yamhill Carlton district of Oregon, Sineann winemaker Peter Rosback takes advantage of his proximity to Washington State vineyards by producing both Oregon and Washington wines. He sources his fruit from some of the best vineyards in the region; Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley and the Hood River Valley, Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel from the Columbia Valley, Gewurztraminer from the Willamette Valley and the Columbia Gorge.
Peter is known for being a meticulous winemaker. Only the best fruit is selected then hand sorted, delicately destemmed, punched down by hand, gently pressed and gravity racked. The wines are aged in new and one year old French oak.
We've been in love with his whites for awhile now with the Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer holding a regular spot on our shelves. Lately I've had many requests for Peter's red wines, so be on the look out for more of the amazing, small production wines from the Pacific Northwest!
The Abondante is a gorgeous blend of Cabernet, Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel and Merlot. The nose is filled with plums and cassis, with cedar and smoke...medium in body, with dark and black fruits and chocolate notes and a luxurious mouthfeel, a great addition to our wine bar menu!
Swirl Wine Bar & Market is a neighborhood joint in the historic Faubourg St. John area of New Orleans. With an eclectic selection of international wine and beer, we are a wine bar as well as a retail store and take the time to personally hand select each wine and product. Swirl is a place to have fun, relax and feel at home learning about, buying or drinking wine, socializing with friends, picking out cheeses and gifts or checking out the local art on the walls. It's a place you can bring your dog to, your kids, your date or your grandmother and feel good about being there.
I've had quite a few people inquire about the status of my fig cutting from Sicily. We now have three nice sized leaves and I feel like it is probably getting to be time to put it in a bigger container. Hopefully in the next few months I'll actually be putting this thing in the ground! Kerry brought back quite a few varieties of peppers also and it is getting time to plant them and see what happens. We'll keep you posted. Click here for the story on how this cutting made it all the way from Sicily: For the Love of Figs
A classic Italian soup, I fell in love with this the first time I had a version of it at Ristorante Del Porto in Covington. I've been thinking about it ever since, so I played around with a recipe last week and was very pleased with the outcome. It is rich and creamy even though it has no dairy or cream and was the perfect meal on Ash Wednesday to wind down after a LONG Mardi Gras season!
Like the Holy Trinity of New Orleans cuisine, a "soffritto" is the starting point for many Italian soups, sauces and stews. While locally we use equal parts onion, celery and green peppers, in Italy the base is usually a combination of carrots, onion and celery with the proportions of each depending on what you are cooking.
If I had more time I would have soaked dried chick peas overnight and made a homemade chicken stock. But, it was the day after Mardi Gras and I just couldn't deal with all of that! So here is a relatively quick version of this delicious, hearty, Italian classic!
Ingredients 1/3 C. olive oil 1 med. onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 6" sprig of rosemary, finely chopped 2 cans chickpeas 3 T. tomato paste 3-1/2 cups chicken stock 3-4 ounces small pasta shapes (ditalini are preferred, but I used orecchietti) 1/4 -1/2 tsp peperoncino grated parmigiano-reggiano basil chopped premium olive oil Salt and pepper to season
Directions 1. Pour the olive oil into a heavy based saucepan and heat gently. Add the rosemary to the pan and fry over a gentle heat till it begins to release its aroma. 2. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and fry over a gentle heat till soft and golden. 3. Add the tomato paste and fry for just a couple of minutes before adding the cooked chickpeas, stock and peperoncino. Simmer for approx 20mins, then remove about half of the soup and process through a food mill (use a blender if you don't have a food mill). Return the pureed soup to the pan. 4. Add the raw pasta then simmer gently, stirring regularly to make sure the pasta doesn't start sticking to the base of the pan. Add a little more water/stock if necessary. 5. Once the pasta is done, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. 6. Sprinkle with cheese, basil, salt and pepper and serve with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
My love for Italian wine keeps me constantly on the look out for lesser known wines that represent great values and easy drinking. After our food and wine tour of Sicily, southern Italy is where it's at for me right now. And while Abruzzo is just barely considered part of the Mezzogiorno, its mountains have shielded it from the northern influences, aligning its culture, cuisine and wine making styles more closely related to that of the south.
If you head due east from Rome, you'll run into the region of Abruzzo, bordered by the Appenines Mountains to the west, the Adriactic Sea to the east and home to the Montepulciano grape. Montepulciano is one of Italy's most important grapes, and it is the defining variety for Abruzzo just as Sangiovese is for Tuscany and Aglianico is for Campagnia.
Stylistically you have two different wines that are produced from the Montepulciano grape; the young, more common fruit forward type seduces the palate with velvety mouthfeel balanced by a rustic edge that keeps it intriguing and the more tannic, ageworthy style from the Colline Teramane zone.
This young, easy, Farnese Montepulciano D'Abruzzo is the former and made by a prodcuer that’s been making wine for over four centuries in the Colline Teramane zone. An incredible value, it brings ripe, luscious fruit, satin-textured bramble, black cherry and wild berry flavors with soft leather and a touch of earth. This wine will be an ideal pairing with the Creole Daube featured recipe this week!
"A Sunday Morning Breakfast". Photo of interior of Madame Begue's Restaurant, 1894
In a New York Times article dated December 29, 1907, readers learned the secrets behind making Daube d’Italienne according to a recipe from the restaurant made famous by Madame Begué in New Orleans. The restaurant’s namesake had died the previous year and operations were taken over by her daughter and son-in-law, the Anouilles.
“Lard a nice piece of beef,” the recipe stated, “about three inches thick with strips of fat ham and pieces of mashed garlic.” Louisiana colonial cooks routinely used hog lard and bear fat for their flour-based thickening agent (or roux). Then “brown the meat thoroughly on both sides,” adding both “carrots and onions, and enough water to cover the whole.” The suggested seasonings were “salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf and parsley.” After putting this over the fire early “in the morning” and cooking “slowly without interruption at least eight hours” (and with a few other steps), one was to serve the meat that evening over macaroni along with “a good sprinkling of grated Italian cheese”. (click here for a PDF scan of the original NYT article)
From its humble beginnings, the New Orleans Beef Daube is a wonderful example of how French and Italian cooking merge in this food mecca, be it in restaurants or at home. In its classic French form, daube (pronounced dohb) is a beef roast that is larded or stuffed with salt pork slivers and cooked in broth and wine until tender. But the simple, home-style version that developed over the years adds a Sicilian twist that can be as simple as a beef roast cooked in red gravy until falling apart and served with spaghetti.
So here is the classic New Orleans Creole Daube recipe that Dale Curry and New Orleans Magazine put out in an article in 2005 on "Saving the Daube". Don’t be off put by the long slow-cooking process. The dish can simmer on the stove with little attention while you catch up on rest and relaxation.
With a sharp knife or ice pick, punch holes in the roast about 2 inches apart and stuff with slivers of garlic. Rub roast generously with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven and brown roast well on all sides over medium-high heat. When browned, take roast out of pot and set aside.
In the same oil, sauté onion, bell pepper and celery over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it almost begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes. Add wine, beef broth, Italian seasoning, cayenne, salt if needed and sugar and stir well.
Return roast to pot, fat side up, turn fire to low, cover and simmer for 4 hours or until roast is very tender. Stir well every hour and turn roast over halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with spaghetti. Serves 6.
What do you get when you combine an ex-NFL safety with a degree in genetics and a passion for farming? Terry Hoage, the two time All-American from Georgia, actually spent a year with the Saints after being drafted by Bum Phillips, but was waived the next year by new coach Jim Mora. He then went on to a very successful 5 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by another 6 years playing with Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. Terry retired from football in 1996 the rest of the story goes like this:
Terry Hoage's transformation from highly regarded NFL safety to highly regarded vintner began like a bad joke: "A guy walks into a bar. . . ." In 2000 the guy, Hoage, moved with his wife, Jennifer, and two children from Phoenix (his 13-year career with six teams had ended with the Cardinals in 1996), to California, eventually landing in Paso Robles, a burgeoning wine center two hours north of Santa Barbara. Hoage stopped by a local watering hole and hit it off with a group of thirtysomethings who happened to be oenophiles--"the wine geniuses of Paso Robles," he calls them. Under the guidance of his new friends, Hoage bought a 26-acre plot, where one of the geniuses, Justin Smith, helped him plant vines and provided him with the facilities and equipment to make his wine. Within a few years Hoage had his own 3,000-square-foot winery; his first vintage, in 2005, produced 100 barrels.
Hoage does everything from marketing his product and leading tours (with Jennifer's help) to fixing the tractor. He produces roughly 2,000 cases a year of wines that bear sly names like The Hedge Syrah, referring both to a pruning technique and to a fabled feature of the stadium at Georgia, where Hoage was an All-America both on the field and in the classroom. (He graduated with a degree in genetics and a 3.8 GPA.) Far from being an aspiring Mondavi, Hoage has capped his production and says he's happy to remain a boutique winemaker. For him the business is less a moneymaking venture than a means to challenge himself. "I tend to get bored pretty easily," he says. "But here I get to be a scientist, an engineer, a marketer--I even taught myself to weld. I can be killing gophers in the afternoon and leading a wine tasting at night!" (article from sports illustrated)
One of the true "Rhone Rangers" of California, Terry's small production, highly rated wines made exclusively from Rhone varietals, Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Counoise, Cinsault, GrenacheBlanc and Roussane are extraordinare examples of gorgeous, rich, lush wines that embody the spirit of the Rhone, in a ripe, California style. The wines blew us away when we tasted them, and with Parker scores rarely under 90 points, I think you'll be very impressed as well! In his August 2009 edition of the Wine Advocate, Parker says of the 2006 Block Five, "This is the kind of wine the Central Coast should be producing more, an intriguing blend that is both hedonistically and intellectually pleasing".
We are excited to have Terry and his wife Jennifer in the shop on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30pm for a tasting of his wines. Meet the Hoage's, taste some great wine, get your bottles signed and have a little fun with us. Here's what we'll be tasting:
“The Gap” CuveeBlanc 2008 -Fragrant jasmine and marmalade mingle with dried apricot and perfumed powder, a medium bodied white blend of GrenacheBlanc and Roussanne has a juicy intensity and a lingering floral honeysuckle finish with terrific crisp acidity. 60% GrenacheBlanc and 40% Roussanne. 100 cases produced
“BamBam” Estate Rose 2008 - Aromas of juicy ripe strawberry and cherry blossom entice the nose of this lovely pink rose. Showing nice weight on the palette, and displaying excellent fruitiness and great acidity. Excellent for enjoying on a hot evening. 80% Syrah 20% Grenache. 110 cases produced.
“The Hedge” Syrah 2006 - (RP 89, WS 92) Pure ripe chunky fruit with boysenberry, ripe black cherry,and wild blackberry. Layered with Vosges chocolate and dried black Þg, and nuances of sweet tobacco, loamy earth,and perfumed purple violets. Finishes with pure fruit and spicy licorice. Firm tannins mellow with airing. Long and lingering finish. 100% Syrah. 405 cases produced.
“5 Blocks” Cuvee 2006 – (RP 90, WS 90) Uncommon depth and concentration of huge blackberry, huckleberry and cassis with subtle notes of smoke and creamy stewed caramelized morel mushroom. This lovely blend is fleshy and concentrated with long spicy pepper and anise finish. Firm ripe tannins will further smooth with cellaring. 57% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 7% Mourvedre and 7% Cinsault. 365 cases produced
“The 46” Grenache-Syrah 2006- (RP 90, WS 92) Has amazing fruit purity and range of flavors, from freshly picked blackberries and ripe plums, kirsch, mineral, spice and earthy truffle. Graceful mouthfeel with velvety tannins on the intense lingering finish that has a touch of bittersweet chocolate and just the right amount of acidity to carry the long finish . 50% Grenache 50% Syrah. 485 cases produced.
“The Pick” Cuvee 2006 - (RP 90, WS 89) Bright fruit of wild blackberry with cranberry notes that are vivid and youthful, yet intense and focused, herb de Provence, white peppery spice, earthy mushroom Þll the palette. Finishes long and persistent with forest mushrooms, spice and smoky toast. 54% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 8% Counoise. 310 cases produced.
The beautiful weather on Saturday made for the perfect day to visit the Crescent City Farmers Market. As we were walking in I ran into our friend Bob who had a gigantic bag of greens in his hands and told me that the collards were amazing and that I needed to get some. I do love me some big leafy greens so we made a beeline to the back of the market and bought our own gigantic bag. If you are a vitamin K junkie like me, this is a great time to be shopping at the market. Loads of varieties of lettuce, kale, mustard and collard greens as well as broccoli and broccoli rape can be found from your local farmers.
