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INTO THE FIRE
Several weeks ago I started to talk about how restaurants worked. I gave my view about dishwashing, shopping and cooking at Mezzanotte and Capriccio. Then I stumbled into Anthony Bourdain's video special called "Into the Fire" where he tries his hand at cooking back in the kitchen of Les Halles Brasserie in NYC. He had cooked there for 28 years but hadn't been there for the last 7 years. So his recount of his experience back in the kitchen is fascinating. I already made comments (in previous newsletters) about parts 1 and 2. In the following sections (3, 4 and 5) you will see the pressures that kitchens go through. Food has to be prepared up to the standards of quality of the restaurant, and on time so that all plates for a table come together at the exact same moment. Believe me, the heat, the pressure and the stress in professional kitchens is great. But there is a very special type of people that thrive in this environment: the best cooks - and we have several of them!
Here are the links. Enjoy the view:
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ITALY 2009 - HERE WE COME!
Our group is ready for our 2009 trip to Italy. We are going to spend a week in Tuscany plus a couple of days in Rome. Our "Home Base" will be a private villa in Montalcino, right outside of the town of Bounconvento. Montalcino is where Brunello wine is produced; so I suspect we will drink Brunellos even for breakfast!
We will have a packed agenda (Italian style - not hurried) and visits to different wineries. I am really looking forward to our visit to the Antinori state where we will have a full day, including tastings of world class Super Tuscan wines Ornelaia, Solaia, Tignanello, etc.
Our trip coincides with exactly the harvest time of 2009 - because of global warming the harvest this year will occur in late September rather than in October.
There is still space for one more couple, so if you think you want to join us please let me know ASAP. Departure date is September 17 and return on the 28.
Gerry |
SUNDAY SURVIVAL BOX
We tried the concept of the "Survival Box" during the 4th of July weekend and was very well received. The box consisted of two very nice cuts of meat and vegetables ready to grill, along with 2 portions of our wonderful Tiramisu dessert. I tried the concept by bringing my own box home for Sunday. It was really nice to just open the box, turn on the grill and open a bottle of wine and start grilling - no preparation needed as everything is ready to grill and enjoy.
So I thought this is something we could possibly offer at least for the rest of the summer.
Stay tuned as we will have the boxes available next weekend. |
FEATURED WINES OF THE WEEK
MEZZANOTTE
This week we are featuring 3 fantastic wines (2 new ones):
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC - Dario D'Angelo
Bottle $24 - Glass $6
Just and unbelievably outstanding value from the Abruzzo region (which deserves more recognition!). Fairly dark hue showing a little maturity. An oak-influenced nose, with smoky-nutty character on top of some earthy fruit. Lower acidity and mild sweeter tannins. This wine goes well with food as without it. If pairing with food, go with lamb and/or pasta with red sauce.
Sangiovese - Umani Ronchi "Exclamation"
Bottle $30 - Glass $8
The Exclamation sangiovese is perfect for quaffing, which is the opposite of tasting. This is not a wine you ponder. No need to sniff and swirl and hold it up to the light before jotting down a few notes. It is fresh and cheerful and full of light red fruit flavors. If I were to create a bumper-sticker-style marketing slogan for this wine, it would be "Just Drink It."
Puglia IGT - Neprica Tormaresca
Bottle $28 - Glass $8 The Neprica is a unique blend of 40% negroamaro, 30% primitivo and 30% cabernet sauvignon. There's sweet prune and tobacco notes on the nose along with some undergrowth. Fairly easy, sweet black fruit on the palate, with good tannins on the finish. Very good length. Ruby red color, aromas of berries and light, spicy licorice. A class wine from Southern Italy, the frisky Tormaresca Neprica is one of the prettier reds from Puglia
. CAPRICCIO
This week we are featuring two exciting Spanish wines and a really interesting Bonarda/Malbec blend from Argentina:
Bonarda/Malbec - Campo Alegre (Argentina)
Bottle $24 - Glass $6
The Malbec grapes are native of France and the Bonarda grapes from Italy...put them together in Argentina and you have a delightful, easy to drink blend. The Malbec variety is the red grape most associated with Argentina. We believe this wine is the absolute best value anywhere in the US. The wine's deep red-black color is indicative of the taste - quite full bodied, with hints of earth and leather...Amazing for the price!
Monastrell - Altos de la Hoya (Jumilla, Spain)
Bottle $28 - Glass $7
Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar gave 91 points and wrote, "Deep ruby. Ripe, powerful scents of blackberry, cassis and candied plum, with a bit of garnacha in the blend seeming to brighten the darker fruit character. Fat and lush, with deep, sweet blackcurrant and blackberry flavors and no rough edges. Finishes dense, fresh and long, with a repeating blackberry note. This has the concentration and sappy texture of a much more expensive wine."
Sierra Salinas Alicante "Mo" (Valencia, Spain)
Bottle $28 - Glass $7
Outstanding blend of 90% Monastrell, and 10% Garnacha, Tintorera, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker rated it 90 points. Inky ruby. Peppery cherry and dark berry compote aromas, with subtle licorice and chocolate qualities. Livelier on the palate, showing sweet blackberry and blueberry flavors, tangy minerality and dusty tannins. The tannins gain strength on the finish, adding structure and grip to the lush fruit. |
