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Monthly Archives: September 2008
Best coffee in Rome (secondo me)
I think there is something special about that water in Rome that makes coffee different there. And there must something very special about the coffee at St Eustachio. Is it the way it is roasted on premise (rare) or the … Continue reading
Last rays of summer sun at Sonia and Carlos
I like this place for its simple, homey food and atmosphere. Although Giles Chiraiaux (owner and chef) has a printed menu, the black board has the daily suggestions and is the way to go. Starters are very traditional, with … Continue reading
Posted in 2002, 2007, Paris, Restaurants, What is in my glass?, WINE
Tagged 2002, 2007, endives, lamb, mackerel, Pommerol, Sonia et Carlos, St Veran, sunrays
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Dutournier’s Carré des Feuillants luncheon menu: a 2-star steal
His pistachio and trout roe amuse bouches were superb. The bitter-sweet aspects of both ingredients married perfectly. The prawn, melon and curry combo was interesting. The prawn was just slightly over cooked, but the sweet melon and the … Continue reading
Posted in 2001, 2003, Paris, Restaurants, What is in my glass?, WINE
Tagged 2001, 2003, Bressy, Carré des Feuillants, Dutournier, Guffens Heynen, Macon, oyster, pistachio, Rasteau, riz de veau
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Bissoh in Beaune
Baby Zucchini and zucchini flowers @ Bissoh OK. I realize that eating Japanese in Burgundy is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, getting good Japanese food in France that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is … Continue reading
Random find: L’Entêtée, a pleasant surprise
I fell upon this restaurant on a side street off of the pedestrian rue Daguerre, an area of Paris that I know very little while running an errand in that part of the 14th. What caught my eye was the … Continue reading
Posted in Paris, Restaurants
Tagged Chablis, eggplant, fennel, lamb, Maureau Naudet, tajine
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Margaux Marquis de Terme 2004 Les Gondats (4eme Grand Cru Classée)
Even though the 2004 vintage in Bordeaux was not well reviewed, I have always enjoyed it. A ‘normal vintage’ in between two drought vintages (2003 and 2005-although no one talks about it) most of the 2004s I have tasted have … Continue reading
Posted in what am I drinking with this dish?, What is in my glass?
Tagged 2004, Bordeaux, Margaux, Marquis de Terme, steak
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Snap shot from the Loire
Last weekend, I helped throw a party for some friends in the Loire valley. We had a lot of fun loading up the old 2CV with lots of veggies and other food and getting ready for the party!
Douro Valley tasting: Senhora Do Convento
About a 30-minute ride from the town of Pinhao on very windy roads, this exquisite 45-hectare estate was recently purchased by Patrick Landanger (owner of Domaine de La Pousse d’Or in Burgundy.) He has built a spectacular state of the … Continue reading
Posted in Cellar visit, Portugal
Tagged Douro, Landanger, Port, Portugal, Quinta Senhora do Convento
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Recipes for Port Salt cod fish with baby potatoes, strawberry/beetroot purée and coconut milk with spices
Saltcod with potatoes, sweet onions and strawberry sauce I actually OD-ed on Salt Cod while we were in Portugal, but to be true to the Portuguese traditional ingredients, we decided that we had to do at least one recipe … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged beets, coconut milk, Port, potatoes, salt cod, strawberry
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Recipes for Port: Tuna steak with black Italian rice, spices and cherry/beetroot sauce
We cooked the black rice* with salt and pepper and then incorporated curcuma, cinnamon and mild curry. Into the rice we also added some cherry/beetroot purée that we had made (just pitted cherries, cooked beetroot and a little … Continue reading
Recipes for Port: Pork bellies (Rillons) and potatoes with strawberry/beetroot sauce and coconut milk
Rillons are a Loire Valley specialty but resemble some of the pork dishes that the Portuguese seem very fond of. We bought a cooked (boiled, not fried) chunk (2 inches long, 2 inches tall, 1,5 inches wide) and cut it … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged coconut milk, pork, Port, potatoes, strawberries
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Recipes for Port: Boudin Noir with apples and beetroot sautéed with cinnamon and curcuma
Boudin Noir (also known as black pudding or blood sausage) is very easy to find in any butcher shop in France. We tried it on its own with the port and the combination was already close to perfect. The … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged apples, beets, boudin noir, curcuma, Port
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Recipes for Port: Pan fried Calves liver with cherry and beetroot sauce
We pan fried small portions of calves’ liver with salt, pepper and olive oil. We kept the heat high enough to get the outside of the liver crispy (bitterness) on the outside and keep a soft rare center … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged beets, cherries, cinnamon, curcuma, liver, Port
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Recipes for Port: Salad on a spoon: Sardines, melon and cherries
Sounds wild, I know. But it works like a charm. The sardines are a tribute to Portuguese tradition. (And they do grow a lot of cherries in Portugal, I don’t know about melons…) Fresh sardine fillets cut into … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged cherries, cinnamon, curcuma, melon, Port, sardines, spoon
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Recipes for Port:Sautéed chicken gizzards with baby spring potatoes and boiled beets
Gésiers with potato and beet Use either confit gizzards or gizzards that have been cooked for a long time. The gizzards must be really soft and really cooked so that their sweetness comes out. The spices we used were: … Continue reading
Spoon Recipes to accompany Port: Why
What inspired us to create these recipes? 1. We found that even the Portuguese do not actually ‘drink’ a lot of Port. They sometimes have it as an aperitif, but even that is rare. 2. Port is rich, both in … Continue reading
Posted in Portugal, Recipes, what am I drinking with this dish?
Tagged balance, beets, cherries, Landanger, Port, Quinta Senhora do Convento, spice, spoon, strawberries, tannin
8 Comments
Douro Valley Tastings: Quinta do Infantado
Upper valley After a bumpy ride down to this discretely located Quinta, we were received by Oenologist Fatima Riba and owner/winemaker Joao Roseira at Quinta do Infantado. The cellar was built in 1816, and is stillin-tact. Despite the relatively … Continue reading
