One Day in Maine – Scavenger Hunt in Portland

Our one-day trip to Maine was a summer vacation for the two of us, but as noted in the lead-off post it did have several underlying purposes. We had several missions on the trip, and something specific at each location. We didn’t complete our Portland mission. We were unable to find a Riesling wine made in Maine, but we did accomplish the other items, including having beers at Sebago, getting a birthday present for my Dad, exploring more of the Old Port area and otherwise enjoying our time in the shops and on the streets with all the tourists.

I’ve done a little research on the wine and it turns out that at least two Maine wineries do make a Riesling making my search pretty specific. Cellar Door is one of them and their Viognier was a bottle I brought home to try. It appears I can order their wines online and may just do that to get some of the Riesling in hand to finish my Summer of Riesling party. Bar Harbor Winery is the other Maine producer of Riesling, but as far as I can tell I’d have to go there, or near, to get it.

Portland’s Old Port area spreads out over a tightly packed set of streets adjacent to the ferry terminal and fish docks. We’ve been in the area several times for a ferry trip to Peak’s Island so we had some expectations from poking around on those trips. I made the wine the primary task and we set out to Maine Beer & Beverage to see what we could find. We did find a number of wines made in Maine with a significant number of ciders and meads in the mix. The majority of the wines are fruit based or made from hybrid grapes, which is not surprising at all given the climate. Unfortunately many of the bottles lookws like they might have been there some time and I wasn’t that interested in taking much chance on styles I hadn’t come for. I did pickup a bottle of Kenebec Hard Cider (Winthrop, ME) which I look forward to trying soon.

Maine Beer & Beverage is a store within a store, inside the Public Market House, and to get there you have to pass the cheese cases, including one with just cheese from Maine in it. The Buy Local sticker in the inside of that case pretty much sums up our plan for the day. We didn’t buy any cheese on the count of the huge breakfast and the day still being early.

From there we walked back down to Fore Street and wandered in and out of shops. We checked out Cool As a Moose, Life is Good, City Beverage, Maine’s Pantry and several others. We also walked out towards the docks and checked out the wares at the Harbor Fish Market.

Our last retail stop was at Downeast Beverage where I found the Cellar Door Viognier which is made in Lincolnville, ME. We also picked up a bottle of blueberry soda and some local pickles. The blueberry soda was pretty damned interesting. I’ve had peach, grape and cherry sodas from the South that really make the fruit flavors sing, and I’d say that Bar Harbor Soda got the same punch of out the berries for this soda. It was refreshing on a rapidly warming day, and so Maine!

The fresh fish at the Harbor Fish Market looked like it would be well worth the trip!

Our final stop in Portland was intended to be a relaxing one, and one with a bit of refreshment available. Sebago Brewing just recently moved to the corner of Fore and Franklin with floor to ceiling windows on both sides of the corner, and seasonal outdoor seating. It is a beautiful space with lots of light and will likely quickly become a pretty popular space. We decided on the beer sampler and some pub pretzels for what would be lunch on our already food-filled day.

Our beer sample included the Hefeweizen, Saddleback Golden Ale, Frye’s Leap IPA, Runabout Red, Boathouse Brown, and the Lake Trout Stout.

Our favorites were the Frye’s Leap IPA and the Lake Trout Stout. I’ve enjoyed IPA several times before and really was taken again with the huge and pleasing hop aromas of this beer. Margot gave the stout the once over as is typical these days. Both of us found lots of chocolate and roasted nut aromas and flavors.

I spotted a huge jug on the back bar with what looked like and drink being made. It turned out to be a watermelon sangria, which Margot ordered to give it a refreshment test on a warm summer day. Margot told me that it was sweet, but not sickeningly so, with flavors of clove. She added that the chunks of watermelon were very tasty and overall the drink was very refreshing.

I finished with the Grand Cru, a blend of their Bourbon Barrel Aged Full Throttle Double IPA, Barleywine, and fresh Frye's Leap IPA, which is served in one size and in a tulip type glass. The nose is huge on this beer with fruit, baked goods and spices. In the mouth it is moderately malty, hoppy and just a bit sweet. Some coconut tumbled through in a few of my sips. I almost ordered a growler to go, but remembered I needed to save my $$ for my remaining missions!

In my next post I will share the blueberry search from the North Berwick Farmer’s Market.

Cheers!

Jason

One Day in Maine – All Day Breakfast Two

Summer vacation to Maine was one day for us this year. As I am often accused this ended up being a “working vacation” as Margot calls it. We had four destinations with missions in each location. We would travel to Biddeford, Portland, North Berwick and York Beach before heading back to NH. We were questing for local wine & beer, blueberries and lobster rolls at the beach. A day like that wouldn't start well without of good breakfast though. And here’s where I finally get to experience All Day Breakfast from the legends of nearly 15 years ago.

When I first met Margot her and her sorority sisters would talk about car trips back to Maine to go to their sister Jen’s family’s all day breakfast restaurant. Named in that most straightforward of ways (gotta love New Englanders!) All Day Breakfast did just that, served breakfast from morning into the early afternoon closing time, seven days a week. We had never made a trip despite being close by a few times.

In 2004 Jen’s sister Val opened All Day Breakfast Two taking the model she knew so well to a new location not far away. Margot contacted Val a few weeks ago and arranged for us to stop in for breakfast and to get the backstory about the restaurant.

At 10 AM on a beautiful summer Friday the restaurant was pretty busy. In talking with Val I learned that they have a considerable number of regulars but also see fair number of seasonal tourists being so close to the Maine coast. All Day Breakfast Two is open from 7-2 seven days a week and is only closed on a few major holidays. I have it on good authority that they are busy all day most of their summer days which keeps the pace high and the need to be on top of things paramount.

Margot and I perused the menu and settled on the Irish Benedict, Blueberry Pancakes and the Whole Hog Breakfast, one of the day’s specials. As we waited for our plates we chatted more with Val about what makes All Day Breakfast Two what it is.

Val was 24 when she opened the restaurant and with encouragement from her parents and experience in the business in hand, she has successfully developed a thriving business. When you talk to her she is clearly passionate and spoke often of the people involved in the day to day, whether they be regular customers or the staff. I asked her if she ever imagined doing this. She replied, “no, I never thought I would go into the family business.” She also added “that taking on opening the restaurant at 24 years old was scary.” I was 26 when I started a consulting business so I know exactly what she means!

As I walked around and shot photos the phrase “country kitchen” kept coming to mind. That is how I would describe the décor and atmosphere. They have a counter that clearly is the center of the action during much of the day. I caught some of the staff talking business while we were enjoying breakfast.

Our food arrived and we switched gears from talking to eating. 

The blueberry pancakes are huge! The pancakes were the first thing I wanted to try. Val confirmed that she gets as much Maine produce as she can from her vendors, and the blueberries were from not far away. The cakes are light with tons of berries from edge to edge. The berry flavor was significant and the cake didn’t taste heavy or thick. I used butter and ultimately some maple syrup, but for berry lovers the syrup was unnecessary!

One of the themes we immediately picked up on is how gently prepared everything was. There was no substantial grease or oil on any of the items. The clean tasting flavors of the components of the Benedict and the home fries really came through. The Benedict was that perfect storm of flavors you might think it would be. Eggs Benedict is great with just Canadian bacon, but when you swap out that meat for another form you really can work some magic. The eggs were cooked just to the point of not being too messy to eat, very nice! The hash was flavorful, not salty, and was so savory with the Hollandaise sauce! The potatoes served here could easily go unsung, but when you actually taste red potato that is lightly fried and gently seasoned it is a real pleasure. All of the hog in my Whole Hog breakfast was hot and tasted equally great.

We certainly couldn’t eat all of our breakfast and packed up the rest for home. Sidenote: The leftovers heated up very well and made us happy a second time!

When I was talking with Val I asked about any recent changes to the menu. They in fact did make changes this past May. A revamped the look for the menu, the additions of biscuits and gravy (I hear some people order the gravy as a side for other dishes!) and Panini sandwiches to the lunch section of the menu were the big changes. Another notable point about the food is that they have no fryolaters and no fried items on the menu. Sandwiches are served with hand-prepared cole slaw, pickles and chips. Some folks might miss the fries with a tasty sandwich or burger, but I doubt they can be really missed since they can’t possibly taste as good as everything else you might order.

The menu also includes products of Val’s husband’s labors. Last year he decided on a change of pace and has been experimenting with baking a range of different goodies like muffins, cupcakes, breads and cookies. Taking a look in the case near the entrance and you can find all sorts of things, including several gluten-free products which are quite popular with a number of regulars. We took home double chocolate cookies which sadly never got in front of the camera. But I can tell you they were quite good! The balance between the crunchy and chewy textures was excellent, and the richness of the chocolate didn’t hide. The cookies didn’t last long once we opened them!

All Day Breakfast Two can be found at 420 Alfred Street, Suite 8
Biddeford, ME 04005.

With our to-go bag packed we said our goodbyes and headed for more fun in Maine. Check back for the next post on our scavenger hunt in Portland which includes local beers!

Cheers!

Jason

Hippo de Mayo Taco Fest – Manchester, NH

How does running from joint to joint in downtown Manchester, NH sampling different kinds of tacos sound? I wasn’t exactly sure when we first heard about the event so if you are a little skeptical I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Organized by the Hippo Press, the local culture and style newspaper, nearly three dozen Manchester restaurants formulated taco ideas (some inspired by existing menu items) to serve to folks crawling between the shops. $2 each! Every establishment was assigned a charity and proceeds from the taco sales and drawings held on site would go the charities. The winning taco, as voted by texting fans, would net a $2,000 donation to the charity assigned to the winning shop.

Some of What We Ate

The Smore Taco at Portland Pie company. It was messy and didn’t photograph well. We liked it but it wasn’t the best lead off.

The El Tiante at JW Hill was incredible! Orange chipotle pork in a puffy tortilla shell. The meat was so juicy and flavorful. We should have gotten seconds or to go!

The El Pato taco at Z was a great follow on to that, especially with a bit of a wait. Duck confit with avocado, pickled cabbage and Siracha sour cream. It was a little messy to eat on the run, but I got over it!

While we waited in line at Z we got to chatting with Sarah-Jane Chaplain and Dick Webster (Sarah’s father-in-law) from Candia. They were planning on hitting 6 or 7 places and had so far their favorite was the Peach Pork taco at the Pattie Shack. When we asked about how they found about the event, they indicated that they saw it in the paper and thought that it looked like fun, so they came out to check it out. They were both intrigued by our comments on the Smore Taco. Our only recommendation was to get more napkins before they started!

Dick and I chatted about home brewing as he was just getting back into brewing with his son. They had recently gotten a clone of the Sam Adams Boston Ale going with great expectations for the outcome.

The Rest of What We Ate

As mentioned above we hit the Pattie Shack and they were between tacos. It was dinner time and anything else they made was ready to order. We tried the BBQ Buffalo Burger, beef with blue cheese and firey BBQ sauce. It was well made, hot and oh so tasty. Sweet and spicy with that blue cheese funk and some lip smacking goodness!

We ended out journey after meeting up with Margot’s new co-workers, at Strange Brew. Strange Brew is a solid beer bar in its own right so I led off with a Dog Fish Black & Blue and an Allagash White. Loaded for bear! They had a smoked pork taco with cheese and an Indian spiced one as well. I couldn’t exactly tell what all was going on here, but it did taste fantastic and went great with the Allagash beer. We hung for a while longer while I finished up the drinks. The Dog Fish Black and Blue is a high alcohol Belgian golden ale with real black and blueberries fermented in it. The fruit is very accessible and the malty sweetness in the middle was intense and nuanced with fruit and spice.

There was definitely considerable demand for this event based on the lines at some restaurants and the quickness with which some others ran out of food. While this could be considered a logistical nightmare and a downer for the event I submit that it is merely food for thought when planning the 2012 incarnation of the event. We did hear complaining but no matter how well it went I expect we would have heard similar words if it was just an issue of waiting in line. The guys at the Pattie Shack had a fantastic attitude about running out of ingredients twice, go get more and keep the train rolling! I think they genuinely liked the traffic even if some folks turned around and left rather than wait. We opted to try something off their regular menu (we hadn’t been there yet) and found it to be fantastic. They get our vote as a great place to check out in the city tacos or not!

This week’s Hippo indicated that 15-20K tacos were served to 5-7K people. Damn! That is a lot of tacos and I hope a lot of funds raised for the participating charities.

We tweeted the crap out of this event and had hoped for more online action to build the hype, but in the end we still had great fun and can’t wait to do it again next year.


Cheers!

Jason

Fall Is Being Fresh (does it need a timeout?)

While it isn’t technically fall yet in New England, and long timers know from the feel of the air that the beloved season is upon us. The thunderstorms that went through today brought the signature cool and dry air of fall in behind. Whether it is official or not, I present the fresh produce found all over New England this time of year, which should leave no doubt.

We spent the Labor Day weekend up in Vermont and were lucky enough to enjoy one fresh delight after another. Local apples, tomatoes and garden basil with cheeses & crackers, salsa made in time to eat, a fresh blackberry glaze on ham, candied leeks and carrots, and raspberries on granola for the breakfasts that powered us through 15 miles of country road hiking. The tastes transported us to happy places.

The Gala apples from Dutton Berry Farm in Vermont are extremely tasty this year, not too sweet and with a little kiss of acidity to bring in a clean finish. I have been eating these straight, but I’ll be cooking with apples soon enough. Look at these beauties!

Dutton’s (as we call it) has everything you could want this time of year and many items are available in enough quantity for preservation. Do stop by if you are near any of their locations in Brattleboro, Newfane or Manchester. The salad I had for lunch today was loaded with Dutton’s veggies and only needed a pepper and tomato salsa for maximum enjoyment.

The family vacation place in Vermont has blackberries on the several edges of the yard. With a tag team effort we have historically retrieved quite a bit from the bushes each year. You name and we’ve made it with our crop, jelly, pies, desserts, drinks, sauces, etc. Margot will be posting some tasting notes on her Vermont Blackberry Cabernet wine later this month. Picking had already begun prior to this weekend and I pulled another ½ gallon or so before heading home. In the next few weeks I would expect another gallon or so to be ready. Right now our grab is sitting in the fridge with some nutmeg, lemon juice and sugar; awaiting breakfast.

It was Margot’s birthday this weekend and anyone who knows her knows that her birthday does not go under-celebrated. We enjoyed family, friends, food, drinks and of course cake so she wasn’t lacking for recognition. This year I mixed up a new drink for her, something to blend the fall freshness with her sweetness.

Blackberry Sunset

Handful fresh clean blackberries
½ oz simple syrup
1 pint Ancient Fire 2009 Sparkling Strawberry Cider
ice

Lightly muddle the syrup and berries in the bottom of a pint glass. Fill with ice. Pour the sparkling cider over, gently mix and serve.

This drink has perfect balance of sweet, tart and enough acidity to make the fruit pop. Margot really enjoyed these and I expect I will be making them until the cider is gone.

Some other recipes and pairing notes from the weekend can be found at the end.

I’ll close with a collage of empty country roads. Margot and I love to walk when we are in VT. There is something about the quiet, empty roads in the woods that draws us there.

Cheers!

--Jason


Blackberry Glaze (for oven baked ham)

1 cup fresh blackberries
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ ounce lemon juice
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground Cloves
2 Tbsp butter

Melt the butter and sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add berries, juice and spices. Cook over medium heat until blackberries begin to breakdown. Take off heat and use as a ham glaze as you normally would.

Food & Beverage Pairings

We paired Margot’s 2010 Symphony with smoked salmon and herbed goat cheese toasts and found the nice fusion of fruit and savory flavors. This wine is very versatile with food and requires more experiments.

The 2009 Plum Riesling didn’t fail as a great match for the glazed ham. The sweetness in each were evenly matched and rich salty ham and fruit were incredible. I baked some apples in the pan with the ham and a bit of ham, apple and the wine tasted like an off-beat dessert.

Book Review: The Town that Food Saved

It is due to our adventures in being a member of our local CSA that I have opened a door into the local food movement. Jay and I originally did not join the CSA to be a part of any type of movement; we just knew we loved fresh vegetables. As I went to the CSA pick up site week to week I realized that there is indeed a whole community out there that is dedicated to growing, eating and spreading the word about local food. It was around the beginning of our adventure that I heard of Ben Hewitt’s book “The Town that Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food”.

Hewitt’s book tells us about the Town of Hardwick Vermont. Once a thriving granite mining town Hardwick had fallen on some hard times and for any other town this may have been an issue but the people of Hardwick are a tough breed and they have taken it well. Though the town was not overly prosperous the people were not unhappy with their rural northern Vermont way of life. Like in most rural areas Hardwick (and the surrounding area) is a place where everyone knows everyone and sharing with and helping out a neighbor is common place. There may not have been a lot to go around but the community takes pride in caring for their own.

As a local resident, Gourmet Magazine writer Hewitt brings a nice perspective to the story of how a handful of residents are getting a lot of press coverage for their “agripreneurial” enterprises. These enterprises are varied: cheese, vegetables, seeds, composting and soy among them and Hewitt does a great job at explaining how this group of locals is working together to their mutual benefit. Where the conflict comes from (and you know there needed to be one) is from another group of locals that feel they are being marginalized by these few, even though they have been invited to join them. Many of the objectors take issue with the fact that the media is presenting the Hardwick local food movement as new, when in reality the idea of a local food system has been there for years, it just has not been publicized or done for profit. As a rural community the farmers have always depended on each other: to supplement what they have grown, to barter with, to help out as needed. What they see the agripreneurs doing is cashing in on what was already there.

As the author Hewitt does a good job of leading you through not only the friction amongst the residents but also into his thought process on why the local movement began, what it should do, and whether it can work. The economy and the recent food scare definitely drove a lot of the attention surrounding the food movement. When rice and other food items were scarce or extremely expensive during the recent gas price hikes many realized how fragile our cross country, cross world industrial agriculture framework really is. This has surely contributed to the increase in interest in local foods. But if a local, small producer based food system has items that are too expensive for many of the residents is it a success? Can the struggle between paying your local workers enough and making your product affordable ever be rectified? Is a local big operation any better then the industrial agriculture model?

While in the midst of reading this book I listened to a piece on The Good and Bad of Localism that was presented on National Public Radio. One of the experts, John Carrol, explained that the goal of localism is to create food security, meaning the closer the food source is the more secure it is whether gas goes up or down, or if there is a national emergency. Carroll also expressed that the local food movement comes from a need for people to feel more connected to what they eat. I think that this is true and it is very much represented in the popularity and media coverage surrounding Hardwick, an area that is trying to make it happen.

To Hewitt’s credit he never tries to say he has the answers to the big questions surrounding the Hardwick local food movement. From reading the book I can see how difficult it is to come up with the answers but I can tell you what I think after reading this book and asking myself these questions:

There is no perfect solution and there probably never will be. I am not a fatalist, just a realist. With any venture there is always some give and take, push and pull. What I do believe is that feeling more connected to your food makes you feel good and better yet, tastes good. Yes local food can sometime be more expensive but if more people buy local there is a chance that the cost will go down. What the group in Hardwick is doing is well….nothing new…actually it is something old. The idea that a community can be self sufficient in many ways is what it was like for many centuries. You knew the farmer that raised the cow and the butcher that prepared it for your pan. You bought your vegetables from around the corner rather than across the globe. People lived, worked, went to school and shopped all right in their own town. Was that better? I don’t know, but I can tell you that unlike the perfectly red and blemish free, grocery store tomatoes, the ones I got in my CSA share were ugly as sin….but heavenly to eat. And any time getting back to the basics tastes that good, sign me up!

Mangia,

Margot

Wine Region Project – Napa Valley, CA

Wine has been grown in the Napa Valley of California for one reason or another for upwards of 200 years. Grapes were first grown and carefully turned into wine in California at missions and for religious services. Commercial wineries were starting and growing by the mid-nineteenth century, and despite the roller coaster ride of pest infestation, prohibition and world wars have resulted in the Napa Valley becoming a leading winemaking region world-wide.

Home to more than 300 wineries, the Napa Valley is a magnet for people interested wine, food and the who, what , when of one of the most watched winemaking areas of the world. For this visit we decided we would focus on developing a healthy, wine-friendly menu to pair with a couple of wines we felt were good representatives of the wine vibe of the Napa Valley.

Our wines are the Hall 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2007 Mondavi Napa Cabernet. Of course the name Mondavi is not far when we speak of Napa, without his and is family’s influence what we know as Napa Valley today would be quite different. We had to challenge ourselves to pair meal with such a well known vintner and wine.

The Hall Sauvignon Blanc has a nose overflowing with grapefruit, island fruits with a hint of sage. The wine is very crisp, but not hugely acidic, with more body than we expected. The flavors of peach, fresh greens/herbs and citrus were easily found.


The aromas from the Mondavi Napa Cabernet signaled an exciting taste ahead. The color is a dark ruby red and it smells of red fruit jams. No wood or earth aromas were detected. The flavors are again of red raspberries, dark cherries but more so those that have been cooked and reduced; their subtle sweetness comes through. Hints of freshly chipped wood were detected, also contributing s mild sweetness. This was a true delight.

Napa Valley offers wonderful wines and is also located in a diverse agricultural area with easy access to fresh ingredients. Napa is home to many different ethnicities and as a result, many different food influences. Research of the Napa Valley and the cuisine uncovered the obvious; this is an area where wine drives the food culture. It would appear that the restaurants of Napa cook as we often do, when you find a good wine you create something to go with it. With all the flavors and aromas to work with we could return to this challenge frequently and not run out ideas.

Our Menu

Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon Toasts Topped

with Crumbled Hard-Boiled Egg & Dill

Vegan Cassoulet with Local Vegetables

Mocha Bites with Homemade Raspberry Jam & Whipped Cream

Our wine pairing plans were that the Hall Sauvignon Blanc would pair with the Smoked Salmon Toasts and the Cassoulet and that the Mondavi Cabernet would pair with both the Cassoulet and dessert. We searched for any dessert pairings with the Mondavi Cab, but didn’t turn up anything. I can’t believe nobody has tried it before, so this may be that it either isn’t hugely successful or just isn’t how this wine is typically used. Just like the restaurants of Napa we are going to be creative here and see what happens.

Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon Toasts Topped
with Crumbled Hard-Boiled Egg & Dill

4 small slices of multi-grain bread, toasted
Mayonnaise
Alaskan Smoked Salmon
3 hard boiled eggs, shelled and coarsely chopped
Fresh dill
Salt & pepper

Cut the bread into squares and lightly cover with mayo. Crumble a healthy portion of smoked salmon on the toasts, top with crumbled egg and garnish with some fresh dill, salt and pepper.

Our smoked salmon appetizer was inspired by a similar item from the starter menu at the Norman Rose Tavern located on first street in Napa. This restaurant claims to be the place you can go to get a pint or a glass of wine paired with American comfort food. The menu does have lots of sandwiches and burgers on it with a wide range of ingredients and garnishes that definitely make it stand out.

We found a nice review of the tavern at http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/article_106c6339-70d1-53eb-9b86-f00a8661c619.html

Vegan Cassoulet

4 medium onions, chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 large red pepper chopped
2 yellow summer squash, sliced thin
4 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
4 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced thin
½ lb green beans, ends cut off and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 large tomatoes, chopped (keep liquid too!!)
1 large handful of fresh picked basil, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh picked thyme, stripped
Cumin (1-2 Tbsp I believe)
Smoked paprika (about 1tsp)
Red chili powder (1/4 tsp)
Red chili paste (1/2 tsp)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Water
Olive oil

Over medium heat sauté the garlic, onion, pepper and carrot with oil until beginning to soften. Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and some salt and stir. Add mushrooms, beans, squash and tomatoes. Add water to create a stew type consistency. Bring to a boil and then reduce back to medium-low heat. Add the basil and thyme. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the red chili paste and some more salt & pepper. Allow it to simmer until the vegetables are soft, but still have some crunch. That last step can be down to personal taste.

The Vegan Cassoulet was inspired by a makeover guest post from the 5 Star Foodie Blog. I didn’t measure the quantities of the vegetables and other ingredients exactly, which would be more typical of the French roots of this dish. Most of the vegetables were sourced from our CSA share. We were on vacation last week so this week we got a double shot and boy do we have a lot of veggies to use!

Mocha Bites with Homemade Raspberry Jam & Whipped Cream

1 box sugar free Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 can vanilla Coke Zero (room temp)
1 1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp instant coffee

Mix all ingredients by hand or with a mixer for 2 minutes. Grease mini muffin tins and till ¾ with the batter. Bake until firm. Remove to cool.
For dessert we wanted to make something that was reasonably low calorie but that could also stand up to a rich red wine. For presentation we placed the bits around the edge of a small ramekin and thin filled the center with them. We drizzled homemade raspberry jam over the top and finished with some whipped cream.

Wine Pairings

The smoked salmon toasts and the Hall Sauvignon Blanc were made for each other. The creaminess in the egg wraps the flavors of the wine and the smoky, salty flavor of the fish extends the influence of the wine in your mouth. The dill found and brought out the slight herbal flavors we detected earlier in the wine.

The cassoulet paired best with the Mondavi Cab making it taste bolder and more flavorful that on its own. The basil in the dish helped bring out grape leaf and green flavors often found in California Cabs. The mushrooms brought out the oak and earthy flavors that were not available without the food. The Hall Sauvignon Blanc was a pleasant pairing but was overpowered by the dish and tasted a bit sour.

The dessert pairing was by no means a universal match, but the red berry flavors in both the food and wine found each other. The slight sweetness in the wine was a good compliment to the dessert. The addition of the coffee to the batter helped with the wood and non-fruit flavors in the wine. A slight increase in bitterness in the finish was perceived when paired with the dish.

Overall we were very pleased at the array of flavors we were able to present and the pairings we were able to experience. Our menu was a nice representation of the Napa melting pot and how to bring food and wine together for an enjoyable experience.

Have you been to Napa? What are your thoughts on the wine and food? How did we do? Did we create dishes you would expect to see in Napa? Are our wine pairings something you would like to try? Give us some feedback from your own wine country experiences.

Cheers!

Margot & Jason

p.s. one blog we came across during our research is Between Meals by Michael Bauer. Definitely a good read for the food and wine scene in the area around San Francisco.

Rib Dinner & Introducing Lenny da Lobstah

Last night was Cliff and Cindy’s first vacation dinner night. After getting into quite a bit of detail about the importance of rubbing the meat, Cliff entertained us with his slow smoking adventures. Needless to say the laughs did not at all diminish the ensuing plate of food. The ribs were meaty, juicy and had so much flavor. The wood smoke was prevalent but not overpowering. Served alongside some fresh green beans and corn on the cob this dinner put us all in the zone.

I’d like to welcome Lenny da Lobstah to our blog for the first time. The Lenny da Lobstah bobble-head is our vacation mascot and the alter ago of the lot of us while we are here. Fitting.

As you can see from the pictures Lenny also enjoyed the ribs paired with some homemade wine. Later, more wine having been consumed, Lenny was grooving to the music and enjoying some good laughs around the fire. He refused to have pictures taken of his shenanigans. We protested, but ultimately gave in.

The wine pairing with the ribs was a 2009 Ancient Fire Syrah/Mourvedre that was an incredible complement of juicy red fruit and tobacco for the ribs. For not having been planned in advance I am genuinely happy to have been able experience this match.

Cheers!

--Jason

New England Wine Review & Call for Guest Posts

I am looking for some guest posts for next week. I need at least three and am open to all sorts of topics.

Review of Sakonnet Vineyards Eye Of The Storm

In the lead up to the July wine tasting we hosted my mother brought us a bottle of Sakonnet Vineyards Eye Of The Storm that had been resting in our wine fridge until tonight. I was intrigued by the color, a burnt pink orange, when I first saw it, it reminded me of our strawberry wine.

The wine has a very fruity aroma with flavors of strawberry and cherry. It has a long smooth finish and is medium to off-dry. There wasn’t much information at the winery web site about this wine, but the story on the bottle is interesting enough to create some mystique.

“On September 27, 1985, Hurricane Gloria passed over Rhode Island bringing winds of 60-70 ,ph. Sakonnet Vineyards first produced “Eye Of The Storm” to celebrate out survival of this disaster. The picture on the front of the label is a reproduction of a satellite photograph of the actual hurricane.”

I made up a batch of caprese salads tonight just because I could. With so much basil in the garden, why not! This wine was a wonderful pairing with the fresh tomato, basil and creamy mozzarella cheese. I didn’t plan this and won’t even attempt to take credit for any positive experiences you might have as a result, it just happened. The sweetness of the wine is successfully enhanced against a bit of salt on the tomato, and the fruit flavors pair with the flavors in the fresh tomato.

Cheers!

--Jason