A Cocktail in a Wine Bottle – Sangria

Sangria is a wine punch traditionally found in Spain, Portugal and South American countries. The word sangria is Spanish for the act of bleeding. This word was used to describe red wine punches created centuries ago that are now consumed worldwide. It’s is notable that when what we know was modern-day Spain was invaded by the Romans, who planted the early vineyards pretty much everywhere they roamed, they didn’t arrive peacefully. The word sangria may have had a dual meaning early on, to describe both the color of the wines and as a reminder of their bloody origins.  

Sangria is historically a pretty simple concoction, containing wine, fruit, a sweetener and a touch of brandy. Variations that use port, sherry, other spirits and even soda in place of the brandy can be found in countries where sangria is a more contemporary beverage. Common during the warmer months, sangria provides a refreshing way to consume alcohol and liven up those dog days.

While traditionally made from red wine, sangrias made from white, pink and blends of different wines are found on restaurant and bar menus when the mercury rises.  The possibilities are wide open and there is a style for almost anyone, except non-wine drinkers of course!

I’ve been using my homemade wines to make sangria for several years, but I've never solidified the recipes or even repeated any of them. I did post the recipe for one version from the Summer of 2011. Several of the wines used in that version are no longer available in my cellar, making it very much a one-night-only affair! In the picture above a homemade red sangria stands stoically behind a couple of cocktails that probably weren't half as refreshing. 

For the 2012 Independence Day holiday I volunteered to bring three kinds of sangria to the annual cookout at our friends’ Ed & Jim’s place. It was hot and humid out that day and the sangria flowed. I made red, pink and white versions using different wines, juices and fruits. The pink and white versions were the fan favorites, reminding me that Americans don’t have the same tendencies to drink chilled red wine on a hot day as our European brethren do.

I’ll finish this post with the recipes from this most recent outing. With about a month or so of summer to remaining in the US, these might be just the thing you need on your next day around the pool. If you are going to take your sangria on the road make sure you have a cooler large enough to store the vessel, extra ice and plastic cups to serve your friends.

Ancient Fire Red Sangria

1 magnum Ancient Fire 2010 Tempranillo

2 plums, sliced

1 canister cranberry/white grape juice concentrate

½ can tart cherries in juice

¼ cup Fonseco Port wine

Ancient Fire Pink Sangria

2.5 bottles Ancient Fire 2009 Australian Riverland Reserve white wine

8 large strawberries, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 canisters Berry Sunsplash juice concentrate

¼ cup cognac

Ancient Fire White Sangria

2.5 bottles Ancient Fire 2011 Pinot Gris

2 large mangoes, chopped

1 orange, sliced

2 canisters tropical fruit juice concentrate

¼ cup Triple-sec

Cheers!

Jason

Six Rosés for Summer

With the official end of summer a little less than three weeks away, folks in cool climates are packing in as many warm-weather activities into each day as possible. Most wine drinkers associate Rosé wines with summer, and while I generally agree, I think their value as aperitif and conversational wines for all seasons is grossly understated.

Nonetheless, I will review them as a last vestige of my 2011 summer when the days are hot and the nights are just beginning to cool, providing plenty of pleasant, relaxing evenings for smooth jazz and crisp wines.

TastingRoom.com provides some interesting flights in tasting size bottles. It’s a novelty and not a great choice on an environmental basis, but the opportunity to taste six new wines in one shot is pretty compelling.

Kelly & Young 2010 “Kathleen Rose” Rosé

This wine smells like a light red wine, not a rosé. Flavors or strawberry and dry island fruits come across on the palate with a bit of citrus on the finish. This wine is dry but with a moderate body such that the fruit comes across just this side of dry. The tasting notes describe this wine as Meritage blend made in a

rosé style, a first for me. The nose presenting itself as a lighter red wine makes a lot of sense with this knowledge.

Swanson 2010 Rosato

From the first sniff I picked up melon and flowers. I also picked up hints of wild yeast and minerality in the nose. This wine tastes like dried rose petals with a dry, focused mid-palate with a bit of spice through the finish. The color of this wine is much like my own Strawberry wine, with a shift to orange from pink and red. This wasn’t the first Sangiovese-based Rosé I have had, but definitely the best.

Blackbird 2010 Arriviste Rosé

The prominent class of aroma for this wine would be grape leaves and greens. Cherry and pear flavors come through on the palate. This was the most brilliantly clear of all six wines with a very pink color, that required a second look.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 “Petite Zin” Rosé

As opposed to the previous wine this wine had a purple/pink color with a much darker tone to it. The aroma of currants fills the nose. This is a very full bodied rose with a spiciness to it that is impossible to miss. It is dry with a moderate length finish. Made from Zinfandel grapes.

Carol Shelton 2010 “Rendezvous” Rosé

The nose of this wine has a savory element to it, and I finally seized on herbs, but can’t be sure that is really it. The wine is medium-dry, very flavorful with a moderate to full body. The fruit flavors in this wine are very tart which made me think of cranberry and very tart citrus fruits. Made from the juice bled from Carignane grapes not long after crush.

L’Aventure 2010 Estate Rose

The color on this wine was a step down from the previous wines. The nose is full of greens and herbs. It is medium dry with tart fruits like melon and unripe peach. Made from a blend of Syrah and Cabernet.

After tasting all of these wines I was left wondering why we really only focus on this style during the warm weather. The range of wines presented in the sampler kit offers considerable nuance and distinction within the Rosé style allowing for plenty of thoughtful consumption, and at any time of year. Using these as cocktail wines or icebreakers seems like a slam dunk with the plentiful fruit and parallels to the full bodied red wines of which they are related. 

With that in mind I look forward to cracking some Rosé in the winter time and checking the look on my friends’ faces when I serve a wine that would seem out of season. Once they take a sip though, all that fuss will fade away!

Cheers!

Jason

The Last Throes of Summer - Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

( A great place to sit at sunset, too bad it was cloudy at picture time! )

* This wine was the recommendation I contributed to today's (9/1/2011) post 12 Most Fabulous Wines to Enjoy Now For Under $20 at 12most.com which was coordinated by my wine blogger friend Marie Payton at www.lifeofvines.com. Click the link above to see the other 11 recommendations.

The sun is dipping ever more quickly at the end of each day now in New England. Summer is fleeting. While we hang on to those warm days our summer drinking habits still reign, and the Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is a wine with summer written all over it!

Light in body with aromas of tropical fruit, herbs and a crispness that begins to quench with the first sip, this wine can help make your warm weather occasion the most it can be.

But all may not be well. It’s almost like I’ve gotten two different wines (both labeled as the most recent vintage) in my last two outings with the Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

My most recent tasting, for this post, was of an herbal, bell pepper driven Sauvignon Blanc with limited fruit in the nose and a just bit more on the palate. This was not what I expected. The wine is sound and pleasant to drink, but with a different profile than I have experienced before. I can see this wine working in the place I have in mind for it, because it is refreshing when cold, but without the tropical notes up front it just doesn’t have as strong of a link to summer. I have another bottle on hand and can’t wait to see what it holds.

My prior tasting was at the Firegrill in Montreal with Margot and her family as we celebrated the life of their uncle who had lived better than most people ever hope they could. Maybe the wine tasted better as I rode high on emotions, BUT it was different! The aroma on it was huge, slightly floral and definitely tropical. There was a touch more acid in this one than the most recent, and the finish was a bit more flavorful as well. This is the version I recall from two prior tastings. It was summer in Montreal and the warm walk back to the Grand Seminary with a bit of spring in my step from the refreshing wine was therapeutic.

This wine was sourced from my local state run liquor store for $17.99.

As we grasp the last days of another summer what are you drinking? Have you already thought of switching gears for the cooler days ahead?

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

Summer of Riesling Summer Party

Margot and I generally host at least one open invitation summer party each year, sometimes more if we've got the time. We try to plan different parties each year, switching up activities or picking a theme for the food. This year we organized a blind tasting of four different regional wines for a Summer of Riesling (#summerofriesling on Twitter) event with our guests.

We kicked off the party with some local and homemade wines, a Sauvignon Blanc from Candia Vineyards and our own 2009 Strawberry wine. The strawberry from 2009 is widely regarded as our best. The 2010 isn’t much different, but different enough for it to get a second place amongst friends. The Candia Sauvignon Blanc is light & fruity in the nose and in the mouth with a slightly sulfury finish.  I bought this bottle after a tasting last year and I am not disappointed as I am so much wondering what the cause of the off finish was. I’ll be reaching out the winemaker to inquire.

I next brought out my underwhelming 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. It has too much bell pepper and has an acid imbalance. It is drinkable, but not excitingly so. Blending was suggested, and as a component of our 2010 White Blend where is does better, but not by a lot.

Last week I introduced and kicked off the Ancient Fire Summer of Riesling events with a food and wine pairing. Check out Summer of Riesling online and at local wine & food shops near you. This installment is going to be blind wine tasting of four regional (US) Rieslings.

Margot and Missi bagged up the four bottles of Riesling. I knew the states and labels, but in fairness I had never had the selection from Koenig in Idaho, only had the Ferrente from OH once last week and the NH wine from LaBelle over a year ago at a tasting. The Six Mile Creek (NY) Riesling was from a recent shipment and was something I expected I might recognize. The Salmon Creek Dry Riesling (also NY) was used as a control wine and to dispel the sweet Riesling myth. While some of the wines being tasted blind would be sweeter, others would be similar in dryness to the Salmon Creek.

Everyone got to tasting in any order they wanted. I was taking some notes as I usually do, mostly to classify the attributes of the wine in hopes they might speak to me about which ones were from where. There wasn’t a clear advantage even with my knowledge, but in the end I did guess all four correctly having written it down before the unveiling of each. I don’t take that outcome to be a sign of much. Not being intensely familiar with any of the states’ wines, except NH to a degree, I had no real context. So what I would say is that I was able to nail the NY wine and then got real lucky with the other 3!

I went in numeric order like a good little engineer. I found the Koenig to have a great nose of sweet apple and pear, but the tartness on the palate and in the finish seemed a bit disconnected. Nobody outright said they would never drink it, but there were some quizzical looks about the relationship of first impression in the nose to the very different taste.

Number two was the Ferrante from Ohio. Tammy Colson, one of my new WBC friends, passed this bottle on to me last week as we were heading home. I enjoyed it during the Other 46 tasting and knew I could give Ohio exposure with my friends back home with it. The minerality was the big note for me when I tasted it. It is medium-dry with aromas of peach and pear. I also picked up hints of citrus on the finish. I didn’t immediately attempt to guess the states until I tasted all 4, but even then I was guessing and not confident I had much to work with!

When I got to the third wine, the Six Mile Creek, I pronounced a classically German Riesling character and a well made sweeter style wine. In my head New York was my hands down guaranteed correct answer. There was a good deal of fruit in the nose and an oily aroma/textural element on the palate.

The LaBelle Riesling from New Hampshire was the fourth wine. I believe we have only had this wine at tastings and the last one was a year ago. I got a good deal of melon from this medium-dry wine that has a tart clean finish. It was pleasing, quite drinkable, but not at all forward. It seemed average. I didn’t think it would catch of lot of attention with the group and indeed it did not.

I read off my state choices and other folks weighed in with their ideas as well. Some well reasoned ideas were put forth while others hung back to see what occurred. As we unveiled the order of Idaho, Ohio, New York and New Hampshire emerged. As each one was unveiled I was checking my notes and sure I had gotten then right after the second one. While the mere fact I knew the states involved gave me some constraints, in the end the only one that really distinguished itself was the Six Mile Creek selection.

( red them in order right to left, sorry )

As we cleaned up and shifted gears I brought out a bottle of my own 2010 South African Chenin Blanc and the first taste of our 2011 Orange Vanilla Mead. The Chenin is a light drinking wine, but isn't developing much of any character. Mixing the recently strained mead with a little simple syrup allowed me to test the desired sweetness level on a pretty diverse group. I have three gallons to bottle and I hadn’t yet worked up the proportions. I took a couple folks down to see the wine in the cellar and broke out a bottle of cider. Swigs all around and discussions of what needed to be grilled enused.

Dinner which was served with four different homemade beers, a bottle of 2008 homemade Amarone and a good deal of laughs. Margot's first Stout (being poured in the picture to the right) this year is one of our best beers ever and the Orange Wit is much improved over last year. I love the citrus and herb flavors from the hopped pale ale I made, but it surely is an acquired taste. The brown ale is good, but not super exciting.

The 2008 Amaraone is one of my very best wines as well. The juice came to me in pristine condition and every worked right through to the aging of it! It tasted so good with the burger, I was very disappointed when both were gone! The wine has developed a good deal of flavor concentration and the manageable oak has left it fresh.

My simple beef burger seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning was a huge hit. I had prepared a gourmet style burger idea for folks to try. I added sharp cheddar cheese, sautéed onions and “Sassy Mo'Lassy” BBQ sauce from “Burnin' Love Sauces” that I got at the Dewey Square Farm Market in Boston. I’ve got to say that the amount of flavor in the burgers was much bigger than most I have made in the past. I saw a lot of smiles. The Italian-style chicken sausages from Sams got a lot of attention as well.

After diner we set out the desserts and I poured from the first bottle of the 2011Limoncello. I got the balance better this year and the kick the stuff offers gave a few people a nice ride! It was ice cold and very refreshing after the gluttony that preceded it.

By the time the day was done we had celebrated the Summer of Riesling with four different selections, tasted some local wines and drank several styles of homemade wines, beers, cider, limoncello and mead. Not bad!

How was your last summer party? I only ask because I know most of you weren't here...

Cheers!

Jason

Kicking Off Summer of Riesling

I heard about the Summer of Riesling (#summerofriesling) after last’s year’s edition. The buzz about it being bigger from the prior year and with more wines from different regions peaked my interest.

This year I knew that I could write a number of posts about Riesling that included our friends, reviews, food pairings, stories and promotional events. Earlier in the summer I was busy with the Relay For Life (raised $10K again!) and the pre-conference networking for #WBC11. I had been accumulating bottles slowly the whole time and still have a few, primarily New England producers, to purchase. I have no idea what I am going to do when I feature Riesling for the rest of the summer, I am just going to get inspired to create something interesting each time.

To get things rolling I offer a dinner pairing of a Grilled Salmon (recipe below) and the Salmon Run Finger Lakes, NY 2010 Riesling. There are two things about this wine that prompted me to include it, first it is dry and I wanted to start with a wine that demonstrates the falsity of the sweet Riesling myth. Secondly, I had this wine with a particularly good meal at the Granite Restaurant in Concord, NH a few years back. The dinner was an anniversary celebration for my wife and I, and one not long after my cancer treatment, so one we enjoyed with a newfound appreciation of what we had for sure. I wouldn’t have considered the wine as closely then and I was curious what I would think now.

Salmon Run 2010 Riesling

Aromas of pear and melon. Flavors of pear and green apple. The acidity is intense and the resulting steely sensation is a great attribute. The finish is pretty long with citrus pulling up the caboose. The wine is currently on sale at the NH Liquor store for $11.99.

The pairing of the salmon and the dry Riesling was a really great call. I’ve used sweeter Rieslings for spicier grilled salmon, but here the dry wine saw its fruit extended by the fish, with the creamy texture of the fish melding with the acid in the wine perfectly. I’d serve this again for sure!

The rest of my list is as eclectic as it is a workable survey of widely available and affordable wines. The regional wines are more common at their local level, but some do sell beyond.

• Kendal-Jackson Vintners Reserve 2009
• Loosen Brothers Dr. L Qba 2007
• Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine
• Ferrante Winery 2010
• Relax 2006
• LaBelle Winery 2009
• Koening Winery 2008
• Trimbach 2007
• Pacific Rim 2007 Vin de Glaciere
• Allenhofen 2007
• Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry 2009

I still have to buy these

• Australia – looking for something dry
• Vermont – already looking for suggestions
• Massachusetts - Westport Rivers
• Connecticut – Sharpe Hill
• Rhode Island – Newport Winery
• Maine – I am going to be in Maine in a few weeks and will pick one up

So with that lineup I have all of the New England states covered, with the states of California, Idaho, Ohio and Washington represented as well. For countries we have Australia, Canada (QC), France (1), Germany (3) and of course the United States. That is a pretty adventuresome list with vintages form 2006 to 2010, and from dry to sweet and dessert styles.

So a couple times a week now Riesling is going to make an appearance. Are you enjoying any of the Summer of Riesling on your own? There are bars and restaurants all over with event-specific menus and wines lists with more Rieslings to pick from than usual. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

Cheers!

Jason

Grilled Salmon Recipe

1/3 cup soy sauce

¼ cup water

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup (minus 1 tsp) brown sugar

Dash of Chili powder

1 large salmon steak

Meyer lemon sugar

Salt

Pepper

Mix the first 5 ingredients. Salt & pepper the fish. Marinate the fish for 2 hours. Grill or broil until cooked.

Cooking Light Comes Through Again! – Curried Chicken Wraps

Twice recently recipes from Cooking Light made the cut for one of our weekly meals. Last time it was a flatbread pizza that made for an easy summer dinner, and from the same issue. This time I made it for lunch on of the days I work from home. With Margot working in Manchester now she can come home for lunch. Something a little on the gourmet side made by her personal chef is pretty compelling I would imagine!

The recipe for Curry Chicken Wraps with Nectarine Chutney can be found on page 128 of the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light or online here.

( The chutney would be good in many other ways! )

We prepared it similarly, although I had chicken thigh filets, skipped the cucumber and used some romaine lettuce we already had on had in place of the arugula. We assembled the sandwiches on whole wheat pita breads which are a little most substantial than the recommended flatbreads, which is a good thing. The chutney can be a bit messy.

The curried chicken was set to marinate 24 hours ahead and ultimately it was some of the best curried chicken I have ever had. The flavor was pronounced, but not overwhelming and the meat stayed nice and moist through the cooking.

The combination of flavors between the chicken and chutney was fantastic. It tasted like something you might get at an ethnic take out joint. I was pretty proud of my execution and will gladly make these again!

Pairing note: I took two 2010 bottles of our own for a test drive with these, a Viognier and a Sauvignon Blanc. Both wines are challenge to drink so no good pairing can be suggested from experience.

Cheers!

Jason

Flatbread Pizzas for Summer

Weeknight summer eating is always a challenge for us. We want to be outside which means dinner can’t take that long to make and should be lighter, especially if we eat later in the evening.

Margot recently found a recipe for a grilled flatbread pizza with Prosciutto, Arugula and Lemon on page 125 of the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine. This definitely fit the bill. She made it even easier by using fresh Naan bread from the bakery instead of a crust made as part of the recipe.

The next week Margot riffed on this idea with her own recipe for Fig Jam, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and Arugula flatbread pizzas. Another hit, although the gastronomic effect of these made the first one the winner!

Fig Jam, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and Arugula Flatbread Pizzas

2 whole wheat Naan breads from the grocery store bakery
2 oz fig & orange jam (specialty food store item)
2 oz soft goat cheese
1 medium onion, sliced
4 Tbsp butter
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Handful of arugula

Caramelize the onions with the butter. This can be done ahead of time. Warm the Naan in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes. Spread the jam evenly on each of the flatbreads. Cover with the onions. Spoon the goat cheese over the top. Heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes to allow everything to warm and the cheese to melt a bit. Remove from the oven and plate. Toss the balsamic vinegar with the arugula. Top each pizza with the vinegar laden greens and serve.

Quick, easy and full of flavor!

Cheers!

Jason

Grillin' & Chillin' - Photos of Summer Delights from the Grill

( Skirt steak with a Chipotle sauce and cilantro. )

( The people who man the grill make a world of difference. My brother-in-law Bob. )

( Grilled pizza was a big deal for us in 2010. BBQ Pork with Jack cheese and carmerlized onions. )

( This pig was cool, and damn tasty too! )

( My makeshift smoker can handle all sorts of stuff! )

( Curtis working the grill at Curtis' BBQ in VT. )

( More grilled pizza. Chicken pesto and a bacon, onion and banana pepper creation of our friend Melanie. )

( Smoked turkey is my favorite way to use my smoker setup. )

Book Review of Kitchen Confidential

In May of 2000 when Kitchen Confidential was published I did not know of Anthony Bourdain. I have come to know him through his show No Reservations (the book is also on my reading list) and found that I enjoy his mélange of food, culture, personal stories and intellectual meanderings in each episode. No matter what you think of Anthony Bourdain I will make one simple assertion, he is real.

In a recent interview I saw with him he went back and thought about who he was and what his life was like during the times chronicled in the book. He claims it wasn’t pretty and assures the audience that he was perpetually one step away from disaster. I wanted to know more.

Kitchen Confidential is a moderately quick read, broken down into sections like a good multi-course meal. While not strictly chronological, it does flow largely in that direction allowing the reader to get a good idea about where the personality comes from.

Before I read the book I took a shot at what I expected my premise of the review to be. A wild story about the expansion of his personality from all of his real-life adventures. I believed that through all of it he was still that hot headed, addiction-prone, life on the edge guy, but with more appreciation of how to pull it all off with grace, skill and class.

Jackpot!

The other theme which is taken literally from the book’s title and notes is a picture of what really goes on in restaurant kitchens around the world. I don’t actually think that story is all that surprising, or it shouldn’t be. Office buildings are also full of real people with sordid stories, e.g. sex, drugs, failure and all that. Kitchens can’t really be that different.

Bourdain makes it clear that restaurant kitchens are as much about people as they are about food. The necessary skills of the people who make up a good and real kitchen staff are explained to be varied and include, working long hours away from family, the ability to give and take shit from everyone, a fondness for booze and drugs, the desire to share details of one’s life well beyond “too much information”, a low threshold for pain, uber multi-tasking and finally an air of unpredictability in every waking moment. Artistry with food or refined culinary skills aren’t the primary focus of the characters in the book, although many do have culinary passions and are really good at what they do. Just not in that celebrity chef sense. These are real chefs, cooks, service and cleaning staff; the ones who actually do all the dirty work to get restaurant meals on to tables. In the end Bourdain paints himself as the ring-leader of a merry bunch of misfits who wouldn’t be pegged by anyone to be doing what they do.

Along the way he makes specific mentions of how much he had to learn about the people themselves, their cultures and their lives in order for him to be able to make use of their talents. Knowing what one particular person sounds like after a notable weekend bender, or how much money a line cook makes on the side selling dope to the staff or even which cultures accept jokes about sex with their mother don’t really seem like the things we would think of for an chef to worry about. But that is real life and why the stories were so fun to read. He does reflect on these teachings and how it helped him appreciate and deal with many things that would serve to frustrate most of us in his position.

There are also some nice tips for the restaurant patron to consider, like not ordering fish on Monday as it is likely the dregs from the prior week. It is also noted that specials are often the vehicle to get rid of things hanging around rather than use some unexpected ingredients. Again I don’t see any surprises here. Restaurants are businesses and many of them have to be concerned with the bottom line rather than haute cuisine and absolute freshness.

With this book in the bag I am very much looking forward to No Reservations picking up the trail of more stories from Anthony Bourdain.

Cheers!

--Jason

Heading Home from York

Saturday. Our cleanup and packing went smoothly. Margot and I left the keys on the table, locked up and bid farewell to our beach house for the last week around 9 AM. With only an hour ride home and fantastic weather we decided to hang out on the beach for a while before hitting the road. The cool breeze across the beach was lovely and we did several circuits along the beach before the tide came up too far.

We grabbed take out breakfast at the Sun ‘n Surf Restaurant located right on the beach. Their egg sandwiches (on toast, bagels or English muffins) and home fries are cooked to order and were really good! We had eaten at the restaurant before, but something about grabbing it at the counter and sitting outside overlooking the ocean made it special.

Before leaving town we headed back to the Nubble Lighthouse and took some really nice pictures of the lighthouse and surrounding waters. We stopped at Brown’s (again) for ice cream, enjoying their raspberry chocolate truffle ice cream on a bittersweet ride home.

I’ll leave you with some vacation smiles.

Cheers!

--Jason

Lobster & Steamer Night in York

You have to love friends who have a food ritual when they vacation. Our last night at the beach is lobster and steamer night. No frills, and none needed! Lobsters, steamers, corn, lots of butter and stacks of napkins!

We tortured Lenny by steaming his family members. We tried to distract him, but to no avail. He was sad, but likes hanging out with us so he went along. Merv invited her parents over to join us for dinner, resulting in lots of good conversation amongst family and friends.

I purposely saved several dry white wines from my vacation supply to pair with our seafood dinner. In particular I held back the 2008 Viognier and the 2009 Pinot Grigio. I also brought along the newly bottled 2010 Viognier to try side by side with its sibling from two years ago. It turns out we bottled it early and it is a bit hazy. The haze definitely has a taste component associated with it, and as such I capped the bottle and brought it home. Both the wines went very nicely with dinner, although I preferred the Viognier.

I also cracked a couple of sweeter wines for idle drinking, and was greatly rewarded with the feedback. The 2009 Plum/Riesling and the 2010 Blackberry Cabernet were greatly enjoyed. I never got any of the Blackberry Cabernet which tells you much everyone enjoyed it.

We closed out the night around the campfire, lamenting the early morning of cleaning and packing up the next day. Vacation can’t last forever, but when you are really enjoying it the prospect of the end really sucks!

Cheers,

--Jason

Biking Around Peaks Island

The first time Margot went to Old Orchard Beach with her sisters they all took the ferry from Portland to Peaks Island and rented bikes to tour the island. The stories sounded cool and the pictures were awe inspiring. Needless to say Margot and I went last year when we stayed in York. The weather was fantastic and we ended up having a wonderful time.

This year we weren’t sure if we would make it, depending on how many nice days we were going to get. Friday was our second beautiful day so we ventured to the island once again.

We left early planning to find some trek-worthy breakfast in Portland before jumping on the ferry. I did some quick research and came across lots of mentions of Becky’s Diner on Commercial Street about ¼ of a mile from the ferry terminal. The menu looked like it was from an old school diner serving all meals all day. We were not disappointed. The parking lot was full and guests were moving in an out at a brisk pace. Good signs all around. We were seated within 10 minutes and had fresh coffee sitting in front of us in another two. Margot ordered a mushroom and cheese omelet and I ordered the Hobson's Wharf Special breakfast plate hoping to try a few different things and see how they spin them. The food was cooked very well, hot and tasted great. The potatoes definitely get talked about and the Texas toast style bread for the French Toast rocked. The price was great and service was awesome for so many diners and the busy pace. We had smiles thinking about that meal powering us around Peaks Island in an hour or so.

The ferry ride to the island is only about 15 minutes and offers views of the oil transfer station, an old prison, several lighthouses and whatever boats are moving about. Right up the ferry dock street are several restaurants and an inn. More on those later. Take a left and head down two blocks and rent a bike, from Brad & Wyatt’s Island Bike Service, at $10 for up to 3 hours.

The route around the island provides an initial tour of the main village in either direction. If you head back the way you came you do reach the open views and ocean quicker, but either way you are there soon enough and the views are excellent everywhere.

My photo plan for the day was to get some nice wave splashes on the rocky shores of the island (at end of post). I snapped quite a few and got several really nice shots. We explored a few areas where the small rocks, driftwood and shells collect; pretty cool stuff! We did two circuits of the island and then dropped our bikes off and went out in search of a cold drink and a snack.

The Inn on Peaks Island sits at the top of the hill right up from the ferry and has a beautiful façade and views, both indoors and outdoors, of the Portland harbor. We settled into the air conditioned bar and checked out the beer selection from Shipyard, a Portland Maine brewer with considerable attention.

I tried two beers, the cask conditioned (didn't get the name) and the Blue Fin Stout. Margot went with Coca-Cola and we ordered some boneless buffalo chicken tenders for a snack. The quiet time before the ferry ride back was very relaxing. The ferry ride back always seems really short and we spent most of the time comment on Dixie, an obvious Jack Russell mix, sailing home with her companions. Back to York and lobster and steamer night with friends!!

Cheers,

--Jason

New England Wine Reviews – Jewell Towne Vineyards Steuben

This week I opened a bottle of Steuben made by Jewell Towne Vineyards located in South Hampton, NH. I am lucky enough to have had a nice variety of wines from Jewell Towne, both because they aren’t far away, but even better because our local grocery and liquor stores carry them. We have been out to the winery twice and know Peter Oldak, the owner and winemaker, from our membership as amateurs in the New Hampshire Winery Association. We see him and the winery staff most often now at tasting events like Live Free and Wine held in May this year.

This wine has a pale red color and very much looks like a rosé. The taste is unique, with what I immediately felt tasted like a cross between a dry Muscat and Niagra. The aroma is reminiscent of a light Muscat as well. I tasted some tart cherry and red raspberries. Margot thought this wine was the one she has had that tasted the most like a fruit wine, our Strawberry was in fact the example. I agree, although the Niagra sensation to me screams green grape. We mixed this and another wine up when we last purchased wine at the tasting room, meaning it didn’t come home with us, so when I saw it in the store I figured we could give it another whirl.

What information I could easily find about the grape is that is a 1947 release from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, New York with a stated parentage of Wayne & Sheridan, but nothing more to support that. It is a French and Native-American hybrid with a slight amount of the “foxiness” attributed to Native-American grapes also derived from the labrusca vitis, like Concord.

The blue-black grape lends itself to traditional rosé making, i.e. some soak time of skins and juice before pressing and primary fermentation.

At the winery’s web site the wine is described as an off-dry rosé with aromas of strawberry, pineapple and mulberry. The mulberry is starting to grow on me from my limited past experience. I feel the wine is focused enough that the berry is there, but just a different berry.

The wine is medium-bodied, very drinkable with a long tart finish. It also screams summer like it’s rosé brethren. The wine is medium to off-dry with plenty of zip for most people; no dessert wine here.

At a price point of $12.99 I feel I got a great deal on a wonderfully drinkable bottle of sociable summery wine. I’d easily recommend this to anyone looking to focus on a unique wine from a small winery on the New England seacoast.

Cheers!

--Jason

Cote Family Reunion - Remembering Family Recipes

(Look at that happy family!)

We all have those recipes that for us just say HOME. They are the dishes that we took for granted when we were kids and they were in the weekly family dinner rotation. In my family there were as many as nine kids living at home eating off a very small family budget. My Mom was of course in charge of feeding this army and before we had Oprah, Rachel or any other various lifestyle gurus my Mom came up with two very smart ideas. Idea one was to post the weekly dinner menu, down to the dessert, on the fridge. This, no doubt, was a result of not wanting nine kids and a husband ask you what was for dinner over and over again. Idea two was that anything could be dinner as long as there were full bellies and some semblance of nutrition.

(My brother Ed and I in the photo to the right)

This weekend my family got together at my sister Celeste’s home to celebrate summer. We decided that to have my Mom “there” and to honor her we would make some family recipes. The first dish I choose was my Mom’s potato salad. More than a few times each summer dinner would consist of cold baked chicken and potato salad. This was usually reserved for when the weather was getting really hot and Mom felt no need to crank up the stove when she got home. The potato salad was usually made a few days in advance and really only gets better as it sits for a day or two. The “secret ingredient” is the Catalina dressing. I do not think I knew that potato salad was usually white until I was in my teens. Till then I always thought it was an odd peachy color.

Helene’s Potato Salad

4 Cups Cubed Cold Boiled Potatoes
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Onion
Nature Seasons to Taste
¼ Cup French Catalina Dressing (the secret ingredient)
¼ Cup Imitation Mayonnaise (Miracle Whip)
3 Hard Boiled Eggs Cut Up
2 Tbsp Green Relish
1 Tbsp Diced Pimento (optional)

Blend together and chill for a few hours before serving.

Jay’s Tasting Notes: “So this is pretty much potato salad made with Big Mac special sauce instead of mayonnaise?”

Margot’s Reply: “Yeah. I never realized that till now…no wonder I love it!”

The second recipe is one from my grandmother “Mimi” who would make this green pepper dip for special occasions. I honestly NEVER saw it or had it with anything other than green peppers for dipping, though I am sure it is tasty on other vegetables. I tried this recipe based on my mother’s recollection for years but never got it right. Recently I found the recipe card in my mother’s recipe box, in Mimi’s hand writing. Turns out my mother always left out the tobacco sauce and that the onions needed to be “finely” chopped. This time it came out perfect.

Mimi’s Tangy Sauce – Green Pepper Dip
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Chile Sauce
2 Tbsp Horseradish
1 Small Onion (fresh) chopped fine
1 tsp mustard
Dash Tabasco Sauce

Mix together and chill a few hours before serving. Serve with crisp green bell pepper strips.

Ahhhh, memories. Do you have any recipes that bring you back home? Remind you of someone you love? Please, share them…..

A photo journal of sorts from the party can be found below. It was so nice to see many of my family members enjoying some laughs and good food.

Mangia,

Margot

( chillin' & chattin' )

( Eloy & Cody )

( a beer & burger, what else do you need? )

( the Bhuttos )

( Ed & Alice )

 ( more talking, more laughing, more food? )

( why do I look so serious on the left? )

( that's my family!!! )

( Jay and his #1 wine fan, Celeste )

( Sauce & Al )

( and that's how the night ended. I love my family )