Viognier is not just a wine!

The wine tasting group that Jeffrey, Bill and I belong to (and you may remember Bob from our cookbook club in this photo!) has an annual dinner. Locating a restaurant that provides gourmet food, private dining room and a general manager and sommelier who will work with a demanding group is always hard to find. In the past, we’ve dined at Sent Sovi in Saratoga and worked successfully with Josiah Slone and his team. This year, I found an old favorite of ours, Viognier in San Mateo. If you are a foodie, you’ve been to Draeger’s Market there. . .the only gourmet grocery store with an escalator! Their gift shop upstairs is unparalleled.

Viognier has been around since Draeger’s San Mateo store opened their doors many, many years ago. They’ve had some wonderful chefs over the years, the most notable being Gary Danko who left them to open his own restaurant in the City. I love “discovering” new chefs whose cuisines appeal to me and who are fun to work with. Preston Dishman, the executive chef has been in a kitchen since he was 14, growing up in South Carolina. He and his wife, Nicole (who is the general manager and sommelier), sold their restaurant in Sonoma, The General’s Daughter, to work at Viognier since 2008. Lucky us!

Our first course was served with Bob’s 2002 Dom Perignon that lived up to its reputation as a rich, well-structured, champagne, creamy with a great depth. The appetizers of Roasted Summer Squash Flatbread; duck confit; broccolini; caramelized onion; Crescenza cheese; Smoked Salmon Flatbread with smoked cream and caviar; and Charcuterie Platter was over the top! I could have made a meal of the wonderful appetizers and loved the duck confit! Each item went well with the champagne. The Dom Perignon was clearly deserving of its reputation as a perfect champagne. Thank you Bob!

After 30 minutes of noshing, waiting for everyone to arrive, saying hi to spouses who joined us for this dinner, we started with our first course. Preston prepared a Seared California King Salmon with Roe, Braised Endive, Warm Bintje Potato Salad, Fin Herb Froth. As you can see from the photo, his portions are generous. Fresh California King Salmon just can’t be beat! My brother is a fisherman and brought some King Salmon to us a few weeks ago and it was divine. This dish was no exception, seared to medium rare, topped with a few jewels of roe that burst with flavor. I love the color of salmon roe, so bright and shiny! The Bintje Potatoe (Bintje, pronounced “ben-jee,” is a potato variety from the Dutch with great flavor) salad was more of a mashed potato salad that was the right complement to the salmon and the herb fin broth brought a touch of the ocean to the dish. We accompanied this dish with two wines: Jeffrey and Ellie’s 1996 Mount Eden Chardonnay and a 2007 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere that David and Michelle shared. Jeffrey’s wine exemplified all that is perfect with California Chardonnays; fruit, elegance with depth and a wonderfully well-integrated balance with a lingering finish that went on and on. The white burgundy was, what can I say, a white burgundy! It was a dry, elegant burgundy, with the richness, complexity and structure that is so typical of one of my favorite wines. Each of these wines went well with the Salmon. It was fun (and delicious) to compare and contrast the two wines.

Our next course was a Fried Pork Trotter, served with Brussel Sprouts, Watercress and Aioli. I’m not sure how he did it but it was so creamy and soft inside with a crispy exterior and as you can see in the photo, perfectly square! I cleaned my plate and enjoyed every bite. As you know, pork trotters are pig’s feet and have become more popular in the US. I used to eat them when I was a child because it was a cheaper cut of meat, like the tongue, kidneys or liver but today it’s a gourmet entré. . . and Preston prepared it to perfection. The item sitting atop the fried trotter was fried pork skin, a Chicharrón, as a humorous touch to the dish. We were fortunate to pair this dish with John and Ann’s 1995 Mazis-Chambertin from Maume. A very refined burgundy that was soft, elegant with dark fruit and floral elements, nice acid balance. It was perfect choice that offset the rich trotters!

Our main entré was a dish to remember! It was a Grilled Boneless Short Rib, Summer Squash, Spinach and Natural Jus. None of us could believe how thick the short rib was. I was amazed with how tender it was with its caramelized crust. I asked Preston to come to our dining room so the group could meet him and thank him for the fabulous meal. One of the questions he was asked was "How did he create this masterpiece?"

His secret was the sous vide (a culinary technique in which vacuum-sealed food is immersed in a water bath and cooked at a very precise, consistent temperature) so the short rib was cooked in its own juices and then grilled to get the caramelized finish. And, of course, as a restauranteur, he has his own meat purveyors that as “mere plebeians” we have no access to. . .boo hoo. We accompanied this course with two wines. Martin shared his 2003 Brunello, La Velona and Einar and Cammy brought a 2006 Domaine de Chevalier. This Brunello was not tannic as many Brunellos can be, but very smooth, fruity and well-balanced and was the perfect wine to pair with the 2006 Bordeaux, with its black currant fruit intermixed with subtle notes of earthy spices. Bravo!

By the time we got to our dessert, I was pretty full but couldn’t pass up the Pain Perdu with Nutella Gelato, Blueberry Jam, Feuillitine Crunch and Peanut Butter smear. We had the pain perdu at our test dinner several months ago with John and Ann and loved the dessert so I requested it for this evening’s dinner. It was made with raspberries at our first dinner and I think I liked the tartness of the raspberries over the sweetness of the blueberries.

On Friday, the pain perdu proved to be the right dessert to go with Bill’s 2001 Chateau Clos Haut-Peraguey. Everyone enjoyed the caramelized flavors with hints of dried of apricots, good acid, lingering fruit on the palate and a lovely nose that is one of the reasons we love sauternes. What a wonderful way to end a wonderful evening filled with wonderful food, wines and friends. And before I end my post, I want to complement our server, Julio, who was the quintessential server and Michael Tupac the Asst. Manager who made sure everyone was happy. We shall return every year!!

If you have a chance to dine out some evening, take the short drive to San Mateo and return to Viognier to taste Preston’s creations and then do some grocery shopping or visit Draeger’s fabulous gift shop. I could spend some serious money there!

Ad Hoc Retro Dinner, July 2012

We did it again…another fabulous dinner! Although Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc Cookbook was not as detailed as his French Laundry book, it yielded some memorable entrés that I will certainly try again.

We began our gathering over a glass of Aspasie Brut Carte Blanche NV French Champagne as Sharon began assembling the two soups she brought and the rest of us waited for everyone to arrive, say hi, and reconnect. After driving 3 hours to get here, Sharon always arrives in high spirits and with yummy dishes. She couldn’t decide which soup to bring so she brought two of them. She made the Mushroom Soup last week and didn’t find it that outstanding after all the work she put into preparing them and selected two other soups to try. The Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup was amazing and I will now make it myself soon! When tasted in the pot, we all thought it tasted a bit bland BUT, showing us the importance of garnishes, when served with the chopped cilantro and crumbled smoked bacon, the soup came together to give us a spectacular dish.

She also prepared the Heirloom Bean and Escarole Soup for us last night. Escarole is a variety of endive whose leaves are broader, paler and less bitter than other members of the endive family. The head of an escarole resembles a head of lettuce. The stems and leaves are thick enough to stand up to being blanched and added to a hearty soup that has ham hock pieces, carrots and other vegetables. The garnish for this soup was chopped Italian parsley. Another tasty and healthy soup from Sharon, enhanced by a glass of Pine Ridge 2011 Chenin Blanc/Viognier from Bill’s cellar. This wine had both floral and grassy notes that complimented both soups. With the first soup, it provided a nice contrast to the heavy lentils and sweet potatoes and for the second soup, blended well with the bright flavors of the escarole, carrots, and white canelli beans.

Along with two soups, we also had two salads this evening. Jeffrey prepared our first salad, Chickpea & Curried Cauliflower Salad, a 2-hour effort. The curry is part of the vinaigrette, very light, adding just a note of smoky flavors. Again, to pay tribute to the value of garnishes, the salad was garnished with fried parsley leaves. Jeffrey made this salad before without the fried parsley and noted how much better the salad is with the garnish. The added touch of crunchy parsley leaves finished the dish. While not a big fan of chickpeas or garbanzos, I really enjoyed this salad because of the different textures and flavors. Bill chose a Joh Jos Prum 2004 Riesling Auslese to compliment this dish thinking that the curry would be more pronounced. Even though it wasn't as curry-ish as we thought, it was a delicious wine that everyone loved and drank every drop! What's not to like with a Riesling? I love the low alcohol of rieslings as well as the lovely fruit and clean finishes.

Our next salad was prepared by Janis and, although she listed several dishes she thought about bringing, I am glad she chose this one: Green Bean & Potato Salad with Mission Figs & Iberico Ham. She used fingerling potatoes and as you can see from the photo, the small coins of potatoes were the perfect size to go with the green beans. She spent hours driving around, searching for mission figs at gourmet groceries and finally found them at a chain grocery store by just asking for them. . .go figure! This salad was a tribute to the natural flavors of each item, having each one compliment or contrast beautifully with the other. We always count one Janis to bring wonderful vegetable based dishes and she never disappoints. We served this dish family style and passed the platter around and served ourselves. Bill served a Murrieta's Well 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Los Tesoros De Joaquin,from the Livermore Valley region. It was amazingly clean, well-balanced and a perfect companion to this salad. It's always difficult to pair wines with salads because of the vinegars but Bill always does a yeoman's job successfully.

As may have noticed, the photographs are not as professional as they’ve been in the past. Willie and Sandi have sold their home here and have literally “hit the road” and are driving their Ford truck, towing an Airstream, as I type. What an adventure!! They are taking a hiatus from our group and will be maintaining their own blog, writing about their travels, travails and adventures, complete with photos! We look forward to reading their blog posts and to, hopefully, their eventual return to our area.

Our main course was Buttermilk Fried Chicken, garnished with Fried Onions and Fried Herbs; thyme, rosemary and sage. I have made this chicken twice before and reduced the number of lemons from 5 to 3 in the brine this time. I thought the lemon flavor was too pronounced in the previous times and even with just 3 lemons, the lemon was still pretty evident. I also made a error and changed how I fried the chicken. I “pre-prepared” the chicken and floured and dipped the pieces in buttermilk and then re-floured them about 15-20 minutes before I actually fried them. I wanted to sit down and eat Janis’ salad and didn’t want a big break between courses. BIG mistake! The crust was tough and not flaky as a result. It tasted fine but the texture was very disappointing. Dusting and dipping just before putting the pieces into the hot oil will produce flaky, crispy fried chicken and onion rings. Next time, I'll know better. Bill poured a delicious Penfolds 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 that everyone simply raved about and we easily finished this bottle too. This was a hearty Cab that was a great representative of the Australian style of wine-making.

We served George’s preparation of Creamed Corn with the chicken. Believe me, this was NOT anything like the canned creamed corn that we all remember from our childhoods. This recipe produces a rich, creamy and flavorful bowl of kernels that has a touch of cayenne to give it a tiny kick. I had two spoonfuls of the corn; I liked it so much. Bill chose a Sbragia Family Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma to go with the corn. The Sbragia red was much softer than the Penfolds and a better wine for the corn. I enjoyed this wine very much and am hopeful that we’ll be able to visit this winery in October when we do our Sonoma field trip.

Our first dessert was Panna Cotta with Strawberries that Annie wanted to try. She had always wanted to make a panna cotta and thought this was her opportunity. This panna cotta is made with sour cream that gave it a tang that I usually don't find in panna cottas. I very much liked it in this dish and really loved the soft, silky texture. Many panna cottas are too stiff, perhaps because the recipe calls for more gelatin but this one was sublime! She did mention that the recipe omits to mention that one should warm all the ingredients because if one adds the gelatin mixture to refrigerator-cold ingredients, the gelatin will form a ball in the center and not disperse throughout the cream. She chose to serve her panna cotta with lightly sweetened strawberries. Bill graced us with a lovely bottle of Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey 2001 Sauterne that added a wonderful note of sweetness to the panna cotta. More raves! Ahhhh Sauterne!

Our last dessert was a fun dessert that Tina made for an earlier event for her daughter and then brought to our dinner. Carrot Cupcakes are time-aged, proven favorites for children, of ALL ages. She made them half-sized so they were small “muffin tops,” that were, after all we’ve already eaten, the perfect size, about 3-4 bites! They were light, flavorful and the frosting of creamed cheese, sugar and butter was so decadently rich. . .what a perfect marriage of tastes, textures. . .not too sweet either, like bakery versions. Bill had us taste a Kirkland 10 Year Old Tawny Port with the cupcakes and because of the walnut garnish (See?! The value of garnishes works in desserts too!). Umm, Kirkland?? Isn’t that the Costco brand? YES, it is! While certainly not the quality of a Dow’s Tawny, for the price (less than $20), a wonderful port to serve with this dessert. It was the perfect choice again, Bill!

I and other members of this group have prepared multiple recipes out of this cookbook and find it to be one our favorites. We may even cook a dinner from it again because there are still so many recipes that each of us have intended to make but haven’t gotten around to it -- yet!

We also chatted over dinner about the field trip to Sonoma. I am investigating a biodynamic garden and vineyard tour and tasting/dinner event at Quivera Winery as well as an educational lecture on pairing wines with foods with the Sbragia Family Winery. I’ll keep you posted on the final dates and costs, etc. and then we’ll see who can make the trip.

In the meantime, cook on!

Barefoot'n

Ina Garten has become an icon in most home cooks’ kitchens. She has so many cookbooks that most of her recipes can be found on line now. I checked out two of her cookbooks from the county library and read Barefoot Contessa in Paris and How Easy is That? She makes cooking easy and does a pretty good job of explaining what to do. Barefoot’n with Ina was fun for me. I tried several recipes: Goat Cheese Tarts, Vegetable Tian, Panko Crusted Salmon, Roasted Vegetable Tort, Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower Gratin AND intend to try her Grilled Clams, Onion and Fennel Soup, Plum Cake Tatin, Cous Cous with Toasted Pine Nuts, French Mussel Bisque and Potato Chips (if you are a potato chip addict too, haven’t you wondered about making it yourself?)

We started our Barefoot Contessa Dinner with the Goat Cheese Tarts (Back to Basics) that I made and really liked. Her recipe called for 6-inch puff pastry circles but I made small 3-inch circles that seemed more appealing as an appetizer and especially since we were having 6 courses this evening. I did not make my own puff pastry but used Pepperidge Farm. I’ve tried other brands from Whole Foods but couldn’t taste the difference. I’m sure it’s better if you make it yourself but on warm days, it’s a tough one to execute well without turning the air conditioner down to freezing. It has herbed goat cheese, caramelized garlic & onions, fresh tomato slices, thyme and basil, bound together with parmesan cheese. Very tasty and enhanced with Bill's Gloria Ferrer Brut from the Sonoma Carneros region.

Our next entré was prepared by Sandi W and was very rich and soothing as only a Shrimp Bisque Soup (Barefoot Contessa at Home) can. Sandi and Willie were celebrating a special event with lobster earlier in the week so she was able to use the shells to flavor the bisque stock, along with the shrimps and shells. Sandi’s dish was creamy, thick and very flavorful. You can see by the photo that it also has whole shrimps in it as well as the puréed meat. Bill found a Ridge Winery Chenin Blanc + Viognier blend that was a perfect choice to offset the richness of the soup.

We served the next two dishes at the same time, although on two separate plates. Mary re-joined us for this dinner since Annie & George couldn’t make it due to becoming grandparents at the last minute. Mary made a delicious Vegetable Tian (Barefoot in Paris). I had tried it in a mini-version but her’s was wa-ay better than the one I made. What’s amazing is that even though tomatoes are in season now, once you cook them the sugars caramelizes and sweetens them. The layers of squash, tomatoes, and onions, accented by Gruyer cheese and Thyme, are tough to beat in terms of complimentary flavors.

The main event of the evening was Sharon’s Boeuf Bourguignon (Barefoot in Paris). She said that the hardest part was trimming the beef chuck of all the silver membranes and fat. Ina directed her to cook the vegetables (onions and carrots) separately and then combine them at the end and to serve the bourguignon over a toasted slice of country bread that’s been seasoned with cut garlic. The country bread was too tough to slice easily and Sharon recommended using sour dough or Sweet Batard French bread next time instead. They soak up the liquids and are easier to slice through. As you can guess, it was delicious and very rich with a whole bottle of burgundy and ½ cup of cognac in it! Bill brought a 2001 Robert Young wine called “Scion” that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, out of his cellar. This wine was absolutely delicious! Rich, fruity, well-balanced with great acid and low tannins after 11 years in our cellar. I wish we had more bottles of this wine. . .☹ He also served a 1990 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Estate with this course. A lesson in opposites but both great. The Mondavi was 22 years old and much more elegant and soft. It still had great fruit but more subdued than the Robert Young. We all enjoyed both wines with our main course.

We waited for a bit before eating Janis’ Salad with Warm Goat Cheese (Barefoot Contessa in Paris). It was a wonderful break between our rich bourguinon and dessert. The greens and dressing was bright and fresh and truly cleansed our palates. The goat cheese medallions were crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Sigh…how much better than this meal get? Much better! We topped this wonderful meal with a decadent dessert!

Willie prepared a Deeply Chocolate Gelato served with a huge Shortbread Cookie dusted with Turbinado Sugar crystals (Barefoot Contessa Parties!). If you love chocolate, this is the ice cream to make at home. I think Willie said it had 6 egg yolks in it and lots bittersweet chocolate. It was chocolate-y enough for Bill who usually complains that most chocolate ice creams are not. You can see from the photo that it is a very dark chocolate. I loved the shortbread cookie since I am not a chocoholic and would choose butter over chocolate any day. Buttery and prepared to perfection to the tastes of this cookie monster. I have to confess that I bought a wine for this dish that was a big mistake but I was curious enough to buy it to give it a try. We served a NV Deco Port made with the essences of natural chocolate from Santa Rosa. . . I think I was suckered into a marketing ploy. It was bad port to start with and the chocolate essences did nothing to cover the flaws in this wine. Sorry folks…a punt and miss.

We all drove away from Janis and Bill’s home full and contented, as we do every two months.

Our next dinner will be in July and I’ve sent out an email to select the exact date. It’s our “Retro Dinner” and we’ll be returning to Thomas Kellar’s Ad Hoc Cookbook. This book is my “go to” book for basic dishes. . .not that any of his dishes are basic but they are much easier to prepare than his French Laundry cookbook recipes. BTW, our Retro Dinner in 2013 will be from his French Laundry book.

Our annual field trip will be to Sonoma will be in early November, a 1-night, 2-day trip. I’ll be setting dates for that event soon and start working in an itinerary for your approval. We’ll set up a couple of winery visits with winemakers and a dinner in Healdsburg. If you have any suggestions, let me know. Stay tuned!

Hope you all enjoyed Barefoot’n as much as I did!

Celebratory Dinner at Manresa

Before I get into this post about Manresa, it may seem like Bill & I go out a lot but to be honest, we rarely go out now that I’m retired. I cook at home and try out a lot of recipes from either our next cookbook or from the current food magazine. During his radiation, his diet was very restricted. He couldn’t eat fresh vegetables, fruit or anything with fibre. Everything was overcooked and I bought a loaf of white bread for the first time in over 20 years! After eating this way for 2+ months, gourmet food was on our “To Do”list.

We dined at Manresa with the Simonis and Pattersons to celebrate the end of his radiation treatments. We waited for over a month to make sure he was able to eat “anything” and to get on everyone’s calendar. It’s been many months since we have dined here and as always, it’s good to return and see familiar faces.

If you haven’t tried Manresa lately you must go. They have remodeled the restaurant, added a cocktail lounge and an elegant look to the restaurant. The menu continues to reflect a Japanese influence. We did not get to see David since he was in Japan for 2 weeks. Next week’s menu should be fascinating since he will be infusing it with the latest ideas from his trip.

In the past you would chose whether to have 3, 4 or 5+ courses at different prices. Now there are two prix fixe menus. The Prix Fixe is $125 pp and the Tasting menu is $175 pp. This is without wine pairings. We, of course, brought wines from Bill’s and Bob's cellar.

We chose the $125 menu.

Smoked Avocado ceviche

Selection of Manresa baked breads and hand-churned butter

Toasted buckwheat and duck foie gras, Etrog citron

Into the Vegetable Garden, their juices. . . Roots, raw, leaves, flowers

Poached egg Manresa: quail egg yolk, Vermont maple syrup, chives, whipped cream, sherry vinegar, sea salt.

A Winter Tidal Pool, shellfish, mushroom, seaweed

Black Cod, a crab and squid risotto without rice, root vegetables

Lemon grass and lemon balm tea

Duck, slowly roasted in hay and salt crust, homemade walnut wine

Roasted parsnip custard and demeara crumble, lime and yogurt sorbet
Chocolate cremeux with argan oil, a light jam of sanguinello and Campari, rhubarb

Before I go on, I looked up several items on the menu.
Etrog is a lemony type citrus fruit, grown primarily in Israel.
Demeara is a natural brown sugar from sugar cane, sometimes called demerara sugar.
Cremeux is a French word that means “Creamy”…it’s not a pudding, mousse or a sauce but has a silky texture in between them. I found a website that describes how to make it: http://baking104tw.blogspot.com/2010/09/chocolate-cremeux-what.html
Argan Oil – oil produced from the kernels of an argan tree…what else? It is found in Morocco and is one of the rarest oils in the world.

Our dinner reservations were for 6 p.m. and we ended the dinner at 11. It was well spaced out and Jeff Bareilles took Bill’s & Bob's wines and made choices in terms of what to pair them with. We started off with a bottle 2002 Roederer’s Crystal, my favorite champagne, that had bubbles so fine that you could fit several on the head of pin! We drank that before dinner and with the first entré. Jeff selected a Loire wine, a 2004 Philippe Delesvaux Chenin Blanc, gran nobles, to go with the foie gras dish. We then had 1997 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne with our Vegetable Garden, one of David’s signature dishes. Bob brought a 1997 Gaja Borolo that was the perfect match to the Black Cod because it was a very rich dish. A 2006 Rochioli West Bank Pinot Noir was served with the duck and 2004 Chateau D Y’quem was served with the desserts. It went well with the parsnip custard but better sipped alone than with the Chocolate cremeux.

For me, this menu was too much food but everyone else thought it was perfect and ate every last bite. I had to bring my duck home. I was full by then.

My favorite dishes were the Smoked Avocado ceviche and A Winter Tidal Pool. The flavors were so clean and just burst in your mouth. The smoked avocado was formed into a oval egg shape and was immersed in a shallow pool of water that had a ocean taste to it. What is was, I couldn’t tell you but I loved every small bite of it! The Winter Tidal Pool was a beautiful dish that did look like a tidal pool, complete with uni and seaweed! Hidden in the tidal pool was a dollop of foie gras that added a richness to this dish that was amazing. The mushrooms were teeny, tiny enoki’s.

The Poached Egg was an added amuse bouche because it is one of Bill’s favorite dishes. Jeff, our sommelier and Wine & Beverage Director, overheard us all raving about it and asked the sous chef to add it to our menu. Ahhh, the crowning touch to an already perfect evening.

The duck was perfectly prepared and delicious. The walnut wine, Nocino, is a liqueur made with green walnuts that has been steeped in vodka, sugar and spices. Although it starts off with green walnuts, the liqueur turns out a dark brown. The Nocino adds a depth of flavor to the duck breast slices that were sitting on top of a “riceless risotto” made out of barley and creamed potatoes.

The Roasted Parsnip Custard is the prime example of creating something new out of the basic principles of the Flavor Bible. The Demeara crumble added the crunch and sweetness to the dessert in contrast to the creamy parsnip custard and the tart lime and yogurt sorbet. It was garnished with a little sprig of fennel frond.

The last dessert, the Chocolate Cremeux was a complex jumble of flavors. I’m not sure that I could separate the argan oil flavor but the blood orange, Campari and rhubarb granita was wonderful and it was chocolate-y enough for Bill.

Before we walked out of the restaurant, we were treated to Coconut Meringues with coffee cream filling and a take-home bag of 6 pistachio butter cookies AND those to-die-for caramels (I am such a glutton, I took 3 out of the candy jar).

Bill is definitely off the bland food wagon now!

NAPA NOSHING

We rarely go to Napa because of the traffic and tourists but because Bill’s high school buddy and his wife were in NorCal for a few days, we all agreed to meet in Napa. The weather was perfect; sunny, some clouds and no rain!

Our first meal was in Napa at Angéle,a delightful bistro along the Napa River. I have listed what we had on the table and without a single exception, the entire lunch was delicious. Our “pour commencer” appetizers were Onion Soup, Oysters, Veal Sweetbreads and Beet Salad. We then moved on to Croque Monsieur, Tartin de Canard, and Tagliatelle Bolognese. Our dessert was, what else? A Tart Tatîn and 4 spoons. Our lunch was accompanied by a couple wonderful wines out of Bill’s cellar: Rochioli 2004 Pinot Noir Estate Grown, Russian River Valley. Angéle has always been one of our “go to” restaurants because the food is consistently delicious and if the weather is nice, eating on their patio next to the Napa River is a wonderful experience. Sorry, I forgot to take photos.

I did take a few photos of our meal at Terra in St. Helena. It’s probably been about 10 years since we’ve eaten here. . .mostly because it’s been 10 years since we’ve visited Napa. Hiro continues to create gourmet menus and Lisa brings warm hospitality to our experience. Where else can you have a fabulous meal and the executive chef and owner serve your dishes? They did not disappoint us at this dinner. Bill started our dinner with a wonderful bottle of Laurent Pierre nv Champagne Grand Siecle Grand Cru that had bubbles so small that we could hardly see them. It was one of the best Champagnes I've ever had. I started my dinner with Croquette of Pig Trotter with Lobster and Endive Salad with Sauce Remoulade; I had to ask what a “pig trotter” was and was happy to find that it’s pigs feet and not “Rocky Mountain Oysters!” It was a rich start but I had to try it, as you know my penchant for weird animal parts. . .and it didn’t stop as I also ordered the Sautéed Hokkaido Scallop on a Stew of Tripe with Rancho Gordo Beans. Lisa offered to give me the tripe stew over pasta but I decided to go with how Hiro chose to prepare it.

Bill ordered the Polenta Soup with Fontina Cheese, Slow Cooked Jidori Egg and Winter Truffles; and the Foie Gras Tortelloni in Game Sauce with Cipollini, Shimeji Mushrooms and Shaved Chestnuts. Bill’s Polenta soup was wonderfully rich and you can see from the photo, generously sprinkled with black truffles! Most of the time foie gras is served with something sweet but in this dish, the flavors were deliciously savory. Dave had sweetbreads again and compared the two restaurants’ presentations. Hiro’s Fricassee of Sweetbreads with Caramelized Salsify and Black Truffle Sauce was perfectly prepared and Dave said that he liked both presentations even tho' they were quite different. Maureen had the Grilled Lobster Tail on Pumpkin Ravioli with Chanterelles and Lobster Nage and she was in 7th heaven with her choice. Bill pulled another Rochioli from his cellar and shared a 2000 Pinot Noir from their West Block vineyard; given the variety in our menu choices, the pinot was the perfect choice.

Bill and Dave both ordered the Grilled Dry-Aged N.Y. Strip Steak with Roasted Root Vegetables and Foie Gras Sauce and what I liked best about this dish was how it was presented. See the round green leaf in the photo? That’s a wild lettuce called “Miner’s Lettuce.”

Maureen and I ordered the Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and Shrimp Dumpling in Shiso Broth one of Hiro’s signature dishes. Lisa said they tried to take it off the menu and had such a big uproar that they had to return it, so now it’s a permanent part of their menu. Black cod is one of my favorite fish choices and I order it whenever it’s on the menu. This preparation of it is beyond comparison. Hiro’s Japanese influences on his menu are obvious throughout each course both in flavors as well as in the presentation, clean, fresh flavors and artful presentations.

For desserts, we ordered Apple Almond Tart with Caramel Ice Cream and Apple Cider Sauce and Chocolate Mousseline with Chocolate Bourbon Ice Cream and Huckleberry Sauce. I normally don’t order tarts made with filo because I prefer a short crust but this one was an exception and the cider sauce was better than the usual caramel that apple tarts use. The Chocolate Mousseline dish is a work of art and Bill said that it was definitely chocolate-y enough and ate every bit of it. We had a wonderful tenth of Quarts De Chaume 2003 Chenin Blanc Domain De Baumar with our desserts. I love this wine with the delicate fruit and clean finish!

The great thing about Terra is the price for a fabulous four course meal, $67!! It’s hard to believe because in Silicon Valley we are used to paying over $80-120 for 4 courses of this elegance. We tottered home happy and sated to start all over again the following morning.

We visited several wineries and the three that were memorable were Peju Province Winery where we enjoyed every single variety of wines that they poured. Pretty unusual to find every wine not only drinkable but enjoyable and affordable. If you have a chance, go in the spring because they plant 1000's of huge tulips! We also visited Pine Ridge Winery where the wines were more expensive but very delicious! The very knowledgeable tasting room lead, Jeff Butler, took us on a tour of their caves, private tasting room and dining areas in the cave and a mini-vineyard that demonstrated the different varieties that they grow on their estate. If our cookbook club goes to Napa at some future date, this would be a great winery to visit and have either lunch or dinner! We also visited a very small vineyard that specializes in creating ports. Bill had some very fond memories of Prager Port Works from staying overnight there over 20 years ago, philosophizing about Catholicism with the founder, Jim Prager. Last weekend we talked with two of sons, John & Jeff, and tasted (and bought) some very fine ports. They reported that their dad was still in his bathrobe at home, watching TV! This is NOT a fancy tasting room. The walls are covered with one-dollar bills and there are real cobwebs dusting the bottles and window sills. They are getting ready to release a Tawny Port in September that will be worth watching for. They don’t sell it in stores so give them a call in the Fall if you like Tawny’s.

Because Bill is so knowledgeable, we spent over an hour at each winery and got to taste wines not on their tasting lists, so you can understand why we didn’t visit very many before heading off for our next meal.

We had lunch at the Wine Spectator Restaurant, CIA Greystone because it’s a fun meal and we got to meet students! If you ever go there, be sure to ask for a table by the kitchen. Their lunch and dinner menus are identical and the entire menu changes weekly. The 5-course special is always created by the students so it’s usually a great choice but we ordered a la carte knowing that we were having dinner at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen later. I ordered Monterey Bay Sardines rémoulade, with crisp fingerling potatoes, frisée, sauce verde. I love sardines and go fishing for them when they come into the Monterey Bay and prepare them that evening….yum! These were perfectly prepared with a absolutely wonderful sauce that was made with Dijon mustard and parsley over fingerling potatoes that were braised in duck fat and then seared for a crispy exterior. Bill ordered one of his favorite soups, Foraged Mushroom Soup with Horseradish Froth & Porcini Dust. This soup was rich without any cream and Bill was a happy gourmand! Maureen ordered the Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in Greystone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, house‐made Chorizo, harissa broth, and preserved lemon butter. After our Mourad dinner, this dish was a great reminder of those Moroccan flavors. I can tell you that if it’s on the menu when you eat there, order it! Bill had the Assortment of Savory Bites that was five amuse bouche’s; each bite a wonderful array of flavors and textures. He brought a bottle of Jeffrey's Mount Eden Vineyards 2003 Estate Chardonnay and as always, the perfect choice for our first courses. He also brought a bottle for the main course, a 1992 Fanucchi Vineyards Alicante Bouschet, Russian River Valley that was a bit over the hill but a very interesting wine with the ugliest label you've ever seen! It stood up to the dishes however and ended up being a very good choice because it wasn't as fruity as it was when it was younger.

I ordered the Seared Breast of Sonoma Duck with confit potatoes, winter squash, spinach, fig‐red wine jus. To be honest, I had to take most of it home because I was so full from the Sardines and tasting everyone else’s food. The breast was perfectly medium rare and the potatoes must have been braised in duck fat too because they were pretty yummy. They shared a dessert of Chocolate Lava cake with caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream and the restaurant was kind enough to give me a plate their cookies: ginger snap, macaroon, chocolate chip and a chocolate short bread cookie. My cookie monster was sated and we were off to wineries again!

Our dinner was at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Need I say more? I was told that she is publishing a new cookbook based on their special dinners soon. Yippeee! Because this was our last dinner, we celebrated our NorCal reunion with a bottle of Non vintage, Fleury Champagne Rose Brut, Rose de Laignee from France. Maureen and I loved the rose color and the subtle fruit on this champagne. We ordered Oysters Bingo that I've eaten before at the Buckeye Roadhouse just off Hwy 101 near Mill Valley. At one time, Cindy owned this restaurant and created this luscious addictive oyster preparation! Our server, Michael, told us that the recipe is in her Big Small Plates cookbook, but it’s called Oysters Pablo (p. 278). Now if I can only learn how to shuck oysters….

Maureen ordered the beautiful Avocado & Papaya Salad with baby mâche, arugula, hazelnuts & papaya seed dressing. Aren’t those colors wonderful? Mexican papayas give them that brilliant orange color. Bill had the Hail Caesar, the classic Caesar with egg, garlic & anchovies. He really liked it but I don’t especially care for the creamy style Caesar dressings. It had tons of anchovies after Michael overheard Bill say that he loves anchovies. He also ordered the Rabbit Tostada, with red chile salsa, black beans & feta that Sharon prepared for our dinner. And, Sharon, it tasted exactly like the ones you prepared! Bill brought a wine that was a surprise to him but we drank it anyway and it turned out to be fine. It was a 2003 Rochioli Late Harvest Zinfandel Estate Grown, Russian River Valley. He hadn't realized that he pulled a late harvest zin but because it was a dry late harvest (I know, it sounds like an oxymoron), it was actually very nice!

The menu had a special this evening of Butterfish sautéed with arugula, grilled asparagus and potatoes that Maureen and I ordered after much deliberation and in deference to my desire not to go home 5 lbs heavier! It was a wholesome healthy choice but needed some soy sauce that gave it an earthy touch, for me anyway. We also passed on desserts, deciding that we were “fooded out!”

Our last meal in Napa Valley was in lunch the next day in Yountville at Bistro Jeanty, an old favorite. If you love genuine French bistros, you’ll love this restaurant. I ordered Langue D'agneau, Warm lamb tongue and potato salad. Not many people like tongue but the French and Mexicans prepare it many different ways and I order it whenever I see it on a menu (like tripe, sardines and black cod!) Bill and Dave ordered French Onion Soup and the special of Braised Short Ribs with Carrots, peas and potatoes. Maureen ordered Croûtons de Foie Blond with a Port Poached Pear and savored every bite as I noshed on Steak Tartare & Frîtes. We really do feel like we are sitting at a traditional bistro in France and I can't think of another restaurant that serves this type of French cuisine. Again, we passed on desserts. AND, can you imagine, we didn't drink any wine with our lunch!! We all had long drives ahead of us!

As you might have guessed by now, I did not include a photo of every single dish that we ordered because of the space in the blog. I'll load them all into a picasa album tomorrow so if you are interested, let me know and I'll send you the url.

Three lunches and two dinners, not including the breakfasts that were complimentary at the Spring Hill Suites Hotel in Napa, should have put at least five more pounds on me but the good news is that when I got home, I had only gained 1/2 pound! I'm not quite sure how that happened. . .