And this is why Big Carl and I are besties :)

I truly hate to see the bottom of a bottle, however it's fun getting there!
Over the past few months, Big Carl and I have had a few wonderful evenings together.  Of them, these are the most noteworthy (that I haven't yet mentioned):




CRIOS
Malbec- 2010
Mendoza, Argentina
GRADE: 8+/9-

This seemed to be a very very very complex wine.  In fact, I believe it is the most complex wine I've had to date.  It really set itself apart from all other Malbec I've had, thinking that most Malbec is the same.  This one blew my mind socks off!  First off, it really needs to be airated.  Breathing life into it will make it dance in your nose and on your tongue.  It has a wonderful bouquet of chocolate and coffee/leather and cigars.  I've often read descriptions of these but had yet to actually experience it.  It was oddly pleasant :)  On the palate, I tasted cocoa with cherry and blackberry.  It was VERY well balanced considering how complex it was and had a GREAT finish.  In a way, it kind of made me think of an older gentleman sitting up in his dimly lit office with wall to wall mahogany and a studded leather smoking chair.  With this wine, it paired perfectly with soft white cheese (laughing cow) and toasted almonds.  This is one of those wines where you can just close your eyes, and go "mmmm".  Every sip to be had as it's own character!

CUPCAKE
Red Velvet- 2009
California Vineyards
Grade: 7 (only because of the description below)

I've had this wine before, however, this time it was truly note worthy due in part to what it was paired with.  On the back label, it states that it pairs well with bacon cheeseburgers.  The first time I drank this, I read that and thought "hmm, that sounds really bizarre".  Well, I did it.  I paired it with a bacon cheeseburger and let me tell you what...it was like angels were singing in my mouth!  I decanted this wine, and by doing so and pairing with the bacon cheeseburger, it really took on a new persona from what I previously experienced.  This time, it was surprisingly decedent.  Decanting brought out all sorts of new flavors: light spice, vanilla & oak, current and blackberry (maybe even a little fig in there).  Was even nice and creamy..."velvety".

CHATEAU ARGADENS
Bordeaux Blanc
Grand Vin- 2010
GRADE: 6/6+ (being generous)

I was actually a little disappointed with this one.  I've grown quite fond of Bordeaux Blanc, however this one was kind of a lackluster! Bouquet really seemed to be missing, with the exception of a VERY light floral.  Palate was also bland.  It did have a slight buttery crispness with went well with the Chicken Korma I paired it with.  Also had a little floral and pear.  I was really left looking for more, but with each sip, it was never there.  The acidity was nice though because it cut through the richness of the Indian cuisine I prepared.  I may try again in hopes to regain my faith in Bordeaux Blanc.





BODEGA NORTON
Malbec
Reserva- 2007
Mendoza, Argentina
GRADE: 8

Wine Spectator gave this gem a score of 90pts, which is about what I would give it too.  It had the typical malbec notes of blackberry and cherry with just the right amount of spice.  It really was DELICIOUS.  It wasnt too oaky and well balanced with wonderful tannins.  This was even excellent the next day after leaving it in the decanter.  Perfect for lunchtime...or anytime...


RED GUITAR
Tempranillo Garnacha- Old Vine
Navarra- 2008
Spain
GRADE: 6+/7-

I found this devilish angel by accident.  I was searching for something that I hadn't had before and noticed out of the corner of my eye "Garnacha".  I LLLLOVE garnacha.  Then I saw that it was blended with Tempranillo, of which I had in a restaurant about a year ago or so.  The price was lperfect at $8.99, so this angel became adopted!  52% Tempranillo and 48% Garnacha.  It's pleasantly dry and fruity.  Has a light-medium body and lightly oaked.  Has hints of spice and vanilla with a slight earthy punch.  I paired this wine with a pork loin in a red sauce and mashed potatoes and celery root.  I will buy this again as an inexpensive go to wine :)  Be aware:  Cork was a dandy to remove.  Luckly, with a little expertise

MONTECILLO
Tempranillo
Reserva- 2006
Rioja, Spain
GRADE: 7+/8-

This was ANOTHER delicious Tempranillo.  It was a little on the pricey side, but well worth the money!  I thoroughly enjoyed this.  Had a light-medium body with a perfect finish.  Fruity and spicy with a light oak. The color was stunningly beautiful.  There is a reason why the Spaniards are at the top of the Hispanic hierarchy!  This bottle proves it



MIRASSOU
Sauvignon Blanc
2010
California
GRADE: 8+/9-

This was much better than I remember.  However, last time I had a 2008.  This vintage was sooo light and crisp I couldn't believe it.  Had a little floral with pineapple and pear.  First taste I swore it was a pinot grigio!  Previously, with the 2008, it had a spicey bite to it that was rather  distracting.  This time that "bite" was missing and I seriously couldn't stop drinking it!  Started off chilled and as it began to warm, the flavors EXPLODED in my mouth with a nice flavor concentrated finish!  If I keep getting tthis kind of flavor from this wine, it will be ETERNALLY stocked in my wine rack!  LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.....Can't wait to have this again over the summer.

End of day love affair

Today is the start of a new week.  Over the course of this past weekend, I was on call with the hospital and ended up working approx 22 hours- PURE exhaustion.  So, today I carefully brought out Big Carl and told him we're going on a date...an evening love affair.  He graciously agreed:

VERDEMAR
Albarino 2009
Bodegas: Montecillo
Spain

Grade: 7+/8-
I am pleasantly surprised by this wine.  I had an Albarino once in the past and have been searching locally for one.  Stopped at the local grocer and found this little treasure of gold!  With a beautiful golden rod color, it has a wonderful pear and floral bouquet with a touch of mineral.  It has a rather quick front with a beautiful and surprisingly long and clean finish.  The finish is where you can really notice the pear and the touch of mineral, of which was strangely enjoyable.  Even noticed a bit of citrus. In a way it reminds me of a cross between an pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc.  Has similar aspects, but truly is in it's own league.  It's crisp, refreshing, and overall delightful.  At only $13 a bottle, I will be going towards this again.  What can I say?  Spain has it going on :)...OE LAY...

Cardamom, my NEW best friend

I've been wanting to cook Indian (dots) food for quite some time now.  I received an Indian cookbook for Christmas and FINALLY decided to cook from it.  All I can say is WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE????  Devan was having a long hard, cold day at work, so I thought a nice home made meal was in order, and what better than something Ive been longing to cook?  I drove all over town searching for my ingredients, using spices Ive never used before.  Also, can we say fresh ginger-root?  By the times the meal was complete, my eyes burned, my stress was through the roof, but the house was filled with the sweet and heavenly aroma of Indian cuisine :)  All served with a nice tall glass of lightly chilled Bordeaux Blanc.

Chicken Korma
 Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken- boneless/skinless breast
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch piece fresh ginger root, roughly chopped
1 tbl. oil olive oil
3 green cardamom pods
1 small/med onion, chopped fine
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. plain low fat yogurt
rice to serve

1. using a sharp knife, remove any visible fat from the chicken breast portions and cut the meat into 1 inch cubes.
2. put the garlic and ginger into a food processor or blender with 2 tbl. of water and process to a smooth, creamy paste.
3. heat the oil in a large heavy pan and cook the chicken cubes for 8-10 minutes, until browned on all sides.  Remove the chicken cubes with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. add the cardamom and onions to the pan and cook aprox. 5 min over med/med high heat till begin to get tender.
5. stir in the garlic and ginger paste, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring for another 5 minutes.
6. add half the yogurt, stirring in a tbl. at a time to prevent curdling.  Once all has been incorporated, cook over low heat until it has all been absorbed.
7. return the chicken to the pan.  cover and simmer over a low heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
8. add the remaining yogurt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. serve over your favorite rice

***NOTE*** I couldnt find cardamom pods, so I just used approx 1 tsp of ground.


Masala Beans with Fenugreek
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic, crushed
1/4 ground tumeric
1 tsp. salt
2 tbl. olive oil
1 tomato, quartered (roma works well)
1 1/2 c. green beans, blanched
1 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves, stems discarded
4 tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbl. lemon juice

1. roughly chop the onion, Mix together the cumin and coriander, sesame seeds, chili powder, garlic, tumeric, and salt.
2. put the chopped onion and spice mixture into a food processor or blender, and process for 30-45 seconds until you have a rough paste.
3. in a karahi, wok, or large pan, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the spice paste for about 5 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally.
4. add the tomato quarters, beans, fresh fenugreek and chopped cilantro to the pan
5. stir fry the contents of the pan for about 5 min, then sprinkle in the lemon juice and serve.

***NOTE***: instead of fresh fenugreek, you can also use 1 tbl. dried.  Fenugreek is readily available from Indian stores and markets.  Also, the term "MASALA" refers to the blending of many spices to create a unique taste.  Households will traditionally make their own blends.

Potato soup...from scratch...from what I could find...

Devan was working hard yesterday in the snow and the cold!  So what am I to do?  Surprise him with some hot home made soup.  Didn't really have a lot in the fridge or cupboard to work with, but I saw a bag of potatos.  EUREKA!!!  POTATO SOUP!!!  Here is what I came up with.  I wrote everything down afterwards so I'm really hoping I didn't forget anything.


6 med potatos- cubed
2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 chopped shallot
2 cloves minced garlic
16 oz. chicken stock (approx)
1 c. milk
1/2 container of herbal boursin cheese (I think most containers are about 5 or 6 oz)
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. chopped rosemary
3 tbl. butter
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbl. olive oil


1. Heat the oil in a pan over med/high heat.  Add the celery and onion.  Cook 1-2 min so they begin to look translucent. Add the shallot and garlic and cook another 1-2 min.  Add in the potato and stir to coat- about another 1-2 min.  Pour in the chicken stock, just enough to cover the potatos, and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook till the potatos are tender.
2.  IN a second pan, once the potatos are almost done, make a rue with the butter and flour.  Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour stirring constantly.  Cook 1-2 min to remove the "flour" taste and to ensure it is mixed well.  Add the Boursin cheese and mix well with the rue stirring constantly.  Once the cheese begins to melt, add in the milk.  Continuing to stir, add in the tarragon, sage and rosemary.  Once the mixture has turned thick and smooth, add to the pot with the potatos (they should be tender by now),  Stir all together and let cook another couple of minutes.
3.  Laddle out approx. half the soup into a food processor and purree till smooth.  Add back to the pot and stir in.  Add salt and pepper to taste

***NOTE*** If the end result is too thick, add a little more milk until the desired thickness is obtained

No turkeys were harmed in the making of this feast!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Thanksgiving this year couldn't have been any better!  I got to spend the day with Devan without ANY interruptions! It was a day of relaxation, laughs, and love!  Firstly, we got to sleep in.  He had stayed the night at my place wednesday night and slept in...which he never gets to do when he sleeps over!  We had a fabulous breakfast then went back to his place.  He decided to pull out the tree so we put that up (just the tree and lights...no adornments as of yet).  After the tree went up we went to the store and got the ingredients to make dinner.  We decided NOT to go with a traditional turkey meal because we agreed it would have been too much work and ultimately it was just the two of us.  So...this is what we made, thanks to Food Network Magazine:

*SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS*
Active: 30min Total: 40min Serves: 4

4 half inch boneless centercut pork chops
1/2  tsp cajun seasoning
3/4 C all purpose flour
2 tbl olive oil
1tbl butter
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1tbl fresh thyme, chopped
1 1/2 C chicken broth
2/3 C buttermilk


1. Sprinkle the pork chops with the salt and cajun seasoning.  Pour the flour into a shallow bowl.  Dredge the chops in the flour turning to coat, and tap off any excess.  Reserve the remaining flour.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet ovr medium high heat.  Add the chops and cook about 3-4 min per side.  Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the butter, onion thyme and salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown. About 8-10 min.  Add 2 tbl of the reserved flour to the skillet and cook stirring 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one third.  About 2 minutes.
4. Add the buttermil and return the chops to reheat through.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low andcook till the sauce is thickened and the chops are heated through.
5. Let rest for 3 minutes and serve.

***NOTE:  We did not have the Cajun seasoning so I decided to make my own.  I used equal parts of garlic power, onion powder, ancho chili powder, grill mates montreal steak seasoning, and chipolte powder.  Worked perfectly.  I also served the chops with greenbean casserole and baked potato.  Next time I will serve with a rice or quinoa because the dish overall was too "saucy"...delicious, but saucy!  Had a pinot grigio to drink with this FABULOUS meal!  Devan and I cooked it together, which made it even more special!  (picture does not do justice to this dish)

Let the creativity roll...

Added an appendix to the wine journal:

1. The SITUATION: Mid week friend crisis (exempting death/dumping)
    The CURE: Moscato: inexpensive and acceptable
    OTHER: Best paired with high calorie junk food.

2. THE SITUATION: Informal Dinner Party
    THE CURE: Bring several bottles and serve the best first!
                        RED: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cab blends
                        WHITE: Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
    OTHER: Choose your selection based on the menu.  Don't be cheap. Spend at least $8-15/bottle

3. THE SITUATION: Formal Dinner
    THE CURE: RED: Malbec, Sangiovese, mediul/higher end Cab. Sav or Pinot Noir
                        WHITE: Bordeaux Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sparkling Wine
    OTHER: Multiple bottles are a MUST!  Count on 1-2 bottles/person
                                                                -White before Red
                                                                -Light before Heavy
                                                                -Dry before Sweet
                                                                -Simple before Complex

4. THE SITUATION:  Get together with an unknown crowd and or menu
    THE CURE:  Inexpensive to mid range selctions
                         RED: mid range Pinot Noir
                         White: Pinot Grigio
    OTHER: take at least 2 bottles and go with white first as more people like white initially.

5. THE SITUATION:  Disdain
    THE CURE: RED: Merlot **only**
                        WHITE: Chardonnay **only**
    OTHER: No need for fancy stemwear as guests will not be staying long! "SOLO" (red cups) will do!

6. THE SITUATION: Poking fun at someone's lack of Wine IQ
    THE CURE: Lambrusco, Arbor Mist (you get the fucking point)
    OTHER:  Please reference #5. RULE OF THUMB: If you can buy it in the same store you buy  cigarettes or slurpees, it's a NOOOOO!!!!

7. THE SITUATION: Best friend fights
    THE CURE: #1- Layer Cake- Malbec
                        #2- Tormenta- Cabernet Sauvignon
    OTHER: MUST drink in this order! NO substitutions on wine choices.  Both bottles MUST be consumed

There and back again...

Big Carl hasn't been all that busy as of late, but has started to dust off his brim.  His last trip here was back in April.  Since then, some worthy notes are as follows:

*Villa Antinori Toscana: 2006 
I gave this wine a grade of 7/10pts.

It has a heavy body and is very oaky.  I would always pass by it in the store and always wanted it because it's a super blend:
60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Savignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Syrah
This wine is from the Antinori vinyards in Tuscany.  I would buy again but was a little expensive at $22 a bottle.

                                              
*Ruffino: Orvieto Classico- 2010
I gave a grade of 6+/10
This is another wine from Tuscany.  I thought i t would be like a pinot grigio but it was much heavier.  was very surprised.  It was light and crisp with a pleasant bouquet and heavy body.  Drank with chicken and pickle sauce.  Perfect accompaniment.

*KRIS- Pinot Grigio 2009
I gave this wine a grade of 5+/6- of 10
This is a very light and crisp Pinot.  It has a light body and very easy to drink.  Had it chilled.  The flavor was that of a light pineapple/pear with very little acidity.  Drank at Navy Pier in Chicago. Perfect dinker on a HOT evening!

*VAMPIRE: Pinot Noir 2007
Grade: 5/10
This is a very basic ipnot.  Nothing special here.  It was a bit rough as first, but becomes easier to drink as it breathes.  Honestly, I got it because of its name and I enjoyed it years ago!  Now that my tastes have changed this was hard to choke down at first.  NOTE:  This wine MUST breathe!!!

*RAZA Reserva- Malbec 2009
Grade: 8+/9- of 10
This vintage was very similar to the 2008 but seemed to be a bit softer.  It is another easy drinker with a delicate but full body.  Flavor consists of berry notes and a smokey vanilla.
I drank with baked garlic/ginger pork chops which accompanied perfectly!!!
I will without a doubt purchase this again AFTER I have the 2010 vintage.

*Toasted Head- Untamed White 2010
Grade: 8/8+ of 10
Fantastic white blend: 70% Viognier, 27% Chardonnay, 3% Moscato
I always seem to naturally gravitate towards California wines for some reason, however this one is among the top.  It was easy to drink with a nice medium body.  I've never had "viognier" by itself so unsure what it really tastes like.  This blend had the dryness of the chardoney and the light sweetness of the moscato.
It was crisp yet buttery...fruity and creamy.  According to the bottle, the barrel heads are toasted with fire.
This helps to create the distinctive toasty flavor in the wine.






So there you have it: Big Carl's latest journey!
If you are going to follow in his footsteps, I would recommend wearing some sensible shoes...