I always appreciate when a guest brings over a bottle to one of my dinner gatherings (dinner party sounds so pretentious, doesn't it?). But I REALLY love when they bring something good that I have yet to sample. Just recently a good friend brought over a lovely bottle of wine from the "Land Down Under". It was a 2007 Mollydooker "Two Left Feet". Now I've had Australian wines before and as the fourth largest exporter of wine in the world, I am sure you have probably had an Australian Shiraz before as well. I've enjoyed many of the Mollydooker label before but I've never had a chance to try the "Two Left Feet". This is a very reasonably priced wine folks, that will taste way above it's pay grade. Hero moment here people....OK...Let's pop the cork.
2007 Mollydooker Two Left Feet
A blend of a blend of 68% Shiraz, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Merlot, this is quite an approachable wine at a reasonable price. Now they say that you can cellar this wine for 5 years or so.....but come on....really. I mean have you ever tried to hold on to something that is so tasty and NOT drink it within 5 days of buying it? It's the proverbial red button with the label DON'T PUSH, that you just HAVE to push! But I digress. I would say go pick up two bottles, have one now...like right now....and TRY to cellar the other one.
The first thing you'll notice upon pouring is the color. Oh the color. You cannot help but be struck by the deep purple almost ink black visual texture of this wine. The next thing you'll pick up on is the nose. This is a BIG wine that has a black cherry almost chocolaty scent to it. But please, get your nose in there and tell me what you're picking up on. With a prologue like that, the taste does NOT disappoint. You'll pick up on the fruity flavor right away and continue to enjoy a nice spicy finish. Stop,savor. enjoy.....
Like I said this is a BIG wine and if you are going to pair this with food (and you certainly don't need to) I would say go with a big meat dish. A steak would do quite nicely, though we paired this with an Italian Braciole (kind of a rolled up meat dish) and it worked wonderfully. You don't want this glass to end.
Until we do this again.
Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat (er drink) Well!
TPC
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My philosophy on wine has always been this.....find what you like....find more things like that.....buy as much as you can. Simple right? I know some wines and maybe you could say some very good ones, but I am by no means a wine snob. It takes some time folks. Remember Wineries, remember varietals, hell remember the damn label if you must, but start somewhere because the joy of a fine glass of wine is not easy to measure these days. But from time to time I'll share little gems I come across. Like this one....let's pop the cork.
2008 Owen Roe Syrah "Ex Umbris"
I actually came across this lovely Syrah by accident. I was on a local online sight and I noticed the Owen Roe name. I've had the Abbot's Table before (as you may have) and I have to say it's one of my favorites. But I had never had the pleasure of the Ex Umbris...until now 'Ex Umbris' is Latin for 'out of the shadows'..."Originally made as a one-off due to a wildfire that resulted in tremendously smoky grapes"...I'd say this goes down as a Happy Accident...and we all know how much fun those can turn out to be.
Once in the glass your nose will be treated almost immediately to aromas that are plum, jammy, blackberry and maybe even a little chocolate. No this is not a sweet wine. But that big jammy taste is so lush, it's almost velvety as it goes down.
You can drink this on it's own or pair it up with some Beef, Lamb, Venison, Duck or just a nice strong cheese(which I ALWAYS recommend).
You can find this bottle at many of the online wine stores....at least for a bit longer, as these go fast.
Until we do this again.
Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat (er drink) Well!
TPC
In music, your chops are your skills at plying your craft, that being your instrument or your voice. In food, chops can be a term that brings back brutal memories of your childhood being subjected to a heavily breaded, overly cooked, flavorless piece of meat (usually pork)....But let's set aside these thoughts for a moment....close your eyes.....breathe deep...clear you mind...and let us start anew.
Put in your thoughts instead thoughts of little white fluffy sheep jumping up and down playing. Isn't that just the cutest? Great....now let's eat em. OK OK...don't get all up in arms. I'm just playing. But seriously, lamb chops are truly a delicacy AND (sticking to our theme) quite easy to prepare, cook and plate. Stay with me on this one....
In the meat section of any store you should be able to find a little pack of lamb chops. OR if you're lucky enough to have a butcher, it's even easier. TPC NOTE: Most supermarkets have a butcher. GET TO KNOW YOUR BUTCHER WELL! If you listen to nothing else I say, listen to this. The art of being butcher is tragically fading fast. These guys WANT to cut some meat. It's what they do! So ask for their assistance. They are BORED back there. Talk to them. Ask for their opinion. They are quite knowledgeable. Do this and you will be pleasantly surprised how better cuts will magically find their way to you.
OK enough....grab your chops and let's get to the cooking!
There are many ways to do chops, on a grill, in a pan or bake them, but since we are about being easy and quick...we are hitting the pan.
Here's what you Need:
Package of Lamb Chops: 2-3 per person (Let's go with 8 here)
Fresh Rosemary...a few sprigs (save some for plating!)
2-3 Cloves of Garlic chopped (1 clove every 4 chops...ish)
Olive Oil (do I have to say Extra Virgin?)
1 lemon for 2-3 tbsp of juice (Get some zest off the lemon prior to juicing and don't forget to roll your lemon prior to zesting to get the oils and juice flowing)
Salt (sea salt, course is more fun here) and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
This is so easy it hurts...But again you should achieve hero status from your tests subjects...er guests for this one.
Grab a large plastic freezer bag.
Toss in the chops, garlic and lemon juice and zest (a pinch). Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste...I'm a pepper guy here.
Grab a sprig of the Rosemary (and you'll love this), grab the upper tip with one hand, and with the other hand pinch two fingers at the top below the other and and slowly pull down on the sprig....voila all the little needles should come off. (Another "look cool" trick if you're doing this in front of others). Now, chop them up and toss in the bag.
Pour in Olive Oil to cover and holding the outside of the bag, rub it all in. (Um not that I have to say it, but seal the top please)
Let that sit over night if you can....for a few hours if you must....or hell even an hour will be better than most things they've eaten at a house....truth.
KEY: When you take out the chops let them hit room temp before cooking...it really makes a difference.
Fire up a pan (or grill pan if you have one) over high heat until it's really hot (a speck of water will sizzle), add the meat and sear for about 2 minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 3 minutes for med rare. If you are cooking good meat past med rare...please stop reading this blog.
OK now...plate them on a nice plate....bone side facing in like a lamb chop tepee. Place the rest of the Rosemary Sprigs around the plate (have fun with it don't get uptight here) and you're ready to serve!. Serve as appetizers or as a meal with steamed herb potatoes.
WINE NOTE: I'd go with a nice Syrah or Rioja here, but really drink what you like. This is about enjoying the meal and your guests.
Enjoy and of course....eat well.
TPC
I would think that there would be little choice to start with anything but an Italian dish. And as I like to keep things fast and simple, this is as simple and easy as it comes. It is called Spaghetti All'Ubriaco or "drunken spaghetti" if you will. How could we go wrong here? From what I understand this is a dish from Florence, but there are some different versions out there, by all means go look. Some use Anchovies...some add some butter....I've even seen breadcrumbs....here's what I like....but TEST...TRY...and decide for yourself!
1 pound spaghetti (1/4 to 1/2 pound per person...depends how hungry you are)
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (if you call it EVOO we are in a fight)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 to 3 anchovy fillets, chopped (or you can match with pinch of rough salt, but come on be adventurous, you're shy go 2)
Couple of pinches dried chili peppers, crushed (not an overpowering heat...tasty...I tend to go bigger here)
2 cups red wine (OR about 3/4 of the bottle...ish...I pour from the bottle...it looks so much cooler!)
Fistful fresh Italian parsley, chopped....( really makes the look of this dish)
1/2 cup freshly grated PARMESAN REGGIANO cheese (duh)...add more to taste.....I always leave a bowl of it at the ready when I serve...always
Bring water to boil in a large pot. THEN salt the water (never before it's boiling, bad for your pot) Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, you're going to want to transfer just BEFORE the pasta is al dente....test it!
While the pasta is going....In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, chili peppers (to taste), and anchovies...OK now anchovies...here is the part you make your call...you should cook until the anchovies disappear. It won't taste fishy...just a deep salty taste. If you don't like anchovies....use a pinch of coarse sea salt....you'll get close...but nothing beats the anchovies. Really. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes...ish....until the little fishies are gone, remember?
Add the pasta to the pan, and toss well.
Pour in the red wine, and cook until it has reduced and the spaghetti has finished cooking. WINE NOTE: Use good wine...wine would you drink. The wine is intensified so using a bad cheap wine just makes a bad cheaper tasting dish. ...That being said you don't use a $50 bottle of wine either! (You probably already know this...but just in case)
Kill the flame.....add freshly chopped parsley and grated parm cheese toss well. (tongs work great here and looks like you know what you're doing)
Slide it into to a warm bowl (with flair please!) and serve right away family style!
SECOND WINE NOTE: If you can, serve with another bottle of whatever you used to cook....it really does accentuate...and if you didn't have two bottles to start with...shame on you...rookie.
This should serve 2 with leftovers or 4 straight up.
Enjoy and eat well!
TPC
