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WTN: Recent meals

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Florida Jim

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WTN: Recent meals

by Florida Jim » Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:20 am

Pasta with spinach and chicken in a light cream sauce:
2001 Hirtzberger, Riesling Singerriedel:
A honeyed, rich bouquet with white stone fruit and warm stone accents; deep, pure and rich in the mouth with good cut, intensity and sustain. A serious but delicious bottle. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Vin Davino and about $47 wholesale on release; I’d buy it again.
Chosen to cut the cream sauce and soften the bite of the greens. It worked to do both but the flavors are not as good a match as I’d like. It’s good with the meal but not memorable.

Pasta with chicken and pesto:
2002 Overnoy/Houillon, Arbois Pupillin Poulsard:
Pomegranate, earth, old clothes kind of nose – odd but interesting; initially a bit thin but it fleshes out over an evening and becomes a bright, lyrical wine with great complexity and sustain. Idiosyncratic and certainly not for everyone but, for me, this is knockin’ on heaven’s door. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $21; I bought plenty.
2004 Tenuta della Terre Nerre, Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana:
Lifted red fruit aromas with melon and earth tones; medium weight and intensely flavored although it seems lighter in the mouth, layered, elegant and of medium length. Another unusual wine but one that captivates me. 14% alcohol, imported by Skurnik and about $30, full retail; I bought plenty.
Both of these wines went well with the dish. The Rosso was the riper of the two and brought out a sweetness in the chicken. The Arbois was drier and seemed to enhance the pesto portion. Either would be a good choice but I would keep in mind that these are distinctive, character driven wines and will not be everyone’s glass of vino, with or without food.

Roast pork, sweet potato soufflé and collards:
2003 L’hiver, Syrah:
This is from Mendocino and a Copain product although that name does not appear on the label; plum and meat tones on the nose with some spice; fleshy in the mouth with flavors that echo the nose and show some oak, moderate concentration and length. A fairly straight-forward rendition with perhaps a touch too much wood – still a nice bottle. 14.1% alcohol and $28 in a restaurant; I’d buy it again.
Went quite well with the meal and it surprised me that the collards didn’t fight with it. This wine clearly can go with a number of differing dishes; very versatile.

Pasta with chick peas, onions and feta:
2002 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie:
Expansive red fruit and talcum powder nose; deep, supple delivery that is layered, distinctive, well concentrated and balanced; long, clean finish. Sensational juice at a good place but I think this will have lots of good places during its life. 13% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15 on release; ‘wish I’d have bought more.
Excellent with the dish as the flavors are not too intense for a fairly plain dish and the textures match well. Also mighty fine without food.

Best, Jim
Jim Cowan
Cowan Cellars
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Bob Parsons Alberta

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:33 am

Sweet potato Souffle..how did that work out? Very ambitious.
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Florida Jim » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:03 pm

Bob Parsons Alberta. wrote:Sweet potato Souffle..how did that work out? Very ambitious.


Nice.
It is a restaurant preparation with pecans studding the surface. And yet, although it looked like dessert, it wasn't that sweet.
Best, Jim
Jim Cowan
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Bob Ross

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Bob Ross » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:12 pm

Bob, we regularly make a sweet potato souffle, since Janet loves the taste of sweet potatos. I use the basic Cooks recipe, with several modifications to cut down on sweetness. The "secret" -- cook the sweet potatoes on a very low heat for a long time before mashing them -- I taste from time to time to get the desired level of sweetness. [I've read somewhere that slow heating of sweet potatoes makes them much sweeter and it seems to be true.]

Here's the basic recipe; bracketed amounts reduced or eliminated in my cooking:

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes
[1/2 tsp. salt]
[1/3] stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
[1 c. sugar] [sugar is rarely necessary, and then sparingly]
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk

Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased baking dish. Add topping.

TOPPING:

[1 c.] brown sugar [half a cup maxiumu]
1 c. chopped nuts
1/3 c. flour
1/3 stick butter

Melt butter and mix all ingredients thoroughly and sprinkle over souffle. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Bob Ross » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:15 pm

Thanks for the note on Etna Rosso, Jim. I've tried to find a wine from those slopes that I like -- somehow the lava encrusted bottles we tried on our trip to Italy bring back bad memories with each new attempt.

I'll give this one a try -- it's available at the Endless Vines in town, I see.

Thanks. Bob
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Florida Jim

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Florida Jim » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:21 pm

Bob,
It is an interesting wine and, as mentioned, an anomoly in my experience. But then, how much narello mascalese does one have in the cellar?
Best, Jim
Jim Cowan
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Bob Ross » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:34 pm

Jim,

According to Jancis Robinson, probably more than Nerello Cappuccio. :)

I'm looking forward to trying it. Bob
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Dale Williams » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:34 pm

Nice notes. Why oh why didn't I buy more '02 Coudert?
I just can't get as excited over the Poulsard as you Therapy folks.
Betsy makes a pasta with spinach and cream sauce (sometimes with chicken, sometimes w/o), I've hd good luck with very crisp Chardonnay (Macon or Chablis, not from 2003!).
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Dale Williams » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:37 pm

Seems I do have one more '02 Coudert/Roillete regular Fleurie. Do you think any benefit in waiting?
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Florida Jim

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Florida Jim » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:05 pm

Dale Williams wrote:Seems I do have one more '02 Coudert/Roillete regular Fleurie. Do you think any benefit in waiting?


Let's put it this way, I doubt you will be disappointed if you open it any time in the next ten years.
Best, Jim
Jim Cowan
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Mark Lipton

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Mark Lipton » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:16 pm

Dale Williams wrote:Seems I do have one more '02 Coudert/Roillete regular Fleurie. Do you think any benefit in waiting?


Yes, wait until I'm next in NYC before opening :lol:

Mark Lipton
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Cliff Rosenberg

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Cliff Rosenberg » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:10 pm

Dale Williams wrote:Seems I do have one more '02 Coudert/Roillete regular Fleurie. Do you think any benefit in waiting?


I would say a BIG benefit, based upon a recent 1998. The 2002's are approachable now, but that 1998 was truly special a couple of weeks ago. If you have one 2002 left, I say hold for a few more years.

Best,
Cliff
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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Cliff Rosenberg » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:13 pm

Dale Williams wrote:I just can't get as excited over the Poulsard as you Therapy folks.
[....].


How do you feel about Trousseau?
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Bob Parsons Alberta

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Re: WTN: Recent meals

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:04 pm

Bob, Bob and Bob here!! Can get pretty confusing with all these Bobs. When is BobH showing up....LOL!

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