curried goat

Strong bold flavors are good friends with Bordeaux. Typically Bordeaux wines are rich and deep with fruity berry flavors that gives way to a noble woodsiness as they age and a good mouth feel with the tannins as they breathe, it is this depth that allows them to stand up to heavy dishes and strong cheese - this is why Bordeaux is known as the King of wine.



This young Bordeaux Superieur was incredibly drinkable and went so nicely with the goat curry, brown jasmine rice and lentils. Its broad fruitiness melded beautifully with the spiciness of the dish. I did a little search of my blog and it looks like we had goat almost exactly two years ago - but that wasnt the only time I am sure.



I almost forgot to mention the labne, this was mixed with a little cilantro and green onion and was a fantastic accompaniment with the curry.



The St. Emilion was exceptional with the cheese assortment. It was a nice way to round off the husky flavors of the curry and to wind down the palate with a mix of delicious cheeses where each one could have stood on its own as perfection.



There was the blue assortment.



Morbier was probably the most delicate of the cheeses and its milky mellowness really brought out the smooth mouth feel of the St. Emilion.



The goat cheese was a unique flavor after having had goat curry it presented itself so confidently.



As I said before these are not the most expensive of the Bordeaux wines but as far as I am concerned any Bordeaux is better than no Bordeaux.

deduce to seduce

Certainly these are not the most expensive Bordeaux you could possibly find but who can argue with a Grand Cru St. Emilion? I posted a little piece on Valentines and thought I would follow up with a little bit more - some of what I may be up to.



A little wine tasting of a 2003, a 2004, a 2005 and a 2006 - all from a different Chateaux so this wine tasting isnt so much to enhance my education as much as it is to see if there are any subtle differences in the vintage. (read- drink four wines) Will I taste more sunshine, more rain - will the mood come through? Will I be seduced or be the seducer?




There will be Burrata. This cheese is so deliciously delicious the only way to know how it tastes is to taste it - I could describe it but I would not even come close.



Cant taste cheese with out a Crottin. Then there is also a Morbier - when I run out of favorites Morbier is always ready to step up. Another Pont l' Eveque (I bought three and ate two- this is the survivor) and a Gorgonzola dolce - when I have to pick one favorite with a gun to my head then it would have to be Gorgonzola dolce (all this will be documented when this is actually consumed)



There will also be chocolates and truffle butter, truffle oil and truffle honey (you can easily seduce with anything truffle and you will not be let down). While I am not the typical "valentines" kind of guy I simply cannot resist an opportunity to indulge in the flavors of the day! What will you be up to?

our regularly scheduled program

Tried to make ciabatta and an effort it was but the kind of effort that creates more insight than pleased results. I winged it through the whole thing relying on recipes I had read and was trying to remember.



It was golden and moist and delicious.



It did not have any large and crispy bubbles of great bread goodness. Oh well maybe next time.

honey time

Need something sweet to give your sweet? Try this on for size - better order now! Pama and more Cupcakes have teamed up to make every Valentine a keeper. more’s limited edition PAMA Chocolate Cupcakes are no exception. These epicurean treats deliver the best of both worlds, a tantalizing cocktail and a delectable dessert, all in the shape of a favorite childhood treat. An indulgence worth every bite.



This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to pamper your loved ones with a decadent, luxurious edible gift they will be sure to adore. "Cupcakes appeal to everyone," says Patty Rothman, owner of more Cupcakes. "They're small, precious, artful. You hold one in your hand and know that it can be yours alone, a guilty pleasure... Even as adults, we all still have that soft spot for cupcakes, a tiny, magical, decadent splurge that's all our own.



Shake (or stir) up some libations - you know what they say "candy is dandy but liquor is quicker"

PAMA Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipes

WITHOUT A BREAK
Inspired by: Ross and Rachel from Friends
Created by: Allen Katz

½ oz PAMA Liqueur
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 ½ oz Burnett’s Gin
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 barspoon Simple Syrup

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with 7 pomegranate seeds.



SECRET CHARM
Inspired by: Noah and Allie from The Notebook
Created by: Allen Katz

2 oz Lunazul Reposado Tequila
¾ oz PAMA Liqueur
1 oz Chilled Hibiscus Tea
½ oz Fresh Lime Juice

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel studded with a pomegranate seed in the center.



DARCY'S LAW
Inspired by: Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice
Created by: Allen Katz

1 oz Burnett’s Sweet Tea Vodka
½ oz PAMA Liqueur
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ oz Simple Syrup

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a 10oz Pilsner glass filled with crushed ice. Top with chilled champagne and garnish with 7 pomegranate seeds.



The PAMA Chocolate Cupcake perfectly blends PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur’s sweet flavor and the legendary aphrodisiac allure of pomegranates with more’s finest ingredients to create a sensational, one-of-a-kind offering. This divine Belgian dark chocolate cake is filled with a rich Valrhona chocolate and PAMA Liqueur mousse and topped with a PAMA infused buttercream. This cupcake treat will melt in your mouth with every delicious bite.


This is a promotional piece brought to you by Pama and more Cupcakes.


Think what you could do with an assortment of pomegranate. Say rum cake but with pomegranate liquor, say infused strawberries dipped in infused chocolate - say chocolate, pomegranate brownies, say all kinds of mousse. There are not enough valentines to go around!

menagerie

This post is going to be all over the place, every which way to Sunday if you want specifics. I have a little bit of a back log of food photos and no back log of snarky writing to go with them. We did dog some tacos though, crunchy and satisfying.



We have the shrimp and fennel pollen bisque with mini shrimp cakes, for example.



So mouth watering and delicious yet not inspiring enough to get my creative writing juices flowing.



Eggs benedict with shrimp flavored hollandaise are in the mix, complete with an avocado salad and hearty bacon home fries.



Filled up bellies but didnt rev up brain cells.



Yucca and bacalao salad - one of my favorite things to eat in the whole wide world - you can follow that link to a time when I talked all about it. While this isnt much for looks it is definitely one for flavor. So you see I have a whole lot of nothing.

You can vote for me:



This one is a cocktail



And this one is a flan. The badges look the same but they take you to two different places. Thanks in advance.