A Night of Comfort - Lamb and Red Wine

Well, it is that time of year again...winter. That chill, it makes us want to stay indoors and enjoy the warmth. There are many things that are comforting to me, food and wine are definitely near the top of that list. On this particular cold Sunday night, lamb and merlot were to be the stars of this show!

The lamb, a fresh Manitoba rack of lamb and some lamb sausages with fennel. These were sourced from a local market, La Grotta Mediterranean Market. This is one of the greatest sources I have found in this city for fine meats, sausages and seafood. Yes, I said it...seafood...from diver scallops to live dungeness crab, the selection is amazing. Meat, groceries, seafood, prepared foods and desserts...coffee, might as well throw a wine store in there too for good measure. Without sounding too much like an advertisement, I love this place. The quality is always top notch which is important to me, I will pay more for it!

The merlot, a bottle of Provenance Vineyards Merlot Carneros Beckstoffer Las Amigas Vineyard 02. First, let me say a little about Andy Beckstoffer and Las Amigas Vineyard. Founder of Beckstoffer Vineyards, Andy Beckstoffer is one of the Napa Valley's premier grape growers. He provides grapes to the likes of Acacia Vineyard, Paul Hobbs Winery and Schrader Cellars just to name a few. Las Amigas vineyard was acquired by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 1992/93 and is located in in the Los Carneros AVA. For those unfamiliar with Los Carneros(also known just as Carneros), it is in the southern tip of Napa and is generally the coolest part of Napa Valley. As far as I am aware, Las Amigas Vineyard only produces merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay...all well suited to a cooler climate.

Supporting our lamb and merlot were garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. The veggies were a delicious combination of sautéed garlic, mushroom, snap peas, spinach and zucchini.

This is comfort food at it's finest. The sausage, delicious and tender with a hint of fennel. The lamb was delicious and tender, very easy to eat...like little meaty lollipops, they do not last long.

Well, back to the wine. So Andy Beckstoffer provides these wonderful grapes from his Las Amigas Vineyard in Carneros to Tom Rinaldi, winemaker at Provenance Vineyards. A little about Tom, he makes some pretty outstanding merlot. He helped start Duckhorn Vineyards in the late 70's as their first winemaker. After helping to put Duckhorn on the map he made his way over to Provenance Vineyards in 2000 where he and Chris Cooney make some unbelievable wines from sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc to malbec...and many more!

There were beautiful notes of dried cherry and apple with a hint of vanilla, very soft and elegant. The tannins were softer than silk...who would have thought that was possible! The flavours were still quite pronounced, even after almost 10 years!

Dinner was great, company was great and the wine was great. What more could you ask for from an evening? What is comfort food to you?

Local Eating - Breakfast at Fresh Cafe

Anyone who is around me with any sort of regularity knows I have been all about locally sourced food this year. The ingredients are more fresh, it's great for the local economy and even better tasting in my opinion. After a wonderful night of food, drinks and fun...a good breakfast is the only way to get started.

I invited a friend with me for breakfast as good food is only better with good company. My first suggestion was Fresh Cafe on Corydon Avenue, I have been before but she had not. If it is your first time, be prepared as they can be very busy...especially on Sunday. Make sure you find a server near the front door and give your name as there is no host/hostess to greet you. It is often very crowded in this area on Sundays, with people enjoying fresh coffee, tea and juice based beverages while waiting for a table.

We started off with a Sweet Potato Latke. This was good, definitely what a latke should taste like. This comes from two seasoned latke veterans! Crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside with a nice texture. Not the best latke I have had, but very good.

We seem to have similar taste for food, and both chose the 2 Vita Eggs with Meat, Turkey Sausage. The yolks were a beautiful golden color, just like the sun. They are local, as are the sausages. I have tried the Bison Sausage too and I definitely prefer the turkey, there is so much more flavor. They are served with roasted rosemary potatoes, what a great start to the morning. I went with my eggs sunny side up and she had hers poached. This was all served with toast and home made crab apple jam.

By the time we finished, we were so full. I have always enjoyed Fresh Cafe's seasonal menu with as much locally sourced ingredients as they can get. We both had a great time and will definitely return again soon.

Fresh Cafe
775 Corydon Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
204-221-5775

From The Deep Dark Depths - A Happy Birthday

It started small...very small, a minor scratch on a vast surface. It disappeared to somewhere deep and very dark, only to return now. The real question is, am I speaking of my own blog or of some crazy sea creature? We may get to find out the answer!

In one corner, we have a lobster. Crazy sea creature in my books, they start out very small and actually live near the surface until they develop enough to survive on the sea floor. When I say they start out small, think of mosquitoes. That will give you a good idea of their size as larvae (really young-I know I'm being too scientific). However, once this larvae becomes an adult they become one of the most delicious treats from the sea!

In the other corner, we have my blog. I started small, a few postings however June was the beginning of my "month of moving". By August 1st, I was moved in to a beautiful new home. Lakefront property, a large kitchen and a large backyard for a vegetable garden next season! This has kept me quite busy and this blog has slipped down into the deep dark depth of the vast oceans of blogs.

Oh, but what is this? It's my birthday, oh my! Maybe some lobster would like to come back to the surface to join me for this occasion...and two of them did! You can always count on the domino effect, if I am going to do my first lobster boil...I am definitely going to be blogging about it. So in the end, it seems like I was speaking of both!

The lobsters, about a pound and a half each were the perfect size. I love lobster but like it to be prepared in a simple fashion. I started with 2 cups of Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay 09. It was a nice chardonnay, citrusy with a slight buttery texture. However, in retrospect I think I should have gone with a sauvignon blanc...next time.

Two cups for the lobsters, the rest for my roommate and I...oh and a lucky friend who just "happened" to stop by. I threw some fresh Italian sausage into the pot with some potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and fresh corn(and garlic of course).

The last things to go in the pot, our lobsters and a nice bit of cayenne pepper to spice things up. These were live lobsters from Nova Scotia, they steamed in the pot of goodies for about 15 minutes. They were tender and sweet, you just put everything on a plate and serve, simple!

So, two things have resurfaced here. Delicious lobster from the bottom of the sea and free time to continue blogging. What a birthday!

Sushi Ya - A Father's Day Lunch

This Father's Day, sushi was the consensus. My mother has been talking about Sushi Ya for a while so she insisted we go there. I hear many many things about restaurants, however, good value always strikes a chord with me(and at least 1 other person I know, you know who you are)!

We started with sushi, as always. I chose Pink Tuna, Yellowtail and Toro. The fish portions were nice for the price and the quality is good. This ended any sort of order, I went straight to a roll next.

This was the Tuna Bakudan, it was good however it could have been great. One thing I noticed, they use a lot of sauce and it can sometimes overwhelm everything else. The sauce itself, a spicy mayo is delicious with just the right amount of heat! The tuna was just spicy enough and the crunch from the tempura added a nice texture. The portions were nice again, just ease up a bit on the sauce. Appetizer time, yes there is no order here...deal with it. I did and I was still full afterwards.

The Soft Shell Crab was unbelievable and unlike a previous place I reviewed, I received the entire crab. It was served hot with a crisp outside and soft tender inside. The crunch from the batter was amazing and made me very happy. This one is a winner! On to the special rolls.

I chose the Magma roll and the Tornado roll. As you can see, The Magma roll on the top also has too much sauce. One quarter the sauce would have made this much better.. it made the roll to heavy. The roll itself was wonderful with tender sweet crab, cream cheese and the almighty avocado. The Tornado was a wonderful roll, simple and a good price! Smoked eel, shrimp, crab and cucumber with masago on top. What a treat and again, nice portions for the price.

Everything was good, some was great but not everything was great. I will definitely go back for another round though, you can count on it!

Sushi Ya
669 Corydon Ave
Winnipeg, Manitoba
204-452-3916



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Plans Are Meant To Be Broken - The Epic Adventure

Well, Saturday night I went out with a friend. The plan was to go to Smoke's Poutinerie for dinner, however as the oh so clever title suggests this was not to be the case(I will make it there). Parking in downtown Winnipeg sucks, there was a jazz festival in the area and parking was just non existent! We drove around for almost an hour before deciding to give up, where to now? We still need to eat, but what is open?

At this point we have no destination and are driving south on Pembina Highway. It is about 10:30pm and we are both hungry so we pull off into a strip mall to decide where to eat. Oh look, a Chinese restaurant and they are open until midnight! I believe this place is fairly new, it used to be something else.

We walked in, the decor was nothing special but somehow I sensed greatness in this place so after reading the menu, we sat down. Neither of us had been here before, or knew it existed for that matter.

We ordered and our food came shortly after, the dishes were simple:

Starting off with Mooshi, the filling was delicious! Tender strips of beef in a delicious sauce with garlic, tender mushroom and crunchy cabbage. The pancakes were authentic, and big! We could have made ourselves burritos with these. They held in the sauce, were soft and tasted great. That's a bonus in my books!

Chicken Fried Rice, always a staple of mine and they did it well! There was so much flavor without all the grease. Simple ingredients, large pieces of chicken with peas, green onions and egg. I could easily have eaten this whole plate, but that probably would not have been a great idea so I refrained!

Shrimp with Spicy Salt is quickly becoming a favorite dish of mine and it was exceptional here. The shrimp were plump, tender and juicy! Deep fried and then seasoned with Szechuan Salt they were delicious and went quickly!

On to the last dish, but certainly not least. Another winner, the Cantonese Chow Mein was full of wonderful colors, textures and flavors! There were crunchy vegetables, and lots of them and a combination of wonderfully smoky BBQ pork, shrimp and chicken. The noodles were wonderful, with some bits of crunchy noodle from being grilled, awesome! The sauce was just delicious and brought it all together.

So, things did not go as originally planned...but we both had a great time. We found a great new restaurant. The menu is large, the service is quick, the portions are great! The prices made this a great value and an even better find. Sometimes, the best plans are not planned at all.

Huang Pu River
2-1875 Pembina Highway
Winnipeg, MB Canada
204-261-4407

Happy Mothers Day - A Bit Late

Yeah, I was gone for a while...that happens when viruses destroy your hard drive. A fun experience I must tell you about, or maybe I will just talk about food and wine! Lets talk about a simple yet elegant wine and food pairing, the classic red wine and steak. Mother's Day is the perfect day for this, my mother does not like anything other than seasoning salt on her steak. This is my favorite way to have a steak.

The setting...a table. White tablecloth, simple and elegant.

The dog...Dijon, falling asleep...such a hard life!

The steak, a huge Canadian AAA t-bone with great marbling, perfect for the grill. Seasoned with seasoning salt and cooked to medium rare. The potato, baked on a BBQ and then topped with butter and sour cream. The wine, a syrah with a splash of viognier...the Vina Maipo Grand Devocion 09...dark plum and cocoa with a subtle hint of apricot.

Oh, whats that you say, another contender? Oh yes, in swoops black cherry ice cream with a fresh strawberry. You know what, lets drizzle in a little Provenance Merlot Chocolate Sauce because that definitely won't improve anything!

In the end, it was a tough night. I never came to a decision on the best part of the meal. I will call it a draw. You will have to ask mom for the tiebreaker. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Saturday Night - Try Something New

Well, this is my paycheck for rent...so the next two weeks are a very tight budget. This also means I can not afford to go out! However, as I am sure anyone who follows me regularly will know that this does not stop me from eating well. I had two ingredients I had never worked with in my kitchen, so I decided to use them.

The first item was a cross rib roast, commonly referred to as a pot roast. While I have definitely had my fair share of pot roasts, I have never actually cooked one before. After a bit of research, I learned I should cook it for a few hours with some liquid to help keep it moist. I had a great rub to use so I was ready to go.

The second ingredient was celery root. I have never cooked with this, and as far as I can remember I have never eaten it either. Celery root has a lighter taste than the stalk and is less fibrous and more starchy. I decided to mash it with potatoes!

My spice rub consisted of dry mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika and kosher salt. You should put quiet a bit on the meat, it needs to season the whole roast.It is important to sear the meat on all sides, I added a handful of carrots and some chicken stock for moisture and then it went straight in the oven at 325F where it sat for about two and a half hours.

Next I began to peel the celery root, and this is not an easy feat! Then I cut it up and put it in some salted water. I let this cook for about 5 minutes before I added the potatoes to the mix. I mashed it all together with a nice bit of butter and it was ready to go!

Finally, the roast was ready to go. The meat was moist and tender and very flavorful from the spice rub. The potatoes were spectacular, creamy with a slight taste of celery. The baby carrots were tender and flavored form the juices of the meat. Most of the liquid had evaporated, leaving a concentration of delicious jus.

This was a great dinner, fairly easy to cook. It was not something complicated, just something new to try on a Saturday night. It made me feel better about staying in:)

Tour du Chocolate - A Delicious Way to Spend a Few Hours

So, this month was Chocolatefest in Winnipeg. There are 25 restaurants that are participating with their own chocolate dishes. April 16th and 17th was Tour du Chocolate, for a mere $5 you receive all the chocolate offerings from The Forks Market. There were 21 vendors involved and it was a fun way to spend a few hours. For you chocolate lovers, it is a lot of chocolate...you will be in heaven...for everyone else, it is a lot of chocolate so be prepared!

My roommate and I went, for the price we knew it would be a great time. The Forks Market puts on quite a few events each year, and I have always enjoyed the ones I have gone to. It is wise to come early as they only sell a limited number of the passports. I must stress again that this is a lot of chocolate, it was just enough to have everything, anything else would have been too overwhelming. All the vendors were great but there were a few that stood above the rest.

The Almond Tree provided chocolate for fondue, I chose to have a fresh strawberry dipped in dark chocolate. It was amazingly delicious, a great way to start the sampling!

The next stop for us was Fergies Fish n' Chips where we had a Deep Fried Mars Bar. Yes, you heard it right. It was warm and contained melty, gooey Mars bar with a crisp batter on the outside. It just screams delicious, very rich! This could be a fun dish to bring home and share with a significant other...I am just saying;)

On to Caramel Crepe, they were offering a delicious Vida Crepe. This was a crepe made with a chocolate batter. It was then topped with a luxurious Grand Marnier chocolate sauce and almonds. The crepe was good but the sauce was amazing. I would eat it drizzled on...a spoon! It was so good, wow!

Next we went to Danny's All Day Breakfast. I have always loved their hash brown poutine(if you do not know what poutine is, ask a Canadian, it is so good!), so I knew this would be good. It was not a disappointment, they served us Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes and they were wonderful. The batter contained the bananas, which is how I prefer it. It was light and fluffy and the bananas were nice and sweet. Then on top was a delicious chocolate sauce with chocolate chips. What a sweet breakfast, literally!

The next stop was Chile, and we did not even have to leave the building! The Chilean Corner had Palmiers, a Chilean pastry often found in pastry shops. It was delicious with a wonderfully flaky texture and a light chocolate coat on the tip. The taste reminded me of butter cookies, the ones I was addicted to as a child but only got at grandma's house. Anything that brings back pleasant memories, is good in my books!

The next item we had was very chocolaty, it was good but a lot of chocolate! Tall Grass Prairie Kitchen is a great local place and all the ingredients used are local and often organic. This was a Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding. It was soft with a wonderful texture and plenty of banana goodness.

Next, we visited Italy with CasaBella Deli & Market. I really enjoy the sausages they make and their meat is all local. I have never had any baked goods from them but the Italian Chocolate Amaretti was wonderful. Crunchy on the outside and soft inside they were chocolaty with a hint of what I believe was amaretto. It was superb!

The next place had a wonderfully refreshing dish, it was savory! This was amazing timing as I was beginning to bore of all the sweet dishes, I do not have much of a sweet tooth. Grass Roots made this unbelievable Manitoba Bison Mole Chili. It was spicy, a nice heat on the finish with nice bits of tender bison meat. This was definitely the highlight of the festival for me! I could have eaten 2 bowls.

Last, but certainly not least, another local delight. Locally made hard pretzels dipped in chocolate. They were a nice light finish to a super chocolate day. These were courtesy of The Almond Tree again!

My roommate and I had a great time. We spent $5 each, tried some amazing dishes, what could be better? It was definitely a delicious way to spend a few hours!

Pork Shoulder Blade Roast - Slow Cooked Heaven

Time for another lesson from your host, the Food and Drink Man, and tonight's lesson, pork(oh what a surprise)! Tonight we are going to talk about a very popular cut, the shoulder blade however you may not realize how popular it really is. The shoulder blade is my favorite cut for several reasons:

1. Cost - Usually one of the lower priced cuts of pork, I usually pay about $15 for a 9lb roast
2. Taste - Very flavorful due to extensive marbling, should be cooked low and slow
3. Simple - Great cut for slow cookers, can cook all day while you work
4. Versatile - Throw it in a slow cooker, pop it in the oven or slowly smoke it for hours

The majority of my exposure to pork shoulder was through barbecue, but it is used by almost every food culture. In fact, my favorite version, carnitas originated in Mexico and I used this very style with this roast, but this post is not about carnitas so I will stop there! This cut is very popular in street food too, but you may not realize it.

Sausage - I am going to have to blame Anthony Bourdain again on this one. Something about grinding pork and putting it in a tube that just seems right! Okay, so some may not appreciate that imagery as much as others but when properly seasoned, sausage can have some of the most amazing flavors. So many different varieties, but I bet you did not know that most of it comes from the shoulder blade.

Gyros - Yes, believe it or not but the pork version of gyros is often made with shoulder blade steaks. Stacked on a vertical rotisserie, gravity does the work basting everything in delicious pork goodness! Shave a bit off into a pita, yogurt, onions, peppers and olives. A bit of feta cheese, the ultimate street food!

Tacos - I already touched on carnitas, which is shredded pork shoulder. You will also find tacos made with shaved pork, using shoulder blade steaks roasting on a spit. Filled with a bit of avocado, tomato and cilantro and then topped with queso fresco. Sounds like a great snack to me!

Sandwiches - This is where I first got my start, pulled pork sandwiches. The ultimate in delicious, pulled pork starts as a shoulder blade roast which is slow cooked for hours until the meat can be "pulled" by hand. The meat is pulled and mixed with a house made sauce, put on a bun and topped with coleslaw. Oh sweet comfort.

That picture is meat mountain, taken after shredding the roast. Most beautiful mountain I have ever seen! The roast was slow cooked at 200 F for 12 hours, if using a pot or a slow cooker, do not add any liquid, there is more than enough in the meat itself, trust me on this one. After I shredded the meat, I mixed it back with all the juices from the cooking and fresh garlic, mustard and pepper. Then into the oven to crisp up the ends of some of those yummy pork bits.

In the end, I made a simple sandwich! Two slices of toasted bread, cheese, a little mayo and Sriracha...and of course pork. Now doesn't that look good? So get yourself a shoulder blade roast, and you too can experience slow cooked heaven.

Value Wines - Always a Great Buy

They say money does not buy happiness but I disagree. I believe money will not buy love, but there are many things I can do with money that make me happy. Money buys groceries so I can eat every day. Money buys clothing and you all know why we wear clothing so I will spare you that bit of imagery. Money pays rent so I have a home to live in and it also bought the awesome bed I sleep in every night!

Money is a double-edged sword though, most of us are limited to the amount we have. We love to spend it but then we must justify the worth of what we purchase. For me, and many others I know the greatest feeling is when you get "more than your money's worth". In a society where the cost of everything is rising, finding a great buy can make you feel good.

This rings true when I am shopping for wine as well. The value wines I am going to talk about are all under $15, however it is important to understand that good value does not necessarily mean you are spending very little money. You can spend a lot of money on a car, a house, or dinner for that matter but the question again is, did I get more than my money's worth?

Would I pay more money for this bottle of wine if I had to? When the answer to these questions is yes, I am happy. I tasted 3 different wines this week, two which I had never tried before. Now I hear you asking, how and where do I find these "value wines"? The answer is very simple, ask! When I go to an MLCC(Liquor Mart) or a private wine store, I ask for the opinion of the resident wine drinker. They have been good recommendations too! Just ask what is a good value wine to try. A knowledgeable clerk will know where to go right away so keep that in mind.

I went with a reliable blend from Chile first. Dona Dominga makes a wonderful cabernet/carmenere blend which I first tried at a local wine and cheese festival. At $10.29 a bottle for the 2009 vintage, this is a wine I can enjoy everyday after work or with dinner. With notes of blackberries, black currants, coffee and black pepper. Very complex and would work well with a variety of spicy or meaty dishes. Think flame grilled or barbecue, that's my kind of food! Affordable, great for cooking and drinking. What more could you want?

The next bottle was The Penascal Estate Tempranillo from Spain. The 2007 is very spicy, yet not overwhelming. Nice notes of cedar, blackberry and strawberry with a nice bit of cracked black pepper on the finish. The tannins were still biting a bit so I have a bottle I am cellaring. This was an amazing buy at $12.39 and I can't wait to revisit it in a year.

The last was another tempranillo from Spain. This one was not as good as the last one but still nice. Bonal Tempranillo had notes of pepper, black currant and raspberry. Fairly soft tannins and nice fruit the 2008 vintage would be good with a nice tomato based pasta dish and is a pretty good buy at $10.59 a bottle.

In the end, I was happy with all the wines I bought. What is even better, I did not have to drain my bank account to get a bottle of wine I enjoy. I will continue my search for the greatest value wine, because good value is always a great buy.

Taco Time!(Not the Fast Food Joint)

There is a place called Winnipeg, it can be very cold there. Where does one find warmth when it is so cold? Mexico! Although not all of us have the ability to go to Mexico on a whim of hunger:( What else could one do to get some heat in this cold Winnipeg winter?

How about a taco? They originated in Mexico, that is a good start! I am feeling a little warmer already. They sure do love their chorizo out there and I do too so why not make my own. You know what I like? Sauteed vegetables, I think I will bring them to the party as well!

The taco has been a favorites of mine since I was a child, really I have an obsession for Mexican food...but that is for a whole other blog. When I think tacos, I think of a little truck or restaurant. Freshly made, simple ingredients like home made salsa and guacamole with soft corn or flour tortillas. Well, now that this idea was in my head there was no turning back. I leaped out of my chair(slowly, after about 10 minutes) and headed for the door. I raced down the stairs(waited for the elevator as 18 flights of stairs are not as fun as they sound) and I was off to the grocery store!

For all you cooks out there, my blog is not meant to be a cookbook. You will very rarely(if ever) find a recipe on here or around my apartment for that matter. I believe that great cooking requires mixing great flavors you love. Keeping that in mind I will almost always give the ingredients however it is up to you to determine what portions you need.

My trip to the grocery store was uneventful and unexciting however I got some great ingredients, which is all I needed. I brought back some mushrooms, to be sauteed in butter and chili powder with a little fresh garlic. Traditional, maybe not. Delicious, yes! This was to be my first condiment.

My second condiment was a little more authentic. A delicious mix of peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini and chili powder. Sauteed in butter with a little addition of ground cumin made it so much better!

You know I have to make salsa and it is all about simplicity here. Freshly diced tomato and red onion with fresh garlic, lime juice and fresh cilantro. Of course, we all know I love avocado so there has to be guacamole.

My guacamole is simple, just the way I like it! Fresh avocado, tossed with diced tomatoes, red onions and tobasco! With a squirt of fresh lime juice and some salt and ground pepper, I was ready to rock!

Beans have always been a staple, and a favorite of mine. I had every intention of making the refried black beans from scratch but upon learning the time it would take to make, I went for the canned variety! I know, I know, for shame! No! Believe it or not, I actually enjoy canned refried beans and will almost always accept it as a substitution for homemade.

Last, but certainly not least! The chorizo, seasoned with plenty of chili powder, cumin and a handful of other spices. It had a nice kick to it, but the heat does not linger. It will be a great addition to the already amazing list of delicious taco fillers I made!

Now that everything is all prepped, it is time for assembly! This is the fun part. Tortillas MUST be heated before use, if you do not heat them they will break into pieces and your tacos will suck! Why, because they won't hold the filling with gaping holes! I prefer to heat mine in the oven for about 30 to 45 seconds. The microwave is an acceptable alternative, however you will not get any crunchiness like you would from one that was toasting in an oven.

I like a little bit of everything on my taco. First, the delicious bits of pork were centered on the tortilla. Next, a bit of grilled vegetables and mushrooms and a nice dollop of refried beans. Lastly, some fresh salsa and guacamole and then a small amount of shredded cheddar and sour cream! The plate needed some green, so did I and I went with spinach. It goes well with everything!

This is what I call a taco! Mind you, the pictures were tough to take. I could not figure out how to display the tacos without putting them between other items. Any suggestions on how to photograph this meal easier would be totally accepted! If not, jusk bask in the deliciousness of these pictures...and maybe make a batch for yourself, just make sure you don't forget to invite me! Then it can be Taco Time for you too!

Que Syrah, Syrah - A Delightful Wine Experience with Acacia Vineyard

Well, it was the end to another long work week. I had some co-workers over after work for a few drinks as it has been a busy week for us all. This was definitely a night to pull out a "special occasion" wine. It took a while to decide, but I chose to go with the wine I brought back from my last visit to Napa.

I was in Napa in early February and decided to stop at my favorite carneros winery, Acacia Vineyard. For those of you who have not yet experienced a single vineyard wine by Acacia, you need to do so immediately(immediately after you finish this blog of course)! Matthew Glynn is the senior winemaker at Acacia and he has been getting great scores on the pinot noir and chardonnay he has been producing, most notably the Sangiacomo Chardonnay and the Winery Lake and Lone Tree Vineyard Pinot Noirs.

Before I start to sound like an advertisement, let me talk more about my visit to Acacia. The drive alone is beautiful, on a road that winds through various rolling hillside vineyards. The curves and lack of traffic tempt the rally driver in you, however smarts always prevail so this last part is just a dream.

I have now visited Acacia twice and have brought back a bottle of this each time. Now you are dying to know, what is this wine you speak of? The one which caused you to go off on a tangent before even mentioning the wines name! The most delicious syrah I have ever had with exceptional fruit and spice, but still no name. Tell me you demand! Okay, I will tell you. The wine is none other than the Scott Ranch Syrah.

What??? You have never heard of it? Well this is a very limited production wine so I would be more suprised if you have heard of it. I first tried the 07 vintage during my first trip to Acacia Vineyard last year and it was amazing so I had to bring a bottle back to my hotel for dinner.I have only had one other syrah which was similar to this, that was the Jade Mountain Syrah Mount Veeder Paras Vineyard 03 which I may add is also spectacular.

2007 was a great year overall in California. This certainly shows in the wine which was a delightful experience for us all! I was the only one in the group who has tasted this before and I was almost as excited to hear other opinions on this wine as I was to taste it. What was my opinion you ask?

Acacia Vineyard Syrah Sonoma Coast Scott Ranch 07 is an experience in a bottle, I definitely recommend decanting this wine as it will most certainly contain sediment. The color was dark and rich, almost like a dark plum. What a great start, I chose to let this breathe about 20 minutes and it needed it. It started out overpoweringly spicy but after breathing it was complex. Delicious flavors of currant, pepper and plum alongside aromas of vanilla, anise and cedar notes. The finish was long and the tannins were definitely smooth.

I was not alone and eyeryone loved this choice. The special occasion was not the particular night, rather that it was spent with friends who can appreciate a great wine. While we finished the only bottle I had rather quickly, I was reminded of a certain line from a song, "Whatever will be, will be". This is true, because while I may not get another bottle from this spectacular vintage. The experience is what made it worth it, que syrah, syrah!

A Very Sushi Birthday at Kenko Niwa

A friend of mine had her birthday dinner tonight. Anyone who knows me personally, is well aware that I love food and sushi is no exception. When I was asked where to go, I thought Kenko Niwa immediately.  I have been eating sushi since I was a child, mind you I was not nearly as adventurous back then. California rolls, shrimp, tempura and gyoza was about all I would eat back then but those days are long past!

My first experience with Kenko was at their first location on the corner of Arbuthnot and Corydon. Kenko was one of the first sushi restaurants on Corydon Avenue and their first location is stylistically, what I would think of as a "sushi bar". There is an island in the middle of the dining room which is the sushi bar, and you can sit there and chat with the chefs as they expertly prepare the orders. Kenko Niwa is more of a dining experience, the "sushi bar" is tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. There are several sections with tables, a fireplace and even a private tatami room!

There were very few disappointments in this visit,  first was when I heard that ownership had changed. Oh no, what has happened to all my favorites? Have they changed anything? Is this even the same place I fell in love with? All these thoughts flooded through my head as I was told they no longer have a sake menu. My heart dropped, things have changed. I ordered the only cold sake on the menu, Gekkeikan Draft Sake. Luckily Gekkeikan has not disappointed me yet and the first disappointment was alleviated. You probably think I am crazy for fussing over sake, you may be right but we will never know.

I started with the miso soup, a perfect start to a sushi dinner! It was hot with a very delicious and flavorful broth. Bits of tofu and tender seaweed gave it a bit of texture and salty flavor with just the slightest hint of green onion. Soup like this does not last long and it took some effort to take pictures of it before eating it(you have no idea).

The next course was gyoza, a Japanese dumpling filled with pork and steamed. They are often referred to as potstickers in North America. They are usually pan fried after they steam to sear and give them a little texture. Gyozas take me way back, they were one of the things I loved as a kid. My dad would often make them for an appetizer whether we were at home or out sailing about the California coast. These were wonderful and took me back, tender bits of pork with garlic and ginger in the stuffing. The gyoza was nice and crispy on the outside while still being tender, just the way I like it. I also like a little soy sauce and sesame oil and this is what the sauce they provided tasted like.

The next dish was spectacular, called TNT Tempura(Prawns), this is a feast for your eyes until you taste it. From that point, the only feasting is going on in your mouth as you devour every tasty bit. 5 Jumbo pieces of Shrimp Tempura were smothered in a kabayaki sauce and topped with fish roe and sesame seeds. All these neatly built on top of some leafy greens. They were awesome!

On to the nigiri sushi! From right to left, I started of with yellowtail which is always a favorite of mine. Next was Japanese Butterfish which I never had before. It was so soft and light with a buttery texture that melts in your mouth, very nice! The last piece was just a roll of delicious goodness. Fatty Tuna and scallions on top of sushi rice wrapped with seaweed. Very nice and I have never seen it served this way.

Next was the soft shell crab, always a favorite. This one was to be a disappointment. I expected a delicious deep fried, whole soft shell crab. That is how I first had it however that is not what I got. The meat was good but it was small. It was also very crispy and while it was alright, it was not what I expected. I do not think I would order it again:(

On to the grand finale! The final plate was amazing and included a few of my favorites. On the right side, something I order every time, bakudan. This is a spicy tuna roll with crunchy tempura batter and the flavor and textures are always amazing. Of course they were this time too! I still had not had my fill of tuna so I ordered another piece of nigiri! Then, the caterpillar roll...this has some of my favorite ingredients. First and almost foremost is avocado, I love avocado and will not talk about it now. Why? That will turn into a whole new blog! More on that in the future. Barbecued eel is delicious with a slightly sweet and smoky flavor, it is wrapped in rice and topped with mmm...avocado! Then it is drizzled with with kabayaki sauce and sesame seeds. Amazing.

In the end, the night was a great experience for everyone. Everyone had fun, enjoyed the food and tried new things. The service was wonderful. One thing I learned, life is full of changes and while they may suck there is usually some good. Fortunately here, there was a quite a bit of good! So I guess I just need to learn to keep up with the times.

Kenko Niwa
631 Corydon Avenue
Winnipeg, MB
204-452-3656