Pre-Christmas Holiday Dinner - DUCK!

Here is the menu from this weekends Duck dinner with Jay, Larry, Steven, Emily, Betsy & Myself

Started off with a great champagne
1996 Nicolas Feuliatte Grand Cru Cramant.

First course
Seared Foie Gras w/dried cherry & ruby port reduction sauce and toasted brioche
served with 1979 Chateau D'yquem




Champagne Sorbet

Second course
Grilled Duck breast w/red wine demi glace reduction sauce served on pan roasted thyme potatoes and haricot vertes.
served with 2 flights of Barolo






Flight #1
2001 Pio Cesare
2001 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis

Flight #2
2001 Paolo Scavino
2001 Azelia



Dessert
Ice-wine poached Forella Pear Almond Frangipane Tart
served with 2000 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Herrenweg de Turckheim Vendange Tardive

Ended off the evening with some fine espressos.

Black Truffle Dinner

Black Truffle & Duck Confit Risotto! Nicely done...

California Wine Fair

2001 Sanford Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir (the Sideways wine).
2002 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 La Jota 20th Anniversary Cabernet (#2 WOTN for me)
2001 Stag's Leap Winery Cabernet
2000 St. Clement Oroppas
1993 Beringer Knight's Valley Cab
1999 Beringer Knight's Valley Cab
2002 Bell Napa Cab
2001 Bell Beritille Clone 6 Cab - My WOTN. Similar quality to the 1999
2003 Bell Syrah Cantebury Vineyard Sierra Foothills
2001 Napa Wine Co. Cab
2000 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab
2000 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cab
2001 Silverado Napa Cab
2000 Silverado Sangiovese
2000 Arrowwood Reserve Cab
2002 Shafer Napa Cab (biggest disappointment of the tasting. Like grape juice).
2002 Justin Cab
2002 Justin Isosceles
2001 Niebaum Coppola Rubicon
2001 Mondavi Napa Cab
1999 Mondavi Napa Cab
2001 Stonestreet Cab
2001 Clos du Val Pinot Noir
2000 Clos du Val Cabernet
2001 Bacio Divino
2002 Seghesio Old Vine Sonoma Zinfandel
2003 Seghesio Sonoma Zin
2002 Beringer Nightingale (yummy stuff)
2003 Quady Elysium
2003 Quady Essensia
NV Mumm's Napa "M"
1996 Mumm's Napa "DVX"

More Cups

Just finished adding a couple more pics to the Collection section of my website, this has got to be the slowest website I have ever done.... maybe when work slows down I can add some info and pics...we'll see...

Illy Book & "Nude" Cups

I've been meaning to add some pics of the Illy Nude Cups and 10th Anni. book.

New Cups!

I was out with today and got bit by the cup collecting bug again! I found some really interesting espresso cups dating back a few years.

The first find was a pair of Russel Wright designed cups from the 40's-50's. They are Demitasse cups that were part of his American Modern dinnerware line. I just love these cups. I saw the retrospective of his designs at the Cooper-Hewitt design museum in NYC in 2001 and I saw these there. I was blown away by the work. There is a book available from that show, highly recommended.

The second find, was a set of 4 Carlo Giannini cups that it am guessing are from the 60's-70's. These are truly unique cups. I have never seen anything like them. They are very futuristic and the design is very original. They look like they came right of the Jetsons. They are mad from Stainless Steel and a Plastic. I couldn't leave these puppies behind.

Busy Busy

Ok, so I've been insanely busy the last few weeks and haven’t had a chance to stop and breathe. Got a bunch of home renovations done and the place looks great! Then I was had a neck injury for a while that ha now gone pretty much a way and I'm feeling tip top!



Ran a few roasts a few days ago in the Alp. Put in 3 batches, 1 was Malabar Gold blend, 2 was the last sample Bag of Columbian that comes with the alp and 3 was some Costa Rican SHB given to me by a good friend Craig A.



I've never been a fan of the Malabar Gold, and i think it has to do with the taste that is imparted by the Funky Monssooned Malabar beans in the blend. Its an OK espresso, but i had to start using up some of the 5lbs i had ordered. Again not bad but not great either. People rave about this blend but it just doesnt click with me.



The Columbian that comes as a sample pack with Alp, is a surprising one, not stellar to the caliber of green offered by SM, but it holds its own. This is a great coffee at very little rest and a very easy to roast bean. It works in the Vac Pot as well as a single origin espresso so I was fine with that.



The Costa Rican, was my fave of the 3, made a great cup in the Vac Pot. I'm really starting to appreciate the brightness in beans over the body. Costa Ricans have consistently provided me with a great cup in the eVac. So I will be ordering a good sampling of the CR beans offered by SM. I want to try a batch of them and find out what subtleties lie in them.