Sunday Dinner at Lake Mary, Mammoth Lakes

Cooking for two people is fun and easy. Cooking for 12 people is a challenge. Cooking for 40+ people and then transporting the food to a remote location is like running a mini-restaurant for the night.

On the last evening of the 2014 Mammoth Food and Wine Experience, T.L., Brother John and I cooked for 40 people at the Pokonobe Resort on Lake Mary.

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For our last night in Mammoth, we went with our strength...Italian food...which translates into Pizza, Pasta and Grilled Veggies.

John cooked his specialty, a Spring/Summer fusilli pasta dish complete with pancetta, finely minced and slowly cooked in butter garlic, onion, and red peppers and finished with fine herbs. In addition, my brother really enjoyed his new toy, the flat top grill.

T.L. who has worked several dinners with me before, cooked nearly 20 pounds of pasta that night, roasted about 30 pounds of vegetables, and was our utility player for the day working different prep and finishing stations.

I worked on the various sauces, doughs, pizza, dessert, seasonings and final tasting, along with logistics with our culinary liason, Dan Molnar from the Mammoth Lakes Foundation. A special thanks to Dan for his help in coordinating the evening with the Foundation and Marci Satterfield of the Pokonobe Resort at Lake Mary.

In addition to the cooking that T.L., my brother John and I did that evening, I asked a couple other locals to lend their creative talents, baking talents specifically, to the evening. Elizabeth McGuire of The East Side Bake Shop (who I cook with regularly) and duo from Mountain Cakery, Cora Coleman and Lauren Jenks. Thanks to all of you for your help in adding a sweet finishing touch to the evening.

The East Side Experience

While I've been looking forward toward the end of the week and the start of the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience 2014, I've already logged a few round trips over Tioga Pass this season.

I stayed in Milan for several days...(thanks...you know you who are)

Disconnected from the Social Media...(Twin Lakes Campground)

Put my toes in the sand at the Beach (June Lake)

Listened to some music from Sweetwater String Band at The Mobil Mart

And of course I cooked 

Looking forward to updating everyone again in a few days...Ciao.

Fishmas Weekend in Crowley Lake

Another trip to the East Side of California...a.k.a. Mammoth Lakes for the opening weekend of trout season in the Eastern Sierra.

We were traveling heavy this trip and loaded up the F-150, as we tried out TL's latest custom BBQ. 

We also had our 1.89L Sonoma County Red Wine Jugs and custom 6-pack cases for delivery and the perfect wine to share with friends from some front-country camping and BBQ.

Naturally, we set up shop at the McGee Creek Lodge.

It snowed a little bit...(like 40 inches in Mammoth!)

I cooked...

Bluegrass Played...

People fished...

And we're looking forward to coming back again soon...

East Side, Valentine's Dinner

Back on the East Side of California for a triple whammy, Valentine's Day, Bluegrass Saturday, and SNOW!

I've got a few pictures from last night, including an OUTSTANDING Cauliflower Cheddar Custard Pie from, Elizabeth McGuire.

Mastro Scheidt Wines were featured for the Valentine's Dinner Menu, including the debut of the 2012 SuperStrada super-Tuscan wine (aka...The Ferrari), which was paired with Elizabeth's iron skillet roasted French Country pork chop and quinoa.

East Side Wine Dinner

Our winemaker/chef/CA traveler David Scheidt was back on the East Side of California for two nights of cooking, wine drinking and bluegrass music at the McGee Creek Lodge on Highway 395.

We fired up the ovens to cook everything from scratch...lasagna, Parmigiano brodo, slow-roasted pork shoulder and lemon olive oil cake (with lemon buttercream filling) for dinner and bluegrass guests each night.

We're pretty sure our lasagna for Saturday Night Bluegrass weighed in at around 35 pounds!

David is looking forward to returning to the East Side early in 2014...

Thanks to everyone who attended and the staff  for all your help.

Update

on 2014-01-02 19:02 by Mastro Scheidt Cellars

To follow up on our original post, The Sheet Newspaper in Mammoth Lakes featured an article on the East Side Bake Shop, written by Victor Meier. We are very excited to be mentioned in the article in such a complimentary tone. We are pleased you had such a positive experience and evening with us. Thank you!

The Terroir of Parmigiano Reggiano

As a winemaker, I am built to talk about terroir. Terroir, is the French term used to describe the place of origin, a unique set of descriptors for a wine from a specific region, vineyard, or vineyard block. Cabernet Sauvignon from a specific vineyard in Dry Creek Valley has a unique terroir different from a vineyard in Napa.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

In the same vein as a wine tasting, I attended a cheese tasting sponsored by the Parmigiano Reggiano Academy at Cookhouse in San Francisco. I didn’t know what to expect from a cheese tasting. I’ve been to countless wine tastings for 20 years, arranged by everyone from the local wine shop to events sponsored by a particular viticultural region. I always learn something, either about my own palate or about the wine being drunk.

Photo by David Scheidt, Parma, Italy 2009

The focus of the Parmigiano tasting was to sample Parmigiano Reggiano aged 14-18 months, 24 months (Vecchio), 36 months (Stravecchio), directly from the wheel and incorporated with food. Chef Jordan Schacter of Jordan’s Kitchen in San Francisco, prepared an entire menu of Parmigiano heavy, small plates ranging from a Parmigiano crisp pizza to Parmigiano polenta topped with sugo. My personal favorite Parmigiano inspired dish of the night? Parmigiano and mushroom accented brodo.

Why would anyone consider Parmigiano Reggiano a homogenous branded cheese from Italy?

If I were to tell a fellow wine maker or sommelier that all Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 12 months from the Sonoma County AVA is basically the same product, I’d get some real funny looks.

But that's exactly what many of us do when we speak generically of Parmigiano. And here's why...

An accurate definition of Parmigiano Reggiano and a good enough answer for most would be that Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bologna, on the plains, hills and mountains enclosed between the rivers Po and Reno, made exclusively of cow’s milk, made with natural rennet and aged a minimum of 12 months.

But the answer above only describes the minimum requirements to be called Parmigiano Reggiano.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

For the Parmigiano tasting at Cookhouse, the focus of the evening was on the age of the cheese, from 14 months to 36 month. Parmigiano at 36 months is certainly drier in mouth feel, has a more crumbly texture, and greater intensity of flavor that a 14 month old wheel. A 14 month Parmigiano could easily be described as creamy. Each cheese maturity level can also have different applications in the culinary world, with younger cheeses playing a supporting role in polenta, while a stravecchio parmigiano a leading role on a cheese plate with balsamico.

Beyond the sensory and maturity characteristics we focused on that evening, I began to become even more curious about the specific origins of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

384 dairies are responsible for all of the Parmigiano production, globally distributed, of which 34% is exported to countries like the United States. Each dairy produces milk throughout the year from various cows, in various regions, independently of each other.

Each dairy will have variations in cows, harvest, feed, temperature, etc.  Similarly in the production of wine, there are variations in soil type, fertilization, sun aspect, and temperature. Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 7 grown in Alexander Valley, while genetically the same as Cabernet Clone 7 grown in Dry Creek Valley will have dramatically different flavors even if harvested on the same day each year, even if only grown 5 miles apart. Conditions vary from region to region, town to town, winery to winery, winemaker to winemaker. In the case of Parmigiano, conditions vary from dairy to dairy and cow to cow throughout the region of Emilia Romagna.

If there are 384 dairies, how many different cheese makers are there? One for each dairy? Again, the analogy to wine makers is appropriate and accurate. No matter the minimum production standard, each cheese maker has learned a technique, timing, and “feel” differently than their counterparts at other dairies, just like wine makers.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

With all the potential variables for each wheel of Parmigiano, why do so many consumers and cheese mongers generalize Parmigiano Reggiano as some homogenized product; albeit hand-made and of the utmost quality? Various conditions exist in raising cattle as they do in winemaking; yet a sommelier would never consider all Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County homogenized. That would be blasphemy! It’s actually a disservice to generalize and homogenize Parmigiano Reggiano into a monolithic hard Italian cheese.

A few basic distinctions when consuming and buying Parmigiano Reggiano: 

  • Milk comes from Red Cows, Brown Cows and Holsteins. Certain dairies will stamp their certified Parmigiano wheels with a secondary brand, indicating place of origin and the type of cow used for milk. Red and Brown cow milk is more highly prized and more rare than Parmigiano made from Holsteins.
  • Cows are milked throughout the year, causing seasonal variations in the milk, spring versus winter milks, and the diet of the cows from dairy to dairy can vary. Each wheel of Parmigiano is stamped by month, to ensure the 12 month minimum aging requirement, but nothing more.
  • There is no legal certification beyond 12 months of aging. Dairies, exporters, and your local cheese monger may or may not know and is under no obligation to disclose the various ages of the cheese. However, there is an obvious difference in flavor, texture, and visual appearance between a 14 month and a 36 month piece of cheese. 

After a couple hours eating, discussing, and analyzing Parmigiano Reggiano I have a new respect, understanding, and inquisitiveness about The King of Italian Cheeses and the vast kingdom of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Just as I never take Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley for granted, I will never take another purchase of Parmigiano Reggiano for granted either.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

Side by Side Wine Pairing, Charleston

It seems appropriate the day before Thanksgiving to publish this story about a night amongst friends in Charleston, SC. A great night at a great home.

Not that The Week that Was: Charleston, SC wasn’t anything but non-stop nights to remember, the exclusive Side-by-Side dinner pairing a vertical of three of my wines, Heritage, Double Barrel and Blueprint with the Insanely Good (oh ya, that’s trademarked) cuisine of Chef Brett McKee was certainly the night never to be forgotten.

The second I walked through the front-door of the Kingsland and Rebie Bland’s home, I was struck with energy. I’ve been to enough dinners over the years and plenty of homes to know when an event has spark, action, a vibe about the room; this was one of those nights.

It’s collective and contagious energy. Margaret, my host since day one in Charleston, exudes energy. Bill Lehew is one of the most positive guys I know. I instantly felt a sense of elation as Rebie welcomed me into her home and I was greeted with a glass of my own wine from her husband Kingsland.

(A quick post script: Flash forward to October 27 in Healdsburg. Bill, Margaret, Rebie, Kingsland and I were all at dinner together at Chalkboard and we picked up where we left off in Charleston, sharing food, stories, and a little bit of wine; a genuinely great group of people to be with.)

But the vibe doesn’t end there. Because I haven’t met Chef McKee. Chef McKee was born and raised in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York. He graduated first in his class from the New York Restaurant School and first established himself in Charleston in 1989. He went on to open Brett’s and Brett’s at Wickliffe House, as well as Oak Steakhouse, recognized by the New York Times, Bon Appetit and Esquire Magazine.  He walked away from the restaurant business to start his own brand, Insanely Good.

Chef McKee lived up to his persona; gregarious, chummy, professional, an imposing figure but not intimidating, experienced but not arrogant. The kind of guy who has got your back and the first to tell you you’re saucing his duck improperly.

I received the world-wind tour of the cuisine and the kitchen. I also was introduced to the individuals assisting Chef McKee that evening. Everyone is positive, upbeat, looking forward to the next couple of hours.

As we dined, the positive rhythm of the evening continued throughout dinner. Courses of food and wine easily flowed from kitchen to table, bottle to glass. The guests naturally gravitated to the kitchen at the conclusion of dessert for another glass of wine and more conversation.

This is the last story of The Week that Was: Charleston, but certainly not my last trip to visit fine friends from the Palmetto State.

 

Inaugural East Side Family Style Supper

An enjoyable evening with new friends at the McGee Creek Lodge Family Style Supper at Crowley Lake. Carruth Cellars and Mastro Scheidt Family Cellars wines were being poured to a full-house of locals, friends and family. We at Mastro Scheidt were honored to be included at the inaugural dinner.

Four courses, plus a cheese course were on the menu, leading off with a roasted red pepper soup and mixed green salad; followed up by a Greek style mixed cous cous, roasted flat bread and shrimp medley and fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert. Each of the courses was scratch made and show off Elizabeth McGuire's belief that cooking fresh translates into eating well. Bright, fresh flavors without heaviness exemplify Elizabeth’s cooking.

A bold statement, to mix feta cheese with shrimp in a tomato base as a main course backed up with cous cous; the feta added mouth-feel and body when combined with the flat bread (and the spoon I used to scoop up the feta/tomato/shrimp  mixture). Elizabeth’s main course of shrimp was an deft interpretation to a classic Greek Kakavia, substituting feta cheese for potatoes to create a satisfying complete meal.

And yes, even to Red Wine Purists like me, shrimp and feta in a hearty tomato sauce paired just fine with two of my 2011 Cabernet’s, Signature and Generations. Why? A conceit, yes, but my wines have lower alcohol and a better acid balance to pair with a wider variety of foods than many wines on the market today.

I really enjoyed winemaker Adam Carruth's, Carruth Cellars 2012 Sauvignon Blanc both before and during my meal; hints of tropical fruit and refreshing citrus notes accented the refreshing wine.

I look forward to my next visit to the East Side and my next Family Style Supper! Thanks again to Elizabeth, Scott and their staff for a great evening.

CJ's Grill...Full Time in Mammoth Lakes

I spent an evening and a day with the proprietors, chef, expo, expeditor, server, host, wife, husband, father, and mother, of CJ’s Grill in Mammoth Lakes. Carrie and Jason Hoeltzel.

Why all the preceding titles? Because when you take in all of the things Carrie and Jason have to do during the day, I begin to question if I’m working hard enough?!

Being a mother or father of two children is a full time job. Having to work the floor or cook in a restaurant is ANOTHER full time job. So when I dropped by the Mammoth Farmer’s Market at 4:00pm and ran in to Carrie managing the booth for CJ’s homemade sauces and dressings, WITH an infant, only to find out that Carrie will then be running the Expo at the restaurant by 6:30pm AND considering I kept her up till closing the night before, I was beginning to wonder if she had a twin sister in town.

Meanwhile, Jason was already manning the kitchen for lunch and dinner that day. I stopped in just around the start of dinner service on the second day I was in town to watch the action and get behind the scenes of a local Mammoth favorite.

The evening before, I sampled several dishes, the smoked Alpers trout mousse, Caesar salad, and their 3 1/2 year old's favorite Mac and Cheese. Although their son recommended a hot dog with my Mac, I opted for the more grown up filet to top mine.

I was particularly interested in the Alpers trout mousse, as it was be featured in our combined Trout Seminar and Wine Pairing at the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience. Whether it's called a dip, pate', spread, or mousse, what I wanted to get to was the flavor. Pureed to a smooth consistency, the mid palate has an obvious, light sweet smoke flavor; while the back palate has a hint of heat from the cajun style seasoning Jason applies to the trout.

Naturally, my mind wanders to..."I could use this trout flavor profile to stuff in ravioli and finish with a tomato vodka cream sauce"...but I digress.

Jason and Carrie emphasize their committment to making scratch sauces, dressings, and dips. Mac and Cheese Sauce...scratch made. Caesar dressing...scratch. BBQ Sauce...scratch. These were the sauces and dressings that Carrie was selling at the Mammoth Farmer's Market earlier that day.

I can say with certainty, trusting Jason and Carrie's son was a good idea. My Mac and Cheese was cheesy and the pasta was cooked properly. It's a generous portion for me, a mountain size portion of Mac. 

In addition to emphasizing scratch sauces and dressings, desserts are also made in-house, including various ice cream flavors. As I was dining toward the end of service, much of what CJ's sells is often sold out before the end of an evening, only to be prepared the next day. 

I'm still awed by all the things Jason and Carrie are doing as a team, as a couple, as a Chef and Front-of-House Manager. The restaurant business isn't easy, having two young children isn't easy. Being a wife/husband/mother/father/chef/owner isn't easy.

But maybe that's the point, if it was easy, anyone could do it.

Carrie and Jason aren't just anyone...they're amazing!

CJ's Grill

343 Old Mammoth Road

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

760.934.3077

Arrived in Mammoth Lakes

Dispatch....Mammoth Lakes, California....July 3, 2013

The 2013 Mammoth Food and Wine Experience kicks off tomorrow and everyone at Mastro Scheidt is looking forward to it.

Our winemaker, David Scheidt, is already on the ground doing exactly what you'd expect him to be doing...eating and talking with chefs.

Last night, David dined with Carrie and Jason Hoeltzel of CJ Grill. In fact, we started dinner, appropriately, with a Fritz Rose'. Jason and David are speaking together at the Mammoth Experience on Friday for the seminar: Everything You Wanted to Know About Trout But Were Afraid to Ask.  I'm sure David will be snapping some photos of Chef Jason in action this weekend.

Jason will be leading the cooking demo, while David will be pairing some of his favorite wines from Dry Creek and Russian River Valley with Chef Jason's trout creations....such as:

Jim Rickards Aglianico/Syrah Rose 2012

Philip Staley Duet 2012

Forth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Roadhouse Pinot Noir Yellow Label 2011

Tehachapi Chili Cookoff

It's Father's Day Weekend, so Tom and David Scheidt are hitting the road to compete in the 2013 Tehachapi Chili Cookoff and Classic Car Show.

We've got tough competition, as our friend Jim Cyr is also competing! And from what I've been told...Jim cooks up a mean batch of chili.

Regardless of the outcome, we're looking forward to heading to Tehachapi and joining in on the fun, food, and festivities for Father's Day Weekend.

Mastro Scheidt Carnevale Dinner

After two solid days of preparation, the entire Mastro Scheidt Family pulled off a private Carnevale dinner, celebrating the "end of meat" just before the Easter Season.

The private dinner included nine (9) courses for each of the 12 guests. Wines were paired with each course, including our favorite Chardonnay from Bacigalupi Vineyards and a wine from David's personal cellar, a 2002 Rafanelli Zinfandel.

 

Sourcing the ingredients, like Community Grains polenta, Marin Sun Farms pork belly, ox tails, bone marrow, and veal, not to mention all the cheeses (yes, you Emily, they loved the Red Hawk) and various mushrooms was great fun. 

John ran the front of house the entire evening and took care of all the wine service. My father made his first ever chocolate mousse (he learned how to "fold" properly) and made sure my outside kitchen stayed busy, and my mother interacted with each of the guests from beginning to end. Additionally, friends of my parents helped expedite and clean during the entire service and were crucial to the evening. Many thanks to them.

Naturally, I'd like to thank our gracious hosts and each of the guests for their participation, enthusiasm, and healthy appetites.

School House Restaurant...at The Pass

When Michelle Jackson, wife of Chef Ryan Jackson, asked me to work the floor on a busy Friday night at the School House Restaurant in Sanger, it was an easy "Yes". 

I've worked the floor at restaurants before. 

Working in the the front-of-the-house at a restaurant gives a diner an entirely different perspective on food, the restaurant experience, and the passage of time.

However, witnessing "The Pass" at a restaurant, the area where food passes from the kitchen to the dining area, lives in a yet undefined Einstein space-time reality. The Pass is a different world and perceived at a different time than the rest of the restaurant.

As I poured wine that evening, I stood next to The Pass and Chef Ryan every chance I got. I love the action, the commentary, the sense of place.

Patrons in the main dining room simply see food coming to them in the hands of their server, never the various combinations of "how" their order actual gets to them. The server sees the pass often as a gridlock, with their tables never quite coming out fast enough. The kitchen just sees order after order, hopefully uninfluenced by the servers as to what order is taken first or grouped with others.

Finally, there is the individual running The Pass. Sometimes it's the Executive Chef, sometimes it's a restaurant manager, sometimes a Sous Chef, sometimes an owner/partner. It's not an easy job. The Pass has to recognize each dish on the menu, checking for consistency. The Pass must understand the flow of the restaurant and how quickly customers are eating, ordering, arriving, and departing. The Pass must understand the temperament of the servers, who panics, who pads times, who is in control. The Pass must find a formula outside of Einstein's space-time that brings every element of the restaurant together to say, "Table 48 is ready to be served."

It's obvious that a successful restaurant needs to be busy. The Pass helps control the fine line between busy and chaos. Having consistently well-prepared food is why customers go out to eat. But a steak left to long in the window can turn a great steak into a cold steak. Once again The Pass has to make hundreds of judgement calls a night; sometimes 7 nights a week. The Pass puts together skills from both the front and back of house, like no other position in the restaurant.

Many thanks to Ryan and Michelle Jackson and everyone who has supported Mastro Scheidt wines at the School House Restaurant.

And here's to the industry people that run The Pass!

Cial’edd in Dialect or Panzanella Salad to others

I love summer. I love tomatoes. I love bread. 

Cial'edd is one of my favorite dishes to assemble. I didn't say cook, because there is nothing to cook. One of the most simple preparations around.

Cut fresh, garden ripe tomatoes. Tear a handful of fresh basil. Use day-old bread and rip it into pieces. Add a hint of salt, a copious amount of olive oil, a dash of red wine vinegar, a few slices of Pecorino and toss the whole thing through. Wait about 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together and serve.

Welcome to summer!

Hostage Sauvignon Blanc and Mastro Scheidt Cabernet Team Up

Only two wines were featured at an exclusive dinner party of 100 guests; Mastro Scheidt Proprietor's Reserve 2007 and Hostage Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2011.

Personally, I was pleased with being able to recommend the Sauvignon Blanc from Hostage. I only met Jeremiah and Elizabeth about a year ago at a blind wine tasting group in Healdsburg. Jeremiah's no-nonsense style of evaluating the wines he was tasting was similar to mine, up-front and blunt. Elizabeth's evaluation was deeper, less given to whim or her "first sip".

So when I finally tasted their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, my initial reaction was one of delight. This is really tasty! But it was more than that. This is the style and type of Sauvignon Blanc I remember drinking years ago, before we were inundated with Kiwi Blanc. I'd almost forgotten how good a Sauvignon Blanc from California could taste on a 90 degree day. How complementary it could be with food, rather than just a pre-dinner wine.

The Hostage Sauvignon Blanc was an expression of both the up-front, no-nonsense style from Jeremiah and the complexity from Elizabeth.

It got me thinking about Sauvignon Blanc again and that's why I recommend it.

Here is a little background on the wine. Paraphrasing a bit from their website, Jeremiah and Elizabeth purchased a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc, called Sauvignon Musqué, from a vineyard in the Russian River Valley Appellation. This particular clone has to be picked at optimal maturity in order to capture its incredible tropical aromas and flavors. On a cold morning, right before a storm rolled in, we harvested the fruit and put it straight into the press. From there, we racked the juice into neutral French oak barrels to ferment. It remained in barrel until bottling last February. 

www.hostagewines.com

Ricchiuti Family Farms Enzo Olive Oil

From deeply flavored beef cheek ravioli to tuna conserva salad with strong red wine vinegar (we make our own vinegar) to an olive oil cake, we put the Ricchiuti Enzo olive oil through its paces in the Mastro Scheidt kitchens. I purchased my Enzo Olive Oil from Sam's Deli in Fresno. Thanks Nick for carrying the product.

The beef cheeks were one of the first dishes I made with the Enzo. Beef cheeks have a lot of flavor and I seasoned them with probably 30 fresh sage leaves and a full fist of fresh thyme. While I didn’t add any olive oil to the searing process before braising, I used grapeseed oil, I did finish my beef cheek stuffed ravioli with a drizzle of fresh, uncooked Enzo oil. The results were solid. The flavor of the oil is still present and not simply masked as background fat. Part of that result is from not overstuffing the ravioli with meat, but rather allowing the pasta dough to show through and adding olive oil and fresh grana as condiments or complements to the dish. (Pictured:Beef cheek before being stuffed into pasta)

In a dish that is more reliant upon the flavor of the oil, the tuna and white bean salad with pickled red onions, the flavor of the oil needs to be more pronounced and the Enzo shows through with a slightly peppery back palate. The Enzo helped round out the dish, bringing the flavors together. As I did not pepper the dish, I expected the Enzo to give me the black pepper finish, that "bite" one expects from fresh press, extra virgin olive oil. I believe proper cooking is about balance, not a singular, over-the-top flavor showing through. Although parmigiano reggiano by itself is pretty damn good.

A third test was the use of the Enzo in an olive oil cake. I’ve never made olive oil cake before; I’m not a huge baker. However, olive oil cake was pretty straightforward. As long as baking reminds me that making cornbread is technically baking, I can usually handle it. I did have a couple aces up my sleeve, my special Vero Lucaro baking flour and Ventura Limoncello.

 

I used over ¾ cup of olive oil for the recipe. I’m a regular butter user, rather than olive oil so I was a bit worried about the outcome honestly. So rather than eat an entire olive oil cake by myself, I brought it over to my aunt’s house, where my mother, grandmother, and great-aunt could also try the cake. The cake went over as a big success.

I know, I know, having your 100% Italian mother and relatives judge a food product is like stacking the deck. I can assure you that if the product wasn’t prepared right, I would have heard things like, “this is nice Dave”. Since I didn’t hear any talking, only eating and my aunt making more coffee to eat with this sweet olive oil cake, I figured I’d cooked it properly.

 

The only comment I heard was, “This cake is really yellow and rich. How much butter and egg did you use?” So I took that as, olive oil cake doesn’t have an olive or worse yet, greasy flavor. After explaining how much olive oil was put in the cake, my grandma and great-aunt took over the conversation, saying that when they grew up in Fresno (think 1920’s here), their parents used olive oil for all the baking. As long as the olive oil was of “good quality, it should taste good”. So don’t take my word for it, take Grandma and my Aunt’s word for it…they’ve been cooking longer than I have.

And finally in a simple taste test of local oils, Bari (not pictured), 13 Acres, Casa Rosa, and The Ricchiuti Enzo my impromptu panel commented that the Enzo had a broad range of flavor from initially smooth to a peppery finish. The 13 Vines was clearly the most buttery of the oils, while Casa Rosa by far the most peppery.  Bari rated as a solid overall oil, not too strong, not too light; sort of Goldilocks in character.

Taking a product through its paces, like the Enzo from Ricchiuti, was a lot of fun. I am generally using between 3-5 olive oils at one time. I like the flavors, the differences, the seasonal changes. Regional Italian cuisine deserves, it demands, different styles of olive oil. The Central Valley of California just as Italy, has many different local and regional characteristics. From the pure “butter-like” flavor of 13 Acres to the more diverse range of flavors with the Enzo, the oil one uses should complement the dish.

I’m pleased to have the Ricchiuti Family Enzo olive oil in my kitchen at all times…I just need them to sell the old-school 3 liter tin! 

 

Pigs & Pinot 2012, Healdsburg

One of the premier, if not THE premier event in Healdsburg, is Charlie Palmer's Pigs & Pinot. Local chefs and several guest chefs participate in the event each year. I was fortunate enough to attend this year and brought home some of the food in pictures.

Scopa's Bruschetta

Zin Restaurant and Jeff Mall's Ham

Diavola and Dino Bugica's Blood Sausage

D.Scheidt Backyard Garden 2012

Let's get something clear...I hate yard work.

Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, raking the other neighbor's leaves and pine needles pretty much all sucks. The smell of freshly cut grass does nothing for me because I can't smell it over the lawn mower exhaust to begin with. If I want to smell freshly cut grass, I'll open a bottle of Sav Blanc.

However, I'm willing to put in good labor for fruit. Makes sense, I make wine. So I'm willing to put in whatever effort it takes to have great tomatoes all summer long. I'm reasonably hard-core about NOT buying tomatoes in December or any other month in California other than the summer months. Canned tomatoes are just fine for sauces and stews in the winter anyway.

So planting 18 tomato plants this season, along with 4 basil plants, should allow me to get my fix in for the season. For those that care, I have included a diagram of the plantings as well as a picture of the garden area. The other two trees on the right are Apricot and Orange. The Apricot tree has bloomed and I will take measures to eliminate any bird/critter threats to my plants and trees.

8 Guests, 8 Courses, 8 Wines

It was such a pleasure to get into the kitchen with Chef Tommy Chavez again. It was a fun night, but certainly not an easy one. Everything was cooked to order and from scratch. I even baked fresh fennel bread for the event. Chef Tommy and I were challenged by the glass cook top (not induction), but it was 10 times easier to clean up after than a gas range. Otherwise, things moved quickly and smoothly.

Long-time friend John Marihart made sure our eight special guests always had their glasses filled, their plates cleared, stemware polished and of course, gave the kitchen feedback on how the evening was progressing. Special thanks to Falina Marihart for taking all the pictures that night, cleaning dishes, utencils, stemware, and tasting all of our food before it was sent out. Non-stop for everyone and everyone did their part to make sure our guests had a great evening.

For your viewing pleasure, we've attached a slide show below, a brief history of the evening in the kitchen.

We would like to thank everyone who was a part of a wonderful night of food, wine, and celebration. Here's the menu and the wines for the event (And yes, I favored some Dry Creek Valley reds that night, but I'm biased). The Gruet, the only non-California wine, was served because one of our guests has a special connection to New Mexico. I have links to all of the wines and the wineries in the menu below, just hover over the wine for the link.

CRAB CAKES

CREOLE MUSTARD BUTTER SAUCE, DRESSED GREENS

Gruet, New Mexico Blanc de Noirs NV

 

 ESCARGOT MAITRE’ D

GARLIC HERB BUTTER, GRILLED CROSTINI

Caymus 2010 Conundrum White

 

 BLACKENED BEEF

WHITE GRITS, TOMATILLO SALSA, FRESH LIME, CILANTRO

Caymus 2009 Conundrum Red

 

SPINACH SALAD

CANDIED PECANS, GOAT CHEESE, STRAWBERRIES, RUM VINAIGRETTE

Pine Ridge 2010 Chenin Blanc/Viognier

 

HAND-MADE RAVIOLI

RICOTTA, PROSCUITTO, PINE NUTS, GRANA, OLIVE OIL/BUTTER

Lago di Merlo 2009 Dry Creek Valley Sangiovese

 

CREOLE BBQ SALMON

SWEET POTATO PUREE, HOUSE MADE CREOLE BBQ SAUCE, GREEN BEANS

A. Rafanelli 2004 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

 

FILET DIANE

COGNAC MUSHROOM SAUCE, BACON ROASTED POTATOES, CREAMED SPINACH

Mastro Scheidt 2007 Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

 

TOMMY’S SIGNATURE BREAD PUDDING

WARM PRALINE SAUCE, BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

Windwalker 2001 Orange Muscat