If you seek shelter...

Return of the lobster roll

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Of course we had to order some lobster roll the moment we arrived in Maine.  In comparison to our previous lobster roll in Rhode Island, the Maine style is apparently to keep the preparation of the meat fairly minimal.  In the case of Red's Eats, whence these behemoths were birthed, there is absolutely none - just some clarified butter or mayo on the side to go with huge and heavy chunks of unadulterated lobster meat.

 

The simpler things in life

As summer fades away, I am reminded of our time in Provence, a profoundly magical place where the morning air is sweet with the scent of burning firewood and the only weeds you will see in the fields are thyme, rosemary and lavender.

It was great to drive around and explore, but some of the most memorable moments were at (or close to) home.

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Lobster rolling in Jamestown

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Despite having spent four years living in Rhode Island, I have not gotten around to exploring it much.  So when our friends decided to have their wedding in Little Compton, we took the opportunity to spend a weekend in the Ocean State.

Here are some photos from Jamestown, a sleepy seaside alternative to the hustle of Newport.  At the recommendation of a friend, we stopped by The Village Hearth Bakery & Cafe for some delicious pastries and lobster roll.  Now, I don't claim to be an expert in lobster roll construction, but they did this one right with a butter brioche bun and nice chunky pieces of lobster.

I'm hungry.

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Imbibing birthday beverages in Brooklyn brownstone. Booyah.

Last weekend Liz made an excellent dinner to celebrate the ol' birthday with my side of the family.  It was also a great opportunity to taste some very nice wines.

Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of the dishes, but here are some labels with their pairings.

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Appetizers:

Pairing:
Joh. Jos. Prüm, Bernkasteler Badstube, Riesling Kabinett, 2008 (8.5% abv)

J.J. Prüm is one of the classic producers in the Mosel/Saar/Ruwer, and one of my no-brainer picks for quality Riesling.  These days, with global warming, it is hard to find a bad Riesling coming from Germany, but good ol' J.J. manages to rise to the upper echelon of winemakers in the region.  It also doesn't hurt that this particular bottle was made from grapes grown in what some would argue to be the best vineyard site in the Mosel.

I was instantly struck by the complexity of aromas, ranging from the citrus/mineral side of the spectrum, to the tropical/peach arena, to the grassy/floral/herbal range.  As I took a sip, it actually punched me in the face.  And I liked it.  My mouth exploded with a bone-crushing, cavity-inducing acidity that was balanced by a bright level of residual sugar and a length that did not stop to ask for mercy.  This wine has everything going for it, and I would be interested to see how it matures over several years.

All in all, an excellent aperitif.  The acidity provided a nice backbone to the tomato, orange and beets and the fresh grassy elements also complemented the anise scented fennel quite well.
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Main Dish:

Pairing:
Belugado Reserve, Châteauneuf du Pape, 2005 (15% abv)

After our trip to Provence last fall we managed to bring back a couple bottles, so when Liz mentioned that she was cooking lamb I instantly seized the opportunity to dip into the cellar.  Well, more like tiny wine refrigerator.  Unlike most wines from Châteauneuf du Pape, which are a blend of grapes (usually Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, but can be any of thirteen varieties), this wine is made of 100% Grenache, following in the tradition made famous by Chateau Rayas.

The Grenache instantly made itself known from the start, with a very spicy nose and red cherry scent.  Some darker aromas like chocolate, tobacco and coffee were apparent as well, providing some nice contrast.  On the palate, the spiciness was still intact and lasted for quite some time through the finish.  I think the timing on opening this bottle was spot-on, as it was still alive and vibrant - all the developing notes were there, but the fruit had not yet been completely beaten down.  The spiciness and dark complexity of Grenache provided a nice counterpoint to the herb-infused lamb and vegetables.
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Dessert:

Pairing:
Gianni Doglia, Moscato d'Asti, 2009 (5% abv)

Moscato d'Asti is a great way to end a meal.  The fresh effervescence works as a great palate cleanser, and the sweetness and low alcohol form a beautiful closing parenthesis to the phrase of a meal.  This particular Moscato really stood out, with the classic ripe peach aromas leaping out of the glass.  For a fairly straightforward varietal, this wine actually had some depth to it and a very nice length that complemented the berries and mascarpone in good fashion.

Seoul food

One thing that sets many Asian cities apart from New York is their highly evolved street food culture.

Sure, Calexico and some of the Halal carts are great, but you would be hard pressed to find a block with a consecutive string of food stands to choose from, each specializing in a different dish.  It was hard to walk around Seoul without passing by a food cart (or several).  They run at all hours and are very reasonably priced - you can eat a satisfying meal for under $3.

Some tasty dishes you might find: ddukbokki (spicy rice cake), kimbap (rolls, like futomaki), soondae (Korean black sausage), teegim (breaded fried things, like tempura), hoddeok (honey-filled Korean pancake), boonguh bbang (hot-pressed red-bean pastries shaped like fish)

Here are some photos of carts that we came across in Sinchon (pronounced sheen-chon).  Taken "from the hip," so to speak.

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A currant affair

Currants are a common aroma/flavor descriptor in wine tasting notes, the classic example being black currant and Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, they are not easy to come by, at least in my experience.  Which made it all the more exciting when my wife brought home a pack of white currants from Assi Plaza.

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The juicy little morsels looked delectable and somehow reminded me of the mistletoe tree berries that grew in our front yard growing up.  Little did I know that I would be ambushed by an instantly sharp acidic bite, invoking a serious pucker.  The tangy juice content was not so much refreshing as plain painful.  The texture of the seeds was interesting in that they were soft enough to chew, but left an incredibly tannic residue, leaving my innocent tongue abused and battered.  This is not to say I did not enjoy them, but I do believe they would work better cooked, as an accent to a dish or in some form of baked good.

The flavor profile is easily comparable to Aligoté, the less noble white wine variety found in Burgundy, France.  In my opinion an excellent wine with great values to be found.  I would pair this with white fish and anything that comes with a lemon to squeeze onto.  Aligoté could work wonders with Mexican food on a hot summer day.  Yum.