Amuse Bouche

45

....Happy Birthday to me.

The makings of birthday dinner. 

Keith, if you are reading, this Sauternes is the one you sent about 10 years ago with the lovely basket of Foie Gras.  I've held on to it all this time and I figured what the hell, I'm turning 45, I'm buying a cooking school*, it's time to crack the bottle, and yes, I left the dust on the bottle as it adds to the character!  The foie I bought myself as a present.  Note the 'A'. Don't worry, it's not ALL for dinner, there will be a few preparations, but dinner will be grapes soaked in the Sauternes with seared foie and a salad and I shall sip more of that wine.  Simple.  Beautiful.

And nothing makes a girl happier than a stack of reading and listening from friends and family.  Pretty  hard to tear myself away and head to work!

*What?  I forgot to mention I was buying a cooking school.  More on that later kiddies, I'm off to Russo's for grapes.

vinodivino

I wandered out today to pick up the ingredients that I needed to make my 'homework'.  This week in Basics II it was part II of eggs and souffles were the agenda.  Since I did mine (Souffle de crevette with a Mousseline Hollandaise)  in class on Tuesday with a partner we divided the tasks and I thought it would be good if I tried one start to finish. 

I started out at the Whole Foods over on Beacon St. and picked up all my ingredients.  I was debating having the champagne already chilling in my fridge with my homework when I noticed the new wine store across the street had opened.

Gavi

Now 99% of the time I am a red girl. It's just my favourite.
However there are a few white's I enjoy. Lately I have been stuck on Gavi. Gavi is an Italian white from the Piedmont region made generally with a grape called Cortese. They are fruity and delicious but NOT sweet.

They run around $12 - $15 a bottle for a decent Gavi.

Two that I have liked are:

2002 del commune di Bersano Gavi
2001 Marchesi di Barolo

Beverage of Choice

Tonight beverage of choice with the duck was:
2000 Terra Noble Gran Reserva Carmenere. Maule Valley State, Chile

It stands up very nicely to things with a kick. Smoky and fruity all at once.