Text 7542, 109 rader
Skriven 2006-11-13 21:19:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Sunday's dinner
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I had a most delightful birthday present: a gourmet dinner prepared at
my home for me by good friends. They arrived early and brought
everything they needed for the meal together with a trio of most
wonderful wines.

I provided some nibbles to sustain them as they worked. Blue corn chips,
salsa, assorted crackers and cheeses, vegetable crudities and dips,
pickled this and that, smoked oysters and pickled mussels. These
strongly flavoured snacks needed an assertive wine so I dipped into my
Edmonton cases and picked out a 2004 Willm Gewurztraminer, which was
just the first of four bottles consumed that day, as Lori and Kevin had
brought 3 more from their cellar.

My Gewurzt may have been the most expensive wine from my Edmonton
excursion but it was the most modest one of the day. (L&K are founding
members of the YK wine club, attend biweekly tastings and lectures and
purchase their favourite discoveries by the case.) Mine was a typical
one: golden yellow with coppery tones, pungent and spicy, with a heady,
perfumey scent, full bodied, and a slight bitterness beneath the
sweetness of the residual sugar. It was not as glorious as some of the
other Gewurztraminers that Kevin has brought here before but quite
drinkable all the same.

The first course, my only contribution, was a bean salad: white kidney
beans, hot and sweet red and green peppers, celery, onion, scallion
greens, and parsley with an olive oil and lime juice vinaigrette.

We had with it a 2004 Don Reca (from Chile) limited release Chardonnay:
medium straw colour, aromas of ripe fruit, citrus, green apples and
vanilla, an intense palate tropical fruit and green apples, some oak,
a honey and creamy texture, long finish. It stood up to the strong
flavours and the acid of the salad rather well.

Roslind roasted a stuffed pork loin with bread cubes, fat sausage meat,
lime and thyme for the dressing. The loin was rubbed with peanut oil,
dusted with salt and pepper, seared in a 500 oven and finished slowly at
225 with occasional basting. She took it to 150 on the meat probe.

K&L constructed complex little squash tarts to go with: deep pastry
shells in individual ramekins, previously blind baked, then filled with
layers of caramelized onions (previously prepared), spiced squash puree
(lots of nutmeg and white pepper, previously prepared), a peppercorn
maple syrup glaze and finally crumbled blue cheese. I was dubious about
this mix of flavours when I watched them being assembled but they turned
out to be divine. We had nibbles of that blue cheese at the beginning
with the other snacks, on the tarts and later with the second salad, I
snuck a bit more. I didn't catch the name of the cheese or even what
country it came from but I must find out; it was the tastiest blue I
have ever had, very rich and creamy.

They also roasted some red peppers and did up a zesty potato dish: baby
red potatoes, boiled skin on, partially smashed but still quite chunky
with a wasabi, chile and sesame oil infused butter.

With the main course we had what K&L described as a hidden gem of the
Bordeaux: Chateau Guadet-Saint-Julien. It's a traditional style Saint
Emilion - not as big or rich as current fashion dictates, but rather
elegant and fruity.

I learned that Saint Emilion has its own classification system with two
chateaux ranked as premier grand cru class A then 11 others ranked
premier grand cru class B followed by 55 grand cru class houses on
the next level and then 600 other growers. Chateau Guadet-Saint-Julien
lost its grand cru status, then recently regained it but it is still
selling for less than the 54 other grand cru houses.

Made of about 75 percent Merlot and 25 percent Cabernet Franc, it was
fresh and fruity, not big and overbearing like many other wines in
fashion today. Delicate enough to go with pork. The colour was violet
but not dark. Floral and spice notes dominated. Pleasant notes of
cinnamon, cherry and plum emerged. It is perhaps the nicest red I've had
the pleasure to drink. You have to love friends like that!

The third course was another salad assembled by K&L: caramelized pecans
and roast pear slices over baby greens with a maple syrup vinaigrette.
As mentioned, I had some more blue cheese with mine, as well as the
dregs of the Gewurztraminer.

For dessert L&K assembled a pavlova which was notable for its soft,
chewy meringue not the crispy crunchy kind I am familiar with. Lori said
it was vinegar in the meringue that caused that texture.

For afters, sips from a half bottle of Casa Nueva (from Chile again)
Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Delightful! As I said it's nice to have
friends like this. Golden yellow with amber tones. A rich nose of ripe
fruit, papaya, peach, apricot, hints of honey. Kevin found quince. The
taste was intense and fruity with honey pervading through the long
finish with a delicate background of botrytis. Very full bodied and
quite sweet yet acid enough to be palate cleansing and refreshing after
a big dessert. We still have 2/3 of that half bottle for a future treat.

It's rare that I have 3 1/2 bottles of wine for a dinner for four, even
one lasting 5 hours so I got quite mellow towards the end.

I must call them and ask for the name of that blue cheese!



Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




... BEGONE, foul pachyderms!!! <hic>
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