excuse me while I slip into something a little more comfortable
February 24th, 2009 § 1 Comment
I finally went to pick up the 2007 Sinister Hand today, which I found out now can come with a fancy accessory. I’m not talking about a top-of-the-line corkscrew or wine glass identification rings. No, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about clothing apparel for your bottle. In this case, a guayabera. Of course this really comes in handy if your vino is a blush (which it most likely is not,) but other varieties could be prone to shyness and modesty, too.
I have always associated this popular men's shirt with Cuba, but apparently Mexico also claims the garment's origin.
Matthew Perry (again, not who you think) at Wolfe’s on the Mile tells me the pint-sized replicas, including the tiny straw sombrero, are the brainchild of young entrepreneur Oscar Cepero who popped into the store one day shopping his wares. He sources the product himself from China, and apparently they are flying off the shelf like hot cakes. They add a surprising cute-factor, a case of bottle personification recalling the likes of Mr. Potato Head. And you and your company can partake in a laugh or two, even before the drinking begins, making it a recession-appropriate party favor. So will haute bottle couture be next? I won’t be holding my breath.
$8 at Wolfe's Wine Shoppe on the Mile.
Mrs. O’s kitchen interview
February 24th, 2009 § 1 Comment
On Sunday, we got a peek into the new First Kitchen as the White House prepared for its first official dinner. Apropos, perhaps. An eclectic sampling of Obama family favorites (not on the menu that night) are reported to include “mean batch[es] of fries,” waffles for breakfast and foods grown locally with sustainable farming practices. It sounds like that kitchen, said to be “tiny,” turns things out with the panache and payload of a swanky cruise liner. Bravo. I guess you have to when it’s the leader of the free world’s sustenance at stake. The article Marian Burros filed nicely sums up the in-kitchen press event which, it seems, is also another first. So is it bay or sea scallops you prefer, Mr. President?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/us/politics/23dinner.html?ref=us
test kitchen
February 23rd, 2009 § Leave a Comment
My digital audio recorder got a test drive this evening in the kitchen. It’s a nifty little thing that my iPod nano plugs into and was easy enough to operate, capturing what we were doing both in voice and the chopsizzlestir of cooking sounds. Feeling healthy and lazy, we made grilled chicken with vegetable quinoa bowls. They’re in our tummies, and the audio’s in the editing room right now. Ha.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a grain that is boiled and fluffed in a similar fashion to couscous, but with a nuttier flavor and appealing texture, that I like even a little al dente.
We made this version using chicken stock, to add a savory layer of richness. Fresh zucchini was sliced length-wise down the center and grilled with spears of fennel of about the same thickness, to ensure even cooking. We just drizzled them with good extra virgin olive oil, plus a pinch of salt and a few turns of cracked pepper, before throwing them on. While they grilled, diced shallots were caramelized in a sautee pan and added to the eventually cooked quinoa.
- Nice grill marks meant it was time to pull the veg from the grill. We chopped nice large pieces to fold into the grain/shallot mixture and didn’t want them to turn to mush.
A little freshly-snipped chive and thyme from the pot outside, and voila. The gourmet in me sneered as some extra steamed veg jumped in for good measure.
