Happy Birthday to Me + Music Monday

Today is my 29th birthday! Since having a birthday on a Monday is really not festive at all, we decided celebrate it on Saturday instead. Big Chuck and I started the day by heading out to our favourite market and visiting our friends at the Italian table. Oh how I wish we had learned Italian instead of German (no offense to anyone who speaks/loves deutsch, but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from). We bought some prosciutto, funghi antipasti, and mortadella, our friend even threw in a focaccia bread on the house/stand. Then we walked down to the flower part of the market and bought those gorgeous pink tulips you see in the photo. They are in our living room and every time I walk by them I exclaim, "they are soooo beautiful!" I can't help myself. After a winter of grey days and damp weather it's the most joyful thing in the world to have a bunch of fresh flowers in the house.

Saturday night Big Chuck, our good friend the Guerilla Gourmand, and I, went out for a really fabulous meal at Hidori, a japanese restaurant here in Vienna. Our friend, the g.g., made me the most beautiful handmade book. She printed out the entire text of Romeo & Juliet and hand bound the entire book herself. She wrote a really sweet inscription in the front that I must say brought a few birthday tears to my eyes. I have never had a handmade book before and love it so much. (thanks g.g.)

I'm so happy to be turning 29, it took a little while to get over the "one more year to 30" shock, but I'm convinced the year ahead is going to be a great one.

Have a happy Monday,

bess

Oh yes, Music Monday! Don't worry, I didn't forget...

(photos: Bess Callard)

Recipe cards

I was working on a little birthday surprise for a friend yesterday, you may know her, the Guerilla Gourmand?? Yes, it was her birthday yesterday and we celebrated with a little ice cream and walk by the river. I also gifted her my new recipe cards. Perfect for the international chef! I'm thinking of putting them in the English Muffin shop, what do ya think?

(designs by English Muffin)

Darjeeling Tea: Which type are you?

Tea Party with Mr. Boris

Today, English Muffin's guest blogger, The Guerilla Gourmand, has a wonderful and as always, educational, post on tea. Read on to find out about her time living and drinking tea in Paris and to discover, "which type are you?".

Ten years ago, I lived and studied in the heart of Paris. Paris has the energy and creativity of New York City but at the time it still had a sit-down-and-drink-your-coffee café culture. How ironic, then, that this is where I fell in love with tea.

I was taking a walk down the Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter, a bustling market street that sort of winds itself down a hillside. Down I went, where I came across the tiny establishment, Café Marc.

Again, ironically, this little place is known more as a coffee roaster than for teas. Nevertheless, it was time for a break, and so I decided to try a cup of the most expensive Darjeeling they had, just to see whether I could taste any difference between the First Flush Darjeeling and the Twinings Darjeeling in the purple packet available at the supermarket…

Thus began my love affair with teas. , I still remember that electric feeling of awakening when I had my first sip of First Flush. I never knew a Darjeeling could have such complexity and texture! I was literally overwhelmed at how amazing of an experience it was.

I encourage English Muffin readers to try it for yourself. Darjeeling is a black tea that comes from the Darjeeling area in Northern India. Do a taste test of a First Flush versus a Second Flush. At Adagio Teas, they make it easy for you by calling them Darjeeling #1 and Darjeeling #2. Whilst you are brewing it for 5 minutes, don't forget to pour some of that hot water into your tea cup to warm it up too - it makes a difference for your tasting.

First Flush has a softer mouth feel, with delicate aromas and flavors and a slightly metallic taste. I prefer it alone or with a touch of sugar. Second Flush is heartier and more robust; definitely something that can not only stand up to, but also pair well with milk and sugar.

A lot of people actually enjoy the Second Flush more, because it is slightly sweeter or less astringent. It is usually more dependable: I have found over the years that the flavor of a First Flush highly depends on the quality and care with which your tea purveyor stores its tea. But try it for yourself, and find out which type of Darjeeling Tea you prefer!

By the way, if you are ever in Paris, there are two tea-related places to check out:

1. Near the Jardin des Plantes behind the Institut du Monde Arab (Arab Institute), the cafe of Le Mosque de Paris serves sweet mint tea in traditional Morrocon tea glasses and has delicious desserts, like baklava or an array of other North African treats.
   
   
2. Nina's Teas located in/near the chic and upscale neighborhood of Place Vendome has a huge selection of fresh teas for your sniffing and purchasing pleasure. There is also a cafe on the second floor but I have admittedly not stopped by that yet.

Styles of Beer

Flickr

A wonderful post today from the Guerilla Gourmand, she is slowly but surely making a beer-liker out of me! (I really like the Belgian Lambics, they're more like fizzy juice than beer!)

“Beer? Why a post on beer? Bud is disgusting!”

I too think Bud is gross. I'm utterly unconvinced it's beer. But there really is a wonder world of beers out there if you would only give it a chance.

What is beer? Put simply, it is an alcoholic beverage made of malted barley, hops, yeast and water. They can be put into two general categories: lager or ale. The type of yeast determines the type of fermentation, which determines which one any given beer is. Lagers use yeast that ferments happiest at the bottom of the vat where it is at lower temperatures. Ales use yeasts that ferment best at the top of the vats where it is warmer.

Ales tend to have higher alcohol content, with slightly less carbonation and more bitterness. Lagers, which stems from the German word Lager which means “shelf”, are left to sit on the shelf and ferment more gently and for longer (hence the name). Lagers are light-bodied and usually paler.

For those who want extensive information, you can find a comprehensive list of beer styles here. It is 291KB and 33 pages of descriptions of every type of beer imaginable. (As a side note: the list was compiled by Charlie Papazian, the nuclear-engineer-turned-famous-homebrewer. He literally wrote the book on homebrewing, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, known to be the bible of all homebrewers.)

This week’s challenge is to locate a Belgian Ale called a Lambic. Lindemans is a brand that you can normally find and is a pleasant introduction to unusual beers for the uninitiated. Lambics are famous for their unique tartness, and a great for an aperitif.

I would recommend trying the Lindemans Kriek (cherry) Lambic or the Framboise (Raspberry) Lambic if you can find them. I will say, though, the best Lambic is the “plain” flavor (i.e. no fruits involved) called Gueze which is the hardest to find. It has just the right balance of sweetness and tartness to be a refreshing drink that goes well with dinner.

Try it for yourself, and open your mind to the wonderful world of beers!

- The Guerilla Gourmand

The Case for Cocktails

With spring in the forecast for this weekend, at least where we are, "The Case of Cocktails" is certainly an appropriate post!

Strawberry Daiquiri

The honorable occasion of EnglishMuffin’s own Bess’s birthday a few weeks ago was celebrated with a Strawberry Daiquiri, whose recipe (slightly modified) from the book, “The Ultimate Bar Book” by Mittie Hellmich is as follows:

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and chilled)
½ cup sliced strawberries
¼ ounce crème de framboise
garnish: lime slice or strawberry

Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish.

If you’ve never had them, try Daiquiris in classic, strawberry, banana, watermelon or peach.

Other drinks to try: Margarita, Martini, Fuzzy Navel, Mint Julep, Mojito (mo-HEE-to), Kir, Whiskey Sour, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai Tai, Pina Colada, Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, White Russian, Caipirinha (pronounced Car-pre-EEN-ya).

- The Guerilla Gourmand

Mr. and Mrs. Guerilla Gourmand

This weekend we were treated to some lovely Indian food and Japanese treats from our friends, the Gourmand's. Here are a few pix I snapped of our yummy meal.

Fritters

The main entree

It was Mr. Gourmand's birthday,

but we're the ones that got the cool presents! Here's a pic of my very own see through Japanese dollar store umbrella.

Some "Fine beer jelly in chocolate" for Big Chuck.

They even look like little beer mugs.

An authentic Japanese girl lunchbox - complete with chopsticks!

This was part of the dessert, I really like the snowflake design.

Hope you had a good weekend too!

Open That Bottle Night

Photo via Flickr

Every last Saturday in February since 2000 is Open That Bottle Night. The inventors of this brilliant celebration are Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, who write a weekly wine column in the Wall Street Journal called “Tastings”. The purpose is to get people to take that special bottle of wine and open it for enjoyment.

For the last year's celebration, they wrote an article that painstakingly described how to treat an old bottle of wine.

At the household of the Guerilla Gourmand, we may possibly be more (frequently) inventive than Dorothy and John. We try to find fun and legitimate excuses to try all our wines at any whim-of-an-excuse. We believe that the “Special Time” for that “Special Wine” is now.

Our motto is: Wine should be enjoyed. Personally, I would never consciously store wine to the point where dust would accumulate on it. But if you must be sentimental, go ahead and store it, preferably in a temperature-controlled environment. However, I ask that you make plans to consume it within the year, or at maximum, two years. That way, you get to look forward to it for when your milestone is met and thus mark something special with, well, something special!. And, the wine will actually still taste good, too!

- The Guerilla Gourmand

She's baaaaack!

The Guerilla Gourmand is back with a basic red and white tutorial this week. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for posts on beer, tea and of course, more wine :) Enjoy...

57 Mondays

Your Basic Red and White Wines Varietals

A couple months ago, I saw a pair of articles written by Karen McNeil for Cooking Light magazine entitled “Red Wine 101” and “White Wine 101”. In them, she listed the following wines as must-know for the budding wine enthusiast:

Red Wines: Pinot Noir (think “Sideways”), Syrah/Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel (not the same as White Zinfandel)

White Wine: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Gewürztraminer

I couldn’t agree with her list more. If you have tried each of these, or even better, found your favorite wine maker for each of these, then you are well on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur. If you’re not quite there yet, however, not to worry! The fun part is yet to come!

I would suggest that you learn these varietals first in your quest to quench your thirst (of knowledge, that is!). Learn in which regions they are typically made, how they are normally described and priced, and then go window-shopping at your local wine store. If something catches your eye but you’ve never heard of it, write it down and go home to do a little bit of investigation on the reputation of the winery and/or vintage (i.e. the year in which the grapes were grown). Then buy it and try it!

Another, slightly cheaper way to get to know your wines: Cozy up to the people who work at wine shops, since they may give you a heads-up to when the store might be doing a (usually free) tasting. During those tastings, chat it up with the wine distributors, who will know a lot about what they are serving. Bring a notebook and pen, and jot down names and flavors that jump out at you. Don’t feel pressured to buy, but a good rule of thumb is buy your favorite from the tasting so you don’t go home empty handed.

Oftentimes, at wine shops there is a little tag next to the price tag that gives a mini-review and the rating by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast or Robert Parker. A shortcut rule of thumb for me: if it is $20 or less and rates a Wine Spectator 90 points or more, then it is a good buy and you should just go home with it. I definitely trust their recommendations, though personally I do not find the same for Wine Enthusiast or Robert Parker. But that is probably more a matter of taste than of quality.

You know what they say about how you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice! Similarly, there is no substitute to tasting, tasting, tasting. The lists above represent your Wine Fundamentals. So give your taste buds practice by trying those wines! You’ll be glad you did!

- The Guerilla Gourmand

Wine Gift Ideas

Today's Guerrilla Gourmand post is perfect for the holidays, so grab your pen and be sure to take a few notes, thanks G.G!

(photo from marthastewart.com)

‘Tis the season… to enjoy being with your friends and family! So when you show up at their doorstep to eat their food, why not give your loved ones something they’ll enjoy this holiday season, without breaking the bank?

Giving gifts of wines to friends, family or even to a dinner party host or hostess can be a tricky affair. People have different tastes. Sweet? Dry? Sophisticated and subtle? Or Forward and Bold? If you know their favorite wines, then by all means, make your gift personalized by going to your wine merchant and asking their recommendations on wines based on your host’s favorites.

But let’s face it, most times we don’t know what the recipient would really like. So what should we give? Here are my top suggestions for “giftable” wines:

1) A Champagne or sparkling wine

Who doesn’t love a sparkler? It’s symbolic of celebration and happiness. Most people don’t buy them for regular consumption as a result. I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t enjoy a champagne or sparkling wine. So, get them one!

The best part of it is, even if they don’t like it, they can always add some orange juice and call it a mimosa to help it go down smoother. (You could also try mango juice with a splash of lime – yummy!)
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut

Some ideas:

a) Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut, $55. This is a deliciously clean champagne, with smaller bubbles. It is actually my favorite, because I like my champagnes clean and dependable. It’s a bit of a splurge, but if it’s a very fancy Christmas or New Year’s dinner party, you can impress with this one.

b) Domaine St. Michelle Brut, $10-$15. This is a fabulous sparkling wine from Washington state and highly recommended. During a blind taste test by 500 volunteers, more people preferred this sparkler to a 100-hundred dollar bottle of Dom Perignon! (For the full story, check out “The Wine Trials” by Robin Goldstein, which reports upon this and other surprising findings.)

c) Bernard-Massard Brut, $10. This sparkling wine from the tiny country of Luxembourg is our current favorite for everyday dining, mimosas and celebrations. Likely hard to find, but if you happen across it at this price, try it!


Graham’s Six Grapes Ruby port

2) Fortified wines

Just like most people only open a bottle of bubbly for a celebration, most people do not consider buying themselves a bottle of fortified wine. Fortified wines also seem to be in the realm of “special occasion wines” and therefore are perfect to give as gifts, particularly for those who like to go on wine-and-food-pairing adventures! So, get them a bottle of “sticky” and also give them a pairing suggestion!

a) a bottle of Graham’s Six Grapes Ruby port ($25) and dark chocolate (70% - 80% cocoa content) – a perfect end to a perfect dinner! You can also consider Late-Bottle Vintage (LBV) ruby ports for the same pairing. Chocolate and wine: who can resist?

b) a Galway Pipe tawny port ($30) and dried figs stuffed with toasted almonds is my husband’s favorite pairing. Personally, I think it goes better with a pecan pie! Not all people’s tastes are as sophisticated as his, so reserve the tawny ports for your more adventurous friends. You could also try the same pairings with a tawny from Graham’s or from Fonseca.

c) a Tokaj (pronounced “tow-KAI”, $25) from Hungary and a cheesecake. This will be featured during our upcoming Christmas dinner!

Wine Glasses

3) Wine drinking accessories

a) Wine glasses: I am a firm believer in cheap glassware! Sure, you could buy one Riedel wine glass for $20 and that would make a great present. But give the gift that keeps giving – people will use cheap glasses everyday, and reserve the nice ones for “sometime special”. Go ahead and get them glasses for everyday enjoyment!

Just a couple words of advice: get them clear, big glasses that taper in (i.e. not tulip glasses). Clear, so that they can look at their wines; big, so that they can swish the wine in the glass to release lovely aromas; and ones that taper in, so that they can smell these sweet aromas! A set of six such glasses would cost you less than $10 at IKEA.
Screwpull

b) Screwpull wine opener, $20: This is admittedly our favorite gift to give to newly engaged or wedded couples. It’s an effortless wine opener, where all you need is to turn the corkscrew – no force is required to pull the cork from the bottle. Ingenious design!

Hopefully you have found some inspiration in this list of gift ideas. Feel free to post your favorite wine-inspired gift ideas, too!

Happy Holidays and all the best this season and beyond, from the Guerilla Gourmand!

Would you like some cheese with that wine?

(illustration by Bess)

It's Thursday, time to start thinking about the weekend, and more importantly food and wine! The Guerrilla Gourmand has a great post today about wine and cheese pairings, so get out your pencil and notebook because there's some good stuff here! Enjoy...

(Photo from Wikimedia.com)
Pecorino cheese

I remember the first time I had an amazing food-and-wine pairing. The wine was decent, but nothing spectacular. In fact, at first sip, I was disappointed at how mediocre the wine seemed to be. It wasn’t the big-bold-juicy wine that my taste buds were usually impressed with. I had ordered the wine pairing along with a four-course meal, and I could console myself with the fact that at least the ambience of the restaurant was nice and I was in good company. So when the food arrived, I somewhat unceremoniously took a bite and a sip – whereupon my senses overwhelmed me with delight. Flavors fell in love in my mouth. It was exhilarating.

(photo from Wikimedia.com)
Feta Cheese

I find that while I love to learn about wine, it’s rare when I have the time (or the liver capacity!) to just sit with a bottle without something to eat. So here are my suggestions for pairing wine with cheese.

Wine and cheese flavors can vary tremendously by vintage, storage conditions and age, so this serves only as a rule-of-thumb guide. Experiment to find the perfect pair(s) to delight you!
(photo from Wikimedia.com)
Roquefort

In general, “Red Wines go with Hard Cheese, White Wines go with Soft Cheese”. However, there are lots of notable exceptions, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Some Specific Suggestions:

1) Try shavings of a hard cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino with a bold, full-bodied wine like an Australian Shiraz.

2) For a soft cheese like feta, goat or mozzarella, look to crisp, unoaked white wines. A grassy or even citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or New Zealand might pair well.

3) My husband’s favorite wine and cheese pairing is a blue cheese like Roquefort with sweet and fortified wines like Sauternes, Madeira or an aged Tawny Port.

4) Creamy soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert are, in general, difficult to pair with wine. The easiest and most fun pairing is a sparkling wine, though you may also have success with a Spanish Rioja.

~ The Guerrilla Gourmand

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

(photo from Carolyn Fay)

Happy Beaujolais (Bo-jo-lay) Nouveau (Nu-vo) Day! Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive! (The New Beaujolais Wine has arrived!)

Beaujolais Nouveau Day lands on the third Thursday of November (today!) and is the day when wine makers from the Beaujolais region of France release their wine. Beaujolais wine is made from Gamay grapes and undergoes a special winemaking process called cabonic maceration. This process prevents the extraction of tannins from the grape skins, which has the side effect of making this an approachable, easy-drinking red wine.

(photo from The Pittsburg Post-Gazette)

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is not so much tradition as it is marketing tactic, but yet, one can't help but get excited to see what is available from this year's harvest... especially as it is an excuse to get together with your family and friends and have a smooth glass of red wine!

(photo from The Daily Mail)

As a rule of thumb, a Beaujolais Nouveau should be drunk by the New Year. This wine is not one you age in the cellar -- which is fine as far as I am concerned!

~ the guerilla gourmand

You're invited...

(illustration by Bess)

Be sure to swing by tomorrow to read new English Muffin guest blogger Nina's first post as our resident Guerilla Gourmand. After tirelessly trying to educate me on the wonderful world of wine, I have successfully convinced her that we would all be better people if only she would share her wisdom and love of the noble grape with English Muffin readers. So, bring your palate and a pen, and find out tomorrow what wine you should be serving this weekend!

Who said English Muffin wasn't classy?!