Risotto & homemade stock...

First things first, all risottos made at home should be made with a homemade stock. There is no reason not to have some homemade stock on hand if your a truly serious cook. I'm not saying that bought stock is necessarily bad...its just not as good. 

Homemade stock is the easiest thing in the world to make as long as your making something else that involves bones (unless your a vegetarian...then use veg). I made ribs the other night and decided to go with the age old culinary trick of boiling my ribs before throwing them on the grill. This was a thought out tactic, because when you through in pork and bones into water it yields a delicious stock; as long as you add a few extra ingredients that you should already have in your pantry and fridge. 

Chop an onion, a couple of carrots and some celery, toss them into the water. Add a couple of Bay leaves and some spices of your choice and your golden. Let the stock simmer and reduce, then your left with a very simple and tasty stock, where before you just had water that you would have thrown out anyway. 

(I hope I don't sound too snarky, I'm a bit tired and even the thought of throwing out water that could have been utilized makes me grumpy at the moment).

Cremini mushroom and Bacon risotto: 

This is one of the best risottos I've had in a while; we all know how to make risotto so I'm not going to go into detail on how to make a proper risotto, I'm just going to give you the ingredients I used.

Carnaroli rice (feel free to use vialone nano or arborio, there just as good)

White wine (I used a Sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand)

Cremini mushrooms

Local Bacon (Black Pig Meat Co.)

Shallots (sautéed in bacon fat...of coarse)

Butter

Parmagiano Sarvecchio (you can use Parmagiano Reggiano or other hard cheese)

Homemade stock...you will make some right?

http://blackpigmeatco.com/

Humboldt Fog & Turophilia

The enigma that is Humboldt Fog. This hand crafted artisan goat cheese from Cypress grove Chevre, is both soft and slightly crumbly, ripened yet incredibly fresh tasting and looks like a slice of cake...but is of coarse cheese.
Humboldt Fog has a beautiful ribbon of vegetable ash that runs through the middle and along the edges. A delicate softness reminiscent of a cream cheese and flavors that are subtly nutty and delightfully tangy. This cheese is Cypress groves signature cheese and has won several awards, including first place in the American Cheese Societies prestigious competition.
Try serving Humboldt Fog with Apples, honey, cashews and thin crackers. Or in late Autumn after foraging from a mushroom harvest with sautéed wild mushrooms, crusty bread, cured meats and a tart fruit spread like Lingon berries or lemon curd.
Turophiliacs  (lovers of cheese) check out there website for more information on this and other Cypress grove Chevre.
www.cypressgrovechevre.com

The Endless Journey

Have you ever really tried to figure yourself out? It can get complicated, especially as most of us are continually evolving in many different ways. We are always learning, and therefore finding out new things about ourselves. I've been on what is inevitably an endless journey to find myself and figure out once and for all what I really want to do with my life.

One thing that always comes back to me, always, is food. Food sustains us and nourishes us. It is the centerpiece of all our social gatherings. The one thing that all humans have in common is we like to eat. Some of us love to eat more than others, and therefore find that we also love to cook... so we can eat more. We love to cook so much and want to share all we cook with everyone, so we get this crazy idea that we want to start writing about food too! I once wrote that food consumes my time as much as I consume food itself (which is a lot).

So we are continuously eating, cooking, writing and truly learning about ourselves in the process.

What I have learned about myself lately is that I really love writing and not just about food, but about anything and everything . I enjoy it so much that I have recently started writing a novel (I'm about three chapters in...and I love it!). Consequently giving my blogging a temporary spot on the back burner.

I have missed writing my blogs and am making an effort to balance my life out in all categories...with all this eating, has to come exercise.

So my endless journey continues...at least for now I know I'll be eating, writing and hopefully sharing some interesting notions with you.

Cheers!

Roaming in South Africa

...Not me, the goats! Legend has it that a Yemeni goat herder let his flock roam free, and they discovered coffee beans. Well Charles Back (owner/vintner of the Goats do roam wine company) had a similar idea and let his goats pick the grapes for his Goats do roam red wine. True or not its a great story either way.

The 2006 Goats do Roam red wine is a fantabulous wine, especially for the value...I paid around 8 bucks for it! and it's truly one of the better "value" wines I've ever had.

A blend of Shiraz, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvedre and Pinotage (a South African cross bred varital of Pinot Noir and Cinsault), this wine has great depth, and layers of flavor.

The first whiff caught me off guard, I wasn't expecting such a powerful aroma from such an inexpensive wine. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

As the wine opened up I found aromas of earth and smoke, with hints of the oak barrel like a campfire in fall, and soft red bramble berries, like sun warmed raspberries with a touch of violets.

At first sip you notice the flavors of this wine are just as complex as the aromas, full bodied with soft tannins, very drinkable. Big berry flavors... this time blackberries, with a thick chocolate truffle like flavor that coats your mouth, and a slight black pepper hint on the finish.

This wine is now in permanent rotation in my wine library. A great wine for everyday, or to have with company. It's so versatile, it goes well with everything from lasagna to chocolate cake. but don't take my word for it, go and buy yourself a bottle or two, at 8 bucks...why not.

www.goatsdoroam.com

Ancestry & taste...

Growing up as a kid in the California wine country, I took all the vineyards and farms for granted. I thought that maybe it was like this everywhere. Now that I’m older I see that I live in a truly magical place (gastronomically speaking) of fine artisan foods, boutique wineries and breweries.
It’s relatively easy to be a locavore here with the huge seasonal produce and meat assortment we have been given by all the hard working farmers who give us such a bounty. I cant forget to mention the wild herb and mushroom foragers, the local fisherman, and all the artisans who care enough to make the delicious cheeses, breads, charcuterie, olive oil, ice cream, chocolate, teas…well the list can go on all day, but I think you get the point.

Along with all this food come fantastic restaurants and chefs that use the local harvest to create truly world class cuisine. I live about an hour north of San Francisco and only forty minutes from Yountville and Napa, in the town of Santa Rosa, located in the heart of the Sonoma County wine country.

Immersed here since I was born, food now consumes my mind, just as much as I consume food itself (which is a lot!). If I’m not eating or cooking, I’m often found nose deep in a cookbook or thinking of new and creative ways to use an ingredient. I’ve also unknowingly developed my palate since childhood, being blessed with a family of great cooks; I’ve always appreciated food and didn’t just eat it. I’ve been finding nuances in cheese, chocolate, olive oil, Heirloom tomatoes and mushrooms while other kids were unfortunately eating processed foods.

In my adult life I’ve been nearly swimming in award winning and “cult” wines and ales, being able to relax in my own “backyard” and hear stories, and learn from some of the top winemakers in the world is truly a magnificent and humbling experience.

p.s. to all my loyal readers...sorry I've been gone for so long, I've been on several small journeys and have been busy rediscovering and finding myself. I think I've finally figured it out.
Skol!

The end of the world.

La fin du monde
PfffPOP…pop the cork on this Belgian style golden ale from Canada, and you’ll set loose bottled up aromas of tangerine, shortbread, almonds, tarragon and ginger. Gazing in at this nearly orange beer you’ll find it has little bubbles reminiscent of those found in champagne, and at 9% abv it goes down way to easy. La fin du monde has flavors of caramel green apples, and toasted-buttered banana bread. A great ale for the holiday season…if this is the End of the world sign me up, I’m ready!
www.unibroue.com/english.cfm
p.s.
To all my loyal readers, I've been really quite busy lately; I've been preparing for a move. I know it's only been two weeks since my last post but it has seemed like forever.
I promise many more frequent and lengthy posts in the near future.
Cheers!
The Gastronome.

Sourdough, part two: Bread & following your instincts.

Fresh warm sourdough bread and sweet creamy butter, a warm house and a cup of tea...life is good!

I finally found time to make my homemade sourdough the other day, it was well worth it. It came out pretty good for my first attempt; soft slightly chewy with a crispy crust. Although I did have to divert from the recipe a little, and in doing so used up all of poor Hugh (my starter, evidently you have to name them). You see the recipe I followed called for much too little liquid...but I trusted in it, and followed it anyway. Some times you have to follow your instinct and do what you feel is right, even in baking.
So I was trying to knead life into the dry dough as it was turning into sawdust before me, and decided that pursuit was futile.

I then proceeded to follow my instincts and made the dough again this time adding more liquid, and the rest of my first starter, Hugh. This is more like it I thought, a nice gluttonous pillow of dough formed before me, soft yet elastic. I kneaded it to life and after leting it rise for a couple of hours baked it into the beautiful loaf above. I may have to stop buying my bread and become somewhat of a baker.