Monthly Archives: February 2010
Chicken Soup, Moroccan Merguez Tajine, Kielbasa Stew, and a plethora of wines
This past weekend saw us hosting a meal for my Nephew and friend who had just completed his qualifications to start his PHD at Berkley University. The meal started with a nice Chicken Soup (recipe here) and my wife’s awesome whole wheat challah. It was followed by two stews that were consumed heartily. Benyamin Cantz joined us for the meal, along with some of our dear friends, and as I was preparing the stews, I could hear Benyo saying “never use the same ingredients in two dishes that are served during the same meal”. So as I reused Yukon potatoes and carrots in the two stews, I knew I would hear it from him. That said, the flavors of the two dishes were so very different that it worked out. The tajine recipe starts off with browning both ends of sliced Merguez, cut into one inch tubes. Once both sides are browned, I remove them from my Dutch Oven and brown the onions. I always throw in the salt and pepper at this point to help soften the onions and make them release their water and increase their sweetness. Once the onions are browned nicely, throw in all the spices, and make sure the spices coat the onions. Once the spices are evenly distributed, throw in the other vegetables and let them get some of the spices coated on them as well, and cook them for 10 or so minutes to help them release their liquid. At this point throw in the sun-dried tomatoes, the wine, water, browned Merguez, cinnamon stick, and vegetable stock. Throw this in a preheated 400 degree oven for one hour. Then add in the chickpeas and fruit and let cook for another 30 or so minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve.
Moroccan Merguez Tajine (recipe)
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 pounds of Merguez sliced into one inch tubes
6 cloves garlic
3 large onions cut into chunks
Salt and pepper
paprika
ground turmeric
ground cumin
cayenne pepper
ground cinnamon
ground cardamom
ground ginger
garlic powder
ground coriander
Pinch of saffron threads
4 Yukon potatoes cut into chunks
6 carrots cut into chunks
1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup of white wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 can cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup of dried dates
The kielbasa recipe can be found here on another blog posting. It came out OK, but not as glorious as my previous attempt. The stews were paired with brown basmati rice, and a nice fresh green salad. To pair with these foods, we went to a collection of wines that were brought by Benyo from his personal stash and from my stash as well. A side note, some of the wines were well past their prime, and some were a bit past their prime. Please do not look down at the work, rather look down on us for holding on to these puppies for too long.
The wines are listed in the order that they were consumed:
2004 Four Gates Rishona (750ml) – Score: A-
I need to start by stating that this was a bottle that Benyo made for us, as it was a 750 ml bottle, rather than the released 375 ml sized bottle. The color on this brown tinged/dark ruby colored wine, was hopping with chicken cherry cola, coffee, mature oak, fig, and raspberry. The mouth on this intense and full bodied wine was layered with bright black cherry, coffee, and oak. The mid palate was bracing with bright acidity and oak. The finish was long and tantalizing with more cherry, oak, and coffee, layered under a canopy of mature flavors. This is clearly a wine that needs to be consumed now, but to some, this was one of the winners, which was shocking given the list of wines we enjoyed.
Elvi Wines Adar Cava Brut N.V. – Score: B+
The nose on this bubbly and effervescent light pink colored wine, is hopping with strawberry, lemon, and cherry. The mouth on this light to medium bodied wine is packed with small bubbles that are active and alive, they mingle well with the strawberry and cherry. The mid palate is alive with bracing acidity. The finish is medium long with core acidity, strawberry, bubbles, and a lemon burst at the very tail end. Drink UP!
2009 Terra Vega Shiraz – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine is filled with dirt, mineral, raspberry, plum, violet notes, and cherry. The mouth on this medium bodied wine starts off with cherry, raspberry, and plum that flow into a lovely acidic mid palate, with spicy wood, tannins, and coffee. The finish is long with spicy wood, cherry, plum, coffee, and pepper that all linger on the palate after the wine is gone.
1989 Gan Eden Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: N/A
I still remember this wine in its youth. It was fantastic and some of the best Cabernet I have ever tasted. That said, this was kept too long, which is no affront to Craig (wine maker at Gan Eden). The nose on this mahogany was relegated to oak and some dark fruit. The mouth is still tannic and oaky with bright acidity, but the fruit was all gone and a bit off. What more can be said, this was a glorious warrior in its past, but if you still have some, it should be left to lie in the bottle for sentimental value.
2005 Four Gates Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Score: A-
The nose on this dark garnet to black colored wine is filled with blackberry, cassis, plum, oak, and spice. The mouth on this medium to full bodied is concentrated with fruit that follows the nose, blackberry, cassis, and plum. The mid palate is balanced with oak and still gripping tannins. The finish is long and graceful, with spicy oak, black pepper, cassis, and a hint of leather.
1998 Four Gates Merlot – Score: B
This is another one of those wines that was held too long. It was still there, but not at the Four Gates level. In the evening it still had a bit of a nose, but was off. By day the wine was less off, but the nose was all gone.
Galil Mountain Meron (77% Syrah, 11% each of Cab and Petit Verdot) – Score: A
The nose on dark garnet to black colored wine starts off with a quick hit of blueberry, and then continues to show rich and ripe plum, cassis, blackberry (almost bursting with juice), tobacco, ripe black cherry, sweet oak, fig, smoke, and pepper. The mouth on this full bodied wine is layered and concentrated with rich ripe fruit at the attack on a bed of lush and integrated tannins. The mouth follows with layer after layer of more ripe blackberry, cassis, plum, and black cherry in a concentrated and concerted attack. The mid palate flows perfectly with oak, soft integrated tannins, crazy spicy and smoky nuances, chocolate, and tobacco. The finish is long and spicy with black cherry, ripe and nicely extracted black fruit, tobacco, smoke, and oak. Quite a nice wine, and one of the winners of the evening.
2003 Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Vineyard’s Choice (97% Cab, 3% Cabernet Franc) – Score: A
The nose on this inky black wine is screaming with bright and ripe blackberry, cassis, cherry, and gobs of rich and spicy oak. The mouth on this massive full bodied wine is layered with blackberry, cassis, and plum. The mouth is balanced with spicy oak, still gripping tannins, and nice acidity. The finish is long with ripe black fruit, spicy oak, and chocolate. Quite a nice wine, and one that still has a bit of time in it, but may be close to its peak.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, and a nice bottle of Borgo Reale Sangiovese Puglia
This past weekend saw us fall back into an old favorite; Puttanesca. We have posted here many times before about our enjoyment of the unique flavors and textures that Puttanesca has to offer. The saltiness of the olives and the body of the anchovies mingle together so well, that it almost feels surreal. Well this time was no different, and we paired it with a combination of whole wheat spaghetti and Quinoa, thereby leaving us with many options of how we would enjoy this wonderful sauce. As usual we added in fake soy meat and some thick sliced mushrooms, which add even more textures to the party. We enjoyed the Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, along with the aforementioned grains/pasta, and a fresh green salad.
To pair with this wonderful dinner, I went for a bottle with a fair amount of acidity, and enough body to keep up with the Puttanesca. The first thing that came to mind was the classical pairing of pasta sauce; a Chianti. Luck had it that we had a nice 2004 Borgo Reale Sangiovese Puglia, which turned out to be fine, for the evening. By the next day, it had fallen on its face, and was just a shadow of its former self. Clearly the acidity has kept this player in the game far longer than it deserves to be, but that is the joy of a low PH. Drink this bottle now, and enjoy it.
The wine note follows below:
2004 Borgo Reale Sangiovese Puglia – Score: B – B+
The nose on this dull ruby colored wine, with a hint of orange is oaky with tart cherry, loamy dirt, raspberry, and a nice dollop of spice and pepper. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is soft and follows the nose with tart cherry, loamy dirt, and raspberry that almost feels velvety and full in the mouth. The tannins are all but gone, and were probably perfect 6 months ago. The mid palate is balanced with acidity, oak and spice. The finish is nice and long with bracing acidity, soft to almost nonexistent tannins, tons of spice, and tart cherry. This is quite a nice bottle that has clearly survived because of its low PH, and needs to be drunk NOW. It should have been drunk 6 or so months ago, when it was probably better.
Gotham Wine’s Seventh Annual Kosher Wine Extravaganza 2010
We are so happy to announce that the date has been set for the Seventh Annual KWE. It will be on Sunday, March 7th 2010 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 EST at the Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, NY. Last year’s Kosher Wine Extravaganza was a total blast, and our write up of it, can be found here. It is probably best to pay ahead of time, so that you do not have to worry about paying for it at the door. Also, right now there is a discount for the event, if you buy the tickets online, instead of at the door. This event is one of those rare opportunities to taste kosher wines from around the world, that is not limited to just one importer or another, and one that includes many high end and low end wines. Definitely, a solid kosher wine event, with the opportunity to taste so many wines that you would not otherwise afford or have the chance to enjoy.
Hagafen Winery Visit
The day started out as a lovely and sunny Sunday, the last one of 2009. We took a long and enjoyable last look at massive Clear Lake, which our hotel wrapped around, and headed south on CA-20. As we closed into Lower Lake, we were supposed to continue south on CA-29, but plans are just that – plans! Instead, we took the road less traveled, the Knoxville-Berryessa Road (lovely pictures of the road linked here from a motorcycle rider). It is so called because, it is a road that runs through government-owned land, counted some 5 or so structures from Lower Lake until Berryessa Lake. For some 30 or more miles, at a rate of maybe 35 mph, we saw no one – period. Truly a road less traveled. Finally, and blessedly, right before Lake Berryessa, we came upon a truck, and two folks fishing (actually, I think that was not public knowledge 
, and they told us where we were. I guess this teaches us, that if we do not want a GPS or expensive phone contract (with GPS on it), and instead want to go retro, we should act retro, and carry around a map or two!
Well after a fair amount of driving, we came to the Hagafen Winery, a bit late, at a not so warm time of day. It was some 40 degrees outside, and we went inside to meet Josh Stein, Hagafen Winery’s Brand Manager. I stated the temperature, because Josh started the winery tour outside where every vintage starts – in the vineyard of course! I asked about the way the vines are managed, and Josh quickly replied that the vines have been managed using CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) rules for many years now, but they are now in the second year of their CCOF certification, and hope to be certified within a year. Of course, as we have spoken about this topic many times, the wine will NOT be organic, but the vineyard will be. There are three full time employees, Ernie Weir, the owner and founder of Hagafen Winery, who is also the manager of the winery. The other two full time employees, manage the winery’s most important other asset, the vineyards. The winery started some 32 years ago, after Weir had made wine, at a custom crush site in Napa, CA, for a couple of years. He decided to start making kosher wine. He started his production with 25 cases and a single SKU. Today, Hagafen makes some 8000 cases of wine, under three labels, and 30 or more SKU. Hagafen started with no vineyards, and then in 1986 they bought the land that the winery sits on presently. The vineyard in those days was planted with Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc, but it was replanted in 1997 with what stands there today, 12 acres of clone 7 and clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon, named the Weir Family Vineyard II. The Weir Family Vineyard III came online later with 9 acres, 3 acres of Cabernet Franc, 3 acres of Syrah, and 3 acres of White Riesling. Many of Hagafen’s wines are labeled as Estate Bottled, though they are not actually on their estate at all, as seen here on Hagafen’s vineyard map. They source grapes from vineyards as far south as Fagan Creek, and as far north as Soleil and Moskowite vineyards. So, how are they allowed to use the term “Estate Bottled” on their labels? Well, the rules are a bit more simplistic, though not well known. As described here on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Estate Bottled tag line has three requirements to be added to your label.
- The vineyard must either be owned by the winery or under the winery’s 100% control
- The vineyard to be in the same viticultural area
- The grapes are crushed, fermented, aged, and bottled in the winery or on the winery grounds
Hagafen has continued to expand its own vineyards, while perfecting their relationship and processes with its many vineyard partners. They have long term contracts with the vineyards, and have recently taken control of many of the coveted blocks within the upper echelon of Napa Valley vineyards. Read the rest of this entry
The Sheraton Plaza in Jerusalem (known as the Plasha) is no more….
Any religious Jew who has visited Israel in the past 20 years has heard about the wonderful hotel called the Plaza, which is pronounced by many an Israeli as the Plasha (slurring the z), but I digress. It was known for its glatt kosher standard, nice accommodations, insane prices, and its world famous chef, Shalom Kodesh. Well, as avid readers of my blog knows, that is in the past. The previous time I spent a shabbos at the Plaza, it was a fiasco, to say the least. Those who read my posting, contacting me and and told me similar stories. To make mattes worse, the blogs and forums are filled with complaints about the food and service at this once vaunted hotel.
The final word though has come from the nameplate. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel companies and the owner of the global Sheraton chain, announced last week that as of June 2009 four Israeli hotels will be stripped of their “Sheraton” title, as described here. The hotel has now become the Leonardo Plaza Hotel Jerusalem, with the same administration in place.
I personally, have enjoyed many a shabbos at this hotel, but that is all in the past. So raise a glass to the jewel that once was, as I am sorry to say but the fat lady has finished her swansong.
Chicken Soup, Moroccan Stew, and a nice Teperberg Cabernet Sauvignon Silver
After last week’s stew, this week we wanted a slightly different stew. So once again, I started with a not so interesting stew recipe, and then modified the day lights out of it! The Moroccan stew is clearly a different beast than last week’s stew, but equally yummy! The recipe starts off the same way by browning the sausage, after that of course the spices and vegetables change, but fun none the less. We also, cooked up a chicken soup that was needed all around, in the house.
Moroccan Sausage Stew
- Olive Oil to coat pan/pot
- 1 pound of Kielbasa cut on the bias into one inch chunks
- Two or three sweet onions cubed into 1 inch squares
- 2 or 3 good shakes of sea salt
- 4 or more garlic cloves
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Ginger
- Saffron
- Half a package of Trader Joe’s Frozen Sliced Bell Peppers
- 1 or 2 eggplant (depending on size)
- Two large sweet potatoes cubed into 1 inch cubes
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (15 or 28 oz)
- 1 can of cooked chickpeas
- 1 to 2 oz of honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Start by taking a large dutch oven and place into it a tablespoon or two of olive oil – just to coat the bottom. While waiting for the oil to get hot enough, cut the Kielbasa into 1 inch cylinders on the bias, and then start to brown the cut edges. Once one side is browned, flip them to the other side. Once all sides are browned, take the meat out and drop the cubed onions into the oil. Add the salt to the onions to help the onions release their liquid. Sauté the onions and once browned, throw in the spices and garlic, and make sure the onions are fully coated with them. From there on, add the vegetables into the pot one at a time. Once the vegetables have released their water, add in the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, honey, and last spices. Cook the stew until the vegetables and meat are combined into a singular and uniform form. The best part of this stew is the crazy smell and aromas that come exploding out of this stew. Like many Moroccan dishes (Tajine, etc.) the combination of spices make for a truly pungent experience.
The meal started with the chicken soup, and was followed by the stew along with quinoa and fresh green salad. To pair, I went looking for a wine that had enough stamina to stand up to the rich stew, and I decided on a Cabernet Sauvignon. With that classification set, I chose the 2006 Teperberg Cabernet Sauvignon Silver. The wine is mevushal, and it is still quite a joy. The fruit is a bit over the top and rich to start, but the wine has enough body to match the rich fruit nose. The wine note follows below:
2006 Teperberg Cabernet Sauvignon Silver – Score: B+
The nose on this dark garnet to black colored wine is really nice for a mevushal wine; it is hopping with blackberry, plum, cassis, meat, ripe and rich black fruit that almost overpowers the nose to start, and spicy oak. The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine is soft with almost mouth coating tannins. The black fruit comes through strong on the mouth that leads to an oaky and balanced mid palate. Initially, the finish is closed, but opens up with a fair amount of air. The finish is long and spicy with black fruit, spicy oak, and a smooth finish with pleasant tannins that linger long on the palate, after the wine is gone.
