Cooking With The Whineaux

Jul 26

posted by: dawn in Chicken, Mexican, Sauce, Soups and Stews on 07 26th, 2010 | | No Comments »

I have a confession to make. I am a soup-a-holic. I could eat soup every single day. And the best thing about soup is that you can make it out of pretty much anything you have on hand. I had some left-over enchilada sauce I had made, some fresh salsa and chicken thighs. Then I threw in celery, carrots, tortilla chips and cheese. Voi la! Delicious Mexican inspired Chicken Tortilla soup. The fresh salsa makes this recipe and is super easy to make.

The salsa recipe I learned on a recent trip to Mexico. It’s super simple and enhances everything from tacos to eggs.

Authentic Mexican Salsa
4 Roma tomatoes*
1 Jalepeno
1/4 white onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
juice of a lemon or lime
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the tomatoes and jalapeno until soft (about 10 minutes). This trick helps the salsa keep longer in the refrigerator. Set aside to cool.

Place onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, jalapeno and cilantro. Process until smooth. Taste for salt and add according to your preference.

NEVER tell anyone how easy this is because they are all going to want your secret. I make a batch and it’s gone in 24 hours. A container of “fresh salsa” from the supermarket will languish for a week or longer, sometimes until it’s t thrown away.

** I suggest Roma tomatoes because in Florida they are the most flavorful available. Any red tomato with flavor will work fine.

I posted my recipe for salsa rojo (enchilada sauce) previously along with the recipe for Turkey Chilaquiles.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
1/2 white onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
2 large carrots peeled and cut into large pieces (spoon sized)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
salt and pepper for taste
tortilla chips, fresh salsa, cheese and lemon or lime wedges for garnish

Place chicken thighs in water and bring to a slow boil. Cook for 30 minutes until done, remove to cool. Taste the broth, If it isn’t rich enough you can add some chicken broth (which I did). Add onion, garlic carrots, celery and enchilada sauce to the pot. Allow to simmer while chicken cools, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken from the bone, add to the pot and heat through. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning (soups should be salted at the end of cooking to avoid over-salting as the liquid reduces.

Crush tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl, add soup and top with cheese, fresh salsa and a squeeze fresh lemon.

Simple, not too hot and perfect for a summer afternoon!

Hope you enjoy this!

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Jul 24

Cooking with Cat Cora

posted by: dawn in cookbook review on 07 24th, 2010 | | 4 Comments »

In my life I’ve met a very few people who I instantly respected. I must give a nod to two of my earliest bosses (and the first two people I remember giving me this feeling) who helped shape the career that allows me to afford my cooking passion, Sheri Benjamin (who owned the Benjamin Group which is where my career was put in motion) and Ellen Roeckle, who I worked for twice in my career (Benjamin Group and Bay Networks). When they walk into a room I feel calm. I know that no matter what happens, they’ll know what to do. And they do. Some people tell me I have that affect on them, I consider it the highest compliment.

Cat Cora is one of those people for me. She’s calm, in control and retains her femininity in a somewhat male dominated profession. I respected her the instant I laid eyes on her. In June, Cat Cora did a private lunch at her restaurant Kouzzina which is located near the Boardwalk hotel in the Epcot Resort.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that I attended this. Disney always puts together amazing events, there was little likelihood of any disappointment so I tried not to develop an expectations. We arrived and there were roughly 60 people at the event. We were all presented with personalized menus which was a very nice touch. After being shown to our table we watched the chef’s spring into action. Kouzzina is an open kitchen so you can watch all the action.

The menu was amazing! We were able to sample several dishes. But then again, this is a Cat Cora menu flawlessly executed by her Kouzzina Executive Chef Dee and her talented staff, so it’s not surprising that it was amazing. I thought about posting pictures of the plates; but to be honest my iPhone could not capture how beautiful they were and I don’t want to detract from their impact with bad photography.

Menu

Mezze

Dolmades
with Dill Oil

Salt Roasted Beets
with Skordalia

Tuna Tataki Lettuce “Gyro”
with Sumac Onions and Avocado Tzatziki

Salad

Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Barrel Aged Feta
with Micro Arugula Aged Red Wine Vinaigrette

Piato

Basque Rubbed Lamb Chop
with Feta Herb Saltsa

Pastitsio
Traditional Greek lasagna with Kasseri

Cinnamon Stewed Chicken
Slow simmered chicken with tomatoes, herbs and Cinnamon sticks

Glyka

Chocolate Budino, Baklava, Coffe Creme Brulee

What I enjoyed most about the meal is that as each course was served, Chef Cora came out and told us why the dishes are special to her. Relating cooking to her mother and her Greek heritage. Food that is simple and reminiscent of home cooking was so beautifully plated that you couldn’t imagine making it at home. But then, Cat would explain the preparation and give you a little dose of her confidence, inspiring you to go home and try it.

Throughout the meal she made it a point to go to each table and talk to everyone individually. She answered questions about Iron Chef as if she’d never heard them before.

I asked her two questions that were important to me.

When was the first moment you actually felt like a chef?

When I got the title, the first time I became executive chef at a restaurant.

What are the most important skills a home cook can have?

Good cookware makes all the difference. Using quality pots, pans and knifes will make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. That doesn’t mean you have to purchase expensive brand names, you just have to purchase quality. While quality has a price — the pans will last a lifetime if properly cared for. (Editor’s Note: Not once did she pitch her line of cookware she is launching and this was a perfect softball question for her to do that. I was extremely impressed by that. Also in my personal experience I’ve heard many people complain about their electric stoves and how they can’t cook on them, they need their Viking gas stove. I disagree. While I’d live a Viking stovetop in my kitchen, I can’t afford one so I have a ceramic top stove. I push out perfect food almost every night. Here’s my dirty little secret, the pans do most of the work. They provide even heating that makes getting a good sear easy. I personally use Calphalon stainless steel and Le Creseut enameled cast iron. I use the very inexpensive Bar Keeps Friend to clean them and they all look brand new.)

At the end of the day we were all fortunate enough to receive an autographed copy of Cat Cora’s Classics with a twist. She also autographed my Whineaux chef’s jacket which was a request I felt a little sheepish about but she put me at immediate ease saying she thinks it’s a fantastic idea!

This book is beautifully photographed, but more importantly includes tons of recipes that you want to make. She puts a Greek spin on American favorites like Nachos, but she also has Japanese, French and other cuisines represented. The idea is taking comfort food and putting a spin on it, so that it’s still comforting, but not boring. It’s the kind of food you want to make at home. This is a cookbook you should add to your collection.

Until next time!

Cheers!

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Jun 10

Opening a Wine Bottle With a Shoe

posted by: dawn in Uncategorized on 06 10th, 2010 | | 1 Comment »

We’ve all been there — great bottle of wine and no corkscrew. If you wear dress shoes… no problem!

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Jun 1

Salsa Verde (Green Sauce Recipe)- Kitchen Bootcamp Sauce Challenge

posted by: dawn in Mexican, Pork, Sauce, Uncategorized on 06 1st, 2010 | | 7 Comments »

I am excited to enter the Kitchen Bootcamp Sauce Challenge with my authentic Mexican salsa recipe for Salsa Verde which is also known as green sauce. This sauce isn’t covered in the Professional Cook but my green sauce recipe is so simple and tasty I’m sure you’ll be making it for your family. It’s similar to a French sauce Tomate or Italian marinara sauce in terms of preparation and is based on cilantro, tomatillos, yellow bell pepper, garlic and chicken stock.

Setting about making my green salsa and writing this post took me back to why I started making it. The thing about being spoiled is that you don’t know you are spoiled until something changes. I’m from California. I grew up not realizing that Mexican food is ethnic food, I just knew it as good food. I assumed that everyone had access to hand made salsa, tacos, tamales and little off the wall restaurants where the sauces were made fresh using family recipes handed down for generations. I lived in a version of food paradise and I took it for granted.

Then, I moved to Florida. Sure, we have “Mexican” restaurants here. The quotation marks are there to indicate that these restaurants impersonate, possibly even insult real Mexican cooking. Sauces come in 100 oz cans tortillas in bags. I searched and searched for a restaurant to become my regular place, but alas it was to no avail.

And so, I learned to cook the foods I craved. I searched online for people sharing their family secrets and I started making my own sauces. Living in California, Salsa Rojo was my favorite but now that I make my own, Mexican green sauce is my hands down favorite. Once you have it on hand it’s perfect for making chicken, pork or cheese enchiladas, chilaquiles, chile verde, green rice, tamales or simply having special chips and salsa.

Making it reminds me of making my Italian red sauce. I never quite make it the same. Poblano chili’s have amazing flavor but they aren’t consistent in heat so you have to taste it. If you want this sauce to be amazing use home made chicken stock you can also slow simmer pork or chicken in it to make the flavor even richer. Another hint don’t salt it until it’s reduced to the point you want — otherwise you may end up oversalting. I posted on making turkey stock, the method is the same for chicken.

Mexican Green Salsa Recipe

2 large yellow bell peppers
4 Poblano chilies
2lbs Tomatillos
1 large white onion
6 cloves garlic
2 bunches Cilantro
2 Tbsp Mexican oregano
2 Tbsp Cumin
3 cups Chicken Stock (roughly)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Optional:
Grill the bell peppers, chilis, tomatillos and onion after lightly coating with vegetable oil this will give you great smoky flavor.

If you choose not to grill them then sweat the vegetables until soft in a large Dutch oven over medium low heat.

When vegetables are soft puree in a food processor, add one bunch of cilantro and garlic. Return to Dutch Oven and add chicken stock, oregano and cumin. Simmer for at least 2 hours until it reaches the consistency you desire, I shoot for something similar to spaghetti sauce. Return some of the sauce to the food processor and puree with the remaining bunch of cilantro. (I like to add the cilantro in two phases as you get brighter flavor).

Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. You can also add sugar. If your taste buds crave more heat add one or two Jalapeno chillies at the beginning.

Tip: This Salsa freezes well so double the batch and keep some on hand!

I used this last batch for Pork Enchiladas! I slow cooked a pork but with onions and garlic, shredded it and combined with flour tortilla’s, Monterey Jack Cheese, and baked them until golden brown (about 45 minutes at 375 degrees)

Enchilada Assembly Station

When assembling the enchiladas, coat the base of your pan with green sauce, dip each tortilla in sauce, fill with cheese and meat, roll tightly and place in the pan. Top with more cheese.

Assembling the enchilada

Ready for the oven!

Unfortunately I got so excited about eating that I forgot to take pictures of the final product!

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May 12

Pretzel Crisp Chicken Schnitzel

posted by: dawn in Chicken, Comfort Food, Easy Dinner on 05 12th, 2010 | | 4 Comments »

I’m back!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been on hiatus for a few weeks as I took a cooking class and my work world changed a lot requiring more of my attention, but this dish was so tasty and I was so impressed with myself I had to post.

First let me come clean, I’m NOT a fan of boneless skinless chicken breast. To me, it’s tasteless. However it seemed like a good choice for the idea that was percolating in my head after receiving samples of Pretzel Crisps. You could do this with pork or even veal just as easily.

Pretzels make me think of Germany which makes me think of mustard and schnitzel. Most people have heard of Wiener Schnitzel which traditionally meant pounded breaded fried veal scallops until the hot dog chain took its name! Pork and veal are the most common “schnitzel meats” but in the states we love chicken. Since Pretzel Crisps have re-thought the idea of the pretzel, I decided to rethink schnitzel.

This dinner was VERY popular at my house with everyone cleaning their plate (though to be honest I did have to argue with teen age son to get him to eat the spinach)

Pretzel Crisp Chicken Schnitzel with White Wine Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts (boneless skinless)
flour for dredging
1/3 cup whole grain mustard
2 cups Pretzel Crisps (ground into crumbs using food processor)
4T vegetable oil

Directions:

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Dredge in flour, rub mustard on both sides and coat with Pretzel Crisp crumbs. Add oil to pan and cook over medium heat. Drain all but 2 Tablespoons of fat from the pan.

Mushroom Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
8 0z sliced mushrooms
3T flour
1 Cup dry white wine
2 T whole grain mustard
1 Cup chicken stock

Directions:
Saute mushrooms in same pan as chicken. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. De-Glaze pan with white wine. Stir in mustard and chicken stock. Reduce to desired consistency add salt and pepper to taste (but be careful with the salt because the Pretzel Crisps are salty)

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did! The best part of this dinner was it only took about a half hour to make and it was so flavorful

Cheers!

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Mar 12

Stage Left Cellars Spring Releases

posted by: dawn in News, Wine Tasting on 03 12th, 2010 | | No Comments »

Hi Everyone -

I’m not one to reprint press releases. But I posted about my experience with Stage Left wines earlier this month. Like my other favorite Artisan Family Wines — they are small, family run and produce quality wines. You have to sign up to order from them, but it’s worth it!
It’s been a long, rainy winter in much of California. Thankfully. As strange as that sounds, the vineyards really needed the drink. And we’re guessing you’re feeling the same way. Good thing it’s time for the 2010 Spring Release. We have three new (and exciting) wines to share with you:

The Go Getter 2008: 63% Viognier, 32% Grenache Blanc, 5% Roussanne
Central Coast, 107 cases produced – $34

Let’s face it, this wine is a mouthful. Not just in the rush of fruit or lush mouthfeel, mind you. The three varieties which make up this year’s white Rhone blend aren’t exactly the most widely known or easiest to say. Sure, Viognier (vee-ohn-yay)… read more

The Scenic Route 2007: 100% Syrah
Del Rio Vineyards, Rogue Valley, Oregon, 96 cases produced – $38

We love Oregon Syrah. There, we said it. Yes, most Stage Left Syrah hails from California. But we have a soft spot for Syrah from up North. At least Syrah from the Del Rio Vineyard in the Rogue Valley. The 2007 vintage… read more

The Escape Artist 2007: 100% Syrah
Watch Hill Vineyards, Santa Barbara County, 76 cases produced – $38

The fruit was amazing from the get-go. And once it was in barrel, we knew it was going to be a standout. So much so that we just had to bottle it on its own. As a matter of fact, it’s our first single vineyard Syrah from California. And it’s a wine full… read more

To order, log in using your email address here, or go to www.stageleftcellars.com and click on the “Allocation Sign In” link at the top of the page.

The deadline for placing orders is Saturday, April 10th and we’re fulfilling orders on a first come, first served basis. If you’d like to purchase more than your allocation, a request can be made through the “Wish List” section of the order form.

Ground shipping is FREE and your order will ship by April 13th or sooner (please call us if you need special arrangements or if there’s a special date you’re trying to hit). If you’d prefer to pick up the wine at our tasting room in Oakland, select “pick-up” under the shipping options and then swing by on Saturday, April 3rd during our normal hours 11am-5pm.

Enjoy the wines – we look forward to your feedback!

Cheers,

Stage Left Cellars
2102 Dennison Street
Oakland, CA 94606
p: 510-434-9930
www.stageleftcellars.com
twitter.com/stageleftist
facebook.com/stageleftcellars

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Mar 11

Spinach Twins a la Julia (Spinach and Mushroom Turnover)

posted by: dawn in Comfort Food, French Food, Uncategorized on 03 11th, 2010 | | 1 Comment »

If you are coming to my house for dinner, I have one bit of advice; come hungry. Especially right now as I’m playing with my MATOFC (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) trying to satisfy my yearning to go back to France when my financial reality does not include a ticket.

Recently we had friends over for dinner and the 5 of us dined on French Onion Soup, Spinach and Mushroom Turnover, Baked Chicken with Lentil and Chocolate Pots de Creme. Our meal spanned two hours and three bottles of wine. I had cooked all day to prepare the meal and enjoyed lingering over it as I would have in Paris. Treating each course as an event and eating in moderation so we could try the next taste.

I’ve been quite obsessed with Julia Childs . Believe me there is a monster post or series coming on this topic but as a teaser; I believe I know why she didn’t warm up to Julie Powell and neither should we! My obsession includes reading four books and watching somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 hours of “The French Chef” Mostly I’m watching to see Julia in action, but one meal struck me, “Spinach Twins” in which Julia collaborates with Simca and they produce a beautiful Spinach and Mushroom turnover. I had to make that dish and I was thrilled at how beautiful and tasty it turned out. Julia made her own pastry dough, I cut myself some slack and used Pepperidge Farms dough from the freezer otherwise I did everything as Julia did.

As with much French cooking, the dish is deceptively simple. I say deceptively because you could indeed slap this together quickly, but the beauty of French food is preparing each element separately then composing the dish so that instead of one blended flavor (think spaghetti sauce) you get a complete bite with delightful layers of flavor where each component is recognizable and delicious on its own and the combination is a gastronomic delight.

The base of the dish is blanched and chopped Spinach. Plunge fresh spinach into boiling water for about 2 minutes then immediately shock it in cold water. This preserves the spinach flavor, and color (we all remember that black oozing mess they called spinach in the school cafeteria, you didn’t like it then, you won’t like it now. Squeeze out all the water and then chop up the spinach. Place it in a pot and set aside. I used one large salad bag and had a little too much use about 2/3 bag if you are concerned about waste, but spinach is cheap and I’d rather have too much than too little.

Quarter and saute 8 oz of mushrooms, set aside. Dice 1/2 cup of ham and saute it, set aside.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan dice one onion and sweat it over low heat with about 1/4 cup butter. Put half the onion in with spinach.

Now comes the Sauce Bouilee.

add 1/2 cup flour to the onion and cook the roux. Whisk in 1 2/3 cup hot milk. This sauce is going to be THICK, like paste. It’s not really a sauce, but a filling. you want it this thick. Take the pan off the heat and beat in an egg. salt and pepper to taste, add a wisp of nutmeg if you like.

put about half that sauce in with the spinach.

Now you are ready to assemble the pastry.

Unroll the dough and coat the inside with an egg wash (1 egg, 1 Tbsp water)

Place roughly half the spinach mixture on one half the pastry sheet

layer in mushrooms and ham

top with a final layer of spinach

Fold the pastry top over, seal the edges, brush with egg wash and bake in a 350 degree oven.

If you have 45 minutes, watch the video. Julia is just lovely.

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Mar 8

I Still have all My Fingers – Knife Skills Classes

posted by: dawn in Columns, Product Reviews, Uncategorized on 03 8th, 2010 | | 4 Comments »

For years my knife skills have been a point of insecurity. If you watch enough cooking shows, you too may share my issue. I have bought DVDs, books and eagerly gone to demonstrations. I had a friend who is a CIA graduate spend some time with me trying to show me how to use my knife properly so that I can gain speed and consistency without losing a damn finger. My husband has treated me to several wonderful knifes that I love. Knifes so sharp that I think if you mess around you could take your hand off at the wrist; forget about shortening a finger tip.

As I’m writing about knife skills you may be wondering why I have a photo of a De Buyer Mandoline at the lead of my post. Please be patient with me. I’ll get there.

Finally, I found the Rolling Pin, a place in my area that teaches cooking classes and more importantly teaches KNIFE SKILLS 1 and KNIFE Skills 2. Reading the description I really was not sure if I was going to learn much.

Choosing the correct knife for the job and knowing how to properly use it is the secret to fast, easy cooking.
Learn the basics of knife construction, how to choose the correct knife, safety, sharpening, and proper storage of knives.

You will practice proper techniques for chopping, mincing, slicing and julienne.

We will use our skills to make Homemade Winter Vegetable Soup and Designer Grill Cheese.

I felt pretty confident on all of these topics, however, KNIFE SKILLS 1 is a prerequisite to KNIFE SKILLS 2; and there was lunch, wine and an afternoon away from the house all for $35 so I went for it. My $35 was VERY well spent. I know about knife construction, I’ve educated myself on cutting boards and proper sharpening; and I know the mechanics of a dice, julienne, mince etc. But I couldn’t seem to move the food and knife across the board in a harmonious manner — I looked something like a caveman trying to pull a square wheel. It wasn’t pretty.

In 2 minutes Chef Dave (an owner at the Rolling Pin which also offers demonstration classes and stocks an amazing array of kitchen implements) had me cutting faster and more consistently than I’d been able to do on my own in a year of practicing. I had been trying to circumvent nature and cut in a right angle where my left hand fed the food to my right (knife) hand at a 90 degree angle. I was always fighting with getting the food to move, cutting felt clumsy, and I thought I was never going to get it right. I began to feel that knife skills were like basketall and I would never have the coordination to do it right. Nope, I just needed the right coach. Chef Dave taught me about my cutting triangle and I’m extremely grateful for that lesson.

I liked class one so much that I instantly signed up for class 2 which took place this past Saturday. In retrospect I wish I had let a few weeks pass rather than jump on my enthusiasm train. This way I could have practiced more and came with more questions. In Knife skills 2 we did cover how to sharpen and care for your knifes a little more and I think the information was presented really well, especially for people who want to cook more but aren’t cook book, cooking magazine, cooking blog, cooking TV junkies like myself. Not many people read Larousse Gastronomique or McGee like a novel – I’m that dork who does.

In KNIFE SKILLS 2 We diced, we julienned, we peeled onions and then — we broke out the mandoline.

I have a few silly fears; such as I’ll run right off a cliff to escape a honey bee (true). I watch too much “Criminal Minds” which leads to all kinds of irrational fears. I am also afraid of cutting my damn fingers off. I don’t think this is totally irrational, as it’s a common injury. What is irrational is the certitude with which I believe(d) my mandoline was going to cut my damn fingers off (When I’m talking about the loss of them, they are indeed my “damn fingers” as in “Honey can you hurry home, I cut my danm finger off trying to make french fries with the mandoline, I think I need to go to the hospital.”)

Each of our stations had a mandoline to practice with. We were cutting long strips of eggplant and zucchini to grill and making apple matchsticks for a salad. Not wanting to be a complete sissy or get caught hiding in the bathroom, I used the mandoline (without a finger guard as I was instructed because the core acts as a natural guard) to julienne apples into matchsticks. At first I struggled; I couldn’t get the apple to go through the mandoline because I was hesitating. Then I did what Chef Dave told me to do and focused on the bottom of the mandoline vs the blade. Voi La! I made that mandoline sing.

I had a very dusty De Buyer mandoline at home. Yesterday I busted it out. I made ratatouille (Julia Childs Recipe) and a roasted duck (also Julia). I went through several potatoes (tonight is steak with frites) and made fries. I used the finger guard, but I made friends with the mandoline. And for that I thank Chef Dave.

April 6 I’ll be starting the Cooking 101 class — join me!

If you are in the Tampa Area:

The Rolling Pin
2080 Badland Drive
Brandon FL 33511
813-653-2418

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Mar 3

Save Your Money! Kuhn Rikon Rainbow Silicon Balloon Whisk

posted by: dawn in Product Reviews, Shop with the Whineaux, Uncategorized on 03 3rd, 2010 | | 1 Comment »

I bought this little dandy a couple weeks ago thinking I’d use it to make sauces in my non-stick pans. It’s cute, heat resistant and safe on non-stick coating — what’s not to like? After plunking down my $18 and it finally arriving in the mail I couldn’t wait to use it. So I made Chocolate Pots de Creme. I learned the answer to my fate tempting question (what’s not to like) the hard way.

The problem is that the tines of the whisk are too flexible to stand up to a thick substance so you are barely stirring and certainly not whisking the ingredients. I was hugely underwhelmed by this product. The tines are not strong enough to whip volume into egg whites let alone whisk a heavy sauce.

Whineaux Verdict: Keep your money!

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Mar 1

Wine, Cheese and Waves — the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

posted by: dawn in Uncategorized on 03 1st, 2010 | | 2 Comments »

I don’t “whine” on a rainy day, I wine, because they are days that God created so we would make time to enjoy good books and good wine. In January I had a customer visit in Half Moon Bay which is on the Pacific Ocean about a 45 minute drive south of San Francisco. It’s an adorable little town with lots of antique shops, coffee bars and restaurants. Lucky for me, the Ritz is the only approved hotel in Half Moon Bay

The truth is that the night I had a room there I checked in at 10:00 p.m. and checked out at 6:30 a.m. so I did not live the life of a princess, rather a road warrior. The next night I moved into a much more sensible hotel in San Jose, but I was in the hotel long enough to see that going back for a day trip during the weekend was a MUST. The picture above is taken from the wine bar which has floor to ceiling views of the ocean in an area where there are no people on the beach and you can allow yourself to be mesmerized by the waves.

The service at the Ritz is so good it bordered on creepy. I pulled into valet the car and check in; the valet radioed the front desk told them I was coming and what I was wearing. As I approached the desk I was greeted by name, after leaving the desk three other employees greeted me by name and when I went to the lounge for a late night dinner-snack, they greeted me by name. As I was alone, the staff made an effort to talk to me but sensing I wanted to dissolve into my glass of wine and the ocean they let me have my alone time as well.

On Sunday morning, the day I had planned to return to the hotel wine bar with my book (I am the last person in the food world to read Julie & Julia which has since spawned an obsession that will fuel future columns), I awoke to heavy rain. Most people would be disappointed, but I was thrilled. The Pacific Ocean is a beautiful, dark, mysterious lady during a storm and I could not wait to see her. I had my favorite breakfast in San Jose and made my way to the Ritz only to discover that they put on an incredible Sunday Brunch. No matter — how can a day with a book and wine be bad?

I sat with my glass of wine, the book and the ocean for about an hour and a half. Again, the staff was impeccable. As I paid my bill and prepared to leave I discovered that Stage Left Wines was hosting a tasting at the wine bar so I decided to stay. What a treat! This is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Stage Left was pouring three wines, their Viognier, the 2006 Syrah and the 2006 Breadwinner. I selected a seat at the bar between a couple and a woman who was sitting alone. The couple to my left who were celebrating their anniversary were having so much fun it would have been impossible not to “catch” their good mood. In another stroke of good fortune, the woman to my right was none other than Melinda Doty, owner of Stage Left.

Stage Left is a small operation that gets its grapes from some of the best vineyards in California and Oregon. The company grew from passion and enjoyment of wine. Anyone who reads my blog knows I have a soft spot for the smaller vineyard and Stage Left hit that spot. The wine is hard to come by, but you can join their mailing list if you are interested. You can find Stage Left on twitter @stageleftist

The first wine was the Viognier. For my pallet it had a little too much acid, but then again I was drinking it without food so it’s quite possible that if I’d had food my opinion would have been different. It had a lot of citrus and a creamy texture. This was the only tasting glass I did not finish.

Next up the Syrah: The grapes for this wine come from the central coast of California so they get a nice cool down period after dark but sun during the day — not so much sun that it’s over ripe though. There was a great fruit opening that you’d expect, berries all over the place, but it had a complexity at the end that made me think of wines that are more aged than this one. I really enjoyed it. This wine would compliment any of the typical “red wine foods” but it made me think of a good grilled burger.

The Breadwinner, this is the flagship wine for Stage Left. It runs $42 a bottle if you can get it. If you can get a bottle, you should. It’s a blend of Syrah and Grenache made with more central coast California grapes. I tasted this one immediately (I know, I know, light to dark but I couldn’t help it) then came back to it. In the 45 minutes or so it was in my glass the wine opened up immensely. The first taste was mostly fruit. When I came back it opened up with many other flavors including an earthiness that they call “stone” on the website. I’ve never eaten a rock so I can’t argue with that description but I probably would have just gone with earthy and maybe a hint of mineral.

The best part of this tasting experience was the “bartender.” Bartender is in quotation marks because I feel like I’m insulting him and his knowledge by using that word. I beleive he was studying for his sommelier exam. He kept pouring blind tastes for Melinda and then they’d discuss what they were tasting. It was very educational and enjoyable.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday.

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