The world according to Julia....

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients"
-Julia Child

After having watched Julie & Julia now for the second time I felt compelled to blog about the film, Julia and her recipes...all of which I adore!

Before my first viewing of the movie I found myself wondering; how would they weave Julia and Julie's stories together? How would Meryl perform as Julia? Would the film capture Julia's spirit? How would the food look?

My answers? The movie parallels the lives of these two leading ladies and their quest for happiness which leads them to the same place...cooking, wonderfully!

And Meryl?? As an actress myself I've grown up admiring her and once again she has absolutely blown me away with her performance. Although she has Julia's voice down what always impresses me the most are the little things...the sly glance, the sigh, or funny little gestures. Indeed Julia is alive in this film and captures her spirit!

Now...the food...warning!!! Do not, I repeat, do not go to this movie without immediate dinner plans afterward! Scene after scene is filled with heavenly dishes...chocolate mousse pie, butter, bruschetta, butter, duck, and did I mention...butter!? Not to mention you will be terribly parched from all the wine and martinis in every other scene! One of the main dishes the film focuses on is Julia's Boef Bourguignon. My humble suggestion is to plan a night of Julia...make the Boef the day before (it's always better after a day!) and plan to eat immediately, and with a glass of Burgundy after the film as I did. This is proof that simple, fresh ingredients can themselves make a masterpiece! I have yet to get the cookbook, shamefully. However, I did find the recipes from her book on her publisher's website:

(Be sure to follow the recipe for the mushrooms and onions as well!)

And in tribute to Julia...enjoy the film and "Bon Appetit!"

Pontificating Pinots...

One of the things I love the most about working at the WineSellar & Brasserie is meeting other people just as passionate as me about wine; and discovering, enjoying and discussing the wines.

Case in point, recently I was fortunate enough to try two Pinot Noirs back to back, both from very small production wineries when a great customer, Steve Schoenfeld, was generous enough to share!

Kosta Browne began as a dream for Dan Kosta and Micheal Browne in the summer of 1997 as they worked at a restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA. They began saving their tip money and there their journey began. Today they produce small production single vineyard wines from two appelations; Russian River and Sonoma Coast.

2007 Kosta Browne, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

On the nose: raspberries, smoke and evolved to beach and sand
On the palate: ollalieberries, raspberry and baking spices

WesMar Winery is a very small production winery run by Denise Mary Selyem and her husband Kirk Wesley Hubbard. Denise's name sounds familiar? Her Dad is Ed Selyem of Williams & Selyem Winery. Denise and Kirk worked at Williams & Selyem Winery in the late 90's and in 2000 left to start WesMar.

2006 WesMar, Pinot Noir, Salzgerber Vineyard, Russian River
On the nose: cherries, chocolate, anise, wet forest floor
On the palate: black cherries, plums, pear and even a kiss of orange

I scream, you scream...we all scream for aebleskivers!

Aebleskivers? Yes aebleskivers!

I first discovered these delicious morsels on a trip to Solvang, California a few years ago. Solvang is the Danish Capital of America and just so cute and charming! Many places in town serve them but my favorite is the Solvang Restaurant, which was featured in the movie "Sideways". You can order them in the restaurant and they also have a to go window outside where you can grab and go!

I'm sure at this point many of you reading this blog have questions like...but what are they? Where did they come from?

According to lore when the Vikings were roaming up and down the coasts of Europe and the waters of the Atlantic, one band of these Vikings had been particularly hard hit in battle, so, when they got back on their ship with their horn helmets and shields all dented and banged up, they decided to have one of their favorite dishes to help them regain their strength, pancakes!! Years and years ago they did not have s frying pans, so, they greased their shields and poured the pancake batter on them over the fire and aebleskivers were born!

Now you must be wondering...but what do they taste like?? They are a tasty breakfast confection, like a pancake ball often served with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar. I love them because they also have a spicy taste to them of cardamon and mace. Besides for breakfast I think these would be fun to serve for a tea party or even a savory version could be made by adding herbs and cheese to the batter. The pan itself can be purchased in Solvang (where I grabbed mine) or Williams-Sonoma sells them also. My favorite batter mix is from the Solvang Restaurant but other recipes are on the web. The closest I've been to matching the Solvang recipe is below:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• A pinch of ground cardamom
  
• 1/4 mace
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• About 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix flour with sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg to blend with milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened. Let mix sit for ten minutes

2. Place an aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat. When pan is hot enough to make a drop of water dance, brush pancake cups lightly with melted butter and fill each to slightly below the rim with batter.

3. In about 1 1/2 minutes, thin crusts will form on bottoms of balls (centers will still be wet); pierce the crust with a bamboo skewer and gently pull shell to rotate the pancake ball until about half the cooked portion is above the cup rim and uncooked batter flows down into cup. Cook until crust on bottom of ball is again firm enough to pierce, about another minute, then rotate ball with skewer until the ridge formed as the pancake first cooked is on top. Cook, turning occasionally with skewer, until balls are evenly browned and no longer moist in the center, another 10 to 12 minutes. Check by piercing center of last pancake ball added to pan with skewer--it should come out clean--or by breaking the ball open slightly; if balls start to get too brown, turn heat to low until they are cooked in the center. Lift cooked balls from pan and serve hot and with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar.

Also check out the Solvang Restaurant's site and be sure to visit them if you find yourself in Solvang!

A Goode Sauvignon Blanc

Following up my Summer Sippers post I thought I'd add another to the list! Murphy-Goode Winery is based out of Sonoma and I just had a chance to try their 2008 "The Fume" Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is great on it's own, as I had it, but would be extremely food friendly too.

On the nose I got quite a bit of citrus and pineapple. On the palate there is more of the tropical fruits, and even a hint of apricot for me. Although it was mostly fermented in stainless steel there is a roundness from a touch of oak barrels used too. Try this wine with seafood. Oysters would be delicous and forget the lemons...just leisurely sip this in between each one for that hit of acidty and enjoy!

For more about their wines and to vote for me for "A Really Goode Job":

http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=Gzkcp2dJg1M

http://www.murphygoodewinery.com

My Top Ten Summer Sippers

So Summer is upon us...the weather is getting warmer and nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than a deliciously chilled glass of wine!
In honor of summer I have compiled my top ten Summer Sippers!

In general this summer, try something new! Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs are great for hot weather but for great value try a Torrontes from Argentina, or a Verdejo from Spain!. Viogniers are great too, they usually have a gorgeous floral, honeysuckle nose and apricot on the tongue!

Try one or all of them and have a great summer!
(wines are not listed in a particular order)



1. 2007 Etude Pinot Gris Carneros, CA ($20)
2. 2007 Slight of Hand, The Magician,
Gwurtztraminer Walla, Walla, Washington ($15-20)
3. 2008 Swanson Salon Syrah Rosato Oakville, CA
($21)
4. 2007 E. Guigal, Cotes Du Rhone Blanc Rhone,
France ($12.99)
5. 2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
Russian River Valley, CA ($30)
6. 2007 Don Rodolfo Torrontes
Cafayate Valley, Argentina ($10.99)
7. 2007 Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda, Spain ($15)
8. 2008 Miner Viognier Simpson Vineyard, CA ($15-20)
9. 2007 Hopler Gruner Veltliner Burgenland, Austria ($15)
10. NV Donna Clara Fiori Di Prosecco Valdobbiadene, Italy ($15-20)