Lamb Shank with White Beans

Having dinner with friends. They're making lamb shank with white bean and a salad with fried goat cheese. Sounds great!

Christmas Eve Chowder

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but it's great. I've adapted it slightly from the original but, again, this is one of the best soups I've ever eaten or made.

Lobster and Diver Scallop Green Chile Chowder with Roasted Corn

1 (2 pound) lobsters, steamed*
1 lb. Diver Scallops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups roasted corn kernels, cobs reserved (soak in water for 10 minutes and then roast or grill)
4 to 5 cups lobster stock**
2-3 small to medium poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced (depends on how spicy you like it)
3 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus leaves for garnish

When corn is slightly cooled, remove husks and kernels and place kernels in a bowl.
Remove the claws from the lobsters. Carefully crack the claws and try to remove the meat in 1 piece and set aside for garnish. Remove the tail meat and chop into 1-inch chunks and set aside in the refrigerator. Reserve the shells.

Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat; add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Increase heat to high, add the wine, lobster shells, and corn cobs and cook until completely reduced.

Add 4 cups of the lobster stock and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of the corn and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lobster shells and corn cobs.
Either use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a food processor and process until smooth. Strain into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer.

While this is cooking, in a large skillet, heat some extra butter over medium high heat and add scallops. Cook on each side leaving them undercooked in the center. Remove and set aside. Then quarter the scallops.

Take scallops, lobster meat, remaining 1 cup of roasted corn kernels and green chiles, add to clean soup and cook for 5 minutes.

Place heavy cream in a medium saucepan and reduce by half. Add the reduced cream to the chowder and stir until combined, if the chowder appears too thick, add some of the remaining lobster stock to thinly slightly. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro. Ladle into bowls and a lobster claw and fresh cilantro leaves.

* The lobster may be left out if you want. Simply add more scallops
** If you don't want to make your own lobster stock, Whole Foods or any good seafood store will have a lobster base that can be used. I've done this before and you can't taste the difference.

Green Point Shiraz

Was at another holiday party Friday night and had a good Aussie Shiraz. Not sure of the year or whether it was the reserve, but this wine is made by a friend of a friend (the hosts) in the Yarra Valley of Australia. Like many Australian Shiraz, it has a dark inky purple color, is very well balanced with smooth tannins, a soft acidity and a lingering finish. You can taste not only the blackberry and other ripe fruit, but pepper (peppercorns). A really nice wine.

Cambria Pinot Noir

Last night, we went to a couple of Christmas...ok, in the interests of being PC, which I am not, we can call them "holiday" parties. At the first, I drank a pinot noir from a California vineyard named Cambria, which was quite good. The wine was light to medium bodied with a lot of forward fruit and a stong taste of ripe cherries and strawberries. Although the wine had a fair amount of spice, it's not particularly powerful, nor did it have a strong finish. This is a good everyday drinking wine, very good for serving large groups. I searched around and found the 2004 Cambria Julia's Vineyard (which I think I was drinking) on-line for between $16-$20, which is well worth it.
(Note: coming is the Shiraz served at the second party)

Wine Party Wine Review

The wine was flowing last night and it was all amazing, but before we get to that, I have to say that our friends outdid themselves with the decorations and food. I'll get the name of the caterer and post it, but, again, the food was just incredible. Obviously, the idea behind the party was to taste some exceptionally good wine, which we did. My friends set up the table with flights of 5 wines. Each, thankfully, was a 2 oz. pour or I don't know if I'd be writing this so early. The wines, in the order that we recommended tasting them were: 1) Coudolet de Beaucastel, 2) Ch. Mouton Rothschild, 3) Pira Barolo Cannubi, 4) Fanti Brunello, and 5) Phelps Insignia. This may not come as a surprise to anyone who knows these wines, but I loved them all. Each has its own distinctive character and taste, but they were all outstanding. Here's what I thought of each (dinner wine -- 2000 Ch. LaGrange -- and Port later).

Coudolet de Beacastel: This is a Cotes du Rhone and, although a solid medium bodied wine, I thought it tasted much lighter that the other wines. It pairs well with meats and stews (Beef Burgandy, etc.) When you first smell the wine, it smells like Welch's grape jelly and has a similar jammy berry taste. It also gives a full mouth feel so that you can really taste a smoky spice, although I can't quite place which spice (clove, allspice, cinnamon, anise, or all of the above). Although this wine may suffer by comparison with those that follow, this is a great wine.

Ch. Mouton Rothschild: This is a classic Bourdeaux (Pauillac). Produced by one of the premier French first growth properties. The wine smells distinctly of dirt/earth (the French "terroirs"), but has none of what you might think of as a dirty taste. Although 1997 was not considered a classic vintages, this is considered a solid effort and a very good Mouton. I love this wine. It has good color and texture, soft tannins with a silky finish. With hints of currants and cedar (classic for this wine), this wine just tastes great. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine is not as full-bodied as what many might expect from a Cabernet. This is not a California "fruit-bomb" it is a classic medium bodied Left Bank French Bourdeaux.

Pira Barolo Cannubi: Although not made with the same grape, this is the Italian version of a great French Bourdeaux. This is similar in body and color to the Mouton but with different texture and taste. This wine has more oak and, as any good Barolo, a flavors of flowers and tar as opposed to the liquorice and coffee taste of the Mouton. The layers minerality and complexity of this wine make it something truly special. When you think of a sensuous wine, this is it.

Fanti Brunello: This is a truly amazing wine and has been described as a "blockbuster" by Wine Spectator. This wine will be best in another few years, but this was my second favorite of the night. It has a dark, dark color and tastes of rich dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla. It is velvety and has a long soft finish.

Phelps Insignia: I started with this wine (sort of a mistake) and finished the tasting with it (definitely not a mistake). This wine is fabulous. Sometimes I will read a review of a wine and think about why a wine might be "the wine of the year" and not have the highest score of any wine reviewed that year. I don't know the answer to that question, but I know why this was the Wine of the Year. This is a California "fruit bomb" its best. Insignia is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec and while we obviously opened this wine now, it can easily be cellared for another 2 decades. It is just an amazing effort. Well balanced and powerful, with a deep purple inky color and a rich, great jamminess and a mouth filling/coating flavor of blackberry, cherry, roasted coffee and a hint of vanilla. When I think of "mouth feel" this is one wine that will come to mind. As I sit here and close my eyes, I can still remember the taste of this wine and my mouth starts to water. In case you couldn't tell, this was my favorite, although there were no loser last night except those who didn't come.

Again, thanks to the hosts. We know how much work went into this great party.

Coming Sunday - Fine Wine Review

I'm going to a party Saturday night that was the brilliant idea of a good friend. We're getting a bunch of our close friends together and drinking a bunch of great wines. One of the main attractions of the party is that it's at his house and not mine. Here is a list of the wines we're having:

1997 Ch. Mouton Rothschild (*RP90)
2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia (WS96 - 2005 WS Wine of the year/RP95)
2001 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino (WS96 - 2006 WS top 100 - #23)
2001 Coudolet de Beaucastel (RP91)
2000 Pira Barolo Cannubi (RP90/WS96)
1980 Warre's Port (RP88/WS88)
1994 Grappa Berta Tre Soli Tre Nebbiolo da Barolo
2005 Marcarini Moscato d'Asti

and maybe more...

Look for how they tasted, if anyone is able to remember.

*RP=Robert Parker/WS=Wine Spectator

Guest Post by the VC Guy -

I enjoyed a very memorable wine at a business dinner last night at Grill 23 (yes Mike it was a boring VC dinner). We ordered 2 bottles of Chateau La Dominique's 2000 vintage. The property is located in St. Emilion, next to it's much more famous neighbor, Cheval Blanc. It has a bit of sordid history: bad ownership, lousy production, etc. It was purchased in a state of disrepair and Michel Rolland, a relatively new, but rapidly rising star in Bordeaux, is responsible for vinification. The 2000 is most likely the best vintage (I have read the 2001 is also terrific, but have not tried it).

The 2000 is a powerful wine, lots of structure, great acidity, and soft tannins. Though my palate is not that sophisticated, I tasted flavors that included raspberrys and figs. As a right banker, the wine is primarily Merlot at 80%, 15% Cab Franc, and 5% Cabernet. I also ordered a bottle of Altamura, a California cab I have always liked. It seemed like a weak sister compared to the Bordeaux. Unlike Cheval Blanc, us working stiffs can afford to purchase Dominique which is $75 per bottle. (Mike, I ordered 3 cases, now you know what you are getting for Christmas). Not as nice as your recent gift, but i try.

Masa Restaurant, Boston, MA

As I said, we went out last night with friends. We had 2 great bottles and 1 good bottle and I'll tell you about each (1997 Ch. Grand Mayne, 1998 Ch. Clerc Milon & 2002 Catena Alta Malbec) later. First, I wanted to tell you about the restaurant. We went to Masa Restaurant (www.masarestaurant.com) in Boston's South End. It's a chic little place with a great casual feeling and a young, mostly early-mid twenties, bar scene. (It's tough when you realize that you're probably old enough to be the really pretty bartender's father). More importantly, the food and service was outstanding. Our table was ready as soon as we arrived and the wait staff was knowledgeable and attentive. I started with a Sweet Corn and Blue Crab Bisque and then stole some of my wife's Spicy Ahi Tuna Cabo Roll and we got a Ceviche for the table. The bisque was outstanding. It was thick and tasty and had a great kick from the serrano-chive aoli that is floated on top. The combination of the crab and the corn really complimented each other well. The Tuna Cabo roll is a large chunk of sushi grade tuna that is wrapped in a tortilla (like a chimichanga) with vegetables like a Maki roll and then quickly deep fried. It's served with a wasabi guacamole that is outstanding. The Ceviche was in a coconut mole and while it tasted great and I'd recommend it for an appetizer, it was not a great idea to share for the table.

For dinner, I had a chile encrusted New York Stip steak that was cooked, for me, perfectly, which is medium rare. When I say medium-rare, I mean just warm red center and charred on the outside. The piece of meat was huge (I can eat a fair amount of food and I had a lot of trouble finishing) and well marbled with a small layer of fat that tasted amazing. I know that sound disgusting, but, in a good piece of meat, that's where the flavor is (If I die at 75 instead of 80 because of my diet, that's fine by me). For dessert, we got a few things for the table, I'm not sure what, because I was focused on the bread pudding, which was very good. If you're looking for a fun night out, you won't be disappointed at Masa.

Next: The Wine

Review of Amazing Wine to Come Tomorrow...Depending

We're going out with friends tonite (including my VC friend who I playfully slam in my About section). We're going to a great little restaurant in the South End of Boston which has a good wine list, but also allows BYO. I'm bringing 2 bottles, a Ch. Clerc Milon and a Ch. Grand Mayne.

The Grand Mayne is a Saint-Emilion (from the Right Bank. Right Bank wines generally are Merlot heavy. Remember, if you don't like American merlot (remember, Sideways), try a wine from this region of France. French merlot is an entirely wine than it's American cousin. This maybe the area that produces the most famous French red wines) Grand Cru and the Grand Mayne is a Pauillac (these wines are known for their full-bodied luxurious style and is the part of Bourdeaux where my favorite French wines come from) Grand Cru Classe. Left Bank wines are predominantly made with Cabernet Sauvignon, which I like, although I am told that a good right bank wine will cellar better than a left bank. In any event, depending on my brain function tomorrow (and my son's hockey schedule), I'll let you know my thoughts.

By the way, you can buy these more expensive wines at shops now for "bargain" prices because many shops are trying to get rid of older stock in favor of the futures and other that have or will be arriving in the coming months.