Monthly Archives: June 2022

He got what he expected

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A Canadian restaurant critic goes home to the Med and writes a story bout an Island (Crete), good friends, and food. He was in search of his Greekness. At times, he really wondered what he was discovering.  

It’s a bit of a hybrid, this book; part travelogue, part culinary adventure, and part personal odyssey for the author.

 “In Chania, one never questions the purpose of life, one simply eats it.”

Completely honest about both the joys and frustrations of life on Crete,  Natural and man-made disasters at a retirement cottage.  Crisis Management -Greek style.

Reminds me of so many Greeks we know.

Crete on a Half Shell, Byron Ayanoglu, ISBN 0-00-639160-5

Cheese Please

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Many cheese and wine varietals have grown up together, oftentimes on the same farm or within a small village. Eegional recipes for wine, cheese, and other local dishes were paired. Passed down from generation to generation, these pairings continue to exist centuries later. The roots of regional pairings go no deeper than those in Europe.

Scientists believe foods that sit on opposite ends of the spectrum of taste often create a pleasant taste sensation, triggering a good match in the mind. This is true for wine and cheese as well as many other food and drink combinations.

Studies also point to the science behind “palate cleansing” to help explain how food pairing works. This is an oft-referenced concept in the realm of food pairing. Astringent foods alternated with creamier foods often create a pleasant taste combination. This discovery helps to explain why wine and cheese have been paired together for so long, as the two developed simultaneously centuries ago.

Cheese is a fatty food. Wine is astringent. They oppose each other to create a balanced mouthfeel. Because fatty foods are oily, eating them lubricates the mouth. You take a bit of cheese and your mouth feels slick. Take a drink of wine and the tannins will make the mouth feel dry or rough.

Sauvignon Blanc is often paired with goat cheese. The citrus and mineral notes found in Sauvignon Blanc will bring the tasting experience to the next level. This is because the wine’s aromatic flavors make the herbal notes in the goat cheese stand out.  

The best cheeses to pair with red wine are hearty ones – semi-firm, firm and aged hard cheese. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Sangiovese are but a few of the red wines that pair well with aged Gouda and Cheddar, aged Manchego or Pecorino and other similar cow, goat or sheep milk cheeses. 

For younger, lighter and more fruity firm or semi-firm cheese,  go back to serving a white wine or a very light red such as an old world Pinot Noir, Schiava from Alto Adige, or Beaujolais.

Talkin About the Relatives

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“I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d, I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things, Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago, Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.”  Walt Whitman … “Song of myself”

A tale of the ordinary lives of families in East and Central Africa.  The author was a pioneer in the study of the mountain gorillas in the early 60s.

I found it a great family history read.

The Year of the Gorilla – George B. Schaller – ISBN 0-226-7368-5

Wakey Wakey

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This will rattle your tastebuds, give you a good shake and ask:

“How Do you like me so far?”

Well, Darling, We like you just fine.

First up, Volpolicella is THE wine of Italy’s Veneto region, made with Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes.

Ripasso adds great complexity – it means “go over again”. After pressing the dried grapes for Amarone, there were plenty of grape skins leftover. Rather than chuck away so much tannic treasure, winemakers began using the skins in a second fermentation of Valpolicella,

That adds the Yummy bit with the added tannins and flavour.

Perfect for a relaxed evening of unhurried company with close friends.

Bolla Valpolicella Ripasso

Children and Anxiety

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Probably a good thing I’m going to therapy for my social anxiety if I want to cancel my first session due to social anxiety.

Please help my husband and I decide on dinner. We’ve narrowed it down to “It doesn’t matter” and “It’s your turn to choose”.

My 10-year-old gets to bring 1 stuffed animal to school. So far she’s narrowed it down to 947 candidates.

My husband and I now have an app that tells us if the garage door is open or closed and this effectively gets rid of 90% of conversation during car rides.

SOCIAL ANXIETY: omg are you ok ALCOHOL: you are great actually Two hours later… ALCOHOL: omg are you ok SOCIAL ANXIETY: you are home actually

Capturing my husband‘s attention is easy, I just refer to a screwdriver as a wrench.

Why are they called butterflies if they aren’t flies covered in butter? -My 6-year-old, starting off his summer vacation with the tough questions.

Husband: hey, what’s for dinner? Me: my signature dish Husband: so leftovers

Social anxiety = brain filibustering mouth’s turn to speak.

Dating: “Wanna share a strawberry smoothie?” Married: “Quit holding your coffee mug loudly!”

I hope everyone had a great weekend, except the random lady who assumed my 4yr old is my grandchild, I hope her weekend sucked.

New parents get to experience the utter joy a kid has going through a car wash for the first time. Experienced parents get the same but they also know to put the window lock on.

My 5yo is demanding I tell him where he lived when mommy and daddy were kids.

Another new Star

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Emiliana is the largest organic winery in the world, and has come up with another winner.

We’ve had their Cab Sav/Carmenere and Sav Blanc, so were eager to try the Pinot Gris. Novas means new star – and it certainly is.

An organic Chilean Pinot Gris that starts with citrus aromas, and ends with floral notes on the palate. Medium acidity, medium-bodied, smooth finish. Paired it with grilled pork chops and scalloped potatoes.  It also went well with Chinese food the night before too!

Novas Gran Reserva Pinot Gris

Tough Decision – drink or hold?

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Rocky, sandy soil – 550 m above sea level big contrasts between night and day temps to give us plummy, peppery, velvet smooth flavours and a long and spicy finish.

The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and undergoes a full malolactic fermentation prior to ageing in small American oak barrels for six months. A portion of the grapes are dried in appassimento style.

Forget the two night rule.  Bring out the BIG glass.  This is a wine for a long evening at the dinner table.  Don’t hold back any for another night.  We decided on a mezes evening of Middle Eastern finger food.  Tree House pizza on thin pita, Lamb/pork/beef mix for the kefta (meat balls), lots of garlic in the tzatziki, hummus, spinach pies.

Just what is needed for relaxed conversation and a hearty wine to go with it all.

For the decision – Easiest solution is to go back and buy another bottle (or two) and hold them for another year or so.

Falernia Carmenere Gran Reserva 2017

$16.99 regularly $19.99

14.5% Alcohol

UPC: 07809623200322

Neighbours and Friends

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I hate when new parents ask who the baby looks like. It was born 15 minutes ago, it looks like a potato.

Me *overhearing my neighbour’s 3 yr old daughter having a mega tantrum: So glad I’m past the toddler years. Teen: Screams, slams their bedroom door, storms off down the stairs and screams one more time Also Me: The irony of this moment is not lost on me.

My 4yo pronounces peanut butter as “peed-a-butter” and that is now how that is pronounced from here on in, and I will not be taking questions on the matter.

Took my daughter and her best friend to dinner and a show with endless snacks and sodas but we didn’t get ice cream afterwards so naturally this night will forever be known as “that night you didn’t get us ice cream.”

80% of parenting is trying not to laugh when you’re supposed to be mad.

I say “this my song” to about 50 songs.

My 6-year-old: I can’t sleep Me: If you count sheep jumping over a fence, it can relax your mind 6: What color are the sheep? Wait, what color is the fence? Wait, why are they jumping? WAIT, IS A WOLF GOING TO EAT THEM…?

Whenever an article of clothing says “dry clean only” i like to test that theory by throwing it in the washing machine.

My pregnant wife asked for an Oreo so I brought her a single Oreo. Apparently this was a gross miscalculation on my part.

Me writing the beginning of my book: ooooh the plot thickens!! Me writing the middle of my book: hmm the plot thinnens

Daughter found out her teacher’s aide moved in nearby and she has been glued to the window watching his house. Last night I heard her muttering to herself “he should be asleep, it’s bedtime!”

Having a crush has cured my depression! now it’s anxiety’s time to shine.

I live closer to my sons school now. Lets see if I can actually get him there on time.

I told the liquor store guy about a drink I made with this gin he sold me and he was like, “Congratulations you invented a Tom Collins.”

Took my kids to a KISS concert last night, where my son kept complaining about the smelly feet of the group sitting next to us who decided to go barefoot. In unrelated news, my son doesn’t know what weed smells like.

A cooking competition where contestants make whatever they want but my husband wanders around the kitchen and stands in front of the drawer they need.