Hello and Happy February Fellow Wine Lovers!
This month we have a few sweet things for you!
The Tasting Room: This month Micaela put together a romantic line-up of wines from around the world which will cause you to swoon with delight. Please get a glimpse of them here and then come visit us. WE’re open Wed-Sun 12-6 pm.
In the Gallery: You’re invited to John Melvin’s Art Opening on Friday February 11, 2011 from 5-8 pm. John will be here to discuss his work, WE’ll have food and wine, and Yeti, our featured accordion babe from Holland will provide the entertainment. For a preview of John’s work please click here.
Movies: I watched 5 films from Polish director, Krzysztof Kieslowski, over the last few weeks. My favorite of the bunch was “The Double Life of Veronique”. I highly recommend it, along with his trilogy, “Blue”, “White” and “Red”. "The Decalogues" were good also as morality plays, but a bit wearing. They’re all in French or Polish with English subtitles. Absolutement fantastique for all of us language lovers!
The Double Life of Veronique, 1991, 97 minutes: Irene Jacob stars in a dual role as Polish singer Weronika and French music teacher Veronique -- two women who share a deeply haunting emotional bond, though neither is consciously aware of the other's existence. Krzysztof Kieslowski directs this universally beloved, enigmatic piece about identity and human connection, enhanced by an operatic score from Zbigniew Preisner and rich visual cinematography from Slawomir Idziak.
Blue,1993 98 minutes: When a young Frenchwoman (Juliette Binoche) tries to uncover her famous composer husband's secret life, her steps take her alternately closer to and further from the truth on a journey that ultimately leads to self-discovery. In this first installment of Polish cinematic genius Krzysztof Kieslowski's "three colors" trilogy, Blue stands for "liberty" (as in the French national motto) and is the first color of the red, white and blue French flag.
White, 1994 92 minutes: Krzysztof Kieslowski's dark comedy -- the middle segment in his "three colors" trilogy -- shadows Polish immigrant Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski) as he's humiliated in a public courtroom by his wife (Julie Delpy) during their divorce proceedings. Shamed and brokenhearted, he finds an ally in a fellow countryman, and the two eventually concoct a way back to post-Communist Poland, where Karol sets about rebuilding his life.
Red, 1994 99 minutes: In this meditation on the need for passion and human connection -- the final film in Krzysztof Kieslowski's "three colors" trilogy -- an accident brings together two very different people: Valentine (Irene Jacob), a model, and Joseph (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a retired judge. Since love chooses to pair people's heart at random, theirs becomes a fated and deeply improbable, but altogether true, romance.
Books: My Name is Will, Jess Winfield, 2008: This is a humorous grad school story which recalls the good old college days. It takes place at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley, which is where my daughters Lena and Kika attend, and while it has its hilarious moments, it's ultimately trash lit. Here’s the Publishers Weekly Review: “The two narratives in Winfield's whimsical debut are unified by their shared irreverence, humor and literary gusto. The first tale is of Willie Shakespeare Greenberg, a grad student trying to prove in his hastily conceived thesis that Shakespeare was a closeted Catholic. Short on cash, stoner Willie agrees to mule a superpsychedelic mushroom and a pound of weed to a couple of Renaissance Faire enthusiasts, all the while nursing his infatuation with Dashka Demitra, his sexy thesis adviser. Willie's journey is interspersed with accounts of the other Shakespeare as he, in the months leading up to his wedding, has run-ins with hallucinatory substances and comely women while delivering a secret package to a Catholic dissident. Willie's a lovable schlemiel whose clumsy strides toward attaining a genuine understanding of Shakespeare's work mirror in many ways the Bard's quest to become the great playwright we now study. Winfield uses his deep understanding of Shakespeare's work and times (he is a founding member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company) to great effect, and his affection for the material shines throughout.”
Recipes: Mac and Cheese: I’ve been perfecting my stove top mac and cheese recipe which is a redux of the Cooks Illustrated Best Recipes version: It’s a fast and yummy side or main dish which requires only 20 minutes prep time.
Ingredients: 12 oz macaroni, 4 tbs unsalted butter, 2 eggs, 12 oz can evaporated milk, 12 oz processed mild cheddar cheese, ½ teasoon salt, ¼ teaspoon each pepper, mustard, and hot sauce. Couple of slices Canadian bacon or some other smoked meat, diced, a handful of chanterelles, chopped, ¼ onion diced, 1 clove garlic minced.
1) Bring 4 qts of slightly salty water to boil in a 6 qt All Clad Saucier and gently cook macaroni 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, til al dente. Drain mac and put back in saucier.
2) While waiting for mac to cook, crack two eggs in a bowl, add can of evaporated milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon each pepper, mustard and hot sauce and whisk. Grate cheese.
3) In a sauté pan, sauté ham or Canadian bacon, onion, garlic and chanterelles.
4) Toast two pieces of bread and cut into croutons. For fancy schmancy croutons cut bread into cubes and toast in sauté pan with duck fat, herbes de provence, salt and pepper. Oh yeah!
5) Cut 4 tbs butter into small pieces and stir into drained macaroni until it is melted. Heat should be on medium low.
6) Add egg and milk mixture and grated cheese to macaroni and slowly stir until it thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
7) When sauce is thickened, fold in ham and mushroom medley and the croutons. Enjoy with a glass of one of the whites or medium reds and your loved ones!
The Wines: This month we have chosen these excellent wines with love abandon. Enjoy them with your sweetheart, family and friends. As always our hearts well over with love and gratitude for your kindness. We wish you a lovely month. Al, Micaela and Tom.
 |
|
Complex aromas of ripe cherries, violets and cedar are followed by flavors of perfectly ripe, firm black cherries and mixed red and black berries. Allspice and coffee notes complement a long, multi-faceted finish in this ... more
BN#292073 |
|
|
|
