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So Many Chateaux, So Little Time

Posted By FreshTartSteph on Jan 27, 2010 at 6:36PM

Let me clarify - I was not in France (sacre bleu).  Instead, France kindly came here, to freezing cold and colorless Minnesota-in-January, at the invitation of the Commanderie de  Bordeaux Minnesota Chapter.  Let me clarify - I'm not a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux (sacre bleu).  But my friends Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius Williams are, and I've been privileged to accompany them as a guest to a few of the Commanderie's insanely fabulous wine tasting dinners, including last night.

The guests of honors were Patrick Maroteaux, owner of Chateau Branaire-Ducru; and Count Stephan von Neipperg, manager of Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, La Mondotte, Clos de l'Oratoire, Chateau Peyreau, Clos Marsalette, and Chateau d'Aguilhe. They each charmingly described their wine-making history, philosophy, and introduced the (dozen) wines we tasted as the evening sipped on.

As usual, The Minneapolis Club's executive chef John Thompson and staff created a lovely menu to pair with the wines:

Chanterelle Mushroom-Speck Terrine

Sweetbread Strudle with Hollandaise Noir

Duck Liver Parfait with Black Currant Preserve

Château Branaire-Ducru 2007

Duluc de Branaire-Ducru 2005

St. Julien

Château Cannon La Gaffeliere 2007

Clos de l’Oratoire 2007

St. Emilion

Lanson Brut Gold Label 1996

Champagne

Truffle Poached Diver Scallops with Skate Wing, Parsley-Parsnip Coulis and Tomato Jam

Château Branaire-Ducru 2003

Château Branaire-Ducru 2000

Château Branaire-Ducru 1995

St. Julien

Juniper Roasted Breast of Squab with Rosemary Spaetzle, Foie Gras Emulsion, Smoked Portabello Carpaccio

Château d’Aiguilhe 2003

Cotes de Castillon

La Mondotte 1997 en Magnum

St. Emilion

Château Canon La Gaffeliere 1989

St. Emilion

Rogue River Blue, St. Nectaire, Beaufort d’Alpage (selection of cheeses)

Poached Apricot Tartlette with Caramelized Pineapple Coulis

Château Guiraud 1990

Sauternes

All of the wines were oustanding - for me, an incredible grouping.  The food-wine pairings were interesting as well, in particular the rich and gamey, crisp-roasted squab with the La Mondotte 1997, a truly spectacular wine.  From Robert Parker: "94 points, an amazing effort and unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, La Mondotte's 1997 boasts a saturated purple color as well as an explosive nose of blackberries, violets, minerals, and sweet toasty oak.  Huge and massive, yet gorgeously proportioned, it possesses an unctious texture with no hard edges."  To me it smelled heavenly and tasted smooth, earthy, rich...and French.  How amazing to be able to taste such a special wine, certainly not something I'd be able to do without Debbie & Stu's generous invitation, so yet again, I thank them.

The only drawback to attending Commanderie dinners is that I am next to worthless the next day - so lame.  Although perhaps it's a good thing that my body just can't take such a massive infusion of rich food and wine.  Instinctive moderation.  I like it.

Tagged with: commanderie, stu the wine genius, stu & debbie williams
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Commanderie de Bord...oh!

Posted By FreshTartSteph on Nov 15, 2008 at 9:56AM

Ah, good morning. I'm up and at 'em, perhaps a bit on the late side, but in surprisingly good form considering the wickedly not (!) moderate 16 wines I tasted last night. Santé! Yes, as Debbie and Stuart Williams' guest at the November meeting of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, I was on my best behavior and politely drained my glass(es) and cleaned my plate(s), the least I could do, non? Seriously, it was a lovely night, hosted by Commandeur Bill McGuire and his wife Mme. Nadine McGuire, along with their guest, wine expert Kevin Swersey. The evening's wines were chosen from the 2005 (Bordeaux, natch) vintage, particularly for affordability and accessibility as well as for, of course, drinkability. A quick survey of the group revealed that most had tasted exactly none of the wines - Bill and Kevin's secret goal, mwahaha, and not the usual Commanderie experience. So we were off...

But wait, I should take a step back and introduce my tablemates: Debbie and Stu, of course (pic, below, is actually from Napa, as we enjoyed cassoulet at Bistro Jeanty, but that's another story...), as well as Commandeur Mary K. Stern and her husband Gary Stern, and Commandeur Kirt Woodhouse. A delightfully clever, charming group, they very kindly answered my many (naive) Bordeaux questions and kept the conversation hopping from topic to topic, always returning to - what else? - food and wine, baby, food and wine.

Our group particularly enjoyed the opening food-wine pairing, a classic I personally hadn't experienced before but oh, will I be seeking out again: Peking duck with champagne. Yes, turns out that champagne's signature acidity is the perfect foil for every flavor element of Peking duck - the silky, rich duck breast, the paper-thin, crispy-salty skin, the sweet-tangy Hoisin sauce, and even the mild spring onion garnish. All together, ka-blam, taste explosion. Loved it. (If anyone has a recommendation on where to find good Peking duck in Minneapolis/St. Paul, I'm taking suggestions. I found this Strib rave for Yummy Chinese Restaurant on Nicollet - sounds like the real deal, but the review's a bit dated...)

Below is the entire tasting menu with wine pairings. I'd recommend in particular the second two champagnes - both delicious, unique, and according to Kevin, quite affordable (he purchased all the wine at Surdyk's). Find yourself some Peking duck (or make it - you'll see it's a luxury item for good reason, given the unusual and lengthy preparation, although the recipe doesn't look terribly complicated), pour a glass, and bubbly-bottoms up. Quack that. Oh. Yeah.

Kudos to Chef John Thompson and his staff at The Minneapolis Club for turning out such an ambitious, lovely dinner:

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Beef Tartar with Mustard Aioli and Cornichon
Chicken Chili Empanadas
Boneless Lamb "Lollipops" with Dried Apricot Chutney
Clarendelle Blanc 2005 Pessac-Leognan

Dinner
Peking Duck
Chartogne-Taillet Blanc de Blancs N.V. 2005 Champagne
Pierre Gimonnet & Fil 1er Cru Brut N.V. 2005 Champagne
Pierre Peters "cuvee de Reserve" Brut N.V. 2005 Champagne

Slow Poached Monkfish with Brown Butter Sauce, Celeriac Remoulade and Wild Arugula
Chateau Ferriere 2005 Margaux
Chateau La Gurgue 2005 Margaux

Seared Oxtail Ravioli with Fig Balsamic Reduction, topped with Crispy Sage
Chateau Haut-Bergey 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Tour des Termes 2005 St. Estephe

Roasted Rack of Bobby Veal, Braised Sweetbread Strudel, Chanterelle Ragout
Pomerol Christian Moueix 2005
 Chateau L Croix du Casse 2005 Pomerol

Braised Pork Cheek, Truffle Potato and Glazed Grilled Carrots
Chateau Quinault L'Enclos 2005 St. Emilion
Chateau Bellevue 2005 St. Emilion
Chateau Clos de Sarpe 2005 St. Emilion

Dessert
Fromage d'Affinois, Cave-Aged Gruyere, St. Nectaire Cheeses with Fall Fruit Jams
Chateau La Gomerie 2005 St. Emilion
Gracia 2005 St. Emilion
"Mystery Wine" El Desafio de Jonata 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

My thanks again to my favorite hosts, Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams, as well as to the Commanderie de Bordeaux and the evening's hosts, Bill and Nadine McGuire. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Moderate it: uh, right.

Tagged with: commanderie, stu and debbie, stu the wine genius, peking duck
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Food Styling 101: Salads

Posted By FreshTartSteph on Nov 14, 2008 at 5:42PM

I'm taking a food styling course, attempting to improve the quality and creativity of my food photos, as well as learn a bit more about a field I think would be terrific to work in. Maybe even get paid, ooh, there's a novel concept. I'm only in the second week; our assignment was to put together and style a simple salad. Here's my first try (limited seriously by my lack of photographic knowledge; I was stuck with the light I had, without planning ahead, and let's just say, I have a lot to learn about my camera. I think I need a major Cory Shubert tutorial...).

Anyhow, total BLAST. I made a couple of mistakes, like eating a bit of goat cheese and walnuts off the plate when I thought I was done. But no, after seeing the pics on my computer, I had to go back - and replace the parts I snacked on. I'm pretty sure that's a food styling 101 don't, ha.

Man am I dragging today, even as I composed this salad, d r a g g i n g. I'm seriously sleep-deprived this week and oy am I feeling my old. We had our neighborhood women's association meeting last night (aka wine and chat) and I once again stayed out and up way too late. And no reprieve tonight, oh no - as I mentioned below, tonight I'll be Debbie and Stu William's guest at a Commanderie de Bordeaux event (aka serious wine and chat).

I predict a very, very quiet Saturday.

Moderate it: the only thing going for me is that I know that the portions at the Commanderie dinner will be reasonable. That said, moderate portions of five or so courses adds up to excessive pretty quickly. Washed down with five or so Bordeaux wines and well, I'll have to count it as the special occasion it is and just enjoy myself. Moderate that!

Food Styling 101: Salads
2 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
Tagged with: salad, commanderie, food styling
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Bling, Chat, and Icy Heat

Posted By FreshTartSteph on Nov 11, 2008 at 7:58PM

Silpada, Silpada - if you're a woman in my family, be on alert, you are most likely getting Silpada jewelry for Christmas. Suz is a Silpada rep, so I've hosted a couple of parties, which have led to other of my friends hosting parties, including my friend Polly last night and Baseball Mom Sonja this coming Friday (although I can't make Friday's party - I'll be attending a Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner with Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius, woo hoo! I've been to two before, both amazing nights, I'll do my best to pay attention to the food and lovely wine and not talk too damn much. Stay tuned...). Polly had a crackling fire, and delicious appetizers, and a yummy iced pumpkin cake - and oh yeah, Susie Silpada Sales with her bling! Good thing the jewelry is so pretty, and easy to wear (casual or dressy), 'cuz I sure do own a lot of it, ha.

Despite snow and freezing rain and all-day darkness - what is this, February? - I turned up the heat with quick chicken gumbo and sauteed okra before Nathan's basketball game tonight, and am ready to whip up tortilla soup tomorrow morning (I'll be busy with my nephew Cooper in the afternoon-into-evening, so have to work ahead a bit). Haven't decided yet what to bake for our neighborhood women's association meeting Thursday night. Cheesy vanilla fudge bars? Hmmm...you know, I might make almond puff pastry. It's a bit brunchy, but it's sooo decadently yummy, who cares? Yeah, I think it'll be almond puff pastry...



Moderate it: almond puff pastry, for sure one of my top ten all-time favorite foods, is definitely the kind of thing I only bake for others - lots of others.

Tagged with: commanderie, silpada, polly, Suz, cheesy vanilla fudge bars, almond puff pastry
1 Comment -- 42 Views
Posted By FreshTartSteph on Jan 24, 2008 at 9:33AM
Meat pies! Rarrr! In whatever form - samosas, pasties, empanadas - the combination of savory meat and vegetables encased in tender pastry is irresistible. To me. And apparently to John and Nathan too. Before I abandoned my family for the Commanderie dinner on Tuesday night, I played the good wife and mother and tried out a recipe I'd pulled from Gourmet magazine last year for Beef and Curry Pies. Nathan helped me roll out and cut dough so that in no time he and John had hot, crispy meat pies for dinner, while I was whisked off for downtown (smelling rather of curry, a strange combination with my beloved Le Parfum de Therese, to be sure) by Stu and Debbie. The recipe in theory serves 8, but there were no leftovers between the two of them, so... I'll adjust the serving size accordingly (!) in the posted recipe (in comments, below).

If you're not in the mood to roll and cut dough (which with frozen puff pastry really doesn't take very long), I'd suggest empanadas from El Meson. Their empanadas are absolutely perfect. Tender, flaky crust filled with garlic-studded beef, with a hint of sweetness, dipped in fiery salsa... Shut. Up. I crave 'em, with cold beer, although I really only achieve them once a year. Perhaps tonight's the night, I'll have to think on that for a bit. What say ye, Johnny?

For lunch today I get to cash in on the efforts of yesterday, when I took the time to simmer a homemade chicken stock. (I use a couple of pounds of chicken thighs, brown them thoroughly in olive oil, then toss hunks of carrots, celery, garlic, and onion into the pot, with a handful of fresh herbs, water to cover, simmer partially covered- skimming often - for 2 hours. Strain carefully - discard solids - season liberally. If not using right away, cool to room temp, uncovered, then chill.) We had the hot stock as a sort of make-your-own-chicken-noodle-soup, with cooked egg noodles, sauteed veggies (asparagus tips, onion, mushrooms, carrots), grated gruyere, and chicken breast pieces (from a rotisserie chicken) as optional add-ins. With a loaf of crusty bread, it made a good, hot, filling meal on a ridiculously cold night. Even my nephew Cooper Cuteness had a few tastes of the rich broth! Coop de Loop does soup!
Tagged with: cooper, commanderie, chicken stock, el meson, meat pies, parfum de therese, beef and curry pies
1 Comment -- 3 Views
Posted By FreshTartSteph on Jan 23, 2008 at 12:10PM
Madame Stephanie Levy - c'est moi, at least at the Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner I attended this evening, as a guest of Stu (The Wine Genius) and Debbie Williams. Held at the Minneapolis Club, featuring the wines of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte and winemaker Daniel Cauthiard, I had a grand old time eating, drinking, and BS-ing with the various Commandeurs. M. Cauthiard himself was a lovely guest-of-honor, charming, handsome, and perfectly French (but of course). Chef John Thompson and his staff did a spectacular turn with the food, menu as follows:

Oyster Souffle with Parmesan "Air" (delicious)
Butter Roasted Breast of Pheasant with Pommes Gratin and Jus Lie (divine)
Crispy Braised Lamb Shank (in phyllo) served over White Asparagus and Spinach (unctuous)
Assorted French Cheeses (spot on)
Warm Mano Pave a la Tatin with Mango Soup, Roasted Raspberries and Vanilla Tuile

And wine:
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2000 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Les Hauts-de-Smith 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2000 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 1998 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 1995 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Suduiraut 2001 Sauterne

And guests:
My dinner partner was Commandeur Ralph Bashioum, MD, who along with table-mate/Commandeur/race-car driver/winemaker Peter Kitchak, just happens to be in the process of producing and introducing a new set of Napa Valley wines. Stay tuned for Kitchak Cellars greatness...

Also chatted with:
Greg Becker, from our lovely dinner at Rudy Maxa's and Ana Scofield's back in December, as a guest of Commandeur Steve Fox. And Commandeur Bill McGuire, who is significantly taller than me, even in my 5-inch kickass anniversary Louboutins (no small feat, no pun intended, ha). Rock on!

So there, my friends, another night of Stu-and-Debbie-sponsored greatness... delicious food, lovely wine, great chat, it's all good. Thanks to them (yet again!), and the Commanderie de Bordeaux (Minnesota Chapter), and winemaker Daniel Cathiard, for a spectacular Tuesday night (Tuesday!).

Oh! Stu hilariously introduced me (as a guest) tonight as follows: "Stephanie writes a blog called The Moderate Epicurean. After traveling, eating, and drinking wiith Stephanie, I can honestly say she is anything but moderate." So true, so true! Although I do subtitle my blog "A Quest for Measured Pleasure." As in, Moderation is an Elusive Goal Which Someday I'll Achieve, Right?

Sleep tight! (And rest in peace Heath Ledger.)
Tagged with: commanderie, stu and debbie, stu the wine genius
1 Comment -- 25 Views
Posted By FreshTartSteph on Jan 22, 2008 at 10:28AM
Dinner and a movie, pretty hard to beat. Even (or especially?) on a bitterly cold, slippery-snowy evening. John and I hit a late-afternoon showing of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the intense true story of French Elle publisher Jean-Dominic Beauby. Beauby, at the age of 42, suffered a sudden, massive "cerebral event" which left him with "locked-in syndrome" - a fully functional intellect trapped inside an immobile body. He could hear, and blink his left eye...but that's it. Dedicated therapists worked out an eye-blinking code so that he could communicate, and he eventually used it to dictate the memoir that the movie is based on. The story is far too grim and frightening to be uplifting, but it's powerful, and redemptive, and I walked out feeling a little dazed. (John loved it.)

As often happens to me, the setting of the film stirred cravings for the featured culture and food, in this case French. (Italian movie, Italian food. Asian movie, Asian food. Heck, a strain of a Mexican tune conjures a hankering for margaritas and guacamole. I'm hopeless.) So off we went to our favorite little bistro, Cave Vin, for Gallic treats. To start, half-price bottles of wine on Monday nights, a particularly sweet bonus given their lovely wine list. Smokin-hot frites with crushed garlic (but of course). Plump, tender mussels bathed in a perfect lemony-garlicky broth (insert copious amounts of crusty baguette, soak briefly, sigh deeply). A crispy-roasted chicken breast, with fresh herbs stuffed under the skin, served alongside simple sauteed vegetables. A few decadent bites of a warm chocolate pot-de-creme. And with sips of strong coffee to finish, and chats with the tables on either side of us (we happened to know both parties, random), we rolled on out into the snowy cold, (temporarily) blissfully unaware of its nasty bite given the protective presence of warm food and drink. Oooh, bon, bon, bon. Date Night!

And tonight, more French fabulousness, this time with Stu The Wine Genius and his lovely wife Debbie. Stu belongs to the Twin Cities' chapter of a Bordeaux wine-enthusiasts group (wine frat!) called the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Commanderie members host dinners and wine tastings, called parlements, and occasionally invite guests to attend. Tonight's parlement will feature the wines of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Tonight's guest list will include - moi! John was invited too, but he wussed out because he gets too overwhelmed by multi-course, multi-taste dinners. I surprisingly (har) dig them wildly and can't wait. Yay! I'll check in with the details tomorrow.

Until then, stay warm, my friends!
Tagged with: commanderie, stu and debbie, stu the wine genius, pommes frites, cave vin, roasted chicken, date night, bordeaux wine, the diving bell and the butterfly
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Fresh. Tart. Fresh Tart!

 

I’m Stephanie Meyer.  If you're looking for fresh, delicious food to share with those you love - welcome!  In addition to the recipes you'll find here, I post Tuesday recipes at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients.  I also cook and take photos for Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine magazine, post gluten-free recipes at Stuffed Pepper, cook with food photographer Susan Powers for Shooting the Kitchen, and organize the Minnesota Food Bloggers. Let’s eat!

 

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