Just spent a few days on Grand Cayman island in the Cayman Islands. Some very good wines were available there at decent prices. We had a Chateau Smith, Washington cabernet from Charles Smith. Not sure if it was 2007 or 2008. This wine was excellent with nice fruit and not too heavy as the alcohol was about 13%. Got it for about $25 in a wine shop. The shop also has Chakalaka, a South African rhone blend that I have had and it a very pleasant surprise. It is from Spice Route. Also had a Sancerre 2008 Pascal Jolivet at Kaibo. It was one of the best white wines that I have had lately. It had more fruit than most Sancerres and was beautifully balanced. BTW Sancerres are from the Loire valley in France and are made from the sauvignon blanc grape.
Caybrew, the local beer is also very good . The German brewmaster makes a great beer . They also make a fantastic dark beer called Ironshore Bock. This beer is only in cans and draught. A number of bars and restaurants carry it. You can taste it at the brewery for free. Check out the brewery. It is small but good samples, interesting t - shirts and I think that you can get a tour of the facility.
Had some good fish there on the island. The wahoo was great. Had it a Kaibo on the beach and a friend had it at Tukka, a new restaurant at the old Portofino spot. It has an Australian accent. Get out your Tukka bag. Had some fish tacos with mahi mahi that were excellent at a restaurant at the Comfort Suites across from 7 mile beach. Great burgers and fish tacos and very reasonably priced. Also had Mahi at the lunch restaurant at Rum Point. Nothing like lunch on picnic tables in the sand with a draught Ironshore Bock. Don't have dinner there.
Did not get a chance to eat at Michael's Genuine Food this time. Ate there last July when it first opened and we had a great meal. Better than anything else that I have had on the island.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Happy New Year
It has been an eventful Christmas and New Year's from a food and wine perspective. Received some excellent wines from the relatives for Christmas. More on these bottles when I open them up.
The tennis party of Champagne and paella was great. We had bottles of Pol Roger and Monopole. We also had a Jaime Serra Cristolino cava. The champagnes were fine, nothing special. Liked the cava the best. Created a new rift on the caesar salad. I steamed some 2 pound lobsters and and took out the meat. I then tossed the meat with the romaine lettuce and dressing. A classic and so simple.
Received a new pizza stone for Christmas. Bright red 14.5 inch round from Emile Henry, France. Tried it and the pizza came out nicely crisped. Pizza hint--- put the cheese on before the sauce. Just don't cover the entire crust with cheese. Place the sauce where there is no cheese.
New Year's eve dinner was my favorite. We picked up a whole Peking Duck at the Peking
Duck House in Chinatown in NY. We also bought some dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. It was the first time we have been to Joe's. We then bought some ribs from NY Noodletown, an old standby. I bought some greens and baby bok choi from a street vendor. We brought it all home. Started cooking around 7pm. Opened a bottle of Duc de Romet champagne. Great bottle. It received vg reviews from the Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate. Paid $30.
For dessert I made a hot passion fruit souffle with passion fruit whipped cream. This is a recipe that I have adapted from other types of souffles. I use concentrated passion fruit juice from Aunt Lillikoi a small business on Kauai. We discovered the shop when we were in Kauai and now my wife gets me the juice for my birthday. Easily shipped and relatively inexpensive.
We decided to open up a Sauterne with the souffle. I was able to obtain 2 half bottles of 2001 Chateau de Rieussac several years ago. It was the Wine Spectator No. 1 wine of the year several years back and they rated it a perfect 100. Never before had a wine rated 100. Truthfully the wine was good but didn't knock our socks off. We finished half the bottle on New Year's eve and the other half the next night. The wine was golden and honey like with a nice finish.
We have been drinking a few more 2009 beaujolais's and the I must say that they are good but not as good as the all of the hype suggests. Try the Deboeuf 2009 Jean Descombes Morgon. Just found it for $12. It is as good as they can be.
Wine of the Week
2008 Tukma malbec from Argentina. About $12. The WA recently gave the wine a 91.It outclassed a 2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva . We had the bottles for Christmas dinner.The Muga is a favorite of mine so it says alot about the Tukma. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find another bottle of the Tukma.
Hope 2011 is a great year for everyone.
The tennis party of Champagne and paella was great. We had bottles of Pol Roger and Monopole. We also had a Jaime Serra Cristolino cava. The champagnes were fine, nothing special. Liked the cava the best. Created a new rift on the caesar salad. I steamed some 2 pound lobsters and and took out the meat. I then tossed the meat with the romaine lettuce and dressing. A classic and so simple.
Received a new pizza stone for Christmas. Bright red 14.5 inch round from Emile Henry, France. Tried it and the pizza came out nicely crisped. Pizza hint--- put the cheese on before the sauce. Just don't cover the entire crust with cheese. Place the sauce where there is no cheese.
New Year's eve dinner was my favorite. We picked up a whole Peking Duck at the Peking
Duck House in Chinatown in NY. We also bought some dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. It was the first time we have been to Joe's. We then bought some ribs from NY Noodletown, an old standby. I bought some greens and baby bok choi from a street vendor. We brought it all home. Started cooking around 7pm. Opened a bottle of Duc de Romet champagne. Great bottle. It received vg reviews from the Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate. Paid $30.
For dessert I made a hot passion fruit souffle with passion fruit whipped cream. This is a recipe that I have adapted from other types of souffles. I use concentrated passion fruit juice from Aunt Lillikoi a small business on Kauai. We discovered the shop when we were in Kauai and now my wife gets me the juice for my birthday. Easily shipped and relatively inexpensive.
We decided to open up a Sauterne with the souffle. I was able to obtain 2 half bottles of 2001 Chateau de Rieussac several years ago. It was the Wine Spectator No. 1 wine of the year several years back and they rated it a perfect 100. Never before had a wine rated 100. Truthfully the wine was good but didn't knock our socks off. We finished half the bottle on New Year's eve and the other half the next night. The wine was golden and honey like with a nice finish.
We have been drinking a few more 2009 beaujolais's and the I must say that they are good but not as good as the all of the hype suggests. Try the Deboeuf 2009 Jean Descombes Morgon. Just found it for $12. It is as good as they can be.
Wine of the Week
2008 Tukma malbec from Argentina. About $12. The WA recently gave the wine a 91.It outclassed a 2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva . We had the bottles for Christmas dinner.The Muga is a favorite of mine so it says alot about the Tukma. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find another bottle of the Tukma.
Hope 2011 is a great year for everyone.
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