An Apology, and a Few Other Things Too

I'm Sorry:

I did a careless and irresponsible thing, and I want to say that I'm sorry. The Yankees were dominated in the first game of the world series last night. The other team's pitcher was brilliant, the Yanks' bullpen has become a liability, and they were simply outclassed. But none of this would have happened had I made a better beverage choice. I went to the same friend's house where I watched game 1 of the division series versus the Angels, when I brought beer. I had no beer to bring, so I brought wine. I figured that Bordeaux and California wines seemed to give the Yanks the lift they needed in the division series, so I brought the only such bottle I had in the house, a California Cabernet that I received as a sample called Josh. That's right, the wine was called Josh. It would have been more at home if it were spread on a piece of whole wheat toast. And this is exactly what did the Yanks in. Tonight I will drink what's good and right, and I hope that the Yanks and you will accept my apology. Will not happen again.

A Few Other Things Too:

The DBGB wine list is very good, no matter what the Times said.

Two weeks ago Sam Sifton, the new NY Times restaurant critic reviewed the new addition to the Daniel Bouloud empire, DBGB. Very positive in general, Sifton said this about the wine list: "Totally acceptable selection, but much better to experiment among the 23 beers on tap and large selection of bottled beers that have traveled here from Britain, from Brooklyn, from Germany, from France." I must emphatically disagree. The beer selection would please any beer lover, that's true. But to denigrate this wine list as merely "totally acceptable" is simply off base. There are plenty of inspired and interesting choices, many of them at very reasonable prices, and the wines were clearly selected to compliment the refined-rustic dishes of head cheese terrine, ham hock rillette, and sausages of all sorts. We had a 2006 Bornard Poulsard La Chamade for $54, Savio Soares Selections, and that's better than totally acceptable. Not that Daniel Bouloud needs my help in defense of his wine list, but this just makes me miss Frank Bruni, I guess.

Alternative Closures - the Bottle Cap?

I drank a bottle of 2006 Pierre Frick Gewurztraminer Rot Murlé, $22, Imported by Fruit of the Vines, the other night with a stew of French green lentils, carrots, and sausages. The wine was perhaps the driest Gewurz I've ever had, and it was delicious. But we were tired that night and made it through only half the bottle. Which is when I resented the bottle cap closure. I wanted to enjoy this wine the next day, so I dug up a Vino-Lok I saved and used that. The wine was even better the next day, what an amazing nose! But the bottle cap closure thing, I'm not sold on this. What do you think about this?

Been Doing Some Good Cooking Lately

Fall is here and my fishmonger has blackfish heads and racks for stock. I made my first fish soup of the season. I've been working on this dish for years, and I like to change it each time, trying out different flavor combinations. This time I went with less heat from dried chilis, less tomato, and more anise. I added fennel to the shallots for the aromatic base of the soup, and also a good glug of Pastis to help scrape the pot before the broth went in. Must say, pretty darn good. And the 2008 Domaine de la Pépière Clos des Briords, $16, Louis/Dressner Selections, was a great pairing.

I made a Biryani-style dish of rice baked with beef shank, loads of spinach and parsley, and spiced with dried chilis, ginger, and cardamom. So satisfying, and delicious with the 2007 Domaine des Huards Cour-Cheverny, $17, JD Headrick Imports. The oxidative style (my friend said there was an under-the-veil sense to the wine) and the herbal character, the richness of the fruit worked perfectly with this dish - a harmonious pairing. This is part of an ongoing effort to make interesting and delicious dishes involving copious amounts of spinach - I want my kids to want to eat spinach, and not through trickery, but because it tastes good. I want them to drink Cour-Cheverny too, when they're a little bit older.