Chabernet

Another Glass of Chabernet

Drinking With The Botanist

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I have written before about how much I enjoyed reading The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart and experimenting with her cocktail concoctions.     Our most recent experiment was to replicate the outstanding Mai Tai served at The House Without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. The secret, as I learned from Amy Stewart, is the addition of Orgeat syrup. It took us a few trips to the local liquor stores, but we managed to procure the syrup. The experiment was a huge success, and we ought to know since we've had the real deal many times at the amazing Halekulani.   Ingredients: - 1/3 – Ounce Orgeat Syrup – 1/3 Ounce Orange Curaçao – 1/3-Ounce Rock Candy Syrup – 3/4-Ounce Bacardi Gold Rum – Read more [...]

Wood-Fired Pizza

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I stumbled upon a blogger who questions whether Wood-Fired Pizza is inherently any better than the more typical baked product. In our experience (which is mostly in Italy), the thin-crust perfect pizza is almost always wood-fired. Here are a some shining examples from the USA. The Diavolo, which is topped with tomato sauce, sopresatta, roasted peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, and mozzarella. Connies Pizza has a unique pie-like top crust Spinach with Browned Onions, Roasted Peppers, Kalamata Olives and Feta Cheese Flying in First Class on a major airline The anchovy pizza at City House, Nashville Keep it simple with the margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil ,fresh basil, Read more [...]

Food Network Tipping Point

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I  was just commenting to Mrs Chabernet that Food Network appears to have been hijacked by Guy Fieri who ordered them to run all his episodes back-to-back. Lo and behold, Salon Magazine has just published a story titled "How one man destroyed the Food Network: Guy Fieri has made culinary TV into a viewer’s hell" Could this signal a tipping point for the highly successful Food Network and now every cooking show will be Triple-D'd? This reminds me of the Shoe Store theory in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: an economic theory that draws a correlation between the level of economic (and emotional) depression of a society and the number of shoe shops the society has. The theory is summarized as such: as a society sinks into depression, Read more [...]

Sourdough Baguettes

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Inspired by Julia Child. From my Sourdough Bread Recipe with Sourdough Starter.

Mamani Gin and Tonic

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  I am reading a clever new book titled The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart and just fell in love with her recipe for an outrageous G&T; Enjoy!         1.5 oz gin 2-3 fresh jalapeño slices (or, if you prefer, a milder pepper), seeds removed 2-3 sprigs cilantro or basil 2-3 chunks cucumber 1 chunk celery stalk 4 oz high-quality tonic water (Fever Tree or Q Tonic) 1-2 cherry tomatoes, along with a basil or cilantro leaf, on a pick for garnish Ice   Fill a mason jar, Collins glass, or short tumbler with ice.  In between the ice cubes, layer in a slice or two of pepper, a sprig of cilantro or basil, and a cherry tomato. In a cocktail shaker, combine the first Read more [...]

Sourdough Bread Recipe

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Please accept our apology for the delay in providing this bread recipe after whetting your appetites with stories of wild yeast. You might recall our prior posting regarding foraging for Sourdough yeast. Hopefully you have had success in culturing your own variety of wild yeast or have obtained a Mother starter. In any case, let’s get started with Sourdough Bread Baking 101. We have tried many recipes for baking Sourdough loaves of the years, but none came close to our “Ideal”: the classic Sourdough of San Francisco. Throwing caution to the wind, we went back to the Fountainhead of superb bread baking – Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume Two. I won’t recite her bread baking techniques here, but please Read more [...]

Best Pork Chili

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The issue with most recipes for pork chili is that you either wished you had cooked beef chili, or you go running for the tortillas to turn the shreds of pork into chili verde burritos. This recipe stands on its own as a delicious alternative to beef. The secret is the use of boneless Country Style Ribs. Country-style ribs are more like pork chops, more meaty and less fatty than real ribs. When sliced into half inch cubes and cooked low and slow, you end up with a chunky, meaty, chili that might just win you some praise at home. If you can't decide between and red or white wine, just go for the Chabernet. Actually, beer will wash this dish down just fine.   BEST PORK CHILI RECIPE YIELD: With rice, dinner for 8 (08 Servings) PREP: Read more [...]

Thin Crust Pizza in Italy

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Pursuing Perfect Pizza - one bite at a time. We usually steer clear of any snobbery in regard to Food and Wine, hence our choice of "Chabernet" as our mast head. If there is an exception to our rule, it would be Italian Thin Crust Pizza. This single dish might qualify as a Perfect Bite; perfection in a mouthful! Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana) consists of crust made from high protein flour, San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of Mt Vesuvius, Fresh Mozzarella cheese (from cows or water buffalo), then baked at high heat in a wood-fired oven. What an awesome Food Memory - The crunch, then the chew, of the yeasty crust with its touch of char followed by the creamy, salty cheese and the sharp acid of the tomatoes. Join us in a photo Read more [...]

Seafood in Italy

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Our favorite destination for seafood is Italy. Sure, anywhere in the Mediterranean is great. You have to love the fresh fish in Hawaii, right? And then there is Asia where seafood has been raised to the level of Art. So, why is it that Italy resonates with our tastes? Pairing with local wines is certainly one reason. Another is the simplicity of preparation: freshest product, the very best ingredients, and a few simple herbs and spices. Garlic and Olive Oil play central roles as they also do in Greece, Spain, and France. Take a look at some of our food memories below and decide if the dishes inspire you to travel to Italy. Read more [...]

Caesar Salad Joy of Cooking

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Classic Caesar Salad - Joy of Cooking Times have changed, but the Joy of Cooking recipe for Caesar Salad remains the very best. The problem is that “times have changed” and the iconic Joy of Cooking is not well known in the digital age. I just Googled the search terms Joy of Cooking Caesar Salad, but there were no links to the authentic cookbook or the author’s family who carry on the Joy name. Hopefully Irma Rombauer’s kin will publish her original recipe and give it the credit it so greatly deserves. My father, Robert Bredimus, had a well-worn copy of the Joy of Cooking in our kitchen in Oakland NJ. Meanwhile, here is our version of this heavenly salad: P.S. We also like the restaurant version prepared table side at Assagios Read more [...]