American Chop Suey

As much as I enjoy gourmet cuisine, I have a weakness for “comfort food” like Meatloaf, Pot Roast and one of my all time favorites “American Chop Suey”.  Also known as “Skillet Macaroni and Beef” or “Chili Mac” the dish never fails to please with its simplicity, mélange of flavors and textures.  It was a popular item on diner menus in the 50’s and 60’s, often appearing as the "Blue Plate Special".  Today it appears to be a long forgotten item on these menus. Fortunately my wife Carol’s recipe is “as good as it gets” in my opinion and shows up routinely on our dinner table.  Her version is an adaptation of the recipe “Skillet Macaroni and Beef” from the cookbook, “Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers”.  Carol has a degree in Home Economics and according to her this cookbook goes back to the 1960’s (yes she still owns it). Our grandchildren have also become addicted to the dish, so since we were eating with our daughters and grandchildren on Monday night, she whipped up a big batch for us to enjoy.  Here is her recipe:

1½ lbs freshly ground beef
½ cup each of chopped red bell pepper and onion
2 - 8oz cans Hunt’s tomato sauce
1½ Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-cup warm water
salt and pepper
1 heaping cup of elbow macaroni (uncooked)

Brown meat in a skillet (she uses no oil or butter).  Add the onion and pepper and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1-cup warm water and 1 heaping cup of elbow macaroni and cook until elbows are al dente, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and, off the heat, top with shredded American cheese and serve.

I opened a bottle of 2010 Testalonga Bianco Vermentino Dolceacqua.  Made by Antonio Perrino in Liguria from 100% Vermintino grapes, it is a wine lover’s wine, i.e. is not a wine for everyone.  The wine sees extended skin contact, which imparts an almost funky, muted straw hue to the wine.   On the palate it is peppery and complex and seems to evolve forever in the glass as you drink it.  It was the perfect complement to the dish.  The girls preferred to finish the 2011 Quintarelli Secco Ca del Merlo Bianco that I opened the day before.  Readers of this blog know of my adoration for the wines of Quintarelli, and this, his only white, is magnificent.  Made from Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Saorin, it drank as well on day two as it did the previous day.

What’s better than being with the family, enjoying a home cooked “comfort” meal and drinking good wine?  Let us not forget the answer, NOTHING!

Saluté

Carol's Birthday

Last week we celebrated my lovely wife’s xxth birthday with friends and family.


Sunday, June 8: Da Benito Ristorante, Union, NJ.  This is actually the day before her birthday, but it was the perfect time to gather the family and two of our best friends and go to one of our favorite NJ restaurants and celebrate the day with her.  In addition to great food and a good wine list, they have a large private room that is perfect for smaller parties, especially with small children.

Antipasto

Osso Buco

Veal Chop

Orrechiette with Arugula & Tomato

Wild Salmon

Veal Scallopine 

Tomato Papparadelle w/ fava & shrimp

2006 Huet Le Mont Sec Vouvray.  In my opinion Huet makes some of the most compelling white wines in the world, under the direction of winemaker Noel Piguet.  Made from 100% Chenin Blanc the wine had a viscous and stony palate with vibrant fruit and an embracing acidity that will enable this to last for a couple of decades.  Current vintages will cost under $30 a bottle and are widely available. Unfortunately Piguet quit the domain in 2012 after disagreements with new estate owners, the Hwang family.  Time will tell if this has any negative effects on the wine.

1999 Isole e Olena Cepparello from magnum.  As I wrote in my previous post, Tuscany in The City, Paolo De Marchi is credited with elevating the status of the wines in the Chianti Classico region.  Crafted from 100% Sangiovese grapes the wine simply soared from the glass filling the nose with a compelling earthy bouquet.  It danced on the palate like a marvelous choreographed ballet and finished with a soft elegance that lingered for almost a minute.  A magnificent wine with tons of soul.  This vintage will be hard to find, but the 2010 vintage is widely available at $60 per 750ml bottle.

Monday, June 9: Ocha, Caldwell, NJ.  Carol’s actual birthday.  We dined and celebrated quietly at this excellent Japanese-Asian restaurant.

Tempura fried Rock Shrimp with raspberry sauce

Pan Fried Pork Gyoza; Yellowtail with Jalepeno and Wasabi Ponzu Sauce; Tuna and Eel Sushi; Miso Black Cod with sautéed mixed vegetables.

2012 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Chavignol La Grande Cote. Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc this Sancerre had a gorgeous yellow hue, wonderful acidity and a vibrant stony minerality that danced on the palate and finished with considerable length.  $44.  NY Wine Warehouse.


We completed her birthday on Wednesday, June 11 going to the matinee of the fantastic Broadway musical, Beautiful about the legendary Carole King.  This is a must see musical that is on a par with Jersey Boys.  Fantastic music (especially the 50’s music) and spectacular performances by the cast, especially Jessie Mueller who’s performance as Carole King won her this years best performance by a leading actress in a musical.

We dined that evening at Barchetta, the new Italian Seafood restaurant recently opened by David Pasternack of Esca fame.  The menu is similar to that at Esca, focusing on pristinely fresh seafood and homemade pastas.  Carol passed on an appetizer, while I jumped in with both feet for the evening’s selection of six Crudo (raw fish).  David’s Crudo will make you forget Sushi as each piece is impeccably fresh and dressed differently.  A spectacular combination of taste and textures on the palate.  The first three selections consisted of (left to right),  Halibut belly – smoldered bamboo salt; Montauk cod – Muscat grape; Copper River Sockeye salmon – wildflowers.

The second three selections consisted of (left to right), Spanish Mackerel - Riesling poached raisin;   Amberjack - Gaeta Olive aioli; Seatrout – crushed pistachios.  

For main courses we both opted for pasta with lobster.  Carol had the homemade Fettucine tossed with local lobster, English peas, spring onions and sorrel.  A tour de force of perfectly cooked pasta and lobster.

I choose homemade Bucatini with scallops, lobster and house cured bacon in a light and sweet tomato sauce.  Scrupmtous.  Unfortunately photo blurred so I omitted it.

The wine list here is terrific and features a number of wines from lesser known artisan producers.  I consulted with wine director George Hock on a selection for our meal.  He recommended a bottle of 2008 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc from the Provence region of France.  It was a great choice and my first experince with the wine. The wine is based primarily on Clairette and is supplemented with Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc and a touch of Muscat Blanc.  I loved the stony minerality and complexity of the wine.  It reminded me of a Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Blanco Riserva with its enticing bouquet, vibrant fruit and luscious finish.  It complemented the meal beautifully.  

After dinner George treated us to a glass of 1988 Chateau d’Arche Sauternes that drank beautifully.  It had a rich lush palate and long finish.

Happy birthday Carol!

Saluté

Tuscany in the City

On April 26, 2014 I attended Antonio Galloni’s Tuscany in the City wine tasting and dinner at Del Posto Ristorante in NYC.  My good friend Emil and I attended the tasting and then our wives joined us for the dinner.  As all of the events Antonio puts on through his Vinous Media, it was a wonderful event.  The format for the tasting had the 15 producers who participated in the event on an elevated platform where each talked about their estate and the wine we were tasting while they spoke.  The wines were poured by some of NYC’s top sommeliers.  The temperature of the wines was perfect, thus maximizing the tasting experience.

Janet, Emil & Mark at tasting

The first seven wines were Sangiovese or Sangiovese based.  Sangiovese gets its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove".  Sangiovese wines are earthy and fruity.   It is used to produce Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano among others.

The wines we tasted were young, and thus a bit tight due to their youth.  Most of the wines showed great pedigree and promise and will reward the drinker for a few years of patience whilst they mature.


2010 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo DOCG - Giovanni Manetti – What a way to start a tasting.  Truly one of the great Chianti makers in all of Tuscany.  The 2010 vintage has great depth and this wine demonstrated that today.  Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese by law.  This vintage contains 95%, with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon making up the balance.  The first sip shows off the wine’s finesse and pedigree. There is impeccable balance here, ripe fruit, albeit a bit light at the present time, good acidity and elegance. Tannins are still evident.  I really enjoyed this wine and thought it was amongst the best drinking wines of the day.  I would cellar this for another 3 to 4 years before drinking.  The grapes are hand harvested from 30 years old vines and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts for at least 3 weeks.  Aging takes place in Troncais and Allier barrels, 50% new, for 24 months. $86.  Wine-Searcher.

2010 Fattoria di Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia DOCG – Giuseppe Mazzocolin – This was perhaps the tightest and most tannic of the wines today, but like the Fontodi there is great pedigree here and a fantastic Chianti in the making.  I kept going back to the wine during the tasting and it began to open and resonate more fruit with each sip.  Patience will be rewarded here.  I would put this away for at least another 5 years.  The Rancia vineyard, once a Benedictine monastery, produces the estates flagship wine.  Felsina grows 100% Sangiovese grapes at their estate.  Meticulous attention is paid to grape selection at the de-stemming stage. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is transfered to first or second use, 225-liter French oak barrels for 16-18 months.  The wine is further bottle-aged another 6-8 months.  $44.  Wine-Searcher.  

2008 Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG – Princess Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa – This was a new wine producer for me. The wine is made of 100% Sangiovese grapes entirely from the estate’s best vineyards. The wine is blended and aged in oak for 2-3 years.  While there was ample ripe fruit, I found the wine to be medium-bodied, tight, tannic and harsh on the palate.  When I came back to the wine about an hour later, it had softened and opened up considerably.  Castell’in Villa was one of the first producers in Chianti to remove Canaiolo from the blend and bottle 100% Sangiovese.  All of the wines are produced from estate grown fruit. Coralia is dedicated to producing traditionally styled; high quality wines, from low yielding vineyards, and releases older vintages only when they are showing their best. $45. Wine-Searcher.

2010 Isole e Olena Cepparello – Paolo De Marchi – Probably more than any winemaker in Tuscany, Paolo De Marchi is credited with elevating the status of the wines in the Chianti Classico region. Cepparello, named after a small seasonal stream among the vineyards, was introduced in 1980, prior to a change in DOC regulations that allowed for a one hundred percent Sangiovese; thus, it effectively served as a pioneer of the pure Sangiovese movement. De Marchi sets himself apart by offering one of the finest Chianti Classicos on the market.  The wine is a selection of the estates best fruit. It is aged for 18 to 20 months in French oak 1/3 of which is new, and 2/3 of which is used.  The wine is aged for another 12 months in bottle before release.  Only 1200 cases are produced.  The wine we tasted today was simply gorgeous.  It exhibited pure and balanced fruit, soft tannins, finesse and danced elegantly on the palate.  This is a round and delicious wine, with tons of soul.  $71.  Wine-Searcher.

2010 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo – Luca Martini di Cigala – Made from 100% estate grown Sangiovese grapes, especially selected bunch per bunch, from from vineyards whose soil dates predominately to the Pliocene epoch (that’s a long time). Fermentation with natural yeasts and maceration take place in enameled cement vats and last up to 35 days. The wine is then aged in French oak barriques for 20-22 months, bottled unfiltered and held in bottle for another 18 months before being released.  The wine we drank had a compelling earthy boquet, soft tannins, wonderful vibrant fruit, good acidity for aging, excellent balance and complexity.  The oak from the Barrique was very well integrated and the wine had a very nice finish.  Give this 3 to 4 years in the cellar for the wine to mature.  San Giusto a Rentennano, a name of Etruscan origin, overlooks the upper course of the Arbia River in the farthest south Chianti Classico wine zone.  The estate began life as a medieval monastery of Cistercian nuns and was called San Giusto alle Monache (“of the Nuns”).  $102. Wine-Searcher.

2010 Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione – Jurij Fiore - Made from 100% estate grown Sangiovese.  This showed very well today, beginning with an enticing rocky and fruity bouquet.    On the palate it was rich and powerful, yet elegant.  This too evolved in the glass during the tasting lending a look into the bright future this wine has.  For now, a few years in the cellar are needed.   The grapes, some from vines more than 75 years old, are rare clonal examples of the famous “Sangiovese di Lamole” varietal in the Chianti Classico area. They are fermented in Stainless Steel for 12 days.  They are then aged for 14 months in 350 liter oak Tonneux barrels.  The wine then spends 9 months in bottle before being released.  $60.  Wine-Searcher.

2010 Podere Forte Petrucci – Cristian Cattaneo – Made from 100% Sangiovese, this wine had a lovely translucent hue, good acidity and was nicely balanced.   Despite the relatively high alcohol level (15%) the wine displayed a lovely feminine elegance on the palate and finish.  I would suggest a few more years of cellar aging to give it more time to fully open. The wine is vinified in French oak vats and then aged in French Barrique barrels of 225 and 1500 litres for 16 months. The wine then is further aged in the bottle for 15 months before being released for sale.  The wine does not appear to be available in the US.  $71


2010 Antinori Tignanello – Marchese Piero Antinori – Probably one of the most famous and popular of the Super Tuscan wines.  I have never been a big fan of Super Tuscan wines.  I find them to be Italy’s answer to California wines that are made according to the Robert Parker formula for high points; deep dark color, over-extratction of fruit and high alcohol content. The 2010 vintage is a blend of 80% Sangiovesse, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. While this wine did not have the pronounced oak/vanilla palate usually indicative of this wine, I found it to be shallow and lacking finesse.  It was however, if it is your thing, a very powerful and macho wine.   At $97 a bottle, it is in my opinion one of the most overpriced wines on the market.  Wine-Searcher.


2009 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco – Maurizia Di Napoli – I have never been a big fan of this Super Tuscan wine as I find it quite a bit more modern in style, probably due to the use of Barrique in the aging process.  I also am not a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon of which this is 90% with Sangiovese and Merlot each making up an additional 5%. The Sangiovese is aged 18 months in Slavonian oak and the Cabernet and Merlot in barriques. The wine is then blended and bottle refined for eight months. Today’s tasting did little to change my opinion of the wine. While this particular bottle had nice acidity for aging it lacked depth and finesse.  $86.  Wine-Searcher.


2010 Agricola Querciabella Camartina – Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni.  A more modern styled wine that is aged in Barrique, 80% of which is new.  The oak from the new wood is however very well integrated yielding a fruity and elegant palate with soft tannins.  Camartina is only made in high quality vintages and is a blend of 70% Cabernet and 30% Sangiovese.  The vineyards are located throughout Tuscany’s Chianti Classico and Maremma areas and have been Biodynamic since 1988.  Grapes are destemmed, not crushed, and then placed in temperature controlled stainless steel vats.  The best parcels go into concrete vats.  While still a few years from maturity, I found the wine to have an enticing bouquet and a lively and fruity palate.  There is very good pedigree here.  $110.  Wine-Searcher.  



2010 Castello di Ama L'Apparita – Marco Pallanti.   This estate is considered to be one of the finest in the Chianti Classico region.  One sip of this wine gave me no reason to dispute that claim.  As the wine sat in the glass and began to seductively evolve I became an immediate fan.  While the winemaking methods seem to lean a bit towards the more modern style, on the palate it resonated of a great, traditionally made wine.   The wine, first made in 1985, is crafted from 100% Merlot grapes that come from small parcels in the L’Apparita vineyard.  The grapes are destemmed and then pressed before being fermented in stainless steel tanks, after which they are aged in 50% new Barrique and 50% once Barrique for 18 months.  Today’s wine had a gorgeous nose and on the palate was round and delicious, displaying a seamless integration of finesse, depth and complexity.  This wine is a good 5 years away from really showing its stuff.   My only negative is that a price tag close to $200 a bottle is, in my opinion, much too high for this wine.  Wine-Searcher.

2010 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia – Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta - The first Super Tuscan wine, it debuted in 1968.  The premise behind Super Tuscan wines is to bring Bordeaux to Tuscany, by crafting wines with the grape varieties used to make Bordeaux wines.  The wine quickly attained cult status and as a result it sells for around $200 a bottle. In my opinion they are not worth the hefty price tag.  However if you like massive fruit forward wines, with pronounced oak, tannins and vanilla and that receive high scores, it may well be for you. Today’s wine did not change my mind.  The 2010 is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged in French oak barriques (40% new) for 24 months, then refined for 6 months in bottle before release. It was my least favorite of the tasting.  Sassicaia’s success prompted the Italian government to grant the wine its own appellation, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, beginning with the 1994 vintage. $192.  Wine-Searcher.

2010 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso – Cinzia Merli – Another of the more famous estates in Bolgheri, one of Italy's most prestigious vineyard areas. Its winemaking zone is made up of sloping coastal vineyards at the foot of the hills between the town of Bolgheri, after which this DOC is named, and the southern part of Castagneto. Located in close proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea, it has been described as 'the golden oasis of the Maremma' (an area of south-western Tuscany and northern Lazio).  It is the home of the Super Tuscans. The varieties that put Bolgheri on the wine map are the Bordeaux trio Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Syrah, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot are also used.  Le Macchiole focuses on Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah.  The 2010 Paleo is 100% Cabernet Franc.  The wine had excellent depth, balance, finesse and lively fruit.   For a wine that sees 75% new oak, the oak was very well integrated.  I am a huge fan of Cabernet Franc, and while I enjoyed this wine very much I find that it lacked the elegance that one finds in Cab Franc wines from the Chinon and Saumur in France’s Loire Valley.  A couple years patience will be rewarded here.  $84.  Wine-Searcher.


2010 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia – Leonardo Raspini – Another Super Tuscan cult wine that is made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and aged in 70% new and 30% once-used Barrique for 18 months. The wine sees another year in the bottle before release. Never one of my favorite wines, this was very modern, overpowered by the oak and lacked depth and elegance. This is a cult wine you must pay dearly for, north of $200 in most instances, which is crazy in my opinion.  Wine-Searcher.


2011 Tenuta di Trinoro Tenuta di Trinoro – Andrea Franchetti – Located in Siena, Andrea Franchetti is another of the cult Super Tuscan wine producers.  The estate grows Bordeaux varietals, in lieu of Sangiovese, at high elevations (500-700m) on the slopes of Mount Aniata.  The 2011 vintage is a blend of 90% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot and came in at a whopping 15.5% alcohol.   As usual his production is very small and only 500 cases of this were made. The wine spent 5-6 months in 100% new oak barrels and then racked into cement, where they finished aging.   I found the wine to have nice fresh fruit, good balance, a bit too much oak and a very rich palate.  Antonio Galloni suggests serving the wine on the cool side, which will help keep the alcohols from being too aggressive.   The wine will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar.   As one might expect this cult wine is very expensive.  $195.  Wine-Searcher.  Mr. Franchetti is also the owner of the Passopisciaro estate in Catania, Sicily, which produces one of my favorite Chardonnay’s, Guradiola which is widely available at $35 - $40.

In the evening our wives joined us for the gala winemakers dinner.  It was quite an affair.  The food was outstanding at the dinner that was preceded by a Champagne reception at which 2004 Taittinger Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne and Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne NV Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules were poured.  Unfortunately I missed the Bouchard, but the Taittinger was delicious.

Food

Antipasto : Crostini with Olive Tapenade & Tuscan Ceci

Primi: Pasta Wild Boar Ravioli followed by Gigli Verdi al Ragu Bolognese

Secondo: Delmonico Steak with Charred Spring Onions, Parmigiano Puffs and Tomato Raisins

Formaggio: Aged Tuscan Pecorino.

We were seated with Marco Pallanti, owner and winemaker at Castello di Ama.  Marco brought along six vintages of his wines and the rest of us each brought along some bottles to share.  We enjoyed some great wines and for me it was my first time to taste the Bellavista Chianti, which I fell in love with.  We drank:

Wines from Marco:

2006 Vigneto La Casuccia Chianti Classico is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot. A very good wine, albeit a bit on the modern side.  My least favorite of his wines.

2006, 2007, 1990 Bellavista.  This is the flagship Chianti of the estate.  A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera, they each drank beautifully.  The ’90 was firing on all cylinders and evolved with each sip.  This was a beautifully crafted, round and delicious wine. The ’06 and ‘07 both will benefit from a few more years in the cellar and will in the future perhaps be as profound as the ’90.

2006, 2010 L’Apparita.  Made from 100% Merlot.  Two wines of finesse, depth and focus.  As with all of the wines I kept going back to them to see how they evolved in the glass.  I found no disappointments. 

Wines from table:

1983 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Emil).  Unfortunately the wine was flawed.

1985 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Magnum (Mark).  I really believe this wine is drinking at its peak right now.  Fantastic expression of terroir and old world style wine making. Vibrant fruit, impeccable balance and a monster finish.

1998 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Steve).  Perhaps a step (short one) behind the ’85.  Lots of years of happy drinking ahead for this wine.  Ditto ‘85 notes.

1995 Castello di Ama Bellavista Chianti Classico (Steve).  The equal to the 1990 that Marco brought along.  Round and delicious.

Poggio Antico ’04 Brunello Riserva (can not recall his name).  Wine however was outstanding.  Great example of a well crafted, traditional Brunello.

Thanks Antonio, Marzia, James and all the wine producers for another terrific Vinous event.   Looking forward to the next one.

With our host, Antonio Galloni

Saluté