Well Happy Wednesday Great Smoking Cookies! Here is to all!!!!!!!
While it's so very easy sometimes, to look at every person who didn't come through, or each one who didn't do something we expected or wished, or to moan about whatever didn't work out amid our day as planned or as hoped; I am reminded today, instead, to take a minute and look around at all the "good" and the people who indeed DO shock the daylights out of you, and in a lovely and very incredible way, and to count one's bloody blessings! Here is to that!
My main meal began today with a little "fig & bib" salad...
Boston Bib lettuce, fresh figs, Humbalt Fog Goat Cheese, and then just apple cider vinegar whisked with Tunisian olive oil, and some blue Persian salt and black pepper layered on top.
Simple, and yet so very sensational. Indeed.
Then I fired up my little tiny gas smoker with pistachio shells as "smoking chips" and on high heat for some 12 minutes..
Inside was coffee dusted ostrich steak...
I sliced that apart and it was what I call "medium rare" and my husband calls "raw." (I prefer my meat cold in the middle and so this is somewhat overcooked to me but at least not cooked through). Next time, 8 to 10 minutes would have been just perfect!
Nonetheless, the coffee edges give a peppery contrast and REALLY smell extraordinarily well once smoked!
But the best part of it all, by far, was that "The Wine Gods" did visit me today, and deliver a very generous package and from our Moikel, (Thank you Mick therefore, and for being a damn generous bloke and for allowing me to try a wine that I did REALLY REALLY REALLY so very much want to try)! It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am beyond grateful, touched, and so thrilled! That this is Biodynamic and so pure, and that the motto on this Cape Jaffa winery is "Live In The Sunshine, Swim In The Sea, Drink The Wild Air" (my new motto by the way, bar none, and I'll confess to having printed that out, and having taped it up in the kitchen even - really), made for exciting anticipations on my part.
However, never did I expect that you and Linda (thank her tons as well) sending me wine, (and while on your vacation in NYC and while certainly deserving to enjoy all of your time and not be bothered with such tasks) would result in the most mocha, smooth, and still DRY enough for me, INCREDIBLE vino! This is amazing!!! It's just so properly balanced! It's really terrific!!!!!!
As a fan of "Old World Wines" mostly, there are a few domestic new world cabs that I really enjoy. Today, your lovely seaside Aussie Cabernet, reminded me in seconds, and very much actually, of a certain wine here that I do love, called "Dunn" (Howell Mountain Cabernet, California) and the likeness is uncanny! "Understated Elegance," is what it is, and just the best balance of mocha yet dry and a perfect, healthy and soft and yet strong body. Not too plump and syrupy and rich to drink by itself, and yet not too tannic where it needs some wooly mammoth roast or whatnot either and just to match up. This is so sensational!!!!!!!
PURELY, BEAUTIFUL WINE!!! Thank you so very much!!! It's way better than I thought it would be even and I was in love with the method making, the winery and so much and just from me reading about them months back! So thank you TONS!
I added a mango, shallot, basil and grape tomato salad, and with whisked olive oil and apple cider vinegar on that, and then black pepper and blue salt on the salad too, and only olive oil and blue salt drizzled over the coffee steaks...
Now as a wine cougar admittedly, (I take my men older and my wines YOUNG), I was DELIGHTED to see the striking violet deep color (indicative of a young wine) and then see the 2012 vintage, and it all makes grand sense. My kind of grape! Indeed, indeed!
The combo was out of this world!
Apparently too, our friend David did so kindly advise as to where to go, (while you're out wine shopping and eating), in NYC. Many thanks to him too therefore, as today was such an unexpected gift, and delicious one at that!
"Next Year In Tasmania" was my toast, for the record, (although the Aussie seaside and a tour of this lovely Cape Jaffa place would surely be an exciting excursion as well), and so it is with so much damn gratitude and thankfulness, that I do raise my glass and with many thanks! And for so much!
The only problem? I really honestly do love this wine so much, (I swear it's "Dunn Cab"), that I'll just have to ship it in and right from the winery and by the truckload or right on tap!!! Smiles.
Fantastic stuff! BEYOND-BEYOND!!! And I thank you tons!
And you know? The coffee dusted ostrich steak, despite being "medium rare" instead of "COLD in the middle and just black & blue;" was a perfect match! The mango salad even too! And the extra Humbalt Fog that I gobbled right up! A decadent eating day and wonderful at that!
Mick this was so amazing!!!
Here is a fabulous glass (and I mean WON-DER-FUL) raised to all, and ESPECIALLY, on this day, to the very great WINE GODS!
How very lucky, and grateful, am I. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers!!!!!!! - Leah
While it's so very easy sometimes, to look at every person who didn't come through, or each one who didn't do something we expected or wished, or to moan about whatever didn't work out amid our day as planned or as hoped; I am reminded today, instead, to take a minute and look around at all the "good" and the people who indeed DO shock the daylights out of you, and in a lovely and very incredible way, and to count one's bloody blessings! Here is to that!
My main meal began today with a little "fig & bib" salad...
Boston Bib lettuce, fresh figs, Humbalt Fog Goat Cheese, and then just apple cider vinegar whisked with Tunisian olive oil, and some blue Persian salt and black pepper layered on top.
Simple, and yet so very sensational. Indeed.
Then I fired up my little tiny gas smoker with pistachio shells as "smoking chips" and on high heat for some 12 minutes..
Inside was coffee dusted ostrich steak...
I sliced that apart and it was what I call "medium rare" and my husband calls "raw." (I prefer my meat cold in the middle and so this is somewhat overcooked to me but at least not cooked through). Next time, 8 to 10 minutes would have been just perfect!
Nonetheless, the coffee edges give a peppery contrast and REALLY smell extraordinarily well once smoked!
But the best part of it all, by far, was that "The Wine Gods" did visit me today, and deliver a very generous package and from our Moikel, (Thank you Mick therefore, and for being a damn generous bloke and for allowing me to try a wine that I did REALLY REALLY REALLY so very much want to try)! It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am beyond grateful, touched, and so thrilled! That this is Biodynamic and so pure, and that the motto on this Cape Jaffa winery is "Live In The Sunshine, Swim In The Sea, Drink The Wild Air" (my new motto by the way, bar none, and I'll confess to having printed that out, and having taped it up in the kitchen even - really), made for exciting anticipations on my part.
However, never did I expect that you and Linda (thank her tons as well) sending me wine, (and while on your vacation in NYC and while certainly deserving to enjoy all of your time and not be bothered with such tasks) would result in the most mocha, smooth, and still DRY enough for me, INCREDIBLE vino! This is amazing!!! It's just so properly balanced! It's really terrific!!!!!!
As a fan of "Old World Wines" mostly, there are a few domestic new world cabs that I really enjoy. Today, your lovely seaside Aussie Cabernet, reminded me in seconds, and very much actually, of a certain wine here that I do love, called "Dunn" (Howell Mountain Cabernet, California) and the likeness is uncanny! "Understated Elegance," is what it is, and just the best balance of mocha yet dry and a perfect, healthy and soft and yet strong body. Not too plump and syrupy and rich to drink by itself, and yet not too tannic where it needs some wooly mammoth roast or whatnot either and just to match up. This is so sensational!!!!!!!
PURELY, BEAUTIFUL WINE!!! Thank you so very much!!! It's way better than I thought it would be even and I was in love with the method making, the winery and so much and just from me reading about them months back! So thank you TONS!
I added a mango, shallot, basil and grape tomato salad, and with whisked olive oil and apple cider vinegar on that, and then black pepper and blue salt on the salad too, and only olive oil and blue salt drizzled over the coffee steaks...
Now as a wine cougar admittedly, (I take my men older and my wines YOUNG), I was DELIGHTED to see the striking violet deep color (indicative of a young wine) and then see the 2012 vintage, and it all makes grand sense. My kind of grape! Indeed, indeed!
The combo was out of this world!
Apparently too, our friend David did so kindly advise as to where to go, (while you're out wine shopping and eating), in NYC. Many thanks to him too therefore, as today was such an unexpected gift, and delicious one at that!
"Next Year In Tasmania" was my toast, for the record, (although the Aussie seaside and a tour of this lovely Cape Jaffa place would surely be an exciting excursion as well), and so it is with so much damn gratitude and thankfulness, that I do raise my glass and with many thanks! And for so much!
The only problem? I really honestly do love this wine so much, (I swear it's "Dunn Cab"), that I'll just have to ship it in and right from the winery and by the truckload or right on tap!!! Smiles.
Fantastic stuff! BEYOND-BEYOND!!! And I thank you tons!
And you know? The coffee dusted ostrich steak, despite being "medium rare" instead of "COLD in the middle and just black & blue;" was a perfect match! The mango salad even too! And the extra Humbalt Fog that I gobbled right up! A decadent eating day and wonderful at that!
Mick this was so amazing!!!
Here is a fabulous glass (and I mean WON-DER-FUL) raised to all, and ESPECIALLY, on this day, to the very great WINE GODS!
How very lucky, and grateful, am I. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers!!!!!!! - Leah
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