Little Pasture Standards

'Bratwurst'

Sauerkraut / Braised Red Cabbage

Creamy Raclette Potatoes

Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Spinach

Parmesan

 

Shrimp Provencal

Spinach

Creamy Polenta 

Filet Mignon

Mushrooms

Asparagus

Potatoes 

Classic Chili

Nachos with Cheese

Sour Cream 

Yellow Dahl

Saag Tofu-Panner

Naan / Rice

Chutneys and Raita

Crispy Fish and Grits

Coleslaw

Biscuit

Lasagna

Cucumber salad

Pecan-crusted Salmon

Mashed Potatoes

Seasonal Vegetable 

Pork Chops

Apple Sauce

Boiled Small Potatoes 

Seasonal Vegetable

Green Salad

Baked Feta and Olives

Grilled Bread

Budget Friendly Foods

Lentils

Linguini

Tomato Paste

Canned Pinto Beans 

Eggs

Pork Chops

Flatiron Steak

Tortillas

Canned Tuna

Canned Clams

Peanuts

Tofu

Broccoli

Onions

Cabbage

Apples

Oatmeal

Cottage Cheese

Trail Food - Protein

Jerky

The New Primal, Sea Salt and Pepper Beef Jerky, very good taste and texture, clear leader, 94 pts

Perky Jerky, Teriyaki Beef Jerky, good texture (on the softer side), over-seasoned, 89 pts

Tillamook Country Smoker, Old Fashioned Beef Jerky, bit sweet, good. texture, natural, 86 pts

Lorissa's Kitchen, Organic Steak Strip Jerky, good texture, couple odd bites, 81 pts

Old Trapper, Peppered Kippered Beef Steak, not jerky, strong black pepper, not sweet, 73 pts

Humboldt Jerky Company, BBQ Brisket, much too sweet, excellent texture, tender, 70 pts

Country Archer, Original, very weird, soft to almost gelatin texture, wanted to like it, 69 pts

Canned Fish

Patagonia, Lemon Pepper Sockeye Salmon Pouch, excellent texture and taste, 95 pts 

Patagonia, Lemon Herb Mussels, 90, pts

Patagonia, Smoked Mussels, 89, pts

Patagonia, Savory Sofrito Mussels, 88, pts

Crown Prince, Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil, very good, 88 pts

Reese, Smoked Oysters, Medium, defines average, right size, 81 pts

Chicken of the Sea, Fancy Smoked Oysters, mealy, pretty bad, 61 pts

(old) USA Beer Reviews

 Sierra Nevada, Fantastic Haze Imperial IPA, 9%, 260 cal, 95 pts, smooth and balanced, exc.

New Belgium, Voodoo Ranger, Juicy Hazy IPA, 7.5%, 230 cal, 95 pts, balanced, tasty, exc.

Creature Comforts, Tropicalia IPA, 6.6%, 195 cal, 93 pts, harmonious flavors, balanced

Sierra Nevada, Pale Ale (IPA), 5.6%, 175 cal, 93 pts, the classic

Lazy Magnolia Brewing, Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale, 4.5%, 160 cal, 92 pts, nutty, tasty, crisp 

Terrapin, RecreationAle IPA, 4.2%, 99 cal, 91 pts, low cal and has good IPA taste

Founders, Centennial Imperial IPA, 7.2%, 220 cal, 88 pts, a solid all around performer

Terrapin, Luau IPA with Tropical Fruit, 6.5%, 200 cal, 87 pts, nice, balanced, tasty 

Elysian, Contact Haze Hay IPA, 6%, cal, 87 pts, very tasty, smooth and more-ish  

Highland Brewing, Gaelic Ale, 5.8%, 172 cal, 86 pts, a good and steady red ale

Southern Brewing, Red and Black Sour Berry Ale, 4.5%, uk cal, 82 pts, one off but refreshing 

Sam Adams, Oktoberfest Ale (Marzen), 5.3%, 187 cal,  82 pts, a fine marzen

Memorable Meals II

MOON - Tallinn (Oct. and Nov. 2019)
Clear Fish Soup with Tomato-Horseradish Chutney
Warm Buckwheat Blinis with Golden Whitefish Roe and Sour Cream
- Italian White Wine (full-bodied and organic)

Hestia Resort - Lausamaa (Nov. 2019)
Blinis with Trout Roe and Sour Cream
Sliced Local Duck Breast on Green Salad with Pears and Black Currants
- Italian Rose Champagne, Chianti

Recent Special Wines

Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc, Chateau du Hureau (Loire Valley)
excellent structure, balance and length, tannic but not overwhelming with enough air, generous fruit, needs to breathe and to be served slightly chilled (60 F)

Tarima Hills Monastrell, aka Mourvedre (Alicante region, Spain)
A big, powerful red with a very long finish, high ABV and medium tannins, from rocky soil and arid conditions, needs to breathe, very layered and rich; enjoyable

Oysters

Favorite Oyster Features:
medium to large size, plump, creamy yet firm, moderately briny, plenty of liquor;
off white and opaque (creaminess and texture indicator), generally prefer Pacific, open to merroir.

Very Good Ones:
Konbo Mori (Hokkaido, JPN) - soft, creamy, minerally, low brine, medium finish; M-L (9)
Hiroshima (JPN) - sweet, medium creamy, firm, medium brine, M-L (10)
Senpoushi (Hokkaido, JPN) - very creamy, minerally, earth tones, long finish, M-L (10)
Namibian Pacific (SA) - very creamy yet firm, sweet, medium brine, M (9)

Good Ones:
Isigny Speciale (FR) - creamy yet firm, briney, a lot of liquor, M (7.5)

Favorite Cheeses

France:
Fumaison (smoked, raw sheep's milk)
Pont l'Eveque
Vieux Pane
Langres
Morbier
Saint Nectaire
Reblochon
Banon
Fourme d'Ambert
Bleu d'Auvergne
Chevres (various)
Italy:
Taleggio
Gorgonzola (dolce and naturale)
Pecorino Sardo
England:
Neal's Yard St. James (raw sheep's milk, funk)
Stilton
Cotswold
Mature Cheddar
Scandinavia:
Swedish Farmer's Cheese (Scandic)
USA:
Humbolt Fog
Cremont
Schloss

Coffee

On the British scale of 1 (weak) to 5 (very robust), I tend towards number 4.

Favorites are tropical Southeast Asian - Sumatra and Papua New Guinea.

Disappointing: Peruvian (too mild)

Best method - pour over with unbleached filters in a Hario ceramic cone.

Dinner of the Year Award

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Nishiazabu Taku - Tokyo

2018
Le Bernardin - NYC

2017
Genus Atelier - Dresden

Noteworthy Recent Wines

Black Kite Pinot Noir, Soberane Vineyard, St. Lucia Highlands, 2012 - complex, very deep and layered, one of the best PN ever tasted.

Ernest Chardonnay, Sonoma, 2014 - an amazing, refreshing, complex Chardonnay that is on the outermost fringes of expectations for the varietal

The Five Mother Sauces

Bechamel - white roux with milk, base for many sauces; served with eggs, fish, and poultry

Tomat - tomato, pork fat, and sometimes a roux; served with pasta, fish, poultry, and dumplings

Veloute - white roux with light stock; served with eggs, fish, poultry, vegetables, and pasta

Espagnole - brown roux wih meat stock; served with roasted meats

Hollandaise - egg yolk, lemon, clarified butter; served with eggs, vegetables, fish, and light meats
 --

Roux: mixture of flour and fat used to thicken sauces
White Roux - butter and flour
Brown Roux - butter and flour, cooked longer; sometimes animal fats replace butter

More Fine Dining Terms

Prix Fixe - an entire meal offered by a restaurant for a set price, often three courses (app, main, dessert), substitutions not usually permitted. Pronunciation 

Haute Cuisine -"high cooking" - that is, cooking of an elevated level - fine dining. 17th c. French origin. Pronunciation

Cuisine Classique - modernized Haute Cuisine associated with Escoffier (1846-1935) in which service russe and reliance on sauces are characteristic.

Nouvelle Cuisine -  "new cuisine" that emphasizes fresh ingredients, lighter compositions, and avoidance of the overly complicated. Term as used today originated in the 1960s. Sometimes framed as a reaction against Cuisine Classique. Pronunciation

Services and Courses

Service a la francaise: serving all the courses of dinner at once
Service a la russe: serving the courses in sequence, one after another
("buffet" is a version of the service a la francaise; "family style" is a variant for main dishes)

the traditional three course - soup and fish, roasts, desserts
(multiple dishes per course for formal meals)

Current Multiple Course Arrangements
3 course: appetizer, main course, dessert
4 course: soup, appetizer, main course, dessert
5 course: soup, appetizer, salad, main course, dessert

Top Wines - most widely available

Pinot Noir    
Artesa $$$                          
Saintsbury $$$           
Merry Edwards $$$          
Hahn $
Black Kite $$$
Argyle $$
A by Acacia $
Acacia Carneros $$

Zinfandel
Redemption, Alexander Valley Vineyards $$

Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate Reserve, Alexander Valley Vineyards Reserve $$$

Mourvedre 
Cline $

Port
Heitz $$

Sauvignon Blanc       
Foppiano $$                  
Joel Gott  $$                 
Merry Edwards $$$

Chardonnay
Heitz $$
Ernest $$$

Viognier
Cline $

Chenin Blanc
L'Ecole No. 41 $

Champagne
Veuve Cliquot $$$
Ruinart $$$
Mumm's Napa Brut $