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quisletAh, stable internet connections can be so refreshing.
Food-on-the-road can be fun(for true road food, go watch Feasting on Asphalt). Had a nice bouillabaisse with saffron aioli on top last night. They had a malbec on the wine list, so of course I couldn't resist. In my book, there's nothing quite like a throaty red wine. There's nothing anywhere like the malbec, the wine that slaps you in the face and says (in a purring Argentine accent) "Where's the beef?" A good malbec leaves you breathless, like the dessicating wind of the Zonda has come roaring down the eastern slopes of the Andes right into your throat, looking for dogs and small children that have been left untended. This wine isn't for everyone, but it's one of the things that I love about life.
I skipped dessert to have another glass, practicing my tasting.
It's a trick I learned recently from Sineas Vice, and it goes something like this:
1. Take a meaningful sip of wine, more than a taste, less than a gulp.
2. Swirl it around in your mouth to coat every surface.
3. Swallow most, but not all of it.
You should have a puddle around the base of your tongue.
4. Here's the tricky part - slurp air through your mouth without choking on the wine.
The first try will leave you coughing and sputtering, but you'll get it.
5. Now blow air out through both mouth and nose, while making a chewing motion.
I find this difficult, so I kind of sigh to make sure I'm getting air in the right places.
You'll probably find the first successful attempt a little overwhelming, a sensory explosion like the first time you ever tried Indian food. With some practice, you'll start differentiating between the sensations and tasting things you never noticed before. I'm still a novice, but it's a fun, geeky way to play with your food. ;-)
It really works with just about any food - especially when combined with alcohol. Some flavors can't be tasted without alcohol to liberate them, something about alcohol-soluble chemicals, I hear.
Food-on-the-road can be fun(for true road food, go watch Feasting on Asphalt). Had a nice bouillabaisse with saffron aioli on top last night. They had a malbec on the wine list, so of course I couldn't resist. In my book, there's nothing quite like a throaty red wine. There's nothing anywhere like the malbec, the wine that slaps you in the face and says (in a purring Argentine accent) "Where's the beef?" A good malbec leaves you breathless, like the dessicating wind of the Zonda has come roaring down the eastern slopes of the Andes right into your throat, looking for dogs and small children that have been left untended. This wine isn't for everyone, but it's one of the things that I love about life.
I skipped dessert to have another glass, practicing my tasting.
It's a trick I learned recently from Sineas Vice, and it goes something like this:
1. Take a meaningful sip of wine, more than a taste, less than a gulp.
2. Swirl it around in your mouth to coat every surface.
3. Swallow most, but not all of it.
You should have a puddle around the base of your tongue.
4. Here's the tricky part - slurp air through your mouth without choking on the wine.
The first try will leave you coughing and sputtering, but you'll get it.
5. Now blow air out through both mouth and nose, while making a chewing motion.
I find this difficult, so I kind of sigh to make sure I'm getting air in the right places.
You'll probably find the first successful attempt a little overwhelming, a sensory explosion like the first time you ever tried Indian food. With some practice, you'll start differentiating between the sensations and tasting things you never noticed before. I'm still a novice, but it's a fun, geeky way to play with your food. ;-)
It really works with just about any food - especially when combined with alcohol. Some flavors can't be tasted without alcohol to liberate them, something about alcohol-soluble chemicals, I hear.
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Mmmmm, Malbec!!!
Date: 2006-09-21 06:54 am (UTC)I really like Malbec - and the tasting game is so much fun. Sometimes I think we only invented wine so we could be kids again, because if it works well, a slight intoxication leads us to be just a little silly and childish, and wine tasting seems the properly playful activtiy to go with it!
I made toad in the hole btw, and it worked beautifully, even though our German toast is a lot smaller than the American sandwich toast.
Re: Mmmmm, Malbec!!!
Date: 2006-09-21 11:04 am (UTC)I completely agree about being a kid and alcohol. There are occasional moments when I seem to misplace my inner child - I can usually find him hiding in a glass or two of wine, but I find him every time when I "Drink a Rum."