Trust Yourself

I was emailing back and forth with someone today about wine. This person revealed that they thought their palate was un-sophisticated and maybe even un-worthy of tasting through great wines.

Hogwash!

Let me just say this to the world. Sadly, there are those in the wine world that are exclusionary and treat wine like it's an insider's fraternity- where only the special bottles are opened for those who will appreciate them. I disagree one hundred percent.

All I need to see is a general interest. If you enjoy wine..if you enjoy food...I could honestly care less about how much you know. I believe wine and food are about the relationship- about the sharing of a moment over a great dish, a great glass. Where you come from does not matter. What matters is that we are both in the moment and participating in the shared enjoyment of the dish/glass.

So, please...if you ever are reading my blog, food blogs, wine blogs, or food/wine stuff in general...never, ever feel as though you are not worthy of appreciating the food and wine that I(we) write about.

The relationship always comes first...after all, some of the best wines I've ever had have been inexpensive and unsophisticated...but always in the right company and at the right time...and they have blown my mind.

The "IT" Albarino

How was Spain?

Well, here I am sitting on the back of a boat ("I'm on boat...on a boat...Never thought I'd be on a boat..."- see Adam Samberg) half way to Nirvana slurping oysters with lemon juice and drinking what- in my opinion- is the next "IT" Rias Baixas Albarino.

I first noticed Lagar de Costa over last year's Thanksgiving dinner. I liked the label- isn't that how we all find many new "it" wines? Anyways, I remember remarking to myself that I loved the combination of power, grace, elegance, and minerality. It was a wine that took the best of all that Albarino had to offer and also made it semi-affordable.

So, after meeting the Costa fam, and slurping osyters with them and friends on the back of a boat...well, I'm now head over heels.

Folks, Lagar de Costa. Pound for pound....Well, ya'll know I can't use "the best"...but, if I could......

For me, it's the "IT" Albarino.

FLOUNDER

I live in Springs, New York. My client base extends all the way to Queens so on any given day I might have a 2.5 hr commute home. Today wasn't so bad...1.5 hours home. The wifey called about an hour out and said she'd bought flounder and she was starving and she wanted to be fed ASAP upon my arrival. My recipe...

FLOUNDER w/ capers

(This should take 15-20 minutes tops)

Take a long saute pan and put it over the burner on high. Take out flounder fillets and salt/pepper both sides. Leave. Take out shallow wide bowl and fill with small amount of milk. Take out small plate and fill with flour. Check to see if saute pan is hot hot. It should be hot hot by now. Add veggie oil and butter. Melt. Douse flounder fillet in milk, then thoroughly dredge in flour- both sides. Shake off excess. Put in saute pan and cook. Cook until cooked meat seems 2/3 up side of fish. Flip. Cook for 3 minutes or so more on other side. Take fillet out of pan and rest on plate. If more fillets cook them same way (adding more oil if needs be). Once done, pour off oil. Wipe out pan with paper towel. Add half stick butter, 2 tablespoons of capers with juice and the juice of 1 lemon. Reduce until butter is browned. Add finely chopped parseley if you want.

Plate flounder fillet. Sauce with caper butter.

Wife (or husband, or loved one) will thank you later.

WINE: Paul Paquet Saint Veran La Grande Bruyere 2007...amazing yeast/lemon/honey notes