lummi island wine tasting december 30 ’16
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Friday Breads
Seeded Country Hearth- a portion of the flour is pre-fermented overnight in a poolish which allows for a jump start on the enzymatic activity. Made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. Then loaded up with pumpkin sunflower and poppy seeds A nice hearty bread that is a great all around bread -$5/loaf
Levain w/ Pecans and Dried Cherries – made with a levain, also known as sourdough, a nice mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. Then toasted pecans and dried cherries are added for a nice crunch and sweetness. The addition of dried fruit makes this a great pairing with cheese – $5/loaf
And a special Holiday pastry…
Gibassier – A traditional Christmas time french pastry that includes the sunny flavors of Provence. Made with a rich dough full of eggs, butter and sugar, and then olive oil, orange flower water, candied orange peel and anise seed are added. Ooh, la, la! Quantities are limited so get your order in fast so you don’t miss out – 2/$5
Holiday Chocolate!
If you are looking for last-minute stocking stuffers (or treats for yourself!) note that we have restocked our chocolate shelves with more offerings from Theo, Seattle’s Premier Chocolatier, and more of the super-refined bars from “Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate,” an innovative and refined chocolatier in Eureka, California, including their Truly Delicious, hedonistic, and Deeply Comforting Drinking Chocolate, both the Regular and the Peppermint.
With the New Year Looming, now is the time to make that Resolution you have been Waffling about for Decades: A Day Without Chocolate Is a Day Without Meaning!”
2016: Year of the Monkey
According to the Astrology Club , The Monkey is an inventive and independent problem solver who symbolizes irrepressible curiosity and creative energy. Intelligent, hyperactive, and sociopathic, the Monkey is free from inhibitions and guilt, not hesitating to test his theories on an unwitting audience. His innate problem-solving tendencies can turn the Monkey into a tricky, opportunistic, and deceptive tactician, whose unscrupulous and adolescent fantasies can both entertain and lead to Disaster.
As I said a year ago when I posted this paragraph, Hmm…I’m getting a bad feeling about this…!
So The Thing that is Now on All Our Minds is, um, now that the Monkey is In Charge, what about (cringe) 2017?
2017: Year of the Fire Rooster
The Rooster is one of three Chinese astrological signs that are energetically unbalanced, in this case the Fire side of Yin, which on the one hand can be sort of warm and fuzzy, hearth-like if you will, not at all a bad thing. It also suggests rewards under this sign will come more from hard work and patience than by chance. In general terms the 2017 combination of Fire with Metal (in each 12-year cycle the Rooster aligns with a different one of the Five Elements) will make for complications and tensions that make problem-solving even more challenging. So even though generally people will be more polite and less stubborn, they will be pragmatically oriented toward a sort of muddling through until things get better, which might take Awhile.
One possible Takeaway from this is something like “keep your eye on the ball, be kind, and stay focused on creating the conditions for things to get better a little down the road.
As I write this, the phrase comes to mind “Muddling Through Mediocrity,” which rings a bell as a book I read many years ago, but to which I can find no reference. Puzzling. Yet this is where this little toy thought train comes into the Station on the “Year of the Fire Rooster”…not so much in the Realm of Ultimate Disaster, but more that of “Keep Your Head Down till it all Blows Over…”
Twelfth Annual “East Coast” New Year’s Eve
Please join us for our annual “East Coast New Year’s Eve Party” from 7- 9pm on New Year’s Eve! We provide the wine, and You bring Something Delicious to Share. When the ball drops in Times Square three hours East, we all hoist our glasses, belt out Auld Lang Syne, and toast the New Year! We welcome this annual opportunity to thank all of you for your support during past year, and toast to even more fun in Aught-Seventeen! Arrrr, lads and lassies, mark yer calendars now ‘n’ start planning yer finger food!
NOTE: The shop WILL BE OPEN Friday, Dec 30 as usual from 4-7, but only open on New Year’s Eve for The Party from 7-9!
Prizes! We will again this year have a Secret Operative sampling the dishes and Assigning Points! Yummiest Dish wins a $25 credit, and Yummiest-Looking Dish wins a $15-dollar credit! So make ’em Good an’ make ’em Pretty!
Another good week for The Coopster!
Coopie’s blood test last week showed his red cell count had increased from a barely alive 17 after his transfusion to 24, meaning he is making red cells faster than he is losing them. He has had good energy and a great appetite this week, and is enjoying being Himself. Though I realize I am probably not being entirely objective about this, it is becoming increasingly clear that yes, he is, indeed the Best Dog Ever, totally tuned in to what is going on around him in every moment.
As you know there are dogs that people love and leave alone all day while they are at work; then when they come home the dog has a vague look of “Have you been Gone?”
Herding dogs in general and Cooper in particular are more of the cloth of looking you directly in the eye as if to say, “You have Abandoned me for four hours and thirty-five minutes; how are you going to make it up to me?” In short, he has a Strong Presence and a Charismatic Personality, an Admirable Being in every respect, who stands Squarely on His Own Four Feet.
On a practical level we are getting better at administering his herbal supplements– turkey tail mushroom capsules to boost his immune system, and yunnan baiyao, a Chinese herb blend invented a century ago that is quite effective at reducing bleeding, either internally or from wounds. Hiding capsules in food is still hit or miss, but the easiest method of administration. However he is a smart guy and if he detects the capsule before he swallows its tasty wrapping he is adept at separating it from the good stuff and leaving it on the floor. At that point we resort to the more direct method of open the and getting better with practice. Still, though, it is So much Easier for All Concerned when pill is embedded in a nice piece of sausage!
This week’s Wine Tasting
Waitsburg Cellars “Three” white ’15 Washington $16
Outstanding blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Picpoul; Medium-bodied, pure, clean and lively, with lots of apple blossom, buttered citrus and hints of tangerine on the nose. Rich and fresh with hint of bitters on the finish.
Virginia Dare Pinot Noir ’14 California $17
Uncomplicated but entirely engaging with notes of blackberry, ground black pepper, and black olives along with typical Russian River notes of strawberry and pit fruits.
Gilbert Pilgrim Red Washington $17
Malbec, grenache, pinot noir; nose of dried cranberry and pomegranate with white pepper and mint notes; flavors begin soft, round, smooth and balanced.
Tommasi Poggio Al Tufo Rompicollo ’12 Italy 93pts $18
Opulent, with a raisiny nuance to the ripe, soft red cherry, sweet spice, and herb aromas and flavors. Velvety, opulent, well balanced and smooth, with long, with lush, smooth tannins. Terrific buy!
La Quercia Montepulciano Riserva ’12 Italy $18
100% organic montepulciano from low-yield vines; rich, port-like nose of candied cherries that carry through on the expressive, rich, earthy palate; nice balance of fruit and acidity.
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2072 Granger Way