lummi island wine tasting march 24 ’17
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Bread this week
Barley & Rye with Pumpkin Seeds- After fermenting the levain overnight the final dough of this bread includes bread and barley flour as well as fresh milled whole wheat and rye. A little buttermilk makes for a soft crumb, some honey for a little sweetness to balance all those whole grains and toasted pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch. This is a very flavorful bread that would go well with meats and cheese -$5/loaf
Kamut – an ancient grain rediscovered in modern day Iran a number of years ago. It is also known as khorasan wheat. It has great flavor and some say it is more digestible than modern day wheat. This bread is made with bread flour and fresh milled whole grain kamut and makes a great all around bread that makes really good toast – $5/loaf
And something different for pastry this week…
Pane de Cioccolata – aka “chocolate bread.” This bread is a rich chocolate artisan bread, not a soft brioche or sweet bread, but has great chocolate flavor. Made with bread flour and a bit of fresh milled whole wheat and rye, as well as honey, vanilla and a bit of espresso to bring out the chocolate flavor before being loaded up with chocolate chips. Great toasted with coffee, or maybe even french toast – $5/loaf
Early Rosé
It’s not exactly Spring around here. At least not the Spring we have gotten used to. More like Springs of the past, when it was hard to tell if March was coming or going as a Lion or a Lamb, or both, or neither.
Sure, as in typical PNW Spring, we have had numerous days in which we have enjoyed a bit of Rain, a bit of Wind, a bit of Sun, and a bit of Hail while temperatures swing wildly from 40-ish to 60-something. But This Time it is Different. Though I did see one little batch of daffodils on today’s dog walk, there are NOT yet daffodils in the other usual places for this time of year. Like, you know, our own yard.
Nevertheless, in our Quest for some semblance of Normality in these Dystopian times, we are this weekend Shifting into our Customary Spring-Summer wine-tasting pattern of one white, one rosé, and three reds. Yes, we may be overly Optimistic (you might be surprised to know we are often accused of Incurable PollyAnna-ism), but we Deeply Believe that the Mere Idea of drinking Rosé is enough to hasten the Arrival of Spring!
We have Heard your Calls and Feel your Pain. So: Come Rain, come Snow, come Sleet, come Hail, Hell, or High Water, we are pouring rosé a tad earlier this year as an Enticement to Spring. Come on, folks, You gotta Believe…!
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
This classic 1956 sci-fi film has been sometimes seen as a shining example of Cold War fear of Communist Infiltration, but also seen as a cautionary tale about Creeping Totalitarianism in the Post-McCarthy Era. It was seen by some as an indictment of the suburban conformity of the post WWII conformity and by others as a protest against the loss of emotion, imagination, and individual identity in an increasingly Mechanized Age. read more
My own impression, having seen it on the “big” screen in the fifties, was that it was that, while it was almost devoid of the Usual Sorts of Violence, it remains one of the most Terrifying films I have seen. Briefly, a bunch of Giant Seed Pods from Outer Space find their way to Earth. If one gets left near your house when you go to sleep, the pod becomes a Womb that Delivers a Clone that replaces “You.” Like, kind of a “Stepford Wife.” Looks like you, sounds like you, but not You, because “you” had been taken over by The Pod while you slept. Resistance was, like, Totally Futile…the frightening scene here is the Pod growing in the back yard, the Victim trying Every Trick to Stay Awake, and, Inevitably, No One can stay awake For Very Long. Yeah…very Creepy!
I bring this up because this morning Democracy Now! presented a provocative analysis of exactly how DJT actually became President. The short version is that his “election” was the wildly unlikely outcome of a Broad Conspiracy that included Donald Trump, Breitbart News Guy Steve Bannon, and most importantly, eccentric Billionaire Robert Mercer.
The Rough Outline is that: a) Trump surrogates Bannon and Conway are long-time Mercer operatives; b) Mercer is a Far, Far Right Neo-Fascist who spent billions on a brilliantly focused propaganda campaign to discredit Hillary Clinton and get Trump elected; and c) Mercer has close ties with the Alt-Right movement and its goal to dismantle Government authority over all aspects of the Private Sector.
This week’s wine tasting
San Pietro Alto Adige Pinot Grigio ’15 Italy $12
Straw yellow in the glass with a nose of tropical fruits and hints of honey. The palate is fruity with excellent freshness and balanced acidity.
Villa des Anges Rosé ’15 France $10
Spicy and focused on the nose, showing fresh citrus and red berry and a hint of white pepper. Dry and nervy on the palate, with refreshing bitter cherry and berry skin flavors.
Rio Madre Rioja Graciano ’14 Spain $10
Brilliant violet color. Intensely perfumed dark berry and scents of anise, violet and pipe tobacco. Sweet and expansive, offering sappy black and blue fruit flavors, with energy and power on the lingering finish.
Goose Ridge g3 Red ‘`14 Washington $14
Syrah-cab-merlot blend; supple ripe plum and blackberry notes with hints of spice, vanilla, black currant and Bing cherry. Nicely balanced with a lush, round mouth and a long, lingering finish.
Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico ’14 Italy $18
Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in cement for up to eight months to rest and lock in its fruity freshness; easy palate of bright berry; silky and seductive mouthfeel.
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