lummi island wine tasting sept 22 ’17 fall equinox
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Bread this week
Whole Wheat Ciabatta – Uses both Italian biga and poolish pre-ferments. Once mixed the dough is fermented overnight in the refrigerator. A long, slow, cool ferment adds a lot of flavor to the final bread. Made with regular bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. A little olive oil for more flavor and a lot of water. With so much water this bread can’t really be shaped, just cut into pieces and baked. A great rustic bread – $5/loaf
Pain Normand – Brings in the flavor of french Normandy region which is known for its apples. Made with fresh milled whole wheat and rye flours as well as bread flour then mixed with apple cider as well as dried apples. A delicious artisan bread – $5/loaf.
And for pastry this week…
Bear Claws! – Made with a danish pastry dough rich in cream, eggs, sugar and butter. The dough is rolled out and filled with a filing made with almond paste, powdered sugar, egg whites and just a bit of cinnamon to round out the flavor. Then, because bears love honey, topped with a honey glaze after baking. – 2/$5
Another Fall Equinox
Here is Sunset from our place on a past Autumnal Equinox. Equinoxes being what they are, corresponding Sunsets appear more or less in the same spot near the horizon every year. At the Moment of Equinox someone at one particular place on the Equator can experience looking straight up at the Sun at Local Noon. That’s right…the Equinox happens in a Single Moment over a Single Spot on Equatot.
For those non-Navigators our there, “local noon” is the moment on any day when the Sun is directly South of you in the Northern Hemisphere, or directly North of you in the SH. One Very Cool thing about this “Local Apparent Noon” (LAN) is that at Sea you can always tell your Latitude by observing the angular elevation of the Sun over a period near noon. You can observe it increasing to a maximum and then start decreasing. The maximum elevation always occurs when the Sun is on the same North-South Meridian as you are and it is a relatively easy matter to compute your Latitude from this One Observation. That also explains how, by the way, Joshua Slocum (author of the Classic “Sailing Alone Around the World”) was able to navigate Around the World back in 1898 using a wind-up clock that had lost its minute hand…!
Tator Talk
Tator has been continuing her very slow Recovery. She is now able to stand up on her own from most positions, with soft cushions (otherwise Two Dewclaws Up!) and slippery floors (Never a Canine Favorite) being the most challenging. She can also make her way to the Flip-Flop Door to let herself out As Necessary, another Big Step Forward, although getting herself back in is still a Challenge.
She has developed a fondness for lots of milk and a bit of yogurt in her kibbles, while showing varying levels of Disinterest in Dog Food. A bit of the Fussy Princess we suspect, but it is a Comfort to see her eating with Intention and Enjoyment.
We are also beginning to see some positive signs that she is Rebuilding a bit of Muscle Mass (Yay!). We still have No Idea what caused all of this in the first place, so are Keeping an Eye to Weather on her progress. For now all the Signs continue to be Positive, and we are doing Our Best to let a Little Optimism in! You know, As One Does in these Situations…it’s a Long Road Back!
End of Another Drydock
Annual Drydock is hard to explain to people who do not live on an Island served by A Ferry. Let’s just say that for 49 or 50 weeks a year our trusty, 50+ years-old Whatcom Chief plies Hales Passage some 35 round trips a day ferrying passengers and vehicles between mainland and Lummi Island. About 100′ long, the Chief makes the one-mile crossing in about 6 minutes. Add another 4 minutes on average for loading and unloading, and under ideal circumstances, the Chief can move about 60 cars per hour from the busy side (AM –> mainland) to the less-busy side (AM –> Island).
Once a year this Old Boat undergoes Annual Maintenance. In the last fifteen years this has usually happened in September, beginning mid-week right after Labor Day, and extending for two or three weeks. While the Chief is in Drydock, a passenger-only boat transports people between Island and Mainland. The Good News is that it is Very Quiet on the Island for a few weeks, with Fewer People and many fewer cars. As a result it is Quiet, laid-back, and a great time for Walking!
Mar a Lago Update: Oh…THAT kind of Bull in the China Shop
Here we are Eight Months Into The Tweetster’s Alt Reality, and it is almost (OMD!) starting to Feel…I can’t believe I’m saying this…Normal. Most of the Destruction of Everything We Hold Dear is happening Quietly at the Cabinet Level; Chief of Staff Kelly seems to have Tightened Discipline a bit and had some success holding both Staff and Tweetster to a Few Minimal Standards of Professionalism.
Meanwhile, an Unprecedented Series of Hurricanes has successfully Diverted Attention from the so-called Administration’s Epic Incompetence. Well, for a few days, anyway. And Of Course their Unprecedented Magnitude has Nothing to Do with so-called “Global Warming.” As some Existential Road Signs in the Mountain West declare, High Winds May Exist.
Then, as we all know, the Tweetster did his UN Thing, which has the Entire World in various stages of forehead-slapping OMD’s, WTF’s , and Is This Really Happening? Meanwhile the Tweetster and the Mitchster are Digging In for a Siege and Sharpening their Nails for a Showdown at the Not-So-OK Corral. And All of That is Not to Mention…Rocket Man, as the Tweetster calls Kim Jong Un. Our view after listening to These Two is that the Best Thing That Could Happen is for These Two (Tweetster and Unster) to meet and Trade Haircuts! That would be Awesome! Everyone would Immediately Feel Better! Am I right? Am I right? Of course I’m right! Haircut Trade! Haircut Trade! Bumper Stickers Available Soon!
This week’s wine tasting
Bernier Chardonnay ’16 France $10
Lemon, herbs and lees on the nose. Full-on minerality, with a touch of lemon curd. Crisp, elegant, steely, mineral, and citrusy personality. Classic Old World style that will drink beautifully with light fish dishes, or served as an aperitif.
Chapoutier Belleruche Rosé ’16 France $13
The Grenache in this food-friendly Provencal-style rosé adds bright red stone fruit flavors; the Cinsault brings its delicate strawberry aroma; and the Syrah adds body, making for a great pairing even with the intense flavors of seafood.
Ramirana Cab Reserva ’15 Chile $12
Expressive notes of red and black berries, with notes of black pepper, chocolate, and tobacco. Nicely balanced body, acidity, and tannins, with a pleasing finish.
Zenato ‘Alanera’ Rosso Veronese Italy $15
Dark, inky color; rich and focused nose, with ripe berries, dusty oak and a precise note of waxy vanilla bean. On the palate delivers extracted flavors of cherries, strawberry, clay and even a hint of crushed mint. Soft tannins, rounded finish.
Chateau la Croisille ‘Silice’ Malbec ”15 France $19
Plots located on the Luzech limestone plateau, more precisely on terroirs made of iron-rich siliceous red clays, aged one year in neutral oak, yielding a wine that is both rustic and polished.
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2072 Granger Way