Misconceptions and Ponderings....

There probably is a perception that in my retirement (Oh God, there he goes again!) that all I do is sit around, sipping first growths (more on that later), nibbling on delectable morsels of foie gras, and generally living it up. Nothing could be further from the truth. As evidence, here’s the fruits of yesterday’s labor (and the reason for no blog) as work begins on re-doing the landscaping behind the digs. We are re-doing the beds behind the house to install and improve the ornamental grasses.



So you see that not all is peaches and cream, and those first growths can be a reward for a day of hard labor – well, maybe a couple of hours. At any rate, I have been turning something over in my ever busy mind lately regarding wine. Now that lunch has become the opportunity for more than a micro-waved cup of Dinty Moore goo and a bag of Doritos and a diet coke, I have, on occasion enjoyed a beer with lunch. Not the 10 oz. variety (although once in a while), but rather some of the more exotic ones like Firestone/Walker 31 Pale Ale. I have come to appreciate the nuances of such beverages. Some are very pleasant, and appealing. Which then of course begs the question of comparison with wines. I have not reached any conclusions and am open to discussion, but I am wondering if there is more of a range of tastes, styles, and differences on the beer side than with wine. Walk in any of the local wine stores (well, a few of the better ones – we’ll leave out the Sign of the Whale types) and you will find a bewildering amount of American and international beers with a huge and very distinct and noticeable range of flavors, weights, types (ales, lagers, pilsners), too many to try.

On the other hand, there are also hundreds of wineries and wines, but in general (give me some consideration here, we’re on thin ice), the wines are limited to the varietals and blends of cabernets, pinots, chardonnays, etc. Yes, there are different methods of making and aging the wines – filtered or no, malolactic or no, new wood, old wood, toasted or no, steel, etc., but they are still driven by the grape which pretty much drives the results. Again, in very general terms, a cabernet is still a cabernet. Maybe that’s what gives rise to those “all black cherry polish with a sultry mocha edge” remarks. I suspect that as usual, there is no right answer, and both beverages are to be enjoyed, but food for thought, and research…

And before releasing you to your Friday and busy weekend (ours is shaping up that way) I ran across another example of how you can mess up a supposedly simple dish. In this case it’s guacamole, a comparatively easy concoction of avocado, cilantro, tomatoe, etc. In this month’s Conde Nast Traveler (which, incidentally includes a cover note about "World's Top New 140 Hotels"), there is a little article on the “signature dish” (their designation) of Mexico, you can get a bowl for $3 at Azul Y Oro which contains “coarsely textured avocado, tomatoes, Serrano peppers, cilantro, and onions”. Or, you can go to Paxia San Angel, and get a bowl that has “guava, apricot, or pomegranate, plus Maldon sea salt, morels, ripe avocados, tipped with sliced almonds” served with “incredible homemade corn tortillias fried in foie gras”. Oh, that’s only 20 bucks.. sheesh..

Why we like living at the digs…..