Since the Mrs worked this past weekend, I decided to get busy on the stove. Yesterday I made a Mushroom Risotto with fresh shiitake and crimini and boosted the flavor with some dried porcini. For the protein, I stove top grilled a Boneless Mediterranean Leg of Lamb with the Le Creuset grill pan (I do need a better hood, that Whirlpool simply makes little vapor tornadoes but doesn't remove anything).
Since R. Fields had the I Balzini Black Label marked down to $33.49 (usual price is $66), I picked up a bottle assuming the earthiness would pair well with both the mushroom and lamb. It had loads of earth which blew off after I ran the whole bottle through the Vinturi into a decanter. After the Vinturi treatment, dried herbs and dried red fruit came to the forefront.
This evening I followed a Moroccan theme with Vegetarian Harira or mixed vegetable and chickpea stew and a Zahtar Spiced Chicken Breast. Of course while working at the stove top, I did need to replenish lost fluids so I had a microbrew, the Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout. Dark and black with a creamy Guinness-like head, it drank a little sweeter than Guinness with a smooth finish (and this is with 8% abv).
Off the Moroccan theme, I also had the ono's for oio. Lomi oio that is or fresh bonefish with its meat scraped off the bone and mixed with ogo (seaweed), limu kohu (another seaweed), green onions and salt. Placed atop steaming rice (Koshihikari) and a little furikake, it satisfied my ono's for oio. It was even better with a glass of Hananomai Daiginjo sake which had a pleasing viscosity that balanced the silkiness of raw oio and a subtle sweetness to balance the saltiness of the fish.
Oh well, time to put down the pen (actually the keyboard) and get ready for the upcoming work week... sweet dreams...
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