KatieLoeb

Cool! Glad it went over well. If you have any leftover Charmoula sauce, I'm thinking it would be delicious on any sort of leftover protein like another piece of fish, a grilled chicken breast, a turkey burger, almost anything! Gotta make some of that, maybe this weekend. I should probably link this to the "make your own condiments" thread.

Pirate: Thanks for reminding me of another fave! Corte Gardoni Bardolino Chiaretto. Delicious stuff this is. Also not terribly expensive. Last year this was running about $11.00/bottle. Much deeper and bolder color and flavor than its seemingly anemic (by contrast) cousins from France. This is pink wine with cojones. My favorite domestic rose is Unti Vineyards Grenache Rose. A bit pricier than it's European brethren at around $25 (at least here in PA), but this stuff is the bomb diggety! There's a case of the 2002 waiting for me at our state warehouse which I intend to pick up tomorrow. I had originally ordered it for a special event at the restaurant and then we changed our minds about carrying all different wine for just that one evening. My purveyor had burned through quite a bit of mojo to secure this for me so I felt very badly about it and decided I'd just pay for it myself and keep it, rather than send it back. Last year only 3 bottles made it to Striped Bass and they were some of the only ones on the entire east coast. Production is pretty low (only 249 cases in the 2002 vintage!) since they really drop a lot of crop to limit yield, but the quality on this is incredible. Bone dry and really full bodied. Undoubtedly the biggest rose I've ever tried at 14.5% alcohol. Incredibly versatile with food too. If anyone sees this available in their area, jump on it! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Also fairly readily available domestic is the Joseph Phelps Vin du Mistral rose. This is from a very reliable producer and is very Tavel in style. Pedroncelli makes a Zinfandel Rose that I'm dying to try. Anyone familiar with it?

My favorite lately that I'm about to put back on the by-the-glass list for warmer weather is Domaine de la Courtade Cotes de Provence L'Alycastre Rose. The wine is made on the island of Porquerolles, in the Mediterranean off the coast of Nice. Domaine de la Courtade are the only vineyards and winery on the island, the rest of the unspoiled beauty of the island being taken up by a nature preserve. Made from Mourvedre and a splash of Rolle. Pale salmon in hue, very dry, with aromas of rose petals, citrus and ocean breezes. A bit of spice revealed on the way down. This stuff just screams SUMMER WINE and PROVENCE. It's an unbelievable bargain at about 10 bucks and really outclasses Tavel or Bandol by a mile, IMHO.

In Austria/Bavaria they grate a bit of fresh horseradish root (not the prepared stuff with vinegar) into applesauce and serve it on the side of Tafelspitz (Boiled Beef) or pork chops. VERY tasty!

So how was everyone's first Seder? The menu where I played frequent guest was: - Gefilte Fish with homemade horseradish - Matzah Ball soup - Salad - Brisket marinated in orange juice with prunes, Turkey Meatballs, Spinach kugel, steamed Asparagus, and Carrot, fingerling potato and apricot tzimmes. - Chocolate covered matzah, coconut and chocolate covered coconut macaroons, mini dried fruit "muffins", fresh fruit salad I had picked up a bottle of Tierra Salvaje Monastrell Dulce red dessert wine and it was quite deleicious with the chocolate covered matzah and chocolate covered macaroons. I rolled home and slept like a hero.

Not too shabby for a Goy Boy! Great photo documentation of the process and it looks positively luscious. I happen to be of the camp that likes the slightly sweet/fruited brisket. I know some folks are more of the savory tomato/onion soup mix persuasion when it comes to their brisket preferences. Aw heck! I actually like either, depending on who's cooking and my mood.

From start to finish it's usually at least a two to three week process. Anywhere from ten days to three weeks for the peel soaking part and then at least a few days to "rest" in the bottle after you've diluted/sweetened/upped the alcohol to taste. Patience pays off. After it's truly finished I usually funnel it into empty and well washed tall skinny schnapps or vinegar bottles with wooden and cork stoppers. Then I lay a couple down in the freezer for at least 6 hours until it's really cold and viscous. Then drink from small cordial glasses or mixed into iced tea or cocktails. YUMMY!

Made the charoset this afternoon. It came out a bit sharper and spicier with the crystallized ginger rather than the powder, but it's good that I bought the crystallized because I was almost out of ground ginger and didn't realize it. It came out a bit chunkier than usual too, but I think that's because I was feeling lazy and not dicing the fresh apple and pears as small as usual. I remain your humble servant, Charoset Queen. And would someone please return that Brussel Sprout Sceptre and Orb to my esteemed colleague Cruciferous Queen? She's probably looking for it by now I hope everyone's preparations are done or close to done so we might all enjoy a nice peaceful and joyous holiday with family and friends on Monday evening. A Gut Yontif to all! Next Year in Jerusalem!

Thanks Anna! Your boss is the perfect recipient of my research. Just the target audience I suspect would really use the informaion. I hope that he finds the article interesting and that he can locate the items he wants at Blue Star Wines. Speaking of Blue Star... I stopped there this afternoon to pick up a case of kosher for Passover wine for the restaurant. We'll be offering it as a courtesy to our observant guests for the next week. I hope if it goes well I have to go back for more. I also picked up some dessert wine (Tierra Salvaje Monastrell Dulce) to take along with me to the seder I'm attending. I've been celebrating Passover with a very close friend and her family for about twenty years, so I thought I'd bring this along as a treat for providing me with the inspiration over the years that helped while I was writing the article. Oh and about that hunky guy...screen him for personality characteristics first before talking religion.

Will this work? I'm sorry. That one only works for the Cruciferous Queen, I think. Does the first runner up take my place if I cannot "fulfill my duties" when some hateful ex-boyfriend or past condiment rival causes those nude pictures to surface ?

I guess this is the closest I'll get to being Homecoming, Crustacean, Gilroy Garlic or whatever Queen. I am the Charoset Queen! I need a sash and a tiara, dammit! I've been making it the same way for so long, I get bored. So tomorrow I'll be using little chopped bits of crystallized ginger instead of powdered ginger to see how that works. Everyone that makes the Katie Charoset has to report back and let me know how it came out. And if their family and firends liked it.

It's validating, but oddly disturbing as well!

I just finished making a big 'ol batch of fresh horseradish for the seder. Oooo-weeee! My eyes are still watering. Used a couple of large roasted fresh beets this year instead of the canned baby beets. I'm hoping the lower water content of the fresh roasted makes for a less "diluted" end result. I think it worked I test drove a big spoonful on a piece of gefilte fish (there' just no other way to see if it needs more salt or not!) and it's just perfect. Hot enough to lift the top of your head off and remind you where the recesses of your sinus cavity are Tomorrow - charoset!

I stopped at RTM late today too. I had to pick up some items for Passover eats and I hit Iovines produce pretty hard. Also stopped for some pan fried dumplings at Sang Kee Peking Duck. They really hit the late afternoon snack spot. I got to RTM at about 4:45 PM and it seemed that all of the "local produce vendors" at the tables in the center were either pretty cleaned out or already gone. I didn't see any of the people listed in the Fair Food Farmstand newsletter I'm now receiving via e-mail every week (thanks to rlibkind). Was I in the wrong spot or just there way too late?

Welcome Mikerocks! At which of our fair city's dining establishments do you earn your living? And doing what? Just curious... Too bad you had a such a bad experience at Good Dog. I thought they had a decent wine selection for a beer bar as well. Not so sure I would've been brave enough to order a squid salad in there though. I tend to stick to the basics like burgers, wings, etc. in bars and pubs unless I know for sure there's a real chef behind the kitchen doors, like Ben McNamara at Dark Horse/Black Sheep.

The Fess Parker 2000 "Mackie's Blend" syrah is delicious, and within your (and my) budgetary constraints. I just polished off a bottle last night in fact <hic>! This was definitely one of the best $10.00 wines (on sale this month in PA) I've tried recently. I liked it so much I ran back and bought two more before they disappeared. Look for Cotes du Rhone or Rhone syrahs as well. Those tend to be value priced and are reliably tasty.

Foodie: If you're fond of the Hedges Syrah, I suggest trying some of their other wines as well. I have the "Three Vineyard Red" on our wine list and it's quite popular. It's a Cabernet/Merlot blend aged in mostly French, but a bit of American oak. It's positively luscious and an excellent value for the quality of the product. It seems Hedges little corner of Washington State has the perfect Bordeaux-esque microclimate for production of spectacular, affordable and delicious wines that are age worthy as well as drinkable young.

Breakfast for me during the work week always consists of a pint glass with a double shot of espresso, fill with coffee, top with hot milk. The sides vary on how the kitchen feels like treating us that day. This week I had scrambled eggs a couple of times, good bacon and pancakes one day with mixed berries in syrup to top them off

Holly: I liked Jones, but more for the funky cocktails, cheap bar snacks (Deviled eggs or potato pancakes with my drink - sure!) and the "you've-stepped-into-the-Brady Bunchs'-living room" vibe than for the actual "experience" of the place. As far as mood settings at Starr restaurants goes, I'd place my vote for Tangerine. It's kind of like what I imagine having dinner in a Morroccan opium den would be like. And I like that in some perverse way.

Thanks Katie! I'm on a mission to get those yummy Charbay vodkas! You have to promise to post any wild cocktail recipes you come up with after you've secured your stash. We have the Key Lime and Blood Orange. I tasted, but haven't yet purchased the Ruby Red Grapefruit flavor. I've not tasted the Meyer Lemon, but I can't imagine that it isn't as tasty as the other flavors. Let us all know what you think!

Sara: There's a little bit left from my last batch in my freezer. If we BYO together sometime I'll definitely bring it along. Melograno next week??

No difference. Wine is Parve, and doesn't contain leavening or chametz if it's already kosher so it's OK for the holiday. There are a few normally kosher spirits that I mentioned in the article that are not acceptable over the holidays because they're made from grain. Also, a few of the regularly kosher sweet wines (Manischevitz Cream Peach for example) aren't kosher for Passover either. You must read the labels and have a source you trust. You can, however, drink potato vodka!

I'm going to ask my sales rep if those are available in PA. I want to try that Calvador so badly...

The Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episode where the hapless chap pours his girlfriend a glass of "Ga-ZOINK-a-zing-er" (gewurztraminer) wine makes me howl with laughter. Both my home phone and cell phone rang the instant that left his lips, with friends calling me to say, "Did you hear THAT??"

The PR Department at Starr Restaurant Group is about to kick into overdrive. With Striped Bass mere weeks from re-opening and Continental West coming up over the horizon, there's a lot of "work" to be done. What's next? Pod for the best "I've been sitting out on conveyor belt, wanna risk salmonella?" sushi?