KatieLoeb

An oil free mint and parsley pesto would freeze well in ice cube trays. Pop out the cubes and bag in a Ziplock freezer bag for those winter days when any taste of warm weather foods are welcome. I've often made an "herbal" simple syrup with 2 parts mint leaves to one part each cilantro and basil leaves. Drop the leaves into the still hot simple syrup and allow to cool slightly. Buzz up in the blender (carefully holding the lid on with a kitchen towel so as not to have an explosion and have to clean sticky stuff off the ceiling. Yes. I know of what I speak...) and allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator. Strain through a fine strainer. You'll have a delicious green herbal syrup that's yummy for sweetening iced tea, lemonade, for use in cocktails, etc. I like this very much with bourbon and bitter lemon soda for a summertime cooler. Tasty with gin and ginger ale too. The possibilities are endless. It's good to have this in your fridge. It should keep well in the back (coldest part) of the refrigerator for several weeks, at a minimum.

Not necessary. The Lab is equipped to handle each attendee with their own station and set up. It's tight, but it works. You're going to have a blast!!! Send them my best regards.

There was no way they could send home two contenders like Kenny and Kevin. Just no way. I know they said they had to evaluate based solely on that day's performance, but I think it's clear that those two have a whole lot more to bring to the table than those hacks they sent home. Lynne was pretty bad. I realize she teaches at CIA or whatever, but you know the old saying, "those that can't do, teach..." I think she was the living embodiment of that and that other fool was the living embodiment of the Peter Principle. Seriously, how could you wait until the last possible nanosecond to cook your pasta and not expect yourself to be rushed and run the risk of under cooking it or not having time to finish plating because the PASTA HAS TO GO ON THE PLATE BEFORE THE SAUCE TOPS IT??? Not too swift for an instructor, I have to say. Thank goodness this wasn't a catered event for hundreds of people. That sort of thinking would be truly disastrous...

I'm about to go make me a caipirinha. It's too damned hot here...

Chris: Just go. Your experience will be different than anyone else's, but still be very personal and worthy of the exploration. Go with an open mind and open heart. Imagine yourself in a place with anything you've ever read or heard about (and many things you haven't) at your disposal and go wild. Be ready to play. Be ready to be creative and think on the fly. That's the whole point. Have fun with it! Junior and Heidi are most gracious hosts. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. I reiterate. Have fun with it.

My good friend and delightful host for a holiday BBQ this weekend made a dry rubbed applewood smoked chicken that was positively divine. Only the white meat was a little dry, but certainly at least as moist as many of the rotisseried chickens I've purchased at the supermarket. It was good. Next time he said he's going to brine it first. I hope to be there to taste that variant. I think that just might be the perfect smoked chicken.

Wine shopping as an Olympic sport? I think it's carrying all those cases into the house that burns the most calories...

Drank a bottle of the Juan Benegas 2007 Malbec last night with dinner at a BYOB restaurant. It was a little big for my arugula, fresh fig and goat cheese salad, but it was nonetheless quite delicious. I'm still favoring the Don Tiburcio by a margin, only because as I mentioned upthread, I'm finding the blends so well balanced and lovely. But for a 100% Malbec, the Juan Benegas is one of the better examples I've had that is fairly readily available. Actually I like Adey's suggestion of drinking these with big cheeses. Sounds fabulous! DaleJ, glad you're enjoying the Clos de los Siete. That's my new favorite. At least for the moment...

New special just started this week. Great deal for a lot of delicious seafood. Almost like being at the shore...Your choice on the clams and oysters. We'll be closed Sunday and Monday of this holiday weekend, but I'll be in Tuesday night if anyone wants to come check this out... SUMMERTIME SHORE FEAST We're serving a Shore Feast of summertime seafood favorites all season long, featuring: 3 Oysters and 3 Clams on the half shell; a Bucket of Steamers, 1.5 Lb. Steamed Lobster; Corn on the Cob; and House-Made Cole Slaw, Our Shore Feast is available Monday through Saturday during dinner hours, from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. for $46 per person.

Sikora Leaves the Stern fold Awesome. Made it two whole months.

Oh. The sign read "Squash Blossoms - $6, 2 for $10" It didn't say per box, it read just as I wrote. And they were HUGE ones and I have no idea what they normally cost having never purchased them for home use. I think you can see how I misunderstood that. I was STUNNED but walked away quickly once I thought they were more precious than illegal drugs! As Emily Litella would say, "Well that's very different. Never mind..."

I love me a good squash blossom, but at $6 apiece I'll buy steaks, thanks.

The Mollejas al Champagne I enjoyed at Restaurante Palacio Espanol in Buenos Aires were pretty awesome. Sweetbreads, shrimp and mushrooms in a Champagne Cream sauce. Best Surf and Turf ever! I wonder if it couldn't be recreated on a skewer or toothpick for hors d'oeuvres? It would certainly make a delicious appetizer in a smaller portion than I had. In fact, it's so rich it might be better enjoyed that way! On a side note, Palacio Espanol is one of the prettiest restaurants I've ever dined in. One forgets how nice it is to dine properly - with uniformed tailcoat wearing waiters, exquisite surroundings, fine china and crystal, impeccable service and well dressed patrons. A bit too formal for everyday, but a welcome experience when one makes a conscious choice to do so. It's civilizing to do that once in a while.

If you want to make a short road trip to Philly, we have them on the menu at Oyster House. And I'll make you a cocktail if I'm behind the bar that day. Not inexpensive at $26, but there's a whole mess of lobster in the roll, lightly dressed with mayo and lemon. Toasted roll. Fairly authentic except for the split top roll. We tried those at first, but they fell apart under the weight of the lobster salad.

I wish! But sadly, no. I think the presentation box was decor in the winery foyer. I found that shipping wine back was prohibitively expensive, and trying to check a box as a second piece of luggage would have been a real chore, having to get the box from Mendoza to airport, from B.A. airport to hotel and then back again to bring home. Way more trouble than I was willing to go to traveling alone. And I already had two pieces of checked luggage, so I wasn't going to push it. I figured I was coming home with a head full of new knowledge about and experience with Mendoza wines and wineries and that would have to suffice for my wine shopping expeditions back home. And in fact it did. I was searching for a bottle of Bodegas Benegas Don Tiburcio, a wine I'd tried and loved in Mendoza, and the shop was out of it. The salesperson suggested the Clos de los Siete as a replacement until it came in. I never would have tried that wine had it not fallen into my lap. Interestingly, Michel Rolland, the principal at Clos de los Siete is listed as Winemaker Consultant for the Don Tiburcio. I don't know if the salesperson was aware of that or if it was coincidence, but they are certainly both very well balanced red blends of a certain style that most definitely appeals to my palate. Having looked at my wine journal notes for my trip to Pulenta Estates, I see that my notes about the La Flor line shows that the wines spend 4-6 months in oak, hence the "Joven" designation. I tried the 2008 La Flor Cabernet and wrote that it was fruity, but balanced. I also tried the 2007 Pulenta XI Gran Cabernet Franc. Only 7000 bottles were made. Absolutely HUGE bell pepper in the nose and palate. Really soft tannins. One of the most delicious Cab Francs I've tasted. Worth checking out if you can find one of those elusive bottles. To see other photos of Pulenta Estates click on the link and then check out the slide shows on the vineyard and winery sections of the website. You can see how modern and sleek the stainless steel and concrete fermentation tanks are as well as the glorious scenery and stunning architecture of the winery.

Today at Headhouse Square: 2 carrots one big onion 2 zucchini quart of Italian flat beans Several small fennel bulbs with huge stalks of greens attached Carrots, onion, zucchini and beans will be stir fried tonight. Fennel with be shaved with some daikon into some sort of Asian-esque salad. I'm looking forward to my dinner...

adey73: Yum! You scored a whole mess of delicious wines there. The Clos de los Siete you have is the 2006 that I can't speak to personally. I'm guessing the 2007 is the most recent release and you found one from the prior vintage where you are. Pulenta Estates was so lovely and the tour couldn't have been more personal. Here's what you see on the way in the driveway: Then walking up to the front entrance is this lovely archway and view of the vineyards: Since it was the midst of the harvest, I got a good look at the vineyard workers sorting the grapes. If I recall correctly, that day they were harvesting Syrah. My private tasting was down in the cellars. Although the picture is a bit dark and viewed through the glass, I think you can make out how grand and well appointed the tasting cellars are there: My lovely hostesses, Andrea and Soledad showed me around and let me taste some delicious wines. Here we are at the end of my tasting tour: I was really impressed with how modern the winery at Pulenta Estates was. They really took their work seriously there and it showed in the wines. The Pinot Gris I alluded to upthread was a 2009. Really clean and fresh flavor. I loved this and I'm a complete sucker for a good Pinot Gris. I just didn't know they even grew Pinot Gris in Mendoza until my taste at Pulenta Estates. The winery also produces a "Joven", or young line of wines called La Flor that includes a Malbec, a Cabernet, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Malbec Rose that was really delicious. I love good pink wine that's well balanced and the thick skins on the Malbec gave the wine a really deep rich color and flavor. The highlight of my tasting at Pulenta Estate was a little tiny taste of an "experimental" wine - a 2006 Chardonnay-Semillon Late Harvest barrel sample. The wine spent three years in oak and was primarily Chardonnay with a small percentage of grapes with botrytis. It was like nectar. The winemaker happened to wander by while I was tasting and asked my opinion as to whether it was marketable. I told him to round up as much of those grapes as he was able and just forge ahead. It was like a good Sauternes or Tokai. Sweet without being one dimensional and with many layers of flavors including that funk of botrytis that just can't be replicated other than through sheer luck. Pulenta Estate is a winery well worth exploring. Both in person and through the wines if you can't be fortunate enough to get there first hand.

Gotta root for Kevin, since he's a Philly guy, or at least almost. We have a common former employer (Jose Garces) and I like that he's pretty laid back and confident, but not too cocky. Yet, anyway. Philly always represents in Top Chef. Chef Jennifer Carroll made us proud last season. Here's hoping Kevin makes it to the Final Three this season. On a side note, I volunteered and worked one of the bars at an awesome charity event earlier this week, the Great Chef's Event 2010 held here in Philadelphia to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. It was a blast! So much fantastic food and drinks to be had. And virtually every great chef you could think of all in one room. The auction portion was held on the stage directly in front of the bar I was working. Dinner for 14 people cooked by Mario Batali and Tom Collicchio at Osteria Restaurant here in Philadelphia went for $30,000!! Awesome. Chef Carroll was in attendance as well as Iron Chefs Morimoto and Garces, Chef Collicchio, Chef John Besh of New Orleans and Chef Jonathan Benno as well as many others. Serious heavy concentration of talent in one room. It was an honor to participate for such a worthy cause.

DaleJ: I'm flattered you trust my judgement and palate so implicitly. I hope you enjoy the wine. Please raise a glass for me and I'll be there with you in spirit. On my home front, I've located the 2007 Clos de los Siete for $13.33/btl. at a nearby store in a neighboring state that I will be driving right past tomorrow afternoon on my way to a friend's graduation party. Woo-hoo! I just called the store to confirm it's in stock and it seems that they'll honor that online price for me as long as I let the cashier know. The on the shelf price is $16.99 which sounds close to what I paid for the single bottle I had purchased at another store close to the one I'll be purchasing from tomorrow. I asked why the price differential and the salesperson told me it's because the online prices have to compete nationally. This might be a new bargain hunting technique to keep in my back pocket for future reference. BonVivantNL - Tannat is also the grape of Madiran, from the infamous "French Paradox" experiment that showed why those Foie-Gras-and-cheese-eating-2-pack-a-day-Gauloise-smoking Frenchmen had such a low incidence of heart disease, counter-intuitively to what one might expect. Tannat is good stuff. Think of it as a delicious liquid statin pill...

I can add a note for a wine I purchased here on the advice of the wine manager of one of my favorite shops. I drank this last night. 2007 Clos de los Siete is a big luscious wine that reminds me of a sexier more voluptuous Bordeaux. A blend of 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Syrah, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2/3rds of the wine is aged for 11 months in 100% new French oak. It was around $16 and drank like a wine at four times the price. The Clos de los Siete is a really interesting project. It's a consortium of seven Bordelaise winemakers/consultants that got together to try and explore the possibilities that Argentina had to offer to the wine world. Article about Clos de los Siete is HERE if you wish to read more about it. Certainly all the various names behind the project are well respected and well known. Seems a good place to start with gorgeous perfect weather, good vines and good technique, no? The Clos de los Siete brand is sourced from all of the various vineyards. All their wines seem to score highly in all the respected rankings. I'm going to have to hunt down some of the other labels as well - Val de Flores, Monteviejo, Mariflor, Lindaflor, Altamira, Flechas de los Andes, and Los Dassos are the individual wineries that produce wine under their own labels. I suspect these are worthy of seeking out as well.

Edmund: If only someone would pay me for the purple prose, LOL. But seriously, the bit about the sky and the stars is the honest truth. I was in a place for the first time in my life that had no pollution of any sort. I looked up and it was as if the clouds parted and the chorus of angels burst into song. One of those "AH-HA!" moments that happen so infrequently in life. I'd never seen a sky like that before, and then having all that book learning about the Southern Hemisphere suddenly make sense was somewhat overwhelming. I really got it. It was very cool. There's so much left of Argentina for me to explore I can hardly wait. I missed going glacier hiking in El Calafate, missed the penguins and whale watching in Valdez Peninsula because they'd already migrated north, going to Iguazu Falls, Barriloche, etc. There are several more trips in my future to see all that I couldn't squeeze into my first visit.

I feel like a six year old on a car ride. "Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?" Looking forward to that inaugural visit. Best of luck with the preparations!

I'm a bit busy over the next few days. But I'll dig out my well notated trip journal as soon as I'm able and be more specific. I'll try and upload some more more photos as well. In the meanwhile, check out the photos at the Tupungato Divino link above and enjoy. It's so beautiful there it makes my heart ache. I don't believe I've ever seen a sky so clear or breathed air so clean and fresh. The vineyards in those photos are already at an altitude of approximately 2500-3000 feet above sea level. The mountains in the background are at twice that. You're in the middle of a desert plateau miles away from any form of air or light pollution. The night sky is so beautiful it will literally take your breath away. And I'd forgotten that there are different constellations there! Looking up and seeing the Southern Cross for the first time rather than seeking the Big Dipper was quite awe inspiring.

I prefer Apricot brandy to Peach brandy in Fish House Punch. Makes for a drier, less sickly sweet end result. The Marie Brizard Apry is a good choice for that application.

Having just spent four days in Mendoza in April, I can certainly recommend some fabulous Argentine wines. My wonderful tour guide took me to a wide variety of wineries, from huge industrial level places like Salentien, to medium sized wineries that export to the States like Andeluna Cellars, to tiny boutique wineries likeBodega La Azul and Domaine San Diego whose production levels are so small that very little or none of their wines ever make it to the USA. It was quite enlightening, to say the least. And for all the fuss about 100% Malbec, I found the red blends to be the most luscious and interesting wines I tried. The Don Tiburcio from Bodegas Benegas was a ridiculous bargain for the caliber of wine in the glass. And I tried some interesting whites as well. A Pinot Gris at Pulenta Estates really made me sit up and think. I had a truly glorious lunch sitting out in the sunshine at Bodega Ruca Malen in the shadow of the Andes. Truly some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. Here's a look: I enjoyed some really lovely wines and got the low down on the wines at each winery as well as the industry in general in Mendoza from some of the nicest and most passionate professionals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Mendoza reminds me of what Napa Valley must've been like in the early 1970's, before it got all commercial and touristy. You can't just wander in/pull up in a bus to the wineries and get a tour/tasting. You have to have appointments set up in advance. Here's where a good guide comes in. Ariel, my marvelous remise/driver was received as family everywhere we went, and hence, so was I. I had personal private 1 on 1 tours at many of the wineries we visited and basically got the red carpet treatment everywhere we went. It was well worth hiring someone with those connections and expertise to show me around. My trip to Mendoza would never have been the same without his guidance. For anyone considering a trip to explore Mendoza, I can't stress enough having someone there with the connections to get you in to the wineries and to show you places that might not necessarily have hit your radar because the production may not be at levels that allow export. I learned so much in such a short time frame. I had a stupendous meal out seemingly in the middle of nowhere at a gorgeous architect designed restaurant/hotel (Tupungato Divino) that had an organic garden right outside the kitchen door where they grew their own produce that would make Alice Waters herself weep with joy. There's great wine in Argentina. And astonishing food at a level of gastronomy that I know they don't get credit for. I hesitate to say it was a once in a lifetime experience because I'm already planning to return as soon as I'm able. Yes. I love Argentine wine.