paul o' vendange

I am working through the French Laundry book; last night made the pan-roasted squab with oven dried figs and red chard; as I didn't have any foie gras, made a base of baked polenta, sauced with squab sauce. The figs, sauce and chard were incredible. The squab, maybe a touch overdone (small squabs, and as he points out in the book, a tough bird to get right, it would seem - a little more red in the center would have suited me more, went from 0-60 very quickly), had a very slight bitter tinge at the finish, although my wife thought they were perfect. With a Givry 2000. Excellent, although these days it's tough to pull me from Gigondas. Love the ripe, forward fruit and the Rhone spice. Tonight, either going to do: roast pork loin stuffed with walnuts, chevre, and herbs de provence, with balsamic-apple glaze, and braised fennel with pancetta; or game hen with morels (have both on hand; not a fan of game hen, a marketing game to me, but helluva lot cheaper than guinea or other "game" bird). Will be drinking Jekel rieslings (late harvest after with some really ripe French cheese - perigord goat cheese, picandine crottin du Perigord) (and sorry, shameless plug - my cousin is Jekel's winemaker; really enjoy his wine).

Mediterranean sea bass (Loup de Mer), as simple as possible. Little olive oil, I do like sel gris, fresh cracked pepper. Don't like to mess with it too much. I use a basket.

Can second the flaming Grand Marnier. When I was 12, making a "Grand Dinner" for my extended family, concluded with Crepes Suzette. Didn't know not to heat the butter/orange sauce up to super-heated, then toss the grand marnier in the chafing dish, allow to come to boil (almost instantaneously), then set a match and WHOOF - off goes my eyebrows, a good part of my front-locks...kept my cool, though - dripping flames across the floor as I carried the chafing dish away from the crowd, trying to pretend all part of the show... More recently, several years back, made a demi-glace, my partner (my wife) and I doing biweekly prix-fixe dinners and sharing the kitchen with another outfit - we had a "bankruptcy dinner" to do, a noted Chicago Corp. going under, wanted to do so in good style by ordering a "Surf and Turf" at $70 (including two plates of Striped Bass with Red Pepper Coulis and Filet with Sauce Financiere), not labeling the cooled demiglace - which had been on shelf 2 of the walk in, now on shelf 3, sharing the shelf with the similar-looking balsamic vinaigrette - and we made a very gelatinous/savory set of salads before catching it and correcting...appreciated the fine art of labelling ever since...

Lamb loin chops with Rosemary Oil, Rosemary Sauce Robert, julienned deep-fried sweet-potatoes; Previously, Horseradish-crusted salmon with cabernet black pepper sauce.