One arm cooking

[Andre]

A broken wrist may be the end of the world to whoever experiences such consistent pains on a minute-by-minute basis for over three months. Nothing seems to be able to stop my mother’s culinary talents.

The following meal was cooked for 10 friends and family members with one hand:

Creamed red lentil soup with sweet potato and carrots spiced with cumin and a lemon zest. Optional addition: butter roasted bread crumbs with fresh parsley and chives.

The wine: Verdelho 1999, Swan valley western Australia 1999 by Tlijancich. Clear straw toward yellowish color with a sharp fresh heb and tropical fruit aroma, very round on the palate and somehow drier than the nose, smooth ad very long with a hovering light spicy finish.

The smooth texture of the soup was a perfect match for the Verdelho and the cumin complimented the perfectly balanced wine and dish.

The following is a distinctively Palestinian dish:

Tajine fillet of sea-bream baked in tahina and fried onion sauce decorated with pine-nuts.

The wine: White Rioja Conde de Valdemar, Finca Alta de Cantabria 1999.

Those who judge a wine by its appearance better skip this one. Goldish toward brownish color, this crianza is heavily coated with old oak bouquet with plenty of earthy and spicy aromas and some citrus fruit.

The palate reveals a medium bodied rich and amazingly smooth dry wine, perfectly balanced with the dominating spices, dried apples, and the perfectly intermingled oaky finish.

The melting fish in the rather oily tahina sauce was perfectly matched by the dry and earthy Rioja elevating the diners to a higher sphere.

Green salad with walnuts seasoned with honey mustard and huile a la truffe noix de jacquou and a few drops of aged balsamico.

This provided a small break before the main dish. No wine matching here.

Chateaubriand Arose’ with white wine and Cognac braised with Rosmarine accompanied by black pepper creamed mushroom sauce, potatoes gratine’e [ three cheeses ] and white wine.

The wines: Merot Reserva, Montes 2000 from Chile, and Shiraz Mount Ida, Victoria from Australia.

Bigger is better? It seems not always.

The merlot showed a great nose of ripe raspberries, black cherries coffee and lightly toasted oak with a now rather smooth tannins, well balanced red berries and oak and a pleasantly vegi. finish. The medium rare fillet did not require any chewing and was happy to meet the Merlot as if life long friends.

The full bodied Mount Ida was like an addition of concentrated sweet sauce to the dish, not my cup of tea and respectfully out of place.

I left my glass to try with some of the cheeses that followed.

Cheese platter consisting of Saint Agur blue cheese, aged Gouda and Brie de montagne.

I finished the Shiraz with the Gouda and opened a Pinneau for the more aggressive St. Agur and Brie.

The Wine: Pinneau de Charentes Moulin de Merienne Rubis 5 years old.

My preference is always white pinneau to red but the St. Agur made the call. Deep rubis color with a port like nose blended with some cognac aromas of aged oak and caramel. The texture is creamy, sweetish and complex. A good match to the St. Agur and a narrow pass for the Brie de Montagne match.

Dessert:

Lebanese Assafira: thin tiny pancakes filled with soft white cheese and cream, dressed with Neroli flavored syrup, and decorated with minced pistachio nuts. A masterpiece addition performed by grandmother [ apples…trees…].

Traditional pistachio filled cookies [ Ghraybeh ] accompanied the tea orders.

God bless those hand mother.

p/s

Imagine cooking for 10 using one hand but unable to open a single bottle of wine?

Edited December 9, 2003 by Andre (log)

[ctgm]

Chateau Briand Arose’ with white wine and Cognac braised with Rosmarine accompanied by black pepper creamed mushroom sauce, potatoes gratine’e [ three cheeses ] and white wine.

Reminds me of when a restaurant I once went to:

Wairess 1: "We only have 2 Chateaubriand left so you may wish to reserve them"

Us: "OK"

Waitress 2 comes along a few minutes later: " How many bottles of Chateau Briand did you want?"

Us:

[Andre]

Chateau Briand Arose’ with white wine and Cognac braised with Rosmarine accompanied by black pepper creamed mushroom sauce, potatoes gratine’e [ three cheeses ] and white wine.

Reminds me of when a restaurant I once went to:

Wairess 1: "We only have 2 Chateaubriand left so you may wish to reserve them"

Us: "OK"

Waitress 2 comes along a few minutes later: " How many bottles of Chateau Briand did you want?"

Us:

oops