Wine of the Week: Caparone 2006 Paso Robles Aglianico

The Caparone 2006 Aglianico has become so much a part of my life that I almost forgot to write about it. It's true - it wasn't until I picked up the August issue of Wine Enthusiast and saw Aglianico mentioned as a good alternative to an earthy Cab in the "Drinking Outside the Box" article on wine alternatives, that I remembered that not everyone is as familiar with the Italian red as I've become. In fact, most people would probably say "Ah-lee-what?" It's pronounced "Ah-lee-ON-ee-koh", and if you think you'll have a hard time remembering that, don't worry - after you try this wine, you might, like me, decide that you need to keep a bottle on hand at all times.

I have the recommendations of my neighborhood wine shop (yes, I've found a good source of recommendations!) to thank for introducing me to this bold, delicious red. Caparone 2006 Aglianico is a deep inky ruby color - a little mysterious. The aroma is rich and rustic, with a hint of barnyard, a lot of earth and leather, and some purple fruit - rich blackberries - on the back.

As you might guess, this wine is full-bodied - chewy, with prominent tannins. The taste is incredibly rich and bold. It's not too fruity, but blackberry and black currant are definitely present. Also present are a bit of barnyard again, some black pepper and a smoky charred component. The wine is well-balanced - with lots of everything! And it has a long, long finish.

This wine has a particular style that reminds me of a Super Tuscan. And while it is exceptionally delicious, it is not for the faint of heart! It IS a good introduction to how "barnyard" can be pleasant in a wine, though, and at under $20 a bottle, it works for a special occassion or just for a night in. I think it is a perfect bottle to open when I have a surprise guest stop by, particularly if a glass of wine is the sole refreshment - this wine stands wonderfully alone!

Excursion: Pizza Art

Okay - I promise NOT to flood the blog with neighborhood food finds, now that there are so many great spots right around the corner from my apartment. But, can I just mention that the real jewels of Chicago are in its neighborhoods? That's where the city's real, quirky personality shines, and where you can find talented people doing amazing things that are often shockingly affordable. If you are visiting the city, please do not limit yourself to "downtown". Or, if you do, please do not tell me that you did. Please.

Okay, enough of my rant. I need to tout Pizza Art. When we moved into our new place, Pizza Art was easy to overlook (it has since gotten a much needed face lift via a new awning and windows). But, always on the lookout for good food, I couldn't pass up trying a place that was only a few blocks from my front door. Plus, it was always packed when we walked by - an incredibly inviting intimate space with a warm glow spilling out onto the street on those chilly fall nights. It was undeniable. Those people looked happy.

It didn't take long for us to find out why. One order of the House Specialty Jasmin's Bruschette and we were hooked. This wasn't your typical crostini, but rather a pillowy, inflated "pita", enveloped in the most perfect and intoxicating garlic aroma, and loaded with the truest basil, olive oil, tomato, and (surprise) feta flavors one could ask for.

Of course, pizzas are the thing to order - Neapolitan inspired and baked in a brick oven (maybe that was part of the glow - the oven faces the street), they are not to be missed. A house salad, with classic balsamic vinaigrette, the Bruschette, and a single pizza are enough for two, but it can be hard to order only one pizza with so many enticing options. We favor the Diavola, which has hot green peppers added to its traditional tangy tomato sauce, rich mozzarella, and salty salame (caution - it can be quite spicy), but also like the Quattro Stagioni (quarters of artichoke, green olives, mushrooms, and ham), the Proscuitto, and even the Calzone. Recently, I also ventured out and ordered something from the "other side" of the menu - the Risotto agli Scampi, which featured creamy risotto rice complemented by a lemony, herbaceous sauce, and perfectly cooked shrimp. The touch of dill included was just the thing to give it that special little kick - I didn't regret taking the risk!

The bonus - Pizza Art is a pleasantly affordable BYO. Bring your favorite Zin or a red sauce-friendly Italian Red to perfectly complement your meal.

Rhubarb Cardamom Galette

Rhubarb season is here. And - let's face it - rhubarb is not everyone's favorite. I, for one, am not fond of the copious amounts of sugar that seem to be inherent to every rhubarb recipe. But, like it or not, I am sure to receive my fair share of rhubarb in our CSA box. And, if we're trying to eat local...

I have found one "cheater" recipe that is an easy use for my rhubarb, thanks once again to Sunset magazine. The bonus is that it also uses cardamom, which is my new favorite dessert spice. Pick some up in the bulk aisle if it seems too pricey!

Unfortunately, the Rhubarb Cardamom Galette is not an exception to the sugar rule. However, it is not cloyingly sweet in the end (I promise), and I've found that it makes an excellent breakfast pastry when made ahead of time and served at room temperature. And it is quite good - sweet, sour, flaky, buttery, and exotic. And, yes, I purchase the puff pastry - making it myself is one territory into which I have yet to venture!

The recipe suggests using only red rhubarb, but I think it is pretty regardless - pink and green make a lovely spring color combination. One other piece of advice when making this recipe? It is important to make sure the rhubarb is packed densely side-by-side in order for the flour, sugar, and spices to meld properly. Gaps will leave you with dry spots of raw sugar and flour - not so appetizing! Trim the crust if you don't have enough rhubarb.

You can find the recipe for Sunset's Rhubarb Cardamom Galette here.

Food Read: Farm City

If you, like me, are a city dweller who sometimes has pastoral visions of yourself as farmer, raising organic greens and tending to free range chickens, please consider Farm City to be a definite must-read. Oakland local hero Novella Carpenter's memoir manages to be at once both inspiring and grounding. Am I interested in digging through dumpsters of rotting restaurant waste to feed urban pigs who, among other things, also enjoy letting themselves out to roam the neighborhood at will? Not exactly. But would I consider backyard beekeeping? Well, that might be more within reach (if I had a backyard...but that is another issue).

Personally, this lively tome was all I needed to bring me back to earth in remembering the realities of growing food. Namely, that along with warm sun, fresh air, and fertile earth, organic farming also involves a lot of, well, poop. And garbage. And manual labor (and time, and money, and...shall I go on?). You get the picture. It IS fascinating, though, to read about how Carpenter embraced all of those things, along with some more unique challenges, such as a neighborhood riddled with violence and poverty, to create her own personal farm on a pirated lot next to her rented home in Oakland. And it is motivating. Surely, if Novella can persevere through the myriad obstacles she encounters to create a full-blown farm, complete with animals, in the middle of Oakland, I can spend a little more time and money at the Farmers' Market, plant a few more herbs on the deck, and, when the time comes, dive head-first back into the squashland of the winter CSA.

The bonus in this book is a fabulous section at the end with a detailed description of Novella lovingly forming one of her pigs into various salumi under the guidance of Chris Lee of Chez Panisse fame. While the rest of the book may appeal to one's hippie-of-the-new-millennium side, the salumi section is simply pure foodie heaven. It will leave you looking for your own cured meat guru - or at least a Charcuterie Board at your favorite neighborhood cafe.

Excursion: Vancouver, B.C.

We spent five brilliantly sunny days in Vancouver, B.C. during the Olympics. Vancouver is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen, but it turns out that the stunningly beautiful scenery is just the beginning. Among its many other amazing qualities (mild weather, efficient light rail & supreme walkability, a plethora of outdoor activities, more than ample shopping, cultural attractions...) we found the city to be a gastronomic delight. It's amazing to experience the intersection of incredible B.C. ocean, agricultural and vineyard products with the considerable talent of the people working with them.

After settling into our condo rental (vrbo.com) on Wednesday evening, we headed out to a late reservation at MARKET by Jean-Georges. The restaurant is in the Shangri-La hotel, with an entrance on Alberni, close to its intersection with Thurlow (incidentally, the Olympic flame was located at the waterfront end of Thurlow and was visible from the intersection). Dress is business casual and the restaurant has a high end contemporary, yet also casual, feel. I was seated on a red velvet banquette, complete with plush patterned pillows, and we loved the salt cellar and tiny silver spoon perched on the edge of our table. Even more, though, we loved the elevated but accessible food. My slowly cooked arctic char was beautifully prepared and seasoned, and the foil of the savory fish and creamy mashed potatoes against the crisp shaved brussels sprouts on top may have finally converted me to a fan of the tiny green cabbage. Of course, the rich, creamy truffle vinaigrette was the true standout of my meal, however. Surprisingly, the standout in Kevin's meal was actually the salsify, left whole and well-complemented by the lemon sauce that accompanied his parmesan crusted organic chicken. Portions are perfect - neither of us needed the french fries or the roasted mushrooms with garlic and jalapeno that we nevertheless relished. The service was also superb.

Thursday's Olympic event concluded late, leaving us with little time to eat. We ventured only a block from our building to the JAPA DOG cart, which we discovered serves plump sausages with Japanese toppings. I had the 'Okonomi', which is a pork hot dog topped with fried cabbage, bonito flake, and Japanese mayo. Somehow this all worked, even despite my reservations about eating fish on my hot dog. For the less adventurous among us, there are 'Regular Hot Dogs' (their term, not mine!), like the 'Turkey Smokie'. A word of warning - if the line for this unique street food is long, expect a significant wait. We waited about 40 minutes for the 20 or so people ahead of us to be served.

Friday found us at Whistler for morning and evening Olympic events, between which we stopped at the BrewHouse at Whistler for lunch and a craft beer. The food was pretty standard, but they were serving up a solid Pale Ale, which we revisited at sister establishment Yaletown Brewing Company on Saturday night.

A somewhat more relaxed schedule on Saturday afforded us the time to catch an early reservation at Boneta in Vancouver's historic Gastown district. Gastown is characterized by the juxtaposition of edgy art galleries and hip eateries with cobblestone streets and impossibly touristy shops, all with a slight gritty undercurrent. I love it. And Boneta seems to exemplify what Gastown is all about. Hip, but not pretentious, and stylish in a really fun, funky, and comfortable, sort-of-vintage, way. They make their own sparkling water, which I can appreciate for environmental reasons, and source ingredients locally, of course. What Chef Jeremie Bastien does with those ingredients is nothing short of inspired. The Daily Baked Viennois Bread with Salted Butter lasted just under ten seconds once the warm, aromatic loaf hit the table. My Braised Lamb Shank and Soft Polenta virtually melted in my mouth, while the crunchy Haricots Vert were just the right accompaniment for texture and the Sun Dried Tomatoes and Nicoise Olive Lamb Jus made the whole thing sing. I stole just about every Cipollini from Kevin's Grilled Flat Iron entree, which was served with a foamy, sherbet-colored, and sweet Carrot Puree and my favorite veg - Kale. I'm told that the restaurant generally features a more European-inspired wine list, but was highlighting B.C. wines for the Olympics, so I had a Syrah that was quite nice. For dessert? Lemon Tarte with Toasted Marshmallow. I found the Citrus Marmalade to be a tiny bit bitter, but I was craving creamy lemon tart for days after... Our server was incredibly personable and very attentive. An excellent experience all around.

We couldn't leave Vancouver without visiting Granville Island, a formerly industrial area under the Granville Street Bridge that has been repurposed into a sort of arts haven and day trip destination. A five minute ferry ride across False Creek from downtown dropped us there, where we bee-lined to, what else, the Public Market. The Market is, among other things, a pastry wonderland, and I bought the most delicious tiny butter tart to savor while we perused the various stalls of fruit, flowers, fish, bread, spices...all of the good things that a market has to offer. Standouts were Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey, serving up samples of at least eight different honeys to try (I bought a jar of tasty Thistle Honey), as well as South China Seas Trading Co., where I couldn't resist the dazzling array of dried chiles and hard-to-find spices (amchur powder, anyone?).

After the Market, we stopped by the Granville Island Brewing taproom, which is a comfortable, airy, yet cozy, space with soaring ceilings and lots of wood. Our friendly bartender served us up a sampler, which comes in the form of five of the most delightful little logo'd pilsner-esque glasses (each hold about 5 oz. or so). GIB's beers are all named after Vancouver neighborhoods and landmarks - We tried the English Bay Pale Ale, Brockton IPA, Robson St. Hefeweizen, Gastown Amber Ale, and the Cypress Honey Lager - and there wasn't one that I didn't like.

One last quick stop at La Baguette & L'Echalote on our way to the ferry provided us with a couple of croissants for Monday's breakfast and a lavender roll for the quick trip back to the condo.

Despite our Sunday evening medal ceremony tickets and our impending early departure for home the next morning, we managed to eke out one more meal in Vancouver Sunday night, which we picked up from the window of Cafe Crepe on Robson St. My savory spinach and feta crepe was just the thing to hit the spot, and Kevin sang the praises of his four cheese panini all the way back to Nelson St.

It was hard to put ourselves on the train to Seattle Monday morning, but we soothed ourselves with the knowledge that we'll be back...

A Note on Wine: I was lucky enough to get a good recommendation for an affordable local wine on our first night in Vancouver, and I savored it all week. Prospect Winery's Major Allan Merlot is a solid pick from Okanagan Valley B.C.