San Gimignano, Tuscany – Poderi del Paradiso

August 29, 2010

On our way from Rome to Florence we visited the small town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. It was a beautiful day with blue sky and lots of sunshine. We were not the only people to visit this picturesque jewel of Tuscany.

The view from San Gimignano into the surrounding hills

Grapes for the new vintage

The gate to enter San Gimignano

The town if famous for its medieval architecture and especially its towers. There are also many shops in San Gimignano catering to the many tourists. I could not resits the wine shops, but there is also plenty of prosciutto and beautiful local crockery on offer.

Wine shop

Prosciutto

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

I had also to taste some of the wines. The Caffetteria dell’Olmo was just the right place to enjoy a cold drink located on the main square of the town. I ordered a glass of ‘Vernaccia di San Gimignano’ considered one of the finest Italian whites. This was a crisp wine with a fine acidity.

My spoil

On our way back to the car, I had to buy at least some wine. I bought a white and a red wine, both not very expensive. I asked for products of a typical local producer. The lady in the shop suggested Poderi del Paradiso which sounded just fine. You will learn more about the wines of Poderi del Paradiso in another blog entry.

I very much regretted that we did not have more time, but even these 2-3 hours were absolutely worth it. San Gimignano is a place I have to come back to.

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Hunter’s breakfast: roe deer liver

August 28, 2010

Roe deer liver

While in Germany I ate a lot of “bush meat”. This is because some of my friends practice hunting as a hobby.
Hunting in Germany is very much steered by tradition. One of these traditions is that when a roe deer was shot, the liver needs to be eaten the same evening or right after the kill. There is nothing better than a fresh liver.

This is what we had at the home of my friend Uli in the “Muensterland”, a German agricultural region north and west of the Ruhr, the old industrial heartland of Germany. Uli’s mother Doris prepared such a fresh roe liver for us for breakfast. It is usually served with onions (and some people add optional apple). Unfortunately, my photo of the dish with the onions did not work out. Above you’ll find just the liver in the pan. I can only say: super delicious.

Since we consumed the liver in the morning, we did not have wine with it. A characterful Riesling wine would always go with it, but also a Pinot Noir could be a good choice of wine. Thank you aunt Doris for this delicious meal.

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Grape vine leaves

August 27, 2010

Grape vine leaves can be used for many different things; to wrap food, for instance rice (known as Dolma, Dolmathakia Lathera, etc.). They are also popular for various decorative purposes. The pillar below was decorated with vine leaves and grapes. During my recent trip to Europe I also found coasters in vine leaf shape when I was regaled by an Elbling wine in Echternach, Luxembourg.

Decoration of a pillar

Vine leaf coaster in Echternach, Luxembourg

Many of the antique statues we have seen in Italy needed the grape vine leaves to cover delicate body parts. Isn’t this innocent leaf, pure organic of course, a very useful item nature has bestowed on us?

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Restaurant review: Taverna Cestia, Rome, Italy

August 25, 2010

While working at FAO and living in Rome at the end of the 1980ies, our main restaurant was Taverna Cestia, near Piramide, just a couple of blocks from the United Nations. We went often and all the waiters knew us very well. Usually that meant that we did not have to look at the menu (they knew what we liked to eat), and if we stayed longer than the opening hours permitted, we were somehow accommodated (usually the offering of burning ‘Sambuca’ signaled that it was time to go home).

So it was clear that when in Rome, we would go and eat there. And that’s what we did during our summer vacation 2010 as well. It was a very hot day. We had shown our daughters the Terme di Caracalla. We were thirsty and needed refreshment. ‘Melon with prosciutto’ and ‘bruschetta di pomodori’ are just the right stuff to start a meal.

Ham and melon

Tomatoes on grilled bread

Olives in a coat

Taverna Cestia is famous for it’s ‘spaghetti alle vongole’, but I always liked also the ‘penne al arrabiata’.

Penne al ragu

Spaghetti alle vongole

In the past we always ordered a liter of house wine, usually a white wine in summer (a refreshing Frascati) and a red one in winter. Also this time we had a bottle of this divine liquid. We did not regret our choice.

Frascati wine by Casalgentile

The back label of the Frascati by Casalgentile

That the food at Taverna Cestia is very good is proven by the next picture. Tripadvisor awards four out of five stars.

Address:
Taverna Cestia Di Salvi Gioacchino C.
Viale della Piramide Cestia, 67
00153 Roma, Italia
Tel.: +39-6-5743754
Subway: Piramide

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Venison from a roe deer for Sunday lunch in Trier

August 24, 2010

My stories from July and August do not come in any particular order. When arrived in early July in Trier at my mother’s place we were greated by a feats, as always. And beecause her partner Heinz is a hunter we often eat game. This time it was venison from a German roe deer (in German: Reh) he had just shot. Needless to say that my mothers cooking is just delicious as you can see from the pcitures below.

Tender venison, a meal in the making

With noodles of course

2008 Saar Riesling Van Volxem Estate

The wine I choose for this meal was a Riesling from Van Volxem Estate in Wiltingen, near Schoden (where the venison was from), one of my favourite producers from the Saar. Tough this is just a “simple” wine, it deplays all the character of a Saar Riesling, fine and delicate which machted the tender venison just perfectly.

Address
Weinmanufaktur Van Volxem
Roman Niewodniczanski
Dehnstrasse 2
54459 Wiltingen, Saar
Ph.: +49-6501-16510
e-mail: vanvolxem@t-online.de

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Garbatella highlights: Pizzeria ‘Er Panonto’, Rome, Italy

August 23, 2010

Address Pizzeria ‘Er Panonto’ in Garbatella

I have told you about Garbatella, the neighbourhood in Rome where I once lived. I have also mentioned our old pizzeria, Er Panonto. Frankly speaking I have no clue what ‘Er Panonto’ stands for. But the place is just great, a traditional family affair, a Roman pizzeria at its best.

We had dinner there when we visited Rome in July this year. The following pictures give you an idea of the food which is very traditional and needless to say: super delicious.

Antipasti buffet

Bruscetta di pomodori

What a delicious pizza

Frascati wine from Colli Albani near Rome

I love the wines from the Colli Albani, the Albanian hills, as they are called around Rome. ‘Er Panonto’ buys the ready made wine and bottles it for its pizzeria. Some people claim that Frascati wine has been made in this region for more than two thousand years. I guess that’s true.

Frascati wines are usually blends of two-three varieties. According to the DOC laws about 50% of the wine needs to come from Malvasia biance di Candia grapes. The rest is from Trebbiano, Malvasia del Lazio, Greco, Bellone and other local white varieties. I like the wines because they are fresh and light with high acidity; in short they are ideal summer wines.

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2008 Big Betty Shiraz, Mayer Vineyard, Yarra Valley

August 22, 2010

It is my birthday today and I am not in a blogging mood. But I had a great day starting with a birthday cake (Schwarzwaelder), some prosecco, followed by a meal prepared by my daughter Charlotte with red wine from my friend Timo Mayer from the Yarra Valley.

His ‘2008 Big Betty Shiraz’ is a ripper of a wine. The colour was an almost deep purple red. The fruit is big with lots of forest fruit. The wine has a great structure, good mid palate weight and a long finish (alc. vol. 14%).

You can read more about the Mayer Vineyard at James Halliday’s website ‘wine companion’. I also wrote about the South Pack, a group of young, funky wine-makers from Victoria to which Timo belongs.

Timo gave me this bottle to take home to Bangkok. My birthday was just the right occasion. Unfortunately, there was only one bottle. Well, that’s just tough luck.

2008 Big Betty Shiraz, Mayer Vineyard, Yarra Valley

What a beautiful colour

Since I had a ripper of a day (with lots of good music, for instance from the Sky hooks), here is some funky music for you: Spider Bait and Black Betty. Enjoy.

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Effervescent Silvaner

August 19, 2010

Great Franconian wines in the bocksbeutel bottle

I just love the wines from the Silvaner grape. Most of Silvaner is grown in Alsace and Franconia, one of my favourite German wine regions. Many of the wines from Franconia come in the famous “Bocksbeutel” bottle.

What I did not know is that some Silvaner producers also make the grape into sparkling wine. One of these essences was served to me during a recent family gathering in Reichenberg near Wuerzburg.

2008 Wertheimer Tauberklinge Silvaner extra dry

The ‘2008 Wertheimer Tauberklinge Silvaner sparkling extra dry’ (12.% alc. vol., 3.6 g. acid/litre and 14.7. g. sugar/litre) was a wonderful effervescent experience.

I think this wine from “Tauberfranken” technically belongs to the Baden wine region and not Franconia. However, nice Silvaner are produced their that’s for sure, and it’s just right at the border of these two outstanding German wine regions.

Effervescent Silvaner

This wine was very refreshing, spritzy with zest and round fruityness, very pleasurable indeed. I will have more of it in the future. Thanks go to my folks in Reichenberg for introducing me to this excellent sparkling wine.

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Ferragosto – Sunday lunch in Bangkok

August 17, 2010

I am not the cooking-type person. You understand what I mean. I am not patient enough to do the hard but creative work in the kitchen (except washing the dishes, I am good at that). Maybe I do not understand chemistry. But what I know is, that I love to eat well, usually not alone but in company of family and friends.

When the “family council” discussed cooking chores, it was decided that I should cook on Sunday August 15 because the next Sunday would be my birthday, and the twins wanted to cook for me. So I agreed.

Since August 15 was “Ferragosto” (the middle of August) as the Italian call it (it’s a national holiday to celebrate the Assumption of the blessed virgin Mary), the occasion warranted an Italian dish.

I choose a chicken dish (pollo alla cacciatora) from the Jamie Oliver Italian cookery book. Chicken is not my favourite meat. I might have eaten too much of it during my long years here in Asia. However, I made that choice and discovered thast there a quite a few things to do.

Jamie says you need lot’s of Chianti and this is where I started: I went to our local supermarket and selcted the wine. I choose two bottles of Chianti by Coli, one for the “soaking” of the chicken (a normal Chianti Classico) and one to accompany the meal (I decided on a 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva).

The Chianti Classico Riserva from Coli

You will find the recipe in the above book – and many other cookery books I might say. I like Jamie Oliver and his approach to Italian food. I also followed his suggestions regarding the beans and decided to add potatoes to supply the carbohydrates. The family (my private food critics) loved what I had cooked and we had a wonderful Sunday lunch.

Pollo alla cacciatore-Chicken the hunter’s way

Cannellini beans

Set for lunch

Chicken, beans and potatoes

Succulent chicken

The wine

Coli is a well known producer from Tuscany, and with a production of about 12 million bottles per year not exactly small. Because of the exorbitant wine prices in Thailand I acquired a modest quality segment. The wine was good, had great colour and medium body, though a bit “light” (12.5% vol alc.) for my taste.

Espresso, chocolate and Averna

Next Sunday it’s the young generations’ task to feed the family.
Try the “Pollo alla cacciatora”, it’s worth it.
Cheers.

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How time goes by – music from Hubert von Goisern to start the week

August 16, 2010

My five weeks in Europe went by in no time. Amazing. Where has it gone?

I start this week in a contemplative mood (“simmeliere” as we say in the Rhineland).

The following song of Hubert von Goisern, one of my favourite poets from the Alps, seems to be just the right stuff.

Lyrics H. v. Goisern / W. Staribacher

Heast as nit
wia die Zeit vergeht
Huidiei jodleiri Huidiridi

Gestern nu’
ham d’Leut ganz anders g’redt
Huidiei jodleiridldüeiouri

Die Jungen san alt wordn
und die Altn san g’storbn
Duliei, Jodleiridldudieiouri

Und gestern is’ heit word’n
und heit is’ båld morg’n
Huidiei jodleiri huidiridi

Heast as nit
Heast as nit
Huideridiri
Hollareiridiridldoueio hållouri

Heast as nit, wia die Zeit vergeht
Heast as nit, wia die Zeit vergeht …

Have a good start into the week.
Cheers mate.

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