Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Nectar of the Gods

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Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend a Sommelier Roundtable at the Food & Wine Festival.  Special thanks to my new friend, Corinne, for helping me make that choice!

 

A Sommelier is a wine professional.  A certified sommelier must take courses and pass exams to earn the formal title.  There are 4 levels of certifications, the highest level being Master Sommelier.  Only 180 people have ever earned the title of Master.

Participants in the Sommelier Roundtable included:

 

The session was attended by yet another Master Sommelier, Andrea Robinson.  She is one of 15 women to have been appointed a Master Sommelier.

Needless to say, I was starstruck.  Thankfully, they were serving wine.

Ready to taste

________________________________________________________________________________________

So what did we taste?

1. Rose Brut

Name: Alfred Gratien Brut Rose Champagne

Notes: This champagne (Did you know that to be called a “champagne,” the wine must originate from the Champagne region of France?  Otherwise, it’s just sparkling wine) was pleasantly crisp, lots of strawberries and raspberries on the nose, some minerals, tiny bubbles and a deliciously yeast-y finish (think fresh breakfast rolls).

Price: ~$70

My Rating (1-5): 4.0

2. Lebanese Red Wine

 

Name: 2001 Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar, Red

Notes: An interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault from Lebanon (who knew they made wine in Lebanon?!).  It was extremely dark in color.  Heavy on the nose, strong woodsy/licorice taste with a nice spice at the beginning.  It packed a surprisinglysmooth finish… though I thought it died a bit too soon.

Price: ~$30

My Rating (1-5): 3.0

 

3. Syrah

Name: 2006 Joubert-Tradauw Syrah

Notes: Intoxicating coffee scent.  Hints of plum as the wine opened up.  Long, smooth, cocoa-filled finish.  Complex layers, not one to sip on a hot day.  Would love to drink with a fillet or dark chocolate.  This bottle will definitely impress at a dinner party!

Price: ~$20

My Rating (1-5): 4.5

4. Sherry

 

Name: Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno Sherry

Notes: I’m not a big sherry drinker, but this changed my mind.  Caramel with a hint of burnt orange on the nose.  More citrus at the beginning, then the caramel intensifies and some nuttiness is apparent.  Well-balanced flavors, toasted nut flavor on the end.  Unlike many sherries, there is no overpowering alcohol taste.  We were given an almond to eat as we tasted – this made the flavor really pop and left me dreaming of enjoying a glass with a simple chocolate-hazelnut tart.

Price: ~$28

My Rating: 4.2

 

Can you guess which sommelier chose which wine?

  1. Rose Brut – Heath Porter
  2. Lebanese Red – Clint Sloan
  3. Syrah – Steven Satterfield
  4. Sherry – Virginia Phillip

 

All of the wines were so different – it’s hard to choose a favorite.  This will not be the last time I have that Syrah though!  Or the sherry.

If you are interested in learning more about Sommeliers, click here.

***

I am carving wine after this post.  Which means it’s past time to hit the gym.  🙂  Tasting tent recap tomorrow!

Are you a wine drinker?  What’s your favorite region/grape… or other beverage?

 

 

Limoncello Easter

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Knowing full-well Easter is yet another eating holiday, I woke up and got my workout out of the way first thing.

I’m a HUGE proponent of breakfast; however, pre-cardio I cannot eat.  My stomach has a tendency to cramp, so I have to wait 2 hours after eating/drinking to bounce.  This makes morning cardio hard – without food my energy stores are low and I find it hard to keep up the intensity.

Today I tried eating prunes beforehand.  Yes, prunes.  Like what your granny eats. In addition to the obvious benefit (fiber), they are loaded with antioxidants and high in Vitamin A.  In conclusion, eat prunes to stay regular, preserve youth, and fuel a workout.

It worked like a charm!  Not heavy, sticky enough not to slosh, and a natural sugar shot to amp me up.  I rocked out 30 mins of a slightly modified version (I needed more of a challenge!) of my go-to interval workout:

Bike

  • Minutes 0-5 @ level 1-3 (3 RPE)
  • Minutes 5-7 @ level 5-7 (7 RPE)
  • Minutes 7-8 @ level 6-8 (8 RPE)
  • Minutes 8-9 @ level 8-9 (9 RPE)
  • Minutes 9-10 @ level 9-10 (10 RPE)

Elliptical

  • Minutes 10-11 @ level 4 (3 RPE)
  • Minutes 11-13 @ level 8-9 (6 RPE)
  • Minutes 13-15 @ level 9-10 (8 RPE)
  • Minutes 15-18 @ level 12 (9 RPE)
  • Minutes 18-20 @ level 9-10 (8 RPE)

Treadmill

  • Minutes 20-23 @ level 3.8 (3 RPE)
  • Minutes 23-26 @ level 6.5 (7 RPE)
  • Minutes 26-29 @ level 7.5 (8 RPE)
  • Minutes 29-30 @ level 8 (9 RPE)

Followed by 45 mins of back and biceps.  Plus 100 stability ball sit ups and 75 push ups.

Bring on the second helping of dessert!

Nothing says Easter like family.  Well, family with a side of champagne, mint, cornish hen, lamb, and veggies.

First, an aperitif.  Limoncello Champagne Cocktails from Bon Appetit.

Mine were made with 1T of agave rather than 2T of sugar, but otherwise I followed the recipe.  The mint and limoncello mix will be a funky  shade of green (not that green drinks both me!), but after adding the lemon juice and champagne it turns a pretty Easter yellow.

Don’t use a $50 bottle of champagne for this – just be sure it’s dry.  The limoncello-mint mixture steal the show.

Our lighter fare consisted of a strawberry-almond salad, cucumber + tzatziki, tomatoes, and fresh fruit.

Then the dinner drinks: Limoncello Collins a la Food & Wine.

Light and refreshing, this concoction combines limoncello, gin, and freshly squeezed lemon juice with club soda and mint.  Two glasses thumbs up.

Time for the mains!

Lamb grilled on the Big Green Egg

Cornish Hen, also done on the Egg

Ann’s potato au gratin and bacon-brussels sprouts (soooo good!)

Spinach Bread Pudding with Feta and Lemon 

My contribution was the Spinach Bread Pudding with Feta and Lemon.  This was found on the Food & Wine site, but was actually a 101 Cookbooks creation.  It’s a lightened version of a savory bread pudding, and I think I ate half of it myself.  Fantastic.

Next time I would increase the amount of mustard to 2 T and the lemon zest to at least 1 T.  I like a pronounced tangy flavor.

The bread I used was a whole grain bread made from Sweetwater 420 beer.  I also used an awesome/fancy whole grain mustard, and a block of impossibly creamy French feta cheese.

These items, along with the picture below, were obtained at Whole Foods on Saturday night.

The end to my Easter was a little prettier than that…

I wish I had dessert pics… Mom made an incredible chocolate fudge pie and I made the Olive Cookies, this time with rosemary instead of basil.  *le sigh*

***

How was your Easter?

Do you have any tricks to eating pre-morning workout?

Have a Happy Monday… and say no to crack!

Morning vs. Evening Coffee

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Raise your hand if you had coffee this morning!

This morning I had this:

Black coffee. Mmmmm!

With a side ‘o this:

Scrambled with onion, spinach, red pepper flakes, and basil

Fuel for the road – I’m off to DC! (Work-related, but I love a trip.)

Last night’s coffee was a bit more fun.

Despite the fact that I am unrealistically optimistic the spring-like weather will be here to stay, the evening called for a warm beverage.

A kahlua-laced mocha.  It was a looooong day.

Kahlua Mocha

  • 1/2 cup strong coffee
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 T good-quality cocoa powder
  • Shot of Kahlua

Brew 1/2 a cup of strong coffee (I used a vanilla-flavored instant coffee – VIA).  Pour into coffee cup, filling half way.

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the milk and cocoa.  Heat over medium-high heat until simmering (NOT boiling).  It will look foamy.

Pour the milk mixture over your coffee, add your shot of Kahlua, give a quick stir, and enjoy!

***

Do you have a favorite “treat” drink?

I’m a fan of the night cap.  Especially when I remember to make it with decaf.  Oops.

Cheers to Christmas [Liquid Gingerbread Martini]

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My day started with Sweet Rolls and Champagne.

Not bad, eh?

More on this morning’s sweet rolls later, but I wanted to share last night’s Liquid Gingerbread Martini.  In case any of you haven’t had enough mimosas this morning.

This deliciousness was the star of my family’s annual Christmas Eve cocktail party.  Each year we create a new drink to share with friend over dessert.

This is one smooth martini  – it really does taste like gingerbread.  It was voted the best one yet!  Warning: they go down easy!

Liquid Gingerbread Martini

  • 2 oz Domaine de Canton (ginger liquor)
  • 1 oz. Vanilla vodka
  • 2 oz. Apple cider
  • Twist of lemon

Rim a chilled martini glass with a lemon slice followed by spiced graham cracker crumbs. 

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously.  Strain into glass.

Don’t skip the graham crackers on the rim – totally worth the effort.

***

Cheers to all!  I hope everyone is enjoying a Merry Christmas with family (blood-related or self-selected).

I am off to set up my NEW Macbook Air!

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