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The triple "S" Threat - Sausage, Schnitzel and Superbowl

2/9/2016

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Super Bowl is a day for gathering and watching a good matchup, laughing at new commercials and of course... it is all about the food and wine. This year a good friend dropped by to see us for the day's festivities. Of course, it helped that he is a chef and he wanted to show my hubby how to make sausage. And so we did!!
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Star Wars Character / Wine Pairings

12/16/2015

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Wine is not the only thing I am passionate about… STAR WARS!!! Do you have your tickets already? My overactive mind worked up these pairings of the characters & type of wine. What are your thoughts?
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* Special note: Thank you David Netzer for the excellent call on the R2-D2 pairing. Much better than my French Viognier.
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My Garbage Exposed - Zéro Déchet (zero waste)

11/30/2015

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San Francisco is a hotbed of culture, talent, technology, startups and happens to have an exceptional garbage program through Recology. During the summer I was asked to be a part of a segment for French TV, BFMTV in preparation for the COP21. They asked to see how a typical home in San Francisco recycles, composts and how very little garbage we have.

Here is the link to see the segment (there is a commercial in the beginning):

http://www.bfmtv.com/mediaplayer/video/san-francisco-la-ville-pionniere-du-zero-dechet-690899.html

The segment was broadcast in France just before all the horrific happenings in Paris. Guillaume, the journalist, who came to our home was impacted by the shooting as he lives in the neighborhood that was targeted. He is saddened by the events but even more so since the environmental issues are having to take a backseat to the terrorism issues. Hopefully the COP21 will be a success for all the countries involved.
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Our family was happy to share our home with the journalists that came and was happy to serve them some locally sourced food and a small piece of life in San Francisco. Currently Recology (SF waste management) is about at 80% and is working towards zero waste (no landfills). For more information on the program visit: http://www.recology.com

Cheers to Paris and Cheers to a successful COP21 and zero déchet!
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Great Books & Entertaining Ideas for Your Next Book Club

10/14/2015

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I am in two book clubs but yet still read many more books than that in a month. How you ask with a busy schedule? The secret is audiobooks. Everytime I exercise I am listening to a book. Three of my recent reads would be fantastic for a book club for they not only have great content to discuss but lend themselves to some terrific entertaining themes.


Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
This is by far the best book I have read this year. If you loved “The Paris Wife” then you will love this book. In an NPR interview she said, “It is my fate to illuminate the lives of these one-of-a-kind notable women that have been somehow forgotten by history.” Inspiration is coming from safaris and Champagne!
  • Appetizer and Wine: Maize Fritters with Aioli served with Champagne or Sparkling Wine.
  • Main Course and Wine: Sous-Vide Venison with a Radford Dale Syrah from South Africa
  • Music: Angélique Kidjo or Afro Funk or Jazz from the 20’3 and 30’s
  • Decorating: Earth tones, burlap, make a trip to Cost Plus and scatter little statues and corn.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, translated by Simon Pare
A charming book with heartfelt sentiment all with the backdrop of Paris and Southern France. Monsieur Perdu doles out books like a doctor to a patient. The books are medicine for what ails a particular person. I feel the same way about wine. When I consult people for wine choices I not only ask what food is being served I ask about what mood they are trying to establish.
  • Mussels and Pommes Frites with either a Sancerre or a Rosé
  • Music: Paris Combo, Pink Martinis and Madeleine Peyroux would be perfect!
  • Decorating: Don’t do the pink and black thing. Be more authentic and go for found objects. I found this website that had the right idea http://www.bellenza.com/wedding-ideas/decorate/fabulous-feature-a-french-inspired-table-setting.html

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
I am almost finished reading this book and find it highly entertaining and reflective of today’s food obsessed lifestyles. I burst out laughing at a few points. If you are into food and wine this is a must read.
  • Appetizer and Wine: Try a little goat cheese with jalapeño jelly with a California Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Main Course: a Caesar Salad, Succotash and venison (again!) serve with a California Chardonnay or California Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, the wine must be from small producers and know where and what type of seeds were used in making the Succotash. Don't forget peanut butter bars for dessert!
  • Music: I would do classic rock. You really could play almost anything but I think the heart of the book is Americana.
  • Decorating: I say keep it simple and nothing pretentious. Use your everyday dishes and glasses with simple white flowers and greenery. Or use beautiful produce to decorate your table top.
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What is all the fuss about Sous-Vide?

3/24/2015

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At Christmas my hubby came through with my 2nd favorite present (Favorite present of all times was a DVD of Babette’s Feast) of all times… a sous-vide immersion circulator. I had been wanting one for a few years but the price was ridiculous. But now that the price had come down a good friend led Joe straight to the path of success.

I posted a few pics on my personal FB page and when I ran into people everyone asked, “What is sous-vide? What is that contraption?”. Of course, one of my witty friends Scott thought it was some sort of marital aid and wondered what Joe was doing with his spare time but that is the farthest thing any truth there is. Sous-vide is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags and then submerged in a temperature-controlled water bath.

The are a myriad of reasons why you should embrace this cooking:

  • take a cheap cut of meat and turn it into filet mignon… tender is an understatement
  • Great for entertaining > cook your food ahead of time and just need to grill/saute/ broil to bring up to temperature and serve. Great for a dinner party of 8 or grilling chicken for 60 people
  • Perfectly cooked meat, fish, poultry EVERY TIME. Seriously. For the home cook perfection is now available to you.
  • Food Safety > Kills potential pathogens
  • Precise temperature control and uniformity of temperature. No dryness at the edges and rare centers.

The slide show I have attached is how you go about the process. Below are the links if you want to buy a setup. Trust me… you will not regret it. Just invite me over for dinner!


The immersion circulator: http://anovaculinary.com/products/anova
Vacuum Sealer: http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-GameSaver-Deluxe-Vacuum-Sealing/dp/B0018...
App (so you know how long to cook things): https://www.polyscienceculinary.com/sousvide-toolbox-iphone.php



There are a ton of recipes online that will help you get the hang of it.

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Holiday Gluttony - 6 courses, 54 wineglasses, 14 bottles, 9 people, 6 loads for the dishwasher

1/27/2015

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We were so blessed to have a fantastic holiday season socializing with our loved ones, but it continued into the new year as there simply wasn’t enough time to get ALL the partying in. I offered to host (cleaning, location, and cooking only) a wine dinner with my friends and wine colleagues who ship my wines to you all year long. I thought, “Let’s go out with a bang!” And that's just what we did.

The Menu:

Course One
  • NV and 1995 Pascal Doquet Champage
  • Crab Beignets
  • Salumi and Rillettes from Fatted Calf
  • Notes: The NV was welcoming and bright and crisp. The '95's minerality was expansive and embracing. Both were amazing with the crab.

Course Two
  • 2012 Château Carbonnieux Pessac Leognan Blanc and
  • 1992 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Leognan Blanc
  • Alaskan Cod with Classic Beurre Blanc
  • Notes: Both wines worked with the fish and sauce extremely well, but the age of '92 became this elegant voice of reason, resonating like a soprano. There was no way to ask her to be quiet.

Course Three
  • 2012 Claudie Jobard Rully Rouge La Chaume
  • Braised Endive Wrapped in Black Forest Ham with Béchamel Sauce and Gruyere Cheese
  • Notes: This course was an attempt to be lighter.. ha! The youth of the Burgundy played nicely with the gruyere and béchamel and ham. We all want to retry with a beaujolais.

Course Four
  • 2010, 2011, 2012 Domaine Pichat Cote-Rotie Les Grandes Places
  • 72-Hour Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs
  • Notes: 72 hours in a sous vide then sprinkle a little fleur de sel atop and voilà. Lots of happiness in your mouth. As for the wines...at first I fell in love with the ’11 with its flirting nature. Then as that flirty-ness grew old, I went to the ’10, and then the ’12 opened up and I was in love all over again.

Course Five
  • 2004 Albert Belle Hermitage
  • 1989 Domaine Chave Hermitage
  • Cheese Course and the Amazing Chocolate “Crack”ers from Goody Goodie
  • Notes: Show stealer… '89 Chave Hermitage. Almost didn’t even want to speak. This is what aging wine is all about. The richness and age told a story in your mouth. Wisdom showered down upon our palates.

Course Six
  • 1975 Chateau Coutet Sauternes (Barsac)
  • Candied Kumquats atop Pastry with a Yogurt Sauce and Nuts (Goody Goodie)
  • Notes: Perfect dessert to an astounding Sauterne. Rich and honeyed but never goes over the edge of sweetness.

6 courses, 54 wineglasses, 14 bottles, 9 people, 6 loads for the dishwasher.

In the end, it was a glorious evening with some beautiful human beings! Ok… now it is time to start the diet.

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Cheers! - Being prepared for your Christmas Toast

12/18/2014

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When we sit down for our Christmas dinner we always start with a prayer and blessing our loved ones who are with us and who have passed and blessing baby Jesus (not in a Will Ferrel way either). Then we toast. This year I failed miserably at being prepared. Some people might overlook the toast and think it not important but I love the pomp and circumstance of it all. It invites people in no matter what faith you might practice to start the meal… a special meal… as special as the people that are at your table. It is one childhood memory that I love for I was able to drink a little sparkling cider or wine out of an “adult” glass. With a little research here are a few I might offer:

  • I know I've wished you this before But every year I wish it more, A Merry Christmas.
  • May we all be blessed with love from one, friendship from many and goodwill from all.
  • Here’s to Christmas, the season which requires Fowl murder to promote peace and good will.
  • Success to our hopes and enjoyment to our wishes.
  • May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart.
  • Joy to the world-and especially to you.
  • Give me the nymph who no beauty can boast,
    But health and good humor to make me my toast.
  • "Heap on more wood!-the wind is chill
    But let it whistle as it will,
    We'll keep our Christmas merry still."
    -Sir Walter Scott
or better yet…..
  • Dear 8 pounds 6 ounces... new born infant jesus, don't even know a word yet. 
    - Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights
So light the candles, fill the glasses, say a prayer and offer up a toast. Merry Christmas everyone.

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Wine-Thanksgiving

11/25/2014

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Yes I am grateful for many things but let’s focus on Wine -Thanksgiving.

1) Thankful for the fact that many Americans fear Riesling. As a purveyor of fine wines this has been frustrating but at Thanksgiving I relish it for it means great deals for me. Rieslings can be the perfect pairing to many thanksgiving dishes. Its clean flavors and piercing acidity can cut through the weight of many t-day dishes.

2) Thankful for the many small winemakers around the world for being the true artisans they are. No way to fake it to make it in this arena.

3) Thankful for the awareness and education of wine to the populace. I remember back in 1997 nobody had really heard of a sommelier or knew what body or acid meant when it came to wine. Today, almost everyone I come in contact with has a base level of knowledge or wants to learn. I no longer speak a foreign language!

4) Thankful for having Wine Unleashed for 10 years and The Wine Wheel for 17 years and sold almost 3/4 of a million of those wheels. And VERY thankful for my partners in business to get to this point.

5) Thankful for the people I meet through wine. Of course I love meeting winemakers and people in the biz but I love meeting people through what type of wine the like to drink.

I am truly thankful for all that I have been blessed with but this is wine blog after all!


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Entertaining Insanity at its finest - Eating and Drinking through the World Series

10/28/2014

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Yes. I am insane. Just want to be crystal clear on this. I can’t think of any other insane person I know (and I know a lot) that would host seven World Series viewing parties for 20 to 30 people. I am tired now just thinking about it. But hey, San Francisco is a first class food city with a first class baseball team. We have to party the SF way.

So how are we pulling this off? Well…..

Make it potluck. Not just any potluck: San Francisco potluck. It has to be organized and fun and the food must be no less than World Series caliber. Just in case the game goes bad, we can always talk about the food. I usually like to do everything myself but, hey, I might be insane but I am not stupid. It has to be potluck.

• Make themes and give guidance. Here is what I sent out to the guests for themes:

Game 1 - Tuesday 10/21 - Indian/Moroccan

- Camachos: Curried Chicken Salad with Roasted Carrots

- Suggestions: Samosas, naan, curry and rice, kebabs

Game 2 - Wednesday 10/22 - American Grill

- Camachos: salad and foie gras hamburgers

- Suggestions: you know…. meats, hot dogs whatever you want to grill

Game 3 - Friday 10/24 - Italian

- Camachos: spaghetti and meatballs

- Suggestions: caesar salad, antipasta, pizza etc

Game 4 - Saturday 10/25 - Southern

- Camachos: Fried Chicken

- Suggestions: red Beans, Rice salad, shrimp, tomato corn bread salad, black eye pea salad

If it is not a sweep then…..

Game 5 - Sunday 10/26 - English Pub

- Camachos: Shepherds Pie

- Suggestions: cheese, bangers, pasties, tomato and goat cheese tart

Game 6 - Tuesday 10/28 - Spanish

- Camachos: Arroz con pollo

- Suggestions: Spanish Tortilla, tapas, anything pork, salad with romesco dressing

Game 7 - Wednesday 10/29 - Undecided (one guest commented it should be Alka Seltzer night)

• Parameters for guests: MUST be completely obsessed with SF Giants AND MUST be completely obsessed with food/wine, and I have to feel comfortable that I know them well enough that if my hostessing skills slip that they will not be offended.

• Have a great team. I don’t know what I would do without my husband and my daughter. We all had our routines down. I would wash two loads before bed and two loads in the morning, wash all the linens, iron and wipe everything down. Hubby would take out all trash, sweep and mop, and chill down all the beverages. My daughter kindly helped the younger guests, ran errands and even made dinner on Sunday while I was at the opera.

• Pace yourself. It's not a 100-yard dash, it's a marathon.

• Let some of the normal details go. Usually I like to get everything for guests, but this really is a pitch-in and help yourself deal.

• Wines… for white I reached a lot for bright whites and a few guests brought their favorite chards. On the reds, I found that Syrahs were pretty much the workhorse for the task at hand. Pinots are too light and cabs were just too big. One client texted me, and said, "Opened the good hope wine in 6th..,tasted great and worked!!! “ Love that! She was referencing The Winery of Good Hope that I just shipped. We drank that one, too.

• My lord, can my friends cook! Amazing dishes were brought as people have really embraced the themes. I will post some of the highlights on FB.

• Sign up for boot camp right after the World Series… Seriously, seven days of partying is hard on the waistline.

GO GIANTS, and I hope you clinch it tonight!

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Food and Wine Magazine's Throwdown!

3/7/2013

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I love love love Food and Wine magazine and am happy to help them celebrate their 35th anniversary. I just chuckled though when I saw the caption "best-ever recipes." Of course they are trying to say their best recipes ever, but out of context it seems like a throwdown. In the print magazine, they have published their best 20 and online they have published 100 recipes. I am going to try to do at least 20 of them this month. Of course, now that I have announced this, my phone has been going crazy with friends "checking in" with me to see what I am up to. Hilarious... more later!

Follow Wine Unleashed on Facebook for recipe tastings.

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    Author

    Angela Camacho, a certified sommelier and author of a best selling wine tool, The Wine Wheel®, shares her obsession with wine and food.

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