December-April is Steelhead fishing season. After spending the past 25 years (three years more than my winemaking career) steelhead fishing, it’s as much a part of me as harvest is. It’s a time to get up early when it’s cold and wet, and go down to the river in the dark in search of the elusive fish. Sometimes you go solo, sometimes with a couple of friends. Sometimes you fish your favorite spot from shore, but most times we take a drift boat down the river. Did I mention it’s usually cold and wet? Give praise to the Thermos! A couple of weeks back I scheduled a trip to the Eel River with two of my great lifelong friends, Darren Moffet and Brad Bou. We’ve been fishin’ together for years and it’s always a good time. Lots of bullshitting and joking around, but don’t get me wrong, these guys are serious fishermen. We spent two days fishing the Wild and Scenic Eel River, fishing the areas between Garberville and the confluence of the South Fork to the Main Fork. Not to sound too much like a fishing report, but…we ended up hooking two and they were so wild that we lost both of them. In the moment it’s easy to get kind of upset that you didn’t get to see the fish up close, but then you look around and just shrug your shoulders and debate what you could’ve done differently. It’s good fun and just like harvest, I get a little sad when the season comes to an end. Check out this documentary about Steelhead fishing on the North Coast. Some of these guys take this very seriously…
I think it must be the late winter reaching out to me, saying it’s not quite time to get to tomato planting. Hibernate. Build a fire. Stay warm. Emily and I have been subsisting on the plethora of kale, broccoli and cauliflower in the garden. Winter treats for sure. We are also just about to be overtaken by asparagus. More to come on that front. Tony, I know, will want to trade. Last year, we scored preserved Meyer lemons from him. Pure goodness. The point of today’s post though is bread. Maybe it’s the rain, the winter chill, but I’ve put my baker hat back on. It could also have to do with the seriously badass mixer I got for Christmas (Thanks Collins Familia!). And so, I’ve tried and tested a few basic recipes to much fanfare from Emily. Much. But here’s a recipe that will be a reach, a project for the weekend (that instead of painting the bathroom) and one that will take me back to the days of Graz and Dreiundfunfzig Hafnerriegel. Cold mornings on the way to class, cutting through the stadtpark but stopping off for some brot. I’m already excited.
**this recipe is from the Bread Bible by Rose Levy Barenbaum and although it seems complicated and requires advanced prep I’m going to give it a go. Ms Barenbaum references her recipe as originating from Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, which is cool**
Tyrolean Ten Grain Torpedo
Dough Starter (the sponge) Ingredients:
Bread Flour - 2/3 cup
Instant Yeast - 1/4 teaspoon
Malt Powder (or barley malt syrup or honey or sugar) - 1/2 tablespoon
Water, at room temp - 3/4 cup
1. Nine hours (or night before) make the sponge. In the mixer bow, place the flour, yeast, malt and water. Whisk until very smooth to incorporate air. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides. Set it aside, covered with plastic wrap.
2. Combine the ingredients for the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and yeast. Spoon this mixture lightly on top of the sponge and cover completely. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to ferment 1 hour at room temperature and then for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour mixture).
Grains
Ingredients:
Ten Grain Mix - see note below for the mix - 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons
Hot Water - 1/2 liquid cup minus 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 & 1/4 teaspoon
3. Meanwhile 8 hours ahead or the night before place the grain mixture in a medium bowl, add hot water and stir until thoroughly combined. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 8 or up to 24 hours.
4. Mix the dough with the dough hook on low (#2) for about 1 minute and then raise it up to medium (#4) for 7 minutes. Allow it to rest for 2o minutes. Add the salt and seed mixture (and any excess liquid in the bowl) and knead for another 3-5 minutes or until evenly incorporated. The dough should be slighly sticky.
5. Let the dough rise. Lightly grease a 2 quart bowl. Push down the dough and lightly oil the top. Cover with plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the bowl where the double height will be. Allow to rise. 1.5 to 2 hours. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and form it gently into a rectangle. Give it 1-2 business letter turns to redistribute the grains. Round the edges and set it back into the container. Oil the surface again, cover and mark your doubled height. Allow to rise. 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press or roll into a rectangle. Shape it into an 11 inch by 2 inch long torpedo-shaped loaf. Set it on the prepared baking sheet and cover it loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 40-50 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees one hour prior to baking. Oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or sheet on it. Below that on the bottom of your oven, place an iron skillet or sheet pan.
8. Slash and bake the bread. Slide the dough onto the sheet/stone. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
My Timing - So yeah…lots o steps
Thursday - Head to Andy’s Market and track down all those grains. Make the Sponge.
Friday - Ferment my Sponge + Flour Mixture. Toast and then Soak grains
Saturday - Bread baking time in H-Burg.
As mentioned earlier, we’re pouring at the VIP portion of this year’s inaugural Cochon 555 this Sunday over at the Silverado Country Club in Napa. It’s rough, I know but I thought I would share some more details. I gotta say that I’m totally pulling for Duskie and John from ZaZu! Here’s the official word:
Cochon 555 U.S. Tour to Kick-Off in Napa Valley
“5 Pigs, 5 Chefs, 5 Winemakers”
February 28th, 2010
4:30 PM (VIP 3:00PM)
A group of top Bay Area chefs will each prepare a heritage breed pig from head to toe for the 2nd annual competition on the eve of National Pig Day. Cochon 555 is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. In addition, five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on utilization, presentation and overall best flavor. The winner will have the opportunity to compete with other national winning chefs at Grand Cochon during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 18-20. The purpose of the event is to promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the City of Napa Fire Explorers program, a vocational firefighter-training program for Napa County youth. The cost is $110 per person and is open to the public. VIP tickets are limited and cost $160 per person. For tickets or more information visit http://www.cochon555.com. Advance ticket purchase is required for this event.
CHEFS
Christopher Kostow, Meadowood of Napa Valley
Devin Knell, French Laundry
Peter Pahk, Silverado Resort
Dennis Lee, Namu Restaurant SF
John Stewart & Duskie Estes, Zazu Restaurant
Whole pig breakdown demonstration by Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats. Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu will prepare local produce. Brews provided by Magnolia Brewing. The VIP reception will include Hog Island Oysters and artisan cheeses from Oxbow Cheese Merchants and Cheese Plus SF.
Family Owned Wineries
Gamble Family Vineyards, Zacherle Wines, Hill Family Estate, Wind Gap Wines, Hirsch Vineyards
VIP Wines
Chase Cellars, Erna Schein Family Winery, Wind Gap Wines, Verge Wine Cellars, Miner Family Vineyards, Larkin Wines, Hope & Grace, Krupp Brothers, Pey Marin Vineyards, Hestan Vineyards
WHERE Silverado Resort 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa, CA 94558
Room rates start at $99, please call (800) 532-0500.
Back in the day while working in the cellars of Michel Schlumberger, where Mike is still the head winemaker and vineyard manager (oh yeah…he was my boss), I used to do a lot of topping this time of year. MS makes quite a bit more wine than our 600-700 cases. Topping is when you replace the small amount of wine that has evaporated or been sampled for analysis or (quite often) for tasting. This definitely qualifies as a non-glamorous part of wine work. It’s pretty cold in the cellar this time of year, when it’s damp and chilly outside. You can get a little banged up too, climbing racks and bumping up next to the barrels so often. But it’s also one of those moments in winemaking that is really zen-like, following a defined process for each lot. Washing, rinsing, washing, rinsing, topping, washing, breaking down, washing, rinsing. You get into a groove, where you mind goes blank and you just concentrate on the moment and the next steps just flow. You can easily spend an entire day lost in the cellar like this. I like getting to touch and smell every barrel, shepherding each one along its way.
To top, you start out by siphoning wine from a 59 gallon barrel, usually older, and putting it into a pressurized 5 gallon keg, like the kind you see used for soda. Then you methodically wash around the bungs on each barrel you are going to top with hot water and a brush. Then you rinse down the barrels. Then you remove each bung and give it a good wash/rinse too and place them back on the barrels, being careful not to put the business end of the bung on the wood. Now you’re ready to top. At MS, where we make VERGE, we have about 40 barrels from 2008 & 2009 vintage that need topping so Mike or I (usually Mike) move slowly along our row and top each barrel until they are just full. Careful not to spill any wine. After we’ve topped, we replace the bung and make sure it’s good and tight. Then we wash the barrels down again. Now it’s time to account for how much wine we used and breakdown the barrel into smaller containers like half barrels, 15 gallon kegs and 5 gallon carboys to use for next time. Then you have to wash your empty barrel and clean up any spills that happened while breaking down. Lots of cleaning always! Don’t forget to tag your breakdown, so you know what in there.
While not the most exciting part of the winemaking process, topping does allow us to keep a close eye (and nose) on our wines while they age, protect them against exposure to oxygen and minimize any chances of microbial spoilage. And to top, you definitely need a good soundtrack. Here’s how I roll -
February is prime orange picking time here in Healdsburg. You can sometimes find a tree here and there, mingled amongst the vines. There is one spot off Westside Road where a small orange grove just thrives. I pass it whenever I’m going into town. I was kind of sad to see a fence go up a couple of years ago. Don’t worry you can still get one if you happen to be biking by. Just watch out! Someone really likes their oranges. We’re fortunate enough to have a tree on our property. Each morning we’ll brave the cold, damp air and fill up a small wire basket. The fruit is seedless and the ripe oranges are spiked with a sharp acidity that makes eating them outright immensely pleasurable. Once we have a large batch, Emily will take down the juicer and get to work peeling and juicing. The entire house fills with orange essence. We’ll have deliciously tart orangensaft for days. Because of the acidity, we cut it with water and often add it to our morning smoothies. This year I’m thinking candied peels and some orange bitters. That may make a nice addition to Em’s Manhattan.
We here at VERGE Wine Cellars have been known for quite a while to be (dare I say) connoisseurs of pork. Mike has raised a couple of pigs and will do so again. Needless to say, we’ve all enjoyed the bounty of bacon, ribs, hams and the multitude of chops, shanks, and roasts. Mr Pig - Thank you for all you do!
We learned today that we were selected as one of the wineries to pour in the VIP section at Cochon 555 in Napa later in February. Now this is a pork lovers dream event. 5 Chefs are each challenged to prepare a heritage pig from head to tail. For the competition, each 125 pound heritage pig can be braised, grilled, pressed, pickled, rubbed, smoked, seared, sauced, spiced, injected, marinated, cured or otherwise prepared. Oh My!
The purpose of COCHON 555 is to promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. Here are the details for the event in Napa. If you can’t make it there, check out all the other great cities they are traveling to.
COCHON 555
SILVERADO RESORT
NAPA, CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 4:30 - 8 p.m.
($99 room rates available)
VIP Experience Starts at 3:00 pm
According to the National Climatic Data Center, January is the wettest month of the year here in Healdsburg. On average, we receive between 8 -9 inches of rain at the start of each year. And even when the forecast calls for clear skies, which it has all this week, there is still a morning layer of fog. It makes getting out of bed most difficult but the coffee does taste better when there’s a chill in the air. Both Mike and I have wood stoves that heat our houses. When it’s pouring down and still dark outside in the early morning, I love to go out to the wood shed and gather up a load of kindling. To me, there’s something peaceful and right about starting a fire first thing using embers from the night before. It also impresses the wife when I show initiative in this regard. After it’s been raining for days and there’s no way we can stay cooped up a second more, we gear up and get out there for a hike. This I highly recommend.
In addition to giving 10% of our gross sales this December to Feeding America, Mike and I have decided to participate again in the 6th Annual Menu for Hope. This wonderful charitable drive is hosted by Chez Pim and a revolving group of food bloggers from around the world and supports one of our other favorite charities, the World Food Program. Please check out the links below to read all about how this campaign works and how you can help, either by purchasing a few (or a couple dozen!) raffle tickets or donate directly.
If the response we received last year is any indication, you better get bidding! We’ve upped the ante a bit by throwing in a magnum and full case of wine. The tour is really cool and informative and the wines from the Rhone & Australia are top producers from our mine and Mike’s personal cellars!
Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be out and about pouring some vino in select locales in Arkansas, packing both the 06 Syrah as well as a bottle or two of the 2007. Get there early for a taste of the new vintage! Here’s a list of what I got going on so far:
Wednesday December 9th
5:30 - 7:00 pm By the Glass
(501) 663-9463 5713 Kavanaugh Little Rock, AR72207
Thursday, December 10th
4:00-6:00 pm Colonial Wine & Spirits 11200 West Markham Street
Little Rock, AR 72211-2802
(501) 223-3120 website
Saturday, December 19th
2:00-5:00 pm Liquor World 3330 North College Avenue
Fayetteville, AR 72703-3815
(479) 587-0480
website
Ya’ll come on out! As a tribute to my hometown of Pine Bluff, I thought I’d share a little video of one of the greatest low down dirty bluesmen of all time, Cedell Davis = Badass. I was fortunate enough to get to see him in college once and before I knew it, a friend of mine, himself a righteous player, was up on stage and eventually toured around with him. You gotta love the old school butter knife blues. See you at the tastings.
So usually this is how it goes: It’s two or three days before -insert important family meal here- and I’m sent out to buy wine, which is one of my favorite things to do. Having been in the wine industry for almost ten years now, I still love walking up and down the rows of wine bottles, discovering new wines, and finding really good older vintages from really great wineries, priced to move. I try to find something I don’t see everyday, something that is surprising. I think “Wow, they have this here!”. Maybe I’ll ask the merchant, but mostly I just wander around until something strikes my fancy. I usually end up with case or so of mostly $20-30 dollar wines but there are always two or three “expensive” bottles that go for $40-80 bottle. These are the ones I covet, the ones I hide from my family and friends and only with a wink and a nod, do I invite the select chosen to taste and “appreciate”. Typical hiding places in the past have included the bathroom, the upstairs bedroom, the laundry room, or the back patio (which I’ve found approaches cellar temp during Thanksgiving but is too cold at Christmas).
I think that’s pretty typical of the wine lover to not let Great Aunt Pearlie fill her glass to the rim with a 2000 Chapoutier La Pavillion you dug up from the cellar and gulp it down in two takes. That the wine we’re really excited to try be savored, or at least contemplated more than alcohol spiked grape juice that gets you drunk faster than Bud Lite. But whatever. This year it’s different. After reading this post from Alder over at Vinography, I’ve revealing my secret wine stash and making sure everyone at the table gets the good stuff. There will be no hiding places, no winks or nods and we’ll have the Hermitage next to the quaffable red. And of course, there will be a couple bottles of the VERGE Syrah to go around. My question is - Can I still use the decanter?
