Château Cos d'Estournel St. Estephe 1982

A 25 Year-Old Bordeaux with Christmas Dinner.

"Just like a novel writer can be the same and yet different through his works, a Grand Cru can express the same style through its different vintages.

Impressive in its youth by the intensity of its structure and the strength of its fruit, the wine of Cos evolves slowly to reach a wonderful melting quality and an aromatic complexity when it comes to complete maturity.

Great vintages of Cos d'Estournel can have an exceptionally long life, sometimes exceeding a hundred years." Cos website




And an Old-Fashioned Christmas Dinner Menu:

Traditional Relish Tray, that spins :)
Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Port Wine Demi-Glace
Potatoes with Sour Cream & Horseradish
Carrots, Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes with Butter and Parsley
Steamed Green Beans
Roasted Beets
Eleanor's Delicious Home-Baked Desserts & Cookies
Served on Virginia's Christmas China

My Wine Notes:
60% Cabernet Sauvignon 40% Merlot
The cork: in fine shape, just slightly crumbly. Using an ah-so was helpful.
First impression: deep inky-purple color, surprising.
Bouquet: underwhelming.
Taste: austere to begin. But over time of about 3 hours it became more and more intriguing. Smooth with balanced acidity. There was certainly fruit there, but specific fruit flavors were not evident.
Overall: this wine is mature, not flamboyant, elegant, with a lingering finish and surprisingly no sediment. Quite enjoyable.






A special thank you to Lou and Lauren for including me in their family celebration.










Where were you in 1982?
I was working for the old Velvet Turtle Restaurants.
Beef Wellington was one of our signature dishes back then.

Pho Bo

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
"The aroma is captivating and the taste a deliberate collusion of salty, sweet, and umami all in one." Ann Le

The star of this extraordinary soup is the broth.


In a very large stockpot 3 lbs. beef short ribs and 2 lbs. oxtail are covered with water and brought to a boil.
Two large yellow onions and a knob of ginger root are charred over an open flame.
Toasted anise pods, cloves, peppercorns and smashed garlic cloves are wrapped in cheesecloth to make a spice bag.
The charred onions and ginger root, spice bag, cinnamon sticks, daikon, and shallots are added to the pot.
The broth is simmered for many hours. Then fish sauce, sugar and salt are added to taste, and simmered some more.
The fragrant broth is cooled and strained.

Cook's Tip: The process takes quite a while, so make a large batch. After chilling overnight in the refrigerator, freeze a portion of the broth for another time.


The broth is re-heated and cooked noodles (traditionally flat rice noodles) are added.

Thinly sliced beef is cooked right in the bowl of hot broth.

The Pho Bo is garnished with bean sprouts, sliced scallions, fiery chiles, cilantro, lime. Vietnam Hot Garlic Sauce and Fish Sauce served on the side.








This recipe was inspired by Ann Le in the Little Saigon Cookbook, Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon

Christmas in California

Today, in bloom on Christmas Eve morning...


David Austin English Rose "Heritage"


Day Breaker Rose


Sunset Celebration


Tournament of Roses


David Austin English Rose "Ambridge"


Disneyland Rose

Best wishes for a beautiful Christmas to my blogger friends all over the world. LL

Stuffed Chicken Breast, Champagne Herb Sauce

Stuffed chicken breast served with a baby arugula salad with a light Champagne herb sauce.

Sauté minced shallots in butter, add Champagne and reduce slightly. Add equal amounts of chopped tarragon and parsley, then whisk in a small dollop of crème fraîche. Season to taste.

Cook's Tip: To keep the sauce light, reduce the champagne by less than half.

Take a double boneless breast, make two vertical slices into the meaty part of the breast to make pockets for the stuffing.

The stuffing is made with ground chicken, butter, onion, celery, parsley, thyme, chicken stock, and seasoned bread cubes (store-bought, follow package instructions). Season the chicken then pack the stuffing into the pockets. Use a wooden skewer to secure.
Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.



The slightly chilled Champagne sauce is used as the dressing for baby arugula, tomato, herb salad.

Sautéed Scallops, Herbed Risotto, Tomato Medley

The secret to this dish is lots of fresh herbs: Parsley, Thyme, Tarragon and Sage.

Chop the herbs in a 3:1 ratio with 3 parts Italian parsley to one part each; thyme, tarragon, and sage.


About 1/4 cup of the fresh herbs are added to the risotto just a couple minutes before it is finished cooking.



Toss the tomatoes with the herbs, sea salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.




Seasoned jumbo scallops from Mexico's Bahía Magdalena are sautéed to "medium-rare" in olive oil and butter.



I love this dish paired with a 2005 TREANA WHITE 50% Viognier 50% Marsanne from California's Central Coast just south of Monterey Bay. A description from their website: "Light gold. Exotic, perfumed aromas of ripe peach, melon, floral honey and anise. Broad and lush, with creamy orchard and pit fruit flavors deepened by honey and dried nuts. The melon flavor returns on the persistent, chewy finish." Delicious.

Fagioli al Caviale

White Beans with Caviar inspired by Sophia Loren

"I've been fortunate to have had frequent encounters with caviar. At first glance, the pairing of caviar with beans might seem sinful. But remember the Cinderella story, and the splendid prince who falls in love with the humble, poor-as-a-church-mouse Cinderella. Well, marrying beans with caviar has the same charm." Sophia, from her Recipes & Memories Cookbook

Cooked cannellini beans, at room temperature, are mashed with a drop of the best grade olive oil and a pinch of grey salt, topped with Alverta White Sturgeon Caviar from Petrossian Paris.

Alverta’s color is dark and rich; farmed from mature, white sturgeon in the clear, cold waters of northern California; its medium size bead has a pleasantly firm grain and nutty, buttery flavor.

A special thanks to Don & Kristy for the fish eggs :)

Cedar Key Sweets - Littleneck Clams

Littleneck Clams and Italian Sausage
In a Fragrant Broth Over Linguini



Brown the Italian sausage in olive oil, then add finely chopped shallots, minced garlic, fennel seeds, and hot paprika.
Cook until the shallots are soft.
Add a splash of vermouth, reduce slightly then add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add rinsed clams and cook over moderate heat.
When the clams open, they are tender, flavorful and ready to eat.
Garnish with chopped parsley, serve with the flavorful broth over linguini.




Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms, growing their distinct 100% farm-raised Cedar Key Sweets Littleneck Clam (M. mercenaria, the Northern Hard Clam). Clam life begins in the hatchery located in Cedar Key, Florida. Then the baby clams are planted on State of Florida permitted aquaculture leases located in Cedar Key and Boca Grande, Florida in water designated for shellfish activity. Here the clams are grown to market size and are harvested as needed.

Man's Omelette

Chorizo Sausage and Onion with Cheddar Cheese Omelette

This Mexican Style Chorizo is fresh pork sausage made with dried chiles, garlic, paprika, dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, salt and vinegar. Mexican Chorizo differs from Spanish and Portuguese Chorizo, as it is fresh, not smoked or cured, and the ingredients vary slightly.

Sauté chopped white onion in olive oil, then add the fresh chorizo, cook through.

Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Beat 3 eggs with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs, gently lifting them with a spatula, so the uncooked egg flows under the cooked egg. This method makes a wonderful fluffy omelette with a tender and creamy center (it looks like a flower).

Generously sprinkle the egg with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Then top with the hot chorizo mixture. Fold in half onto a plate, garnish with sour cream.

We make a "Man's Pizza," too. It has double meat.

Smokey Zinfandel Braised Lamb Shanks, Orzo Pilaf

Season with salt and pepper, then dust the shanks with flour. Brown in olive oil. Then add 6 slices of roughly chopped bacon, cooking for few minutes more. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 bottle of Zinfandel, then add red onions, chopped garlic, sprigs of rosemary and thyme, 1/4 cup of honey, 1 t. of allspice, and enough chicken stock to submerge half of the shanks. Bring to a boil then cover and cook in 325 degree oven for 2+ hours until the meat is falling off the bone.

I've always liked that phrase: "meat falling off the bone."


Remove the lamb from the pan, keep warm.

To make the smokey Zinfandel sauce, separate the cooking juices from the fat (using a fat separator), and then add the juices back to the pan. Bring to boil whisking in a little flour. Adjust seasoning. Drizzle over the lamb shank and orzo.

In the meantime, make the orzo pilaf. A couple minutes before the orzo is done cooking add chopped kalamata olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, currants, and pinenuts. When cooked, remove from heat and add the final ingredients - grated lemon zest, finely chopped mint, crumbled feta cheese and a splash of olive oil.


We began this special meal with delicious Shrimp Marinated in Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Feta over Mixed Lettuces prepared by Father Adam.

Cheers! Wishing everyone joyous holiday meals with family and friends.

My beautiful and very photogenic new china is Mikasa "Silver Jewels."
Thank you :)

Sweet & Savory Brisket, Israeli Couscous Medley, Horseradish Cream

This sweet and savory brisket recipe was a big hit at the holiday dinner party.

Into the French Oven go sliced carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic, whole prunes, fresh rosemary & thyme, 2 bay leaves and a little olive oil. Add about a half cup of brown sugar and equal amounts of chicken stock and sparkling apple cider.

Brown the brisket under the broiler to get some caramelization then the meat goes into the Le Creuset French Oven, cover to cook for many hours at 200-225 degrees. This photo is about half-way done, had to take a peek (and a photo).

"Le Creuset has been the mainstay of French chefs as long as anyone can remember. Since 1925, the skilled craftsmen at Le Creuset have perfected enameled cast iron cookware. Each shape is one of a kind, made from molten steel and cast in a unique mold, and then expertly enameled. No other procedure yields cookware that so evenly distributes heat, browns and caramelizes food to perfection, and creates a masterpiece at the table."

After several hours, 6 plus, remove the meat from the pot, cool, then store separately in the refrigerator overnight. Remember to remove the bay and the sticks from the rosemary and thyme.

Cook's tip: Taste the meat, if it is not butter tender, keep on cooking slowly...

Day 2: Skim the congealed fat from the sauce then heat and reduce by half. Meanwhile slice the cold brisket against the grain.
Use an immersion blender to puree some of the sauce, leaving some vegetables whole. Adjust seasoning.
Place the sliced brisket in a roasting pan or Pyrex dish, add the sauce, cover and reheat. Serve with horseradish cream.


Happy Hanukkah!
No knife required... dahlicious, and so tenda!

English Fruits For Cheese

I am fascinated by food pairings. This fabulous pairing is a Danish Blue Cheese with an English Lime & Chilli Fruit Puree on toasted Italian Ciabatta.


The cheese is triple-cream, soft blue-veined Castello Blue. It has a Brie-like texture, a taste that is delectably rich and buttery, with mild spicy accents of blue veins and the aroma is of mushrooms.



The fruit puree is by The Fine Cheese Co. in Bath, England. This is Lime & Chilli puree, which they make specifically for blue cheeses. Ingredients: bramley apples, cane sugar, lime juice and fresh chiles.










They also have the classic Quince to pair with Spanish Manchego, as well as a Gooseberry puree to pair with aged Gouda. And I love this - they make a cheese wedding cake (not cheesecake!) a tiered cake of cheese with fruits and nuts!

Crab & Lobster Ravioli, Tarragon Lemon Cream

This is Nuovo Pasta crab and lobster ravioli. Crabmeat & steamed lobster are coarsely ground and tossed with drawn butter and herbs. This mixture is folded into a crab mousse then piped into a striped square ravioli with red and yellow pasta.

Serve with a lovely green salad and crusty Italian bread...MANGIA BENE!

For the sauce: Saute minced shallots in butter, then add white wine and reduce. Add chopped tarragon and lemon juice. To finish, whisk in creme fraiche and season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.