Mushroom Cuisine

In the emergency room, someone comes in with severe gastrointestinal distress after eating wild mushrooms. Who do you call? Professor Robert Cummings of SBCC. He regularly is asked to identify wild mushrooms, being an expert on mycology--the study of fungi. Last Monday evening, Professor Cummings entertained the Santa Barbara Culinary Arts group with a slideshow outlining the benefits and hazards of foraging for wild mushrooms. An engaging speaker, he pointed out that mushrooms are high in micronutrients and protein, including lysine--an essential amino acid. Many are high in anti-oxidants and are anti-inflammatory.

The mountains of Santa Barbara sprout an abundance of mushrooms in the spring, from bear's head and puffballs to the coveted chanterelles. Several restaurateurs and caterers in town are known for their wild chanterelle creations.  Chef Randy Bublitz , Chef Isidro Carrillo and their team of culinary arts students at SBCC created an outstanding dinner to accompany Professor Cummings' talk, using a range of mushrooms provided by the Berry Man, a purveyor of wholesale produce from Malibu to San Simeon. Touring & Tasting provided the wines to accompany the gourmet meal.

The menu:
Scrambled Egg with Black Truffle Shavings
Black Trumpet Mushrooms with Potato Gratin
Pan Seared Venison with Port & Morels
Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Madeira Hedgehog & Truffle Glaze
Risotto with Porcini
Huitalacoche  Tortilla Crisps
Korean Roast Salmon with Oyster & Shittake Mushrooms
Haricot Verts with Mixed Mushrooms & Pancetta

The wines:

2011 Fess Parker Riesling, Santa Barbara County
2008 Zaca Mesa Roussanne, Santa Ynez Valley
2008 Allan Scott Pinot Noir, New Zealand
2010 Chateau du Prieur Bordeaux, France

Notes:
It was unanimous--everyone I spoke with raved about both the food and wine. The simple combination of egg and black truffle was divine--a dish that explained why black truffle is so expensive and desired. The port and morel sauce was rich and intense; Chef Randy commented that the secret was in the long, slow cooking to develop the flavors. The Korean salmon dish was also superb with a bit of chile to give heat without overwhelming the delicate salmon, Shiitake and oyster mushrooms. The wines were paired very nicely, with the crisp, citrus and honey taste of the Fess Parker dry Riesling balancing the rich sauces--I do believe a quantity of delicious butter was used--and the Zaca Mesa Roussanne providing a white wine for those who prefer the creamy mouthfeel of a wine aged sur lie. The New Zealand Pinot Noir from the Marlborough region had deep fruit and a smokiness that paired very well with mushrooms--Pinot Noir and mushrooms are always a great pairing. The Chateau du Prieur is a very expensive-tasting Bordeaux that easily met the challenge easily of pairing with the diverse meal. It is from an 135 acre estate in Bordeaux, just 5 miles from St. Emilion, so its excellent terroir shone through in the glass.

If you want to try your hand at collecting wild mushrooms, read up on it first and make sure you have any mushrooms checked by an expert. The North American Mycological Society's 30 year report found there have been 1,641 people sickened by wild mushrooms,  with 1% of them dying. Also, there were 15 cats and dogs deaths, with the cause confirmed as mushroom poisoning.  The "death cap", Amanita phalloides, can kill someone just by touching other mushrooms collected and eaten. The amatoxin α-amanitin it contains stops cell metabolism and destroys the liver within days. Young Amanita look identical to the edible straw mushrooms and puffballs, so if in doubt, don't collect any of these.

I grew up foraging for mushrooms with my family in Colorado. Like the other Japanese-Americans, we preferred matsutake Tricholoma matsutake which grows only on fallen pine logs and has a signature aroma and flavor of pine. It is so concentrated that a single matsutake can flavor an entire pot of soup. I treasure the memories of time spent as family walking through the quiet woods looking for the brown caps poking out from under the pine leaf litter. Their aroma is intoxicating. As with all mushroom hunters, our hunting grounds were secret. Try asking a mushroom hunter in Santa Barbara where they find their chanterelles--they will never say! Fortunately, wild mushrooms can often be found at farmer's markets and you can easily grow your own from one of the mushroom kits available online.

Food and Wine Scene in Santa Barbara

In many ways, being Food Editor at Touring and Tasting is a dream job. One of the most enjoyable tasks has been putting together the recipe section of our website and receiving wine pairing recipes from wineries and wine country restaurants. Often, there is not an accompanying photo, so I need to cook and photograph the dish. This has been a tremendously educational experience for me as a person interested in food and wine pairing. I've relished the opportunity to learn from the choices winemakers, chefs and winery owners have made when creating a recipe to complement the flavors of a particular wine. Two of my many favorites: the Winderlea Vineyard and Winery’s Peach Caprese Salad and the Oysters with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs Mignonette.

Outside of work, when I'm not posting fabulous wine pairing recipes from wineries and accommodations in Touring and Tasting magazine, I run a wine tasting Meetup group in Touring and Tasting's home base of Santa Barbara. I started Inside Wine Santa Barbara with my friend Lila Brown, a terrific cook who also works in the wine business. We met in culinary school and became "baking buddies" and friends, based on our mutual love of all things food and wine.

From our first event in September of last year, we have been fortunate to have a number of winemakers come to pour their wine for the group. One of the highlights was Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyard, which is a must-visit in the Santa Ynez Valley, with 106 acres lovingly planted to vine, herbs, vegetables and fruit using organic and sustainable methods. Winemaker Karen Steinwachs charmed us with her wit as well as her carefully crafted wines. Another highlight was Clay and Fredericka Thompson of Claiborne and Churchill Vintner's in Edna Valley who poured their delicious Pinot Noir and Alsatian-style whites while regaling us with stories from their exceptionally interesting history. In January, we all enjoyed the rich and powerful Paso Robles wines poured by winemaker/owner Donald Thiessen of Stacked Stone Cellars.

Touring and Tasting has generously sponsored several of our Inside Wine events, including our inaugural wine tasting in the open-air, Spanish-style courtyard of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and at the classy ocean-view Hyatt Santa Barbara. Our members have appreciated tasting many of the fine wines that are offered in Touring and Tasting's diverse wine club levels, like the 2009 Rodney Strong Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2009 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, and 2008 Tamber Bey Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Lucky raffle winners at our Holiday Party took home big wine gift baskets from Touring and Tasting stuffed with gourmet treats and delicious wines, and all enjoyed the Roxo Port tasting paired with chocolate desserts from Bistro 1111 in the Hyatt Santa Barbara.

Our next event is March 23rd, when we'll have a picnic and wine tasting in the pastoral vineyards of Refugio Ranch, an expansive site with lovely views, normally not open to the general public. Once part of one of the original Spanish land grants, the 415 acre estate vineyard is now owned by Kevin Gleason and his family who have the land sustainably farmed and the grapes hand-harvested to insure optimum quality. Under winemaker Ryan Deovlet's guidance, the wines are complex and beautifully balanced.

On May 30th, Brian McClintic and Eric Railsback, fresh from the hit film "Somm", will host a varietal tasting for Inside Wine Santa Barbara at their new wine bar. The "wine ghetto" or "funk zone" in Santa Barbara stretches along E. Cabrillo from State Street to Garden. It has been slowly developing into a wine destination over the last several years. Now, it is poised to become a wine pairing destination as well, with several new businesses going in, the most exciting of which is Caveau Bar a' Vins opening this spring at 131 Anacapa Street. Brian and Eric are bringing their kitchen team from San Francisco to whip up tasty creations to pair with their local and international wines.

The documentary "Somm" which debuted at the Napa Film Festival, sold out at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and was bought by Samuel Goldwyn for theatrical distribution, follows a group of young sommeliers studying for the test to become a Master Sommelier. Only 186 people in the world have earned the title of Master Sommelier in the four decades the test has been in place. The test is that difficult! Applicants have to pass a rigorous written exam, a test of their wine service skills, and a test in which they need to identify the varietal, vintage, region and perhaps the brand of six wines--in a blind tasting with a total time of just 25 minutes.

One of the successful candidates to receive the coveted title of Master Sommelier is the tall, dark and broodingly handsome Brian McClintic. Brian began his wine service at Morton's Steakhouse in Costa Mesa, California, going on to work at Marche Moderne in the same area, then The Little Nell, Il Mulino and Matsuhisa, in Aspen, Colorado before passing the rigorous Master Sommelier exam. He is partnering with Eric Railsback, an Advanced Sommelier, in Caveau Bar a' Vins. Eric began his distinguished career selling wine at the venerable Wine Cask of Santa Barbara, moving on to be the wine director of the hip Hungry Cat, then Osteria Mozza and Gordon Ramsey in Los Angeles. He was asked to help open Michael Mina's RN 74 wine bar and restaurant in San Francisco where he led a team of sommeliers before starting the new Santa Barbara venture. The wine bar is slated to open mid-May, but Brian joked that our Inside Wine event may be "a hard hat party". Stay tuned!

415 Acres of Prime Santa Ynez Land

Lila and I went out last weekend to visit Refugio Ranch--the estate vineyards for Refugio Ranch wines.

Nestled against the flanks of the Santa Ynez Mountains, south of the Santa Ynez River, the 415-acre ranch is idyllic. Planted meticulously, with great care given to harmonizing with nature and insuring the vineyards are sustainable, the land yields rich, quality fruit that winemaker Ryan Deovlet crafts into his expressive and beautifully-balanced wines.

The Refugio Ranch portfolio currently has five offerings: the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, with a creamy mouthfeel thanks to barrel time sur lies, has stone fruit, pear and soft apple flavors with nice acidity. The 2010 Triadora is an aromatic and mineral laced Sauvignon Blanc from a vintage that allowed slow ripening for the grapes with additional complexity. The 2011 Viognier is highly aromatic but not overly sweet, with a delicacy that is very appealing. The 2010 Ineseño is 60 Roussanne and 40% Viognier with nice balance. The 2009 Barbareño is a stunning wine, deep and rich, made with 65% Syrah and 35% Petit Sirah.

The picnic tables where we will have our picnic lunch, under an enormous oak tree, has a view of the house and vineyards to one side and a view of the Santa Ynez Valley to the other. It should be a wonderful day's outing with our friends from Inside Wine Santa Barbara!

Tama's Sweet Corn Pone

INGREDIENTS
3 fresh ears of corn
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears of corn)
4 eggs 
1/4 cup sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup half-and-half
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
nutmeg
olive oil or pan spray

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the corn cobs and set half aside. Put the other half into a food processor. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Add the food processor the eggs, sugar, salt, half and half, vanilla and flour and blend until smooth. Mix in the cooled melted butter. Stir in the remaining kernels--do not puree.

Spray a 1 1/2 quart (8" x 8") baking dish with olive oil or pan spray. Pour into your baking dish, then sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before serving warm.

Salmon, polenta and a trio of excellent pinot noir

Having some friends over for a dinner party was good inspiration to cook up some new, old and borrowed recipes--and taste test three wines from three different excellent regions for producing pinot noir. I used my blackened salmon recipe and dressed it with the fresh corn sauce from Chef Jordan C. Mackey's recipe (Restaurant Cuvée and the River Terrace Inn) here.

I made polenta stacks with rounds of prepackaged polenta fried, then layered with onion cheddar and marinara sauce, then melted in the oven. Steamed cubed and circles of butternut squash provided the vegetable. My garden box full of bok choy gone to seed provided the pretty and edible flower garnish.

A fresh garden salad and fennel/dill soda bread rounded out the meal. For dessert, I had made candied lemons from a recipe I adapted from the January 2013 Sunset magazine recipe, then made a lemon curd tart with pate sucree crust. Slices were served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Our powerhouse line up of Pinot Noir, all purchased from Touring & Tasting:
2009 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley--tasty cherry and strawberry fruit with a bit of spice and the minerality and acidity often found in Willamette Valley wines. A lively wine with a spicy aroma.

2006 Standish Day Ranch Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. The most expensive of the three and worth every penny. Only 368 cases were produced and it is sold out everywhere except a few online outlets in New York. Deep and rich with mushroom aromas and dark fruit. The outstanding quality of this wine was in its silky smooth mouthfeel and long finish.

2007 Trione Pinot Noir from the Russian River--black cherry and spice on the palate with hints of lavender. A bit lighter than the Standish but still substantial and smooth.

Dill and Fennel Soda Bread


3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup white sugar 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon dill
1/2 tablespoon fennel seed 
2 eggs, beaten 
1 3/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dill and fennel seed. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture using a spatula, mixing as little as possible to blend. Pour the batter into the pan and dot with cold butter.

Bake until puffed and golden, about an hour. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Lemon Curd Tart with Candied Lemon Slices

 Candied Lemon Slices
4 thin skinned lemons, like Meyer lemons
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar + extra for dipping

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Slice 1/4" off the end of a lemon, then start making very thin (1/8") slices until it is difficult to hold the remaining lemon. Pick the seeds out of the slices and place the slices close together in a 13" x 9" glass baking dish. Continue with the rest of the lemons until the dish is filled. Squeeze the juice out of the ends and remaining lemon over the cut lemons, making sure no seeds are added to the dish.

Heat the water, corn syrup and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and boil for one minute. Pour over the fruit, cover the dish tightly with tin foil and bake for an hour. Take off the tin foil and rearrange the slices so they are in one layer and bake for another 1/2 hour; the liquid will thicken.

Lift each slice of lemon out, let drain, then place on a paper towel. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Save the thickened liquid--it is tart, sweet and bit bitter from the lemon rind. It makes a nice glaze for sweet cookies or pies.

Tart Pan Coating
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 circle of parchment paper

To grease your tart pan, do as professional bakers do: cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan by folding the parchment into a skinny triangle, as shown in the photo, and cutting it to size. Melt the butter and mix in the flour. Paint a bit onto the bottom of the tart pan to secure the parchment, then place the parchment on top. Brush the parchment and the sides of the tart pan with the pan coating.

Pate Sucree: Tender Tart Crust
1/4 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
12 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick softened butter
1 large egg, mixed
1 1/2 cup flour
1 circle of parchment paper that will cover inside the dough plus go up the sides at least an inch
rice for blind baking, about 1 1/2 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the sugar, salt, baking powder, butter and egg into a food processor and pulse to combine well--it should look like a paste. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, pulsing briefly. Pulse as little as possible to minimize working the dough. Turn into a plastic bag and squeeze the dough together in one corner, then shape into a disc. Put into the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Dust a silpat with flour and roll out the dough into a circle. Press into prepared tart pan. Put a circle of parchment inside the dough and fill with rice. Bake for 12 minutes, remove rice and interior parchment. Bake for another 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and let cool.

Lemon Curd
3/4 cup lemon juice, at room temperature (about 4 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mince the zest until very finely minced. Stir into the sugar, breaking down any lumps, until smooth and uniform. In the bowl of an stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, with the mixer on low. Using a hand whisk, whisk in the lemon juice and salt, adding lemon juice slowly.

Cook in a double boiler or bain marie until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd starts to thickens at about 160 degrees--just below a simmer. Whisk continuously when it reaches this temperature and continue whisking until it thickens enough to leave a thick coat on the back of a spoon--about 180 degrees. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Fill the tart shell with lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature. Top with candied lemon.

Inside Wine Santa Barbara Off To A Great Start

Lila and I started Inside Wine - Santa Barbara in September last year--just on a whim, because we love wine and food and thought it would be a way to bring people together. Our first event was held at the beautiful courtyard of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. We had 60 people show up--a successful start to our new wine tasting group. We started the wine tasting group on Meetup--a social network designed to "build community"--one that is very effective in getting like-minded people together, whether they like wine tasting, hiking, reading, or whatever.

In October, Karen Steinwachs poured her Buttonwood Family Winery wines for us and the Hyatt Santa Barbara hosted, laying out a beautiful spread of food--a "build-yourself" appetizer bar with hummus, tapenade, cheeses, pita, Parmesan crisps, various flavored honey, and fruit that paired very well with Karen's wines.

The Hyatt also lit the big rock fireplace in La Cantina room, which made everything very cozy. We enjoyed Buttonwood's 90 point Sauvignon Blanc Zingy and Cabernet Franc, among others.

We had lots of rave reviews on the tasting, like this one from Richard: "I want to THANK Tama and Lila for a wonderful event! The venue was just perfect and the Hyatt provided very nice appetizers. Lila and her helpers did a great job of keeping the tastings poured and it was a delight to have Karen, the winemaker at Buttonwood, present to tell us about her wines and wine making. FABULOUS!!!"

In November, we had a simple get-together at the stylish Bistro 1111 at the Hyatt Santa Barbara--they have really good happy hour food--like ahi tuna sliders and garlic flatbread--and all small plates and well drinks are just $5 each. It was a fun, casual way to get to know some of our Inside Wine - Santa Barbara members better.

As a thank you to our members, in December, we had a Holiday Party with some amazing prizes--beautiful wine gift baskets from Touring & Tasting that were chock-full of gourmet treats, like organic local pistachios, and stunning wines, like the Havens Meritage and the Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Sauvignon; a round of golf at the prestigious Ojai Valley Inn; movie tickets; and a gift certificate to Seagrass Restaurant. The Hyatt had decorated the room festively, with a sparkly Christmas tree and holiday decorations.

Later that month, Lila hosted a wine tasting of the wines she reps with Franco Wines, at Vino Divino. I bought several bottles, including a wonderful Amarone that I neglected to photograph, that lasted for a week open--not turning, but developing in the bottle with age. Molto gustoso!

In January, Clay and Fredericka Thompson, of Claiborne & Churchill, came down to pour their well-balanced Alsatian-style wines for us. They even brought us tank samples of their 2012 Gewurtztraminer that was going through cold stabilization. I wrote at length about Claiborne & Churchill in this post.  They have a remarkable story, and Inside Wine Santa Barbara was as enthralled with is as I was when I visited their winery in Edna Valley.
 Some of our lucky Inside Wine members won door prizes of $25 gift certificates to Claybourne & Churchill. As member Debbie said, "A very lovely event. Great wine, nice venue and wonderful crowd."

Our last event was a tasting of Stacked Stone Cellars wines. Winemaker/owner Donald Thiessen poured his Paso Robles wines for us. He's a small-lot producer with a dry-farmed, head-pruned estate Zinfandel vineyard. He blends west-side Paso grapes into field blends where he can balance the ripe fruit with acidity and tannins. Affable, with a good sense of humor, Donald quipped that wine making is turning green into red--his "green" (cash) into red (wine)...and that the tasting was an attempt to turn red into green (i.e. sell some wine). He outlined some of the history of Zinfandel from its roots in Croatia, to the introduction into Italy, where it is called Primitivo, to the US. He jokingly told us that he is a wime maker who doesn't drink wine...because what he does is "research", not drink.

So, after half a year, I can say that Inside Wine Santa Barbara has been both a success and a lot of fun. In the year ahead, we're looking forward to a "field trip" to the Lompoc Wine Ghetto and a more structured wine tasting with a sommelier--we'll see what this year brings!

Follow us on Facebook and check out our Meetup page.

Where To Taste and Stay in Sonoma County

Touring & Tasting's Vice President of Business Development, Nancy Burgner, just returned from a trip to Sonoma. Together, we were rhapsodizing over the Bodega Bay Lodge, since she had just returned from her stay there and I had just had a perfect sojourn with my sweetheart at the Lodge between Christmas and New Year's. I've written about the Bodega Bay Lodge before (see post). It was our fifth or sixth vacation at this one-of-a-kind accommodation--a luxury retreat from the world with all the plush amenities to make a stay comfortable, like a gourmet restaurant, top notch spa services, spacious suites, fireplaces, and the like--but located on the edge of Doran Beach and the Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area.

From its prime location, one has a panoramic view of Bodega Bay and the quiet pools of water in the estuary reflecting the sky. There is a profound sense of calm and peace that envelopes the property. Fresh air blows in from the sea and all cares and stress fall away in the presence of Nature's pristine beauty.


 There's plenty to do besides relax. We often play golf at the ocean view Links at Bodega Harbour, but the ground was sodden with rain that had inundated Northern California during the previous week, so instead, we drove to Spud Point for lovely walks along the paths that front the ocean and along the raised walkway across the harbor where people catch crabs with buckets baited with tuna fish.

At the Spud Point Crab Co., a load of live crabs had just arrived from a fishing boat and customers were already queuing up for their crab-packed sandwiches and tasty clam chowder. We had our picnic on this bench under the cerulean sky--quite a view!


The next day, we drove to the tiny town of Bodega, famous for being the location for Hitchcock's classic thriller "The Birds". The Bodega Country Store has a wall and a display case packed with movie memorabilia.

Their rich crab mac 'n cheese, sprinkled with their signature topping made from oregano, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, is highly recommended! The friendly storekeeper gave us free samples of their New England style chowder and we ogled their smoked salmon--we will definitely return to taste more of their fare. Also, the church and school that were used in the film can be viewed across the street.


A short drive led us to the Joseph Phelps, Freestone Vineyard tasting room where I purchased a bottle of their FogDog Chardonnay which I love for its crisp, pear and citrus flavors, with an edge of minerality.

Of course, we had to go next door to the Wildflour Bakery, which bakes its sinfully delicious breads, scones and biscotti in a wood fired brick oven. There's no skimping on ingredients here. Yes, that is an enormous quantity of butter the baker in the photo is cutting into his scones. Their sticky bun is a foodie's wonderment--an enormous bread made from fresh ground whole grains, packed with dried fruit and slathered in a sweet sticky sauce that tastes like butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. During the last trip with the kids, we devoured one in record time--nom nom.


Nancy had highly recommended the Honor Mansion for our stay in Healdsburg. This stately Victorian on a quiet residential street is rated #1 on TripAdvisor out of all the accommodations in Healdsburg. The lists of awards and accolades is too long to mention here, but I will say that their attention to detail is extraordinary--from candles and aromatic bath salts so one can enjoy one's big soaking tub at leisure (our spacious bathroom had a fireplace, too!) to baskets of tea and hot coffee brought to your room in the morning, even when you have a coffee maker in your well equipped wet bar.


Breakfast is served in the main house, which has with tall ceilings and windows and period furnishings. We felt proprietary about "our" sunny breakfast nook where we partook of the lovely gourmet buffets of fresh baked scones, eggs, breakfast meats, fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt. Rain prevented us from taking advantage of the four acre grounds and its PGA designed putting green; tennis, basketball, croquet and bocce courts; and pool. But, we took note that this would be a great place to bring the kids, especially as all the sports equipment is on site.


Anyway, I could barely be pried out of the downy four poster bed with European linens. I could easily have spent several days reading in bed, soaking in the tub or sharing a bottle of bubbly in the jacuzzi on our private deck. But, there were meals to pursue, so we made forays into town for food, eating for the first time at Willy's Seafood and loving it so much we returned for dinner. The restaurant features fresh, innovative cuisine stylishly presented. We ate tapas style, sharing plates like clam flatbread, fish tacos and the best warm raspberry crème brûlée I've ever had (and I am particular about my crème brûlée).

The wine list is excellent, particularly for those like us who like to share wines by the glass so we can try more than one wine with a meal. We shared a crisp glass of M. Chapoutier “Belleruche” Côtes du Rhône Rose and round Lambert Bridge Chardonnay.

We stopped for a picnic at the picturesque Dry Creek General Store then visited the distinctive Hop Kiln Winery. The tasting room is housed in the historic buildings built in the 1880's to process hops for beer; they are a California Historic Landmark. A wall of windows looks out onto the duck pond and 248-acre estate planted mostly to the Burgundian varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and there are shelves of gift and food items to peruse, in addition to tasting their portfolio of wines.

The Honor Mansion poured a Mauritson Zinfandel at one of their complimentary wine and cheese hours. The wine enticed us to drop by the Mauritson tasting room on our way out of town. The Mauritson family has been farming in Sonoma for 140 years and they have estate vineyards in Rockpile as well as Chalk Hill, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. They are all great winemaking AVAs, but there is something very special about Rockpile wines. Only 15 producers make wines from Rockpile grapes, since only 160 acres of vineyards are planted in this tiny winegrowing region.

Carol Shelton and Paradise Ridge are two of the other wineries making Rockpile wines, and they, like Mauritson have garnered numerous medals for their terrific wines.

The Rockpile vineyards are between 800 - 2,000 feet in elevation, so they remain mostly above the fog line. The ground has sparse soil and little water, so the grapes grown here need to be tenacious. One benefit is that the climate is moderate and the fruit ripens fully and evenly. The result are wines loaded with fruit and flavor. SFGate writes, "Established in April 2002, the Rockpile AVA (short for American Viticultural Area) in the northwestern corner of Sonoma County is rapidly gaining recognition as the source of some of California's biggest, richest, most intensely flavored Zinfandels, Syrahs and Petite Sirahs."

Sun-dried Tomato, Olive, Onion and Rosemary Bread

A little experiment: take two equal parts of a bread dough and bake them two ways. One was placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment and the other in a preheated Dutch oven.
The result: the loaf baked on a baking sheet had the same tender, chewy texture inside as the other, but the crust was markedly different. It was smooth and dry and very thin.
The loaf baked in the Dutch oven had a textured surface that had more chewiness and visual appeal. The loaf also had quite a bit more oven rise, resulting in a larger, fluffier loaf.

Tama's Sun-dried Tomato, Olive, Onion and Rosemary Bread
 

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup + 2/3 cup warm milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil from the jar of sundered tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pitted and minced cured olives--salty ones, like Greek olives
1/8 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

*Makes a small 8" loaf, this recipe is easy to double--just double all ingredients for two small loaves.

Directions:
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, mix 1/3 cup warm milk, sugar and yeast, stir well. If yeast proofs--activates by starting to grow, continue.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flours and salt together. Make a well in the center.

To the milk/yeast mixture, add the remaining 3/4 cup warm milk and oils. Pour into the center of the flour and mix together. As the dough comes together, use your hands to work it into a dough ball. Then, turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for at least 10 minutes, until the dough passes the "window pane" test.

Lightly spray the bowl with olive oil, round the dough and put it inside, cover the top with a moist towel and set in a warm place for 2 hours until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down, add the sun-dried tomatoes, onion, olives, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon yeast. Knead until they are well incorporated into the dough. Let rise for about 45 minutes.

In the meantime, place your oiled Dutch oven on the middle rack and preheat to 375 degrees.
Carefully lift the heated Dutch oven off the rack, gently drop the dough ball into it, cover immediately and put back into the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let the bread sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm with melted Brie and a fruit forward red, like the Jaffurs Syrah, for a wonderful treat.

*Windowpane test: if the dough can be stretched out so you can see light behind it without the dough tearing, then the dough passes the windowpane test.