Cures and Remedies...Everyone Has Them

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Friday I regaled you with stories of just how much I LOVE dry rosé. And I kept that love going through a post-work drink and dinner with friends who believe that your wine glass should never be empty--I love them for this, I swear. Without sharing the hazy details of my evening, let's just say that I woke up Saturday morning with a nauseated belly, pounding head, and spinning eyes. It was a rough one.

Given that I had a huge day at the shop yesterday, with an art opening, chocolate tasting and more, I kept desperately trying to find a way to play through. I ate bread for breakfast, drank a huge bottle of Pellegrino and then ginger ale. Went through several other ritualistic cures in my kitchen, and nothing was really working. I was at the shop, lightheaded, and beat down. Yes, finally I got through it, with the help of finally opening a beer around 2pm. Not too much, just enough to mellow out the shaking.

The older I get, the worse the hangover seems. Mostly because it a) lasts for MUCH longer than it did when I was 22 and didn't care and b) because apparently, turning 30 and then 31 meant a hangover was inevitable from 2 glasses of wine, not 2 bottles!

I don't always get hungover. Most often I remember to drink lots of water and eat lots of food and be aware that a glass of wine actually does have a bottom. But sometimes, like Friday night, it just creeps up on you, like a bad case of seasonal allergies!

It got me thinking about cures and remedies, hoping to learn something from the dehydration. I turned to facebook and twitter to find out other people's tried and true cures. The answers ranged from "pooping" to a fascinating cocktail concoction with Campbell's tomato soup and malt liquor. (No thank you!) One of my favorites was from a friend who is barely old enough to be able to experience hangovers, let alone the ones that sneak up on you in your 30s. She reminded me that I taught her about a nice, cold glass of chocolate milk--almost always a sure fire cure. There's Menudo (the soup, not the band that launched Ricky Martin.) People swear by the old gatorade and advil cure, or a great greasy breakfast. Don't even get me started on the old "Prairie Oyster."

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So, fantastically fabulous readers and friends, what do YOU do on days when staying in bed isn't an option, the hair of the dog isn't on your morning agenda and you're feeling less than your "post-evening out" best.

Dry Rosé Me, Please!

It's Friday, and I'm slightly buzzed from the non-stop Wine Friday tasting I just did with two of my distributors. I'm generally really good on these days...I try to sip demurely, and only one or two sips before dumping into the bucket.

(This is not even half of what we tasted today...)

Today wasn't exactly one of those days. It just so happened that one distributor was newish, and coming by with an entire stock of things for us to taste. And so we did. And then my FAVORITE rep came by, with French bounties from Provence and Chinon, and I tasted. And tasted. And tasted.

Given the spring into summer like weather here in the lower mitten, I'm totally digging on the two dry rosés we tasted today. The Chinon in particular, The Couly-Dutheil "Rene Couly." Delicious, slightly maturated in color...a gorgeous pinky rose. Light, bright, and crisp. Just how I like them.

I have favorites, trust me. This one, from Bordeaux, being an absolute fav. I have a $10 one I delight in drinking on super hot days. They run the line for me, from perfect porch sipping happiness on a hot day to an outdoor supper.

Rosé has this rep...people in the "know" (whoever the heck that is!) know how much they love the summer refreshingness of a glass. But for many others, the sight of the gorgeous pinky color reminds people of Franzia White Zinfandel, and their faces turn green with memories of stealing Mom's box for 9th grade slumber parties.

I'm here to tell you, TRY THEM!  It's what red wine drinkers drink in the summer, and there is no similarity to Boone's Farm, I promise. Trust your server or wine salesperson...

Better yet, trust me!

Oh Yes, It's Burger Night...(And I'm feeling alright.)

(Made by an incredibly good husband)

We're back. And stuffed. But not so stuffed that I didn't eat the entire world today. Tomorrow starts my post-vacation what the hell happened I have to get my freaking body back in check feeling. Today I ate. A lot. While J and I spent the day in full-on recovery mode (one definitely needs this post-Jazz Fest) we talked about food, and I had a thought that I would make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Of course, we had NO food in the house, and since we needed to run a few crucial (ahem, bank) errands, we decided to make a quick stop at the store.

Only it got BETTER! See, we have this freaking amazing butcher in the area. (Actually, we have several pretty amazing butchers.) The kind of place locals and tourists rave about--and there is a reason. Trust me, you'll hear a TON about their amazing chicken brats this summer! We made a quick stop for some ground sirloin, and being the super cool butcher Falatic's is, they fresh ground me some sirloin. With the fat, for moisture. Far too delicious to be wasted on meatballs--this meat called for burgers damn it! Which also means it called for someone ELSE to do the cooking tonight.

Like many men, my husband (who is actually a great cook but rarely makes the move to cook dinner) ROCKS two very specific art forms. Breakfast and the grill. Both equally wonderful efforts. I mean, insane. (First meal he ever made me was burgers, actually.) He cooks a burger that men would fight wars over. Women drool over these burgers, or they would, if I allowed him to make them for anyone else.

I tried to get him to write a guest post for you, on the art of these particular burgers. But alas, he was in no mood. So instead, I sat cross-legged on our kitchen island and forced him to use a measuring spoon and took notes and pictures for you.

Take note: our burgers are eaten in VERY DIFFERENT manners. Me? I go "healthyish." Stuff that patty in a whole grain pita with spinach, avocado, onion, and a tiny bit of goat cheese. His is more, um, traditional. My side includes about 10 fries and a salad...he eats the remainder of the fries and generally speaking, 1 1/2 burgers. (By the way, for quick easy fries? We buy Oreida Golden Fries and once baked, sprinkle liberally with Old Bay and salt. OHMYGOODNESS!)

(My healthy version)

(And J's...)

But American Cheese or avocado, it doesn't matter. J's burgers hit the EXACT spot needed to set me on the path to recovery.

J's "Bay" Burgers
1 lb coarse ground sirloin (with some fat in mix--or whatever ground meat you want)
1/2 tsp (plus extra) cracked black pepper
1/3 tsp (plus extra) kosher salt
1/2 tsp Old Bay
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 slices (per burger) American cheese, if desired
Buns (I like whole grain hamburger buns, pita, sprouted wheat. J likes pretzel rolls or good burger buns)

Preheat a flat, cast iron (preferably) griddle pan to medium heat. You can also use a skillet, but the point is to use something flat to keep the burgers moist and help with the crust. (The crust is key.)
In a bowl large enough to work in, fold spices into meat JUST enough to make sure the seasonings are evenly incorporated. Do NOT overmix/obliterate (J's word) the meat.
J makes 3, 1/3 lb burgers. Mold 1/3 of the meat into a circle, and then GENTLY press and push the ball into a patty (do this on wax paper). DO NOT SLAP THE BURGERS. (Again, from J.)
Liberally salt and pepper BOTH sides of patties, and gently push into burger with fingertips to ensure good crust.

Put burgers on griddle. Don't move--cook 6-8 minutes (for medium) burgers on one side.
Flip, cook approximately 3(ish) minutes. Add sliced cheese, and "tent" burgers with a metal bowl, tin foil, or overturned pan.

Now, for fixins:
J slices an onion into 1/4 inch slices (ok, I do this) and puts them on the griddle for about 4 minutes a side with a bit of olive oil spray.
Once onions are removed, J puts a bit of butter on the griddle and toasts his buns.
He makes this INSANE sauce, which he uses as a condiment on the burgers. 

J's Killer Sauce
1/4 C ketchup
1 tsp Sriracha (or other non-vinegary hot sauce)
dash toasted sesame oil
1 TBSP olive oil mayo
cracked pepper to taste
Stir to combine, slather on burger buns. When burgers are properly dressed, dilute remainder of "sauce" with ketchup and use as dip for fries.

Please Send Mylanta

J's night stand at the apartment. Appropriate.

No. Seriously. Please send a rescue crew with all the sodium bicarbonate one can find.

We're wrapping up our week in NOLA with one last show tonight. A big event called "Instruments a'comin'!" Sounds amazing, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Except I can't eat anymore. I know, I know, I write an entire blog about eating (and drinking.) But I'm done. I can't do it.

My body is craving leafy greens NOT slathered in mayo or crawfish remoulade. I'm dying for a drink of something non-alcoholic and NOT a delicious coffee freeze from the fairgrounds. I'm fairly certain I've expanded my waist about 3 sizes, and my energy level is nil.

But...what a ride. J and I have been really really bad about taking pictures of our food. It just hasn't exactly been easy, what with rain, a ton of people, dirty muddy fairgrounds, etc. But when we return home (and have slept off the rest of our exhaustion) I will try my damndest to report back in massively descriptive detail all the wonders of my favorite things. Cochon du lait. Crawfish strudel. Rosemint iced tea, and white chocolate bread pudding. And, to the absolute and total delight of my husband, I've fallen in love with Crystal hot sauce. (We're smuggling several bottles in our suitcases.)

And the music...Anders Osborne rocked. Galactic (though insanely late, causing my entire circadian rhythm to wig out) was incredible. New Orleans Nitecrawlers. Simon and Garfunkel...ah.

Soon my friends, soon.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but NO MORE BEER!

Bourbon Street. Daytime. 

J and I during Simon and Garfunkel. The sun had finally come out!

Dinner Friday night. Cochon Butcher

Brother Andy and I at a party last night

Food Porn for a Skinny Vanilla Latte Woman...

I am, I swear. It's true. But on vacation in cities that revolve around food? PLEASE!

When I have a bit of time this weekend, I promise to post pictures and blog as much as possible. And when I get back? Oh my. I'll have to do some serious editing!

But to tide you over, pictures from day 1. Cafe du Monde for beignets and iced cafe au lait. Johnny's for po' boys. Bloodies and Abita Amber. (By the way, New Orleans has, by far, the best bloody mary I've ever had. More on that next week, but for real. Insane.) Emeril's NOLA for dinner. Tonight? Jacques Imo's for dinner.

And now I remember why I overpacked: one needs at least two sizes of everything in order to eat in NOLA.

Label Me This

In the middle of getting my whole life organized before heading to New Orleans tomorrow, I had a glass of wine slash new iPhone tutorial with my friend Rebekah. We both knew we shouldn't-we were swamped with work-but she needed some quick info on how to use her new phone, and who am I to say no? I mean, I was either going to have a glass of wine at home, over loads of laundry, or allow R to pour me an ample glass while showing her how to make her phone stop ringing? Easy choice, obviously!

She pulled out a bottle of Valley of the Moon Zinfandel, from Sonoma. With this statement, "Want to taste that awesome inexpensive wine we told you about with the worst label?" And seriously? She wasn't kidding.

You have to love the "frosty" effect on the bottle!

The wine was phenomenal! Around $10 (from Wine Discount Center in Chicago, I'm guessing) it was earthy and full, without being to "jammy"--something both R and I tend to dislike in California reds. It was really wonderful. But it got us talking about those other REALLY good bottles with terrible labels...and then, of course, the NOT so good bottles with the really bad labels. 

I'm definitely not a label-buyer--obviously, I rarely see labels until I'm tasting the wines, which is a bonus of being in my business. A lot of my customers are label purchasers, though, and it makes total sense! There are times when it's great, and I'd be lying if I didn't purchase certain stock because I KNOW people will buy for the label. 

At the end of the day, great label or not, if the wine isn't good, you're not going to repurchase. And vice versa, I'll buy a great bottle with a horrible label (above) again and again.

But to quote a very wise man, "I'd never bring that bottle to a BYO restaurant!"

What about you? Are you a label buyer? Share your stories, good and bad! 

Some of my favorites?

I've written about this wine before--it's fantastic and retails for around $9. 

But the label is like the decor from the tv show "Too Close for Comfort!"

A lovely Sauvignon Blanc I just started carrying. Retails for about $13. 

But for label buyers? It's terrible!

This is one of those not so great wines with an even worse label. Don't even get me started!

Pesto: The Last of My Rampage

Pesto is fascinating, isn't it? Ok, maybe not fascinating...but certainly interesting. It's easy and gives you instant gratification. All you need is a food processor (or a blender, but I think you REALLY need a food processor to make it work well) and some ingredients and POW! You have a dip, a sauce, a spread...("it's a hat, it's a brooch, it's a Teradactyl.")

Traditionally, pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. That's it, aside from salt and pepper. But there are recipes that switch that up all over the place. Spinach, peas...all can be made into pesto with the right balance. I've made a tarragon and parsley pesto. I make a spinach and walnut pesto that is one of my absolute favorites! I tend to start the processing of the pesto with stock, just to lighten it up a bit and get the greens moving...and then stream in the olive oil. But it's basically hard to screw up. Just taste and test as you go, blending and adding to your heart's content.

I decided to use the remainder of my ramps (sad to see you go, happy for the week's worth of meals I had) to make a pesto, per the genius of my friends at Kitchen Lab. I took it a step in a new direction, swapping in pistachios for the pine nuts (they also made one with walnuts) and using manchego cheese. It needed some lemon (zest and juice) and I lightened it up with a bit of stock, but it was tremendous! Throw in some chicken sausage and bulgur and we had a beautiful meal. More importantly, we had a few beautiful jars to give away!

Bonus points go to the readers that can name the quote above!

Pesto (in a nutshell)
3 or so C (packed loosely) greens, herbs, ramps, whatever
Heavy splash of vegetable or chicken stock (if you want to lighten it up)
1/2 C toasted nuts of your choosing (just toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes)
1/2 grated cheese (again, try different hard cheeses to mix it up)
Lemon (zest and juice) if necessary, depending on your greens
1/2-3/4 C olive oil (depends on consistency)
salt and pepper

In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the nuts til they're mostly chopped.
Add greens and a splash of stock (or oil) and process down to a rough paste.
Add in cheese and lemon zest (if using) and turn your machine on, slowly streaming in the olive oil, tasting and testing as you go.
When you reach desired sauciness, add in salt and pepper, more cheese if necessary, lemon juice if necessary, and stir.
Serve with pasta, meat, as a dip...the possibilities, they are endless!