Spring in January

It was an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon reaching near 70 degrees. Normally this time of year I'm all about the braising and the roasting of large hunks of beef, pork or fowl. But given the current weather system something lighter and healthier seemed more appropriate. It also was the perfect chance to satisfy my resolution for 2009 of trying something new each week, or in this case, a food item I currently don't care much for, this time in the form of capers. Despite my penchant for Italian/American cuisine, I've long dreaded the veal and chicken piccata littering menus the world over. But SG fans, a promise is a promise.

For whatever reason, Siege and I rarely eat fish, despite the fact that it's so healthy (especially fish low in mercury) and tasty. Well tonight was officially 'Fish Nite.' I'm sure there's a better title for it...oh wait, I know, Snapper Supper Sunday! That'll work. That's right folks, red snapper is on the menu this evening- served with a lemon caper butter sauce over green beans (trying to keep it healthy people). Ugh...bring on the capers.

The sauce was a simple combination of butter, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and of course, the antagonist in this story, capers.

I would soon be eating my words for dessert because the snapper and lemon butter sauce were uber delicious. The tart-salty-pickle tasting sauce was a nice addition to the mild flaky snapper. We paired the fish with a killer Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. It mirrored the flavors of the lemon caper sauce beautifully: zesty, fresh, clean and crisp.

It's nice to try new things, but it's also not a bad idea to revisit ingredients and food items you once found off-putting, cause you never know what you'll come across. As for me and capers; well let's just say we aren't getting hitched anytime soon, but we can definitely kick it every once in awhile on some tasty snapper.

What Up Cuz!

No, this site is not being changed to report on the wonders of gangsta gastronomy. Don't be silly! I wouldn't dream of gracing this fine blog with Cristal and caviar, that's way out of my league. Plus, I'd lose my foodie street-cred, and we wouldn't want that would we?

Last time I posted there was a promise made. I declared to try one at least one new food item per week. The only conditions being they must be either foods I've previously disliked, or that have never made their way to my mouth before. Well, I'm happy to report that week 1 is over and I'm 'par for the course' as the golfers say.

I had such an opportunity to further educate my palate during a most pleasant evening visiting with our cousins from the Bay area. It's always a great time with those two! It usually breaks down like this: Food/wine, laughs, good conversation, and follow that up with more food and wine. I know, I know, very descriptive.


I always struggle with what to prepare when they come over. I wanted to do something a little different, but simple and tasty. In the end, lamb cutlets with Romesco fit the bill. To be perfectly honest, I've only had lamb a couple of times. The thought of making it at home always seemed a smidge daunting. Well not this time I tell you! Romesco is also new to me. For those of you that are unfamiliar with it as well, let's get you better acquainted. Romesco is a sauce of tomato, garlic, roasted red peppers, almonds, a pinch of sugar, and olive oil. It's sort of Spain's version of pesto, only not as herbacious and certainly not green. Romesco is a tangy, creamy sauce with a nice roasty nutty flavor. It worked really nice with the crispy pan fried lamb cutlets. Siege's roasted garlic-manchego Mashed patatoes weren't bad either. Actually, they were killer! I had 3 helpings and it was worth it despite what my cardiologist says. Kidding, eat responsibly people. As you can see it was a pretty hefty supper, so I attempted to lighten it up with sauteed green beans with shallots and lemon. It proved to be futile since we threw down bread pudding for dessert. Yum.

My philosophy is this: always go big when you have company over. So cheers to the New Year and here's to keeping New Year Resolutions!

A New Beginning

It seemed only fitting to start the new year in ironic fashion. Ironic you say? Well, yeah. Because the last time I actually blogged was at the beginning of my summer vacation last year (Vacation Blast Off!). Incidintally, I'm picking up the dusty laptop at the end of my twelve day glutenous, lethargic winter vacation (bummer). And oh what a vacation it has been. Filled with more sugar, fat and carbohydrates than you, or I for that matter, dreamed possible. That's right folks, I celebrated Christmas and New Year in true Sunday Gravy style! But let's not dwell on the past, for it is the dawn of yet another year. Full of promise and delusions of grandeur. What awaits me in 2009 in the world of food and wine? Who can say? Only time will tell.

Let us concentrate on the here and now. Tonight is Saturday, the 3rd of January, and this evening's supper was just what I needed. A quiet, nice cozy night with my beautiful wife. A fine, if not simple, earthy glass of Nero D'Avola that complimented a quaint little meal consisting of thinly sliced rib-eye steak sitting proudly atop a fluffy pile of peppery arugula. I love this sort of cookery. It's simplicity is unwavering. There are several reasons for my fondness of this kind of dish. 1) It involves very little prep work or clean up. 2) It's satisfying. 3) Of course, it's delicious, which is obviously crucial to any dining experience.

So what's up for 2009? No self respecting blog would omit the ceremonial 'New Year Resolutions' portion on the 1st post of the New Year. And, while I'm not in the slightest a goal oriented person, I will, for your amusement and consideration offer the following resolution for 2009. Okay, deep breath, here I go:

I resolve to eat or drink one item a week I've previously disliked or have never tried before. That gives me 52 opportunities this year to discover culinary highs, and I'm sure more than a couple food flops. The items can be something as simple as a condiment I've found unpleasant in the past. Or perhaps a dish I told myself I would never try. I hope to find this a modest and comfortable attempt to leisurely explore new cuisines and flavors. My intention will be to provide a short paragraph each week on the results. It's a good thing my resolution was not to blog more. You know, in case I miss a week or two... heh. Oh man, some things never change!

This year will also introduce guest bloggers on Sunday Gravy, which I'm totally pumped about. Stayed tuned, and Happy New Year!